The Merry Marquis

by Meredith Bond

  But he could do none of that. He’d promised her that he would leave her untouched—and so he would.

  It had been a relief to have an excuse to get away from his enticing new wife. And he had never been so grateful of Samuel’s penchant for formality as he had been that evening. The further he stayed from Teresa, the easier it would be to keep his promise.

  Returning to his chair and his drink, he forced his mind back to the orphanage. Julia would have been so pleased with the way it was working out. It was just as she had wanted it to be. A grand house, more like a home, filled with boys who had never known the meaning of the words home or love.

  She had loved children, and they had looked forward to having quite a few of their own. It never came to pass, and then she was gone. His thoughts of ‘what would have been’ hurt almost more than the pain of her absence.

  Tomorrow morning, he would go spend time at the orphanage as he liked to do. And he would interview more tutors. It would be pleasant to spend a day in the company of the boys, whom he enjoyed. And more importantly, it would be a day away from Teresa.

  He got up again to refill his glass, and then rested his elbow on the mantle piece staring down at the flames in the fireplace.

  It worried him that Teresa enticed him so much— it made him uncomfortable. He loved Julia and missed her so much that sometimes he could barely stand the pain. That he should have such thoughts about Teresa angered him.

  But she was so close. Just up the stairs, asleep in Julia’s bed… And what disturbed him even more was that Teresa was here too, in his mind.

  Richard allowed his eyes to focus on the carpet at his feet. The stain was still there.

  A blood red stain on his white carpet. He remembered the exact moment it had happened. He had been sitting in his chair, contentedly reading and sipping on a glass of wine when the footman had come in with news of Julia’s death. His glass had fallen from his nerveless hand.

  Although he knew the servants had tried, no one had been able to remove that stain.

  Richard stared at the carpet, the familiar grip on is heart tightening. Perhaps it was just a trick of the candle light, but somehow the stain looked less vivid than it had been.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Teresa was surprised when her maid informed her that she had a visitor.

  “Please inform his lordship and say that I will be down in a moment,” she told the maid, who was still standing at the door waiting for instructions.

  “But his lordship has gone out, my lady.”

  Teresa was stunned. “Gone out? Where? When?”

  “I… I don’t know where, my lady. He went out just after… after ten this morning.” The maid had gone pale at Teresa’s expression.

  Teresa stood still absorbing this unexpected news. “He didn’t say when he’d be back or where he was going?”

  “No, ma’am.”

  “All right. I’ll be down shortly,” Teresa said, with as much calm as she could muster.

  As soon as the maid left, Teresa began to wring her hands and pace back and forth. What was she going to do? Lord Stowe was downstairs waiting for her. He had probably come to pay his respects to the newly married couple. The problem, of course, was that the bride-groom wasn’t here. How was she to convince anyone that she was happily married when her husband wasn’t even here on the morning after their wedding!

  She realized she was beginning to panic. She stopped her pacing and tried to calm herself down.

  It had been difficult enough this morning to wake up all alone in a strange room. She had looked across the huge expanse of her bed and wondered what it would have been like to wake up in the arms of someone she loved. She had hugged a pillow to her chest, but had cast it away after only a minute. It had been a poor substitute.

  And now she had to face this, this abandonment once again. Only this time it would be a rejection in the presence of others.

  Teresa felt her despair beginning to turn to anger. How could he do this to her? How could he just leave her to face visitors on her own? She started pacing furiously once again. Why could he not at least have had the courtesy to tell her that he was going out? She supposed that he was used to living alone, and neither of them had even thought that they would have visitors on this very first day after they were married. She hoped that he would have stayed if he had known.

  To have to entertain guests was frightening enough, but to have to do so in Richard’s house all alone…

  No, now it was her house too. She had to remind herself of this. It still didn’t feel right, but she knew that this was the only way to think if she was to behave naturally.

  Teresa looked at herself in her mirror to make sure she looked the part of the blissful bride. But the plain girl staring back at her looked nothing liked a happy new wife. She frowned at her image and then squared her shoulders, pulling her lips up into a smile. Well, she was going to have to just pretend.

