Chapter Eight
S hock reverberated through Julian. Mr. Smith had served the previous Marquess of Aldridge for close to twenty years. He had been instrumental in explaining the workings of a country estate to Julian. It was only because of Smith’s experience and knowledge that Julian had felt comfortable enough leaving the country to attend the London Season.
Now, it looked as if that would not occur.
Looking to his companions, he said, “Please excuse me. It seems as if I will be returning to Surrey for an undetermined amount of time.”
“The Season starts in three weeks,” Lady Ariadne said. “Surely, you can have things sorted out by then so you may return for it?”
“It isn’t that easy,” he said. “Mr. Smith was a longtime, trusted retainer. I am inexperienced in running an estate, and he was quite valuable. I have no idea how to even go about searching for a new steward and while I do, I cannot leave my tenants without supervision.”
He saw disappointment cross her face and wished he could guarantee his return to town, but his duties at Aldridge Manor came before anything else.
“I would be happy to assist you,” Lord Claibourne said. “You know I have much experience in looking after my father’s various estates. I could come with you to Surrey.”
“I do not want to be left behind,” Viscount Dyer added. “If you will have me, I will also come along. Val and I can help you sort out anything. Hopefully, everything will be running smoothly so that you might return to town in time for the start of the Season.”
“I have an idea,” Lord Claibourne said. “My father has an estate in Essex with an excellent steward. A Scotsman named Ross. Ross has a son he has been training for several years now to follow in his footsteps, but the elder Ross is simply too young to retire at this point. The younger Ross has been wanting to leave and gain experience on his own, away from his father’s supervision. He’s bright and innovative, Aldridge. Young. Probably only two and twenty, but I do not think you should hold that against him. I have seen what he can do. Would you be interested in Ross for the position?”
Relief swept through him. “I would be happy to interview your Mr. Ross, my lord.”
“Then let Con and me accompany you to Surrey. We can see the property and while I travel to Essex to fetch Mr. Ross, Con will be there to help you in the running of the estate.”
“I would be most appreciative, Lord Claibourne. I hate to draw you and your cousin away from London, however.”
Lord Dyer grinned. “Val and I are always up for an adventure. We are happy to help.”
“Then I accept your generous offer, my lords.” He looked to Lady Ariadne. “I am sorry to deprive you of your brother’s and cousin’s company, my lady.”
She smiled. “Oh, they would probably get into trouble if left to themselves here in town. This way, they can be more productive.”
“And I will not have to listen to Mama complain about Papa,” the viscount said. “When shall we leave?”
“I think at first light tomorrow,” Julian suggested. “We could be at Aldridge Manor by mid-morning if we do so.”
“Very well,” Lord Claibourne said. “I shall have Fisham pack for me at once.” Looking to his cousin, he said, “Con, we should leave our valets here in town and travel lightly. Perhaps we might borrow Lord Aldridge’s valet if an emergency arises.”
“Paulson would be happy to attend to the both of you,” he assured his new friends. “He is quite clever.”
“We will come to you tomorrow morning,” Claibourne told him. “Once I have viewed Aldridge Manor, I will leave the next day for Essex.”
“I hope Mr. Ross will accept the position as your steward,” Lady Ariadne said. “Keep these two in line, my lord. I look forward to your return to town.”
He hated leaving her, feeling there was something between them, but knowing his priority was to his estate and people.
Taking her gloved hand, he brought it to his lips and brushed a kiss against her fingers, again feeling those unusual feelings stir within him when in contact with her.
“Until we meet again, Lady Ariadne.”
Julian excused himself and returned to his townhouse. He spoke with the messenger, who gave him a brief letter written by Briscoe, his country butler. The note confirmed the unexpected death of Mr. Smith, stating the steward had not previously been ill. Briscoe said the local doctor believed it to be a sudden heart attack.
Going to his bedchamber, he found he had no need to ring for Paulson. The valet was already packing.
“Almost done, my lord. I assume we’ll be leaving early tomorrow morning for Aldridge Manor.”
