George sat in the chair that the servant supplied and then told the two women what the duke had reported to him. "Valerian has been very patient, and most understanding, I feel," he concluded.

"We should hear what Cally has to say," Aurora told him.

"It will be but her opinion of how she is treated, and have nothing to do with the facts of the matter," George responded. "You yourself were shocked by her behavior today, Aurora."

She nodded. "I was," she admitted, "but this is all so unlike Cally." She sighed. "Still, the dowager's words to me but confirm the duke's more intimate tale to you. What a coil."

"You should have married him the way your papa planned," Martha said grimly. "But you would have your own way, and now look what has happened."

"It is too late for regrets," Aurora said. "Let us sleep on it, and then we will see how we may help Cally and the duke to mend fences. Surely there is something we can do."

"The last time you three did something . . ." Martha began.

"Don't scold us, Martha," George said, arising. Then he bent and kissed his stepsister. "Good night, Aurora." As he opened the door, he gave Martha a quick kiss on the cheek too, and then was gone.

"Young devil!" Martha muttered, but she wasn't angry.

Calandra had not changed her habits of childhood, and would not awaken much before noon, Sally informed them. She was prettily attired in gray with a white lace cap, and looked very smart. But like her mistress, she, too, had changed. She was superior and sharp with Martha, which did not please the older woman.

"Gotten a bit above herself, I'm thinking," Martha said dourly. She settled a breakfast tray on Aurora's lap. The tray was set with exquisite fine china and heavy silver service. It contained poached eggs in a heavy cream sauce with peppercorns grated over the top, lovely pink country ham, fresh bread, b.u.t.ter, and honey. "I've set the tea on the sidetable, miss," Martha said.

Aurora ate with greater appet.i.te than she would have thought she had. Everything was absolutely delicious, and seasoned to perfection. When she had finished every single sc.r.a.p, and was sipping her saucer of tea, there came a knock upon the door. Outside was the duke's man, Browne. The duke wondered if Miss Aurora would like to take a carriage ride to see some of the city. Her brother, of course, would accompany them, Browne said seriously.

"Tell him yes," Aurora said to Martha.

Her bath was filled, and she bathed, then dressed, Martha carefully arranging her hair, which was clean and free of salt for the first time in weeks. The servant then set her mistress's fur-lined cape upon her shoulders, drawing the hood up carefully, and handing her a pair of fur-lined gloves.

"Now, you make certain you keep warm," she cautioned.

George arrived, and escorted his stepsister down into the wide foyer where the duke was awaiting them.

"Good morning," he greeted the pair. "The carriage is waiting for us outside. As I am certain that you will want to spend some time with Calandra this afternoon, Aurora, I have arranged for us to have a drive through Hyde Park. You must yet be tired. Is there anything in London that you would like to see?"

"Could we go to the British Museum?" she asked.

"Of course," he said, not telling her that the museum was open only three hours a day, and that tickets must be obtained weeks in advance. He was certain he could pull a string or two so she might visit this relatively new wonder.

Farminster House was located on the west side of Grosvenor Square. It had been built in 1740. Of redbrick with stone dressings, it stood three stories high, atop which were attics for the servants.

"If it were warmer," the duke said as they settled themselves in the vehicle, "we should ride in an open carriage, but I believe you will be able to see enough through the windows of this coach."

The horses stepped smartly around the square and onto Upper Grosvenor Street, which led right into Hyde Park. Aurora was delighted to see how close they were to this beautiful greensward with its watercourses. From Upper Grosvenor they turned onto Park Lane. The park, the duke explained, had once been a royal hunting ground, but had been opened to the public in the previous century. Deer of several varieties could still be found within Hyde Park's brick walls. The late Queen Caroline had been something of a landscape gardener, and working with the finest architects of her day had done many things to increase the beauty of the park. Among her accomplishments was having the river Westbourne d.a.m.ned to form the Serpentine, an exquisite lake.

"We will just drive about the perimeter of the park today," Valerian said. "It is still too cold for you to walk abroad. My grandmama would be quite put out if I should be responsible for your getting a chill. Not to mention how angry Calandra would be, for she has great plans, I am certain, to take you about to all the most fashionable parties."

"I do not believe I shall find the parties as fascinating as I will find the museum," Aurora replied. Then she said, "George has told me of the estrangement between you and my sister. I will do my best to convince Cally of the errors of her ways."

Valerian Hawkesworth shook his head. "You are kind, Aurora, but I fear your task an impossible one. I know you little better than I knew Calandra when we were married, and yet I believe you would have made me a far better wife than your sister. What a pity that you were not the heiress I was to wed."

