by Ella Edon
Lady Bowmount said nothing. She simply blinked and cast her gaze down for a second before they rose again. Every move she made caused him to go more and more still. He was not sure what was going on, but suddenly he was afraid to be there, standing before her, or even talking to her.
He went on. "It's been such a long journey from Flitwick. But after a bit of time to refresh myself, I would like to sit and discuss the details of the manor and title with you."
Lady Bowmount narrowed her eyes at him. "Very well."
With one glance beside her, she said, to someone whom he could not see, as they were all standing behind the door. "Mr. Stewart, show Lord Bowmount his bed chambers." To Arthur, she said coldly, "Welcome to Bowmount Hall."
With those words, she turned and walked down the hallway, leaving him standing there, staring at the open doors of the waiting room.
From beside him, the man he'd seen earlier walked in front of the door. His jaws were still, but he bowed. "Lord Bowmount, I shall take you to your bedchamber."
Arthur nodded once. He picked up his trunk from beside his feet and walked out of the drawing room. He was frozen for a second at the long line of people who stood in the long hallway. They all bowed as he walked past them, while the butler proceeded to introduce them all.
"This is Analise, the cook," he said, and pointed at the plump lady who curtsied with a grim face.
As they walked on, he introduced all the other workers. Fin, the stable boy, Darlene, the lady's maid, Amelia, the nurse maid for Lady Victoria, Gerald and Randalf, the coachman and Lord Bowmount's Valet, respectively.
"And I am Richard Stewart," the butler said once he was done introducing all who stood by the hallway. Arthur watched as they bowed and curtsied and walked away. He was stunned at the number of people that had been employed. Last Arthur had heard, Bowmount Hall had fallen and they could no longer afford to pay workers, so all had left. If this many workers now worked at Bowmount Hall, he wondered if he would be able to do what Victor had done.
"Abigail is the Dowager Marchioness's Lady Maid," Richard said as they walked through the hallway and passed what looked like a salon.
Arthur thought he'd seen the Dowager Marchioness inside, but he was not quite sure because Richard was walking at a quick pace and he followed behind him. If that was the Dowager Marchioness, why hadn't she come to acknowledge his arrival.
He didn't understand what was going on. He had not expected to be welcomed with open arms. It was the law that he inherit, so he wasn’t sure why he was being treated with such disdain. The quietness. The scorn from Darlene and the butler, the cold welcome from Lady Bowmount. He didn't understand any of it at all. Katherine had said welcome, but he felt anything but and in his own house. As he walked behind Mr. Stewart, he wondered what they had planned for him. The entire household seemed to be burning holes through his skin when they stared at him. He pressed his lips together. Something was not right. There seemed to be a conspiracy amongst them all.
Chapter Three
The light beside the Dowager Marchioness flickered as the wind came in through the windows and blew at it. Katherine was not bothered at all by the flickering light, but bothered by the fact that a man whom they knew next to nothing about now owned the manor they lived in. And he was already exercising his authority. And worse, she found him to be intriguing. Her first thought upon seeing him had been shock. She didn't expect that he would be so... young. But that was asides the point.
Katherine could have thrown something at the door, or into the flickering light, or even at the open window. She was angered by his presence, because it not only reminded her that the manor was no longer hers, it also ignited a strange feeling inside of her. A feeling she had not felt for a long time. Not since Victor. But she was quite angry at herself for that. Most of all, she was angered that she hadn't been able to say everything she wanted to. She sucked in a breath as she recalled her encounter with the new Lord Bowmount. His voice had sent chills down her spine. It had felt odd, and she had felt uneasy.
She shook her head. It felt wrong to react to him like that. She didn't understand it at all. Perhaps it was because of the anger she felt. Anger was a strong feeling. Perhaps it was why she felt unsettled, with her stomach tying in knots. And she had every right to be angry at him. Within the past seven months since Victor’s death and funeral, the Lord had sent three letters to the house. Three. He had no respect to come after she was done mourning, he came as quickly as he could to claim what was his. Seven months was not enough time.
She would not let him have peace in the house. She would make sure to make him feel as though hell were a better place to reside than Bowmount Hall.
“You must be calm, Katherine,” the Dowager Marchioness said from across the room. Slowly, she made her way to Katherine. Lifting the sides of her dress as she walked, so that its hem did not touch the floor, she walked to the bed and took a seat beside Katherine. “Lord Bowmount must have no idea that his presence bothers us. Knowing full well how we feel about his presence could be at his own advantage. He would see the need to bother us.”
Katherine pressed her lips in a thin line and released a shaky breath. “I want him gone. Surely there is something that can be done. Something to rattle him.”
The Dowager Marchioness nodded. She pressed her lips together. “Did he ask that we all sit and talk?”
Katherine nodded. “Indeed.”
“Then we shan’t waste any more time. We must talk to him.”
Katherine nodded.
The Dowager Marchioness rose from the bed and made her way out of the bedchamber. She stopped at the door and turned back to face Katherine. “My son put so much into this house. I just wish he never left on that ship.”
