by Ella Edon
The only excuse Emma could give herself was the exhaustion of the day caused her to lower her inhibitions, and Henry must have felt the same. They had been exhausted and had needed the contact, just because. She had been kissed before, once, when she was just eighteen. He had been a local Dunberry Village boy, and he caught her alone in her father’s stables. She was curious and did think the lad handsome, so she had allowed him to kiss her. That first kiss was nothing at all, compared to what she had experienced with Henry the night before.
Henry had kissed her with a passion and abandon she never thought possible. And for a man who seemed to methodically plan each moment of his life, when she had asked him why he did it, his answer had simply been he had not known why. Then she slapped him for it.
“Oh God!” She moaned, she had never struck a man before and now she had gone and struck her own husband. How ever would she face him again?
The door to the bedchamber creaked open, and Emma quickly gathered the blankets around her, thinking it was Henry. She immediately felt foolish for hiding herself from her own husband.
“Good morning, my lady. I did not expect to find you awake this early. Why it must be only half past eight.” Instead of Henry, she was greeted by a cheerful looking older woman.
“Oh,” Emma said in response.
“My name is Mrs. Treacher, I’m the housekeeper for his lordship. I’m afraid we don’t have a maid to help you dress, my lady, and I am not very good with fashionable hair, but I will happily help you get into your day dress.”
She spoke rapid fire, and Emma had to concentrate to keep up. Her mind began to spin with all that needed to be done. There was no lady’s maid, but of course, why would there be? Until yesterday it was only Henry in the house. She would have to send home for Sally and see if her maid would like to come serve in town. She would also need to send for the rest of her things. They had left Dunberry so quickly the day before, she only had one trunk with only two day dresses, and one dinner gown. Not that her wardrobe was all that fashionable. She would most likely need to find and see a modiste, yet she had no pin money. She would have to speak to Henry about that. Her stomach did a small flip as she thought of speaking to Henry. The embarrassment from the night before crept back up into the forefront of her mind.
“Are you all right, my lady?” Mrs. Treacher said approaching the bed. “You just went all flushed.”
“Erm…um… no, I’m quite fine. Just a little hungry is all,” Emma replied.
“Ahh, yes, well, I don’t suppose his lordship told you we break our fast at precisely nine o’clock. Early to rise, he says.”
“Um, yes, he told me,” Emma replied, sitting up in the bed. “If you don’t mind helping me into my day dress, I would appreciate that very much. I am sure my maid can be here by this evening. Dunberry is not so terribly far.”
“No, no it isn’t,” Mrs. Treacher said, as she moved to stoke the fire in the hearth and open the drapes to the new day. “Although I have not been to the county in quite sometime, I still remember the journey.”
Emma could not help but smile. "You should try to visit sometime, during the season, perhaps."
Mrs Treacher grinned, closing her eyes, she nodded vigorously. "Of course, I'd try. If his lordship is ever away from here, then perhaps I could gather my things and visit Dunberry."
Emma nodded. Mrs Treacher beamed. Throwing the duvet aside, she slipped into the silk footwear at the side of her bed and got to her feet. She would dress quickly and go down to have breakfast with her husband. Mrs Treacher filled the wash basin for her. While she did this, Emma looked at the dresses she had with her, looking for something suitable to wear. She didn't want to wear a dress that was too much. She didn't want Henry to think that she was dressing up for him. After the kiss they had shared the previous day, she could only begin to imagine what he would think if she wore something extravagant.
After she had washed her face, she let Mrs Treacher fasten her petticoat, until it was fitted to her body.
"Too tight, my Lady? "
Emma patted her stomach. "Oh no. It is just fine. "
They proceeded to dress her in the dress she had chosen. A simple blue gown, with a lighter blue silk as its blouse. It wasn't anything that would make him think she was trying to get his attention. Her golden hair was pulled up in a neat bun. Pins were tacked at its side, holding the hair in place, and glistening under the light.
Emma shook her head vigorously. She didn't want to dwell on thoughts of her husband. She had not even seen him, and he had already filled her head. She huffed as Mrs Treacher tied the ribbon behind her dress.
"Is everything alright, my Lady?"
Emma beamed. "Splendid, Mrs Treacher. We should head out now."
"Oh, yes. It seems," Mrs Treacher tittered, staring at the clock on the wall. "It is past nine, my Lady. His lordship would not be so pleased. We must hurry."
Emma rolled her eyes. "I won't rush for him, or for anyone. Go ahead. I'll be down when I am done."
"My lady —"
"Go on, Mrs Treacher." Emma insisted. She wondered why she was so scared of Henry. She wasn't. And if he thought that she would be treated as one of his staff, then he had something else coming.
