A Comfortable Wife

fashionably pale, she was elegantly gowned in figured muslin, her face set in lines of studied boredom. 'What a novel-quite exhausting-idea!' A cloud of heady perfume engulfed the reception party. Her ladyship's gaze shifted to Henrietta. 'I don't know how you could bear to handle all this, my dear. You must be positively prostrated. So naughty of Ruthven to expect it of you.'

'Nonsense, Selina!' Henrietta frowned and straightened her shoulders. 'If you must know, having a major gathering was my idea-Ruthven was merely good enough to humour me.'

'Indeed,' Philip drawled, releasing her ladyship's hand after the most perfunctory shake. He turned to Sir Miles. 'I can confirm that it was not my will that gave rise to today's entertainment.'

Sir Miles, bluffly genial, was a stark contrast to his wife. Chuckling, he pumped Philip's hand. 'No need to tell me that! Not a man here doesn't know what it's like.'

'As you say.' Philip's smile remained easy as he nodded to the girl who stood between Sir Miles and his wife. 'Miss Castleton.'

'Good afternoon, my lord.' Boldly, Miss Castleton presented her hand with the same dramatic flair as her mother. She accompanied it with an openly inviting, distinctly brazen look. Not as tall as Antonia, she was possessed of a full figure, more revealed than concealed by her fine muslin gown.

Philip glanced at her hand as if mildly surprised to find it hanging before him. He clasped it but fleetingly, his gaze, blank, shifting to Lady Castleton, then Antonia as he half-turned.

'Haven't introduced you to my niece.' Henrietta gestured to Antonia, adroitly deflecting attention from Miss Castleton, who promptly pouted. 'Miss Mannering.'

With a calm smile, Antonia held out her hand.

Lady Castleton's sharp, black-eyed gaze travelled over her; an arrested expression flitted over her pale face. 'Ah,' she said, smiling but not with her eyes. Briefly touching Antonia's fingers, she looked down at Henrietta. 'It's reassuring to see that you've found someone to act as companion at last.'

'Companion?' Henrietta blinked; Antonia noted her aunt's straight back but could not fault her guileless expression as she exclaimed, 'Oh-I keep forgetting you're newcomers!’ Henrietta smiled, all confiding condescension. 'No, no-Antonia's often visited here. Been her second home for years. Now her mama's passed on, she's naturally come to stay with me.' Turning, Henrietta squeezed Antonia's arm. 'But you're right in part-it's a great relief to have someone capable of organising all this sort of thing-exhausting at my age but, as you must know, quite one's duty.'

Antonia took her cue, smiling fondly at Henrietta. 'Indeed, but I assure you, aunt, I haven't found it exhausting at all.' Glancing up, still smiling, she met Lady Castleton's hard gaze. 'I'm quite used to organising such affairs-all part of a young lady's education, as my mama was wont to say.'

Lady Castleton's eyes narrowed. 'Indeed?' “Be that as it may,'' Philip said, deftly coming between Antonia and Henrietta, 'I believe it's time we adjourned to the terrace.' Capturing Antonia's hand, he tucked it into one elbow, then held his other arm rigid as Henrietta leaned heavily upon it. 'Sir Miles?'

'Indeed, m'lord.' Before Lady Castleton could reclaim the initiative, Sir Miles drew her arm through his, then offered his other arm to his daughter. 'Couldn't agree more. Let's go, what?'

Without a backward glance, Sir Miles ushered his ladies up the steps.

Philip waited until they were out of earshot, then glanced pointedly down at the ladies on his arms. 'Might I suggest, my dears, that we get this exhausting, exceedingly well-organised event underway?''

They saw Henrietta settled in her seat at one end of the long table, then Philip escorted Antonia to her chosen position halfway down the board. 'I never thought to say it, but thank heaven for Ladies Archibald and Hammond.'

As she sat, Antonia glanced at the head of the table where the two ladies in question, imposing matrons both, flanked Philip's empty chair. Settling her skirts, she cast a questioning glance up at him.

Philip bent close. 'They take precedence over Lady Castleton.' With a glint of a smile and a lifted brow, he straightened and moved away.

