Annabelle's Courtship

by Lucy Monroe

  He lifted Belle down and turned with her toward the house. His mother stood on the top of the stairs, the front door open behind her. Her black gown set off her fragile beauty and lovely blonde hair, sprinkled with gray.

  “Hello, Mother, I have brought my wife to meet my family.” He did not know what he had expected, but his mother giving a choked cry and rushing down the stone steps was not it. She threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

  “What is the matter?” He pulled away from her and looked closely at her face for fresh signs of new grief. All he could see were the soft lines of laughter that had always characterized his mother’s eyes and the same muted sadness she had worn at the funeral for his stepfather. “Has something happened?”

  She shook her head, but when she tried to speak, tears choked her. He waited, unwilling to enter the hall until she explained her bizarre behavior.

  Belle came to both their rescue. “I believe, Ian, that your mother is pleased to see you.”

  When his mother nodded in agreement, but continued to blink back tears, he wanted to shout.

  “’Tis no a cause for tears then.”

  Belle asked, “Have you been back to Lansing Hall since you ended your first betrothal?”

  Understanding dawned. It mattered to his mother. His separation from their family had hurt her. Why had he not seen this before? “Nay, lass. I have not been back.” He spoke to his wife, but did not take his gaze off of his mother.

  From the corner of his eye, he saw Belle nod. “Then there is your explanation. Your mother has come to the conclusion that there will finally be peace again in your family.” Turning to her new mother-in-law, Belle smiled. “I do believe that you are right. Now that Ian is married, he will no longer have time to brood over past altercations. He will be too busy keeping me out of trouble, you see.” As so often happened around his wife, laughter replaced his mother’s tears. “I imagine he will.” She smiled at her son. “Come, we must get your wife inside. The evening is coming and with it a chilly wind.” Ian had not noticed, but Belle shivered beside him. He immediately set his mother away from him and drew his wife’s arm through his to lead her inside. His mother wrapped her fingers around his other arm and they proceeded into the hall.

  “Where is Lansing?” He had not called his brother by his given name, Edward, since the betrayal.

  “I am right here.”

  Ian swung around at the sound of his younger brother’s voice. He inclined his head in greeting. “Lansing.”

  Edward was a younger, blond version of himself. Right down to the proudly arrogant stance he took. “MacKay.”

  Ian felt his mother stiffen next to him. She stepped away and gave him and Edward equally disgusted looks. He was not surprised. What did surprise him was that his wife did the exact same thing. She, however, did not content herself with a good glare.

  “Lansing? MacKay?” She crossed her arms over her breast and tapped her little booted foot in a staccato tattoo against the marble tile of the hall. “Senility is generally reserved for the aged. I did not realize that gentlemen of your years could actually forget one another’s first names.”

  Ian wanted to laugh, but held back as his wife continued her tirade. “Let me help you. Lord Lansing, may I present to you, your brother, Ian?” Belle turned toward his mother. “Mother, you don’t mind me calling you mother?” His mother shook her head. Her dazed eyes fixed on her whirlwind daughter-in-law.

  Belle nodded her approval. “Good. Mother, would you please reintroduce Ian to his brother.”

  With a barely concealed smile, Lady Lansing, complied. “Ian, may I present your brother, Edward?”

  Edward glared at Belle. Ian assumed his brother did not find her little comedy amusing. “I know my brother’s name.”

  Belle sighed. “I am so relieved. The idea that I had married into a family with a disposition for weak minds quite frightened me.” Edward’s face turned nearly purple with fury. Before he could vent it and give Ian a good excuse to plant him a facer, his mother interrupted. “Let us go in to the drawing room. It would be unkind to force Jenna into the hallway to meet her new sister, in her condition.”

  So, Jenna was with child. Ian felt no jealousy. He could only think how much he would like to see Belle big with child. She moved back to his side and took his arm.

  Edward led their mother into the room ahead of them.

