Chapter 1 #3
“Father said it was time! Cousin Edmund will be attending, too. We’re to be roommates and classmates.” Jerome jumped with glee and excitement.
“Your father said this? Are you sure he meant this year?”
“Oh, yes. The Michaelmas Half starts soon.”
“I will have to talk to your father. Now run along.”
“Nate, what have you done?” Eleanor burst into Nate’s study.
“My love, what has you so upset?” Nate looked up from his large, richly-carved burled walnut desk, an inheritance from his uncle, the former earl. Nate had originally inherited the viscountcy, but he was later bestowed the earldom when an elder uncle passed away without an heir.
“Darling, surely you know.” Eleanor had found her voice as the wife of an earl and was not shy to speak her mind to her husband. He encouraged it.
“I did not mean for Jerome to find out before you.” He closed his ledger, then beckoned her to sit beside him on his large tobacco-coloured leather club chair.
“He saw the letter from Henry on my desk. Jerome was so excited. This is the first year the boys are eligible for enrolment, and we felt it best to send the boys.”
“Without discussing it with their mothers?” Eleanor arched her brow.
“My mistake was assuming you’d know based on my experience.
” Nate motioned around the room. “If I hadn’t attended Eton as a child, inheriting all of this would have been even more overwhelming, especially since I did it in grief and without you beside me for the earlier part.
It is a heavy burden, well, not a burden, but an unexpected weight to gain suddenly, and my time at Eton prepared me. ”
He pulled her close to him. “I did not make the decision lightly.” He kissed her gently on the cheek. “Our families have suffered unexpected tragedies over the years, and I would like to prepare him as best I can, and Eton is best. Perhaps, he’ll even continue on at Oxford, like Henry and me.”
“He’s so young.” Eleanor sniffled. “I suppose I must let him go at some point.”
“We have nearly a month before we’ll have him packed up for Michaelmas Half. Henry and I will take the boys together, then he and I will go to London and do one more check of the places the Bow Street Runners looked.”
“I would love to go to Town, too. By Christmastide, I’ll be able to shed the bombazine, and I’d love to order new gowns from the modiste, in time for my birthday and Christmastide.
” Eleanor picked at the lace of the black.
“Catherine and I will have so much fun shopping while you and Henry are searching for Mama’s parure. ”
“I’m afraid ladies are not permitted at Eton, so Henry, the boys, and I will have to travel without you two.” His hand gently caressed her cheek. “Jerome will return in time for your birthday and Christmastide, before he returns for Lent Half, a short break after, and then Summer Half.”
“Well, you must take me soon. I need new books, too.” Eleanor could not hide her hurt at being left behind.” She fidgeted with the lapel on his coat. “I will look forwards to his return on all of his breaks.”
“I’ll bring you gifts from London. Do you have any particular books you would like me to purchase?” He stilled her hand with his and looked into her eyes. “Any gift you fancy?”
“You know I love to peruse the shops and touch the books. One can tell a good book by its feel.” She returned his look and felt she could see into the depths of his soul.
Nate was a good man, a wonderful husband, the best father, doting on their children.
He ran the estate with great efficiency and had gained even greater wealth with his smart economy.
Eleanor had no complaints. Their love had only grown stronger over the years, and he was the strength that had seen them through the hard times of loss.
“If we cannot find the parure, would you like me to search for something similar at the jewellers?”
“Nothing could ever replace my mother’s suite.” Eleanor then touched the ruby cross pendant around her neck, a gift from Nate. “I have this from you, plus the jewels inherited from your uncles’ estates. I truly have nothing to want for.”
“I love you, Eleanor, my Lady Marlington.”
“I love you, too, Nathaniel, my Lord Marlington.”
September, just before Michaelmas
The men and boys had left for Eton early that morning, and Eleanor tried to settle the other children to begin their lessons with the governess. The air was cooler, and the leaves were changing in the winds of autumn.
The footman had answered a knock at the door, and he summoned the butler for the visitor, a Bow Street Runner. The man had a message for the Earl of Marlington. Eleanor was in the gallery on the first floor and overheard the conversation and made her way down the staircase.
