Wentworth Hall (8 page)

And then abruptly, without warning, Maggie lost all interest in the horses, and Michael. As if they were toys she had grown tired of.

During their year apart, Lila had gone from hating Maggie for leaving her behind, to forgiving her once she realized Maggie was trapped in Southern France with their pregnant mother, back to hating her for never returning Lila’s letters.

Lila had been willing to look past all of that in order to spend time with Maggie again. And now that Lila was just a year away from having her own season in London, she had all sorts of questions for Maggie about Parisian style and London’s gentry. But these days, her elder sister simply avoided her. She wouldn’t even talk about her time in France! It was positively selfish.

The last year had been so lonely! If only Wesley hadn’t been gone too. The oldest Darlington had always doted on Lila, made her feel special. He’d taken her on hikes with
him and taught her to play darts and throw horseshoes. He’d never looked down on her because she was younger or a girl. Because of him, she’d been something of a tomboy growing up, always eager to prove to him that she could keep up.

It was hard to believe, but Lila realized now that Maggie was back and the Fitzhughs were staying at Wentworth Hall, Lila felt more alone than ever. She missed Wes. Lila hoped he’d find some time to come visit before starting at Oxford again for the new fall semester.

Lila absently twirled her dark blond hair and walked back to her bedroom. Why did Maggie dazzle while Lila was always overlooked? Maybe she didn’t have Maggie’s quick wit, mischievous smile, and soft beauty, but Lila knew her angular features, blond curls, and brown eyes weren’t
completely
without charm. And she was certainly the kinder of the two sisters (in Lila’s opinion). It had to be her shy nature that made her so much less attractive than her older sister. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to assert herself around others. She did! But it was difficult to struggle against one’s own natural temperament and be anything other than what she was.

“Fresh underclothes, washed and pressed.” Nora
entered the bedroom behind Lila carrying a pile of white ruffled petticoats, camisoles, and knickers. “I got you a corset, too,” Nora added with a conspiratorial wink. “Though, don’t tell your mum, she doesn’t think it’s appropriate for a girl of sixteen. It used to be one of Maggie’s, but she won’t miss it. She hates the thing.”

Lila snapped the white corset from the top of the pile and wrapped it around her waist. “Oh, Nora, you’re an angel! Would you lace it up for me?”

“I’m not going to do it up over your jumper,” Nora said with a laugh. “Take off your dress and we’ll do it proper.”

Lila tossed her jumper over her head, throwing the sailor-style jumper onto the bed as Nora laced the corset over her petticoat.

“Oh!” Lila gasped as Nora tugged on the ties.

“Sorry, miss,” Nora apologized. “The corset will suck you in at the waist. Takes a good yank or two to get some definition.”

“Boys seem to love Maggie,” Lila observed. “I’m as thin as a reed, while Maggie has the most ladylike figure.”

“You have your own appeal, even though it’s different from hers.”

Nora’s words made Lila smile and she went to the mirror to admire her newly corseted figure. She looked so much older in the corset. It was high time that her mother realized she wasn’t a child anymore and let her dress her age. “Could you help me put my hair up, Nora?”

“Your hair up?” Nora gasped. “What will your mother say?”

“She’s so involved with marrying Maggie off that she won’t even notice,” Lila cajoled. “Please, Nora!”

“Well, maybe we could give it a try,” Nora relented, skeptically. “Let me go get a box of hairpins from Maggie’s room.”

As soon as Nora departed, Lila walked over to the window. She knew it wasn’t right to snoop, but she couldn’t help it. Maggie and Teddy were now seated on a bench and Teddy was reading to Maggie from a book. From the love-struck expression on Teddy’s handsome face—and the utter boredom emanating from Maggie—Lila guessed it was a book of love poems. Maggie had always hated love poems.

Teddy’s attention was wasted on Maggie! Didn’t she care a thing for his feelings? He was so wonderful— fun-loving
and clever. When they’d been out riding the other day, he’d gone off the trail only to reemerge further up, jumping out ahead of them on the path, grinning at their surprise. And the other night at dinner, when he’d told of the time while camping in South Africa that he’d been spooked by a herd of zebras, thinking they were ghosts in the night, he told it in such a hilarious way that she thought she’d die from laughing. If he ever paid even an iota of attention to Lila, even noticed she was there at all, Lila knew she would rain affection and tenderness on him that would make him fall forever in love with her.

