Just before they went in, Clara clutched Anne Marie’s arm with one hand, making her look at her with questioning eyes. She pulled her arm out of her companion’s grip, wincing at the sharp pain it had caused.
“I am sorry, Anne,” Clara whispered, leaning closer so that she would be heard. “But did you see the men behind us when we came out?”
Anne Marie moved to look over her shoulder but stopped when Clara hissed at her. “Don’t look, my lady. They will see that we are looking at them.”
“What men, Clara? What are you talking about?”
“The Earl that we met last night. I think his name was Kipling? He was standing outside the flower shop with the son of the hotel woman.”
“James.”
Clara nodded. “Yes, my lady.”
“What seems to be the problem, Clara?” Anne Marie was slightly annoyed at Clara’s dramatics.
“They were staring at you, my lady, and talking behind their hands. Do you suppose the Earl is interested in talking to you?”
Anne Marie had to force herself not to turn and look for the men. “I do not know, Clara, but that is what we are here for, is it not?”
“Yes, my lady. And it would be a fine thing if you were to be courted by the Earl.”
Anne Marie looked closely at her companion and lifted one side of her pretty lips in a half-grin. “Leaving the young James for you?”
Clara blushed. “Perhaps.”
“Let us get inside before we cause talk.”
Anne Marie turned to go after Eliza, who had already entered the dress shop, thinking that if she had a choice, it would not be the Earl who had interest in her.
It would be the handsome James Ellingham.
CHAPTER THREE
THE LIFE OF ANNE MARIE
THE LIFE OF ANNE MARIE
The day was filled with excitement. Anne Marie and Clara met the owner of the dress shop, a short, round woman named Polly, who immediately decided to fit both women into a fine new dress, insisting on the latest fashion from London. Her husband, Harrison, was also there. He was a tailor, who, by his own account, had dressed some of the finest people in England. He boasted that he had been called to tailor the suits of the Prince Regent a few years previous. He and Polly were bursting with pride when they spoke of it. Anne Marie was duly impressed.
They were a bubbly couple and kept smiles on the faces of all the people around them as they talked animatedly about every subject under the sun. Anne Marie and Clara stayed with the couple for several hours, having a tasty brunch with them in their small flat above the shop. After the dress shop, Eliza took them to the hat shop across the street, where they met Lady Melanie Saville. After a fire destroyed nearly all of the building the year before, Melanie moved to the Fordham hotel and lived there while maintaining the hat shop in the part of the structure that was still standing. The fire had damaged only the back portion and the upper flat of the two-story building. There had never been an explanation for the disaster, only that somehow a fire had started in the middle of the night when no one was in the place.
“At least no one died.” was all Melanie had to say about it.
“That is very true,” Anne Marie agreed.
That evening, they ate dinner with the residents of the Fordham hotel. Clara and Anne Marie knew instantly that both Earl Kipling and James Ellingham were interested in talking to them. They insisted on hearing about Anne Marie’s life as a Viscountess and what it was like to lose her parents at a very young age.
It wasn’t exactly something Anne Marie enjoyed speaking about. She told those at the dinner table the vaguest of stories, leaving out many details, but remembering to mention how much she appreciated Eliza’s story about losing her mother young and the flowers that represented the lost love she felt.
“I never made such attachments when I was a girl,” she said, looking around the table at her captive audience. She was somewhat surprised by the way it seemed her dinner companions were focused on every word she had to say. “It may have done me some good if I had. My uncle is a good man and I do appreciate all he does for me. He has raised me as his own daughter, though I was in my early teenage years when my parents died. Since then, he has truly cared for me.”
“It is wonderful that you had support.” Earl Kipling said, holding his fork like a spear over a large slice of ham he was preparing to put in his mouth. “I have been to London many times and there are many children who do not have such a luxury.”
Anne Marie nodded. “Yes, I am aware. It is a sad thing. It is always a sad thing when children are left to fend for themselves in a world as big as ours.”
The Earl nodded. “I cannot agree with you more, my lady.”
After the dinner was over, Anne Marie excused herself to go up to her room. She was tired and needed to rest.
The men rose from the table as she left. James looked at Clara, who had remained behind, with curious eyes. “Will she be all right? She is not ill, is she?”
Clara shook her head. “No, sir. Whenever we arrive at a new destination, she goes to bed early that night. She will be right as rain in the morning.”
“Speaking of rain, you don’t suppose we will see a lot of sunshine this week, do you?” He leaned forward to look around his sister to the Earl. George shook his head.
“Impossible to know, sir. I suspect we will see some sunshine but this is not the time of year for a great deal of it.”
“It’s the rainy season.” James nodded.
“It’s always rainy season in England.” Clara added with a smile. She kept her eyes on James, hoping she did not seem too flirtatious. He smiled back at her.
“That is also very true, Miss Clara.” He stood up. “I am going to the living room to have a drink. Would you care to join me, Earl Kipling?”
“I would be delighted, sir, thank you.” The men stood up and bowed to Clara, who nodded them.
