As Jane and Fanny walked back to their cottage, Fanny teased Jane about Lord Blackwood's attentions.
"I suppose you are going to tell me they are only brotherly," Jane said, piqued.
"No," Fanny said, "the looks he gives you are far from brotherly."
Jane felt herself blush. "I wonder why Lord Staplefield persists in speaking in that ridiculous fashion to Lady Juliette," she commented to change the subject. "Even Lord Blackwood noticed it."
"Wasn't it delicious!" Fanny gurgled.
"But perhaps a little unkind," Jane said. "Everyone knows he is making a Maygame of her."
"Fustian. The lady brings his teasing upon herself," Fanny said. "Think of what she said to you. That was most unkind. She deserves to be teased."
Jane made no reply, for although it was not becoming in a former vicar's daughter, she
had
been glad for Lord Staplefield's teasing of Lady Juliette.
They walked along in silence for a while, Fanny with a thoughtful expression on her face.
"I do not think Lady Juliette would be the right wife for Captain Tremaine," Fanny said as they neared the village. "I cannot like her.”
"She is beautiful and charming, and of high rank," Jane stated calmly.
"Perhaps. I shall concede that. But I wager she only likes Captain Tremaine because he is heir to a viscountcy. Lord Staplefield tells me there is some question about her reputation, and that of her brother, also."
"You should not be discussing such things with the earl. It is not proper," Jane said automatically.
Fanny ignored her. "You would be a better wife for Captain Tremaine, if he could see beyond his nose. If he saw the true colours of Lady Juliette he would not think they were pretty."
"It is none of our affair what Captain Tremaine thinks or does," Jane said sternly. "You were correct when you told me Captain Tremaine only regarded me as a sister,” Jane said as they reached their gate. “I must accept that. You are not to interfere."
Fanny only smiled enigmatically as she walked down the garden path to the cottage, and Jane felt uneasy as she followed her sister inside. She had longed for Fanny's mischievousness to return, but in the past that enigmatic smile on Fanny’s face had always presaged trouble.
Chapter Seven
The next morning, Jane began her usual chore of sorting through her father's correspondence and putting it in piles according to the subjects addressed. As she performed her routine task, her attention was caught by the name Sir John Moore mentioned in a letter from the Bishop of Salisbury.
“Would the brother of the Bishop of Salisbury have connections, Papa?" she asked as she scanned the letter.
"What, my dear?" her father asked, taking off his spectacles and looking up from his papers reluctantly.
"The Bishop of Salisbury mentions his brother, Colonel Fisher, in reference to Sir John Moore." Jane went on to elaborate about Captain Tremaine’s futile attempts to restore the name of his commander. "Perhaps the brother of the bishop would have connections the captain does not," she said hopefully.
"Why do you not give Captain Tremaine his direction, then?"
Jane was thoughtful. "Perhaps it would be better if you would write to the bishop first, Papa. I should dislike to raise Captain Tremaine's hopes if nothing should come of it. He was quite cast down when his efforts in London came to naught."
Mr. Hampton agreed. "Give me the letter, dear, while I remember. If you wish it, I shall write directly. If the bishop should not be able to help we shall not tell Captain Tremaine of our attempt."
Jane thanked her father and kissed him affectionately before going back to her task.
* * * *
That same morning at Haverton Park, Edward found he had a moment for himself while Lady Juliette changed from her riding clothes and Lord Blackwood rode to Staplefield with Jamie. The one thing he was finding disagreeable about his guests was that they required his full attention. He could not leave them to their own devices often, for Lady Juliette and her aunt were not generally disposed towards quiet pastimes.
He sighed. It was more than a week since he had returned from London, and he had not yet had a chance to discuss his trip with Lord Tremaine. He wished to inform his father that his attempts to interest someone in London on behalf of Sir John had been futile and apply to him for his advice. Perhaps he could find him now, he thought, glancing at the carriage clock on the mantel. At this time of the morning he might be able to find his father in his study.
The viscount was indeed in his study, where he sat behind his satinwood desk frowning in concentration at his account books.
"May I disturb you a moment sir?” Edward asked, coming into the room and going to stand before his father's desk. "I wished to ask your advice about the matter of clearing Sir John's name."
