Clarissa and the Poor Relations (9 page)

Grandiston grinned. ‘Miss Thorne will not be expected to marry him, Charles, but Staines may at least be brought to
think
so.’ Charles looked sceptical. ‘Our stratagems are helped along by his vanity. He will, of course, believe that Miss Thorne must be overcome by his charms. We’ll just put the thought in his Lordship’s head. It is a delaying tactic. The longer the ladies remain at Ashcroft, the more difficult it will be for her brother to be seen to be acting in her best interests if he suggests their removal. The whole neighbourhood remarks the change in the estate. They are a remarkable group of women. I have yet another job for you, my dear boy’

Charles looked suspicious, ‘Yes?’

‘It is time to enrich the neighbourhood further. If you were to go the town, Charles, and let some of your acquaintance know the whereabouts of the beautiful Miss Petersham…’

Mr Booth was not long delayed in town, but the ladies were busy in the meantime paying back all the calls from neighbours who had been denied their presence by the redoubtable Sullivan. Whilst Miss Micklethwaite kept to the house and estate, Misses Appleby, Petersham and Thorne drove the late Viscount’s landaulet around to make themselves known.

The first visit was to Lord Staines and his mother. Lord Grandiston happened to be visiting when the ladies were announced and began to see his plans take their first unexpected twist. As his lordship rose to greet Miss Thorne, the Earl was pleased to see that his eyes lit up at the sight of such a pretty young heiress to the land he so cherished. The depth of his bow over Clarissa’s outstretched hand was the sure sign of a beginning flirtation and Grandiston was pleased to think that his stratagems had worked so well. It did not last, however. As Staines rose, his eye alighted on her companion and his jaw dropped, as Clarissa noticed with amusement.

Oriana, who had given up her attempts to look like a school mistress since the appearance of her old friend, looked perfectly ravishing in a pale blue velvet pelisse and high crowned bonnet. The peacock feather that curled gently over the brim contained the deep green of her eyes whilst the golden curls framed a face so beautiful as to leave their host temporarily bereft of speech. Oh well, thought Grandiston - always a man to respond to the moment - that will do quite as well.

Lady Staines (in primrose and a pink shawl) took in the situation at a glance and came forward to welcome the ladies and to sit them down. ‘Who is this girl?’  She thought, ‘Why didn’t I catch her name?’ However, Clarissa was introducing her and the silly Appleby woman again and her ladyship smiled easily while she thought madly. She had a natural bias against a young lady whose hair was the colour that she herself tried to maintain with great discomfort and who moreover had reduced her tiresome young son to a stuffed cabbage. When she heard her name though, she remembered the tales of Sir Fitzroy Petersham’s sister who had been the season’s beauty in a year when her own health had not permitted more than a short visit to town. Good birth then, but what was her fortune? She would send a letter to London tonight.

Lord Staines had at last recovered himself and addressed himself to Oriana.

‘I am acquainted with your brother, Miss Petersham.’ He said, with a warm glance.

Oriana’s eyes burned fiery ice and she said indifferently, ‘Oh, yes?’

Grandiston was diverted. Poor Staines. He could not have hit upon anything less winning to say to the object of his gallantry.

Clarissa interjected, momentarily drawing Staines eyes away from the icy, but beautiful Miss Petersham.

‘I believe you are acquainted with my brother also, are you not sir?’

The Earl liked the little lady more and more - this was going for poor Staines’ throat since the only occasion he had to meet her brother was when he had hoped to arrange the sale of Ashcroft without her own consent. But his Lordship recovered well, ‘Yes, I had that pleasure whilst he was visiting the district on some business of yours, I believe.’

Clarissa could not help herself from replying, ‘No business of mine, I assure you, my Lord.’

There was a brief pause before Lady Staines inquired archly, ‘And how do you like the new tenants of the Dower House, my dear? Do you see much of Mr Booth?’

For some reason the natural response to this sounded a trifle off, for both young ladies realized that their tenant and his companion had been spending rather more time with them than was usual. Unexpectedly, Miss Appleby came quite smoothly to their rescue, ‘Indeed we do. We ladies so enjoy the gentlemen’s occasional visits for we found,’ she leant forward confidingly towards her ladyship, ‘that Lord Grandiston here was Sir Ralph’s dearest friend and an old friend of Miss Petersham’s family. Was anything so fortunate? Of course the dear boys do get tired untangling our silks for us and the like.  A houseful of women such as we are poor company for
London
men.’ Here she smiled teasingly at Lord Grandiston who could not afterwards decide if she knew how masterfully respectable she made the gentlemen’s visits seem.

