by Julia Donner
To prove her point and establish her position, she raised her eyebrows in silent expectation of his response. Holcombe jerked a nod, murmured an excuse, and strode away. Leticia allowed the smile to form, even though it was a mixed victory. She turned around in time to see the crease of worry on the footman’s brow as he resumed his place by the door. He’d come to stand close behind her and she hadn’t noticed. At least someone was watching her back.
She had scarcely had time to refresh and change. A footman tapped on the bedchamber door. Rosellyn answered and extended a card on her return. “My lady, there is a gentleman asking for you. Lord Carnall.”
Chapter 14
Leticia hurried down the wide, wooden staircase to the ground floor. Her stomach sank when she saw that Holcombe had intercepted Lord Carnall in the entry hall. On the surface, it appeared the men discussed the array of wall-mounted weaponry and dusty suits of armor. Something about Carnall’s posture suggested irritation—the way he leaned slightly back on his boot heels.
She held out her hand as she approached. “Lord Carnall, how glad I am that you have come to visit us.”
He took her hand and bowed over it. “Lady Bainbridge.”
Holcombe had stepped to one side, but not before she noticed a fleeting scowl. Pretending not to have noticed Holcombe’s expression, she asked Carnall, “Sir, have you come to choose your horses?”
“Yes, and have been told your husband is not at home.”
Leticia smiled up into Carnall’s black-eyed gaze. Appreciation glimmered there and changed to humor when she brushed that away with a wave. “Oh, he is never at home, sir. He is off to the stables every morning at first light.”
“How like a man to neglect you so heartlessly for the sake of his diversions. May I ask for your company and direction, madam?”
Before she could reply, Holcombe said, “My lord, if you have documents of purchase and such, I can relieve you of them. I attend to all of his lordship’s business.”
Carnall stilled. The gleam of humor in his gaze flattened into something unrecognizable, altering his features from gentle animation to chilling irritation.
Leticia quickly said, “That won’t be necessary, Holcombe. I can deliver the paperwork later.”
Holcombe’s attitude went from aloof to sour. “It isn’t a woman’s place to be bothered with estate matters.”
Before Holcomb could say more, Carnall turned and confronted the steward. Leticia couldn’t see Carnall’s expression and was glad she couldn’t. Holcombe paled, his hauteur vanishing under whatever visual threat Carnall issued.
In a silky voice, Carnall said, “Holcombe, were you not my friend’s employee, I might feel unable to contain the urge to teach you a lesson in how to speak to your betters. Perhaps I should feel obliged to do more than merely take exception to the condescension in your tone.”
Alarmed, Leticia stepped forward and touched Carnall’s arm, saying to Holcombe, “You may leave.”
Holcombe bowed and made a swift escape. Leticia studied Carnall, who stared at the retreating steward. When she met the marquess at the inn, her first impression had been to notice an intensity of suppressed emotions. As he watched Holcombe, she felt the full force of the menace Carnall controlled. She didn’t fear it, as she didn’t fear Bainbridge’s, but respected its power enough to feel wary of its existence.
Carefully, gently, she said, “Thank you, Carnall. How very gallant.”
With a final, narrow-eyed glare at the empty corridor, Carnall murmured, “I don’t care for that man’s effrontery.”
When he turned back to her, there was no sign of whatever had sent Holcombe running. She replied, “Neither do I and fully appreciate your intuition. We must take into account Holcombe’s justifiable belief that Bainbridge and I are not actually married.”
“In my book, you are. I witnessed your acceptance and his. To my way of thinking, you are as wed if you rode north to speak the words over the anvil. It only requires the legal instrument of the license in my pocket.”
“And we are grateful, sir, for your efforts on our behalf. Come. Let me show you to the stable.”
She placed her hand on his upraised forearm and waited until they were out of the house and on the walkway before she said, “Forgive my presumption, but you are an angry man.”
