The Marriage Contract

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  Lewis cleared his throat and continued, “I don’t know how Patricia got with child. I’m surprised my brother let her anywhere near him. He wouldn’t even let the butler give him his meals. The butler had to leave everything outside his bedchamber door.”

  Stephen was sure Patricia wouldn’t want Lewis to know how she’d managed to conceive Susanna, so he kept his mouth shut on the matter.

  “Anyway,” Lewis began, “I’m sure it got lonely out there for Patricia while she was married to my brother. The butler and maid were never very friendly. They did a fine job of caring for the estate, but even I got creeped out from time to time out there. I only took her there because I thought she’d feel safe in such a remote place. And it worked. She did feel safe. But I couldn’t let her stay out there at the estate after Ichabod died. It didn’t seem right.”

  “She was lonely out there,” Stephen said. “It’s a good thing you brought her here.”

  “I thought it’d be good for both of you to be together. You never go to London, and there’s only so often I can make the trip to this place since you have me running from one investment to another.”

  Catching the smile on Lewis’ face, Stephen replied, “Running around London to take care of our investments keeps you out of trouble. I don’t want to see you go back to gambling and getting drunk.”

  “When I look back on it, I realize it wasn’t all that fun. I mean, it seemed to be at the time, but I don’t miss it. I get more enjoyment riding my horses, fox hunting, or playing honest games.” He held up the cards in his hand. “Like this one.”

  “You don’t have to play for money to have a good time.”

  “No. Thankfully, you don’t.”

  From there, the friends fell into a comfortable silence.

  ***

  Stephen didn’t know whether or not he should ask Patricia about the gypsy curse. She hadn’t mentioned anything about it to him, and it was obvious she was happy with Susanna. It almost seemed like he’d be doing her a disservice by asking her about the past. He, after all, didn’t want to go into his past. He’d like to forget his past had ever happened. Maybe Patricia felt the same way.

  She had mentioned how she didn’t want to be lonely anymore. He figured she wasn’t lonely with Susanna, but she also wanted to include him in her life. Even if Susanna was taking a nap, Patricia spent time with him.

  A month passed, and during that time, they fell into a comfortable routine. They spent the significant amount of time inside. Not only was it getting colder, but it was best for her if she didn’t push herself too hard when they went for walks. He taught her to play his favorite card games—Whist, Cribbage, and Speculation.

  Though he wasn’t a big enthusiast for chess, he taught her how to play it because she asked about it when she saw the chessboard in his den that was collecting dust. It turned out she enjoyed chess, so he obliged her by playing it whenever she wanted.

  On one such afternoon when it was too cold to go for a walk, she asked to play chess. He didn’t mind playing the game since it allowed him an excuse to take turns holding Susanna. With cards, it was more difficult to hold the child, and while he couldn’t recall any gentleman ever admitting it, he enjoyed each and every moment he got to spend with children. Susanna was a happy baby. She rarely ever fussed. She mostly babbled and watched everything going on around her. She had quickly become an important part of his world.

  The same was true with Patricia as well. In fact, one might say that, besides Lewis, Patricia was quickly becoming one of his favorite people to spend time with. Except she was more fun to look at. Stephen liked how dark her hair was, and he especially liked it when she wore it so that it fell in soft waves over her shoulders. She probably did that because, despite the fireplaces and her heavy gowns, it was still a bit chilly in the rooms.

  “It’ll be nice when the weather gets warmer,” Patricia said at one point during the game. “I’m looking forward to taking longer walks. I miss going through the maze.”

  “You do?” Holding Susanna securely in his arm, he leaned forward and moved his knight.

  “It’s a nice walk, and the fountain in the center is pretty.”

  “Yes. I think any lady would like the fountain. I once tried to talk Loretta into going through it, but she said she had no interest in mazes.” Susanna let out a sound as if she couldn’t believe Loretta would miss the opportunity to go through the maze, so he told the girl, “I know. I don’t understand my sister, either.”

  Patricia chuckled. “Did you tell Loretta there’s a beautiful fountain in the middle?”

  “That would ruin the surprise.”

  “But it’d give her a reason to go.”

  “Maybe, but I like the element of surprise. It was fun watching your face when you saw it. You were enchanted with it. Loretta would be, too.”

  “When the weather’s nice and she’s here, I’ll mention going through the maze. I’ll tell her it’s worth the walk. Rosamond would like the fountain.”

  “I’m sure she would.” After a moment, he continued, “If you’re getting restless by spending all this time inside, we could take the carriage around the grounds. I’d recommend riding horses, but I don’t think you’re quite ready for that yet.”

  “No, I’m not. I’m almost back to normal, but I still need to take things easy.”

  That was to be expected. He was sure recovering from childbirth wasn’t easy on any lady. “Even with all you’ve gone through after giving birth to Susanna, would you say it’s worth it?”

