Lucy moved forward into his embrace, and for the first time since waking from her long sleep, she felt safe. It was an odd feeling, for she had not been feeling unsafe, only unsure. She blinked back the tears that threatened to fall, for now she could find out the truth about how she and Andrew had come to be married. Her father never had, and never would, lie to her.
“I am so happy to see you, father,” Lucy said when the embrace ended. “You look well.”
His smile widened. “Look at you,” he gushed. “You look wonderful, as beautiful as ever.”
Lucy glanced over her father’s shoulder and craned her neck as she waited for Mary to step out. However, the driver closed the door and removed the step, leaving Lucy to gape after him.
“Where is Mary?” she asked her mother before realizing she was interrupting a conversation she and Andrew were having.
Her mother cast a suspicious glance at her father but then fixed a smile on her face as she took Lucy’s hand. “Unfortunately, she was unable to come. But do not worry; you will see her soon enough.”
Lucy wondered at her parents’ odd behavior but pushed aside the uncertainty and vowed to simply enjoy their company, and more importantly, get to the bottom of what had truly happened a year and a half ago.
“Did Horace prevent her from coming?” Lucy asked with a laugh. “If he did, I will have a word or two with him.”
Her mother shook her head. For a moment Lucy thought she saw a brief flicker of something unrecognizable in the woman’s eyes, but it was gone so quickly, perhaps she had imagined it. “Not at all,” her mother finally replied. “Be thankful we are here; you know how difficult it can be for your father to get away from work.”
“Your bags will be taken to your room,” Andrew said as he called over one of the liveried footmen. “Let us retreat to the drawing room and have a drink. I imagine the ride over was dry and dusty. You must be parched.”
Lady Honeyfield smiled as she waved a hand in front of her face. “Oh, very much so. Thank you so much, Your Grace.” She took Andrew’s offered arm and the two were soon in light conversation as they made their way into the house.
“Well,” Lord Honeyfield said as he watched the pair, “it seems you are left with me to escort you into the house.” He did not say this with annoyance or offense, but rather with amusement as he offered his arm to Lucy.
Lucy hooked her hand in her father’s arm. She was happy to see him; however, it seemed strange to think that it had not been less than a week since she had seen him last, which is what her mind told her. If what she had been told was true, it had been months, and the idea was still very unsettling. Yet, she would not ruin her parents’ visit by complaining about her memory issues. She was simply glad they were there. It was nice to have someone familiar, people she loved dearly, there with her.
Her father led her to the sofa where her mother sat.
“Would you like a drink?” Andrew offered. “Tea will be served shortly, but perhaps something to tide us over?”
Lord Honeyfield grunted his approval. “A brandy, if you do not mind,” he said.
“No thank you,” Lucy’s mother replied with a quick reproachful glance at her husband. Lucy stifled a giggle; her mother did not approve of alcohol, which was amusing since Foxglove Estate had more than enough to get the entire city of Exeter drunk. However, since it was a favorite pastime of many of the ton, drinking that is, she kept her opinions to herself and abstained completely. What made it even more interesting in Lucy’s opinion was that the woman did not see wine as a form of alcohol at all, thus allowing her to partake of it without suffering from guilt.
“I take it your journey here was uneventful,” Andrew said once everyone had a drink.
“It was fine,” Lord Honeyfield replied. Then he turned to Lucy. “I must say, it is good to see you up and about. How are you feeling?”
“I am well, Father,” Lucy replied. “I am feeling much more rested and am acclimating myself to…things.”
Lord Honeyfield sat upright. “So, you are remembering things?”
Her mother laid a hand on her father’s arm. “No, Robert, she does not remember.” Then she looked at Lucy. “Unless you have made progress since I left.” Her eyes were hopeful, and Lucy felt a sadness wash over her as she replied.
“No, I do not.” She looked down at the floor and knew her face had to be bright red with embarrassment.
“Lucy has shown great progress since she awoke,” Andrew said as he gave her a reassuring smile. “The doctor is pleased, as am I. He has said she has no lasting injuries to her body or mind and that the chances of her regaining her memory are quite high.”
