Ashford: a novel

Front matter

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ I ■ ■ I ■ I I THREE NEW NOVELS AT ALL LIBRARIES. RIVEN BONDS. By E. Werner, Author of "Success, and How He Won It," "Under a Charm," &c. Translated by Bertha Ness. 2 vols., 21s. " We would advise the reader, if he have any taste for novel reading, to lose no time in making acquaintance with this charming book." — Court Circular. HEIR TO TWO FORTUNES. By the Author of "The Life of the Moselle." 3 vols., 31s. 6d. " It has dash, and go, and promise." — World. THROUGH THE BREAKERS. By the Rev. Richard Bulkelev, Vicar of St. John's, Dukenfield- 3 vols., 31s. 6d. " The Crimean episodes are treated with a good deal of spirit." Athenæum. " It is always an advantage to get hold of works of a superior tone, and this is one of them, and for that reason alone would deserve to be recommended; even had it, as we are far from asserting, no other merit.1' — Morning Post.

Chapter I

There was great excitement in the village of Ashford, when it was known that Lady Helen Drummond had, at last, really arrived at the Park. Lady Helen Drummond was likely in the future to be a personage in the county, and her doings were, of course, sure to interest her neighbours. Some years previous to the date of our story, the estate of Ashford, long the heritage of the Desmonds, had been sold, to pay the heavy debts of the proprietor and of his son, the present Sir Charles Desmond. The pur chaser, Mr. Gordon, a London banker,, had B ASHFOED. modernised and improved the place, meaning, at some future time, when he was tired of the turmoil of business, to come and reside there; but ere that time arrived, Mr. Gordon died, leaving nearly all his wealth to his cousin, Lady Helen Drummond. Lady Helen was the daughter of a Scotch Earl, who had an old title, but very little else.

When only eighteen she married a Mr. Drummond, who, dying a year after, left his young widow alone in the world, with a very small jointure, and no near relation to take care of her but her aunt, Lady Janet Gordon, her father having died when she was quite young; and his old title and barren acres had passed to a distant cousin. Lady Janet and her niece had lived chiefly abroad ; sometimes they had paid a visit to Mr. Gor don, in London, and had also occasionally visited their Scotch relatives, but Lady Helen ASHFORD. had never been at Ashford, and now, six months after her cousin's death, she had arrived, an entire stranger to every one in the country, it was no wonder that a con siderable amount of curiosity should be felt about her. She had a large house, plenty of money, and was still young, so every one was pre pared to welcome her very kindly.

The Desmonds, formerly one of the great county families, were now very little heard of; Sir Charles Desmond lived almost con stantly abroad, and the little known of him was not to his credit. He still possessed a small property in Ashford, an old house called the Manor, and about a hundred acres of land, very strictly entailed. A cousin of Sir Charles, Colonel Arthur Desmond, however, often visited his native county, spending a good deal of time there, hunting aud ASHFORD. shooting; he was much better off than Sir Charles, having inherited a good fortune from his mother, and was as popular as a good looking gentlemanly man was sure to be. About a year before Mr. Gordon's death, a certain Mrs. Weston had taken a small house in the village of Ashford, and had come to reside there, with her granddaughter Evelyn.

They were tenants of Lady Helen, and of course felt great interest in her. Evelyn Weston was nearly nineteen, and it must be confessed found a small cottage in a country village a very dull place. She was a pretty girl, tall and fair, with bright blue eyes, and a quantity of golden brown hair, fond of amusement and gaiety, and rather inclined to grumble because so little fell in her way, as they knew very few people. Certain curious rumours about their antece- ASHFORD. •dents reached Ashford soon after Mrs. Weston and Evelyn took up their abode there, conse quently their circle of acquaintance was limited. The young lady had, however, a devoted admirer in Mr. Franklin, the curate, but he was so poor that no satisfactory result could ensue, and, besides that, the rector, Mr. Legh, did his utmost to discourage the love affair.

Mrs. and Miss Weston were nearly the first callers at the Park, after the arrival of the new Lady of the Manor. Lady Helen was at home, and they were shown into the library, a large room, very handsomely furnished. A bright fire burning in the grate, and the books, magazines and newspapers, scattered on the tables, gave it a homelike and comfortable appearance. Lady Helen was a tall and handsome woman of about thirty years of age, with a slight, ASHFORD. graceful figure, dark hair and eyes, and a pale clear complexion; her features were well formed, and she had a pleasing manner and expression, as she welcomed her visitors. " We are your nearest neighbours," said Mrs. Weston, " and so glad to be among the first to welcome you to Ashford." " You really are very nearly the first," answered Lady Helen.

