Already His (The Caversham Chronicles - Book Two)

by Sandy Raven

  She was confident that his sisters had already done so. His mother’s was the only opinion she’d yet to discern. In the few moments alone with Michael these past days, he said he hadn’t spoken with his mother yet regarding her, and for Elise not to worry because everything would work out.

  When Bridget was done with her hair, Elise set the kitten that slept on her lap down on her bed with its brother and said, “Remember, when I send for them, please bring them down right away. It wouldn’t be fair to the little dears to keep them cooped up in the picnic basket until Lady Richard is ready to open her gift.” Her maid nodded in return, and Elise went down to meet the family for dinner.

  Upon entering the parlor, Elise noted her tardiness, as did everyone else in the room. Her cheeks burned as she walked across the room, embarrassed to be the last to arrive. She spied the gift table in the corner of the room, decorated with a large vase of fresh flowers and bearing the boxes of presents for Lady Richard. Elise felt awkward not placing a gaily-ribboned box along with the others.

  “I’m so sorry to be late,” Elise added, and for Lady Richard’s ears, “Forgive me, ma’am. I was... putting your present together.” Behind her, one of Christina’s daughters giggled.

  Lady Richard glanced from Elise to Michael, who shrugged his shoulders in a gesture of feigned innocence. “You have piqued my interest, Elise. I almost would rather not wait until after dinner to open it.”

  “Oh, but you must, for we are all famished, are we not?” Elise looked around the room and silently begged everyone to agree. They all nodded, but her grandmother saved her.

  “Yes, Heloise dear, if I don’t eat something soon, I fear I shall ask cook to roast that goose I saw in the garden earlier chasing the little dog. Annoying creatures geese. Only good for one thing, Christmas dinner.”

  Christina choked a cough, the younger girls squealed with horror, the older girls didn’t react at all, and Michael quietly said, “That won’t be necessary, ma’am.”

  “Oh. Is that what’s on the menu?” her grandmother asked. When no one had composed themselves enough to reply, she continued. “Excellent! Goose is one of my favorites. Basted with herbs and butter, it’s absolutely delightful.”

  “Beatrice, please,” Lady Richard implored, “I believe that particular bird is a pet.”

  Everyone followed as the new Lord Camden led the way into the dining hall with his mother on his arm. Once they were all seated and holding glasses of champagne, he met her gaze, then nodded and winked. The younger girls, seated with the adults for the first time, began to bicker. Their mother quickly quieted them by threatening to send them upstairs. Michael stood up and tapped his glass with his spoon, drawing everyone’s attention.

  “I wanted to be the first to wish my mother a very happy birthday and to give her the first present of the night.” Elise thought he looked nervous as he took a deep breath and continued. “A long time ago, a precocious little girl dangled upside down from a tree limb and asked me if I would marry her. Of course, I told her I was too young at the time, being only two and twenty years of age.”

  He turned an endearing smile her way and she wanted to burst into tears for no reason except that she was blissfully happy. “The problem was, she’d hidden my horse and wouldn’t return it until I agreed.”

  She silently stared into the glass in her hand, watching the bubbles rise in the clear liquid, surface and break. Everyone at the table chuckled except Elise. What was he about? She hated that she blushed so easily, and that the familiar heat began creeping up her neck. Again.

  “Then, in January of last year, I became godfather to my best friend’s son. And at that time, I was told that the girl who’d been the proverbial thorn in my side for most of her life was going to be Marcus’ godmother. My first reaction was to groan, believing that, after a few years of reprieve from her antics, they might all begin again.

  “But what I saw that day at St. Paul’s pleasantly surprised me. Correction, it was rather more than pleasant. Because, you see, the girl wasn’t a girl anymore. She’d become a lovely young lady—full of spirit and charm, beauty and grace. I felt then she’d be important to me one day. But because of her tender years and the fact that she hadn’t had that rite of passage due every young lady of her station, I knew I had to wait or risk losing the friend who was more like a brother to me.”

