The House (Armstrong House Series Book 1)

by A. O'Connor

19

  A coolness descended between Anna and Edward after their confrontation. She was very hurt by what he had said. And he seemed in no mood to discuss it or sort it out. His words spun round and round in her head until they brought on persistent headaches.

  Anna and Edward began to avoid each other. Finally she decided she needed a holiday and arranged to visit her home in Dublin, before going on to visit Georgina at Tullydere.

  Although Edward and Anna expressed pleasantries over breakfast and dinner, they were awkward with each other and she felt they were trying too hard to be nice to one another. Their natural closeness had evaporated. On the day she was leaving for Dublin, Seán brought her trunk down to the carriage and Edward came outside to say goodbye to her. It was the first time they had been separated since their marriage. Edward looked suddenly very sad as she climbed into the carriage and his eyes began to well up. Looking at him like that made her heart melt and she felt her eyes become tearful as well.

  “I’ll see you in a couple of weeks,” he said. “Take care, my love.”

  She nodded and smiled at him, trying not to show how upset she felt.

  She looked at Seán who was standing behind Edward.

  “Seán, you’re to stay out of trouble until I arrive back, do you hear me?” she said.

  “Yes, Lady Anna!” He nodded at her and smirked.

  “And you’re to look after Lord Armstrong for me in my absence, do you hear me?”

  “I’ll make sure he hardly misses ya until ya get back,” said Seán.

  She smiled at him and the carriage took off. As the carriage headed down the avenue, she looked back at Edward, a lonely solitary figure waving after her.

  It took two days and two nights to reach Dublin. She stayed overnight in friends’ houses along the way.

  Dublin seemed so busy and metropolitan as the she drove home to Merrion Square.

  She was delighted to be back home with her father and family. But she felt so different from the girl who had left there.

  The first few days were spent shopping and dining out, but she had made an important appointment on the fourth day that she had told nobody about. And she arrived for that appointment with Dr Malcolm LaSalle full of nerves and apprehension. Dr LaSalle was the one of the finest physicians in the country and had been Anna’s mother’s doctor before her.

  He asked her many questions, all of which she found utterly embarrassing though she realised they were necessary – about her periods, whether she had ever had any infections and even the frequency of her intercourse with Edward.

  “Well, that is all satisfactory,” he said then. “Now let’s do a physical examination.”

  This was even more embarrassing but Anna gritted her teeth and got on with it. She’d endure anything if it could give her a baby.

  After the examinations he said, “You’re a young healthy woman, Anna. There is no apparent reason why you cannot conceive and become a mother.”

  She felt relieved at the news and managed to breathe again.

  “That is comforting, Doctor, very comforting. I feared there might be a problem.”

  “No, you’re perfectly fine as far as I can see, Anna.”

  “So why am I not pregnant then, Doctor? My husband and I desperately want a child. We need an heir and if there’s no problem with me, then why have we not got a baby?”

  “There can be many reasons why you haven’t conceived. The problem might not necessarily be with you.”

  “I don’t understand.” She felt bewildered.

  “The problem may rest with your husband.”

  “With Edward!”

  “Yes.”

  “Could it really be so?” Such a thing had never occurred to her.

  “I’ve tended some of the best families in Ireland during my long career, including the Armstrongs. And there’s one thing I will tell you about the Armstrongs – they are not breeders.”

  “What?”

  “It was the same for Edward’s parents. They only had the one child, Edward. They wanted more. His mother came to me on many occasions. A lot of Edward’s relatives have been childless or had just one child.”

  Anna’s mind raced through Edward’s family. It was true what the doctor said. Even Sinclair was an only child. In comparison, her own family and relatives’ families were all large.

  “I’m not saying this is indicative that there is a problem with Edward fathering a child. I’m just saying in the absence of a problem with you, the problem could rest with Edward.”

  Anna walked back to Merrion Square almost in a daze. He had put her mind at rest and in turmoil all at the same time. It had never even dawned on her that there might be a problem with her husband. She had just assumed the problem was with her. She suddenly felt great tenderness and a need to protect Edward. But most of all she felt fearful for the future, for their future.

  20

  The rest of the days passed merrily at Merrion Square until it was time for her to visit Georgina, and the rest of her cousins at Tullydere. Her carriage left Dublin in the morning and reached Tullydere by early evening. She always felt a warm feeling when visiting Tullydere Castle. As her mother’s family home, she felt somehow close to her when she visited there.

  Tullydere Castle was situated in the rolling plains of the Irish midlands. With its turrets, towers and castellated roofs, this sprawling building always reminded Anna of something from a fairytale. An unexpected vision rising from the lush green fields and surrounded by numerous sycamore trees.

