“Hurry, My Lady,” Christina said formally, entering Luci’s chambers and bidding her freshen up. “Your parents have summoned you to speak with them, they said it is an urgent matter!”
“Urgent?” Luci asked, looking up from her book. “But I was only out with Bradley but a day ago! Surely they have not had the chance to speak to him already?”
“I know not, but you must hurry,” the governess said, already tackling Luci’s dark brown waves with a hairbrush and refreshing the wispy curls that framed her face.
“Oh Christina! Do you suppose Bradley has come to speak to Father at last?” Luci cried, jumping up from her chair and causing Christina to recoil, pulling the hairbrush close to her heart in surprise.
“There is but one way to find out, and that is to allow me to finish dressing you so that you might do as you were bade.” Christina sounded as reproachful as ever, but there was something about her tone that belied her words. She sounded almost as excited and happy as Luci, knowing that this was the fulfillment of her young mistress’ desires.
“All right, hurry then. I don’t want to waste any more time than I must being plain old Lady Luciana, not when I might soon become Lady Stillscar, the wife of my beloved Bradley!”
When Christina pronounced her finished, Luci bolted from the room and raced down the stairs. Her governess trailed behind her, calling out fervent instructions to remember her manners and stop running at once.
At the door to the drawing room, Luci turned to beam at Christina, and for her part the governess pulled her into a swift embrace. “I wish you every happiness, you know that,” her governess whispered in her ear before letting her go.
“Father, Mother,” Luci said, entering the drawing room and curtseying slightly. “I was informed you wished to speak to me?”
No sooner had she greeted her parents than Luci sensed something was terribly wrong. The air seemed thinner somehow, and catching her breath proved difficult. Her father’s face was ashen, and her mother’s eyes were red from intense crying. Luci’s mind raced as she thought what possible scenario could cause them such grief.
“Father, what is it?” she demanded fearfully, racing to his side and falling to her knees beside his chair.
Lord Thornshire looked up from where his hands rested in his lap and met his daughter’s eye. He reached out a hand and stroked her hair gently, the look of sadness on his face only growing as he did.
“My daughter, my sweet child,” he began, but it was a long moment before he could finish his sentiment. “I have received an offer of marriage on your behalf from a gentleman of both title and means.”
Luci fought to suppress a smile that Bradley had at last spoken to her father, but for a moment her heart faltered. She would not have been so eager to become his wife if she had but known how much her parents would be grieved by losing her.
“But Father! This is a happy occasion, is it not? Why do you both look so unhappy?” Luci asked, placing a kiss on her father’s hand before rising and going to her mother. Lady Thornshire wept anew and pulled her daughter to her.
“Daughter, we are old but not yet blind,” her father said quietly, looking down in shame once again. “We are well aware that you have certain affections for one Bradley Landon, Earl of Stillscar.”
“You do? But how did you know? I was careful always to preserve my reputation!” Luci said, perplexed at how they might have known but still not understanding their sadness.
Her parents did not answer, and Luci began to suspect that her beloved governess might have had a hand in the revealing. But it mattered not. Bradley had made an offer, after all, and how anyone knew was of little consequence.
“Daughter, we have the most troubling news,” her father continued, and her mother’s weeping turned to quiet sobs. “It was not Lord Stillscar who spoke to me.”
Luci turned to look at Lord Thornshire, her confusion slowly replaced by torment. Of course, that would be the cause of their deep grief. They knew of her love for Bradley, yet it was another man who’d spoken for her.
“But I don’t understand, I know of no one else!” she whispered, her fear causing her breath to stall in her lungs.
“His name is Gideon Cross, the Marquess of Ambergrave,” her father said slowly, her mother still unable to speak as she clung to Luci. “He is only recently returned to Ambergrave, having spent a number of years abroad.”
“And what did you answer him, Father?” Luci demanded, her emotions swirling until they formed the darkest mood. “Tell me! What was your reply?”
Her father stood up and paced the length of the room, turning only once he reached the fireplace. Luci saw that he clung to the mantel as though for support when his physical strength seemed to falter.
She had her answer. His silence told her everything she needed to know.
“But why? Why him? When you knew of my feelings for Lord Stillscar and therefore must know that he returns my same affections?” she asked, tears spilling forth in earnest now.
The Earl was overcome, unable to give his daughter any word of comfort. Instead, her mother took her hands and looked down at her where she cried. Forcing the words to come, she explained.
“My darling child, we are penniless. Your father’s partner left us, and there were debts that are too great for us to overcome. Even with a sum such as Lord Stillscar must have inherited, any bride price would be insufficient. And how would your father ask his son-in-law for such an amount?”
“That’s it? You’ve sold me to a stranger because he had the winning bid?” Luci asked bitterly. “All this time, you’ve led me to believe that love and happiness were what mattered, that security was pleasant but that we had the means to seek love instead of wealth!”