“Yes, I am, and usually hide it with more finesse. My infrequent and unfortunate displays do not disturb me, but I wouldn’t wish to put you out of countenance with today’s outburst. In any event, I doubt I could have contained it. Holcombe deserves a thrashing. I feel obliged to point out his disrespectful manner toward you to Bainbridge.”
“And I would ask that you postpone that inclination until we find another steward to replace the late Mr. Holcombe.”
Carnall’s soft laugh made her think the marquess might be enjoying the image of Bainbridge taking Holcombe to task. After what she suspected and found evident at the tenant farms, she knew the man’s days were numbered—if not his life for his treatment of her—certainly his position at Stokebrook.
“My lord, I ask that you not say anything to Bainbridge. You reminded Holcombe of his place quite sufficiently. He’s had the run of the estate for some time without hindrance. Bainbridge has no other interest than his horses, you know.”
“I must disagree, madam. The earl most definitely places you first in his concerns.”
She huffed a tragic sigh. “Perhaps, but I am ever reminded that he could’ve had his pick of any number of eligible ladies. I shouldn’t like to think he felt forced due to our prior friendship.”
From the corner of her eye, she saw a smile twitch the stern line of his mouth. “I’m experiencing some difficulty envisioning Bainbridge being forced into anything.”
She answered that with a quiet laugh and shake of her head. They walked in silence for a time until she said, “He’s been something of an elder brother ever since I can remember.”
“If I may be bold, madam, I would tell you something I overheard.”
“I’m not comfortable with the hearing of other people’s confidences.”
“It wasn’t said in confidence. Not precisely.”
Leticia grinned up at him. “Oh, you evil man. You’ve gone too far and incited my interest. You have no choice now but to tell me, for there’s nothing like that which is overheard.”
Carnall placed his glove-encased hand over hers on his forearm. “I am glad that you are so easily coerced. How shall I begin?”
“At the beginning.”
“An excellent suggestion. Let us return to the day of the mill. After you rode away from the inn, Bainbridge sought us out to assure himself that the license would be procured with all speed. After I reiterated my promise to do so, Freddy said he felt obliged to ask Bainbridge if his proposal had been spoken from a sense of obligation. Did he, meaning Bainbridge, wish to continue with the acquisition of a special license, or find some other alternative for your safety and comfort?”
When he didn’t continue, Leticia whispered, “You are an unmitigated tease. Tell me, you rascal.”
He lightly squeezed her hand and replied in a comforting tone, “Bainbridge replied that he’d always felt himself contracted to you and had never considered anyone else for a wife. Quite set the matter straight by adding that Freddy and I must act as witnesses, should the need for that ever arise. He had concerns that you were compromised from being seen with him at the inn. He suggested that we, Freddy and I, be overheard in the taproom saying that the pair of you were too impatient for the banns to be read and impetuously dashed off to Scotland to foil your cousins.”
Leticia considered Carnall’s divulgence with tingling cheeks. She answered through the congestion in her throat. “I should scold you for betraying a confidence, but I’m too flattered to be anything but appreciative.”
As they crossed the stable yard, Leticia asked, “Will you have the horses shipped to Ireland?”
“No. I’ve decided to buy property here. My mother is i
nterested in seeing my sisters presented at court and must find a sponsor in town. An introduction to Lady Asterly and Countess Ravenswold may be helpful. It’s one of the reasons I sought Freddy’s assistance.”
“If I may suggest, you might consider applying to Lady Collyns and Sir Harry. They are very well-connected.”
“And how is the country mouse so well acquainted with the workings of the ton?”
As they strolled into the stable and down the long line of stalls, she teased him back, “Here in the hinterlands, we’ve climbed out of the bog of ignorance and age of darkness. Someone most obligingly invented a printing press. That idea was followed with the creation of society pages in circulating newspapers and magazines.”
“The Lady’s Monthly Museum?”
She wished she could look down her nose at him but was too short to pull it off. She patted her mouth with a pretend yawn. “And The Times.”
He had a pleasant chuckle, low and soothing. “And now I have been firmly set in place.”