“Have a lovely evening, Miss Clara.” James said.
When the two men went through the door and it closed softly behind them, Clara realized she had been left alone and hurried to finish the food on her plate. She would check on Anne Marie before she went to her own room to get some much-needed rest.
Anne Marie sat up in the bed abruptly, taking in a sharp breath. She was drenched in sweat and she felt uncomfortably hot. For a moment, she worried that she was feverish, that she was becoming ill. However, it only took another second for her to realize what had happened. She remembered the dream she had just come from, one in which she was searching for her parents in a large forest with no color. Everything was gray. The trees, the ground, the sky. All were gray.
She had called out to them but they did not answer. She was sure they were trapped somewhere in the gray forest, deathly ill and in need of her help.
Anne Marie lowered her head, putting her hands over her face. “Mum. Papa.” She whispered. She began to cry.
It had been over eight years since her parents were taken from her during a bad outbreak of Scarlet Fever in Berkenshire, where she was living with them at the time. Sometimes, the pain of losing them at a mere 12 years old, both of them within a week of each other, overwhelmed her. She often dreamed of them as though they were still alive. It was as though she was creating new memories, but they were merely dream memories. Were they visiting her? Letting her know they were all right and happy?
“I cannot bear it.” She whispered into her hands, continuing to cry. “I cannot bear it.”
Her tears made her even more tired, but laying her head back on the pillow only made her stare at the ceiling with wide open eyes. She turned over onto her right side and then her left but could not get comfortable. Finally, she sat up again and decided to go down the steps to the kitchen. Perhaps some ale or milk – if there was any that had remained fresh enough for her to drink. She had noticed a large insulated box in the corner of the kitchen as she passed through during the previous day. There may be some milk or ale stored in it.
She lit th
e lantern next to her bed and slid her small feet into a pair of slippers on the floor. She set the lantern down on the table and pulled a warm robe around her shoulders. She dabbed at her face with a cloth to dry the tears and sweat.
She pulled in a deep breath, picked up the lantern, and softly opened her door.
She went down the steps in almost complete silence, the only sound coming from her slippers. The hotel was completely dark and she did not hear another sound.
When she pushed open the door to the kitchen, she gasped to see someone else was already in the room.
It was James.
He was seated at the table in the same chair he had occupied during dinner. Her heart skipped a beat as she caught sight of his handsome face. The light from his lantern flickered off his handsome features, bringing out the blond in his hair and the blue in his eyes. He looked up at her in surprise. He jumped to his feet.
“Lady Wiltshire! Are you all right?”
Anne Marie moved into the room, calming her beating heart as quickly as she could. She set the lantern down on the table and took the seat she had used during dinner, as well.
“Yes, my lord. I am well. I… I had a frightening dream.”
“Oh my. Would you like a drink? Perhaps some milk? There is some left over from dinner. If it is not consumed by morning, mother will throw it out.”
“Yes, that would be lovely.”
James stood up, taking his lantern to the counter, where he set it and leaned over the insulated box Anne Marie had seen earlier. He opened it and pulled out a small container.
He closed the box and returned to the table with the container, a mug, and a small box of powder. Anne Marie looked at the box curiously. James smiled.
“I see you are not familiar with cocoa?”
“I am not.” Anne Marie shook her head.
“Father was traveling around the world and passed through Switzerland last year. He brought this back for us. It is a nice flavor when added to milk.”
“I like the taste of milk.”
James smiled again. “Yes but when you taste it with some of this powder mixed in, you may not want to drink it plain again.”
Anne Marie tilted her head to the side, watching him make the mug of cocoa milk. She felt a bit nervous as she had never had it before. He finished stirring it with a small wooden spoon and slid it over to her.
“Give it a go. I think you will like it very much.”
Without a word, Anne Marie picked up the mug and took a sip. Her eyes widened and she took a larger, decidedly unladylike gulp. “This is very good, my lord. Thank you!”
“You are welcome, my lady. And you needn’t call me ‘lord’. I have no title, as I mentioned earlier.”
“You seem so very distinguished to me. I do not know what else to call you.”
He smiled again and she thought how handsome he was. The light from their lanterns flashed in his eyes, making them look like they were dancing. He leaned forward.
“You may call me James, if it is not too uncomfortable for you.”
“Perhaps behind closed doors. But I cannot in public.”
“I understand.” He nodded, keeping his eyes directly on hers. “If you feel comfortable telling me, I would be willing to listen to whatever is troubling you.”
His deep voice was soothing. Anne Marie had nearly forgotten about her anxiety. She decided then and there that she would tell James everything about herself.
“Sometimes… when I talk about losing my parents, it brings me to a sorrowful place that I struggle to leave behind.”
“How long has it been?” James asked.
“I was twelve, so it has been a little over eight years.”
“So you are merely twenty years of age?”
“Yes.”
“Why are you still unmarried?” He sat back. “I apologize. I should not be prying. That was a rude question.”