“That was before we knew we were ruined, my child,” her father finally said, his back still to Luci and unable to look at her. “It is my own fault, and if my very death could repair the harm, I would gladly take my life to see you avoid a fate such as this.”
His stark words were the awakening Luci needed. She flew to his side and clutched at his arm, weeping more forcefully now.
“You mustn’t say such a thing, Father! Nay, do not even think it! I would marry the foulest cretin to walk the glens before I would wish you harm,” she cried, and her father held her tightly.
“But are you certain there is no other way?” she asked, her voice muffled in the collar of her father’s coat. “I will do anything you require, but have you thought of every possibility that might let me avoid it?”
“I’m so sorry, Luci,” he whispered, kissing the top of her hair. “If there were any other way, I would never ask it of you. Remember, this is not in any way to secure your mother and myself against ruin. I only seek to preserve your reputation and your standing with this match, nothing more.”
“Father, I care not for my standing or reputation, I only care for our family’s happiness!” Luci answered, wiping away her tears to look at her father. “Please, we’ll all go. We’ll leave here, and live… we’ll live on one of your ships. We’ll sail the world, only so long as we’re together!”
“My girl, there are no ships,” he whispered, his own tears falling silently and spotting the front of his coat, mixing with his daughter’s tears. “It’s all gone. Everything I’ve built, everything I’ve worked for. Everything had to be sold to pay the debts my company incurred. All we have left is this house and our belongings, though your mother has generously parted with much of her jewels and some of our things in order to provide us even the funds to pay our staff and put food on our table.”
“Is it truly so dire, Mother? Your beautiful things, gone?” Luci asked, returning to her mother’s side.
“It matters not,” her mother answered, though her fresh tears told Luci that was not true. “All that matters is that we pay off what we rightfully owe and that we do not turn our servants out without their wages.”
Luci looked around the beautiful room and suddenly took notice of the empty spa
ces. A painting that hung over the pianoforte was gone, as was the pianoforte itself. The ornate silver tea service that typically sat on the tea cart was no longer there, replaced with one of the tin sets that was brought up when they took their breakfast a-bed or were feeling poorly. Here and there a candelabra or a vase were gone, either replaced by a lesser object or simply missing entirely.
If this is what the drawing room where her parents received guests looked like, Luci could not begin to imagine what sort of pillaging and pilfering other rooms of the house might have succumbed to. All but her room, of course. It was if they had spared her every slight or inconvenience in their quest to remain in good standing.
All but for selling her to the highest bidder.
“Stop it, Luci,” she chided herself silently. “They have sacrificed so much already, the very least you can do is put on a brave face. Many other girls marry without ever knowing who their husband might be.”
But those girls did not already have their hearts set on marrying their true love, of course. Luci couldn’t not envision how she might break the awful news to Bradley.
“Mother, tell me. If I must marry Lord Ambergrave, what shall I do about Br—I mean, Lord Stillscar? I know that he intends to speak to Father when he has finished some of his business matters. How will I inform him of this grievous news?”
Lady Thornshire smiled lovingly at her daughter and brushed some of the girl’s hair back from her face. “Do not trouble yourself. When Lord Stillscar requests to speak with your father, he will simply inform him that he declines the offer and has already promised you to someone.” Her mother’s voice cracked with emotion as she spoke those last words, but she put on a brave face.
“Should he not hear it from me?” Luci asked tearfully. “Is it not the least I can do to inform him myself so that he does not think I was playing him for a fool?”
“No, dear. He will not think so,” her mother replied. “These matters are settled in this way rather commonly, and as such, he will know that it is how it is done. Besides, if you are the one to tell him, he may attempt to persuade you otherwise. You may even have to be truthful about our humiliating circumstances. That would bring scandal on us all.”
“Will you, Father?” Luci asked, standing before her father and asking softly, “Will you let him know in the kindest possible way? And tell him that though my heart was set on marrying him, I must reluctantly obey my parents’ wishes?”
“I will, darling Luci,” he replied. “I will be sure he knows that you chose him, but that I forbade the marriage. It is the least I can do to shoulder the blame for your misery.”
Luci smiled gratefully the took a deep breath to steel herself. She stood up straighter and squared her shoulders, holding her head high.
“When shall I meet this unwelcomed husband?”
Chapter 5
In the two weeks leading up to the wedding, Luci prayed daily for a reprieve. She would never break her parents’ hearts with a demonstrable display of unwillingness, but that did not prevent her from wishing on every third flower petal and praying at every chime of the clock that some way could be found to spare her this fate.
Perhaps the matter with Father’s business was all a terrible mistake, and his wealth could be restored, she wondered. Or perchance that Bradley would be done with his dealings and ride to her parents’ house straightaway to ask for her hand, announcing that his fortune was now so vast as to eclipse that of Lord Ambergrave?
