by Marie Force
“Wherever did you acquire such a fine gown?” Mrs. Allston asked when she saw the pale blue confection that Maeve withdrew from the wardrobe.
“A friend gave it to me because it no longer fit her after having children.”
“It’s quite lovely.”
“Thank you.” Maeve moved quickly to don a corset that Mrs. Allston tied for her, and then the gown, hoping it still fit her. The first time she’d tried it on had been after being so dreadfully ill from the ocean crossing. It had been big on her then, but perhaps after a few weeks of regular meals, it would fit better. She could only hope, because she didn’t have anything else to wear to be married.
Married.
To Mr. Nelson. Aubrey.
A flutter of excitement and anticipation had her covering her abdomen with her hand as Mrs. Allston tended to the buttons down her back. When she was finished, Maeve put on the jacket that matched the skirt. “Does it look all right?”
“You look lovely.”
“I do? Really?” She wanted to be lovely for him, for the lovely man who was risking so much to offer her protection. She wanted him to be proud of the woman he was marrying, regardless of the circumstances that had brought them to this moment.
“You do. But if I may say one thing . . .”
“Of course.”
“People aren’t going to understand this marriage, Miss Brown. They’ll be swift in their condemnation of you and of Mr. Nelson.”
“I tried to tell him that, but he said he didn’t care what people say.”
“Everyone cares what others think of them. When I married my Mr. Allston, his mother didn’t approve because she had someone else picked out for him. She made our lives quite difficult for many years.”
Maeve hung on to her every word. “How did you get through it?”
“By focusing on each other and the reason we wanted to be married in the first place. If you do that, if you focus on what brought you together and not on what could tear you apart, you’ll find a way through the storm.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Allston. I truly appreciate your advice.”
“I have seen the way Mr. Nelson looks at you when he thinks no one is watching. I believe he truly cares for you.”
“Yes, I think he does.”
“That makes you a very lucky young lady.”
“I’ve never been particularly lucky before.”
“I think your luck may be about to change, my dear.”
After a knock on the door, Mrs. Allston opened it to Mr. Plumber.
His eyes widened when he saw Maeve wearing the beautiful dress.
Mrs. Allston cleared her throat. “Mr. Plumber? Did you want something?”
“Mr. Nelson asked me to inform Miss Brown that the justice of the peace has arrived.”
“Thank you.” Maeve reached for the straw hat that matched her dress and placed it on her head, using the small mirror over the dresser to adjust it. She took comfort in knowing that while she had absolutely no business marrying a man of Mr. Nelson’s ilk, at least she would look like a woman who deserved him, for a brief time anyway.
Before she left the room, she glanced at the photo of her family on the dresser and wished with all her heart they could be with her on this auspicious occasion, that she could ask their opinions of the man she was to marry, that they could stand by her side when she took this momentous step.
“Miss Brown? Are you ready?”
Mrs. Allston’s query interrupted Maeve’s thoughts before they could turn maudlin.
“I’m ready.” As ready as she would ever be.
She followed Mr. Plumber and Mrs. Allston down the main stairs to find Mr. Nelson waiting for her at the bottom. A man with thick white hair and white muttonchops stood next to him.
Mr. Nelson stared at her for an uncomfortably long moment. He stepped forward, took her hand and helped her down the last of the stairs. “You are exquisite.”
“Thank you.” His reaction made her breathless.
He continued to stare at her as if they were the only people in the room.
“I take it this is the bride,” the other man said.
“Yes, this is my bride. Maeve, this is Mr. Taylor, the justice of the peace.”
“Pleased to meet you, sir.”
“Likewise.” If Mr. Taylor was shocked to hear an Irish accent coming from Mr. Nelson’s bride, he did an admirable job of hiding it as he looked to the groom for guidance. “Where would you like to hold the ceremony?”
“In the library.” Mr. Nelson tucked her hand into the crook of his arm and led her into the room that was one of her favorites in the grand house. “I trust this will suffice?”
“Yes,” she said.
“You’re trembling,” he said softly so he couldn’t be overheard.
“I’m nervous.”
“Please don’t be.”
“You’re not at all nervous?”
“Not one bit.”
“How can that be?”
He shrugged. “If I were marrying anyone but you, I’d be in a panic. But because it’s you, I’m calm and collected.”
“I’m glad one of us is calm.” She placed her hand over her upset stomach. “I’m afraid I may cast up my breakfast.”
He put his arms around her and brought her into his embrace, not seeming to care that there were three other people watching them. “Everything will be fine. Leave it to me to take care of you.”
Maeve felt both relieved and conflicted by his assurances. While it was a great relief to know she would have his help and protection, she’d been determined to take care of herself after fleeing her abusive marriage. Only knowing her former husband’s family had managed to track her to Newport so quickly had her accepting Mr. Nelson’s offer of help.
Well, that and the attraction that had simmered between them from the first time they met. Would theirs be a marriage in name only or would he want to explore that simmering attraction in the privacy of their bedroom? They hadn’t discussed that when they made their plans, so she had no way to know what he expected.
