Beth barely contained a grimace at the thought of climbing back into the saddle. Every part of her body ached. When she first awoke, her primary thoughts had been about her hunger, but now that she had, at least partially, cared for that concern, other pains were making themselves known.
Lord Fulton felt despair approach as he saw his pale wife become mute and all expression leave her face. Why was she so comfortable conversing with that annoying servant who seemed so at ease with her, when she can’t even carry on a brief discussion with me without losing her appetite? She needs to finish eating. I’ll just leave her alone. Maybe she will open up again while we ride like she did yesterday. We really must get to know one another, at least enough to convince everyone there is nothing amiss, if we do not want to be the talk of the ton, which I most certainly do not.
“You stay and finish your breakfast. I have a few things to do before we leave. Let me know when you are ready, and I will have the horses saddled,” Justin said stiltedly as he prepared to leave the room.
“Yes, my lord,” she murmured without really looking at him.
He shook his head in disgust with himself as he left the room. He had no idea what to do with her. She was obviously uncomfortable around him, and he had no skills with which to put her at ease. Why didn’t I learn from my cousin how to converse with women? No woman was ever afraid of him. He proceeded to his room with woeful thoughts about his future and dread that they would never be comfortable together.
∞∞∞
Beth was numb with fatigue and slightly faint from hunger when they finally reined in at the back of Justin’s fashionable London townhouse. She could barely see straight and took no notice of where they were. Having no experience of London or what was fashionable, she remained blissfully unaware that she should be impressed at the address that would now be hers. Justin found it somewhat endearing to note her lack of experience.
He was becoming ever more confused by her widely varying moods. One minute she was coldly sophisticated and as blasé as the next debutante, the next minute she was naïvely excited and bubbling with mirth. He was beginning to perceive that one was an act and the other natural, but which was the real Elizabeth he could not as yet fully discern. She was a mystery to solve, his little bride.
He had found himself studying her covertly as they rode along. He had slowly developed a fondness for gazing at her lovely face, particularly when she thought no one was looking. This is when she seemed the most natural, looking all around her in fascination, eyes wide and cheeks glowing, gasping in excitement when something in particular caught her attention.
She had spent some of the time pelting the groom with questions and finally turned to him when she needed to clarify something. Justin found himself wistfully wishing it were him she were asking first. He smiled in recollection of the moment she almost fell off her mount because she was laughing so hard at the antics of some little children as they rode through a small village. His gut had tightened in awareness when she had smiled at him in appreciation for the coins he tossed to the villagers before they left.
But then he recollected that strange conversation about servants, and he marvelled anew at what a contradiction Beth was. He had meant to be conciliatory, but it hadn’t turned out that way. All he had said to begin the conversation was, “I couldn’t help but notice that you haven’t brought your lady’s maid with you. Was that an oversight on my part, my dear? I thought it was obvious that she would be included in our household.”
Beth’s reaction had been one of amazement. “Lady’s maid, my lord? I haven’t a lady’s maid. Surely you realized my family’s financial straits does not allow for such luxuries.” She spoke in a cold, haughty manner and couldn’t meet the earl’s eyes as she admitted the situation. Justin could only guess at what was going through her mind as she did not volunteer to share her feelings, but her blush led him to think she was embarrassed and perhaps thought he would think less of her for her family’s circumstances. “We manage to do for ourselves in most things,” she continued with an odd mixture of pride and humility.
Justin had begun to realize this would be a touchy subject but pressed on nonetheless. “I am sure you managed quite well, my dear. But what about the servant who was there as we said our vows before the cleric? I had assumed she was a personal servant who would perhaps be accompanying us,” he queried.
The earl was surprised as such a tumult of emotions crossed her expressive features before her blank look resumed. He had detected surprise, hope, and resignation closely following each other in her eyes. But then she shook her head. “No, that was Molly. I doubt my mother could do without her. She used to be my nurse, and now she does nearly everything, besides being a sort of companion for my mother. Especially with me gone, they will have need of each other,” she concluded, her tone sounding almost wistful despite the firm clench of her jaw.
Justin realized then that he hadn’t thought about the potential for homesickness on his new wife’s behalf. There was a lot he would have to think about for her, especially considering how young and inexperienced she was. But this problem, at least, he could easily solve. “No matter, we will find one of the maids who can be assigned to you personally when we get home.”
He was again amazed at her response. “Oh no, my lord, I would not want to add to her workload,” she answered naïvely, and then blushed fiercely when he burst out with a bark of laughter.
“You will not be adding to her work load, Elizabeth. Whichever maid gets chosen for your personal use will be happy at the elevated status this gives her in the household. And if none of the maids are to your liking or have sufficient experience, we could always hire more staff, you have only to say the word,” he reassured her once he could control his mirth.
Beth realized how much she had revealed by her statement and endeavoured to recover herself. “But of course, my lord, we shall see to it upon our arrival,” she answered haughtily, if inaccurately. She was unaware that there were still several hours to go before they arrived at her new home and she would be in no state to be picking out servants even had she any idea how to go about such a task.
He was so deep in thought as they approached the stables, he almost didn’t catch her as his wife swayed in the saddle.
