Chapter 34
Jane was gathering her gloves and bonnet with plans to pay calls upon the tenants when the sounds of an arriving carriage drew her to the front door, an explosion of joy warming her chest. Unfortunately, the gentleman who stepped down from the fancy, eye-searing yellow high-perched phaeton was not the broad-shouldered, ruggedly handsome man she had hoped to see, and her heart plummeted to her toes.
“This is quite the welcome!” Mr. Killian cried, bowing low.
“I thought that my phaeton had been pulled around,” she informed him repressively as she fixed her gloves.
He laughed as if she was flirting and gave her a wink. “Your chariot awaits, mi’lady!”
She did not smile in return. “Mr. Hulls is on his way. I am certain that the horses are already hitched.”
“Nonsense, nonsense. Why should you put your cattle to work when mine are already here and warmed up. We are at your service!”
“I do not wish to inconvenience you,” she replied, growing frustrated by his obtuseness. “I will be gone for several hours as I have many stops to make.”
“Then you will certainly need an escort! It is well that I arrived when I did.”
“John, Paul, and Mr. Hulls will be plenty of escort for my needs.”
He waved away her words. “No, no. I cannot leave your safety to such… persons. I will be a much better choice. You there, go see that the horses are returned to their stalls. We will not have need of you.”
John gave him a disbelieving look and stepped closer to his mistress.
“Listen to your betters, man!” he cried, outraged.
“And this is the actions of a gentleman?” Jane snarled, done with the farce.
“Can I be plainer? I have hinted at my disinterest in every manner I know how, but you remain willfully deaf! I will not be forced into your company again solely because you refuse to hear me. Now take yourself off, Mr. Killian, and do not darken my door again.”
The man’s eyes widened comically and he sputtered.
“How dare you! Do you know what you are throwing away? Do you believe that you can do better than me? Is there a lord hanging about prepared to take on such baggage as yours? Do you think that any man wishes to take on some other man’s welp?
Even with the inducement of such a fine estate? ”
“That is quite enough out of you,” John grumbled, stepping forward and making the 0ther man dance back in fear.
“You will be sorry!” Killion yelped as he hurried to his carriage.
“Are you threatening Mrs. Bingley?” a gravelly voice purred from behind her, making Jane exclaim with happy surprise.
“Mr. Yates! You have returned!” she cried, raising a hand to her pounding heart.
Mr. Killion scoffed, “Of course not! What do you take me for?”
“A stoat of a man who is determined to make a nuisance of himself,” Yates growled, brushing a fleeting touch of his hand on the back of her arm in a show of support.
“You are nothing but a servant!” he cried, making both Jane and Yates laugh. “What! What is it?”
“How is your father the earl?” Jane snickered, covering her mouth with her hands.
“Ghaa!” Killion cried, whipping his horses into motion.
“I am gone for a sen’night and return to find you drowning in suitors,” Yates teased, placing a kiss on the back of her hand and earning a bright smile.
“You had better not leave again, then, or who knows how many men may appear hoping to get their hands on my estate.”
“You underestimate your beauty, my dear,” he grinned. “Your wealth is a far second to your manifold attractions, I assure you.”
Jane snorted. “So you say, but it is obvious by the quality of gentlemen who have presented themselves this week that had I no estate, I would have had a much more peaceful existence.”
“Should you like to spread about that the estate is being kept for little Miss Ellie? It will be an excellent dowry for her.”
“You would support that?” Jane asked in surprise, knowing that no matter his previous statement, her ownership of the estate, which would usually pass to her husband upon their marriage, would be a very strong inducement for a man who did not have an estate of his own.
“Of course!” he assured her. “It is only right that the Bingley wealth should be inherited by her.”
“But what—” Jane trailed off with a deep blush, realizing she had almost mentioned future children, their future children! How mortifying!
“I think it would give you great peace of mind, should you wish to choose that path, but it is of course up to you.”
“It is an excellent idea, and I think that it could be spread about, but I think I ought to wait to officially make such a determination until things are more… settled.”
He nodded and offered his arm as her sweet phaeton was brought around. He assisted her into the carriage and then climbed up beside her.
“Do you not wish to rest from your travels?” she asked in surprise.
“I am well, thank you.” He grinned, taking up the reins. “I have missed our rides. I would much prefer to spend the next few hours speaking with you rather than lying about in my cottage. Where to first?”
Jane ducked her head and smiled. “The Adams, please.”
They spent the rest of the day traveling between tenants and sharing stories of their time apart.
Jane was extremely understanding of his losses, and he was relieved to be able to share the truth of his brother’s dealings and deaths.
Jane too was relieved to hear his supportive words when she told of Lydia’s and their mother’s actions and her decision to separate herself from their absurdity.
That evening, they dined together before visiting Ellie and Master Davey in the nursery for an hour before bedtime. The uninhibited joy Ellie showed when she saw her friend had returned melted Jane’s heart even further.
∞∞∞
The more time that she spent with Yates, Jane also found herself feeling an uncomfortable amount of attraction to the man; not necessarily to his looks, though he did have a rugged sort of handsomeness diametrically opposite to Bingley’s more polished, urbane good looks.