“Yes,” he informed the valet. “And Lord Claibourne and Lord Dyer will be accompanying us.”
Paulson looked pleased. “They offered their help?”
“They did. They wish to see my estate, and Lord Claibourne has an idea of someone who might take Mr. Smith’s place. The two gentlemen will leave their own valets in town. I offered them use of your services if they are needed.”
Paulson beamed. “I will be happy to serve the three of you, my lord.”
Julian took the time to write a note to Mr. Wilson, his tailor, explaining he had been called away unexpectedly to Surrey and would miss his fitting. He assured the tailor he would send word when he returned to town so that they might reschedule their appointment.
The next morning, he arose earlier than usual, dressing and having a light breakfast in his room while Paulson finished the packing and took the luggage downstairs to be loaded atop the carriage. He met briefly with Grigsby, assuring his butler he would send word when he would be returning to London.
“I hope to have the matter of a new steward settled soon.”
“Everything will be ready for you when you return, my lord,” Grigsby said. “I will save the post for you to go through.”
He had not accepted any invitations so far to upcoming social affairs and would discuss that with his traveling companions.
The two men awaited him in the carriage as he boarded.
“Good morning, my lords. You are prompt.”
“We are looking forward to our country respite before the social whirl of the Season begins,” Lord Claibourne revealed.
Julian tapped his cane on the carriage’s roof, and the driver set the horses in motion.
“Might I ask you about the Season while we ride?”
“Ask away,” Viscount Dyer said. “We have participated ever since our graduation from Oxford.”
“Tell me about it in general, and then I may have specific questions to ask.”
For the next half-hour as they left London behind, his friends told Julian what to expect. They described what happened at balls, since those were the most frequently held events. He was shocked to learn they didn’t commence until nine or ten in the evening, with dancing going on until four or five o’clock in the morning.
“When do you sleep?” he wondered.
“Country hours are quite different from those in town,” Lord Claibourne said. “We have always eaten dinner early in the country and gone to bed at a decent hour. Oftentimes, I am up at first light, breakfasting and then getting out on the estate.”
“You will likely sleep until noon or so,” Lord Dyer added. “Breakfast and then you will go to your club. Or possibly participate in morning calls if you are courting a few ladies.”
“How does a lady have time for gentlemen to call upon her in the morning if she doesn’t even get to bed until dawn?”
The two lords laughed. “Morning calls take place in the afternoon, Aldridge,” Lord Claibourne said. “Usually between two and four. And I have no idea why it is called that, so save your breath.”
“Polite Society is puzzling to me,” Julian admitted.
They spoke of other events and how often clothes must be changed.
“Thank goodness, we are nothing like the ladies, who might change four or five times a day,” Lord Dyer said, shuddering.
“Oh, you must send flowers,” Claibourne added. “To ladies who interest you.”
“What?” he asked.
“If you are interested in a particular lady—or ladies—you will wish to call upon them the day after an event. Say you dance with someone who piques your interest. You should send her a bouquet the next day, which she will display in her parents’ drawing room. The larger the bouquet, the more interest you have in her. Other suitors will do the same.”
“It can grow competitive,” Lord Dyer said. “And expensive.”
“Do you send flowers to ladies?” Julian asked.
“Every now and then,” Dyer replied. “While Val and I are not shopping on the Marriage Mart for wives, if we enjoy the company of a certain lady, we will send her a bouquet and call on her briefly. Usually, that spurs her other, more serious suitors into action.”
“Should I call on multiple women?” he mused.
“At first, you may very well decide to do so,” Claibourne advised. “As the Season progresses and you narrow your choices for your marchioness, that will change.”
Dyer began chuckling. “I hate to tell you this, Aldridge, but the Season is like a jungle. Hungry mamas stalking eligible bachelors, trying to help their daughters win the favor of a gentleman looking to wed. You will be a new entrant into the social swirl. With your looks and title, a flood of women will be thrust at you, so beware.”
Worried, he asked, “How brazen will they become?”
