A Rumored Engagement

by Lily George

  He allowed the coachman to open the door. No more leaping out on his own, disdaining his own servant’s help. The man had a job to do, after all. It would be demeaning for him not to have a chance to do his duty, just as Daniel was taking care of his duties and responsibilities in managing Goodwin.

  Daniel took the rectory steps two at a time and gave the door a sharp rap. Nervousness made his gestures more short than usual, and he took a deep, steadying breath. He couldn’t very well barge his way into Reverend Kirk’s home simply because he was a bundle of nerves. He must calm down.

  The door opened, and a stout, older housekeeper smiled as she wiped her hands on her apron. “May I help you, sir?” Her voice had a strong Liverpudlian accent—it reminded him of the seas and of voyages he undertook when adventure sang through his blood. And it was appropriate, too, because this was his latest and greatest journey.

  “I’ve come to speak with the reverend, if he is available.” Daniel removed his hat and twirled it in his hands. The gesture might conceal the fact that they were shaking.

  “He is. He is upstairs writing, but if you’ll come through to the parlor, I shall let him know you are here, Mr....?” She gave a discreet pause.

  “Mr. Hale. The reverend is presiding over my wedding next week.”

  Her broad face broke into a sunny smile. “Of course! Mr. Hale. Do come in.” She ushered him into a pretty but plain parlor, where a fire crackled and popped in the grate. “Make yourself comfortable. Shall I bring anything to you? Tea, perhaps?”

  “No, thank you. I don’t wish to take up too much of the reverend’s time.” He set his hat on a worn oak table and sank into a chair near the hearth.

  “Very good, sir.” She bustled out of the room, and her footsteps echoed up the stairs. “Reverend! Mr. Hale is here to see you. I put him in the parlor. I expect it’s about his nuptials,” she called cheerily. Even though the door to the parlor was shut, Daniel heard every word as though she’d spoken directly to him. He smothered a smile and waited for the reverend to appear.

  It didn’t take long. The reverend’s footsteps rang out over his head and echoed down the staircase. Daniel rose as the parlor door opened.

  “Good day, Mr. Hale! So nice to see you.” Reverend Kirk extended his hand and shook Daniel’s with a cordial gesture. “I must say, I am surprised. This weather is so cold, I certainly did not imagine anyone would travel four miles to see me.”

  “Well, it is cold, but the roads are clear,” Daniel explained. Then he paused. He could continue making polite chatter, which would ease the social awkwardness of the situation. But, in truth, he was more concerned about easing his troubled mind. “I hope you don’t mind my frankness, Reverend. But I have a great weight pressing on my mind, and I feel the need to speak with you before my marriage.”

  “Of course, my son, of course.” The older man waved him back over to the chair. “What is troubling you?” He sat beside Daniel, drawing his chair up closer so that his mere presence was a comfort.

  “Well, you see, this is the problem.” Now was the time to empty his soul. He’d spent the whole day avoiding the thoughts that had roiled his mind, and now was the time to give them full rein. “I’ve embarked on my spiritual journey and yet—sometimes—I feel like I am merely the shell of a man, and it pains me to offer Susannah so little. I worry there is a void in me that cannot be filled, and I don’t want to come to Susannah as an empty, useless waste of a man.”

  “My son, I can tell you right now that you are not a useless man. Nor are you a waste. You’ve done an admirable job of taking over Goodwin Hall. Even though I live miles away, I have heard tales from my parishioners about the good work you are doing there. For the lives of the people who depend upon Goodwin and its master, you are working profound changes, and it will improve all of their lives.” Reverend Kirk laid a comforting hand on Daniel’s shoulder. “You should give yourself more credit, Daniel.”

  “But—it’s not just the outward appearances,” Daniel protested. “I do realize that the changes I have installed at Goodwin are helpful. And most of them were wrought under Susannah’s supervision, so I cannot even take full credit for their implementation. My fear is for what I am on the inside. If I am an empty vessel when I am alone, then how can I be a good husband to my wife?”

