by Lucy Langton
Catherine rose from the bed and stretched before pulling her gown back on over her head. She was more proper by the time her lady’s maid arrived to help assist her in taking care of her needs.
“It’s so good to see you back home, Lady Kingston. A true delight for all of us at Ralston Manor,” the young lady said as she came into the room with two other maids and two footmen who were carrying in a bronze tub that was soon filled with hot water from the kitchen below. The sight of a hot bath eased Catherine’s discomfort from traveling. She was eager to wash and feel better.
“Thank you. I am glad to be home once more. And if I do understand correctly, I have much to thank you about for that,” Catherine said as she allowed her lady’s maid to help undress her fully.
“I was just doing what I thought was right,” her lady’s maid said as Catherine stepped into the tub and sank below the water’s surface, the hot water easing her muscles instantly.
“After I saw the way the master became after it all, I knew I just had to do something,” she continued. “I told Lady Evergreen everything I had discovered, and thankfully the woman listened to me.”
“What do you mean about Lord Kingston? How did he become when I left?” Catherine asked, curious.
“He was like a ghost of his former self,” she said as she came behind Catherine and began to wash her hair with lavender soup. “He spent all his days and nights in his study, a bottle of brandy as his only company. The master became quite a sorry sight. It was Lady Evergreen who was able to speak reason to him.”
“She has a splendid way of doing that,” Catherine said with a smirk. “She seems to always be the voice of reason for Lord Kingston.”
“As soon as he was sober enough, he left right away to collect you,” she said next, running water through Catherine’s hair to rinse out all the soap. Catherine remained silent then, wishing Marcus would have come for her a bit sooner. She had enjoyed seeing her childhood home taken care of. But it was seeing the type of person her brother was becoming that truly terrified her. It appeared as though all the wealth he suddenly had once more would only lead to the same error.
The worst part was gaining back her memories from the night after it was jogged by seeing Marcus again and listening to his words. Even in the hot bath she shivered at the thought of what her brother had done, and the way Lord Whetstone took advantage of her fainted state. It embedded in her a fear of men that she wasn’t sure if she could ever dispel completely. Even with Marcus, a man her heart still loved, she wasn’t completely sure she could trust him after he was so quick to toss her away.
Trying to push all the frightening thoughts from her mind, Catherine enjoyed the rest of her bath before being dried off and given fresh clothes to wear. Since her brother had packed very little for her once she was ordered to go with him, there were plenty of clothes left behind for her.
It gave Catherine some comfort that at least Marcus hadn’t ordered for all her things to be tossed out or given to someone else. She chose a simple blue gown to wear to dinner. She only hoped that she would feel comfortable the rest of the night as she settled into being home once more.
Catherine dismissed her lady’s maid before crossing the hallway to the nursery. She collected Beth, who had been playing with Mrs. Denton after her nap. Catherine wanted to be close to her daughter, and with no one in the house save family and servants, she no longer cared who saw them together. Mrs. Denton of course followed closely behind as Catherine made her way downstairs with the babe in her arms. Catherine reasoned that if she could keep Beth close by to her, she would have the courage to face the evening.
In the drawing room, she found Lady Evergreen sitting by an open window that allowed the cool evening breeze to filter in. Catherine smiled at her, thinking she appeared relaxed and as defiant as ever as she gripped her cane. Catherine hoped that one day she could have the confidence that this woman seemed to have.
“There you are, my dear,” Lady Evergreen said as Catherine crossed the room to her. “How did you rest?”
“Quite well, thank you. I even enjoyed a lingering bath,” Catherine said as she bounced Beth on her hip.
“You look radiant as ever. And how is my little grand-niece doing?”
“She is well,” Catherine said with a smile, looking at the child who mimicked her face and smiled in return. Catherine sighed, having missed spending this special time with her daughter. Small tufts of hair had started to grow on her head, making Catherine think that she would have light brown hair and dark brown eyes.
“Marcus is out in the garden waiting for you,” Lady Evergreen said as she reached up towards Catherine, opening her arms wide to receive Beth.
“In the garden? Whatever for?” Catherine asked as she gently passed Beth to the older woman. It was iconic to see Beth tucked into the arm of Lady Evergreen while the woman held her cane in the other hand. Beth giggled as she looked at the cane, trying to reach forward and grab it. The sight made Catherine’s heart swell with love for the child, simply because she was able to see for her own eyes how well Beth was doing.
“Go on now and see for yourself. If I shall need anything, Mrs. Denton is always quick to assist,” Lady Evergreen said with a smile. Catherine looked to see that Mrs. Denton had settled into a chair nearby, her hands busy with needlework. Feeling that Lady Evergreen would be alright, Catherine nodded and made her way into the garden as the sun was setting on the horizon.
