Chapter Six #2
“Now,” Lord Ledderbey said, “as this current imposition has really been all my fault, I have done my very best to inform Lord Tramondeley of some of the basic steps.”
From the expression on Lord Tramondeley’s face, it did not seem as if he had enjoyed the experience of dancing with the older gentleman.
“I showed him as many of the steps as I could recall. I am afraid, though, that I did not make a very convincing lady,” Lord Ledderebey said.
“You are not to fret over it, Lord Ledderbey,” Serenity said. “Dancing is very natural and I’m certain Lord Tramondeley shall take to it in a trice.”
“A trice might be rather too hopeful,” Lord Tramondeley said.
They proceeded to the ballroom to find Thomas sitting on a stool with a half empty glass of ale. He jumped up and set it down on a windowsill.
“We should probably begin with a simple country dance,” Valor said.
“Lord Tramondeley, I am sure Lord Ledderbey has already explained that the top couple will dance the steps and then everyone else only need copy them. At Almack’s, I would suggest you put yourself very far down the line.
That way, you can see it demonstrated more than once. ”
Serenity looked critically at the group. “I wish we had more people. We ought to have thought of it and made all our sisters bring their husbands. Why did I not even think of bringing Thorpe? He would have been delighted to assist.”
Valor was not certain of Lord Thorpe’s delight, but he certainly would have done whatever Serenity asked of him.
She was not aware of a single time that lord had not indulged his wife.
He’d even gone so far as to build a crypt for the dead bees she’d been collecting all her life though he likely did not understand the need for it.
Valor determined that while it would be nice to have more people, they had to work with what they’d got.
“Let’s begin with a curtsy and bow, then a righthand star, then a two hand turn to return to our places,” Valor said.
She was not certain what she could do with Lord Tramondeley, but at least he was listening closely. He seemed rather intent, actually.
He nodded and Thomas struck up his little violin.
She curtsied and Lord Tramondeley bowed.
They began the righthand star, both arriving to the opposite side of where they started and then the two hand turn to their original places.
It was the first time their hands touched.
It might be the first time she’d touched any man’s hand outside of her own father.
Valor found herself stupidly flustered over it.
“That was very well done, Lord Tramondeley,” Serenity said.
Outside in the corridor came suddenly a lady’s voice. A very hearty woman’s voice. “I heard he was in Town. Lord Tramondeley was very naughty in not letting us know!”
“He will be delighted to see us, I can assure you,” another lady said.
Lord Tramondeley and Lord Ledderbey stared at each other. Valor thought they appeared almost panicked. “Lady Monroe and Lady Letitia,” Lord Ledderbey whispered.
“Will Malberry let them in?” Lord Tramondeley whispered.
Lord Ledderbey shrugged. “I do not know—I never thought to instruct him.”
“Engaged in the ballroom?” the woman Valor presumed was Lady Letitia shrieked. “Lead us there, we must discover what Lord Tramondeley is up to in that room at this time of day.”
Valor did not know who these two ladies were, but from the expressions of both lords upon hearing their demands to be shown in, she thought both gentlemen could not be eager to encounter either of them. Perhaps they were people from Cornwall who they’d hoped to avoid?
She was not so sure she was eager to encounter them either. They sounded very loud and forceful. Valor glanced at Serenity and found her wide-eyed. Mrs. Right, on the other hand, seemed to find the whole thing amusing. As did Thomas, who had picked up his ale and drained it in the interlude.
Two ladies sailed into the ballroom with a very contrite-looking butler following them.
One was a very usual-looking middle-aged matron, the other was something else entirely.
She was very tall and decorated from head to toe in all manner of ruffles, bits, and bobs.
Her bonnet had more accoutrements than Valor had imagined possible, most startling being a sequined butterfly looking as if it were ready to take flight.
Despite one lady being older, it was the younger with the fantastical hat who took the lead.
“Lord Tramondeley,” she fairly shrieked. “Could anybody be as naughty?” She punctuated that scolding with a further scolding from her fan, which she whipped around rather menacingly.
The lord flinched away from her as her fan landed on his arm.
“Lord Tramondeley,” Lady Monroe said, “we presume it was a mere oversight that you did not alert us to your arrival in Town. We were bowled over when he heard of it, I can tell you. I said to Lady Ludwig, ‘Tramondeley is in Town? He will ache to see us.’”
