4.
~ It was a beautiful fall day, as Arthur drove them both to Blue Rivers. The surrounding countryside was rugged, and the car bounced along the muddy roads.
Ariadne, more aware of her burden now, place a protective hand to her abdomen when the car rolled over a large bump. It was an action she had never done before, and one that Arthur didn't fail to notice.
The night before, he realized that she was indeed going to have a child. His wife, whom he shared his bed, was having another man's baby.
The realization of a child that was not his, felt like a wedge was growing between them. It seemed to him this baby could be their undoing.
He remembered that his pretty and convenient wife, was a fallen woman. A woman who had given herself to another man without being married. He felt a tightening in his chest at the idea that someone else had touched her. That he would have to play father to another man's child.
~ Blue Rivers sat on a large, country estate. Arthur slowed his car as they past an elegant stable house and over charming stone bridges that cut across clear streams where cows drank at their leisure.
"Arthur, it's so beautiful here!" Ariadne exclaimed.
Even Arthur, with all his cynicism, seemed impressed. The painting at the inn, turned out to be a false advertisement. The house at Blue Rivers was more beautiful then they had been lead to believe. The grounds were immaculately well tended. Complete with an animal topiary garden. Ariadne laughed as she recognized lions and giraffes.
The driveway was long and afforded them a nice view of a small village below; and a river that was so dark, it was almost purple.
"That must be the blue river." Arthur said slowing down so they could enjoy a proper look. "My grandfather swam there as a boy."
~ A line of servants were standing at attention to greet the new lord and lady of the house.
They were decked in uniforms of black with white pinafores for the housekeeper and maids, the footman were dressed in dinner ready finery that somehow put Arthur's suit to shame.
Ariadne felt a little intimidated as she looked over the servants. None of them wore a smile to greet her. They all looked wearily at the new Americans, invading their home.
"Missus." Came a familiar voice as Arthur helped his lady out of the car.
"Maura!" Ariadne cried out at seeing her maid. Maura looked washed out in her black dress with her sandy hair ruthlessly pulled and pinned back.
Ariadne climbed out of the car and gave her maid a hug. It was only a few days since seeing her maid, but she had missed her.
"Lord Bradford." Came a voice to greet Arthur. His voice was subtle and very kind.
"Yes." Arthur said coming to stand by Ariadne.
"My name is Miles. I am the butler here at Blue Rivers." The older gentleman said as Ariadne nervously clasped Maura's hand.
Miles had a comforting, graceful manner about him. He spoke softly and almost grandfatherly to the new arrivals. Ariadne liked him right away.
"Happy to meet you." Arthur said shaking the butler's hand and looking up at the intimidating house. "And happy to be here."
The couple looked over the army of servants.
Ariadne did a quick head count. There appeared to be three maids, none of them over the age of twenty. A beefy looking cook, a tall work hardened scullery maid who must have come from a farm. There were also two, well groomed footmen and an angry looking housekeeper with a lacy matron's cap on her head. She captured Ariadne's interest as being very formidable to the staff. She wore a black dress and a plain looking broach pinned tightly to her high collar. She didn't seem the type to have a ready smile for anyone the way Miles did.
Miles was introducing the staff by their first names and called the housekeeper, Mrs. Abbot.
Ariadne had grown up with only a few servants. The housekeeper did double duty as a cook in her parents home, and they had only one maid for the rest of the work. On the occasions of a party, they hired out a special caterer and wait staff. What would they do with so many full time servants?
"Well, I half expected you might never come!" said a voice that made them all jump.
An elderly woman, perfectly fit despite her age, gracefully stepped down from the stone stairs of the foyer, and surveyed the invaders on her driveway.
She said nothing at all as she looked over first Arthur, and then Ariadne.
"I am Lady Persephone Bradford. A bit long winded, I know. I knew your grandfather as a girl, and a more sullen young man never existed anywhere. I'm you great uncle's daughter." She told Arthur.
Arthur looked surprised and a little smile came across his face. Family. Family would be living with them.
"Of course you grandfather left with your grandmother to America not long after my father inherited the title." The old lady said. "We never heard from him, or his wife again."
"I'm afraid they both died on the crossing." Arthur said. He looked as if he had been chastised by this aged relation for things he had no control over. "Mr. Cobb explained this in the letters I expect."