Catherine stepped off the veranda and onto the grass, her slippers making no sounds as she walked towards the rose bushes. It was here that she often would walk with Beth in her arms, and not too far away was the oak tree that she would sit under for daily picnics in the sun. As she looked at the garden, she felt warmth from these memories as though they were a comfort to her. She tried to stay focused on that moment, almost reliving those happier days.
The sound of a violin being played caught Catherine’s attention as she looked away from the rose bushes and instead further walked into the garden behind perfectly trimmed hedges. It was at the centre of the garden in a small clearing that Catherine spotted the most magnificent sight.
A small table and chairs had been set up on a blanket of white. Upon it were sprinkled red rose petals all around, filling the space with their fragrant smell. On the edge of the blanket was a buffet table, with dozens of candles that filled the space with beautiful white light. On the outer edge of the clearing stood a musician with a violin in his hands, the air filled with the sweet music that he was playing.
Catherine was so focused on the spectacular view that she hadn’t realised that Marcus had come to stand next to her. She jumped a little once she noticed him there. He was quick to steady her by placing his hand on the small of her back. It took a moment for her to relax as she took a deep breath and made sure to smile for him.
“This looks wonderful,” Catherine said as she gestured to the dinner set up.
“You deserve a very special dinner after what I have done,” Marcus said, his eyes falling to the grass before them. Catherine looked at him, observing him closely with her eyes as she saw the sadness there.
“You are not the one who tricked us,” Catherine said.
“No, but I am the one who sent you away instead of trusting your word and your love for me,” Marcus replied, his eyes still on the ground.
“Marcus, look at me,” Catherine said as she lifted her hand and guided his chin towards her so that she could look into his beautiful brown eyes. “I want to move forward from all of this. But I can’t if you are still beating yourself up over it all. I want to forget it ever happened.”
Catherine noticed the tension that formed in his jaw then as he clenched his teeth. She waited for him to say something, but in the end all he did was nod his head. He then took her hands in his and guided her over to the table. He even pulled out her chair and helped her to sit before taking the other seat at the table.
“Lady Evergreen helped me with creating a menu around all of
your favourite dishes,” Marcus explained. He clapped his hands three times, and before Catherine could figure out what he was doing, several footmen came through the path of the garden and to the table to serve them dinner. Catherine couldn’t help but smile as she watched all of them work together, thinking it was the kindest thing anyone had ever done for her.
Pan-seared trout with a butter-lemon sauce was served with a bed of root vegetables that had been salted to perfection. It was all rather delicious, and while Catherine ate, she had the pleasant experience of listening to romantic violin music and smelling the fragrant blooms from the garden. It was like a scene from one of the many novels she had read when she was younger about how a prince would try to impress a princess.
“How do you like everything?” Marcus asked towards the end of the meal, when they had finished eating blueberry tarts with a lemon curd.
“This is all rather lovely, Marcus. I appreciate that you took the time to have this all made up for me,” Catherine sighed.
“Catherine, I know things have been hugely difficult these last few weeks, but I want you to know that I still love you for than I have ever loved anybody,” Marcus said as he reached across the table and took her hand. She stared into his eyes, tears coming to hers as she tried to think of what to say.
“I know I still love you, Marcus. But I know it’s going to be hard to trust you in the future. I feel as though things will never be the same again after what I went through,” Catherine admitted, taking her hand from his. “I am so very scared that it will take me a long time to feel truly comfortable at home once more.”.”
“I understand,” Marcus said as he folded his hands in his lap. “And I promise to try every day to make things up to you and make you feel safe. I want to show you just how serious I am when I say I love you.”
Catherine nodded her head, not knowing what to say. She knew in her heart that she still loved Marcus. She was just unsure of what to do and how to feel about her future with him. If he still loved her, did that mean he now trusted her completely? Or would she one day experience something similar and have Marcus toss her away again? A part of her felt the need to guard herself from Marcus. It was a feeling she hoped would eventually pass in time.
With a candle in his hands, Marcus led them back inside once the dinner was complete. She enjoyed walking with Marcus and liked that she would feel safe tonight back in her home. The drawing room was empty when they entered through the back door. Catherine figured that Lady Evergreen had retired for the evening and that Mrs. Denton had taken Beth back to the nursery. Catherine would have liked to spend more time with Beth, but figured tomorrow would suffice. After all, she had woken that morning at Sedgewick Manor and was now home.
“Are you finding the guest bedchamber suitable?” Marcus asked as they walked up the stairs together, much like they had done many times before throughout their marriage. Since Catherine had been certain she would never do such a thing again, she enjoyed it more than she ever had before.
