A Woman of Honour

Chapter 8

Sitting next to Alice, on that gloriously sunny, late summer afternoon by the side of the lake, Helen was beginning to feel that she was being accepted as one of the guests. She was now glad that she had chosen not to wear the drab uniform that Lady Helford insisted she wore every day. Her muslin dress, even though it was hardly the height of fashion, made her feel as though she was just another guest. Since they had arrived at the lake, Alice had introduced her to the other young members of the party. When they had heard that she had been in Spain and Portugal with Wellington's army, they barraged her with questions. It was a novel experience to be the centre of attention and Helen, to her surprise, enjoyed the experience.

Helen had a pleasant afternoon with Alice. After a lavish tea, served by footmen in the Earl's livery, the guests sat on large rugs admiring the view of the lake. The young ladies were delighted when Lord Huntingdon and Tom, who had both disappeared soon after tea, came into view rowing two boats. For the next hour, Huntingdon and Tom took it in turns to row the ladies across the lake.

It was starting to get late, and the shadows cast by the trees were beginning to elongate as the sun made its descent through the sky. The older guests, wanting to return to the comforts of the Hall, were congregating by the path where the barouches were waiting to take them back. The younger guests, on the other hand, were taking advantage of the beautiful late summer sunshine and had decided to walk back to the Hall en masse.

Helen was just about to join the group when she heard a familiar man's voice calling her name.

'Mrs Wakefield,' Lord Huntingdon said, 'you have not yet seen the view from the other side of the lake.' Before Helen had a chance to refuse, he continued with an air of authority in his voice. 'I will not take no for an answer.'

Alice, who was standing next to her, smiled with a knowing look sparkling in her blue eyes. 'Go,' she said, as she nudged Helen's elbow, 'go and enjoy yourself. He can be very charming when he wants to be.'

Helen hesitated. She felt a little outmanoeuvred by Alice. After yesterday, she was not sure whether she wanted to be alone with Lord Huntingdon. She had shown very little self-control, and she knew that a repeat of what had happened the previous afternoon would not be in her best interest.

'Come,' Lord Huntingdon said as he beckoned for Helen to join him, 'I promise I will be on my best behaviour.'

'Go on,' Alice said, making a shooing motion with her hands. 'I am going to walk back to the Hall with Tom.'

Helen sighed. What harm could there be to be rowed across the lake by Lord Huntingdon? He looked extraordinarily handsome, sitting in the boat that was bobbing up and down next to the jetty. He had removed his jacket earlier that afternoon, and he was standing with his shirt sleeves rolled up. The precise knot of his cravat had been loosened and his hair, that usually looked immaculate, was slightly dishevelled.

As she approached the rowing boat, he stood up and held out his hand to help her in. 'I thought I would have to come and get you,' he said, smiling roguishly. She took his outstretched hand, and he helped her into the boat.

As their fingers touched, she once again felt that connection between them. As she sat down carefully on the wooden bench in the boat, it gently rocked from side to side. He then sat opposite her and, without saying a word, he began to row to the centre of the lake with long elegant strokes.

They sat in silence as the boat glided effortlessly to the centre of the lake. She looked over to the bank where only a short time ago she had been sitting with Alice and the other guests. The bank was now deserted, and they were alone. Helen undid the ribbon of her bonnet and placed it to one side. She wanted to feel the cool breeze on her face and hair. As she tilted her head back and closed her eyes, she listened to the gentle swoosh off the boat as the ores swept through the water and propelled them smoothly along. It was a regular, hypnotic sound, and she soon began to relax. As she reached over the side of the boat with her right hand and let her fingers trail in the water, she enjoyed the sensation of the cool liquid as it flowed past her fingers.