One

"You will write, Catherine? Do you promise?"

"I promise, Bessie. I promise to write to you as often as possible! But I shan't be away long. I only intend to stay a month or so, and then I will be home again."

"A month or so is a terribly long time."

"It may seem so now, but I am sure it will soon hurry by!"

"Not for me."

Catherine Taylor pulled her twelve-year-old sister into a tight embrace, sighing sorrowfully into her cloud of golden hair. It pained her to see Bessie unhappy; especially knowing she was the cause of her sister's sadness.

"I know, Bessie," murmured Catherine, fingers brushing her sister's ringlets absent-mindedly.

"Our uncle has been so kind in asking me to stay, though - it would have been improper of me to decline his offer."

Catherine's Aunt and Uncle, Sir William and Lady Cavendish, had been visiting them at Donbroke when Sir William had suggested that Catherine return with them to Somerset for a time. She had been eagerly awaiting the trip ever since it was decided - but now, on the morning of her departure, as she stood holding her dear little sister in her arms, she found a sudden, gut-wrenching pain tearing through her at the thought of leaving. A weak and sickly child, Bessie was not often able to venture out of doors; how was she to cope without Catherine's doting companionship?

A sudden idea occurred to Catherine, and she gasped aloud, causing Bessie to withdraw from her arms.

"What is it?" enquired her sister curiously.

"I have an idea!" cried Catherine enthusiastically. "Your drawing has been coming on very nicely these past months, has it not?"

"Yes, I suppose so," replied Bessie, still looking rather puzzled.

"Well," continued Catherine, "how about you give yourself a new drawing to work on while I am away? It will give you something to amuse yourself with so that you do not miss me too much, and when I return, you will be able to show me all your hard work!"

To Catherine's delight, the young girl's eyes lit up at this suggestion.

"I always do like your ideas, Catherine. Yes, I think that is what I shall do. It will be nice to think of you as I draw, and to wonder what you will say about my picture when you see it."

"There now," smiled Catherine, relieved to see her sister's spirits improved, "things are looking better already. If you busy yourself with your picture, then I am sure it will seem as if I am returned in no time."

"I do hope so."

***

Despite her determination to remain positive, Catherine could not help but shed a few tears when the moment of departure finally came. It was with a rather peculiar sensation that she gazedout of the carriage window as it swept up the cobbled streets, the bustlingtown of Warwick giving way to lush countryside. This was, after all, the firstjourney of any notable length Catherine had ever made from her home, and shesuddenly began to wonder if she had made the right decision after all. Herheart was aching for Donbroke and her sister already, and they had not been ontheir way but five minutes! How on earth could she possibly manage being awayan entire month?

The sensible Sir William seemed to pick up on his niece's distress, and took the opportunity to strike up a conversation about their various neighbours around the village of Barnbury where they resided, capturing Catherine's interest at once.

"Lady Cecilia Russell, Viscountess of Barnbury, has already given an invitation for us to dine at Wyndham Hall as soon as you are settled," Sir William informed her.

"Viscountess!" echoed Catherine excitedly. As the sister of a Baronet, Catherine's own mother was the most superior member of society in their village, and Catherine had rarely encountered nobility, much less been invited to dine at a noblewoman's home! Her previous enthusiasm returned at once, as she realised the endless possibilities and exciting times which lay ahead.

"She is recently widowed," Sir William told her solemnly, "and her son Stephen has inherited the title."

"It is terribly tragic," added Lady Cavendish. "I fear the late Lord Russell would be turning in his grave should he witness the way his own son is acting as his successor."

"Whatever do you mean?" gasped Catherine, thoroughly intrigued.

"He is not at all proper, my dear Catherine. A wild young gentleman he is, and very undeserving of the honourable title he holds. Why, I should not be surprised were he to bring ruin upon his entire family!"

"Now, now, my dear, we should not speak out of turn," chided Sir William gently. "Lord Russell is but a young man, and I am sure he must grieve for his father still. We should allow him to settle in to the position before we pass such harsh judgements."

"We must agree to disagree here, Sir," replied Lady Cavendish. "Though you say it is not fair to judge, I have heard a great many rumours of his immoral ways which I very much dislike."

"Has Lord Russell any siblings?" enquired Catherine, in an attempt to change the topic of conversation.

"Yes, one sister - Eleanor is her name," replied Sir William. "She is extremely docile and unassuming, and does not share her brother's comfortable ease in company."

"That is the result of her mother's fussing, I have no doubt," commented Lady Cavendish. "Never have I seen her equal for interfering with their child's affairs! One would not think she is eighteen, no indeed. She is treated as if she is a child still."

"Nevertheless, she sounds a very amiable young girl," said Catherine politely. "I think I shall like her well."

"And so you shall, my dear, I am positive of it," Sir William told her. "You will be fast friends, I am sure."

"How does Cousin Julia find her?"

"I cannot say they are very well acquainted at present," said Sir William. "Miss Russell has just concluded her education, you see, so she has not often been at Wyndham Hall. I am sure Julia will also welcome the opportunity to know her better. It will be nice for her to have some ladies of her own age to spend time with."

"You will also become acquainted with our friends Mr and Mrs Wilmot during your stay, Catherine," Lady Cavendish told her.

"Ah, yes," smiled Sir William. "They are very good friends of ours. More decent people you will not find anywhere! And I do believe Mr Wilmot told me they were also to have a guest joining them soon. A Professor Henry Lawes, he said - one of his old friends from Cambridge."

"How fascinating!" Catherine exclaimed. "I have never met a professor. He must have a great many interesting things to say."

"He is a Professor of Astronomy, I believe," Sir William informed her. "He is indeed a very interesting gentleman, by all accounts."

