off within weeks of each other by a vicious bout of influenza, and he inherited the title soon after he was one-and-twenty. From being a carefree young man he suddenly found himself with half a dozen estates and hundreds of people dependent upon him. And things were not so comfortable as they are now. The old lord had spent so much on improvements to Adversane that the finances were severely stretched when Ralph took over. He has had to struggle to rebuild the family fortunes. He needed a steady nerve and a firm hand on the reins to bring it back to prosperity. He demanded that everything should be done his way and it has worked. The fortune is restored.’
‘But he rules his household with a will of iron,’ objected Lucy.
‘All the Cottinghams are strong-willed, my dear, and as the heir and only son, Ralph’s will has never been opposed. Is it any wonder that he has grown used to his own way? That was why his marriage to Helene was so fortuitous. She was all compliance and perfectly suited to his temperament.’
‘Perfectly suited to make him even more despotic,’ declared Lucy. ‘The poor lady must have been wholly downtrodden.’
Ariadne quickly disclaimed.
‘He never bullied her, I am quite certain of it. But then, Helene was so very sweet-natured, I doubt she ever gave him cause to be angry.’
‘Well,’ said Lucy, thinking of the small sum she had sewn into the hem of her travelling cloak, ‘Lord Adversane may be as autocratic and demanding as he wishes, but I shall not allow him to bully me, and so I shall tell him!’
* * *
However, Lucy had no opportunity to tell Lord Adversane anything that evening, for when she joined Mrs Dean in the drawing room before dinner she learned that their host had gone off to visit friends and would not be back for two days. The news left her feeling a little disconsolate and she gave a little huff of exasperation.
‘And how am I supposed to learn everything I need to know if he is not here?’
‘My dear, no one will expect you to know everything about Ralph,’ replied Mrs Dean, looking amused. ‘In fact, I doubt anyone could do that.’
‘I beg your pardon, Ariadne, it is just that... Well, I had worked myself up to challenge him about his high-handed ways and now I feel a little...cheated.’
‘You enjoy confronting him?’
Her shocked expression made Lucy smile.
‘I like matters out in the open wherever possible.’
She thought of her uncle’s unwanted attentions and felt a little guilty that she had not brought that out into the open, but it would have caused too much distress to her mother and her aunt. Lucy had every reason to be discreet in that case. Lord Adversane, however, was another matter entirely. She added a little pugnaciously, ‘If that means confronting your cousin, I will not shirk from it.’
‘Then perhaps it is as well Ralph is away, or we should see the sparks fly,’ retorted Mrs Dean, chuckling. ‘Never mind, my dear, there is plenty for us to do. You can help me with the arrangements for the forthcoming house party. The guests have already been invited, of course—Ralph has seen to that—but there are the rooms to be allocated, furniture to be arranged, menus to be planned.’
‘And just who is invited, Ariadne?’
‘Well, there are Ralph’s two sisters and their husbands,’ said Mrs Dean, counting them off on her fingers. ‘Adam Cottingham—Ralph’s cousin and heir—and his wife, or course. And Sir James and Lady Preston.’
‘Do you mean the late Lady Adversane’s parents? But surely they will not wish to come to Adversane—’
‘Oh, yes, they will! They are even bringing their daughter Charlotte with them.’
‘But—do they know, about me?’
‘Oh, lord, yes. Ralph told them himself when he invited them to come and stay.’
‘And they still accepted his invitation?’
‘Yes. I doubt they hesitated for a moment.’ She patted Lucy’s arm. ‘I do not think I am speaking out of turn if I tell you that the Prestons virtually threw Helene at Adversane. They wanted her to marry well. Lady Preston would have preferred a higher title, perhaps, but the Cottinghams are an old family. Their line goes back to the Conqueror. And besides that, Ralph’s wealth made him a very acceptable parti.’
Lucy frowned. ‘But surely they will not be comfortable staying here, knowing what happened two years ago.’
‘As to that, they must feel it, of course, as we all do, but life must go on. Ralph’s sisters are already pressing him to marry again, which is why he has installed you here. And I hear even Lord Preston has been hinting that young Charlotte could fill her sister’s shoes.’
‘But that is monstrous.’
‘It is hard-headed sense,’ replied Ariadne drily. ‘Preston will naturally want to maintain his connection with Adversane, if he can.’
Byrne came in to tell them that dinner awaited them and no more was said that evening about the house guests, but Lucy thought she understood a little better now just why Adversane had hired her.
* * *
The following days were spent in preparations for the forthcoming house party. Ariadne took Lucy on a tour of the east wing, preparatory to allocating the guest rooms. There was also a trip to Ingleston to buy additional gloves and slippers to go with all her new clothes. It was like being caught up in a very pleasant whirlwind, thought Lucy. She loved being busy and happily threw herself into all the arrangements. She discussed menus with the housekeeper and accepted the gardener’s invitation to show her around the gardens and select the flowers she would require for the house. Lucy discovered that the staff was eager and willing to help, and once she had accustomed herself to the thought that she was regarded as the next Lady Adversane she found she could work very well with them all. It was impossible for Lucy not to enjoy herself, but at the back of her mind was the realisation that this would not last. At some point she would have to leave Adversane.
She pondered the idea as she sat at her open bedroom window, where the night air was scented with summer flowers.
‘And when that day comes I shall go with many happy memories,’ she told herself, smiling up at the sliver of moon suspended in the clear sky. ‘Until then, I shall continue to enjoy every minute of my stay here!’
* * *
Lord Adversane returned the following afternoon. His arrival coincided with the first delivery from the dressmaker. He walked into the morning room to find Lucy and his cousin surrounded by a chaotic jumble of gowns and boxes and tissue paper.
‘Ralph, my dear, you are back!’ Ariadne smiled at him and waved a hand at the disorder. ‘Mrs Sutton and her assistants must have been sewing night and day to have so many things finished already.’
‘Evidently,’ he murmured. ‘I trust the gowns are to Miss Halbrook’s satisfaction?’
Lucy had been feeling a little shy and not sure how to greet him after their last confrontation, but the challenging look in his eye roused her spirit.
‘They are indeed,’ she replied. ‘I have yet to try them on, but the styles and colours cannot be faulted. You have impeccable taste, my lord.’
‘Handsomely said, madam.’ He grinned at her, then cast a faintly bewildered glance about the room. ‘I am definitely de trop here, so I will go away and change out of all my dirt.’
‘Oh, dear, how remiss of me,’ cried Ariadne, ‘Have you been travelling all day, Cousin? Shall I ring for refreshments?’
‘No need,’ he said, going back to the door. ‘I shall ask Byrne to send something up to me. I shall see you at dinner.’
‘My lord!’ Lucy called him back. As he turned she held up two of the new creations, saying innocently, ‘I have