Lady Elizabeth Summerly stared unseeingly out into the lovely rose garden
beside Summerly Court. Her loyal companion, the great
Dane, Mr Gordo walked beside his mistress. How much life had changed for her
since that fateful February night. Anya and she had
been chatting beside the fireside when her cousin Alexander had burst into the
house past Mrs Keller the housekeeper.
“Buffy…Buffy….Buffy! Where are you?”
Alexander’s shouts echoed throughout the main hall and staircase.
Elizabeth sighed. ‘What was wrong with him now. As
much as she loved her cousin, she was not always as understanding of his
excitability as she should be.’ She got up, putting her book away and hurried
out the room.
“I’m here, Xander,
what is the matter?” Buffy looked to her harried cousin. In her worry, Buffy
also lapsed into their childhood names for each other.
“Buffy,” Xander
came onto her and clutched her hands. His expression of pity
and sorrow striking fear into Buffy’s heart. “Buffy,”
he began again, but broke off unable to continue.
Buffy lost her patience. “What happened Xander? For god’s sake,
please tell me.” She snapped. Upon hearing her own harsh tone, she cringed.
Years of her mother’s instruction on the behaviour expected of a lady came back
to her like a reprimand from the grave. She took a deep breath, knowing from
past experience she would need a softer approach with Xander.
Buffy tugged Xander
into her father’s study. Although she was very fond of her companion Anya Jenkins, she was not, however, known for her discretion,
and this looked to be a discreet matter.
Shutting the door she sat Xander down and poured him some of father’s best brandy.
After urging him to swallow half the glass down, she pushed Xander
for further explanation. “Xander, please tell
me what happened,” Buffy’s hazel eyes sparkled with appeal.
Xander looked at his childhood companion, and was again filled with pity
at her situation. Loving her as much as he did, and having so much gratitude
for her father, whom had taken his poor nephew into
his care and taken upon himself the burden of his education, Xander loathed being the bearer of such bad news.
“Marry me Buffy!” It was a trial to
determine who was the most surprised of the pair at this announcement.
Xander, having opened his mouth, was determined to swallow as much of his
appendage as possible. “Buffy will you marry me and we can have the minister
here before dawn?”
Buffy’s expression firmed and she decided
unladylike or not some situations demanded to be taken into hand.
“Stop this melodrama at once Xander and tell me what is the matter!”
Buffy’s tone was strict and demanded to be obeyed. Xander,
for once, abandoned his instincts to bury his head, and slowly
,with much application of brandy, narrated the terrible events of the
night. After he had finished Buffy slumped down next to him.
“Wagered at a throw of the die,” Buffy
remarked bitterly.
Xander looked sorrowfully to his friend. “You mustn’t blame your poor
father. He was surrounded by the well wishers of Lord Angelus. He believed them
to be his friends and heeded their advice. The weight of blame lies squarely on
myself. I was the one who left his side knowing full
well of his vices, his weaknesses. I allowed myself to be diverted to the
pursuit of my obsession. I should have been there to intervene in this
tragedy.” Xander, if possible, sat even more dejected
than before.
Drawing breath as if to
give himself courage, he stood. “But I can solve
this product of my mistakes. Marry me Buffy and you won’t have to face the
shadow of that beast upon your person?”
Upon the repeated words of the proposal,
Buffy roused herself from the stupor of misery she had succumbed too. Drawing
from the strength of her departed mother, Buffy comforted herself. Even as a
young child, Buffy had known that she had to find inner strength against the
challenges of life. Her situation in life had blessed her with comfort and even
luxuries, yet with it were also the responsibilities of such a position. She
had submitted herself to study in the arts of a lady, the devotion of a
daughter to her parents, the example of a lady to society. Yet her heart craved
adventure, the freedom to seek out her own destiny. To have
the luxury not of silk and champagne, but autonomy and enterprise. Buffy
had not rebelled then, and even now, in the face of abject despair, promised to
the man she despised most in the world, the man responsible for the death of
her dearest friend, she would not back down. Certainly not hide behind her
cousin Xander. As dear as he was to her, she could
not marry him.
“No Xander, I’m
not going to give that fiend the satisfaction of knowing that I am scared of
him. He may have won his battle to win me ,but he can
never possess me in full. No one can do that; I won’t be bartered as a
possession. He may have forced my father into a corner, but I won’t back down.”
Buffy spoke with a strength of character and a
maturity beyond her one and seven years.
“Buffy –“ Xander was cut off from his approaching plea.
