The Notorious Marriage

by Nicola Cornick

  My dearest love

  I know of nothing to say other than that I love you so dearly and count the days until I may be back with you. I love you…I love you…

  The letter blurred a little and a fat tear dropped onto the paper. Eleanor wiped her eyes. She was smiling and crying at the same time. She saw Kit take his leave of Lady Salome and start down the steps towards her. She got to her feet. The letters fell to the ground. Eleanor could not tear her gaze away from Kit. As he drew closer she saw that the urgency in her own stance had somehow communicated itself to him. He started to hurry towards her just as Eleanor started to run—positively run—across the grass to him. They met in the middle and Kit swept her up in his arms and spun her round, before setting her back on her feet and looking into her face.

  ‘Eleanor?’ He touched a gentle finger to her tearstained cheek. ‘What has happened? What is the matter?’

  ‘Nothing!’ Eleanor said. She smiled radiantly at him and flung her arms around his neck so that she could reach up to kiss him. ‘I love you, Kit! There is nothing the matter at all!’

  ISBN: 978-1-4268-4018-0

  THE NOTORIOUS MARRIAGE

  Copyright © 2002 by Nicola Cornick

  First North American Publication 2003

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.

  All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.

  This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

  ® and TM are trademarks of the publisher. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.

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  Table of Contents

  Praise for Nicola Cornick’s latest books

  Prologue

  Chapter One May 1814 E leanor Mostyn knew that she was in trouble even before the landlord told her, with a sideways wink and a leer, that there was only one bedchamber and there would be no coaches calling until the next morning. Eleanor, following him into the tiny inn parlour, thoughtfully concluded that the signs were all there: they were miles from the nearest village, it was pouring with rain and the carriage had mysteriously lost a spar when only yards from this isolated inn. What had started out as a simple journey from Richmond to London looked set fair to turn into a tiresome attempted seduction. It had happened to her before, of course—it was one of the penalties of having a shady reputation and no husband to protect her. However, she had never misjudged the situation as badly as this. This time, the relative youth and apparent innocence of her suitor had taken her in. Sir Charles Paulet was only two-and-twenty, and a poet. Though why poets should be considered more honourab

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two ‘T his is ridiculous, my lord,’ Eleanor said in an outraged whisper as Kit, the candle clasped in one hand and his other firmly gripping her elbow, steered them up the rickety stairs to the bedchamber above. ‘Why can we not simply go back to London tonight?’ ‘I do not care to do so,’ her husband said coolly. ‘It is dark and I cannot risk an accident to the wife I have so recently found again…’ Eleanor made a humphing sound. ‘I cannot believe that such matters can weigh with you, my lord! And if you think that I will get one minute of sleep in this flea pit—’ She broke off. It was not the fleas that were troubling her but the thought of sharing a chamber with Kit. She glanced at him apprehensively. His face was set, dark and brooding, and he did not look at her. Eleanor’s stomach did a little flip. ‘You may stay awake if you please,’ Kit said indifferently. ‘I assure you that I am tired from galloping across country to find you and will no doubt sleep as soon as my head touc

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three E leanor had lied. There was no dinner engagement for that night, and as the coach clattered home she remembered that Lord and Lady Fanshawe were in fact out of town, and thought that no doubt Lady Pomfret would discover this for herself and would quiz her about it. The time stretched emptily before her. Would Kit be home for dinner or would he dine at his club? Would he return at all that night? If he did so, would they have anything to say to each other or would they sit staring into space, occasionally making desperate remarks on the decoration of the room or the flavour of the food? Eleanor had observed that many married couples, of long standing or otherwise, had absolutely no conversation with one another and spent their entire time seeking more congenial company. She had not wanted that to happen to her. The house was quiet and Carrick respectfully informed her that Lord Mostyn was out but was expected back for dinner. There were two posies of flowers waiting for h

