The Folly (8 page)

Willa felt the walls closing in on her as she listened to Lucinda talk.  As far as she knew, Lucinda Waters had never had a man in her life.  She was still a maid at thirty-three
,
and she had no idea what it meant to be wrenched away from the person you loved.  To make matters worse, Willa had recently begun to suspect that she was with child
,
and this complication could make matters even worse.  She had to speak to Matthew and come up with a plan.  Surely, he wouldn’t just let her be shipped off to Essex like a piece of luggage.  They would figure something out together.

“Excuse me, Lucinda.  I
’
m feeling a bit faint.  I think I will go lie down for a while.  Thank you for telling me.  When do you think we’ll know for certain?”  Willa rose to leave, pausing in the doorway to hear Lucinda’s answer.

“They are to announce the engagement tomorrow.”  Willa stumbled to her room and lay down on her cot, arms wrapped around her middle.  She had to go see her granny before she spoke to Matthew.  She needed to know for sure.

Willa stared at the grimy ceiling of the small back room as her grandmother made her preparations.  She didn’t need to see what was happening.  She knew.  She
’
d seen it done often enough
,
and she was well aware of what was in store for her over the next hour.  Willa wiped the tear that ran down her cheek and turned her face to the wall.  Her mother was in the other room with her granny, crying softly.  Willa did not want her mother to shed tears for her.  It wouldn’t do any good. 

Once the engagement was announced and Elizabeth told Willa the news
,
there was nothing to do but speak to Mr. Shipley.  Willa thought of talking to Elizabeth, but the final decision
rested
with her father
,
and she decided to go see him. 
She hadn’t told Matthew about her predicament, wanting to speak to Mr. Shipley first. 
Willa was shown into the l
ibrary and told to wait. 
The windows were closed despite the June heat
,
and Willa felt as if she would faint if she didn’t sit down.  She perched on the edge of a leather armchair, listening for Mr. Shipley’s footsteps.  It wouldn’t do for him to find her lounging about in his library.  He was a strict man
,
and even such a minor thing could have
a
negative bearing on the outcome of their interview.  She jumped to her feet as
soon as
she heard the heavy footsteps outside
,
and looked at her shoes as Mr. Shipley strode into the library and sat down, facing her.

“I was told you’d like to speak with me, Miss Adams.  What can I do for you?”  He didn’t seem angry, just impatient
; he
had no time for servants and their problems.  He left that to the butler and the housekeeper.  Willa took a deep breath and plunged in. “Mr. Shipley, I
’
m sorry to disturb you, but I wanted to speak with you regarding going to Essex with Miss Elizabeth once she marries.  You see, sir, Matthew Healy and I are planning to be married
,
and I would very much like to stay here.” 

“Matthew Healy?”  he asked, confused.

“The footman, sir.  We
’
ve been walking out for a year.”

Mr. Shipley crossed his legs at the ankles and leaned back in his chair, surveying Willa.  “Miss Adams, you will go to Essex with my daughter because that is what I wish.  If you dare
to
bring up your personal problems to me again, I will sack both
you and Matthew Healy without a reference
,
and without wages owed to you.  If you proceed to defy me in this, I will also throw your family off my land.  From what I hear, your father is a useless drunkard anyway
,
and your grandmother is taking up a perfectly good cottage
,
that can be used by a family that actually contributes something to the estate.   Is that clear?  Now, if you would be so kind as to return to your duties
,
and stop wasting my time.”

Willa backed away, frozen with shock.  She had never known Mr. Shipley to be cruel, but then again she
’
d
never had to deal with him directly.  If he could sell his daughter for a title, what was there to stop him from destroying Willa’s life?  What did he care that he was tearing her from the man she loved
,
or from the future they planned?  He would throw out her family and her grandmother, who had saved countless women from dying in childbirth on the Shipley estate.  Willa could not allow that to happen
,
any more than she could allow Matthew to lose his job.  If he was dismissed without a reference his life would be over.  He would never be able to find a decent job
,
and their future would be destroyed anyway.  It didn’t matter what Willa or Elizabeth wanted.  Right now, it was Mr. Shipley who pulled the strings. 

