Chapter 1
"You will remember to be on your best behaviour this week, will you not?"
Alice Skeffington and her mother had been travelling silently for most of the way from London, but the moment that the question was asked, Alice turned from where she had been watching the world go by the window. She smiled mischievously and firmly nodded her head.
"Of course, I shall, Mama," she insisted, pinching the palm of her arm hand in her lap to stop herself from smiling too openly. She was not sure whether she smiled purely out of mischief or whether perhaps a little of it was embarrassment. As the London Season ended, she was aware of what a disappointment she was to her parents. She knew well why her mother asked her such a question.
She had caused enough trouble for the Season already and Alice guessed that her mother believed a week away at her best friend's new countryside estate would do them both some good and help to put some distance between them and Alice's father who had been growing exceedingly impatient.
It was Alice's third Season without finding a husband, and for the first two, her father and for the most part her mother, had appeared quite easy-going, never trying to force her hand toward anything with regards to marriage. Yet it was clear that they'd had higher hopes for this Season. Alice was sure she could see extra worry lines around her mother's eyes—eyes that were hazel just as her own were.
"You ought not to worry, Mama," Alice insisted, leaning forward to place her hand upon her mother's where it sat in her lap, alone thanks to the second hand she was using for her fan. The day was incredibly warm, and Alice wondered whether it was merely the heat causing her mother to fret or perhaps something more. "Nancy will take good care of us."
"ViscountessKendall will have more than just us to worry about," her mother asserted, flitting her fan even faster than before. She spoke the title as if to remind Alice of what she was missing.
Having been recently married to Viscount Owen Kendell, her best friend not only found herself married, but also well cared for and as Nancy would say herself, well-loved. It was an idea that Alice both loved and loathed though she would never tell her mother either way.
She preferred to remain neutral, at least on the outside, for fear that her mother might cling on to whatever she might say with a desperate hope that this year would be the year she saw her daughter married. "Do not anticipate that she will have much time for you, my dear."
"I know, Mama," Alice said, forcing a smile though the truth was she knew that no matter what, Nancy would always find the time for her. She always did. They had been friends for so long that she could barely remember ever not being friends.
That is not about to change now that she is a Viscountess,Alice reassured herself, certain that marriage could not possibly have changed their friendship so much. She had seen the couple several times since their wedding and so far, nothing seemed changed, only the smile on Nancy's face was brighter and if Alice were being truthful, that did leave her a little envious. Though whenever it did, she always reminded herself that she was in no hurry to marry.
Better to wait than fall into marriage with the wrong man,she reminded herself, knowing that all was well with her friend and her marriage now, but only time would tell whether it remained so.
"Perhaps some of the young gentlemen we met this last Season shall be in attendance," her mother suggested when she seemed to see that Alice had nothing to say. "Do you know anything of the guestlist?"
At the mention of young gentlemen, Alice instinctively moved her gaze back to the window. The last thing she wanted to talk about was the gentlemen who had been flitting about her all Season, and she wanted to see even less the hopeful gleam in her mother's hazel eyes.
"I think that we are nearly there," she stated in an attempt to change the subject when she saw and felt the carriage beginning to turn from the main dirt track onto a small, narrower lane that likely led to her friend's new estate. She wondered not for the first time what the country manor would be like.
Her friend had described it several times in her letters though Nancy had always been one for embellishing things, especially when she was excited, and Alice was sure her friend would be mightily excited to welcome her and all her other guests into her home for the first time.
Playing the hostess had always been one of Nancy's favourite things, planning and scheming and making sure that everyone had the best time. Alice often felt exhausted merely watching her flit about.
"Alice, are we not going to talk about this?" her mother asked when she made no attempt to answer her. Gritting her teeth, Alice leaned closer to the window and breathed in the warm yet fresh air, allowing the breeze to waft over her face. "Alice?"
When she was certain that her mother would not give up, she finally sucked in a deep breath and turned back to look at her. Often, she felt as though she was looking in a mirror when she looked at her mother for, they both shared the same golden blonde hair, hazel eyes, and milky complexion yet today was not one of those days.
Her mother was scowling deeply, the expression causing her age lines to show poorly, and her eyes had darkened with distaste. "I do not take kindly to being ignored, young lady."
"Forgive me, Mama." Alice sighed and forced herself to look contrite. "I was not ignoring you. I merely have nothing to say on the matter. Nancy has not given me any extensive insight into the guestlist."
It was not a lie. Nancy had not told her exactly who would be in attendance for the week, but she had told her enough that Alice knew her mother's prayers would be answered—at least in part. A good portion of the guestlist were respectable bachelors. Nancy had assured Alice of the fact though it was of little consequence to her.
Ever since Nancy had been married, she had been almost as awful as any mother, practically throwing the idea of marriage at Alice from left, right, and centre with every chance that she got. And in this Season, so had her mother, making the two of them together almost intolerable.
The only thing more insufferable was her father's barely veiled disappointment, the displeasure that he revealed just enough to make Alice feel guilty without appearing to be trying to force her into anything. She was unsure as to whether it was entirely his doing or whether her mother had been dripping words into his ear, but either way, separating her parents appeared to be the only way to lessen the effects.
"It is a shame." Her mother sighed with a shake of her head, pausing in her fanning to gaze at Alice as she added, "Had she given you more information we might have been able to prepare a little."
"What have we to prepare for other than being polite, respectful and ensuring that we do not shame our family now?" Alice asked, barely managing to stop herself from rolling her eyes at her mother. It was quite clear what her mother had been hoping topreparefor.
Alice did not wait for her mother to respond. Instead, she quickly turned her head toward the window once more because she was almost certain that she had heard a change in the sounds surrounding them.
No longer were there only the sounds of the horses’ hooves, the wheels moving, and the odd bird chirping. There were now the sounds of commotion, of voices and hurried footsteps and as she looked out of the window, Alice came to realise that they had come upon the house much faster than she had anticipated.
Thank you,she thought silently to whomever might be listening. Thanking them for cutting her time in the carriage short so that she might avoid whatever uncomfortable conversation her mother was attempting to get them into. Outside the carriage servants were flitting to and fro, obviously attempting to finish the final preparations for the arrival of the guests.