Revisiting Grave's End
"Even the Cavendish's would not have set foot in such a mausoleum."
~Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire~
~~WT~~
"I have yet to call Doctor Warren, but I suppose I should do it tomorrow." Olivia said casually.
"Good idea, Livia darling." Lauren speared a piece of apple with her fork. "If you don't, I shall be forced into pretending I'm your personal assistant, and call for you."
Olivia laughed at this.
"Oh, I do like the sound of that! Do go ahead and do that, I want to see if they raise a fuss over it."
"That is wrong you know." Grace said. She popped a grape into her mouth, chewed thoughtfully for a moment, than grinned. "I don't believe they will take too kindly to someone pretending to be the future Lady Tavington's assistant."
Lauren shook her head slowly.
"How on earth will they even know, that Liv doesn't have a personal assistant? It's not as if they keep an account of such things. Liv's grandmother has two personal assistants, and no one has questioned her about it."
Grace popped yet another grape into her mouth.
"Either way, Lady Tavington is respected amongst the leading nobility. They give her respect and…"
"A wide berth." Lauren interjected.
"What do you mean by that?" Olivia paused for a second. "Pass me the tea, would you Grace?"
Grace handed her the Royal Rose teapot.
"Do be careful, it's still pretty hot, Liv."
Olivia nodded.
"Thank you, Grace. Now Lauren what did you mean they give my grandmother a wide berth?"
"Just exactly what I said. Everyone knows better than to get on Georgiana Tavington's bad side. You remember what happened to Lady McKinney, don't you?"
Both Grace and Olivia nodded.
"Yes, well she hasn't been seen in the society papers for a long time. Not since, she had that disagreement with your grandmother last autumn. Lady McKinney has become the social piranha."
"Oh I know!" Grace laughed. "Mother said she saw her several weeks ago, and she avoided her."
Lauren snickered.
"Yes, well I doubt there are many of the ton who feel the need to associate with Lady McKinney. They also know better than to go against Lady Tavington. Anyway…" She cut a wedge of cheese, took a large bite out of it, and smiled ruefully. "Back to the matter at hand."
"I know, you're going to make an appointment for me with Doctor Warren, right?"
Lauren nodded.
"Well of course I am! Don't be absurd Olivia! I shall call in the morning, that way, they may be able to get you in by afternoon. No worries darling, your personal assistant shall take care of everything for you."
"What appointment would you be referring to, Miss Shaw?"
A dead silence descended upon the room at the intrusion of this voice. All three women turned to the doorway.
Colonel Tavington stood there smiling.
"I…well…" Lauren stuttered.
"Cat must have your tongue, young lady." He turned to Grace, who seemed to whither under his scrutiny.
"I am certain you will be able to tell me what appointment has been made for my future bride."
Grace glanced from Lauren to Olivia. The later simply shook her head silently.
"Appointment, sir?"
The Colonel nodded briskly.
"Yes, Miss Tarleton, that is what I am trying to find out about."
"Yes, well it's for Olivia." Grace faltered.
He stared solemnly at her for a moment, than smirked.
"Again Miss Tarleton, that is the one thing I do know. What I wish you would tell me is what Olivia's appointment is for."
Once more, she glanced at both Olivia and Lauren. They seemed to be far more interested in the food on their plates.
"Very well, sir. Olivia's appointment is with a Doctor Warren…"
"I see. And what exactly is she seeing this Doctor Warren for?"
Grace shuddered slightly. As much as she adored Tavington, she also found herself unnerved by him.
"Pregnancy, sir." She shuddered again.
"I see." Was his reply.
Olivia looked at Grace for a moment. The poor girl was staring at the wall, no doubt hoping it would open up and swallow her.
"It's alright, Gracie." Olivia said soothingly.
Grace nodded silently.
"Oh for crying out loud! Everyone is acting as if someone died! It's just a bloody doctor's appointment, to see if Livia is pregnant!" Lauren turned a dark look on Tavington. "And you, Colonel Tavington will most likely be a father!"
He stared at Lauren for a long time. The expression on his face was unreadable at first. He seemed to be processing what she had just told him.
Then he smiled slowly.
"I know I am to be a father, Miss Shaw."
