Wentworth's Baron - Chapter Six - Bath

CHAPTER SIX

Bath

The trip to Bath was somewhat cumbersome.  Lord Wentworth and the Baron seemed content in their discussions of the latest sale at Tattersall’s and then on to the business of Lord Wentworth’s hunting dogs and from there the next hunting excursion, news of the war and state of the economy.

Henrietta was busy contriving her own schemes.  She was determined that Mr. Alexander Barrington was not going to be pleased with his bride-to-be and thought about how she could go about creating the ‘scandal’ without too much emphasis on it being a ‘scandal.’  She couldn’t wait for the opportunity to discuss the matter with Victoria and became content with putting her head back and closing her eyes while she began weaving her web.

After passing the porcelain factory, the Baron suggested they stop for the night at the Inn at Birdlip before continuing on to Bath.  Henrietta and her father agreed.  They were both feeling the fatigue of the trip and looked forward to a good meal and a good night’s rest.

Upon entering the Inn the innkeeper’s wife immediately informed them there was a private parlor available for their use and led them each to their private rooms to freshen up before supper.

Henrietta was looking forward to a relaxing evening.  She envisioned how she would go about getting Mr. Barrington to ‘catch’ her with the Baron so that he would have a disgust of her.  She quickly dismissed this idea because she wanted to bring events about so that she would not have to even meet this bridegroom in the first place.  She was very adamant about being as difficult as possible wanting to make her point clear to her father and any other male personage of her acquaintance.

Once more she was intent on finding a way to discreetly discourage him from marrying her.  The more she thought the more frustrated she became.

It soon became apparent that she may need to enlist the help of the Baron.  What would he think of her?  She could not help it.  She did not want an arranged marriage.  She thought about how she might broach the subject with him and considered she may as well just tell him.  She would, of course, need to do this privately.

Supper was a simple meal of mutton and potatoes with mushy peas followed by banbury cakes.  The men continued their discussions now addressing the art of fishing the lakes of Wentworth Hall.  Henrietta excused herself and retired for the evening.

After having a bath in her room, Henrietta had just settled down for the evening’s rest when she couldn’t help but overhear a discussion being had in the hall.  It sounded like the Baron but she could not be sure.  She lay in her bed contemplating whether she should go to the door and ask them to keep their voices down but then decided that would be too vulgar.

Her curiosity overcame her sensibilities and she arose to put an ear to the door.  What were they saying?  Was it the Baron?

“...will not marry someone...don’t love.”  “...but you must understand...”  Henrietta could not get much out of the discussion and cracked the door to see if she could see who it was that was talking.  She saw an older man with grey hair talking with the Baron.  Baron Raby was clearly out of sorts with the conversation as he said “tell my father I shall not return presently and I will not marry a woman I do not know.”

“But, sir...”  the Baron raised his hand stopping the gray-haired gentleman from saying anything further and the two parted leaving the hall devoid of any sign of life and Henrietta’s mind was whirling.

The Baron?  Marriage?  Marrying a woman he doesn’t know?  Could it be that the Baron was also plagued with an arranged marriage?  Henrietta was so engrossed in her own dilemma she had not given it a thought that there were gentlemen who did not appreciate arranged marriages.  If this were true about the Baron maybe he would help her after all to get out of her predicament.  It may even help him out of his!  Yes, she determined “I must find a way to speak with the Baron privately and approach the subject -- I must.”

Henrietta woke the next morning intent on finding a moment alone with the Baron but such would not be the case.  Lord Wentworth was tired of the road trip and wanted to get an early start and arrange to be at their house in Bath by mid-afternoon.

As the carriage trudged along the road in no seemingly hurry, Henrietta looked out the window at the beautiful landscape that lined the road to Bath.  Such beautiful scenes she would commit to her memory to include in her watercolor landscapes she was so well known for.

As they went along she noticed off the road a group of people off in a clearing.  It seemed to be some sort of gathering because many carriages and curricles seemed to be making their way in that direction.  She asked her father and the Baron if they knew what it could be.

“Why, it looks like strollers!”  her father exclaimed.  “Strollers!  Oh, father can we stop and see their show?  I would so enjoy an opportunity to see them perform.”  Lord Wentworth, somewhat reluctant, gave a knock to the tiger signaling his intentions and gave the direction of the performers.

“This will be my chance” Henrietta thought.  She was thinking of her opportunity to speak with the Baron about her plans.

The closer they got, though, the more excited Henrietta got for it was not strollers at all but a travelling circus!  She saw elephants, tightrope walkers, trapeze performers, lions and clowns.  Their rehearsal brought quite a few onlookers.  Henrietta was enamored at the color and the sights

She noticed horses galloping in a circle with a team of young men balancing on the backs of the horses.  She took particular notice of a young boy of about ten standing flat footed on the horse’s back.  Suddenly, the boy jumped in the air and did a summersault as the horse continued to gallop and the boy landed again the horses back!

