Anne Barbour (20 page)

“But there is no time!” Winifred fairly shrieked. “We are putting the play on in two weeks, and I have already sent out the invitations. How am I going to find two people with a modicum of talent and with the ability to memorize lines quickly?”

“Perhaps the best plan,” said Simon from his place on the stage, “would be to cancel the whole thing. We can still have the dinner party, but we’ll offer, ah, impromptu recitals by the ladies for entertainment.” He glanced about him with a satisfied smile, as though expecting nods of agreement from the rest of the cast. What he received was a fiery glance from Winifred.

“The play,” she said mutinously, “will go on as scheduled. In fact, since so many of us are playing two roles, I wonder if there is not some way you could play Theseus, and Jane—why, Jane, Puck does not appear with Theseus on stage at all, so if you ...”

“No!” Simon and Jane spoke in unison.

“That is,” continued Jane, I am much too short for the Queen of the Amazons, don’t you think? And I’m sure I could never learn so many new lines.”

“And I cannot do Theseus,” said Simon. “No.” He raised a hand to stem Winifred’s incipient protest. “Filling the part of Lysander is as far as I am willing to go in pandering to what I can only call your unhealthy obsession with the stage. Now, I promised that I would not forbid you to put on the play, but if you will take my advice, I would give it up now instead of harassing us all.”

“Well, really!” gasped Winifred, but she was talking to the empty air, for Simon turned on his heel and left the room.

Jane knew a surge of irritation at his peremptory manner. Winifred might be irritating in her single-minded dedication to her craft, but she could not really be blamed for that. When one wanted something very badly, it would take a person of far greater self-discipline than Winifred to rein in her needs. She wondered if Lord Simon Talent had ever wanted something very badly. She rather thought not.

Lady Teague also left the room, and Harry and Gerard moved to take her place, Gerard seating himself on the settee, and Harry sitting cross-legged on the floor before Winifred in a worshipful attitude.

“You know, Winifred,” began Gerard, his gray eyes sparkling, “Harry and I do not appear with Theseus and Hippolyta—at least, we do not all speak together. What if I were to play the duke, and Harry could don that kirtle thing and play Hippolyta?”

Winifred, momentarily startled from her fit of gloom, gazed at Gerard as though he’d taken leave of his senses. When she glanced floorward, the vision of Harry in kirtle and peplum evidently caused her some anguish, for she placed her rosy fingertips against her mouth.

“Do but think, Winifred,” continued Gerard eagerly. “All the women’s parts in Shakespeare used to be taken by men. Harry has all that yaller hair, dontcher see, and he’s pretty short, so—”

It was obvious to the meanest intelligence that Harry did not share Gerard’s enthusiasm for the proposed project, but he nodded manfully, valiantly attempting to twist the spikes of his hair into ringlets.

“I played a chambermaid once in a skit some of the fellows got up at Oxford,” he said valiantly.

Winifred was forced to smile despite herself. “That is very kind of you—both of you, but I fear it will not serve. No,” she sighed profoundly, “I shall ask the Bintons if they will perform, though they will no doubt quite ruin the whole production.” She lifted her hand in a disconsolate gesture. “I had hoped to have actually acted in a play before going to London. I thought my appearance in a Shakespearian production might help get me an audition. Now, I wonder if I will ever get into the theater.”

At this, Gerard and Harry shot a significant glance at Sir James, who sat some distance away, leafing through a copy of The Genleman’s Magazine. Though he appeared not to notice their fixed stares, he rose and made his way to the small group.

“Miss Timburton,” he said portentously, “I am sure you are taking much too dim a view of things. If you will permit, may we take a stroll through the rose garden? Perhaps nature’s beneficence will put you into a happier frame of mind.” With barely a glance at her stalwart supporters, Sir James extended a hand to Winifred, who accepted it somewhat listlessly.

Watching their goddess exit the room. Gerard and Harry conducted a furious, though whispered, discussion between themselves for several moments before getting to their feet. Nodding to those remaining, they, too, left the chamber, followed by Lissa and Marcus, who studiously avoided each other’s gaze.

Jane, left alone in the center of the Crimson Saloon, sighed. She gazed around the empty room, her glance lingering on the stage where Bottom’s ass’s head lay discarded along with Titania’s silver-tipped wand.

