Chapter 6
Six
Kellmore Manor. Monday had come all too soon.
In the two years he’d resided in the area, Victor had avoided entering the home.
Sir Lightwood extended multiple invitations, but he feared the man would take further steps to ensnare him into marriage with one of his many daughters.
Two years ago at the Harvest Ball, Miss Georgiana, now Mrs. Whittaker, had thrown herself at him in a most unbecoming manner.
He later heard from the servants that the poor thing had been threatened by her father if she did not secure him.
Her failure resulted in banishment to Yorkshire.
Victor felt the slightest bit of guilt for that.
Had he known the situation, he would have tried to pacify Sir Lightwood.
At least enough to head off Mrs. Whittaker’s punishment.
As for the other daughters, Miss Alexandra Lightwood, known as Alex to most of the locals, seemed content enough to live in Bath most of the year as she was an invalid of sorts.
Sir Lightwood did not put her forward nor did she seem inclined to seek a husband.
Which was a pity as she was the handsomest of the lot.
He thought as much the first time he had seen her at the Duke’s ball three seasons ago.
He had hoped for an introduction, but Miss Lightwood disappeared with her sister, the current Countess Endelton.
Miss Jane rarely spoke in his presence, although she may have attempted a flirtation when they first met under the same instructions as her twin.
He’d seen Miss Rose at services this summer.
Her father would have no need to threaten her to flirt in two years when she was out.
At half his age, he did not need to worry about her for the moment.
With any luck, he would be married before Miss Rose made her debut.
Despite the man’s consistent absence from the area, the estate seemed well cared for.
If he understood correctly, Kellmore was not Lightwood’s estate at all.
The trepidation he felt in his bones grew as he approached the door.
This meeting could still be an elaborate trap to pair him with Miss Godderidge or poor Miss Jane.
He must be on his toes so as not to have even one moment of their time together appear to be anything but proper.
Godderidge could be playing a longer game with him since he did not bring up the interactions Victor had already had with Miss Godderidge.
If the gossip his valet collected was accurate, the new Lady Godderidge wanted both the Dowager Lady and Miss Godderidge out of her home.
He could not trust Godderidge not to thrust his sister onto him as a simple solution to his domestic problems. The man would not be the first to put a sister or a daughter into his path.
Victor would not make the mistake other men of his station had made and be forced into a marriage not of his choosing.
The butler answered the door immediately and showed Victor into a parlor where Miss Godderidge was seated. Miss Jane and her younger sister stood by the window. From the looks on their faces, they were in the middle of a disagreement, though both turned to welcome him into the room.
Miss Jane curtsied. “Mr. Dalrymple, welcome. I don’t believe you have been introduced to my youngest sister, Rose.”
He made the proper bow to Miss Rose’s quick curtsy.
Miss Rose took a step closer, dropped her chin slightly, then looked up at him through her eyelashes. “Mr. Dalrymple, I am sure you will agree with me, I have no purpose here, and I am still too young to be of use.”
She blinked twice. He had met courtesans with less refined flirtation skills than this girl-child. Not that he had met many courtesans, nor did he realize what they were on the arms of their patrons at the time. She blinked again, still waiting for an answer.
Victor cleared his throat. “It is not for me to say. I have never planned a harvest fair before.”
“Rose, we agreed to a half hour.” Miss Jane pled with her sister.
“What is the point? I’ll be at school in September, so I won’t be here. By the time I am your age, we will have nothing to do with the harvest fairs as Lord Theodore Ryland will be the earl, and I’ll have to live in Yorkshire.”
“Rose, please.” Miss Jane’s voice reminded him of his mother’s whenever he and his sister exceeded her patience for the day.
“I will not. Just because you, George, and Phil gave up your childhood doesn’t mean we all have to. You weren’t even a good teacher!” Rose grasped her skirt and fled from the room.
Miss Godderidge laid a hand on Miss Jane’s arm. “It will be easier to plan without an unwilling participant.”
Miss Jane nodded, an unshed tear threatened to fall which she blinked back so quickly Victor thought he had been mistaken. “I forgot to tell Cook…”
“Go.” Miss Godderidge gave her friend permission to leave the room for a moment.