“Lady Monroe,” Lord Tramondeley said, “I had no notion I was meant to alert anybody to my arrival. I do not even know Lady Ludwig and have contacted nobody about my arrival.”
“Do you hear him?” Lady Letitia cried. “He had no notion to alert us? Such very good friends and we were not to be informed? You are outrageous, Tramondeley.”
“We really only recently arrived,” Lord Ledderbey said in a conciliatory tone.
“Well, we will forgive you, as friends do,” Lady Letitia said, once more smacking Lord Tramondeley. “Now, what do we have here?”
“Ah, Lady Monroe, Lady Letitia,” Lord Ledderbey said, “allow me to present Lady Thorpe, Lady Valor Nicolet, and Mrs. Right.”
“Ah,” Lady Monroe said, “Lady Valor is the Duke of Pelham’s daughter, I think? And Lady Thorpe too, recently wed to the marquess.”
Both Valor and Serenity nodded.
“And Mrs. Right?”
“I’m the housekeeper,” Mrs. Right said.
“I see!” Lady Letitia said. “Tramondeley, you are very modern to have your housekeeper comingling with your guests.”
“I’m the Duke of Pelham’s housekeeper,” Mrs. Right said in a tone that brought both ladies up short. Not for long, though.
“I understand, yes I see, you act as a duenna,” Lady Monroe said.
“Of course, I would not send Lady Letitia out with my housekeeper. Her father, the duke, would expect more from me than that! Lady Letitia stays with me for the season, you understand, her duke being rather poorly. But then, people do things differently, one never really knows.”
“Yes, I suspect we are different,” Mrs. Right said, staring the lady down.
Lady Monroe could not hold up against the determined look of the housekeeper and turned to Lord Tramondeley. “Might I inquire what the activity is that you are currently engaged in?” she asked, looking round the ballroom, her eyes settling on Thomas.
“Lady Valor has very kindly agreed to give me dance instruction,” Lord Tramondeley said. “I have never got around to learning the steps.”
“It was my fault,” Lord Ledderbey said, sadly shaking his head.
“Dancing!” Lady Letitia shrieked, as if it were the first time she’d ever heard of the activity.
“Lady Monroe, can you believe Tramondeley did not come straight to us? Heavens, we might have taught him when we visited last year!” Before Lady Monroe could weigh in with equal shock, Lady Letitia said, “Never mind, we are here now. How far have we got?”
And so went the next hour. Lady Letitia took complete control, called out the steps, and insisted on partnering with Lord Tramondeley.
Valor partnered with Lord Ledderbey, who appeared apologetic for every minute of it.
The old lord also did not last long at the activity, as he clearly became tired and Valor insisted he stop.
As there were not chairs in the ballroom, she walked him to one of the low and wide windowsills, and he watched from there.
Finally, Serenity could take no more. Though Valor’s sister was generally the sort of person who would go along with anything, she apparently did have her limits. She very pleasantly said, “I wonder if that is not enough for one day?”
“Yes!” Lord Tramondeley almost shouted. His tone was filled with the desperation of one who was waiting for a life ring to be thrown after falling overboard in high seas. “We cannot impose on Lady Valor and Lady Thorpe any further.”
“Now, that does not mean we need to stop,” Lady Letitia said. “I am well able to carry on.”
“Very kind,” Lord Tramondeley said, “but I am engaged to escort the ladies across the square. Allow me to see you to your carriage.”
Lady Letitia appeared to be mulling in her mind some way round that idea.
Fortunately for Lord Tramondeley, she did not find one.
Instead, she said, “Very well, I suppose we will see you at Almack’s, Lord Tramondeley.
” She held up her hand and cried, “You need not even ask, of course you must put yourself down on my card.”
They were finally able to get to the street, though Lady Letitia poked her head in all the rooms along the corridor and made comment on them. They were to know that she would change the carpet in the drawing room and order new drapes for the library.
Lady Monroe’s carriage was duly loaded with its passengers, though Lady Letitia took the opportunity to open the window and shout, “Almack’s! Don’t forget, it’s on Wednesday.”
Lord Tramondeley nodded at this directive, though he did not seem overjoyed. The ladies’ carriage jerked forward with Lady Letitia waving her handkerchief out the window as if she were setting off on a long sea voyage.
“I will escort you home, Lady Valor.”
“There is no need, I have my sister and Mrs. Right with me and it is just across the square,” Valor said.