"Mr. and Mrs. Legh called yesterday, so I am very glad to feel that I shall know the parish at least before Sunday." " Have you seen Mr. Franklin ? " asked Evelyn. "No, who is he?" " The curate," said Mrs. Weston, " and a very gentlemanly person ; we all like him very much." " I daresay I shall make his acquaintance in due time," answered Lady Helen, " but let ASHFORD. me introduce you to my Aunt, Lady Janet Gordon." Lady Janet was a tall stiff old lady, with grey hair, surmounted by a most imposing cap. She began a conversation with Mrs. Weston, by asking her some questions about the neighbourhood, of which she soon discovered the latter knew nothing, except the names of a few of the leading families. Evelyn, in the meantime, was entertaining Lady Helen by repeating some of the village gossip about the Desmonds.

" A great many people about here remem ber Sir Charles," she said, "but no one liked him much ; they say he was the handsomest and the wickedest young man — " " My dear child ! " interrupted Mrs. Weston, " what are you talking about ? Lady Helen will be quite shocked." " The Desmonds are all gone," said Lady ASHFORD. Helen, " so they and their faults should be allowed to rest in peace." " They are not all gone," replied Mrs. Weston. " Sir Charles still retains some property in this parish." " Really !" added Lady Janet, drily, " how is that ? I should have thought, from all I hear of him, that Sir Charles Desmond was a most unlikely man to retain property any where." " This is a small farm, strictly entailed, which cannot be sold." " Then it is not his fault that he still has it." " Besides," went on Mrs. Weston, " Colonel Arthur Desmond resides in the county.

I have seen him in Ashford several times ; I assure you, Lady Janet, that the Desmonds are an exceedingly old family, as old as any in the kingdom." ASHFORD. " And like a great many other old things, they are quite worn out," answered Lady Janet, " but I have not a word to say against the Colonel ; he is a very different man to his cousin." "I have not the pleasure of his acquaintance," said Mrs. Weston, " formerly I knew Sir Charles ; he was splendidly handsome, and very fascinating." " Well, his fascinations have not done him much good, for he is only a ruined gambler." Mrs. Weston stared at Lady Janet for a minute, without replying, and Lady Helen seized the chance of making a diversion. " How beautiful the country is looking now," she said, " the colours of the changing leaves are so vivid."

" I believe they are," answered Mrs. Weston, " I have been told so ; I think Mr. ASHFORD. Franklin was remarking it, the last time he called ; but, Evelyn, we must be going." " I am very glad I have seen you," said Lady Helen, politely, as she wished her visitors good-by. "What in the world can they be?" said Lady Janet, when Mrs. Weston and her granddaughter were quite out of hearing ; " the girl is pretty, but her manners are bad, so forward ; Mrs. Weston is hopelessly and offensively vulgar. I did not expect to have Sir Charles Desmond's praises dinned into my ears at Ashford." " You don't grudge him his friend, I hope," replied her niece ; " I am sorry for that poor girl, she seems to have such a dull life, never going out ; she cannot help her manners, under the circumstances, I am afraid, with only her grandmother to model them on."

ASHFORD. '•'And her own impudence to help her," added Lady Janet ; " I am sorry for it, but I have taken a great dislike to those two womeii ; I hope you will keep them at a distance." " They are our nearest neighbours," said Lady Helen, laughing, " so we must speak to them now and then. You should not be so very prejudiced. I daresay they are very nice people; we may each have a friend." " I don't want a friend," answered Lady Janet, "and if I did, I should not select Mrs. Weston." ASHFORD.

Chapter II

There was to be a grand ball in the neighbourhood of Ashford. Mr. George Wyndham, the eldest son of the county member , was to come of age, and of course, such a great event had to be celebrated with much rejoicing. The Wyndhams were very popular as a family, besides they always did things well, and Oakley was a, charming house for a dance ; so as a dance there was to be, every one looked forward to it with pleasure, and hoped to enjoy it very much, also, it was thought, that Lady Helen Drummond, the new inmate of Ashford, would take the opportunity of then making her first public appearance in the county. ASHFORD. 13 The invitations were sent out far and wide. They were responded to with alacrity, and the one fear that haunted Mrs. Wyndham's heart — the fear that her party would suffer from a scarcity of gentlemen — was at length laid at rest.

