A Family of Her Own by Rose Pearson

Chapter Three

“Shall we go in? I’ve arranged for some refreshments, and I wish to show you the house,” Claveston said eagerly.

“I look forward to it,” Miss Lefebvre said as she looked up at the vast edifice of the mansion in front of her, her eyes wide. “Though I fear it is much larger than anything I am used to. Even Caldor was not so grand.” She turned to Gertrude and smiled. “Lady Gertrude, you will ‘ave to make sure I do not get lost.”

“It has more than forty rooms,” Gertrude said proudly, obviously delighted that Miss Lefebvre had included her. “It will take some time for you to get used to it, but in a few weeks, I am sure you will find your way.”

“The servants will carry your things to your suite,” Claveston added as Miss Lefebvre looked back to the carriage where her trunk was being unloaded. “We have given you the whole of the west wing on the second floor, as your private accommodation.”

“That is too much,” Miss Lefebvre protested. “I am quite content with just a single room in the attic.”

“Your rooms are next to mine,” Gertrude said happily. “And Claveston’s suite is right next to the rooms that my grandfather had prepared for the King, should he ever visit us here at Compton. My father is a cousin or something to King George. There is a marble bust in the great hall that is an exact likeness of His Majesty.”

Miss Lefebvre smiled at the girl’s enthusiasm. Claveston tried not to be put out, but it seemed that she was reserving all of her attentions for his sister, and none for him. Had he done something wrong? Usually, the ladies of his acquaintance hung on his every word, however banal, and were always eager to see the estate he would one day inherit. His family were amongst the most influential in England, his father had acted as an advisor to King George and continued to serve the Prince Regent.

However, Miss Lefebvre seemed disinterested in the wealth and status of his family. He took that to heart. Such things might not impress her, but he was sure that there would be something that might. And he reminded himself, Miss Lefebvre had already made his acquaintance. She had yet to meet Gertrude and was here to be his sister’s companion. It was only fair that he let them become better known to one another, much as he wished to monopolize Miss Lefebvre’s attentions.

“Shall I show you to your suite so you might freshen up after your journey?” he asked her.

She looked hesitant but hooked her arm in his. “Thank you, I should like that.”

“Gertrude?” Claveston said, offering his other arm to his sister. She took it, and the trio went inside. Claveston introduced Sophie to Mrs. Grint and Bonnet, the butler, who awaited her arrival in the hallway, before proceeding upstairs to Miss Lefebvre’s rooms. The walk took several minutes.

“Your new home,” Claveston said, flinging open the painted double doors to the suite as they arrived. A spacious parlor with elegant French furniture lay behind them. Miss Lefebvre gasped, her beautiful green eyes wide with delight as she took in the pale colors and almost floor-to ceiling windows that flooded the room with light.

Gertrude grabbed her hand and dragged her to the windows. “You can see the whole park from your balcony,” she said, wrenching the door open and pulling Miss Lefebvre outside.

“It is quite spectacular,” Miss Lefebvre sighed.

“And you have a dressing room, and a bedroom, and there is a room for a lady’s maid, though you do not have one,” Gertrude added excitedly as they came back inside.

“Thank you, Lord Wycliffe,” Miss Lefebvre said with a tired smile. “This is so much more than I need.”

“I just hope you will be comfortable here,” he said softly.

“Yes, well, if you would excuse me,” she said a little awkwardly. “But perhaps I should unpack.”

“Will you join us for some refreshments on the terrace?” Gertrude asked her eagerly. “I would love you to join us, Miss Lefebvre. It was done especially for you.”

“Then how can I refuse?” Miss Lefebvre replied. “I will be down shortly.”

“I will take Gertrude down and return for you,” Claveston said swiftly, reaching for his sister, before she tried to inveigle an invite to stay. It was quite clear that Miss Lefebvre needed a moment alone to compose herself.

“That will not be necessary. I think I can remember the way back downstairs.”

“It would be my pleasure.”

“Please, my Lord, I ‘ave already taken up so much of your time. I know you are a busy man.”

“Very well,” he replied, trying to hide his disappointment. “If you ring the bell at your bedside someone will come up to you, or there is bound to be someone in the hall who will point you in the right direction.”

