Chapter 5

Chapter

Five

Kathryn

" G ood Lord," Kathryn murmured as she stared beyond the window of the carriage. The great streets of London were much busier than she had expected. Heavily reminded of the way ants hurried through cracks in the street, she watched the people bustling to and fro.

Maids carried boxes for their mistresses, as fine ladies laughed and linked arms with their friends. Gentlemen wandered on horses, some taking up great strides in the street, as others raced past with messages in their hands, eager to be delivered.

There was not a corner of the street where a person sat still. Everyone was active. The sheer energy had Kathryn resting a hand on the window of the carriage, peering out to see as much as she could. Eager to see even more, she pressed her head beyond the window, leaning dangerously out.

"Miss Fitzroy!" the footman called from the back of the carriage, shouting to be heard over the catcalls from those in the street that called to their friends to be heard. "Please, go back inside. What if a horse was to bolt past now?"

"Then I shall have to move fast," she declared with a laugh, having no intention of pulling herself back in yet.

When a rider did dart past, with a horse wildly out of control, she dropped herself back onto the coach bench as laughter tumbled from her lips. Gazing in awe at the street, she tried to commit everything to memory so she could put it in a letter later to tell Sebastian.

Maybe London has something to offer I did not consider before.

The carriage turned sharply off the main street, urging Kathryn to press her face through the space of the window, keen for one last view of all the busyness. She saw two young ladies walking beside one another with something in their hands, a type of magazine that they pointed at and talked of keenly.

I wonder what it is they are reading?

The carriage passed through a tall gate, heading toward a house that was set back from the road. Forced to retreat into the coach one more time, she sat back on the bench and looked down at what she was wearing, remembering her mother's last words to her.

"Wear these, they are appropriate," Clara had said as she pulled thin lace gloves onto Kathryn's hands. "Straighten your gown of creases when you arrive and make sure this sits right." She had reached for Kathryn's bonnet next and adjusted the bow under her chin.

"I'll miss you too, Mother."

Clara had embraced her tightly then, saying she would indeed miss Kathryn. The embrace was followed by another from her father, Horatio, who held on tight for many minutes.

"Look after yourself," he whispered, for her ears only. "And you can come home at any time. Write to me, and I shall send the carriage."

Kathryn's heart ached for missing her parents now, but she did as her mother asked, straightening the creases in her peach gown and adjusting the bonnet on her head. As the coach came to a stop, she lifted her head, feeling her chin drop as she took in the view of the house.

It was old indeed, yet grand, and strangely styled ‘The Manor Cottage' on a small sign beside the front door. There was nothing that seemed like a cottage about the building to Kathryn's eyes. It was large, made of red and grey stone, standing tall and proud, set back from the road with large and impressive gates.

"God's blood," she muttered quietly, feeling as out of place here as she did at her cousin's house, the Duke of Gordon's estate.

As the carriage halted and the footman moved to the door to open it for her, the front door of the house opened, and a grand lady stepped out. Something stirred in Kathryn's mind, and she realized she recognized the woman.

This was Lady Georgiana Bingley, who she had last seen three or four years ago, when she had come to call on Clara in Dorset. She stood tall, with a thin and wiry frame. She walked out of the house with a stick in one of her hands that she didn't lean too heavily upon. Shielding her eyes against the sunlight, her thin lips spread into a smile as her eyes found Kathryn's.

"Kathryn, child. It has been too long indeed," she declared warmly, striding out of the house as the butler and a young maid followed.

Kathryn stood and hurried down from the carriage, but in her eagerness to see the kind lady again, her foot got trapped in the hem of her gown.

"Oh!" Kathryn cried out as she fell through the air. The footman ended up knocked to the ground as she dropped to the floor. The two of them fell into a bundle, with their legs entangled as Kathryn planted her palms on the gravel driveway.

Realizing what a display she had made, she stayed there for a second, breathing deeply and taking stock of her position. Slowly, she lifted her head, finding Lady Georgiana had halted in front of her, with the stick thrust deep down into the ground.

"A lady does not fall getting out of a carriage, Kathryn." Despite the words, she smiled.

