A Most Noble Heir

by Susan Anne Mason

  “You don’t have to pretend with me, dearie. I know the real reason you’re leaving.”

  Hannah’s feet froze on the stone floor. “You do?”

  “How could I not, when it’s the talk of the house.” Edna wiped her hand on a rag and leaned closer. “Word has it that Nolan is really his lordship’s son. And that he’s been told to have no contact with any of us belowstairs.”

  The air stilled in Hannah’s lungs. What could she say to that?

  “I know you were hoping to marry the lad. You must be devastated, poor dear.” Edna pulled Hannah in a tight hug. “A little time away will do you good.”

  For a woman who normally didn’t show affection, this was most unexpected.

  “Thank you, Edna. I’m sure things will seem a lot different when I return.” If only she knew how much.

  “Say hello to your mother for me. It’s been an age since I’ve seen her.” Edna sniffed and shuffled back to the table.

  “I will. You’re sure you can manage without me?” Hannah smoothed down her cotton skirt, wishing she could wear her Sunday dress. But Edna would be suspicious if Hannah were to travel in her best outfit. So unless there was an opportunity to change at the church, she would be married in her serviceable blue skirt and high-necked blouse.

  “I’ll manage just fine. The other girls will fill in while you’re gone.” Edna picked up a basket covered with a red cloth. “Here, take these biscuits with you. Always a favorite of your mum’s.”

  “Thank you. I’m sure she and Molly will love them. And thank you again for giving me the time off.”

  “No need to thank me. You’ve earned it, and you deserve a break.”

  Hannah tried to smile, but guilt made her lips tremble. “Well, I’d best be off.”

  “You sure you don’t want one of the lads to take you into the village?”

  Alarm surged through Hannah’s body. She couldn’t risk anyone seeing her with Nolan. “No, no. I’ve got plenty of time before the coach. And I’d prefer to walk. It’s such a lovely morning.” She picked up her bag, positioned the basket on the crook of her arm, and forced a smile. “Take care of yourself, Edna.”

  It wasn’t until Hannah had walked the length of the Stainsby property and stepped out onto the road that led into the village that she allowed herself to take a full breath. Once around the bend and completely out of sight of the estate, she looked for the lane where Nolan had promised to be waiting.

  Sure enough, a small buggy, barely visible through the brush, stood at the appointed spot. The horses stamped their hooves as though impatient to be off.

  “You made it.” Nolan jumped down to assist her. His smile beamed across his face, his blue eyes dancing in the morning sun.

  “Of course I made it.” Nerves dampened Hannah’s palm as she took note of his attire. He was dressed in his Sunday suit, complete with tweed waistcoat, pocket watch, and matching cap. He looked so handsome, her heart hurt. She passed him her basket.

  Nolan placed it on the seat of the carriage and turned back to take her bag, his smile replaced with a slight frown. “You haven’t changed your mind, have you?”

  “No. I’m just nervous . . . about everything.” Her lashes fluttered down to cover her discomfort. How could she explain that not only did she fear being found out, but that she was terrified of the wedding night? If she’d been able to, she would have asked Edna what to expect. Before becoming a widow, Edna had enjoyed a very happy marriage. “What about you? You’re certain this is what you want?” She’d give him one last chance to back out of this crazy scheme.

  He took one of her hands in his. “I’ve never been more certain of anything. I love you, Hannah. Nothing will change that. Definitely not a father I barely know, nor a title I care little about.” He kissed her fingers. “Now, leave the worrying to me. Everything will go just as we planned. You’ll see.” He set her bag beside his in the carriage and assisted her onto the seat.

  When he leapt up beside her and grabbed the reins, a measure of calm returned. How could she not trust Nolan? Hadn’t he always protected her? His solid presence beside her gave her the security she needed. That and the many heartfelt prayers she’d offered along the way.

  After making sure that no one else traveled the road, Nolan guided the horses toward the village.

  “Won’t you get in trouble for taking the buggy?”

  He raised one brow with a grin. “I can’t get in trouble for taking my own property, now can I?”

