The Secret Love of a Gentleman

by Jane Lark

  “Put me down. I can climb the steps.”

  “No, Edward is within.”

  So she was then handed up from Drew to Rob’s father and set on a seat with cushions to lean back upon, prepared so that she could sit sideways. Drew climbed up to sit with Mary and her father on the opposite side of the carriage.

  “I feel foolish.”

  “You should not, Caroline. You look lovely,” Rob’s father stated.

  He must dislike her now he knew about the child. She had stolen Rob from them and given him no choice to back down.

  “You do look beautiful,” Drew said.

  Mary smiled.

  The carriage driver kept the horses at a walk, so the carriage would not rock aggressively as they drove the short distance to St George’s.

  When they passed the tall row of pillars, Caro sat up a little.

  The church, which was most fashionable for society weddings, had a Palladian front that made it more like a small palace than a church.

  A footman opened the door and Drew immediately climbed down. Then he turned.

  “Hold my shoulders.” Edward requested as he leaned forward.

  She did so, as he lifted her, and then he turned carefully to hand her to Drew, who carried her up the steps to the church as Rob’s father helped Mary.

  “Set me down,” Caro said as they reached the giant, red doors.

  “Caro, there is no harm in me carrying you up the aisle.”

  “Except that I wish to walk, and there are ten dozen people in there who would take great pleasure in gossiping, who know nothing about the child, and will think it odd if I am carried in as an invalid.”

  He hesitated.

  “Set me down and you may walk up the aisle with me and I shall hold your arm. We need not even walk quickly because a bride should walk slowly.”

  “It is your choice, but Rob will be unhappy with me if I let you come to harm.”

  “Yet this is the last few moments that I am under your care. I will be glad to be married again, but you have been here for me for years, since we were children. I would like to walk beside you, and for you to feel proud as you let me go, not that I am a burden you are handing over.”

  “Caro, you have never been a burden. I have cared for you because you are my sister and I love you.”

  She smiled. “And I love you.” A memory of the two of them huddled together inside a wardrobe in a cold, unused guest room in their mother’s home, when Caro had perhaps been five, and he not even ten, settled in her thoughts. She could hear the servants calling, to give Drew a whipping for taking fresh bread from the kitchens.

  He set her legs down gently. “We will walk very slowly.”

  She nodded. As children, they had run very fast. She smiled as she gripped his hand, as they had then, and she squeezed his fingers, then let go.

  He held out his elbow and she took it. “Are you ready to face the gossips?”

  “I think so.”

  They stepped into the church. Rob’s sisters were waiting there to walk behind her, all dressed in pale yellow, and Mary, who came in behind them, gathered them all together, then passed Caro her posy, before setting the bridesmaids in order as the organ played, filling the church with sound. Caro stepped forward, looking ahead. Rob stood in the first pew at the front, with his back to her.

  She took a breath and kept walking, praying that it did not harm the child, and praying that this young determined, passionate, moral young man would love her for all of his life.

  Mary walked behind Drew and Caro, and behind Mary walked the rest of Rob’s sisters, from the smallest to the tallest.

  Rob turned to look. His smile lit up the church.

  She smiled back and saw moisture glisten in his eyes.

  When she reached the altar, Caro turned to hand Mary her posy, then looked at Rob. His eyes were dark, a thin line of blue about his black pupils. But there was a mark on his cheek, and when he looked at his sisters, she saw a cut in his ear.

  I love you, he mouthed, when he looked back at her.

  I love you too.

  If it was inappropriate at a society wedding to be so affectionate, she did not care, and when Drew passed her hand to Rob, she did not lay her hand on his, but held his.

  They recited the words.

  “In sickness and in health…”

  “For better or worse…”

  “I, Caroline Miriam Framlington take thee…”

  “I, Robert Marlow take thee…”

  “I give you this ring…”

  Her heart raced.

  “I now pronounce you man and wife… What God has joined together let no man set asunder.”

  Caro had heard those words before, and the man she’d been joined to was the one who had torn them apart. But this man…

  Rob held both her hands, and his eyes glowed as Albert’s had never done. This man was pure to the heart.

  “How is our daughter?”

  “Kicking, but I am to be off my feet as much as I can. Your papa and Drew have carried me here.”

  “Then I will carry you home.”

  “You cannot. You have your leg to think of.”

  “Leave me to worry about it.”

  “What did you do to your face and your ear?”

  He smiled, and a low sound left his throat. “Uncle Robert’s valet became a little too eager with his shears when he cut my hair.”

  “I will tell him off.”

  “Come! I will carry you down the aisle.”

  “You cannot. Do not make me argue with you on our wedding day.”

  He laughed.

  “We will walk slowly.”

  “Congratulations,” Drew said, as they walked past him. He touched her shoulder.

  Drew and Mary, then Harry with Helen, and then all of Rob’s family walked back down the aisle behind them as the organ boomed out a dramatic ending to their wedding ceremony. Yet as they reached the doors, Drew caught hold of Rob’s elbow. “She should not be on her feet, it is only hours since she bled.”

