Looking about the small room for a means of escape, Alice deftly stepped around clusters of guests and made her way toward the door. Unfortunately, she was not as unobtrusive as hoped and was arrested in her retreat upon hearing her name called out.
“Miss Pembroke, do come and join us. I have the most delicious morsel of gossip.”
With a sigh, Alice plastered on a smile before turning toward the call. She could andwouldplay the role expected of her—that of the haughty debutant and niece of Lord Wrexham. What no one seemed to care enough to recognize, though, wasthat Alice actually despised making small talk about others and she absolutely detested the small minds who that held it up as the height of fashionable conversation. Nevertheless, she was relieved to spot Priscilla in the group.
Alice slowly approached the group, racking her brain for the name of the woman who called out to her. There had been so many new acquaintances she’d been introduced to upon arrival that it seemed impossible to keep everyone straight. Sidling up to her cousin, Alice turned her face to the anonymous lady who had addressed her.
“We were just discussing the recent downfall of poor Mary Jeffries. Didn’t you make your debuts together?” Inquiring eyes all shifted toward her, and Alice was unsure what to do. She had no idea what had befallen Mary and didn’t want to come off as unknowledgeable.
“Ah—yes,” Alice said after clearing her throat. “Mary and I did move in some of the same circles when we came out last season.” Feigning being in the know, she leaned forward and continued with a smirk. “I can’t say I’m completely surprised she would make such an end.” The women around her tittered behind their feathered fans, and Alice felt she had played her part well until catching a glimpse of Priscilla beside her, pursing her lips in displeasure.
A feeling of shame made Alice’s stomach twist uncomfortably as heat began to creep up her neck. The need for air she had been seeking before being waylaid became overwhelming, and she quickly made her excuses before finding the door as quickly as possible.
The hallway was better, but servants and guests alike were still in the vicinity as they moved between rooms, examining the new finishings. Spying a door to the gardens at the end of the corridor, Alice tried to move toward the back of the house without drawing notice. Easing open the door, she quicklystepped onto the stone patio and leaned against the cool exterior of the house, closing her eyes while breathing in deeply.
The change in temperature soon calmed the rapid pace of her pulse, and Alice relaxed her facial muscles, dropping the assumed smile she was so accustomed to wearing that it didn’t always feel false. She finally opened her eyes and felt her cheeks crease with a genuine smile as she took in the peaceful surroundings of the garden.
Alice had always loved gardens. She did not enjoy that so much of her time was spent in London and away from such natural beauty, but it was better for Father to be near physicians should his health suddenly take a turn. Being in Northamptonshire for the next few months was a gift, one she intended to take full advantage of.
Drawing away from the wall, Alice stepped onto the lawn, drawn to what looked to be an enclosed garden on the other side of the yard. Large, old trees intertwined their gnarled branches with a hedgerow that was concealing the space beyond. Anxious to know what hidden treasures she might find inside but uncertain if it were forbidden, she advanced and let her insatiable curiosity take the lead as something intrinsic pulled her forward.
Alice’s senses were flooded by all that surrounded her as she stepped through the hedge. Layers of visual texture stretched ahead as tree branches overlapped one another within her sight line, creating a mosaic of brown and gray bark mixed with the early green and smooth new growth of saplings. She could smell freshly turned earth and a hint of lingering petrichor from the morning rain. Then there were the sounds—birds chattering and the crunch of gravel from the path beneath her feet.
Taken all together, it was almost overwhelming. But her body being forced to focus on all the new sensations left no room for anything else, and for once, her mind was quiet. She relished it.
A small bench was located underneath one of the old trees, and after making a lap to inspect every corner of the enclosed space, Alice settled atop. There was something magical about the space—an orderliness was there, but it was also a vibrant, living, and breathing thing on its own that seemed to be fighting the containment of its precise borders.
She would have stayed there all day if it would have been polite, but after about ten minutes, Alice reluctantly roused herself to journey back, knowing a good impression on her first outing in Northamptonshire was paramount.
“There you are, dear. Where did you disappear to?” Priscilla inquired upon seeing Alice reemerge through the overcrowded space by her side.
“I was feeling a bit warm and stepped outside for a moment. You have lovely gardens, Lady Spencer.”
The Lady of the house gave a warm smile at Alice’s words. “Thank you, dear. They were designed by Capability Brown himself. We take great pride in them.”
“We’re just starting to overhaul the gardens at Hampton House ourselves,” Priscilla said. “It’s been ever so difficult to engage a designer. I have the utmost faith in our head gardener, however, and our new estate manager has been assisting as well.”
Alice could feel her cheeks beginning to color at the mention of the estate manager. She was both furious and embarrassed thinking of their interactions yesterday and vowed once again to steer clear of him. Yet as she thought of him, his handsome visage came to mind as well, even if kind thoughts of him were unwelcome at present.
“Lady Spencer, it’s been a delightful afternoon, but we must make our start home if we are to get there in the light. Thank you ever so much for hosting us, your rooms are simply glorious.”
Alice watched with envy as Priscilla reached out and grasped their hostess’s hand while issuing her flattery. Her cousin had a way of making everyone around her feel special, it was a trait Alice lacked and sorely wished she possessed herself. Making her own bow of acknowledgment to the countess, she followed Priscilla out of the home and into the blessedly quiet carriage.
They hadn’t made it far before Priscilla turned her attention toward Alice. “I’m sorry to say this to you, Alice, but I was a bit taken aback by the harsh way you discussed Mary Jeffries earlier. She is a peer of yours and could use your support more than your condemnation.”
Alice’s cheeks burned at the censure, but she was also surprised by it given how she’d witnessed Priscilla deliver a catty remark or two herself in the past. “Did I speak out of turn? I was only trying to keep up with the gossip of polite society and imitate what I’ve come to understand is how ladies in our society behave.”
This time it was Priscilla’s turn to cringe and blush.
“Oh dear, that’s what I feared.” Leaning across the small space that separated them in the carriage, Priscilla clutched Alice’s hands. “I know you’ve witnessed me behave poorly in past seasons, but hear me when I say that you should not use my own initial seasons as your example. While I might have behaved in a manner that was acceptable to those who surrounded me, it does not mean it was the proper way in which I should have behaved.”
Alice was taken aback by the earnestness with which her cousin spoke. It was true that Priscilla had changed and no longer put on airs, but she had assumed it was because she was now happily married and well matched, no longer needing to compete and be the queen bee as she had already conquered. Perhaps there was something deeper than Alice had lent credit to that lay behind Priscilla’s transformed attitude.
“I know we were raised to believe that, being born into a high-ranking family we possess something superior, and needn’t afford the same level of deference or regard to those with less standing. But actions and words have consequences, Alice. I’m afraid it took me far too long to learn that lesson. I’m still haunted by how I acted during my debut. I contributed to almost ruining a dear friend—she spent many years on the outside of society because of my lofty sense of self. I regret it to this day and am thankful I had a chance to make amends and build a friendship.”
This was news to Alice, and she wondered which friend she spoke of. However, she was now utterly confused about how to proceed in society.
“But I thought you brought me here so that I wouldn’t reflect poorly on our family. I failed to make a match last year—I must have done something wrong. Why did you agree to work with me?” she asked, searching Priscilla’s gaze.
