“What I see is…”
The sound of rustling skirts stopped any further discussion as both men turned to find a beauty with short flaxen hair brushed into a glorious windswept style. She wore a cool blue muslin gown with a high waist line and an A frame that hugged her as she walked. She was of good height, quite graceful and incredibly enchanting. Sir Edward’s jaw dropped as he felt his heartbeat quicken. Gone was the hoyden and in her place was an exquisite beauty.
Chapter Five
MADISON LANDS WERE extensive, richly irrigated and wisely cultivated. Its tenants prospered because its landlord’s interests had always centered on his estates. Not for Thomas Madison the lures of London, the temptation of the gaming tables, or the promise of speculation in industry.
Rumors had always flown that Mr. Madison’s roots were less than noble, that in fact, his great-grandfather had been a mill owner in the North and his original money had come from this source. It was certainly possible, for the Madison family had only been installed at the manor for some forty years.
More than once, the late Lord Francis Berkley had gazed at his neighbor’s lands and sighed. Madison prospered, while Berkley fell into ruin. The late Lord Berkley wasn’t the sort to look inward, find the fault and repair. He took his troubles to the gaming tables, to the races when the tables were cruel, and finally into investment schemes that quickly ate up what he had left and then what he had borrowed.
Now both Thomas Madison and Frances of Berkley were gone.
Both had left all that they owned to their immediate heirs. In Madison’s case, he had only his wife and his only child, a daughter, Georgina.
Georgina was not quite a raving beauty, but she had an air about her that made a man take note. She was of good height, good figure and her auburn hair was long and luxurious. She had a lively mind and was quite ahead of her times in her way of thinking. In fact, it was what had frightened off any would be suitors to date. She was ever ready to go on about matters that dealt with women’s rights and she did so with vigor.
Her closest and dearest friend, Star, was forever telling her that she was like no other female and was caught up in quite the wrong times. Georgina refused to use a ladies’ saddle, not because she was a ‘neck or nothing’ equestrian, but because she saw no sense in it.
These thoughts and others crashed in her active mind as she rode her steed across the fields on her way to Berkley to visit with Star.
Wayward locks blew in her face. She grabbed them and shoved them away from her eyes and thought with a grimace that she should have braided her hair earlier, for it was getting windier by the moment.
Anxious, she hurried her horse onward for Star had sent round a note asking her to visit her. She wondered and worried, for Star would not have been so cryptic unless there was a problem.
She knew that Vern was ill and hoped he had not taken a turn for the worse.
Thinking of Vern made her sigh. Star’s brother was showing a marked interest in her and it made her feel quite uncomfortable. She had known him most of her life and had always thought of him in brotherly terms. She knew he was in dangerous financial straits. Could it be he was interested in making a match of it to gain control of her wealth? She hoped not.
She understood that this was the way of aristocratic life. Marriages of co
nvenience were common, even sought after, but that was not what she wanted.
She also knew that a union between them was smiled upon by her sickly mother, for it would serve to have her only child married to a Lord of the Realm and installed nearby. Georgie understood a marriage to Vern would help him set Berkley to rights. She couldn’t marry a man she didn’t love, even to help him and her dearest friend.
In spite of her modern, practical and radical views, which encompassed some very intriguing opinions about romance and sex, she still withheld the hope that when she married it would be to someone who loved and respected her.
Some moments later she had given her horse to the head (and at the moment only) groom at Berkley, Jeffries. She marched up to the house where she made her way to the kitchen door and was met by Dilly, the Berkley’s day servant.
The woman’s mop cap was askew and Georgina smiled and set it in place for her saying, “There, Dilly, much better.”
Dilly bobbed her head, “Thankee miss.”
It was then that Georgina realized that Dilly was covered in flour and laughed, “Look at you, whatever has happened?”
“Yikes, miss, Oi went and did it this time, Oi did. Spilled a tin of flour…and we jest can’t at such a time… Cook will ‘ave m’head, she will.”
Georgie laughed, “Never you mind. Cook is all bark and very little bite. I’ll have my people send over two tins. How is that?”
“Why, miss, grand ye are.”
Georgina smiled, “Where is Miss Star?”
Dilly perked up proudly, “Entertaining she is, as she should be. Poor thing, stuck here all the time when she should be going to balls and sech.” She shook her head, “Ye know she has been working the stables, mucking out and sech. It isn’t right. Ye both should be in London…dancing and laughing.”
Georgina sighed, “With Mama so ill, tis impossible. Star and I go on nicely just as we are.” However, she had a moment of weakness as she imagined Star and herself waltzing around a ballroom floor. She frowned at herself and said, “Entertaining, you say?”
“Aye, two gentlemen,” Dilly dimpled. “One for each of ye.” This sent the young woman off onto a peal of giggles.