  The carriage drove under a clock tower and into the forecourt in front of the house and the horse had barely come to a halt when the front door flung open and Georgina came rushing out, jumped into the carriage and hugged her tightly.

  “Oh, I’ve missed you!” said Georgina.

  Georgina’s brother Richard and his wife Joanna came out of the house.

  “Welcome to Tullydere!” said Richard, embracing his cousin as she dismounted from the carriage.

  “Thank you,” said Anna. “It’s good to be back here.”

  “And it’s good to have you back here,” smiled Joanna, taking her hand and leading her up the steps and inside.

  It was difficult for Anna to have her opinion of Joanna anything but coloured negatively, she had heard so many bad things about her from Georgina. Although she always seemed pleasant and charming to her, Anna was only too well aware the different masks people wore. As she was led through the immense hall at the centre of the house, she looked up at their ancestors on the portraits hanging on the panelled walls. Her mother’s family had been in Tullydere since the 1600s and the whole place was rambling, immense and antediluvian, unlike the baronial comfort radiated by her own house. Georgina constantly complained the castle was never warm, no matter how many fires were blazing.

  But to Anna the castle brought her back to the holidays of her youth, the freedom and escapism it had always offered. She hoped it would now offer her a temporary release from her marital troubles.

  “See how she acts while you are around,” said Georgina to Anna, when they were safely ensconced in her bedroom.

  “I’ve never seen this unkind side to Joanna you complain of,” said Anna.

  “That’s because she always makes sure to be on her best behaviour when there are guests. Particularly relatives. She’s very different when we are alone.”

  “And does Richard not intervene?”

  “I’m as much of a nuisance around the place to him as to her,” said Georgina.

  “Well, at least the place is so vast, you can escape from them.”

  “That is not the point, is it? Let’s face it, this Diana Hunter lives away from you in another house, and yet she still casts a shadow over you, doesn’t she?”

  Anna sighed and got up and walked over to the long leaded windows that looked out across the countryside.

  “Yes, she does.”

  “And how are you and Edward now?”

  “We weren’t on great terms wh
en I left. Not since the row we had that I wrote to you about.”

  “Well, it’s the child thing as you said. It’s obviously causing him great concern.”

  Anna turned around quickly “And me! Georgina . . . I went to see a doctor when I was in Dublin.”

  “And?”

  “And he says there is no reason evident why I cannot conceive and have a baby.”

  “But that’s wonderful news!”

  “But he suggests there may be a problem with Edward.” Anna’s face creased with worry.

  “Oh no!” Georgina eyes widened. “Have you told Edward?”

  “Of course not! I couldn’t humiliate him like that.”

  “So what are you going to do about it?”

  “What can I do? I can’t do anything, except accept our fate.” Anna collapsed into her cousin’s soothing arms.

  Anna and Georgina walked through the gently sloping countryside, stopping occasionally to take shade under one of the giant ash trees.

  “I think you should tell Edward you saw the doctor,” said Georgina.

  “No! I can’t!”

  “But he will continue to think the problem is with you.”

  “I’d prefer him to think that than for him to think he is . . . deficient.”

  “You love him very much, don’t you?”

  Anna nodded and smiled sadly. “I can’t wait to see him again. And yet I’m dreading it, knowing there may be no answer to this.”

  They walked along in silence for a while.

  “There could be an answer to it,” said Georgian eventually.

  “What do you mean?” said Anna in surprise.

  “A very straightforward and simple answer.”

  “Well – tell me!” Anna looked at her cousin sceptically.

  “You’ve been told there is no reason why you can’t conceive . . . so go ahead and conceive.” Georgina had halted and was gazing intently at Anna.

  Anna rounded on her in exasperation. “Are you not listening to what I’ve been telling you! It’s not happening for me and Edward. It’s . . .” Then she stopped as she examined Georgina’s knowing face. “You’re not suggesting what I think you are, are you?” Anna was horrified and disgusted.

  “I’m just pointing out you have options. Edward would never know. He would never have to know. Only you would know. The child would never know. The man who fathers your child would never have to know.”

  Anna’s hand rose in the air and she slapped Georgina hard across the face.

  She then lifted up the hem of her dress and began to walk quickly back to the castle.

  “Anna! Anna!” Georgina shouted as she raced after her. She caught up with her, grabbed her arm and turned her around to face her.

  “Let me go! I don’t want to even look at you!” shouted Anna.

  “Listen to me! I’m only pointing out your options!”

  “Tom abandoning you has obviously affected you far more than any of us have thought. You’ve obviously gone demented from the whole experience!”

  “Not demented, but realistic!” Georgina was shouting back. “I know now how the world works, Anna, and it doesn’t work very nicely. You think that being honourable and respectable and decent brings you the happiness you crave, but it doesn’t! It cost me my fiancé – lost to some scheming bitch! And it will cost you your husband and your estate and that fine house you are so proud of!”