Lord Staines thereafter tried to thaw out Miss Petersham with no success. Only for the shortest time of novelty had she enjoyed being accounted beautiful when she had gone to London. With little help from her brother she had soon tired of the fulsome compliments and disturbing attentions. Even the least silly of her suitors had seemed to wish to talk more about her beauty than her real self and she had become both bored and oppressed by it. Another suitor could not please her- especially not one who was friend to her despised brother.

The ladies took their leave and Grandiston walked them to the carriage. As he handed Oriana up he smiled at her, ‘Strive to keep your temper in check, ice maiden. A little kindness from you may cause Lord Staines to be a little less interested in doing business so quickly with Mr Thorne.’

She looked disgusted, ‘Grandiston, I could not be kind to that toad.’

She looked so much like her sixteen year- old self that he gave a crack of laughter. ‘Oriana, my dear, think of Clarissa.’ he said caressingly.

The steps were up, Oriana’s eyes flashed at him, they drove away and the Earl laughed after them.

In the next days they visited old Sir Montague Holmes, the eldest and sweetest of the neighbourhood gentry whose bluff good humour had delighted them. He was unfortunately kept to his square manor house with bad health, but he invited the ladies to come again soon. He showed a strong disposition to flirt with Miss Appleby, which seemed to render her strangely quiet and shy instead of giddy as she had been in the presence of Booth and Grandiston. However, she did remember a family remedy which she hoped might allay the worst of Sir Montague’s spasms and she offered to make it up and send it to him from Ashcroft. Sir Montague thanked her but fixed her with his rather bleary eyes and suggested, ‘Why don’t you bring it, my dear? I daresay I’d need advice on how to take it and so on.’  Miss Appleby blushed and gave no promise.

The vicar and his wife and their pretty daughters Charlotte and Annabel welcomed them next and introduced the most prominent of the ladies of the village to their notice. Miss Petersham was attested to be the most beautiful of young ladies, but loyal to their district, the ladies were happy to see a real quality in Clarissa-- a real look of the
old
Viscount.

The most important call, in Clarissa’s mind, was the one made to Mr Elfoy’s mother.

This lady lived in a modest, but substantial stone cottage on the edge of the village with a garden as neatly tended as any they had seen. The fat thatch and the polished mullioned windows were a perfect prospect and the lady that came to meet them was a surprise. Her hair was perfectly white, but prematurely so, for a dignified and handsome face belied the white hair. She smiled a genuine welcome but Clarissa felt a little reserve in her which melted when she found that she was not to be treated to any patronage by the young ladies and melted still further as they both enthused about the many qualities of her beloved son.

Oriana was amused and a little worried to note the extreme interest betrayed in each other by her friend and Mrs Elfoy. Obviously, the lady had some inkling of her son’s feelings and was concerned for him. Despite this, she could not but take to the shining Clarissa and her request for help in getting to know her neighbours and her interest in village life.

Later that week, the young ladies were found by the newly returned Mr Booth and his companion in the morning room, having recently ushered out Lord and Lady Staines.

‘Miss Thorne, ladies. Glad to find you at home. Just returned from town and come to pay my respects at once,’ said the Hon. Charles, very much at his ease.

Clarissa greeted him in the same manner; ‘You are our third morning callers, gentlemen, so do not be surprised if our stock of light conversation has totally dried up. Whoever said it was dull in the country. Pray be seated.’

‘Ah,’ said Charles, wisely, ‘but you are an object of curiosity. Don’t give it a thought; you’ll be old news in a week.’

‘Well.’ laughed Oriana, ‘Just such a curiosity as Farmer Skipton’s prize bull, Clarissa. Now we understand our neighbours’ kind attentions.’ Clarissa let out a whoop at Charles’ crestfallen expression and Mrs Micklethwaite intervened.

‘That is quite enough from all of you. Well, your Lordship, you see the village embraces Clarissa - how can this help our cause?’  She turned to the Earl who was lounging on the settle playing idly with his quizzing glass and watching the interplay with a smile.