“ ‘0 Weary day,’ “ she murmured, quoting Shakespeare’s brokenhearted Helena. “ ‘Oh long and tedious day, abate thy hours!’ “ Sighing once more, she shook her head and walked dispiritedly from the room.

“I have a device to make all well.”
—A Midsummer Night’s Dream,
III,

The remainder of the hours before luncheon passed quietly for the household, and it was a rather subdued group who returned to the house after their various activities to freshen themselves for the midday meal.

Jane, whose morning had consisted of nothing more exciting than inspecting linen with Mrs. Rudge, repaired dispiritedly to her chambers to comb her hair and wash her face. She felt strangely suspended of late, as though she drifted in and out of a vaguely remembered dream. Irritated with her own missishness, she scrubbed her face furiously, and was pulling a comb through her tangled hair when her attention was caught by a sound that drew her to her window. There she caught sight of a carriage just rounding the last bend of the drive before it disappeared from her view on the way to the main entrance. Dear Lord, she thought dazedly, not more visitors! She sped downstairs to be met with the sight of Winifred standing in the center of the hall, greeting a tall gentleman and a lady, both dressed in the first stare of fashion.

As Jane ran lightly down the stairs, Winifred turned to face her. Her spirits seemed entirely restored, for her face glowed with pleasure.

“Ah, here you are!” cried Winifred before turning back to face the newcomers. “Lord and Lady Chamford, may I present my cousin Jane? Jane, these are Lord Simon’s brother and sister-in-law, the Marquess and Marchioness of Chamford—or should I say?” she added, her voice rising in glee, “The Duke of Athens and his intended bride!”

Jane stared, openmouthed, and not unnaturally, my lord and his lady also looked somewhat taken aback. The marquess was a striking gentleman, very tall and rather harsh featured. Dark hair, cut shorter than the dictates of fashion, curved over a broad brow, and his eyes, even darker, were alive and penetrating. In contrast, the marchioness was very fair. She was a woman of extraordinary beauty—tall and slender and possessed of a striking mane of hair the shade of antique gold. Her eyes were a clear, light gray.

“Jared! Diana!” It was Simon hurrying across the Hall to envelop them in a laughing embrace. “What the devil are you two doing here? Have you come to see if I’ve run my new estate into the ground yet?”

“Oh, Simon,” gasped Lady Chamford, divesting herself of her bonnet, “it is perfectly dreadful to descend on you without notice, but when we re—that is, Jared has conceived the notion that I require some diversion, and suggested—well, no, insisted on this impromptu visit.”

Lord Chamford, his chiseled features softening as he gazed on his wife, laughed. “You must absolve me, Simon. Young Peter has been running his mother ragged, and now that she is to be confined again”—he cast a significant glance at his wife’s almost imperceptibly swollen waistline—”I felt a little respite was in order.”

“At any rate,” said Simon, planting a noisy kiss on Lady Cham-ford’s cheek, “you are both—

He was interrupted by a tumultuous shout from Marcus. Lissa, entering at the same time from another doorway, drew back momentarily on catching sight of him.

“Danny!” cried Marc. “Jared!” He swept his sister into a sweeping hug, and clasped his brother-in-law’s hand.

Lissa moved forward then to fling herself into her brother’s embrace with a soft, teary, “Oh, Jared, I am so glad you have come!”

Lady Hermione descended the stairs at this moment, followed by a sulky Charles, and introductions and explanations were undertaken once again.

Jane moved forward to take Lady Chamford’s bonnet and her linen spencer, forestalling the maid, who hovered respectfully in the background.

“My lady,” she began, only to be cut short by the marchioness’s musical laughter.

“Please, do call me Diana, and I know Jared will wish to be informal, as well. You must be Jane,” she said, gazing at her rather intently. “We have heard so much about you from Aunt Amabelle and Lissa.”

Jane felt herself blushing. “Thank you—Diana. Luncheon will be served soon, and I know you will wish to refresh yourself. It will take a little time to ready the state bedchamber, but if you would care to repair to my chambers—

“The state bedchamber!” echoed Diana. “Oh, please do not. I shall be quite eaten with remorse should we put you to so much trouble.” She glanced around the increasingly populated hall. “It looks as though you have been through a great deal already.”