She had been very fortunate herself in securing just the friends she wanted to fill her own house, the two bachelors of the neighbourhood — Lord Carlyon and Colonel Desmond had both filled theirs for her benefit. For a wonder, she had asked the Weston s, and Lady Helen, who was going to the dance, had promised to take Evelyn with her. Lady Janet did not wish to go out at night. Mrs. Weston could not do so, she did not possess a gown and cap smart enough for the occa sion, so she said, and was thus obliged to stay at home. " I will take you if you like," Lady Helen ASHFORD. said to Evelyn, " and I shall be very glad to do so ; but you know I shall not be able to help you much when we are there, for I am a stranger at Oakley." "Oh, thank you," said Evelyn, " I should so like to go ; I have never been to a ball in my life."

" Then I hope you will enjoy this one," said Lady Helen; "I will call for you on Thursday, as I pass : mind you are ready in time." The ball-room at Oakley was very prettily decorated with hot-house flowers and ferns. The band, ensconced in a charming impromptu arbour, was ready in its place when the first carriage drove up ; then the guests came thick and fast. Lady Helen Drummond and Miss Weston were among the early arrivals, and the former was of course received with great distinction by Mr. and Mrs. Wyndham. ASHFORD. " Who are they ? " said Lord Carlyon, who was standing near, to George Wyndham. " I declare that is the best looking girl I have seen for some time." " Don't you know ? Lady Helen Drummond ; she is at Ashford now." " Nonsense ! you don't mean to say that Lady Helen Drummond wears a white gown, with ' forget-me-nots ' all over it, and looks nnder twenty.

I see a tall woman, in slight mourning, with some diamonds in her hair, I presume that is her ladyship ; but I want to make out who the other is." " Oh, I see who you mean now; she is a Miss Weston, and nothing at all particular. We only asked her to-night because everybody is asked." "She is the best looking girl here. Can you introduce me to her ?" " I don't think I know her, except by sight," said George Wyndham, who knew ASHFORD. his mother did not wish to see the best partner in the room carried off by Miss Weston. Just then, however, Mr. Wyndham came to fetch Lord Carlyon, that he might intro duce him to Lady Helen. He was afraid she might want to dance, and he felt rather puzzled as to how he was to find suitable - partners for her if she did. Lady Helen, however, said she would only dance the first quadrille, she wanted to make the acquaint ance of some of the ladies in the room, who wished to be introduced to her, so her host was relieved from his embarrassment.

Lord Carlyon, who never did anything but what he liked, managed to find some one who knew Evelyn, and then being presented to her, he proceeded to devote himself to her for the evening. Colonel Desmond and his party were ASHFORD. amongst the late arrivals, having had a long drive, and a day's hunting before it. " I am sorry we are so late," said Colonel Desmond, as Mrs. Wyndham shook hands with him. " I quite meant to be in good time, but I could not get every one off." " Better late than never," said Mr. Wynd ham, coming up. " I was beginning to think something had happened to you on the road." " No, we have not that excuse, it was only laziness that hindered me." " Then come with me now. I want to do you a really good turn. I will introduce you to Lady Helen Drummond ; she is here to night."

" Is she, where ? I don't see her." " There she is ; in black, with diamonds in her hair, talking to Lady Gresham." " I see her now, but I don't want an intro duction, for I know her already." c ASHFORD. " When and where did you meet her ? " " In Florence, several years ago ; she was there with an old aunt ; I met her rather often at one time." " Then do go and talk to her, please. I am sure she will be glad to see an old friend ; she is a stranger here and knows very few people. I am afraid she must find it dull, for she will not dance." " She is a great lady now, and perhaps will not care to remember me : but I will go pre sently, and see if she knows me ; not just yet, there are so many people all round her. Is not that Miss Weston, dancing with Lord Carlyon ? " " Yes, she is a pretty girl, it is a pity there are those stories about.

We thought there could be no harm in asking her to a laro-e affair like this. Lady Helen brought her to night." ASHFORD. 19 " Lady Helen brought her, did she ? Well, Lord Carlyon is taking care of her now she is here. I don't know her, and I shall keep clear of her." " Lord Carlyon seems very much taken with her." " For one evening. To-morrow it will be some one else. I had better go and see if Lady Helen remembers me." Lady Helen turned round, as Colonel Desmond came up to her, saying — " Colonel Desmond, I thought it must be you. I saw you talking to Mr. Wyndham. I hope you have not forgotten me, though it is a long time since we met." " I am very glad to meet you again," ha answered. " I was very pleased when I heard who my neighbour at Ashford was to be." " Thank you ! I really mean to settle down, if I can, but I have been a rolling stone so ASHFORD. long, that I don't know how I shall get on.

