“Yes, for now,” Frederick said. “I thought I would see how you were doing.”
“Oh, I’ve just finished my letters to my sisters. Each of us starts to worry if we don’t write often; it’s ridiculous really: we sometimes write just for the sake of writing instead of waiting until something happens worth writing about, but it’s the way we are.”
“You must miss each other.”
“We do,” Annabelle acknowledged. “We were quite a close little unit as we grew; we had to be to compensate for the lack of attention from our parents, but I certainly didn’t appreciate what we had until we started to move away from each other.”
“You will be settled quite close to the Duchess when we return home.”
“Yes, I’m happy I will be able to see Rosalind regularly,” Annabelle admitted.
“Would you like to invite one of your younger sisters to stay while we’re here?” Frederick asked.
“Thank you, but they are both unavailable. Grace is going to stay with Rosalind, and Eleanor is visiting a friend. It was a nice thought though,” Annabelle said with a smile, encouraged by Frederick’s warmer tone.
Frederick wished she smiled more; it did something to his insides that was extremely pleasant. “Is there anyone else you could invite? I’m aware that my sisters cannot be with you every moment. I want you to enjoy your visit.”
Annabelle could have retorted that they were supposed to be on a wedding visit, so it would be more appropriate to spend more time with her husband, but she knew that such a comment was unfair. “I would appreciate some company, although I do like Susan and Caroline,” Annabelle said quickly.
“I know,” Frederick smiled.
“She might not agree to it, but would you mind if I invited Miss Latimer to stay? I know she is a friend of quite short acquaintance, but we became very close while I stayed with Rosalind,” Annabelle said.
“I wouldn’t mind at all; will you write immediately?”
“Yes, thank you,” Annabelle said, picking up a new piece of parchment to write a letter.
Frederick sat and watched his wife scribble on the parchment, happy he had done something to please her. He could not see signs of loneliness and not respond to it. If a closer relationship with him could have reduced her feelings of isolation, he would not dwell on those thoughts; if she was more relaxed when Miss Latimer arrived, it would benefit them both.
*
It was six days before Miss Latimer arrived; much to Annabelle’s relief her friend left almost immediately after receiving the letter of invitation. Annabelle felt a little at a loss, even though Frederick’s family welcomed her so readily; but they had their own roles that filled their time. Annabelle read and wandered through the house and gardens, smiling when she thought Grace would be delighted to realise just how much she was becoming acquainted with a beautiful garden.
Annabelle felt she had some real support once Miss Frances Latimer arrived at the Hedley household. While everyone was friendly to Annabelle and welcomed her into the family as she had hoped, there was no one she could confide in. She was not sure she would be able total with Miss Latimer, but having someone who she could at least confide in a little was a comforting thought.
As was typical of the family, everyone welcomed Miss Latimer into the throng, although Annabelle got the distinct impression that Caroline was suspicious there was something amiss between herself and her husband.
Caroline was indeed convinced that there was something not quite right between the pair and, after watching their actions for the two weeks they had been home, she decided the time had come to speak to her brother. She ventured outside on the morning after Miss Latimer’s arrival. Annabelle was chatting animatedly to her friend, so Caroline gave a vague excuse and separated herself from the chatter.
Frederick was always outdoors, something else that was unique to his current visit. Caroline found him leaning over a fence, watching the pigs on Andrew and Susan’s farm. She strolled over to the fence, mirroring her brother’s posture.
“I’m beginning to think Andrew has converted you to the outdoors life, you are so little indoors on this visit,” Caroline said, her tone easy.
“I want to make sure everything is in order; I intend staying at Stannage House for quite a while once we leave here. I’m sure Annabelle will want to make some changes to make it her home. I’ve hardly done anything to it since inheriting it,” Frederick responded.
“Does she want to make any changes here? This is her home as well,” Caroline asked.
“We’ve not spoken about it, but I think we both feel this is not our home; Stannage House is,” Frederick answered.
“Perhaps it is something you should discuss,” Caroline said.
“It’s not important.”
“I was thinking of asking cook to make a special meal to celebrate your being married for a month, since we weren’t at the wedding. I realise it’s a little way off, but it is best to plan these things. What is Annabelle’s favourite dish, so I can include it?”
“I..er, she will eat most things; she isn’t fussy,” Frederick said quickly.
“So, I shall ask for minted lamb cutlets,” Caroline said, watching her brother closely, knowing from an earlier conversation with her new sister, that Annabelle hated the dish.
“Yes, whatever you think,” Frederick said with a shrug, “Fancy we are approaching a month already; it certainly doesn’t feel that long,” he said jovially, trying to change the subject.
Caroline pushed her brother in the shoulder. “What’s going on Freddy?” she demanded.
“I don’t know what you mean,” he replied defensively.
“You did not bat an eyelid when I just mentioned giving your wife one of the dishes she dislikes most. Now either you’ve turned into an inconsiderate cad, or there is something odd going on, which is more likely. I don’t like being taken for an idiot, Freddy; now what the heck is happening between the pair of you?” Caroline’s tone was one of no nonsense. She was an indulgent older sister, but she was not about to stand by while there was something wrong between her brother and his wife.