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four T he following day was fine. Eleanor woke to sunlight, the sounds of the birds and the faint calls of the vendors who were already setting up their stalls in the street outside. For a moment she lay still, feeling vaguely happy. Last night…Last night Kit had kissed her—if that tiniest touch of the lips could really be called a kiss—and it had been very pleasant. Very pleasant indeed. Eleanor frowned. That was not what she had intended. That would not do at all. She was angry with Kit and wished to keep him at arm’s length. The happy feeling drained away. When she went down to breakfast she discovered that Kit had already left the house for some unspecified destination. The remaining scraps of Eleanor’s cheerfulness now disappeared in a manner she could not but admit was contrary. She had wanted to avoid Kit rather than seek him out. Yet… She called Lucy, put on her bonnet and went out. From the extensive list of entertainments that she had put together the previous night s

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five ‘D amnation!’ Eleanor peered at her reflection in the mirror, dropped her reticule on the floor with a thud and sank down on to her bed in a heap. She was already dressed for the ball and now she had decided that she would not attend after all. She was feeling very cross-grained. In fact, she was blue-devilled. ‘Whatever is the matter, milady?’ Lucy enquired mildly. She had been helping her mistress to dress and only a moment before had told her how very pretty she looked. And indeed, Eleanor thought now, she did look her best in her favourite dress, a simple silk slip with gold gauze that flattered her colouring and emphasised the slenderness of her figure. She had chosen the dress for two reasons—one was to give her courage at the first social occasion since Kit’s return and the second…Eleanor snapped her fan closed and drummed it against her fingers. The second reason also featured Kit and here Eleanor frowned ferociously. Her pride had demanded that she look her best s

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six T he singer came to the end of her aria and Eleanor applauded politely, as did the rest of the company. Lady Seaton was so very proud to have persuaded so famous an opera singer as La Perla to perform at her musicale, but it was not to Eleanor’s taste. She preferred country airs and slightly less rarefied songs—such heavy emotion seemed too much for the drawing-room, especially a drawing-room as crowded as Lady Seaton’s. ‘Are you enjoying the music, my love?’ Kit asked, a twinkle in his eye. He was sitting beside her and Eleanor was tolerably sure that he had been asleep during the performance, if that were possible whilst La Perla was forcing out those top notes. She smiled at him prettily. ‘La Perla is a consummate performer, I believe, my lord! It is my fault not hers that the music is not really to my taste!’ Kit laughed. ‘I think we are all in need of something to revive us after that! Shall I fetch you a glass of lemonade, Eleanor?’ Eleanor nodde
d. ‘Thank you, my lord

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven ‘I am dreadfully sorry, my lord.’ Eleanor tilted her parasol against the sunlight in an attempt to prevent herself from squinting. They were walking in the garden after breakfast and it seemed a very bright morning, unnaturally sunny, but perhaps that was merely because her head ached a little. When she had awoken she had had an imperfect memory of the night before, but she knew that it involved a mistaken dose of laudanum and that somewhere along the line she had made a complete cake of herself. She seemed to recall that Kit had been terribly kind to her, which somehow made her feel much worse. She peered at him from beneath the brim of her hat. Kit was not squinting in the sunlight. He looked immaculately elegant to Eleanor’s eyes, making her feel ever so slightly grubby. His hair was a tawny gold, ruffled by the slight wind, and his eyes a deep, dark blue. Eleanor gave an involuntary sigh. ‘I am so very sorry, my lord,’ she said again. ‘I did not intend to become unrul

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight ‘M arcus is in a very bad mood this evening,’ Eleanor whispered to Beth, as they sat out a dance together at Lady Knighton’s rout. ‘Why, he snapped my head off when I asked how he was earlier, and when we danced the boulanger he spoke no more than half a dozen words! Whatever is the matter with him?’ Beth raised her eyebrows expressively and Eleanor smothered a laugh. ‘Oh no! No wonder he is so cross-grained. He and Mama make a matched pair tonight.’ Beth shrugged lightly. ‘I’ll confess he was not best pleased when I refused him!’ ‘It has not made him relent yet,’ Eleanor said. ‘I saw Marcus turn his back very deliberately when Kit passed him in the card-room. You will just have to try harder!’ She looked across the room to where Kit was standing, deep in conversation with Henry Luttrell. She had been introduced to the dashing Captain now and had had two dances with him. Naturally they had made no mention of Kit’s recent sojourn in Ireland, but it was uppermost in Eleanor

