by Bree Wolf
“Why?” Stephen asked, his eyes narrowing as he glanced at Nick before returning his gaze to Henry. “What is it to you?”
“If you must know,” Henry said, hating the role this situation forced him into, “it is your reputations which have led Lady Stanhope to believe that my intentions toward her daughter are less than honourable.”
The humour that had been on Stephen’s face a moment before vanished as he seemed to sober. Maybe all hope was not lost, Henry thought.
“And what are your intentions?” his eldest brother asked, a touch of suspicion in his tone.
“I wish to marry her,” Henry said without preamble, hoping that his brothers would support him if they knew about the depth of his feelings for Eleanor. “I’m in love with her, and I wish to make her my wife.”
“Are you mad?” Owen demanded, his eyes unbelieving as he shook his head. “It’s our reputations that keep us safe, that keep us from being forced into marriage. After all, no woman in her right mind would assume that any of us have honourable intentions.”
Henry gritted his teeth. “That is precisely the problem, for Lady Stanhope believes me to be just like you and, therefore, withholds her blessing.”
“You’re welcome,” Stephen said, a disgusted snarl on his face. “You are much too young to be thinking about marriage, dear Brother. You have too much living to do, and right now, you're wasting your time mooning over that girl.” He shook his head. “I’d thought it only a temporary infatuation, but−”
“I assure you it is not,” Henry stated, shocked by his brothers’ outlook at marriage. He had deemed them immature and carefree, not dead-set against marriage. “I am determined to marry her, and I shall do whatever it takes to achieve that goal.” He inhaled deeply, meeting his brothers’ eyes one by one. “I had hoped to have your support in this matter.”
“Sorry, little Brother,” Owen said, shaking his head, “women are nothing but trouble. I’d advise you to keep a safe distance.”
After gulping down his drink, Nick sat his glass down on the side table with a loud clank. “I agree,” he slurred, his eyes solemn as he once more stared into nothing.
Shaking his head, Henry stared at his brothers in disbelief. Although he had often thought of himself as a bit of an outsider, they had always been a close-knit family. Even today, he remembered his childhood fondly and could not believe that the very same brothers who had always had his back on every adventure they had embarked upon as children would now abandon him when he needed them most.
“Whether you help me or not,” he forced out through gritted teeth, “I shall find a way, and despite everything, I can only hope that when the day comes that you lose your heart, you will not have it ripped out of your chest.” Then he turned on his heel and walked out the door, unable to bear the disapproving frowns on his brothers’ faces any longer.
Chapter Two − A New Plan
Resting on the settee in the drawing room, Eleanor absentmindedly watched her new sister-in-law Diana as she sat on the floor, building yet another slightly swaying tower with her one-and-a-half-year-old son Ben.
Smiling, Diana watched her son as he carefully tried to set yet another block on top. Again, the tower began to sway slightly, and both their eyes widened, their breaths stuck in their throat.
For a moment, it appears the construction would stabilise, but then Little Ben jumped up and down in excitement, clapping his hands, and before his mother could warn him, the blocks came crashing down.
Eleanor flinched as the commotion drew her attention back to the people in the room. Her eyes focused on Little Ben and the slight tremble in his lower lip as he surveyed the collapsed tower. “It’s all right, Ben,” she tried to comfort him, exchanging a careful smile with Diana. “It was a truly wonderful accomplishment, but sometimes towers have to fall. How else are we ever going to build a new one?”
For a moment, her new nephew looked at her as though she had lost her mind. Then his eyes narrowed in concentration before he plopped down on the ground and began collecting the remnants of his masterpiece, once more setting to work.
Smiling, Diana rose from the floor and came over to sit next to Eleanor. “I love how excited he gets,” she beamed, her eyes aglow as she looked at her son.
Eleanor wondered if she would ever be fortunate enough to call a child her own. Considering her mother’s refusal, she doubted it very much. Any child of hers would most likely not be Henry’s. The thought pained her greatly.
