by Laura Martin
I never thought I was the sort of man who just buried his head in the sand instead of making a decision, but these last few weeks I’ve done nothing but procrastinate.
Leo sat back and loosened his cravat, taking a sip of the whisky in front of him. It was smooth and delicious and just what he needed.
‘Is everything sorted?’ Wilbersmythe asked as he sat down in the chair opposite Leo.
‘More or less. I’ve signed everything I need to. I had most of the papers anyway, all the details on the tenants and rents. It is all pretty straightforward.’ He should thank his great-uncle—the man had left him in a good position. Leo was the only beneficiary of the will and it had been laid out in painstaking detail. Everything was accounted for, everything written down in ink and indisputable. The old man had been organised until the end, even when Leo had taken over the day-to-day running of the estates.
‘No surprises, then?’
‘No, no surprises.’ There hadn’t even been the clause about Leo needing to be married to inherit everything. The wily old man had been cunning until the very last. Leo allowed himself a smile at the memory of him.
‘Are you planning on staying in London?’
Leo contemplated the question before answering. It was his least favourite time to be in London, the middle of summer, everything was stuffy and even the streets smelled in the oppressive heat. He longed for the rolling hills of Kent, for long rides and beautiful sunsets over the fields. Normally he wouldn’t linger in London—normally he left as soon as whatever essential business was complete.
‘Perhaps for a few more days.’ The truth was he still hadn’t worked out how he felt about Annabelle. The main point of this trip had been to get some perspective, to put some physical distance between himself and his wife so he could decide how he wanted their marriage to be going forward. He knew he cared for Annabelle in a way he never had anticipated, never wanted even, but there was caring for a sister or a cousin and then there was caring for a lover. He wasn’t sure which category Annabelle should fall into.
‘You’ll be keen to get home to your wife, no doubt.’
‘Yes,’ Leo murmured, unable to stop himself from thinking about her soft lips and the sparkle in her eyes when he kissed her. He wanted so badly to return to Annabelle, to give himself over to the desire he could barely hold suppressed. Perhaps that was his answer right there, perhaps he should stop resisting it, should accept that despite his best efforts not to let anyone else into his heart and into his life Annabelle had found her way in. Perhaps he should just embrace that, allow himself to enjoy it.
Still, though, there was a niggling doubt. Lord Abbingdon’s death had brought back the memories of both his parents’ deaths and Emily’s. Although he didn’t feel the same heartbreaking grief, he did feel a sadness at the loss of the old man and he felt cautious about letting anyone else in.
He was just about to excuse himself from Wilbersmythe, to head home for an early night, when one of serving staff hurried over to him and bent down to whisper in his ear.
‘There is a young woman outside, my lord, she is insisting she sees you.’
Leo frowned, wondering who it could be. Women weren’t permitted in the gentlemen’s club and never before had anyone waited outside for him. There wasn’t anyone he was expecting to hear from, anyone he had unfinished business with.
‘I’ll be right out.’ He excused himself from Wilbersmythe, shrugged on his jacket and straightened his cravat before heading to the big doors that lead out on to the street.
Standing at the bottom of the steps, head bowed and in shadow, was the unmistakable form of his wife. For a moment he was so shocked he couldn’t move. Annabelle should be in Kent, safe and comfortable, awaiting his return.
‘Annabelle,’ he said, hurrying down the steps as soon as he’d recovered. ‘Is something wrong?’
‘Something wrong?’ She shook her head, puzzled, ‘No, there’s nothing wrong.’
‘Why are you here?’ The question came out more abruptly than he had planned, but he was shaken by her appearance here where he least expected to see her.
She looked momentarily taken aback, but then seemed to rally.
‘I wanted to see you. Your butler told me where you were. Was I wrong to come here?’
He didn’t answer, instead taking her by the arm and starting to lead her away from his club.
‘I thought something must be wrong. I didn’t expect you to be here. Not at the club and not in London.’
‘Oh. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come.’
He knew he should reassure her, should tell her he was pleased she was here, tell her he’d missed her, but something caught his tongue and tied it in knots.
‘Let’s get you back home. It is late. We can talk in the morning.’
Briskly he marched her through the streets, feeling the tension in her body and not able to quite explain to himself the deep unease he was feeling. It shouldn’t matter she had come without informing him. It wasn’t the done thing to just appear at a gentlemen’s club, but Annabelle wasn’t to know that and he certainly couldn’t hold it against her.
They hardly saw anyone as they walked back to his town house, but the couple of acquaintances they did pass looked at them with curiosity as Leo hurried Annabelle on by. He was sure the news of his marriage had reached London by now and no doubt people were speculating about the speed behind the wedding and the nature of the marriage when they gossiped in ballrooms and at dinner tables. None of that bothered him. He didn’t see the appeal in being so interested in the private lives of others, but he knew it occurred and after his recent inheritance he was more than ever going to be the subject of such scrutiny. What he didn’t want was for anyone to say anything unkind to Annabelle. He knew how much that would hurt her, even though she tried to act as though she didn’t care.