Willa didn
’
t tell Matthew what happened with Mr. Shipley.  She didn’t want him to feel responsible.  She simply told him that she would be going with Elizabeth because it would better her chances in life.  Working for the wife of a baronet would give her valuable experience
,
and she wouldn’t want to miss out on that.  Matthew was heartbroken and angry.  It was better that way.  A clean break would heal faster; at least once she got this part over with. 

Willa clenched her hands into fists
,
as her grandmother positioned herself between her legs and pushed them apart.  “Ready, love?”  Willa just nodded.  She couldn’t bring herself to speak.  Tears ran down her cheeks as her granny scraped out her baby with a long, curved spoon fashioned especially for this task.  The pain was excruciating, but Willa didn’t care.  It didn’t come close to the pain in her heart.

Chapter
12

Elizabeth stood in front of the mirror while the seamstress crouched beside her, mouth full of pins.  The gown was
even lovelier than
Elizabeth
expected
.  The satin bodice displayed her cleavage to maximum advantage
,
and the bronze chiffon skirt felt weightless and sensual against her hips. 
Initially she hadn’t been sure about the color, but it
accentuated her hair and brandy-colored eyes
,
and made her feel more beautiful than she had in a long time.  Elizabeth had spent the past several weeks planning the ball and she was vibrating with anticipation.  This was her first big social event
,
and she prayed that she did everything right.  She personally oversaw all the details from flowers to food to the selection of music
.  S
he was certain the ball would be a great success. 

Jeremy was very surprised when she told him
what she was planning
, more so when he found out that Sir Henry had approved the idea.  No one had ever thrown a ball in his honor
before
,
and he was a little
embarrassed
by being the center of attention.  Elizabeth requested that he wear his uniform, which made
him look dashing and handsome, but Jeremy refused.  Having resigned his commission he was no longer an officer
,
and would have to settle for civilian evening clothes instead.

Elizabeth
had
to admit that Captain Flynn looked handsome when not in his uniform as well.  She found herself stealing discreet peeks at him when he wasn’t looking
,
glancing
away
embarrassed
when he caught her a few times.  She saw him trying to hide his smile and couldn’t help smiling back.  She wasn’t sure what their relationship was supposed to be, but she couldn’t help wanting to spend time with him. 
They were together almost every day now
,
and she could feel Henry vibrating with displeasure when they returned from their walks or rides through the countryside
.
  He could hardly tell Elizabeth not to spend time with her stepson, but she knew that he disapproved and wished Jeremy would just leave. 
 

Elizabeth
allowed the seamstress to help her out of the gown and turned to Willa, who helped her get dressed in the
summery
morning frock.  The gown would be ready by Friday
, in
time for the ball on Saturday
. 
Elizabeth
thanked the seamstress for her efforts and left the room.  She still had some minor details to attend to
,
and she wanted to finish in time to join Jeremy for luncheon.  Henry
was out on estate business
and the prospect of spending time with Jeremy made her unreasonably happy.

Chapter
1
3

Elizabeth joined Sir Henry and Jeremy in the foyer
just
as the first carriage was spotted coming up the drive.  Everything was in place
, leaving
Elizabeth
nothing to do, but enjoy the party
.  The flower arrangements filled the house with the scent of lilies and orange blossoms
,
and strains of music could be heard from the ballroom as the musicians tuned their instruments one last time before the guests arrived.  Elizabeth had been gratified to see the look of admiration on both Flynn
s
’
faces as she came down the wide staircase, wearing her new gown
,
and a topaz and gold necklace and matching earrings.  Willa had been practicing new hairstyles for two weeks
,
and Elizabeth was well pleased with
the result
. 
Willa had curled the hair framing her face and pulled the rest into a loose chignon, reminiscent of the style of Greek and Roman goddesses, making her look soft and feminine.

