by Vikki Vaught
Blythe raised his brow. “Oh, you shall have them, just not as soon as you would like. I have several years before I need to worry about settling down.”
Lady Blythe sighed. “See what I mean? Well, enough of that. I am sure you would like to freshen up before tea. My housekeeper will show you to your room. Ring for a servant when you’re ready to come down.”
When the housekeeper showed them to their chamber, Andrew was pleased to see they had a room to themselves. When he’d attended house parties in the past, he’d had to share a chamber with as many as a half a dozen other single gentlemen. Another benefit of marriage. He quickly availed himself of the fresh water, and then left Kathleen to her privacy. He made his way to the billiard room, where he found Effinger and Renwick.
When he entered, Renwick offered him his hand. “I’m glad you’ve arrived. Too bad about the weather. I hope it clears by tomorrow. From what I understand, we’re supposed to go to Salisbury. Did your lovely bride come with you?”
Andrew grinned as he shook his friend’s hand. “Of course she did. She should be down shortly. I told her Lady Deborah would be here. You did bring her with you, did you not?”
His friend laughed. “As if she would ever let me go off without her. Of course I did. She looks forward to renewing her acquaintance.”
“My wife expressed the same sentiment.” Then turning to Effinger, he included him in the conversation. “Good to see you. Did you bring your sisters? I told my wife they would be in attendance. She’s anxious to meet them.”
“Yes,” Effinger drawled, “Maybelle and Eva are here, along with my mother. I’m sure they’ll enjoy meeting your wife.”
Renwick interjected, “Ah, Billingsley—” his friend gave him a worried glance before continuing. “Blythe has taken up with Noreen Holcombe, so she’s here. I didn’t want you to be caught unaware.”
Damn.
I didn’t expect this.
I hope she doesn’t cause any problems for Kathleen.
Noreen had taken the news of his engagement hard and had continued to try to entice him to her bed. Surely if she was now with Blythe she had moved past her disappointment. After all, they’d never become lovers. Once his fascination with Kathleen began, he’d half-heartedly continued his flirtation with the woman. It had been due to her constant insistence and his unsated lust—to his shame—that he’d finally given in to her demands to meet her the night of Kathleen’s ball.
Straightening his cuff, he drawled in an unconcerned tone, “I appreciate you letting me know, but I’m sure it shouldn’t cause any problems.”
“If it were me, I would be disturbed that a close friend would start a liaison with a woman I had shown interest in. Bad ton, my friend. Don’t know what Blythe could be thinking,” Renwick sneered.
“I wouldn’t have done it. However, Blythe did ask me if I minded if he pursued her. I told him I had no objection. After all, I never actually followed through with my pursuit, once I met my wife. Ever since Blythe’s affair with that conniving ex-mistress of his ended, he’s become cynical and not his normal self. I thought the merry widow would take his mind off his problems.”
Renwick shrugged his shoulders. “Ah, if you don’t mind, then neither shall I.”
Wanting to put an end to the conversation, Andrew told his friends, “Well, gentlemen, I need to go to the drawing room. I wouldn’t want my wife to arrive and not be there waiting on her. Are you coming?”
Both Renwick and Effinger nodded and the three of them made their way in to tea. Kathleen came in immediately after and joined him and his friends.
A bit breathless, she said, “Lord Renwick, Mr. Effinger, it’s a pleasure to see you again.” Then addressing the second gentleman, she added, “I understand your sisters and your mother are with you. I look forward to meeting them.”
Both his friends bowed as Effinger replied, “My sisters and my mother should be here shortly. I told them about you, and they’re looking forward to making your acquaintance. Ah, here they are now.”
After introductions were made, Andrew relaxed when he saw how well Kathleen was getting on with Effinger’s sisters and his mother. Lady Deborah joined them, and polite conversation continued while their hostess filled plates with cakes and poured tea, then had the servants pass them around.
Andrew kept watching the door, but Noreen still hadn’t made an appearance. Since most of the ton assumed he’d had an affair with the woman, his wife must be aware of the gossip. He hoped it would not make her uncomfortable, being in the same room with a woman from his past.
