by Lucy Langton
Marcus was surprised by her words. She was quick to react and think on the fly. He wondered if her words stemmed from her own upbringing and thought he could ask her about that another time. After all, he’d seen the way she’d appeared rather angry at the thought of him abandoning Beth and the pure relief that had shown on her face after he had reassured her that he wouldn’t do such a thing to a child.
“I agree to your terms, Miss Hall. I will be a present parent in Beth’s life,” Marcus said, after he had thought about the reasons behind her request.
“Very good. In return, I promise not to leave her care solely to that of maids. Though Beth needs her wet nurse, I will oversee the rest of her care. I know that other ladies of my previous station often left the child raising to others. I agree with your aunt that the child needs an actual mother who will care for the child as her own,” Miss Hall said. Marcus was becoming more interested in the young lady as every minute passed by. He hadn’t been expecting this reaction at all.
“I find that suitable enough. However, if I may be so bold, why do you feel so strongly about this?” Marcus asked.
“Because I had come to terms a long time ago with the fact that I would never marry and have children of my own. If I am to fulfil this new position, I will do so with a heart filled with gratitude for being given the chance to finally raise a child who I would consider my own,” Miss Hall explained, her chin raised high as she appeared to feel now shame in admitting how she truly felt.
“In that case,” Marcus said as he stood and came towards Miss Hall and knelt before her. He took her hands in his and looked up into her eyes as he said, “Miss Catherine Hall, will you accept my proposal for marriage and agree to be my wife?”
“Yes, Lord Kingston. I do accept your proposal,” she replied in a soft voice.
Marcus knew that he had never imagined proposing to a woman for such reasons. He felt no overwhelming feelings of joy as he let go of Miss Hall’s hands and came to sit beside her. His heart wasn’t bursting with love and affection. And though he could at least admit that Miss Hall was very attractive, he wished that she didn’t feel like this was some sort of job for her. He truly needed a woman to raise Beth properly. At least, Marcus could agree that he had a sure respect for Miss Hall after her words of love and family values.
“You should go tell Lady Evergreen the good news. I’m sure the woman is already planning everything for us,” Miss Hall said, a smile coming to her face. But Marcus could see the way that it didn’t reach her eyes and was more forced than anything.
Marcus nodded as he stood and quickly left the sitting room, wondering why his life felt like it was spinning out of control. In a matter of hours, he had gone from being a single man to being a guardian for a child. And now, he would be married.
~*~
The moment Lord Kingston stepped out of the room, Catherine took a very deep breath and let it out of her chest slowly. When she had woken that morning, never would she have imagined such a thing happening. She had just agreed to marry a man she knew nothing about in exchange for raising his child as her own.
She had to stop her thoughts from spinning and remember that the baby wasn’t particularly his, but that of his brother who had recently passed away. And the fact that the earl was willing to raise the child as his own and provide the best for it told Catherine a bit about the man’s true character. Though his primary concern seemed to be keeping his reputation intact, Catherine could see that he was a reasonable man, and one that was quite intriguing. She smiled as she thought of their conversation, knowing that Lord Kingston was a sensible man who wasn’t afraid of asking bold questions.
Catherine could tell that Lord Kingston was interested about her past. He’d asked questions concerning the reasons she had chosen to find employment. She wasn’t about to tell him how her brother gambled away an entire family fortune.
Catherine knew her brother was already in enough trouble, and if the earl did find out, he would no doubt be reluctant to marry her. Catherine knew that this was her only chance to marry and return to her prior status in society. She could actually show herself at dinner parties and other social gatherings with her head raised high.
Plus, she hadn’t been lying when she said she’d raise the child as her own. She had always wanted to have a large family, and perhaps one day she and Lord Kingston could have other children together. She blushed as she thought about the idea and knew that with marriage would come wifely duties as well. At least she could admit to herself that Lord Kingston was a handsome man and that she might even enjoy the private actions between a husband and his wife.
The sounds of Lady Evergreen’s cane hitting the floor came into Catherine’s ears, letting her know that her employer was quickly returning to the sitting room. Catherine reclaimed her composure and placed a soft smile to her lips as the Countess entered the room, a happy expression on her face.
“Such happy news,” she exclaimed. “I knew you would be perfect for Marcus and his little dilemma. By this time next year, I just know you two will be getting along so well.” Catherine rose to her feet and embraced Lady Evergreen as the woman held out her arms to her. She peered over her shoulder and saw Lord Kingston standing in the doorway.
“Lord Kingston honours me with his proposal. And in return, I am happy to be a good mother for Beth,” Catherine said as she broke their embrace. She directed her words more towards Lord Kingston, encouraging him to join them.
