The Trouble With These Gentlemen (The BainBridge - Love & Challenges) (The Regency Romance Story)

by Jessie Bennett

  “My sons are involved in many social matters and business deals that keep them busy. They are consulted by quite a few of the younger people who are not, dare I say, as smart as my sons.”

  “You must be so proud of your boys.” Anne Marie said with a smile.

  “Oh, I am. I am more than you know.”

  “I can only imagine, your grace, as I have no children yet.”

  The Duchess leaned toward her, returning Anne Marie’s smile. “I recommend you have all boys. Of all my children, Annabella has been the most difficult to deal with.”

  Anne Marie tilted her head to the side, holding in her giggle. She lifted one hand and covered her mouth. “Oh my,” she said. “How… how has she been more difficult?”

  “She is much less confident than her brothers about herself and her appearance. It could possibly be just my daughter, but she seems like a frightened rabbit to the rest of us in the family. Her brothers try to lift her up and give her confidence, but she cannot seem to grasp how beautiful she is.”

  “She is getting married next month,” Anne Marie said incredulously. “How can she not be confident?”

  “Bella has gotten better with age. But as she grew up, she needed a great deal of attention and care. I am glad she will be taken care of by her husband.”

  “Who is she marrying? I have seen no other noblemen here in Bainbridge other than Earl Kipling and he is not a Duke. Are you and your husband allowing Bella to marry a commoner?”

  The Duchess shook her head, the look on her face unchanging. “No, although I suppose if she had fallen in love with a commoner, it is something we might have thought about and accepted. We are friends with all of the people in Bainbridge, whether they are titled or not.”

  “I noticed that.” Anne Marie said in a voice that showed she was impressed by the fact.

  “No, we sent her to London to visit her cousins on her father’s side and she found a young man there.”

  “Will Bella be moving to London to be with him?”

  The Duchess nodded. “Yes, we are going to lose our girl to the big city of London. It will be a great loss to us but it is something that must happen. She will begin her life as a Countess there.”

  “So, she is marrying a Count?”

  “His name is Count Jonathan David Humbridge. We were very impressed by him when he came to visit and meet us. He’s come on several occasions.”

  “It surprises me that he would allow a wedding here in Bainbridge as opposed to London, where I am sure most of his friends and family are.”

  “He is originally from Cambridge. That is where his family resides. His mother and father died of an illness. I do not remember which one. There was a scourge in Cambridge ten years ago, according to him and it took them both.”

  Anne Marie couldn’t help but think of her own beloved parents. Almost eight years since she had lost them.

  “He took his father’s title and began to run the company his father founded. I believe they make toys.”

  “For children?” Once it was out, Anne Marie realized how silly her question sounded. The Duchess smiled at her.

  “Yes, my dear. For children. It is a large company. Very successful. He is proud of it. I am sure Bella will enjoy the samples he brings home.”

  Both the women laughed. Anne Marie was surprised when the Duchess elbowed her.

  “Look, my sons are coming over. I’m sure they will ask to dance with you. I will make sure you are seated with us when we break for the meal. Is that acceptable?”

  “Yes, my lady, thank you.”

  “And I will see to it that your companion is seated next to James, if that is acceptable to you.”

  Anne Marie balked for only a second. She wanted to be seated next to James. The more Clara and James were together, the closer they would become. That would leave her feeling cold and rejected, even though she was fully aware the young man was not hers to claim. She pushed the jealous pang away and nodded.

  “That would be very nice.”

  “My sons are all excellent dancers. I’m sure James will prove to be so with your companion. I hope you enjoy yourself tonight, my dear. I won’t monopolize your time any longer.”

  “It has been a delight talking with you, your grace. Thank you.”

  The Duchess patted her hand. “The pleasure has been mine, my dear. We will have you and your companion over for dinner very soon. You will have an opportunity to speak to my sons tonight and perhaps you will decide one of them is a proper suitor for you.”

  Anne Marie flushed a pretty color of pink. The Duchess laughed.

  “My lady,” Tyler was the first to approach Anne Marie. “May I dance with you tonight?”

  “Yes, thank you, my lord.” She handed him her card. Without asking, after signing, Tyler handed the card to his younger brother, Nicholas. Both young men looked at Anne Marie for approval and she nodded, smiling. She was delighted when James took the card, glanced at her for approval and, upon seeing her nod, signed his name to it. Her heart thumped in her chest and she was suddenly anxious for that one dance.

  The Duchess was right. Her sons were not only handsome and intelligent, they were polite, kind, and humorous. They stayed with her and their mother, talking until the announcement that the Duchess would be introducing the first dance.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  A LETTER TO DUKE WILTSHIRE

  A LETTER TO DUKE WILTSHIRE

  Anne Marie and Clara returned to the hotel with James and the elder Ellingham's in the early hours of the morning. It was a Sunday and they would be attending church later that morning. Anne Marie regularly slept for only six hours at a time before waking up, much as she would have liked to stay asleep longer. She felt confident she would be refreshed enough in the morning to go to the majestic church near the hotel without fear of falling asleep and humiliating herself in front of the Bainbridge citizens.