Elizabeth’s parents
had declined the invitation to the ball due to her mother’s illness, but Elizabeth strongly suspected they were not happy with the return of Captain Flynn
.
  Mr. Shipley had his heart set on having his grandson become the next baronet
,
and the sudden appearance of Henry’s son put paid to that plan. 
They had visited Elizabeth only once since her marriage, eager to see Henry’s estate
,
but
had refused every invitation since then, claiming one excuse after another
,
and Elizabeth never went back to
Suffolk
to visit her family.  She had seen them in
London
after her marriage.  Her parents treated her with cool civility
,
and she found herself avoiding them
whenever
possible.  

Elizabeth was, however
, overjoyed
to see
Rosa
munde
.  She arrived on Thursday
in her yellow-bodied coach with four matching chestnut mares
, full of stories of exotic India and laden with boxes and gifts for everyone.  Rosamunde brought
Elizabeth
a beautiful fan made of peacock feathers, which Elizabeth insisted on carrying during the ball. 
The colors of the fan actually complemented her gown
,
and she took the opportunity to show it off to the other ladies. 
Henry got a
walking stick with an ivory handle carved in the shape of a dragon’s head
,
and Jeremy received a silver snuff box, carved with an intricate eastern pattern.  Jeremy didn’t take snuff, but he thanked Rosamunde profusely, happy to see his aunt after all these years. 

Jeremy remembered o
nly a few
of the guests
from when he was a boy
,
his eyes
glazing
over as couple after couple were introduced to him
in the
receiving
line
.  Unlike Jeremy, Henry seemed to be enjoying himself, which made
Elizabeth
happy.  She wanted everything to go off without a hitch
,
and having Henry in a good mood was certainly a bonus.  Finally, the gong sounded for dinner
, inviting
the men
to
escort the ladies into the dining room and to their seats.  A liveried footman was positioned behind each chair
serving
numerous courses
,
before the guests finally filed into the ballroom for dancing.  Everything was going according to plan.

Chapter
14

Hundreds of candles illuminated the vast ballroom, their flickering lights reflecting off the gilded frames of the paintings and the polished
parquet
floor.  Some of the older matrons settled themselves on
damask upholstered
settees lining the edges of the room, so as to better enjoy watching the
dancers,
while
numerous gentlemen drifted into small groups, discussing politics and horseflesh.  Only the young people were truly excited
to dance
. 

Sir Henry and Lady Elizabeth
led
the guests in the opening minuet
as
the couples eagerly took their places on the floor, ready to exert themselves after the lengthy supper.  The musicians
played
some of the traditional dances such as minuets, Scottish reels and waltzes, but Elizabeth also instructed them to make sure to play the quadrille, recently introduced at Almack’s Assembly
R
ooms in London by Lady Jersey.  The quadrille was gaining popularity
,
and Elizabeth wanted to make sure to appear fashionable
in front of her guests
.  Jeremy was familiar with the steps and did his best to teach her
,
despite a lack of other partners needed to form the set of four dancers.

Elizabeth glanced at her dance card.  It was already full
,
with Jeremy’s name next to the
quadrille
and the slow waltz.  She wished she could dance with him all night, but it was the height of bad manners to dance with the same partner more than twice, especially for the hostess.  She would have to dance with a slew of older men and make polite conversation
,
while they either drooled over
her
cleavage or stepped on her toes. 