“You have a heart of gold, Miss Hall. Now, let us sit and speak about the wedding arrangements. It will take time to schedule the whole thing with the priest and have the marriage paperwork drawn up by the Archbishop of Canterbury. It’s always been a tradition to be married in Town, but there is such little time before you two must go to the countryside until next year,” Lady Evergreen rambled. Catherine smirked, thinking the woman hadn’t been this animated in a long time.
“I agree that time is of the essence. I shall write to the papers today to have our engagement announced,” Lord Kingston said, looking towards Catherine for a moment before focusing on his aunt again. “It would be wise for us to be seen in public together.”
“And Miss Hall should be detailed as Lord Hall’s sister. It wouldn’t be good for many people to realise that she’s been serving as a companion for the last year,” Lady Evergreen said. Catherine cringed on the inside, knowing that some would recognise her brother’s name. He had a terrible reputation as a gambler and broke man. She only wished that such an announcement wouldn’t bring them such troubles.
“And the guest list should be arranged. Miss Hall, would you want to invite your brother to the wedding?” Lord Kingston asked.
“Yes. My brother shall be the only person on my side that I wish to invite,” Catherine said with a small smile.
“Then I shall invite my close friend, Lord Hunter. That should be enough witnesses for the ceremony.”
“Sounds well enough,” Lady Evergreen commented. “Tomorrow, once the papers have posted the announcement, you should take Miss Hall to Hyde Park during the fashionable hour to be seen and perhaps make other acquaintances. You haven’t been really seen as the Earl of Ralston. It would help your reputation and also show people you are serious about this marriage.”
“Yes, that is sound advice,” Lord Kingston admitted. He turned to Catherine then and dipped his head before saying, “I will arrive tomorrow afternoon and we shall ride to Hyde Park, then.”
“Thank you,” was all Catherine could think to say as she curtsied. She then watched as Lord Kingston left the sitting room, closely followed by Mrs. Denton and Beth’s wet nurse. Eventually, the ladies settled down into the chairs in the sitting room, feeling rather exhausted. Neither one of them had eaten any breakfast. Lady Evergreen rang the servants’ bell in her pocket and asked the housekeeper to make them both a plate of food and deliver the plates into the sitting room.
“What a morning,” Lady Evergreen said, breaking the silence that had settled into
the room.
“I still can’t believe it,” Catherine said honestly, knowing she could speak openly with her employer. “I went from knowing I should never marry to being proposed to by your nephew after learning he’s adopted a child.”
“Sometimes that is how life works, Catherine. But at least you can say that soon you’ll be in a better position than you were,” Lady Evergreen said.
“Speaking of positions, who will you hire to be your companion now?”
“I will find someone, I’m sure,” Lady Evergreen said with a shrug. It was a rather unladylike thing to do and Catherine couldn’t help but smirk at the gesture. It was like the Countess to behave as she saw fit.
After they had both eaten something and felt refreshed, they began to speak of the wedding arrangements. She would need a gown, and with a morning ceremony, a brunch celebration could follow with only their close friends and family in attendance. Catherine tried to enjoy her time speaking of such details, because she had always dreamed of her wedding day. However, this was not all what she had imaged all her life.
“I will call upon my seamstress to come right away. You shall have your fitting this afternoon and a simple gown can be constructed in a week’s time for you,” Lady Evergreen declared.
“Forgive me, My Lady. But I don’t know if I could afford such things.”
“Come now, child. We are soon to be family. I am more than happy to pay your way until you are officially married.” Catherine smiled genuinely then, liking the idea of being family to such an independent woman. In all her spinning thoughts, she hadn’t considered this fact.
“Very well, Aunty. I shall accept your generosity,” Catherine said, causing them both to laugh openly. Catherine wondered if this was the turning point in her life, where she’d finally be able to live the life she knew she had been born to live.
Chapter 5
Everything seemed to be going as planned, Marcus thought as he left his townhouse the following day to travel to his aunt’s house to do as he had promised. The announcement had been posted in the papers as expected.
Three different newspaper companies had posted the engagement announcement to ensure all of the Ton would read about it that morning. He had several copies himself, and wondered if he’d keep them or not. He wasn’t the sentimental type, but knew he had others to keep in mind moving forward.
It still hadn’t dawned on him that he’d asked Miss Hall to marry him and that in a few days he’d be the woman’s husband. It all seemed rather rushed, and therefore it hadn’t sunk into his conscious frame of mind. He knew that they were practically strangers and that perhaps over time they would come to know one another and not feel so awkward together. He looked forward to his time with Miss Hall, if only to simply learn about his intended.
