Connie (The Daughters of Allamont Hall Book 3) (3 page)

And somehow, in the swirl of introductions and greetings and polite enquiries, it was Jess Drummond who was led into supper by the Marquess, and Mr Drummond who held out his arm for Connie. Without a word, she allowed him to take her through to the dining room.

3: A Visit To Willowbye

The sisters fell, happily exhausted, into their beds after the ball, so it was not until the following morning that they were at leisure to discuss the evening’s events. Hope shared her room with Grace, and Belle, Connie and Dulcie shared another.

“Is he not perfect in every way?” Connie said, as they sipped their chocolate in bed. No one needed to ask which precise
‘he’
she spoke of. “His appearance is all that is elegant and fashionable, and his manners! I have never seen such amiability and ease combined with such exquisite correctness.”

“Who could have foreseen such a state of affairs?” Belle murmured. “After all this time, and so much anticipation that made him certain to be a veritable paragon, how could we possibly have guessed that he would in fact live up to our wildest imaginings?”

“He is quite charming,” Dulcie said. “And the proof of it is this — that he stood up for every single dance. What could be stronger evidence of his good nature?”

“And such a fine dancer, too,” Connie said.

“He seemed to like
you
very well, Connie,” Belle said. “He appeared quite content to stay by your side, until Jess Drummond whisked him away.”

“I think he liked Jess better than Connie,” Dulcie said. “All the gentlemen seem to like her very much, and I do not know why, for she has no fortune.”

“It may be that the Marquess feels safer with Miss Drummond,” Belle said. “She is not eligible to marry a man of his rank, and so he cannot be thought to be paying court to her. He must be constantly under siege from ambitious women, so he must be very careful not to be trapped into a betrothal.”

“She is very pretty,” Connie conceded.

“No prettier than you,” Dulcie said at once. “It is my opinion that Lord Carrbridge should be on his guard against Jess, for it seems to me that
she
is the ambitious one. She was very friendly with George Graham until Lady Graham warned her away. It would suit her very well to make the Marquess fall in love with her.”

“He is too clever to be taken in by her, never fear,” Belle said.

“I do believe
you
have a good chance with him, Connie dear,” Dulcie said. “Anyone might see how much he enjoyed your conversation with him during the dance. What did you speak of, might I ask?”

“Dragons and highwaymen,” Connie said, giggling. “I was trying to guess how it was he decided to visit his great-aunt. It was terribly silly, but perhaps I managed to amuse him. If he stays a while longer, perhaps I may try to attach him, if I can. I have no great desire for matrimony, but I must find a husband, so that my sisters may also have their chance. The Marquess will do as well as any other, I daresay.”

Oh, indeed,” Belle said, laughing. “And his appearance and fortune and title have nothing to do with it, I suppose.”

Connie lowered her head shyly. “He
is
very attractive, it is true, and I confess, I like him very much. It would be the easiest thing in the world to fall in love with such a man, so I must be very careful not to be drawn in. If he should happen to fall violently in love with me, that would be a different matter. In such a case, I would certainly consider the match.”

“Who would not?” Dulcie said. “And then, you know, you would be a marchioness and able to introduce the rest of us into superior society. He has a house in London, Lady Harriet said, and they always go there for the season. I should like of all things to go to London. You must try to make him love you, Connie, for our sakes as much as your own.”

“I shall try, then, but how shall it be managed? I cannot always be talking about dragons,” Connie said. “Belle, may I ask an impertinent question? How was it that Burford came to fall in love with you, when we all thought him so attached to Hope?”

Belle blushed, and stared into her chocolate for a moment. “I believe he truly
was
attached to Hope, but he found I was better suited, I think. He talked to me a great deal about books, which is not a subject that interests Hope.”

