Lady Elsa Takes a Lover Read Online Free PDF

Gertrude.”
    And
with that, my spirits sank just a little. Cousin Gertrude was a colorless old
maid; she was an absolute bore. Be that as it may, she was at least another
living soul to converse with.
    “And
my dear old friend Lady Chatham lives not far from here. You remember her,
don’t you, Elsa?”
    “Vaguely.
Am I correct in recalling her as the matron with an exceedingly large number of
sons and daughters?”
    “Exactly,
yes.” Mother smiled. “Lady Chatham has a rather large brood with three daughters
and four sons, if I’m not mistaken.”
    “Good
heavens.”
    “And
I’m quite certain that my dear friend would simply love to pay you a call. And
if that should be impossible for any reason, I know she would be happy to send
one or several of her children in her stead,” Mother said.
    That
was splendid news indeed. My memory of Lady Chatham’s children was quite hazy,
for it had been nearly a decade since our families visited with one another,
but I looked forward to the possibility of associating with callers of any
sort, especially if they were close to me in age. Lady Chatham and Cousin
Gertrude were fine ladies and I would have been terribly delighted to welcome
them in my home, but I daresay it would probably be a bit more amusing to
entertain callers who were closer to me in age.
    After
Mother departed Hollingsworth Manor, I flung myself down on the fainting couch,
feeling rather sorry for myself, indeed. Whilst the promise of visitors had
undeniably lifted my spirits, it would be quite some time before this came to
pass, and in the meantime I would have to endure the solitude.
    Oh, Richard, how could you leave me on my own like
this?
    Contrary
to what one might assume, given the fact that I was keen for the mourning
period to be over and done with, I loved my husband deeply and immensely.
Richard was a delightful chap. He was always up for a laugh, and when we were
alone together… well, I shall just say he made me feel like a sensual goddess
and leave it at that.
    I
had been looking forward to a long life with him, but sadly that was not to be.
Richard’s life came to a tragic and untimely end at the age of two and thirty
when he was killed in a hunting accident four months prior.
    With
a sigh, I turned over onto my back and sent up a silent prayer for his soul.
And then I asked for the strength to endure the solitude I was condemned to. In
fact I was only partly exaggerating when I told Mother I would surely be
committed to an insane asylum very soon. I do not function well on my own. I
never have.

 
    * * * *

 
    I
know Mother did her best to arrange callers for me, but the length of time it
took for her efforts to come to fruition was positively excruciating! Even if
she penned the letters the very moment she returned to Hartford Hall, one had
to factor in the time it took for the post to reach the proper destinations,
the time it took for the recipients to respond, the time it took for their
letters to reach Mother, and so forth.
    Not
one but two fortnights had passed before I received a letter from Mother in the
post. She had yet to hear back from Cousin Gertrude, but she had got a letter
from Lady Chatham who informed her with regret that she would not be able to
pay a call at this time. It would seem that the old dear’s rheumatism had
confined her to her bedchambers for the present and the foreseeable future. Not
to worry, though. The considerate countess arranged for her son George and her
daughter Caroline to pay me a visit.
    I
was beyond thrilled. I couldn’t quite recall George; Lady Chatham’s sons
blended together in my memory, but I did remember them being a boisterous and
rowdy bunch. I did, however recall spending time with Caroline. She was the
meekest of the girls. I would rather have learned that Grace, the eldest and
most amusing Chatham daughter would be coming to call. But I was hardly one to
complain. Caroline was a pleasant girl, indeed, and I was positively