Henrietta was so excited by what she saw she began to clap loudly!  “Bravo!” she yelled.  “Well done!”  The boy looked her way and loosing his footing fell backwards bouncing off the horses rump as he fell butt first onto the ground.  Henrietta gasped “Oh, no!”  Unwittingly, she ran to him helping him sit up as he looked up she noticed the most brilliant green eyes she had ever seen.  “Are you okay?” she asked.

The boy sat up “No worries, m’lady.  Ain’t nothin.  I’s fallin off a time or two.  Ain’t no matter.  Only ways to get learned on how to do ‘em tricks.”  Henrietta continued to help him to sit upright when Lord Wentworth called to her saying “Henrietta, just what are you about there?  Get out of that ring.”

“But father,” she said “can’t you see it’s my fault he was distracted?  If I hadn’t made such a cake of myself he wouldn’t have fallen off.”  Lord Wentworth did not see it that way.  “Nonsense” he said.  “They do this kind of thing all the time and I’m sure it is not the first time he has taken a tumble, right oh dear boy?”

Henrietta was not to be swayed.  “What is your name?” she asked.  “Wendell, ma’am.  Me mama calls me that a cuz it means wanderer and see’in as tho’ I does that he’s called me Wendell.”

“Well, Wendell, what can I do for you?  I must give you something or do something for you to make up for causing you to fall.  Tell me, you must” persisted Henrietta to no avail.  The boy would not take anything.  All he would say is “the lady must come and see the show in Bath on the morrow’s good enough.”  Henrietta promised she would and Lord Wentworth was finally able to coax his daughter back toward the carriage.  The Baron offered his arm to Henrietta as they made their way back.

As they walked Henrietta took care to slow the pace a bit allowing her father to gain some distance before them.  This was her opportunity she thought but how to start she didn’t know.

The Baron was strangely silent as he walked beside her seemingly contemplating something of great importance.  He, too, wasn’t sure how to start his conversation.

When Henrietta bent to help the boy ‘Wendell,’ he could not believe his own eyes.  One of the first things the Baron noticed about Henrietta when they first met was the unique color green of her eyes.  He had never seen such a color before.  They were astounding.  But, just now, when looking at Henrietta and the boy together there was no mistaking the same color of green.  It was uncanny.  How could such a thing be possible.  There was such a resemblance between the two.

The Baron’s mind went through many thoughts and scenarios on the subject.  It was not unheard of for men of Lord Wentworth’s caliber to find comfort in the arms of a woman after the loss of his wife.  And, Lord Wentworth, how was it possible for him not to notice?  The Baron was perplexed.  So intent were his thoughts on the matter that when Henrietta finally spoke to him he was completely off guard.

“I wonder, my dear Baron, if I may speak with you on a matter of strict confidence” she began.  The Baron turned a look of surprise and said “why Henrietta, of course, you may rest assured of my discretion.  Whatever is it that distresses you so?”

“I don’t quite know how to say it.  I am so distressed it is true and I find it difficult to even put into words.”  She paused a moment to collect her thoughts.  “Papa has an arranged for me to be married to a man I have not even met and seeing as if you are in a similar...that is to say...well, first I must own that I may have overheard you speaking with an older gentleman in the hall of the Inn last night about not marrying a woman you have never met.”

The Baron paused at this as if he wanted to interject something as Henrietta continued her account.  “Well, there is no other way to say this but that I mean to encourage this man that father wants me to marry to cry off and I thought that if there was a lady you do not wish to marry that we could scheme together to create a bit of a ‘scandal.’  Something that we can contain so we are not completely ruined or should I say so that I am not completely ruined.”

The Baron stared at her in disbelief.  “You mean to say you want me to contrive with you to compromise your honor?”  When Henrietta heard it put like that she felt shocked at herself and was ready to beg the Baron’s pardon and ask it not be repeated when suddenly he let out a roar of laughter and said “By jove, you know, I think I like it!  Although I don’t know how we could pull it off without bringing a severe blow to your reputation.  I daresay I would not want to cause your father distress.  Have you a plan?”

Henrietta owned that she hadn’t got to that point as yet but hoped to enlist the help of Victoria once they reached Bath.  When they were but girls Victoria always had them up to one thing or another with her schemes and tricks on her elders for which there was not a shortage of punishment by her nursemaid.

The Baron smiled at the thought of what they were about to attempt as they reached the carriage.  Lord Wentworth was already settled inside awaiting their approach to the carriage.  “I say what are you dawdling about.  I do hope to make it to Bath before nightfall if you don’t mind.”

As Baron Raby helped Henrietta into the carriage her tippet fell from her shoulders and he stole a glimpse of that adorable dimple as he helped it back around her shoulder.  Hmm.  He thought.  I wonder if it is hereditary.  There might be a way to find out if his suspicions were true without actually broaching the subject with Henrietta.