"Well of course you do, I just told you that!" She hissed.
His smiled widened.
"No, no…what I mean to say is, I overheard the three of you talking at the crypt earlier."
The women looked at each other. They had not been alone apparently.
"That was not a polite thing to be doing, Colonel." Lauren remarked acidly.
The Colonel sneered coolly at her.
"Oh? Well, I was under the impression that the Hall and all the surrounding land belonged to me."
"William…" Olivia cautioned.
He grinned at her.
"My darling, I am simply stating a fact. I was also, under the impression that I could go where I pleased."
"You can, William." Olivia said softly.
His face darkened slightly.
"Be that as it may, it would seem that I am to be confined to the Hall, while my women are about." He turned his gaze to Lauren.
"I never said that, Colonel Tavington."
"It was a hint well given, and well taken." He replied.
Lauren laughed.
"Take it as you wish. I did not say you could not go where you wished. This is, after all, your home and you reign over it."
Grace, who had remained quiet throughout the conversation, finally spoke up.
"It will also belong to Olivia, you know."
Colonel Tavington smiled.
"That is correct, Miss Tarleton. Upon our marriage, she will be Mistress of Tavington Hall, as well as Mistress of our other estates and holdings. Just as you, Miss Tarleton, will be Mistress of Willow House."
Grace's mouth dropped open.
"But sir, that title is reserved for the wife of Colonel Tarleton…"
The Colonel chuckled softly.
"Oh my dear, that would be you!"
It was both Lauren and Olivia's turn to have their mouths drop open.
"How would you know this, Colonel?" Lauren questioned.
Again, he simply chuckled at this.
"Why Ban is one of my closest friends! Many a time we have discussed his proposing to Miss Tarleton. Just last week…"
"But Mother told him he would need to wait…" Grace said sorrowfully.
"My dear, he need not wait. Lady Georgiana has spoken to your mother and set the matter straight…"
Lauren stifled a laugh.
"I told you girls, no one gets on Lady Tavington's bad side."
Tavington nodded in agreement. His gaze held Lauren's for a moment.
"As for you, Miss Shaw…Lord Morland was married last weekend…"
Lauren went pale.
"He what?"
"Married Lady Crowley. Bad match that one is."
Lauren's pale colour turned to scarlet.
"A bad match? Bad would not begin to cover what it is!" She snarled.
Tavington continued to smile.
"No need to fear…"
"What?" She nearly screamed at him.
"Colonel Hanger will be arriving in a fortnight…"
Lauren turned bright pink at this revelation.
"He will? Oh…"
Olivia nudged her friend happily.
"See, nothing to worry about! You'll have the adorable Colonel Hanger to keep company with. And, he is a Lord…just think, you may end up as Lady Coleraine!"
Grace giggled.
"Oh! There will be another Lady Tavington, another Lady Tarleton and a Lady Coleraine!"
Olivia seconded this.
"We have an excuse to throw a ball now…"
"What about finding out if you're pregnant, Livia?" Lauren pointed out.
"That, too. Don't forget to make me that appointment tomorrow morning. Yet another reason to throw a ball."
"And, if you are not?" The Colonel asked.
Olivia waved this away.
"It wouldn't matter, William darling. There is always another time, especially, since we will be married before too long."
"Quite true, my love. As to the ball you plan to throw…Hanger arrives in a fortnight, so we can hold the ball the following evening, if that is fine with you ladies?"
They nodded.
"That would work perfectly, William." Olivia smiled.
"My God! We need to find dresses for it! Plus, we need to decide on what type of ball it will be…one just cannot have a ball, and expect everyone to know what to wear." Lauren snatched her handbag off the table, and began rummaging thru it. When she located what she sought, her cell phone, she began searching for various numbers.
"Just what are you doing, Miss Shaw?" Tavington inquired as he watched her punching various keys on the phone. "I have yet to get use to these new devices."
"Vastly different from the eighteenth century, is it not?"
"Indeed it is. In my time, if you wished to know something, you waited for the post rider or the paper."
"Talk about snail mail…" Lauren grunted. Then she brightened as a new thought struck her.
"That's it!"
Grace and Olivia stared at her as if she had gone mad.