“Are you all right?” Diana asked, a slight frown drawing down her brows as she looked at Eleanor. “Is it about Henry?”
Eleanor sighed, “I don’t know what to do. The thought of him makes me so happy, but then it also reminds me of the impossibility of our situation.” Looking at Diana and seeing the compassion in her eyes, Eleanor knew how fortunate she was that her brother had found a wife who already felt like a sister to her. She had felt a certain kinship to Diana from the first moment they had met at a ball−even before Diana’s first husband had died−and to this day, there was a lightness between them that allowed Eleanor to share her deepest secrets.
“Please, my apologies for being so blunt,” Diana said, her sharp eyes resting on Eleanor’s, “but why do you not simply marry him?”
Eleanor frowned. “Because Mother objects.”
“Yes, I know,” Diana confirmed, a slightly indulgent smile playing on her lips. “But your brother gave his blessing. There is nothing but your mother’s opinion standing in the way of your happiness. Will you truly allow her to keep the two of you apart forever?” Shaking her head, Diana frowned. “I’m afraid I don’t understand.”
Again, Eleanor sighed. “To tell you the truth, neither do I.” How was she supposed to explain that feeling of dread, of impending doom that had settled in her stomach the night her mother had come to sit at her bed, that night she had cried…probably for the first time in her life? “I’m sorry. I’m afraid I cannot explain this in any way for you to understand. There is something in the way she looks at me that…” She shook her head.
Reaching out, Diana patted Eleanor’s hand. “There is no need. I loved my mother, too, even more when she died and I lost her.” A lone tear clung to her eyelashes. “That’s when I realised how precious she had been to me.” Diana sighed, then brushed the wetness from her eyes. “I remember how hurt she was the night she and Father found me with Lord Norwood in the gardens, and it wasn’t only the scandal or the way society treated me after that that broke her heart. There was something in the way she looked at me that told me that my pain was also hers, and she could not bear it.”
Eleanor nodded, relieved that Diana understood. “I could not find the words to explain this to Henry, and I could see the confusion and the disappointment in his face.”
“He would marry you on the spot if you only said yes,” Diana chuckled. “He’s in love with you.”
“He is, isn’t he?” Eleanor whispered, remembering the intensity in Henry’s eyes as he had held her hand as though unwilling to ever let her go again. And yet, they had never openly spoken of love. Yes, Eleanor knew she loved him and she was certain that he loved her, too, and yet, they had never spoken those words. “I just wish I could see him again.”
Diana frowned before her eyes cleared and she nodded in understanding. “Now, that the season is over, your paths will not cross as easily, you mean?”
Eleanor nodded. “We will depart for Stanhope Grove in a few days, and then…” She shook her head, biting her lip to hold back the tears that threatened. “But maybe it will be for the best,” she tried to convince herself, once more torn between hope and resignation. “Maybe this will allow us to move on.”
“Nonsense!” Diana exclaimed. “Not seeing your brother again after that night at Lord Barrett’s ball would not have helped me move on. Nothing would have.” Drawing in a deep breath, her sister-in-law watched her carefully for a long moment. “There must be something we can do,” she finally concluded. “I shall s
peak to Arthur. I’m certain we will find a way for you to see Henry. Who knows? Maybe if we force Lady Stanhope to see the two of you together, she will eventually see that he truly loves you.”
The ghost of a smile tugged on Eleanor’s lips at the image of a possible future Diana’s words painted. However, deep down she did not believe it to be true. “Do you think my brother would know what to do?”
Diana smiled. “He doesn’t need to,” she whispered conspiratorially. “He only needs to agree to my idea.”
Eleanor laughed. “Arthur is so fortunate to have found you.”
Diana snorted, “Tell that to your mother.”
***
Once more reading through the few short lines of the message he had just received from Lord Stanhope, Eleanor’s brother, Henry felt his heart quicken. “Parton, have my bags packed,” he called to the butler. As he strode across the foyer, he noted a slight bounce in his step and smiled. “I’ll be travelling to the country on the morrow. By the way, have you seen my brother Nick?”
