Lord Richard's Daughter by Joan Wolf

Author:Joan Wolf [Wolf, Joan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance
ISBN: 9780451156051
Publisher: Signet
Published: 1983-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

But all things are composed here

Like Nature, orderly and near....

—Andrew Marvell

The final month of the season came to a close at last and the ton prepared to desert London for the pleasures of the country. Julianne and the dowager duchess were to spend the month of August at Minton. The earl and countess had assembled a house party of friends and relatives who were anxious to meet the future Lady Rutherford—indeed, the future Lady Minton. In September the dowager duchess and her granddaughter would return home and in October there would be a house party at Crewe, hosted by the duke and duchess in honor of Lord Rutherford and his parents. In November the young people would finally be allowed to get married.

Julianne was very glad to return to Minton. The tranquillity of the house would soothe away her restlessness. She was pleased also to see Lord Minton again. He was everything she admired in a man: so good-humored, so intelligent, so utterly pleasant.

The Mintons had gathered a house party of some twenty people to meet Julianne and the dowager duchess. There were two of William’s aunts with their husbands, three of his uncles with their wives and six cousins. The others were close friends of the family—Mr. and Mrs. Lewis and Lord and Lady Boldock. At first Julianne had been disconcerted by the number of people; she had counted on Minton for tranquility. But the house party was very easygoing and all the people so comfortable with each other that she was soon reassured. The atmosphere was as pleasant and serene as she remembered.

In the mornings the guests pretty much did as they pleased. Breakfast was set out in the breakfast room to be partaken of whenever one should happen to arise. Or one could breakfast in bed if one chose. The gentlemen usually spent the morning reading in the library or riding out on one of the earl’s well-conditioned horses. The ladies drew or played a favorite instrument. The afternoons were devoted to lawn sports or the countess might organize a picnic or a visit to a local landmark. Dinner was served at seven o’clock, after which there was usually music and cards.

So passed the first week of August. Julianne was making a conscious effort to devote herself to Lord Rutherford. He was so kind, so steady, so civilized. She told herself a hundred times that she was lucky to have him. She would sit with him and ride with him and listen to his hunting stories for as long as he chose to tell them. She was so sweet about this that everyone watching the young couple together was charmed by their obvious compatibility. It seemed to be a marriage made in heaven.

The second week of August began with a flutter of activity. Lady Minton announced that she planned to hold a ball in honor of the newly engaged couple. “I would like some of our neighbors to meet dear Julianne,” she said, smiling graciously at her prospective daughter-in-law.

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