by Tia Siren
Lady Ashmeer could hardly wipe her tears away fast enough, and Lord Ashmeer’s complexion was now ashen.
''Well, my Lord, we must do all we can to put the damage right, as soon as we can. I must apologize to you for the inconsiderate behavior of my daughter. We have always brought her up to be reserved and gentle. Please be assured that we are appalled by her promiscuity. It has shocked my wife and I to the core.''
''And I, Lord Ashmeer, likewise apologize to you for my brother's behavior. He is young and high spirited and it seems the two got a little carried away in their lust for one another.''
''My Lord, thank you for you kind apology. It really isn't necessary. In my opinion they are equally to blame. As you say, they seem to have let their passion run away with them.'' Lord Ashmeer gave a reassuring look to his wife before continuing. ''I have talked to my wife at length, and we are unable to come up with a solution that will save our mutual reputations, other than sending our daughter into exile. That is a possibility. However we do love and care for her, despite her shortcomings, and we would be very loathe to banish her forever.''
''Quite so. She has offended the reputation of both our families, but banishing her to a foreign land forever seems a little harsh.” The Duke paused. “If I may, I would like to offer a solution I believe will serve both our purposes greatly. It will protect the reputation of my brother and your daughter, and restore the reputation of our respective families.''
Lady Ashmeer let out a sigh of relief at the prospect of a solution, even though she still had no idea what it entailed.
''Your daughter and I shall be married.'' Before he could continue, Lady Ashmeer applauded. ''I will sacrifice any chance I have of marrying for love for the sake of everyone involved. When society realizes your daughter is betrothed to me, all the rumors will disappear, and life will return to normal again,'' the Duke continued.
Lord Ashmeer was not immediately as convinced as his wife. ''You would do that to protect everyone? Give up the chance of marrying for love, and instead marry a woman whose reputation has been tarnished?'' he asked, quite astonished at the Duke's sense of duty.
''Indeed, Lord Ashmeer. That is my intention, and nobody will prevent me from that line of thought. Perhaps you would give me your opinion, that we may begin proceedings.''
Lord Ashmeer was a little lost for words, and, for the first time, his wife spoke. ''My Lord, thank you for your kindness. As Alice's mother, I have been unable to sleep for days. She has disappointed me in the extreme. On behalf of my husband and I, I would like to accept your more than generous offer.''
''Then it is settled,'' Philip concluded.
Lord Ashmeer pulled the bell rope and Thomas appeared. ''Thomas, please would you ask Alice to come to us, at once.'' Thomas nodded and set about his task.
The occupants of the room looked at each other in silence as they waited for Alice. When she walked into the room, Philip stood up and bowed. She curtsied. Alice looked pale and she had black rings under her eyes. Eleanor had tried to life her spirits, but nothing had worked. She stood in front of the Duke in a somber brown dress with a closed collar.
''Alice, this is the Duke of Norfolk. He is the elder brother of Reymond Edmonstone. He has come today to talk to us about a solution to the problem you have caused us.'' Alice looked at her feet and shuffled from one to the other. ''We have found a solution that is agreeable to us all. It will protect your reputation and that of Sir Edmondstone. Additionally, it will prevent the names of both families from being drawn any further into the mud.'' Alice looked at the Duke. Her faith in men had been badly dented, but as men went, he seemed charming and handsome. ''You and the Duke will marry,'' her father stated abruptly.
Alice's jaw dropped open. She had always imagined her marriage to be a happy affair, one in which she married for love. Now, that was a distant dream. ''Yes, father,'' she said resigned to her fate.
''My Lord, perhaps you any my daughter would care to walk in the grounds and talk?'' Lady Ashmeer asked.
''Yes, I think that is a good suggestion. We have much to discuss.''
Philip took Alice's arm as they walked on the lawn and down towards the lake.
''Miss Alice, what do you have to say for yourself? Perhaps you could offer me an explanation as to your indecent behavior with my brother.''