As he rode in his coach across Town, the warm air wiping through his growing black hair, he thought about Beth. The child had been faring well enough between eating and sleeping. It seemed all that the baby wanted to do. And with Mrs. Denton taking care of all her needs, it seemed as though there wasn’t much for Marcus to do.
However, he had made a promise to Miss Hall that he would be an active parent. Perhaps he could gain a better understanding from the woman what that all would entail. Simply holding the child hadn’t seemed to go well, so what else could he really do besides provide for all her needs?
Marcus tried to push his worries out of his mind as the coach came to a stop in front of Aunt Daniella’s townhouse. He’d chosen the coach so that he and Miss Hall could be easily seen together. He’d dressed in one of his finest outfits, even pulling down on the hem of his vest as he stepped down from the coach in order to look his best. He’d tried to style his hair in the latest fashions, but since it had been cut short while he was out at sea, it would take some time before he truly fit in amongst the other gentleman.
Marcus waited patiently at the front door after he had pulled the bell. He listened to it chime from within the townhouse as he tried to steady his nerves. It had been a long time since he’d had the chance to interact with a woman. His younger years of attraction to the opposite sex had been rather awkward and rushed. Marcus wondered if Miss Hall would be able to notice his uneasiness and hoped they would instead have a pleasant stroll through the park without any issues.
When the door was opened, he was greeted by Aunt Daniella’s butler. The man showed him into the sitting room once more, promising the woman would be along shortly. Though Marcus knew he should probably take a seat while he waited, he couldn’t help but pace while his eyes watched the street goers through the windowpanes.
He was thinking that Town really seemed to be alive today and would no doubt be busy as they travelled to Hyde Park. He was so focused with his musing that he hadn’t realised that Miss Hall had come into the room until he turned to pace back towards the door.
“Oh, forgive me,” Marcus quickly said as he focused on Miss Hall and dipped his head. But he had to do a double take of the woman as she curtsied before straightening her posture. She was dressed in a fitting crème coloured gown that was light and airy. Her figure was easily apparent, and Marcus couldn’t help but look from her shoulders to her toes as he took her all in. She wore a simple pearl necklace while her blonde hair had been curled and pinned to the top of her head, like many young ladies did these days.
“Good afternoon, Lord Kingston,” she said as she smiled at him, folding her hands in front of her. Marcus cleared his throat as he returned the greeting, hoping she didn’t notice how he’d been staring at her.
“I have something for you,” Marcus said, remembering one of his tasks from yesterday. He reached inside his front vest pocket and removed a simple silver engagement band that he then showed to Miss Hall.
“Very elegant,” she replied as she removed the glove from her left hand and allowed Marcus to slide it onto her ring finger. Once the task was completed, Miss Hall replaced the glove, though the engagement ring could still be seen against the thin fabric.
“How is Aunt Daniella today?” he asked as he closed the distance between them and offered her his arm.
“She is well. Resting now. The wedding plans have seemed to exhaust her, but she has been quite happy about it all,” Miss Hall replied, her voice calm and relaxed. Not the normal excited chatter from a young lady about to be married. She spoke more as though they had a business arrangement than were about to be married.
“That is good to hear,” Marcus replied, simply because he didn’t know what else to say. He led Miss Hall from the townhouse and helped her up into the coach once they were outside. Then, as the driver flicked the reins and encouraged the horses to start off, Marcus focused on stilling his nerves.
This is really happening, Marcus reminded himself. The news no doubt was already circulating through town and the Ton would really start to gossip once they were seen together in public. Marcus knew that he should relax and enjoy the fine weather with such a beautiful young lady. But he couldn’t help but feel panicked in the moment, as though he would be found out and the real reason behind the unexpected marriage would be revealed.
When Miss Hall slipped her gloved hand into his, he jerked for a moment. He hadn’t expected the sign of affection and looked down at her, wondering what her intentions might be. When she chuckled and took his hand more firmly, Marcus realised that he had overreacted.
“Come now, Lord Kingston. You shouldn’t scowl so much,” she said as she squeezed his hand. “We are now engaged and should appear a certain way in front of everyone. No one should have the slightest idea that we are only newly engaged, or that we are even newly aquatinted.”
“Pardon me,” Marcus said with a sigh. “This is all rather sudden, even though I am grateful for your participation.”
“You are able to feel as you wish, Lord Kingston, but we need to put on a show for the world. After all, you are out for a ride with your intended. This should be a happy occasion, even if you really don’t want to be a husband and father so
soon.”
“I can see why Aunt Daniella choose you to be her companion. You are as sensible as she is,” Marcus said, a smirk appearing on his face. He looked down at their joined hands and reasoned that it was nice to feel a woman’s affection for once.