The Aim of a Lady (12 page)

“I see. You dressed for the occasion?”

“Yes, she especially asked that I should, George, and ever since Alma has not spoken to me above what is absolutely necessary.”

“I cannot see that he should be drinking himself into oblivion if that is all.”

“Well, you see, George, I grew tired of his ups and downs, his black moods and then lightheartedness. I refused to have a tray sent up to him for dinner.”

George surveyed her exasperatedly. “That is not like you, Diana.”

She lifted her chin and there was a suspicion of a tear in her eye. “I don’t care, George. I find it intolerable to be treated one day as a friend and the next with odious formality. I have racked my brain for ways to entertain him. I have spent nearly a week catering to his starts and stops. I had had enough. You may look after him now; I wash my hands of him.”

“All right, I will speak with him. Go to bed, love,” he said gently.

She nodded and left the room. George watched her retreating form uneasily, then he went to the dining parlor. He took a seat beside Alma, who gazed at him owlishly and asked, “When did you get here, George?”

“A few minutes ago, Ellis. Why are you sitting here? You cannot be comfortable.”

“No,” Alma admitted, surprised. “Not at all comfortable. Damned awkward, this wound,” he growled malevolently.

“No doubt,” George replied dampeningly. “I will see you to your room, Ellis.”

Alma made no protest but refused any assistance. He rose unsteadily and walked stiffly from the room, his friend at his side. When he reached his room he bade George good night, but George entered the room with him. Alma stood there bemused for a moment.

“Lie down, Ellis.”

With profound relief after the hours of sitting, Alma did as he was bid. He showed a decided tendency to drift off to sleep, but George nudged him with a boot from the chair he was lounging in.

“My sister is very annoyed with you, Ellis,” he offered by way of an introduction to their conversation.

“Well, I am very annoyed with her, too. Do you know what she did, George? She sent a message that I should dine with her in the dining parlor or not at all. Very inhospitable, George.”

“Diana assures me that she resorted to such a measure only because of your disagreeable behavior,” George said lazily.

“Wasn’t disagreeable. Didn’t feel like talking, was all.”

“What has been going on here in my absence, Ellis?”

His friend regarded him with blurry eyes, and shook his head to clear it. “Haven’t been making up to your sister, if that’s what you think,” he growled. “Treated her just as you do, you can be sure."

“Diana does not seem to think so. She accused you of black moods and assured me she has catered to your starts and stops for nearly a week.”

“You have no idea how wretched it is not to be able to sit down,” his friend grumbled. “I apologized to her, several times, for my ill humor.”

“Which merely means that you have shown it several times, I presume.”

“Damnit, George, I could not ride a horse or drive a carriage! The day I sat that black of yours I reopened the wound. Fine animal, that. Want to sell him?”

“No, Ellis, I do not. My sister is a very tolerant woman, Ellis, but her concluding words to me were that she washes her hands of you.”

“Well, I am glad of it,” Alma replied bitterly. “She has taken me on walks to the village and the deer park, in addition to the stud farm. She has had me on the archery range. She has brought in infatuated suitors to entertain me at fencing and billiards. She has had me singing with her in the music room. She has taken me fishing. She has had a chariot built for me. She has dragged me to an insipid country affair with a dragon countess. It is high time she left me alone!”

“I see. I must compliment her on her perseverance. I have never known you to be churlish, Ellis. Surely you can see that she only wished to keep you from being bored and dwelling on your injury.”

“Of course I can see that!” Alma roared. “I should be grateful to her! I am grateful to her! Now I want her to leave me alone!” Alma’s face set in grim lines, and George sighed.

“Very well, Ellis. We will talk more in the morning. I will send your man to you. Good night.”

“George..."

“Yes?”

“I... No, let us talk tomorrow. My head hurts.”

“I'm not surprised,” George said unfeelingly.

A moment later he tapped on his sister’s door and called softly to her. She invited him in and hastily wiped away the last of the tears she had shed.

“I hope you have not been crying because you thought I scolded you,” he remarked as he took a seat beside her bed.