“Thank you,” Miss Lefebvre said with a polite smile. Claveston bowed as he nudged his sister out of the room.

He walked with Gertrude back to the terrace, trying not to feel put out by the way in which his attempts to please Miss Lefebvre seemed to have failed. Why did she not see the trouble he had gone to? He could name a hundred young women in Society who would have been delighted to be presented with such a suite of rooms – and they weren’t here as servants.

“Is something wrong, Claveston?” Gertrude asked him, looking up at him curiously. “You look strange?”

“No, nothing is wrong, Gertrude,” he assured her.

“You’re lying. You said you would never lie to me,” his sister replied frankly.

He sighed. He hated it when she caught him out. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I am not being truthful, but I assure you, it is nothing of consequence. I was just wondering how else we could make Miss Lefebvre feel at home. She’s been with Lady Charlotte for so long I expect her new surroundings will take some getting used to. I wish to make it easier for her, that is all.”

Gertrude smiled. “May I help? I want Miss Lefebvre to enjoy her time here as well. I am sure if we work together, we can make a glorious plan.”

* * *

The first daysat Compton Hall were more difficult than Sophie had expected. When she recalled the early days of her time with Charlotte, she did not recall them being so fraught with concerns. She could not even blame anyone else for her feelings of disquiet now. It was no fault of the family, as only Lord Wycliffe and Lady Gertrude were here and both were endlessly kind to her; nor was it a problem with the staff, as they were all very agreeable. The fault lay within her. She missed Charlotte, and Emily and George - and the family she had left behind at Watton House. She missed the ease of her old life.

Everything that Lord Wycliffe had done to make her feel at home, actually did the opposite. The luxurious suite of rooms he had prepared for her, so she might have some freedom and privacy only served to add to her loneliness. The space was too great, and though Gertrude was in the suite next door, that was still some way away, and she couldn’t hear a peep from her, no matter how loudly the girl carried on. The good-natured hustle and bustle of Watton House seemed so very far away.

Her nights at Compton were filled with contemplation, the incessant wondering if she’d made the right choice in coming here. Perhaps she had made a terrible mistake? Perhaps she should have held her tongue and persevered against her feelings, in time surely her jealousy would have faded? But it was too late now. She couldn’t go backwards. Her only hope was to move onwards and to make the best of her new life.

Every morning, Sophie brushed through her long dark hair, the ends curling in her hand as she smoothed it through, then pinned it carefully. Gertrude would wake at around eight o’clock, and Sophie needed to be ready long before that. She had always liked to write in her journal before going about the day, and that habit gave a little piece of normalcy in her completely changed world. It gave her time to reflect on her life and where it was going.

She sat at her desk and just wrote. She poured every feeling, every thought onto the page. How lost and alone she felt - and how she missed Charlotte and George, and little Emily. She wondered what they were doing now that she was gone. Were they enjoying themselves or did they miss her as much as she missed them?

She often wrote for more than half an hour before the clock would chime, reminding her that she had her duties to perform. She would set the pen aside and hide the pages in her desk before locking it and heading from the room. Her journal was the only record of her unhappiness. Nobody else need ever know.

After breakfast, she and Gertrude would walk in the garden, talk, and get to know one another, before the young woman would attend her lessons in music, literature, and art – subjects deemed fitting for a young lady. During that time, Sophie had little to do but read, though Lord Wycliffe had given her full access to the house. Sophie did not feel comfortable wandering aimlessly through the many rooms. It felt too much like she was exploring other worlds, rather than getting to know her new home.

“Good morning Lady Gertrude,” Sophie said as she entered the breakfast room. The young woman was sitting in her place at the table, a steaming cup of hot chocolate in front of her and a slice of seedcake upon her plate. “I do hope that you have had something other than that to sustain you.”

“Miss Lefebvre, good morning,” Lady Gertrude replied with a grin as Sophie helped herself to coddled eggs, crisp bacon, and a cup of coffee. “I have already had coddled eggs. They were quite delicious.”

“The weather is very fine today. I thought we could walk through the orchard instead of the gardens today. What do you think?”

“It sounds wonderful,” Lady Gertrude said excitedly. I haven’t been to the orchards in some time. Though, I must confess I do prefer flowers to fruit,” she added with a giggle.

