Taming Nell

“I can’t believe mama got me into this,” Nell hissed under her breath while the carriage rolled up before her brother’s grand estate. A single season was more than enough for Nell. She’d loved the dancing and all the attention right from the start, what young girl of eighteen wouldn’t? But through her own clumsiness she had trodden upon her ball gown’s hem and bared her underclothes to the entire world with one quick tear. She was so humiliated that she almost at once retreated to her family’s farm, where she kept her head low for four whole years. She only ever made it to London when she was certain there were no grand parties on, other than when Theodore, Lavinia and their children came travelling up to York. Yet she was already three and twenty, and Margaret considered her hiding out amongst the stables quite ridiculous. Her mother wanted herself a son – in – law before Nell might be deemed too old for marriage. Her mother had even attached all two thousand pounds she’d saved over the course of her marriage to Nell’s father as a dowry meant to lure men in, as if that were not already humiliating enough. Nell had agreed to one final season in town just so she could get mama off her shoulders. Once she’d rejected every advance – not that she was likely to receive any – Nell would head back to the farm and live out her days as a spinster at peace. Just then the carriage door was opened for her, and a footman helped her down onto the gravel. She was dressed in her finest blue gown with the matching travelling coat her mama had insisted on; her hair was up in a neat bun beneath her blue bonnet, which was itching and irritating Nell no end. The footmen began to unload her trunks before she had a chance to do any of it herself. It was still dreadfully strange, having someone tend to her every need. “Aunt Nell!” A loud scream came out from the doorway. Her little nephews and nieces were never especially proper with their cherished aunt ... or their only aunt, really. Nell drew out a wild streak in all of them; she enjoyed play just as much as they did. Nell glanced up and saw little Peggy bounding toward her with brown braids flailing everywhere. It was scary just how much the girl resembled Theodore. Nell was astonished at how big Peggy had grown! She had not seen them since the Christmas before; she had not even met their newest arrival, Edward yet. Nell beamed and scooped Peggy up into her arms, then kissed the girl many times upon the brow and hugged her close. “How is my little Peggy Cat?” “Meow,” Peggy played along, giggling. “You’re so big, Peggy, I can almost not lift you!” Nell exclaimed as she set Peggy back onto the ground and took hold of her hand. The footmen trailed behind them indoors carrying her bags. “I’m bigger than Little N and Rosie, but mama says Hugh is somehow a quarter of an inch or so taller than I am – not for much longer. Mama says that if I eat up all my green vegetables then I’ll be taller than Hugh, and I can’t wait!” Peggy said giddily while dragging Nell into the house. Nell chuckled over her niece’s gullibility. It was rather clever on Lavinia’s part, though; it had her children eating up their greens. “Mama! Papa!” Peggy shouted through the house. “Aunt Nell has arrived!” She heard a rumble from the upstairs, and then one by one the two small nieces and her nephew came bounding down the staircase.