Aurora flushed a bright pink.

"Forgive me," the duke said hastily. "I have embarra.s.sed you, and I certainly did not mean to do so." He took her gloved hand in his. "Will you forgive me, Aurora?"

She nodded, unable to speak. Please G.o.d he never learn the way he had been deceived. He would never forgive her, and worse, his anger could be directed against George and their mama.

"I find your grandmother a delightful lady," George said, attempting to bridge the uncomfortable gap. "I wish Mama could meet her."

Returning to the house, they found Calandra was awake and calling for her sister. Aurora excused herself and went to join her sister. Cally was sitting up in bed, an exquisite lace nightcap covering her dark hair. She was sipping a saucer of tea.

"Where were you?" she demanded.

"Valerian took George and me for a drive about the park."

"How dull," Cally said.

"He is going to arrange for us to visit the British Museum," Aurora continued. "I cannot wait to see the exhibits."

Calandra rolled her hazel eyes heavenward. "Aurora, what am I to do with you? If you are to catch a husband, you must not show so much intellect. Men do not like women of intellect. Besides, you will strain your eyes in a boring museum. You must maintain a feminine composure, and be charming. The gentlemen like that. I have become quite popular among the gentlemen in polite society. You must too."

Aurora laughed. "You are indeed in your element, Cally, but what of your duty to Valerian? You must give him an heir or two before you utterly exhaust yourself with all this frivolity."

"If I have a baby I shall ruin my figure," Cally said. "Lady Standish told me that her waist size increased by an inch with each child she gave her husband. When she was my age her waist was eighteen inches. Now it is twenty-four!"

"A man expects his wife to give him children," Aurora patiently continued. "Have them and be done with it. Valerian seems to me to be a good man, and I do like his grandmother. You are fortunate in your new family, Cally."

"I do not like the dowager. She hates me, Aurora! And she disapproves of me, but I do not care about that," Cally said.

"She will approve of you completely when you have given her grandson an heir, Cally," Aurora replied. "The Hawkesworths are an old and n.o.ble family. There is no reason for them to die out. You must cease being selfish, little sister, and do your duty."

"There is a ball at the d.u.c.h.ess of Devonshire's tonight," Cally said. "We have all been invited. Trahern will be looking for you. He is quite splendid, isn't he?"

"I find him a bit repellent," Aurora said. Then, "You will consider what I have said to you, Cally, won't you? Mama would not be very pleased with your behavior, you know. I do not know what I shall write to her. She cannot be fooled for long even if we are an ocean apart. After one inane correspondence on the many sights in London, I shall have no excuse but to tell her about this change in your sweetness of temperament. Now, I have warned you."

"Oh, do not be mean to me!" Cally cried, and she attempted to squeeze a few tears from her eyes.

"You never could do that correctly." Aurora chuckled. "I am not in the least sympathetic to you. You have been awful, and now you must cease being so dreadful, Cally."

"You are going to be no fun, I just know it," Cally grumbled. "I don't know why you bothered to come to England at all."

"I suspect it is a good thing that I did," Cally told her. "Remember, had it not been for me, you should not be a d.u.c.h.ess."

"That is a terrible thing to say, Aurora!"

"But it is the truth."

"You are sorry now, aren't you?" Cally sneered. "You are sorry you did not marry him as Papa planned. Well, you had your chance. I am the d.u.c.h.ess of Farminster, and I intend remaining the d.u.c.h.ess!"

"When," Aurora demanded, "when did I ever ask for the return of a gift, Cally? This marriage was my gift to you. I do not want it back. I never wanted it, but you have a duty to Valerian Hawkesworth, and you must fulfill that duty. Only then can you indulge your own desires and behave like a spoiled child!" She arose. "I do not want to go to your d.a.m.ned ball!" Then she stormed from the room.

"You had best mend your fences with her," Sally said. "She has the power to unseat you, your grace."

"You forget yourself," Cally said coldly, handing the tea saucer to her maid. Then she sat back against her pillows, her eyes calculating, her demeanor thoughtful. Finally she said, "The new ball gown. The turquoise one with the gold lace. Bring it to my sister with my apologies, and say I should like to see her in it tonight."

"Your grace," Sally replied, "that gown is far too sophisticated for a virgin who is husband hunting."

"You are right," Cally said. "What do I have that is suitable?"

"There is the silk gown in Appleblossom's Love, your grace. It has little silk flowers about the neckline, and lovely lace."

Cally nodded. "Take it to her. It is far too sweet for me. I don't know why I ever bought it in the first place."