As Lila watched, Maggie yawned. Had Teddy seen it? He had! Lila could tell from his crushed expression. That Maggie was plain mean. Lila had once looked up to her. Now she realized Maggie cared nothing for other people, only for her own amusement.

Most certainly mean-spiritedness accounted for Lila being left out of the trip to the Continent. Lila was certain her mother would have agreed to bring her along, but whenever Lila tried to bring it up Maggie voiced all sorts of objections. Lila got seasick. Lila was too young to attend the fancy balls. Lila would miss her school lessons. And all
said as if Maggie was doing Lila a favor by forcing her to stay home! Was she really so dull that Maggie—who was only two years older—suddenly couldn’t stand the idea of spending time with her?

“I’ve got the hairpins,” Nora announced returning. “Now, how would you like it? Shall I roll it all toward the center like I do for your mother?”

“No! No! Too old-fashioned,” Lila objected. “Can you do it in a knot on top with some wispy tendrils hanging loose?”

“It’s a bit daring,” Nora considered uncertainly.

“Oh, please.” Lila crossed to Nora and sat on the cushioned stool by the mirror. “Mother and Father can’t keep me looking like a child forever.”

“All right,” Nora agreed as she plucked up a hairbrush from the dresser and started brushing out Lila’s hair. “But for the favor you have to tell me something. Is there a reason for this sudden interest in looking more ladylike?”

A burning sensation rose in Lila’s cheeks and quick check of the mirror confirmed that she was blushing.

“If I tell you, promise not to laugh,” Lila said.

“Promise,” Nora declared.

Lila hesitated, then admitted in a rush, “Maggie doesn’t care a thing for Teddy Fitzhugh and he’s bound to tire of the way she treats him. Maybe, though, if I could manage to get his attention, he might fancy me, instead.”

“Humph,” Nora grunted.

“You promised not to laugh!” Lila exploded, mortified by Nora’s reaction.

“Humph is not laughter,” Nora insisted, still brushing. “I’m thinking is all.”

“Thinking what?” Lila demanded with a petulant frown playing on her bow-shaped lips.

“Well, here’s the thing. The other day I was coming upstairs when I heard Teddy standing in the upstairs hallway telling your sister that if she would agree to become engaged to him—”

“Engaged!” Lila cried. “Already? Why, that’s outrageous! Why hasn’t anyone told me about this?”

“Don’t panic. She didn’t agree. It seemed so hasty on his part. Maggie told him it was too soon and she would have to see how their feelings for each other developed. He didn’t like it but he agreed.”

“Why didn’t she just tell him no? Anyone can see that
she has no feelings for him whatsoever. Oh, she’s horrid!”

Nora twirled Lila’s hair into a knot at the top of her head and starting pinning it into place. “She may have her reasons,” Nora allowed.

Lila was so irritated she could barely sit still. “What reason could she possibly have?”

“That Teddy Fitzhugh is a sly one. He reminded her that he was about to come into a fantastic inheritance. More money, he says, than even the Duke of Cotswall. He points out that Wentworth Hall is in need of some serious repairs and says that if he and Maggie were betrothed he would feel it was his duty and obligation to preserve her ancestral home.”

“See, that’s how he is,” Lila said, “sweet and willing to help.”

“Sounds more like a bribe to me,” Nora pointed out candidly.

Lila considered Nora’s words. She just couldn’t see Teddy that way. Teddy’s offer wasn’t a bribe but rather an inducement to love just as a man might bring flowers to the woman he was pursuing. “I think it’s a lovely offer,” Lila maintained. “Romantic, even. It’s wrong for Maggie to
mislead Teddy just so he can pay for repairs on the estate.”

“He’s already offered to pay to renovate the front entrance once the inheritance comes through. At first your father wouldn’t hear of it but Teddy said it was the least he could do to repay your family’s kindness to his sister and himself.”