"What's it?" Tavington asked.
"The ball! I know the type of ball we can hold!"" She jumped from her chair and headed to the door.
"Where are you going, Lauren?"
"I'll return momentarily, Liv."
The Colonel and the two women stared at each other. All three seemed to believe Lauren Shaw had gone off the deep end.
True to her word, Lauren sauntered back into the room moments later. With her, she carried her laptop.
"Now," She said as she sat down and opened the laptop. "Let's see what we can find on eighteenth century dresses."
"What of the men?" Grace put in.
Lauren raised an eyebrow.
"Oh fine, them, too."
"We certainly can't allow the men to show up in tuxes, while the ladies are in fashions from the eighteenth century, Lauren!" Grace shook her head. "That would look terribly silly."
"Gracie darling, I was speaking about us and what we would be wearing. Once we figure that out, than we send out the invitations stating what they should wear. Men, included. I'm sure Colonel Tavington will wear his Dragoon uniform, as will Colonels Tarleton and Hanger."
"Oh, I do hope they will wear them!" Grace said. "I think they are awfully handsome when they do."
Colonel Tavington cleared his throat loudly.
"Excuse me, ladies…"
Lauren turned to look at him. She seemed taken aback to see that he was still in the room.
"Oh, you're still here?"
"Yes of course I am still here, Miss Shaw!" This seemed to irritate the Colonel somewhat.
Olivia and Grace giggled.
"William, she was just joking with you! I hardly think Lauren would have forgotten you were here."
"Really Colonel, I mean your presence is rather big." Lauren added.
Tavington shook his head and walked over to the drink cart. He poured himself a whiskey, twirled it slightly in the crystal glass, and returned to the table.
"Back to the ball, ladies."
"Where will we hold the ball, Lauren?"
"Gracie what a silly question! We will hold it here!"
"Do you think Lady Georgiana will approve of that?"
"Of course my grandmother will approve of it. She was just saying last month, how the Hall could use a nice, rowdy ball to liven it up." Olivia smiled.
"Well that takes care of that than." Lauren muttered as she typed. "Caterers?"
"I'll asked grandmother about that. She'll know a good one to use, if not, she'll hunt one down."
"What about the invitations?" Lauren continued to type as she spoke.
"That duty I'll save for Her Grace." Olivia pulled her own cell phone out and began dialing.
Grace's eyes widened.
"You mean, the Duchess? As in, the Duchess of Devonshire?"
Olivia grinned at her.
"Who else would I be referring to?"
"I thought she was at Chatsworth?" Grace seemed puzzled.
"She is, but once she hears about the ball, she'll be in the next carriage here!" Olivia laughed. "You know how she is about parties."
"Will the Duke be with her?" Tavington asked.
"I'm sure he will be."
"Well, he's welcome, as long as they leave that horrid Bess behind!" Lauren growled.
"What, you didn't hear what happened?" Grace looked shocked by Lauren not knowing something.
"No. What happened?"
"The Duke sent her packing a month ago. He finally had enough of her whininess and stupidity."
"About time he woke up! Didn't she cause enough problems in his marriage to the Duchess the first time around?"
"Even Her Grace grew tired of Bess." Grace said stoically.
"Only took them two hundred plus years to grow tired of her…" Lauren said. "I was tired of her after only ten minutes in her company!"
"Lauren really…" Olivia wagged a finger at her. She held her phone to her ear and listened. A disappointed look swept over her face.
"What's wrong, Liv?" Lauren asked as she continued typing.
"Well, it looks as if I need to go to Chatsworth and speak with Her Grace in person."
"Why?" Tavington took a sip of his whiskey.
"According to the outgoing message, they are having problems with their reception."
"Thought they took care of that the last time it happened?" Grace looked a bit dubious about it.
Olivia nodded.
"They did. However, it depends on how bad the weather has been lately…"
"We did have those nasty storms last week. Perhaps that is the problem?" The Colonel remarked. He was still baffled by all the new technology in this century, and didn't know if the weather caused a problem or not.
"That could very well be, darling. So, once I have that appointment with Doctor Warren, I'll make a trip to Chatsworth."
"Perhaps I should go with you?" Tavington looked hopeful.