Sally fetched the gown in question and brought it to Aurora's bedroom. When Martha opened the door, she said, "Her grace thought that Miss Aurora would look lovely in this, and hopes she will wear it tonight to the d.u.c.h.ess of Devonshire's ball. Have your mistress ready to leave at ten o'clock."

"Ten o'clock!" Martha exclaimed. "Respectable people are abed at that time of night, Sally."

"In London, in polite society, folks in the upper crust have b.a.l.l.s at ten o'clock of an evening. You'll get used to waiting up till three or four o'clock in the morning. I did." Martha took the garment, shaking her head in wonderment as Sally hurried off down the hall. "Dancing almost to dawn. It can't be right!" Martha muttered after the retreating figure.

"I told Cally I'm not going to any ball," Aurora told her servant. "Oh, Martha, Cally has become so selfish!"

"Always was selfish," Martha answered. "There just wasn't so much temptation back on St. Timothy. Now, don't you fret yourself, miss. This dress is the prettiest I've ever seen, and by the look of it, not worn even once! You're going to look lovely in it, and no nonsense about not going. Of course you're going. Your mama would be mighty upset if you didn't take advantage of every opportunity offered you while you are in England." She hung the ball gown in the dressing room.

"Are you glad to be back in England, Martha?" Aurora asked her.

"I don't rightly know yet, miss. I was twenty-five when my parents died and I left. I'm over forty now. The best part of my life has been being in service to your family, miss. I'm happiest, I suppose, wherever you are."

Aurora hugged the older woman. "Oh, Martha, I do love you!"

The servant flushed, pleased. "Now, don't go getting all mushy on me, Miss Aurora," she half scolded.

The clock on the mantel struck one.

"Oh, I must join the others in the dining room. The dowager told me last evening that luncheon is at one o'clock! Is my hair neat?"

"As a pin," Martha replied. "Hurry along, miss!"

Aurora reached the dining room just as the others were being seated. Curtsying to the dowager, she apologized for her lateness.

"Nonsense, child, you are punctual to the minute" was the reply. "Valerian tells me that he took you for a turn around Hyde Park this morning. Did you enjoy it?"

"Very much," Aurora said. "I was frankly relieved to find such a lovely place so near Farminster House."

"A little bit of country in this otherwise bustling city," Mary Rose Hawkesworth said with a smile. "That is why I insisted my husband buy a house in Grosvenor Square. If I have to come to London, I must be near the park. Of course, I have always come to London as little as possible," she finished with a chuckle.

"Calandra tells me we are going to the d.u.c.h.ess of Devonshire's ball tonight," Aurora said.

"Indeed, are we?" The dowager was surprised. "Your sister has obviously forgotten to inform me. I shall speak to her after luncheon. She is not old enough, even if she is married to my grandson, to be your chaperon. You must be accompanied by a respectable matron lest any obtain the wrong impression of your character."

"I am relieved, ma'am," Aurora said frankly. "Cally seems to want to foist her friend, Lord Trahern, off on me, and I do not like him. With you by my side, I believe together we can repel him."

The dowager laughed, and then she grew serious. "You are wise not to be taken in by Trahern. He's a handsome devil, I'll give you that, but a bounder on the prowl for a wife with a good income."

"He will not get mine," Aurora said firmly. "I shall not leave your side, ma'am."

"Why, girl, you must if you are to dance with some of our more eligible gentlemen," the old lady said.

"Only with your approval," Aurora answered her. "I will rely on your knowledge of the men involved, and your judgment of their characters."

Mary Rose Hawkesworth nodded, and began to sip her soup. Why was the girl familiar, she asked herself for the fiftieth time since she had met Aurora yesterday evening? She had seen that face before. But where? And what a pity it wasn't this sensible miss Valerian had married instead of that bubblehead, Calandra Kimberly. Calandra. Her friendship with Lord Trahern was disturbing. The Dowager d.u.c.h.ess of Farminster was not so old she had not heard the gossip about Trahern. It was most unsavory. She knew Calandra was not cuckholding her grandson with the cad, for Calandra was too cold a woman, not at all to Trahern's taste. He was, of course, clever, witty, and amusing, and those traits would attract Calandra. She would want to keep in his good graces, for Trahern knew absolutely everyone, and since he had not caused any serious scandal, was welcome in all the best houses as an eligible man. Calandra was silly enough to believe that if she could make a match between Trahern and her stepsister, she would gain the devil's friendship forever.