‘I’m sorry,’ Annabelle mumbled again as they reached the steps of his town house and the front door was opened by a footman.
‘There really is nothing to apologise for.’
‘I shouldn’t have come to your club, should I?’
‘It is a little unorthodox, but there was no harm in it.’
‘People will talk.’
‘People will talk whatever.’
Annabelle pressed her lips together and he realised she must have thought he was ashamed of her, hurrying her through the streets like that.
Gently he raised a hand and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
‘It’s good to see you,’ he said, leaning in to kiss her.
‘It’s good to see you, too.’
With a jolt he realised he had missed her. The unsettled feeling he’d had over the last few weeks had been down to feeling incomplete without her. Married for less than two months and he was already feeling restless when away from her.
‘I missed you.’
‘You sound surprised,’ she said with a half-smile, but her eyes were searching his face for answers.
‘It’s only been a few weeks,’ he said with a shrug, ‘I thought I would cope for a few weeks.’
‘I missed you, too.’
‘I’m glad you came,’ he said, surprised to find it was the truth. London wasn’t ever where he had imagined Annabelle, but now she was here it felt good to be holding her again.
‘Really? I was worried you would think it an imposition.’
‘No.’ He kissed her, aiming to show her quite how much he appreciated her being here. ‘Not an imposition,’ he murmured when he pulled away. ‘A pleasant surprise.’
‘Pleasant?’
He nodded.
‘That sounds a little mundane. How you might react to an aunt dropping in on you.’
‘Not my aunt.’ He nibbled her earlobe and made her shiver. ‘Perhaps pleasant is the wrong word.’ Gripping her by the hand, he ignored the footm
an who was standing discreetly to one side and pulled her towards the stairs. ‘I think I should give you a tour of the house. Perhaps we could start in the bedroom.’
Annabelle laughed and he felt himself lighten instantly. These last few weeks had felt empty and hollow. He’d thought it was because he was finally mourning his great-uncle and coming to terms with all the responsibility of his inheritance, and he was sure there was an element of that in his melancholy, but missing Annabelle had certainly been a part of it, too.
‘Nice hall.’ Annabelle giggled as he hurried her through the upstairs hall, barely allowing her to catch a glimpse of anything before they stumbled into the bedroom.
‘I’ll give you a full tour later,’ he said and then they collapsed on to the bed.
* * *
Annabelle smiled as she rolled over and collided with Leo’s firm body as she slowly woke from sleep. He flung out an arm and brought her to him, but soon his breathing deepened again as he settled back into a deeper slumber. Light was streaming in through the window where they hadn’t properly pulled the curtains the evening before and already the room felt hot, but despite all this she felt happy.
Coming to London had been risky, she knew that. There had been a chance Leo would send her straight back to Kent, annoyed that she would encroach on his life here in the city. When she had first turned up at his gentlemen’s club he’d looked shocked and for a moment she’d thought he was unhappy to see her. As he’d hurried her through the streets it had been as if he was embarrassed by her.
No, she told herself, not embarrassed. Just eager to get her home. Shifting in bed, she looked across at her husband. Last night he’d shown her how much he’d missed her. Although...
She tried to push the doubts from her mind, but it was undeniable that he had only relaxed once they were in the privacy of his house. When that door had closed behind them Leo had returned to being attentive and affectionate, but outside his club he’d been brusque and he’d hardly uttered a word all the way home, ducking his head whenever they passed anyone as if in a bid to remain unseen.
Annabelle wriggled out from under his arm and slipped out of bed, going to sit on the wide windowsill and looking at the street below. It was still quiet, only the odd servant hurrying by on a morning errand.
She didn’t want Leo to be embarrassed to be seen with her and she hadn’t ever thought it would be an issue. He wasn’t the sort of man who cared what other people thought of him, he did what he wanted without thinking about whether people would gossip or not.
‘You’re overthinking it,’ she murmured to herself.
‘Overthinking what?’ Leo asked from the bed, his voice heavy with sleep.
‘Nothing.’
Even though his eyes were barely open, he still managed to give her a disbelieving look.
‘I’m sorry for turning up unannounced last night.’
‘Don’t apologise. It was a good surprise.’ He reached out a hand and wiggled his fingers, tempting her back. ‘Come back to bed, it must still be early.’
It was so tempting to slip back into bed next to him and forget all her doubts and worries. He wasn’t trying to hurry her back to Kent, hadn’t even mentioned her leaving London, so perhaps she was just overthinking things and his reaction the evening before had been nothing more than shock.
She slipped from the windowsill and joined him again in bed, her body fitting against his as if they were made for each other.
* * *
It must have been an hour later when there was a light tap on the door, followed by a long pause. Annabelle grabbed the sheets, making sure she was fully covered, before Leo called out that the person at the door could enter.
Leo’s servants were very discreet and never just walked into a room like Annabelle knew was the norm in some households. Their lack of funds when she was a young woman at home had meant they’d never had more than a housekeeper/cook and one maid and that maid had been far too busy to occupy herself with Annabelle or Beth. It meant she found it strange to have servants present all the time, present and privy to all the secrets of hers and Leo’s relationship.