Olivia smiled warmly at him.
"Hmm, well yes, perhaps you should. The Duke has asked about you, and was wondering when you would visit again. I think it would be pleasant for both of you. Do what you men do when you get together." She laughed.
"Play cards…" Tavington said.
"Stay away from Faro, William!" Olivia snapped.
He stared at her briefly, before nodding.
"Yes, darling I shall stay away from it. Besides, I am not very a very good player…."
Olivia laughed.
"I'll say you're not! The last time you played Faro with the Duke…"
"I do not care to remember what happened, Olivia."
Lauren and Grace, however, did want Olivia to remind the Colonel.
"What happened, Liv?" Lauren leaned forward eagerly.
"Well," Olivia looked at Tavington, who smirked back. "Colonel Tavington was doing quite well…in the beginning, that is."
"Very well indeed. I was up by forty." The Colonel stated flatly.
"Wasn't long before he began losing money fast."
Lauren was wide eyed at this, as was Grace.
"How much?" Grace asked.
"Somewhere in the vicinity of about ten thousand pounds."
Lauren's jaw dropped. Grace just stared at the Colonel in disbelief.
"Plus…"
"What? There's more?" Lauren looked as if she could have jumped up and down at this news.
"Oh yes, a bit more. Seems the Colonel here decided that if he wanted to keep the rest of his money, he needed something else to put up. That's when Banastre had the brilliant idea of using…"
"What?" Both Lauren and Grace shouted.
"…me." Olivia flashed Tavington a smile.
"He…WHAT?" Lauren screamed loudly.
Olivia chuckled good-naturedly. The Colonel sat back in his chair, took a long drink from his glass, and smiled at her.
"Seems I had to spend a week at Chatsworth helping His Grace with his dogs. Not a bad idea really. Taught me quite a bit about his breed and how to take care of them. Gifted me with a puppy, too. So no, not a bad idea at all."
Lauren looked as if she could have slapped the Colonel. She glared darkly at him whenever he looked at her.
"And what did Her Grace have to say about the Colonel losing you in a game of chance?"
Olivia chuckled again.
"Delighted actually. When I was not with the Duke, the two of us were holed up in the library discussing books and whatnot."
"Ah yes, well that was not a very gentlemanly thing to do to your future wife." Lauren pointed out.
For a moment, all present were silent. A servant came into the room, and presented Colonel Tavington with a silver tray.
"The post my Lord."
"Thank you Richards. You may go."
"Yes sir." Richards bowed and left the room.
He thumbed thru the letters in silence. When he came to the last one, he smiled pleasantly.
"Darling, looks as if you will need to go to Grave's End, if you wish to discuss the ball with Her Grace."
Olivia looked at him in confusion.
"Grave's End? Why would they be at one of our estates?"
"Lady Georgiana has given them access to use it whenever they needed to. Looks like they did."
"Oh? What happened to Chatsworth?"
The Colonel scanned the letter again.
"They are renovating it. Could take several months so your grandmother kindly offered them Grave's End until Chatsworth is finished."
"And if Liv's brother comes here for another one of his lovely visits?" Lauren stared the Colonel down.
Tavington glanced at her briefly.
"Well then, I shall take myself off to one of our other estates. Or," He eyed Olivia warmly. "Go pay Tarleton a visit until Edward deems it time to return to whatever hole he has crawled out of."
"Or, just simply go to Grave's End and stay there. It's massive enough for everyone to live there comfortably, and not be in each other's way. Besides, His Grace would get a jolly kick out of you being there, William." Olivia pointed out.
"True, true." Tavington agreed.
"Well, that settles that. We're off to Grave's End after my appointment. Can you girls take care of things on this end?"
Lauren and Grace nodded.
"Don't worry, Liv. We'll have everything taken care of by the time you get back." She tapped a few keys on her laptop, and then looked up at Olivia. "How long do you think you'll be away?"
Olivia turned to the Colonel.
"Three days at the most don't you think, darling?"
He nodded.
"Not longer than that. Enough time to have Her Grace decide on the invitations for the ball and whatever else strikes both of your fancies."
Olivia grinned thoughtfully.