  “Let go of me!” demanded Anna, trying to shake her cousin’s firm grip lose. Georgina held her captive. “You have no idea what it’s like being a guest in your own home like I am. And that is what you will be if you don’t produce an heir. You and Edward will be just custodians of your house, while it passes through to the nearest relative who will have all the power. And as a matter of interest who does the estate and title pass to if you don’t produce a son?”

  “I have no idea! We’ve never discussed it! Edward has any number of relatives who would be next in line if we were not blessed with children.”

  Georgina’s eyes bored into her and her voice became a harsh whisper. “I bet you anything Sinclair is next in line, and his son after him!”

  “No!” Anna screamed and managed to squirm free of her cousin’s clutch. But she didn’t run away. She stayed still as a statue staring at her.

  “You need to find out,” advised Georgina, her voice now returned to normal. “But the way you describe how Sinclair and his wife acts suggests to me they know who is next in line, and it is them. They act as if they have that entitlement. And you and Edward are just irritations in the way until they take over. Another few years and it will be confirmed that you and Edward are unlikely to have children and that Sinclair or his son will be the next Lord Armstrong. And then watch how they act. Then you will know what it feels like to be a guest in your own house!”

  Anna felt the rest of her time at Tullydere was strained. It was true for Edward, Georgina had become too bitter. For her even to suggest what she had was leading Anna to suspect she really might have gone mad. By the time she set off back home, she couldn’t wait to see her husband again. As her carriage pulled in through the main gates of the estate and past the gate lodge, her heart was thumping as she eagerly looked out of the carriage and the house came into view. And there was Edward anxiously awaiting her in the forecourt. She nearly jumped from the carriage and into his waiting arms.

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered to her, kissing her. “I’m sorry for saying what I said.”

  “Just hold me,” she whispered back to him.

  21

  Anna was sitting on the couch in the library, reading. Deciding it was time for afternoon tea, she stood up and tugged the bell-pull to call for Barton and returned to reading her book. After a few minutes, when none of the servants arrived, she pulled the cord again. Another while passed and still nobody arrived. With irritation, she closed over the book, and went out into the hallway.

  “Barton!” she called loudly.

  The house was in silence as nobody responded.

  “Hello! Barton!” she called even louder.

  Still there was no response. She checked the different rooms that led off the hall, and there was no sign of anybody. She walked to the back of the staircase and through the doors and down the stairs that led to the servants’ quarters. To her amazement everywhere was quiet. Even the kitchen was eerily empty.

  “Where is everybody?” she called out loudly and walked to the back door in the passage beside the kitchen. Opening it, she walked into the flagged passageway outside and up the steps to the large yard at the back of the house. Walled kitchen gardens were to the left and the stables and carriage house beyond.

  “Is anybody around?” she called loudly.

  Suddenly Seán walked out of the stables leading a horse.

  “Seán! Where is everyone? There isn’t a servant in sight!”

  “They’ve gone down to Hunter’s Farm, Lady Anna.”

  Anna looked incredulous “Hunter’s Farm! What are they doing down there?”

  “I don’t know. Mr Sinclair sent for them and they all went down about three hours ago.

  Anna stood, hardly believing what she was hearing.

  “Seán, hitch up my carriage and bring it to the front of the house immediately.”

  Anna didn’t know if she was more consumed with rage or confusion as the carriage pulled up outside Hunter’s Farm. She got down from the carriage, marched up to the front door and knocked loudly.

  A minute later Barton answered the door.

  “Barton!” she exclaimed.

  “My lady!” he answered, looking as surprised to see her.

  “What on earth are you doing here answering their door?” she demanded.

  She looked past him and she saw a number of her servants busy at work inside the house.

  “What is going on here?” she demanded, pushing him aside and walking inside.

  The inside of the house was a hive of activity with her servants hard at work polishing, clean
ing and dusting. Through an open door to the kitchen she could see her cook and kitchen maids busy at work preparing what looked like a sumptuous meal. She walked from room to room in the house, taking it all in, amazed. Walking into the small bow-windowed dining room, she saw Diana supervising servants laying the table, with silver that looked like it came from the dining room at Armstrong House.

  “Diana?” is all Anna could think to say.

  Diana looked over, unconcerned, at her. “Oh, hello, Anna. Have you come to lend a hand?”

  Anna walked further into the room. “Diana, what is going on here?”

  “We’re having the Earl of Kilronin and his party for dinner tonight.”

  “So? What has this got to do with my servants?” Anna was exasperated.

  “Well, I couldn’t possibly be expected to manage with my staff, so I borrowed them.”

  “You borrowed them?”