Splendid

by Julia Quinn

  “Thank you, your grace.”

  “And you should have told his grace about your eyesight,” Emma added, shaking her head. “He would have given the bookkeeping over to someone else.”

  Norwood cracked a smile—the first one Emma had ever seen touch his solemn demeanor. “That may be true, your grace, but his grace has not always been quite so, shall we say, approachable.”

  Emma grimaced. “No, I suppose not. But don’t let that bother you. It’s really all an act. Just look how much he cares for his tenants. Still, it’s not very pleasant to be on the receiving end of his temper.”

  Norwood, who was unused to conversations with the Quality which lasted more than three sentences, wisely did not inquire how her grace knew so much about his grace’s temper.

  “Anyway, I’ve very much enjoyed our chat,” Emma continued. “Why don’t we go and get that bookkeeping? I’d very much like to learn how you’ve been doing it.”

  Norwood led Emma to a small office near the kitchens. It took her only a few minutes to figure out that while Norwood had been extremely scrupulous in his calculations, he was using quite the most convoluted bookkeeping system she had ever seen. After thanking him profusely for the excellent job he had done, Emma quickly attacked the books, carefully examining all of the accounts so that she might figure out the most efficient way to keep track of expenses. Before she realized it, however, it was nearly one o’clock, and she hurried over to the great hall to meet Alex for their picnic.

  “I really can’t take too long to eat,” she said without preamble. “Norwood is a dear, but he’s made quite a mess of the books and I’m eager to clean them up.”

  Alex smiled, pleased by her interest in his home. “I thought we’d head over to the grove on the other side of the stream today.”

  Emma frowned. “It will take us at least twenty minutes to walk there, and another twenty back. I really cannot spare that much time if we are to go for our ride today at four o’clock. Why don’t we just eat out in one of the courtyards?”

  “I was hoping for a more secluded spot.”

  Emma’s cheeks burned red. “I’m sure that would be, ah, interesting, but I really do want to get back to the books.”

  Alex sighed in defeat as he turned around and headed for the door that led out to the north courtyard. “We’re going to have to do something about this fear of daylight you have,” he said. “People can make babies when the sun shines, too, you know.”

  Emma did not think it was possible, but her face grew even warmer. “There is just something about taking all of one’s clothes off in the middle of the— Oh, I don’t know!”

  “Is that the problem?” Alex asked mildly, a devilish gleam in his eye. “Well, it certainly isn’t necessary to take off all of one’s clothes, although it would be rather fun.”

  After their picnic, Emma returned to her bookkeeping duties, which ended up requiring far less of her time than she had originally supposed. As she finished up the job, however, she realized that while she would have to make frequent entries into her new logs, there really wasn’t any need to total up the accounts more than once a month. She sighed. Well, now she only had to worry about occupying herself for thirty days that month. February would be a blessing, she supposed.

  Still, she didn’t want to complain to Alex. He was a very busy man, far too busy to spend every minute of the day entertaining his new bride. Besides, she didn’t want to give him the impression that she was unhappy with their marriage. So she decided to follow Belle’s example and take the route of intellectual improvement, and the next day she climbed up the wooden ladder in the library and pulled down a copy of All’s Well that Ends Well.

  Three days later she was up to Cymbeline and furthermore, was convinced that she now needed spectacles. Shakespeare was all very good, but not at the rate of more than two plays per day. Rubbing her eyes, she put her book down and once again headed to Alex’s study and briskly knocked on the door.

  “Come in.”

  Emma entered and shut the door behind her. Alex was in his customary position, seated behind his huge desk with a sheaf of papers in his hand.

  “More about the sugar plantation?” Emma inquired politely.

  “What? Oh, no, it’s an account of some lands I have in Yorkshire. What brings you by this afternoon?”

  Emma took a deep breath. “Well, the thing is, Alex, I’m bored.”

  He blinked. “What?”

  “Not with you,” Emma said hastily. “But you’re ever so busy most of the day, and it’s really becoming quite a challenge to keep myself occupied.”

