Over two hours later, Lady Louisa was making her way back down the Duke’s gravel road with her basket now full of dried herbs and various bottled concoctions, and a list of names to visit over the next week.
She was feeling a little apprehensive about the task but also relished actually having some use beyond adding embellishments to her aunt and cousin's clothing.
“Lady Louisa,” she turned at the sound of her name being called.
For a second, she tensed at the male voice, thinking that it might be the Duke. Upon turning around, however, she was pleasantly surprised to see Colonel Jasper hurrying over to her.
“Good afternoon, Colonel,” she said as he finally reached her.
“I’m so glad I ran into you. I was hoping to ask if your opinion of the Duke changed after last night. You two seemed to be getting along well during the meal.”
Lady Louisa hesitated a moment longer. She wondered how much of the disaster that was the end of the evening she actually wanted to share with the gentleman.
“Unfortunately, though I can say that I have found a great many friends in the Duke’s circle, I don’t believe the Duke and I are ever destined to get along. May I ask why you concern yourself with this so much?”
Colonel Jasper looked down at her out of the corner of his eye as if the answer was so obvious. However, Lady Louisa suspected he would not speak the thoughts in his mind.
“I only wish that all of us can get along well to encourage more time together.”
“For Miss Mary, no doubt,” Lady Louisa added.
The Colonel joined her as she continued to walk down the lane. Though he was much older than her, and very much older than Miss Mary, Lady Louisa thought the two of them made a very fine match indeed.
“Perhaps being able to enjoy Miss Mary’s company as often as possible is part of the reason.”
“Well, you can do that easily enough without me. In fact, I might encourage such thing,” Lady Louisa added, thinking about how Miss Elisabeth and her aunt still insisted that the Colonel nurtured some affection for her.
“Well, I said, it is only part of the reason,” the Colonel stated without further explanation.
Lady Louisa looked up at the Colonel, hoping to glean other reasons from his facial expression. All she caught, however, was the shimmer of light off of the gray hair at either side of his temples. She rather thought it made him look very distinguished.
“I suppose you plan to keep your other reason a secret from me?”
“I do.”
“Well then, I am not sure if I can condone your courtship of my younger cousin and in fact may have to protest to Lady Hendrickson as well,” Lady Louisa said with her chin out sarcastically.
“I don’t think a fine lady such as yourself would ever do such a thing.”
“I may have to. I mean,” Lady Louisa continued as if the ideas were all coming to her and seemed rather appalling, “not only do you seem to have secret agendas, you are also a military man. Does that not mean that Miss Mary would move around often with you as the militia stations are changed? How would Lady Hendrickson feel to lose her youngest daughter from her presence?”
“Well, I am happy to inform you that since meeting Miss Mary I have been considering selling my commission and staying here in the area.”
Lady Louisa stopped for a moment, surprised.
“You are? I had no idea. I was only joking, I never meant…” she seemed to stumble on her own words in embarrassment.
“I know,” he simply replied. “Honestly, I was considering it from the start. Rowland is really my only family so if I am to sell my commission, this is where I will stay. I guess it all depends on Rowland and his decision to leave or stay at Bassen indefinitely.”
“Why would he not stay? I suppose he would go to town for the seasons but don’t most Lords settle in their county home upon marrying?”
“I don’t think Rowland has quite got the adventuring bone out of his body yet. In his mind, he will marry and then return to his travels, leaving his wife here.”
“I don’t think any wife would enjoy that prospect. Who would marry him while knowing this intention of his?”
“A woman not caring if he was around or not. A woman looking for the elevation in status more than the man I suppose.”
“Even still,” Lady Louisa hesitated to agree with him. “I still can’t imagine anyone marrying within such parameters.”
She thought back to when he had initially spoken to her and asked for assistance. Had he hoped she would seek out a desperate lady caring more for her own elevation in position and not having any desire to have companionship with the man?
“Trust me; I have tried to talk him out of his madness. He has yet to see reason. I have a feeling that until he actually meets a maiden that interests him truly, he will have no desire to change his previous lifestyle.”
He looked down at Lady Louisa with a knowing eye.
“Men are a fickle species. We tend to find things that work well for us and then like to stay that way. When change is pressed upon us, we fight it until we realize the value of it. Rowland has yet to see the value.”
“Or I suppose, in his case, find the value.”
“Precisely,” Colonel Jasper agreed.
Colonel Jasper was kind enough to walk Lady Louisa all the way back to Mentheith House. Much to Miss Mary’s delight, he also agreed to stay the afternoon for a light picnic luncheon.
Lady Louisa couldn’t help but watch the two interact with each other, knowing that very likely they might be joined together. The age difference seemed inconsequential. Miss Mary was very mature for such a young lady, and he was quite youthful at heart.
Lady Louisa was amazed that her aunt could not see the blossoming romance between the two. Lady Hendrickson still insisted on recommending Lady Louisa to the Colonel at every opportunity, and even couldn’t help but whisper to Miss Elisabeth that she wasn’t surprised that he had walked Lady Louisa home.
Lady Louisa was inclined to let the illusion play out for the benefit of her youngest cousin, however. Lady Hendrickson and Miss Elisabeth never truly painted
Colonel Jasper in a good light when they spoke of him.
Though Lady Louisa couldn’t see how they found fault in such a gracious and kind man, they seemed to find a way to do it. Lady Louisa was sure that Lady Hendrickson would not approve of the man for her daughter at this time.
Lady Louisa only hoped that, if she bought some time for the two of them to grow a relationship together without her aunt being aware of it, then Lady Hendrickson would come around afterwards, when the opportunity to know him better presented itself.
The rest of the week went on quite smoothly. Lady Louisa went to town four more times with her basket of herbs and list of patients. At first, she was timid and shy as she knocked on each door. By the beginning of the next week, she felt she knew most people in the village well enough that she was no longer filled with trepidation when she stood on each threshold.