Lucy gave Andrew a grateful look. Rogue or not, he was showing great kindness at this moment, and for that, she was grateful and she would accept it until he returned to the person he truly was.
Hannah came in with a tray and, within minutes, Lucy and Lady Honeyfield had a cup of tea, the men preferring to sip their brandies. Once she finished, she gave Lucy a quick smile and left the room. Although Andrew had insisted the woman discontinue serving, she had refused. “I must keep busy when I am not tending to Her Grace,” she had insisted. “I can’t expect Leah to do it; she only has enough sense to clean the fire grates and sweep the floors.” Then she had reddened thoroughly before quickly adding, “Not that she’s not a good worker, mind you, Your Graces.” She also protested bringing in another woman to replace her, which had amused Lucy immensely.
“She means well,” Lucy had told Andrew, who had appeared a bit angered by the woman’s insistence of doing both jobs. He grunted his agreement and the matter had been dropped.
“Mother,” Lucy said as she took a sip of her tea, “how long will you and Father be staying?”
“We must leave first thing in the morning,” her mother replied airily. “Your Aunt Judith has been asking us to visit for ages, so we have decided to do just that.”
Lucy stared at Lady Honeyfield, her brow scrunched. Her mother did not get along well with her sister, and Lucy found it odd that her mother would want to visit her. Then again, she had no recollection of the past eighteen months, so perhaps the two had mended their relationship and were now on speaking terms.
As the conversation flowed, Lucy could not help but feel a pang of sadness. There was so much she had missed, such as mended relationships and who knew what else? As Andrew walked to the small drink cart, he placed a hand on Lucy’s shoulder and Lucy looked up at him. For the first time she noticed how blue his eyes were, so much like the ocean. He winked at her before removing his hand, and she felt a warmness spread through her.
“Well, Honeyfield, shall we go into the study and talk business?” Andrew asked. “I am sure the women would prefer not to be forced to listen to our droll conversation. Would you mind much, Lucy?”
It was Lucy’s turn to give Andrew a quick wink, which made his smile widen. “Not at all. Mother and I can converse here while you men do whatever it is men do when they are locked away in a study.” Why she chose to act in such a playful manner, and to wink at the man no less, was beyond her, but she knew her father could be a bit tedious at times. It was another show of Andrew’s character that he was willing to listen to the man.
When they had gone, Lucy laughed. “He is still the same man I remember,” she said with a wide grin. “I feel sorry for Andrew having to listen to him.”
“Lucy!” her mother admonished, though it was lighter than it could have been. “You should not speak ill of your father.”
“Oh, Mother, I know I should not, but you must admit, he does go on forever.”
Her mother sniffed halfheartedly. “Well, enough of that for now,” she said, clearly wishing to change the subject. “Now, tell me about you and the Duke.”
Lucy sighed. What was there to tell her? She did not dine with the man nor did she engage in conversation with him, at least not other than her feeble attempts at getting information from him. “It is going well,” she said and then quickly added, “S
o, did you know we are having lamb tonight? I hope it is as good as what Carol prepares.” Carol was the cook at Foxglove Estate. “Oh, and speaking of Carol, what happened with her husband?” One thing Lucy could recall quite well was her mother’s love of gossip. And truth be told, Lucy did not mind a bit of it herself.
Her mother seemed reluctant at first, but then replied, “Of course, you would not remember, but the rumor was that Nicholas was caught with a milkmaid in the stables.”
This information brought a gasp from Lucy, though it also brought on a feeling of familiarity, as well. She and her mother sharing in a bit of gossip felt normal, and Lucy found it enjoyable. For the first time since waking, Lucy looked forward to returning to her old life, and that would have to start with her reconnecting with friends from whom she did not remember disconnecting.
***
“So, then I thought to myself, ‘surely this man is telling a lie’,” Lord Honeyfield said with a loud, boisterous laugh. He took another bite of the braised lamb, chewing with gusto. “Fine cut,” he added after following it up with a swallow of yet another glass of brandy.