Alice's body had recovered quite quickly from the incident with Reymond, but she was having nightmares, and wasn't able to close her eyes for any length of time, without seeing terrible images. ''My Lord, it pains me greatly that you have been put out by my actions. I have nothing to add to what anybody else has said. I will marry you and be a good and faithful wife to you.''
''Do you think it will be as easy as that? Because of your foolish actions, I am forced to marry a woman I don't know and obviously do not love.''
''I understand, my Lord, but you will in time come to love me. Of that I am sure. I will do everything in my power to right the wrong I have done to you.''
''Very well. Let us plan our marriage and live our lives as God chooses, but I will never forgive you for putting me in this unenviable situation, is that clear?''
''Yes, my Lord, perfectly.'' Alice looked down the hill to the lake and wished she could go back to the day when she, Georgina and Sophia had gone swimming. On that day she hadn't had a care in the world, now her mind was laden with poisonous thoughts.
*****
Georgina and Sophia kissed Alice when they arrived at Stanley Hall for tea. They hadn't seen each other since the incident at the Ferguson's. Two days after the ball, when the malicious rumor had started, Lord Ashmeer had placed Alice under arrest. She was told to stay in her room and speak to nobody until the incident was resolved.
They sat on the terrace, and looked down to the lake. Georgina was wearing a blue muslin day dress, with a matching bonnet and Sophia was wearing a bright green dress which had a high waistline and dainty puff sleeves. Alice was again wearing a somber brown dress.
''A marriage?'' Sophia exclaimed. ''I do like weddings. They are such grand occasions, and to marry a Duke. Alice, you will be a Duchess, think of that. My friend a Duchess.''
''Well, I don't think it will be a grand occasion at all, Sophia,'' Georgina said angrily. ''What could possibly be grand about a forced marriage? If that man hadn't done what he did to Alice, none of this would have happened. I think you should tell your father, Alice. You should tell him what really happened.''
''I can't. Sir Reymond is a gentleman of the highest breeding, nobody would believe me. I have no choice but to marry his brother.''
''But it seems so unfair. It wasn't your fault. He forced himself on you and hurt you in the most intimate place. He is a scoundrel and he deserves something bad to happen to him,'' Georgina said, slamming her tea cup down, almost breaking the saucer.
''Georgina, Sophia, please listen to me. You are my dearest friends and I love you both. I am to be married because fate has dealt me a very bad hand. I must make the best of it, for the sake of my family and the Duke. I will marry the Duke and I will love him. Please do not pity me or think badly of me for doing so.''
''I admire your courage,'' Sophia said.
''Why don't you just tell the Duke what happened? Surely he knows his brother is a bad man, when it comes to his treatment of ladies,'' Georgina asked.
''I will not drive a wedge between the Duke and his brother. I am sure, in time, my steadfast love for the Duke will convince him that I am a good woman.''
''It's all my fault,'' Georgina added. ''If it hadn't been for my ridiculous suggestion, you wouldn't have needed to even speak to him.''
''It's not your fault Georgina, please don't blame yourself. Who knows, I may have spoken to him anyway. He was certainly handsome,'' Alice said.
''But from what you tell me, the Duke is even more handsome. I know you are being forced to marry him, but it could have been worse. He could have been a plain Duke,” Sophia said.
''Thank you, Sophia, that is a very comforting t
hought,'' Alice said, not quite sure whether it really was comforting or not.
Once Georgina and Sophia had drunk all the tea and eaten all the butterfly buns, they took their leave of Alice. It was six in the evening, and almost time for Alice to get dressed for dinner. Usually Alice would have gone inside after her friends had left, but she was waiting for someone, and he was late.
''Charles, finally. Where have you been?''
''Alice I am so sorry, father kept me. He can't stop talking about naval college and what lies ahead of me in my training. Listen, Alice, I've heard all the rumors, and I don't believe them. What did he do to you?''
Alice had never kept a secret from any of her friends and she wasn't about to do so now. ''He forced himself on me.''