  Clara came to her room after changing into her nightgown, a warm robe, and soft slippers. She sat at the dressing table and Clara brushed out her long, wavy strawberry-blonde hair.

  “Did you have truly have a good time tonight, Anne?” Clara asked as she dragged the brush through Anne Marie’s hair. “I saw that you danced with Earl Kipling three times. And you were seated near him during the meal. Did he entertain you with appropriate conversation?”

  “He did.” Anne Marie admitted, nodding slightly. “I was happy to have you and James nearby, as well.”

  “You held a good conversation with the eldest Cornwall. Lord Tyler? Yes. He seemed very charming.”

  “He is much older than me.”

  “Only seven years, my lady. That’s not a great deal in the minds of some. I think the Duchess approved. She looked very happy about it.”

  Anne Marie looked up at Clara in the mirror. “Do not try to push me into a courtship I do not want, Clara.” She hadn’t meant to sound harsh but it came out that way. She looked back at herself, staring into her own eyes, trying not to feel the jealousy that she knew was creeping into her heart.

  Clara nodded. “Yes, my lady. I apologize. It was not my intention. Any of the Cornwall sons, except the youngest, would be a fine husband for you, in my opinion. Plus, the ever-present Earl Kipling. He is also a considerate gentleman. And all of them are handsome in their own way.” Clara smiled. “Especially the Cornwall sons. Did you see how the oldest and the youngest resemble each other more than the other two? The middle sons resemble each other and the oldest and youngest resemble each other. But to be frank with you, I could see quite a lot of the Duchess in each of them. Their eyes, their hair… even though they are different colors, they still look the same somehow.”

  “They are different colors?”

  Clara laughed. “Their hair is different colors and their eyes. That’s what I meant.”

  Anne Marie couldn’t help but smile. It was true that the Cornwall sons were handsome young men. However, she did not feel around them the way she felt when James was near. She didn’t wan
t to say it aloud and prayed that Clara would not mention it either.

  “Did I mention the Duchess wants us to come to dinner this coming week?”

  “You didn’t, my lady. That sounds lovely. I’m sure you will have a good time.”

  “She says that you are invited, as well.” She didn’t want to mention James but she knew he would be in the conversation eventually anyway. “And James Ellingham. He is a constant companion for her sons anyway. It is not surprising that he would also be invited.”

  “They do spend quite a lot of time together.” Clara’s voice dropped slightly. Anne Marie didn’t enjoy the soft tone she heard. She knew what it meant.

  “Did you enjoy a good conversation with the men while I was speaking with the Duchess?”

  Clara giggled. “Oh, Miss. They were talking about hunting and the club they belong to in London where they have gotten many tips on areas to hunt and what to hunt and all hunting…”

  Both women laughed.

  “It never struck me that those boys would be avid hunters.” Anne Marie admitted. “But I suppose men are drawn to hunting from the days of our ancestors, aren’t they?”

  “Yes, Miss, that’s what I have always thought. I did not have much to say but they were very welcoming to include me in the conversation. In fact, they looked at me more often than each other when they were speaking. It was almost as though they were trying to teach me as much about the skill as possible, as if I would someday go hunting with them!”

  Again, the women laughed softly.

  “Perhaps you will.”

  Clara shook her head. “I do not intend to kill animals with a gun or bow and arrow, my lady. You may be interested in such things but I am not.”

  “You enjoy the meat that comes from that task, though, do you not?”

  Clara nodded. “That I will admit, yes. But I will not kill and slaughter the animal myself. I am not opposed to hunting. I just do not wish to participate.”

  Anne Marie looked up at her in the mirror. She lifted one hand and smoothed down the back of her hair. “Thank you for brushing my hair, Clara. If you would put it up for me in my sleeping cap, I would appreciate it. Then, I believe I will go to bed. I must sleep my six hours so that I will be refreshed and ready for church later this morning.”

  “Yes, my lady.”

  Clara reached forward and moved the lantern so that she could move around the bed to the bedside table and retrieve Anne Marie’s sleeping cap. “You looked lovely tonight, Miss. I thank you for taking me with you.”

  “Most of the citizens in Bainbridge, as you know, are commoners without title. It may not seem like it but there it is.”

  “Yes, my lady.”

  “You were welcome there. I hope that you felt welcome.”

  “I did. If I had felt slightly uncomfortable, I do believe James would have made me feel right in my own home. He has a way about him.” Again, Clara’s voice took on a soft, longing tone. Anne Marie did her best not to let her feelings show. She was grateful for the dim light so that her flushed cheeks and subtle frown could not be seen.

  “I am glad. Will you sleep well and come help me dress in the morning? I will be wearing the green chiffon and I do have trouble getting into that dress.”

  “You know I will help you, Anne. I am more than willing.”

  Clara helped her with her sleeping cap. Anne Marie was safely tucked into her warm bed a few minutes later, the room was dark and she was asleep within a few minutes.

  Anne Marie opened her eyes to the bright morning sun beaming through the crack in the drapes of her window. She looked up at the light fabric of the canopy above her and pulled in a deep breath. Before she went to church, she wanted to bathe and fix herself up so that she looked pretty for James. As much as she knew it was not very likely she would get what she wanted and her chances were slim, she was still going to try.

