She’d had very few female friends over the years, given that she had devoted herself entirely to Joshua, who exclusively met with men. When he wasn’t meeting with his mistress, at least.
Still, the experience had not been entirely without benefits. She had met William at a function Joshua had arranged, after all, and he had come to be her dearest friend.
Besides, female company could be prone to gossip at times. And she did loathe gossip. Not that she could blame them entirely.
The men in their lives gave them little else to do. A life without responsibility or purpose was a dull one indeed. She knew that all too well.
“Is your husband not with you?” Margaret wondered.
In answer, Tessa looked rather stiff-lipped. She shook her head. “He is terribly busy and does not like to travel.”
Margaret sensed that this was a sensitive subject for Tessa and did not press. Instead, they talked of Manchester, where Tessa lived.
Although the conversation was rather one-sided. Tessa spoke for such a time that Margaret began stealing glances of the clock on the mantel. She wondered when Nathaniel would arrive. If, indeed, he chose to.
“Now,” Tessa said, as she leaned back into her seat, as though settling into listen. She smiled. “Tell me of your news.”
“My news?” Margaret affected a look of thoughtfulness, but shrugged. “I have no news, I am afraid.”
“No news? I do not believe it. There must be something. I can see it in your eyes. How does your love life fare?”
This made Margaret turn red. It was an extremely candid question and one that most ladies of good standing would avoid, especially given Margaret’s particular circumstances.
“I am not yet out of my mourning period,” Margaret said, though her cheeks were pink and her features looked taken aback.
Tessa regarded her for a long moment. Such a long moment, in fact, that Margaret could not stand it. She looked away.
Tessa gasped. “You have met someone! Yes, I can see it! You will not look at me!”
Margaret’s mouth hardened and she tried to meet her eye, but could not hold the stare for long. The pressure of the moment was too much. “As I said, I am still mourning.”
“You may not yet be out of your mourning period, but the heart cannot be dissuaded. Who is he, cousin?”
“There is no one.”
“My dear cousin-”
“I said, there is no one.”
Tessa blinked and her lips parted slightly. “I am sorry, cousin,” she said, after a moment. “If I have offended you.” Margaret did not answer. She swallowed.
“But if there is someone, my dear, I want you to know that I am thrilled for you. Truly thrilled.” As she spoke, she reached over and touched her hand. “I have always wanted you to find happiness.”
Margaret was at last able to meet her cousin’s stare. This time, she was able to hold it, until the breath rushed from her in a shuddering sigh. “I am sorry, my dear,” she said, as she lay her hand atop Tessa’s. “You are right. I have not been truthful with you. There is someone.”
She beamed and clapped her hands like a child. “As I thought! Tell me about him.”
Margaret started to smile. She had expected men and women alike to scorn her for her secret. To hear Tessa’s happiness for her was a true relief.
And to be able to speak of how she felt about Nathaniel, for the first time, was like a huge weight off her shoulders.
Her hesitance was fading and suddenly, all she wanted to do was talk about Nathaniel until her tongue was sore.
She told her how they’d met. How they’d come to know one another. She told her all that he’d done for Ezra and how he’d kissed her when they’d gone riding together. She even told her about the ball.
When Margaret had said it all, she took a breath. How long had she been speaking for? And all the while, Tessa smiled at her. Just smiled.
“I am sorry,” Margaret said, and put her fingers to her mouth. “I have talked for such a time.”
“And I am thankful for it, cousin. Ever so thankful. He sounds like a wonderful gentleman. I hope to know him.”
“He is coming today, I expect. Any moment now, in fact. You might meet him if you like.”
Tessa paused. Though she continued to smile, her eyes looked momentarily far away. She shook her head. “Oh I would love to my dear, only I have plans to meet a friend of mine for lunch.” As she said this, she stood rather suddenly. “But I am sure I will meet him in the future.”
Margaret stood too, blinking in surprise. “Are you sure you must go? You are welcome to stay.”
“No, no,” Tessa said. “I mustn’t impose.” She said this as she began walking from the drawing room.
“It wouldn’t be an imposition,” Margaret assured her, but Tessa suddenly seemed in a terribly rush. As they reached the door, she reached blindly for the handle as she said, “Good day, cousin.”
But before Tessa could open the door, there came a knock. Tessa sucked in a breath and froze. Perplexed, Margaret stood by while Miss White opened the door. “What fantastic timing,” she said, though she was frowning at Tessa, who looked like a marble statue.
When the door opened, she expected to see Nathaniel. But instead, there stood William. He seemed mildly surprised to see them standing in the hallway, and to find that Margaret was not alone.
