Thank you all for repling! Now we meet her Ladyship.
morningSIDEr: Yes, I was lucky to get a White Peace, since in this war I got beat up. As for the meeting...foreboding possibly, but not immediately!
Avindian: I will certainly look into a Vicky 2 conversion when this story is done and dusted. If I can make it anything as good as your or Dewirix's conversions though I will be very happy!
Range: Thanks! I've taken this chance to make my own history using the game as an outline. I hope it works.
Dewirix: Exactly true! The fall of the Valois helps me storywise too, since it makes the English claim stronger than the French!
Arakor: Charles VI usually dies quite early, and without an heir. It's bad in a way since he was a 3/3/3 and thus got all the penalties!
Chapter 3 – Her Ladyship
6/1/1820
John approached the front of the house, walking up the fine stairs. A servant opened the door, and two maids stepped forward to help him off with his coat and hat, and to clean his shoes off. With this done he was allowed to enter.
Three Oaks was magnificent inside, with opulent wood, marble and art everywhere. The entrance hall was crafted in an elegant 18th century Henrician style. Further on, a graceful spiral staircase led up to a higher floor, while further on still was a dining room that could have seated two score of people.
Finally though John entered into an elegant drawing room hung with art, and set with antique furniture.
A dark skinned maid in a black dress came and offered John a glass of wine. He took it, nodded his thanks and drunk. It was of exceptional quality, probably from the Languedoc provinces in the south of France.
For a moment John hesitated about what to do, but then the maid went to the balcony door and opened it.
“My Lady,” she said softly.
As the maid stepped aside, Lady Clarice Mendenhall entered. Wearing an elegant black dress and walking with a silver topped cane it was the clothes of an older woman. Her appearance though was that of someone barely in their 20s. Long black hair fell elegantly down her back, framing a pale face with dark eyes and a broad smile. She was beautiful, and she moved with grace and style into the room, not even appearing to use the cane she carried.
Awkwardly John bowed, desperately trying to think of the right form of address. “Good evening, Your Grace…Lady Mendenhall,” he said, stuttering.
Her Ladyship smiled wryly. “I think ‘my Lady’ will do just fine. John Adams, I presume?”
He kissed her right hand, noticing the inlaid ruby ring on her finger. “Yes, my Lady,” he replied.
“Excellent. Welcome. Please take a seat.”
John sat, still holding his wine as Lady Mendenhall took a glass of water from the maid. “This is Tempest. Her grandfather was a slave on a plantation until King Henry abolished that…reprehensible trade. My family offered her parents, and now her, employment.” She handed the empty water glass to the maid.
“This wine is excellent, my Lady,” John said, looking still at the oddly named maid, before back to Lady Mendenhall.
“Thank you. It is a fine vintage. I myself do not drink…wine, but I am always careful to have some for visitors to enjoy. Now, Mr Adams…may I call you John?”
“Please do, my Lady,” John replied, smiling.
“Excellent. Now, I must apologise again for contacting you so unexpectedly, however you did intrigue me. I also apologise for any mix up you might have thought regarding where you were headed. Grey House is a very proper residence, but it is much smaller, much less…private than here is.”
“No apology needed, Lady,” John said. “This is a lovely house.”
Her Ladyship smiled slightly. “It is but a simple London house. Compared with my residence in Kirkwall this is…not so grand at all. But thank you for your compliment.”
She gestured at Tempest, and the maid brought over a sheaf of papers. John was astonished to see that it was the very paper he had written in his final exam at Drake University all the way across the Atlantic in America.
“I am good friends with the Dean at Drake, and he brought this with him for when he attends the Symposium at Oxford later this year. When he mentioned it I asked to borrow it.”
Faced with this sudden reminder of that cool autumn day the year before, John nodded slowly. “Did you…like it?” he asked cautiously.
Lady Mendenhall smiled. “Like it? Better, I was impressed by it. In the limited time you had you managed to prepare an answer I would gladly use in my book. While most students would have taken a basic approach to the question of how England rose to such prominence, you answered in a more advanced way. I am sure you have not had time to read my book, but our lines of reasoning are the same.”
This high praise made John colour slightly. “Thank you, my Lady. I must confess though that I had not seen any of your works before you sent me your book.”
“That is because I do not widely publish.” She flicked an errant strand of hair from where it had fallen over her face. “It is why I was so interested in seeing your answer, because you had not seen my book before.”
There was silence for a moment. Her Ladyship took a fresh glass of water from Tempest and sipped from it.
“So what do you plan to do next, John?”
John gestured vaguely, feeling a little more relaxed now. “My father wishes me to become a lawyer or follow him to Parliament.”
“A ‘proper’ job?” she replied in a slightly amused voice.
“So he says. However, I would rather study history, maybe become a professor or a tutor. I am not sure, but that is what appeals to me most.”
“I see. I certainly am not one to try and dissuade you, so I will simply ask what you next step would be.”
“Go to Oxford or Cambridge and attempt a thesis. If I obtain that then I can teach or…” he trailed off.
Lady Mendenhall nodded encouragingly. “Most excellent.” She put down her glass and leaned forward slightly. “I may be able to help there.”
“You can?”
“As you are aware the universities on this side of the Atlantic are not so…enlightened as to allow women to attend. However, I do have an honorary Doctorate from Oxford…the late King was kind enough to provide it for me. I am meeting with the Dean later this week; I could take you on as my student if you wished. I do not like to boast, but I have the largest collection of historical artefacts in all of Great Britain.”
John was stunned by the offer, but also intrigued. “You would really do that for me?” he asked.
“I would. I have no reason not to, so long as you are interested.”
“I will think about it, thank you.”
At that moment Tempest stepped forward. “My Lady, the time,” she said softly.
“Ah yes. Time got away from me,” she said with a small smile. “I have a meeting with the Queen, so sadly I must go. However, if you wish you may come to dinner in two night’s time and we can discuss this more.”
“Yes, of course, I would like that, my Lady.”
Her Ladyship smiled and bowed her head. “Very well. I shall send a carriage at the same time as tonight. You are welcome to bring family along if you wish. And now, her Majesty awaits.”
John knew this was a polite dismissal and stood. “Thank you for your hospitality, my Lady,” John said, bowing.
“Think nothing of it. Tempest, show him out, and instruct Christian to take him home, and then return. We will take the other carriage.”
“Of course, my Lady.”
As John was shown out the new-fangled gas lights were starting to come on around the house and by the gate. As he got into the carriage he reflected again on how very different her Ladyship had been to his expectations, and how surprising her offer had been. He was determined to go to dinner, and seriously consider her offer.