The Aristocrat's Lady (Love Inspired Historical) (18 page)

A screech from her mother brought her abruptly out of her reverie. “My goodness, gracious, what can this mean?”

“What is it, Mama? Tell me quickly!”

“It is an invitation. It is an invitation from Lady Augusta DeVale. She requests that you and I visit her for the weekend at Lacey Court. Goodness, what can she want with us after all that happened in London? It will not do. We must, of course, decline.”

“Lady Augusta?” Nicole’s mind could not seem to get past the name. “I do not understand. I… Oh dear…his grandmother!”

“Of course it is his grandmother, Nicky! The dowager countess, Lady Augusta.”

“Why does she want us to visit, do you suppose?” Nicky asked. She wondered, after Beth’s letter, how Devlin’s grandmother would have reacted to hearing her story. “We will not know unless we go. When does it ask us to come?”

“My stars, Nicky, you cannot possibly be in favor of this! We do not need the aggravation, my love. You have finally settled back in here, and I will not have this all dredged up again. You need time to heal. We will make up some excuse.”

Nicole laughed a little nervously. “Mama, you know if we have learned anything from all of this, it is to be open and honest. If Lord Devlin’s grandmother has heard that I have mistreated her grandson and she wishes to give me a piece of her mind, then I owe her that. Yes, Mama, we will definitely accept this invitation.” Nicole almost had to laugh despite her fear. It seemed so long ago that she had once doubted his grandmother had even existed!

N
icole and her mother
had
accepted Lady Augusta’s invitation, and they were to leave at first light the next morning. It was a journey Nicole could not easily anticipate, despite her brave words to her mother upon receipt of the missive. She would rely on God’s Word:
I know the thoughts I think for you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not evil, to give you an expected end.
He would take care of her through every circumstance as it would prepare her for
His
expected end.

As the coach neared Beckenham, Nicole’s doubts began to resurface, making her question her decision to come. The necessity of apologizing to Lord Devlin’s grandmother remained, but the hidden purpose Nicole’s mother suspected had begun to take hold in Nicole’s imagination as well. Could Lady Augusta have been so angry that she sent for Devlin? Would he be there, too? She thought she could hold her own with his grandmother, but she was not yet strong enough to face him. The two of them would be an indomitable force should they wish to take her to task for the deception
she’d perpetrated on Society. Nicole no longer cared what Society thought of her, but Lord Devlin was another matter.

She prayed her worst fear might not be realized.
Please, God, do not let him be there.
She only wanted to put their time together out of her mind and move on with her life. She hoped this summons from his closest living relative might help her obtain that goal.

The butler came forward and took their cloaks. He spoke to them in a respectful voice, easing Nicole’s mind somewhat. “I am Higgins. Her ladyship awaits you in the morning room. If you will follow me, I will take you to her.”

He led them into an inviting drawing room. As they passed by him into the sunny chamber, he announced, “Lady Beaumont and Lady Nicole, Madame.” Higgins bowed and backed out of the apartment, closing the double doors behind him.

Lady Beaumont led Nicole to the fireplace where a very distinguished woman sat in a Bath chair.

The austere lady spoke first. “Forgive me, please, for not greeting you at the door. I am afraid being tied to this chair keeps me from welcoming my guests as I should like. I am Augusta DeVale, and I am very pleased you accepted my invitation.”

Nicole often lamented the loss of her sight, but there had only been two occasions when she would have given a king’s ransom to have it back for a moment. The first was on the terrace where Devlin had kissed her so tenderly. The second was now. She would love to
see the features of the woman so special to him that he had mentioned her at their first meeting. More importantly, she wanted to read the feelings she knew must be evident.

Lady Beaumont said all that was proper, still quite anxious as to why they had been summoned. Then Lady Augusta spoke again. “I am sure you are tired from your trip. I have had your things taken up to your rooms. I thought you might like to refresh yourselves, even nap, for a few hours. We may then meet again here for tea. I am afraid I myself must resort to afternoon rests more often than not, so you must not feel uneasy. Please take as much time as you wish.”

Lady Beaumont agreed a rest would be the very thing, then asked the question she had worried over since the invitation had arrived. “Have you invited a large party for the weekend, my lady?” Nicole did not realize how very tense she had been until Lady Augusta spoke and lifted a great weight from her heart.

“No, Lady Beaumont. Since I have been confined to my chair I much prefer small intimate parties rather than grand
affaires
. I hope I did not mislead you in my invitation. We shall be quiet, I am afraid. There will only be one other guest attending, but she has already arrived and is resting. She will join us for tea and I think you will enjoy her company.” Tugging the bell pull near her chair, her kind dismissal followed. “I will have Higgins escort you to your rooms.”