''Oh, Alice. I am so sorry. When I'm a Captain, I'll have him press ganged and keelhauled,'' Charles said seriously.
''Thank you for your kind expressions of concern. What has happened cannot be changed. I will marry his older brother, the Duke of Norfolk, that everyone's reputation be protected.''
''But, Alice. You can't. You of all people deserve to marry for love.''
''He is very handsome and I will be a Duchess. I will never want for anything. My life will be more comfortable than almost anyone in the land.''
''But what is that without love?''
''Charles you are far too romantic to be a sailor,'' Alice said as the first smile she had had for several days crossed her lips. ''I am going to marry the Duke come what may. The reputation of my parents is too important to me. But I want you to do something for me. Something that I will be forever grateful for.''
******
Alice lay in the bath and held her breath as Eleanor rinsed her hair.
''Eleanor, you have been terribly quiet over the last few days. Are you unwell?''
''No, Miss Alice. I am quite well.''
''Then what is the matter?''
''It is not my place to say, Miss Alice.''
''Please, Eleanor. I consider you a friend. Please unburden yourself.''
''Those bruises, on your thighs, Miss. A man of honor does not do that to a lady. I know what has befallen you, and it has upset me more than you could ever know.''
''Oh, Eleanor. You are of course correct. Something terrible has happened. Something a gentleman should never do to a lady. |But it has happened, and I must move on.''
''I understand, Miss Alice, but I want to tell you one thing. Please, before you accept your fate and never mention the deed again, think of the next lady and the next after her. That is all I will say on the matter.''
''Thank you, Eleanor. You are very wise and kinder than is good for me. I wanted to talk to you anyway. I need your help and I hope you will agree.''
*****
All the servants at Stanley Hall lined up to wish Miss Alice well on her wedding day. As she left the house on her father's arm, they looked at her beautiful white dress and the veil that hid her face. They burst into applause. Eleanor was unable to prevent a tear running down her cheek as Alice nodded at her. Alice's father looked dashing in a black morning coat, gray waistcoat and blue cravat. Thomas had spent days polishing Lord Ashmeer's shoes, and when Lord Ashmeer looked down, he could see the clouds reflected in them.
''Are you ready, my dear?'' he asked Alice
''Quite ready, father,'' she replied. Lord Ashmeer banged on the inside of the coach, and they set off with a jolt. Lord Ashmeer had hired the coach specially because it was capable of being drawn by six horses, and he'd wanted to make a good impression. His daughter was marrying a Duke, and he had to put on a good show. He had even hired a marquee, and had it erected on the lawn for the wedding breakfast.
As was the fashion, the wedding was to be a small family affair only attended by family and close friends. Alice had chosen Georgina and Sophia to be her attendants, and when the coach stopped outside the church, they were standing ready to greet her. Alice’s father helped her down, and Georgina and Sophia, dressed in white dresses adorned with embroidered daisies, fussed around her for a short time.
Lord Ashmeer held out his arm for his daughter and they entered the church. When Alice was almost at the altar, she saw him standing next to the Duke. It had never crossed her mind that he would be the Duke's best man, and that she would have to stand so close to him, on the day of her wedding. She felt trapped.
After the vicar had pronounced them man and wife, Alice and the Duke walked out of the church into a guard of honor. Georgina and Sophia held up an arch made from Yew branches, and when they walked under it everyone clapped.
The Duke and Alice climbed into the grandest carriage Alice had ever sat in, and they set off back to Stanley Hall.
''Alice, are you alright? You looked like you had seen a ghost when you arrived next to me in the church,'' Philip said.
''I am quiet alright. It was just something of a shock to see your brother again.''
''I understand, but you will see him more often from now on, he is, after all, my brother. The affair you and my brother had almost cost me my reputation, and certainly cost me any happiness I might have found with a woman I loved. I would therefore, ask you to behave normally around him.''