  “I see.” He sat back in his chair, his expression somewhat perplexed. “What about all that bookkeeping I gave you?”

  “It’s all very interesting,” Emma replied. “And it has taught me a great deal about Westonbirt, but I really don’t need to total the accounts more than once a month.”

  “Oh. Well, I’m sure that there is still plenty to do. What about menus? It always seemed to me that women spend a great deal of time going over menus.”

  “I don’t know which women you have been watching, but it rarely takes me more than ten minutes to go over the day’s menus with the cook.”

  “A hobby, perhaps.”

  “Alex, I detest watercolors, I’m abysmal at the pianoforte, and if I read another book, I’m going to need extremely thick spectacles. I don’t mean to complain, but I have got to find something with which to occupy myself.”

  Alex sighed. He had a lot of work still to do that afternoon. He was quite behind in everything. His courtship of Emma had diverted a great deal of his time and energy away from his business concerns, and he was trying to get caught up. To top it off, his estate manager for the Yorkshire lands had just written him with the news that a mysterious disease was striking down a large number of his sheep. His wife’s interruption was not well-timed.

  “I don’t know, Emma,” he said, raking his hand through his hair. “Do whatever it is that married women do all day. I’m sure you’ll be able to keep yourself busy.”

  Emma bristled as she pulled herself up straight. Was that a slight note of condescension she heard in his voice? Alex couldn’t have picked a better comment to completely needle her if he’d tried. She opened her mouth to say something and then clamped it shut. “I see. Well, thank you. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll try to occupy myself.” With that, she turned around and left the room.

  Alex shook his head and went back to work.

  Twenty minutes later Emma reappeared in the doorway, dressed in a forest green traveling dress. Alex raised his eyebrows at her change in costume but nonetheless offered her a benign smile.

  “I just thought you ought to know,” Emma said, pulling on a pair of gloves, “that I am leaving to visit your sister for a week.”

  Alex dropped his papers. “What…why?”

  “It appears that I need to figure out what it is that married women do all day so that I may follow your advice and do it.” With that, she turned around and started to head for the front door where footmen were already loading a trunk into the carriage.

  “Emma, get back here right now!” Alex called out dangerously, quickly eliminating the distance between them with long strides. “You are overreacting, and you damn well know it. There is absolutely no reason to leave me.” With firm pressure on her upper arm, he ushered her back into his study.

  “Alex, I’m not leaving you,” Emma said sweetly, leaning up and kissing him on the cheek. “I’m merely going to visit your sister.”

  “Damn it, Emma,” he ground out. “I don’t want you to go.”

  It was all Emma could do not to throw herself into his arms and tell him that she didn’t want to go either. But even though this visit to Sophie had started out as a way to teach Alex a lesson, she now realized that she really did need to learn what married women did with their time because if she didn’t, she was going to go crazy. “Alex,” she began, “I will miss you dreadfully—”

&nbs
p; “Then don’t go.”

  “—but I really have to. I’m having a little trouble adjusting to married life.”

  “You damn well are not,” Alex said indignant-

  “Not that side of married life,” Emma said pointedly. “But I need to find something to occupy my days as well as my nights. I need to feel useful and I refuse to take up embroidery. Don’t you understand?”

  Alex sighed despondently. He understood. But he didn’t like it. He’d gotten rather used to having Emma around. Westonbirt was going to feel unbearably empty without her. “I could order you to stay, you know. Legally you are my property.”

  Emma’s spine stiffened as shock squeezed around her heart. “You wouldn’t,” she whispered.

  Alex dropped his arms, deflated. “No, I wouldn’t.”

  They stood facing each other for a long minute until Emma finally stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. “I have to be off now, darling. I want to get there before dark.”

  Alex followed her through the house. “Is Sophie expecting you?”

  “No, I thought I’d surprise her.”

  “Oh. How many grooms do you have traveling with you?”

  “Two.”

  “I don’t think that’s enough. Better take a third.”