When Noreen failed to appear, he began to wonder if Renwick was mistaken and she wasn’t attending. He escorted Kathleen back to their chamber and left her to prepare for the evening. It would only take him around thirty minutes to dress, so he went downstairs to the billiard room and played a couple of games with his friends.
Blythe joined them and pulled him to the side. “I hope you will not be uncomfortable with Noreen coming. You did tell me you had no problem if I decided to enter into a liaison with her.”
Andrew hesitated, then answered, “I would rather not deal with her, but I shall manage, as long as she stays away from my wife.”
“I shall keep her so entertained, she’ll not have time to bother her,” he replied with a grin. “Just so you’re prepared, she will be joining us for dinner.”
While disappointed, at least he knew when she was arriving and could keep Kathleen well away from the woman. At seven, he went upstairs to dress. When he entered the room, his wife sat at the dressing table, and Louise arranged her hair. “Good evening, my dear. I shall step behind the screen. I hope you left me some hot water.”
It felt awkward, getting dressed with Kathleen in the room, although, it did create an added intimacy. Ensley efficiently shaved him after he took a quick wash. He donned his evening attire and joined Kathleen, who now had her glorious hair dressed in a very becoming style. “You look marvelous, my sweet. Shall we go downstairs and join the others?”
Kathleen smiled as she accepted his proffered arm, and he led her downstairs to the drawing room, where everyone gathered before dinner. They joined Renwick and his sister, and before too long, Effinger and his family arrived. Andrew surreptitiously scanned the room, looking for Noreen. She still hadn’t arrived. By this point, he just wanted her to appear, so he could get the awkwardness out of the way. He could be worried for no reason, but he doubted it.
Blythe’s butler entered as Noreen came rushing into the room. Andrew watched as she went over to Blythe and slipped her arm through his.
Noreen reached over and patted his friend’s sleeve. “Sorry, I’m late, my lord. The rain held me up.” The viscountess stood next to her son and Lady Holcombe told her, “Thank you for inviting me, Lady Blythe. I’m sure this will be a wonderful party.”
It was obvious to Andrew that his friend’s mother may have suspicions concerning the lady and her son, since she stiffly replied, in a pained voice, “You are welcome, Lady Holcombe. I’m glad you could attend.”
The butler whispered in his friend’s ear. Blythe called for everyone’s attention. “Shall we adjourn to the dining room?”
Everyone paired up. Since Lady Holcombe was the highest-ranking woman in the room, Blythe escorted her, and his brother, Ronald, led the viscountess, with the rest of the guests following in order of rank. Several of the single gentlemen offered their arms to Effinger’s sisters, and they followed him and Kathleen into the dining room. Finding Kathleen’s seat, he assisted her into it, then walked around to the other side of the table immediately across from her and took his seat.
He caught her eyeing Noreen who sat to the right of Blythe. Her face looked flushed, and Andrew suspected she felt uncomfortable, but he didn’t know what he could do to help her. He’d never been in such a position before, where his wife had to face a woman society had thought he’d taken as his lover.
God’s nightgown!
Why did I ever tell Blythe I didn�
��t mind?
Of course, he had never thought he’d invite her here, not with his mother in attendance. Well, it is what it is. He’d deal with it and make sure she stayed far away from Kathleen.
He met his wife’s gaze across the table and gave her what was probably an awkward smile. She didn’t meet his eyes. Instead, she looked over at Effinger who sat to her right. At least she’d met her dinner partner before. He would put her at ease, hopefully.
Andrew turned to his dinner partner on his right and began to make conversation. He continued to watch Kathleen and was relieved to see she appeared more relaxed.
The footmen served the courses. Although the food looked delicious, it tasted like sawdust as far as he was concerned. His stomach twisted in knots. Kathleen seemed to be enjoying her meal. Evidently, she’d decided to overlook Noreen, who could be heard laughing and talking with Blythe throughout most of the meal. Finally, Lady Blythe informed the ladies it was time to leave the gentlemen to their port and cigars.
