Chapter Ten
Leaving with a heavy heart as she knew Papa was about to continue the day’s drinking, Verity walked home, her head in a whirl.
She scarcely noticed George assiduously guarding her lest any disreputable person might approach, not that she would have noticed any.
She was too busy going over her visit to Papa and wondering if it could possibly have gone any worse.
Arriving back at her aunt’s house, she was about to hurry up the stairs to her room in search of some time alone, when Aunt Josephine emerged from the parlor.
Drat it. Living in a house with members of one’s family was not exactly easy.
There was always someone about requiring one’s attention, mostly Aunt Josephine, who had proved to be inordinately fond of her newly returned niece.
While Verity returned her fondness, it would have been nice, for once, to have escaped for an hour or two of peace.
Aunt Josephine’s face was wreathed in smiles.
“Verity, my dear. I was hoping it would be you. You will never guess, but my darling Adolphus has come up from Somerton as promised and he’s brought my oldest granddaughter, who lives not far from our home, with him.
You must come in and meet them immediately.
You will like Eleanor, I’m sure. She might be young, but she is such a sensible and charming young lady.
I often cannot believe she’s only sixteen still. ”
There being no excuse Verity could politely make, she removed her bonnet and allowed her aunt to usher her into the parlor.
Uncle Adolphus, a man who would have made two of Papa, lurched to his feet, his broad face glowing an almost fiery red.
In no way did he resemble her father. Where Papa was scrawny with age, Adolphus had ballooned to gargantuan proportions.
Where Papa was white-haired, Adolphus wore a gray horsehair wig, which, she was to discover, disguised the fact he possessed a head as hair-free as an egg.
“My dear child,” Adolphus opened with, holding out his pudgy hands.
“This is such good fortune. I can scarcely believe my eyes. I had held out no hope at all of ever seeing you again.” He squeezed her hands.
“You were such a taking little thing when you were living with Mama. I own that I was most disappointed when my brother arrived so promptly after Mama’s death and snatched you away from us.
I had quite been thinking that it would have suited us well to take on your care. Wouldn’t it have, Josephine?”
Aunt Josephine made noises of agreement.
Uncle Adolphus galloped on. “And you are such a taking little thing nowadays as well, I must say.” His eyes, a little disguised by his chubby cheeks, twinkled at her.
“And I hear you have captured yourself an earl. I am not at all surprised. With the Farrington good looks, how could you not have aimed so high?”
Aunt Josephine cleared her throat in what sounded like impatience. “Come and take a seat beside Eleanor, my dear,” she finally managed to get in, and Verity saw for the first time the girl on the striped settee.
Eleanor, who must have been Walter’s sister Emily’s daughter, was the image of her grandmother.
Petite and dark haired and pleasingly plump, her still youthful countenance held the promise of real beauty.
Just as Aunt Josephine must have looked forty years since.
She rose to her feet and curtsied, her lovely eyes cast down in modesty.
Verity bobbed a return curtsy encompassing everyone in the room. One she surely should have made on entering, had not Uncle Adolphus waylaid her so swiftly. She sat beside her new cousin and smiled at her.
“Eleanor has come up with her grandpapa especially to be your bridesmaid,” Aunt Josephine said.
“As the wedding is to be done in something of a rush, then it would be best not to be too ostentatious, I always think, and one bridesmaid will be sufficient. Do you not think? It is so handy Eleanor is of an age to oblige and that dear Adolphus could escort her to us.”
As Verity had discovered early on that if Aunt Josephine asked what she thought of something, the response she always wanted was to agree, she did that this time as well. “Very proper.” That phrase had been coming in handy as her aunt bowled along with wedding preparations.
“I have never been a bridesmaid,” Eleanor ventured. “My sisters are quite envious, but I pointed out to them that they are far too young to fulfill such a responsible task. And of course, they are desperate to meet you, Cousin. My mother has been telling us all about you.”
“And I have never been a bride,” Verity said, refraining from adding that it was something she did not wish to become under these circumstances, and that her betrothed was not at all to her taste.
