Lord Barry's Dream House (2 page)

With a few turns along the lovely Oxfordshire country roads, they entered what was one of the minor estates belonging to the late Lord Hamilton. While his newly married son and heir resided at the principal estate in Kent, the Dowager Lady Hamilton, Juliana, her younger sisters Barbara and Kitty, and Lady Hamilton’s brother, Uncle George, preferred to live in Oxfordshire. Juliana suspected her mother hated to leave the place where her dear husband had died, quite as though he was yet close to her in the home he had designed and built for her pleasure.

She handed Beauty’s reins to the groom who ran to meet her in front of the house, then turned to face Lord Barry as he exited his coach. “Welcome to Beechwood Hall, Lord Barry.”

He gave the house a cursory glance, then joined her in the walk up the flight of stairs that led to the front door. They entered the high-ceilinged hall, ushered in by the longtime family retainer, the venerable Dalston.

“Your father designed this house, I presume?” Lord Barry said to Juliana as he glanced about the beautifully proportioned room.

“Indeed,” she replied with a gracious nod, wondering precisely how it was that Lord Barry had come to engage her father to design his house. She murmured a few words to Dalston regarding Lord Barry, then turned to catch sight of her uncle looking down from the first-floor landing.

“Well, the ministering angel returns to soothe the family spirits.” Uncle George paused at the top of the stairs before strolling down to join Juliana and the unwanted guest.

“This is Edmund, Lord Barry,” she announced to her uncle, hoping he might curb his more outrageous tendencies. To her guest she added, “My dear uncle, George Teynham, is the buttress of our family regardless of his frippery words.” Juliana patted her uncle on the arm, then said, “Perhaps you would show our guest to a room where he might refresh himself while I seek
out Kitty to inform her of the news.” A
f
ter receiving an assenting nod, she curtsied prettily, then hurried in the direction where she thought Kitty most likely might be found.

George looked after her disappearing figure, then motioned
to Lord Barry. “Welcome to this house, Lord Barry. I fancy I know just where my sister would place you, for you must stay with us, you know. It would never do for you to stop in that country inn, clean though it may be. Come along with me,
dear sir, and you shall fortify yourself before you meet this passel of womanhood.” They began their walk up the lovely stone staircase, and George continued his conversation. “I believe I knew your father a long time ago. Dashing fellow. You have the look of him. I seem to recall that Susan, my sister, admired him very much before she married Julian.”

With scarcely a lift of his brows Lord Barry murmured suitable replies, joining Uncle George in a sauntering walk up the stairs, pausing every now and again to examine a fine bit of detailing. Although the house was not immense, it was a jewel of architectural design; anyone of taste would see that at once. Back on the ground floor Juliana whirled into the sitting room and then relaxed to see Kitty in the
corner
of the window seat, trying to read by the fading light and one lone can
dl
e. She crossed to touch her younger sister on the shoulder. When assured she had her attention, she spoke carefully, enunciating clearly.

“We have a guest. Lord Barry is come to see how his house goes on. You had best join me in changing for dinner.”

“Oh, dear. Must I join you? Strangers always fuss at me, and I hate that.” Kitty put down her book, frowning at her elder sister. But she obediently gathered her skirts, preparing to do as bid. People tended to heed Juliana.

“You are not deaf; you merely require a clear voice. No mumblers will do for you, my dear,” Juliana joked. “Lord Barry has an excellent voice and speaks distinctly. Come along, do. I must pass the word along to Cook and to Mother. I do not know who will be the more flustered.”

Then Kitty stared at Juliana and giggled. “Truly, you did I never allow him to see you looking like that! Why, you look a veritable fright. Oh, my.” She placed her book on the window
seat, joining Juliana in the exodus to the upper regions with much giggling and shaking of her head.

“I promise to make myself respectable before dinner,” Juliana said with a smile at her precious sister.

“We would never wish Mama to have a fit of the vapors,” Kitty replied with a twinkle in her pretty gray eyes.

In his room, a most elegant and tastefully furnished abode, Edmund strolled to the window, gazing off into the fading light in the direction of his new home. Every sense he had told him that something was distinctly havey-cavey with the construction. Could Sir Phineas be correct? Would the daughter of an earl, albeit the architect earl who had designed and presumably overseen the construction of the house to this point, have lied to him in her letters?

It seemed most unlikely that a young woman would attempt the completion of a house such as he had specified. The letters had been most detailed as to what was being done at the moment. The drawings were exquisite, beautifully executed, and sent to him in a tube so as not to crease them. He had kept every one of them, and now he decided he would study them, comparing them to the actual house. Something the daughter had said—oh, yes, she had begun to explain about her designs. Surely she would not have attempted to change her father’s excellent plan!

Unthinkable!
Yet...

Edmund restlessly paced about the room, then turned to greet his valet when he slipped inside with the valise containing the things that would be needed to restore Lord Barry’s less than pristine condition.

“Melton, I should like you to keep your ears open and try to find out what has been going on around here. I imagine the best tack would be to admire everything, particularly the earl and his eldest daughter. People are more apt to be open if they believe you a friend, not a foe.”

“And what are we, my lord?” the valet said, keeping his face carefully neutral.

“At the moment I do not know. I think Lady Juliana a shocking bit, dressing as she did in a rag of a gown and parading around the building site with the works supervisor. Perhaps the family needs the money?” He gave Melton a meaningful look.

“I doubt that, for the place has the air of prosperity, and there is not a picture missing from any wall I chanced to see.” The valet referred to an oft-used means of raising funds by way of selling assets.

“True. The uncle was dressed quite well, considering they are a country family. Dinner ought to prove most interesting.” He permitted Melton to assist him from his traveling clothes and into proper garb for a dinner in the country with the family of an earl. Where that earl might be was a matter for conjecture, but Edmund began to suspect the man would be found in his grave, not at the dining table.