Well, it wasn't going to happen because she would not let it happen. And it wasn't going to happen because Aurora was much too intelligent to be taken in by a man like Lord Charles Trahern. The dowager began to consider eligible young men in London now who might be suitable husbands for Aurora. None, however, came to mind. Perhaps when they were back in the country, she considered. Actually, her grandson would be a perfect husband for Aurora, and she would be a perfect wife for him. What a pity that fate had deemed it otherwise. If instead of sending Valerian off to St. Timothy a year ago she had invited Calandra and her family to England, perhaps things could have been changed. They would have seen that Calandra was unsuited to the position of d.u.c.h.ess, and that Aurora was more than suitable.

"What are you thinking of so hard, Grandmama?" the duke said.

"Nothing of import, dear boy," the dowager replied.

Chapter 5.

Aurora was not certain if it had been the best or the worst month of her life. London was a very exciting, but also a very exhausting city in which to live. Valerian had managed to obtain two tickets to the British Museum, which was located in the newly purchased Montagu House, Bloomsbury. George had begged off, not really as interested as his stepsister was in antiquities, and so the duke had escorted Aurora. The museum had its beginnings when Sir Hans Sloane, a physician and collector, had suggested to Parliament that they might be interested in buying his works of art, antiquities, and natural history collections for less than half the price it had cost him to a.s.semble them. Parliament was delighted to accept, and the Foundation Act was pa.s.sed to cover the cost of that expense, and future such expenses. The Harleian Collection of Ma.n.u.scripts was purchased in that same year from the d.u.c.h.ess of Portland. The museum had opened two years prior, and was very popular.

Aurora enjoyed her visit immensely, but to her surprise, she equally enjoyed the ancient Ceremony of the Keys that took place each night at the Tower of London. To this ritual she was escorted by the duke, her stepbrother, and the dowager d.u.c.h.ess, prior to attending a ball. Calandra had chosen not to attend, rolling her eyes at them and complaining that Aurora's interest in sightseeing was becoming increasingly boring, and her intellect had been commented upon most unfavorably by several of Calandra's friends. Aurora had just laughed and gone off to Tower Hill with her party.

Standing upon a roof, they watched as the chief yeoman warder, in his red cloak and Tudor bonnet, a lantern in his hand, marched toward the Byward Tower, the keys to the ancient fortress displayed in his gloved hand.

"An escort for the keys," he loudly called out, and four yeomen of the guard fell into step beside him as he marched through the gates of the Byward Tower and over the causeway connecting it to the entrance gate beyond the Middle Tower. The chief yeoman warder locked the gate and then continued on to lock the gates of Byward Tower, finally approaching the b.l.o.o.d.y Tower. There the sentry on guard came forward, challenging: "Halt! Who goes there?"

"The keys," replied the chief yeoman warder.

"Whose keys?"

"Queen Elizabeth's keys."

The sentry then presented arms even as the chief yeoman warder removed his cap and called out, "G.o.d preserve Queen Elizabeth!"

"Amen!" replied the yeoman accompanying him and the sentry.

"How exciting it must have been in those days," Aurora said afterward as their coach made its way to another of the seemingly never-ending b.a.l.l.s. She had found to her surprise that she did not really enjoy this continual round of social events Calandra so loved. She knew she had been a great disappointment to her stepsister, but she just couldn't help it.

None of the young men who had been presented to her had taken her fancy in the least. Many were young and eager, and woefully ignorant for upper-cla.s.s gentlemen. There were rakes and roues and older men looking for a second or third wife. Her comfortable little income made her eligible, but the truth was, most of the men she met looked down on her because she was a colonial, and not English born. The fops, however, were the worst. They were openly rude, and behaved as if they were doing her a great service to even speak with her. Aurora did not think she liked high society. And the women were little better. The girls her age looked sideways at her because she was considered a rival. Their mamas, in whispers, reminded all who would listen that Miss Aurora was the sister of that silly and possibly not-quite-respectable d.u.c.h.ess of Farminster. The way that woman carried on with Lord Trahern, and right under her husband's nose too. Well, the sister might look as innocent as the new-driven snow; and she might even have a respectable income if one were to believe the rumors; but was she really all she seemed? And what respectable family would consider such a girl for one of their sons? One could not be too careful, the mamas of the girls Aurora's age commented in an effort to turn attention to their own offspring. Aurora was not so foolish that she didn't realize what was happening.

The duke had extended their London stay longer than he had originally intended. Now, however, he was ready to return home to Hereford. Calandra was furious. She did not want to go, but she found no allies even among her own brother and stepsister. They had both had enough of London, and were delighted to be leaving the city. Calandra sulked. Valerian was adamant. Cornering his wife's maid in the hallway, he said, "Are you happy in your position, Sally?"

"Oh, yes, yer grace," Sally replied, bobbing a curtsy.