In no other village or town they had visited had she found such a deep feeling of peace and warmth. Moments after she laid her head down on her pillow, she was asleep and did not dream of her beloved parents.
When she and Clara came down the next morning, they were met with the sounds and smells of an English countryside breakfast. The spread of food on the table looked appetizing. Plates had been set out at each place. Earl Kipling, Lady Melanie Saville, and Judith were already seated. They appeared to be waiting for the ladies.
“You needn’t have waited for us.” Anne Marie said as she took her seat.
“We always eat as a family. As long as you are staying here, you are a member of this family, and we will wait for you.” Judith answered, holding out one hand to take the plate in front of Anne Marie and fill it with eggs, bacon, ham, and biscuits.
“Thank you, Mrs. Ellingham. Will your husband be joining us today?”
“He is not yet back from the city. He may arrive by dinnertime.”
“It’s always a question with father.”
Anne Marie turned to see James had come in the door and was heading toward his seat. He gave her a smile that made her heart melt in her chest.
“Good morning, Mother.” James bent over and gave his mother a kiss on the cheek. She lifted one hand and patted him lovingly as he did so. “You look lovely.”
“Good morning, Son.” She gave him a smile. “Thank you.”
James sat in his chair, subtly scooting it slightly closer to Anne Marie’s. When he did so, his fingers touched her leg, sending an electric shock through her. She pulled in a sharp breath and immediately picked up her napkin and held it to her mouth to cough into it. She did not want the others to realize what kind of reaction she was having to the young man next to her.
“Are you all right, my lady?” Clara began to rise from her chair across from Anne Marie. Anne Marie lifted the napkin and flapped it in her companion’s direction, leaving her other hand to cover her mouth. She cleared her throat, nodding.
“Yes, Clara, I’m fine. Sit. I just need a bit of tea or milk.”
James leaned in close to her and whispered, “With or without cocoa?”
Anne Marie looked up at him, blushing fiercely.
“What is happening here?” Judith asked, a curious look on her round face. “James?”
James shook his head. “It’s all right, mother. Lady Wiltshire and I had a chat last night and I made her some cocoa milk. She thinks it is delicious.”
“And it is. But when did this happen?”
Anne Marie leaned forward. “I was unable to sleep, Mrs. Ellingham. James was kind enough to see that I was no longer stressed.”
“Oh?” Melanie Saville raised her eyebrows. “How inappropriate.”
James lowered his head, glancing at Anne Marie. “I do apologize for that, Lady Wiltshire.”
Anne Marie pursed her lips, her head shaking back and forth. “No, no, my lord, you need not apologize. I am only grateful that you were awake at that particular moment.”
“If you need me, my lady, you can come and wake me up.” Clara said, her voice concerned, her eyebrows pulled together. “It doesn’t matter what time it is or where we are. I hope you know that.”
Anne Marie nodded and put one hand out to cover one of Clara’s. “Of course I know that. Thank you, my dear. Please, can we not talk about it anymore?”
“I’m sure it would be best to drop the subject, my lady,” Melanie Saville’s voice was hard and tense. “But it would seem to me that Master Ellingham has made a serious error in judgment.”
When Judith responded, the tone matched the hardness of Melanie’s. “Lady Saville, if you are so offended by my son’s behavior, surely you would not want to reside with us anymore?”
Melanie looked taken aback, her brown eyes opening wide. “My lady, I meant nothing by it.”
“Then I would ask you to keep your opinions to yourself when they are not shared by others in my home. The Viscountess was not upset by the presence of my son and it appears they had a comfortable conversation. Is this true Lady Wiltshire?”
“Very much so, Mrs Ellingham.”
Judith turned her eyes back to Melanie and she stared at her coldly. “Now what subject shall we talk about while we wait for Katrina?”
Although the tension in the air remained, it became less and less with time. Once Katrina sat down and filled her plate, the sound of eating replaced the sound of voices. Katrina offered to clear the plates and their chatter resumed as they all left the table.