  As she entered the drawing room, she saw that Lord Stowe was not alone. Her mother was there as well. She groaned inwardly.

  Lord Stowe stood at her entrance and bowed with a rather sad smile on his face. “My felicitations, Lady Merrick,” he said by way of greeting. Despite herself, Teresa felt a little warmed at how sad he looked. Perhaps it was because he knew that she was now unavailable for him to woo.

  “Thank you, my lord. It was very kind of you to come.” Teresa forced herself to look Lord Stowe in the eye, and to ignore her mother’s searching look at the doorway behind Teresa.

  Her mother spoke up even as Teresa dropped a light kiss on her cheek. “Querida, but where is your beloved husband?”

  “I am afraid he had to go out early this morning,” Teresa replied, moving over to the bell pull to ring for some tea.

  “Ah,” Doña Isabella winked at Teresa, “I knew he would be a strong and vigorous husband. Even after the rigors of last evening, that he still had the energy to go out and attend to his usual activities says a great deal about his fortitude.”

  Teresa felt herself burn with embarrassment, her hard-won composure about to desert her. She was not entirely sure why, but she knew that her mother was hinting at something improper. Even Lord Stowe had turned quite red.

  Teresa was never more relieved to hear Lady Cowper’s name than she was just at that moment. Although grateful for the diversion, she hoped her confidence in her friend not to reveal to her mother that she and Richard had been forced to marry was not misplaced.

  “Lady Cowper, how wonderful to see you.” Teresa said, taking that lady’s hands.

  ‘Lady Merrick, I do hope you will excuse the intrusion, but I simply had to come and offer you my heartfelt felicitations.” Lady Cowper gave Teresa’s hands a friendly squeeze.

  “Thank you. Have you met my mother? She has recently arrived from Spain.”

  Just as she had hoped, Lady Cowper immediately engaged her mother in conversation leaving her free to devote her attention to Lord Stowe.

  “I expect you had quite a busy day yesterday,” he said, as Teresa sat down near him.

  “Yes. It was.” Teresa paused, twisting her fingers in her lap as she wrestled with finding the right words to convey to him the awkwardness of her situation of being married to one man while still looking to fall in love with another. Looking down at her hands, she said, “My lord, I do hope that my marriage will not affect our friendship.”

  “It is up to your husband, of course, but I, too, hope that we may continue to be friends.”

  When Teresa dared to looked up into his eye she saw that he was smiling warmly at her. She was greatly relieved to see that smile. There was still hope.

  “Have you thought any more on who I might ask to represent the soldiers in Parliament?” Teresa asked, steering the conversation to a more neutral subject.

  Before he could answer, Doña Isabella interrupted him. “My lord,” she called out in her charming accent, “you were going to tell me about this marvelous actor you saw upon the stage. What was
his name, Kay?”

  “Kean, Doña, Edmund Kean. Have you see him, Lady Cowper?” Lord Stowe asked, effectively passing the conversation off to her.

  Teresa wanted to laugh at her mother’s expression as she was forced to listen to Lady Cowper go on about Kean’s performance at the theatre.

  A gentleman had never turned down her mother’s attention in favor of her own, and she could tell by the rather forced, bitter smile on her face that her mother was not pleased.

  Teresa interlaced her fingers on her lap and leaned toward Lord Stowe as if she were sharing great confidences.

  “No, Lady Merrick,” he was saying. “I have not thought of anyone yet. But, since you had asked, I am still thinking about it, daily.”

  “You are very good, my lord. I am certain you will discover someone we can ask. Surely you know many of the other officers who fought in the Peninsula. Is there not one who has returned and could speak for the common soldier?”

  “I am afraid, as yet, I have not come up with anyone. Have no fear, we shall think of someone.”

  There was an awkward silence for a moment as Teresa desperately tried to think of some other exceptional topic of conversation. In a moment of inspiration, she remembered her practice session with Richard just before her mother’s arrival. She hid a giggle behind a cough and then asked, “My lord, have bought any horseflesh recently?”

