Raven McAllan - The Lord’s Persuasion of Lady Lydia

‘So you think so?’

‘Ah…’ What had she agreed to? ‘I’m sorry, but?’ She smiled wryly, and the Countess sighed.

‘You don’t mean it, do you? In fact, I would hazard a guess you didn’t even hear what I said.’

Lydia shrugged. ‘I apologise, Mama. I must be such a trial to you, but really I would rather darn stockings than be here, and we both know how bad I am at that.’

‘No, not a trial, just so difficult for me to understand,’ her mama said slowly. ‘I love you dearly, child, but I admit I’m at a loss, I really am. How can anyone not enjoy being here at the heart of everything during the season?’

Lydia smiled and patted her parent’s hand, touched more than she could have imagined by her mama’s confession. She had always felt an oddity her parents couldn’t cope with. To hear her mama say she loved her daughter was something special. ‘I must be the exception to the rule. I love you too, Mama, but I can only be myself for all I wish I could be what you want.’ She sighed. ‘Ah well, soon you won’t need to worry over me. Less than three weeks and I’ll be my own responsibility in Devon.’ She intended to reiterate that fact at every opportunity she got.

Her mother opened her mouth but happily Lydia was able to forestall her, as another carriage drew up and her closest friend, Esther Cranswick, waved from it. Dressed in the highest fashion on a shade of blue that suited her, Esther was everything the Countess wished her daughter to be.

‘Lyddie, shall we walk?’ Esther asked after acknowledging the Countess. ‘It is such nice weather for a stroll.’

A reprieve. Lydia turned to her mama. ‘May I?’

The Countess acquiesced. After all, Esther had married well, and Lydia knew her mama hoped Esther would introduce her to someone who, in the Countess’s words, Lydia would allow into her world. As long as it was someone of whom the Countess approved.

Like Lord Birnham? Argh, get him out of my head. He would never find the real me attractive.

Their coachman helped Lydia descend from the barouche, and within minutes she and Esther were arm in arm and walking sedately down the prescribed pathway for young ladies.

‘So,’ Esther asked as soon as they were out of earshot. ‘How is everything progressing, and what’s this I hear about Lord Birnham escorting you for a turn on the terrace at Lady Raith’s? Trust it to be on the one night I wasn’t there. I thought he had helped earlier? Tell me all.’

Lydia squeezed her friend’s arm. ‘Truly, there is very little to tell. He did the pretty after that horrible Norbert Donkin almost knocked me to the ground when Donkin was so bosky, he didn’t even see me. Lord Birnham came to my aid. He was sober, of course. Lord Birnham, I mean,’ she added as an afterthought. ‘Or at least if he wasn’t he hid it well. Then at Lady Raith’s I turned my ankle after I stepped awkwardly on the lintel. Lord Birnham saw me limping and noted I looked a little pale. He insisted to Lady Raith that she tell me to let him escort me for a turn on the terrace. Said it would do me good. I had no option but to agree or cause a scene. I might annoy my mama a lot, but not intentionally, so we walked from one end to the other and then he very properly left me.’

‘Hmm.’

Esther sounded sceptical, which, Lydia mused, wasn’t surprising. Sometimes the truth did sound strange and far-fetched.

‘What does your mama say about that?’

Lydia shrugged, not as insouciant as she portrayed. ‘Not a lot yet, but I am not holding my breath she’ll stay silent. You know Mama. She still can’t accept I prefer spinsterhood and the country life to marriage and the giddy whirl of tonnish life.’

‘Do you really?’ Esther asked her, shrewdly. ‘You honestly do not want to marry and have children? To be loved and love back, like I have.’ She favoured Lydia with a piercing stare. ‘You are good with children – I swear you would be a perfect wife and mother.’

They skirted two other young ladies coming towards them, passed pleasantries and walked on. Lydia composed a reply that wouldn’t show how she was torn.

‘How many marriages do you know like yours?’ Lydia asked, as she supressed a pang of envy for her friend’s marriage. ‘You and Edward are the exception. Most of our peers are wed for convenience not love, and once the heir is sorted go their own ways. I could not and would not countenance any such thing. I’d rather be single.’ It was impossible to put into words how she had seen her mama wither and resort to entertainments outside the home.

‘Well, I know I’m indeed fortunate,’ Esther said quietly. ‘But who is to say you wouldn’t be so as well?’

Lydia shrugged. ‘As I actively repel suitors, it is not likely. After all, I’m almost on the shelf, an old maid, an ape leader, call it what you will; it’s hardly likely now, is it?’ She ignored the thought that Lord Birnham had spent that little time with her, and not appeared repelled, or that she hadn’t disliked his attention. It was a once in a lifetime attention from him, she realised that. ‘I could never countenance anything where I was a convenience. No, I’ll retire to Devon and be happy.’ Or as happy as possible. Why, when her goal was so close, was the thought of a single life not as appealing as it had been before? ‘Now let’s change the subject,’ she said hastily, blocking her wayward thoughts. ‘Have you decided what you want to do with the decorations in your sitting room yet? Did you commission those chairs you liked?’

As she hoped, Esther, after one understanding and loving glance at her, picked up the new thread and chatted about her colour schemes and the chairs she desired and which Edward insisted were as comfortable as sitting on a nail. ‘And I swear they are not,’ she said indignantly and then coloured as Lydia stared at her sceptically. ‘Not really. Oh, look…’ Esther changed the subject as she tugged them both to a halt. ‘There’s Edward over there and well, well, look who’s with him. And they’re coming this way.’

Lydia looked and groaned. ‘Why?’ Did she have a placard over her head saying ‘Here I am. Come and annoy me’?

‘Why what?’ Esther waved as her husband and his companion approached on horseback. ‘Why should they not? Oh, you surely are not worried that Harry Birnham will speak to be civil and only be punctilious, are you, Lyddie? He’s not like that.’

‘All men who have any manners at all – with, yes, all right, the exception of your Edward – are like that,’ Lydia said wryly. ‘And even he can say all that is necessary if need be and not realise he is saying it. However, I promise I won’t be rude, and will act the well-brought-up lady I am expected to be.’

Esther harrumphed and looked very sceptical. However, she had no chance to argue before her husband and Lord Birnham were upon them.

Lydia made a split-second assessment of the situation and breathed a sigh of relief. As the men were on horseback, she reasoned there would be little likelihood of more than a brief exchange of words.

She was wrong.

Both men dismounted as they drew up, and as if by magic a groom appeared to take hold of the horses and walk them. Edward nodded his thanks and bent to kiss Lydia’s hand and his wife’s cheek. ‘Well met, ladies. We thought it was you both as we made our way down the row. Harry, you know Esther, of course, and this, I’m sure you realise, is Lady Lydia Field. My wife’s closest friend and confidante.’

Lydia narrowed her eyes. What was Edward playing at? Why was all this information necessary? Then she had another even more disturbing thought. What information had Harry shared? If Esther knew of her previous meeting with Lord Birnham it was a certainty her husband did as well.