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine ‘T hank you so much for accompanying me, my dears!’ Lady Salome Trevithick said, beaming at Kit and Eleanor as the town carriage conveyed them across London. ‘I have so wanted to see the sights—why, it must be all of twenty years since I was last in town, and your mama, my dear Eleanor, was quite appalled at the thought of having to come with me to Westminster Abbey!’ Eleanor smiled. ‘I believe that Mama’s idea of sightseeing is to drive down Bond Street, ma’am! She does not have much energy for walking these days.’ ‘And I, alas, can only bear to go shopping twice a week at the outside!’ Lady Salome said, sighing. ‘We are most incompatible!’ Eleanor caught Kit’s eye and could not help smiling. It was difficult to imagine finding someone who was compatible with the Dowager. Lady Salome, Eleanor’s late father’s sister, had arrived at the house in Montague Street just as they had been taking a late breakfast and Eleanor had been glad of the diversion. When she had arisen late

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten K it relinquished her hands and stood up slowly. There was a strange, stunned look in his eyes, a mixture of disbelief and denial. He cleared his throat. ‘Eleanor, I cannot believe that you really mean that!’ Eleanor clenched her fists. ‘Oh but I do, Kit!’ Her voice wavered slightly and did not have anywhere near the conviction it needed, but she ploughed on. ‘I have been thinking on this for some time. It seems to me that our marriage was hasty in the extreme and that had we but exercised some sense in the first place, it would never have happened!’ She took a quick glance at his face and looked away even more quickly. This was torture. Not only was she tearing herself apart but she was ripping Kit’s feelings to pieces before her own eyes. ‘No,’ Kit said, and there was an angry edge to his voice now. ‘At least do not pretend that we did not care for each other then, Eleanor!’ Eleanor tried to shrug. ‘It was so, I suppose. At least, I thought that I cared for you—’ She saw

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven T he party that met at Trevithick House that night was hardly in celebratory mood and it was a tribute to Lady Salome that they were all there at all. The intention was for a family dinner followed by a ball for a small and select group of friends and acquaintances, and whilst the food was good the conversation was worse than stilted. Eleanor, who had been placed next to Justin on one side and Kit on the other, was finding it impossible to make even the slightest attempt to talk to either of them. Justin’s attention was focused on Charlotte with the single-minded avidity of a starving man who can see a meal just out of his reach. Kit was polite but so distant that he might as well have been an utter stranger. Eleanor nibbled her food and felt miserable. Further down the table, Lady Salome was chatting blithely to Marcus, who was glaring at Beth. The Dowager Lady Trevithick was surprisingly animated and had two bright spots of colour showing on her cheeks. Every so often

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve ‘I suppose I shall just have to seduce him!’ Eleanor said glumly. ‘I have tried everything else! Why, when we went to the masquerade last night I chose to wear my lowest cut dress and all Kit could say was would I like a scarf as the nights were still a little cold!’ ‘You could just tell him how you feel,’ Beth said. She was sitting up in bed and eating a plate of toast and honey. ‘It is easier in the long run than all this worrying. A simple statement of intent—that you would like Kit to make love to you—should do the trick!’ Eleanor stared, the colour slowly mounting to her cheeks. ‘Oh Beth, I know that I have made great strides in overcoming my natural modesty, but that is surely a step too far. Of all the brazen things…Why I would have to be drunk! Or taken with the laudanum, perhaps!’ Beth grimaced. ‘Well, there is plenty to spare. We found an entire bottle hidden at the back of one of your mama’s drawers. She had evidently forgotten it was there!’ ‘I hope that she

  Chapter Twelve

  Epilogue