The runner explained they had found a missive belonging to General Tilney in a box of the debris from the accident, and when they heard Lord Tilney had been at the earl’s house, they had hoped to intercept him to deliver it.
“May I have it?” The runner reluctantly handed it over. “I will see that my brother receives this immediately.” She found a coin in her chatelaine pocket and gave it to the runner for his time.
Eleanor immediately went to her parlour and sat at her rosewood desk, holding the letter close to her heart.
Her memory was flooded with thoughts of her father when she saw his name across the front, the back sealed by his ring.
Many thoughts went through her mind before she broke the seal and unfolded the envelope with shaky fingers.
A small paper fell out as she scanned the words in his own hand.
She ran her fingers over the writing, touching where her father had written his last words, noting the missing pawn ticket and the described items matched that of her mama’s parure.
The pawn ticket was from a shop in Seven Dials where Frederick had sold the jewels, but it appeared father had arrived too late to retrieve them. The general had demanded the buyer’s name, and the shopkeeper had acquiesced. She had the name and address of the purchaser.
Eleanor knew she should forward the letter to their townhouse in London, but instead she wrote to Catherine with an invitation for her to take a trip to Town to search for the parure—she had received information from a found note of her father’s.
Where Eleanor had acquired her sudden bravery was a shock even to herself, but she wanted, no, needed to have the parure, the last tangible possession she had of her mother, other than memories, which seemed to be fading like the last rose of summer.
Eleanor quickly sent the footman with the letter before she lost her courage, and she started planning for the trip. She had to get to London before Nate and Henry so that she could retrieve the parure from the new owner.
Eleanor went into Nate’s study and unlocked the drawer where he kept a small amount of currency in a small box.
While Eleanor had her own funds for running the house, she would need additional coins for retrieving the parure.
She counted what she thought she would need and locked the box and the drawer.
Slipping the money into her pocket where she kept her chatelaine for now, she would hide it in her trunk for traveling.
While she followed the accepted tradition of crepe and bombazine for mourning, purples and greys were acceptable, too, and she brought a few gowns for Catherine and her to share, cloaks, all plain and simple. She knew from her beloved books, it was best to look ordinary.
Nate had taken the largest and finest town coach, so she arranged with the head coachman and the stable master to ready their smaller black unadorned coach to carry Catherine, her lady’s maid, Mary, whom they would share, and her.
A footman would accompany the coachman. There would be a full staff of servants at the townhouse, and it would be ready for them.
The governess was amenable to seeing to the children in her absence, in addition to their studies.
Eleanor assured her it would be a short trip, and she should return quickly.
Of course, the children were upset, with so many changes at once, but she promised to bring them gifts upon her return, and that seemed to appease them.
Catherine and Eleanor arrived at the townhouse owned by the Marlingtons.
It was in Mayfair, a lovely brick-front house, modestly adorned on the outside, but the inside was decorated with the accumulated furnishings of generations of the family.
It would be considered well-appointed by those who care.
A small square was across the street and offered a lovely view from the front windows.
Nate had offered Eleanor the opportunity to redecorate both the townhouse and Marlington Manor, but after growing up amidst her father’s constant refurbishing of Northanger Abbey, the familiar and classical styles of Nate’s ancestors were what she preferred for their home.
Instead, she chose to purchase new furnishings and leave her mark in their bedchamber and her lady’s parlour, places where she felt best to stray from the provenance of the main rooms.
After retiring to their rooms to settle down and change out of their traveling clothes, Eleanor and Catherine met in the parlour for tea.
Eleanor poured from a blue-and-white chinoiserie teapot with matching cups.
The teacakes were a specialty of the cook, and Eleanor always looked forwards to them when in Town.
Whilst they had spent the time in the carriage catching up on the latest news, now they needed a plan to meet the mystery person at the address in the general’s note, a Mr Richard LaFleur.
His name was not known in their circles, but he did live near Hyde Park, so it should be safe for them to travel there.