“I am so sorry, my lord,” she stammered as her cheeks flamed. “I must have dozed off there for a moment.”
“That is nothing to trouble yourself about. Let’s get you off that horse. You have been in need of your bed for the last hour, haven’t you?” He was so impressed with his young charge. She was nearly beyond exhaustion, yet she hadn’t uttered one word of complaint during the past two days. Now as he swung down from his saddle and assisted her from hers, he realized she could barely stand. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders to give her his support and was heartened when she snuggled a bit closer and smiled dazedly up at him.
“Thank you, my lord. My legs do not seem to be functioning quite properly,” Beth giggled up at him charmingly, her youth showing through the tinkling sound.
“You are not used to riding long distances are you, my dear?”
“I am not used to riding at all, actually. Oh dear, I wasn’t going to admit that,” she giggled again drowsily. “I am too tired to remember what I am supposed to say.”
Chapter Four
Justin had missed her last comment as they swept into the foyer. He had sent the groom ahead to announce their arrival and make preparations when he had realized how exhausted his wife was; she was not going to be able to put on a big push at the end. They were doing well to have made it at all, considering how exhausted she was. She had not even seemed to notice when Ned had dashed off ahead of them with orders from Justin. Justin wished he had arranged for them to stop another night on the road. He would have, if he had realized how tired she would be. In hindsight, he really should have arranged a carriage for her, and not just the luggage, rather than riding. He would keep that in mind for the future. But they had made it this f
ar, now she just had to stay upright long enough to get into the house.
He was so proud of her. He was surprised when he realized he felt that way. But when he examined the feelings more closely, he realized it was true. She hadn’t complained once. He had thought the inn they stayed at was closer to Town. If he had realized how far it was, he would have pushed farther yesterday. Even he was feeling fagged, and he had realized early on that his wife was not an experienced equestrian. And yet she had pushed on without whining. He felt his chest well up as he thought of how valiantly she had managed the rigorous ride. He shook his head to rid himself of his sentimental reminiscing as he felt Beth sag against him.
It rather surprised him that she was finally giving out since she had managed so beautifully thus far. He had not actually given the matter any thought before now, but he quite considered that if he had mulled it over previously, he would not have thought that someone so pretty would be able to manage quite so well with no experience. Perhaps that was a shallow thought of him, but he could not help it. He glanced down at the beautiful young woman and was surprised once more by how dainty she was. If he had not witnessed for himself her instances of strength, he would have thought she was a weakling. But clearly appearances could be deceiving. He realized he was woolgathering and pulled himself from his thoughts.
“Come on sweetheart. Just a few more steps and we shall be in the house and off to bed. Just open your eyes for a couple more minutes.” The earl smiled down at her tenderly.
“So sorry, my lord. I seem to have drifted off again,” she mumbled. She struggled to right herself, but he kept his arm around her for support. This was not quite how she would have envisioned arriving at her new home, not that she had really given it much thought. She knew she would never remember anyone’s name as her husband whisked her into the foyer and introduced her to his staff.
He kept it blessedly brief and then handed her over to the housekeeper, who had been justifiably surprised when the groom had shown up to announce the lord and lady were almost home. But all was in readiness for their arrival, and everyone was so excited to hear of the master’s wife. The motherly Mrs. Potts tsked over Beth as she herded her upstairs and fussed over her as Beth bathed and groggily changed into her nightrail. The kindness of the older woman put Beth at ease, and she was yawning widely as she listened to Mrs. Potts chatter away about how happy she was for the master and wishing the young couple well. Without a second thought, she had Beth tucked into the master’s bed and wished her good night.
“We’ll get to know each other over a cup of tea tomorrow, dearie, after you’ve had a good rest. Poor thing, what was the master thinking dragging his sweet young wife all over England on horseback? Well, land sakes, she’s asleep already!” With that the housekeeper gave one more twitch to the blankets as she backed out of the room, her head whirling with all the things they could do now with a lady in the house. Maybe we’ll finally get the linen closet changed over now, she thought gleefully as she made her way off to her own bed.
Lord Fulton was a bit nonplussed to discover his sleeping wife curled up in his bed. He had not as yet so much as kissed his young bride, and he realized it would be at least another night before he did. She was obviously exhausted. Now the only question that remained was where was he to sleep? He surely longed to lay his head down on his own pillow after being away for a sennight. But how would Elizabeth react to having him in the same bed? On the other hand, how would the staff react if he slept elsewhere? Finally, his exhaustion answered the question for him. He could barely remove his boots and take off his cravat before he fell on the bed and gave up the struggle to remain awake.
Justin knew nothing else for several hours but was abruptly awakened by a low moan in his ear. Beth was mumbling incoherently and seemed to be almost whimpering. He was instantly alert but wasn’t too sure what to do. As far as he could tell, she was still asleep. He gently patted her on the shoulder and called softly, “Elizabeth, wake up, you’re having a nightmare.” Her eyes popped open on a small shriek.
He watched in amazement as her panic-stricken eyes registered the difference between the dream and reality. Despite being still half asleep, relief spread across her face, followed by unease, to be swiftly replaced by her calm façade. “I do apologize, my lord, did I wake you?” she asked, her innocent tone belying her sharpened gaze.
