Janet Aylmer: Julia and the Master of Morancourt

Julia held her breath and almost closed her eyes in concentration as the moment came for Sophie’s mount to jump the wall.

“Oh, thank goodness,” she said, “she’s over safely.”

“Yes—she did very well. But my brother did not. Look to the right, can you see—his mount refused and he was tangled in the reins as he fell.”

“Oh, I do apologise. I had quite forgotten about your brother. Is he hurt?”

“Probably not, but he will not be pleased that your young sister has shown him up. Perhaps one day he will learn not to show off. My father will be delighted that your sister had such success compared to Jack!”

He turned in the saddle as he spoke and caught her surprised expression.

“I can see that you disapprove?”

“I would not speak of my father like that,” said Julia slowly.

“But it’s true. Am I being harsh? Perhaps so—Jack usually does what he wants to, whether it is sensible or not. He will not help our father manage the rest of the estate. I would love to do that, but I am not the elder son. That is one reason why I went off to make my career in Spain, as an officer in Wellington’s army, but this wretched wound will probably prevent me from continuing that career—and anyway, now my father really wants me to stay in England.”

Julia was still annoyed with him, but she tried not to show it.

“Why would your father be delighted that Jack fell?” said Julia.

“Have you noticed, Miss Maitland, that when two people are quite alike in some ways, they sometimes take pleasure in each other’s misfortunes? That is how it is with my father and Jack, and I suppose it always will be. My father would have preferred to have had a daughter like you.”

“Like me? I don’t believe that he knows very much about me.”

“He already has a very good opinion of you, gained from your father. He knows how much Mr. Maitland depends on you since the loss of your brother.”

Julia was quite taken aback to find that tears came so quickly to her eyes at the mention of David’s death, and even more upset to realise that her companion had noticed.

He now spoke in quite a different tone of voice. “Please forgive me, Miss Maitland, I do apologise for mentioning a subject so painful to you. I never met your brother, but I heard an account of the battle, passed on by your father from Freddie Brandon.”

“It was not Freddie, but Dominic, the elder brother,” Julia said quietly. “I know Freddie quite well, as he is the same age as his cousin Emily, who is a great friend of mine. She has lived with their family since her parents died. We are visiting the castle next week, although I don’t know if Emily will be there.”

“So that will not be the reason for your visit?”

“No, but my mother insists that we go. She is too easily impressed by people with titles, and she is very determined that I should be.”

“We at least seem to have one thing in common then, Miss Maitland.”

“What is that?”

“That we are both getting rather tired of other people trying to take control of our lives. I would guess, from the way you put it, that you are not anxious to marry the son of an earl?”

“Freddie is good fun, but of course he is the younger brother, and not the person that my mama has in mind for me.” Then she remembered where she was, and why. “Should we not find out how your brother and Sophie are getting on down there?”

“Yes—you are quite right. If you will follow me, we can take another way from theirs, which is just as picturesque but not so likely to bring us to harm.” And he suddenly gave her a warm smile, which made her feel rather breathless.

Perhaps fortunately, at that moment they came around a bluff and then had a better view of the two riders. Riding steadily down the slope, she followed her companion until they reached the stone wall where Jack Douglas was still untangling himself from the reins and muttering under his breath.

Sophie had turned her own mount on the far side of the wall, and was riding back towards Jack Douglas as Julia asked him how he was.

“I’m all right, Miss Maitland, just a bit winded,” he said with more than a tinge of annoyance in his voice. “Your sister is a brave rider, and especially so on such a small mare.”

He remounted his horse rather painfully, and they all continued together. Julia noticed that, from then on, he did not try so hard to impress Sophie with his riding prowess.

The rest of the outing was uneventful, and after about two hours they returned to the stables where Reuben the groom awaited them with a message from their host. A light collation was ready in the dining room, where Mr. Douglas and Mr. Maitland were anxious to start their meal without delay.

“Well, Miss Sophie,” said her host, “have you enjoyed your ride, and meeting Jack and Kit?”

“Oh, yes, thank you so much, Mr. Douglas.”

“And you, Miss Maitland? Have you enjoyed your visit?”

Julia acknowledged that she had had a very pleasant afternoon.

“Your father was telling me that you have been reading books about the improvements to farming practice being introduced by Mr. Coke in Norfolk? I had been hoping that Jack would travel to Holkham Hall for the same reason.”

“I’m not interested,” Jack said. “We are doing well enough the way we are running the farm now.”

His father looked displeased. “Jack is not keen on anything new. You don’t see it that way, Miss Maitland?”

“No, sir, for the changes to the farm that our manager has made since he went there, to learn about the best crop strains and changes to the types of stock that we should use, have made quite a difference to the income from our estate land.”

“That is an unusual interest,” interjected Kit Douglas.

Julia jibbed at this. “You mean for a young lady, Mr. Douglas?”

She could see from the amused expression in his eyes that she had scored a hit.

But his father answered for her. “Lewis tells me that Miss Maitland is doing her best to help him in her brother’s place.”

Kit looked chagrined. “I do apologise, Miss Maitland—please forgive me, for a moment I had forgotten your very sad circumstances.”

“Perhaps you would not have me read books on that particular subject?” Julia said to him, with a wicked smile.

He acknowledged his error. “Touché, Miss Maitland! Are you going to confound me with my own remarks earlier this afternoon?”

“Although we shall not be able to stay on at Banford Hall after my father’s cousin inherits the estate.”

He nodded in understanding.

“You could say that I am wasting my time.”

“I doubt very much if you ever waste your time, Miss Maitland.”

Julia’s father smiled at this, but suggested that they should be on their way home soon.

“I do hope that you will both come again,” Mr. Douglas said, looking at his elder son. But Jack was too busy enjoying his plate of cakes and said nothing.

The journey back home was full of cheerful chatter between the sisters, whilst their father listened with approval. It was only when they entered the house that Julia suddenly remembered that she had left her old red shoes behind at the mansion.

Only an hour had passed on the following morning, but Julia was already feeling totally exhausted after trying to explain to her mother everything that had occurred during their visit to Norton Place.

Sophie, her mother’s favourite, had already given a highly coloured account of their day, the excursion that the sisters had taken, with Jack riding with Sophie and Kit Douglas with Julia, and Sophie’s success in jumping the wall when Jack’s mount had refused.