  Soon Nolan pulled the horses to a stop in front of the rectory, and Hannah’s nerves returned in full force. As if sensing her unease, Nolan took her gloved hands in his. The warmth of his skin seeped through the thin fabric to her icy fingers.

  “I love you, Hannah. I can’t wait to make you my wife. I’ve dreamed of this moment from the first day I met you.” His blue eyes shone with sincerity.

  Tears burned behind her lids, but today of all days, she would not let them fall. “You always say the perfect thing to make me feel better.”

  He dropped a light kiss on her lips. “Good. Since that will be my job from now on.” He hopped down and reached up to assist her.

  Together they approached the rector’s door, and Nolan knocked. A few moments passed before Reverend Black opened the door.

  “Good morning, Reverend.” Nolan beamed at the man, who strangely enough did not smile in return.

  “Good morning. Please come in.”

  Hannah pressed a palm to her abdomen, willing the nausea to ease as they stepped inside the quaint cottage. Was every bride this nervous?

  “Shouldn’t we head over to the church, Reverend?” Nolan asked. “Nothing against your fine home, but we’d like to be married in God’s house.”

  The minister didn’t quite meet their eyes. He clutched his hands together in front of him. “I’m very sorry, Mr. Price, but I won’t be able to perform the ceremony today.”

  Hannah’s knees threatened to buckle. She gripped Nolan’s arm and willed herself to remain standing.

  Nolan’s dark brows drew together in a frown. “Has some emergency arisen?”

  “No.”

  “Is there a problem with the license then?”

  “The license is fine.” Reverend Black now appeared decidedly uncomfortable. His pale face held a hint of fear as well as compassion. “Lord Stainsby came to see me yesterday. He forbade me to marry you without his express permission, as well as his attendance at the ceremony.”

  Hannah raised a hand to hide her trembling lips. It was just as she feared. His lordship would do everything in his power to control Nolan’s life from now on.

  “The earl,” Nolan bit out, “has no say in the matter.”

  For the first time, the minister met Nolan’s eyes with a frank stare. “I think we both know why he has the right to an opinion on any prospective bride you might choose. Especially if you plan on marrying beneath your new station.” He turned an apologetic glance to Hannah. “No offense intended, dear.”

  Hannah’s tongue remained glued to the top of her mouth. She blinked to hold back the threat of tears and risked a glance at Nolan. The veins in his neck stood out beneath his clenched jaw. She sensed he was using every effort to control the outrage that must be burning inside him.

  “Did you tell him I’d been to see you?” Nolan’s terse tone gave credence to his anger.

  “No. I felt our conversation was a private matter. I did, however, pray long and hard into the wee hours to discern what I should do.”

  “And I suppose you cannot go against the earl’s wishes.”

  The older man sighed. “Not when the residents of Stainsby Hall and the surrounding properties make up half my congregation. Not to mention the fact that the earl contributes large sums of money to keep the church running.” Reverend Black gave a small shrug. “I’m sorry, son. But perhaps it’s for the best. If this marriage is the will of God, it will happen one day. Give it some time and prayer.”

  His sympathetic expressio
n did nothing to ease the band of tightness in Hannah’s chest. She clutched Nolan’s arm harder to steady herself.

  “I understand the difficulty of your position, sir,” Nolan said slowly. “Might I trouble you for a glass of water for Hannah? I fear she’s had somewhat of a shock.”

  The minister’s brows shot up. “Of course. Please excuse my bad manners. I’ve kept you standing in the hall. Have a seat in the parlor, and I’ll have Mrs. Black bring you some tea.”

  Hannah’s heart beat against her ribs. Nolan’s tight smile may have fooled the minister, but it didn’t fool Hannah. She knew him far too well for that. She gave him a hard stare before she made her way into the parlor and perched on the edge of one of the armchairs.

  Out in the hall, Reverend Black called to his wife. Then the murmur of male voices drifted into the parlor. Hannah strained her ears but could not make out a word of what was being said. From her reticule, she took out a handkerchief and dabbed at the moisture on her forehead and upper lip.