At the mention of Victor, Katherine's heart pounded. The Dowager Marchioness was right. Victor had put so much into the manor, and now he was gone, and it was no longer his. No longer hers either... She wondered if she would ever be ready to move on from his death. To accept that there was a possibility for a new life. Her eyes widened. Marriage? No. She would definitely be asked to be wed again, but she didn't want any of that.
"Katherine?" the Dowager Marchioness called.
Katherine turned to her with eyes wide.
"Are you alright? You seem pale.""
"I don't want all of this to happen, my Lady," Katherine said soberly. "The Marquis's arrival, it makes everything look real. Everything is changing and so fast. And soon, it shall be demanded of me that I wed."
The Dowager Marchioness's eyes closed for a bit. And then, she nodded. "You are quite young, Katherine. It would be expected of you to be wed again. You've only been given time to mourn. It will be over soon and suitors shall grace your doorsteps, seeking you as a wife."
"I want none of that! " she snapped. "I only want to be there for my daughter and nothing else. I.. I have no intention to be wed again."
"That is ridiculous, Katherine. You are young. You cannot stay alone, unwed, for the rest of your life. And you do know that as soon as your mourning ends, suitors will come. Moreover, with the arrival of the Marquis, it would be improper to continue to live here, as the Marchioness —"
The Dowager Marchioness stopped talking, her lips were turned down and Katherine knew what had stopped her from speaking. She too, refused to accept that all of their lives had changed so suddenly. Without another word, the Dowager Marchioness walked out.
Katherine pressed her lips in a thin line and cast her gaze away. She wondered if the Dowager Marchioness blamed her for what happened to Victor. Silence ensued for a moment, the next thing she heard was the click of her shoes down the hallway. She released her breath and prepared herself to face Lord Shepherd.
* * *
Nothing had really changed since Victor’s death. Nothing except the silence. With Victor gone, silence filled Katherine’s life. No laughter, nothing. Just silence. The study was the same way he left it. The way he liked it. Victor liked the ink and quill, left sit
ting on the left side of the desk. He liked the papers, fresh and unused, placed on the left. A painting Victoria had done was hung just above the seat. It used to be above Victor’s head whenever he sat to work.
“My Lady,” Richard called from behind her. A bit startled, Katherine nearly gasped. But she did well to hide it before turning to Richard who stood behind her, by the study door. “The Dowager Marchioness and Lord Bowmount await you in the drawing room.”
Katherine did not forget that they had a meeting. The last thing she would do is to ever forget. She nodded once. “I’ll be there.”
Richard eyed her skeptically before finally turning and walking away. Katherine whirled around and stared at the seat Victor used to occupy. She imagined that he sat there now.
“I want him gone, Victor. I want him gone, so that I may never have to see him again. I want him to realize that Bowmount Hall is not the place for him. It belongs to us. It is everything that we have worked for. I just want him gone."
Katherine closed her eyes briefly, as though in prayer. When she was done, she turned. She straightened her shoulders and tilted her chin upwards, then made her way out. She headed towards the drawing room.
On her arrival, her eyes first caught sight of Lord Bowmount. Her heart pounded in her chest as their gazes locked. Her composure was nearly lost. It was as though his eyes were powerful enough to knock her off of her feet. Why did his gaze affect her in that way? He looked different than when she’d first seen him.
His brown hair was no longer ruffled; perhaps it had been so because of the wind — it was combed backwards, so that it sat still and brought out his face. He had sharp features, striking blue eyes (that stared at her), a cleanly shaven face, with a chiseled jawline. She wondered why he looked nothing like Victor. He was different from when they'd met briefly a few hours prior. This time, she noticed him, and she really saw him.
She felt her stomach churn with his gaze still locked with hers and his lips slightly parted. Katherine didn't understand why she felt so uneasy as she did. Quickly, she looked away from him, hoping to feel her normal self. But she felt worse, because it felt as though he was watching her every move even as she walked. Why did it affect her so?
She strolled into the room slowly and took a seat beside the Dowager Marchioness. Both ladies didn’t look at each other, for they knew what they both wanted, and it was the same thing.
Lord Bowmount nodded at her. “I think it is right for me to proceed, since we have all arrived.”
He stared at the two of them for a nod of affirmation. Katherine simply stared at him, her eyes cold. She was glad when he refused to meet her gaze again. She was most certain the Dowager Marchioness was staring at him as well.
Lord Bowmount blew out a breath. “Thank you for the kind reception into your home.”
At least he knew that it was her home— their home. He went on. “We were never really close, but I did admire Victor. Even as his impact was known wide and far. He has restored Bowmount Hall to its former glory.”
Katherine blinked hard, twice, to keep her eyes from watering at the mention of his name.
“I will try my very best to keep up Victor’s legacy,” Lord Bowmount said. But while we do this, I’d also like to keep working.”