‘I’m sorry to disturb you, my lord,’ Michaels said as he padded quietly into the room, staying close to the door, but closing it softly behind him. ‘Miss Culpepper is downstairs and is insisting she sees you and meets your new wife. I did try to gently suggest she could leave a note and you would respond later, but I’m afraid the suggestion didn’t go down well.’
‘I applaud your attempt,’ Leo said with a smile. ‘I shall come down and see her, but I am not going to rush. Damn stubborn woman.’
‘Very good, my lord. I’ve put her in the drawing room.’ Michaels left the room as quietly as he had entered and Leo reclined back on the pillows and groaned.
‘I can’t believe she’s come so early. Or that she got wind so quickly that you had arrived in London.’
‘Is that why she’s here?’
‘Yes. She will want to meet you, to cast her eye over the woman I have chosen for my wife.’
‘Should I start getting dressed?’
‘Good lord, no. It’s barely eight in the morning Annabelle. She knows it’s unacceptable to make a house call at this time in the morning and we will not pander to her.’ He kissed her firmly on the forehead before getting out of bed. ‘She will not, however, leave without firm orders to do so. I will go and see her and arrange a more sociable time for a visit.’
She watched as he pulled on his trousers and shirt, making himself presentable in just a few minutes.
‘Stay in bed,’ he ordered with a wicked smile, ‘I will be ten minutes.’
Chapter Twenty-Three
Dear Beth,
I can remember once you said that sometimes we have to step away from the easy path to get what we want in life. I’m trying...but, gosh, it is hard.
‘Fifteen minutes now,’ Leo murmured into her ear as they sipped tea from delicate cups. They were sitting in Miss Culpepper’s drawing room, waiting for Leo’s great-aunt to make an appearance. Annabelle could tell Leo thought his great-aunt was being difficult just because they had made her wait this morning. Beth had met Miss Culpepper a few months earlier when she was still considering marrying Leo, before she had admitted her feelings for Josh. She’d described the older woman as a dragon, a stickler for propriety and rules and unpleasant with it. From the brief insights into Leo’s childhood it hadn’t sounded as if she had been warm or loving towards the boy in her charge, so Annabelle was expecting someone severe and unlikeable when Miss Culpepper did finally grace them with her company.
‘Leonard,’ the older woman said stiffly as she marched into the room. Leo stood and greeted her and then turned to introduce Annabelle, but before he could say anything Miss Culpepper put a hand up to stop him.
‘It is worse than I thought,’ she said abruptly. ‘Much worse.’
Annabelle blinked, taken aback by the lack of greeting and not initially understanding what Leo’s great-aunt was saying.
‘Aunt...’ Leo growled, his voice full of warning.
‘What have you done, Leonard? You could have had the pick of the debutantes—any of them would have been lucky to have the Abbingdon name.’
‘I chose Lady Annabelle.’
‘A recluse who no one knows, who has no standing in society, she will not be able to be the wife you need in your new role.’
‘She’s the daughter of an earl.’
‘A destitute earl.’
Annabelle felt so shocked she could barely move. All her life people had been whispering behind their hands at her, pointing and giggling, looking at her with pity, but she had never encountered such open and vicious insults.
She stood and without a word began to walk to the door. Behind her Leo and Miss Culpepper fell quiet.
‘Annabelle?’ Leo called.
She spun a
nd smiled serenely at him. ‘I don’t have to listen to this.’ She quite enjoyed the shock on both their faces as she turned back to the door and walked out. It was liberating and satisfying and deep down she knew she was doing this for herself for all the times her mother had hidden her or belittled her. Never again would she let another person make her feel less than them.
Leo caught up with her on the doorstep and fell into step beside her. She loved that he didn’t try to excuse Miss Culpepper’s behaviour or persuade her to go back. Instead he quietly took her arm and accompanied her down the street, waiting for her to be ready to talk.
‘How did you survive?’ she asked eventually, glancing up into her husband’s eyes. ‘How did you survive when that was the woman who raised you?’
‘I honestly don’t know.’
‘I’m sorry if I have put you in an awkward position.’
‘Don’t apologise. She was unforgivably rude. I should never have taken you there. I just thought...’ He trailed off.
‘Apart from Josh she’s your only family now. I understand.’
‘Yes. No.’ He shook his head and then took her hand. ‘You’re my family now.’
Annabelle nearly cried on the spot, but managed to hold back the show of emotion, knowing it would not be the right place to start sobbing with joy in the middle of a London street. She allowed herself a little smile and revelled in the warmth flooding through her body. He cared for her, despite how their marriage had started, despite both of their intentions for this to be nothing more than a convenient arrangement. He cared for her and she realised that she felt even more than that. She loved him.
‘You’re smiling.’
‘Yes. I like the sound of that. Family.’
‘You and me.’ They walked down the street in silence for a few minutes and Annabelle contemplated whether she should tell Leo that she loved him. Perhaps not yet, there was no rush and she didn’t want to make him feel as though their regard for one another was unequal. In a few weeks, maybe a month or two, she would be ready to tell him she loved him and he would be ready to hear it.