“Would that your father were alive to handle his patron,” Lady Hamilton exclaimed as she dithered about near her dressing table. She gave Juliana an accusing look, then sniffed
i
nto an exquisite scrap of black-bordered linen before continuing. “How I permitted you to convince me that you be allowed to complete that house I shall never understand.”

“You wished it to be finished as a tribute to Papa’s memory and great talent. You know that if Sir Phineas took over, he would ruin Papa’s design and turn the place into a Gothic horror,” Juliana reminded her mother.

Lady Hamilton sank down on a velvet bench placed at the foot of her vast and cleverly canopied bed. “I trust you have the right of it. It will be in your hands to convince Lord Barry that it was a proper thing to do, for I suspect he will not be best pleased with this turn of events. Who ever heard of a woman doing architectural work, much less contracting!” The last word was said much as though Juliana had begun dabbling in smuggling, or possibly murder.

“You must admit that I have donned my best for the evening,” Juliana offered by way of appeasement, turning about for her mother’s inspection.

Her mother rearranged her modest necklet of diamonds before graciously giving Juliana her hand and joining her in the exodus to the drawing room. This room was located on the
ground floor, contrary to city plans, and vastly convenient for all.

When they entered the room, they found Barbara and Kit
t
y, along with Uncle George, awaiting them. Kitty gave Juliana an encouraging smile. Lady Hamilton hurried to instruct her second daughter, the beauteous Barbara of the ash blond curls and limpid blue eyes, regarding the guest.

In a quiet voice Lady Hamilton said, “Now, dear, this is a highly eminent gentleman, one who is likely to be much sought after by all the mamas with daughters to marry off. I think it would be nice if you were to catch his eye, for you are undeniably lovely, and if he is anything like his father, he must be a handsome man.”

“Yes, Mama,” Lady Barbara answered dutifully. She had heard this speech so often she might have matched it word for word.

Further directions were denied when Lord Barry entered the room and brought all conversation to a halt. The man was simply too elegant for words, Juliana thought. None of his garments were of themselves the sort to draw attention, but the whole, on him, captured the eye and interest of the beholder. Barbara was speechless.

“Welcome to our home, Lord Barry,” Lady Hamilton said with practiced ease. “I regret that my husband is not here to greet you. He came to an untimely end last winter.” Her manners were impeccable, her black sarcenet dress fitted her with queenly grace, and her smile was most genuine. “I knew your father well,” she said simply, without elaboration as some might have given.

“Fine man,” Uncle George chimed in. “I gather you have been minding the plantations in Jamaica. How goes it there?”

“Quite well, thank you,” Lord Barry replied with an elegant show of manners to the elder members before turning to face the lovely Lady Barbara and Lady Kitty, now introduced as Katherine.

Lord Barry scarcely noticed the younger girl, concentrating on the exquisite Barbara instead. “Charmed, my lady.”

Juliana placed a protective arm about her youngest sister’s shoulder and said, “I believe dinner is ready. Following that, I
had best have a meeting with our guest, if you will permit, dear Mama.”

Lady Hamilton, for once seeming flustered, nodded, then gestured to the guest. He immediately offered his arm, and they walked to the dining room, the others falling in behind.

“Are you nervous, puss?” Uncle George murmured in her ear before seating her at the table.

She nodded, not trusting herself to speech.

The meal went off well, considering the tense strain present in all but Barbara, who managed to look demure and flirtatious at the same time. Lord Barry parried her social chatter with practiced ease for one who had been off across the ocean in the wilds of Jamaica.

Once the covers had been removed and a tasteful dessert served, Lady Hamilton rose and gave Juliana a significant look. “I shall withdraw along with Barbara and Kitty. George, you may do as you please. You always do. Juliana, I expect you to give Lord Barry a full accounting.”

“I propose we forgo the customary port after dinner and retreat to the library,” Uncle George suggested as he rose from the table. Juliana slipped from her chair to join him. Lord Barry had risen the moment that Lady Hamilton had announced her intention to leave them, and now he strolled toward Juliana.

She gulped and hurried to the door, leading the way down the hall to the pleasing confines of the library, which held many books on architecture and construction. The room was a favorite one, furnished with comfortable chairs, and had a pleasant fire in the grate. Once they were settled in those chairs, Lord Barry studied Juliana, then said, “I believe I am due a few explanations.”

“Yes, my lord,” Juliana replied in her most conciliatory manner. “When Papa died, I could not bear to see another take over the project, especially the man who sought to do so. I had served as Papa’s assistant and secretary—as I mentioned before—and felt that with Henry’s help I could finish the house. I wished to honor my father’s talent and memory. Should someone else have intruded, I feared the plans might
be altered drastically and not for the better.” She gave Lord Barry a defiant look.

“So you failed to mention his passing, but continued to write me as in the past and carried on with the construction? Did it not occur to you that I deserved to know this?”

Juliana gave him a guilty look and nodded. “I see now that I ought to have informed you. I did not look at things quite that way before.”

“She is as capable as many a man in this field,” George inserted, earning an anxious look from his niece. “Her father trained her as well as he might his son, had he been interested. He was not, hence Juliana became an apprentice at an early age. When other girls were playing with dolls or doing needlework, Juliana was practicing her drawing—of house plans—and studying the books in this library. You could do much worse than Juliana,” he concluded.

Lord Barry rose and strode to the window, looking out into the darkness before turning to face Juliana. “I shall not give comment to the situation until I have seen the house for myself.
If I
find all is well, I may permit the arrangement to continue. I have the plans with me and shall do a walk through the house with them on the morrow.”