  “Susannah is a woman who is very strong, very spiritual in nature. I’ve known her family for a long time. She can help you, and so shall I. Don’t close yourself off and tell yourself that somehow you are unworthy of Susannah and unequal to the task of this marriage. You can—and you will—see this through and become a stronger man because of it.”

  Daniel nodded, staring into the fire. Yes—he had allowed liquor to be his world. And he’d never sought to deepen his experience by developing a sense of spirituality. No, he had chased after excitement and thrills and then used liquor to deaden his pain.

  Now he was on the precipice of a grander experience than any he had ever known, and he was embarking without the safety of knowing that he could drink until the pain was gone.

  And yet, back then, he had been alone. Now he had so many people who loved him, or who supported him, or who wanted him to do well. Susannah. Her sisters. The servants and tenants at Goodwin. Even Paul, in his own way. And even Donaldson, who’d continued to love and care for Goodwin even when its master could not.

  Now Reverend Kirk was telling him that he had even more than those precious things. The reverend himself was there to help him on this journey. And he had God’s love. And though the thought of it was still too enormous for him to comprehend, ’twas comforting nonetheless.

  “Reverend, you’ve helped me more than words can say. Thank you so much for your kindness and patience.” He paused, the inkling of an idea beginning to form in the back of his mind. “I wonder, though, if I could prevail upon your kindness and patience a little longer? I have a special favor to ask....”

  * * *

  Susannah waited, her arms stretched upward, as Becky and Nan lowered her gown over her head.

  “Don’t look yet,” Becky scolded as Susannah turned toward the looking glass. “Wait until we have the tapes tied and the skirt fluffed out.” She tugged the gown into place around Susannah’s shoulders as Nan poufed the skirt with an expert hand.

  “Very well. Now you may look.” Taking Susannah by the shoulders, Becky turned her toward the looking glass.

  Susannah squinted at her reflection in the mirror. Her natural instinct for perfection rose to the surface, and she touched the neckline with an experimental gesture. “What do you think? Does the neckline suit me? Does it make my neck look too short?”

  “You look like a swan,” Nan protested. “And that pale green just brings out the auburn of your hair.”

  “I have time to change things before the wedding, you know,” Susannah muttered. Nan was a fairly direct judge, so perhaps there was no need for further alterations to the gown. “A week to go—I could redo the neckline if need be.”

  “There’s no need,” Becky added in her sweet voice. “You look lovely, Susannah. Like a portrait come to life.”

  “What are you going to do with your hair?” Nan stepped back and gave a critical tilt to her chin. “A Grecian style, perhaps?”

  “Yes, I thought I might.” With one swift gesture, Susannah wound her hair on top of her head. “I have a velvet ribbon in a darker shade of green. I thought I might bind my hair with that.”

  “Or wind it through, and let it peek out from your tresses here and there,” Becky added, working her fingers through the thick knot atop Susannah’s head. “That would look quite subtle and elegant.”

  A small avalanche of—what on earth? Hailstones?— pinged against the bedroom window. Susannah gasped and whirled around. Was someone in the village teasing her again? Things were much quieter now that her engagement was public knowledge...but sti
ll...

  “I’ll go see what that is,” Nan pronounced, stalking over to the window and throwing up the sash. “Daniel Hale! What on earth are you doing down there?”

  “I need to speak to Susannah.” Her beloved’s voice rang up to her. “Where is she? I tried knocking on the door, but no one answered.”

  “You can’t see her now. She’s trying on her wedding gown,” Nan shouted. Susannah rolled her eyes. Soon the whole village would be talking of this incident, unless she put a stop to the nonsense right away. She turned and walked downstairs, grabbing her cloak from the peg as she went. Her hair tumbled about her shoulders, but she had no time to pin it up.

  “Susannah! Come back upstairs,” her sisters implored. “Don’t let him to see you in your gown!”

  She arranged the folds of her cloak so that no peek of the pale green fabric showed through. “I have matters well in hand,” she called up to Nan and Becky. “Do compose yourselves.” She wrenched the latch and pulled open the door to reveal her fiancé.