I can assure you I feel the weight of my new responsibilities." " We must do what we can to help you, by making ourselves as pleasant as we can. I hope you will stay ; Ashford has been deserted so long." " Well, I must stay to-night at all events," said Lady Helen, laughing. " In an un guarded moment I undertook the duties of a chaperone." " You brought Miss Weston, I hear." " Yes ! she had never been to a ball, so I took pity on her, and brought her to this. I thought she would not enjoy it ; but I was mistaken, she seems very happy, but where she is I can't think ; I have not seen her for some time. " She seems a promising young lady," said Colonel Desmond. "I know her only by ASHFORD. 21 sight, I have seen her about Ashford when I have been over there." " Do you wish to know her any more ?

" said Lady Helen. "No, thank you; unless you particularly wish me to dance with her ? " "I don't wish that at all. She has so many partners that I shall not get away till late. I only meant to stay a little while, but I see I am in for it." " I should make her come away when you are ready. Is it any use asking if you will dance with me ? " " Not just now, thank you ; if you will ask me again, later in the evening, when there is less crowd, I shall be very glad. Is not that Lord Carlyon dancing with Evelyn ? " " Yes, he is wild about her to-night. It is his way with every pretty girl ! " " Well, he seems to be making that pretty ASHFORD. girl rather remarkable. I wish he would not, I don't much like it ; I suppose he is not the sort of man to mean anything ? " " Certainly not," said Colonel Desmond.

" I am afraid she will feel like Cinderella to-morrow. Who are these Westons, Colonel Desmond, can you tell me ? " " I can tell you nothing, Lady Helen. I do not know either of them, and I am ignorant of their antecedents. They seem to have no friends here, whatever they may have else where. But this room is getting hot ; do come with me into the refreshment-room, and have some tea. Miss Weston will not want you just yet." Lady Helen went with Colonel Desmond to have some tea, but she returned to the ball-room just as the dance was over. Lord Carlyon brought Evelyn back to her chaperone. After he had talked to Lady ASHFORD. 23 Helen for a few minutes, he was going away, but stopped to engage Evelyn for the first extra dance. " I am afraid she will not be here, then," said Lady Helen. " I shall soon be going."

" You surely will not take Miss Weston away before the end," said Lord Carlyon. " There is so much good dancing when people are going, and there is no crowd." " I will stay till the end of the programme, and not a dance longer," said Lady Helen, " so, Evelyn, make the best of it." " Then give me the last waltz," said Lord Carlyon to Evelyn. "My dear," said Lady Helen, when Lord Carlyon was gone, " I have not seen you for some dances. Where have you been ? " " I danced twice running with Major Jenkins," said Evelyn, " and between the dances we sat on the stairs. Just as we were ASHFORD. coming back to you, we met Lord Carlyon, and he asked me again." "Very well," said Lady Helen. "I don't know anything at all about Major Jenkins, but you must not sit on the stairs with him any more to-night."

Evelyn stared, and looked very much inclined to protest against such a cruel order ; but just at that minute a fresh partner came up, and Major Jenkins and the stairs were forgotten. It was nearly the end of the evening when Colonel Desmond reminded Lady Helen of her promise. " Will you give me this waltz ? " he said ; "it is getting late, and the room is rather empty." " Very well," she said; "how many years is it since I last danced with you at Florence ? I am almost afraid to remember. We did ASHFORD. not think when and where our next meeting would be." " Or on what a very great occasion," said Colonel Desmond. " George AVyndham was an Eton boy then." " Lady Helen is beginning to enjoy her self," said Lord Carlyon to Evelyn. " She will want to stay longer." " No, she will not ; she has ordered the carriage after this dance.

Is she not ill natured ? This is my last dance to-night." " Then we must make it a good one. Come along." When the carriage was at the door, and Lady Helen ready to go, Evelyn was not to be found. Colonel Desmond and Mr. Wyndham both volunteered to look for her, but, luckily, she just then appeared with her partner. " Come, Evelyn," said Lady Helen, im- ASHFORD. patiently, "I don't* want the horses to stand." " I am hoping to call on you soon, Lady Helen," said Lord Carlyon. " Shall you be at home next week ? " " I think so, but I must go now. Good night." " Well, I am very much mistaken if her ladyship takes Miss Weston to a ball again in a hurry," said Mr. Wyndham, when he came back into the room, after seeing Lady Helen to her carriage. " Why not ? " said Lord Carlyon. " I am sure Miss Weston enjoyed herself very much, and Lady Helen had no trouble in finding her partners."

"I don't think she had. She did not like being kept waiting. We were just going to look for you. It seems Arthur Desmond knew Lady Helen years ago, at Florence, and never told us." ASHFORD. " Why should he, unless he likes ? He seems in great favour with the fair widow. I wish him success, with all my heart. She is much younger, and better looking than I expected. I was agreeably surprised when I saw her." " I think her very handsome. I wonder she has never married again ; it is ten or eleven years since her husband died." When Lady Helen came downstairs the morning after the ball, she found her aunt in the dining-room very anxious to hear what she had to tell her. "How did it all go off?" she began. " You were late home, so I hope it was pleasant." " I think it was ; everything was very well done ; besides, Mr. and Mrs. Wyndham were most kind and attentive.