Victor stepped back, giving Miss Godderidge her choice of chairs before taking the one furthest from her.
“Move a little closer, Mr. Dalrymple. I would prefer not to shout.”
He moved to another chair, still ten feet away.
Miss Godderidge sighed. “I hope you won’t be difficult too. Poor Jane doesn’t need you acting all standoffish defending your honor. I can assure you neither of us has any notion of trapping you into marriage.”
“I was not—”
“Mr. Dalrymple. Despite what Sir Lightwood or any other scheming parent has tried in the past, not every eligible young lady is after you or your fortune to the extent you believe. If I meant to entrap you, I would not do so by planning the harvest fair. As there is much to do and there will be disagreements. I know I will not agree with you on some matter, which will not make me appear in my best light. If I was seeking to become your wife, an argument would not entice you at all. As for appearing to be compromised, my mother is yet to come out of mourning. I would not do anything to shame her, even if I were desperate to marry, which I assure you I am not.”
It was a very pretty speech delivered with sincerity. Was it possible that she did not know her brother’s plans? “I am afraid you mistake me. I was only thinking of your reputation.”
Miss Jane entered the room, ending the conversation. She sat near Miss Godderidge. “Cook will send up tea shortly. Isabel, where do we begin? I am afraid I haven’t been very involved in the planning portion in the past. I mostly do what I am assigned. George knew the harvest better.”
So, did no one know what they were doing? He attended only two fairs, more like one and a half of the fairs. He was hardly a reliable source.
Miss Godderidge lifted a leather-bound book with papers sticking out at all angles. “I brought Mamma’s notes. I suggest we review them. They will give us ideas of what we might do. Especially in such a lean year.”
Despite their lack of knowledge, after an hour, they had come up with a loose outline of events and needs.
Affordable flour was at the top of the list of things to help the villagers and tenants with.
With the early harvest all but decimated, prices throughout England and all of Europe were rising.
The women could hardly afford to use their families’ stores to make the tarts and cakes for the contests.
Miss Jane had proposed—after running down to check with her cook—a gift of five pounds of flour to everyone who entered a baked good.
The problem, of course, was how to do so without making the farmer’s wives feel it was charity. A question that stumped them all.
Miss Godderidge set down her pen. “I think we should ask our stewards about this list and perhaps some of the gentlemen farmers. They might have more ideas for modifying some of our traditional contests. There are hardly enough apples on the trees to produce more than a dozen hogsheads of cider at most farms.”
Miss Jane bit her lip. She had been quiet during most of the discussion, allowing Miss Godderidge to take the lead.
“Did you have another thought, Miss Jane?” asked Victor.
She shook her head. “No.”
Miss Godderidge tilted her head. “Are you sure? I feel like I am directing everything.”
“I was wondering what ideas my mother would have had.” Miss Jane did not elaborate further.
Miss Godderidge nodded in sympathy. “Then let us adjourn and meet next week. Jane can you host again?”
“I believe so. Grandfather wished Rose and me to come to The Willows before Rose returns to school. I am not sure when that is planned.” Miss Jane set the used teacups back on the tray.
“Then a week Wednesday at two? Does that work for you, Mr. Dalrymple?”
Victor confirmed the meeting and joined Miss Godderidge in exiting the house. A stableboy waited with his horse. There was no conveyance for the lady. “Where is your carriage?”
“It is a short walk. I did not need one.”
“It looks like rain.”
“It always looks like rain. I will likely be home before it does.” Miss Godderidge nodded and hurried away toward the trees.
Victor watched until the branches hid her from view.
Why would she have chosen to walk? Most women of his acquaintance would not have.
Though Kellmore and Leadon Hill lands bordered each other, it was still a decent distance, especially in the rain.
It was not as if he could offer any help Miss Godderidge would take.
She had made her position quite clear. She had no more desire to be connected with him than he had to be near her.
If it was not for those who counted on this harvest fair, he would leave for another part of the country and not return before Michaelmas.
Rain drops. Why not? It had rained almost every day this week. Someone needed to give Mother Nature a calendar. Mid-August, and the clouds were behaving as if it were April. Isabel lifted her skirts and quickened her pace.