CHAPTER 8

Rachel did not see the subject of their discussion the next day at either of the meal times. She gathered that Galatea was finally foaling and as the head groom, he was busy in the stables. But when the day came for the proposed shopping trip to London, she found him ready at the reins of the family carriage as she hustled the excited girls towards the vehicle. James being required at the house that day to help polish the silver, Mr. Fairfax was the only male escort on their London outing. He promptly leapt down to give them a hand, and gave her a half-salute when she smiled her thanks at him. There was no time to talk unfortunately, so she settled inside as the carriage set off smoothly on its journey.

What a great difference between this ride and her drive towards Carillon Hall, nearly a week ago! The Herringfords’ carriage was very comfortably upholstered, and they were almost in London before Rachel was aware of it. Of course, the amusing company was also greatly responsible for making the time fly. The three girls discussed what kinds of music they wanted to get in town, and Rachel was intrigued to hear that they were willing to try out different instruments instead of simply sticking with the pianoforte. Though she had never had any professional training with the violin and was wary of teaching it, she was adept at playing wind instruments and promised to look at beginners’ flutes in the shops for them.

An hour later, they could be found in the renowned music store London Chimes poring over endless shelves of sheet music and ecstatically trying out the various instruments in the display room. While Alicia quickly tired of the bewildering array and decided to stick to singing and the piano, Diana flitted from instrument to instrument with an awed look on her face and had to be literally dragged from the store.

“Oh but Miss Warren, just look at this Steinway over here! I have never heard such mellow notes from a piano before!” she gushed ecstatically. “And just listen to this – it is a mandolin, its strings are different from a violin’s and it creates this unique note…” Rachel let her chatter on while filing away this information in her brain for later, and decided to ask Mr. Herringford if a music instructor could be arranged for Diana – her interest seemed to verge on passion and deserved a better tutor than an amateur like herself. And unlike Miss Timbley, I am not ashamed to admit to the fact if my student’s future depended upon it, she added in her mind.

Finally they called Andrew to help them carry the several bundles of music into the carriage, and sat down with similar expressions of contentment. They had bought a simple bamboo flute and Rachel promised both the girls that if they showed aptitude for it, she will request their father to order a beautiful crystal flute like the one they had seen in the display window. As for the longing way in which Diana was speaking about mandolins, harps and violas, Rachel hoped that she would be able to give the little girl some good news soon.

Their next stop was in the store selling painting supplies and, while Diana sedately went to inspect the brushes and oil paints to replenish her own stock, Alicia looked like she was in her personal heaven. She was overjoyed at the different effects which she could gain with charcoal in her clever hands, and whipped out a silhouette of the London road visible from the window under the shop proprietor’s bemused eyes. The trio left the store with enough drawing materials to last her for the next several months.

Though Rachel’s heart bled to have come so near her family and yet not see them, she knew that she could not rightfully expect anything like that now when she was in charge of two girls. She reminded herself to omit any details of her London trip in her next letter to her brothers in case they failed to understand.

I will see them on Sunday, in any case, she told herself optimistically. She knew her mother missed her. Mrs. Warren’s letters were all kindly and optimistic, but still missing that spicy humour which signified peace of mind for her, and was a predominant characteristic of her letters in happier days. “Ah well, I should be happy for small mercies instead of asking for the moon,” Rachel told herself wryly. At least, she’s trying to remain positive.

                                                             Xxxxx

While stopping at an inn to partake of refreshments, the young women had an unexpected encounter. As they were chattering gaily about the purchases of the day, a discreet cough behind them made them swivel their heads. Immediately, a wide smile suffused the faces of both Diana and Alicia.

“Uncle Fred! Fancy seeing you here!”

A tall man stood behind them, with his hat in his hands. He was powerfully built and appeared to be in his early thirties, though there was a worldly look about his eyes which made him look older. Dressed in the latest fashion and sporting a thin moustache as dark as his hair, he swept a courtly bow which appeared to encompass all three of them.

