‘Be very careful where you choose to sit,’ whispered Lady Norton, who had come in just behind them. ‘If you are too close to Lady Craddock’s camp then Lady Thrapston will take you for her mortal enemy.’
Helen realised that the layout of the room was most unfortunate. People naturally wished to sit as close to one of the fires as they could, but since Lady Craddock had appropriated the sofa nearest the hearth at one end, and Lady Thrapston a matching one at the other, several ladies, apart from her and her aunt, were hanging about in the doorway as though plotting a course between Scylla and Charybdis.
‘Is there no neutral ground?’ Aunt Bella whispered to her more knowledgeable friend.
‘The gaming room. It is just through that door,’ she replied with a laugh. ‘Only I am not permitted in there until Norton comes.’
Aunt Bella’s eyebrow shot up.
‘I will explain later,’ she said, with a meaningful nod in Helen’s direction.
Helen smiled politely, though she took exception to the way the woman was trying to monopolise her aunt and exclude her.
‘Look,’ she said, indicating a quartet of chairs grouped around a table towards the centre of the room. ‘That looks a safe enough place to sit.’
‘We shall have our backs to the piano, though,’ said Lady Norton. ‘Lady Thrapston might take it as an insult to her daughters…’
‘Especially since I intend to sit and gossip with you, rather than listen to their uninspired performance,’ agreed Aunt Bella cheerfully. ‘But, since I do not care what that woman may think of me, I think we may as well risk it.’
The three of them made their way to the table and sat down, laying their reticules on its highly polished surface before anyone else could steal a march on them.
‘You know why they are all here this year, don’t you?’ Lady Norton said, when the music came to a particularly noisy section that ensured nobody could overhear what she was about to say.
‘Augustine is of an age to make her come-out, and I have heard that Lady Thrapston is angling to get her brother to open up Bridgemere House for at least part of the season in her honour.’
‘Do you think he might?’
Lady Norton snorted. ‘He did not do so for Octavia. Why should he make an exception for Augustine? Besides, their father is still alive. And I am sure Bridgemere will point out that he can well afford to launch his girls creditably.’
‘Then why on earth is Lady Thrapston making the attempt?’ Aunt Bella was leaning forward, her eyes shining with curiosity. Helen had not seen her this animated since well before the collapse of the Middleton and Shropshire Bank.
‘Bridgemere House is so much larger than their own London house. And Lady Thrapston, apparently, thinks it is about time Bridgemere spent some time in town again. What better time than to launch his supposedly favourite niece into society?’
‘You mean he has not always been such a reclusive person?’ Helen asked.
But before Lady Norton could elaborate, they all became aware that the General’s wife was approaching their table. With a conciliatory smile, she indicated the one remaining chair and said, ‘I do apologise for my husband’s outburst earlier. I hope you will not hold it against me.’
Before anyone could say anything she sat down and added, ‘It is such a pity we have got off on the wrong foot. Especially since the few days we are all going to spend here gives me such a wonderful opportunity to get to know you better, Helen.’ She turned an anxious smile upon her. ‘The breach between my husband and his sister has kept us apart for too long, don’t you think?’
‘Well, I…’ It was such an about-face that Helen did not know what to think.
Mrs Forrest smiled sadly. ‘It must have been a terrible blow for you to lose both your parents at such an impressionable age. I would have loved to have raised you myself, but as you know the General is not a man one can cross…’
Helen frowned, trying to recall if her impressions of that time might be faulty. She had not thought her aunt had seemed terribly keen on taking her in, and could certainly not remember her attempting even the smallest argument with the General on her behalf. But then, she had already been through several households where neither adult had wanted the expense of her upkeep, and had begun to feel like a leper.
‘Your mother and I were…well, sisters, you know,’ she said airily. Then she glanced over her shoulder, as though checking to make sure the gentlemen were not yet joining them, and said, ‘I may not stay and chat with you now, but perhaps we could take a walk about the grounds tomorrow? While the men are out shooting?’
Helen hardly had to think about her response. Here was a woman who had known her mother. Though she had no complaints about the way Aunt Bella had raised her, she had never met either of Helen’s parents. It would be wonderful to have somebody to talk to who had known them both.
‘I should like that very much,’ she said.
As soon as they had made arrangements about where to meet, and at what time, Mrs Forrest got to her feet and went to join a group of ladies who were seeking a fourth for a hand of whist.
‘She did not invite me, I hope you notice, Helen,’ said her aunt darkly.
Immediately Helen felt contrite for arranging to meet Mrs Forrest without considering how this might affect Aunt Bella.
‘Did you want to go out walking tomorrow?’ said Lady Norton. ‘If you do, then you and I could take a stroll together. Though myself I dislike going out when it is so cold. I would much rather stay within doors and amuse myself with a hand or two of piquet.’
Aunt Bella turned to her with a smile. ‘Then that is what we shall do while Helen renews ties with her mother’s family. If that is really why Mrs Forrest has attempted to detach her from my side.’
‘What do you mean?’ asked Helen with a frown.
‘Well, has it never occurred to you that if she really thought so much of her sister’s child she would at the least have written, or sent small gifts for birthdays and Christmas?’
Helen’s heart sank. ‘Perhaps the General would not permit it.’
‘Yes, that might be it. But I would not be a bit surprised to learn that she has some other motive than reconciliation on her mind. Take care, Helen. She may smile and say all the right things here, where there are plenty of eyes on her. But I have a strong suspicion she is up to something.’
And so Helen was on her guard when she went to meet her aunt the next morning. And it was just as well, because they had scarcely left the shelter of the house before Mrs Forrest unsheathed her claws.
‘We wish to know exactly what you are doing here, young woman,’ she began coldly. ‘And to warn you that whatever your intentions may be we intend to see to it that your days of being a drain upon Isabella’s resources come to an end. If my husband had been the head of the family, instead of that ineffectual brother of his, he would never have permitted things to go this far. Indeed, Isabella should never have been permitted to make a home for herself, unprotected, to fall prey to unscrupulous people who only have an eye to her fortune!’
It was so obvious that Mrs Forrest considered Helen to be one of those unscrupulous persons with an eye on Aunt Bella’s fortune that for a brief second she almost blurted out the truth. That there was no longer any fortune for the General to be getting into such a pother about. She found it incredibly sad that this woman had brought her out here simply to squabble over money—non-existent