“Ah,” he said, enlightenment dawning. “My father always said that running off was the most interesting thing she ever did.”
Mina pondered this a moment, as the coach drew up. “I’m surprised he granted her a divorce,” she said bluntly. “Many husbands would not be so generous. Did he never marry again?”
Jeremy shook his head. “Once was enough, he always said. Besides, by all accounts he accorded her far more respect once she had left, than he ever did during their marriage. He rather liked the story of his once-meek countess, pushed beyond endurance.” He pulled a face. “He thought, I fancy, it lent him a gothic air.”
Mina frowned as Jeremy sprang down from the carriage then turned back to offer her a hand. She took it. “I already know he did not look like you,” she said slowly. “For you look like our mother.”
“Quite right.” He laughed, drawing her hand through the crook of his arm. “There is a portrait I will show you shortly. You may draw your own conclusions as to who it is resembles my late lamented father.”
They were climbing the stone steps now to the main entrance, flanked with Tuscan columns and a pair of large reproduction Medici lions.
“The entrance hall,” Jeremy announced, and Mina caught her breath when she looked up to behold the gold ceiling with its pantheon of gods drifting above her on clouds of glory.
“Goodness, how beautiful,” she breathed. “Is that the birth of Athene?” she asked, catching sight of a large white marble relief on the far wall.
“It is,” he agreed without much interest. “But you must steel yourself to ignore your patron goddess and instead, behold this,” he said coming to a halt in front of a full-length oil portrait of a man in a fancy uniform in front of a vaguely Italianate landscape. “And tell me who he reminds you of.”
Mina was obliged to catch her breath on surveying the dark good looks of the subject. For the features were unmistakable from the strong jaw to the bold stare which challenged all viewers unflinchingly.
“William Nye, to the life, is he not?” Jeremy murmured.
Mina colored. “The resemblance is very strong,” she admitted.
“You may imagine my father’s feelings on the matter. His bastard bearing the stamp of his likeness far more faithfully than his heir ever would,” Jeremy mused.
Mina was spared having to answer this by a light step on the stair, followed by a high childish voice.
“Papa?”
Jeremy sighed. “Our respite was brief,” he grimaced. “Come, Edward and greet your aunt Mina.”
The steps grew faster, and Mina turned toward the staircase to see a small figure come hurtling down dressed in navy velvet breeches and jacket with a lace collar. Seeing the curls on the child’s head, Mina saw Jeremy was spared the indignity his own father had suffered, for Teddy was as blonde as could be.
“Good morning, Edward,” she greeted him as he came to a breathless halt before her.
“Teddy,” he corrected her swiftly. “Are you my aunt Minerva?” he looked her critically up and down. “Why are you dressed like that?”
“I am in mourning,” Mina answered firmly. She withdrew her hand from Jeremy’s arm and extended it to shake formally with Teddy.
“Have you come to see grandmama’s portrait?” Teddy asked.
“Yes,” Mina agreed. “And meet you too, of course.”
“Would you like to see my nursery, Aunt Minerva?” he asked breathlessly. “I’ve got a toy theatre and a sailboat that really floats.”
Mina hesitated, turning to Jeremy. “I should love to, if that’s agreeable with your father.”
“By all means,” Jeremy answered agreeably. “You lead the way; my boy and I will join you shortly for a game of At the Race Meet.”
“That’s my newest toy, Aunt Minerva,” Teddy enthused, towing her toward the staircase. “We’ve named all the horses after Papa’s.”
“Ah yes, I heard this morning that your papa keeps racing horses,” Mina remembered.
“Yes, and Son of Bucephalus is my favorite of all, but Jim calls him Pukey Bucey on account of his sensitive stomach.”
“Is Jim a groom or a jockey?” Mina asked as they reached the second floor.
“Stable boy,” Teddy answered with an enchanting smile that revealed his childish dimples. “But he’s my favorite cos he tells me things.”
“I see,” answered Mina.
“Father said I’m not allowed to go down to the stables unattended,” Teddy said sadly. “And Mama dismissed Nanny as soon as I went off to school, so I have no one to attend me now.” A gloom descended on him. “Colfax takes me sometimes, but only when he’s got time to spare.”
“Will you return to school soon?” Mina enquired as he led her down across a gallery lined with family portraits. “If not, your father must surely hire you a tutor.”
“Yes,” Teddy agreed without much enthusiasm. “Though I don’t want a tutor. Why can I not simply have Nanny back? She used to take me to the stables whenever I asked her.”
“Well, because I daresay she has another little boy or girl to take care of now,” Mina answered bracingly. “And you are a good deal too big for a Nanny and need to take some lessons.”
“Another little boy?” Teddy asked indignantly. “But she’s my nanny!”
“I daresay she had other charges before you,” Mina pointed out mildly.
“Them? Oh them,” he snorted. “She certainly didn’t like them as much as me.” His chest swelled out with the boast. “She couldn’t possibly like another little boy as much as she liked me.” He caught hold of a door handle to his right and swung it open to reveal a large nursery complete with a large rocking horse, a wooden fort, a mechanical carousel and all manner of picture books, marbles and quoits strewn about the floor and over the little round table.
“Goodness me, I’m sure Nanny didn’t allow your nursery to get in such a mess as all this,” Mina said disapprovingly.
Teddy gave her a sidelong look. “Annie should have come along and tidied it,” he said evasively. “Only she hasn’t.”
“I’m sure Annie has other duties than picking up after you, Teddy,” Mina said sternly and knew she was right when he reddened. “Let’s get these things tidied away now before your Papa comes up to play Race Meets with us.”
He perked up at this and started dragging a chest into the center of the room. “Let’s just throw it all in here,” he panted.
“Certainly not,” Mina corrected him. “For I can see a bookcase over there for your picture books.” She began collecting up the volumes, as Teddy sighed and started scrabbling to put the marbles back in their pouch. “There was a battle last night,” he confided. “These books were propped up to make the rival fort and these marbles were the cannonballs fired by my soldiers.”
“I see,” Mina answered, slotting the books back onto their shelves. “I did wonder how the devastation came about.”
“The Race Meet game is atop of that shelf,” he said, pointing.
“Well, we shan’t get that down, until we’ve tidied all this away.”