She had an uncomfortable feeling that the time for withdrawing from the arrangement was long past. Not to mention she would get no support from Papa if she did so.
Being a young woman of few means was not an easy thing.
“Why don’t you girls take a turn in the garden?” Aunt Josephine said. “Get to know one another. Adolphus and I have much to discuss and I’m sure you will only find it tedious. The roses are all out, Eleanor, and I know how much you like the scented ones.”
A few minutes later Verity and Eleanor, each wearing a light shawl in case they might catch a chill from the gentle breeze, emerged into the garden.
It was walled and not large, but the scent of the roses was strong.
At the end of the garden, out of sight of the house, a little wooden arbor had been constructed with a bench and climbing roses festooning it.
The two young ladies sat down in its leafy shade.
Eleanor immediately overcame her apparent shyness.
“I had no idea I had a cousin until the other day,” she began.
“Mama was able to tell me a little about you, but on the way here from Somerton, Grandpapa told me he and your papa had fallen out many years ago and that he’d never liked to speak about it. ”
“My papa has never spoken to me about it either,” Verity said.
“I knew he and Uncle Adolphus didn’t get along, but I’ve never known why.
Families can be very difficult.” Couldn’t they just. She smiled.
“For most of my life it’s only been Papa and me, so I have no idea how having a bigger family might work. ”
“Where is your mama then? Is she here with you?”
Verity shook her head. “No. She died when I was nine. Not long after my papa came and took me away. After Grandmama died. You were probably a baby.”
Eleanor frowned. “Which would explain why I don’t know you, I suppose.
” She brightened. “But now you are here and I am to be your bridesmaid, we can be friends, I hope. And you are to be married to an earl. Mama, who could not accompany Grandpapa and myself because she’s in a delicate condition again, is quite green with envy that you have snared an earl, even if it is one with a dreadful reputation.
” She wrinkled her nose. “Does that bother you? His reputation, I mean.”
What a blunt young woman she was.
Verity, liking Eleanor immediately, gathered her thoughts.
“I have not been long back in England, you must understand. However, I’ve been here long enough to have heard of the Earl of Dunster and to know that people do not say good things about him.
” Why was she feeling as though she wanted to defend him?
That was silly. For a start, he was not worthy of being defended.
And yet her instinct was to try to point out his good points. But did he have any?
“He’s very handsome,” she said, aware that this sounded feeble.
Eleanor nodded her enthusiasm. “So I hear, although Mama says looks are not the first thing one should look for in a gentleman.” She leaned closer as though she thought someone might be eavesdropping.
“Mama says that a title and a good income are the most important things in a gentleman, although in my opinion I would require him to love me, and for me to love him. I haven’t told her that.
She might be cross with me and we’re not allowed to vex her when she’s increasing. ”
Verity chuckled. “And I must confess that since I was your age I have cherished a similar notion—that I would find true love and happiness. His Lordship’s title and money are of no import to me.”
“But you are going to marry him. Is it a match your papa has made for you? As you have no mama to do it. My mother is intent on making matches for me and my sisters even though we’re all still in the schoolroom.
I swear she already has gentlemen lined up.
” She giggled. “For all I know she might have had Lord Dunster on her list. Which makes me very glad you have already snared him. Handsome or not, I do not think I would like to marry a rake such as he.” She paused for breath.
“But of course, you know him. So tell me what he is like. I should love to hear. Until I come out, I am only allowed to enjoy such things vicariously.”
That was a question. What was he like, this man she was engaged to marry?
Until this very moment he’d been an ogre in her head.
Now, she had to take stock and properly consider him.
She frowned and thought back over the very short time she’d known him, and the even shorter time she’d spent in his company.
As her father’s assistant, it had fallen to her on many occasions to assess their mark and pick out his or her weak or strong points. Why not do that for Lord Dunster?
“I would say,” she began, weighing her words with care, “that he is a gentleman too used to getting his own way and with too high an opinion of what he sees as his charms.”