Miss Mary happily went with her as many times as Lady Hendrickson would allow it. Unfortunately, that was not often, and when it did happen, it would be preceded by a lengthy discussion on who they would be attending too.
Apparently, Lady Hendrickson only found specific people in the village acceptable for her daughters to associate with. While Lady Louisa could understand wanting to see to your daughter's safety, she also thought some of her aunt's objections were a little silly and uncalled for.
On the afternoon of the following week, Lady Louisa returned from her trip to see little Jemmy, who was in bed sick with a rather nasty chest cold, and was hoping to spend the rest of the day in the garden and away from her aunt. Instead, she entered the house to find great commotion and excitement.
Instead of heading straight back to the garden like she had wished to, she removed her hat and gloves and made her way to the drawing room. Inside she saw all three ladies standing and talking excitedly. Even Miss Mary who often kept her cool when the others didn’t, was joining in the merriment.
“Whatever is going on?” Lady Louisa asked intrigued.
All three ladies’ pairs of eyes turned and looked at her.
“Oh, you’re back,” Lady Hendrickson said, deflating.
“We have all been invited to a masquerade ball,” Miss Mary said.
The two older ladies looked at her not necessarily happy that she shared the news, though there would have been no way to help it.
“Really?” Lady Louisa said, catching on to the excitement.
“I am sure it will all seem rather dull for you. You must attend so many balls during a season in London. I wouldn’t be offended at all if you didn’t wish to come,” Lady Hendrickson added.
Lady Louisa was really starting to feel tired of her aunt's dislike. She had started feeling that she had given this family relationship her best efforts for her mother’s benefit and that she had no desire to do it any longer. If it were not for the people who she had been helping in the village, no doubt she would have returned to London already.
“Actually, I have never been to a masquerade ball before. It sounds entertaining, and I do wish to attend if you would allow it, Lady Hendrickson.”
“Oh, well, I suppose if you want to so badly,” she said with an exaggerated look to her face.
“Will it be in the public tent again?” Lady Louisa asked.
“It is even better,” Miss Mary said. “The Duke of Rowland will be hosting it at Bassen Park. Aren’t private balls just wonderful? I have also heard that he has invited every fine family in three counties.”
“Yes,” Lady Hendrickson said, now turning to her youngest daughter, something she didn’t often do. “That means that not only will your sister have an opportunity to win over her match, but you too may find a Lord worth your while.”
“I can’t say that I need a chance to win over the Duke. I am sure I have already done so,” Miss Elisabeth said haughtily.
“If that were the case, my dear,” her mother retorted, “then he wouldn’t be having the ball at all. Clearly, he is still looking, and you have not done enough to impress him.”
Miss Elisabeth sat down in a sulk. She was not accustomed to being chastened by her mother or being told that her charms were not working.
“We must order dresses right away,” Lady Hendrickson announced, ignoring her daughter's pouting. “And then there is the costume aspect that we must consider. I suspect most ladies with make themed costumes so we must begin to think of the same before we order the garments. I do hope that they will be ready, the ball is in such short notice.”
“How short, Lady Hendrickson?” Lady Louisa asked, still having not actually seen the invitation.
“Only two weeks.”
“I am not sure if even Mrs. Esquire at the dress shop can complete three dresses in such time, especially since she will no doubt have many orders,” Miss Mary chimed in.
“That is a concern,” Lady Hendrickson said as she too sat and began to ponder the problem.
She absentmindedly fiddled with a lace ribbon on her black dress as she considered the predicament. She certainly would not like to attend in a gown worn in the past. No matter the cost, and the fact that the house was already short of funds, she would have her daughters shine that night.
Lady Hendrickson did feel she shone the most in the type of situations where the skill of mind had to be employed in order to solve problems in a unique way.
“Perhaps we could have her make us the basics of the garments and send them to us to embellish on our own. After all, Lady Louisa is so good at her sewing skills, there is no doubt that she could turn them out perfectly in time.”
“I would be happy to help, Lady Hendrickson. My only concern would be the time I spend in the village helping the ill in Mrs. Vance’s place. I am not sure I will have much time for sewing.”
“Well then, you will just stop going to the village, it is as simple as that,” Lady Hendrickson replied.
“I don’t mean to offend you, Lady Hendrickson,” Lady Louisa said as delicately as she could, “but I feel their needs far outweigh the needs of embellishing dresses for a dance.”
Miss Elisabeth scoffed at her words. She glanced sideways at her mother, apparently looking for any chance to get back in her good graces.
Lady Hendrickson had raised herself to her full seated height and narrowed her already small eyes on Lady Louisa.
“I did hope that having you here in my home, would be a great relief to me in such a time of need. I am sorry if that is an inconvenience to you. Though now that I look at the invitation,” she continued, glancing over the parchment in her hand. “It is only addressed to Lady Hendrickson and her two daughters. Your name doesn’t seem to appear on it at all.”
“Of course, I would be happy to take you as my guest, and surely the Duke would not mind such a thing, but I cannot fathom I will have the ability to entertain you as a guest if we cannot have our garments made in time.” Lady Louisa gave out a deep and long sigh. It was just the type of manipulation she greatly detested. She wondered if the ball was really worth going to for all of this. Yes, it was an exciting idea to go to a masquerade ball. It was less enticing to find out it was at the house of the Duke.
None the less, she couldn’t deny the excitement over the event and, after all, the purpose of visiting with her aunt was to help in any way she could. So, with great reluctance, she agreed to focus all her attention on assisting the ladies as they prepared for the quickly approaching event. Perhaps, if she were lucky, she would also find a way to sneak into town and see to her patients as well.