Authors: Stella White
“Ahh Bertie.” Aunt Agatha said. “Come and meet out
new
neighbour.” Bertie walked inside and said that they had already met. His aunt wanted to know how and Caroline stood up to meet Lord Haverbrook. “She held out a hand in greeting and said “We may have got off on the wrong foot, Lord Haverbrook. It is lovely to meet you” Bertie knew his manners and came across, took her outstretched hand and raised it to his lips. Once again he felt the jolt of excitement through his body at the touch of her
hand,
but nothing showed on his face. “Good day, Miss Carstairs. Let us start again.” She rewarded him with a radiant smile that lit up her features like a shaft of summer
sunlight,
and Bertie Collins Margrave was stunned. For once he was lost for words and his aunt saved the day by telling them both to sit and take some tea. “Caroline has two
wonderful
attributes that you could do well to learn from,” she told him
severely,
and he waited to
be instructed
with a good grace and kept his eyes on the visitor. His London eye told him that the afternoon dress she was wearing was straight from the capital
city,
and she wore it with confidence and style.
Aunt Agatha held a book and waved it in the air. “See this new printing system is making these books available to all of us and Caroline is introducing me to a whole world of reading.” Caroline joined the conversation and told him that his aunt was enjoying the books but in return was allowing herself access to her gardens and she was taking inspiration to create a garden of her own. Bertie
too,
enjoyed some of the new literature available and although they liked different types of reading the three of them found a discussion relaxing and entertaining. Bertie felt comfortable and sat back to enjoy himself.
In the end,
his aunt directed him to take Miss Carstairs into the garden. “The gardeners will remove anything she might like to choose.”
This was
amazing in itself because his aunt was normally desperately possessive of her plants. He stood and offered the visitor his arm. “My pleasure, Miss Carstairs.” He said and led the girl out of the doors onto the terrace that overlooked his aunt’s pride and joy.
Caroline Carstairs took the lead in saying that she had heard that he preferred to live in
London,
and he told her that was indeed the case. “But Lord Haverbrook, do you not desire to bring some of the London style and fashion to this part of the world?” Bertie had never given this any thought before and was surprised to discover that he enjoyed talking to someone about the things that could be brought up to Derbyshire. The conversation ranged from the latest books and magazines, clothes and activities to the household equipment that could make life easier for all concerned. The two of them were deep in animated talk and found themselves having walked
slowly a long way
from the house. “I am sorry.
This is
a long way for you to walk.” Bertie suddenly realised and was surprised when his companion laughed. “I love to walk, ride and in the garden, I like
to actually work
with the plants. A little walk will do me good.” She had turned towards
him,
and they were suddenly very close to each other. Bertie took her face between his hands in a spontaneous gesture and kissed her on the lips. After the initial
surprise,
Caroline returned the kiss with a passion that surprised even herself. There was a sudden and complete connection between them and the kiss deepened and lengthened into something that neither of them expected. It was not that Caroline Carstairs had never
been kissed
but rather that she had never been kissed in a way that took her to another world. A kiss that sent her head swimming and
leaving
her knees quite weak. Bertie found his senses first and pulled away.
“I am so sorry,”
he stuttered. “I don’t know what came over me. Please forgive me for taking advantage.” Caroline looked at his face and the shock that the kiss had inflicted on both of them. She smiled that stunning sunshine smile and pulled his head back towards her. “I am a new
woman,
” she told him
and, this time,
she took the initiative and started the kiss.
“I think, Miss
Carstairs,
” Bertie said in the end. “That we had better walk back to the house.”
She laughed and took his
arm,
and they strolled back in that
direction,
but both of them were still a little bit shaken by the intensity of the connection. Caroline brought herself to her senses and told him that she had a
carriage
and he found someone to go and ask
for the vehicle
to
be brought
to the front of the house. The couple waited in the
extensive
hallway until the carriage
was brought
around and he helped the girl into her rather smart and up to date transport.
“I enjoyed the walk and the company,” he
said,
and she leaned forward and told him that she had felt the same. Bertie resisted the urge to take those
delightful
lips
again,
and he told the driver to start the journey to her home. Then Bertie Collins Margrave stood for quite a long time on the steps of his stately pile remembering the feel of those lips against his own.
He found his aunt happily reading her latest
book,
and she stopped long enough to query if he found the new neighbour pleasant. Bertie knew his aunt of old and gave her a smile. “I know your matchmaking habits, dearest aunt and I am not going to fall into any trap.” She gave a knowing half smile and returned to her reading. He paused at the door and told her he was going riding with Badger the next day.
Late in the
morning,
Bertie set off on his favourite horse to meet up with his old friend Badger but when he arrived, via the road so not to trespass again, he found a gathering of friends. They were all collected in the hallway and reception room of Badger’s beautiful but
old-fashioned
house and Badger’s sister, Arabella, flew towards him with arms outstretched. He grinned at her and held out his arms in response and the two hugged each other and both spoke at the same time.
“Oh how wonderful to have you home
again,
” Arabella told him. “We do miss your company you know.” He set her back on her feet having swung the girl around in the air. These two had been friends since childhood and as Arabella had been as keen on the outdoors pursuits as the boys she had
been included
in their growing up. Badger often wished and indeed, had told Bertie, that
a marriage
to his sister would be an excellent idea. Both Bertie and Arabella disregarded this suggestion and continued to be the best of friends.