  Ian felt a twinge of concern when they entered the opulent surroundings. Lady Beauford’s drawing room paled in comparison to the opulence of Lansing Hall. What would Belle think of Graenfrae with its interior stone walls and sparse furniture? He looked down to see her reaction to his brother’s home.

  She was oblivious to her surroundings. Her eyes were fixed on the woman sitting with her feet propped up by the fire.

  Jenna’s fiery red hair was piled on top of her head in a cascade of curls. Her mourning black set off the milky white smoothness of her skin. At one time Ian had found her beautiful. Now her demurely set lips and perfectly composed features appeared anemic next to his own spirited wife.

  Edward immediately went to Jenna’s side, as if to protect her from some unseen enemy. Edward glared at Ian. With a shock, Ian realized that he was that perceived enemy. “I am not going to eat your wife for dinner. Relax.” Jenna’s eyes widened.

  Belle tugged on his arm. “Behave yourself. Can you not see that your sister is in a delicate condition? You must not upset her with your lamentable sense of humor.” At the look of shock on the three other faces in the room, Ian decided it was time to introduce his wife. “Mother, Lan-” He looked down at his wife, who gave him a severe frown. “Edward, Jenna, let me introduce my wife, Annabelle.” Edward leaned against the wall near the fireplace. “So, Father’s will was enough impetus to actually see you married. I did not believe I would live to see the day.” His voice dripped with sarcasm.

  Ian considered pushing Edward’s teeth down his throat with a fist. Belle’s fingers lightly rubbing his tensed forearm forestalled him.

  “Aye. I have married and fulfilled the requirements of the will. I will now inherit the money that should have been mine regardless.” As he said the words, Ian realized how much he minded the fact that his stepfather had put conditions on keeping his agreement with Ian’s mother before their wedding. She had married the earl with the understanding that he would settle a portion on Ian for his estates. Edward was not the only member of his family that had betrayed Ian.

  “Do you really believe that some paper marriage to an aging spinster fulfills his wishes?”

  Belle gasped next to him. Her grip on his arm tightened.

  Ian felt dangerously close to violence. “Paper marriage?”

  “Aging spinster?” Belle’s bellow was a fair imitation of his own.

  She saved his brother’s life. Ian laughed at his brother’s ignorance and glanced at Belle. She dinna look like a chit fresh from the schoolroom, but she was far from aged. It was in that moment that Ian realized how angry his brother must be to have insulted his wife with such a ludicrous slur.

  Jenna yanked on her husband’s arm. “That was very rude. You must apologize to our new sister.”

  Ian was stunned that Jenna would take Belle’s part.

  Edward looked as if he would refuse to apologize. Jenna rubbed her protruding middle. Edward sighed like a beaten man. He faced Belle.

  “I apologize. My comment was out of line.”

  Far from being mollified, Ian could see that Belle was just gearing up for an argument. “I should say so. I—”

  Ian did not let her finish. “Edward has apologized. You will leave it at that.” She challenged him with her eyes. “I will?”

  He smiled. “Aye.”

  She melted under his smile and gave him one of her own. “Very well.” Jenna stood up with her husband’s help. “I believe I will take Annabelle to her room.

  Mother, would you like to join us?”

  Lady Lansing agreed quickly. Ian could have insis
ted on joining them, spoiling their obvious ploy to leave him and Edward alone to talk. He didn’t. He wanted to talk to his brother. He no longer had the desire or the energy to sustain his feud with Edward. Belle was right. He needed all of his wits to keep her out of trouble.

  He watched Belle leave the room, his mother on one side and his sister-in-law on the other.

  Ian moved over to stand by the window. He looked into the fading twilight at the park he had not seen in two years. It had been too long. He should have forgiven earlier.

  Until he met Belle, he had not known how.