Lucy’s father had dominated the majority of the dinner conversation, though Andrew seemed more than happy to accommodate him by the way he interjected his own opinions as if what Lord Honeyfield had to say was important. Lucy, herself, felt it was all a bore and wondered if the lengthy dinner would finally come to an end so she could excuse herself to return to the room she had been assigned. It was difficult for her to see the room as her own; when Andrew asked her to consider Chudleigh Hill as her home, she found the idea almost painful.
“I have been meaning to ask,” Lucy said when the conversation lulled, “the books in the library, do you mind if I read them?”
Andrew set down his glass and gave her a puzzled look. “They are our books, not just mine, so please, read whatever catches your eye.”
Lord Honeyfield put his fork down with a loud clank, making everyone at the table jump. “Speaking of books,” he said, his voice now a bit slurred, “I have just finished an excellent volume on the wool trade. I forgot to include it in my things on this journey, but if you would like, I can bring it the next time we are here.”
“That would be very kind of you,” Andrew replied happily.
Lucy held back the urge to roll her eyes as the two men continued with a conversation about sheep. The irony of the fact they were eating the very animal about which they were discussing did not slip past her, and it took much control to keep from laughing.
Lady Honeyfield, on the other hand, was enjoying her glass of wine, perhaps a bit too much in Lucy’s opinion, but the fact that the actions of both her parents had not changed even through the months of her illness left her with a comfortable feeling of familiarity. Despite how comfortable she felt, she had learned that life was simply too short to spend it becoming inebriated and discussing farm animals; although, if she were to suggest to her mother that she was indeed even the tiniest bit intoxicated, the woman would have argued nonstop until Lucy retracted her statement.
Lucy realized that, if she was to have an interesting conversation of any sort, it would be up to her to provide the topic. “How long have you and Aunt Judith been on speaking terms?” she asked.
Her mother gave her a quick smile. “For some time now,” she replied. “Why do you ask?”
“I was simply wondering why you were going to visit her when my last memory of you two was a very nasty argument which led you both to pledge never to speak to one another ever again.”
“That was a long time ago,” Lady Honeyfield said with a quick wave of her hand as if to say the matter was not important enough to discuss. “We all have our moments of anger, but we have put aside our differences and move on. Now, tell me, have you received word from Charlotte yet?” Lucy’s mother always had a way of changing the subject if she chose not to continue on a vein for which she felt either uncomfortable or which caused her boredom, and Lucy was much too tired to keep up the pretense.
However, twice her mother had avoided discussing her sister, which only piqued her interest even more. What could her mother be hiding from her concerning Lucy’s Aunt Judith? And with a surge of curiosity, Lucy vowed to get to the bottom of whatever it was her mother was trying to hide.
Chapter Ten
Hannah drew a brush through Lucy’s blond tresses as Lucy fumed. Her parents would be leaving for her Aunt Judith’s this morning, and no matter how much wine Lucy had offered her mother the previous evening, the woman refused to discuss her sister Mary and the reason she had not come with her parents.
“I am telling you, Hannah, I know my mother. She is hiding something from me; I am certain of it.” Then she paused. “I wonder if Andrew knows what she is not telling me.”
“I don’t know,” Hannah replied. “No one says anything to me, but if they did, I would tell you.” She smiled, which Lucy saw reflected in the mirror, and Lucy’s heart warmed.
Lucy turned and took Hannah’s hand in her own. “Thank you,” she said, hoping her tone would express how much she appreciated her. “I know you spoke of us being on friendly terms before, and to be honest, I was unsure at first. However, now I know we are becoming fast friends once again.”
Hannah’s cheeks reddened significantly. “It is an honor to hear that from a Lady such as yourself,” she said quietly, though the pride in her voice was clear. It was not common for a woman of Lucy’s position to befriend a person who was in all reality her servant, but she had no friends at the moment and needed one terribly. However, she found herself realizing that, even if she were to reconnect with her past friends, she would still consider Hannah one of, if not the best of friends.
