Chapter Twelve #2
Hart dropped a kiss on his wife’s head as he and Rafe rose. ‘We won’t bore you with soldier talk, then. But we won’t abandon you for too long.’
Rafe gave Juliana a wink before he strolled out with his friend.
‘Now, we may be comfortable,’ the Duchess said.
Juliana wasn’t so sure about that, but gamely launched into the topic that most interested her.
‘If it’s not too impertinent, I would like to talk with you, Duch—Claire—about your time with the army.
Rafe told me some of his adventures while on campaign, but I’m sure he exaggerated the delights and minimized the discomforts.
We’ve been friends since we were children, but I know very little about what his life was like during his army years.
I’d like to know what it was truly like to live on campaign.
I must add, I admire you so much for having gone with your husband and endured what must have been at best a difficult existence. ’
‘Difficult at times, yes. But also interesting, rewarding, even exciting. But in return, you must tell me all about yourself as well.’
Juliana made a minimizing gesture with her hand. ‘There’s not much to tell. Before moving to Thorne Hall, I lived my whole life at Edgerton Manor, west of Carlisle in the Lake District. Except for a few months in London when my older sister was presented.’
Claire shook her head. ‘There’s much more than that, I know. Rafe has written to Hart about you. I must say, you’ve made him very happy.’
A little shock of mingled delight and disbelief went through her. ‘Why do you say that?’
‘I can see it, just looking at him. He’s relaxed, his eyes bright with hope and purpose, his manner carefree.
I was halfway expecting him to be tense, weary, and obviously worn down by the burden of his inheritance.
Unlike my husband’s property, which had been smoothly run, he’d written to Hart that the estate was in a shambles.
He said you had been an immense help in sorting out what needed to be done. Obviously you have been.’
Juliana flushed, pleased that Rafe had complimented her to his friend, embarrassed by feeling she didn’t deserve such high praise.
‘I hope I have been. I’m nowhere near as expert at running an estate as you are; I understand you managed Steynling Cross almost single-handedly before the new Duke’s arrival.
Rafe is making progress in bringing Thornthwaite back into fighting trim, mostly through his own efforts.
I’ve only guided him. I spent a lot of time around the estate while I was engaged to his brother, especially during his last illness.
I had no authority to order things as I might have liked, but I did learn a lot about what needed to be done. ’
The Duchess nodded. ‘Both men are intelligent, capable and driven to do their duty. The soldier in them, I suppose. I imagine Rafe is taking over the reins as competently as Hart did.’
‘He is doing well. He’s a fast learner and much more…
approachable than his late brother, who was rather distant and reserved, in addition to having little interest in the day-to-day working of the estate.
The tenants appreciate seeing Rafe riding out among them every day, actively managing the land and clearly interested in their welfare. ’
‘Traits of a good military officer,’ Claire said. ‘Also like Hart. So you were engaged to Rafe’s elder brother? It must have been…devastating to lose him.’
Juliana nodded, ready to offer Claire some explanation, but with no intention of confiding the whole story. ‘I understand you were widowed, so you know what it’s like.’
‘True. But I had years to recover before I eventually fell in love with Hart. Were you…agreeable to marrying Rafe? Of course, Hart believes him a paragon and thinks any female must be thrilled to become his wife. I hope you weren’t…obligated into it.’
‘Not at all.’ Which wasn’t exactly the truth but she wasn’t prepared to disclose everything about their complicated arrangement, either. ‘As I mentioned, we’ve been friends since childhood. We’re…comfortable with each other.’
She nodded. ‘Rafe always insisted friendship formed the best basis for marriage. Although it’s quite obvious you share more.’
Not being good at deception, she had meant to curtail any further discussion of her feelings for Rafe, but at that, she found herself blurting, ‘What do you mean?’
Claire laughed. ‘Sparks fly when your husband looks at you, my dear. Which is a very good thing.’
Surprised and somewhat embarrassed that their physical attraction might be so obvious, she said weakly, ‘We are good together—in that way.’
‘It’s a true bonus in a marriage.’
After replying with a noncommittal murmur, she said, ‘Won’t you tell me what it was like following the drum? I want to hear everything!’