  “Why, yes, as a matter of fact, I have.”

  Teresa could not contain herself. Remembering Richard’s invented horse, Goliath, she began to giggle.

  Lord Stowe gave her a confused look. “I am sorry, Lady Merrick, but what is so amusing in purchasing a horse?”

  “Nothing at all, my lord, I assure you,” Teresa said, trying to contain her mirth. “It would not happen to be a very large animal would it?”

  “No. I suppose it is an average size for a horse, about twelve hands high. Why?”

  Teresa coughed and tried to stop herself from laughing. “Oh, I see. Well, Lord Merrick and I once discussed the purchase of horseflesh and he… oh dear, there is no way to explain this. I am so sorry, my lord. I assure you, I am not laughing at you, but rather remembering this other conversation Lord Merrick and I once had.” Teresa said, giggling all through. She stopped and took a deep breath, finally managing to control herself, but Lord Stowe was still looking a little bemused.

  “My lord,” Doña Isabella broke in to their conversation once again, “I do hope that you are planning on attending Teresa’s wedding ball?” She batted her eyelashes at Lord Stowe while giving him a smile.

  “Yes, of course, Doña Isabella, I would not miss it for the world.” Lord Stowe said. He turned back to Teresa, “Lady Merrick, do you expect quite a lot of people at your ball?”

  “I do believe that my aunt is hoping that it will be the event of the season. As she and my mother have been doing all of the arrangements for it, I do hope, for their sake, that it is well attended.”

  “We have received a flattering number of acceptances.” Doña Isabella said. “In fact, I do not believe that anyone has turned down their invitation.”

  “No one would turn down an invitation to see Merry,” Lady Cowper stated, as if doing so would be unthinkable.

  “I would hope that no one would turn down an invitation issued by myself and Lady Swinborne.” Doña Isabella countered imperiously.

  “I should hope that no one would turn down an invitation to meet Lady Merrick, either.” Lord Stowe winked at Teresa, who suddenly found herself blushing furiously.

  “Well, I am sure that is merely crude curiosity on the part of society,” Doña Isabella dismissed Teresa with a wave of her hand.

  Teresa opened her mouth at the injustice of this, but Lord Stowe beat her to it. “I am sure that society is curious to meet the lady with such address as to catch the attention of the Merry Marquis.”

  Doña Isabella opened her mouth to retort to this statement, but then suddenly stopped herself.

  Teresa could barely believe it, Lord Stowe had stopped her mother’s harsh words. This was the second time that she had ever seen her mother contradicted. The first had been Richard, and now Lord Stowe.

  Oddly enough, her mother did not look as if she minded Lord Stowe contradicting her as much as she did when Richard had done it. In fact, she had an odd look on her face. One of curiosity and interest. But how could she be interested in a man who was refuting her, albeit gently? That certainly was not possible.

  Still, Teresa was very thrilled that Lord Stowe had defended her.

  “Do you expect your husband to return soon, Lady Merrick? I had hoped to pay my respects to him as well,” Lord Stowe asked.

  The maid entered with the tea tray, and Teresa busied herself with pouring out the tea, while avoiding Lord Stowe’s eyes. Her former embarrassment at Richard’s abandonment returned with force. She had actually completely forgotten about Richard’s absence, until Lord Stowe reminded her.

  “I do not believe he will be gone too long, my lord.” He had better not, she added silently to herself.

  “Lord Huntley, my lady,” Samuel intoned with authority.

  Teresa looked up to see Richard’s friend enter the room. As with nearly every time she had seen him, Lord Huntley had a large smile spread across his brown face, showing off his perfectly white, even teeth.

  Teresa could not help but return his smile as she stood to welcome him. “Lord Huntley, how very good to see you again.”

  He bowed over her outstretched hand. “My dear Lady Merrick, it is good to see you looking so happy. I trust you are well?”