Mrs Treacher nodded reluctantly, bowed and walked out of the bedchamber. Emma sat on her bed, her mind drifting to everything that had happened over the past few days. It had been too much, too soon. She swallowed hard and closed her eyes. She needed to be strong. Maybe there was a way that she would untangle herself from all of this, someday.
She rose swiftly, mid way, she lifted her dress and walked out of her bedchamber.
The clump of her shoes could be heard as she walked, but it was faint. It was nothing compared to the booming voice of her husband, Henry Blackmoor.
"You know how everything goes around here, Mrs Treacher. It doesn't have to change because of anyone. I demanded that the table be set by exactly nine... "
She drowned out his voice as she began to fume. Who did he think he was talking to Mrs Treacher in such manner, and rebuking her for helping Emma get dressed?
He was surely going to get it from her. She pushed open the doors to the dinning room and walked in, head held high and eyes searching for him. Her eyes found him seated at the end of table. She clenched her jaw, when she saw Mrs Treacher by his side, nodding, while he rattled on and on, Mrs Treacher looked apologetic.
"Why, tell me, my Lord, is there a problem?" Emma said, making an announcement of her arrival, seeing as no one had noticed.
Lord Blackmoor looked sideways, instantly. Emma had not been ready for what happened when their eyes locked. Her heart beat increased. She swallowed hard, and her gaze wavered. Henry kept his gaze steady for a while, then, he looked away. Seeing him, dressed in a black coat and a cream colored inner, his dark hair, combed, so that everything was away from his face, she knew then, that she should have prepared herself before she walked in like that.
"Lady Blackmoor," he said curtly. "Good morning."
She was surprised, that he wasn't angry anymore, and that he wasn't averting his anger to her. She was after all, the cause of all the delay. Perhaps he too had been affected.
"Good Morning, My Lord." Emma looked at Mrs Treacher. "What happened? I heard your raised voice down the hall, just before I walked in."
Lord Blackmoor raised his hands dismissively. "Mrs Treacher thought it was best to delay breakfast a tad, because she... didn't think that we would awake on time."
Emma creased her brows. She looked at Mrs Treacher. The lady had her head bowed.
"Forgive me, but I do not understand fully."
Lord Blackmoor cleared his throat. "She thought that since it was our wedding night, there would be some delay. "
Emma's cheeks heated up. Her eyes widened. Realization dawned on her. Before she could fully process everything, she blurted out. "But she was...helping me get dressed to come down for breakfast."
Mrs Treacher looked up then. Lord Bla
ckmoor creased his brows. He seemed more perplexed than she had been. "Is that so, Mrs Treacher?"
"Yes..the lady could not get in to her dress alone and as we have no ladies maid I offered to be of assistance."
Emma took her seat. "Perhaps, you would excuse her, my Lord. She meant well."
Lord Blackmoor opened his mouth to speak, but Emma cut him short. "It would be best she bring us breakfast. We've wasted enough time already. Go on, Mrs Treacher."
Mrs Treacher cast a glance at Lord Blackmoor before she hurried away.
Lord Blackmoor raised a brow at Emma. ""She lied to protect you, from me?"
Emma blushed. "It would seem that you are greatly feared, My Lord."
He shook his head. "There was nothing to be afraid of. I would have understood if she had stated what she was doing. She has taken a special liking to you. I, however, can not condone lies."
Emma raised a brow this time. "You needn't worry. Mrs Treacher will face her duties. Leave me to my dressing. My hand maid should be arriving today, hopefully."
Lord Blackmoor sighed. "She can be of help to you, Emma, but I won't have my staff lying to me."
"I didn't ask her to lie, and perhaps I now see her reason for lying. You're taking this very little issue out of proportion."
Lord Blackmoor opened his mouth to speak, but he wavered and simply nodded once. "I shall let this one slide."
Breakfast arrived soon after. Mrs Treacher was nowhere to be seen. She had asked the rest of the kitchen staff to dish the meal. Poor woman, Emma thought. She had only been trying to save Emma.
Emma ate quietly, while casting side glances at Lord Blackmoor. She hated silence. Silence made the mind run wild, which was exactly was her mind was doing. She kept remembering the kiss. And then, the slap after the kiss. Oh, how mortifying. She choked on her meal and began to cough.
Lord Blackmoor was quick to hold up a silver goblet of water to her. Emma accepted it, without looking at him.
"Are you alright?" he asked, when her coughing had stopped.
Emma nodded. "I am."
"I'd say otherwise. But that aside, where would you like to go today? "
Emma creased her brows. "What do you —"
"Since we are newly weds, I was thinking, we should have some time to ourselves. We should actually do the normal things that newly weds do. Do you not think so?"
Emma dabbed the sides of her mouth. "Normal things like what?"
Lord Blackmoor cracked a smile. "Seeing as we are merely acquainted, let's take this time to get to know each other more."
"Hmm... I don't think that would be of any use, My Lord."
