Chapter 14 Courtship
Sophia slept surprisingly well. Her sisters had been inclined to linger in her room to discuss the interesting development, but she had chased them out and climbed into bed, expecting to lie awake for hours thinking about Lord Daniel.
But the next thing she knew was the girl quietly remaking the fire the next morning.
She knew instinctively that she must wear another of her newest gowns today, and had one already laid out when Kitty arrived with her washing water, earlier than expected.
“You’re to be done first today, miss, and then Miss Souter’s to do your hair.”
Miss Souter was Mama’s own maid, only deployed for the younger sisters on important occasions.
This additional attention, and the more elaborate style Souter deemed appropriate, meant that Sophia was the last to be ready.
Mama and her sisters were waiting for her on the landing, for it was absolutely necessary that they go down to the breakfast parlour together, for moral support.
Sophia had never thought much about this habit, but now she wondered how it would feel if she were obliged to go everywhere by herself.
As she would if she were married, she supposed. What a strange thought!
Lord Daniel was already in the breakfast parlour. He rose as they entered, and there was that odd expression again as he saw them. What could it mean?
For a moment, no one spoke. She thought he would speak first, but it seemed he had the same thought for he merely smiled, a slightly hesitant smile ranging over the five of them, and not settling on Sophia herself. Fortunately, Mr Payne was also there and had also risen at their entrance.
“Mrs Merrington, good morning!” he said cheerfully, pulling out a chair for her. “Pray sit here. And Miss Sophia… there is a chair beside Lord Daniel. Miss Merrington… Miss Augusta… Miss Maria…”
He pulled out a chair for each of them with ostentatious courtesy, then himself fetched the coffee pot from the sideboard, pouring for everyone before taking his own seat again.
Mr Hammond watched this performance with an expression of surprise, but said nothing.
Sophia was surprised too. What did he mean by such attentions?
If there were any need for a chair to be held for her, it was the footman’s duty to do so, and Froggett would pour coffee. It was bizarre.
But Lord Daniel was smiling at her, a full-hearted smile now, and so all thought of Mr Payne’s behaviour flew out of her head.
After breakfast, the rain being too heavy to permit a walk outdoors, the sisters undertook to show Lord Daniel the principal rooms in the house.
He accepted this with great good humour, tucking Sophia’s arm proprietorially in his and murmuring ‘Most impressive’ and ‘Very beautiful’ at regular intervals.
They came in time to what was known as the Chinese Room, which housed a collection of objects acquired by a Merrington ancestor on a visit to China.
Mr Payne had not expressed any great admiration for this room, merely saying that it was of a style no longer much in vogue, but the cabinets of curiosities and great lacquered urns attracted Lord Daniel’s attention, and he wandered about examining everything for some time.
Sophia stood at the far end, gazed through the window at the lake.
“What is so fascinating out there?” Lord Daniel said, coming to stand beside her.
“Mr Payne’s orangery,” she said at once. “This window will become a door, and beyond it will be the bridge over the river which is also a gallery… and a ballroom.” She shivered in delight. “At the far end, just on that rise beyond the lake, will be the orangery.”
He laughed. “As if the house is not large enough already. An orangery, I grant you, is an elegant addition to the garden, but a gallery and ballroom? Are there not rooms enough for dancing?”
She stared at him, shocked. “There are rooms, of course, but none large enough for more than a dozen couples or so, and what is the use of that?”
“The entrance hall is large enough,” he said.
“Oh yes, but then one would have late arrivals disrupting everything, and there are the marble tiles to be considered. One would need to lay a wooden floor and imagine the inconvenience. Every great house should have a ballroom, Lord Daniel, and in the long spells between balls, it is a quiet gallery where one may take one’s exercise in inclement weather and keep all the dreadful old portraits of bewigged ancestors that no one wants in the drawing room. ”
“The attic is the place for the portraits, and is useful for indoor exercise, too. My brothers and I practise our fencing there.”
“But one cannot dance in attics,” she said with asperity. “Where do you dance at Pentavon Castle?”
“At the assembly rooms in Gloucester, on those occasions when a little jigging about is unavoidable.”
“Was the jigging about unavoidable at Marshfields, too?” she said acidly. “What a pity you were so inconvenienced.”
He reddened, realising his mistake. “Oh well… that was different, you know.”