It seemed Lady Augusta’s speech was not yet finished. “Lady Nicole,” she said, as Nicky’s mother was leading her to the door, “I understand you have a spe
cial servant you keep with you at all times. I have made arrangements for him to be roomed near you.”

Nicole’s voice betrayed none of the nervousness she felt. “Thank you very much, Lady Augusta. Though Toby is not as necessary to me when Mama is near, I appreciate your consideration.”

Lady Augusta continued, somewhat impressed. “I have found that as we learn to deal with life’s inconveniences, we begin to accept whatever means God makes available that allows us to feel triumphant over them.”

Nicole’s head jerked around to where she could see the outline of the sitting woman in front of the ceiling-to-floor windows. She was surprised at the veiled hint of understanding from someone she had expected to be so formidable, but did not feel confident enough to delve further into her meaning. She was also surprised to hear the dowager talk about God. Beth had intimated Devlin knew about God from his grandmother. Was it a real relationship with the Lord, or just the common use of His name so often heard upon the lips of Society? She thanked Lady Augusta again and left the room with her mother. Toby escorted them both up to their rooms behind the butler.

Nicole discovered herself too restless to sleep. Stella had been unpacking her trunks, so she decided she needed fresh air to clear her head. Knocking lightly on the door across from her own, she asked Toby if he would take a walk with her. They found a gravel path that wound through immaculate lawns and gardens leading to a bridge-covered river, and she imagined the beauty and setting Toby described to her. She could
not, however, enjoy the serenity. She had the rest of the weekend to face and it weighed heavily on her mind. She and Toby walked back to the house in silence.

The time had come. Nicole and her mother would spend the evening with Lady Augusta, not knowing what to expect.

Her mother tried to assure her with normalcy. “You have a special gift, love, of making simplicity look elegant. Indeed, you look regal.”

“Thank you, Mama, but I fear you are somewhat biased.” She smiled and kissed her mother’s cheek. Nicole took the fan Stella was placing in her hand but could not hold back her anxious question. “Now that we have met Lord Devlin’s grandmother, do you still believe we are to be castigated?”

“I am not sure that ingenious old lady is not up to something, but she was all that was polite earlier. I am resolved to do as your father always advised and give her the benefit of the doubt. Lady Augusta is a presence, to be sure, but she certainly did not seem intent on making us uncomfortable. Indeed, quite the contrary I would say. We must take encouragement from that and face the music. Just remember, you will not be alone, and I remember a thing or two about handling myself among my peers!” She reached for Nicky’s arm and began to lead her toward the doorway. “I think we had better go down now.”

“Thank you, Mama.” Nicole
was
heartened by her mother’s words, but she could not help feeling a bit apprehensive. Obviously, Lady Augusta was aware of her
blindness. Beth Hampton had already informed her of that. Nicole’s angst derived from wonder at Lady Augusta’s graciousness to them. Why had she summoned them here?

Toby escorted mother and daughter to the bottom of the stairs where Higgins then led them to a different drawing room, one set off the dining room. As they entered the smaller parlor, Nicole’s mother gasped, left Nicole’s side and ran across the room exclaiming, “Amy, is it you? Is it really you?”

Nicole stood perfectly still until she heard Lady Augusta’s voice from close to her arm. “There is a sofa approximately two feet to your left if you would like to sit down, my dear. I had not expected the reunion would be quite as emotional as this.”

Nicole thanked Lady Augusta with heartfelt gratitude after feeling quite desolate at being abandoned in a room she had never been in before. But she also realized from Lady Augusta’s comment that the additional invitee had been a calculated inclusion for the occupation of her mother. Any good hostess would provide companionable partners for their guests, but this was a bit too contrived to be a coincidence. She could not concentrate on the significance of it, as her mother rushed immediately back to her side.

“Nicky, darling, I am ever so sorry. I should never have run off from you like that. What will these ladies think of me? But, dear child, you will never believe who is here! You must remember hearing me speak of my dearest friend, Amy? She is properly Mrs. Amelia Davenport now, but she was always my Amy. I have
not seen her since your father and I married. Oh, Lady Augusta, this is indeed a wonderful surprise!”

“When I heard Amelia was visiting the neighborhood, I thought you might like to meet again. When you both had your come-out, everyone in London knew the Bradford and Chesdon chits were the belles of the Season.” Lady Augusta leaned closer to Nicole and sighed. “It appears you will be obliged to keep me company most of this weekend, my dear.” Then louder she said, “Why do we not go in to dinner? I am sure you must be famished.”