James watched Anne Marie, who was slowly moving through the lobby, talking to Clara in a low voice. He wondered what she was thinking and where she planned to go that day. He was seconds away from going over to ask her to go for a ride with him through the countryside when the Earl George Kipling reached her first. He bowed as if they had not just left the same table and he was seeing her for the first time that morning.
“My lady,” He said.
“My lord.” Anne Marie looked up at him. She had not noticed before how hawkish his face was. It seemed to come to a sharp point in his nose, which was long and thin. If it was possible, the shape of his brows made it appear that his forehead came to a point in the middle, though it was a mere illusion. His chin did not protrude a great deal, but there was a deep crease in the middle. He wore a mustache and a line of hair under his bottom lip while the rest was shaved. His deep brown eyes looked intense and piercing. The brown hair on his head waved to the side in a fashionable style.
He was holding his hat in his hand and spinning it on its rim as he spoke, which gave her the impression of someone much younger than the Earl appeared to be. She wondered how old he was.
“How old are you, might I ask?” The words were out before she could stop them. She immediately dropped her head and blushed a deep red. She could not believe she had asked such a personal question of the Earl. She felt relieved when he chuckled.
“I am 30 years old.” He said in a deep voice that sounded almost proud. She wondered why he would feel proud to be older than most unmarried men.
She decided that since she had asked a question of that nature and he had responded favorably, she owed him a bit of information about herself. “I am 20.” She responded. “We have ten years between us.”
George nodded. Anne Marie could tell he didn’t know what to make of that statement.
“Yes.” He agreed. The short word hung in the awkward silence that followed it.
“I do hope that Lady Saville will not think bad of myself or Master Ellingham because of last night.” Anne Marie said softly, lowering her voice because the lady would probably be returning from upstairs very shortly.
George shook his head. “You needn’t worry yourself over what Lady Saville thinks. She is not worthy to speak about the ill behavior of others. When it comes to respect and decency, I would say the Lady has very little of either.”
Anne Marie’s eyes opened wide. She and Clara shared a shocked look that almost made them both burst out in laughter.
“Thank you for the warning.” Anne Marie replied in a shaky voice. She wished with all her might that the Earl would go away.
CHAPTER FIVE
THE SHOPS
THE SHOPS
As soon as Anne Marie realized it was going to be another sunny day, she implored Clara to go on a constitutional in the park down the street from the hotel. Clara agreed, if for anything, just to get away from the negative energy surrounding Earl Kipling.
As they walked, a gentle breeze lifted their hair, the ties of their bonnets, and the sashes around their waists. Anne Marie closed her eyes to the warmth of the sun, turning her head up slightly. She had both her hands wrapped around Clara’s elbow and they were walking close together. She squeezed Clara’s arm and whispered, “What do you think of the men here?”
“There are over five hundred people in the Bainbridge population, Anne.” Clara said with a grin. “You have met only a few.”
Anne Marie raised her eyebrows. “I have already met the sons of the Duke and Duchess. I’ve met an earl and a gentleman.”
“The Earl is not a gentleman.” Clara said with a giggle. “Oh, how brutish he was, my lady, didn’t you think?”
Anne Marie nodded, a sparkle in her eye. “Yes, I would say he is probably a brute far more often than he is a gentleman. But it wasn’t him I meant when I said gentleman. I was talking about James.”
“Oh? Yes, I have noticed he has taken a fascination for you. But I must warn you, my lady. I do not think your uncle will approve of a man with no title. I think it will pose a problem for you.”
“But my only other options are Duke Cornwall’s sons and the inimitable Earl Kipling. I did not have an immediate attraction to the Duke’s sons and I saw nothing in them toward me. Did you?”
“No, but they do not live in the hotel. You have been around James and the Earl more often. It’s only been a day. Surely you will take more time to decide than that? You have never been rushed in your decision making before.”
