The Hands of Time (12 page)

“It was Mr. Alec
who
chose the gown,” I told her
,
carefully taking off the necklace and laying it on the dresser.  Nell let go of the gown and turned back to me. 

“Mr. Finlay got the necklace
,
‘
e did,
and it’s ever so beautiful.”  She looked at the necklace, but didn’t touch it
,
and I suddenly wondered if Nell had a little crush on Finn. 
He’s nearly
twice
her age
, I thought, but then again there weren’t too many men around for her
to admire and Finn was certain to appeal to an impressionable young girl
.  I dismissed the thought
,
and picked up my everyday gown, slipping on the skirt.  I could do with some fresh air.  The room felt stuffy
,
and I felt a sudden urge to get away from Nell.

Chapter 1
8

I tried not to gape as the carriage rattled down the gravel path lined with
ancient
oaks toward the Weston estate.  The drive to the house stretched for at least a mile until the house
finally came into view
,
surrounded by manicured lawns dotted with Greek statues
, little
fountains and a maze.  Lord Weston must be very rich indeed.  The house itself was made of beige stone,
which glowed
golden in the late
-
afternoon sun
,
and
sat
large and solid amid the perfectly laid
-
out gardens.  A liveried footman helped me out of the carriage
,
then turned to deal with our luggage, surrendering the carriage over to a groom.  Most of the guests would be arriving tomorrow, but Alec had some business with Lord Weston, so we were as
ked to come on Friday instead and enjoy an extra night of Lord
Weston’s hospitality
.

The drive from the castle had been pleasant
giving me
a chance to see something of the countryside
,
and acquire a sore
behind
due to
the
lack of shocks in the carriage. 
Neither Alec nor
Finn seemed similarly
afflicted
and alighted from the carriage full of energy, escorting me inside
and bidding a good evening to our hosts
. 
I was glad to stretch my legs
,
and hoped I might have a chance to walk around the garden before
supper
. 
Alec and Finn would be occupied with the master of the house
,
and I would have some time on my own
to change out of my traveling attire and explore the grounds
. 

They finally
enlightened
me on the way
as to
what exactly they did, surprised that a woman would be interested in how they made their money.    Alec explained that they owned three merchant vessels named
Morning Star, Misty Dawn
and
Lady Violet
, named after
his
late wife.  The ships transported cargo from their Uncle’s plantation in Virginia
,
bringing timber as well as other cargo that various merchants paid them to ship to England.  Once a ship came into port, the cargo was offloaded, transferred to their warehouse on the wharf
,
and then either picked up by a third party or sent to its final destination
overland
.  Either Alec or Finn
,
or both
,
were always on hand when a ship was being unloaded to ensure that nothing vanished between the dock and the warehouse
;
and to pay the crew and supervise the
provisioning and
loading of cargo
for the return voyage
.
 
The ships were scheduled in such a way that one came into port every few weeks, depending on the weather during the crossing. 
In other words, they were in Import/Export.  Lord Weston
doubled
his fortune by shipping iron products to
America,
and did business exclusively with
the
Whitfield brothers, an arrangement which suited both parties. 

Lord and Lady Weston
received
us in a
drawing room,
tastefully
decorated with thick carpets
,
and heavily carved furniture upholstered in the
palest
shade of green. 
Several large paintings depicting hunting scenes adorned the walls
,
and there was a lovely statue of Athena on a table topped with what looked like malachite or jade.  An ornate clock held the place of honor on the
mantelpiece
, but it wasn’t the one I was looking for
,
and I turned away, a hollow feeling in my stomach. 

The Lord was a tubby man in his forties, with
mischievous
blue eyes and bushy whiskers
liberally streaked with gr
a
y.  He
held my hand much longer th
a
n necessary
,
no doubt annoying his wife. 
Lady Weston
was his exact opposite, tall and thin
,
with an elaborate coif and a heavily
powdered
face
,
making her look
like a
marble statue.  I could see that she was burning with curiosity as to my sudden appearance at Yealm Castle
, but
I had my story well rehearsed.  The brothers told me countless details of the plantation in the
Virginia
and
suggested I
hint
that I left home due to a
disappointment
of a personal nature
;
which would imply that I was jilted by my intended
,
giving a valid reason for my visit, but discouraging them from asking too many prying questions.  I had to laugh as I congratulated them on their cleverness. 

Lady Weston invited me to take a turn around the garden with her as the men went off to do their business
in Lord Weston’s office
,
and I meekly followed her outside
.  I would have preferred to explore on my own, but declining would have been rude, so I agreed, assuring her it would be my pleasure. 