Katherine and the Dowager Marchioness exchanged glances. Katherine was the first to speak. “Keep working? How do you mean?”
“I am a barrister, Lady Bowmount.” He took a paper from the pocket of his coat and stared into it. “I’ve been informed that Old Street has spaces to be given out for rent, I’d like to rent one as soon as possible and make do with what I get as my office, for practice. While we run the estate and the manor, I’d also keep up with my work. But I trust that you worked well with Victor. He couldn’t have done this all alone.” Lord Bowmount sent Katherine a warm smile.
But Katherine was boiling with rage. How dare he make some other work a priority? Bowmount Hall came first. She clenched her jaws and zeroed her eyes on him. “Lord Bowmount —“ She paused for a second, trying to contain her anger before she went on again. “Do you know what it takes to be a Marquess? To be given a title in the whole of England? To be kept in charge of a county?” She tried to keep her cool, but she was losing it. He was putting the house and title and the accompanying duties second.
Arthur creased his brows and stared at her. He seemed caught off guard by her sudden outburst, but she didn’t care. Katherine went on. “It means that you have sworn your time, and efforts to your office as the Marquess. It means that you take your oath seriously. Bowmount Hall underwent drastic negative change before Victor stepped in. He managed to save it, yes, but despite the improved reputation of the house over the past eight years, it is still seen as weak. Which is why my husband, Lord Bowmount, made it his first priority. But of course, you certainly do not have what it takes to care for an estate, or a manor, let alone an entire county. You’ll never be able to keep Victor’s legacy, because you don’t even have what it takes to do so.”
She wanted to go on, to tell him how foolish it was that he would even think of doing such a thing. But before she spoke, the Dowager Marchioness began.
“Lord Bowmount, Bowmount Hall needs protection. It needs stewardship, and attention. Victor knew this, which was why—”
“I get it,” he interrupted her, eyes closed and hands raised in the air. “I understand that Victor had no other priority other than Bowmount Hall, but I do.” After a moment of looking perplexed, he smiled a bit, the corners of his lips tilting upwards. Katherine noticed that as he smiled, that his eyes seemed to be smiling as well. As though his joy came from inside. She watched him curiously. She wondered when was the last time she had smiled in such a manner.
"Lady Bowmount? Is everything alright?" he queried. His voice was full of concern. She squinted her eyes and blinked, so that she could look away from him. She hoped he didn't notice that she had been staring.
"Lady Bowmount?" he asked again.
Katherine blew out a breath. When she looked at him again, he was still smiling. Who did he think he was? Why was he smiling? Nothing that had been said was amusing, so why was he smiling?
She ticked her tongue and nodded very slowly. Now, more than ever, she needed to get rid of him. She needed him to leave the house, so she could handle everything. He apparently knew nothing about being a Marquess, about caring for household as large as theirs, and about guarding a county. She scowled at him and shifted in her position.
She wanted to flee before she would say more. The Dowager Marchioness was already telling her to be calm with her eyes.
Katherine clenched her fists, squared her shoulders and tried (almost unsuccessfully) to look calm.
“It’s a bad idea, atrocious even, for a titled man to have any other job than face what is before him. My dear Anson never did that, and Victor never did also. Arthur, you are the Marquess of Bowmount, and you must act like one.”
Lord Bowmount ’s smile faded, and Katherine was happy.
“My Lady, I became a barrister before I became a Marquess.” He said nothing further, but his words were firm enough. Behind those words was the finality that he would open his law office.
“And the manor and estate?” Katherine asked.
“You worked with my cousin here. Surely, I trust that we can work together to keep it all in order.”
Katherine wanted to tell him to go to Hell. She opened her mouth to speak, but her eyes met with his and just like that, everything she thought so carefully to say refused to be voiced.
The Dowager Marchioness beat her to it. “Of course. Katherine knows all about the manor, the estate and everything involved. She would indeed be of great help to you.”
He nodded once, noting that she would. “Thank you, My Lady.”
Then he rose. He was tall, Katherine noted. But Victor had been taller. “I shall be on my way now. I have a few things to put in place. If you’d excuse me.” He bowed slightly, picked up a hat from beside the chair
, placed it on his head and left.
Katherine held her breath as he walked out, her eyes wide. Was that all they had to discuss? There was more. Katherine released the breath she had been holding. She faced the Dowager Marchioness. “I shan’t be able to work with Lord Bowmount. He knows nothing and —"
“That is all the more reason to work with him. Because he knows nothing,” Louise replied. “Katherine, this could be a chance to make sure everything comes in our favor. With time, Arthur will know that he is not suited to this lifestyle. He will leave, perhaps leaving us to look after everything.” The Dowager Marchioness had a faraway look in her eyes as she spoke. Since Victor’s death, Katherine knew most times, she had that look in her eyes.
She nodded to the Dowager Marchioness, to show her support for her suggestions. Then she rose, curtsied and walked towards the door, leaving the Dowager Marchioness to her privacy. The Dowager Marchioness wanted time alone, to think of her son.