Lucy turned back to the mirror and allowed Hannah to finish her hair. The woman was very adept at the latest styles, but today Lucy had insisted on something simple. There was no one who would see her today who would be concerned anyway. As Hannah worked, Lucy found her mind wandering once again. How was she to learn what had happened during the missing time period? She needed someone she could trust, someone who would tell her the truth no matter the cost. She glanced up at Hannah.
“Hannah?”
“Yes?”
“I was wondering if you would do me a favor.”
“Of course,” Hannah said, though she said the words with a bit of hesitancy and gave Lucy a suspicious gaze that made Lucy want to laugh.
“No, it is nothing too terrible,” Lucy assured her. “I would never ask you to intentionally eavesdrop on anyone, but if you were to ever happen to overhear anything at any time that you feel might interest me, would you be willing to share that information with me?”
Hannah seemed to consider her request before replying, “Yes, I would tell you.”
“Even if it was something terrible? Something that might upset me?”
“Yes, even if it was something that I felt you might not like to hear, if that is what you’d want me to do, I’d tell it.”
Lucy took Hannah’s hand in hers. “Thank you,” she said. “I appreciate your loyalty, and your care.” She looked at herself in the mirror one last time and nodded. Her hair had been swept up into a simple hairstyle tied with a yellow ribbon that matched the yellow dress she wore. “You have done a lovely job.” She sighed. “Now I must go see off my parents.”
Hannah followed Lucy into the hallway but then went left toward the back of the house as Lucy turned right toward the main stairway. Lucy was still amazed that Hannah continued to help with household duties when most women in her position would have taken the leisurely route and read when she had no work to do for her mistress. Lucy would have to talk to Andrew about seeing she got a small increase in her pay to show their gratitude.
Mason, the butler of Chudleigh Hill stood by the front door, as stiff and formal as always, bowing as Lucy walked past him and out into the bright sunlight that fell over the front of the house. The luggage had already been loaded on the back of the carriage and her parents, st
anding deep in conversation with Andrew, had yet to see her approach.
Lord Honeyfield pulled out his gold pocket watch Lucy recognized as the one her mother had given him on his birthday when Lucy was only nine years of age. “We really must be leaving if we are to be at Mary’s by nightfall.”
Lucy’s mother nodded. “I agree. If we are much later, then the boy will be asleep, and that will be yet another day we are unable to spend with him.”
Lucy halted her steps, their words confusing her. They were not on their way to see her mother’s sister, but instead were off to visit Mary? Lucy’s mind raced as she tried to make sense of what she had heard.
Lady Honeyfield glanced over, and when she noticed Lucy standing there, she smiled, though it had an undercurrent of surprise. “Oh, my dear, I am so glad you have made it before we left,” her mother gushed. Then she quickly added, “Although, we would not have left without saying goodbye to you, of course.”
“Yes,” said Lucy’s father with a broad smile, “leaving without seeing you once more is not even a consideration.” He took a step forward with his arms outstretched, but Lucy held up a hand to stop his embrace.
“You are going to visit Mary?” Lucy asked, trying to keep her anger under control. “Why did you lie and say you were visiting Aunt Judith?”
Her parents gave each other nervous glances. “I…that is, we did not want to upset you,” her mother said. “It was I who withheld the truth of our destination.”
“But why?” Lucy asked angrily. “Why would you visiting my sister upset me? And who is this boy you speak of?”
Her father gave her a scolding look. “You do not speak to your mother this way,” he admonished.
Lucy, however, continued to glare. She would not be bullied into silence; she was married now.
“Oh, very well,” Lord Honeyfield said with a deep sigh. “The boy’s name is Peter and he is your nephew.”
Lucy’s eyes widened. “Mary has a child?” she gasped. “When did this happen?” Though the idea that her sister had birthed a child would have made her very happy in normal circumstances, the fact that Lucy had not even known Mary had been with child, let alone already had one, was just one more thing to add to the long list of important events that she felt she had missed.
The Duchess Remembers Page 6