“He never was able to talk to Hope at all,” Dulcie said. “All that dreadful stammering — he could hardly get out a single word. I could barely keep myself from laughing. Oh, I am sorry, Belle. I am sure he is very worthy—”

“You need not be afraid of offending me, sister. He is shy, that is all, especially with young, pretty women. So fluent in the pulpit, and so inarticulate on social occasions. Foolish man,” she added in fond tones. “But if you wish to know what tipped the balance, it was poetry, and in particular, love poetry. We were reading aloud and—” At this point her blushes overcame her.

The others laughed. “Never mind, we will not tease you for
all
the details,” Connie said. “But which poet? Where can I find this magical poetry?”

“I will find the book for you,” Belle said, laughing. “Then you may try if it works just as well on Lord Carrbridge.”

~~~~~

The Marquess and his sister were the only ones at breakfast. Their great-aunt, the Dowager Countess of Humbleforth, was a very elderly lady, who never emerged from her bedchamber until well after noon, so there was the faintest hint of reproach in the two footmen at the requirement to open the dining room so early in the day. Their faces betrayed no resentment, but their steps were slower than usual, with a degree of lethargy only an inch away from insolence.

Brother and sister ate in silence for some time, before pushing their plates away with matching sighs of contentment.

“I must say, the old bird keeps a good kitchen,” the Marquess said, as soon as the footmen had withdrawn. “That was an excellent repast. I must drop a crown for the cook before I leave.”

“There are two, at least,” Harriet said. “And three footmen. She had a pair of black pages for a while, but she found them less appealing when they grew up. She must have more than twenty servants, including the grooms, and what she needs them all for I cannot imagine. The house is not large.”

“I thought she had her own chaplain, too. What happened to him?”

“He went off to be a bishop years ago, Dev. Or a deacon, I am not quite sure. Really, considering you are to inherit all this, you might take some interest in Great-aunt Augusta’s affairs.”

He raised his hands in surrender. “I know, I know. I have neglected the old lady shamefully. But I have written to her every week without fail, since I first went to school. And she writes back, although I have no recollection of any mention of the chaplain. She tells me all the scandal and gossip. She never stirs from this house, but she knows everything that goes on in the county. She must have a troop of spies who keep her informed.”

“One spy, I believe,” Harriet said, smiling. “Miss Endercott, the clergyman’s sister. She is acquainted with everyone, and I suspect she is not above listening to the servants’ tattling. Now,
they
know all our secrets.”

“Oh, I hope not. But tell me about Miss Drummond. Ah, I can see that you do not like her.”

“She is a fortune hunter, Dev. She has not a farthing to her name.”

“Oh, I know, but a pretty young thing with a lively disposition — she might be an amusing diversion while I am here.”

Harriet made a disapproving sound. “Really, Dev! Is it not time you gave up these diversions and settled down with a wife? Twenty six is a fine age to be setting up your nursery.”

He laughed. “You need not worry, sister, I have no designs on Miss Drummond’s virtue. As for the settling down, I am in no hurry. Marriage is a serious business, and I need to be sure I am choosing the right person.”

“True enough. She will need to bring both breeding and a good fortune to the match, and then managing Drummoor is a great responsibility.”

With a bark of laughter, he said, “No, the right person for
me.
I have servants and agents to manage Drummoor. I want to be swept off my feet, Hatty, lifted on clouds of adoration for my wife. Although, sadly, the fortune is an absolute prerequisite, too, unless one of my elderly relations sees fit to visit St Peter soon.”

“As for fortune, you could do worse than Constance Allamont. She will have twenty thousand in her own disposal.”

“She is very charming, to be sure, but why Constance especially? The youngest is very pretty. At least, I think she was the youngest. They are dreadfully alike, the Miss Allamonts. It was most inconsiderate of their papa to give every one of them the exact same shade of hair colour. Tell me why you would have me marry Constance?”

“They have to marry in order, under the terms of their father’s will, or the dowry is lost. The two eldest are accounted for, so Constance is next.”

“Of course, I remember Great-aunt Augusta mentioning something of it. So Constance must be next, eh? Interesting. Perhaps I will call at Allamont Hall today, to see if the ladies suffered no ill effects from all that delightful dancing. And the way takes me past the schoolhouse, I believe?” He flashed her a mischievous grin.

Harriet shook her head at him. “Oh, be careful, Dev. Be very careful how you proceed with that one. Remember the last time. The Drummonds are not nobody, and she has a brother.”

“I will be careful,” he said, and winked.