  She had shown him how to accept the flaws in others. She loved her brother even though Hamilton criticized her involvement in women’s rights. She loved her aunt although Lady Beauford criticized Belle’s dress and her unmarried state regularly, not to mention having a strange idiosyncrasy about not using coal. She loved Ian in spite of all of his flaws.

  It was that knowledge, more than anything else that made Ian turn to his brother and smile.

  “’Tis no a paper marriage, you ken.”

  Edward actually smiled back. “That is obvious. The sparks fly between you like tinder and wood. I spoke out of anger. If it is any consolation, I am certain to pay for it later with Jenna. She had to be quite angry to chastise me before witnesses.”

  Ian understood. He dinna look forward to being on the receiving end of Belle’s temper either. “You did me a favor.”

  “What?” Edward looked wary.

  “If I had married Jenna, I wouldna have found Belle.” Edward nodded. “You love her.”

  How could his brother be so foolish? He did not love Belle. That would open him up to betrayal, wouldn’t it? The question was too disturbing to deal with right now. “I dinna ken about love, but I need her.”

  Edward gave him a knowing smile, but did not argue. He was silent for a long time.

  Finally, he spoke. “We did not betray you. The kiss you saw was me saying good-bye.”

  “Why?”

  “I knew I loved her. I guessed that she shared my feelings and I determined to leave Lansing Hall until you were back at Graenfrae and we were both safe from temptation.”

  “Should I believe you?” He asked the question almost musing to himself.

  Edward took it to heart. “Yes.” He cursed. “You are not the only member of this family with honor. You should have let me explain then.” Ian felt chains loosen and fall away from his heart. “If you loved each other, why not tell me? Did you believe it would be better for me to marry a woman who loved my brother?”

  Edward frowned. “I thought her feelings would change after you wed. I hoped they would.”

  Ian shook his head.

  His brother was a fool. The best thing that could have happened was for Ian to have caught him and Jenna in the garden. All an ugly misunderstanding and he had lost two years of his life with his brother because of it. And gained Belle. From evil came good.

  He sighed. “Are you happy?”

  Edward nodded. “Yes. It really hurt her, you know. You just taking off. Even if I had not loved her, I would have married her.”

  Ian believed him. Another misunderstanding. He had felt that Edward had been given a hero’s role when in fact he had been betrayer. Now, he knew his brother had truly acted the hero, at least in part. Ian did not know if he would ever share the same closeness

  he once had with Edward, but he no longer carried the deep burden of pain and betrayal that had weighted his heart for so long. “She is blessed to have you for her husband.” Edward looked startled. “I am blessed to have her for my wife.”

  “Aye.” Ian surprised himself by smiling again. “Soon you will have a child.” Edward grinned. “Yes, but if anyone told me how difficult pregnant women could be, I would have stayed celibate.”

  Ian laughed at his brother’s lie. “Not bloody likely.” Edward joined in his laughter. “No. I guess not. But just you wait. When Annabelle starts increasing, you will find all manner of excuses to keep you about the estate.” Ian doubted it and he doubted his brother did either. If the look of concern on his face could be believed, Edward kept a very close eye on his pregnant wife.

  Edward’s next words confirmed it. “I had better check on Jenna. She should not be climbing the stairs so often, but she will not listen.” Ian followed Edward up the stairs to find Belle. He wanted to see if she would be interested in giving his future niece or nephew a cousin.

  He found her pacing their bedroom. She stopped and faced him, her stance challenging.

  “Lady Lansing wanted to give us separate chambers, but I explained that you prefer to share one.”

  She frowned at him as if she expected him to deny it. She was still angry about the aged spinster remark. He almost smiled, but did not want to bring out the wrath simmering below the surface. “Aye.”

  She relaxed somewhat. “Yes. Well then.” She peered into his face. “How did your talk with your brother go?”

  He wanted to pull her into his arms. The wary look in her eyes stopped him. “We discussed what occurred two years ago.”

  She nodded, but did not speak.

  “They weren’t going to betray me. Edward planned to leave until after the marriage.”

