Chapter 19
The ledgers on the study desk were all in disarray as Julian attempted to place them in order.
The previous night had not gone exactly as planned with the error at the dinner party, but Julian was relieved that Lily seemed to have recovered from the incident and was now helping his mother and sisters to pack.
A trip to one of the empty cottages on the estate had seemed like a good idea after the dinner. It would give them all some time to rest as well as get used to the idea of living in the country.
There had been a moment between him and Lily in the carriage when he had wanted to kiss her again, but he had quickly reminded himself that their marriage was one of convenience.
She would not have wanted it.
A small pang of regret clutched at his chest as he lifted one of the ledgers. He wanted to kiss her very much whenever they were alone, but it would not bring anything good to their marriage. Yet it had not boded well for him in the past when he had allowed his heart to open to another.
Maids and footmen hurried in and out, carrying the already packed crates from the room.
“Shall I bring another crate, my lord?” One of the young footmen with sandy blonde hair and light brown eyes approached the desk.
Looking up, Julian blinked a few times as he left his thoughts.
“Yes, of course, but I think this will be the last. I am not certain how long we shall be staying in the country. I think these ledgers should suffice.” He placed the one he had been holding on top of the file and dusted his hands together.
He cleared his throat and stepped aside, allowing the young man to take over the task as he headed from the study. He was looking forward to the stay in Hertfordshire. He had just stepped into the hallway when the housekeeper suddenly came hurrying toward him.
“I beg your pardon, my lord, I do not mean to interrupt, but the Duke and Duchess of Archibald are here to call on you and Lady Barnard.” She curtsied quickly, clasping her hands in front of her.
Good heavens.
His heart suddenly leaped into his throat as he recalled the incident. The duke was a very stern man who liked things his way; it would not bode well for either of them if he were there to express his displeasure.
“Very well, I shall go and see them at once. Please inform Lady Barnard of their arrival.” He dismissed the woman with a nod before walking past her.
“Lord, help us all if the man is displeased,” he grumbled to himself, making his way to the parlor where guests were received.
The duke and duchess greeted him with a smile as he entered the room.
“Your Graces, I hope I have not kept you waiting?” He discreetly swallowed hard and composed himself as he bowed to them both.
It was the duchess who spoke first with a kind smile as she stood. “I hope your mother is well?” She raised an eyebrow with a strange glint in her eyes.
Panicking for a second, Julian felt his throat go dry. “She is, thank you, Your Grace. It turns out that it was just an onset of nerves. She is resting now. I hope you do not mind if she does not come down?”
Please, do not let her come down.
His palms began to sweat as he placed his hands behind his back and rubbed his fingers in his palms.
“Of course not, but I am glad she is feeling better. Your wife and mother are lucky to have such a kind, thoughtful, and caring viscount to look after them.” Her smile became mischievous as she emphasized each word.
The duke simply grunted, utterly unimpressed by the conversation that had nothing at all to do with the parliament or the war.
Just then, Lily entered and curtsied, looking more nervous than Julian had felt. “Good day, Your Graces, I apologize for taking too long as we are preparing to leave for Hertfordshire.”
Coming forward, the duchess placed a gloved hand on Lily’s arm and smiled. “I do not wish to hear another word of apology from your lips, Lady Barnard. I am here this morning to see if you have recovered from last night’s events.” Her voice was filled with kindness as she spoke.
Lily’s eyes widened as she opened and closed her mouth. “Your Grace, I do not know what to say, I… I was a little flustered…”
The duchess held up her hand to silence Lily. “I understand more than you would know, Lady Baranrd. Shall we have a seat? I would love to tell you about the time when I made a faux pas of my own.” She gestured to the seats, and Julian suddenly realized that she was taking the lead.
A feeling of gratitude overcame him as he waited for the ladies to sit beside one another on the settee.
The housekeeper hurried in with a tray of tea and hastily prepared sandwiches before leaving again with a slurry of curtsies.
Julian watched as Lily eyed the pot of tea, her hands wringing together in her lap.
You can do this.
He discreetly nodded to her, hoping his gesture of encouragement would give her the strength she needed. Yet her eyes remained fixed on the pot.
Taking a deep breath, she composed herself and stood, reaching for the pot with trembling fingers.
The duke began to tell Julian a story about something that had occurred in Parliament, yet Julian's attention remained focused on his wife.
She poured one cup, hesitated slightly, then poured the next. By the time she had managed to pour all four cups, her face had paled slightly, and her tremor had gotten worse, yet not so much as a single drop of tea had been spilled.
They both breathed a sigh of relief when both the duke and duchess had been served.
Lily handed Julian his cup with a grateful smile before taking her own and sitting back down beside the duchess, who smiled at her.
“You know, you did that so beautifully, Lady Barnard. I recall the time I spilled an entire pot over my governess's lap. Mrs. Bradley was her name, and was she not furious at me!” The duchess shook her head and laughed after sipping her tea.
Lily’s eyes grew wider. “You must have been quite a young child, Your Grace,” she remarked.