“Shall we go ahead and take care of the formalities?” he asked in a casual tone, as if those “formalities” wouldn’t change both their lives forever.
If it didn’t work out, she could obtain a divorce. Newport had become the place to go for society people looking to get out of marriages as Rhode Island had some of the country’s least stringent laws regarding the dissolution of marriage.
“Yes, we shall,” she said in response to his question as she swallowed hard, hoping she would not embarrass them both by losing her gorge during the ceremony.
Standing in front of the fireplace, she faced Mr. Nelson, forcing herself to really look at the man she was about to marry. He looked back at her with affection and perhaps satisfaction. He’d made it clear that he fancied her, so of course he was satisfied to be getting what he wanted. Although it would be unfair to accuse him of having nefarious ulterior motives. He’d offered help and protection that she desperately needed. If he got something he wanted, too, well that was only fair.
Possibly sensing the bride’s disquiet, Mr. Taylor moved through the recitation of vows with all due haste, forgoing fancy or flowery words about marriage. For that, Maeve would always be thankful.
When Mr. Nelson slid a plain gold band on her finger, Maeve looked up at him, startled.
“It was my grandmother’s. She told me to give it to the woman I married. I believe she would be pleased with my choice.”
Maeve didn’t believe that for a minute, but she wasn’t about to argue the point. She had never met his grandmother, so who was she to say what the woman would’ve wanted for him?
“By the power vested in me by the state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Mr. Nelson, you may kiss your bride.”
That detail hadn’t been part of her first wedding, so Maeve found herself unprepared to kiss the man who was now her husband with three sets of curious eyes looki
ng on.
Her husband, on the other hand, had no such concerns. He raised his hands to her face and placed a gentle, tender kiss on her lips and then flashed a huge, satisfied grin.
A trickle of unease traversed down her backbone as she wondered if this was the moment when he would reveal his true nature. She braced herself for blows that didn’t materialize and then immediately felt guilty for anticipating such treatment from a man who had been nothing but kind to her.
Seeming puzzled by her tense posture, he extended his arm to her.
She tucked her hand into his elbow and allowed him to escort her toward the doorway, where Mr. Plumber and Mrs. Allston stood guard over her ragtags, who had gathered in the hallway to greet the newly married couple.
Denny, Padraic, Heine, Kaiser, Wiggie and Timmy, each of them smiling while seeming dumbfounded by the turn of events. Between the six of them, they could put together a full set of teeth, but their lack of teeth didn’t stop them from cheering and clapping wildly.
A flush of embarrassment overtook Maeve’s face when she imagined what they must be thinking. Yesterday she’d been the housekeeper. Today she was married to the son of the people who owned the house. As soon as the men went home for the night, she and Mr. Nelson would be the talk of Newport.
That thought turned her stomach. “Polite” society was anything but when one of their own stepped out of line. By marrying the Irish housekeeper, Mr. Nelson was so far out of line, he could never return to the status he’d enjoyed only that morning, before he bound himself to her and sealed both their fates.
Chapter Eight
“No frowning allowed on our wedding day.” Aubrey’s lips were close to her ear, his voice low enough to keep their conversation private. His nearness did funny things to her insides, or maybe it was the overabundance of nerves affecting her? It was hard to tell when her emotions were a jumbled mess of fear, relief, shame, foreboding and yes, desire for this man who was now her husband.
The justice of the peace had them sign the marriage papers with Mr. Plumber and Mrs. Allston signing as their witnesses.
“And with that,” Mr. Taylor said, as he put the papers into a leather satchel, “it’s official. Congratulations, Mr. Nelson, Mrs. Nelson.”
Mrs. Nelson.
She was now his wife.
When her legs would’ve buckled under her, she settled into one of the many chairs that adorned the vast library.
Mr. Nelson went to see Mr. Taylor out and returned alone, closing the door to the prying eyes of the servants. “Are you all right?”
“I don’t know what I am.”
“I know one thing you are.”
“What’s that?”
He sat in the chair next to hers. “Married.”
“Indeed I am.” She forced herself to look at him. “I’m not sure I said thank you.”
“There’s no need to thank me.”
“There is every need to thank you. You’ve saved me from certain death.”
He took her hand and brought it to his lips. “By saving your life, I saved my own because if you had left, I never would’ve stopped looking for you.” The combination of his heartfelt words and the brush of his lips against her skin set off a wildfire of need inside her the likes of which she had never before experienced.
“What will happen now?”
“I’ll contact our family’s legal counsel to determine how we should handle your former husband’s family and the charges pending in Ireland. I’ll move heaven and earth to free you from the horror of your past.”
“If we do that, they’ll know where I am.” The thought of them finding her had filled her with stark terror even before they tracked her to Newport.
“They’ll also know that you’re under my protection.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to hope they never find me?”
“Perhaps, but I would rather you not have to live with that threat hanging over you.”
“I’m afraid, Mr. Nelson. They’re powerful people, and they’ll want retribution for their brother and son.”
“Their brother and son was a brute who beat his wife.”
“That won’t matter to them.”
