Chapter 10 #2
After being settled in their rooms, Alaina, Evelina, and Charlotte had gone about unpacking and hanging their dresses in the provided wardrobe.
They had left quite early in the morning from the inn and had gotten to Ashford just past the lunch hour.
That being the case, a simple tray of food and tea had been prepared and sent to each of their rooms, the rooms themselves connected by a series of doors.
A quick check-in with her mother and Evelina found both of them yawning and half asleep from the journey, so Alaina returned to her room, quietly leaving each of them to rest before dinner.
Alaina found she could not eat much more than a nibble on the corner of a sandwich, the tea at least warming her.
After a time, she stood from her chair by the fireplace and walked to the window.
Her room, much like her mother’s, Evelina’s, and all the other guests’, she imagined, was well-furnished and comfortable, lending a homey air to an otherwise ornate surrounding.
There were high ceilings and rich wall coverings, long drapes on each of the two windows flanking the fireplace, which was set almost in the center of the room.
Two pale blue and navy wingback chairs and one ottoman were set in front of the fireplace to leave a warm place for a guest or two to pass the time.
The bed was directly across from the fireplace, a large four-poster, with thick sapphire velvet drapes that could be used in the evenings to keep out any drafts, currently pulled back and tied with gold decorative rope.
The bed was one of the only feminine touches of the room, with a crystal blue coverlet, and decorative pillows piled to match.
At the window, Alaina stared out at the view.
An expansive estate stretched as far as she could see, with lush green hills rolling toward the horizon, the expanse dotted with copses of mature trees.
She could see what looked to be an orchard in the distance.
Just below her, a little difficult to see from the third floor where she was ensconced with the other guests, was the stables.
Every now and then she would hear a horse nicker or whinny, the soft crunch of gravel underneath their hooves peaceful, reminding Alaina of home in Norwich.
She closed her eyes to shut out the day and just listen to the quiet of the country, when a feeling crept up her spine, as if she were not alone.
She opened her eyes to find Graham and Christopher outside her window, looking to be readying for a ride, both atop horses.
Graham’s black stallion was already turned toward the back of the property, heading to a path that disappeared quickly down a hill, and Christopher was on a strong-looking chestnut horse.
Christopher had stopped for some reason before following Graham, and caught sight of Alaina standing in her window.
Close enough to see that her eyes were closed, he had kept the horse under a tight rein, feeling almost desperate for her to acknowledge his presence, the heady feeling of her in his arms still fresh in his mind.
That memory overpowered every other doubt; in that moment, Christopher just wanted to see her smile at him, and him alone.
Alaina opened her eyes and found Christopher’s.
She felt a shock as he gave her a crooked smile and his eyes twinkled with mischief.
Alaina felt frozen in place, surprised by his reaction, and she raised a hand to wave, a soft smile coming unbidden to her face.
Christopher returned her gesture with a nod of his head, finally turning in the direction where Graham had disappeared, kicking his horse into a gallop to catch up to his friend.
Alaina inwardly groaned and lay down on the bed, worried about how dinner would go. She closed her eyes to once again shut out the world, hoping a good rest would clear her head.
“Christopher, you look absolutely resplendent. It looks like the country ride did some good for both you and Graham,” Eleanor chirped as she swept into the parlor, where guests were starting to collect prior to dinner.
“I just saw Graham in the hallway, and he looked much more chipper than when we arrived. I expect that is something to do with the ride this afternoon, and something to do with the anticipation of better company.”
“Yes, I am sure it is,” Christopher gave Eleanor a tight smile, hoping it passed for something warm. She had always been like a second mother to him, and in no way did he want to seem ungrateful or put off by her presence.
“Well, not to worry, I think more of the guests should be arriving for dinner shortly, and you will have more young people to converse with,” Eleanor stated simply, as if sensing his unease.
Christopher chuckled and shook his head, striving to allay any of Eleanor’s hurt. “Lady Eleanor, I assure you that your company is quite enough for me. I am afraid I will only know a few of the souls attending.”
“Pish posh, you have nothing to worry about. You look wonderful and I am sure any lady who joins us this evening will be agog.” And with that Eleanor detached herself from Christopher, making her way around the room, pausing only briefly at the pianoforte to adjust a flower in the vase that decorated the instrument.
A candelabra also rested atop the piano and complemented the lighted sconces around the room, giving the air a warm ambiance.
Christopher surveyed the room, finding it much as he remembered from when he was a boy.
Usually when he visited Graham at Ashford, they spent their time riding through the grounds or in Graham’s study on the other side of the house.
As a boy, he remembered that this parlor in particular was in close proximity to the large dining room and was used by Eleanor to entertain guests when it was a small, non-familial gathering.
A few sideboards were spaced strategically around the room, each with decanters of whiskey and wine, so anyone could easily access a refreshment without disrupting the socializing occurring in the room.
It was not expected that people would stay in this room much beyond waiting for dinner, so only a handful of elegant chairs of varying patterns, all with soft rose-hued tones, were scattered along the outer walls.
The pianoforte was in the corner, with a harp beside it, for musical entertainment.
The floor was largely left bare save for runners at the edges beneath each of the sideboards and some of the chairs.
This allowed for the center of the room to be used for whatever whim struck the dowager duchess, like charades.
Christopher had often played charades with Graham and his family on holidays from school, when his family was not up for having him at home, or when he chose not to join his family.
Tonight, it would allow for good mingling.
Christopher placed himself toward the opposite side of the room from the pianoforte, near one of the sideboards, and fixed himself a brandy, waiting for the other guests to arrive, or really one guest in particular.
This afternoon he had been surprised to find Alaina standing in a window directly above the stables.
Graham had not seen her, or had been too intent on the ride to notice, but Christopher had felt desperate for her to see him, and his heart had leapt when she had waved.
The rest of the ride in the afternoon had been invigorating, with fresh air and a bit of a chill to bring clarity to Christopher’s thoughts.
That afternoon, Christopher had chosen to ponder the first time they had met, at the Mansfield Ball.
The range of emotions that played across her face had perturbed and amused him at the time, and now he held them close to his heart as a vision of Alaina fully as herself.
Not only had her face, with her long lashed umber eyes that seemed to glow in the candlelight, and her full winsome lips, either curved in smile or pursed in thought, caught his attention, but her confident stature and grace also came to his mind.
He may have been initially annoyed to be caught in the throes of the season, much less a conversation with a young miss, but to deny that Alaina’s lithe, athletic build, subtly displayed in a simple and bewitching frock, was alluring would be untruthful, to say the least. He had noticed her pert, full breasts, shown with just a small amount of cleavage over her low-cut bodice, long graceful arms, and, from what he could only imagine, long, lean, and strong legs to match.
The vision kept him company more hours of the day than Christopher cared to admit.
Since he and Graham had been out for a vigorous ride, there had been little talk, allowing Christopher ample time with such thoughts.
Only toward the end of the ride was he required to recount the last week to his friend, leaving out many of the more personal details, just giving a report on everyone’s safety and the uneventful trip out to Ashford.
Christopher and Graham had known each other almost their whole lives, and had become fast friends in school; it was this that made Christopher pause and ruminate over the implications of his own thoughts.
Graham had been his lone friend at Eton, and he had quickly offered his own home as a refuge away from Christopher’s increasingly unhappy one.
He had convinced himself that his fascination and attraction to Alaina would pass; Christopher certainly had no intention of interfering with his friend’s courtship of the lady.
That thought, however, did little to calm his racing mind.