‘Yes.’ said Oriana with spirit, ‘And what did you mean when you said I should be kind to that weasel Staines. I have just had to endure a whole twenty minutes of his company and he barely acknowledged the other ladies.’

‘Quite right, my dear,’ said Miss Appleby looking up from her Berlin work, ‘Hardly a word to any of us even when his Mamma called him to attention. I do not think she liked him being quite so attentive to you. She spoke to me aside a little and asked about Sir Fitzroy and your fortune and so on…although in the most delicate way imaginable, of course.’

‘Silly woman,’ said Miss Micklethwaite, ‘What possesses her to wear that shade of pink at her age. If we are all to dance to your tune, Grandiston, at least give us your thoughts.’

‘My thoughts are to help Miss Thorne retain her inheritance.’

‘Well, you can dashed well do that without asking Miss Petersham to encourage a devilishly dull fellow like Staines.’ said Mr Booth who was just beginning to realize that he’d spent two days in town increasing the number of his rivals for the beautiful Miss Petersham. He did it because Grandiston requested it and also because he had a fair notion that it would disoblige Sir Fitzroy to have half the town know his sister’s whereabouts.

‘You are right as always, Charles. The fair Miss Petersham’s icy demeanour will be no bar to Staines’ devotion. It will merely increase it. He is by far too conceited to accept defeat.’

‘Well.’ exclaimed Oriana, at a loss.

Grandiston’s eyes glittered. ‘You wish to know what strategy I employ. It is simple. I thought that rather than buy the property, Staines may like to marry it.’  Miss Appleby gave a fluttering gasp at so direct a speech but Clarissa was merely interested.

‘You might guess that I will not marry him, my lord.’

‘Of course I did. We are playing a delaying game. If Staines is not so keen to see you ladies depart the country, he will deprive your brother of the instant sale that he hoped to persuade you into. My best plans have failed me, but his pursuit of Oriana answers just as well. You have indulged in this round of visits so that you establish deeper into the community making any assertion that you might be friendless and in need of your brother’s protection a redundant one. All that you are set to achieve on the estate, though admirable, will very well anger him since you have acted without reference to his judgement.’

‘But it is nothing to do with him – and besides, he knows as little as I did at first about running such a place.’ cried Clarissa, stung.

‘Of course, but you can hardly expect him to agree to that. Gentlemen are always presumed to have a wiser head than young ladies. Do not interrupt.’ Clarissa subsided sheepishly. ‘We have to give him some reasons
not
to take you away. So, one, we have the scandal that would result in the neighbourhood if he were to take away the best landlord that the estate has known since your grandfather.’ Clarissa blushed, but Miss Micklethwaite muttered gloomily, ‘That’s not saying much by all accounts.’ She was stilled by a mock-stern look from Grandiston ‘Two, we take away his quick sale, or at least delay it and third, well, this is a little delicate…’

‘Before you go on to three, Grandiston,’ Clarissa interjected, unconsciously using the familiar form towards him, ‘I don’t like
one
. Why should my brother care about upsetting this neighbourhood? He lives so far away, doesn’t he?’

‘Indeed, that is true. However, he travels to Bath and London, doesn’t he? Doesn’t his wife aspire to the
ton
? Well, the neighbourhood, unless I am much mistaken is about to swell with London smarts who might very well disapprove of your removal from the estate.’

‘Oh,’ said Miss Appleby, interestedly, ‘is there a sporting event in the area?’

‘After a fashion,’ said Grandiston wryly, ‘I see that it is time for Charles to tell you what he was doing in town. Charles?’ He raised his eyebrow quizzically in his friend’s direction.

Mr Booth tugged awkwardly at his neckcloth and looked at the expectant ladies one by one, finally gulping as his frightened eye alighted on Oriana. ‘I was only doing Grandiston’s bidding, mind,’ he said apologetically, ‘Well, I was informing a few particular friends of the whereabouts of Miss Petersham.’ he finished at a rush.

Sparing only a disgusted look at Booth, Oriana turned her green-eyed glare on the true culprit. ‘Grandiston, you wretch.’ she said fuming; ‘We’ll have a hoard of men besieging this place.’ she stopped flushing as she realized that she had been betrayed into unmaidenly speech.

Grandiston’s eyes danced, ‘Well I’m glad you are not falsely modest about your charms my dear.’