Higgins arrived to push Lady Augusta’s chair and Toby escorted Nicole. The two old friends were arm in arm and already quite oblivious to their surroundings. Nicole’s suspicions were confirmed that Lady Augusta had obtained her sole attention quite by design. She would soon get her chance to take the upstart who had hurt her grandson down a peg or two. Nicole had no complaint with this; as someone who liked being in control, she appreciated a smart woman who could regulate events to her liking. And Lady Augusta had the decency to keep it between the two of them when she might have made quite a show of it to the uppermost peers of London.

Dinner was an informal affair with Lady Beaumont and Mrs. Davenport exchanging remembrances from their pasts. Time flew by quickly, and the ladies had a very pleasant evening all in all, while Nicky waited on tenterhooks.

Devlin’s grandmother arranged the rest of the evening as Nicole expected. “I have planned no activity
tonight, knowing you might like to retire early after your journeys. Tomorrow we shall be free to visit as long as we like. Breakfast will be served whenever you rise. We may relax in the drawing room at the back of the house. I spend much time there for the warmth of the sun.” She tugged on the bell pull. “I will have Higgins take you up now. Good night, ladies. I shall look forward to the morrow.”

Nicole thought she would lie awake all night. The suspense was beginning to wear on her, but she very soon fell asleep and did not wake until Stella brought her chocolate. She knew it was much too early for the others to be about, so she quickly dressed in a lavender day gown with a high ruffled collar, hoping she and Toby could enjoy a solitary breakfast.

He escorted her to the breakfast room, but paused in the doorway. He led her to the table and as he pushed in her chair, he said, “Good morning, Lady Augusta.” He bowed out of the room with a quiet “Ma’am.”

Nicole froze in shock. She stammered, “I… You… I did not realize anyone else would be down so early, my lady.” She felt awkward and alone. She specifically avoided situations without her mother or Toby, and Toby could not properly breakfast in the presence of Lady Augusta.

The silence seemed to stretch on forever while the servant fixed her plate and poured her tea. Since losing her eyesight, Nicole had never felt so intimidated. Her anger began to rise as she felt more and more like a mouse whose tail was caught under the cat’s paw. As the cat would torture its prey before the kill, it appeared
Lady Augusta would get additional satisfaction in Nicole’s discomfort. Finally, the footman placed her food in front of her and Lady Augusta dismissed him. Nicole was not surprised. On the contrary, she was relieved. The time had finally come.

“Nicole, you seem flustered and from what I have heard, that is not a state in which you often find yourself. I must apologize for causing a guest such distress. I promise you it was never my intention. Once I realized my error, I could not leave the room without addressing you.”

The cat was pawing the mouse in pleasure.

“You must feel free to breakfast in your room with your servants, if it is what you wish. I should have given those directions last night before I went to bed. I did not think of everything as I ought.”

Nicole could only stammer in anger, “Lady Augusta… Ma’am, I beg your pardon, but your orchestration of each situation as far back as your invitation could only be to make us
un
comfortable. Do not fret, ma’am, I am glad we are finally coming to the point of this visit.”

The woman she thought so austere laughed—not an evil laugh as Nicole expected, but one of surprised delight. “I should have known from Jared’s description of you that you would speak your mind straight-out. Do you really wish for that tea and toast, or may we retire to my sunroom? I should like the opportunity to change your opinion of me.”

“I, too, should rather get this over with, my lady.”

Toby and Higgins appeared as if by magic at the
ring of the bell, and both ladies were soon ensconced in Lady Augusta’s private sitting room.

“I do so wish you could see it, child. I think you would like all of the windows and the view of the pathway. Jared spoke of your love for the country and the outdoors.”

“Lady Augusta,” Nicole said determinedly, somewhat flustered at the veiled attempt to charm. “I should much prefer we cease the polite banter entirely. You obviously know all about me and, therefore, know all that happened in London. I readily admit to a gross error in judgment, and I deserve all of the things I am sure you wish to say to me. I shall not begrudge you your chance to berate me. That is something you deserve. I do want you to know, however, that I am heartily sorry for all of the pain I caused your family and mine.” Nicole stopped, but only to draw breath. “I also appreciate the trouble you have taken to spare my mother’s anguish. She has been in a wretched state, fearing further pain to all of us.”

As her astonishment lessened, Lady Augusta shook her head and let out a sigh. “Well, that has cut me to the quick, has it not? I have just discovered that neither of us is as smart as we think we are.”