“I did tell Lady Letitia I would, though. I do not like to be a liar.”
“Oh I see,” Valor said.
They bid adieu to Lord Ledderbey, who looked as if he was relieved to get them all out of the house.
As they walked along the paths lined with shrubberies, Valor said, “I presume Lady Letitia is from your neighborhood.”
“Lady Monroe is not five miles off,” Lord Tramondeley said. “Lady Letitia visited her last year.”
“She’s very lively,” Serenity said.
Lord Tramondeley laughed and Valor could not tell if he agreed, or thought it was funny that Serenity should say so.
“Lively is one word for it,” Mrs. Right said.
Lord Tramondeley’s brows raised and Valor was certain he was not used to a housekeeper joining in on a conversation.
Of course, he could not know that their dear Mrs. Right was not just a housekeeper.
She was a mother of sorts, especially to Valor, who had never known her own mother.
She was very much part of the family though other people might think it odd.
“Look!” Serenity cried. “There is Thorpe coming out with Havoc and Nelson.”
Valor looked in that direction to see Lord Thorpe just coming out of his house leading Havoc on one side and their little Nelson on the other.
“You won’t mind, Val?” Serenity said.
“No, go to your husband,” Valor said, laughing.
Serenity picked up her skirts and sprinted down the path.
Lord Tramondeley squinted. “Is that…does that dog, is he missing a leg?”
“That is darling Nelson,” Valor said. “We found him on one of our trips to Town. He was begging for scraps outside an inn and of course we had to have him. He’s blind in one eye as well, so you can imagine what sort of hard life he had. We’ve spoiled him terribly to make up for it.”
“I see. Well I do not suppose your own dog, a pug I think, has suffered too very much.”
“Sir Galahad?” Valor said. “He is lucky to be alive! He was the runt of the litter and a terrible old lord was going to drown him.”
Lord Tramondeley looked at her quizzically, and Valor realized there was quite a large gap in information between Sir Galahad on the verge of being drowned and his now more comfortable situation.
“Lord Thorpe convinced the old gentleman who wished to drown him to hear what I would say about it, and I took the little dog from him and sent him on his way.”
“With a terrible scolding too,” Mrs. Right added.
“Lord Thorpe brought the man and the dog to your house?” Lord Tramondeley asked.
Valor nodded. Though, as she’d got older she’d wondered about it herself.
Why hadn’t Lord Thorpe simply taken the dog?
How was that earl convinced to come to the house with Sir Galahad?
If he really was so cruel hearted to wish the dog drowned, why was he setting off in a carriage to do it himself?
Or why would not he not have done it already?
Why had he agreed to hear about it from a young girl he did not even know?
She generally dismissed those questions from her mind, as whatever it was that had happened, it had seemed very real at the time.
In those early days when she did not have any questions about it, she’d liberally embellished the encounter.
At one point, she even claimed that she’d fetched her father’s gun to drive the fellow off.
She had not, but when she’d thought over the encounter later, she had dearly wished she had.
She did not claim so anymore, but she did remember her outrage over Sir Galahad’s situation and knew very well she would have been willing to do it if she’d thought of it.
When it came to that precious little dog, she could be very brave.
They had come out of the square and crossed over the street. Valor waved to Serenity and Lord Thorpe, who were walking together and laughing with their very enthusiastic dogs.
“Lady Valor, I thank you for the dancing lesson and apologize for Lady Letitia’s interruption.”
“I do not see why you are to apologize,” Valor said. “I do not imagine you could have stopped her.”
Lord Tramondeley laughed. “No, I do not think I could have.”
“Well, she will find you again at Almack’s I suspect.”
“Do you really think I have to go?” Lord Tramondeley asked.
Valor laughed. “My aunt has got you the voucher and tickets, I rather think you do have to. Or if you do not, I would suggest hiding from her for a very long time. She is a very determined lady.”
“I had not taken that into consideration. I suppose I will go, then.”
“Come, love,” Mrs. Right said, “let us get you inside. Sir Galahad will wonder where you are.”
Valor nodded and then bobbed a curtsy to Lord Tramondeley. They left him standing on the pavement.
Once inside, she threw off her pelisse and peeked out the drawing room windows. Lord Tramondeley stood there for a half a minute looking pensive and then turned and walked back through the square.
He really was very handsome. It was too bad he liked to chase French boats in the dark. If only he would think about collecting rare books or snuff boxes instead!