“Was it indeed,” she said flatly. “That is a relief to my mind.”
“Of course it was!” With a quick glance around the room, seeing her sisters at the far end of it and proceeding through the door to the library, he took her hand and raised it to his lips. In a lowered voice, he murmured, “It was very different, Miss Merrington, for you were there.”
It was Sophia’s turn to blush, and although she could not quite forgive him for despising dancing quite so thoroughly, she was slightly mollified.
The ladies all retired early to dress for dinner, gathering in Sophia’s room, together with Souter and Kitty, to decide how Sophia should be arrayed. Several gowns were laid out on the bed, and they settled down for a long discussion on the relative merits of each.
After only a few minutes, a tap on the door revealed the duchess’s own lady’s maid, Allen, bearing a shimmering cream silk gown that brought an appreciative ‘Oooh!’ from all present.
“Beg pardon, ma’am,” she said in her soft Cheshire accent, “but her grace wondered if Miss Sophia might like to wear this tonight, bein’ as how it would suit her so well and her grace still bein’ in black.”
She held the gown against her, setting the spangles on the spider-gauze over-gown sparkling. Around the bodice, sleeves and hem, more spangles shimmered, and intricate stitchery proclaimed the work of one of London’s finest modistes.
“Oh, Mama, may I?” Sophia breathed. “For I have nothing so fine… such beautiful work.”
“Aye, his grace insists that her grace only has the best,” Allen said with pride. “This was new last year, and her grace has only worn it the once.”
“Try it on, dear,” Mama said, beaming with delight.
“I can put a few stitches in, if it’s not quite right on you,” Allen said.
It was a trifle short, for Sophia was taller than the duchess, but Sophia could see from her sisters’ eyes and her mother’s nodded approval that she looked well in it.
Even the rather grainy looking glass on the dressing table showed her a more fashionable and elegant Sophia.
Then there was just the matter of ornaments, and the dressing of her hair, and Augusta lent her ivory fan for the occasion, which was a perfect match.
Mama donated her own cashmere shawl to add a touch of colour.
Sophia descended the stairs with her sisters feeling that if Lord Daniel had any attachment to her at all, he should appreciate her appearance tonight.
He was almost alone in the White Drawing Room tonight, Mr Godley the only other person present. Judging by their expressions, conversation was somewhat laboured.
“Ah, ladies!” the chaplain said, his face lighting up with a broad smile. “Mrs Merrington, how charming you look tonight. Allow me to procure you a glass of sherry.”
Lord Daniel stood as if transfixed, that strange expression on his face again. The sisters stood uncertainly. Sophia did not like to put herself forward, yet he made no move towards her. What was she supposed to do?
It was Charlotte in the end who rescued them all by stepping forward towards him, and enquiring if he had received the letter he was hoping for from his mother.
“Robert went into Brinchester especially, despite the weather, for you mentioned that you were concerned about your father.”
He nodded, and spoke to her in a low voice, his words rapid, leaning towards her so that Sophia could not hear what he said.
She felt oddly excluded. Should she have stepped forward?
Yet it would have been presumptuous to assume that he would only wish to speak to her.
They were not betrothed, so she must not expect to monopolise his attention.
It was for the gentleman to make his intentions plain, after all.
Augusta and Maria sat together on a sofa near Mama, where they quickly became a target for Mr Godley’s ponderous gallantry.
Sophia was not minded to sit, so she wandered away to the high windows, where plush curtains shut out the incessant rain, and thence to a collection of miniatures on the wall, staring unseeingly at them as she puzzled over Lord Daniel’s behaviour.
Gradually the room filled up, the duke’s booming voice shutting out even the low murmur of Lord Daniel’s conversation with Charlotte.
Mr Payne was one of the last to arrive, looking rather flustered.
Scanning the room, his eyes lingered on Sophia, and he frowned.
He looked at Lord Daniel and the frown deepened.
Striding across the room, he interrupted the cosy chat with Charlotte.
Sophia could not hear what was said, but a few moments later, all three of them walked towards her.
“Good evening, Miss Sophia,” Mr Payne said. “How charmingly you look tonight. Your sister tells me that this is one of her grace’s gowns.”
“Indeed it is, for I have nothing so fine,” Sophia said. “Her grace is very kind.”