A groom paused from mucking out stalls to relay that his lordship had just started the training of a yearling stud and could be found in the interior paddock. They were directed to a staircase, which led up to a viewing box over the paddock.
Carnall removed the covers from two chairs and assisted her to sit on the crimson velvet seat. Below, Bainbridge walked a Friesian to the center of the ring. He stroked the glossy black neck. After dropping the lead rein, he spoke a single word command, then stepped back from the horse. He began to approach the horse from different directions, side, back and front. Whenever the yearling moved, he returned the horse to the same spot and dropped the rein again. He came at the horse from different angles, at greater speeds and with more force. With endless patience, Bainbridge repeated the process, the first step in teaching a horse to not react instinctively and move to avoid an attack.
Carnall murmured, “I’ve always wondered how he accomplished that. A friend of mine has a stud Bainbridge trained. You could send the entire front line of a cavalry at that horse and nothing could make it shy or bolt.”
Leticia watched as Bainbridge progressed to flinging himself into the horse’s side. The stud grunted on impact but refused to budge. Leticia smiled at the success. “His patience continually amazes me. I believe he could keep doing this procedure for the rest of the day. Are you bored yet?”
“Not in the least. This breed reminds me of the days of yore, those mercenary knights and jousters, what it must’ve been like centuries ago. Can you imagine it? They fought all day in full armor or chain. The sun or rain beating down. Not to forget the carnage. Forgive me. Mentioning that was indelicate.”
She waved that away. “I’m not squeamish. Unfeminine of me, to be sure, but I lack the finer sensibilities. I think it’s one of the things about me that Bainbridge appreciates. He’s so straightforward.”
“You’ve known each other for so many years. It must be a comfort to know someone that well.”
“We were never much in each other’s company, and yet, we do understand each other very well. Bainbridge said he saw me for the first time not long after my birth.”
“A love at first sight tale?” Carnall asked, his focus still on the training session.
“Not at all. Quite the opposite, in fact. He said I was red-faced, screaming, and insisted on doing so until given into his arms. Then I quieted, which meant the poor lad was constantly forced to placate me. He was ten or eleven at the time. I imagine cuddling a shrieking demon from the netherworld might have been more welcome.” She whispered as if confiding an unwelcome truth, “Boys are not fond of babies.”
Carnall smiled but kept his gaze on the arena. “But you grew into a force to be reckoned with, pragmatic, it seems, and unafraid of our fearsome pugilist.”
“If you had met the father, you would know why I am so fearless. He was called the Black Earl. Parents made their children behave by telling them that if they were disobedient, the Black Earl would come for them in the night and carry them off to a boiling cauldron for his next meal.”
“How very like the Grimm stories.”
“Grimm? I’ve never heard of him.”
“Them, brothers, and the stories, in my opinion, are more for adult consumption even if they were set down as fairy tales.”
“The late earl was far more terrifying than any fairy tale or folk legend. He was vicious, an absolute horror. Fortunately, none of it rubbed off on his son. They call Geoffrey the Dark Earl, but no one would ever think of him in the same way as his father. Their only commonality is the love of this breed of war horse.”
They watched in silence for a time until she said, “I shall never forget the sight of him coming onto the field in full regalia.”
Carnall nodded at Bainbridge. “He’s participated in medieval reenactments?”
“When he was much younger. He stopped accepting invitations after his father died. He doesn’t like the possibility of his mounts being injured in the more dangerous events, especially the jousting.”
Carnall shifted in his seat to face her. “I am intrigued. Bainbridge never mentioned he’d participated, only that he didn’t care for reenactments. How unfortunate. He may be one of the few men left who know how to fight in the old ways. Did he wear armor or chain?”
“He has both. When I saw him, it was plate. The black metal suit in the hall was his. The family colors are black and crimson.”
Carnall’s eyebrows came together in a frown. “I admired it, but must not remember it correctly. Bainbridge looks larger.”
“That set was for his fourteenth year. He grew to his present size when he reached twenty. Once the dust is cleaned from the inscription plates, one can read his ages for the other suits.”