  “I may climb into the carriage,” Caro answered. “People are watching us and I would rather not appear an invalid.” The street was full of common people, who had come to stare at the bride in all her finery.

  Rob cupped her elbow as she climbed in, because her hand was full of flowers. Then he took her posy, before making her comfortable on the cushions. Drew shut the door.

  The street about the carriage filled up even more as members of the congregation filed out of the Palladian church. They had not all been invited. Many had come just to stare.

  “I cannot wait to be away with you.” Caro breathed. “Oh.” The carriage lurched too sharply into motion and nearly tossed her onto the floor.

  Rob braced her, then stood and opened the hatch. “Steadily, for God’s sake!”

  It was unlike him to shout.

  “You should not sit up through the wedding breakfast, anyway. If you wish, we could leave immediately. Our journey is going to be much slower than planned and so there would be no harm in us setting out early. We will make some excuse to our guests.”

  “You have become wicked,” she teased, but her words sent a strange expression across his face.

  “Perhaps.”

  He was not wicked.

  As they’d travelled slowly Drew, Mary, his parents and half their guests were already there when they reached Pembroke House. Drew opened their carriage door. “I will carry you, but where would you like to go?”

  “You cannot carry my wife over the threshold. I will carry her and we will go to the state drawing room. Caro may lie on a sofa and we will greet the guests, but then we are going to leave. Caro cannot sit through the meal and so we will leave early.”

  “Your leg…” his father stated.

  “Will be fine.”

  Rob jumped down, although he flinched a little after he landed. “Put your arm about my shoulders.” She did so, holding him tighter than she’d held Drew or his father as he lifted h
er into his arms. He walked steadily, obviously in pain, and yet seeking not to show it.

  When they entered the hall there were three dozen guests there: his extended family and others from society who were close to the families or important in status. There was a chorus of cheers, applause and then laughter.

  Of course none of them knew he carried her because she was in danger of losing his child.

  “Rob, set me on my feet, I will greet them on my feet and then we will leave, we will say we have heard it’s snowing in the north and so we wish to begin our journey early, and I promise I will then stay off my feet for the rest of the day.”

  “It is a glorious day. They will not believe there is snow.”

  “They cannot know it is a lie, though.” She smiled.

  He kept a hold of her, attempting to hide his limp and holding her legs more tightly as he took her to the drawing room. He set her down carefully there, as the servants arrived with trays of full glasses.

  They formed a receiving line, as they had for the ball two nights before.

  Caro’s jaw ached from smiling when the last guest passed.

  “We will leave now,” Rob looked at his mother and father, and John.

  They had told their guests as they passed that they did not intend to join them for the meal. “I am sorry you have not quite experienced a normal wedding, Mama.”

  Her fingers cupped Rob’s cheek. “I have had the pleasure of seeing my son stand at an altar and join himself to a woman of his choice, with happiness in his eyes.”

  Rob smiled, then turned to shake his father’s and his brother’s hands.

  Ellen turned to Caro. “I am very proud of Rob, and I am extremely happy for you both.”

  “Are you?” Caro said quietly. “I feel that you must think I am an awful woman, that he came to Drew’s in the summer and I stole him.”

  “That you stole…” Ellen smiled and shook her head. “Dearest Caroline, we have watched you live unhappily among us, and I will not lie and say that I was not surprised when Rob decided to settle down so young, yet I can see you are perfect for him. He said to me, when he was ill, that love is not something you choose, and he was right. You need not fear our ill judgement, we have known of his feelings for months and we encouraged him to propose a second time. So you see, you are wrong, we are very happy for you, and glad you make each other happy.”

  ~

  Rob’s father clasped his hand. “I would speak with you privately before you leave.”

  “Why?”

  “I will tell you when we speak.”

  “Are you leaving now?” Drew, Mary and Harry joined them as their guests talked and laughed inside the drawing room.

  “Mary, would you take Caro to the retiring room?” Rob’s father asked, “I am sure she must require it before she travels, and then you may settle her in the carriage, Drew. Rob, Harry and I need to talk.”

  Rob sighed. If his father had slipped into a managing mood, then their talk was not going to be a fond farewell. Suspicion pricked.

  “John will you come? And have a servant ask Robert to join us.”

  This was to be some family onslaught then.

  Rob turned to Caro. He could, of course, refuse to listen, but that would be crass when it was the last day he would see his father in months. The least he could do was hear him out. “Let Drew carry you up to the retiring room. I shall say goodbye to my family.”

  She nodded.

  “Come then, Mrs Marlow.” Drew stepped forward and lifted her into his arms.

  The name struck Rob in the chest. She was Mrs Marlow, Caroline Marlow. The novelty of it clutched about his heart as he followed his father and John across the chequered marble floor into John’s library.

  When a footman shut the door behind Harry, Rob’s father turned. “What have you two been about?”

  John walked past Harry. “You were seen leaving the house before dawn, Harry, and climbing into a curricle which the servants recognised as Robbie’s. They did stable it here, Robbie…” John did not seem to miss a damn thing.

  “And then you turn up at the church with a wound on your face and ear,” his father continued. “I have asked your uncle if it was Archer’s fault. He sent his groom home. Archer says that is nonsense. You arrived there grazed and bleeding.”