  “Why did he kiss her?”

  “He was saying good-bye.”

  She snorted. “Most people say good-bye with a word or a handshake.” Belle did not think much of his brother. “He loved her.”

  “Did she love him?”

  Ian nodded. He hoped they were about done with this conversation. He needed to feel his wife’s body against his.

  Her eyes glistened. “I’m sorry.”

  He could not hold back any longer. He pulled her close. “Why are you sorry, lass?”

  “Because your fiancée loved your brother. She should have loved you.” She sounded so sincere. He did not dare laugh.

  “They are happy.”

  She sniffed against him. “She is very beautiful.” He shrugged. “Her beauty holds no appeal for me now.”

  “Did it before? Did you want her, Ian?” He could tell the question was difficult for her to ask.

  He swung her up in his arms. She gasped. He leaned down and placed a hard, possessive kiss on Belle’s soft lips. “I dinna want her, not the way I want you every waking moment.”

  She locked her hands around his neck. “Are you happy, Ian? As happy as your brother?”

  “Nay.”

  She went stiff in his arms.

  “I am happier than my brother could ever hope to be. He only has Jenna. I have you.”

  He fell on the bed with his wife under him.

  She smiled, a smile full of mystery and promise. “Let me show you how happy I can make you.”

  “Ah, lass, ’tis my only wish right now.”

  “We haven’t a lot of time. Your mother said they keep country hours. We have to dress for dinner soon.”

  “So, stop talking and kiss me.”

  He muffled her laughter with his lips.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Ian lay curled around Belle in their bed at Graenfrae. He smiled when he thought of his worries about how she would fit in among his people and what she would think of her new home. The people adored her. He and Belle had been there less than a month and she had already started a school for the tenants’ children, a group for men and women interested in the plight of women in Great Britain and had charmed his housekeeper into keeping fresh flowers in all the public rooms of the castle.

  Belle took personal care of his library and their bedroom. He had discovered the source of a beckoning scent of roses in his library only that morning. She had placed bowls of dried rose petals and heather on several shelves in his library. He should mind that his private retreat now smelled like flowers. He didn’t. It reminded him of his wife and he liked it. He wondered if that had been her plan all along.

  She seemed to be on a campaign of keeping herself at the edges of his consciousness when they were not together. She w
ould walk into his library when he was going over the estate books, brush a light kiss on his cheek and float out again. When he was out checking on the estate, he would spy her across a field conversing with a tenant. She would give him a jaunty wave and blow him a kiss.

  She immersed herself in the improvements he wanted to make to Graenfrae. None of his projects was without her influence. She talked to farmers’ wives, found out their needs and reported back to him. She continued making subtle and not so subtle changes to their home as well. The linens he had bought in London covered their tables and were draped over furnishings throughout the house. She made sure that surfaces were polished and threadbare upholstery was repaired.

  Yet, she insisted on keeping the natural décor to their home. She had told him in no uncertain terms that she loved it and did not want to live in a replica of her aunt’s more formal house. She liked her Scottish castle just fine.

  She loved her husband.

  Ian still felt amazement at the passion and approval she showed him daily. She exhausted him nightly, forcing him to teach her the flexible intricacies of making love.

  He almost laughed out loud. Forcing indeed. He hungered for her company and the silky smoothness of her body constantly. Far from making excuses to be out on the estate, he sought ways to do his business from the castle. He wanted to be with his wife.

  His favorite time of the day had become evening when Belle joined him in his library. She curled up in a chair near the fire and read while he studied new farming and sheep breeding methods. She wanted his mother to come for a visit. He wanted his wife all to himself.

  His mother would be arriving within the week for a prolonged stay.

  She wanted to invite Hamilton and his wife to stay before Lady Hamilton could no longer travel. He told her to wait until after the baby was born.

  The Hamiltons would be arriving in a few weeks and a bloody entourage of servants to care for the increasing marchioness.