It was almost more the obvious respect he held for her than his person to which she was attracted, and each time he discussed the estate with her and took her opinions into consideration and even accepted their difference of opinion on the rare occasion that they disagreed, the attraction was heightened.
It was an alluring situation, and she now understood well why Elizabeth found her William so attractive beyond his handsome face.
The closer they came to the end of her half-mourning, the more physically affectionate he became; offering his arm as he led her around the estate; the feel of strength in his muscled forearm sending shivers of delight down her spine.
Placing a hand on her back as he escorted her to a chair or offering a hand as she rose from a seat, holding it just a heartbeat longer than necessary-- He was slowly worming his way deeper into her affections.
His smiles became more affectionate as well, and she often caught him looking at her with an almost longing gaze which she began to shyly return.
One afternoon coming upon the holidays, around teatime, a very fine coach and six barreled up the drive and came to a stop before the entry, drawing the attention of the entire house.
The footmen hurried to open the door of the carriage, noting the unmistakable coat of arms, they bowed low as a gentleman and a lady, looking enough alike to declare them siblings, stepped down, looking about with interest. They were invited in by the butler and followed him to the drawing room where Jane sat before the blazing fireplace, working on her sewing.
“The Lady Eleanore Tommley, Duchess of Auburn, and Lord Harold Yates, Earl of Statham, Ma’am,” he announced solemnly, eyes wide in awe.
“Good day to you both,” Jane replied with a perfectly appropriate curtsey and without even a hint of the terror and distress that she was feeling.
“I am very pleased to make your acquaintance, Your Grace, My Lord. Please, will you join me near the fire for refreshments as we await the arrival of Mr. Yates?”
“Thank you,” her Grace replied, accepting a seat on a comfortable settee with regal aplomb.
Jane rang for tea, relieved to see a nod from Mrs. Toole, letting her know that rooms were being prepared if needed.
She turned back to the pair. “Are you paying a holiday visit or just passing through?” She was very careful not to intimate a greater intimacy between herself and their son and nephew than Yates might have informed his father of.
Her Grace was very impressed with Jane. She had not kowtowed to them for their titles, nor did she seem to push for an intimacy which, while might be common as they had shown up unannounced and introduced themselves, would have been gauche.
“We have come for a visit to my wayward son as he refused to attend me at Christmas,” the earl gruffly replied.
“Indeed?” Jane declared, her surprise evident despite her attempts to disguise it. “Was he aware of your coming? It is unlike him to not be available to greet you. Perhaps he forgot in his worry over the Thompsons—there was a fire in their chimney you see.”
The earl waved away her concern. “Not at all, it was a bit on the spur of the moment. He has no idea we intended to visit. I made the decision after I received his letter informing me that he would not be joining me at Stratham Court for Christmas.”
“In that case, may I offer rooms to you both?” Jane asked politely, fighting a blush at his knowing smile. “You cannot mean to stay in the steward’s cottage, no matter how well built, and the nearby inn is rather rustic for refined tastes.”
“That is most kind of you,” the Duchess agreed with a slight nod of approval. “We shall gladly accept as my brother did not think to even inquire before setting off on this harebrained scheme.”
Jane laughed elegantly and rang for the housekeeper who appeared with the maids and the tea tray, requesting the best of the suites be made available to their visitors.
The lady agreed with a wink and informed her that they were ready when needed.
She gave her look of such gratitude that the woman blushed as she bustled away.
Jane carried on polite conversation as she poured the tea and offered treats.
Not ten minutes later, Yates hurried into the room, his coat a bit worse for wear and his cravat askew, as if he had hastily tied it himself, which was likely the case.
“Father! Aunt Eleanore, what on earth are you doing here? Are you well?”
“Some greeting that is after we have traveled all this way to see… you.” the Duchess harrumphed.
He apologized with a bow and placed a kiss on her cheek. “It is very good to see you, of course, but I had no idea you were coming. I would have searched out appropriate accommodations for you.” He noticed Jane’s lavender half-mourning dress for the first time and his smile widened.
“Mrs. Bingley has offered us rooms with her, which will do very well, I am sure. Especially as it is apparent that you will be rather busy with your… duties.” the earl grimaced with distaste.
“We will be well entertained here and perhaps you might join us for meals?” It was phrased as a question, but no one took it as such.
“Of course! Mr. Yates usually joins us for lunch, but I shall let my chef know that there will be five to dine while you are here.”
“Wonderful. I always enjoy an evening with good conversation,” the duchess declared. “Now hurry off, Jeffery, and clean yourself before you cover the rugs in smuts.”
“Yes, your grace,” he bowed low, earning a low chuckle from the lady as he left the room.
The Earl and Duchess continued to politely interrogate Jane that evening, and she rose to the occasion with her usual serenity.
The Duchess was pleased to see the flare of affection, dare she call it attraction, when the woman looked at her nephew and declared to her brother, when they left the young couple that evening, that she would be happy to present the girl once her nephew married her.
Jane was relieved when they announced two days later that they must be on their way but that they were very pleased to make her acquaintance and hoped to return the hospitality sometime in the future.
Jane began to have an inkling that she had been weighed and measured and had perhaps passed inspection, at least she hoped that she had.
But it was all moot until Yates spoke, if he ever intended to.