"Knowing Her Grace, we'll be discussing wedding plans as well." She laughed. "Come to think on it, maybe that wouldn't be such a bad idea? Perhaps grandmother would like to join us at Grave's End?"
Lauren looked horrified by such a thought.
"Livia, your grandmother is almost ninety years old! Wouldn't that be an awfully long trip for her make?"
"Where do you think she was a month ago? I realize she's almost ninety, but she gets round better than we do!"
"Of course she does, sweetie, but it is such a long trip. By train, and then by carriage…really, I doubt it could be good for her."
"Lady Georgiana is a hearty woman, Miss Shaw. She has made the trip to Grave's End numerous times…" The Colonel remarked.
Lauren shook her head.
"I can see I've been shot down by all present on this…"
Grace grinned faintly.
"I'm with Liv on this. Lady Georgiana will definitely want to visit with the Devonshires. If she loaned the estate to them, she did so for a reason. It's closer to Chatsworth, and not too far from here. Certainly closer than London."
"I'm just thinking of her ladyship's well-being…" Lauren stated.
"Since when?" Olivia eyed her curiously.
"What do you mean, since when?"
"Well, you've never seemed concerned about my grandmother's well-being before."
Lauren screwed her face into an expression of mock disappointment.
"I have always been concerned, Livia! She's been like my own grandmother ever since mine passed away four years ago. I'm just worried the trip to Grave's End, may be her end."
Olivia smiled warmly.
"I'm terribly sorry, Lauren. But you really needn't worry about grandmother. She just had her yearly visit to old Doctor Grenville, and he said she's healthy as a horse."
"And, just as stubborn as one, too." The Colonel snickered softly.
"Exactly! So see Lauren, nothing to worry about. Knowing grandmother, she'll be the only one of us not complaining about how horrid the trip is!"
Lauren smiled.
"Alright than. Better ask her soon, because I'm making your appointment in the morning, and you said you wanted to leave right after that."
"Yes, you're right Lauren." Olivia turned to Grace. "Would you mind terribly, if I asked you to go and inquire whether grandmother would like to go with us?"
Grace shook her head.
"I don't mind at all. Where is she right now?"
"Lady Georgiana would be in the conservatory having her noon tea." Tavington said.
"Right, I'll return shortly." Grace stood up from her chair and hurried out of the room.
The rest of the group continued to discuss the trip to Grave's End. Moments later, not only had Grace returned, but also Lady Georgiana was with her. She swung a chair out from the table, and plopped down into it. A look of pure bliss was written all over face.
"You better believe I want to go to Grave's End with you and the Colonel. I couldn't imagine not going, especially since the Devonshire's are there. Haven't seen Gee in months, though I did speak with her earlier in the week. Bad timing that they decided to renovate Chatsworth now."
"Why?" Tavington inquired.
"For one thing, the Season isjust about to get underway…" Lady Tavington grinned at this.
"Sad that Devonshire House was demolished." Grace sighed softly.
"Yes, very sad. I remember the parties, the balls and the political intrigues! Was a sad day when the government decided to tear it down." Lady Tavington sighed heavily.
"Yes it was." The Colonel said wistfully. "I visited Devonshire House numerous times, and always marveled at how grand it really was. A monstrous pile of stone but grand nevertheless."
"We've only seen pictures of it, along with the many paintings. It did seem grand." Lauren smiled.
"I never understood the need for that hideous brick wall. What were they thinking when they put that thing up?" Grace asked.
Lady Georgiana snickered.
"No idea, my dear. It was truly an eyesore, but no one seemed to mind, what they were interested in, was on the inside."
"Doesn't matter now, being as it's gone for good. Now Chatsworth, there's an impressive pile of stone!" The Colonel laughed.
"Have you been to Althorp? I think it's vastly more impressive than Chatsworth, but Chatsworth is more welcoming. Reminds me quite a bit of The Hallows, actually." Lady Georgiana waved her hands in the air. "I'd rather spend time at Chatsworth then Althorp. Gloomy place."
"So is Grave's End." Olivia reminded her grandmother.
"Oh I know, Livia darling. That is one reason I loaned it to the Devonshires. Both have remarked how much they enjoy visiting Grave's End, so it seemed a perfect idea to loan it out to them. I alerted the staff about their arriving, and made certain everything was in order."
