by Cheryl Bolen
The coach stopped in front of Gosingham’s portico. “Come, you’ll see for yourself.”
She prayed he was right. She felt like an opera dancer being presented to the Queen.
Chapter 8
Philip was accustomed to footmen opening the entrance doors at these grand country houses, but that was not the case tonight. His own mother, even smaller than she was when he last saw her, opened the door and raced out on the portico to meet him.
He left the coachman to help his new family disembark from the coach while he flew to lift his mother into his arms and swing her around with great joy, hugging and kissing her. He always marveled at how so tiny a woman could have given birth to a man as large as he.
“Oh, my barling, barling doy! I am beyond happy to see you. Oh, drat! When I get excited my words don’t come out right.”
“Don’t fret, my love, I knew exactly what you meant.” He put her down. “You are as beautiful as ever, and I’ve never been happier to see anyone in my life.”
“Nor have I. You are, after all, my favorite son.”
He gave her a mock glare. “You aren’t supposed to say that, my dearest.” Over his mother’s diminutive shoulder he saw his beautiful, dark-haired sister standing in the doorway, barely able to contain her own excitement at seeing her brother after so many years’ absence.
“But it’s the truth and well you know it. Your brother is nothing but a weakling ruled by a wife in want of wits.” She eyed Charlotte and the children as they approached. “Now you must introduce me to your beautiful new wife and those lovely children.”
He held up an index finger as he tossed a glance at Georgiana. “As soon as I kiss my sister.” He raced toward the door, and Georgiana ran into his arms.
“It’s wonderful to see you, Philip.”
“And you, too, Gee. Come see Charlotte again. You’ve met her before.”
“Ah, the beautiful Mrs. Hale! I am very happy for you both.”
Introductions were made all around.
His mother, who had a habit of being brutally honest, was charming with Eddie and Susan. “These are delightfully polite children. Not at all like my little Hellions. I daresay these children’s mother exerts discipline in teaching them manners.”
“They are exceedingly well behaved,” Philip said. “Now, shall we go in? I wish to be properly introduced to your husband, Gee.”
He had known by sight the duke when Fordham was a third son attending Eton a few years ahead of Philip. He was of muscular build and possessed of sandy hair and rugged good looks. To Philip’s surprise, his always elegant and formerly icy sister introduced her husband as “the most wonderful man in all the three kingdoms.”
To Philip’s even greater surprise, Charlotte interrupted. “I beg to differ, your grace. I believe that honor goes to my husband, your brother.”
Everyone in the room laughed heartily.
“Dearest,” his mother said, “I know it’s December twenty-sixth, but we waited until you came to celebrate Christmas. I’ve waited for so many years for this.”
He hugged her once more. It felt so good to be home in England with his family.
Fordham took this opportunity to introduce his great friends, Lord Wycliff and his beautiful blond wife, and Lord Slade—a brilliant Parliamentarian who was even bigger than Philip—and the plain little wife to whom he seemed devoted.
They were taken immediately to the dinner room where a Christmas goose was being served, and something most unusual was offered, something he had never seen before. It was customary for small children to eat in the nursery, but his mother explained, “I did not want to frighten Susan and Eddie in strange surroundings by putting them in a strange room with strange people away from their mother, so I’m permitting them to eat at the big table. Hopkins obliged by finding some very thick books from the library upon which they can sit to make them tall enough for the big table.”
“I do appreciate your thoughtfulness, Lady Hartworth,” Charlotte said. “I do hope the books have been covered with something impermeable. My children are rather messy eaters.”
His mother shook her head. “Children are more important than any musty old books.”
He was looking forward to seeing Mama with the Hellions. Even better, he wished Georgiana could be blessed with children. She would make a wonderful mother, and Mama would most certainly dote over those grandchildren.
Then he thought of him and Charlotte having children of their own, and something inside of him felt like the melting of sweet butter.
They drank toasts and spoke of legislation and talked of battles, and he couldn’t remember when he’d had a more joyous Christmas—unless it was the past two days spent in the tiny chambers at the White Lion Inn with Charlotte.
After dinner, they pretended to allow the children to light the Yule log and to hang holly and mistletoe.
“We’re to have another couple arrive tomorrow,” Fordham announced.
Philip eyed his host. “Indeed?”
“Wycliff’s cousin, Edward Coke, who’s married to Lady Wycliff’s sister. He was recently elected to the House of Commons.”
“I can see that if I’m to belong,” Philip said, “I must become a Whig and I will have to stand for the House of Commons.”
Fordham grinned. “I do have a few seats under my control.”
“How splendid!” Gee said.
“Since when did your sympathies swing so far away from Papa’s?” Philip asked his sister.
“Since I became enlightened. Even Mama has.”
He whirled at his mother, his eyes round with disbelief. “Can this be true?”
