Sussex Summer (8 page)

"You were supposed to find someone suitable for me and haven't," she continued, an aggrieved edge to her voice. “If you will not find me a rich husband, I must find one for myself.”

“That, dear sister, is your doing,” Lord Blackwood replied, yawning lazily. "If you had not spent a night on the road in the company of Lord Crawford last Season you would not have cast doubt upon your reputation. Now men are willing to dance attendance upon your beauty, but won't come up to scratch."

"I told you nothing happened," Lady Juliette fumed, scowling at her brother. "If Lady Parkenham had not chanced to be at the same inn and seen us having supper together in the private parlour, no one would have been the wiser. Spiteful old cat. She always hated me because I outshone her fusby-faced daughter the year of our come-outs."

Lady Juliette frowned at the memories, lines marring the satin smoothness of her forehead, and then changed from defense to attack.

"If you had not gambled away what little we had, it would not be necessary for me to marry for money. Speaking of marrying for money, why do you not do so yourself?" she demanded with asperity. "Your reputation is even worse, that is why."

Lady Juliette paused a moment to glare angrily at her brother, but Lord Blackwood, accustomed to his sister's temper, merely smiled aggravatingly. She looked away, picking up a Worcester figurine of a lady in blue from the table next to her, turning it over and over in her slender hands.

"Captain Tremaine will have to do. He is well-to-pass if not wealthy. I intend to coax an invitation to his family's estate in Sussex when he returns there. London is thin of company in the summer, and I am unlikely to find anyone better at this date. If you do not wish to accompany me, you may join our esteemed father and sister on the Continent. I cannot afford to rent these lodgings for your convenience."

Lord Blackwood made no immediate comment. He straightened and walked to the window, pushing aside the grimy draperies with his whip in order to have a better view of the street.

"I may as well accompany you to Sussex. Perhaps there will be a country heiress who has not heard of my reputation, and you will not have to sacrifice yourself on a mere Captain Tremaine, after all. Here comes your victim now," he added, letting the draperies fall back into place. "I shall have Aunt join you. You had best work fast while he is bemused by your charms and get him safely back to Sussex before someone enlightens him as to your slightly tarnished reputation."

Lord Blackwood exited with a smile at his glaring sister, who clutched the figurine tightly. Only the fact that there was not enough time to clean up the mess before Captain Tremaine was shown into the drawing room kept her from flinging it at her brother's departing back.

* * * *

Jane sighed as she sorted through her father's voluminous correspondence. Nothing for her amongst it. He had not said he would write, but Jane had harboured hopes that Edward would send her a letter from London while he was there. Surely that would not have been improper, given the friendship between the families and especially between the two of them. It had been fully two weeks since he had left, and there had been no word. Not even Lady Tremaine had heard from him. Jane took the offending letters in to her father, who was so absorbed in his work that he barely noted her presence until she turned to leave.

"Jane, would you help me with my latest chapter this morning? I need your fair hand for the final copy," he said flatteringly.

"I cannot help you this morning. I promised to go riding with Fanny and Lord Staplefield, but I shall have time to make a copy this afternoon," Jane promised.

Mr. Hampton looked up from his desk. "Lord Staplefield has become a frequent caller, has he not?"

"Yes, he has shown a definite interest in Fanny's company."

"Then perhaps it is time Fanny officially ended her betrothal to James Tremaine. Although he has been a frequent caller also, has he not?" Mr. Hampton sighed at the thought of having to disrupt his studies to deal with a family problem. He much preferred his world of books. So much more orderly.

"Do not fret about Fanny, Papa," Jane said to allay her father's worry. "I believe Fanny is quite capable of dealing with both Jamie and Lord Staplefield properly."

Pleased to be relieved of his responsibilities so easily, Mr. Hampton picked up his pen and returned to his work.

"Mind you leave the afternoon free," he admonished as she left the room.

"Yes, Papa," Jane promised. Helping her father with his work more frequently had helped her not to miss Captain Tremaine as much, but it had its disadvantages. The more she assisted her father, the more he required her presence.

She was on her way upstairs when she heard Fanny's voice calling after her.

"Jane, hurry and get dressed or you will not be ready when Lord Staplefield arrives."