  “Two is fine, darling. I’ll have a driver, too.”

  He helped her up into the carriage. “It looks like it might rain,” he said, scanning the overcast sky.

  “I won’t melt, Alex.”

  He pouted, and in that moment Emma knew exactly what he had looked like as a small boy. “You’ll be back in a week?”

  “One week.”

  “You can come back early, you know. You don’t have to stay a week.”

  “I’ll see you in a week, Alex.”

  Alex leaned up and gave her one last kiss, so passionate that all of the servants discreetly turned their heads. Might as well give her a taste of what she’d be missing. It worked, he knew, because when he finally drew away, she was flushed and had that telltale unfocused look in her eyes, but unfortunately he was now on his way to becoming uncomfortably hard. Mumbling his good-byes, he reluctantly shut the carriage door and watched her disappear down the drive.

  Shoving his hands in his pockets, he walked back to the house, viciously kicking at some pebbles in his path. Maybe he’d take off and go to London for the week. Maybe he wouldn’t miss her so much there.

  Sophie’s pregnancy had started to show, so she had packed up her London house and moved to the Wilding estate in East Anglia. Unfortunately, East Anglia always seemed to be the rainiest part of England, and by the time Emma’s carriage pulled up in front of Sophie’s country home, it was pouring.

  “Oh my goodness!” Sophie exclaimed upon seeing her new sister-in-law on her doorstep. “Whatever are you doing here? Have you and Alex had a fight? Oh, this is dreadful, perfectly dreadful. He is going to have to get down on his hands and knees—”

  “Hands and knees really won’t be necessary,” Emma interjected. “If I could just come in and get warmed up, I’ll tell you all about it.”

  “Oh, of course! I’m so sorry. Come in, come in.” Sophie quickly ushered Emma into a parlor. “Lucky for you, I just had Bingley set up a fire in the fireplace.” She steered Emma into a chair near the hearth. “Just stay where you are. I’ll go see about blankets.”

  Emma pulled off her gloves and rubbed her hands together near the fire, shivering as the flames chased away some of the dampness that pervaded her frame.

  “Here we go!” Sophie called out, sailing into the room, her arms full of blankets. “I’ve ordered a pot of tea, as well. Nothing like tea to warm you up.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to change? I can have someone press one of your dresses for you immediately, or you can borrow one of mine. You might feel warmer once you get out of those wet clothes.”

  “I’m not wet, just a little damp,” Emma replied. “And I don’t want to miss the tea when it’s still hot. I have never been able to understand why you English wait to drink your tea when it’s lukewarm.”

  Sophie shrugged her shoulders.

  “I suppose you’re wondering why I’ve come for an unannounced visit.”

  “Well, yes.”

  “It isn’t really a problem with your brother. Quite the contrary. I’m very happy in our marriage.”

  “I knew that you would be.”

  “The problem is that I don’t really have anything to do all day while Alex is busy. Before the marriage I busied myself with social engagements, but I really don’t want to get back into the social whirl just now, and besides, the season is drawing to a close.”

  “Hmm, and you’re not very good with musical instruments, are you?”

  “Sophie,” Emma said with dead seriousness. “I avoid the pianoforte out of sheer compassion for Alex, all of the servants, and every living creature at Westonbirt with ears.”

  Sophie smothered a laugh.

  “I don’t want to take up a hobby, anyway. I want to do something useful. In Boston, I helped my father run his shipping company. I kept all of the books, and he consulted me on almost all of his major decisions. I spent many days at the offices and in the shipyard. I really enjoyed it. In fact, I fought long and hard against coming to England because I didn’t want to leave the business.”

  “Well, I’m certainly glad you lost the battle,” Sophie said. “But I see what you mean. Unfortunately, it’s rather uncommon for a gently-bred woman to run a business here in England.”

  “It was rather uncommon in Boston, too,” Emma said despondently.