Elizabeth smiled at something Magistrate
Buxton
said to her as he led her around the
dance floor
, but she hadn’t heard a word.  All her attention was concentrated on the sight of Jeremy dancing with Lady Veronica Bromley.  He was smiling down at her upturned face and leading her skillfully around the floor
,
making
Elizabeth
wish that the girl would trip and fall flat on her face.  She felt her cheeks grow red with shame.  The girl was lovely and kind
,
and she had no basis for such thoughts. 
Jeremy was just being a gentleman and doing his duty.  Elizabeth tried to concentrate on her own partner who was still talking.  She forced her attention away from Jeremy and Lady Bromley and looked for Sir Henry instead.  He was on the other side of the
dance floor
dancing with Mrs. Bolton, who was looking
very pleased with having a younger dance partner
. 

At last the dance came to an end
,
and Elizabeth turned just in time to see Jeremy escorting Lady Bromley outside. 
She felt as if someone had just kicked her in the stomach
,
and excused herself for a moment to go get a glass of champagne.  She was ashamed of herself.   Her behavior was unseemly and unworthy of her.  Jeremy had the right to do as he wished.  He wasn
’
t beholden to her in any way and her petty jealousy was ridiculous. 
The ball was for Jeremy and she wanted him to enjoy it, even if it meant watching him flirt with
her friend
. 
Of course, Veronica knew nothing of
Elizabeth
’s feelings for Jeremy
,
and she would no doubt see him as a marriage prospect.  Elizabeth took a sip of
champagne
to steady her nerves.  Her affection for Jeremy had to be suppressed at all costs, especially in front of all these people
,
and Elizabeth set down her glass, her eyes scanning the room for her husband.  Appearances had to be maintained.

Elizabeth joined her next partner on the
dance floor
after spending a few moments with Henry, h
er eyes discreetly searching for Jeremy’s tall form. 
He was easy to spot, being one of the tallest men in the room, but he was nowhere in sight.
  He must still be outside
with Veronica
.  Suddenly,
E
lizabeth
wished that the ball
would be
over and everyone would just go home.  She didn’t want to dance anymore
,
and her only wish was to go to bed and leave this night behind. 
She wanted Jeremy to admire her beauty and social acumen and instead he was outside wooing another woman. 

“I
’
m sorry, Mr. Faulkner, but I feel a trifle unwell.  Will you excuse me?”  Elizabeth left the unfortunate Mr. Faulkner
in the middle of the dance floor
,
and stepped through the French doors onto the terrace.  She couldn’t see Jeremy and walked slowly down the gravel path away from the house.  She needed a few moments to compose herself
,
and although she was neglecting her duties as a hostess, a few minutes of respite felt
wonderful.  
The full moon hung low in the velvety sky
,
emitting
a shimmering light onto the hedges lining the path. 
Elizabeth
could smell the tang of the sea over the scent of freshly cut grass
,
and suddenly longed to be at the beach, watching the moonlit waves crashing onto the
pebbly
shore. 
How wonderful it would be just
to
keep going and leave everything and everyone behind. 

“Elizabeth, are you all right?” 
Jeremy melted out of the shadows, coming to stand beside Elizabeth.

“Yes, I just needed a breath of air.  Where is Lady Bromley?”  She knew she sounded possessive, but she was curious where Jeremy had been.

“I believe Lady Bromley is dancing
with Mr. Something-or-other
,
whose name I can’t recall
.  Why do you ask?”  Jeremy gave her a smile, knowing exactly why she asked
, making
Elizabeth fe
e
l suddenly foolish.

“No reason.  I must return to the ballroom in time for the next dance.  My partner will be searching for me.”  She turned to leave, but Jeremy grabbed her by the arm. 

“Wait, please don’t leave.  I don’t know anyone in there and the only person I want to be with right now is you.”  He was looking down at her, his eyes dark and bottomless in the moonlight. 

“I
’
m sorry, Jeremy.  I must get back.  I will be missed.”  Elizabeth pulled away and ran toward the French windows leaving Jeremy behind.  Her heart was racing and she was suddenly happy again, knowing that he wanted to be with her rather than Lady Bromley. 
What a fool you are, Elizabeth
, she chided herself as she glided through the French doors and back into the ballroom.