"I'm so sorry." Kathryn hurried to stand and managed to accidentally kick the footman.

"Oomph!" He was winded, scrambling to his knees.

She went to help him, taking his arm and dragging him up until she caught Lady Georgiana's expression. She still held onto that amusing smile but now raised an eyebrow. At that movement, Kathryn dropped the footman's arm and he as good as fell down again.

"Well, this is a good start," Kathryn murmured with a wry tone. "My mother will be pleased." She hurried to stand in front of Lady Georgiana and bob a deep curtsy.

"A good start indeed." A sudden laugh escaped Lady Georgiana's lips, one so strong that Kathryn's chin jolted upward. "You seem shocked, dear."

"I have made a spectacle of myself, have I not?" She gestured behind her where the footman was now being helped up by the driver. "I am sorry."

"There is no need. How to step out of a carriage is something that can be taught easily. Besides," she stepped forward and lowered her voice, so only Kathryn could hear her, "it was certainly more entertaining to see the way you do it."

Kathryn smiled, deciding that she rather liked Lady Georgiana even more than she remembered doing so.

"Now, come, come. There are some ladies inside I'd like you to meet. What fortunate timing it is for you to arrive as they are visiting."

Lady Georgiana led the way inside with Kathryn trailing behind. She offered one last apologetic glance to the footman who waved her off, clearly pretending it was nothing, though she felt even more guilty when he limped away.

Stepping into the house, Kathryn admired every corner. The fine ornaments on the sideboards and the paintings on the walls were all exquisite. Lady Georgiana took no note of her own ornaments though and pushed on toward the back of the house.

"Come on, come on. No dawdling, not when there are people to meet."

Kathryn hurried to catch up with her, stepping into a room at the back of the house that was flooded with sunlight thanks to the windows that stretched nearly from the floor to the ceiling and arched at the very top. Wicker chairs were darted about, standing between potted orange trees.

In two of those seats sat women who were looking over the same magazine that Kathryn had spied the women in the street reading. Behind them stood a third woman, striking in presence, with unusually large eyes, and such fine clothes that she had to be wealthy indeed.

"Ah, is this your cousin, Lady Georgiana?" the lady asked, rounding the other two who were seated to come toward Kathryn.

"One of them," Lady Georgiana explained. "This is Miss Kathryn Fitzroy, daughter to Baron Aldington. Kathryn, child, may I present to you the Duchess of Lestenmeer."

The Duchess bobbed a curtsy as Kathryn was left speechless. She hurried to curtsy but was rather afraid she would fall over again.

"Th-the author?" Kathryn managed to stammer aloud.

"Yes, that is me." The Duchess laughed off the words.

"I have read your books, your Grace." Kathryn had been gifted the first one by the Duchess a few years before from her mother. Since then, she was often found to be reading the Duchess of Lestenmeer's works. "I adore them."

"You are too kind."

"Careful not to compliment her too much," a jesting voice called from the chairs. "She has enough her own way as it is."

"Ah, Chloe!" The Duchess laughed heartily. "Forgive my sister-in-law, she always knows how to get to me." She gestured for the woman who had spoken to stand and walk forward.

Kathryn met her in the middle of the room, curtseying to her and admiring the deep black hair and green eyes.

"My sister-in-law, the Countess of Nightburn, and gown designer." The Duchess gestured to her.

Kathryn stalled again; certain she could find no words this time. The Countess of Nightburn's designs had been talked of much over the last two seasons in Dorset. Only the ladies of the ton who had relatives in London had managed to obtain some of her designs.

"Have I made you speechless?" the Countess asked, rubbing her hands together. "At last! I've been hoping my presence would stun someone one of these days. Between you and I, Miss Fitzroy," she pretended to whisper, conspiratorially, "I am hardly the woman my reputation perceives me to be. I am no great lady. Treat me as you would any other."

"Yes, and close your jaw, child," Lady Georgiana said at Kathryn's side. "A lady should not gawk so."

"My apologies." Kathryn felt daunted in a room of such successful women. The Duchess of Lestenmeer and the Countess of Nightburn were so at ease with one another, jesting, that Kathryn felt as if she was intruding in a private audience.

