A Marriage of Convenience

by Miller, Fenella J

‘I must apologise; I should have asked if you would like to go to your rooms to refresh yourselves after your journey. The housekeeper will show you the way.’ Basingstoke was waiting patiently at the foot of the stairs ready to take them up.

  Sophia smiled. ‘Later, Eleanor, I may call you Eleanor I hope, after all we are to be sisters soon, I am too eager to see how your trousseau is being assembled.’

  She turned to the housekeeper. ‘Thank you, Basingstoke; if you would see that the trunks are taken up, that will be all for now.’ Leo nodded approvingly. ‘Would you like any refreshments or will you wait until luncheon is served?’ She addressed this question to both the marquis and his wife.

  Gareth bowed politely and refused the offer saying that he had much to discuss with his brother before they ate. Satisfied she had done all she should, Eleanor led the way across the great hall and into the ballroom, now unrecognisable as a place of entertainment.

  Girls sat sewing industriously at trestles with Mary supervising their work. The spindly gilt chairs that had lined the walls were grouped together and festooned with a kaleidoscope of colourful materials. Bolts of satin, silk, cotton, damask and muslin spilt across them, giving the huge room the brilliance of an Indian bazaar.

  ‘My dear child, wherever did you get all these wonderful fabrics?’ Sophia ran a particularly rich, gold figured silk through her fingers. ‘This is exquisite; I have never seen anything quite like this for sale in London.’

  ‘It is Indian; my aunt and I chose it when we were there. If you would like it, my lady, please except it as a gift. I have more than enough for my needs.’

  ‘Eleanor, I could not possibly accept such a generous gift. You can have no idea of the value of this material.’

  She insisted. ‘It cost very little in Delhi, my lady, whatever it’s worth over here. I would like you to have it.’ She thought for a moment, seeing the marchioness was still unwilling to accept the material. ‘I know, it can be your Christmas gift from Leo and me; but you can have it early.’

  ‘Oh very well, child, I can hardly refuse a Christmas gift, can I? And, my dear, please call me Sophia, I am not one to stand on formality.’

  Eleanor hid her smile. If her husband had heard this remark he would have fallen from his chair with shock. The sound of the luncheon gong prevented her from showing Sophia anything else but they agreed to return as soon as the meal was over. They returned to the hall chatting happily, like a pair of bosom bows.

  *

  Leo turned to his brother and said quietly. ‘That is a guinea you owe me; I told you how it would be and I am right.’

  ‘You have found a veritable treasure, Leo. Anyone who can win my Sophia’s friendship so soon is nothing short of a miracle worker. I must admit I had my reservations about this marriage but they are gone now. You have my full approval Leo, not that you need it.’

  ‘No, Gareth, I don’t,’ Leo replied, ‘but I’m sure Ellie will be relieved; she is eager to be accepted and was worried.’

  ‘I think she is delightful, and we can safely say that my wife would now agree with me. You must spend Christmas and New Year with us; Eleanor needs to meet the duke and the rest of the family.’

  Eleanor strolled over to join them obviously pleased the morning had gone so well after such an inauspicious start. She took Leo’s proffered arm and they followed their guests into the small dining room.

  She spoke softly, not wishing to be overheard. ‘Sophia is not half as bad as I feared and I really like your brother.’

  Leo raised a quizzical eyebrow. ‘I’m delighted to hear that, my love, as we have been invited to spend Christmas and New Year with them. It would be unfortunate if you were still at daggers drawn with them.’

  Chapter Nine

  Eleanor went down for breakfast the following morning expecting to find Leo by himself. In her limited experience the ton were rarely seen before noon. Morning calls that were made at three in the afternoon had always seemed absurd to her

  ‘Good morning, my lords,’ she said smiling, and dropped a curtsy as they both stood up politely and half bowed. ‘I didn’t expect to see you down so early; I hope your room was not uncomfortable.’

  ‘My room is perfect, Eleanor, thank you, but you will not see Sophia until noon,’ Gareth replied. They sat down, Eleanor having chosen coddled eggs and toast.

  When they were private she looked across. ‘Leo, I’m worried about Rufus. John attempted to lunge him and it was a disaster. As I cannot ride him at the moment I’m at a loss to know how to proceed.’ Her comments were intended to provoke Leo into rescinding his instructions but his solution was quite different.