"We'd be wed for the rest of our lives, Emma. And I want heirs —"
Emma's choke disrupted his next words. He rose instantly and was by her side, asking if she was alright. Emma coughed. The food had gone the wrong way again and she needed the water back. She raised her hands towards it, and it was handed to her swiftly. She took a sip and waited for the food to go down the right path. Sure that it had, she took another sip of water. When she was certain that she was well composed, she looked to her side. Lord Blackmoor was still by her.
"Are you alright, Emma? Are you alright now?"
Emma dabbed the side of her mouth and raised her shoulders. Such a sight, him beside her when she was so embarrassed. She could not even look at him. Despite all her raging thoughts, she was thankful that he rushed to her side. It was as though, he truly cared for her. Him standing by her, even after she said she was alright, made her heart swell. It made her feel protected.
"Emma?"
"I am better now. I think it was because of all the talking."
He was close to her, so close. She could smell him. She didn't want to have to look up. She didn't want to have to look into his eyes. Perhaps he read her mind, because no sooner had she had those thoughts, he walked away from her and reclaimed his former seat.
"So, what do you say about going out together? While you were in your coughing spree, I came up with something. Horseback riding."
Emma raised her brows mocking him. "My situation made you think of horse riding?”
He opened his mouth immediately — Emma was certain that it was to defend himself from what she had said. She found humour in his silent stutter, in the way his brows raised, in the way he tilted his head while finding the words, and in the way he kept avoiding her gaze. He was filled with so many thoughts and it was wonderful that they all were visible in his face. Finally, he gathered his wits when he uttered the words. "I most certainly didn't mean it that way. I was only —"
"Thinking? While I was choking"
He was quicker this time, to speak. " I realized that we needed something simple. Something that would spark both our interests."
Emma could not help but smile, at the fact that he was explaining himself.
"I was only trying to get a reaction out of you. It is fine."
Lord Blackmoor shook his head and laughed. "That certainly got a reaction out of me. I thought you misunderstood everything."
Emma smiled. She cast her gaze down and said. "I accept. Horse riding it is."
The grin he offered, when she spoke, was heartwarming. She could feel her insides melting, which was why she forced herself to look away, heart beating.
Chapter Nine
"Your home is beautiful. I'd say you've done well, maintaining it all these years, with your father being away at his own home."
Henry glanced at Emma, who was seated on her horse beside his own, as they rode through an open field behind the manor. Her mention of his father reminded him of her encounter with him. She had not told him what his father said, and it bothered him, because he knew that his father said something hurtful to her.
"Of course, my Lady. I had to do what I could," he replied curtly.
"You have wonderful taste."
"You think so?" He smiled a bit.
Emma smiled. "I do."
Henry grinned. "Do you have any preferences?"
"You mean pertaining to a home?"
He nodded. Emma smiled. He saw her eyes lighten up, and then, she began to speak. "I want a castle. A really large castle. I like when slab stones are raised high, so I can stand before it and look down at a garden of beautiful flowers."
Henry smiled. "You love flowers? Why then do you wish to look at them from above? "
She shrugged. "I am allergic to lilies. I cannot stand so close to them, but I do love them. Watching them from afar is enough solace." She smiled. "My mama used to love roses. I like them too, but not like lilies."
Henry understood this and felt that she had shared something great with him. When she spoke of her mother, though her eyes lit up, she was not as happy as she was moments before. Henry then decided to share something about himself. Perhaps it could make up for knowing something that was closest to her heart.
"When I was younger, I used to be terrified of horses." He looked down at the one he rode.
Emma laughed. "You feared horses? It's no wonder I beat you in all our races."
Henry smirked. "I wager that I would beat you if we went up again."
Emma chuckled. "I do hope you win your wager, Blackmoor."
He liked when she smiled at him. The way her lips curled up, the way her amber eyes glowed when she spoke about something she loved, and the way her cheeks reddened when she was embarrassed. Henry found that he was mesmerized by her. Gazing at her made him smile because he could not help but smile.
She gazed at him now and he was caught off guard when she raised her brows at him. He cleared his throat and gazed ahead.
"I'll race you to the end of the field, are you ready?" her voice broke through his thoughts.
He looked at her and saw the slight excitement in her eyes. She didn't try to hide it.
"Keen on winning this wager?"
She smiled sweetly. "Most certainly, Blackmoor."
"Alright, My Lady. "
She gathered her reins and nodded to him. He did th
e same, and when both their hands pulled the reins backwards at once, the horses took to their heels, racing across the field. Her horse sped past his, and as he was in no mood to actually race, he let her go. He arrived moments after she did, and his horse halted as she was alighting hers.
"That went well," he said curtly and alighted as well.
Emma raised a brow. "I won the wager."
He chuckled. "Nothing was at stake."
"Well I deserve something, because I have won the wager."