"I am on my way now," Jane answered, turning to her sister, who stood at the bottom of the stairs watching her anxiously. Fanny looked extremely fetching in her new carriage dress of apricot muslin, and Jane was certain her efforts would not be wasted upon Lord Staplefield. She nodded at her sister reassuringly and hurried upstairs to change into her own new carriage dress.

As she quickly dressed herself, Jane reflected that one thing she had to be grateful for lately was Fanny's rapid return to health. Her sister seemed to have finally come to terms with her changed appearance. No doubt the attention she was receiving from her three admirers had a great deal to do with it. Jamie and Christopher called frequently, and Jane was amused by Jamie's sudden willingness to keep up the pretense of the betrothal. He acted quite possessively of Fanny, glaring at Chris when he was present and sulking when Lord Staplefield appeared. Fanny seemed to accept Jamie's presence with equanimity, however. Jane wondered what her sister was planning to do about the betrothal. Fanny might well wish to be free to receive more serious attentions from Christopher Archer or Lord Staplefield.

But Fanny’s full social life also made Jane feel the lack of her own. She had become accustomed to the daily visits from Edward, and life was sadly flat with him gone. Playing chaperone to her sister was not the same as having her company sought for itself.

"Jane, Lord Staplefield is here. Make haste," Fanny's voice called. Jane grabbed a bonnet from the shelf of her wardrobe and hurried down the stairs, trying to throw off her melancholy lest she be a poor companion for the other two.

The sisters exited the cottage and Jane and smiled charmingly at Lord Staplefield as he stood beside his carriage to hand them up.

The earl was assisting Jane into the carriage while his groom held the horses when a second equipage drew up, driven by Jamie. It was a fashionable perch phaeton in a glossy orange lacquer drawn by matched chestnuts caparisoned in rosettes and ribbons. Jamie himself was dressed to the nines in a canary coat, pea-green pantaloons, purple waistcoat and a white neckcloth.

"I say, Fanny," he called, looking at Lord Staplefield’s old-fashioned carriage in disparagement, "
I
was going to take you on a drive today."

“I am sorry, Jamie, I do not recall your asking me," Fanny replied, as Jane settled herself on the seat of Lord Staplefield's carriage.

"Jane may go with Lord Staplefield and you shall come with me," Jamie insisted as Jane settled herself on the leather squabs and the earl held his hand out to assist Fanny into the carriage.

Jane saw Fanny hesitate, uncertain what to do. Should Fanny refuse, it would look odd to those watching from behind the curtains of the village cottages, since Jamie was officially still her betrothed. But Jane knew Fanny would much prefer to go with Lord Staplefield.

Lord Staplefield sensed her dilemma, and said in a low voice, "It is no matter, Miss Fanny Hampton. Go with Mr. Tremaine now and I shall take you driving tomorrow."

"You are the winner this morning, Tremaine," the earl said pleasantly as he helped Fanny into the phaeton, but Jamie rudely turned his head away and made no reply.

Fanny watched in envy as the earl drove off with Jane. "Really, Jamie, that was beyond anything. I had a commitment to the earl," she said with irritation.

"It's not the thing for you to be driving out with other men when you are betrothed to me," Jamie responded truculently as he flicked the reins and the phaeton moved forward.

Fanny looked at him measuringly. "I am
not
betrothed to you, as you well know."

"Well, others don't know, and it looks deuced shabby for you to be receiving so much attention from other men," Jamie lectured as his chestnuts began to pick up speed.

Fanny's temper began to rise at this dressing down. "I think it is time we officially ended our betrothal. Then you can have no objections to my behaviour."

"Don't fly up into the boughs so." Jamie turned to look at Fanny and said almost hesitantly, "I've been meaning to say, Fan, we needn't end the betrothal at all. We could go on as before."

Fanny was so angry at Jamie’s assumption that she would care to continue her betrothal to him after his treatment of her that she opened her mouth to tell him exactly what she thought when she caught a fleeting glimpse of the old Jamie in the boyish face. Her anger died, and she answered mildly.

"No, Jamie, we cannot go on as before. It is not possible after what has passed between us."

"Are you going to hold that against a fellow forever?" Jamie pleaded. "I had had a shock."