  The door behind Rob opened and his uncle Robert came in. He shut the door and smiled at Rob.

  “Harry…” Their father continued “You at least returned unscathed.”

  “There is another factor here.” Uncle Robert threw in. “To add to our puzzle. Yesterday the Marquis of Kilbride threatened Rob.”

  Rob’s father’s eyes widened. “And you did not tell me.”

  “I did not tell you because you would react like this.”

  “Rob, he has beaten you half to death. You cannot take his threats lightly.”

  “I did not.”

  “Kilbride did what?” Now John knew too.

  “His injuries were not from a curricle accident. He was found in the street beaten to an unrecognisable state, with broken bones, and taken to Robert’s because he would not come here. It has taken him months to recover.”

  “You would not come to me for help, even then…” John looked offended.

  “It does not matter.” Rob had had enough of this.

  “And the situation with Kilbride is solved, Rob did it alone. He is capable.” Harry announced to the room. “He did not need your help, Papa, or yours, John, or yours, Uncle Robert. He was always the best shot at school.”

  It was not the time to brag.

  “Shot!” The room erupted with the one word from three voices.

  “You did what, exactly?” His father glared at Rob.

  “He called him out.” Harry stated in his brash I’ll-show-you-all voice.

  “Harry. The one thing I asked you for was silence,” Rob charged.

  “They will work it out anyway.” Harry grinned at their father. “We called at Kilbride’s home last night and Rob told him if he was so brilliant he ought to have the courage to fight fair. He challenged him.”

  “Are you mad, son? He almost killed you once—”

  “Rob won,” Harry protested.

  “Robbie should never have been there.” Their father growled.

  “He won,” Harry said again, as though the news eradicated all else.

  “If you had not, Caroline would have been left without a husband, carrying your child. I say again, Robbie, you should not have been there.”

  “But I was,” Rob answered, “and I won. He threatened me; he threatened us. He would not yield without a dose of his own medicine. I do not regret it. Caro needs to be free of him. He is the reason she is suffering, even now. What would you have done, Papa?”

  “I would have taken her away from him.”

  “But then you may never be sure you are safe to come back,” Rob’s uncle walked about Rob and caught his father’s eye. They shared a look and then his father sighed.

  “What happened?”

  “Rob knows what he is doing. Kilbride missed him, and then Rob aimed and shot him in the leg. It went straight into his bone.”

  “I broke his leg in the same place he broke mine.”

  “With one pistol shot,” John stated, his eyebrows lifting as he leaned back against his desk. “You are good.”

  Rob smiled.

  “I told you,” Harry said.

  How foolish that he’d discovered the one thing he could best his family in at this moment. Perhaps knowing he was the best at something, though, would give him more confidence in his politics.

  “But do not expect me to pat you on the back for it. It was stupid to do it alone,” John added.

  “He was not alone,” Harry stated.

  “And what if I had lost two of my sons?” His father’s hand lifted in a gesture of lack of control. But Rob did not wish to be controlled—and nor did Harry.

  “It was my choice. Caroline is my wife, she is my responsibilit
y and she will be waiting for me, and I can travel with her now and not fear Kilbride because I have taught him the lesson he needed to learn.” Rob turned away then. He was no longer a child to be scolded and if he chose to manage his responsibilities alone, then it was his choice.

  “And if he pays more thugs to come after you?”

  “I will carry pistols in the carriage, and then I will go back to his house and shoot him in the head,” Rob threw over his shoulder. He turned back and faced them all. “I can take care of myself. Not every man has an army of servants and connections about him, and they manage without it.”

  “He can take care of himself. I vouch for it,” Harry stated. “He is the most independent of us all.”

  “Robbie, you are the most sensible of my children, you should not be the one who turns out to be the death of me,” his father sighed.

  Rob smiled and said no more, but left them.

  Chapter 49

  “Caro,” Rob climbed into the carriage.

  Drew and Mary had been waiting with Caro, but it was not them she wished to be with.

  Rob pulled the door shut and waved at Drew and Mary as the horses pulled their new carriage into motion.

  “Good luck!” Drew shouted.

  “God bless you!” Mary called.

  Rob was sitting in the seat opposite Caro, leaning forward, his elbows resting on his thighs, as she occupied the whole of the other seat, lying on her back.

  “How are you? Sorry I took so long.”

  “I am bleeding again.” The weight of the knowledge caught in her chest as a sharp, hard pain. She had seen it when she’d gone up to the retiring room, and then Drew had been outside and she had wanted to cry, but she had not.

  Rob gripped her hand. “Do not worry. We will ride to the edge of the city, stop at an inn, and then I will send a lad from the stable to fetch the doctor. All will be well.”

  Yet he’d paled.

  “Has she kicked since the wedding?”

  “No.” That was Caro’s fear too. If she could feel the baby moving she would not feel so scared.

  “Is there much blood?” Their carriage rocked and creaked over the cobbles.

  “Only drops.”

  “Then let us not worry until we know there is a need to. It is you, me and our daughter here: mother, father and child. What will we call her when she is born?”