“Luci, you must not do this to yourself,” Bette said one afternoon when she’d paid a call, only to find Luci bedridden from crying. Christina, who’d summoned Bette to cheer her mistress’ spirits, nodded silently. “You must accept what is to be your future, and do so with a willing, happy heart. There is no point in upsetting yourself and hoping for things that will not come to pass.”
“But you don’t know that!” Luci protested. “Perhaps Bradley has only been called away and does not know of my terrible predicament.”
“My dear, the banns have been posted and read this week,” Christina reminded her. “Even should Lord Stillscar not have been at church this Sunday past, word would have surely gotten to him.”
“But if he is abroad on business, he would not know. I may still be saved,” Luci argued, smiling through her tears. “I must find a way to get word to him, he is my only hope!”
Bette and Christina exchanged a nervous glance, slight though it was, but it was enough that Luci noticed. She frowned deeply and asked, “What is it?”
“My dear Luci,” Bette said sadly, “Lord Stillscar is not abroad. I… I saw him only yesterday.”
“Well, did you speak to him?” Luci demanded, growing on the verge of anger. “Did you inform him that he must come to my rescue?”
“How could I?” Bette cried. “And risk your reputation when you have already accepted the marriage proposal of Lord Ambergrave? As I told you, the banns have been read. To cancel the marriage now would require some great cause, and simply changing your mind is not sufficient.”
Luci fell back against the pillows and sobbed, the last particles of hope drifting just out of her reach. Christina sat on the other side of her and brushed her shoulders gently.
“Luci, think of it. Please. Even if Lord Stillscar could prevent this great weight, it would still not alleviate the struggles your parents face,” she said gently for what felt like the tenth time. “But you are going about this all wrong.”
“I am?” her muffled voice asked. “How?”
“You are not affording Lord Ambergrave the chance to prove his worth to you,” the governess continued, trying to sound brighter. “Perhaps his wealth is not the only thing that outshines that of Lord Stillscar. Perhaps he… he… maybe he likes to ride horses just as much as you do.”
“I should cast off the love of my life to marry a man who enjoys riding horses?” Luci demanded angrily.
Christina sighed, imploring Bette to help her with a glance. Bette added, “What if Lord Ambergrave loves you even more than that old useless Lord Stillscar? Have you thought of that? There must have been a reason he decided to speak to your father, after all. Gentlemen simply do not go about knocking on doors and inquiring if there are any unmarried daughters within.”
“That’s true!” Christina echoed eagerly. “And no one seems to have heard of Lord Ambergrave, at least not in any personal way other than knowing he has reopened Ashworth Hall. So what would have prompted him to make an offer if not because he had heard of your beauty, and your charm, and your love of the outdoors, and… and… many other admirable characteristics you possess?”
Though Luci had remained unconvinced over the next few days of Lord Ambergrave’s fine qualities and apparent deep devotion for her—both of which miraculously grew every time Bette or Christina or even Lady Thornshire spoke of him to Luci—she was at least relieved that her wedding day would be here soon and this dreadful worrying would be behind her. If she could not have Bradley, dear object of her affection that he would forever be, at least she would not have to wait long to suffer her unavoidable fate.
The wedding was a small, solemn affair.
Lord and Lady Thornshire were present, of course, and Lady Elizabeth served as Luci’s attendant. Christina accompanied the ladies to the small chapel where the vicar would preside over the brief ceremony, and then all would be done.
Peering into the small sanctuary from the narthex, Luci pressed a gloved hand to her mouth. “Oh dear Heaven, is that him? He’s hideous.”
“What are you talking about?” Bette demanded, straining to see inside the darkened chapel without giving themselves away.
“That man there, beside the vicar.” Luci began to breathe faster, the air closing in on her. “It’s as you feared, I’m marrying a doddering old man with a cane!”
“Oh, you goose. Would you control yourself?” Bette answered, swatting at Luci’s arm playfully. “That’s not your husband, that’s the bishop. He’s here from the House of Lords and stay
ing with my father, so he came at the request of Lord Thornshire.”
Bette stood on tiptoe to see over Luci’s shoulder, then pointed discretely towards the baptismal font. “There, Lord Ambergrave is standing over by the doorway. See? And I think he’s rather handsome, don’t you agree?”
Luci trained her eyes on the man at the far end of the chapel. It was true, he was rather pleasing to the eye. Tall and ruggedly built, he was an imposing figure due in large part to the severe expression he wore. At first he appeared to have dark hair like Luci’s, but when he walked nearer to the window she saw that it was actually tinged with a reddish hue that shone in the light.
His most striking feature, though, were his eyes, lighter green than any emerald Luci had seen. From where she stood, they still shone across the chapel as though made of purest jade.
A Court of Thorns for Lady Ambergrave: A Historical Regency Romance Novel Page 4