"I will have to inform them again, that we will be arriving in due course." The Colonel shifted in his chair.
"When are we to leave, William?" Lady Georgiana smiled at him.
"After Olivia's appointment." He replied.
She turned to her granddaughter.
"And what appointment would we have, Livia?"
Olivia blushed slightly.
"It's to see if I am with child, grandmother."
Lady Georgiana's face lit up in amazement.
"Oh!" Was all she could utter.
Colonel Tavington grinned proudly.
"It is not confirmed just yet, but I am certain she is with child. The ball that the women plan to have is mainly for the arrival of Colonel Hanger. However, if Olivia is with child, it will be a double celebration."
This news had the intended affect on Lady Georgiana Tavington. Her despair over the demolition of Devonshire House was soon turned to jubilation over not only Colonel Hanger, but because what the Colonel had predicted years ago seemed to be coming true. Indeed, she was terribly excited about it.
"Good enough reasons to hold a ball. I am sure Colonel Hanger will be quite pleased that you are doing this in his honour." She smiled broadly. "Will that handsome rake, Banastre Tarleton be there, as well?"
All four looked at her.
"Oh of course he will, grandmother. I'm surprised you said he was handsome!" Lauren winked at her.
Lady Georgiana laughed heartily.
"Do not forget I said handsome rake." She turned her attention to Grace. "Child, I do believe he will be asking you a certain question soon."
Grace, who had been eating her way thru the fruit and cheese, stopped and smiled at Lady Tavington.
"Aye, that is what the Colonel has informed me of."
"Do not worry about your Mother. I had to set her straight on a few things. She seems to be under the impression, that you are too young to marry the Colonel. Bah! I told her she was simply mad that the handsome man did not ask her for her hand in marriage. She tried to argue the point, but I set her straight on that, as well. Cannot for the life of me, see why he would want to marry your Mother. The woman is insufferable!"
Grace laughed at this.
"That she is, and I'm sure he realized he would not be the only man in her life."
"Sounds like your mother, Lauren." Olivia snickered.
"Yes, but Lady Tarleton is a bit more discreet." Lauren informed them.
"Not by much." Lady Georgiana stated. "I have had to speak with both of them on their conduct."
"Oh? Why?" Olivia asked.
"I just bet the Ladies of the ton had something to do with that."
"Indeed they did, Miss Lauren. They were all sorts of riled up over the Ladies Tarleton and Shaw and their revolving doors of gentlemen."
"And they came to you about it?" Grace asked.
"Of course, my dear Gracie! I am, after all, still the leader of the ton. I am hoping to pass it onto Olivia after I die."
"I am certain the women will not be too happy about that." The Colonel sneered.
Lady Georgiana muttered something under her breath.
"Oh yes, they will be up in arms over my granddaughter taking over the ton. As if they have any say in whom I put in my place! Besides, Her Grace has already assured me, that she will stand with Olivia if need be. With the Duchess of Devonshire in her corner, Olivia will be well placed to take it over. I am not worried about it."
"Well, you have many more years left, Georgiana. By that time, Olivia will have been married for some time, and we will have children. Plus," He glanced at them. "This ball will help them see that Lady Olivia Tavington is a force to be reckoned with."
"That's true," Lauren interrupted. "But won't they have a problem with the fact that you and Olivia are not married?"
The Colonel sneered coldly.
"And I should care, why?"
"It would be a serious disadvantage to leading the ton, wouldn't it?"
Lady Georgiana shook her head quickly.
"Yes, but they cannot say much about it."
"And why is that, grandmother?"
"Because, when I first began my tenure as the leader of it, your grandfather and I were not married. Her Grace is the one who put me up for it. She told them in no uncertain terms, that they could either accept me, or deal with her. Well, they accepted me, and much to their horror, still had to deal with Gee!" She laughed.
"Bet that was a major shock to them." Lauren remarked happily.
"Indeed it was! After she was finished with them, they were the quietest group ever!"
"Now that is something I would've loved to have seen." Olivia smiled. "Was my mother part of it?"