The thin, balding man glanced at the closed drawing room doors and a touch of disapproval came to his pale eyes. “I believe he wished to escape the teasing and has retreated to the library.”
“Thank you, Parton,” Henry replied just as another burst of laughter echoed to his ears from the drawing room. “I believe I shall do the same,” he muttered under his breath, feeling in no mood to meet his older brothers.
Opening the door to the library, Henry spotted his brother seated under the tall arched window, another glass in his left hand while the other skimmed through a book lying open on his lap. His appearance was dishevelled as it always was these days, and his eyes appeared glassy and unfocused…and burdened with sadness.
As his brother continued to turn page after page, Henry slowly approached, wondering what had happened to have changed him so. Not too long ago, his brother had been a lively, carefree man who−according to his own words−knew how to enjoy life. Now, he seemed a mere shadow of himself.
Glancing over his brother’s shoulder, Henry was surprised to find his fingers trailing over the lines of a love poem. However, before he could enquire further, Nick flinched, and the drink in his hand spilled over, half its contents splashing onto the floor.
“Good gracious, Henry, why would you sneak up on me?” Nick huffed, trying to calm his nerves as he discreetly slid the book closed, moving it out of Henry’s line of vision. “What are you doing here?”
“I could ask you the same thing,” Henry replied, his eyes holding his brother’s before Nick blinked and turned his gaze out the window, clearly unwilling to talk. “What happened to you?” Henry asked nonetheless. “You’ve not been yourself lately.”
“That is none of your concern,” Nick grumbled, then took another gulp from his drink.
Henry sighed, wishing his brother would confide in him. Was he in love? He wondered, remembering the book Nick had been reading. If so, then it appeared to be a one-sided love. Had someone broken his heart? Henry could not recall that his brother had shown a certain partiality to any one lady during the last season…or before.
Whatever the reason, Henry could not help but worry about his brother. Left to fend for himself, Nick would surely spend the next months sitting in a chair, drowning his sorrows. Who knew if this downward spiral would ever end?
Drawing in a deep breath, Henry cleared his throat. “I’m leaving for the country tomorrow.”
“Safe travel,” his brother muttered, not even lifting his eyes to look at him.
“You’re coming with me,” Henry stated, his tone unwavering as he fixed his brother with a determined stare.
Although Lord Stanhope’s invitation to stay at a neighbouring estate to Stanhope Grove did not expressly extend beyond Henry himself, he doubted that the man would object to his brother’s presence. After all, had he not granted his permission to assist his own sister?
“The hell I am,” Nick growled, his eyes narrowing as he turned them on his brother. “You have no say in where I go.”
Henry gritted his teeth, his heart aching as he saw his brother’s misery. “Let me put it this way: you’re coming and that is final.” Again, Nick’s mouth opened to object, but Henry cut him off. “I swear I shall tie you to my horse if need be.” For a long moment, their eyes remained locked, and Henry could see his brother’s indecision in the way his lips thinned and his nose crinkled.
Then Nick turned his gaze away, shrugging his shoulders. “Fine. After all, it doesn’t truly matter where I drink.” And with that, he downed the remaining contents of his glass.
Henry sighed. What had he gotten himself into?
Chapter Three − Know Thy Enemy
Returning from a stroll in the gardens, Eleanor laughed as Diana whispered to her, “The first time I kissed your brother, he stared at me as though I had suddenly sprouted another head.” A deep smile came to Diana’s face as she sighed. “It was the night my life began.”
Delighted to share her days with her new sister-in-law, Eleanor hugged her on impulse, feeling her own spirits lifted now that not only Diana but also her little son had come to live with them. Their mere presence made the house seem brighter, more cheerful, full of hope and possibilities.
However, when Eleanor stepped back, she caught her mother’s eye, and a lump of guilt settled in her stomach before she could fend it off.
Standing in the doorway to the drawing room, Lady Stanhope watched them through narrowed eyes, her lips pressed into a thin line and her jaw set in anger. And yet, her gaze spoke of sadness, of disappointment.