  Elise felt a tear burning in her eyes and quashed it. What was he doing? Dear God, was he going to announce a betrothal when he hadn’t even asked her? Not that she would refuse him, but.... “Oh, good God,” she whispered. He was doing this so publicly! Her hand began to tremble and she set the glass down and put her hands in her lap where she could press them on her thighs. Elise kept her head bowed and her eyes closed. She didn’t want to see a look of disappointment on Lady Richard’s face, and she would as Michael’s mother sat directly across from her.

  Lia sat next to her and reached a hand to Elise under the table and gave it a little squeeze of reassurance.

  “Come forward to this Spring,” Michael continued, “and it is now the height of her season. She and I have been thrown together at various events. Consequently, over the course of the past months, I’ve gotten to know the lady all over again.”

  Elise heard her sister-in-law whisper, “Open your eyes, dear.” She did and avoided looking over to Lady Richard. Michael came to stand next to her, holding out a hand to her. The footman aided with her chair and Elise stood on shaky legs, as her dreams were all about to come true. Michael went down on bended knee before her, holding her gloved hands in his, the warmth of them flowing into her, soothing her trembling body.

  “And I would like to change my answer to the young girl who asked me that question so long ago.”

  She found strength in his hazel-eyed gaze, and the firm grasp he had of her hands. But she knew he was as nervous as she when she heard his deep voice tremble as he said, “I will, if you will still have me.”

  Tears began to cloud her vision as Elise tried to focus on their hands—hers smothered by his much larger ones. She squeezed her eyes together and the salty drops spilled over. “Of course I will,” she whispered. “You have to ask?”

  The room instantly burst to life with the joyous chatter of an upcoming wedding, and as Elise found her seat again she observed that Lady Richard alone did not smile. After Michael’s sisters and brother-in-law wished them well, and her brother, Lia, and grandmother congratulated them, Lady Richard was quick to remind everyone that nothing should be announced, nor should a wedding take place, until the family came out of mourning.

  Michael nodded, saying, “Elise and I discussed it and in August we shall announce our betrothal in all the papers and have the banns read.”

  Elise noticed that Lady Richard was even more quiet than usual, and hoped she wasn’t too taken aback at their announcement. It might not have been the way Elise wanted the engagement announced to the family, but she wanted to have the woman’s blessing nonetheless.

  After dinner the party gathered in the parlor, and the bride-to-be sat next to her future mother-in-law as the children began to carry boxes for their grandmother to open. One by one she lifted the lids and exclaimed that each item was exactly what she’d wished for or wanted. Elise sent the oldest of Christina’s girls, Emily, upstairs to have the basket brought down. Minutes later it arrived, the footman setting it down in front of Lady Richard.

  Bending over, Lady Richard flipped the latch and raised the lid. Slowly, two furry faces with orange fur and pink noses, climbed out of the basket.

  “Oh my! They’re simply adorable little darlings.” Lady Richard said, grinning broadly, the first time she’d done so in the four days she’d been at Woodhenge from what Elise had seen. She watched the kittens slowly sniff and investigate the new room, one they’d not yet explored.

  Olivia and Sophia, Christina’s two younger daughters, caught the kittens and brought them back to their grandmother. She held each one up, inspecting it, and cooing over thei
r pretty blue eyes. She let the younger girls take them and play on the floor.

  “Phillipa, Cordelia,” Lady Richard called out to her older two granddaughters, “we have kittens!” Lady Richard turned to Michael and thanked him.

  Silence fell over the room. Every it seemed, but Lady Richard, knew the gift was from Elise. Michael stepped up to his mother and hugged her. “I’m glad you love them mother, but they were completely Elise’s idea. I’d been shopping for a broach or some such, and she is the one who found the kittens and fattened them for you.”

  Lady Richard turned to Elise and thanked her, but the spark of joy she had only moments earlier had disappeared, her smile never reaching her eyes. That was a cutting blow to Elise’s heart when she so wanted Michael’s mother to like her. She was an odd one, Elise thought. She was happy enough with the gift when she thought it was from her son, but upon learning the kittens were her idea, she became subdued.