He held her out at arm’s length and told her she looked
wonderful
. “I know I am more up to date now that Caroline has moved into the Tupperham house.” And to his
surprise,
he saw that she was pulling Caroline towards her. “She tells me all about these wonderful shopping
emporiums,
and we have magazines with the latest styles.”
“That is
obvious,
” He said and admired the burgundy coloured riding outfit that Arabella was wearing.
Bertie looked around and said his greetings to the others. Badger had sent messengers to the local people of their
own
age and sent servants off to the garden pavilion with picnic food. The party had all arrived on horseback and mounted up with excitement for an unexpected visit out. The young ladies all rode side saddle with the skirts of their outfits elegantly spread over the horse’s flanks. They were all accomplished at this seat on their horses and were helped up by footmen and servants. Badger, Bertie and their two male friends climbed aboard easily and with a tinge of dislike Bertie saw that Arielle
Pernicier
and her cousin Bernice were along as well. “That will be because Toby Marsden-Smythe would like to be part of her
rich
and influential family.” Bertie thought to
himself,
but his innate good manners made him greet them pleasantly enough. Toby was riding beside
Arielle,
and she was ignoring him as she always had. Isabella Germaine
was included
in the
group
and Bertie smiled to himself. “Good morning,
Isabella,
” he said as he rode alongside her. She was a pleasant young woman with a mass of red curls that were usually out of control. Isabella
was dressed
in a dark blue riding
outfit,
and he has seen it a few times before. Bertie always noticed clothes. He might not
notice
other
things,
but he had an eye for what people were wearing. He wondered to himself if the family had money problems. Isabella’s parents were
aristocratic,
but not wealthy. He had always liked the girl and hoped things were not too bad. The party shouted to each other as they prepared to enjoy the ride over Badger’s extensive grounds to the garden pavilion. Once there they dismounted. Tethered the horses and spent a
very happy
afternoon lounging on day beds and eating if they felt like it. The girls talked endlessly about
fashion,
and it seemed that Caroline was the purveyor of the latest information. Bertie
felt
a bit annoyed at this because,
in the past,
he had brought the information from London to the
shires
. He slipped
onto
the seat beside Caroline. “What about the fashions in houses?” He joined in. Caroline smiled at
him,
and the talk turned to the latest in artwork, books and theatre. Badger came and sat beside Isabella. “You are saving dances for me at the ball, aren’t you?” He asked
her,
and she nodded and said that of course she was. He turned to Bertie. “The Callander’s
Ball,
” he said. “They will expect to see you
there.
” Bertie said he wouldn’t miss it for anything and asked if Caroline
was invited
. She said that she most certainly was and her second cousin was coming as her escort for the evening. Bertie laughed and said that no doubt his aunt would expect him to be her escort.
*****
The ball was two days later and duly dressed in the latest and best that money could buy in London, Bertie Collins-Margrave, Lord
Haverpool
escorted his aunt to their waiting carriage at the front
steps,
and they rode in
stately
fashion to the enormous home of The Marquis of Callander. It was ablaze with lights. Servants were everywhere and rushed to help his aunt from the carriage. The Callander mansion was
very large
and very ornate. The carriages were being ushered away as new ones arrived and Aunt Agatha and Lord Haverbrook alighted at the foot of the carpeted steps that led into the foyer and then the ballroom. An orchestra was already playing at the far
end,
and the room was already full of beautifully attired guests. There were seats for the older folk and Bertie escorted his aunt to meet the hosts. Once greeted, he took her to seat with a good view of proceedings and she joined some friends who
were obviously set
for a jolly good gossip.
He looked around and spotted Badger with a glass in hand and headed in that direction. The house was, in Bertie’s opinion, over the top with decoration. The walls
were overdone
with plasterwork and
marble,
and there were so many plants in pots that it was difficult to navigate the room. In each
corner,
there was a sort of pavilion effect as if the place was set up to watch a medieval jousting tournament. He fleetingly wondered if the host was going to sit under
one like
a sort of King Arthur. The two men stood and surveyed the assembly and Bertie thought that Badger had come up to date. “I say, Badge, you are wearing the new tight trousers.” Badger grinned at his friend and told him that his sister had made him read the magazines that Caroline had introduced. “Well I must say, it looks
good,
” Bertie concluded. He scanned the room and noted that some of the younger ones
were clad
in fashionable
gowns,
and some were still a little dated. Most of the young ladies were wearing the empire line dress which had been popular for some time and was quite flattering. The material gathered under the bust line and fell away to the floor. Some of them had a small train which could be hooked up for
dancing
and some of them
were very delicately and ornately decorated
. The colours were so varied that it almost looked like a collection of butterflies in the garden. The young women held fans that they
fluttered,
and lots of them held up the skirt with the other hand. Most of them had their hair swept up and caught into small curls clustered to the head. The older ladies like his aunt wore bonnets. An old friend who was a military man came over and greeted the two men. The military jackets and very tight trouser always caught the eyes of the opposite sex and William Grey was very aware of the eyes on him as he strode across the floor. “Smart as ever, old boy.” Bertie greeted the man and the they talked
of
what was happening in the military world.