Antonia disguised her grin as a cheery smile; she hunted for Lady Castleton and found her seated on the opposite side, some places away, her exquisite features marred by an expression of disaffected boredom. Her ladyship's disdain, however, was not evinced by others; as the food, laboured over by Mrs Hobbs, Cook and a small battalion of helpers, appeared on the crisp damask cloth, genial conversation rose on all sides. As Fenton and his minions filled goblets and glasses, the festive atmosphere grew.

Philip proposed a toast to the company, then bade them enjoy the day. When he sat, the feast began.

From the corner of her eye, Antonia kept watch over the steady stream of maids carrying platters to the lower tables. To her mind, Philip's tenants were, in this instance, as important if not more so than his neighbours. Neighbours would be invited on other occasions; this was one of the few when tenants partook of their landlord's largesse. Trestles groaned as trays loaded with mouth-watering pastries, succulent savouries and roasted meats, together with breads, cheeses and pitchers of ale, were placed upon them. The company seemed in fine fettle; she could detect nothing but unfettered gaiety around the tables on the lawn.

She had wondered whether the noise from the lower tables would prove overwhelming. As she returned her attention to the conversations about her, she dismissed the thought; those on the terrace were more than capable of holding their own.

The long meal passed without incident, bar an altercation which arose at the table set aside for the tenants' children, which their fathers promptly quashed. When the fruit platters were all but empty, the boards were drawn; the dowagers and others ill-inclined to the games, contests and feats of skill slated to fill the afternoon, settled in their chairs on the terrace to enjoy a comfortable cose and possibly a nap in the warm sunshine.

The more robust of the guests adjourned to the lawns.

Straightening from having a last word with Henrietta, Antonia found Philip by her side.

When she looked her surprise, he raised a brow. 'You didn't seriously imagine I'd brave the dangers of the lawns without you to protect me?''

'Protect…?' Antonia temporarily lost her track when he drew her close, trapping her hand in the crook of his elbow. He was very large-and very hard; she was not yet accustomed to his nearness. 'What am I supposed to protect you against?' She managed what she felt was a creditably sceptical look.

Her nemesis merely smiled. 'Piranhas.'

'Piranhas?' Antonia cudgelled her brains as, with an elegant nod for the dowagers, Philip led her down the steps. 'I thought they were fish,' she said once they gained the lawns.

'Precisely. Social but carnivorous and definitely coldblooded.'

“On your lawns?''

'Indeed. Here comes a young one, now.'

Antonia looked up to see Miss Castleton bearing down upon them, arm linked with Honoria Mimms.

“Ah-Miss Mannering, is it not?'' Miss Castleton came to a halt directly before them. “Poor Honoria seems to have ripped her flounce.'

Looking thoroughly puzzled, Honoria was twisting about, trying to see her trailing flounce. 'I don't know how it happened,' she said. 'I felt it rip but when I turned around there was nothing for it to catch on. Luckily, Calliope was standing close by and told me how bad it was.'

'Perhaps, if you would be so good, Miss Mannering,' Calliope Castleton glibly broke in, 'you might take poor Honoria up to the house and help her to pin up her lace?''

Honoria blushed beet-red. 'Oh, I couldn't-! I mean, you have all your other guests…'

'Exactly,' Philip calmly interjected. 'As you've been such a good friend to Miss Mimms, Miss Castleton, I know you won't mind helping her to the terrace and asking one of the maids for assistance.' He bestowed a smile of calculated charm on Honoria Mimms. 'I'm afraid, my dear, that I have great need of Miss Mannering's talents at present.'

Miss Mimms was dazzled. 'Naturally, my lord.' Her eyes were wide and shining. 'I wouldn't dream of…of discommoding you.'

'Thank you, my dear.' Philip took her hand and bowed over it, his grateful smile enough to turn any young girl's head. 'I am in your debt.'

Honoria Mimms looked as if she would burst. Her round face alight, she grabbed Miss Castleton's arm. 'Come on, Calliope-I'm sure we can take care of this ourselves.'