Tess felt very strange that evening. The house —herhouse, she had to keep reminding herself — had never been more than a means to an end, a way to recover her fortune, which was still sitting in the safe, awaiting instructions from Lord Rennington to convey it to a bank for safe keeping. But now that her gold bars had been put out of her reach, there was still the house. And it was beautiful, she discovered. A little faded, and where draperies had been replaced, overpoweringly feminine and downright vulgar, but on the whole tasteful and elegant.
As they gathered in the saloon before dinner, Edward had leaned close and whispered in her ear, “Shall you live here, do you think?”
“My uncle would never permit it.”
“Why not? With a respectable companion, someone mature enough to lend you countenance, you could be independent here without the need to marry at all.”
“Ah. You are still trying to dissuade me from marrying Ulric.”
He smiled. “Indeed I am. I understand your reasons, but I think with an appropriate companion, even Lord Rennington might be convinced to make you an allowance from your fortune.”
“Until I am thirty, at which time, if I am still unwed, the money disappears to Pembroke College, to finance some unworthy young man… or men, I suppose, given the size of it. That gives me precisely ten years of independence.”
“Long enough to find a husband more to your taste, or at least postpone the evil day when you must surrender your freedom. What do you think? I had not thought it would be possible… a nondescript little villa seemed unworthy of you, somehow. But this is very elegant, and with some new paint and wallpaper, would be a very suitable setting for your charms.”
That made her laugh. “Flatterer! You do not believe I have any charms at all, do you? And where am I to find this appropriate companion? I should not want some penniless widow who will chatter non-stop and eat until she bursts, at my expense, and I have no distant relations to call upon. None with whom I am on speaking terms, anyway.”
“How about a close relation, then?”
“Mama cannot leave Corland.”
“Not your mama. Your aunt.”
“Myaunt?Oh! AuntCaroline?That aunt?”
“Why not? Now that your uncle is set on remarrying, she has no fixed home at present, and it might suit her very well to live here, with you. And your uncle, you know, could hardly object toyou taking his own wife as companion and chaperon. Who more suitable?”
And he grinned at her, delighted with his own cleverness.
24: Raindrops
Tess did not know what to make of Edward’s proposal. The thought of living at Apstead House had barely crossed her mind before, except as just another ineligible scheme, but he made it seem so reasonable. And if her aunt were there… Uncle Charles could not possibly object, could he?
But almost as soon as she began to consider the question seriously, any number of objections arose in her mind. Uncle Charles might not object to Aunt Caroline, but he still held the purse-strings. Would he allow them enough to live on comfortably? He had no idea of money at all, she knew that. And at the least whim he could withhold or rescind his permission, so Tess would still not be free.
Then there was Aunt Caroline. Tess did not dislike her, but she had no especial affection for her, either, for she had ignored Tess almost as much as her own parents had done. Her aunt was very close to Mama, too, and all things considered, she did not feel that Aunt Caroline would be a comfortable sort of companion.
She did not say that to Edward, however. To him, she mentioned only that Aunt Caroline liked to travel about to stay with Josie and Izzy, and that she might not like to settle in Pickering. He nodded, but said no more.
Soon after, they went into dinner, and there was a little jostling for position amongst the men. Mr Rycroft thought that he and his wife ought to have the head and foot of the table, while Sandy argued forcefully that it should be Captain and Mrs Edgerton. In the end, Edward pulled rank, and set Tess at the head and himself at the foot, with the others allowed to dispose themselves as they would. Tess found she had the Scotsman on one side and Captain Edgerton on the other, while Edward had the other two ladies, Mrs Edgerton and Mrs Rycroft. The remaining gentlemen, Mr Rycroft and Mr Neate, took the middle seats. As the table was reduced to its smallest size, conversation was general for the entire meal, with the gentlemen competing to entertain the company. It was a contest which Captain Edgerton was bound to win, with his bottomless fund of stories from India, but Tess liked his lighthearted tales, where there was danger but also great bravery. Not that she believed them all, but he told them so well that it hardly mattered.
The meal was sparse, having only one course and a couple of removes, but what it lacked in quantity, it more than compensated in quality. Mrs Rycroft was clearly an accomplished cook, her husband had raided the wine cellar to good effect, and with the two valets serving, no deficiency was felt by the diners.
When the ladies withdrew, Mrs Edgerton and Mrs Rycroft settled down with their needlework in the saloon, but Tess was restless and wandered through the connecting door to the room next door, which was at the front of the house, facing the street. The curtains had been left open, but a little light filtered into the room from the lamps hung at the front door, enabling herto look around. It was another saloon, similar to the first, the air a trifle stale, as if it had not been used for a while. There was some aroma detectable which reminded her of the study at Corland in her grandfather’s day, where he had sat up until the small hours, playing piquet with her father and drinking brandy. Perhaps this room, too, had been the scene of cards and drinking. Those gentlemen she had seen walking through the garden had perhaps sat in here, playing and gambling and enjoying a convivial evening with Mrs Mayberry’s nieces.
She stood by the window gazing out. It was raining, and drops chased each other down the panes. In the tiny front garden, several tall shrubs were tossed about by the wind. No one was about on the street at this hour, everyone sitting at home by the fire, warm, secure andhappy.
Tess was not happy. All her careful plans had fallen apart. Just a few months ago, she had been happy because she had been in love with Tom, and had thought herself loved in return. She had always known, of course, that it might take years of painstaking effort to convince her parents that her future lay with such a man, but she hadhope.A small hope, but it had kept her optimistic.
And then her father had died — had been murdered in his bed, and appalling as that was, it had given her a real chance of freedom. Her father’s gold, which no one knew of but her, could set her free. She could marry Tom and be rich and happy. Now Tom was gone, the gold was gone — no, still sitting in the safe, infuriatingly, but out of her reach. Her choices had narrowed… to marry Edward and embrace the hideous prospect of life as a peeress, to live meekly with her aunt or her mother, as if she were still a child, or to marry Ulric and be free.
And yet… to be tied to Ulric forever… was that truly what she wanted? Yes, if it would give her the fortune that was hers. Shecould even live here, in Pickering, without her aunt or anyone to look disapprovingly at her.
Without anyone to play chess with, her mind instantly responded. Without anyone…
She was aware of him the instant he entered the room. There were voices in the saloon next door, buthewas here. How she knew it was him she could not say, but she was quite certain of it, so when he came up behind her and put his arms around her waist, she was not alarmed. Nothing Edward did could ever alarm her.
“What are you doing?” he said quietly.