“She has no kindness or sense of decency,” she said dismally.

“Oh, don’t be so hard on your sister,” Nora said. “She’s doing what’s best for the family.”

“Maggie is only playing with Teddy because it strokes her vanity,” Lila insisted.

“Aw, don’t be bitter against your own sister,” Nora counseled. With delicate finger work she coaxed small frills of hair out from Lila’s hairline. “There. What do you think?” she asked.

Lila gazed at her new hairdo. It made her look grown-up, which was precisely what she’d wanted. Lila decided that her new hairstyle looked pretty and made her feel the same way. This was just the way to get Teddy to notice her.

“It’s nearly dinnertime. You’d best get dressed,” Nora said.

Lila glanced at the sailor jumper she’d tossed on the bed. “I can’t put that jumper back on. It would look all wrong with the corset and new hair. Isn’t there anything else I can wear, something more stylish?”

Arms folded thoughtfully, Nora considered Lila’s request.

“There are two dresses that were ordered for Maggie before she went on her trip last year. She left before they were ready and she’s never worn either of them. She says they’re too prim for her taste, but I think they’re beautiful frocks,” Nora told Lila.

“Let me try them, please,” Lila pleaded excitedly.

“I’ll be right back,” Nora said, heading for the door. “Wait here.”

Lila turned in front of the mirror. The corset made her appeared more curvy than pudgy and Lila liked the way she looked in it despite its discomfort. It would be a small price to pay if her newly defined figure caught Teddy’s attention.

“Look at you, all grown-up!” a female voice sounded.

Lila was mortified. Nora had forgotten to shut the door on her way out.

Crossing her arms modestly over her bare collarbone, Lila whirled around, startled to see Jessica Fitzhugh standing in the doorway grinning at her. In the girl’s hand was the small red notebook she always seemed to be scribbling in. Lila had a diary too, but she didn’t write in it in public. Seemed to defeat the purpose.

Jessica didn’t wait to be invited but strolled in and sat on the edge of Lila’s bed, depositing her notebook at her side. “Oh, don’t be embarrassed,” she chided. “You look smashing. It’s about time, too. You couldn’t go about in those little girl jumpers forever.”

Although Lila could feel her cheeks burning, Jessica’s words pleased her. “Do you think so? Really?”

“Positively,” Jessica confirmed.

In the month that the Fitzhughs had been at Wentworth Hall, this was the first time Jessica had sat down to talk to her. Lila studied her there on the bed. Her auburn hair was piled high on her head and she wore a fashionable black tea-length skirt beneath a white blouse with balloon sleeves and a bow at the neck.

“With your hair up, you’re every bit as pretty as your sister,” Jessica went on.

“No one is as glamorous as Maggie,” Lila protested glumly.

“My brother, Teddy, certainly thinks so,” Jessica agreed with a sigh. “He’s utterly abandoned me for her.”

After her last disastrous conversation with Jessica, Lila had come to the conclusion that Jessica was just snooty and looked down on the Darlingtons since she and her brother were about to come into so much greater wealth. Now it struck Lila that maybe she had been right all along, that the girl was shy underneath her seeming brashness. People often mistook Lila’s own shyness for snobbery. And perhaps she wasn’t friendly because she’d always had her outgoing brother to lead the way. But now she was on her own.

“I know how you feel,” Lila sympathized. “Ever since Maggie returned from her year abroad she’s completely wrapped up in herself. It’s as though she thinks she’s grown and I’m only an insignificant child.”

“Well, you don’t look like a child right now,” Jessica said.

“Here are the dresses I told you about,” Nora said, entering the room with two dresses, one gray, the other a navy blue. “Try these.” Nora stopped short when she noticed Jessica sitting there. “Hello, Miss Jessica.”

Jessica stood up from the bed and approached Nora. “Let me see those dresses, Nora,” she said, taking them from Nora and spreading them on the bed. “Dreadful,” she pronounced.

“That’s what Miss Maggie says, but I thought they were rather fetching,” Nora disagreed.

“They were fetching two years ago,” Jessica insisted. “Look at the length of them. They’re to the floor! Everything is well above the ankle this year.”