Sussex Summer (15 page)

A short time later there was a cry from Lady Juliette; her skirts had indeed become stuck fast in the brambles. Lord Staplefield, Jane, Edward, and Fanny went immediately to her aid, but they were unable to free her skirts without tearing them.

"You knew I would stick in the brambles here," Lady Juliette accused Fanny, her face crimson with anger. "You little jade! My gown will be ruined beyond repair," she spat venomously.

Jane rather suspected Lady Juliette's accusation was correct, and said nothing in Fanny's defense as she continued to try and free Juliette’s dress with the least damage possible. Edward looked disapprovingly at both Fanny and Lady Juliette. The others pretended not to notice the altercation, returning to their berry picking.

When Jane at last worked the fine material free of the brambles, Lady Juliette assessed the torn and stained ruin of her dress. It would be impossible to salvage. Lady Juliette’s anger getting the better of her, she picked up her pail and swung it wildly at Fanny, who stepped backwards to avoid being hit and fell into the brambles.

Serves Fanny right,
Jane thought,
for being intentionally unkind.
But when she went to pull her sister out of the bushes Jane found that Fanny had sustained a deep cut on her forearm and was bleeding profusely. Jane called for aid, and Christopher ran to the stream to wet a cloth to bind the cut, sacrificing his cravat for that purpose. Edward and Lord Staplefield led Fanny to the shade of a tree and persuaded her to lie down. Christopher bound Fanny’s arm securely, and within a few minutes Fanny declared she was feeling fine and returned to picking berries.

Lady Juliette, clearly furious at the attention Fanny was getting and the disapproving glances she herself had received when she had swung the pail at the younger woman, insisted Edward take her back to Haverton Park. He reluctantly agreed, glancing back wistfully at the rest of the party, who, spirits restored after the mishap, were once again competing to see who would first fill their pail.

* * * *

The berry pickers returned to Haverton Park about five of the afternoon, laughing and covered with berry stains, congratulating Marianne Archer, who had won the guinea. Christopher and Marianne soon departed for home, as did Lord Staplefield, and Jane rose to suggest that she and Fanny return home as well.

“But you must remain for dinner, Miss Hampton,” Lady Tremaine protested. “I shall send a note to Mr. Hampton that he will know you are staying.”

“Thank you, Lady Tremaine, but we could not possibly stay for dinner in these untidy clothes,” Jane protested, glancing over at   Lady Juliette, who had changed into a fresh gown and appeared cool and beautiful.

"That is not a difficulty," Lady Tremaine countered. "You and I are of a size, Miss Hampton, and you may borrow a gown from me.” Lady Tremaine then looked at Lady Juliette, who could not fail to offer one of hers to Fanny without looking churlish, since they were both of a slight build.

"I suppose I can find you something you could wear, Miss Fanny," Lady Juliette said rather ungraciously, rising to lead Fanny upstairs to her dressing room.

Juliette searched quickly and impatiently through her wardrobe, tossing favoured gowns aside. At last she spied a fawn-coloured silk trimmed in red that had never flattered her, and thrust it at Fanny.

"Here, this should fit. Perkins will help you dress," she said with a nod to her lady’s maid, and left Fanny to go back downstairs.

Fanny washed her face and hands at the washstand, and then allowed the maid to assist her into the gown. Fanny suspected why Lady Juliette had chosen that particular gown and was relieved when it proved to be quite attractive on her. After fixing her hair with the help of Lady Juliette’s maid, Fanny started back downstairs, but was waylaid by Jamie near the landing.

"I say, Fan, will you come in the library a moment? I wish to speak to you."

Reluctantly Fanny agreed and followed Jamie into the library, an impressive room filled with volumes bound in leather and stamped with the Tremaine crest. She seated herself in a comfortable chair by the window and waited for Jamie to speak.

"Look here, Fan, why won't you reinstate our betrothal?" he asked, sitting down next to her, his expression full of entreaty.

"I told you why before," Fanny replied steadily, although she felt a moment's regret as she looked at the handsome young man she had once loved. His red-gold hair glinted in the afternoon sunlight that filtered into the room, and his hazel eyes regarded her appealingly. But when Fanny did not relent, Jamie jumped up and began pacing back and forth angrily.

