Janet Aylmer: Julia and the Master of Morancourt

As so often happened, Mama seemed to think that Julia had deliberately not ridden with Jack because she was being difficult, rather than it being the consequence of the headstrong way that Sophie had behaved.

“Mama, Jack Douglas is a really good horseman,” said Sophie, “and we had such fun together out in the park.”

Their mother was less interested in that than whether Julia had been able to have any private conversation with him.

“Mama,” said Julia, “I have already tried to explain that I didn’t ride with Jack Douglas, so I couldn’t have any private conversation with him. But he didn’t seem to be the kind of young man of whom you would approve.”

“The visit was not arranged for you to decide whether I would like the young man,” her mother said in her dismissive way. “Papa made the journey so that you could have an opportunity to meet him.”

Julia decided not to argue.

Her mother had always valued people with a title and inherited property above those who had made their own way in the world. Odd really, thought Julia, since Mama herself did not come from a long-established family.

“Harry Douglas is the kind of man who has always had to buy his own furniture.”

“Buy his own furniture? Mama, what do you mean?” asked Sophie.

“A self-made man has not had the opportunity to inherit handsome furniture, or indeed an estate, from their parents or grandparents. They would have to buy such things themselves, Sophie.”

“But what would Mr. Douglas have bought the Norton Place estate with, Mama? Did you not tell me that it is a very valuable property?”

“I’ve been told that his father was a farmer in only a small way of business. Harry Douglas bought Norton Place with money that he had made himself from trade. His late wife, whose father was a baronet, did have a handsome dowry, but Mr. Douglas himself does not come from a long-established family like the Brandons.”

“If they are not a suitable family for us to associate with, why did we go to see Jack Douglas yesterday?” said Sophie.

“I did not say that they were an unsuitable family, Sophie, only that they were not long established. In any case, Papa particularly wanted Julia to go, and it was Mr. Douglas who suggested that you should accompany them. He has been a good friend to Papa, and he did his best to help us when we had the problem with the bank’s failure.”

“Jack did not seem to be very interested in Julia,” said Sophie. “I thought that he liked me better!”

“He seemed to like animals much better than people in general,” responded her sister.

Their mother decided to change the subject.

“Julia is going next week with Papa to meet Lord Brandon, the heir to the earldom. His family is very wealthy by inheritance, and would provide handsomely for the wife of their eldest son. As you know, Julia is already very friendly with his cousin Emily.”

“I think,” said Sophie, “that Julia likes Freddie, his brother, much better than she does Dominic.”

“You,” said her elder sister, “know nothing about it, and I would be grateful if you would mind your own business!”

For once, their mother frowned at Sophie and told her to keep quiet.

“What did you think of Jack’s father, Harry Douglas?” said her mother.

“I liked him. He has a rather rough and ready way of speaking compared to many people that we know, but he seemed to be a fair-minded person, someone who could be relied upon in a difficult situation, and he was very understanding when referring to David. In fact, he was very pleasant to me in all our conversation.”

Mama did not look impressed by this description.

“And the mansion and the park at Norton Place?”

Julia was beginning to feel rebellious at all this questioning. “It is a gracious house, quite large and very well kept, although perhaps missing a woman’s touch in the furnishings. We only saw part of the park, but Sophie will have told you that there are extensive rides across the grounds.”

“It is a pity,” said her mother again, “that you did not ride with Jack Douglas rather than with his younger brother.”

“You can blame that on Sophie, for it was she who rushed off soon after we got there to get her riding boots, and went off so quickly to the stables with Jack Douglas. That left me no choice but to go with his brother Kit. We had considerable difficulty in catching up with them.”

Her mother, always unwilling to consider any fault in Sophie, frowned and was about to speak again when the housekeeper, Mrs. Andrews, came into the room.

“There is a package in the hall from Mr. Douglas for Miss Julia.”

Mrs. Andrews had obviously been impressed by the messenger, for she ventured to add, “It was delivered by a tall young gentleman, ma’am.”

“A package from Mr. Douglas, how exciting! What can it be?” said Sophie, rushing ahead of her sister towards the hall to inspect the parcel.

Julia, following more slowly with her mother, was puzzled. Why would Harry Douglas want to send her a package, and by a special messenger? She took the parcel—a neatly wrapped box—and carefully undid the ribbon and took off the paper wrapping.

Underneath, inside the silk-lined box, was a new pair of red leather shoes.

“Maybe they were sent by Jack Douglas!” exclaimed Sophie.

“I don’t think that is very likely,” said Julia, very quietly.

“How kind,” said Mama, coming up behind them to look at the contents of the box. “Perhaps your old shoes could not be found? These are such good quality, and just the right size for you, Julia. I have to admit that they are a thoughtful gift.”

Sophie looked disgruntled, for she felt that she was more than due for a new pair of shoes, and not her elder sister.

“I wish that I had lost my old shoes, then he would have sent some to me!”

Julia said nothing and, as soon as she could, put the shoes back in the box and slipped away to the privacy of her bedroom.

There, she sat on her bed and looked at the box. She lifted the lid and ran her hand around the lining of white figured silk. Then she lifted the shoes out, one by one, and put them on the bed cover. The smooth red leather was of the highest quality, and the shoes had been beautifully lined with grey silk, with a pale grey silk cord binding.

She looked at the shoes for a long time, running the tips of her fingers along the leather and turning them over and then back. Then she caught sight of a small folded piece of paper nestling on the silk inside the box. She picked it up and loosened the seal, unfolded the edges, and read the words written on the paper.

There was a short message in neat handwriting that said, “As I know that you like red shoes, I hope that you will accept these. They were made for a lady who did not have the chance to wear them. Thank you for visiting us yesterday.”

Julia read, and then reread, the message. She recognized the writing. The gift had not come from Jack Douglas, or from his father. And from the description of the messenger, he had taken the trouble to deliver the shoes himself, since neither Jack nor his father could accurately be described as a tall young gentleman.

But Kit Douglas knew exactly where Julia had left her old shoes.

She had taken them off in the hall to put on her riding boots, and it was he who had given them to the butler for safekeeping. A servant could have been told to return them to her, so why had Kit Douglas not arranged that? And why had he wanted her to have these particular shoes, or decided to deliver them himself?

Julia folded the piece of paper neatly and put it back on the silk in the bottom of the box. Then she placed the shoes on top of the paper and replaced the lid on the top of the box.