Free The Unaccomplished Lady Eleanor by Wendy Burdess Page B

, they had just taken their seats on the terrace when a familiar unpleasant voice drifted over to them.
      ‘ Coo-ee!  Lady Ormiston. ’  
       They turned t heir heads simultaneously to find Cynthia Carmichael bustling toward s them, followed by her equally bustling daughters, Felicity and Gertrude. 
      A look of disbelief spread over the d owager ’s countenance.  ‘ Heavens above , ’ she muttered.  ‘ Is nowhere safe? ’  
      Eleanor bit back a smile.
      ‘ Oh goodness, ’ flustered a beaming Lady Carmic hael as she reached their table , ‘ I can scarce believe it.  The girls and I so wanted to make the most of this beautiful day and where better than Richmond, I said t o them this morning.  I t would appear that we were quite of the same mind, Lady Ormiston, ’ she gushed before adding, as she flopped down into one of the wrought iron chairs , ‘ You don’t mind if we join you do you? ’
      The dowager’s lack of reply did not affect Lady Carmichael’s enthusing in the slight est.  She gestured impatiently to her two daughters to sit down in the remaining seats. 
      ‘ I cannot tell you, Lady Ormiston, ’ she continued, fiddling with the ribbons of her bonnet, ‘ how much we are looking forward to the garden party at the weekend.  Felicity has scarce been able to contain her excitement. I take it that … James will be present? ’
      ‘ Of course, ’ sniffed the d owager impatiently , attempting to catch the eye of a waitress.
      Lady Carmichael beamed satisfactorily and flashed Felicity a knowing smile.  ‘ H ow very delightful. ’
      By the e nd of the very long hour they had spent in the coffee house, E leanor considered herself quite well - informed on the feeding habits of the swans which were dotted about the river banks . Indeed , she had been studying one of the birds quite intently the entire time.  It had proved markedly more interesting than lis tening to the Carmichaels ’ twittering . 
      As Felicity and G ertrude ordered another cake , Eleanor and her godmother bade their farewells .  They were in the process of making a hasty retreat when the honking of the swan she had been observing caught Eleanor’s attention.  Hoping it wasn’t anything threatening that was exciting the bird so, she turned her head in the direction of the river, just as s he reached the corner of the coffee house.  What she did not foresee , was that someone else should be coming around the corner at exactly the same time.
      ‘ Oops ! ’ grimace d Eleanor apologetically , as she found h erself face-to-face with a beautiful dark-haired woman, dressed in a graceful gown of pure white with a matching c rowned bonnet.  Taking a step back, the woman looked disapproving ly down her button nose at Eleanor , before picking up her skirts and walking around her.   
      ‘ Really, Eleanor, ’ tutted the d owager , ‘ y ou simply must learn to look where you are going.  I dread to think what the Duchess of Swinton would have said if she had landed on the grass in that gown. ’
     
    The following week , the c astle was a hive of activity, with the team of gardeners working night and day to ensure the extensive grounds looked their best.  Eleanor, desperate to escape the tedium of her ‘ accomplishments ’ and engage in something much more enjoyable and worthwhile, was itching to help .  But she did not , ac utely aware that such unconventio nal behaviour would be classed as ‘ unbecoming ’ by her godmother.
      W hile the activity of the gardeners was of great interest to her , the forthcoming party was not.  Indeed , she would have gone as far as to say that her feelings towards the event were those of complete indifference.  Milly, on the other hand, was bursting with excitement and did not even attempt to hide her disappointment at Eleanor’s  lack of enthusiasm – in particular her admission that ‘ she really didn’t mind at all what she wore to th e party ’