  ‘I’ll take him out this morning and Gareth can ride Hero.’

  She was quiet for a moment, her expression thoughtful. ‘Thank you, Leo, that seems a sensible idea.’ She returned to her breakfast and no more was said on that particular subject. She was fuming silently at his highhanded assumption he could ride her horse without permission. But she was determined not to embarrass his brother with one of her outbursts.

  Arguing in private with one’s intended was perfectly acceptable - to do it in public was not. She hoped Rufus would have the good sense to toss his rider into a ditch at the first opportunity and literally bring him down to earth with a bump.

  When the party reassembled at noon, for luncheon, Eleanor was disappointed to hear the ride had gone splendidly. ‘That stallion of yours, Eleanor, is a champion. With me on board, this morning, Hero was unable to keep up.’ Leo informed her, seemingly unaware how his words offended her. ‘I think it would be better if I got you a more suitable hack and rode Rufus myself from now on.’

  She had heard enough. With exaggerated care she pushed her chair back and stood up, shaking with rage. ‘How dare you,’ she said, her voice low and dripping with dislike. Ignoring the shocked expressions of her guests, she continued, for it was far too late to think about their sensibilities. ‘Rufus is my horse. I only agreed that you could ride him this morning because I had no wish to argue the point in public. You will not ride him again and I will not ride another horse.’

  Leo spoke quietly but his words carried the authority of command. ‘Sit down, Eleanor, you are embarrassing our guests.’ His grey eyes held hers in a freezing stare. She hesitated for a second, then common sense prevailed and she sat, her face pale, her hands clenched under the table. Having achieved his objective he turned the subject to more general, safer topics. She ate nothing more. She answered any comments directed to her but took no further part in the conversation.

  When the interminable meal was over she walked swiftly towards the door, leaving the others in no doubt of her extreme displeasure. Leo smiled coolly at his guests. ‘Please excuse me; I have to speak to Eleanor in private. I am sure you will understand.’ And he strode out of the room his grim expression boding ill for Eleanor when he found her.

  She, meanwhile, headed out to the stables wanting to reassure herself Rufus was still her horse, that he hadn’t changed his allegiance to the hated usurper. The yard was quiet, the grooms and stable boys elsewhere. Rufus, recognising his mistress, whinnied a greeting and stamped in excitement.

  She ran over to him, unbolted the loose box door, and slipped inside. Her anger evaporated as she rested her burning cheek against his neck. Instead desolation overwhelmed her; she had disgraced herself and angered Leo, and for what purpose? He could do as he pleased; for he was her legal guardian and in two days’ time would be her husband. He had absolute control over her person and her property. She let the scalding tears flow and the giant stallion stood, supporting her despair. Leo found her here. The sound of her sobbing was coming clearly from inside the stable. He paused outside the box, his justifiable fury beginning to soften at the sound of her misery.

  He quietly unlocked the door and went in. Eleanor sensing his intrusion stiffened. Her fear instantly communicated itself to Rufus and he flattened his ears and curled back his lips. Before either of them could react the horse half rear
ed, and screamed his anger at the man who had frightened his owner. The stallion lunged at Leo, sinking his teeth into his shoulder, pinning him against the wall with his enormous weight.

  Eleanor shouted, her unhappiness and fear forgotten, in her horror. ‘Rufus, let go of him. Let him go, now.’ She grabbed his halter and pulled hard but the horse was too enraged to allow someone as small as her to shift him. Leo, his chest slowly crushing beneath the weight, remained calm.

  He raised his free hand and placed it on the chestnut’s long nose and spoke softly, persuasively, breathing his words into the horses flared nostrils.

  ‘Alright, old boy. Calm down. Relax, Rufus; I’m not going to hurt her.’ He kept repeating the words and the stallion listened. His ears flicked forward and he stepped back releasing Leo’s shoulder as he did so. Leo remained flat against the wall and the horse lowered his head and nudged him gently, as if an apology.

  John and two stable boys arrived in the yard as Leo slowly slid down the wall to end in an undignified heap on the floor.