**

Jeremy remained outside for another few
minutes
before forcing himself to re-enter the ballroom.  The ball was in his honor and it would be churlish to disappear
, but he
longed to take off his coat and
cravat
and walk down to the shore
where it was quiet and cool
.  The night was warm and muggy, making
the coat of Bath superfine wool
feel more like a fur cloak.  He
threw
a
longing look at the dark outline of the folly perched above the lake
,
and walked back through the French doors.  He was just in time for the next dance
.  H
e claimed Miss Jakes and led her to the floor.  Thankfully, the next dance
after that
would be
the waltz and he would partner Elizabeth.  He
’
d been waiting to dance with her all night.  At the moment she was dancing with Sir Henry
,
and Jeremy watched them discreetly as they navigated the complicated steps of the dance. 
Sir Henry’s face was shiny from his exertions
,
his bald pate and drooping jowls
distinctly
pink above the
snowy cravat
around his throat.  Elizabeth, on the other hand, was a vision in bronze, gliding serenely next to her husband. 

As Jeremy watched Elizabeth dance, he felt a sudden pity for her
.  Despite being a
l
ady, she spent most of her time moldering in the country, away from all the social
drama taking place in London.  Jeremy strongly suspected that Sir Henry liked it that way.  Taking Elizabeth to London and accepting invitations to various balls, musical evenings and soirees
,
would expose her to countless young men
,
who would no doubt find her beautiful and possibly try to win her love
;
putting Sir Henry in a position where he would either have to turn a blind eye or defend his honor.  Sir Henry was no fool.  Being nearly thirty years older than his bride put him at a disadvantage
,
and he controlled the situation by keeping Elizabeth safely in the country
,
like a princess in the tower. 
No one as sweet and lovely as Elizabeth should be kept hidden away from the world, he thought
,
as he smiled at something Miss Jakes said to him.  He hadn’t heard a word she said.

Jeremy bowed to Miss Jakes and led her back to her mother who was eyeing
him
with undisguised longing.  He would be a fine catch for her daughter, or any daughter currently in the ballroom. 

“You must come and see us, Captain Flynn.  Flora would be so pleased, wouldn’t you, dear?  We are at home on Tuesday and Thursdays.”

“I will be sure to call on you soon, Mrs. Jakes.  Now, if you will excuse me, Lady Elizabeth is waiting.”  Jeremy made his escape and went in search of Elizabeth.  She was chatting with some portly matron and her equally portly daughter. 

“Lady Elizabeth, I believe the next dance is mine.”  Jeremy bowed to the ladies and drew Elizabeth away. 

Jeremy could feel Elizabeth tense up as he took her into his arms and led her in the waltz.  He kept a proper distance between them, but he desperately wanted to pull her closer and feel her body against his own.  She looked down, blushing
,
and he saw Sir Henry watching them intently as he conversed with a group of men by the door.  Jeremy wanted to make small talk, but nothing came to mind.  He wished they could be alone together, dancing the way they had only a few days before when he was teaching her the
quadrille
.  Elizabeth was laughing and
looking up at him then, not tense and blushing, the object of scrutiny. 

“Elizabeth, look at me,” he whispered.  “People are watching.”

Elizabeth looked up and gave him a charming smile.  “I
’
m sorry, Captain Flynn.  I
’
m a little tired.  Too much excitement.”  She glanced over at Sir Henry and smiled in his direction,
continuing
to dance.

“You did a wonderful job.  The ball will be on everyone’s lips for weeks.”  Jeremy was gratified by the look of pleasure on her face.

“I did it for you, Jeremy.  I wanted to make you happy.”  Jeremy would have liked to tell her exactly what would make him happy, but that would probably cause her to swoon, so he pushed away his amorous thoughts.

“I am
happy.  Very happy,” he said, as Rosamunde winked at him across the room.  She was dancing with a dashing young man, and if Jeremy knew his aunt, nothing made her happier than the attention of an attractive young male.