Frederick sighed; trust Caroline to pick up on his strange marriage before anyone else. He had to say something, otherwise he was without doubt that she would approach Annabelle. “Leave it, Caroline.”
“Freddy I want to see you happy. There is something wrong; I want to help.”
Frederick turned his back on the pigs, leaning against the fence. “There is nothing you can do, and I want you to promise you won’t interfere; I don’t want to make things any worse.”
“Oh, Freddy, what happened?” Caroline said, all sympathy.
“I suppose you could say that nothing happened,” Frederick said drily. “Neither of us set out to do it, but we were found in a compromising position, hence the hurried marriage.”
“But you act like strangers!”
“We are, the compromising was a mere kiss, although it did take place in a darkened room. It was only the second time we had met; four dances does not provide much information about your partner. The kisses were foolish in the extreme, but didn’t feel so at the time. At least I cannot be considered a fortune hunter and neither can she; she has brought a large dowry to the marriage,” Frederick explained.
“Do you have any feelings for her?” Caroline asked, her mind racing over the interactions she had observed.
Frederick laughed a bitter laugh. “Have you seen my wife? Of course I have feelings for her! I am not made of stone, Caroline; but she has made it quite clear I am not the man for her, so what do I do? Force myself on her? You know I would never do something such as that.”
“Freddy, I have seen her looking at you; she is not as immune to you as you think. I am sure of it. I thought she looks a little unsure when she is with you, like a frightened kitten.”
“I have done nothing to frighten her,” came the defensive response.
“I’m not suggesting you have. Is there no way things cou
ld be improved between the two of you?”
“I had thought by sharing the same bedchamber, it would help to make us more comfortable; but it is having the opposite effect. I think I should move into another chamber. If nothing else it will prevent me seeing the look of apprehension I see in her eyes every night.”
“Oh, Freddy, I am so sorry,” Caroline said, slipping her arm through the crook of her brother’s and squeezing with her other hand. “If there is anything I can do....”
“Don’t tell mother or Susan; I don’t want their pity; and mother will likely go into hysterics. She never thought I would find someone foolish enough to marry me; I don’t want her to be proved right,” Frederick said with resignation.
“They won’t hear anything from me,” Caroline assured her brother as they walked back to the house.
*
Annabelle was feeling more relaxed since Frances arrived. There was nothing Frances could actually do to help the situation Annabelle was in, but just having a friend close seemed to help. They explored the house: Annabelle was happy to show her friend a beautiful property, and she introduced Frances to her new family. Frances supplied information from the Sudworth estate and surrounding area, mainly through Mrs Adams’s observations, which had them both pealing with laughter.
Both women were sitting in an alcove in the ballroom, enjoying each other’s company while everyone else was busy. “So tell me, are you enjoying married life? it must seem a little strange hardly knowing your husband; although from what Rosalind has said, you have a small advantage over her?” Frances asked.
“Yes, even though I’d met Frederick only a few times, Rosalind met Peter only the once before they married, and then it was very brief,” Annabelle said. “Although, anyone seeing them now would never guess that; they are besotted with each other.”
“Yes, Mrs Adams promotes the pairing to everyone else, but let the Duke appear too loving in front of her and she ridicules him. I don’t know how he bears it sometimes; she openly laughs at him,” Frances said, always one to avoid confrontation unless pushed beyond reasonable limits.
“He dotes on Mrs Adams; she will always be allowed to do what others would not,” Annabelle said. “She has been a good friend to him and Annie, and now she has taken Rosalind under her wing,” Annabelle replied, mentioning the Duke’s sister who suffered from a condition that kept her childlike and, as a result, unable to take part in normal social activities.
“She has, although now Lady Joan has moved out of the area, there are fewer people who would not be welcoming to Rosalind,” Frances said of her childhood friend, who had turned into a bitter and hurtful young woman. Her indiscretions had resulted in her family sending her to India to start a new life there.
“There is always Baroness Leyland!” Annabelle snorted, having been at the end of that particular lady’s barbs.
“Oh, yes, how could I forget about her?” Frances laughed.
“I certainly struggle to,” Annabelle retorted.
“You had the last laugh though: you are now Lady Stannage, outranking her along with your sister the Duchess; she must really be unhappy she has to defer to both of you.”
“Thankfully I will be living far enough away for her influence to be of little consequence. I can see the advantage of having a husband who does not wish to be in society all the time,” Annabelle said with feeling. She did not want to be in the same social circle of Baroness Leyland and would be thankful to be living six miles south of the village in which the Baroness resided.
“I hope you are in society a little; things went very dull after you left,” Frances admitted. A shortage of similar aged young women and a naturally quiet nature made Frances short of companions.
“It’s no problem; you will have to become my permanent house guest,” Annabelle said cheerfully.
“I’m sure your new husband will appreciate that!” Frances exclaimed.
Annabelle was not sure he would notice but chose to check her retort and smiled instead. There was nothing to gain in worrying Frances.
Chapter 4
“We are to be a full house,” Caroline announced to the gathered party when they were waiting for the evening meal to be declared.