She shook her head. “No, James, it is all right. I… I have not found a suitable husband yet. I have some time to go before I am an official spinster…” They both smiled. “In the meantime, I am on this journey with my companion to see what I can see of the world, and of the men that occupy it.”
“I hope you will be happy here in Bainbridge and that you stay for some time.” James replied softly. “Please, do tell me more about yourself.”
“I was born in London, on Rodney street. I’m not sure if you know where that is?”
James shook his head. “Sadly, no. I have not traveled.”
“My father educated me, teaching me to read and write. My parents were extremely generous and I needed nothing as a child. He gave me the education that he would have given a son, if he’d had one. I was very blessed in that regard.”
“Truly.” James agreed, nodding.
“I have read many books, my favorite being the Bible, and also Aesop’s Fables. Have you heard of Aesop’s Fables?”
James nodded.
“My father was a wonderful man. He knew Greek and Latin, and was a scholar among his peers.”
“It is a shame that I was unable to meet him.”
Anne Marie thought about that for a moment. She silently agreed.
CHAPTER FOUR
EARL GEORGE ALLEN KIPLING
EARL GEORGE ALLEN KIPLING
“Why is it that you have not done any traveling? You do not look too old for it.”
James grinned. “Is that a subtle hint to find out my age, my lady? I am 23, which makes me your elder.”
Anne Marie couldn’t help but giggle, covering her pink lips with one small hand. “I will give you the proper respect then, kind sir.”
“See that you do.” His smile remained. “I considered joining the Royal Navy earlier this year when King George the third died. With the ascension of George the fourth, it became news that there were some changes made and I decided not to. In addition, my mother was struggling to run this hotel, as few visitors were traveling through Bainbridge at the time. None that stayed more than a night, I should say. I decided to stay on and help her and my father.”
“How long have they been running Fordham Hotel?”
“My father was given this hotel by Duke Cornwall. He owns the land below us, but the building belong to my father.”
“He gave it to him? Without pay?”
“Yes, he outright gave it to him.”
“Why would the Duke do such a thing?”
James watched as she lifted the mug and finished off the last of the cocoa milk. “Did you enjoy it? Would you like more?”
“It is delicious, but I shan’t have any more. It was quite comforting. Please tell me more about this Duke Cornwall. He sounds like a fascinating man.”
The look on James’ face told Anne Marie all she needed to know. He had a great deal of pride for the owner of the majority of Bainbridge. “You will find that he is quite fascinating when you meet him, my lady. He is a great man and a fine leader. He is on all the councils in the village. Most people will go to him with their problems before anyone else. But he is quiet. Quieter than his wife. It is my opinion that when someone is quiet and they have a great deal of knowledge and intelligence, they are observing what is going on around them and deciding how to react before any true action is taken. The Duchess, his wife, is much more flamboyant than he is. But he is a man with high intelligence and a great deal of common sense. His business acumen is a force to be reckoned with.”
“I cannot wait to meet him.”
“Tell me, my lady, what do you think of our village so far?”
Anne Marie was not expecting the question and took a moment to gather her thoughts. “It is a lovely village. I am terribly glad we stopped here.” She let herself stare into his eyes for a moment, enjoying the warm feeling that spread through her. “It seems that everyone knows everyone else.”
“Yes, that is so. What do you think of our people? Are they friendly and kind to you?”
“I have only been here one day, but in that amount of time, I h
ave made several friends.”
“Do you think you will stay for a while?”
“I do not know when I will leave.”
“Is there a specific purpose for your journey or are you just traveling before you settle down?”
Anne Marie hesitated before saying, “It is my goal to find a suitable husband.”
“In one of the English countryside villages?” James sounded surprised.
“Yes.”
“There is no one suitable for a lady such as yourself in London?”
She shook her head. “I am not interested in the city life. My uncle has agreed to fund my travels and we have been visiting many small towns and villages along the countryside.”
“Oh?”
“Yes.”
“I do hope you find that you choose to stay here in Bainbridge. We would be honored to have you call it home, and I would see your smile daily.”
Anne Marie fell quiet. The two of them gazed at each other for a moment.
He pulled in a deep breath. “I apologize, I should not be keeping you up so late. I hope you are comfortable being alone with me. I am afraid it is inappropriate.”
“I’ve enjoyed the company, James. But I will go back up to my room now. Thank you for talking to me and being concerned about me.”
James stood up as she did. “It was truly my pleasure, my lady. I am glad to get to know you better. Now I can boast to the boys about how we had a nice chat and you enjoyed my cocoa milk.”
Anne Marie blushed, but the color was lost in the dim light from the lanterns. She stepped toward the door, turned back, and said quietly, “The milk was delicious, James. Thank you. In the morning, then?”
“Yes, my lady,” He replied in a voice that betrayed his feelings. “We will chat more in the morning.”
She slipped through the door and took the stairs up to her room, one hand clutching the front of her robe together and the other lifting it slightly, so that she wouldn’t trip on it as she went up the wide steps.
The Trouble With These Gentlemen (The BainBridge - Love & Challenges) (The Regency Romance Story) Page 3