  She moved a pawn. “Yes. If you had asked me while I was having her, I probably would have said no. At the time, all I could think about getting the pain to stop. As soon as I saw her, I didn’t even think about the pain. I was just happy she was all right. I’d definitely go through it all over again to have her.” She paused and smiled at Susanna. “My marriage to Ichabod wasn’t anything memorable, but because of him, she’s here, and that made the two years I was with him worth going through. My mother used to tell me there isn’t anything a mother wouldn’t do for her child. I didn’t understand what she meant until Susanna was born.”

  “There’s something about having a child that brings out the best in a person, isn’t there?”

  “There is. Maybe it’s because you know you’re responsible for another person. I can’t blame Lewis for being afraid of having children. It’s a lot to dedicate yourself to.”

  “The things that matter most in life are those you have to dedicate yourself to,” Stephen said. “Having something you’re willing to give everything for gives a person meaning.”

  And that’s what he felt with Patricia and Susanna. He now had a purpose. He wasn’t drifting from one day into another anymore, just wandering through life until he could finally die and have his miserable existence come to an end. Now his life had meaning. It was no longer about him and what he wanted. It was about doing everything to make Patricia and Susanna safe and happy.

  Unable to make eye contact with Patricia, he moved one of his pawns then said, “You and Susanna do that for me. You two are the best things that have happened to me.”

  “I can tell Susanna’s happy here, and I am, too. I’m glad Lewis brought me here.”

  His gaze went back to hers. “You are?”

  She nodded. “I’m happy with you.”

  Despite the pleasant heat that rose up to his face, he smiled at her.

  She returned his smile then moved her chess piece across the board.

  Chapter Fifteen

  It rained on and off for the next week, so they didn’t get to go for a carriage ride until two weeks later.

  Patricia bundled Susanna up so the girl wouldn’t get cold during the trip before making sure she was properly attired as well. She had taken a nice hot bath that morning after breakfast, and she was happy to note she wasn’t sore between her legs anymore. It seemed that having to wash herself during the other baths following Susanna’s birth only served as a reminder that her body h
ad gone through quite the ordeal. But today, she finally felt like her old self. Which was good. Maybe the next time she went for a walk, she would be able to go at the pace she’d been used to going before she had Susanna.

  During the carriage ride, she held Susanna while Stephen told her the different things he’d had his gardener do around the property.

  “Originally, the gazebo was white,” he said. “The old paint was chipped and dull, so I already knew it needed a fresh coat of paint. I decided to have it repainted with a nice tan color. I’m not opposed to the color white, but it requires more upkeep. At the time, I didn’t have much money, so I had to be careful with how I spent it.”

  “You like it when things look nice,” Patricia commented.

  “I do. I think the way someone maintains their property, or even their appearance, says a lot about who they are. I’ve never been picky about having every single strand of hair in place or making sure there’s not a spec of lint on my clothes, but I like to have an overall pleasant appearance.”

  Which was probably why he wore a mask. He probably thought if people saw his face, then it would ruin the impression he was trying to give them. And for all she knew, he was right. Most people probably were bothered if someone’s face didn’t look normal.

  She recalled how people stood in line for a chance to see the abnormal people in what they called the “freak show” at the circus. There was a woman who was said to have a beard, a man who was said to have two heads, and another man who was said to have claws for hands. She’d been too afraid to take a look, but then, she’d only been a child at the time.

  She wondered if his face was as horrible as he assumed. Loretta had told her that his first wife had thrown a hand mirror at him. So there would have been cuts. Fortunately, none of the shards from the mirror went into his eyes. He could have been a lot worse off than he was.

  She studied his mask, noting the way it ended at the tip of his nose. He had a few scars along his jaw, but they weren’t so bad that he couldn’t shave. If she had to guess, he was hiding the part of his face that was the worst off.

  She couldn’t ask him to take off the mask. She’d signed a contract promising she wouldn’t. He would have to volunteer to take it off, and she didn’t know if he’d ever do that.

  “Are you wondering why I haven’t changed the color of my mask?” Stephen asked.

  She’d forgotten she’d mentioned him doing that. Since she didn’t feel comfortable confessing that she wanted to see his face, she opted to say, “I assume you’re keeping the mask the color it is because you don’t like the color yellow.”

  He smiled. “No. It’s not that. I do like yellow. I was thinking it’d be a good color for the bedchamber Susanna will have when she’s older. She brings a lot of joy, and I think that color fits her because of it.”

  Pleased, she returned his smile. “Yes, she does.”

  “I am having another mask made, but I decided to go with a silver color.”

  “Silver?”

  “I did consider gold since it’s close to yellow. I won’t lie. It was tempting to take your advice. But I think silver will go better with my clothes.”

  Amused, she said, “I thought it was only ladies who were supposed to worry about matching their accessories with their clothes.” Not that she had spent considerable time worrying over it, but Marcy was surprisingly concerned about making sure Patricia’s necklaces or rings—and even her hairpins—matched her gowns.

  “No, ladies aren’t the only ones who worry over such things. I know Lewis doesn’t, but I do. It’s why I’m better dressed than he is.”

  She laughed. “Poor Lewis. It’s not fair of you to say that when he’s not around to defend himself.”