“Try not to worry. We have the truth on our side and the best legal minds money can buy working for us.”
“And your family won’t mind if you request their assistance on behalf of your new Irish wife who murdered her former husband?”
“My new wife defended herself against a violent attack. That’s the only fact that matters.”
“I wish I shared your confidence. Your family will not understand.”
“I’m not concerned about what my family thinks. I married the woman I wanted to marry for reasons that’re entirely my own. It’s none of their concern.”
She didn’t believe it would be that simple, but she chose to keep that thought to herself.
“We must move your belongings from the third floor into my suite and enjoy the wedding luncheon I asked Mrs. Allston to prepare for us.”
“But there’s work to be done.”
“That work is no longer your concern.”
“Of course it’s my concern! Your family will be here at the end of the week and the duke and duchess a week later. The house is in no way ready for occupancy.”
“I’ll see about hiring a new housekeeper tomorrow to oversee the final preparations.”
“There won’t be time to hire someone and get her here. I’m already here and well aware of what needs to be done. I insist that you allow me to finish what I’ve started.” She no sooner used the word “insist” than she recoiled from the pervasive fear that he would react badly.
“Please don’t do that,” he said softly. “Don’t think that I’ll strike you if you speak your mind to me.”
“I apologize.”
“Don’t do that either.”
“It’s apt to take a while for me to believe you won’t treat me the way he did.”
“Take all the time you need.” He stood and gave a gentle tug on the hand he continued to hold. “Let me assist you in moving your belongings.”
“There isn’t much to move. I could do it myself.”
“Tomorrow, I’ll invite one of the local dressmakers to come measure you for a new wardrobe.”
“That’s not necessary.”
“Ah, but it is, my dear. I’m going to want to show off my beautiful wife at the many parties and gatherings this summer, and you’ll want to be properly attired.”
“The local hostesses won’t welcome me.”
“If they wish to entertain our friends, the duke and duchess, they will absolutely welcome you. And let me assure you, they all want to entertain the duke and duchess.”
“So you’ll blackmail them into accepting me?”
“Blackmail is such an ugly word.”
Maeve released an inelegant snort of laughter.
Mr. Nelson stopped and turned to her, his face a study of shock and longing.
“What’s wrong?”
“Absolutely nothing. It is just that you so rarely laugh, and I do love the sound.”
“I haven’t had much reason to laugh in recent months.”
“I hope to hear more of that delightful sound now that you’re safe and protected.” He tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow and escorted her upstairs to the third floor.
“You never said if you’ll allow me to continue to oversee the preparations for your family and guests.”
“It’s no longer necessary for you to work.”
“It may not be financially necessary, but I like to finish what I start, and the only way this house is going to be ready in time is if I continue to oversee the work.”
“It’s important to you then?”
“It is. I want your family and guests to be comfortable.”
“I’ll make you a deal. You may continue to oversee the work on the house if you allow me to provide you with a new wardrobe.”
She thought about that for a minu
te and decided the deal was fair enough. “I agree to that.”
“All right then. But I’ll do my best to hire another housekeeper to assist you. I’m going to want to spend time with my new wife, and that won’t be possible if she’s busy working from sunup to sundown.”
Hearing that he wanted to spend time with her set off that fluttering sensation inside her that occurred whenever he looked at her in that special, proprietary way.
Maeve opened the door to the room that contained a bed, a bedside table and a wardrobe. Its most redeeming feature was the breathtaking view of the ocean from the one small window. It took a matter of minutes to fold and pack her three work dresses, undergarments, two nightgowns, robe and slippers into the carpetbag she had brought from New York.
Aware of him watching her every move, she bent to retrieve the stash of money she had taken from Mr. Farthington and tucked it into the carpetbag, deciding it was good for him to know that she had the means to flee, should it become necessary.
The only other item she owned was the silver-framed photo of her family that she had grabbed in her panic after the altercation with her husband.
Former husband.
“May I?” Mr. Nelson said of the photo.
Maeve handed it over to him.
He studied the photo of her parents and sisters that had become her most precious and prized possession. “I’ll take you to see them the minute it’s safe for you to return to Ireland.”
Maeve stared at him, hoping she hadn’t misheard him. She had left Ireland expecting to never return, to never see her family again. And now he was offering her the possibility of someday returning home. It was almost too much to take in.
He relieved her of the bag containing her meager possessions and once again offered her his arm to escort her from the room. The sound of the door closing behind them symbolized the end of one life and the beginning of another.
A spark of hope ignited inside her. Mr. Nelson had lit that spark and continued to fan the flame with everything he said and did.
A mere flight of stairs separated the third-floor servants’ quarters from the palatial rooms occupied by the Nelson family. As they descended the stairs, Maeve vowed to maintain perspective. Mr. Nelson had done her a favor by marrying her. When his family, friends and society rejected his wife, he would, too. It was only a matter of time before he realized he’d made a huge mistake in marrying her. So it would behoove her to keep her emotions out of this farce of marriage. Under no circumstances could she allow herself to fall in love with him.