~~~~~

The Marquess showed no inclination to quit the neighbourhood, and meekly accompanied his sister on her rounds of morning visits. His person and his amiability were equally admired by all who met him, and within a week his previous neglect had been quite forgotten and he was widely acknowledged as the finest young man for twenty miles around.

He was an early visitor to Allamont Hall, and although he did not single Connie out for particular attention, she was gratified that he remembered enough of their conversation at the ball to make more than one allusion to dragons, with a knowing glance in her direction.

He was very interested in Willowbye and the work, recently begun, to repair and renovate it. “I should very much like to see what restoration you have in hand,” he said to Burford. “We have a similar problem of dilapidation at Drummoor and although I cannot commit to extensive improvements just yet, I should be interested to see your plans.”

“By all means, come and look around,” Burford said. “I am living in the house now, so I am there most mornings.”

“We should get up a party,” the Marquess said. “Let us all go and inspect the work at Willowbye. Can you cope with so many, Burford?”

“Certainly, my lord, so long as you do not expect a two course dinner. If Lady Sara will allow us to use both her carriages, we shall do very well.”

Lady Sara graciously assented, and Lady Harriet offered her own travelling coach, if more room were needed.

“I have my curricle, too,” the Marquess said. “We may take half the village, it seems.”

“Perhaps half the village might stretch the kitchens at Willowbye,” Burford said. “However, I should like to invite Miss Endercott. She would enjoy such an outing, I am sure.”

“Oh, certainly,” the Marquess said. “What do you say to Mr and Miss Drummond, as well?”

“Mr Drummond is the schoolmaster,” Dulcie said. “He cannot gad about the country like a gentleman. And Miss Drummond keeps his house and cooks the dinner.”

“Well, perhaps Mr Drummond had best watch over his pupils,” the Marquess said. “Miss Drummond, however, is surely entitled to a day of pleasure now and then, and her brother must live on beef broth for once.”

Since he was a Marquess, no one quite liked to disagree with him, but Connie thought it reprehensible in him to take Jess away from her duties for his own amusement.

The day was fixed and all was arranged. With a little squeezing together, and some changing about, the convoy was only three carriages in the end, slowly ploughing through the mud of Lower and Higher Brinford until they reached the turnpike just outside Brinchester.

By an unfortunate chance, Connie found herself in Lady Harriet’s travelling coach with the Marquess and Jess Drummond, which gave her ample opportunity to watch the lighthearted exchanges taking place between the two. Having settled in her own mind that she would try to attract the Marquess, she had begun to think of him as already her property, and it vexed her beyond measure to see Jess Drummond draw him in with her seemingly artless chatter that bordered on flirtatiousness. She wondered at the degree of ease already subsisting between them when they had met so recently.

Lady Harriet chattered inconsequentially the whole way, which Connie listened to with only half an ear. It was fortunate that Lady Harriet was perfectly capable of maintaining the conversation by herself, for Connie managed nothing but “Yes, my lady,” “No, my lady,” and “Indeed, my lady?” for the entire journey, so intent was she on watching Jess and the Marquess.

When they reached Willowbye, they stopped first at the Dower House, where Mary and the two younger boys, Mark and Hugo, were already settled. James and Alice, with their baby son, had set up house in the lodge cottage nearby. The work on both houses had been completed, and Connie guessed that Mary was responsible for the efficient manner in which all had been arranged. The Dower House had been furnished with items from Willowbye, and their shabby and mismatched appearance contrasted oddly with the modern wallpaper and freshly-painted wainscoting. In the lodge cottage, all was new and fashionable, paid for, no doubt, by Alice’s father. Such an irony, that the farmer was better able to afford such expenses than the gentleman at the manor house.