“So which one is it to be?” 
She
asked as soon as we were out of earshot of the open windows of the ground floor.

“Which what?”  I had no idea what she meant until I saw her knowing smile.

“Which brother will you choose?  I have to admit that I would have a hard time
choosing
between the two.  Alec is so handsome and steadfast, but Finn, now he is a charmer.  If I was twenty years younger,
I would
have no objection to
him lifting my skirts.”  She giggled like a schoolgirl
,
and I suddenly liked her much better.  She sounded just like one of my friends
from
the twenty-first century,
and I realized how much I had missed female companionship since I landed in the past.  “I can
stake
my husband’s fortune on the fact that they are both in love with you
,
but Alec
will stand aside for his brother despite his own feelings.  He would never risk losing Finn.  They have been through so much together after their parents died and Alec lost Violet.  She was such a lovely girl. 
So
tragic.”  She sighed dramatically and linked her arm through mine.  “So which one makes your heart beat faster?”

“I
’
m very fond of them
both
.  They
’
ve been so kind to me and I would never want to come between them.”  I answered carefully.

“Too late, my girl, too late.” 
She pulled me along the path, eager to show me the maze
and chattering about the coming
b
all
.

Chapter 1
9

Getting ready for the
b
all took nearly as long as the
b
all itself.  A steaming hot bath was awaiting me when I got back to my room after luncheon
,
and a maid was assigned by Lady Weston to help me dress for the party and style my hair.  Lady Weston had several ladies
-
maids trained,
according
to her, in Paris
,
who knew the
latest
styles in hair dressing and applying make-up.  I surrendered myself to Georgina, who seemed to know what she was doing and wouldn’t take “no” for an
answer
even if I tried to resist.
             

Georgina began by teasing my hair into an elaborate coif that rose about six inches above my head.  The hair was divided into several parts
,
with sections twisted into coils and pinned atop my head and a long curl that would
rest
over my shoulder.  She also made a neat chignon at the back of my head, encasing it in the sapphire
-
studded hairnet so thoughtfully provided by Alec.  I was afraid to move my head, but Georgina just
laughed
and assured me that unless a storm swept through the ballroom
,
my hair would
remain
in that exact position until she took out all the pins and untwisted the coils.  The woman was obviously a pro.

The next step was my face
,
and I raised my hands in protest as jar after jar of rouge appeared from the drawer of the dressing table.  Georgina gently pushed my hands
aside
and went to work.  She explained that going to a ball with my face unpainted was the
height
of bad manners
,
and I
would not only embarrass myself, but my escorts
,
who would likely never get over the humiliation.  I liked her witty sense of humor
,
and allowed her to put on the
war paint
.  She covered my face with a thick layer of white rice powder and then darkened my eyebrows and lashes, rouging my cheeks and lips last.  Georgina surveyed her handiwork and took out a small box full of patches, affixing a crescent moon patch to my cheekbone and giving a nod of approval. 

“
’
Tis all the rage in Paris, Mistress Crane.  The gentlemen find it very erotic.”  She smiled in my reflection in the mirror
,
expecting me to admire myself.

“I wouldn’t dream of denying the gentlemen the pleasure,” I said
,
gently
touching
the patch.  I had to admit that it did add a certain something to my
already elaborate appearance
,
making me feel
a completely different person.  I wondered what Alec and Finlay would think when they saw me gliding down the curving staircase, ready to make my debut into society.

At last it was time to dress
,
and Georgina stuffed me into the whalebone corset and pulled on the laces
,
until I thought I would pass out from lack of oxygen.  Betty never made them so tight.  My silk stockings came halfway up my thighs and were tied with a pretty bow in front, leaving everything between the
corset
and the stockings completely exposed.  I still had a hard time getting used to not wearing underwear
,
and I felt as if I was preparing for a
Playboy
spread as I surveyed myself in the mirror. 
I had to admit that it did look very erotic. 
I stepped into the petticoats and allowed the maid to adjust my skirt, lace
the bodice and attach the slashed sleeves.  The kid slippers came last
,
and I was ready to go.

Chapter
20

The
b
all was a blur. 
As soon as I made my descent down the staircase and was greatly admired by both Finlay and Alec, I was escorted into the dining room where supper
would
be served before the dancing began.  Lord Weston nearly fell over himself when he saw me
,
and I saw a brief moment of annoyance on his wife’s face before she rearranged her features into a mask of approval.