Sophie smiled as she sat down. “I love them both. But when the weather is so fine, I just like to be outdoors.”

She ate her repast in small, dainty bites. She was always conscious of showing her young charge a good example, and aware that every moment was one where she was teaching Lady Gertrude how to behave. She chewed and swallowed carefully, ensuring she had finished every morsel before she took a sip from her water glass or coffee cup, to ensure that she left no mark behind when she did.

Lady Gertrude tried to copy with her seed cake, and Sophie smiled warmly at her when she got it right, and just repeated something if she hadn’t quite mastered it. When she was done, she rose from the table gracefully. “Shall we?”

The ladies fell into step beside one other. Lady Gertrude was rather diminutive, with small, delicate bones - unlike her tall and muscular brother. She had a trim waist and pretty hair that held a curl well. Her perfectly made gowns suited her beautifully, always in hues and patterns that most flattered her figure and her coloring. She had the makings of a fine young woman if she could just learn to be a little more demure and slightly less stubborn.

They made their way through the house and out onto the back terrace. The wide paved expanse overlooked the formal gardens. They walked along the neatly edged gravel pathways, smiling at the gardeners as they clipped the low hedges, in their crisp geometric shapes. They turned to the east, through the walled kitchen garden, and out to the vast orchards behind.

“Lady Gertrude, when will your parents be returning?” Sophie asked curiously as they sauntered between the apple and pear trees. She was surprised that she had yet to meet her new employers.

“Please, call me Gertrude. The servants call me Lady Gertrude and you are no servant,” the young lady said breathlessly, then gave Sophie a scared look. “Should I have said that?” she asked anxiously.

“Of course, though it is often best to maintain formalities in social situations, when you go to London for your Season,” Sophie said. “And I shall be delighted to call you Gertrude if you will call me Sophie.”

“I should like that, Sophie,” Gertrude said, savoring the name. “It is a very pretty name. Much nicer than Gertrude.”

“Gertrude is quite distinguished,” Sophie assured her. “It is a very strong name, for a strong young woman.”

Gertrude flushed becomingly at the compliment. She ducked her head shyly as if unused to people being kind. “There, that is better. I much prefer that. My name sounds very different when you say it.”

“It is my accent, per’aps,” Sophie replied. She never heard her accent. In her mind, she sounded as she always had and it was those around her that had accents, but as the foreigner amongst the English, she knew the oddity was hers to bear.

“As to the whereabouts of Mama and Papa, I do not know when my parents will return.” Gertrude’s voice was tight, her eyes sad. “You would have to ask Claveston. He keeps abreast of their travels.”

Sophie sighed. She had done her best to avoid Lord Wycliffe since her arrival. He was so kind and so keen for her to be happy that it had the opposite effect. Every encounter at supper left her wishing for the easy informality she had shared with Charlotte and the Watts’ in Alnerton and made her long to go home. It wasn’t so important that she know when the duke and duchess would return, though it was clear that Gertrude grew more unhappy the longer they were gone.

Gertrude hooked her arm around Sophie’s. “The day is so lovely,” she said brightly as if they had just been speaking of the birds in the trees. Sophie was quite disconcerted by how mercurial Gertrude’s moods could be.

“The orchard smells wonderful in the heat, doesn’t it?” Gertrude continued excitedly. “Thank you for suggesting we walk here today. It is such a different aroma to flowers. I should walk here more often.”

Sophie forced herself to smile as they walked among the apple blossom, though their conversation had given her much to think upon. “We will be blessed with cherry blossom, and plum in the coming weeks,” she said to Gertrude. “In a few months, these trees will be filled with fruits and will need to be thinned so only the healthiest are left to ripen on the boughs.”

“How do you know?”

“I have always liked gardens. In Alnerton I questioned the gardeners very often. They were always willing to answer me. I learned a lot there.”

“You miss it.”

“It is to be expected. I did not leave because of ill-treatment. On the contrary, they treated me very well. Like family.”

“Then why did you come here?” Gertrude asked, full of youthful curiosity.

Sophie smiled. “Lady Charlotte has her family. She does not need my company. You do.”

Gertrude flung her arms around her waist and hugged her tightly. “This is so wonderful. I couldn’t have asked for anything better.”