  ‘Oh, Leo, what have I done?’ Eleanor dropped to her knees to cradle his unresisting head in her lap. She stroked the dark, sweat-stained hair from his forehead and stared, appalled, at the unconscious man lying, ghostlike, in her arms. The box door was flung open and the anxious face of the head groom appeared.

  ‘Fetch help, John. Fetch the marquis from the Hall. His lordship has been injured,’ she ordered, striving to keep the panic out of her voice.

  Leo lay silent, his breathing harsh and laboured. ‘Please, Leo, don’t die, how could I bear it if you died?’ she whispered as fresh tears dripped onto his face. As she spoke the words out loud an astounding truth became apparent. She looked down at the man in her arms. Somehow over the days her dislike and distrust had turned into a deep, abiding, irrevocable love. ‘Oh God,’ she prayed, ‘I beg you, please don’t let him die.’

  One eye flickered open, quickly followed by the other. They crinkled slightly at the corners as he grinned up at her. ‘I have absolutely no intention of kicking the bucket, my angel, so you can stop crying and help me up.’

  The radiance of her smile transformed her face. ‘I’m so sorry, Leo, I didn’t mean to; but you must lie still until your brother comes.’ She was too relieved to care she was talking nonsense. She heard the sound of pounding feet and the marquis arrived at the box entrance.

  He extended his uninjured arm to his brother. ‘Help me up, Gareth, but go carefully, I think I might have cracked a couple of ribs,’ he told him cheerfully, his colour almost fully restored.

  Gareth grabbed his arm and, bracing himself against the door frame, slowly returned Leo to his feet. ‘Good God, what happened here? Did that damned animal attack you?’ He glared angrily at the very subdued horse standing quietly at the far end of his stable.

  Eleanor was about to tell Gareth he was right when Leo prevented her. He balanced himself precariously against the wall and smiling, offered her his hand. She took it and, mesmerised by the compelling gleam in his eyes, stepped unquestioningly into the shelter of his arm, her reply left unspoken.

  He held her close.. ‘Ellie love, don’t look so wretched; I’m a soldier remember, it takes more than an angry horse to stop me.’

  She wiped her eyes on his shoulder and sniffed. ‘You scared me, Leo. You were so white and still that I thought you were dying and it would have been my fault.’

  He squeezed her shoulder. ‘Don’t be stupid. What happened was entirely my responsibility.’

  ‘What happened, Leo? Why were you attacked?’ Gareth was shaking his head.

  Leo’s expression was rueful. ‘Rufus was protecting Ellie; he sensed my anger and reacted as one would expect. It serves me right. No blame for this incident belongs to the horse.’ He smiled at Ellie, still in his embrace. ‘Nor to you, sweetheart, it was entirely my fault.’

  She stood on tiptoes and placed a feather light kiss on his cheek then quickly stepped away, not certain that even in his present state he wouldn’t reciprocate. ‘You will need a doctor. I’ll send John immediately to fetch him from the village.’

  ‘No need; Sam can sort me out. He knows more about broken bones than any quack I’ve ever met. Right, Gareth, I think I’m ready to stagger to the house but I’ll need your support as well as John’s, I fear.’

  ‘You have it, always, Leo, you know that,’ his brother replied.

  Eleanor led to the way back, listening with distress to the strangled groans coming from behind her as Leo was slowly assisted along the path. Sam, Leo’s manservant who had accompanied him from the Peninsular to Waterloo, was waiting at the side entrance. He immediately took charge and within a short time, and with a minimum of fuss, her beloved was deposited on his bed upstairs. Her tentative offer to help was firmly dismissed and she was forced, reluctantly, to return to the drawing room and the censure of her guests.

  Sophia was standing, lips pursed, ready to ring a peal over Eleanor but on seeing her wan and bedraggled appearance relented, which surprised her husband, who had just joined them.

  Instead she was sympathetic and supportive, a role she was unused to playing. ‘Do come and sit down, my dear girl, you look quite done in.’ She steered Eleanor to a chaise-longue and gently pushed her down. ‘There, lie back, put up your feet and I will ring for some refreshment.’

  The sight of the straw and horse dung sticking to the girl’s slippers almost threw her but she steadied and continued kindly. ‘What a terrible thing to have happened. But it could have been so much worse you know.’