  She sat up and stretched her arms up above her head. An idea came to her. Fully awake, she slid out of bed and moved quickly to the desk near the window. She pulled open the drapes so the light would fill the room.

  There were blank stacks of paper on the desk and a quill and ink well. Her eyes opened wide when she saw a flower sitting on top of the paper stack. She moved slowly to the desk and picked up the flower. It was another Foxglove. Someone had to overhear her conversation with Clara in the flower shop. She lifted it to her nose and sniffed it. It was lovely. Her favorite flower.

  She put it against her chest and looked through the window, pondering who could be leaving the flowers behind. Her first thought was James, because he had been in the garden the first time she discovered one of these single Foxgloves. However, she remembered the look of confusion on his face.

  With a sinking feeling, she assumed it had to be Earl Kipling. The Cornwall sons were too dignified to be leaving subtle messages such as flowers behind for her to find. Regardless of who it was, someone had entered her room while she was sleeping.

  Pen and paper was all she needed. She would use the hotel seal to close the letter after she wrote it. She set the flower down on the desk and sat down to write her letter.

  She sat for a moment, thinking about what she wanted to say. If she worded it right, her uncle might be more willing to ease up on the requirements he had set for her. Finally, she picked up the pen, dipped it in the ink and began to write.

  Dearest Uncle,

  It has been some time since our last correspondence. Please accept my apology for this. I am in Bainbridge, South England Square, staying at a hotel with very fine gentlemen and ladies. I humbly hope that the following question will not be perceived as presumptuous, as I have given this much thought. I have concluded that, if possible, I would like to be relieved from the requirement of marrying a nobleman. There is a gentleman here at the hotel who does not have title or wealth. I find him to be honest, hard-working, trustworthy, and kind. These are requirements that I myself have for any man that I give consent to spend the rest of my life in the company of.

  If you are to grant my request, it would confer a favor that would never be erased from my memory. If it suits your convenience, please visit us here in Bainbridge and meet the young man I speak of, whose name is James Ellingham.

  Your ever-grateful niece,

  Anne Marie Wiltshire

  Anne Marie read over the letter several times before folding it so that the seal could be applied before sending it off in the post. She sat at the desk for another moment, pondering the Foxglove before standing up and going to the window, where she sat on the cushioned bench seat and looked out at the early morning action on the street, rolling the flower around in her small, soft hands.

  Vendors were ambling up and down the street, selling their wares. A street sweeper was slowly making his way past the hotel. He was looking all around him, as he worked, scanning the store fronts and gazing up into the second-floor windows. He glanced up at her, doing a double take. She smiled at him, wondering how she must have looked in her nightgown, her hair up in a cap. She lifted one hand and waved to him. He stopped, bowed slightly at the waist, and tipped his soft hat to her, smiling back. He resumed his sweeping, whistling loud enough for her to hear. It was a random tune she did not recognize.

  Her door opened and she turned her head to see Clara coming in.

  “Good morning, Miss.” Clara said.

  She stood up to greet her companion. “Hello, Clara. Did you sleep well?”

  “I did. I would say it was the best sleep I have had in several weeks, in fact.”

  “Oh?”

  Clara’s smile showed that she was indeed happy. It made Anne Marie feel strangely guilty that she had just finished a letter to her Uncle asking permission to allow James to be her suitor. It was painfully obvious that her companion was very interested in the young man. She did not want to be in competition with Clara but it was going in that direction.

  “Do you have the dress you want to wear to church today, Anne?” Clara dropped herself on the bed, placi
ng her hands between her knees. “I do.”

  “I do, as well. First, I would like to bathe. If you would prefer to get dressed while I bathe and then come in here to help me with the dress.”

  “Yes, my lady, that sounds fine. And how did you sleep?”

  “I was surprised that I was asleep as soon as I laid down, to be frank with you, Clara. I did not know I was that tired.”

  “Did you drink any brandy at the ball? Ale? Champagne?”

  “I had a few, yes, but my head was not spinning and I was not drunk.”

  “No, Miss, I did not see that when we left the ball. You looked sober to me.”

  “I was sober.”

  Clara nodded. “Shall I go draw the bath for you?”

  “That would be lovely, Clara. Please return when it is ready.”

  “Yes, my lady.” Clara got up once again and went back to the door. She turned when she got there and said, “You will look pretty in the green dress, my lady. It suits you well. We will make sure your hair and makeup are perfect.”

  Anne Marie smiled. “You always make sure I look my best, Clara. I will let you choose the rouge and lip salve. You know what looks best on me.”

  “Yes, my lady. I will return shortly.”

  Anne Marie watched her leave before getting up and going back to the desk. She picked up the folded letter, opened it and read it over once more before placing it carefully inside the handbag she planned to take with her to church. Hopefully, she would remember to seal it when she went down to meet everyone.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  SHARING A MOMENT

  SHARING A MOMENT

  As the group came back from church, the sky opened and the rain began to pour down on their heads. The ladies got out of the coach and ran into the hotel with their bags over their heads, holding up their long skirts so that the water would not splash up onto them.