Thank God Mrs. Effinger appeared to have taken his wife under her wing, because she asked her to walk with her and her daughters. Surely Noreen would not approach Kathleen. He did not think they’d ever been introduced.
Andrew had a hard time concentrating on the conversation with the other gentlemen. The usual raucous comments and vulgar behavior went on around him, behavior he used to find highly amusing. He watched as several of the men relieved themselves in chamber pots and others flicked their ashes on the carpet. Now, the actions of his acquaintances seemed uncouth and disrespectful to his host, not that Blythe seemed to mind. He started laughing over a particularly lascivious comment made by the man beside him.
His mind wandered to his wife. He kept worrying over Kathleen and her reaction to seeing Noreen at the house party. While the men continued hooting and laughing over inane comments, he drummed his fingers on the table, hoping they would join the ladies before too much time had passed. Fortunately, Blythe seemed to be of the same mind, because he stood and suggested they rejoin the rest of their party.
When he entered the drawing room, he found his wife seated on a sofa with Mrs. Effinger, and she had a relaxed smile on her face. He assumed Noreen had kept her distance. The woman sat with Lady Blythe and several other ladies, well away from Kathleen.
The rest of the evening passed without mishap, and he felt much better by the time he escorted his wife to their room. He played maid for her and soon they were comfortably ensconced in the bed.
“Did you have a good time tonight?”
She murmured sleepily, “Yes, I like Mrs. Effinger and your friend’s sisters, Maybelle and Eva. I’m supposed to meet them for breakfast while you and the rest of the men go off to shoot. I’m glad the rain stopped this evening, because I look forward to seeing Salisbury tomorrow afternoon.”
Kathleen yawned, and he drew her close. “Don’t fight sleep, my sweet. We can talk more in the morning.” She smiled and closed her eyes as she snuggled close to his side. He lay there, enjoying the closeness. He longed for the day when she would be ready to hear that he loved her, and he hoped it would be soon. They had grown so much closer over the past three weeks. He felt sure he was winning her heart. A wave of peace rolled over him as he followed her into the land of dreams.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
When Kathleen awoke the next morning, Andrew had left to go shooting with the other gentlemen. As her maid helped her dress, she worried over meeting that woman. Someone could have blown her over with a feather when Lady Holcombe entered the drawing room the evening before. From the innuendoes from some of the women last night, she gathered Lady Holcombe had entered into a liaison with his friend, Blythe.
How disgusting.
Did these men have no shame?
If the rumors she’d heard regarding her husband were true, then his friend was consorting with a woman who’d had an affair with one of his closest friends. She would never understand the workings of the male mind. If one of her friends had ever cast off a suitor, she would never allow that man a chance to court her. If he wasn’t right for her friend, then he would not be right for her.
She’d been terribly uncomfortable when she’d seen Lady Holcombe. At one point, she’d wanted to confront him over her, then she decided to let it lie. Andrew had assured her he would be faithful in their marriage. Now that she loved him, she needed to let go of his past and trust him. With that resolved, she made her way downstairs to breakfast.
There were several ladies seated at the table. Mrs. Effinger and her daughters were not among them. Fortunately, neither was Lady Holcombe. However, Renwick’s sister sat at the table. After she filled her plate, she took the seat beside her away from the others. “Good morning. Did you enjoy last night, Lady Deborah?”
Her new acquaintance smiled over at her. “I did. Please, do call me Deborah. And if I may, can I call you Kathleen?”
“Certainly, Deborah,” she replied. “We’re not nearly as formal in America. I’m so pleased we live close to each other. I suspect we’ll soon be good friends.”
She smiled. “I couldn’t agree more. After all, my brother and your husband are such close friends. I’ve known Billingsley my entire life. I used to tag along behind them whenever they were home from school. Truthfully, I was a terrible nuisance to them. But, for the most part they were tolerant for young boys.”