“Don’t try to convince me anymore Xander, and
any marriage with you would be a crowded affair. I may be naïve Xander, but I’m not blind, deaf and dumb. I know that you
are entirely obsessed with Lady Chase. In fact, most of London is most
probably aware of your love, even if the object of your affection is not.”
Xander had the grace to look embarrassed, but still he tried once more.
“Buffy, please think carefully as the time to act is short? Remember in this
case, it is better to marry in haste rather than to repent in leisure.”
Buffy smiled sadly at Xander,
“My dear cousin, I fear no one save me from my fate.”
However, despite her pessimistic words,
there had been a savior for Buffy. An unknown knight
who had saved her from the clutches of Lord Angelus, but she had yet to find
out whether she had been plunged from the stove into the fire or not.
It had been three months, and where sharp
sorrows had surrounded her life, Xander’s
announcement had been quickly followed by news of her father’s death. Unable to
face giving her the news, her father had taken his own life. As she was barely
recovering from her grief and her shock, it was declared that her guardian and
victor of the wager was in fact Lord Ripper. The mysterious noble, who shunned
courtly activities and was an enigma in society, was the man to whom she was
now promised. Buffy didn’t know what to think nor was she able to process
anything for many weeks as the rituals of her father’s funeral were completed.
After that life existed in a strange limbo,
as they waited for news from the silent Lord Ripper. A brief letter arrived
from his secretary that Lord Ripper was sorry to hear of her loss and offered
his condolences. Further than that there was no news. As the weeks had passed,
Buffy became angrier at the situation. He had won her as a whim and once
victorious had no use for her and had decided to ignore her. ‘What was to
become of her?’ More than the dangers of being at Lord Angelus’s
whims, Buffy feared nothing more than having to spend the rest of her days
locked in the prison of her stately home. For all its beauty, it was to her an
ivory tower from which she wanted to escape, even if it was to face tougher
challenges ahead. But to struggle was preferable than the apathy of her present
state.
She sighed and turned back to the house,
hoping that today would bet the day of news, any news.
“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune
must be in want of a wife. He requires her taste, her direction and her progeny.”
William rolled his eyes and moved away from
the chatter of the annoying Lady Bennett. Again he wondered what had possessed
him to come to this ball tonight? He had little
patience for these people or the conversation.
“Spike you have to stop
sulking in shadows or legends like that of that unfortunate European Count will
also circulate about you.”
William sighed in relief at finally finding
a welcome face among the throng. “Well for what do we live for Clem, but to
make sport for our neighbours, and laugh at them in our turn?
Clement Feline his lumbering, large friend
was the only reason he favoured such company these days. There were times long
forgotten that William had been happier in such gatherings but duration of time
had hardened him and such frivolities as dancing and gossiping were long gone.
The warm nature of Clem, though, still appealed to William, and he couldn’t
refuse an invitation from his old friend.
“Spike, it has been too long,” Clem, like
an over-friendly puppy, embraced his friend, grinning happily.
“Clem, I have told you not to call me that
in public.” Spike’s stern voice subdued Clem’s warm nature until he noticed the
twinkle in his friend’s eye.
“Spike, you shouldn’t be so serious all the
time. Besides, it is so rare these days for me to meet you.” Clem put his arm
around Spike and led him to a quiet alcove in the room.
“Now tell me my friend, where have you
been? Last I heard was that you were headed to France.”
“The political situation is a little
sensitive especially for those among us who are blessed with a noble title so
…” Spike eluded Clem’s questions, secretly he had been back and forth across
the Channel frequently in the past month. The last trip had been too hazardous
even for his liking, so he was currently cooling his heels in present company.
However, Clem was not to be distracted from
his interrogation, “And I hear that congratulations are in order. I hear that
you are engaged of late. To royalty no less.”
“Engaged,
royalty!?!” Spike frowned, “does no one in this town have any business to
attend. They seem to find extreme delight in meddling and talking about things
that are none of their concern!”
Clem laughed, “Well Spike when you come out
of the shadows so spectacularly like you did this past winter there is bound to
be talk. There are some who are suspicious of your motives, but I know that
there is a kind heart under that gruff exterior you show the world.”
Spike grimaced, his instincts usually
didn’t fail him, but that night he seemed to have been too hasty and now he was
faced with being the object of scrutiny. It didn’t suit his purposes to have
people pay attention to him.