Laughing, Claibourne said, “Some will be bold. Others timid. We should warn you that you are never to be alone with a lady. If you are found together alone, whether or not you are in a compromising position, the assumption will be that you have compromised her. Either you wed her—or she is considered ruined for other gentlemen.”
“There are those wily mamas who will encourage their daughters to trap a lord into marriage,” cautioned Dyer. “Never accept a request to take a lady to the library or anywhere else others will not be. My advice is to stay in sight of as many people as you can at all times in order not to have your hand forced into a marriage you do not wish for.”
“This is a bit frightening,” he declared. “I am leery now of attending any event.”
“We do not mean to scare you off, Aldridge,” Dyer said. “We are simply trying to save you from an unwanted union. Keep alert. Listen to your inner voice. If it tells you something is off, then it is.”
“We will introduce you around,” Claibourne told him. “Con and I can let you know which ladies to avoid and which ones might be a good match for you. Ariadne can also help in that regard.”
His head swirled with all he had been told. “Thank you for alerting me to so many things. I have a better idea now what to expect—and what to avoid.”
They arrived at Aldridge Manor, being greeted by the Briscoes, who served as his butler and housekeeper. He also saw Mr. Smith’s body and was told the funeral would take place tomorrow afternoon.
Lord Claibourne suggested after they had some refreshments that they ride the estate.
“I want to be able to tell Ross all I can about Aldridge Manor. I hope he will be interested in coming to see it.”
They were gone the rest of the afternoon, seeing the land, looking over the mill and farms, speaking with tenants as they did so. To a man, they all asked Julian about a new steward, and he told them he would hire one shortly, with recommendations from the two friends he had brought with him. Both Lord Claibourne and Lord Dyer asked thoughtful questions of his tenants, and he knew the two lords had made a strong impression upon his people.
They lingered over dinner and then brandy and cigars, talking over numerous topics. For a moment, Julian basked in the glow of what he now knew was friendship. While he might never be as close to these two men as they were to each other, he believed they had formed the foundation for a friendship which he hoped would continue.
Especially if he wed Lady Ariadne.
He wouldn’t mention anything to her relatives yet. First, he needed to see if she might be interested in him. While she had seemed sympathetic to him as he shared his years before the marquessate with her, she might not believe him appropriate to be the husband of a duke’s daughter. Only once he returned to London and the Season began would he have a chance to evaluate her attitude and feelings for him.
As far as Julian was concerned, though, Lady Ariadne was the ideal woman to become his marchioness.
They saw Claibourne off early the next morning. The marquess had estimated it to be sixty miles or so from Aldridge Manor to the ducal property just south of Chelmsford.
“I should return tomorrow by early afternoon. I will discuss with both Mr. Rosses the prospect of the younger coming to Surrey to serve as steward at Aldridge, if that is still agreeable with you, my lord.”
Julian nodded. “While I would prefer a man with more experience, I am taking your word when you say that Mr. Ross is capable and a good candidate for the position.”
“I would not have recommended him otherwise,” Claibourne replied.
After the marquess left, he and Lord Dyer went riding again. They spent the morning out on the land, and the viscount accompanied him to Smith’s funeral, which Julian thought was a very decent thing to do, considering Dyer had never met the man. At dinner that evening, the viscount asked for Julian to call him Con.
“I have never been one for formalities,” the viscount told him. “Both Val and I took to you right away. I think he would agree with me that when we are alone together, we can relax the rules of Polite Society and address one another as friends.”
“I am honored to hear you think of me as a friend,” he replied. “I am Julian. Julian Barrington.”
Con laughed aloud. “Then you fit right in with the two of us. Because of our names, I have held an interest in history, both ancient and more modern. Did you know that Julian was a nephew of Constantine the Great and the last non-Christian emperor of the Roman empire?”
“I am afraid my schooling did not include history and geography. I wonder why my mother chose the name.”
“It does not matter. You are Julian to me, as you will be to Val.” Con placed a hand on Julian’s shoulder. “You are a man worth knowing, Julian Barrington. You have a lot to be proud of here at Aldridge Manor.”