"And lastly, my daughter-in-law," Lady Georgiana declared, gesturing to the auburn-haired woman who lowered the magazine to a table behind her and smiled as she approached. She was a beauty, with small, sweet features.

Instead of curtseying to Kathryn, she took her hand.

"Forgive my informality," she said in a rush. "My poor mother-in-law sometimes despairs of me, but I was once a seamstress, so she forgives me my ways these days."

"Mostly," Lady Georgiana added, though she had a smile on her face as she approached the grandest of the wicker chairs and sat down. "My daughter-in-law is now the owner of that periodical you see over there." She gestured with her stick to the magazine on the wicker table.

"And very happy owner indeed. It is a magazine for women, have you ever heard of it, Miss Fitzroy?" Lady Bingley returned to the table and picked up the magazine, proffering it to Kathryn to read.

"I have not," Kathryn whispered in amazement as her eyes danced over the cover and her hands flicked through the pages. The opening page boasted of pieces written by The Gentlewoman Writer, as well as articles by the Duchess of Lestenmeer. The magazine, entitled A Woman's Periodical brought a laugh to Kathryn's lips. "Is there an intended double meaning to the title?"

"Completely," Lady Bingley added with a finger to her lips. "Though do not hint to any man it is the case for they seem to miss the jest entirely."

"Yes, I had rather wondered at that myself," Lady Georgiana said with narrowed eyes at her daughter-in-law. "Yet it has been going for so long now and it is so successful, one could hardly think of changing the title."

"Exactly."

Kathryn held onto the magazine tightly, so struck by the ladies in the room and what different lives they led that she was frozen to the spot.

They are like Arabella.

Her aunt shot into her mind, how Arabella had carved a path of her own in life, before she had married. A life where she worked for herself and did much for the good of others.

"It is fascinating to meet you," Kathryn said with eagerness to Lady Bingley. "I would dearly love to talk to you more about your work."

"Then we shall indeed find the opportunity to talk more, though I regret, we cannot stay for too long now." Lady Bingley looked at her mother-in-law. "Perhaps we could come back for a dinner this week to talk with your cousin?"

"Of course." Lady Georgiana offered a small smile and used her cane to suddenly walk toward one of the wicker chairs, sitting down heavily.

Kathryn followed her, noting there was a sudden tightness around the way that she smiled.

"Lady Georgiana? Is all well?"

"I…" Lady Georgiana took a deep breath and raised a hand, placing it to her chest for a moment. "That I do not know. I feel suddenly all… a quiver."

"A quiver? How so?" Lady Bingley dropped down on her other side, kneeling and reaching for the lady's hand with concern.

"I am certain I am quite well." Despite Lady Georgiana's insistence, there was a paleness in her pallor, and something distinctly wrong in her expression. Kathryn laid a hand to the lady's other wrist, offering comfort, though she discreetly reached for the woman's pulse, just as Arabella's notes had taught her to do. She felt the noticeable tremble of the pulse – it wasn't quite regular. Her widened eyes were clearly seen by Lady Bingley.

"Perhaps we should send for your doctor? Just in case." Lady Bingley took control, standing straight and turning to nod at Lady Nightburn who was already hurrying out of the room in search of some messenger.

"That is not necessary. I simply need to rest for a moment." Lady Georgiana breathed deeply. Yet she gripped the walking stick beside her harder too, seemingly barely aware that Kathryn had her wrist at all. "On second thoughts… yes, maybe Doctor Beille is a good idea." She breathed suddenly deeper, and Kathryn softened her hold on the woman.

As the other three ladies began to talk of ways to get the doctor there sooner, Kathryn thought of Arabella's notes. She'd read much about herbs that could keep the body and the heart calm. She wondered at once about the effects of chamomile, and whether it could be of use to Lady Georgiana now.

If only I knew more, then I might be able to be of use to her at this moment.

As they waited for the doctor's arrival, despite Lady Georgiana insisting she was perfectly well, subtly, she released the walking stick and took Kathryn's hand. It was a silent touch, but one that spoke volumes to Kathryn.

Lady Georgiana did not want to reveal that she was indeed a little afraid.