He again watched in fascination as she realized that her husband was actually in the bed with her, albeit fully clothed. But that didn’t much alleviate the swift panic that flitted across her face before she again squelched it. Justin reached out tentatively to smooth her hair away from her forehead and mop up a few drops of sweat that had gathered there in her restless sleep.
“You were having quite a bad dream it seems. Are you all right now?” he questioned gently, unsure if he should ask her what had disturbed her so.
Beth nodded. Her shy smile revealed that she was not sure how to react to his obvious kindness. “Thank you, my lord, I’m fine now. Thank you for waking me,” she continued with a wide yawn followed by a fierce blush. “Excuse me, my lord, I am most tired.”
“That’s quite all right, my dear. I’m most tired, as well. Go back to sleep, and we’ll talk in the morning.”
Beth eyed him worriedly before settling herself back on the pillow and closing her eyes. “Goodnight, my lord. Pleasant dreams.” She smiled fuzzily at him as she drifted off to sleep again.
He smiled in fascination. It crossed his mind to wonder what she had been dreaming about. She had obviously been terrified, and if he understood her correctly she had mentioned her papa. His exhausted brain just couldn’t answer the questions. He resolved to think about it on the morrow as he drifted off to sleep.
The next day, Beth awoke to the sound of birds outside her window and the gentle scraping as a maid was drawing back the curtains, and Beth saw that the sun was well up in the sky and it was already a beautiful day. “Good morning,” called Beth to the maid.
“Oh, m’lady, I’m right sorry for waking you. Mrs. Potts’ll have my hide, m’lady. The master said we was to let you sleep as long as you wanted. He was prodigious fierce about it m’lady. Right concerned about you, he was. No one’s seen the master bring a female home afore. In a rare flap they are over it let me tell you. My name’s Sally, and I’s to be your lady’s maid. Right proper that is, m’lady. I ain’t never been a lady’s maid. Mind, I’m a fast learner, but I’m scared. What if I scorch one of your fine gowns? And I don’t know how to talk posh like his lordship’s man does, more’n likely you cain’t even understand what I’m saying,” laughed the young maid as she chattered nervously.
“Gracious, Sally, you have a lot to say,” laughed Beth. “I can understand you fairly well. I am sure we shall make out just fine together. You must not worry about waking me. There is no need to tell Lord Fulton, and I am just as glad to get started on the day. It looks like I slept quite late enough, and I am wasting a perfectly good day.” With that Beth pushed back the blankets and hopped out of bed before she thought better of it and pulled the covers back over her head.
Beth really had no idea what to do with her new maid, nor what would be required of her throughout her first day in her new home, so she really wasn’t sure what she should wear. Because of that, it took a while for her and Sally to muddle through the morning toilette on that first day. They finally managed to figure it out together, and Beth was able to present herself in the morning room reasonably sure that she was properly attired for the morning. She was aware that her clothes were not in the first stare of fashion, but they would suffice for a quiet morning at home. She had been glad the earl wasn’t around on one hand since it saved her the embarrassment of facing him first thing in the morning, but on the other hand it would have been useful if he had been available to ask what she would be expected to do with her day. So, it was with some trepidation that she peeked her head into the room to ascertain if he was present.
“Good morning, my lord,” s
he said in a voice barely above a whisper, unsure of her reception as the earl appeared engrossed in some papers before him as he sipped his coffee.
He started slightly then leapt to his feet swiftly as he caught sight of her. “Good morning, my lady,” he replied formally. “How are you this morning? I left orders that you were not to be disturbed, but I am glad to see you. I wasn’t sure how long you would sleep. I have things I need to do this morning, but I was hoping to see you before I left.”
He realized he was almost babbling and was surprised at his own nervousness. He cleared his throat then continued in a less hurried tone, “How are you?”
Elizabeth gave a tinkling laugh, happy that her new husband seemed pleased to see her. She was unused to anyone but Molly or Max really caring about her well-being and was delighted by the simple question. She was still feeling shy and uncertain of how to answer the question, though. Should she refer to the fact that they had shared a bed? How mal a droit would it be to mention her various aches and pains due to riding for two days? Should she reveal her delight with the young maid she had met in her room? She settled on a generality that she was surprised to find was pretty much the truth. “I am quite well, thank you, my lord. And how are you, this morning?”
Justin smiled at his new wife. He had found it amusing to see that the seemingly simple question had appeared to pose such a quandary for her. He realized they had a lot to learn about each other, but really it was just ‘how are you?’ Then with a start, he realized he too had left too long of a pause over the simple question. With a wry grin, he finally answered. “I am quite fine as well, thank you for asking.”
After a slightly awkward silence, he again cleared his throat when he realized she was still hovering near the door. He beckoned her into the room. “Come in, come in, please. Help yourself to whatever you would like from the sideboard. It seems they have outdone themselves below stairs in your honour, my dear. You must be quite hungry since we were too tired last night to have anything to eat upon our arrival.”
The Debutante Bride: A Sweet Regency Romance (Ladies of Mayfair) Page 4