Authors: A Dissembler
Jane appeared from the bedchamber. ‘John is on his way up, Miss Marianne.’
‘Thank you, Jane. I own I am eager to discover to whom Grandmamma has entrusted me.’
A sharp tap indicated John Smith, her man of affairs, and Jane’s devoted spouse, had arrived.
‘Come in, John. Tell me, I am bursting with curiosity, how did Sir James take the unexpected arrival of a distant relative?’
‘He didn’t, miss. He is dead. He died last year.’
Marianne’s hands flew to her mouth. ‘Oh dear! What a disaster! If I cannot stay here wherever shall we go? I cannot trail about the place like a vagrant.’
‘Here, miss, you’ve gone quite pale, sit down. I’ll fetch you a glass of cordial.’ Jane took Marianne’s elbow and escorted her to the chintz covered daybed. John dropped down to one knee, his weather-beaten face creased with concern.
‘There, there, miss, don’t fret. All will be well, it is not as bad as it seems.’ He squeezed her hands. ‘Come now, take a deep breath, dry your eyes and let me explain how things are.’
Marianne swallowed hard, fighting to gain her composure. Eventually she looked up and withdrew her hands from John’s light grasp. ‘Thank you, John, I am quite recovered. You can continue. I am ready to hear the worst.’ He rocked back on his heels and stood up.
John cleared his throat importantly. ‘The gentleman in residence is one Sir Theodore Devenish, Sir James’s heir. He arrived here himself but a short while ago. It would seem he is a swell of the first stare but without the wherewithal to maintain it. He is only here to rusticate until his next quarter’s funds are available.’
Marianne frowned. ‘Then I can hardly stay here, if this is a bachelor establishment. And a member of the
ton
will not wish to be saddled with a young ward. Far too fatiguing!’
John smiled. ‘He has pockets to let. He will be delighted to have access to your trust fund. I heard in the stables that he has sent his man over to a place nearby called Frating Hall to ask a Lord and Lady Grierson to take you in. They have a house full of hopeful sons and daughters and not enough blunt to push them off.’
Marianne almost laughed. ‘And how many more importunates are to dip their greedy hands into my fortune? There will be nothing left to inherit by the time I am one and twenty!’
‘As your man-of affairs I can assure you no one can touch the principle, and there is more than enough interest accrued to cover all your expenses and plenty over for Sir Theodore and Lord and Lady Grierson too.’
‘I am delighted to hear it. It will be a novel experience to live in a large and happy household. I thought that Grandmamma was being horribly unkind to send me away, but now I am glad she did.’ She shuddered as she recalled her last meeting with the repellent baronet, Sir James Russell, who had almost succeeded in carrying her off in his carriage. ‘Tell me, what manner of man is Sir Theodore?’
‘There is no doubting your relationship. He has the selfsame colour hair and eyes. He could be your brother.’
‘Well, we are related, very distantly, so it is not so out of the ordinary to look alike. But what manner of man is he? Is he a man of sense or a mere tulip of fashion?’
‘I’m not the best judge of that, miss. But I can tell you he is well over six feet and has broad shoulders and a well turned calf. As to the rest, you had best judge for yourself.’
‘I see, as bad as that!’ She grinned. ‘Never mind, as long as he is pleasant and leaves me to get on with my life, I shall be well satisfied with the bargain.’
‘In my opinion Sir Theodore is more interested in the cut of his jacket than anything else. And that came from Weston’s, and no mistake! But he looks harmless enough. And me and the lads will be close by to protect you if that bounder shows his face, never doubt that.’
‘I know you will, John, and I am grateful for it. Will you be able to accompany me to Frating Hall?’
‘We’re coming. Never you fear, miss. Lord Grierson will be happy to have three men and a maid servant employed that he doesn’t have to pay out of his own pocket. He will not complain about us.’
Marianne did not enquire who was in fact paying their wages. She supposed these arrangements had been made by the lawyers, but thinking about such things made her tired.
When the summons came for her to go down and meet her guardian it was past five o’clock. Being kept waiting for over two hours had not improved her temper and she was not disposed to like a young man who treated her with such incivility.