"And now you're here." Lady Persephone said looking over her long lost relation. "I must say I wonder about that. You don't look anything like our family."
Ariadne bristled at the thinly veiled insult. She had been around well composed men all her life, and there was no one better suited to a life like this than Arthur.
She felt her courage rise in defense of her husband.
"Well, we are so pleased to meet you. I can't wait to brag to my friends back home that I have an Aunt Persephone!" Ariadne said with a wide smile. Trying to get into the good graces of a woman who obviously held so much sway here, even if she no longer held any power.
"You will cal me, Lady Percy; I should think. I'm not your Aunt. I'm your distant cousin, dear." Lady Percy said stiffly after she had spent some time looking over Arthur's features.
"We also have the late Lord Bradford's young daughter, Phillipa here with us. Other then that, the house has been lonely since my nephew and his son's passing." Lady Percy said.
Ariadne noticed for the first time, a little girl with sandy, blond hair peeking out behind Lady Percy's dark dress. She had green eyes and a light dusting of freckles on her face.
"Hello, Phillipa." Ariadne called to the child who hid behind Lady Percy. Afraid of the strangers coming to live in her house.
Ariadne squeezed Maura's hand harder.
Was this home?
~ Blue River's was even more lovely inside then out. Lady Percy told Phillipa to go to her room and instructed a maid to have her kept out from under foot until dinner.
"We have a governess." Lady Percy said. "However, Mrs. Mills is quite elderly. She was the nurse maid for three generations of the family and we can't exactly cast her out. Despite the fact that she needs more care then she provides these days. Mrs. Abbot is currently taking letters of interest from prospective governess', but you know these things will take time."
"Of course." Ariadne said as she watched the sad looking child depart silently. She had never had a full time governess. Instead, her mother hired a kindly Irish woman to mind her until she was ten. When she was sent to finishing school.
"After the sinking, the nanny that was on ship with Phillipa, promptly quit. Left her in New York alone, and we had to pay some strange woman on her way to Kent to see the girl home. It was most inconvenient." Lady Percy said as all the servants seemed to magically disperse. All except Miles, who seemed to be standing by in case they needed anything; but was also oblivious to them.
"Phillipa was on Titanic?" Ariadne gasped.
"Oh yes. Her father got her onto a life boat, but the crew wouldn't let any men on at all. Not even Simon, who was only sixteen and still a boy. I was told, by Lady Anthem, that it was all very dreadful. What with the lifeboats and waiting in the middle of the North Atlantic to be picked up. I'm afraid Phillipa hasn't been the same since the ordeal. She was her father's pet and all. Her mother died in child birth. They were an older couple and I'm afraid the late Lady Brandford's age was a great hindrance in childbearing." Lady Percy said as she showed them the house.
Ariadne couldn't take in the beauty of the first floor of Blue Rivers. She was thinking of the little girl having to watch her father and brother on the boat deck of Titanic. The last she would ever see of them.
"You'll forgive my surprise at finding you both here. My solicitor, Mr. Cobb, failed to mention there was any family living in the house." Arthur said looking worriedly at Ariadne.
If this woman was going to be living with them, that complicated their lives greatly.
"Well, where else would we be living?" Lady Percy said with a laugh. "Your third cousin, Mr. Eames, will be here for dinner tonight. Charming young man. He is the only son of the late Lord Bradford's sister Juniper. She is recently widowed and living in India. He is visiting her there." Lady Percy said as she showed them an impressive library.
"With Lord Brandford's death, we expected him to inherit the title, you see. Then, your Mr. Cobb let us know about you. To be frank, we didn't know what had happened to your grandfather and father. We never heard a word about them after they left for America. We were greatly shocked to learn of your existence." Lady Percy said.
Again, that feeling that they had done something wrong crept over them.
"Well, these things happen." Arthur said stiffly.
"And with a wife in tow." Lady Percy said looking over Ariadne.
"We've been married a year now." Arthur said taking Ariadne's hand and giving it a squeeze. That seemed to be Ariadne's que to give her best smile. A feet she performed admirably.
"Yes, and Colonel Forester's wife wrote to say you are already expecting." Lady Percy mused looking over Ariadne's body.
"Yes, we're very excited to have another generation of this family born here." Ariadne said trying to sound happy.
"Well, I wouldn't say that." Lady Percy mused. "Arthur wasn't born in this house. The chain is broken I'm afraid."