Fairest of Them All (Marriage by Fairytale Book 4)

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  Evander came over to her and brought her into his arms. Grateful for his silent strength, she leaned her head on his chest and closed her eyes.

  “I don’t know what else I can do,” she continued.

  He kissed the top of her head. “You shouldn’t doubt yourself so much. You’re doing everything you can to find Tabitha a suitable husband. In the end, it will have to be her choice as to whether she marries or not.”

  “Yes, but the reason you wanted another wife was so that Tabitha could find a husband.”

  “I wanted a wife so that Tabitha would have a chaperone. I don’t expect any more from you than that.”

  “When I was in my first Season, I would have given anything to have as many suitors as she does. She’s a very charming young lady when she chooses to be, and she’s beautiful. One would think she’d at least take the time to engage with a couple of her suitors for longer than one afternoon’s visit.”

  He rubbed her back. “It doesn’t take long to discover whether or not someone is a suitable match for you. She chooses not to waste her time. As I said, if she decides not to marry, that will be her choice.” He tucked his finger under Viola’s chin and lifted her head. “And you mustn’t imply that you’re not charming in your own right. I find you immeasurably so.” He brushed her lips with his thumb then she felt his lips touch hers.

  She wrapped her arms around him and deepened the kiss. It was turning out to be like this with him every time they were together. Whatever her doubts or concerns, they seemed to fade away when she was with him, and she was left with the feeling that no matter what happened next, she could deal with it because he was with her. It had turned the attic into a sweet haven instead of the intimidating place it had been when she first married him, and it was why she looked forward to coming here.

  When the kiss ended, he whispered, “You have nothing to prove to me. I love you already. If Tabitha chooses not to marry, then that will be fine with me. All I wanted was for her to have the opportunity to make the decision. It’s up to her what she does with that opportunity.”

  Viola wasn’t sure she heard him right, so she asked, “You love me?”

  “Yes. You are a lovely lady. I don’t have to see you to know you’re beautiful. Real beauty, the kind that matters, comes from within. Though, from what the butler told me, you are attractive.”

  “The butler told you that?”

  “I was curious about how you looked when you came here for the interview, so I asked him to describe you. Even if I can’t see you, I want an image of you in my mind.”

  She wondered what he looked like, but given the fact that he believed she couldn’t look at his face without suffering a fatal accident, she opted not to ask. The important thing was that he loved her. He’d not only given her a place to live and provided for her family, but he’d given her his heart as well.

  “I love you, too,” she whispered.

  He brought his lips back to hers, and the rest of the world and all its concerns faded away as he deepened the kiss.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Viola’s foot tapped nervously on the floor of the drawing room. She still had trouble wrapping her mind around the very real possibility that she was with child. She had dreamed of being a mother when she’d been younger. During her Seasons, she had imagined that once she got married, she would then move on to motherhood. She hadn’t dared to even believe such a thing might finally come to pass after marrying Evander, and yet, she had missed her lady’s time of month two weeks ago.

  She hadn’t, however, dared to consult a doctor until this afternoon. As silly as it was, she was afraid the moment she saw one, she’d get her lady’s time and find out she’d gotten her hopes up for nothing. But the doctor was currently in the room with her, and she still hadn’t gotten her flow.

  “There is no way to verify that any lady is in the family way until the baby is delivered,” the doctor told her, “but since you’ve never missed the lady’s time up to now and have been intimate with your husband, I’d say it’s safe to assume you’ll be presenting your husband with a child early next spring.”

  The way he said that made it seem so soon, but in other ways, it felt like it was such a long time from now. A baby. A little one she would feel moving in her womb and then hold in her arms. She recalled holding her twin sisters shortly after they were born. That was when she was nineteen. At the time, she had imagined that she would soon be holding one of her own babies. She hadn’t expected to go through each Season without getting married. But at the end of her third unsuccessful Season, she gave up on the notion of ever having children. Instead, she had turned her attention to being a big sister to Joanna and Pamela.

  But now old fantasies were coming true, and she could hardly believe her good fortune. “Are you sure?” she asked the doctor. “Maybe this is all in my mind. Maybe I want a child so badly that I haven’t had the lady’s time.”

  The doctor offered her a comforting smile. “There are many things the mind can do, but it can’t prevent a lady from getting her time of month. This, Your Grace, isn’t something you can control. I’m sure you are with child. In a couple more months when you feel the baby moving, you’ll come to that conclusion, too.”

  Her stomach gave a flutter. A baby. This was really happening…and to her of all ladies!

  “If you’d like, I can check in on you from time to time to see how things are progressing,” the doctor offered.

  She nodded. “I’d like that.” It’d been so long ago that her mother had been expecting her younger sisters that she knew so little about carrying a child. “When do you think the baby will be born?”

  “Based on when you had your last lady’s time of the month, I would say the middle of March. I don’t give exact dates. Some ladies give birth earlier than others, but I’d say we’re safe with expecting the baby to be born in the middle of that month.”

