Page 121 of The Mistress of All & Torn

“Promise me!”

“I shall promise whatever you want.”

Elizabeth placed a soft kiss on his cheek. When he finally released her hands, she rang for his man to assist him to his rooms. Then the servants lifted his chair, and she followed him with tearful eyes as he was carried to his apartment.

She remained still for a few long moments, wiping her eyes, unsure why she was crying.

As she heard her relatives and Lady Kendal talking in the other room, recollections invaded Elizabeth, bringing her back to the moment she had entered Lady Kendal’s house for the first time, the evening when her present situation had begun.

Chapter 5

London, five months earlier

“What a bad storm! I am not sure which is worse, the wind or the snow,” Mrs Gardiner said to her husband and Elizabeth.

They were enjoying a drink after dinner, while the children had already retired for the night.

“I confess I love snow, and the wind does not trouble me so much,” Elizabeth said.

Mrs Gardiner rolled her eyes. “You like anything if it is out of doors, Lizzy. I watched you earlier, playing in the snow with the children. I was freezing just looking at you.”

Elizabeth laughed. “Nothing is better than fresh snow, and I was glad to have company.”

“Well, at least the children were so tired that they fell asleep immediately,” Mrs Gardiner concluded.

“Speaking of company, I received a rather peculiar invitation today,” Mr Gardiner interjected.

“Invitation? To what, my dear?”

“To a dinner. A party. I am not quite certain. But there is something to be celebrated.”

“Who is celebrating?” Mrs Gardiner enquired, bewildered.

“Lady Kendal. The late Lord Kendal was the patron of several trading affairs in which Mr Banfield was also involved. Mainly spices, tea, and coffee from India. They have some distant family connections too. I am not quite familiar with the relationships, as I was never interested in it before today. I only heard Mr Banfield mention her ladyship occasionally.”

“So we are invited to a lady’s celebration, although we do not know her at all? Does she know the situation of our family?”

“Of course she does. And Bingley and Jane are invited too.”

“Jane and Charles?” Elizabeth repeated. “That is considerate of her ladyship but even stranger.”

“I am as puzzled as you are,” Mr Gardiner admitted. “It seems Lady Kendal lives with her grandson, who appears to have a serious medical condition. They have no close family. She had a son who died twenty years ago. Her daughter and son-in-law also passed away ten years ago. A life full of tragedies, I was told. She enjoys charming, well-informed people at her dinner table. And Mr Banfield thought we could be good company. He and his wife were quite charmed by Lizzy and Jane when they met them. They spoke to Lady Kendal of you, so she insisted on inviting us all. That is what he told me.”

“That is so sad to hear,” Mrs Gardiner uttered. “She seems to be attempting to fill her house with strangers to avoid loneliness.”

“Very sad. But Mr Banfield insisted we should show no sorrow and certainly no pity to either her ladyship or her grandson, Lord Alveston. I am tempted to believe she invited us precisely because our situation in life is so much below theirs,” Mr Gardiner said, still intrigued.

“I hardly know what can be said,” Elizabeth replied.

“Well, at least we know from the beginning what is expected of us...”

“Yes...to be clever and charming. And it will help to strengthen my business connection with Mr Banfield. And being acquainted with Lady Kendal might be useful too,” Mr Gardiner added.

“Well, if such is the case, any effort is worthwhile, Uncle,” Elizabeth continued, half in jest. “If I can bear Caroline Bingley and Louisa Hurst regularly, for the sake of Jane and Charles, I can bear anything and anyone.”

“True,” Mrs Gardiner said. “Still, this is quite a peculiar invitation.”

“Yes… But I had no reason to refuse it. Mr Banfield added that Lady Kendal is desperately concerned for her grandson’s health. He seems to suffer from the same illness that affected others in her family, and it has no cure.”