The thing that most struck Regina about her was the sense of class and style. She seemed the sort of woman to wear the latest fashions before everyone else, as if she had a secret carriage that whisked her to Paris in the night. In fact she was probably the woman who made the fashions that everyone else followed. And the curve of her throat, the slope of her shoulders, the very bones in her face reminded Regina of a statue.
‘Classical beauty,’ she thought. It was something that Bridget had said once. They had been discussing Helen of Troy. Well, this Lady Cora had that. She was the most beautiful woman Regina had ever seen, barring Bridget.
They had been introduced through Lady Morrison, who with whom Regina had quickly struck up a correspondence asking for potential chaperones while in London.
She had failed to inform Lady Morrison that her mother would not do, for it had to be someone who did not previously know Regina.
Regina had called upon Lady Cora first thing after arriving in London. When she had curtsied to her, Lady Cora looked at her for a moment, a strange puzzled light in her eyes.
“You remind me of someone,” she had said. Her voice was rich and melodious.
Regina could only think that one of her sisters had crossed Lady Cora’s path before. Despite Regina’s own opinion that she looked nothing like her sisters, most people only noticed the red hair and assumed they were all related. That must be it.
“I’m told that I look like my mother,” she said, “But she has been dead for some time.”
“Perhaps I saw her when I was young and that is why,” Lady Cora replied. “No matter. It is wonderful to make your acquaintance.”
It had taken little persuasion for Lady Cora to agree to chaperone Regina. It might have been because Regina had lied and said that Lord Harrison was her cousin, whom she had not seen in years.
“He quite disappeared off the face of the earth,” she informed Lady Cora upon their meeting. “My parents wish me to make acquaintance with him once again, in light of his return to proper society.”
Lady Cora, as Lady Morrison had hinted in her letters, was a dear friend to Lord Harrison. She had been more than happy to help his ‘darling’ young cousin and he get reacquainted.
“Honestly, Miss Regina.” Lady Cora gently took Regina’s shoulder and turned her so that she might look into her eyes. “I know that in its own way, family can be more intimidating than any stranger. If you need another day to brace yourself, then I shall not judge you.”
“He expects my coming today,” Regina said, unable to confide more without giving the game up.
“I’m sure that he will understand,” Lady Cora replied.
As Regina stood there debating, the front door flew open. And there he stood.
Lord Harrison.
He looked more handsome than she had remembered. His eyes shone in the sunlight. They contrasted well with his dark hair. He had a strong stature, one that she could easily picture astride a horse. If they were going by looks alone, Regina was certain Bridget would have chosen him.
Furthermore, he looked every inch a noble. There was something in his bearing that showed it. It reminded Regina of Bridget’s confidence. They would make a good couple, she decided. They were both the handsomest people she had ever seen.
“Are you going to hover outside all day?” Lord Harrison asked. “Or are you going to come inside?”
Regina nearly jumped out of her skin. “I, uh, that is—”
Lord Harrison sighed. “Come inside. It won’t do for you to be seen hovering outside of my house. Unless you would like two scandals about your family instead of just the one.”
“You needn’t scare her in such a fashion,” Lady Cora replied, ascending the steps to go into the house. “Banging open doors like a banshee.”
“I take it you are her chaperone?” Lord Harrison asked.
“You’d think you were being led to the guillotine,” Lady Cora quipped. “Yes. Come inside, Miss Regina. I’m sure Harrison here won’t be able to resist giving you the tour.”
Regina actually liked the idea of a house tour. She quite liked decorations and furnishings. As if sensing this, Lady Cora groaned. “I was only… oh never mind. Give your tour, Harrison. Make it quick.”
The house was very nicely furnished. Regina rather liked the style of it. She was surprised, for she had heard that a house done up by a single man was not often in good taste.
“Whitefern is rather a hodgepodge of generations,” Lord Harrison said, as if reading her mind. “My father bought this flat and urged my mother to decorate it how she chose. It is to her taste.”
“She had a marvelous sense of style,” Regina said. The foyer had a staircase and all was done up in cream and soft gold.
“If you like the foyer, I’m certain that you’ll enjoy the rest of the house,” Lord Harrison said. He sounded amused.
Regina looked up at him. “I should hate to think I’m wasting your time.”
“It’s not a waste. I have so few visitors and I like to show it off.”
“Why so few visitors?” She asked. It was only after that she realized it might be a rude question.
“I try not to invite too many people over.”
“Because then they might know you as a man and not as a mysterious entity.”
Lord Harrison laughed. “I see Miss Elizabeth is not the only Hartfield with wit. Yes, you have hit the nail directly on the head.”
He led her into the room to the right. Lady Cora trailed behind them, looking incredibly bored. “This is the dining room.” It was done in shades of silver and grey. Regina didn’t think she’d seen anything so elegant.
“I have tried to find out about you,” Regina admitted.
Lord Harrison directed her through the dining room to a door at the back. It led into a side parlor done in gray with gold trim. “Oh? And what did you discover?” He sounded amused.
Regina moved past him into the next room—and promptly gasped.
It was a library. A wonderful library with a thick lush green carpet. It was all green. And it had a massive lovely fireplace in white marble. The windows had white trim and looked over the back of the house. The view was only of an alley but the position meant the sun would come streaming in from the south.
“I take it you enjoy reading?” Lord Harrison asked.
Regina nodded. She hurried to the shelves before she could stop herself. There were so many titles. All of the books were bound so lovingly. She ran her fingers over the spines.
“We have quite a good library at home,” she said. “But it’s not so cozy as this.”
“It was my father’s favorite room,” Lord Harrison said. “His favorite color was green.”
“It’s mine as well,” Regina admitted.
“Sometimes I think it would have been all the better if he’d had an older brother. Then he could have whittled away his days in here. He took to books better than he took to business.”
Regina turned to look at him. Lord Harrison did look rather sad. “I heard that he lost your family fortune. I am sorry.”
Lord Harrison shook his head. “It’s no use worrying about it now. It’s all said and done with and he has been with the :ord for many years now.”