  “Susannah—I...” He paused and laughed like a schoolboy. “How very strange all this is.”

  It was good to see Daniel laugh again. So often lately he had been very serious. While ’twas good to know that he was becoming the sober and respectable master of Goodwin Hall, she had to admit that she’d missed the mischievous twinkle in those green eyes. She leaned against the door frame, barring his passage inside. “State your business and be quick about it,” she ordered. “I am standing here in my unfinished wedding gown talking to you.”

  He cleared his throat and stood tall, assuming an air of mock solemnity that provoked her to chuckle. Dear Daniel. What a fine husband he would be. “It’s simply this, Miss Siddons. I wish for you to come by Goodwin Hall on our wedding day. In the morning. I would rather meet you there and drive out together than to meet at Crich.”

  “All right...if you say so,” she agreed with some hesitation. She furrowed her brow. What was he about? Was he intent on making mischief on their wedding day?

  “Don’t fret,” he added swiftly. “I shall make all the necessary arrangements. But this is for the best, I promise. Will you indulge me?”

  She turned the matter over in her mind. Very well. If he said he’d make arrangements, then she could trust him to keep his word. “Yes.” She shut the door in his grinning face and could not suppress her own delighted smile.

  Marriage to Daniel was going to be a grand adventure indeed.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Daniel turned his mother’s necklace over in the pale morning sunshine, allowing the sun to send prisms of light bouncing around his room. Today was his wedding day. His stomach roiled as it did when he would wait to embark on a ship bound on its next voyage. ’Twas a strange mixture of nervousness, newfound energy, hope for the future and the tiniest twinge of fear.

  He took a deep, calming breath. With time, and with Susannah’s help, he would learn to pray. As it was, his recent chat with Reverend Kirk echoed in his mind. He was secure in the knowledge that he would always have the support and the love of Susannah and the steadfast resolve of the reverend.

  A knock sounded on the door. “Enter,” he called.

  Baxter popped his head round the door frame. “Miss Siddons’s carriage is coming through the park gates,” he announced.

  “Very good, Baxter. Remember to show her into my study. Don’t ask to take her cloak. She wants to remain completely covered so that I cannot see her gown,” he reminded his stalwart butler.

  Baxter bowed. “Of course,” he replied with a grave air.

  “And everything is prepared? The wedding breakfast? All my arrangements—everything is well in hand?”

  Baxter nodded. “Of course, sir. The breakfast will be held in the dining room after the service. Cook is waiting until after the ceremony starts to begin preparing the bacon and eggs. No need to let everything grow cold, especially on a frosty day like today.”

  “Excellent plan. I trust that all the fires are at full roar in the grates?”

  Baxter raised his eyebrows, as though he might be growing impatient with his master. “Yes. The house is in perfect order, sir.”

  “Good. I expect nothing less from you, Baxter. Now, I shall go down to the study. Send Miss Siddons in upon her arrival.” Daniel draped his mother’s necklace back into its leather-bound case and shut it with a snap. There was nothing more to do. All of his plans had been executed to the merest detail. Even a captain running a ship couldn’t ask for more efficient attention to his plans.

  Baxter bowed and left, preparing to welcome the future mistress of Goodwin. Daniel rushed down the back staircase so that he would not somehow encounter Susannah before he had a moment to compose himself in the study.

  What if she didn’t like his plan?

  Well, then. They’d just have to postpone the wedding, wouldn’t they?

  He burst into the study and tossed the box containing his mother’s necklace onto his desk. Then he paced the worn Aubusson carpet. Baxter was right—the fire was blazing in here. ’Twas enough to make a fellow broiling hot. He stuck one finger under his cravat. Would he ever get used to wearing these things? ’Twas enough to choke a fellow.

  A soft knock sounded on the door. ’Twas unlike Baxter’s sharp rap—how strange. “Enter.”

  Susannah poked her head around the door frame. “Daniel? Baxter sent me back here to see you.”

  “Yes.” Funny, he expected more formality from Baxter. But the old fellow must know that something was afoot. He was too shrewd to let matters slide. “Come in, Susannah. And shut the door.”