Chapter Two
The footman led Marianne across the chequered hall and along the light carpeted passageway. She had time to admire the recently placed gold and green striped wallpaper and the matching fabrics of the window dressings before he stopped outside the library.
The young man knocked and, strangely, pressed his ear to the wood. He nodded and opened the door, standing back to allow her to enter. She heard the quiet click as it closed behind her.
She sank into a deep curtsy, keeping her eyes fixed to the floor, unexpectedly nervous now she was face to face with the man who had control of her life and fortune. She struggled to find the anger that had sustained her on her journey to this room but it had been replaced by anxiety.
A deep, well modulated voice bid her stand-up and she raised her head. ‘Welcome, Miss Devenish. We could be brother and sister, could we not?’
The man, leaning nonchalantly against the wall, smiled and flapped a hand in the direction of the chintz covered
chaise longue
. Marianne sat, as quickly as her shock allowed, on the indicated daybed. She shook her head, making her ringlets dance.
‘I beg your pardon, sir, I am forgetting my manners. I am pleased to make your acquaintance and thank you for so kindly taking me in.’
Her guardian made her a magnificent leg and strolled to a matching seat placed opposite. He folded himself elegantly and stretching out, crossed his booted legs at the ankle.
‘Well, my dear, this is an awkward situation is it not? You expecting old Uncle James, I expecting no one.’
Marianne drew breath to answer then decided his comments were rhetorical and folded her hands in her lap and waited for him to continue.
‘It will not do—you realize that? I cannot have a young miss living here. I am a bachelor.’
She nodded, John’s information was apparently correct. ‘Then where am I to go, sir?’
He smiled happily. ‘It is all arranged. You are to reside with Lord and Lady Grierson at Frating Hall. They have a large family and a daughter, who is eighteen, as you are. You will be better suited to a family than stuck here with me, shall you not?’
She shrugged. ‘I will do as I am bid, sir. If you require me to go to Frating Hall, I am happy to oblige.’ Marianne felt pricking behind her eyelids. She was beginning to feel like an unwanted parcel. Could he not have seemed a little sad at having to part with her? But she did not wish to be seen as a watering pot by this languid young man, so blinked back her tears.
* * * *
Theo’s eyes narrowed when he saw her distress. His natural instinct was to reassure her but he was unable to do so without stepping out of character. ‘I shall be sending a bank draft to Lady Grierson to cover your expenses.’ He paused and raked her from head to toe. ‘She has instructions to clothe you as befits your future status—and herself and Miss Grierson also. You cannot appear in society, however meagre, dressed as you are.’
His criticism served its purpose. He saw her beautiful blue eyes flash with anger, but she hid it well. Only an expert at reading body language would have detected it.
‘My wardrobe is almost nonexistent. It was impossible to transport all but the barest necessities on horseback. It will be delightful to be allowed free rein in my choices and to have a friend to share the pleasure with.’
‘That reminds me, my dear girl, it will not do to go around the countryside astride on that gelding of yours. I will supply you with a more suitable mount and keep him for myself.’
She was on her feet glaring at him before he had completed his sentence. ‘You will do no such thing, sir. Sultan is my horse and he goes with me. I can ride him as well side-saddle as astride.’
Theo glanced upwards, apparently admiring the elegant plastered moulding, allowing his anger to subside before giving his reply. He uncoiled easily and closed the distance between them with one stride. The girl, for a second was intimidated by his size, then relaxed, when she saw his expression.
‘No need to fly up into the boughs, my dear. It is no matter to me if you keep your mount or not.’ He smiled fatuously, but if she had been paying better attention she would have realized the amusement was not genuine. ‘And providing a suitable mare would necessitate travelling to Town—far too fatiguing in this weather.’
He stepped past her and tugged the bell. ‘My carriage is outside, your entourage ready. I will escort you to the door, my dear.’
* * * *
A surprisingly firm hand gripped her elbow and guided her back along the corridor to the spacious entrance hall.
The butler opened the front door with a flourish and Marianne found herself at the bottom of the steps. She was lost for words. He handed her into the carriage and closed the door. He leant in, his expression bland.
‘I expect I shall allow you time to settle and refurbish your wardrobe before I call at Frating Hall to see how you go on.’