At half-past noon the following day, Julian’s carriage returned, bearing both Lord Claibourne and Mr. Ross. The two men, along with Julian and Con, went to the drawing room, where they were served refreshments.
“Thank you for coming, Mr. Ross,” Julian began. “I appreciate you making the effort to come and interview for the position of steward at Aldridge Manor.”
Ross, who was just under six feet, and wiry, with dark hair and eyes, responded, “It is an excellent opportunity, my lord. One which I didn’t think I had a chance at for many years to come. I am three and twenty, but I was brought up assisting my father in all estate matters. I know keep ledgers of crop production and livestock births and deaths. Record sales of each. I have a good grasp regarding crop rotation and have delivered everything from horses to goats. Lord Claibourne shared a bit about your property with me, and I am eager to see the land and meet your tenants.”
“I know you have not toured the estate yet, but what are your priorities, Mr. Ross? What kinds of improvements have you made or assisted with on His Grace’s estate?”
Ross immediately launched into a detailed answer. His ideas were sensible, and he sounded as if he’d had all the experience he needed to step into Mr. Smith’s shoes. As Ross spoke, Julian looked to Con and then his cousin. Both men nodded imperceptibly in approval.
“I have no further questions, Mr. Ross. Despite your youth, I believe you have the ability to fill my previous steward’s shoes.”
He had already spoken to his two friends about the salary to offer, and Julian now shared that with Mr. Ross.
“You would also have a cottage of your own. It is halfway between this house and the tenants’ cottages.”
“That is convenient, my lord, not only for when I am working with the tenants, but when I meet with you to discuss estate matters.”
“There is an office in the house here dedicated to your work,” Julian informed his new steward. “I would be happy to go over the ledgers with you now.”
“I can do that on my own, my lord. I feel your time would be best spent taking me around the land and introducing me to your people. Now, if that is agreeable to you.”
He liked that Ross was eager to take up his duties. All four men went to the stables, mounting horses and riding about the property. Everywhere they went, Julian could see how his tenants took to the personable young man, and he believed hiring Ross was a good decision.
As the steward was talking to one farmer and his wife, Julian said to Claibourne, “I cannot thank you enough for recommending Mr. Ross to me.”
“He is eager but mature for his age. I think you will be relieved that you can return to town and not worry about what is occurring at Aldridge Manor.” Val smiled. “Con told me that you are Julian to him now. I hope you would also do me the honor, as your friend, of calling me Val when we are together.”
He nodded gratefully. “I am more than happy to do so, Val. I understand this is only when we are alone and not in the company of others.”
“That is correct,” Val told him.
Ross approached them, his face flush with excitement. “You have wonderful tenants, Lord Aldridge. I am enthused about my new position.”
“I have had Mrs. Briscoe and her staff clean Mr. Smith’s cottage. You may move into it at once.”
“I appreciate that, my lord. I plan to write to you weekly, so that you will have an idea of the progress being made at Aldridge Manor. I am also happy to come to London if you summon me for a report in person.”
They all agreed to spend another day at Aldridge Manor, with Julian in Mr. Ross’ company the entire time. They spent several hours going over the ledgers and discussing the spring harvest, as well as the fall one, which would occur shortly after he had returned from the Season. He wondered if he might be bringing a wife home with him.
They left for town the next morning, all three men saying they were eager to return. Julian mentioned he would need to see his tailor since he had missed a fitting, and they made plans to meet at White’s the following afternoon before they parted company.
As Paulson undressed Julian and prepared him for bed, he wondered how he might find himself in Lady Ariadne’s company before the Season began, especially knowing now that he was not to be alone with her. He supposed it had been an exception, her showing him the ducal conservatory, and doubted they would have that opportunity again.
Then he recalled how they had first met in the small park on the square and determined he would go there tomorrow morning—and every morning afterward—to see if he might come across her. Of course, she would be preparing for her come-out, and he knew that must involve her wardrobe.
Deciding a chance meeting in the park might take too long, Julian decided he would ask the duke and duchess to tea, along with their daughter and son. It would be a way to return their hospitality to him.
And the opportunity to see Lady Ariadne again.