“Yes, the room is suitable. I was able to rest easily enough this afternoon,” Catherine explained.
“I know you might not be comfortable with the idea, but I was hoping you would join me tonight in my bedchamber. Not to be intimate, but perhaps I could simply hold you close,” Marcus said, coming to a stop in front of the room that Catherine had decided to stay in.
“I think it may all be too soon,” Catherine said, dropping her hand from his arm. “I was convinced that you hated me.” She lowered her eyes to her feet, feeling suddenly unsure of herself. It was only when Marcus lifted his hand guided her chin up that she looked into his eyes once more. She noticed tears there as they stared at one another.
“I hope one day you will forgive me, Catherine. I drowned myself in so much alcohol to try to drive out of the pain losing you.” Marcus said, his voice soft as he spoke.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Catherine tried to say. But when a tear slipped from the corner of his eye, her heart softened towards him and she realised how strongly her heart still beat for him.
Without saying another word, Catherine took his hand from her chin and led him further down the hallway. When she came to his bedchamber, she opened the door and pulled him inside. She knew that she would have to be quick, before she changed her mind. After all, she was filled with so uncertainty to be willing to get into a bed with a man again but strongly desired to be held by her husband.
With the door closed and locked behind them, Catherine began to pull off her gown so she could sleep in her shift. Marcus set the candle he had been holding aside with the other lit candles on his bedside table. He came to Catherine then and helped her out of her gown, setting it on the back of a chair before taking off his own clothes.
Catherine didn’t watch Marcus undress like she had done in the past. Instead, once she was down to just her shift, she crawled underneath the blankets of his bed. It almost felt like their wedding night once more when she had laid on the very edge of the bed, nervous about sleeping in the same bed as someone else.
Even then, as Marcus got into bed and slid up behind her, she didn’t move. His strong arms then made their way around her middle as he held her tight to his chest.
“I’ve missed you so,” Marcus whispered into her hair. Catherine took a deep breath as she closed her eyes, trying to relax her body.
“I missed you, too,” she admitted. She felt him kiss her hair a few times before he relaxed and laid his head down on the down feather pillows. Catherine wasn’t sure when she finally fell asleep, but eventually she felt relaxed enough in Marcus’ arms that she too did sleep.
Chapter 22
Come morning, Marcus felt more rested than he had in weeks. His hunger for alcohol was gone, and the pain that had filled his chest for so long seemed to finally ease away as he held Catherine through the night.
Having her so close once more seemed to heal all the wounds that he had suffered due to that terrible night. And though he knew now that Catherine simply wanted them to move on, he still felt a deep yearning to seek his revenge on the people that had done this to them.
Someway, somehow, Marcus was certain that he would find a way to restore their reputations and to prove to all of England what Lord Hall and Lord Whetstone had done to his wife. He knew that he would need proof in order for anyone to believe him. It was one thing to judge Catherine. It would be another to prove her story to the Ton after what the ball guests had seen and witnessed themselves.
With Catherine still sleeping in bed, Marcus was careful to remove himself from the bed without waking her. He wanted her to sleep for as long as she needed, feeling it was necessary for her to recover from all the excitement from the day before. As quietly as he could, Marcus dressed for the day without summoning his valet. He then made his way downstairs, thinking he could get a start on the letters he wanted to write that day.
What he wasn’t expecting was to find Lord Hall in the entryway as he descended the stairs. He looked to have been conversing with Mr. Burg, who appeared to be quite perplexed that the earl was visiting at such an early hour.
“It’s quite fine, Mr. Burg. I will take care of Lord Hall,” Marcus said, his voice rough and irritated. All his hatred for Lord Hall shot to the surface as he glared down at the man.
“I was just telling your butler that Catherine has disappeared. I’m worried about her,” Lord Hall was quick to say as Mr. Burg walked a little way down the hallway. Marcus looked at his brother-in-law and noticed the dark circles underneath his eyes and the way his blond hair was dishevelled. Marcus wasn’t sure if he thought Lord Hall was genuinely worried about Catherine or if he had some other reason to be nervous.
“I brought her home yesterday,” Marcus explained. He watched as Lord Hall’s eyes went momentary relief before being filled with concern once more.
“Why wasn’t I made aware of this?” Lord Hall asked. “She didn’t take any of her things with her. I thought she had been kidnapped.”
“I came to understand much about the night of the ball,” Marcus said as he crossed his arms over his chest. “It was wrong of me to send her to live with the man that made her vulnerable to Lord Whetstone.” The colour quickly drained from Lord Hall’s face as he took several steps back towards the front door.