Catherine sat back in the plush carriage seat with a satisfied sigh. She would be eternally grateful to her kind aunt and uncle for granting her this unique experience to enjoy herself - and enjoy herself she most certainly intended to do. It did still make her rather uncomfortable to think of poor Bessie all alone at Donbroke, but she knew that her sister must understand. And as the carriage drew ever closer to Barnbury, Catherine began to feel restless with anticipation as she wondered what the sleepy little Somerset village and its inhabitants had in store for her.

***

After three endless, exhausting days of travelling, Catherine finally found the carriage sweeping smoothly up the drive towards Broxcliffe Park. They had just passed through the quaint village of Barnbury which Catherine had found very charming, and now as they made their way up the legnthy drive lined with trees on either side she gazed eagerly out of the window to try and catch a glimpse of the house up ahead. When Broxcliffe Park finally came into view, Catherine uttered a gasp of delight.

The golden-coloured three-storey sandstone building before her was a whole world apart from her townhouse in Warwick. It was the sheer space it occupied which astounded her more than anything; the oval driveway with its neat patch of lawn at the centre was more than all the land surrounding her home, yet Sir William informed her that the most impressive landscape by far was the gardens to the rear of the property.

No sooner had they come to a stop outside the front door than it was flung open, a line of house staff emerging to greet them. The ladies were each helped out of the carriage, and Sir William was just making arrangements for their luggage to be taken in when Catherine heard a cry of,

"Cousin Catherine!"

All of a sudden she found herself being enveloped in the warm embrace of a slight, dark-haired woman, and once Catherine had regained her breath she returned the affectionate greeting.

"Cousin Julia!" she cried with equal enthusiasm. "It has been such a long time since we were last together."

"Far too long, dear Catherine," said Julia earnestly.

"I do believe you have grown since our last meeting - I am almost certain we were of an equal height before, yet here you stand beside me now, almost a head taller!"

"Well I see that you have grown even more beautiful, cousin! How envious I shall for ever be of your chestnut hair and sweet dimples!"

"Dearest Julia, whenever will I be able to convince you to acknowledge your beauty?"

The ladies' heartfelt exchange was suddenly interrupted by the appearance of Catherine's other cousin from inside the house.

"Cousin Catherine," he greeted her, without his sister's excitement but with all the warmth. He bowed politely with a pleasant smile, and she curtseyed in return.

"Cousin William," she smiled. At five-and-twenty, five years Julia's senior, William seemed to enjoy the role of doting older brother. While Julia was spirited and sometimes rather naïve; William was a little more reserved and shrewd, and so tended to notice things which passed Julia by. This was particularly evident when concerning Julia's interaction with the young men of society. It was no secret that Julia longed to be married, and thus gazed upon any single young gentleman who should enter their company as a potential suitor. As the daughter of a baronet, her dowry was a very attractive prospect, and William often found himself having to warn his innocent sister against fortune-hunters.

Catherine had always admired William a great deal for taking care of his sister, having felt the same urge to protect Bessie. She found him a very sensible man who would become an honourable baronet when he inherited the title, but also good company and a true gentleman. She had always enjoyed spending time with her cousins, and could already imagine all the lovely times they would have together during her stay at Broxcliffe Park.

"Would you like to be shown your bedchamber?" Julia asked Catherine.

Though it would not at all be proper to admit so, Catherine found herself quite impatient to explore the interior of the house. She followed her cousins eagerly up the front steps and into a spacious, finely-decorated entrance hall. A few comfortable-looking chairs lay dotted around, and the walls were painted a fashionable duck-egg blue. Again Catherine felt overwhelmed by all the space; the entrance hall at Donbroke was much more cluttered, and she was finding already that she might prefer the style of country houses.

"Your bedchamber is this way," William informed her, beginning to walk up the luxurious carpeted staircase with its fine mahogany banister. Catherine and Julia followed behind, the former turning back to enjoy another glimpse of the entrance hall before they made their way upstairs to the landing, with its soft, plush carpet and handsome paintings adorning the walls. William led the way past several gleaming oak doors before stopping outside a room at the back of the house.

"This is your bedchamber," William announced, disappearing through the door and beckoning for Catherine to follow. She did so, and as she entered the room she had to refrain from gasping aloud with pleasure.

The contents of the room itself were not the cause of the reaction; the grand four-poster bed and vanity with its gilded looking-glass were not dissimilar to those in her bedchamber at home. No, it was the splendid view just outside the large window which had captured Catherine's attention. She hurried across the room and peered out eagerly, eyes feasting on the lush greenery surrounding the house on every side. This side of the house had an elevated position, the neat lawn sloping down towards a glittering lake below. Just ahead of the lake Catherine spotted a walled area surrounding a pretty arrangement of carefully-trimmed hedges and an abundance of flowers.

"That is the rose garden," Julia informed her, joining Catherine at the window and following the direction of her gaze.

"It is beautiful," murmured Catherine appreciatively. "It is all beautiful."

"I am glad that you find our home so pleasing on the eye, cousin," William smiled.

"Oh, and dear Catherine - if you find so much to please you here at Broxcliffe, just wait until we take you to the Mendips! I do believe they are the most beautiful hills in all of England," added Julia.

"I fear we may be rather biased in our opinions here, Julia, for we have not visited a great many other counties. Nevertheless, Catherine, I am sure you will find them very pretty indeed. Now then, mama did tell me that luncheon was to be served soon, and so Julia and I will take our leave and allow you to freshen up a little before venturing downstairs."

With that William left the bedchamber, Julia close behind, leaving Catherine to forget completely what she was supposed to be doing and gaze out of the window again, completely entranced. The Barnbury scenery had certainly surpassed all her expectations - and she was soon to find out whether its society would do the same.