  Eleanor looked at her dumbly. ‘Of course it could have been worse, Leo could have been killed.’ Her face crumpled at the thought and fresh tears filled her eyes. ‘Oh, I’m so sorry; I’m not usually such a watering pot.’

  Sophia dug into a commodious reticule and removed a dainty embroidered square. Her husband laughed and offered his own handkerchief instead. ‘Take this one, my dear; you look as though you’ll need it.’

  Slowly she recovered her composure and soon was able to speak coherently. She cleared her throat experimentally. Her companions turned expectantly in her direction and she smiled warmly. ‘Well, there is one good thing about Leo’s accident,’ she paused and wondered if what she was thinking was better left unsaid.

  ‘Go on, Eleanor, pray continue,’ Gareth prompted, presumably interested to hear how a positive gloss could be put on the events of the afternoon.

  She had no option but to continue. ‘At least Leo is no longer angry with me. He’s truly terrifying when he is enraged, you know.’ Sophia and Gareth looked at her, then at each other, and then laughed out loud.

  ‘Eleanor, my dear, you are impossible.’ Gareth told her, still chuckling. ‘I honestly believe my brother is finally well matched. You will make him a perfect, if unconventional, wife.’

  She blushed under his approving gaze, not sure why her statement had caused them both such merriment. A knock at the door heralded the arrival of Sam with news.

  ‘His lordship begs to tell you he will be up for dinner tonight. He has a small gash on his right shoulder and several bruised ribs, but nothing broken. He has had a lot worse and still fought alongside his men; so a few bruises don’t bother his lordship.’

  While Eleanor lay on her bed her mind was in turmoil. Loving Leo made everything so much more complicated. It would be harder not to respond to his overtures now her emotions were engaged. She knew - for hadn’t he told her so himself – that a man could desire a woman without loving her. She tossed restlessly, trying to decide if she would prefer a marriage in name only to a consummated relationship when there was love on only one side.

  There were only thirty-six hours before her marriage, and she had to make a decision before the ceremony. If she wanted a real relationship she ought to indicate to Leo she had changed her mind.

  When Mary arrived to help her dress for dinner Eleanor was suffering from a sick headache and far too unwell to go down. Her apologies were conveyed at once to Brown who was charge
d with delivering them to Leo Her megrim was so severe she was unable to rise the next day either. The night before her wedding she finally slept, exhausted by the pain and nausea, too poorly to worry about anything at all.

  Chapter Ten

  ‘What time is it, Mary?’ Eleanor asked as her abigail drew back the heavy blue curtain letting in the morning light.

  ‘Only just gone eight o’clock, miss, you have plenty of time before you need to get up.’ Mary picked up the tray she had placed on the side table and brought it over. ‘Toast and tea, nothing more, until we see if you can keep this down.’

  ‘My headache has gone completely and the nausea too. I’m not very hungry but think I can manage to eat a little dry toast.’ Although her face was pale and drawn, her eyes were clear and she felt well enough to face the coming ordeal. ‘I’ll have my bath early, I think, as I need to leave time for my hair to dry.’

  ‘At nine o’clock then? That will leave two hours before you need to be downstairs.’

  ‘Thank you Mary, nine o’clock will do perfectly. I hope his lordship likes my wedding gown. It’s very plain.’

  ‘Not plain, miss; it’s elegant and stylish. That heavy cream silk brocade you chose doesn’t need any fancy flounces and bows.’

  Left alone, Eleanor sipped her tea pensively and stared at the simple silk dress hanging on the rail at the far side of her chamber unsure if her design was grand enough for such an important occasion.

  A tap on the door interrupted her thoughts. As Mary had been sent away she must answer the summons herself. She slipped out of bed, hastily pulled on her robe, and walked over to the door. Cautiously she opened it a crack, not sure who she might find waiting there.

  ‘Eleanor, child, whatever are you doing?’ Sophia entered quickly. ‘Where is your maid? She should be here to open the door; it is not your job.’

  ‘I sent Mary to have breakfast, Sophia.’ It seemed a little late to invite her visitor in as she was already at the rail examining the gown.