CHAPTER IX
AN IMPORTANT DOCUMENT
It was the custom at Herenden Hall to serve morning tea to the guests intheir rooms.
When Patty's tray was brought, she asked to have it taken into LadyHamilton's room, and the two friends chatted cosily over their toast andteacups.
Lady Kitty, with a dainty dressing-jacket round her shoulders, was stillnestled among her pillows, while Patty, in a blue kimono, curled up,Turk-fashion on the foot of the bed.
"It's a gorgeous day," observed Patty, stirring her tea, which she wastrying to sip, though she hated it. "I'll be glad to explore that lovelyrose garden without horrid old moonlit Earls."
"It's a wonderfully fine place, Patty; you really must go over theestate. I'll show you round myself."
"Thank you," said Patty, airily, "but I believe I have an engagement. Mr.Snowden, or Snowed on, or Snowed under, or whatever his name is, kindlyoffered to do that same."
"Yes, and he'll kindly withdraw his offer when he sees you in your ownrightful raiment. I've a notion to put you in a pinafore, and give you aTeddy Bear to carry. There's no keeping you down any other way."
"Oh, don't be alarmed. I've no designs on the young men. I like the boysbetter, anyhow. That Jack Merivale is a chummy kind of a youth. That'sthe sort I like. Rest assured I won't trouble that wretched Earl. I won'teven speak to him, and I'll make over to you whatever interest he maydeign to show in me."
"As one Humpty Dumpty said, 'I'd rather see that on paper.'"
"So you shall," said Patty, and setting down her unfinished tea, she flewto the writing table.
Perching herself on the corner of the desk chair, she laid out a sheet ofLady Herenden's crested note paper, and took up a pen. "Shall I write theagreement as I please?" she said, "or will you dictate it?"
"I'll dictate," said Lady Kitty, smiling lazily at the foolery. But asshe paused between sentences, Patty put in parentheses of her own, andwhen finished the remarkable document read thus:
"I, the undersigned, being of (fairly) sound mind, do hereby of my own free will (coerced by one Lady Hamilton) relinquish all interest or concern in the (illustrious) personage known as Sylvester, Earl of Ruthven (but I do think he has a lovely name), and should he show any interest in me, personally, I promise (gladly) to refer him to (the aforesaid) Lady Hamilton (though what she wants of him, I don't know!), and I hereby solemnly promise and agree, not to seek or accept any further acquaintance or friendship with the (Belted) gentleman above referred to.
"Furthermore, I (being still of sound mind, but it's tottering) promise not to talk or converse with the (Sylvester! _Sylvester!_) Earl of Ruthven, beyond the ordinary civilities of the day (whatever that may mean!), never to smile at him voluntarily (I can't help laughing at him), and _never_ to wave my eyelashes at him across the table. (_Why_ does she think I'd do that?)
"Witness my hand and seal,
"PATRICIA FAIRFIELD."
("Lady Patricia would sound great! Wouldn't it?")
"There, Kitty Cat," said Patty, tossing the paper to Lady Hamilton,"there's your agreement, and now, my dreams of glory over, I'll go and'bind my hair and lace my bodice blue.' I always wondered how people bindtheir hair. Do you suppose they use skirt braid?"
But Lady Kitty was shaking with laughter over Patty's foolish "document"and offered no reply.
An hour or so later, Patty presented herself for inspection.
She wore a pale blue dimity, whose round, full blouse was belted with asoft ribbon. The skirt, with its three frills edged with tiny lace, camejust to her instep, and disclosed dainty, patent-leather oxfords.
Her golden braids, crossed and recrossed low at the back of her head,were almost covered by a big butterfly bow of wide white ribbon. In fact,she was perfectly garbed for an American girl of eighteen, and thecostume was more becoming to her pretty, young face than the trained gownof the night before.
Lady Hamilton was still at her dressing table.
"I feel quite at ease about you now," she said, looking up. "Nobody willpropose to you in that rig. They'll be more likely to buy you a doll. I'mnot nearly ready yet, but don't wait. Run along downstairs, you'll findplenty of people about."