“Oh? Who else is visiting?” Freddy asked, standing near the fire in order to watch Annabelle without imposing his presence on her. She looked beautiful dressed in a pale cream silk gown decorated with caramel flowers. The colour of her hair seemed to bring out the detail of the flowers. He liked how she wore her hair, not tightly fastened down but a bundle of loose curls, working with the unruliness of it rather than trying to fight against it.
“William is returning tomorrow,” Caroline announced with a smile. She turned to Annabelle and Frances, “William is Harold’s brother; he has lived with us since their mother passed, although he’s been touring the Continent with his tutor these last twelve months. It will be good to have him home.” There were enough years between Caroline and William that Caroline looked on him almost as a son.
“It will be good to see him; he was away the last time I visited,” Frederick said.
“You will see a difference in him, although I expect we all shall; it has been too long. I expect he will have grown sophisticated under Mr Adams’ tutorage.”
“Mr Adams? Is it Mr Stuart Adams?” Frances asked.
“Why, yes. Do you know him, Miss Latimer?” Caroline asked.
“I do,” Frances replied with a smile. “He is older than me but is the son of Mrs Adams, a good friend of ours.”
“I shall look forward to meeting him if he is anything as abrupt and cutting as his mother!” Annabelle laughed.
“I’m afraid you are to be disappointed,” Caroline said. “He is all politeness and intelligence; he puts us all to shame!”
“What can you expect? You have all turned into a bunch of rustics,” Frederick teased, to which he received a punch in the arm from both sisters.
*
Annabelle noticed something different as soon as she entered the bedchamber. Frederick’s belongings had been removed. The loss of them stirred relief, sadness and fear all at once. She turned when the door opened, and Frederick entered. He closed the door behind him to prevent anything he was about to say being overheard.
“I thought it was time I had my own bedchamber. I had hoped not to need one, but I think the marriage has not turned out as either of us expected,” Frederick said, trying to keep the bitterness out of his voice but not fully succeeding.
“I’m sorry,” Annabelle responded.
“You keep saying that, but offering no other explanation. Do I not deserve your honesty?” Frederick asked.
“Yes, you do, it’s just that….I can’t,” Annabelle said quietly.
“My father always said that there was no such thing as ‘I can’t, just I won’t’,” Frederick retorted. “I can see you are determined not to explain; I suppose it doesn’t matter: we have gone beyond where things could have been made better. I shall reside in a separate bedchamber from now on and impose on you no more.” He left the room, stinging from what was ultimately yet another rejection. Life was sometimes very cruel he fumed to himself as he walked along the landing. She had not even asked where he would be sleeping; he had known that his removal would stir feelings of relief, but it did not help his own feelings to have his thoughts confirmed.
Annabelle sat at her dressing table and put her head in her hands; when had the feisty Annabelle disappeared she wondered? She was known as the mischievous one, but all she felt recently was old and afraid, all her feelings of fun having been lost.
She could not let Mr Wadeson ruin her life, but she didn’t know how to get over her fear of intimacy. His behaviour had terrified her; she could not talk about it, but it haunted her dreams and a lot of her days. Her husband was a good man; he was a handsome man, but even that could not suppress the fear she felt at the thought of being intimate with him. Although it seemed as if that was irrelevant now: he had given up on her, and s
he could not condemn him for it. She went to bed, suddenly aware of how large and empty looking a bed could be.
Annabelle awoke earlier than normal. She pondered the irony of how quickly a person could become used to something. Although she never touched her husband while they shared a bed, she missed his presence in the night. She rose with a shake of her head; she could only blame herself for his absence: he had been very patient with her.
Caroline and Frederick were already in the breakfast room when Annabelle entered. She blushed a little as she saw Frederick look at her but tried to smile. “Good morning,” she said quietly.
“Annabelle come and use your powers of influence on my brother. We should have a small gathering to celebrate your wedding and William’s return home,” Caroline said, noticing the looks exchanged; but as she knew they had moved to separate rooms, she presumed correctly that she knew of the reason for the embarrassment.
“We should do only what Frederick is comfortable with,” Annabelle responded.
“Ha! You didn’t expect that response did you?” Frederick asked his sister with glee. He tried to ignore the feeling of surprise he also felt at the words. Annabelle was supporting him; it had created a feeling of pleasure in the pit of his stomach.
“No, I didn’t,” Caroline frowned. “Do you not wish to dance?” she asked Annabelle.
“Of course, but I would be very fickle if I put dancing above the comfort of my husband.”
Frederick felt a little guilty and something else. “We could have a small gathering, I suppose.”
“Are you sure?” Annabelle asked, ignoring Caroline’s gloating murmurings.
“Yes, I did enjoy dancing with you,” Frederick responded.
“And I you,” Annabelle admitted.
“Well, that’s settled then; a week today. Cook has already prepared enough white soup,” Caroline said.
“In other words, it didn’t matter what we said at all, you were planning the ball anyway,” Frederick said drily.
“Having your support makes life easier, but it wasn’t totally necessary for the ball to take place,” Caroline said with a grin.
Annabelle: A Regency Romance (The Four Sisters' Series Book 2) Page 4