“It’s early days, but I enjoy her company, I look forward to her conversation, and when we are together then I don’t want to part,” confessed Colin.
“Then I wish you joy as you get to know Lady Jocelyn,” said Marcus.
“The family has had much tragedy,” said James. “The house at Silverton is still being rebuilt, but I gather it will open again later this year.” He handed Marcus his linen shirt to put on.
James continued, “I have a cousin who worked for the Sherwyn’s at Silverton before the fire. He doesn’t think he will return to the estate.”
“The fire?” asked Marcus. “I hadn’t made the connection between Lady Jocelyn, Lady Olivia and the Silverton Hall fire.”
“I know, Jocelyn lost both her parents in the fire. She told me about it when I called earlier in the week. It isn’t easy for her to talk about it, and it sounds as though she almost lost her life in the fire,” said Colin.
“What caused the fire?” asked Marcus.
“They think a housemaid forgot to extinguish a candle and it somehow fell over. No one is sure,” Colin answered.
“It was devastating,” added James. “The wing with the family rooms was totally destroyed. They think the earl and countesswere asleep upstairs and never woke up. Jocelyn lost her parents and her nanny, who lived up in the attic in the nursery. A tragic loss.”
“How did Jocelyn escape?” asked Marcus.
“Her aunt Olivia, Lady Sherwyn, had been reading late downstairs in the library and saw the smoke as she began to climb the stairs. She alerted Mr. Jenkins, the butler, whose pantry was on the ground floor, and he evacuated all the servants, including my cousin. Silverton had two back staircases which meant they could rescue everyone except those in the family wing.
“Lady Sherwyn rescued her niece,” added Colin. “She went up the backstairs and made her way through a smoke-filled landing to Jocelyn’s room. I don’t know the rest of it, except life has been especially difficult for Olivia since that day. I get the impression the uncle is not the most loving of guardians.”
Marcus listened carefully, processing the information about Olivia’s bravery. “I think it is generally known that Harold Sherwyn is a very rich, but miserly, miserable man,” he commented.
“Colin, you may be lucky. You may find he is quick to agree to you taking the hand of Lady Jocelyn to reduce his expenses,” Marcus said with a grin. “Now, how do I look James?”
“Elegant, but restrained My Lord,” came the response.
“Perfect. Thank you again. Come Colin, time to join our guests at the Theatre Royal in Covent Garden. As they are our guests it would be churlish to arrive late.”
“Late?” said Colin in a panic. “Are we late? Surely not?
“Relax my friend. I’m jesting and it wasn’t fair. We will arrive in good time.”
Marcus loved opera but had always attended the Opera House in Florence or Rome with the Contessa. He still missed Lucretzia Fiorella, with her wit and ability to laugh at convention, and determination to enjoy life.
The outside of the theater shone in the dark, brightly illuminated by sconces on the wall. After the conversation with Colin, he couldn’t help but think of the risk of fire, ever present in buildings like this.
Olivia, not thinking of herself, but only of the need to save her niece.
No wonder the young women had such a close bond between them.
The party gathered in a private function room, arranged by Marcus. Light refreshments, including a new wine, developed in one of his neighboring vineyards in Champagne.
Madame Clicquot had used a technique of putting the bottles down for their second fermentation period and the result was very different. The wine, studded with sparkling bubbles, was refreshing on the tongue and palate. He hoped his guests would give him an honest opinion, and he’d also arranged a red burgundy from his new vineyard to be served alongside the experimental wine.
Soon Viscount and Lady Leighton, Lady Sherwyn, and Lady Jocelyn gathered in the function room. He had invited their guardian, but he had declined with a curt reply.
Lady Leighton declared herself an immediate supporter of the white sparkling wine. Everyone gasped in surprise when a footman opened the bottle, and the cork came out with a large pop. Laughter filled the room and Marcus knew he’d make the right decision in serving the champagne.
He needed to decide whether to produce Mrs. Clicquot’s new wine in his own vineyards near Troyes.
“It’s got bubbles,” giggled Jocelyn to Colin. “Look, it is bright and clear, and I can see bubbles.”
“I’ve never tasted anything like it,” said Lady Leighton. “But I can imagine those bubbles keeping me going at those all-night balls.”
“It is quite potent,” warned Marcus, “in the same way as any other white wine.”
