A Season for Honour

Chapter 22

As the phaeton entered the intricately fashioned park gates, Octavia could feel the prickle of tears in the corner of her eyes. Alex had just promised to give her "a season for honour." It was the first time in her life that anyone had done anything just for her, and, consequently, his thoughtfulness touched her deeply. However, she also felt pangs of guilt. He had made this promise so that he could make atonement for the mistakes he had made at Northleigh; but, there really was no debt to repay. She had been every bit as guilty as he had been; if not more.

They drove down the main thoroughfare of the park in silence. Octavia could see that they were attracting a good deal of attention from many of the park's occupants. Instead of disliking the attention, Octavia positively enjoyed it. She was in one of the most fashionable vehicles in the park and sitting next to an incredibly handsome gentleman. Instead of putting her head down and hoping that she would not be noticed, she tilted up her chin and looked boldly around her in wonder at the beauty of the park.

'Oh,' said Alex as they drew next to a smart looking barouche, 'just the person I wanted you to meet.'

Octavia looked at the occupants of the barouche, and her heart quickened. There was a lady in her later middle age, dressed in the first stare of fashion in a russet walking dress paired with a slightly darker pelisse that was covered in elaborate embroidery. Her outfit was made complete by a bonnet trimmed with matching russet silk ribbons and large, ostentatious ostrich plumes that soared majestically into the air. Her companion, which one barely noticed next to the finery of the older woman, was a young girl, of no more than seventeen-years, dressed demurely in a pink spig muslin dress with matching spencer. Octavia was not at all certain whether she wanted to greet someone as grand as the lady who had now lifted a lorgnette to examine her more closely.

'Mama,' Alex said as the phaeton came to a standstill, 'I was hoping to meet you this afternoon.'

The lady then transferred her gaze to her son and then to the phaeton. 'Alex,' she said, letting her lorgnette fall into her lap, 'is that Ralph's phaeton. I hope that you did not borrow it without his permission. He gets in the fidgets when anything is taken from his stables without his express permission, and I want him to be on his best behaviour this evening. He is to accompany Miss Haversham and me to the theatre tonight.' The grand looking lady, who just happened to be Alex's mother, turned around to look at the young lady, blushing by her side. 'Is that not so, my dear?' she then added addressing Miss Haversham.

'Yes, my lady,' the young woman lisped quietly.

'Poor Ralph,' Alex said in a voice that only Octavia could hear.

'What was that?' his mother retorted sharply.

'Nothing' Alex replied as Octavia tried not to smile. 'Mama,' he then said seriously. 'may I introduce to you, Lady Kendall. Lady Kendall, my mother, Lady Huntingdon.'

The lorgnette, which had been resting in her lap, was raised to her eyes again, and Octavia felt uncomfortable as she was subjected to another examination through the gold-rimmed spectacles. 'So, you are the infamous Lady Kendall,' she said, 'I must thank you for everything you have done for my son, my dear.'

Octavia was somewhat taken aback by what Lady Huntingdon had just said. She was half expecting her to give her the cut direct, certainly not to thank her. 'My mother,' Alex then said, smiling at her, 'has been wanting to meet you for some time.'

'Indeed, I have,' Lady Huntingdon said, 'I have been wanting to meet the woman who finally trained Alex to walk to heel. And, I must say that the pair of you make a handsome couple.'