I made a great many new acquaintances ; also, I met an old friend." ASHFORD. " How did that Weston girl get on ? Was she very tiresome ? " " Rather, I must own. She developed a great talent for flirtation ; I had to speak to her once. She seemed very much surprised, and looked as if she were going to tell me to mind my own business." " Well, I hope you won't take her any where again ; she is kept in no order. I am sure Mrs. Weston cannot teach her manners ; if you are wise, you will let her alone." " She cannot do me any harm, and I may do her some good. I shall not take her to a dance again. No one seems to know any thing about these Westons. I told you I saw Colonel Desmond last night." " No, you never told me that. What did he say ? Did you speak to him ? " " Yes, we had a long talk together.

It was some time before he came near me. I ASHFORD. had seen him walking about in front of me very often though. I daresay he thought his sudden appearance would be too much for my feelings, so came upon me gradually." " Don't talk such nonsense, Helen. I thought you had quite forgotten all that." " So I have generally ; only seeing Colonel Desmond, put me in mind of it all again. He could not help it, poor man, and I am sure he did not mean it ; he was very kind and friendly." " So he always used to be," said Lady Janet, " and I liked him very much." ASHFORD.

Chapter III

One day about a week after the Oakley dance, Evelyn Weston made her appearance at Ash ford Park, rather early, before lunch. Lady Helen was at home, though very busy ; but she asked Evelyn to sit down and wait for a little while. " I shall soon have done with these tire some papers," she said ; " but I cannot talk to you now. If you are not in a hurry, can you stay till the afternoon, and walk with me ? I have to go to one of the farms, and it is too far for my aunt." " I will gladly stay, Lady Helen ; I have nothing to do. May I look at this book whilst you are writing ? " " Yes, if you like. I shall not be long." ASHFORD. Lady Helen went on writing till lunch was ready. In the dining-room they found Lady Janet, who looked as if she wondered what Evelyn wanted. This was soon explained. In the afternoon, about half-past two, just as the two ladies were ready to start for their walk, there came a ring at the door bell, and in a minute Lord Carlyon was announced.

Lady Helen felt certain, when her visitor came into the room, that a glance of intel ligence passed between him and Evelyn. She was sorry she had not got away sooner. " I am afraid I have interrupted your walk, Lady Helen," began Lord Carlyon ; " but you must not expect me to say I am sorry." " I am glad you came just in time to catch me," said Lady Helen, who, however, did not speak quite the truth. ASHFORD. " This is my first visit to the Park," said Lord Carlyon. " I have often been through the village, yet I have never been in this house before." " It has been very much changed, I be lieve, since the Desmonds lived here," said Lady Helen. "My cousin, Mr. Gordon, altered it a great deal ; he thought of living here when he was tired of London." " Do you think that time would ever have come r " Well I don't know.

London had always been his home, and I daresay he would never have been happy away from it." " There is a very good view from this window," said Lord Carlyon. " How well the Manor House looks from it." " It is a nice looking old place ; but I have never been inside of it. Have you, Evelyn ? " ASHFORD. 33 " Several times ; only there is nothing to see there, only a few pictures, and some funny old rooms." " Don't you think the family portraits of the Desmonds worth looking at, Miss Wes ton ?" said LordCarlyon, " and especially your own picture." " Your picture, Evelyn ! " exclaimed Lady Helen. " What do you mean ? " " Why I am said to be the very image of Sir Charles Desmond's mother ; there is a likeness of her at the Manor, taken when she was quite young. That is ' my picture.' Isn't it very funny, Lady Helen ?

" " Perhaps it is," said Lady Helen, who, however, did not seem much excited by the circumstance. " There are a good many curious likenesses in the world." " I can answer for this one," added Lord Carlyon. " I have seen it myself, D ASHFORD. and you can do the same any day, Lady Helen." " I can quite believe you, Lord Carlyon. I have no doubt you speak the truth. I have no wish to explore the Manor House. But, tell me if it is true that Colonel Desmond is going to Jamaica." " I believe it is. He has some property there which is not doing well, so he is going out to look after it." " I suppose he is a wise man. Will he stay long?" " Not longer than he can help. If I were in his place I should cut the Gordian knot by selling the estate. You met Colonel Des mond in Italy, Lady Helen, I hear ; but have you ever encountered Sir Charles ?