Lord Tremaine set his accounts aside and looked thoughtfully at his son, motioning him to be seated.
“I take it, then, that that part of your journey was not successful?”
"No," Edward replied, relaxing thankfully into a comfortable chair, "and I do not know what to do next. Castlereagh and Canning were the highest-ranking politicians I could appeal to. Where can I go from there? Colonel Wentworth did promise to write if he was able to find anything out for me, but I have had no word yet."
The viscount rubbed his forehead in concentration. "It's evident that you must either find a better spokesman or a person of higher rank to whom you could appeal."
"Who?" Edward asked pessimistically. "The Prince is the only person higher up, since the King has little to do with affairs of state anymore. I do not know HRH, and he is notoriously capricious."
Edward’s father was silent a minute, thinking, and then shook his head solemnly. "I have never regretted my country life until this moment," he said. "I have chosen to stay out of politics and pay the price of isolation. But now when you need them, I have no influence or friends in high positions. I know it is difficult Edward, but I fear that all you can do at this point is wait and see if Colonel Wentworth comes through with something.” Lord Tremaine looked at Edward regretfully, deploring his inability to aid his son in a matter that was of such import to him.
Reluctantly, Edward agreed with his father. He could do no more until he had additional information. Perhaps he would hear from Colonel Wentworth this next week. He allowed the subject to drop, and he and his father became involved in a discussion of estate matters that lasted until Edward's presence was once again demanded by his guests.
* * * *
Jane and Fanny dressed carefully the next Monday afternoon in preparation for the picnic, asking Mrs. Reid, with her unerring eye to help them make their choices. The older woman selected a frock of pink spotted cambric for Jane, adding a Venetian bonnet trimmed in yellow ribbons and a yellow parasol fringed in pink. For Fanny Mrs. Reid chose a high-waisted white muslin gown trimmed in peach with peach and green accessories. “Mind you show a care for the white gown, Miss Fanny,” Mrs. Reid warned. “Don’t you be up to any hoydenish tricks.”
Captain Tremaine collected them in a large open carriage in the early afternoon for the drive to Bramleigh, Jamie following in his phaeton. Lady Juliette was in excellent looks and spirits, charmingly outfitted in a high-necked frock of yellow muslin with long lace-trimmed sleeves and carrying a matching leaf-green parasol fringed in yellow. But for once Jane did not feel outshone by Lady Juliette, for Lord Blackwood rode alongside the open carriage, giving Jane unmistakable looks of admiration.
Christopher and Marianne Archer had been invited to join the party, and were waiting outside with Lord Staplefield when the Tremaine’s party arrived. The friends greeted each other merrily, and began the walk to the spot Lord Staplefield had selected for the picnic.
Jane looked forward to a pleasurable day, despite the presence of Lady Juliette. The Bramleigh grounds were beautiful, having been planned by Capability Brown, the popular landscape artist of the mid-eighteenth century, who specialised in making estate grounds look "natural" with hills, streams, ponds, groves, and even grazing sheep.
Lord Staplefield had selected a delightful spot for the picnic under a gracefully drooping willow by a small stream. Servants had already put down rugs and hampers of food, and while the food was being set out, the party split into smaller groups and settled onto the rugs. Jane found herself sitting next Lord Blackwood; Fanny sat in a larger group with Marianne, Chris and Jamie, and Edward sat with Lady Juliette. The earl, as a polite host, was attentive to all his guests, but it seemed to Jane he was particularly solicitous of Lady Juliette. Of course, she thought fairly, it could just be that Lady Juliette was demanding a lot of his attention.
Jane glanced at Fanny and Edward to see if either of them seemed to notice the care Lord Staplefield was lavishing on Lady Juliette, finding her a comfortable spot, filling her plate with delicacies and fanning her when the breezes died. Jane had had the feeling that Fanny particularly liked the earl, and thought her sister might be disturbed by his attentions to Lady Juliette, but Fanny seemed content with the attentions of Christopher and Jamie. Captain Tremaine appeared a little stiff, but was smilingly amiable to Lady Juliette.