“Nonsense,” responded Jane stoutly. “This is a big house, and we have bedrooms aplenty.” Her eye was caught at that moment by the sight of Fellowes, who had just hurried into the hall, coming to a lurching halt as he beheld yet another contingent of invaders. “If,” she continued smoothly, “you would prefer something a little more, er, intimate than the state chamber, we can have something ready for you very quickly.” She gestured airily to Fellowes, who with commendable aplomb, turned to Mrs. Rudge standing by with two maids at her side. Jane breathed a silent prayer of gratitude that the housekeeper just that morning had hired two more girls from the village and another footman as well.

Pausing only a moment to avail herself of another embrace from her brother and to murmur a few words to her husband, Diana accompanied Jane up the broad staircase, where they encountered Lady Teague at the top.

“Diana!” cried Aunt Amabelle, her jewelry tinkling a joyous accompaniment. “My dear child!”

Hearing her, Jared ran lightly up the staircase and there was another interval of kisses and embraces. Finally, Jared returned to the group below, and Lady Teague accompanied Jane and Diana to Jane’s chambers. Once there, Diana once again apologized for their abrupt descent on the household.

“We are all happy to see you here, my l— Diana,” said Jane. “I could tell that Simon was enormously pleased. He told me shortly after he arrived that he regretted he had such a short time to spend at Stonefield before journeying up here.”

“That’s true,” replied Diana, laughing. “He and Jared had time to re-fight only half the battles of the Peninsular War to their satisfaction, and there is still much they have to catch up on.”

“Would you care to lie down for a few moments?” she asked. “We could put luncheon back for awhile.”

“Lie down?” asked Diana in some surprise. “Oh, you mean because of...” She glanced down, patting her stomach. “Oh no, I am disgustingly healthy, and even more so when I am increasing. Jared is always trying to cosset me, and now and again I will feign delicacy just for him, for it pleases him to think I am a fragile flower.”

Diana’s glowing cheeks and sparkling gray eyes lent truth to her declaration, and after she had washed her face and permitted her maid to repair the damage done to her hair by her travels, she and the other ladies returned to the ground floor, where they found the others ensconced in the Emerald Saloon, ready to begin their meal.

“Did you have a good journey?” asked Lady Teague as the footmen began serving salad and cold meat.

“Yes, it was very pleasant,” replied Jared. “We made good time, and would have been here even sooner if my bride had not insisted on stopping every five minutes for sustenance.”

“Yes,” agreed Diana, laughing. “I seem to be absolutely ravenous all the time. It was the same way when I was carrying Peter, you know. If—”

“Have you heard that I am putting on a play?” interrupted Winifred.

Diana, stopped in midsentence, turned a surprised look on the girl.

“Winifred!” barked Simon, and he was echoed by Jane, who continued sharply, “Lord and Lady Chamford will think you the most complete hoyden.”

“Oh, I am sorry.” Winifred laughed unrepentantly. “It is just that I am so pleased to see them here. They arrived just in the nick of time, did they not?”

Simon, feeling a familiar tide of irritation rise in him, said, “What the devil are you talking about?”

“Why the play, of course. Lord and Lady Chamford will make a perfect Theseus and Hippolyta!”

“Oh, for God’s sake.” Simon gestured impatiently, which, since he was holding a forkful of salad, was a rather unfortunate circumstance. Charles, sitting near him, found himself the recipient of several lettuce leaves on his collar.

“Sorry, old man,” said Simon, without the least hint of apology in his tone. He turned again to Winifred. “I will not have you harassing the remainder of my family about your da—wretched play. Do you understand?”

Since no one in the room had ever seen the self-possessed Simon Talent in such a taking, an astonished silence fell over the room.

“What is the name of the play?” asked Diana at last, in an effort to fill the uncomfortable moment.

“We’re doing A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and I am playing both Titania and Hermia.” Winifred went on to describe the parts being performed by the rest of the family and guests at Selworth.

“Marcus is to play Oberon?” asked Diana, concealing a smile.

Winifred nodded. “And Demetrius.”

“I might have known,” sighed Jared.

“Did you know,” continued Winifred breathlessly, “that Marcus is an accomplished acrobat?”

Marcus was, by this time, looking extremely uncomfortable. Glancing at Lissa, Jane noted the tightening of her lips, as well as the tears that welled in her eyes. Farther down the table, Simon’s expression revealed his disapproval of Winifred’s fulsome admiration of Marcus and his unhappiness at the state of affairs between Marcus and Lissa. Jane felt her heart twist on his behalf.