decided she needed family nearby, that was
where she went.
After her arrival at her ancestral home, she
discovered she and her aunt were near neighbors. She was happy to
stay with Aunt Jane and allowed her estate manager to continue to
keep an eye on her Grange home.
She had just turned one and twenty, and her aunt
insisted she accompany her to London so that she could launch her
during the season. Corrine wasn’t sure a season was what she
needed, but she loved Aunt Jane and wanted to please her. And so it
was just after midnight when they pulled up at Waverly House.
Six
BABS PULLED OFF her long white satin gloves and
dropped them onto the central hall’s ornate and rather gothic round
table (a relic of the past and better days), and turned to her
father.
“Papa, as much as I do adore thee and wish to please
thee, we are not living in medieval times,” she teased and planted
a kiss on his cheek. She was hoping to coax him out of his grim
mood.
“Nevertheless, daughters are still expected to honor
their fathers’ decrees … even in these ‘modern’ times.” He
frowned at her.
“Honor their father’s decrees?” Her eyebrow went
up.
“What I meant to say was honor their father’s
wishes,” he snapped.
“And you wish for me a loveless
marriage?”
“Gammon, you know better than to play that game with
me, Babs! I wish that you would find a decent man who can make you
happy. I think that man is Sir Charles … and my second choice
is the count. Either one would offer for you if you gave them the
slightest bit of encouragement.”
“Papa, I am so very fond of both of them. They are
my good friends, but …”
“But you do not love them. Famous. You lead
them on—”
She actually became so infuriated as to forget
herself and wag a finger at her father. “OH! That is too bad of
you. I do not do anything of the sort.”
Their housekeeper opened the kitchen door and from
the recesses of the nether regions came hurrying out, her plaid
wool wrapper clutched tightly around her full and sturdy frame.
“Lord preserve us … Jed jest ran over here and is waiting in
the kitchen, he is. He said to tell ye that Lady Jane’s coach
intends to put up there after her coachman drops them off here, he
was worrit about it as Master Jack didn’t know a thing about her
coming.”
“Deuce take it, I forgot to tell him. Right then,
tell the lad it’s fine … tell Jack to find a place for the
coach and m’sister’s horses.”
“Papa, what have you done?” Babs asked with some
concern. “How could you, when we are at a wits end to keep above
water, take on this additional expense for the season?”
“For you, child … I asked her to come for
you …” he said quietly.
Babs sighed heavily and then clucked her tongue
before she ran into his arms. “Oh Papa … I do love you, and
although I know you hate that I have … written … that I
have … well … but it is pulling in quite a bit of
profit …”
“Hush …” he said with a warning eye.
At that moment the door knocker sounded resonantly,
and father and daughter stood stock still eying one another. Maudly
shook her head and went forward to open the door.
At the door stood Lady Jane’s postilion. He promptly
and correctly stepped aside to allow his mistress and her charge to
glide past him into the house’s central and dimly lit hall.
In an aside, Babs whispered to Maudly, “Do we have
guestrooms ready, Maudly?”
Maudly made a face, displaying her obvious
disapproval about anyone arriving at such an hour. However, chin
well up, she answered, “Of course.”
Babs loved her warm-hearted and very opinioned aunt,
but they were forever at odds. She had learned in her early years
that her aunt was a study in contradictions and could never be
easily ‘handled’.
Her aunt was already throwing orders about to her
driver and her groom with the luggage. Maudly had vanished and
returned at this juncture with a tray of biscuits and tea from
where she went.
After her arrival at her ancestral home, she
discovered she and her aunt were near neighbors. She was happy to
stay with Aunt Jane and allowed her estate manager to continue to
keep an eye on her Grange home.
She had just turned one and twenty, and her aunt
insisted she accompany her to London so that she could launch her
during the season. Corrine wasn’t sure a season was what she
needed, but she loved Aunt Jane and wanted to please her. And so it
was just after midnight when they pulled up at Waverly House.
Six
BABS PULLED OFF her long white satin gloves and
dropped them onto the central hall’s ornate and rather gothic round
table (a relic of the past and better days), and turned to her
father.
“Papa, as much as I do adore thee and wish to please
thee, we are not living in medieval times,” she teased and planted
a kiss on his cheek. She was hoping to coax him out of his grim
mood.
“Nevertheless, daughters are still expected to honor
their fathers’ decrees … even in these ‘modern’ times.” He
frowned at her.
“Honor their father’s decrees?” Her eyebrow went
up.
“What I meant to say was honor their father’s
wishes,” he snapped.
“And you wish for me a loveless
marriage?”
“Gammon, you know better than to play that game with
me, Babs! I wish that you would find a decent man who can make you
happy. I think that man is Sir Charles … and my second choice
is the count. Either one would offer for you if you gave them the
slightest bit of encouragement.”
“Papa, I am so very fond of both of them. They are
my good friends, but …”
“But you do not love them. Famous. You lead
them on—”
She actually became so infuriated as to forget
herself and wag a finger at her father. “OH! That is too bad of
you. I do not do anything of the sort.”
Their housekeeper opened the kitchen door and from
the recesses of the nether regions came hurrying out, her plaid
wool wrapper clutched tightly around her full and sturdy frame.
“Lord preserve us … Jed jest ran over here and is waiting in
the kitchen, he is. He said to tell ye that Lady Jane’s coach
intends to put up there after her coachman drops them off here, he
was worrit about it as Master Jack didn’t know a thing about her
coming.”
“Deuce take it, I forgot to tell him. Right then,
tell the lad it’s fine … tell Jack to find a place for the
coach and m’sister’s horses.”
“Papa, what have you done?” Babs asked with some
concern. “How could you, when we are at a wits end to keep above
water, take on this additional expense for the season?”
“For you, child … I asked her to come for
you …” he said quietly.
Babs sighed heavily and then clucked her tongue
before she ran into his arms. “Oh Papa … I do love you, and
although I know you hate that I have … written … that I
have … well … but it is pulling in quite a bit of
profit …”
“Hush …” he said with a warning eye.
At that moment the door knocker sounded resonantly,
and father and daughter stood stock still eying one another. Maudly
shook her head and went forward to open the door.
At the door stood Lady Jane’s postilion. He promptly
and correctly stepped aside to allow his mistress and her charge to
glide past him into the house’s central and dimly lit hall.
In an aside, Babs whispered to Maudly, “Do we have
guestrooms ready, Maudly?”
Maudly made a face, displaying her obvious
disapproval about anyone arriving at such an hour. However, chin
well up, she answered, “Of course.”
Babs loved her warm-hearted and very opinioned aunt,
but they were forever at odds. She had learned in her early years
that her aunt was a study in contradictions and could never be
easily ‘handled’.
Her aunt was already throwing orders about to her
driver and her groom with the luggage. Maudly had vanished and
returned at this juncture with a tray of biscuits and tea from
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