  The middle of March. Right after the worst of winter was over and spring was just around the corner. Spring was when things were becoming brand new with life. From the leaves on the trees to the grass and flowers, everything would be returning after a long winter’s slumber. She couldn’t think of a better time to have a child than that.

  The doctor rose to his feet and picked up his medical bag. “Tell your husband I said congratulations.”

  Turning her attention back to him, she offered a nod and got to her feet. “I will. Thank you for coming.”

  “I’m always happy to stop by when I have good news.” He gave her another smile and then left the townhouse.

  Viola was on her way to the stairs so she could go up to the attic when Tabitha called out to her.

  Surprised, Viola asked, “Are you done shopping already?”

  Tabitha showed her the new gloves she’d gotten. “I only went out for these. It didn’t take long to find them.” She lowered the gloves and gave Viola an uncertain look. “Was a doctor just here? The gentleman coming down the steps was carrying a medical bag with him.”

  Viola had hoped to tell Evander the news first, but she could tell that Tabitha wasn’t going to let the matter go until Viola answered her. This was why Viola had suggested Tabitha replace her old gloves with a new pair. She shouldn’t have kept the doctor longer than necessary.

  “Yes, that was a doctor,” Viola said. “I asked him to come by because I thought I was with child.”

  Tabitha’s eyes grew wide. “A child?”

  Viola had the feeling that Tabitha was appalled, so she carefully proceeded with, “Yes. I haven’t had that time of the month for two weeks now, and there was only one reason I could come up with why that might be.”

  “You mean you and my step-father have been…?” She let the question drift off then continued in a low voice, “It’s not wise for you to get so close to him. The closer you two get, the greater the temptation will be for you to look at his face.”

  As much as Viola didn’t want to disclose what happened between her and Evander, she had to
say something. “I’ve never seen his face, nor have I ever asked to. Whenever I visit him, it’s completely dark. I can’t even see my own hand in front of my face when I’m in the attic.”

  Tabitha blinked for a couple of seconds, and Viola could tell she was struggling to come to grips with everything. “But my mother and the others never conceived a child with him. How can anyone know if the baby isn’t cursed?”

  “Babies aren’t cursed. They’re a blessing. This is a good thing.”

  “How can we be sure? All his wives had to do was look at him, and they died. What if you look at the baby when it’s born and you die?”

  Viola had expected Tabitha’s concern over the baby to stem from jealousy at having to share her step-father and Viola with the newcomer in the family or from the fact that Viola was ten years older than most new mothers. She hadn’t expected Tabitha to assume the baby would have the same curse everyone believed Evander was under.

  “There is no curse,” Viola said, frustration finding its way into her voice. “Curses don’t exist. They’re only the product of a wild imagination.”

  “I didn’t imagine my mother’s death. I didn’t imagine my other two step-mothers’ deaths, either.”

  “I’m not saying you imagined their deaths. Yes, they died. Their deaths were terrible, and maybe they were purely accidental, but the curse isn’t real.” She let out a sigh. “Who came up with this curse to begin with? Your step-father didn’t always believe it since he let your mother look at his face. You said they met at a ball, and she spent the entire night talking to him. This wasn’t a masquerade ball, was it?”

  “No, it wasn’t.”

  “And how long were they married?”

  “Eleven months. That’s under a year. The curse says that any wife who looks at his face will die within a year.”

  “If this curse existed, why did it take so long for anyone to learn about it? On second thought, when did everyone learn about it?”

  “We all learned about it right after my mother died. The ghost gave us a warning.”

  Viola’s eyes grew wide. “A ghost?” She couldn’t believe her ears. Just when she didn’t think all of this couldn’t get any more ridiculous, Tabitha had to spring a ghost on her?

  “Step-father and I were in the drawing room at night mourning over my mother’s death before she was due to be buried the next day. The ghost came into the room and warned us that he must never marry again because of the curse. His face has the power to kill any lady he marries.” She shivered. “One good thing about being in London is that the ghost is gone.”

  Viola hurried to make sure no one had overheard them before she asked, “What are you talking about? Ghosts don’t exist.”

  “You mean, my step-father didn’t tell you about the ghost that roamed the halls at the country estate?” Tabitha’s eyebrows rose in interest. “Would you have decided not to marry him if you had known about it?”

  “I don’t believe in ghosts, so of course not.”

  “Well, this one is real. My step-father’s seen it. The maids have seen it. The footman and cook have seen it. The groundskeeper and stable boy at the estate have seen it. The only one who hasn’t seen it is Allen, but that’s because he started working here after we came to London. The thing has a long flowing white gown with a white veil over its head. I think it’s his mother’s spirit. It’s been a long time since I saw it. It would roam the halls at night. After I saw it heading for the attic one night, I didn’t leave my bedchamber once it got dark out. That was when I was twelve.”

  It was then Viola recalled the maid saying something about a ghost at the country estate. What was it she’d said exactly? She’d been afraid that Viola could turn her into a ghost that would end up roaming through the halls…or something like that.