Carnall stared at her. “His father had suits of armor made when he was a boy?”
“Yes. They are all on display.”
“I thought they were heirlooms. His father was most certainly an eccentric.”
Leticia had a more accurate adjective but kept it to herself. “Perhaps we should go down. It appears today’s lesson is at an end.”
They met Bainbridge at the paddock gate, where he handed off the horse to the groom and motioned for them to enter a nearby tack room. Rows of saddles, bridles and accoutrement hung on padded racks. The smell of leather, saddle oil, and liniment hung in the air, intensified by the confined space.
Bainbridge closed the door. “We’ve been waiting for you to arrive.”
Carnall nodded a bow. “And good day to you, too, Bainbridge.”
When Bainbridge answered with a growling grunt, Leticia said, “Be pleasant. Carnall has done us a great service.”
The marquess winked at her, again amazing her with the alteration to his face when he smiled. “It’s rather fun to poke at the bear.”
Bainbridge started to say something but Leticia hushed him with a meaningful look. Pinning Carnall with the same, she thrust out her hand, palm up. “The license, if you please.”
He withdrew a folded parchment and a wallet for banknotes from his jacket’s inner breast pocket. He handed them to Bainbridge, who immediately handed them to Leticia.
She scanned the document, glanced at the folded banknotes, then looked up at Bainbridge. “You’re sure you want me to have what must be a very large sum?”
He shrugged a heavy shoulder. “You may have need of it for the house repairs.”
Bainbridge went to the tack room door and ushered them out. Before they left the stable, he turned back to whistle through his front teeth. Grooms poked their heads out of stalls and doorways. Bainbridge pointed at one and gestured for him to approach.
“Chester,” Bainbridge said when the groom halted in front of him, “leave off whatever you’re doing and hitch the dogcart. Fetch the vicar. Tell him that I have need of him immediately.”
The groom trotted away and Bainbridge turned to Carnall. “You’ve done us a very great service. For this, you may have your pick of my stable, with the excep
tion of Jupiter.”
Carnall raised black eyebrows. “Sir, you astound me. I am entirely sensible of the marvelous gift you offer, but for my part, the task was no hardship to warrant such largesse.”
Bainbridge rubbed his hand on the thigh of his breeches before he took Leticia’s hand. “For her sake and mine, it’s more significant than merely a gift. Will you stay for the ceremony? It shall be done here in the old chapel, free of interlopers who feel they have the right to name the legal impediments.”
Carnall removed his hat. “I should be honored.”
Leticia said, “Then you must excuse me, gentlemen. There is much to do before the vicar arrives. Does anyone in the house know where the old chapel lies?”
It was the few time she’d seen Bainbridge smirk. “Some of them, but no one ventures there. It’s in the old castle section, where the bailey used to be.”
She glanced down at her plain everyday frock. “Then perhaps I should not worry about how to dress.”
“It’s more important that the deed be done quickly. I know that women prefer bride-clothes and such, but parts of the old section are still in ruins. Fallen down in places on the way. Mother had the worst of the chapel interior repaired and cleaned. She liked its solitude. Will you mind, Leticia, not having a fine ceremony?”
She smiled up at his concern. “You know by now that my practical nature understands that thwarting my cousins is paramount.”
Bainbridge exhaled. She hadn’t noticed that he’d been holding his breath. With a smile, he said, “We have time to prepare a few amenities. At the very least, I can get rid of the dirt from the stable and change.” Taking Leticia’s hand, he asked, “Carnall, will you escort her up to the house?”
Late that afternoon, Chester returned with the disappointing news that the vicar was confined to his bed with a fever but would rise on the morrow, and no matter his condition, come to Stokebrook. Leticia felt an odd sense of disappointment mixed with relief. Not wanting to mentally confront why she felt so conflicted, she set about making arrangements for a houseguest and overseeing the arrangement of the breakfast room in which to dine. The banquet hall was too vast for three people and too large to prepare on short notice.