Page 2 of Dropping the Ball

“As I understand it, Lord Cedric, your cousin is quite well-situated in the world, and in addition to Lyndhurst Grove, he owns a townhouse in London and land abroad,” she said. “I canthink of a dozen ladies from several of the kingdoms of Britannia who would be overjoyed to marry such a man.”

Lord Cedric and Muriel exchanged a look, both of them smirking, then turned those smirks on Bernadette.

“You might want to reserve your judgement about my cousin until you’ve met him,” Lord Cedric said.

Bernadette’s smile fell, and her insides pinched. “Is there something amiss with him?” she asked shyly. “Is he cruel or cold?”

“No, no, not at all,” Lord Cedric said. “Quite the opposite. Alden is one of the most interesting and amiable men I’ve ever known.”

Bernadette frowned. “Then why would you think it would be difficult to find a wife for him?”

Lord Cedric exchanged another look with Muriel, then said, “You will see soon enough. It appears we’ve arrived.”

Sure enough, the landscape outside the carriage had taken on a tamer, more structured mien. Bernadette shifted to peer out the window once more and was greeted with the sight of vast gardens, a beautiful lawn that swept down to a small lake, and a grand estate house that stretched across the entire crest of the sloping hill they were traveling up.

The house was beautiful, not to mention as large as a palace, but the more Bernadette looked at it, particularly after the carriage had taken them around an extravagant but dry fountain and deposited them near the terraced front door, the more she could see that the building had been neglected.

“I wish Alden would hire a crew to make the most basic improvements to the appearance of this place,” Lord Cedric echoed her thoughts as the three of them were helped out of the carriage by a pair of footmen liveried in forest green. “At the very least, the windows need a good scrub and some of this ivy should be pulled down.”

Indeed, the palatial home was inundated with ivy. At least on the side that faced front. Bernadette noted gardens off to the east side of the building and wondered what might be growing on that face of the house.

They were greeted at the door by a rather young butler who seemed extraordinarily excited about his position.

“Good morning, good morning,” he greeted them, gesturing for all three to come into the house. “I’m Mr. Smythe, Lord Alden’s butler. You must be his lordship’s cousin, Lord Cedric, Lady Muriel, and Lady Bernadette, the planner of parties. We’ve been expecting you. The entire staff is all aglow with the idea of this ball, Lady Bernadette. We simply cannot wait to see what you are able to do for his lordship and the entire house.”

“Oh!” Bernadette blinked rapidly, startled at the young man’s effusive greeting. “I will do whatever I can for Lord Alden,” she said.

“Come right this way,” Mr. Smythe walked them swiftly through the large but slightly neglected entry hall and down a side corridor. “You must be parched after your journey. Lord Alden is not quite ready to greet you, but if you will wait in here, I’ll have Mrs. Pettigrew, the housekeeper, bring tea for you. She has been as eager to welcome you to Lyndhurst Grove as I have been.”

Bernadette’s head spun as Mr. Smythe introduced them into a faded parlor with an exquisite view of the countryside. She began to wonder if the man had been a footman until very recently, since he seemed intent on making certain everyone was comfortable and had the right number of cushions to sit with, then straightened a pair of candlesticks on a side table before leaving the room with another promise to bring them tea.

Bernadette sat and folded her hands in her lap, fighting not to laugh, even after the young man had gone.

Muriel could not contain her humor. She burst with laughter, then slapped a hand to her mouth as she sat on the couch with Bernadette. “I see that Alden has taken as little care with the hiring of his staff as he has with the appearance of his house,” she said once she was able.

Lord Cedric sent her a flat look as he sat in the chair nearest to her and said, “It’s more likely that Mr. Smythe was the only man foolish enough to take the position of butler at Lyndhurst Grove.”

Bernadette frowned slightly. “Why would Lord Alden have difficulty retaining servants?” she asked. “Mr. Smythe is a bit too enthusiastic and perhaps untrained, but he did not seem to be unhappy.”

Bernadette knew what unhappy servants looked like. She’d arranged parties and entertainments in households where the servants were miserable, and she knew the signs. Those men and women held themselves stiffly, said little, and generally looked as if they would just as soon bury knives in their employers’ backs than serve them.

Lord Cedric’s only answer was to clear his throat and say, “All will be revealed.”

There was something Muriel and Lord Cedric were not telling her. Bernadette wasn’t convinced Muriel knew the entire story herself, as she continually looked around the parlor, as if searching for something she’d been told about but had not yet seen.

“I am impressed with the size of Lyndhurst Grove,” Bernadette said when the lack of conversation began to make her anxious. “I had my doubts when Lord Alden wrote to me about hosting as many ladies as I could invite to stay for the entire weekend with the ball as the climax of the event. But now I see that there are likely more than enough rooms foryoung ladies and their mothers or chaperones to stay in for the weekend.”

“Yes, I agree,” Muriel said, still looking around.

“There might be,” Lord Cedric said, “but I’m beginning to wonder what state they’re in. I had no idea Alden had let the place fall into such disrepair.” His frown deepened, and he said, almost to himself, “He keeps saying he’s been renovating the place and spending a small fortune on changes, but it appears as if he’s done nothing at all.”

That puzzled Bernadette. “Perhaps he’s been making improvements to other areas of the house? Mayhaps the ballroom?”

Lord Cedric shook his head. “Alden only just hatched this mad scheme of a ball to choose a bride last month.”

“I am certain all will be revealed in time,” Muriel said, reaching over to pat her husband’s hand.

They were interrupted a moment later as a middle-aged woman with a round face and ample bosom brought in a tray containing tea things.

---