There were thirty five people in the marques when the Duke and Alice cut the wedding cake. Alice smiled, and the Duke looked somber as the knife slid through the cake. As everyone tucked in, Reymond walked around the table and bent down next to Alice. ''You look lovely, my dear, and congratulations on your marriage to my brother. I didn't get a chance to kiss you at the church. It is of no consequence, however, there will be plenty of times when my brother is away on business. I visit you then and we can continue where we left off.''
Alice almost fainted. Despite the Duke's best efforts, she would never be rid of his detestable brother.
*****
When Philip and Alice arrived in London at the Savoy, they went straight up to the honeymoon suit.
Alice had changed after the wedding into a salmon pink gown and bonnet. On the way to London, Alice had tried to put the Duke's brother out of her mind. She was married now and surely her husband would protect her. She wanted to concentrate on her wedding night and give herself to him, in a way that he would enjoy.
The suit consisted of a regal bedroom, a lounge, and a bathroom. The floor was bedecked with a navy blue carpet in the lounge and bedroom, and gold and gray striped wall paper. The bed was a four poster covered with crisp cotton bed clothes.
The Duke sat and read a newspaper in the lounge as Alice busied herself in the bathroom. When she came out she was wearing a beautiful silk nightgown that clung to her breasts and hips. Her blonde hair was swept back and tied with a ribbon and her long smooth legs shone in the candle light. When Philip looked at her he saw her nipples pointing through the material, waiting for his touch. She was a picture of beauty, the like of which he had never seen before. Alice walked into the bedroom and lay down on the bed in a seductive pose. The Duke followed her and sat down on the edge of the bed.
''Alice, I have to talk to you,'' Philip said. ''You are beautiful and the most seductive lady I have ever seen. But I am not in love with you. What you and my brother did together is still fresh in my mind, and I find myself unable to touch you. I do no mean to be cruel or unkind, but those are my feelings, and, until they change I will not be able to touch you, let alone make love to you.''
''My Lord is wise, and I bow to your superior knowledge in matters of the heart. I understand, and I hope one day you will come to see me as I really am. Not a woman of a promiscuous nature, but a woman who is kind and loving and who can make you happy. You will come to love me, and one day you will desire me. I will wait for you patiently until that day.''
They slept in the same bed but did not touch each other. Alice didn't cry. She had cried all she could in the last weeks, and now it was time to stop and concentrate on her marriage and future happiness.
*****
Alice started her married life in Winthorpe Hall, the Duke's summer
residence. The Duke owned three houses in all. A summer residence, or rather palace, a winter residence in London, and a house in Scotland that he used to entertain guests during the shooting season.
Winthorpe Hall was a massive house. Far larger than Stanley Hall, or any house Alice had ever been in. It reminded Alice of pictures she had seen of the Palace of Versailles. It had a beautiful raised terrace at the rear and a large ornamental garden.
Georgina and Sophia came to stay, and they had looked with open mouths at the opulence of the place. During their stay they had talked of old times and the future. Alice had been very sad to see them go, but she was a Duchess now, and she had responsibilities. Her husband still hadn't touched her, but she had a household to run and to a small degree it took her mind off the Duke's stubbornness. The household she reigned over included thirteen maids, six footmen, five gardeners, four coachmen, a cook, and innumerable kitchen hands.
The summer was drawing to a close, and Alice had decided what she wanted to do. When Philip came onto the terrace and sat next to her, she opened the conversation.
''It is time for me to reconcile my differences with your brother.'' Philip raised his eyebrows at her suggestion before she continued. ''It was just a moment of lust and silliness, and I really feel it is time to put it behind us. What do you say?''
''It would indeed be a step in the right direction, but it will never take away the fact that you did something very hurtful to our families.''
''Yes, my Lord, you are right. I realize I may never win your trust, but I would like to do all I can to do so.''
''So what do you propose?''
''I would like to invite you, and your brother, to Stanley Hall for a picnic by the lake. We will sit, talk, relax and eat to our hearts content. It is a lovely place and it will be a great opportunity to smooth things over. I will invite Georgina and Sophia. They will be most agreeable company for your brother, and, who knows, he may even take one as his wife.''