Jane gave a shrug and turned her attention back to Lord Blackwood, catching his blue eyes regarding her intently. They exchanged a smile, and quite soon, Jane was too flattered by Lord Blackwood's attendance upon her to think any further of Lady Juliette. He fetched her a cooling glass of lemonade, filled a plate with the choicest delicacies, and after filling his own, sat down next to her.
Jane had never been in such close proximity to an unrelated gentleman, and found herself very aware of the way Lord Blackwood's shoulders filled out his coat, and even more so of the muscular thighs outlined by the tight-fitting buff pantaloons when he stretched out beside her. Aware of her regard, he smiled at her lazily, and Jane felt her face heat as she sensed he knew exactly what she was thinking was thinking. Perhaps Lord Staplefield was correct in what he had told Fanny, and Lord Blackwood
was a
rake.
Her appreciation of Lord Blackwood's physique made Jane feel somehow traitorous, and she glanced over at Edward again, just in time to see him place a strawberry into Lady Juliette's inviting mouth. A sudden pain tightened her chest and Jane quickly turned back to Lord Blackwood.
Lord Blackwood had followed Jane’s glance, and now followed Edward's suit, dangling a ripe strawberry above Jane's lips. His fingers touched her lips lightly as she daringly bit into the strawberry, and she felt a strange pull towards Lord Blackwood; a sense of kinship of spirit. Feeling uncomfortable, Jane turned away and concentrated on eating a venison pastry from her plate, thereby missing the expression of disapproval Captain Tremaine directed her way.
After the party finished their leisurely lunch and the servants began repacking the hampers and clearing up, Lord Staplefield asked if they would like a tour of Bramleigh. Everyone favoured the suggestion, for Bramleigh was, without doubt, the finest house in the district and an opportunity to be shown through it by the owner was not to be missed. Jane had been in the house twice before, for two masquerades prior to the old earl's death, and was curious to see if Lord Staplefield had changed anything.
As they went inside the house, Jane considered how while clothes fashions from the 1770s now looked out of style, away from court, at least, buildings from the same period seemed quite modern. Bramleigh had been designed by Robert Adam, one of the premier architects of the 1770s, and as he often did, Adam had also chosen most of the interior furnishings, even to the carpets.
As they entered the large entrance hall, Jane saw that it remained as it had been before, with its black-and-white checkered marble floor and large white marble columns surrounding three of the walls. The six tall windows were hung with draperies of blue
gros de Naples
that extended the length of the fourth wall. Full-size classical statues were set in niches along the walls between the columns, and several landscapes by Gainsborough hung high above the statues.
After his guests had looked their fill in the entrance, Lord Staplefield led the party through the hall into the dining room, which was one of Jane's favourite rooms. At each end of the dining room the walls curved outward, and the sideboards, also designed by Adam, had been curved to fit the wall. Painted a delicate apple-green, the curving walls featured sunken panels ornamented with white plasterwork of the same design as that on the ceiling. Jane could see that the entire party was impressed with Bramleigh, and she noticed a particularly avid and acquisitive look in Lady Juliette's blue eyes. Edward had better watch out, Jane thought a little unkindly. Three Haverton Parks could fit into one Bramleigh.
A drawing room opened out from the dining room, and the earl led the group there next. This room was done in green, pink and yellow pastels, and Angelica Kauffman had been commissioned to paint a round picture in the centre of the ceiling. The painting was surrounded by plasterwork in a delicate design that was reflected below in the design of the carpet.
Jane was standing aside from the others, admiring the drawing room’s white marble fireplace inlaid with coloured marbles of pink, green and grey, when she noticed something odd. The earl, Fanny, Edward and Lady Juliette were standing together, and Fanny appeared to be pointing out various valuable possessions of Lord Staplefield's, calling Lady Juliette's attention to his collection of Sevres and his paintings by Rubens and Poussin. Fanny seemed quite familiar with the house, and Jane wondered when she had been there before, for Fanny had been too young to attend the masquerades with Jane. She would have to keep a closer eye on Fanny, Jane realised. In her preoccupation with her hurt over Edward, she had neglected her duties as chaperone. A question directed to the earl from Marianne took Jane’s thoughts from her sister.