"I do not accept your reason. I know the real one and you may as well give it up. The earl is not interested in you. He prefers Lady Juliette."

"Everyone must admire Lady Juliette's beauty," Fanny said calmly. "Jamie, can you not see that we should make each other unhappy?"

"No, I don't see that," Jamie objected, coming to sit by her again. "You thought we should make each other happy before. How has it changed?"

"It changed when my beauty changed," Fanny said, her voice tinged with a trace of hurt as she remembered his rejection of her as she lay on her sickbed. She rose. There was no point in discussing it further with Jamie; he would not listen.

As Fanny walked past Jamie towards the door without another word, he grabbed her by the arm and tried to embrace her, hoping a kiss would rekindle Fanny’s feelings, but she pushed him away so strongly he stumbled and fell against the bookshelves.

"Stop that, James Tremaine. I want this betrothal ended. If you will not do it, I will," Fanny stormed angrily, slamming the heavy door behind her as she left the library and hurried downstairs to rejoin the others.

* * * *

During dinner Edward watched the various guests enjoying themselves and wished he were seated next to Jane or Fanny instead of Lady Juliette, who was still in a sour temper from the day's earlier happenings and scowled blackly at Fanny. Edward followed Juliette’s glance, recognising the fawn-coloured silk Fanny was wearing as one that was not flattering to Lady Juliette, and smiled. He gathered Juliette had chosen it purposely for that reason and was glad her plan had failed.

His eyes moved to Jane, who was looking especially fine in a striped silk gown of his mother's, and felt a renewed sense of gratitude for her efforts to put him in contact with someone who could aid him in his efforts to clear his former general of opprobrium. He remembered he had not yet told his father of the letter that Mr. Hampton had written to the Bishop of Salisbury at Jane's urging, or of the promising letter he had received from Colonel Fisher as a result. At the next lull in the conversation, Edward made sure to rectify the omission.

"How thoughtful of you, Miss Hampton," Lord Tremaine said gratefully, as Edward finished his story. "The situation has been very disturbing to Edward. I appreciate what you have done to aid him."

Lady Tremaine added her thanks, but Lady Juliette and Lady Martin did not appear impressed.

"One must appreciate the thought, but ladies should not involve themselves in matters of war and politics,” Lady Martin admonished. "Of course, in one of your background it may be forgiven, Miss Hampton," she added condescendingly.

Jane only smiled at Lady Martin's statement. Tonight the woman's supercilious attitude had no power to wound her.

Lady Juliette, still angry at having been overshadowed first by Fanny and now by Jane, nevertheless felt a twinge of guilt at the thought of the letter resting under the lining of her jewellery box. Well, thanks to Miss Hampton's interference, Edward would be able to resolve his problem, and without leaving Sussex, so it was of little moment anyhow, Lady Juliette excused herself. She wondered why a dead general’s reputation mattered so much to Edward, anyway.

Chapter Ten

To Jane and Fanny’s displeasure, they found when the carriage came to collect them Monday for the excursion to Brighton that they were to travel in a carriage with Lady Martin, while Edward, Juliette and her maid rode in another. The earl, Jamie and Lord Blackwood rode horseback.

As the sisters feared, Lady Martin proved to be a very dampening presence, indicating by her expression that she did not care to be travelling with them anymore than they wished to be with her. She sat unsmilingly and made several acidulous comments about young women who did not have a maid before they had left the environs of their own village.

  After exchanging a quick look, Jane and Fanny responded mildly and tried to converse between themselves.  But Lady Martin’s dark, looming presence inhibited even quiet conversation, and Jane soon gave up and passed the time looking out the windows at the countryside. Lord Blackwood, who rode alongside the carriage, looked in and gave Jane a commiserating smile. The only bright spots in the long day's journey were the stops at posting inns to change horses, for there at least the sisters had a few moments to escape Lady Martin and converse with the others. By the time they arrived in Brighton late that evening Jane and Fanny were more than ready to relax in the congenial atmosphere of Lord Staplefield's home.