  “Are you telling me you didn’t notice the way his blue frock coat clashed with his yellow shirt the last time he was here?”

  “I didn’t notice it.”

  He shot her a skeptical look.

  “It’s true,” she insisted. “I don’t bother with such things. I do appreciate the color schemes you use in your rooms, but I don’t pay much attention to the colors you choose for your clothes. I don’t pay much attention to people’s clothes in general.”

  “The combination of clothes he wears really doesn’t make you blink a couple of times?”

  She shook her head. “No, it doesn’t. I just figured he had a flashy sort of style. It doesn’t matter what a person wears. What matters is the quality of the person.”

  “I agree. The quality of a person does matter. I like Lewis. He’s a steadfast friend who can be depended on for anything.”

  She nodded her agreement. “He is.”

  “He just doesn’t know how to dress all that well. I’ve told him he should get a valet who knows how to match the right clothes together, but he refuses to do it. He wants to take care of dressing all on his own.”

  “I’d be just as bad if I didn’t have Marcy’s help.”

  “Which is to your credit. You aren’t afraid to accept help when you need it. I, for one, think it’s an admirable trait. Not everyone is willing to admit they’re not good at something.”

  “As long as he’s happy wearing those clothes, isn’t that what really matters?”

  “Yes, it is,” he said. “Which is why I’ve stopped arguing with him about it. But that only brings me back to the reason I picked silver instead of gold. I like things to look good together.”

  The carriage slowed, and they turned their attention to the small window. They were approaching the covered bridge.

  “Would you like to get out and walk to the other side of the bridge?” Stephen asked her.

  “I would.” She’d been intrigued with the bridge ever since Lewis had brought her here. She hadn’t bothered getting out to walk across it when she’d gone to London to talk to Loretta. The thought had never occurred to her. She imagined it’d be fun to take a walk across it with him, especially when it was daylight.

  Stephen knocked on the roof of the carriage, and when the coachman opened the door, he said, “We’ll walk the rest of the way.”

  The coachman nodded and helped Patricia out. Once Stephen joined her, she let him hold Susanna. The two walked up to the bridge, and Stephen touched her elbow to stop her.

  “The gentleman who lived here before had a message put up there.” Stephen pointed to an engraving on the archway of the bridge that only someone outside the carriage would see as they were leaving the property. May blessings follow you on your journey.

  “Did he have something carved into the archway on the other side for people to see when they come here?” Patricia asked.

  “Yes. That one reads, May all who come here find happiness.”

  She thought back to the fountain in the middle of the maze. She got the feeling that the previous owner had been a joyful person. He was probably so happy that his main wish was for others to be happy, too.

  “I think the previous owner of this place would be pleased with how well you maintain this property,” she told Stephen as they crossed the threshold of the covered bridge.

  Halfway into the bridge, there were two windows, one on the right and the other on the left, allowing them a view of the stream that wound its way underneath.

  The two stopped, and Patricia took a good look at the water that flowed gently over rocks and tree roots. “I bet this is beautiful in the autumn when the trees change color and the leaves fall to the ground.” Even now she could see remaining leaves that were still on the banks of the stream, waiting to be carried away by the stream.

  “It is,” Stephen said as he came up beside her. “It’s also beautiful in the spring when the flowers in the trees are in bloom. And in the summer, the leaves help to keep things shaded and cool.”

  “I’m looking forward to seeing all of that.”

  “I’ll have to bring you here during those seasons. Maybe we’ll walk here on those trips.”

  “That would be nice. I miss walking for longer than thirty minutes. May
be we can go through the maze tomorrow if it’s not raining.”

  They continued their walk to the other side of the bridge, and Stephen asked, “Do you feel up to it?”

  “I do. I feel a lot better. I think I’ve had enough time to recover. I might not be up for horseback riding, but I’m sure I can handle the walk through the maze now.”

  “We’ll go tomorrow if the weather is nice.”

  She noticed that ever since she had asked him not to retreat back into his bedchamber for days on end that he’d been attentive to her wishes. She had only needed to say she had an interest in something, and he would do it with her. Just the other day, he had let her draw his silhouette, something she didn’t think he was secretly all that interested in. But it was something she’d wanted to do, and he gathered all of the items she’d needed in order to do the activity. He’d even drawn the drapes and closed the doors of the drawing room so she could better make out his profile in the candlelight.

  After Ichabod had shown no interest in her beyond that of producing an heir, it was nice to know Stephen cared about her enough to go out of his way to please her. She had no doubt that he’d take her out here in the spring, summer, and autumn, if for no other reason than because he thought she’d enjoy it.

  They finished crossing the bridge, and she thought Stephen was going to want to turn around and go back. Instead, he asked her, “Do you want to keep walking?” He gestured to the top of the small hill in front of them. “I thought if you feel good enough to walk through the maze, maybe you’d like to walk up there. When you get to the top, you can see London.”

  She nodded. “I’d like to see London from this place.”

  He transferred Susanna to his other arm and then put his hand on her elbow as he led her up the hill. “If you change your mind, let me know. It’ll take us about fifteen minutes to reach the top.”