Anne Marie wanted to tell Clara how much she was attracted to James, but she couldn’t get the words to come out. They walked for a few minutes in silence, enjoying the lovely breeze and the sunshine beaming down on them. They walked along beside a large stream filled with fish and other water creatures. There were children playing in the field to their right, on the other side of the stream. Two older children seemed to be keeping the younger ones in check, making sure none of them strayed over to the water.
“I will take my time.” Anne Marie finally answered, nodding. “You are right. I’m glad you are here with me, Clara.” She squeezed her friend’s arm again. Clara smiled wide.
“I am blessed to be with you, my lady. Still we face this dilemma with the men. Who will you decide upon?” She said the question breathlessly, as if the fate of the world depended on Anne Marie’s answer. Both women giggled.
“I don’t know how old the Cornwall sons are.”
“The youngest one cannot be more than 18. I would doubt he is any older than that.”
Anne Marie nodded. “The oldest one, Lord Tyler. He is, oh, 26 or 27?”
“Could be. He is older than me, I am sure. The other two, in the middle, they are probably our age.”
Anne Marie shook her head, her eyes straying back to the children playing on the other side of the stream. They were a delight to watch and made her long for the family she knew she was destined to have eventually. Her mind immediately went to James. In her heart, she believed he would be an excellent father. He seemed caring and gentle, respectful, and kind to her the night before. “I’m afraid I didn’t get a very good look at the Cornwall sons, though I do remember thinking they were all very handsome in their own ways. Lord Tyler is so very tall and has narrow eyes that look like they could possibly bore down into your soul. I did like the smile of Lord Nicholas. And Lord Steven also has unique eyes but they are… nearly the opposite of the sharpness I see in the oldest Cornwall. His are soft, gentle and loving.”
She shook her head again. “Oh, I don’t know. I can’t help thinking about James.”
“My lady, I reiterate my caution.”
Anne Marie looked at her friend closely. “Are you having thoughts of your own, Clara? I see the way you look at him.”
Clara looked away from her friend and Anne Marie knew her instincts were right. “You do have a spark for him, don’t you?” Anne Marie tried to make her voice as light as possible, though inside she was torn apart. Clara didn’t immediately answer.
Anne Marie didn’t want Clara, her close friend, to be with James, a man she knew she already desired in the depths of her soul. However, she also knew that Clara, who was also a commoner and could even be considered a servant in some minds, was free to date and marry another commoner, while she was not. Clara was correct that her uncle would not let her marry a man who had no title. Which meant that James was left out of the equation completely.
Her frustration made her throat tight and she sighed softly. “Well, perhaps this will be the place where we will both find love, do you think so?”
Clara turned to look at her. Her eyes were sympathetic. “Yes, my lady. Perhaps it is.”
Clara did not need Anne Marie’s permission to be courted by a man. She was free to come and go as she pleased. Nevertheless, what Anne Marie wouldn’t have given to have a say over who that man was.
“Let’s go to the flower shop.” She said, changing the subject. “I want to buy some Foxgloves.”
It wasn’t a long walk back to the shopping district. Anne Marie would rather have been able to take off her bonnet and feel the breeze in her hair, but it was not proper to let her hair down in public. Her hair felt sticky on her head. The air was very humid, making her feel slightly uncomfortable. She settled for waving a hand fan at her face to keep up a constant breeze.
“It will be cooler in the shop where the sun is not bursting down on top of us, Anne.” Clara said, noticing the lady’s discomfort. Anne Marie nodded at her.
“Come now, I’m not some fragile, delicate creature.”
Clara tilted her head to the side, gazing at Anne Marie. “Oh? Sometimes I wonder.”
Anne Marie laughed softly. “Now, now. Surely you do not mean to insult.”
“By no means would I ever do that, my lady. You are my friend and my companion, and because of you, I get to see many amazing sights I would never have had the opportunity to see. I am grateful to you more than you know.”
Then don’t steal James from me, Anne Marie thought but did not say aloud.
“I am glad to have you here. I promise the next time I have a nightmare, I will seek you out first of all.”