“I know you will always look at both sides before you place blame, George. I know I am not entirely faultless, but I was grievously provoked.”

“I can understand that now. I have heard from Ellis’s own lips how you have endeavored to entertain him.” He stared at the wardrobe for a moment before continuing. “He is grateful to you, Diana, but seems to be suffering from a very real irritation of the nerves."

“I worked so hard to get him out of the sullens, George. I have had no time to myself at all, what with Alma and Mrs. Lewis. She did not deserve to be left entirely to her own devices, even though she is perfectly happy to embroider all day. Yesterday Alma was finally at peace with me it seemed, since he could drive the chariot. Then last night and today he was all stuffy again."

“You have both mentioned a chariot. You had one made? A Roman-style chariot?” George asked, a smile spreading across his face.

"Yes,” Diana responded with a grin. “It is marvelous, George. The young men were racing it all day today. It almost always wins because it’s so light.”

“I look forward to seeing it. That was very clever of you, my dear. I knew it would blue-devil Ellis to be kept away from horses. It seems he didn’t either, because he mentioned riding the black.”

“Oh, that was awful. He had calmed the horse considerably and could not pass up the right moment to mount him, George, but his face absolutely drained of blood when he sat him. I had to bite my lip, but I did not say a word, either.”

“Well, you have nothing with which to reproach yourself, love. Even dinner, given the circumstances. I will keep him out of your way until he leaves, but I want you to understand that he is not ordinarily like this. Usually he is very easygoing, personable and polite.”

“If you say so, George,” she answered skeptically. “There were times when he was very nice indeed, I must admit.” She sighed, and then her face took on an anxious look. “Will you tell me about Miss Sanfield now?”

“There is not much to tell, Diana. When I arrived in town I read of her engagement and went the next day to call on her, but she had left town. I foolishly assumed that she had gone to her home near Lymington and took myself off there, losing a day because of rain. There is something strange about the engagement, but I cannot put my finger on it. Alonna has gone to her sister near Colchester.”

“And you did not go there?” she asked, puzzled.

“Really, my dear, I have gone too far already. What good will it do if she is engaged? And if she is not, the announcement should be retracted. I do not want to harass the poor girl.”

“But, George, you told me she doesn’t know of your intentions. If she is in difficulties, you should be the one to see she comes right.”

“You forget that I do not know if she would welcome my assistance.”

“You can only find out if you ask her,” his sister pointed out.

“I think I will await events, Diana. When and if a retraction is published I will approach her. I do not think I should do more now.”

“But..."

“No, my dear. Let us leave it at that. She will be safe with her sister.”

“Do I know her sister?”

“I should think not. She is Lady Trafford. Cranmer said she is just delivered of twins.”

“How nice.” Diana studied her brother’s face for a moment. “It must be very difficult for you to wait, George.”

“Nonsense,” he replied bracingly, as he rose from his chair and placed a salute on her cheek. “Thank you for the care you have taken of Ellis, Diana. I am truly sorry he has been such a wretch.”

“I was happy to do it for you, George.”

Diana did not ordinarily interfere in her brother’s life, just as he did not interfere in hers. When he had left her for the night, though, she considered what he had told her and decided that perhaps she would do just a little something this time. Colchester could not be more than five and twenty miles distant, as the crow flew. She left word with her maid that she wished to be called at seven the next morning.

Chapter Eleven

For a moment Diana did not remember why she had asked to be awakened at such an hour. She raised sleepy eyes questioningly at her maid and then she recalled the previous night’s discussion. “Annie, I wish you to inform the stable that I want my phaeton ready in half an hour. Have some chocolate and toast sent up for me, please. I will dress myself.”