“However, I do commend you, Spike. Saving
the poor girl from the fate of marriage to Lord Angelus is surely to be
cheered. I hear the girl is quite a beauty in her own right. There are some
spirited debates occurring around town comparing her to Helen of Troy and
Aphrodite.”
Spike poured himself another drink
disinterestedly. “The girl is most probably a country bumpkin with no more
beauty than Helen of Oxley or Anne Golightly.
Speculation by people who have never laid eyes on her should not be paid
attention to.”
“Spike, I would not be as fastidious as you
for a kingdom. You saw yourself the efforts Angel put into getting the girl.
Now Angel is no Prince Regent, however, given his wealth and position, he is
not short of female companionship. What possible reason would he have to do
what he did to Summerly if the prize was not worth
it?” Clem argued, sipping from his own glass.
Spike mused unseeingly into the distance,
picturing the face of Lord Angelus at that final wager with Sir Summerly. His
eyes had gleamed with pure evil it seemed, an all-consuming need to possess.
“I cannot comment in detail on Lord Angelus’s motives, but he is a snob as much as the rest of
these people. Summerly’s connections with the crown
does make a match with his daughter, a more attractive prospect.” Clem nodded
agreeing to the valid point.
Spike continued with a wry smile. “Imagine
the fate of the country if the heirs to the throne were the victims of a fatal
illness, and the responsibility of the throne had led to Summerly’s door. We have still to overcome the burden
of an insane king, only to have had a drunk and a gambler as the new King.”
Spike laughed at his own joke.
Clem looked around worriedly, hoping no one
had heard the musings of his friend Humour about the King’s underdressed dashes
across the garden had become commonplace of late, but still to address the King
as insane was still a blasphemous act in more royalist circles.
“Spike!” At Spike’s questioning glance, Clem softened. “Well I don’t think
we have anything of the sort to fear, especially as the poor man put an end to
himself and his shame.”
Spike’s mood darkened. “Hmmm, it is a shame
the man didn’t wait a few more minutes to see the outcome of my little wager. I
could have saved him the anguish. I was going to return him all his losses as
they are useless to me. The man was hasty in his wagers of property and life.
Now there is no one to take over management of the Summerly Estate, and there
is that girl still to be dealt with. However, she is still young I hear, in a
few years, when it is unavoidable, I shall have to
deal with it myself I fear.”
Clem was outraged for the fate of the
unseen girl. “Spike, that is a cruel fate for the
girl. Without any decision the girl must wait for your whims and fancies until
something is decided for her. She is a young girl, Spike, leaving her in the
back waters of that estate when she should be at Court like all the others of
her age would be as cruel as anything Angelus had planned for her.”
Spike sighed and unintentionally allowed
the seeds of pity to grow in his mind for the girl. She had already caused him
enough bother for the kindness that he had shown her. Was it not enough all
that he had done for her already? Deep inside, Spike realised that he could not
be so cruel to the girl, however, he was still at a loss to find a solution to
the problem.
“How did you find her in correspondence? Is
she bright or a simple girl?” Clem continued questioning.
Spike shifted uncomfortably. He found it
hard now to tell his friend that he had in fact never written to the girl or to
her charge or even tried to find out the specifics of her situation.
“You haven’t even bothered have you?” Clem
accused.
“Clem stop acting
like my nagging wife. I understand now that something has to be done. I will
not be made to feel more guilty about this subject”
“Fine.” Clem said, inwardly smiling as he realised he had gotten through to
his friend. It would not be long now till the cracks appeared.
“At least have a look at the girl. She is
promised to you in marriage. Having a look at the… er…
merchandise is good business practice, isn‘t that correct?”
Spike grimaced distastefully, “She’s hardly
a cargo of goods for me to see, but perhaps you are right. Perhaps we should go
have a look at this great beauty.”
“We?” Clem asked innocently.
“Yes we!” Spike
grinned at his friend. “I know that you are intensely curious to see her too,
so you might as well come with me. It is only a two hour ride on horseback from
here. We can be there before nine in the morn.”
“Nine! Horseback!!”
Clem squeaked. “We can begin later perhaps in the afternoon, and take your
carriage.”
Spike’s grin widened into a full blown
smile. He knew of his chubby friend’s dislike for early starts and exercise.
However, if he was going to be blackmailed into action over the girl, he didn’t
see why Clem shouldn’t suffer some too.
“No, I prefer morning. So I think it is
time for us to retire my friend, we have an early start tomorrow.”
Clem sighed and resigned himself to his
fate.