Chapter 5
Two days after they arrived at Dandridge Manor, Grace came downstairs in search of Audrey.
She and Kathryn had planned on exploring some of the countryside, and she wanted to see if Audrey would like to join them.
She finally found her sister talking with Mrs. Hutchins in the morning room at the back of the manor.
“Thank you, Mrs. Hutchins. I appreciate the efficiency of the staff, but when the Devons arrive, it may be necessary to hire more servants. I wouldn’t want to unduly burden the staff.”
“Of course, Lady Fletcher. It will be taken care of.”
Grace waited for Audrey to finish her conversation before asking, “Would you care to accompany Lady Kathryn and me this morning? We want to do a bit of exploring.”
Audrey shook her head. “Thank you, dearest, but not this time. I have some correspondence I need to attend to.”
“Of course. See you later.”
“Be careful, dearest, and don’t wander too far.”
“We won’t,” Grace said, walking back toward the front of the house.
Lady Kathryn was waiting in the foyer. “Will Lady Fletcher be joining us?”
Grace shook her head. “Not this time,” she said, tying her bonnet ribbons and pulling on her gloves.
Jones opened the door, and the two women left to explore the grounds.
“Isn’t it magical, Kathryn?” Grace asked as they walked through the woods that separated Dandridge Manor from the neighboring estate.
Kathryn smiled. “It truly is, and I can’t thank your sister enough for inviting me to accompany your family. I feel like I can finally breathe without worrying about someone criticizing my every move.”
“Is that how you felt in London?”
“It was indeed. Not from my parents, of course—they were always supportive—but the ton is full of vicious gossips who enjoy spreading innuendos and lies. They’re oblivious to whom they hurt, and I honestly don’t think they care.
One small misstep by a debutante, and her Season is ruined.
I found it all very stressful and couldn’t enjoy the activities for fear of doing something they would seize upon. ”
“Well, I’m glad Audrey invited you then. No one should be ashamed to be themselves.”
“That’s very kind of you to say, Grace, but it’s not the way the marriage mart works.”
“I did get a little taste of how vicious some people can be when I wore my purple dress to the last musical evening I attended.”
“Lavender shouldn’t have caused a scandal.”
Grace chuckled. “Oh, it wasn’t lavender, but a beautiful royal purple.”
Kathryn gasped. “Oh dear, I can see why that would cause a stir.”
“Well, I should have listened to Audrey, but the dress was so beautiful and I wanted a chance to wear it before we left London.”
“I understand. I can only say that most debutantes wear pastels until they’re married.
No one wants to make a mistake with their wardrobe because they’re all vying to catch the most eligible gentleman’s eye and make the best marriage possible.
Sometimes it’s the mamas that push a certain gentleman, and the lady has no choice in the matter. ”
“I cannot imagine how horrible it would be to be forced to marry someone against your will.”
“Neither can I. It makes me so thankful that my parents didn’t push either my sister or me toward anyone in particular. They’re determined to allow us to make our own choices.”
“I’m not sure I like the sound of the marriage mart. It sounds quite trying.”
“It can be.”
“Is it your wish to marry?” Grace asked as they strolled along the path.
Before Kathryn had a chance to answer, they heard a voice calling, “Simon! Where are you?”
Grace looked around and spied a smartly dressed gentleman walking parallel to the path they were on. “I wonder if that’s Simon.”
Kathryn shrugged. “If it is, he doesn’t seem in a hurry to answer.”
When the gentleman finally saw them, he looked a little startled to have come upon them. “Hello there,” he said, closing the gap between them.
Grace moved next to Kathryn, and they linked arms. “Good day, sir,” Grace said.
“What a pleasant surprise to see two lovely young women walking along the path today,” he said. He stopped in front of them and gave them a tip of his hat. “Lord Dudley at your service. May I ask your names?”
“Lord Dudley, we haven’t been properly introduced,” Kathryn said, pulling Grace away from the stranger.
“Come now, my lady, this isn’t London. No one will be scandalized if we converse with each other,” Dudley said. “The country has a more relaxed set of rules, and it’s not like I’m asking you to call me by my given name, which is Simon, by the way.”
Grace had to giggle at that. It really was most inappropriate for him to offer his given name to strangers, but he had such a twinkle in his eye when he said it that she instantly liked his playfulness.
As she continued to study him, she couldn’t deny that he was quite handsome with his raven-black hair and soulful brown eyes.
His jacket fit to perfection across his broad shoulders, and she wondered if there was padding underneath or if that was all the man himself.
What harm was there in a simple greeting? “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lord Dudley. I’m Miss Parker, and this is Lady Kathryn.”
“Lovely to meet you both,” he said as they heard someone calling to him again. “Are you visiting the area?”
“My family owns Dandridge Manor,” Grace explained.
“Simon!”
“Shouldn’t you answer whoever’s calling you?” Grace asked.
Lord Dudley chuckled. “I suppose I should. Good day, ladies. I hope that we shall meet again soon,” he said as he strode away in the direction of the voice.
“Do you think he’s your neighbor?” Kathryn asked.
“I have no idea, but why else would he be in the woods? I’ll ask Mrs. Hutchins about it when we return to the manor.”
“Let’s head back. Even though Lord Dudley seemed pleasant enough, his sudden appearance has left me a little unsettled.”
“Were you? I suppose he did pop up out of nowhere, but he seemed quite cordial in his greeting,” Grace said as they headed back to the manor. “I wonder who was calling him. Lord Dudley didn’t seem particularly in a rush to answer.”
“I agree. That was a little strange,” Kathryn said. “Maybe that’s why I was unsettled.”
Jones opened the door when the ladies returned. “I hope you enjoyed your walk.”
“It was lovely, thank you. By the way, do you know a Lord Dudley? We ran into him while we were walking along the path in the woods.”
“The Berkeley estate abuts Dandridge Manor. Lord Dudley and his father, the Earl of Berkeley, reside there. I believe a sister was married a few years ago and moved away.”
“Thank you, Jones,” Grace said as the women walked into the drawing room to find Audrey sitting on the sofa.
“How was your walk?” Audrey asked.
“It was lovely,” Grace said. “We met our neighbor, Lord Dudley.”
“Oh? How did that come about?”
“It was quite by accident while we walked in the woods, but he seemed quite affable.”
“Hmmm… we should pay our respects to our neighbors. I’d feel better knowing who Lord Dudley is, especially if there’s a chance you’ll meet him again along the path.”