Slowly Patty descended the great staircase, looking at the pictures andhanging rugs as she passed them.
"For mercy's sake, who is that?" was Lady Herenden's mental exclamationas the girl neared the lower floor.
"Good-morning, Lady Herenden," cried Patty, gaily, as she approached herhostess. "Don't look so surprised to see me, and I'll tell you all aboutit."
"Why, it's Miss Fairfield!" exclaimed the elder lady, making room forPatty on the sofa beside her.
"Yes, and I really owe you an explanation. You see, my boxes didn't comelast night, and I had to wear one of Lady Hamilton's gowns at dinner. Icouldn't tell you so, before all the guests, and so you didn't know methis morning in my own frock."
"It's astonishing what a difference it makes! You look years younger."
"I am. I'm not quite eighteen yet, and I wish you'd call me Patty, won'tyou?"
"I will, indeed," said Lady Herenden, answering the pretty smile thataccompanied the request. "I knew Kitty Hamilton said you weren't out yet,and so, when I saw you last night, I just couldn't understand it. But Ido now. Have you breakfasted, dearie?"
"Yes, thank you. And now, I want to go out and see the flowers, and thedogs. May I?"
"Yes, indeed. Run around as you like. You'll find people on the terraceand lawn, though there are no girls here as young as yourself."
"That doesn't matter. I like people of all ages. I've friends from fourto forty."
"I'm not surprised. You're a friendly little thing. Be sure to go throughthe rose orchard; it's back of the rose garden, and you'll love it."
Hatless, Patty ran out into the sunshine, and, strolling through the rosegarden, soon forgot all else in her delight at the marvellous array ofblossoms.
As she turned a corner of a path, she came upon two men talking together.They were Lord Ruthven and Lord Herenden's head gardener.
"Yes," his lordship was saying, "you've done a good thing, Parker, ingetting that hybrid. And this next bush is a fine one, too. Is it aBaroness Rothschild?"
"No," said Patty, carelessly joining in the conversation, "it's aCatherine Mermet."
"So it is, Miss," said the gardener, turning politely toward her, butLord Ruthven, after a slight glance, paid no attention to the girl.
"Are you sure, Parker?" he said. "The Mermets are usually pinker."
"He doesn't know me! What larks!" thought Patty, gleefully. "I'll tryagain."
"Where is the rose orchard, Parker?" she asked, turning her full facetoward the gardener, and leaving only the big white bow to greet theEarl.
Something in her voice startled Lord Ruthven, and he wheeled quicklyabout. "It is--it can't be--Miss Fairfield?"
"Good-morning, my lord," said Patty, with cool politeness. "This, ofcourse," she thought to herself, "is the civility of the day."
"I will show you the rose orchard," went on the Earl. "Come with me."
"No, thank you," said Patty, turning again to the gardener. She wasabsurdly placed, and she felt a little embarrassed. But, on the otherhand, she had pledged her word, and a silly performance it was! But shewould keep it, at least until Lady Hamilton released her from herpromise. Patty's ideas of honour were, perhaps, a little strained, butshe took the promise of that burlesque document as seriously as if it hadbeen of national importance. And now she was in a dilemma. To refuse towalk with the Earl was so rude, and yet to talk with him was to break herpledged word.
The gardener went on about his work, and the other two stood silent. Forthe first time in her life, Patty had a really difficult situation tocope with. If she could have laughed and talked naturally, it would havebeen easy to explain matters. But that absurd paper sealed her lips. Oh,why had she been so foolish?
She did not loo
k at the Earl, but he gazed fixedly at her.
"I don't understand," he said. "Why are you so changed from lastevening?"
Patty thought hard. She was allowed the "civilities of the day," so shemust depend on those.
"Isn't it a charming morning?" she said, without, however, turning towardthe man at her side.
"It is indeed. But why are you such an enigma? Are all Americans sopuzzling?"
"And isn't the rose garden wonderful?" went on Patty, still looking offin the distance.
"Wonderful, of course. Please look at me. I believe, after all, you'reMiss Fairfield's younger sister! Ah, I have guessed you at last!"
Patty still looked straight ahead, but an irrepressible smile dimpled thecorners of her mouth.