‘Thank you, sir. I shall look forward to your visit.’
He nodded, apparently satisfied with her response. He waved to the coachman. ‘Drive on; the Grierson’s are waiting eagerly for your arrival.’ Without a backward glance he turned and sauntered up the steps and vanished inside.
‘Miss, I can hardly credit it! Sir Theodore could be your brother, so alike are you.’
‘It is extraordinary is it not?’ Marianne agreed. ‘Jane, have you and John discovered anything of interest about the Grierson’s? Sir Theodore spoke highly of them but, as he is not a man of superior intellect, I cannot rely on his opinion.’
‘I’ve heard only good of them, apart of course, from living above their means. There are two boys, one older and the other younger than you and three girls. One, Miss Emily, is your age the other two still in the schoolroom.’
‘Yes, my guardian told me about Emily Grierson. It will be pleasant to have a contemporary to converse with for the first time.’ She leant back and closed her eyes ending the conversation. She sighed, wondering if she would fit in with her new family. She had few social graces and was used to doing as she pleased. Perhaps the money would not be enough and the Grierson’s would reject her also? What if she offended them or attracted an unsuitable beau again? Would they get rid of her as her grandmother had? Marianne wiped her eyes with the dainty linen square Jane had handed her.
* * * *
The carriage lurched sideways, throwing her violently against the window, and remained tilted at an alarming angle. She rubbed her bruised forehead and peered anxiously through the glass expecting the vehicle to tip right over.
John appeared and wrenched open the door. ‘Are you injured, Miss Devenish? The driveway to Frating Hall is riddled with potholes and we are temporarily stuck in one.’
‘It is no matter John. If we are already on the drive, we can walk from here.’
‘Very well, miss. I will send Tom ahead to alert them of your arrival.’
It was pointless lowering the steps as they would have pointed uselessly into the sky. John reached in and, gripping her arms, swung her through the door and placed her on the rutted driveway. As he turned to rescue his wife, Marianne looked around with interest.
She saw the neglected state of the gravel and the unkempt trees and shrubs but they did not concern her. It was no more than she was used to for Upton Manor had been left to decay after her father’s untimely death. There had been sufficient funds to keep it up but her mother had chosen otherwise. What caught her attention was the house, glimpsed ahead; the soft red brick of its walls and the glitter of the myriad large windows were welcoming. This edifice was a delightful change from the dark grey stones and tiny leaded panes of the place where she had grown up.
‘Look Jane, what a lovely house! See it faces west and has an open aspect and I can spy a church tower over there, behind that stand of oaks. How wonderful to be able to walk to service every Sunday!’
Jane followed the pointing finger. ‘Some parts of it are in sad need of repair. And there are several tiles missing and, if I’m not mistaken, there are birds nesting in the guttering.’
Marianne smiled. ‘Small matter, Jane, it looks a happy house. I shall not heed a leaky roof if the people who dwell under it are kind and friendly.’
They watched Tom canter off down the avenue, made dark by the overhanging branches of the unloved trees. Leaving John and the others to right the coach, she set off towards the large, ivy clad building.
‘There are deer in the park and I can hear nightingales singing in the trees. That has to be a good sign, surely?’
‘That’s as may be, miss; nightingales sing anywhere, they’re not fussy who lives in the vicinity.’
‘You are correct, Jane. But I still believe this place has a contented feel, in spite of the obvious dilapidation.’
They rounded the curve of the drive in and were able to see the whole of Frating Hall. The building was bathed in late afternoon sunlight, its mellow red bricks appearing almost pink. This was, indeed, a beautiful house.
‘It has been recently restored, in part, I think,’ Marianne exclaimed. ‘The front is modern, the windows well proportioned. They must once have had funds to have been able to improve the property so much.’
‘Well, they have none now, or this drive would be in better repair and their roof would have been mended,’ Jane replied sourly.
Before they were in hailing distance, the front door opened and a flood of figures poured from it waving gaily. In spite of her reticence Marianne found her mouth curving and her arm rising in response. A slight, dark haired, figure detached itself from the group. Gathering up her skirts the young lady, decorum thrown to the winds, ran pell-mell towards them.