  Elise decided she would have to ask her grandmother and Lia for advice on how to handle this situation. Not having a mother of her own, she really did want Lady Richard to like her. Or at least approve of their union.

  Blissfully unaware of any tension as children usually are, little Sophia came up and told her grandmother what the kittens’ names were and how to tell them apart. Lady Richard either did an excellent job of feigning happiness with the kittens, or maybe she actually was pleased.

  “Michael said you would like them,” Elise said, “or else I never would have given an animal as a pet, because one never knows if it will be well-received.”

  “Your gift is appreciated Lady Elise,’ Lady Richard said. “The kittens will be very spoiled and loved. By all of us, isn’t that right Sabrina?”

  Sabrina first offered Elise a sympathetic glance, then said, “Yes mama. We shall adore the kittens.”

  That night before Lady Richard took to her bed, she said a prayer that her son was making the right decision. The duke’s sister impressed Heloise as an impulsive and over-indulged girl yet. One headstrong enough that—at this age—she was unlikely to ever change. Her son, now that he had the responsibility of the earldom, needed a countess who would make him proud, and bear his heirs. He did not need an independent-minded, hoydenish young miss in need of a great deal of temperance.

  Heloise felt she would be reliving history, yet again.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  On Sunday Ren and Lia prepared to leave for Haldenwood. Ren said he would return to London after a few days, but Lia decided she needed the rest now that she was carrying again and wouldn’t return to London, where the heat and smell of the river was becoming more unbearable by the day.

  “I’ve missed Luchino and Sarah these months I’ve been in London,” she told Elise, as she supervised the packing of their things in Lia’s rooms. “Though I would not have traded my time helping you get launched, I believe you’ll do fine without my assistance. You have Grandmother there to chaperon you.”

  “I shall be lost without your support, Lia. I’ll miss you terribly.”

  “If you have any questions, write, and I’ll reply immediately. I’ve also warned your brother against being too overbearing, now that you and Michael are betrothed, albeit secretly. This should give you time together to become closer.” Lia looked to see if anyone was paying attention to their conversation, then leaned forward and whispered, “and if you need any advice regarding topics of an intimate nature, simply ask.”

  Elise felt her cheeks flame as she choked back a laugh. “That’s not...”

  “I’m of the belief that sharing your bodies with one another is a beautiful thing. But only with the man you have committed yourself to. I know how you feel about Michael and from what I’ve seen, he is starting to return your feelings.”

  Elise debated whether to tell her about his desire to wait, and that it was his desire alone. Not hers. Perhaps she could use her sister-in-law’s advice regarding this one thing. “There is something I would like to ask, but I’m not sure how to....”

  “Just ask. I promise whatever you are curious about will not shock me.”

  Elise looked around and noted the closed lids on the trunks and the absence of Lia’s maid. “Michael wants to wait until we are married to become... intimate.”

  “And you do not?”

  “No. When I am with him, when he touches me, I feel as if my very body is on fire with want for him.”

  “That is as it should be when you are in love. Any other man’s touch would not be the same.”

  She shivered involuntarily, and not because of the breeze coming in from the open balcony doors. Elise couldn’t envision herself in anyone else’s arms but Michael’s. And it had nothing to do with the infatuation she’d held for him. This was different, a deeper sensation and truer emotion—for a relationship she instinctively knew was meant to be.

  “You are right! When Sinclair touched me, my flesh crawled. He is nice enough, sometimes nice to the point of annoying. But I didn’t feel with him or with Captain Wilson that same desire to be as close as I possibly can, the way I do when I am with Michael.” She sighed. “I understand Michael’s family is in mourning, but now that we are as good as betrothed it is not uncommon to share certain intimacies. Except he wants to wait, and I do not.”