"Do you think it will rain?" she said.
"By Jove, I won't stand this!" cried the Earl, impetuously. "I know youare yourself--the Miss Fairfield I talked with last night--but why you'remasquerading as a schoolgirl, I don't know!"
At this Patty could restrain her mirth no longer, and her pretty laughterseemed to appease the Earl's irritation.
"Am I not fit to be looked at, or spoken to?" he said, more gently; "andif not, you must at least tell me why."
"I can't tell you why," said Patty, stifling her laughter, but stillgazing at the far-away hills.
"Why can't you? Have you promised not to?" The Earl meant this as a jest,little thinking it was the truth, but Patty, now nearly choking withmerriment, said demurely, "Yes, sir."
"Nonsense! I'm not going to eat you! Look at me, child."
"I can't," repeated Patty, in a small voice, and holding her wilful,golden head very straight, as she stared firmly ahead.
"Whom did you promise?"
"You have no right to ask."--"That," said Patty to herself, "is anordinary _incivility_, but I can't help it!"
"I have a right to ask! And I don't care whether I have or not. You're amischief, and I won't stand any more of your chaff. Who made you promisenot to speak to me, or look at me?"
The Earl, quietly, but with a decided air, moved around until he facedPatty, and the laughing blue eyes were so full of fun that he laughedtoo.
"You ridiculous baby!" he cried; "what are you, anyway? One night, acharming young woman, the next day, a naughty child."
"I'm _not_ naughty! Nobody made me promise. I did it of my own freewill."
"But whom did you promise?"
"Lady Hamilton," said Patty, remembering all at once that the matter wasto be referred to her.
"Oho! Well, now, see here. You just break that promise, as quick as youcan, and I'll make it square with Lady Hamilton."
"Will you?" said Patty, drawing a long sigh of relief. "And will you blotout last evening, and pretend it never was, and begin our acquaintancefrom now?"
"I will," said the Earl, looking at her, curiously, "if you will tell mewhy you seem to have a dual personality."
Then Patty explained her appearance at dinner in Lady Hamilton's gown,and to her pleased surprise, the Earl laughed long and loudly.
"Best joke ever!" he declared; "a baby like you giving an imitation ofthe 'belle of the ball'!"
"I'm not so infantile," said Patty, pouting a little, for the Earl nowtreated her as if she were about twelve.
"You are!" he declared. "You ought to be in the schoolroom eating breadand jam."
"I'd like the bread and jam well enough, for I'm getting hungrier everyminute."
"Well, it's an hour yet to luncheon time; come along and I'll show youthe rose orchard. It may make you forget your gnawing pangs of hunger."
On pleasant terms, then, they went through the gate in the high hedgethat surrounded the enclosure. The rose orchard was unique. It hadoriginally been a fruit orchard, and as most of the trees were dead, andmany of them fallen, roses had been trained over their trunks andbranches. The gorgeous masses of bloom covered the old gnarled wood, andthe climbing roses twined lovingly around branches and boughs. Here andthere were rustic seats and arbours; and there were many bird-houses,whose tiny occupants were exceedingly tame and sociable. Several otherguests were walking about, and Patty and the Earl joined a group whichincluded their host and hostess.
"How do you like it?" said Lady Herenden, drawing Patty's arm through herown.
"It's the most beautiful place since the Garden of Eden," said Patty, soenthusiastically that everybody laughed.
Then Mr. Snowden sauntered up, and reminded Patty of her promise to gowalking with him.
"You haven't seen the deer park yet," he said, "nor the carp pond; thoughI believe the carp are merely tradition. Still, the pond is there."
"Run along, child!" said Lady Herenden. "You'll just about have time fora pleasant stroll before luncheon."
Patty was greatly relieved when Mr. Snowden made no reference to her ageor her costume. He treated her politely and chatted gaily as he led heraround to see all the picturesque bits of woodland and meadow. Themagnificent old place showed its age, for it had not been undulyrenovated, though everything was in good order.
They went into the old church, which was on the estate, they visited thefarmhouses and stables, and Patty found Mr. Snowden a kind andentertaining guide.