“Hello, Mother,” Eleanor addressed her, forcing a smile on her face while her pulse hammered in her veins. “Would you like to join us for tea?”
Lady Stanhope’s gaze momentarily shifted to Diana before she met Eleanor’s eyes. “I’d rather not,” she said as she strode past them, then added, “The company in this house isn’t what it used to be.”
Eleanor’s eyes widened at such an open insult to Diana; however, her sister-in-law merely shook her head, a rather exhausted sigh escaping her lips. “I’m so sorry,” Eleanor offered the moment her mother had disappeared through the door to the back parlour. “She shouldn’t have−”
“I know,” Diana interrupted, her kind eyes holding no grudge. “I’m used to such treatment.”
“But it isn’t fair,” Eleanor objected, wondering how Diana could bear not only society’s resentment but also her own family’s.
“It is not,” her sister-in-law agreed as she lifted her chin a notch. “However, I’ve made up my mind not to let it sadden me. I have a lot in my life to be grateful for. Not long ago, I believed I should never be happy again, never know love, and now…” A deep smile came to her face. “Nothing can spoil this. I have Ben, I have Arthur, and I have you.”
Squeezing Diana’s hands, Eleanor nodded. “I’m proud to call you my sister.”
“As am I.” Looping her arm through Eleanor’s, Diana pulled her toward the drawing room. “Come. There is much to think about.”
After settling onto the settee and calling for tea, the two women found their conversation once more turning to the man who had stolen Eleanor’s heart. “Arthur told me he had the message delivered this morning,” Diana said, a conspiratorial gleam in her eyes. “Apparently, Lord Harrington is a friend of his and−”
“Harrington?” Eleanor exclaimed, surprised she had not thought of it herself. “Oh, yes, I remember him. He had an accident last year and forgot all about his wife and their marriage. How sad!”
Diana nodded. “Truly. How unfortunate to find true love only to lose it to such a tragic event. I cannot imagine what it would feel like if Arthur woke up one morning and did not recognise me.” She shuddered at the thought.
Eleanor nodded her agreement before a soft smile lifted the corners of her mouth. “However, I hear he is slowly remembering his wife. At his brother’s wedding, they seemed as much in love as ever before.” Eleanor sighed, “Sometimes it i
s good to remember that others suffer as well. It helps not to feel too alone in one’s own misery.”
“Love is rarely easy,” Diana agreed, “but worth fighting for.” Then she sat up and grasped Eleanor’s hands. “So? What’s the plan?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, we’ve managed to settle Henry at Sanford Manor−thanks to Lord Harrington’s gracious offer−which will put him in the vicinity of Stanhope Grove. However, how do we ensure that your paths cross…frequently?” Diana wiggled her eyebrows, and Eleanor laughed, relief filling her heart at the knowledge that she was not alone in fighting for her love.
“Oh, I know!” Diana suddenly exclaimed. “A house party! We’ll invite a few friends−Henry among them−and this way he will be simply one of the guests. Maybe that will placate your mother and keep her from strangling him the moment he crosses the threshold. At the very least, it will give the two of you time to be together and your mother the opportunity to see how much he cares for you.”
“That is a marvellous idea!” Eleanor beamed, her heart thudding in her chest with excitement. “Who shall we invite?”
“How about Lord and Lady Harrington,” Diana suggested, walking over to the small desk in the corner to retrieve a pen and paper, “as well as his brother and his new wife, Mr. and Mrs. Everett.”
“How about Lord Amberly and his sister,” Eleanor added. “We’ve known each other since we were children, and it has been a while since we’ve last had the chance to meet.”
Adding two more names to the list, Diana looked up. “I would also like to invite my cousin Rose, if you don’t mind.”
“Not at all,” Eleanor agreed. “What about Lord Norwood’s brother and his wife? Are they back in the country?”
Diana shrugged. “I’m not certain, but I’ll ask. Anyone else?”