  “Men. Would that we could share a part of our brain with them,” Lia lamented with a sigh. “Though some of what he asks has merit. No. Listen,” she said as Elise started to interrupt her. “He has a family of females he must consider. If it is perceived that they are not properly observing the correct period of mourning, they will be thought heathens, or worse, be shunned. He has to think of all the young girls in his family who must eventually be presented at court. Also, I heard Michael tell Ren it is his wish that you wait until they are out of mourning to publicly announce the betrothal, partly because he wants you to be sure of your feelings for him.”

  “How could he doubt....”

  “It’s not that he doubts, Elise. I think he wants you to be certain that there is no one that will turn your feelings from him. Marriage is for life. He’s had years out in society, where if he’d fallen in love before now he’d have settled down. He hasn’t, so obviously he’s not met that person yet.

  “You, on the other hand, are in your first season,” Lia said. “I believe he’s giving you these weeks to decide that there is no one else for you.”

  “I’ve told him there has never been anyone else for me. Why does he doubt that?”

  “Because, even though he’s a man, he has feelings too. They just don’t show them as we do. Imagine someone as proud as Michael being made a fool by an unfaithful wife. Not that you would do such a thing, but I think that plays into his fears. And, of course, the story of his uncle’s failed marriage still reverberates with his mother.”

  “I would never—” Elise attempted to argue, but Lia held up her hand, still defending Michael’s desire to wait.

  “There is also the chance that you might get with-child before the announcement was made. If that happened people might shun you—perhaps only until you are wed, or until the next scandal occurs and their heads are turned to some other titillating bit of gossip. In my experience, the matrons most likely to cause that type of trouble in our society have very long memories and loose tongues when you take the best catch off the market.”

  Lia held Elise’s hands, leaned in closer, then added, “I am not telling you what to do, just that you should be aware of the consequences and decide for yourself. If you are willing to accept the consequences of your actions, then by all means, seduce the man. Take him to bed.”

  The day after her brother and sister-in-law left for Haldenwood, Elise spent the hours after luncheon in the Library, once again going over the previous earl’s extensive notes and breeding charts. He had copious writings on the development of this carriage horse he’d been breeding, noting physical characteristics handed down by which mares and sires. She admired the man’s dedication to his breeding program.

>   She placed a lemon wedge in a glass and poured herself more water, then turned the page in the ledger book. The sound of the door opening and closing behind her didn’t cause her to lift her head. She and her grandmother were the only two in the house aside from the servants. All the other ladies had gone into the village to shop for ribbons and lace, and Michael and Lawrence out touring the fields with the estate manager.

  “Did you have a good nap, Gram?” Elise slid into the affectionate term for her grandmother. After their light repast an hour ago, the older woman had begged off of the shopping trip to rest a while as they’d all spent the previous night playing card games until the wee hours. “You could not have slept long,” she said as she turned to see Lady Richard coming toward her.

  Michael’s mother was beautiful, with delicately graying brown hair and brown eyes. She looked like Sabrina and Michael—only older. She smiled at Lady Richard, wondering as she neared why she didn’t return the gesture. Her brain spun like a top. What could be wrong?

  “I’m certain your grandmother is resting well. Woodhenge is a peaceful estate. It’s why my brother-in-law Edward rarely left it. His years fighting in the colonies left him averse to loud noises and crowds of people. Here, he was able to relax and be himself.”

  Elise nodded, and went to the door to ask the footman to bring them fresh tea. She went to sit opposite Lady Richard near the open terrace doors. “Michael has taken me throughout the property on horseback, and on a walking tour of the old abbey. It is a lovely home, and I would be fortunate to be her mistress.”

  “It has been a long time since there has been a lady in charge here.” Lady Richard stared out on the lawn and garden in the distance. “It is an enormous responsibility. Do you think you are ready?”

  “I might be lacking in some household managerial skills, but I am confident I can learn. Admittedly, I have spent more time in barns and know more about managing livestock and kennels than a home. Know that I will do whatever pleases Michael, and if he wishes it, I shall take a more active role in the home, though he knows I shall never abandon my love for my horses.” When Lady Richard didn’t seem pleased with her response, Elise added, “My horses do not consume so much of my day that I cannot manage a home as well.”