A strange look came over Lady Georgiana's face. It was a mixture of disgust and coldness.
"No." She said bluntly.
Olivia couldn't understand why her grandmother's mood had changed so abruptly at the mention of her mother being part of the ton.
"I thought she was." She finally said after a moment's hesitation.
The disgusted look reappeared.
"She was not good enough for the ton." She spat.
"Why would they not think my mother wasn't good enough?"
Lady Tavington burst into laughter.
"They? No, not them. Me." She snarled.
Olivia was stunned. She glanced at the Colonel, who had gotten up and was refilling his drink. He shook his head, and then seated himself next to her.
"Why would you think that, grandmother?"
"Because, she was a fool! She married my son, and that made her foolish!"
"But grandmother…I…" Olivia seemed perplexed.
"I know, my dear. You would not be here, were it not for those two fools. I kept them away from you as best I could. I sent them to the Devonshire's hoping against hope, that they would learn how to not be idiots and fools. But no! His Grace could no longer tolerate them, and turned them out. I cannot blame him for doing so, and I was terribly sorry for sending them there. Gee and the Duke kept telling me not to be sorry, that I had tried to fix the bad. I suspect that I did not try hard enough. They returned to the Hall worse than ever."
"But the ton…"
"Gee refused to allow your mother to be part of it. I refused her that privilege. Then she had you. Once again, I hoped she would change, but it just made her worse. Made both of them worse. I thought having a daughter would make her see reason. Two boys had turned her into a simpering whiner. Having you put her beyond help."
"My father?"
"Angry bastard! Angry that Vivian had a daughter! Angry that I insisted they both kept away from you! Angry when I first sent you to Gee and the Duke! Even angrier, when he learned you called the Duke, 'papa.'"
"But…the Duke was like a father to me…what did he expect me to do?" Olivia hissed.
"If I recall correctly, Olivia darling, you called Her Grace, 'mama.' Byron was beyond angry at that."
Olivia looked murderous.
"Why? He hated me! He was always saying how he wanted to drown me when I was born! I never saw Vivian until I was ten years old! By that time, I did not care to think of her as my mother. For all intents and purposes, Georgiana was, is, my mother."
"And the Duke?" The Colonel asked softly.
"He is my father. Byron Tavington no longer exists to me, and he gave up his rights the moment I was born. The moment he uttered the words 'I should have drowned you the second you were born you bitch!' He lost his rights to be called my father."
Lady Georgiana nodded.
"Yes, for all purposes, you have only one set of parents. The Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. Any who inquire about it; will be told they adopted you when you were a baby."
"The only thing Vivian ever did for me came the day she was on her death bed. She told me to always seek out the Colonel, and to never allow Byron access. She needn't have worried, he disappeared the same day she died."
Lauren and Grace, who had been following the conversation with rapt attention, could not take it any longer.
"Where did Byron disappear to?" Both asked.
"I prefer to believe he is deceased." Tavington sneered.
"As do I." Lady Georgiana added.
"I hope not only is he deceased, but in Hell." Olivia snapped.
"Hell would still be too good for the likes of him." The Colonel muttered. "I should have killed him when I had the chance."
Olivia, Grace and Lauren looked at him in awe.
"Why?" Lauren asked.
"When Olivia was ten years old. I came upon him trying to strike her, which is something I could not abide by. And, certainly could not stand by and allow to happen."
Lady Georgiana snickered.
"I should have let you kill him when Tobias wished you to. I was a fool to have stopped you then, and a fool to have stopped you now."
"It was not your fault Georgiana. You were only thinking of Olivia."
"What about my brothers, Liam and Edward?" Olivia eyed both the Colonel and her grandmother.
"What of them?" He asked. He seemed bored by just the mention of their names.
"Edward was the only one who tried to protect me from Byron. He was whipped for his troubles, but still, he tried. Liam, on the other hand…would have helped Byron drown me."
She trailed off into silence. When no one spoke, Lauren cleared her throat loudly.
"Why in the name of God, are we sitting here discussing this horribly depressing subject? We have a ball to get ready for, and a possible baby! Not to mention, a wedding to plan." She pointed at the Colonel then Olivia. "And, I'm sure Her Grace is probably just itching to get her hands on the wedding plans!"