  She slipped into the room and leaned with her back against the closed door. “Have you gone mad?” she protested. “You’re not supposed to see me—not yet.”

  “If I am mad, then it must be with love for you, my darling,” he replied. Then he coughed. How ridiculous that sounded—as though he were a Romantic poet. And judging by the subtle lift of Susannah’s eyebrows, she wasn’t that impressed by his flight of fancy, either. Better to press on, try to cover the moment. “I brought you here because I have a gift for you.”

  He took the leather box from his desk and held it out to her. She remained still, with her back pressed flat. “Do humor me a little, Susy.”

  She relented, allowing him to draw her farther into the room. “Very well. But we must hurry. The drive to Crich will take the better part of an hour and we don’t want to be late.”

  “I promise this won’t take long.” He directed her over to the settee and knelt before her. “This was my mother’s. And now it is yours.” He opened the catch on the box with a flick of his thumbnail.

  “Oh,” Susannah gasped. Her eyes deepened to a sea-green shade as she gazed at the necklace. “Oh, my.”

  “Here. Wear it for the wedding,” Daniel insisted. He reached forward to unbutton her cloak, but she pushed his hand away.

  “You’re not supposed to see me,” she warned.

  “And this is the other part of my gift.” He sighed. Here it was—his whole plan laid out. If she didn’t like it—well, no matter. He would be sunk. “We’re not going to Crich today.”

  Susannah’s face paled. She blinked rapidly. “Why not? You...you’ve changed your mind?”

  “No, Susy.” Bother, what an idiot he was. He pulled himself onto the settee and tucked her into his lap. “My apologies, darling. I did not mean to startle you. I just thought—we could be married here, at Goodwin.”

  “Here?” Tears trembled on her lashes, and Daniel swiped them away with his thumb. “Of course, Daniel.”

  “You see, I arranged it all with Reverend Kirk last week,” he rushed on. Perhaps if he could explain it all quickly, things wouldn’t be quite such a muddle. “I asked him to come and officiate at Mother’s chapel. It’s all decorated. Your sisters are waiting. Paul
is there. I thought—why not embark on our journey together, at the very spot that means so much to both of us.”

  She leaned against him, her eyelashes, still damp from unshed tears, brushing his cheek. “Oh, that’s lovely. I agree wholeheartedly, Daniel. What a delightful plan.”

  He drew her closer. “So I didn’t create a muddle?”

  She laughed, and his heart hitched in his chest. What a wonderful laugh she had. Just like a bell. “No, not at all. Mind you, I was a bit worried at first.”

  “It’s not the wedding we might have had—with all the villagers present. But it is the wedding I think we’d like most. In the place we love best, with the people we love best.” He patted her back with the flat of his hand.

  “Oh, I love it. Thank you, Daniel.” She drew away from him a bit, studying him with eyes that were both grave and warm. “But I worry—I have nothing to give you. Here you are, giving me that beautiful necklace of your mother’s, and the most delightful wedding I could have hoped for—and yet I have nothing to gift you in return.”

  “This is what you may gift me,” he requested, his tone humble. “Stay by my side forever, helping me to become a better man. Will you?”

  “Yes, dear Daniel. I should like nothing better.”

  “There’s one more thing I ask of you, Susy. Let’s walk into the chapel together. We’re starting this adventure together, and I want to start it by walking in on each other’s arm. Will you do me the honor?”

  “I will. May I keep my cloak on until we get there? Not to hide my dress from you—but to stay warm? ’Tis quite chilly out today, you know.” She gave him her loveliest smile.

  He laughed. “Of course you may. Let us hurry. Your sisters will think I have tried to convince you to elope, or some such.” He set her on her feet and grabbed the leather box. “And once we get there, I shall endeavor to convince you to wear this.”

  “Endeavor? I should think not. Those emeralds will look just right with this pale green, and I am so glad I didn’t change the neckline of my gown. As an expert in millinery and in women’s attire, I think this will look rather brilliant.” She gave him a wink and took his arm.