Lord Staplefield's residence in Brighton was a very large modern town house. The staff had been notified of their impending arrival and their chambers were ready for the travel-weary party. Jane and Fanny were shown to adjoining rooms on the first floor, furnished identically in painted Sheraton-style furniture, but with Jane's chamber decorated in shades of rose and Fanny's in blue.

As the sisters admired their impressive accommodations, a young maid appeared to offer her services during their stay. With the maid’s help they removed the stains of travel and dressed for dinner, finding it quite a luxury to have someone to style their hair and help them dress. Mrs. Reid only did so on special occasions. Jane reflected that it would be very easy to become accustomed to having such service as she looked at her image in the cheval glass with satisfaction. The maid had done her hair in a new style, with curls dangling from a knot on the top, and Jane felt it was very becoming.

When the maid pronounced herself satisfied with their appearance, the sisters went down to the ground floor drawing room to wait for dinner to be announced. Lady Juliette and her aunt were not yet down, but the gentlemen had already gathered there. As Jane’s gaze scanned the room she thought at first there was a strange man in the room, but then realised the modishly clad young man with dark brown hair in a Brutus crop was none other than the earl, Lord Staplefield. The modish close-fitting fashions outlined a trim and muscular form that had not been enhanced by the older styles he had worn in the Sussex countryside. Jane looked at Fanny in surprise, and then remembered the terms of the will were not in effect at Brighton and that Lord Staplefield could dress in whatever fashion he chose.

Lady Juliette and her aunt came in shortly after, the younger woman clad in a gown of white sarcenet trimmed in Spanish-style ornament that enhanced the hint of Gypsy in her looks. She, too, looked at the earl in surprise.

"I did not recognise you for a moment, Lord Staplefield," Lady Juliette said, her eyes travelling up and down his fashionably clad form.

"I must confess I was pleased to find my valet still remembered how to tie a cravat in the current style," Lord Staplefield replied, speaking to Lady Juliette for the first time without using phrases in vogue in the 1770s.

"Do you not get weary of wearing those old-fashioned clothes?" Lady Juliette dared to ask as she took a seat on a low sofa. "Did you never think of contesting your uncle's will?"

Shocked at Lady Juliette's presumption in asking such a personal question, Jane’s glance flicked ventured to the earl. However, he seemed to take no offence at the impertinence, although the smile on his lips did not reach his eyes.

"No, Lady Juliette. The money was my great-uncle's. I had no part in amassing it, and little expectation of inheriting, since he made no secret of the fact he might leave the money apart from the title.  I am grateful to him and feel the least I can do is to honour his wishes to the fullest of my ability. The terms are no hardship on me, particularly when they are only in effect when I am in residence at Bramleigh. In fact, I find I have quite enjoyed my introduction into the customs of the last century."

Sensing the earl's disapproval of her enquiry, Lady Juliette subsided and her aunt changed the subject with an admonitory look at her niece.

Soon afterward the butler announced dinner, and, following the earl and Lady Juliette, Lord Blackwood escorted Jane into the dining room, seating her with care at the gleaming mahogany table.

"You look very charmingly, Miss Hampton,” he complimented her. “I trust you did not find the journey too tedious?" he added with a meaningful glance at his aunt.

Jane was never quite certain how to reply to Lord Blackwood's ironical comments, and contented herself with a smile and slight shake of her head. He smiled back and they applied themselves to the savoury-smelling dishes being placed upon the table.

Jane ate her dinner with appreciation, for Mrs. Reid's cooking, while good, was simple, and Jane had never tasted anything like the salad of pike fillets with oysters. It was just as well, she thought, or she would soon be as fat as butter.

After the fruit was served, Lord Staplefield asked Lady Martin if she would serve as hostess that evening, and the older woman graciously led the women into the drawing room while the men stayed at the table for their port. They did not linger over their port long but soon joined the women to make plans for the next day. Since Jane and Fanny had never been to Brighton, it was decided they would spend the next day exploring the town for the sisters' benefit. Lady Juliette did not look too happy about delaying her shopping, but did not gainsay the others.

The next morning the maid helped Jane and Fanny into their walking dresses. Jane's was one of her most modish outfits, of soft yellow muslin with contrasting sleeves of orange. Fanny's dress was of apricot jaconet with a skirt hem bordered with tucks, and both wore matching boots and carried saucy parasols.