Read Online The Last of Lady Lansdown by Shirley Kennedy - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Shirley Kennedy
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calamities to light—pieces of the fleur-de-lis moldings had fallen and littered the floor, ugly water stains marred the pale lilac walls. Heaven only knew what else was wrong.
Mama, who tended toward the dramatic at times, pressed a forearm against a faded lilac wall, leaned her forehead against it and wailed, “This is horrible! We cannot live like this.” She turned and faced Jane with imploring eyes. “You must be expecting. You must. ”
Jane didn’t have the heart to smile at her mother’s desperate words, laughable though they were. Nor could she bring herself to point out yet again the utter impossibility that she might be carrying the earl’s heir. She patted her mother’s arm. “We shall cope. As for me expecting, we will just have to wait and see, won’t we?”
When they returned to Chatfield Court, Jane found Griggs waiting for her in the entry hall. The usually stony-faced butler had an unusual gleam in his eye.
“What is it, Griggs?”
“Timothy, the stableman, was here.” Jane detected repressed excitement in his voice. “He requests your presence at the stables.”
She had not visited the stables for ages, not since ... “Do you know why he wants me?”
“It’s best if Timothy explains.”
“Very well, then.” Mildly curious, she left the house by the back entrance and headed down the path that led to the stables. Always a pleasant walk . She would never tire of the sight of Chatfield Court, a gem among country homes, dark and gloomy though it was. It sat atop a low-slung hill, its ancient stone walls and English Gothic chimneys nestled amidst tall oak and elm trees. A vast expanse of beautifully manicured lawn edged by rhododendrons, camellias and magnolias stretched from the rear portico, down a gentle slope, to the banks of the River Hulm. On both sides, thick growths of woods spread in either direction, all of them his lordship’s special preserve where only he could hunt. Out of sight beyond the woods and higher up stood Lancaster Hall, Lord Rennie’s estate.
The path led Jane to the stables, built close to the river around a bend and hidden from the house. Timothy O’Leary stood in the cobblestone courtyard in front.
“Hello, Timothy. How are you this fine day?” Jane meant her greeting sincerely. A sturdy Irishman somewhere in his sixties, the head stableman had a pleasant way about him, as well as a deep love of the horses he cared for.
He removed his battered hat and smiled. “‘Fine, Your Ladyship. It’s been a while since you visited the stables. Since Beauty left, I believe.”
The thought of her lost horse brought a sudden lump to her throat. Swallowing with some difficulty, she replied, “Yes, it has been a while. Griggs said you wanted to see me?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Timothy inclined his head toward the low-roofed wooden building that housed the estate’s horses. “There’s something for you inside.”
“What?”
The stableman grinned. “You had best go in and see for yourself.”
Jane stepped inside and paused, adjusting her eyes to the dim light. She drew in a deep breath, savoring the old, familiar odors of hay, alfalfa and fresh manure that brought back memories of happier times. Oh, what a beautiful smell! Only a true lover of horses could love such a smell. She started walking down the aisle between the stalls. Most were empty, the plow horses and the earl’s stallion and carriage horses having been turned out to pasture. Farther along the walkway, she saw a horse’s head poking out of the furthermost stall. Then she heard a whinny.
That whinny ... something about it ... Her hand flew to her heart. “Beauty?”
The answering whinny told her what she needed to know. With a glad cry, she picked up her skirts, ran the remaining distance to the stall and gazed for a joyous moment at the noble brown head, a perfect white star on its brow. She was looking into the soft brown eyes of her beloved horse. “I can’t believe you’re back!”
Mama, who tended toward the dramatic at times, pressed a forearm against a faded lilac wall, leaned her forehead against it and wailed, “This is horrible! We cannot live like this.” She turned and faced Jane with imploring eyes. “You must be expecting. You must. ”
Jane didn’t have the heart to smile at her mother’s desperate words, laughable though they were. Nor could she bring herself to point out yet again the utter impossibility that she might be carrying the earl’s heir. She patted her mother’s arm. “We shall cope. As for me expecting, we will just have to wait and see, won’t we?”
When they returned to Chatfield Court, Jane found Griggs waiting for her in the entry hall. The usually stony-faced butler had an unusual gleam in his eye.
“What is it, Griggs?”
“Timothy, the stableman, was here.” Jane detected repressed excitement in his voice. “He requests your presence at the stables.”
She had not visited the stables for ages, not since ... “Do you know why he wants me?”
“It’s best if Timothy explains.”
“Very well, then.” Mildly curious, she left the house by the back entrance and headed down the path that led to the stables. Always a pleasant walk . She would never tire of the sight of Chatfield Court, a gem among country homes, dark and gloomy though it was. It sat atop a low-slung hill, its ancient stone walls and English Gothic chimneys nestled amidst tall oak and elm trees. A vast expanse of beautifully manicured lawn edged by rhododendrons, camellias and magnolias stretched from the rear portico, down a gentle slope, to the banks of the River Hulm. On both sides, thick growths of woods spread in either direction, all of them his lordship’s special preserve where only he could hunt. Out of sight beyond the woods and higher up stood Lancaster Hall, Lord Rennie’s estate.
The path led Jane to the stables, built close to the river around a bend and hidden from the house. Timothy O’Leary stood in the cobblestone courtyard in front.
“Hello, Timothy. How are you this fine day?” Jane meant her greeting sincerely. A sturdy Irishman somewhere in his sixties, the head stableman had a pleasant way about him, as well as a deep love of the horses he cared for.
He removed his battered hat and smiled. “‘Fine, Your Ladyship. It’s been a while since you visited the stables. Since Beauty left, I believe.”
The thought of her lost horse brought a sudden lump to her throat. Swallowing with some difficulty, she replied, “Yes, it has been a while. Griggs said you wanted to see me?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Timothy inclined his head toward the low-roofed wooden building that housed the estate’s horses. “There’s something for you inside.”
“What?”
The stableman grinned. “You had best go in and see for yourself.”
Jane stepped inside and paused, adjusting her eyes to the dim light. She drew in a deep breath, savoring the old, familiar odors of hay, alfalfa and fresh manure that brought back memories of happier times. Oh, what a beautiful smell! Only a true lover of horses could love such a smell. She started walking down the aisle between the stalls. Most were empty, the plow horses and the earl’s stallion and carriage horses having been turned out to pasture. Farther along the walkway, she saw a horse’s head poking out of the furthermost stall. Then she heard a whinny.
That whinny ... something about it ... Her hand flew to her heart. “Beauty?”
The answering whinny told her what she needed to know. With a glad cry, she picked up her skirts, ran the remaining distance to the stall and gazed for a joyous moment at the noble brown head, a perfect white star on its brow. She was looking into the soft brown eyes of her beloved horse. “I can’t believe you’re back!”
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