April 1984 – Maristow House.
The Rolls Royce Phantom steam car crunched up the drive into the large rectangular courtyard of the Roborough family estate.
Lady Catherine Houghton Whetherly allowed her driver Madison to open the door for her, straightening herself and assuming the correct posture she strode towards the great doors, where the faithful if somewhat cumbersome Truman waited.
She swept ahead of the servants arriving at the drawing room, as she entered all present stood and greeted her Ladyship, Lady Rebecca Reynolds smiled mischievously, while her older brother Baron Roborough nodded his head and continued his conversation with one of the society bimbos.
Dinner was a traditionally good in flavour with short polite conversation, before the gentlemen were to retire for cigars and brandy and bridge for the ladies, however Lady Catherine would not be dismissed so casually.
“Sebastian, a moment please” she said a little too sharply
Reynolds grimaced, damn it, he’d almost escaped “Of course Aunt” he replied jauntily
They sat in private her stony gaze settling upon the Baron, in return he levelled a steely gaze back something she hadn’t seen in the wastrel Lord to date, she found it refreshing.
“So Sebastian let’s cut to the chase shall we, your plans for marriage what are they!”
Green and Pleasant Lands
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Re: Green and Pleasant Lands
The Baron Roborough was somewhat flabbergasted at the bluntness of his formidable aunt's question.
Initially he felt annoyed at the cheek of it, however as her words settled more deeply into his mind like some magician's trick he began to feel annoyed because she was right to ask it of him.
His father, and his father before him had ensured that the Title had a direct heir, and so now that this battleaxe of a woman had brought it to his attention, Sebastian Reynolds considered it his duty to provide one also.
However, now that the point had been made he was damned if he was going to let Aunt Catherine cajole him into marrying some horse-faced but all together suitable spinster.
Suddenly and totally unbidden, images of young ladies of his acquaintance appeared in his mind. There was the exotic Maria, one of JP's ladies. As delectable as she may be she was whole heartedly unsuitable. Then came Lilly Buxley and as sweet and clever as she was, a grease-monkey from a cargo vessel was hardly a match society would approve of. And there was the slight issue of her being madly in love with someone else.
Paige Holt, one of his servants back in Knightsbrige came to mind then, her strong self confident attitude and the fact that she was very pretty made her tempting, but again, her station would make her unsuitable.
Then there was ...
“Stop it!” He yelled internally, forcing his mind off it's current course.
He wanted to put his aunt off, let her, in no uncertain terms, know that this was none of her concern and was a situation he was fully capable of dealing with.
But this wasn't just anyone sat in the armchair opposite. This was Aunt Catherine.
The words caught in his mouth. “I... err... well...”
Initially he felt annoyed at the cheek of it, however as her words settled more deeply into his mind like some magician's trick he began to feel annoyed because she was right to ask it of him.
His father, and his father before him had ensured that the Title had a direct heir, and so now that this battleaxe of a woman had brought it to his attention, Sebastian Reynolds considered it his duty to provide one also.
However, now that the point had been made he was damned if he was going to let Aunt Catherine cajole him into marrying some horse-faced but all together suitable spinster.
Suddenly and totally unbidden, images of young ladies of his acquaintance appeared in his mind. There was the exotic Maria, one of JP's ladies. As delectable as she may be she was whole heartedly unsuitable. Then came Lilly Buxley and as sweet and clever as she was, a grease-monkey from a cargo vessel was hardly a match society would approve of. And there was the slight issue of her being madly in love with someone else.
Paige Holt, one of his servants back in Knightsbrige came to mind then, her strong self confident attitude and the fact that she was very pretty made her tempting, but again, her station would make her unsuitable.
Then there was ...
“Stop it!” He yelled internally, forcing his mind off it's current course.
He wanted to put his aunt off, let her, in no uncertain terms, know that this was none of her concern and was a situation he was fully capable of dealing with.
But this wasn't just anyone sat in the armchair opposite. This was Aunt Catherine.
The words caught in his mouth. “I... err... well...”