  Viola shook her head. This whole thing didn’t make sense. There had to be a logical explanation for all of it. But what could it be?

  After a moment, Viola said, “Sometimes when we’re asleep, we have vivid dreams. Maybe all of the talk about the curse has made everyone have nightmares about ghosts. Maybe you and your step-father fell asleep while mourning your mother’s death that night in the drawing room. Maybe the servants think they saw something but really didn’t because you and your step-father frightened them with stories about the ghost.”

  “The ghost isn’t a dream. It’s real.”

  Viola would have laughed if Tabitha didn’t look so pale. Tabitha obviously believed it, but Viola knew, without a doubt, that the ghost just couldn’t be real. Tabitha had been dreaming. She had to be dreaming. And the dream had been so real that she thought it’d really happened.

  Given her young age at the time, it was understandable that she believed it really happened. And from there, word spread to others, and since they were frightened, they believed they saw the apparition, too. But did Evander think he saw it, too? Would his story correlate with what Tabitha was telling her?

  “I have to talk to your step-father about this,” Viola finally said.

  “If he tries to avoid the topic, insist he tell you the truth,” Tabitha replied. “Sometimes he doesn’t like to talk about unpleasant things.”

  Maybe he didn’t want to talk about the ghost because he knew it would only feed into Tabitha’s delusions. Instead of saying this, Viola settled for saying, “I’ll make sure I figure out what’s really going on.”

  Since Tabitha seemed content with the promise, Viola continued on to the stairs. She made it halfway up when she thought she heard the butler. At first, she thought he was trying to get her attention, but then she realized he was speaking with Tabitha. Viola paused on the steps.

  It was probably nothing. Tabitha had just returned home. He was probably asking if she wanted something to eat or drink. He did that every time she or Tabitha returned to the townhouse. Though she told herself this, the apprehensive feeling in her gut grew stronger.

  From the drawing room, she heard Tabitha laugh, and at once, she changed her course and went back down the stairs. Evander could wait. Right now, she had something more pressing to deal with.

  When she reached the drawing room, she saw that Tabitha and the butler were standing closer than was appropriate for a servant and the daughter of a duke. The butler was telling Tabitha something about a mishap that had happened in the kitchen earlier that morning, and Tabitha had her hand over her mouth as she continued laughing.

  Something about the whole thing didn’t feel right. Viola realized there was nothing inappropriate going on, but it still didn’t seem right. She went into the room, and Tabitha stiffened as soon as she saw her. The butler turned to face Viola.

  A blush crept up his cheeks, and he said, “I noticed Lady Tabitha is back, and I thought I’d see if she wanted something to eat or drink.” His gaze went to Tabitha as if he was hoping she would help him out.

  Tabitha nodded, but Viola couldn’t tell if she was nodding for her benefit or the butler’s. “I would like green tea. I won’t have anything to eat. I don’t want to ruin my appetite for dinner.”

  “As you wish.” He cleared his throat and looked at Viola. “Would you like tea, too?”

  “No, I’m fine,” Viola replied.

  The butler hurried out of the room, and Viola suspected he did that in order to avoid her.

  Viola frowned but waited until he was gone before she turned her attention to Tabitha.

  “I thought you were going to talk to my step-father about the baby and the ghost,” Tabitha said.

  Viola set her hand on her hip and tried to come up with the right words to convey what she wanted to say. After a moment, they came to her. “I think it’d be wise to watch how much time you spend in the company of a servant. While there’s nothing wrong with having a cordial relationship, it’s best to keep a certain amount of distance between the butler and yourself.”

  “His name is Allen.”

  “I know his name is Allen, but that’s a bit personal. He’s not a friend or relative. He’s
the butler.”

  “You didn’t mind it when I called him Allen when we were practicing what I should say to a suitor.”

  “I only allowed that because we were pretending he was a titled gentleman.”

  “But I haven’t called any of the titled gentlemen who’ve been here by their Christian names. I’ve only referred to them by their title.”

  “Well, I couldn’t exactly have you calling him ‘Mr. Butler’.”

  “His full name is Allen Morton, so we could have called him ‘Mr. Morton’.”

  Viola hated to admit it, but Tabitha made a good point. “You’re right. We should have done that.” It would have helped Tabitha remember that she wasn’t supposed to get too friendly with him due to his status. “That was a mistake on my part, and I take full responsibility for it. From now on, I advise you to treat him as you would any of the other servants in this townhouse. You can’t be sharing stories about what’s going on with the other servants, and you can’t be borrowing his books. I’m afraid if this keeps happening, you’ll see him as an equal. Then you’ll get too familiar with him. That’s not good. He’s the butler, and you need to treat him as such. The only gentlemen you should be trying to get closer to are your suitors.” She released her breath. “Speaking of which, Lord Weatherby is due here tomorrow at two.”

  She started to grimace but quickly stopped and said, “I’ll be ready for him.”