A Merry, Merry Morning

[Miss Felicity Cadwallader]

The longer it took her trickster to attend to her, the more she attempted to free herself and – as is the nature of such things – the better she managed to tangle herself. It wasn’t until she heard her name called that she was brought back to the moment; the sudden appearance of her cousin’s companion around one edge of the bush as welcome as it was embarrassing. Though she be petrified of the prospect of having a nibbled hem (however unconcerned she might be about a torn or muddied one), her shame at not being able to protect herself from rodents was, in this moment, far greater. Thus the aforementioned blush had asserted its dominion over her complexion, only tingling all the more that he should comment that there weren’t any rodents in any event!

She had a mind to tell him that there might be at least one rodent, and that no matter how dashing he was come with his cane to her rescue she should not like to forgive him for deceiving her. It was perhaps just as well that she could not see the rolling of her cousin’s eyes – the bush prevented it – and it was also just as well that she was perplexed by her inability to fend off wandering vermin, for she could not then think on how she ought to blush as he saw to her ribbons. As it was, her reaction stunned even her, for where she would usually laugh and brush a matter off, she found in this instance that her typically bubbly personality failed her entirely.

Once she was helped to her feet she simply stood there, dumbstruck, as she was righted. Nicholas’ eyebrows bespoke of the queerness of the situation from his relative safety a little farther along the path, for it was the first time she had been quiet for three minutes altogether since her arrival. When the gentleman laughed he startled her and she blinked at last, seeming to remember herself. It did help to alleviate her worries on topics such as her non-existent bravery, and she resolved at once to buck up (she had no idea what bucking up actually was, as she had heard it from the soldiers but it seemed to be something she should say to herself at such a moment). She turned a little so that she could better see what was going on, and one of her ribbons was torn clean off her dress.

For a moment she simply looked at it, as though she might become embarrassed all over again. And then she found herself pressing her lips together, but it would not suffice for a giggle was determined to fizz up out of her anyway! She let it go at last, a small sign that she was really, still very much a girl at heart no matter how grown up she wished she could be. Her expression instantly became a mockery of chagrin, and she shrugged a shoulder haphazardly at the gentleman as though to thank him for his wasted efforts.

“Oops!” she squeaked.

“That sounded depressingly expensive,” Nicholas remarked dryly, ignoring Delaford’s comment pointedly.

If anything could induce her to be herself, it would be combatting her cousin’s disdain for practically everything. Though she was sure from their discourse that the two gentlemen were friends, she was certain that Nicholas did little to inspire the connection to greater heights. At once she hoped to take those steps for him, and because there was nothing she liked better than to make others happy and at ease, she decided at once that she would side with the man who was not responsible for her upkeep, as there was nothing at all she could do to please him.

“I believe that I may forgive you all manner of merriment, if it means that I am allowed to laugh within twenty feet of the house, sir,” she replied, stepping out from behind the bush.

“But you may not be forgiven for yours,” answered her cousin, “if it is to be found by rudely eavesdropping upon people. What have you to say to that?”

It was all she could do to prevent a smile. “That perhaps there might be some forgiveness granted on that score, in return for my forgiving you for rudely not introducing me to your walking partner?”

Nicholas’ brows raised themselves a fraction, his expression otherwise so deadpan that it was uncertain whether he would check her later or wait until he retired to smirk to himself a little about her cheek. “Mr-James-Delaford-may-I-present-my-cousin-and-ward-Miss-Felicity-Cadwallader,” he offered in one long breath of dull monotone before exerting another.

Felicity’s eyes, which had previously been expectantly on her cousin, were lowered as she made her curtsey.

[MR JAMES DELAFORD]

There again rang the giggle that had almost been imagined and James was glad that the silence from a moment before had not been indicative of the lady’s response to his general wickedness. He sometimes forgot that not all women were Charlotte and not all of them as well-inclined toward silliness, most especially not silliness about rodents.

At her response to his quick jab at Goulding James was further assured of their being fast friends! She so perfectly captured and dismissed the man’s tendency towards dourness that nothing could convince James that Miss Cadwallader would not be right at home amongst their little circle. Perhaps where he had been unsure about Charlotte’s taking to her on her own merits, he had been entirely deceived. She seemed well-enough equipped with such merits as his sister tended to prize to be instantly well-liked.

This, naturally, could be gleaned from her singular comment, since it encompassed what was for Charlotte such a particular sport.

He bowed in kind to her curtsy, happy to observe the formalities that were quite often mocked by his nearest for their often-times forced nature – though he had never found them to be so, rather a quite natural extension of respect for a new acquaintance. He applied the formality to his greeting of her as well, “Miss Cadwallader, a pleasure. You are very welcome and I do hope that Hertfordshire is to your liking, we here are very fond of it.”

He turned briefly to Nicholas, smirking at the rush of the introduction and the dreary manner in which it had been given. For the second time that morning, James placed a hand of faux concern on Goulding’s shoulder, “Bravely borne, sir.”

He leaned down to pick up the ribbon, which was still attached to the bush. He was a little saddened that they had not managed to save it in its proper form – in short, still attached to the young woman’s dress -, but still of the general optimism that it might be reattached with some skill and a careful eye. Then, he turned to both at once and asked with his joviality bright about him, “Now, if we have quite done with adventures this morning, do you think we might have some tea?”

[Miss Felicity Cadwallader]

She could do little else but press her lips into a small smile of amusement, her bloom on her cheeks incited by her new acquaintance only just beginning to fade away now that she knew he was amiable enough to not only jest with her about rodents but also save her from them. Mr Delaford’s further teasing of her cousin begged her smile to become a little more wicked and she turned away so that she could hide it, only looking back to the party when she heard mention of tea. “I believe I should like that above anything,” she agreed at once. “I think a little tea is exactly what I need, after the walk I had this morning!”

“What – you mean that the gypsies didn’t offer you any?” Nicholas remarked, glancing at his cousin with the slight frown he had offered Delaford for encouraging her still evident on his stoic features. He took hold of the hems of the front of his coat and jerked it sharply downwards, as was a habit of his when he felt that enough time had been wasted and there was something that wanted doing.

“I am surprised that Nicholas hasn’t offered you any tea already, Mr Delaford,” said Felicity buoyantly, turning away from said cousin and ignoring him as she prepared to walk back along the drive to Haye Park, which squatted across the lawns from them. As the sun began to rise over the tops of the woods that edged the drive on one side, the bricks began to look a little bit like gingerbread. It was one of Felicity’s most favourite things about her new home. She could only imagine how beautiful it would look come winter time. Her gaze, then, turned back to the gentleman she wished very much to make a friend (and ally!) of. She realised now that she had met his sister – Miss Charlotte Delaford – and she would not be sorry to further either connection.

“He is quite set in his ways, you know,” she said, as an aside, moving in to take Mr Delaford’s arm whether he would wish it or not. “If he doesn’t have his tea by a certain time each morning, he’s liable to do himself a harm.”

“The only harm I am liable to do myself is to fall in a ditch chasing you about the countryside,” said the stick-in-the-mud in question, annoyed that it didn’t seem as though he was required for any form of entertainment now, excepting to be made fun of. At hearing her cousin’s cry, Felicity allowed herself another soft laugh.

“You only illustrate my point! You would do better to see to your tea,” she called back over her shoulder, “and leave the walking to those of us who value adventure over comfort! Neither of us wish to see you in a ditch, I am sure!”