  “Much as it angers me, I just don’t think many people would take you seriously. And if nobody takes you seriously, you are, of course, doomed to fail, because nobody will buy any of the products or services or whatever you’re offering. And then, of course, once you’ve failed, everyone will go about saying, ‘I told you so,’ and This is why I didn’t patronize her in the first place. ’”

  “I know. That’s precisely why my father wanted me to come to England. He knew that the business would fail if I ran it, even though I could do a better job than most men.”

  Sophie rubbed her chin. “But you know, a gently-bred woman can run a charity.”

  “A charity?”

  “Yes, and if you go about it the right way, I don’t really see how running a charity would be very different than running a business.”

  “You’re right,” Emma said slowly, her eyes beginning to light up. “First one has to figure out how to raise the money, then collect it. And after that one must manage it properly and see that it is spent wisely.”

  Sophie smiled, feeling as if she had done a very good deed that day.

  “And if one undertook, say, the building of a school or a hospital, then one would have to oversee all of the workmen and expenses. It would be very stimulating. Not to mention quite beneficial for the community.”

  “Good,” Sophie said, clapping her hands together. “I shall be the very first one to sign up for your committee to build whatever it is you decide to build. You’re going to build it near Westonbirt, aren’t you? I’d be quite helpful, actually, if you build something there. The tenants are quite fond of me, I think. I always brought them baskets at Easter and Christmas. Although I cannot really be too much help right now.” She patted her stomach. “But I can help you with planning and all that once you get started, and—”

  “Sophie,” Emma cut off her sister-in-law’s ramblings in a laughing voice. “You shall be the very first one I call upon.”

  “Good. I look forward to it.” Sophie poured Emma a cup of tea. “Now then, how long are you going to stay? I imagine you’re eager to get back to my brother now that you’ve solved your problem, but I really don’t think you should set back tonight. It is getting rather late, and the rain doesn’t seem to be letting up.”

  Emma took a sip of her tea, letting it warm her throat. “Actually, I told Alex that I would be gone for a
week.”

  “Goodness, whatever for? You’ve only been married a month. Surely you don’t want to be gone a week?”

  “No,” Emma said with a small sigh. “But he did speak to me in the most awful condescending voice when I told him I was bored, and—”

  “Say no more,” Sophie said, putting up her hand. “I know exactly what you’re talking about. You needn’t stay a week, but you might want to try to hold out for about four days. He needs to learn not to underestimate you.”

  “Yes, I suppose, but…” Emma’s voice trailed off as she glanced up at Sophie. All of the blood had rushed from her face, and she let her teacup clatter noisily in its saucer. “Sophie?” Emma questioned, twisting her head to follow Sophie’s line of vision. An attractive man with warm brown eyes and sandy hair stood in the doorway.

  “Oliver?” Sophie said in a whisper. “Oh, Oliver! I’ve missed you so!”

  Emma blinked back an unexpected tear as she watched Sophie launch herself into her husband’s arms. Keeping her eyes discreetly downcast, she waited while the couple kissed and hugged and told each other with words and looks how much they had been missed during the last few months.

  “Sophie,” Oliver said finally, drawing back but refusing to let go of her hand. “Perhaps you should introduce me to your friend.”

  Sophie laughed gaily. “Oh Oliver, you’re never going to believe this, but Emma’s not just my friend, she’s my sister-in-law. Alex got married!”

  Oliver’s mouth fell open. “You’re joking.”

  Sophie shook her head, and Emma smiled sheepishly.

  “Well, I’ll be damned. Ashbourne got himself married. You must be quite a lady, your grace.”

  “Oh please, call me Emma.”

  “And American to boot,” he added, noting her accent. Emma exchanged a few pleasantries with the Earl of Wilding, but much as the reunited couple tried to hide it, it was obvious that they wanted some time alone together. So, mumbling something about being desperately tired from the ride, Emma asked if she could have her supper sent up to her on a tray. Bidding the couple goodnight, she headed up to her room, stopping on the way at the library, where she made a beeline for the Shakespeare section and plucked Hamlet off the shelf.