Fanny did not try to explain that her appearance when she was ill should not have revolted him if he had loved her. Shocked him perhaps, but not caused him to end their betrothal.

"I think it best we end it, Jamie," she repeated.

"I know what it is," he said sullenly, flicking the horses lightly with his whip to increase their speed. "You're hoping to snabble the earl. An earl's much better than the younger son of a viscount. Why else would you see so much of that...that macaroni."

Fanny knew it was Jamie's wounded vanity speaking, but the benevolent feeling toward him she had just experienced vanished entirely.

"Don't you dare speak to me that way," she ordered as the phaeton careened on at a faster and faster pace. "Not after your Turkish treatment of me when I was ill. I want the betrothal ended now."

"I refuse!" Jamie shouted in reply, whipping up the horses until the phaeton swayed dangerously going around a curve, forcing Fanny to hold on for dear life or be thrown from the vehicle.

“What are you trying to do, cause us to overturn?” Fanny shouted, bringing Jamie back to his senses, and he slowed his team.

“Take me home at once, Jamie,” Fanny commanded.

Sullenly, Jamie obliged, and they returned without speaking. Fanny was so furious with Jamie that she was ready to jump off the phaeton immediately it stopped by the garden gate, but caught herself in time as she saw how far above the ground she was. Fortunately, Ned Reid was watching for her return and ran to help her down, allowing her to walk off with dignity as Jamie drove back to Haverton Park with a scowl on his face.

* * * *

Jane fared better on her drive with the earl, although she knew it was her sister's company that he had desired. Lord Staplefield was an amusing companion and his sharp observations on human nature and his comments on the country society he had recently become a part of kept her diverted until they returned.

However, the drive had failed to raise her spirits entirely, and it was with a long face that she joined her sister in the garden where Fanny sat sipping a glass of lemonade under the shade of a large apple tree.

"Would you believe Jamie asked me to let our betrothal stand?" she demanded of Jane, her eyes flashing, still seething from Jamie's behaviour during the drive.

"No! How could he?" Jane responded indignantly, her own troubles forgotten. "You refused, of course."

"Yes, but he refused to end it officially. I shall have to speak to Lady Tremaine about it, and I had not wished to distress her."

Once she had given vent to her indignation, Fanny’s anger cooled slightly.

"In truth, I almost felt sorry for Jamie for a moment," she confessed. "I suppose to a Pink of the Ton like Jamie, my appearance that day
was
quite shocking. But if that was his reaction to my losing my looks now, when it was only temporary, what would he do when they change as I get older? Keep mistresses? I know that is the custom with men of his class, but I should not like it."

Jane was rather shocked at Fanny's plain speaking, but had to acknowledge her sister made a legitimate point.

"It is odd how different Edward is from his brother," Jane said musingly.

Fanny's attention was caught by both the words and tone of Jane's voice, and she looked at her sister with concern.

"Jane," said Fanny hesitantly, "what are your feelings for Captain Tremaine? You have not developed a
tendre
for him, have you?"

Jane blushed, hoping her feelings were not as visible to others as they evidently were to Fanny.

"Yes, I suppose I have," she admitted rather reluctantly, for admitting it to a third person made her attachment seem tenuous and fragile.

Fanny was silent a moment, and then said cautiously, "I do not know how to say this, Jane, but are you sure Captain Tremaine returns your affections?"

Jane took umbrage at Fanny's question. She might not wish others to discover what her feelings were until Edward spoke to her about his own, but she knew he
would
speak. It was only a matter of time. Surely the only reason he had spoken already was that he first wished to fulfill his obligations to Sir John Moore’s memory.

"He has not spoken yet, if that is what you wish to know, but yes, he has given me reason to think that he holds me in affection."

Fanny put a hand on Jane's arm. "Pray do not be angry with me," Fanny pleaded. "I am only endeavoring to spare you the pain I suffered. I have observed you and Captain Tremaine together. He does appear to hold you in affection, but it appeared to me to be a sisterly affection, not anything more."

Jane was contrite. "I am sorry, Fanny. But I think you are worried about me needlessly. Edward
has
given me reason to think my affections are returned, I assure you."