“Dear William,” she said. “I am so pleased to see you. This is my cousin, Lady Butterfield.” She gestured between them, then said, “And this is-” But before Margaret could finish, Tessa hurried out of the door.
“Oh I’m terribly, terribly sorry,” she said, as she fled as though Hell was hot on her heels. “I am awfully late, you see!”
“Oh,” Margaret said. She went to the doorstep and called out, “Good day to you then, cousin!”
Her cousin climbed into her carriage and called out, “I will see you soon, my dear!”
The carriage rumbled away and she disappeared down the lane.
Margaret looked at William, who had a brow arched. “What a strange lady.”
She smiled at him. “She is not so strange as she might seem. I believe this is quite out of character.”
William shrugged and bowed, kissing Margaret’s hand. “I am sorry I have not come these past few days.”
“You mustn’t be, dear William. I only hope that you have been well?”
He smiled, though there was something hidden in his eyes that she couldn’t name. “I have been well,” he assured her. “Only busy.”
Nathaniel did not arrive until later in the afternoon, later than she had been anticipating. In the meantime, she spent the rest of the morning with William.
Ezra was pleased to see him, though he asked when Nathaniel would arrive several times.
She could see how that stung William and apologized on Ezra’s behalf when Miss Hallow took Ezra for a brief lesson. “I am so sorry,” she said. “He is rather infatuated, as you can see.” She smiled as she spoke, but William would not smile back at her.
“I do not think he is the only one,” he said.
Margaret shocked, not only by his words… but by his voice. Her lips parted to answer him, though she wasn’t sure what she could say.
It was the truth and she would not lie to her friend. But he looked so terribly forlorn, as though she’d done him a great dishonor. “William-”
Before she could finish, Miss White announced Nathaniel’s arrival.
William stood.
“Will you not stay?” Margaret asked and William shook his head.
He left almost as abruptly as Tessa had, passing a surprised Nathaniel in the hallway.
In his absence, Nathaniel and Margaret stood looking at one another.
“I do not think your friend likes me,” Nathaniel said.
Chapter 21
Lord Nathaniel Sterling, Earl of Comptonshire
When Nathaniel woke the morning after the ball, it was to a summons from his parents. An urgent su
mmons. He had expelled a huge breath and lay in bed a while longer.
It was early and the prospect of rising to meet his father’s ire was not exactly compelling.
He did not go. Instead, he sent word that he was busy and went to the schoolhouse. He hoped to spend the afternoon with Margaret, but had a few errands to run first. Upon arriving at the school, he was left speechless.
Miss Wilde was outside, kneeling in the flower beds. The bottom of her dress was covered in dirt and she was weeping fitfully.
“What happened?” he cried, as he knelt down beside her and took her hands in his so that he could help her to her feet. But she resisted him, shaking her head and sniffling back tears.
“Someone must have done it after the ball,” she said. She pulled her muddy hands from his and resumed picking up the flowers.
She’d been growing this little garden for months. And someone had torn all the flowers out. Worse, they’d also ripped the vegetables and fruit out at the roots and stamped on them.
Food that Miss Wilde had taken upon herself to growing for the local community, so that she could feed her students during the school day. “I am so very sorry, my Lord,” she snuffled. Her eyes looked red and sore from crying.
“Do not be sorry,” Nathaniel said, with a stern countenance. He began helping her clear up the mess. “Do you know who might have done this?”
She shook her head. “Who could possibly benefit from such unkindness?”
Nathaniel could certainly think of a few men who were not happy with his reformations. They might have done this, though it seemed so petty and small that he could not think of a man he thought so little of that he could justify suspecting them. “We will have it remade,” Nathaniel assured her.
“They will take such a time to grow,” her voice had softened from hysteria to terrible sadness. His heart hurt for her sorrow and he felt a great deal of his own. It was an awful thing, to see your good efforts trampled.
They spent the morning together, the pair of them, remedying what they could. By the time the afternoon was upon them, the pair of them were muddy.
It was late in the afternoon when he finally had the chance to meet with Margaret. He hadn’t changed, because he hadn’t wanted her to think he wasn’t coming.
When he arrived at the estate, he saw that same gentleman standing in her hallway. The man had left rather abruptly, leaving Nathaniel with a sour feeling in his gut.
Yes, it was clear the gentleman didn’t like him. And Nathaniel knew why.
Because Lord William Brandon was in love with Margaret.
“How do you know that gentleman?” Nathaniel wondered. He made an effort to keep his voice measured, so she would not think him prying.
“What have you done to yourself?” Margaret answered, distracted by the sight of him. She approached and looked at his hands, which were the worst of him.