Clara nodded. “That is a good idea, my lady. No more midnight rendezvous with the hotel owner’s son. I am envious, my lady. What did you two talk about?”
They had almost reached the shop front door. Anne Marie sped up her steps a little. “I told him about mum and daddy. And he told me he was going to join the Royal Navy, but didn’t.”
“That’s all?”
“For the most part. We only spoke for perhaps half the hour.”
“Is that why you decided he is a gentleman?”
Anne Marie nodded. “He was very respectful and kind. I enjoyed myself and he eased my feelings.”
“He did not ask too many probing questions?”
“No, Clara. He was a gentleman.”
Clara reached out before Anne Marie had a chance and pulled open the door. The lady passed in front of her and Clara followed up behind her. Anne Marie stopped so suddenly after entering the store Clara almost ran into her.
“Oh my!” She said, stopping short of running into Anne Marie’s back. The lady was looking all around the store, her eyes narrowed.
“Look, Clara.” Anne Marie lifted her hands and held them in the air palms up. “Where are the Foxgloves? There were many here yesterday. Where are they now?”
“Perhaps she put them in the back, my lady.”
“But they are ready to sell now. Why would she do that?”
“I suggest we find Lady… oh, dear.”
Anne Marie looked at her. “Oh my, I can’t remember her name either.”
“We cannot call her Lady Eliza?” Clara asked.
Anne Marie lowered her voice to a mumble. “I suppose we will have to. I am ashamed. We should- “
Her words were cut off by a shriek coming from the back of the flower shop, behind a hanging gray curtain that blocked a doorway. Anne Marie and Clara grabbed each other, though their eyes never left the curtain. The next thing they knew, Eliza’s loud voice rang through the air, clear as day, from that room.
“Andrew Jonathan Huntington!” Eliza was very upset.
“Perhaps it would be best if we left, my lady.” Clara hissed. “I think she is going to transform into a bear and I would not like to be here when that happens.”
Anne Marie shook her head, trying not to giggle at Clara’s wor
ds. “I want to know what happened to the Foxgloves.” She insisted. Clara sighed in a good natured way.
“I have heard no stories of anyone with a flower obsession such as yours, Anne.”
Anne Marie just smiled at her. “We will wait.”
By the time the words were out of her mouth, the curtain was swept to the side. Eliza came through with her son in tow. The strong fingers of her right hand clutched the hair at the very nape of his neck and he was wincing as she pulled him through the doorway and around the front counter.
“You will take yourself and your frog outside my shop this instant. Take him to the pond and let him go! Do not bring anymore frogs into my shop. Do you understand, young man?”
“Yes, Mama, I’m sorry.” The little boy said the words but his voice gave away the fact that he was amused by his mother’s fury. For her part, Eliza did not seem like the storm her words indicated. She nodded at Anne Marie and Clara as she went by and practically tossed her son through the door. He easily landed on his feet and hopped a few times before brandishing a wicked but sweet smile and dashing off, clutching the frog to his chest. When Eliza turned back around, she was brushing her hands off and had a satisfied grin on her face.
“That boy!” she said, shaking her head back and forth. “Mischievous one, he is! But a good boy nonetheless. It is a blessing to see you two fine ladies out this sunny day.”
“Thank you, Lady Huntington and good day to you,” Anne Marie said. “I was wondering if you could tell me what happened the beautiful Foxglove flowers I saw here yesterday?”
Eliza turned and scanned the small shop. Then she scanned back in the other direction. “Well, I’ll be. There’s nary a one, is there?” She looked back at Anne Marie. “I am sorry, my lady. My husband or Joe must have sold them. Would you like for me to see if there is a record of their sale?”
“If you don’t mind,” Anne Marie followed Eliza to her counter and the woman pulled out a log book from under it. She opened it and pointed at the last transaction. “It looks as though Thaddeus sold the lot of them.”
The Trouble With These Gentlemen (The BainBridge - Love & Challenges) (The Regency Romance Story) Page 4