Shaking her head, the duchess laughed even harder, filling the air with a sound not unlike a chattering bird.
“Not as young as I would have liked. I was sixteen, and we were serving one of my mother’s friends; it was all in preparation for my coming out, you see.
” She gestured in the air with a flourish as she shook her head. “I was utterly mortified.”
The duke grunted again and turned to Julian, starting yet another conversation about the war as he ignored the ladies. “Did you hear that our allied forces won the battle at Borodino? Napoleon thought he had us, but we showed him!” He huffed proudly.
Listening with half an ear, Julian could not help but appreciate the duchess’s efforts. He had wondered if the name card had been incorrect, yet now he was certain that it had not been. The duchess had come to Lily’s aid at the expense of her own reputation, and he appreciated her for it.
She would make a powerful ally for Lily if their friendship and understanding grew in time.
They began to chat more freely as Julian noticed how Lily relaxed her shoulders and laughed along with the duchess.
“I am certain that I would not have been able to face anyone again if I had spilled an entire pot!” Lily laughed freely and shook her head.
“Oh, but you will, my dear. Just like you will hold your head high and face the rest of the ton again. And what works in your favor is the fact that the ton has a very short attention span when it comes to such matters.” The duchess seemed pleased with herself as she sipped her tea.
“I doubt that anyone would forget any time soon, Your Grace,” Lily conceded, stiffening a little again.
Placing her cup back in the saucer, the duchess turned fully to her.
“They certainly will, my dear. Just you wait and see. Once someone else has their turn to make a faux pas, yours will become something of the past. It would honestly be easier if the ladies of the ton could get together and make a roster. Because, unfortunately, we must all have our turn at some point. It is the unspoken rule of the ton. Consider this your introduction into Society, my dear.”
“And as long as you maintain the correct alliances, your debut should continue to be nothing less than success,” the duke interjected, making his wife sigh as she shook her head with a pleasant smile.
The rest of the tea proceeded without further interruptions as it became clear that the duchess and Lily would become friends.
“Well, my dears, thank you so much for hosting us so graciously with no notice. I am looking forward to our next visit.” The duchess stood along with her husband as they all said goodbye.
“It was a pleasure having you with us, Your Grace. Please do feel free to stop by at any time,” Lily curtsied and showed them to the door.
Julian waited until they were alone again before smiling at her. “I hope you can see now that things were not as bad as you had assumed. And you served the tea wonderfully, not a drop was spilled.”
Hear crept up her cheeks as she averted her gaze. “Thank you, Julian, truly. I was quite nervous, but I am feeling much better now.” She let out a breath and returned his smile.
“Shall we get going then? It is quite a journey to Herefordshire, and I am sure the carriages are waiting for us.” Julian gestured to the door but lowered his hand again when the housekeeper suddenly appeared with a tray.
“I must apologize for interrupting again, my lord, and my lady, but a letter has just arrived for Lady Barnard.” She came forward with the tray and held it out to Lily.
A strange look flashed in Lily’s eyes as she quickly accepted the letter and held it at her side with the front facing away from Julian.
The housekeeper curtsied and hurried from the room.
“Is anything the matter?” Julian asked as he looked from her face to the letter.
Lily shook her head and smiled at him, but made no effort to lift the letter.
“Nothing at all, it is simply a letter from my aunt’s house.
I shall read it later. We have already fallen behind schedule.
Let us not keep your mother and sister waiting any longer.
” She walked past him, keeping the letter at her side.
Who is Oliver? And why is she lying about him?
Julian watched her go as he glimpsed part of the name on the front of the letter in passing.
It is probably nothing.
He reasoned with himself that there were hundreds of reasons for her behavior.
Oliver could have been a relative or even an old friend.
The fact that she had said that the letter had come from her aunt’s house meant that it was someone they knew.
After all, what reason would Lily possibly have to lie to him?
He pushed the questions aside and followed her out the door. After all, she never so much as given him a single reason not to trust her.
Juliette and his mother were already waiting for them by the time they reached the carriage.
Julian helped her in before climbing in beside her and allowing the footman to shut the door behind them. “Shall we set off then?” He asked, looking around the carriage.
His mother nodded just as the whip cracked in the air, spurring the horses on as they jostled into motion.
He tried desperately to make conversation with Lily, but she seemed far too distracted as she gave single-word replies and stared out the window.
It was frustrating for him that he could not read her from one day to the next. She seemed to enjoy his company at times, but would then become aloof almost as quickly as the wind had changed.
“Have you been to the cottage before?” His mother asked when the silence dragged on.
Julian shook his head. “We will all be seeing it together for the very first time. I hear that it is in better condition than Redding Hall, which is something to be thankful for.”
“Will you be hosting a ball once Redding Hall is ready?” Juliette asked.
Turning to his wife, Julian attempted to coax her into conversation again. “I do not know, that will be up to Lady Baranrd. Hosting balls is not exactly my forte.”
Lily kept her gaze out the window as she held onto the side of her cloak, and Julian wondered again if there was something that she had not told him.
Who exactly was Oliver, and why had his letter distracted her?