  What was Nolan up to now?

  Chapter

  10

  Nolan paced the narthex of the country church, trying to ignore the beads of sweat forming while he waited for Mrs. Black to bring Hannah over from the rectory. Despite the early hour, the hot sun had raised the temperature to an unseasonable level. It didn’t help that the church had been closed up tight since Sunday, and the air inside hung thick and suffocating like a shroud.

  Nolan looked around the hushed building, seeing the wooden pews and stained-glass windows with new eyes. If it had not mattered so much to Hannah to be married in a church—not to mention his devout mother’s feelings on the matter—Nolan would have set out to find a magistrate in another town whom he could bribe to marry them. For Hannah’s sake, though, he was glad he’d been able to persuade the good reverend to his way of thinking.

  Nolan had used every line of reasoning he could imagine, appealing to the man’s sense of compassion and honor, begging him to do right by Hannah. After all, Nolan had argued, the minister had known him since he was a boy and Hannah since girlhood. He’d seen them in church almost every Sunday. And Nolan promised to take full responsibility with the earl for the matter, assuring Reverend Black that the monetary contributions to the parish would remain the same. When the man still wavered, Nolan thanked him, told him he understood, and that he and Hannah would keep going until they found a minister who would marry them.

  Nolan had asked for the license back, at which point Mrs. Black had intervened. Her added plea for the cause of true love had been the deciding factor that had finally swayed Reverend Black, and at last, he’d agreed to marry them.

  Nolan continued to pace the small vestibule, nerves getting the best of him. Had the minister changed his mind—again? He peered out the side window, dreading to discover that the earl had found them out. Nothing, however, looked out of the ordinary.

  Even though Nolan’s faith had wavered in recent days, he paused to offer a fervent prayer heavenward. As much as I’ve always wanted to know my father, Lord, I can’t say I’d have picked this particular man. But I trust you. I know you have a plan for me. I’m asking you to let that plan include Hannah, for I don’t think I could bear my life without her. I promise I’ll be a good husband to her for the rest of my life.

  At the loud creak of the church door, Nolan’s head flew up. He blinked at the vision of Hannah in the doorway. She’d changed into a different dress, one the shade of the lush Stainsby lawns. Her green eyes shimmered, and her hair rippled over her shoulders in shining waves, adorned with daisies that danced around her head like a halo. Never had she looked more beautiful.

  Nolan swallowed hard and held out his hand. With a tremulous smile, she stepped forward and placed her trusting fingers in his. He gave her a reassuring squeeze that he hoped conveyed the depths of his feelings.

  Reverend Black strode past them up the main aisle of the church. “Let’s get started before I come to my senses.”

  Mrs. Black and the couple’s housekeeper, who had agreed to serve as a second witness, came up beside Hannah.

  “Don’t mind him,” Mrs. Black said. “He’ll be fine. Now, let’s get you two lovebirds married.”

  Nolan escorted Hannah to the altar and they stood before the minister, their hands joined. Above them, sunlight streamed through the stained-glass windows, bathing them in a wash of color—almost as though God himself had reached out to bless their union. A measure of peace spread through Nolan, calming his jumbled nerves.

  After a slight pause, Reverend Black opened his prayer book. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here in the sight of God, and these witnesses, to join together this man and this woman in holy matrimony; which is an honorable estate, instituted of God, one that should not be entered into lightly.” He raised his head to look at Nolan and Hannah. “Have the two of you come here freely, of your own accord, to commit yourselves to this union for the rest of your lives?”

  Nolan nodded. “We have.”

  “We have,” Hannah repeated.

  The minister paused to study them both. “Very well then. Let us proceed.” He turned to a marked page in the book and cleared his throat. “Nolan, wilt thou have this woman to thy wedded wife, to live together after God’s ordinance in the holy estate of matrimony? Wilt thou love her, comfort her, honor, and keep her, in sickness, and in health? And forsaking all others, keep thee only to her, so long as ye both shall live?”