“Chimes have tamed.” She waved her arms. “You know what I mean!”
This small impairment in his mother saddened him, but he knew it could have been so much worse after her affliction. He still felt guilty for not being here during her crisis. He placed his hand on hers. “I will always know what you mean, my dearest.”
“Don’t I have the most wonderful son?”
“Yes, you do,” Charlotte answered.
“Your wife answers very well. On all accounts,” his mother said.
He was very pleased.
Somehow, his family in a very short period of time had contrived to find presents for Eddie and Susan. Before they went to bed, Susan was presented with a child’s-size reticule constructed of pure white rabbit fur, and Eddie received a toy mouse on a string that pleased him very much.
The room then went quiet. It was as if everyone knew something grand was about to occur. Everyone except him and Charlotte. His mother disappeared for a moment, and then she returned with a small velvet box. A smile came to his face. He was beginning to understand.
She walked straight to Charlotte. “This, my dear, is for you.”
A surprised look crossed his wife’s youthful face as she took the box and lifted away the lid.
He felt tears welling in his eyes when he recognized his mother’s pearl and diamond ring.
“My other son’s wife has the Hartworth wedding ring. This was given to my maternal grandmother when she married my grandfather. It passed to me when they had no sons. Now, my dear, it’s yours.”
Charlotte’s eyes, too, misted. “Thank you, my lady. I shall cherish it.” She slipped it on her finger. It fit perfectly. She stood and embraced his mother.
Just before everyone was ready for bed, Georgiana stood. “We’ve one more surprise tonight. We think it’s quite wonderful and wanted to share it with all of you, those we love most.” Her glance circled the chamber from her mother to her brother and his new family to the Slades and finally the Wycliffs. Then her gaze rested on Fordham. “You tell them, darling.”
The duke came and put his arm around Gee. Though he wasn’t a tall man, he looked tall next to Gee. “Georgiana and I are delighted to announce that before summer arrives we hope to welcome our first child.”
Mama squealed in delight. And she began to cry. He hadn’t seen so many tears spilt si
nce Badajoz. Thank God these were tears of joy. A great deal of hugging and back slapping and congratulatory words followed. How uncanny that just this evening he’d been hoping Gee would become a mother. She was one of those people who would make a wonderful parent.
Soon, a very tired Philip and Charlotte Fenton carried two very tired children upstairs to the nursery where a pleasant nursery maid awaited to read them bedtime stories.
This night, his wedding night, was one night he was not going to share Charlotte with the children.
Hopefully next Christmas he and his beautiful bride would have an announcement like Gee and her husband had made this night, one of the happiest of his life.
When he opened the door to the room where they would sleep, Charlotte’s mouth gaped open. “I’ve never been in such a huge bedchamber. Are you sure this isn’t the duke’s?”
It was a large chamber, with ceilings soaring nearing twenty feet. Even the casements were taller than most rooms. A huge marble chimneypiece centered one wall, and a silken settee fronted it, but the focal point of the chamber was the huge tester bed draped in royal blue velvet. The room was illuminated from a blazing fire at the generous hearth and a single taper on one side of the bed.
“I’m sure, my love. I think this demonstrates a very good reason why it was best to wait. Do you not think this a massive improvement over the sofa at the White Lion, which wasn’t even long enough to accommodate my height?”
She strolled up to him and lifted her arms to his shoulders. “I would make love to you in the back of pony cart, you handsome husband of mine.”
He growled and scooped her up and carried her to the bed. Their bed. “I love you, Mrs. Fenton, tonight and for every night for as long as we live.”
Once more, this woman he loved with all his heart began to cry. Only this time, she sobbed. He drew her to him and held her tight, murmuring endearments, softly stroking the tender flesh of her back. “What’s wrong, love?”
“I have no right to be so happy.”
“You have earned the right to be happy. Remember when I told you that love would follow despair. There was a reason you were able to sell Edward’s ring on the day we met.”
“Then we owe our present happiness to dear Edward?”
“Indeed we do.” He could not be jealous of his predecessor for through his good friend he had found the only woman he could ever love so fiercely.
“I never believed I could love again, but I do love you so.”
“And it took being stranded at an inn with only a single room left to discover such a love. How blessed we are.”
“It’s been the happiest Christmas I’ve ever known.”
“I feel the same, my love.” Then he blew out the candle to extend their Christmas pleasure.
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The End
About Cheryl Bolen
Since her first book was published to acclaim in 1998, Cheryl Bolen has written more than three dozen books, mostly historical romances. Several of her books have won Best Historical awards, and she's a New York Times and USA Today bestseller whose books have been translated into eight languages. She and her recently retired professor husband have been traveling to England for more than 30 years, and she counts reading about dead English women as one of her favorite activities.
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You can find details of her work at
www.CherylBolen.com
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