Wrexham is the nephew and heir of the Earl of Wymondham, one of the premier noblemen in the kingdom. As such, he is asked everywhere. I am delighted that he chose to accept our invitation."
What she did not say was that Wrexham was the prime catch on London's marriage mart. He was twenty-eight, heir to one of the greatest and richest earldoms in England, and so far had proved to be very elusive. He had raised expectations in the hearts of many young ladies and their mamas, but none had brought him up to scratch so far. He had taken one look at Jane and demanded to be introduced. When Anne had regretfully told him that Jane was engaged for every dance, he had suggested that they join her for supper. Anne had been more than happy to oblige him. If Jane could attach Wrexham!
Anne came out of her pleasant dream to hear Jane speaking to her. “I beg your pardon, Jane?” she said.
Jane raised an eyebrow but patiently repeated her question. “I asked you if Lord Wymondham was a bachelor? You said Mr. Wrexham was his nephew."
"Lord Wymondham is married, but has never had children. His wife does not care for the English climate and lives in Italy. Wymondham himself rarely comes to London. He is often engaged in diplomatic missions which take him all over the world."
"He and his wife don't get along, I gather,” Jane said cynically.
"No, they don't.” Anne hesitated, then ventured her first hint about their real purpose in bringing Jane to London. “I believe the Earl was married very young, in France. The Wrexhams did not approve and he was brought home. His wife was killed in the revolution. There was a child, too, I believe. Anyway, a few years later he married Annabella Stackley, a former actress. He did it to spite his family, I believe, but he ended up spiting himself. They never got on.” Anne paused, then said delicately, “Your uncle would never force you to marry someone you did not like, Jane. But it is very important when one marries to choose someone with whom one is compatible, both in temperament and in class."
Jane looked startled. “Married! Good heavens, Anne, who said anything about my getting married?"
At this John returned, not overly pleased to see that his sister had intruded on his tête-à-tête. When he saw Mr. Wrexham his temper deteriorated even further. If Julian Wrexham was going to dangle after Jane, the rest of her admirers might as well fold their tents and retire from the field.
* * * *
To her surprise, Jane found that she was enjoying her visit to London. It was not the avalanche of invitations that poured into the house or the admiration of many of London's most distinguished bachelors that impressed her. It was the art.
There were as yet no public galleries in London, but aside from the Royal Academy, artists’ studios, and the art sale rooms, Jane was able to see a great many private collections. A number of rich English connoisseurs had been able to buy up masterpieces from the great collections in France, Italy, and Spain that had been broken up after the French Revolution. Consequently, there was a fund of European masterpieces gracing the walls of English houses. Mr. Morely, nephew of the Duke of Melrose, took Jane to see his uncle's collection of seventeenth-century Dutch landscapes. Lord Henry Markham, son of the Earl of Newcastle, took her on a tour of his father's famous Titian gallery. Sir George Beaumont not only showed her his great collection of Italian and French masters, he loaned her a Raphael to take home and study at her leisure.
Julian Wrexham was also well known for his appreciation and understanding of art, and the Wymondham collection, to which he was heir, was justly famous. One afternoon about a week after the Rayleigh Ball, he invited Jane and Anne to visit Hawkhurst House, the London home of the Earls of Wymondham. The house was outside the city proper, set in a lovely park that stretched down to the Thames. It was an Elizabethan mansion that the father
What she did not say was that Wrexham was the prime catch on London's marriage mart. He was twenty-eight, heir to one of the greatest and richest earldoms in England, and so far had proved to be very elusive. He had raised expectations in the hearts of many young ladies and their mamas, but none had brought him up to scratch so far. He had taken one look at Jane and demanded to be introduced. When Anne had regretfully told him that Jane was engaged for every dance, he had suggested that they join her for supper. Anne had been more than happy to oblige him. If Jane could attach Wrexham!
Anne came out of her pleasant dream to hear Jane speaking to her. “I beg your pardon, Jane?” she said.
Jane raised an eyebrow but patiently repeated her question. “I asked you if Lord Wymondham was a bachelor? You said Mr. Wrexham was his nephew."
"Lord Wymondham is married, but has never had children. His wife does not care for the English climate and lives in Italy. Wymondham himself rarely comes to London. He is often engaged in diplomatic missions which take him all over the world."
"He and his wife don't get along, I gather,” Jane said cynically.
"No, they don't.” Anne hesitated, then ventured her first hint about their real purpose in bringing Jane to London. “I believe the Earl was married very young, in France. The Wrexhams did not approve and he was brought home. His wife was killed in the revolution. There was a child, too, I believe. Anyway, a few years later he married Annabella Stackley, a former actress. He did it to spite his family, I believe, but he ended up spiting himself. They never got on.” Anne paused, then said delicately, “Your uncle would never force you to marry someone you did not like, Jane. But it is very important when one marries to choose someone with whom one is compatible, both in temperament and in class."
Jane looked startled. “Married! Good heavens, Anne, who said anything about my getting married?"
At this John returned, not overly pleased to see that his sister had intruded on his tête-à-tête. When he saw Mr. Wrexham his temper deteriorated even further. If Julian Wrexham was going to dangle after Jane, the rest of her admirers might as well fold their tents and retire from the field.
* * * *
To her surprise, Jane found that she was enjoying her visit to London. It was not the avalanche of invitations that poured into the house or the admiration of many of London's most distinguished bachelors that impressed her. It was the art.
There were as yet no public galleries in London, but aside from the Royal Academy, artists’ studios, and the art sale rooms, Jane was able to see a great many private collections. A number of rich English connoisseurs had been able to buy up masterpieces from the great collections in France, Italy, and Spain that had been broken up after the French Revolution. Consequently, there was a fund of European masterpieces gracing the walls of English houses. Mr. Morely, nephew of the Duke of Melrose, took Jane to see his uncle's collection of seventeenth-century Dutch landscapes. Lord Henry Markham, son of the Earl of Newcastle, took her on a tour of his father's famous Titian gallery. Sir George Beaumont not only showed her his great collection of Italian and French masters, he loaned her a Raphael to take home and study at her leisure.
Julian Wrexham was also well known for his appreciation and understanding of art, and the Wymondham collection, to which he was heir, was justly famous. One afternoon about a week after the Rayleigh Ball, he invited Jane and Anne to visit Hawkhurst House, the London home of the Earls of Wymondham. The house was outside the city proper, set in a lovely park that stretched down to the Thames. It was an Elizabethan mansion that the father
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