They were caked in soil. “You look as you did the night we first met,” she said, with a small smile. “Come. Miss White will fetch some water.”
Nathaniel allowed her to lead him out into the grounds, where there was a garden table and two chairs. They each took a seat. “Really, Margaret, you needn’t fuss.”
She ignored him and, when Miss White arrived with the bowl of warm water, she dipped a clean cloth into it and began to dab at his palms. “How did this happen?”
Nathaniel sighed. “It seems that someone thought to vandalize the school after the ball.”
Margaret stopped and looked up at him suddenly. “Surely not. Who would do such a thing?”
“I do not know.”
His voice must have sounded solemn, because Margaret touched her hand against his neck and kissed his cheek. “I am sorry,” she murmured, before resuming her work on his hands. “You must be feeling very low.”
Nathaniel expelled a slow, unsteady breath. “Feeling low will not do us any good. We must concentrate on mending what is broken.”
Margaret shook her head softly. “You must allow yourself to feel things sometimes, Nathaniel.”
“I allow myself to feel a great deal,” he said, with an intense look in his eye that made her blush.
“And how is Miss Wilde?” she wondered. “Devastated, I imagine.”
“Devastated indeed. I could not stop her crying.”
“This morning? Is that where you have been?”
Nathaniel nodded.
Margaret grew quiet for a time. He might have killed to know what she was thinking. And she certainly was thinking of something. There was a tiny crinkle between her brows.
Her hands were slow and steady over his, and the pressure on his palms was soothing. Soon, his hands were clean. “There,” she murmured, but did not let go of his hands. She cupped them in hers, against her knees. Her thumbs moved over his knuckles in slow, tender circles. He watched the motion, until he felt like he was melting into the floor.
“I was wondering,” Nathaniel said. “How you know that gentleman.”
“Which gentleman?” she said, distractedly.
“The gentleman who was here. Lord…?”
“William?”
Oh, he did not like that. He did not like that at all. “You must be very close,” he noted, in a slightly stiffer voice. It was unusual to hear her speak of another man by his first name. Nathaniel thought that he himself was the only man outside of her family who was honored with that privilege. “Is he a relative?”
“No,” she said, entirely oblivious to his concern. She lifted his hands and looked closely at his fingers, as though they fascinated him. He allowed her to do so, but continued to frown at her.
“Then… how do you know him?”
“He is a dear friend. We met many years ago.”
“How dear a friend?”
At this, she blinked up at him. She didn’t understand his line of questioning. “Why do you ask?”
“I am curious.”
“Are you certain? Because it sounds as if you are interrogating me.”
Nathaniel was not having a good day. A summons from his parents. Vandalism at the school. That gentleman in the hall. And now this.
“You are evading my questions.”
This surprised her even more. “I have answered all your questions.”
“No, you have not,” he said, stiffly.
She stared at him for several moments. He thought that they were going to argue, though he wasn’t even certain what they would argue about. She was welcomed to spend time with gentlemen.
But that particular gentleman had made it quite clear that he didn’t like Nathaniel, which meant that he wanted Margaret. Surely she must know that.
But as he stared at her blank expression, scrutinizing it, he realized that she didn’t. She didn’t know.
How could she not know?
Nathaniel exhaled and leaned back in his seat. He looked out over the grounds, the sun brightening every bead of grass. “I am sorry,” he said. “I am only in a sour mood. My day has not been fine.”
Margaret squeezed his hands and leaned closer to him. Just like that, he was forgiven. Whether he deserved it or not. “I am sorry about the school, Nathaniel. Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Perhaps you and Ezra might join us tomorrow? I hope that whoever has done this might benefit from seeing that I am not alone in my intentions.”
She frowned. He knew how he must look. Downtrodden. “Of course. But who is not respecting your intentions?”
Nathaniel smiled sadly. “There are many.”
“But you are the Earl.” She said it as if she would fight fire and brimstone on his behalf. And her righteous anger made him smile a little.
“Acting Earl. And a military man at heart. I wanted nothing to do with the peerage, not so long ago. They know that.”
“And now?” Margaret asked, quietly.
Nathaniel cast her a tender look. “I want everything to do with you, Margaret.”
“I am a duchess,” she reminded him, with a coy smile
.
He leaned forwards and kissed her hands. “And I am forever in awe of you, Your Grace.”
She was going to kiss him. He felt his stomach flip. But before their lips could meet, Ezra emerged from the house. “My Lord!” he cried, delightedly. Nathaniel picked the boy up when he approached and sat him upon his lap.
“Hello, my Lord. How do you fare?”
An Earl for the Broken-Hearted Duchess Page 16