She warmed to Deborah, finding her delightful. “My husband shared several amusing stories from his youth involving your brother. Since his estate borders ours, we shall have to get together when we return home.”
As her new friend buttered her muffin, she asked, “Kathleen have you met our vicar yet? I’m on one of the committees in the parish. I’m sure you would enjoy it.”
“I have,” Kathleen replied. “And I’ve told him I would join a committee. I haven’t attended any meetings yet, because we’ve stayed so busy. And we went to Overton Park a few weeks ago to see my brother and the rest of my family before they left for America.”
Deborah lowered her voice. “I know about the babe. Your husband came over right after she arrived and told my brother, George. How are you handling it?”
Kathleen sighed, relief rushed through her. At least Deborah and Renwick were aware of Arianna. Looking toward the other end of the table, the other ladies were engaged in their own conversation and didn’t seem to notice her and Deborah. “I love her as if she were my own child. She’s such a beautiful infant. You must meet her when you come over.”
“I can’t wait to meet her.” Leaning close, she said, “I imagine, even if you are willing to raise the child, it came as a shock to learn of her existence.”
Kathleen told her, “I knew my husband was a rake when I married him. While at first it took me a moment to take in the news, I still wasn’t overly surprised. And after all, it happened long before we met.”
“It’s good you’re so accepting,” she replied. “Some women would not be as understanding as you. I look forward to meeting the baby. Have you ever seen Salisbury before?”
“No, my husband told me some of its history though. I can’t wait to see the cathedral.”
Before they could continue their conversation, Mrs. Effinger walked in with Maybelle and Eva. “Good morning, Ladies. I hope you haven’t been waiting long. It took a while to motivate my girls. We shall join you after we fill our plates with some of this marvelous breakfast fare.”
Kathleen spent an enjoyable hour talking with the Effinger ladies. It was nice to make friends. Too bad Effinger’s estate was in Kent, since she could see herself growing close to his sisters. Hopefully, she would see them when she and Andrew went to London. From what she understood, they spent most of their time in town.
When the gentlemen returned from their shooting match at eleven, everyone agreed to meet outside in thirty minutes. Once all were assembled, they piled into the carriages for the ride to Salisbury.
Renwick offered to take them with him, which worked well for Kathleen, since she wante
d to spend more time with Deborah. When the carriage stopped in front of a charming eating establishment, Andrew and his friend assisted the ladies out, and they joined the rest of the party for luncheon.
She couldn’t help watching Lady Holcombe with Lord Blythe. She flirted outrageously with him and kept sending sly glances at Andrew. Her husband looked flushed and kept averting his eyes from his friend and his companion. She hoped it was embarrassment and not jealousy causing him discomfort.
No, she would not allow her faith to waiver. He’d promised he would never be unfaithful, and she had to believe him.
When they finished the repast, their party joined Effinger and his mother and sisters, and they made their way to the Cathedral.
Kathleen stood in awe as she looked at the spire, rising high above the church. Andrew told her that it was added in the middle of the fourteenth century and was the tallest medieval structure in England. In fact, where some cathedrals took hundreds of years to build, Salisbury Cathedral had only taken thirty-eight.
The cathedral also had one of the thirteen original copies of the Magna Carta, signed on the fifteenth of June in 1215. He explained the document came about to inhibit King John’s activities, whom the barons felt were hurting England at the time. One of Andrew’s ancestors had attended the signing of the Magna Carta at Runnymeade. Kathleen found it hard to imagine a document that old still existing, and that she was able to actually see it.
The cathedral had some of the most magnificent stained glass windows she had ever seen. As she stood gazing at the incredible religious images, forever preserved in glass, she sent a prayer thanking God for knowing what she needed better than she.
She turned and met Andrew’s brilliant blue eyes filled with warmth. “Thank you for showing me this wonderful church. It’s magnificent. I never truly understood how young my country is compared to yours. To be able to trace your family history back through so many generations is amazing. I can now understand why so much importance is placed on continuing family lines and titles.”