  Nolan looked directly into Hannah’s eyes. “I will.”

  “Hannah, wilt thou have this man to thy wedded husband, to live together after God’s ordinance in the holy estate of matrimony? Wilt thou obey him, and serve him, love, honor, and keep him in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live?”

  Tears flowed down Hannah’s cheeks. “I will.”

  Nolan squeezed her fingers, his throat tight.

  “I now ask you to pledge your troth to one another.”

  Nolan took a breath and solemnly vowed to love and cherish her forever. Hannah followed, stating her vows in a voice so sure and true that the depth of her devotion humbled him. His chest swelled with a tide of pure love, matched only by the emotion that shone from Hannah’s eyes.

  In addition to his pledge, Nolan gave Hannah the simple metal band Bert had fashioned for her. “With this ring, I thee wed. With my body, I thee worship and with all my worldly goods, I thee endow. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.” He then slipped the ring onto her trembling finger.

  The rector peered over his spectacles. “Thereto having given and pledged your troth to one another and having declared the same by the giving and receiving of a ring, I now pronounce that you are man and wife. Those whom God has joined together, let no man put asunder.”

  A reverent hush fell over the group, as Nolan and Hannah stared at each other in giddy disbelief.

  They were married!

  Nolan could scarcely contain the joy that burst through him. Thank you, Lord. I promise to spend the rest of my life making Hannah the happiest of women.

  And without waiting for permission, he bent to kiss his wife. The joining of lips in their first married kiss was as holy as the vows they had just spoken.

  Then, with swift slashes of ink over paper, they signed the marriage register and accepted the congratulations of the rector and his wife.

  Nolan pressed the agreed fee, along with a nice bonus, into the minister’s hand. “I can never thank you enough, Reverend. You’ve made Hannah and me the happiest pair on earth.”

  “You’re welcome, lad. I only pray God spares me from the wrath of Lord Stainsby.” He snapped the prayer book shut. “When will you tell him the news?”

  Nolan’s lips twitched. “Not just yet. I think my wife and I need a few days alone first.”

  Reverend Black adjusted his glasses on his nose and nodded. “May God bless you both.”

  Hannah floated on a wave of sheer b
liss so heavenly she didn’t even feel the bumps of the carriage as they traveled the rough side streets. She was a married woman. Her dream of becoming Nolan’s wife had come true. Maybe not exactly as she’d hoped, but the unfamiliar weight of the silver ring on her finger spoke of the vows they had exchanged before God. Promises that bound them together for life.

  All that remained to seal the union was the wedding night.

  A shiver of nerves rippled down her spine. Where would they spend it?

  Nolan smiled over at her with such warmth that her cheeks heated. “Almost there, Mrs. Price.”

  A sudden thought struck. “Am I Mrs. Price or Mrs. Fairchild?”

  His frown made her rue the question.

  “We signed the register as Mr. and Mrs. Price. I’ll not worry about names right now.”

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have mentioned it.”

  His features softened. “Don’t be sorry, Hannah. You need never fear speaking your mind to me. It’s best to have things out in the open rather than let them fester.”

  A smile trembled on her lips. “That’s how I feel as well. A husband and wife should be able to share every thought, every feeling, in complete safety.”

  “Agreed.”

  “So, in that spirit, where are you taking me, husband?” The lovely word fell from her tongue like she’d been married for years.

  They’d been traveling for several hours now, and the early afternoon sun beat down on the top of her bonnet. Only her stomach rumbled in complaint, reminding her that she’d not eaten any breakfast. “I could use some refreshment sometime soon.”

  “You’re in luck then, because I believe we’ve arrived at our destination.” He slowed the carriage to a halt outside an old stone inn.

  The moss-covered building was set back from the road, surrounded by a low brick wall and a gate that led into the courtyard. The sign above the door read The Thornbridge Manor Inn.

  “I’ll see to the care of the horses, and then we’ll have ourselves a wedding feast,” Nolan told her as he leapt nimbly to the ground.