“Indeed, sweet ladies. I had never thought that when I set out today on the dreary round of calls I indulged in every day, I would end up having the good fortune of meeting my two wonderful nieces and,” his steel-grey eyes lingered on Rachel for a disconcerting instant, “such a charming young lady… and that too in a mundane place like an inn. This is fate indeed! Would you not introduce me to this lovely lady, Diana?”

Slightly flustered at her omission of good manners, Diana introduced Rachel to the unknown man who turned out to be a cousin of Mrs. Herringford, the Viscount Edgerton. Though Rachel smiled at him graciously and talked as propriety dictated, she could not help but feel vaguely repulsed by him all the time. She could not put a finger on her exact emotions, but she knew that all her instincts were telling her not to trust him and to be guarded in his presence at all times. She tried to push such fanciful thoughts away when she saw how friendly the girls acted with him.

“He can’t be all bad if they like him so much,” she admonished herself. “It might be the general tone of high society to act so…intimate with people they meet. I ought to feel flattered rather than repelled by the attentions of such an elevated person.” And when her heart reminded her how trusting her instincts had saved her skin more than once, and that belonging to the peerage did not necessarily make a person a gentleman, she rebuked the doubting heart soundly.  “It does not matter what I feel about him, since I will not be meeting him again. Most importantly, I should be sociable and pleasant towards a close relation of my employer’s.”

With such resolutions in her mind, she managed to keep an agreeable flow of conversation going with him till it was time for them to return home. He assisted them all into the carriage and, though her brain screamed that Lord Edgerton was holding her hand in a most inappropriate way and far longer than necessary, she forced herself to smile at him in thanks before sinking back in her seat with an inaudible sigh of relief. Her feelings of unease lasted throughout the return journey.

                                                             Xxxxx

After the girls had got down from the carriage and were on their way inside, Rachel tried to collect as many rolls of music as she could to help whichever maid will be coming out in a moment to carry the rest. A soft knock on the carriage door stopped her midway in her self-appointed task.

“Don’t you worry about them sheets Miss; I’ll carry them inside for you. You go in ease; I will be along soon as I’ve stabled the horses.”

Rachel turned to look into the intense green eyes of – the coachman, of course. “Thank you, Mr. Fairfax,” she said slowly as she descended from the vehicle (holding onto a warm, strong hand this time). “That is very kind of you. Speaking of stables and horses, how is Galatea now?”

A smile illuminated Andrew Fairfax’s face, complete with dimples. “Mother and child both doing fine now, though she worried us some last evening. The feisty little thing didn’t want to come out so soon, and was adamant about resting a bit more before making its grand entrance, as it were. But all’s well that ends well, and Galatea now has a little foal with perfect limbs and a stubborn temperament to care for.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful!” Rachel clapped her hands impulsively. “Has the foal been named yet? Is it male or female?”

“It’s a female, and the Mistress has been along and named her ‘Artemis’ this morning. Like as not, she’s hoping that the foal will become attached to Miss Diana and prove herself as a great Goddess of the Hunt as well.” he answered readily, the smile now approaching a grin.

Rachel burst out laughing. But suddenly Fairfax seemed to recall himself and, mumbling something about seeing to the horses, quickly started busying himself with their halters. Rachel was left with nothing to do but mount the sweeping flight of steps at the entrance of the house, her hands empty and mind full.

                                                             Xxxxx

That night in her room, Rachel came to a number of conclusions.

1-    Andrew Fairfax was the coachman-groom of Carillon Hall.

2-    His cultivated manner of speaking, that had initially attracted her attention towards the man, was unmistakably gone now.

3-    Yet, he was knowledgeable about the Classical languages and mythology, at least enough to translate the Greek name Artemis into ‘Goddess of the Hunt’ and to know that Diana was the Roman equivalent of Artemis.

4-    Rosie seemed to have strong feelings for him, though they were confused at the moment. Perhaps, he also returned them in kind.

Finally, Rachel realized with a shock the most incriminating fact of them all;

-       Considering that he erased all memories of an eventful day with a very ordinary and brief conversation, she was more intrigued by him than was good for her.