‘Very well. But only if you agree to tell me all about yourself afterwards.’
‘A rather unequal bargain, as I promise you, there’s not much to tell. But please, begin!’
‘My, how to start? First of all, being allowed to accompany one’s husband happens by chance, no matter how desperately a wife might want to go.
Officers may bring their wives, but must provide for them.
Each unit of soldiers is allowed only a fixed number of wives to accompany it, the names drawn by lot.
It results in quite a heartbreaking scene at the dock when the soldiers embark! ’
‘Was the sea journey difficult?’
Claire nodded. ‘The transports were crowded. Fortunately, I’m a good sailor, but not all wives fared as well.
Marches were difficult, there’s no denying.
Fierce sun and rocky, dusty roads in summer that only donkeys could tolerate—no fancy steeds for we women!
Hot as summer could be, winter was worse; rain that turned such tracks as passed for roads into slicks of mud, freezing wind that could cover everything, from your tent to the blanket under which you slept, with a glaze of ice.
But there was entertainment and enjoyment, too.
The friendship and hospitality of the Portuguese, even in the smallest village, was famed.
Winter quarters in Lisbon were often quite merry, with dances, parties, dinners and fetes to make one forget the travails of the march.
And the men were almost uniformly chivalrous and helpful.
Yes, it was difficult…but I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.
But that’s more than enough about me! Now, tell me about you.
Rafe says you are quite the naturalist, knowledgeable about all about the birds, animals and even the fish in the Lake District area. ’
‘I’m no expert,’ she protested. ‘I’ve just always enjoyed tracking, observing, and sketching them.
To be honest, I’m much more at ease with creatures of nature than with the human of the species.
I’m hopeless at clever drawing room conversation.
When I was in London with my sister during her Season, Mama ended up forbidding me to speak when we entertained, as I asked too many questions and apparently made my impatience too apparent if I received a lackwit response.
Or challenged the accuracy of some gentleman’s boast. Nor did I ever master the art of flirting.
Fortunately, I didn’t have to. When my elder sister, whom our parents initially intended for Ian, received an offer from the son of a marquess, both Ian and I were content for me to replace her. ’
Claire looked like she wanted to question the depth of Juliana’s ‘contentment’ but after a moment, said instead, ‘You helped with Thornthwaite while you were engaged to Rafe’s elder brother, you said?’
‘Yes. Even before the…illness that incapacitated him later, like his father, Ian was more interested in literature, poetry and painting and left estate management to his manager. Which was fine while the original manager worked at Thornthwaite, but the man who took over when he retired was…venal. I’m certain he was embezzling estate funds, though it could never be proven.
Certainly he never invested anything back into the estate.
I witnessed what was going on, tried to help as much as I could, but as we were not yet wed, I had no authority to intervene. ’
‘A difficult situation,’ Claire commented. ‘Enough said about that distressing matter. What is Thornthwaite like?’
‘Beautiful! Much of it is forested, with some stands of trees pollarded and coppiced for wood products used on the estate or sold. Upland meadows reaching to the heights of the fells are given over to sheep—wool being another primary source of income. There are cattle, too, and a few crops, mostly corn to provide feed for the livestock. Have you ever visited the Lake District?’
‘No. I understand it’s magnificent country.’
‘Oh, it is! Such vistas from the heights of the fells! Hills, peaks, valleys; the long blue lengths of the lakes! The crystal clear water of the rivers, teeming with fish, soared over by sea-birds, played in by otters. The meadows home to red deer, stoats, badgers, squirrels and a variety of smaller creatures, all of them endlessly fascinating.’
‘Creatures you capture excellently in your drawings, Hart says.’
‘I do draw them all, though I’m not so sure how excellently.
How I wish I could truly capture all their wild beauty!
Speaking of beauty, it’s obvious looking at your appearance that my wardrobe is quite out of date.
Much as I’d rather avoid it, I expect I shall have to attend a few social functions and I don’t want to be an embarrassment to Rafe.
May I count upon your good nature to help me shop for a few gowns that won’t make Rafe blush when his wife meets his army or Parliamentary colleagues? ’