"Her Grace…" Olivia began, but was cut off by her grandmother.
"Child, you know Gee as your mother. You need not continue calling her by her title."
Olivia smiled happily.
"Mama is sure to want to collaborate on the wedding. And, once she hears about the ball…"
"She already knows, dear." Lady Georgiana giggled.
"Your grandmother called Grave's End the second I asked if she wanted to make the trip with you and the Colonel. Her Grace is beside herself with excitement."
"And papa? How did he take the news of the ball?"
"He is actually quite excited about it, himself. Ever since that dreadful Lady Foster left, he is much happier."
"I'm glad he is happy. I never liked when she was around. Even when I was growing up at Chatsworth, I always felt she was intruding, and that she should not have been there. The atmosphere was always so heavy and thick with anger. She, of course, thrived on it."
"I am still wondering just how she managed to come forward in time. I know she did not come with Gee or the Duke. I wonder…" Lady Tavington trailed off. She was obviously bothered by this.
Colonel Tavington sat drumming his fingers on the oak dining table. He too, seemed to be thinking. After a moment, he smiled slowly.
"I do believe your son had something to do with that, Georgiana."
"He would not have dared!" She growled.
"Oh yes, he would have. You said it yourself he is a fool. A dangerous fool. This would have been his way of punishing the Devonshire's for, at least in his mind, stealing his daughter…"
"He hated her, William!"
"I know he did, darling, but he most likely still thought of her as his property. Two highly influential aristocrats came along and took his property away, and there was nothing he could do about it."
"See, he is a fool to even think Olivia was his! As I said, she has only one set of parents, and that is Gee and the Duke. Hopefully, he died awhile ago." Lady Tavington muttered.
"Even if he is dead, I believe he had something to do with Lady Foster coming forward. You recall how disgruntled the Duke was to see her again…" The Colonel stated.
"Not to mention Gee's reaction to Bess's arrival. The Duke told me she had a terrible fit over it."
"Wasn't she Her Grace's best friend back then?" Lauren wanted to know.
"More a manipulator then a friend." The Colonel replied.
"I thought that the first time I met her." Lauren recalled stoically. "Didn't like her at all, and said as much to her. She seemed to regard me as just a mere servant!"
"Bah!" Lady Georgiana hissed. "If anyone should have been regarded as a mere servant, it should have been her. I never understood Gee's fascination with Lady Foster. I asked her once about it and she finally admitted she had been duped, and manipulated into feeling sorry for her. I always believed Gee should have been more careful about her friends. Thankfully, she is now, and that's all that matters."
"No matter, the woman is long gone now. We need not worry about her." Grace remarked.
"That is very true, Gracie." Lady Georgiana smiled. "William shouldn't you be calling Grave's End?"
The Colonel nodded and rose from his chair.
"I suppose I better. Though, with the Devonshire's there, I am sure everything is in strict order."
"I should think it would be, William. Mama surely would have them running about!" Olivia laughed.
The Colonel also laughed.
"I can imagine she does! Not to mention the Duke is probably running the stables in military style."
Lady Georgiana snickered.
"Don't forget the kennels."
The Colonel seemed surprised by the mention of the kennels.
"The Duke, I take it, brought his hounds?"
"Of course he did. Never leaves them long."
Tavington's brow furrowed.
"Well as long as the kennel hands keep the Duke's hounds and mine separated…"
Lady Georgiana smiled slightly.
"You do not desire a breeding with one of the Devonshire Hounds? I have heard that his latest bitch has men up and down England clamouring for even one breeding!"
"Oh? Perhaps I should discuss a breeding to one of my males?" He said thoughtfully.
"Might be a perfect match." Olivia said. "You have males that are perfect for stud."
"Yes well, I shall discuss it with the Duke when we have settled in at Grave's End." He paused at the door. "Amongst other things we shall discuss."
"And what pray tell, would those other things be, William?" Lady Georgiana eyed him.
A slow cold sneer graced his handsome face.
"Just how Lady Elizabeth Foster arrived here."
A/N: Sorry this is so bloody long, but I had much to write! Also, please kindly review! Only two reviews? *sniffles*
~The Baroness~