“No one remembers any longer,” she admitted. “The story that has been handed down through generations is that the chapel was abandoned after there was damage from a fierce storm. Instead of repair, a new chapel was built, and all records were removed from the old chapel and into the new.”
“Surely they knew the name of the old chapel,” Lord Ferrard offered.
“I’m certain they did, but approximately twenty years after the new chapel was built, fire struck, destroying everything within.”
He blinked at her.
“The names of both chapels have been lost to us as it’s now been at least two centuries, and we only have stories.”
“That is rather sad not to have a name for the ruins.”
She shrugged. “Is it any different than calling the numerous ruins about England simply Roman ruins because they were named for those who occupied the location?”
He frowned. “Yet, many of them do have names as well.”
“Our chapel does not,” Violet answered, and it had never really bothered her that it did not have a name, though it should, she supposed.
“I’ll get the carriage and we can ride there together,” Lady Joanna offered.
“It’s not so far that we cannot walk,” Violet suggested.
“Perhaps not for you and Lord Ferrard, but I am no longer young.” She chuckled then waved to the carriage waiting at the corner where the street was wider than the narrow lane before the Harley house.
“Your sister and her bachelors had a pleasant outing to the ruins yesterday,” Lady Joanna offered after they were settled into the carriage.
“Did you accompany my sister and her eight bachelors?” Violet asked.
“Seven bachelors,” she corrected.
“Who else is gone besides Lord Eardly and me?” Lord Ferrard asked.
“Lord K,” she answered.
“Who is Lord K?” Violet asked.
“Lord Kilmuir,” Lord Ferrard answered.
“Why not call him by his name?” Violet asked. She’d assumed it was a nickname, but she’d never heard Kilmuir called by it before.
At her question, Lady Joanna giggled. “You see, Lady Violet, as they were from the first eleven letters of the alphabet, with the exception of a J, my sister, Lady Esther, mentioned that she might not be able to keep the ten lords straight, so your grandmother decreed that they were to only go by Lord and the first initial, such as Lord Ferrard was Lord F, and so forth and that they were to wear the letter on the lapel.”
Violet simply stared at Lady Joanna. She couldn’t be hearing correctly. “You did not know all the guests?”
“Of course we did, however several were rather pompous, with the exception of a few.” Lady Joanna nodded to Lord Ferrard. “This was our way of reminding them why they were at Forester Hall to begin with.”
In any other circumstance, Violet would have enjoyed the moment as she’d been censured by pompous asses in the past.
“Why was Lord K asked to leave?” Lord Ferrard asked.
“I’m not quite certain,” Lady Joanna answered. “I do know that he liked to rise early in the morning, before the sun, and stand at the cliffs and stare out to sea with his spyglass.”
Alarm swept through Violet. There was only one reason anyone would do so that early.
“At least, that was told to me, but I don’t see why that would be a reason to ask him to leave. There is nothing wrong with watching the sunrise. I’ve been known to do so on occasion.”
“It is a lovely sunrise,” Violet offered. She’d seen it often herself, after being up all night working in the caves.
Given what was to occur on the sixth, it was no wonder her father wanted Lord K gone.