  “Yes, indeed. You remember my mother, Doña Isabella, and Lady Cowper, of course. And this is Lord Stowe, a friend of mine.

  After shaking hands with Lord Huntley, Lord Stowe said, “I suppose I shall have to wait to meet Lord Merrick another time. Thank you so much, my lady, for your generous hospitality.” He then turned to Teresa’s mother. “Doña Isabella, would you do me the honor of allowing me to escort you home?”

  A smile spread across Doña Isabella’s face and with it a look of triumph, as well. “Yes, of course, my lord.” She stood and gave him her hand in a most slow and graceful fashion.

  Teresa saw them to the drawing room door. “Thank you, my lord, for coming to visit. I do hope you will come again very soon,” she said and then turned to her mother, “Mama, please give my love to Aunt Catherine.” She kissed the air next to her mother’s cheek.

  Teresa felt very happy. Lord Stowe was going to prove a good friend to her, she was sure. He was very kind and entirely set her at her ease. Unlike Richard of late.

  As she was handing a cup of tea to Lord Huntley, she looked up to see her husband entering the room.

  He strode in with a broad smile of welcome on his face. “My profound apologies, my dear, I did not realize we would have visitors so early.”

  “Indeed, my lord. I am happy you have come.” Teresa felt a wave of pleasure roll through her. It was just relief, she told herself. She was angry with him, but at least she would not have to be embarrassed by his absence any further.

  Richard took Teresa’s hand, and with a twinkle in his eyes, gave it a lingering kiss.

  She felt the familiar burn at the back of her hand where his lips had touched it. The heat ran all the way up her arm and then into her face as she felt herself blush. She suddenly realized that her mouth was open. She closed it with a snap, swallowing hard.

  Richard raised an eyebrow at her reaction, before turning to greet their guests with aplomb.

  Teresa leaned back in her chair, collecting herself, and watching Richard work his charm on Lady Cowper, who was positively glowing at his attentions. It would be impossible for any female to resist that charm, Teresa thought, trying to defend herself for forgiving him so easily.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Richard knocked on Teresa’s door. “Teresa, come along, we will be late,” he called through the door.

  The door opened to reveal her maid.

&nbs
p; “Where is… her ladyship?” he asked, peering into the room over her shoulder.

  “I am sorry, my lord. She is in the drawing room waiting for you. Has been this past quarter of an hour.” The maid curtseyed to belay her rudeness.

  “She is?” Richard was shocked. Both Julia and his sister had always taken a long time to dress. He had just assumed all women did. He went down to the drawing room.

  When he opened the door, he felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him. There stood the most beautiful woman—his wife. She was dressed all in white and silver. A silver cloth with pearls sown onto it was wound round her head holding her hair up and away from her face while the rest of her long black hair fell in graceful curls down her back.

  “You are beautiful.” The words came from his mouth before his mind had registered them in his brain.

  She blushed. “No, but it is kind of you to say, nonetheless.”

  “If I did not mean it, I would not have said it. You look beautiful this evening, Teresa.” He came further into the room and gently took her fingers, which had been tying themselves up in the strings of her reticule.

  She looked down at their hands. “Thank… thank you, my lord.”

  Richard took his first breath since he had walked into the room. Somehow his heart felt too tight in his chest. “Do you know, that you have not called me by my name since we’ve been married?”

  She looked up, her large black eyes wide with wonder. “I am sorry, I felt that that would be rather… rather intimate.”

  Richard wondered if she would prefer not be intimate with him at all. He supposed that she would not. For some reason this hurt him more than he wanted to admit, even to himself.

  He forced himself to smile, “We are married, Teresa, we are supposed to be intimate. No one else knows that ours is merely a marriage of convenience. Shall we, at least, try to give others the impression that we are happy?”

  Teresa turned towards the window so that Richard could not see her face. “Yes, of course, my… Richard.” Her voice was very soft, almost hoarse. For a moment Richard wondered if she were trying not to cry, but he quickly dismissed that idea when she turned back to him with a smile on her face.