When the maid left, Diana chose an attractive dress which fit her properly, and managed to arrange her hair in a less severe style than was her custom. It was a habit with George to bring her some fashionable frippery each time he returned, and the very fact that he had not done so on this occasion indicated to her the depth of his distraction. Not that she minded not receiving a present; far from it. It was his way of prodding her to modishness and part of the game they unspeakingly played about her determination not to draw attention to her beauty. For she was forced then to wear each of the items he brought at the appropriate time, and it was a nuisance for her. Not that she blamed him. Who would want a dowd for a sister? But she thought she knew herself well enough that her small deception was useful, if no longer necessary. And it was effective, yesterday was a good example. She had dressed to the nines for the Dodges’ entertainment, and look at all the young men who had come to call the day after! But they would not long pester her after she appeared looking very ordinary at their races. She sometimes wondered what her neighbors thought of her, but she seldom worried about it.

Nonetheless, if she was going to meet George’s young woman, Diana had no intention of shaming him. She chose a coat with a triple collar and wide cuffs with lace ruffles, and a high crowned hat with a small brim, both in emerald green. She ate the toast and drank the chocolate which had arrived by this time, and then presented herself at the stables.

Jenkins had her phaeton ready but looked intent on discovering her destination. She climbed up onto the seat with his help, Josh jumped on behind, and she airily told Jenkins that she would be gone for the better part of the day to visit friends, and please to advise her brother of the fact. Before he could make any demur she flicked her whip and drove off. She knew the road to Haverhill well and kept her matched grays at an easy pace as she did not wish to make any change of team unless it was strictly necessary. The weather was fine and she could see bright spring flowers in bloom about the cottages and farms she passed. Once through Haverhill she followed the road to Halstead, where she paused to rest the horses and refresh herself and Josh at the inn. She enquired of the landlord if he knew where Lady Trafford lived and he proved all helpfulness. Yes, he knew Trafford Hall and he could direct her there if she needed his assistance. She was more than happy to accept his offer and set off confident of her destination. The maze of lanes he had directed her through, however, soon had her confused, and Josh had not overheard the landlord’s directions, but she eventually asked information of a field hand and found that she had not far to go.

When she arrived at the Hall, a groom came running to assist Josh with her carriage and she proceeded to the door which the groom indicated in the side of one of its two main projections. She handed a card to the butler and asked if she might see Miss Alonna Sanfield. The hour was still early, and for a while she had considered delaying her arrival, but her curiosity and the desire to return to the Park at a reasonable hour had prompted her to proceed. “If the family is still at breakfast, please do not disturb them,” she urged the butler. She was shown into the Red Parlor and seated herself comfortably on an upholstered settee in expectation of a considerable wait.

Within minutes, however, a blond young lady appeared at the door and smiled shyly at her. “Miss Savile?” she asked quietly.

“Yes, I am Diana, George Savile’s sister. I had hoped I might have a word with you.”

Alonna came into the room and shook hands with her visitor. “I have wanted to meet you. Mr. Savile speaks highly of you, but he says you rarely come to town.”

“George is prejudiced in my favor,” Diana replied, “and he is very indulgent. You must not put too much reliance on what he says about me.”

“I should think not!” Alonna replied indignantly. “He never even mentioned how lovely you were."

“I should not think he notices my looks much. Miss Sanfield, I noticed in the paper the other day that you are engaged to Lord Vallert.”

Alonna sighed. “Lord Vallert put the notice in the paper without my consent, Miss Savile. I have informed him that he is to have it removed.”

“Then you are not to marry him? You do not wish to marry him?”

“No, nor ever have. It was very wrong of him and he did it in a fit of pique. My father should have removed it immediately, but he did not. If Lord Vallert does not do so within the next few days, I shall have to handle the matter myself,” she said sadly.

“How very cruel of him to put you through such a thing!”

“He had always seemed nice enough until I refused his offer.” Alonna chucked in remembrance of the scene. “He could not believe that I would turn him down.”

“I have a suitor like that,” Diana laughed, “full of so much self-consequence that he continues to believe that I have heard him wrong or simply cannot believe my good fortune.” The two women shared an amused glance.

“Is your brother well, Miss Savile?”

“Yes, he arrived at the Park last evening. He..." Diana stopped abruptly. It would not be fair to George to say anything further to the young woman at this point. “I understand your sister has recently been safely delivered of twins.”