Unexpectedly Wed to the Officer--A Historical Romance Award Winning Author

by Jenni Fletcher

  ‘You still shouldn’t be careless about it,’ she scolded him. ‘I’m going to knit you a scarf.’

  ‘Really?’ He felt both surprised and pleased by the idea. ‘I’d like that.’

  ‘Yes. What’s your favourite colour?’

  ‘Blue,’ he answered without hesitation. Which was funny because up until that moment he’d always thought it was red. And they were standing outside Belles, he realised suddenly. He hadn’t even noticed that they’d reached it, although he’d seen the boys go inside.

  ‘Blue it is.’ She moved closer to him, so close that every inch of his body seemed to tingle with awareness. He was vividly aware of the heavy thud of his own heartbeat. Any closer and she would be, too. ‘I’m glad you made it back to England safely.’

  ‘So am I.’ He made a conscious effort to keep his voice steady. ‘Although I’d rather not share the details with my family, at least not yet. Since I wasn’t here to help them, I’d rather they thought I was away doing something useful. I don’t want them feeling sorry for me either.’

  ‘I understand.’ She smiled softly. ‘Thank you for telling me.’

  ‘Well... I ought to be going.’ He inclined his head, reluctant to leave after sharing something so personal, although he hated saying goodbye to her in general, he realised, even when it was only for an hour or two. If the past week was any indication, he’d be craving her company again in a few minutes, but she had a business to run and he had more taverns to visit and they were just friends, dammit. All of which meant that he ought to be going.

  Gently, he untucked her hand from the crook of his arm and lifted it to his lips. He did it every time he left, but this time he did it more slowly than usual, half expecting her to pull away, but she didn’t. Instead her eyes widened and flickered with a distinctly unfriend-like expression, the pupils swelling slightly as his lips touched the back of her glove. And why kissing fabric felt so damnably erotic at that moment, he had no idea.

  ‘Yes.’ Her voice sounded breathy. ‘Until tomorrow then.’

  He took a step backwards and nearly ran down the street.

  Chapter Eleven

  Henrietta watched Sebastian through the glass pane of the shop door as he walked, surprisingly quickly, down the street. The dizzy, disorientated sensation she’d felt in the gazebo was back and stronger than ever. When he’d kissed her hand she’d actually felt as if her insides were trembling, a rush of heat coursing wildly through her veins straight to her abdomen. It felt new and exciting and shockingly wanton. As wanton as she’d once been accused of being. As wanton as...no, she’d never been wanton with Mr Hoxley. As wanton as she imagined a woman might feel for a man she cared about. Whatever she’d felt in the past was nothing compared to this. She didn’t even know what this was, but she had a suspicion it might be desire...

  She placed her forehead against the glass to cool down. Even now, her pulse was still racing, hard and fast, and her legs were shaking, as if she’d been sitting on them for too long and they’d gone numb. She only hoped that Sebastian hadn’t noticed the effect he’d had on her limbs. It would be too mortifyingly ironic after the way she’d behaved towards him on that first day. It already was too ironic. She’d condemned him because she’d thought he’d been trying to flirt with her and now here she was tempted to flirt with him!

  She didn’t know which was worse, the irony itself or the fact that she’d been wrong about his intentions and he was only helping her to make amends to his sister and because of the boys he thought that he’d failed on his ship. Both of which were even more reasons to like him! It was all such a tangle...

  ‘Nancy?’ she called out, unable to unravel the skein at that moment. Maybe she’d try later, when she was in bed and had time to think, although thinking about him in bed probably wasn’t such a good idea either... ‘Are you in the kitchen?’

  ‘I’m here.’ Nancy came hurrying through from the hallway abruptly, marching up to the shop door and turning over the Closed sign before drawing one of the bolts. ‘But we need to close for a while.’

  ‘Why? Are you all right?’

  ‘I’m fine. Only somebody else isn’t.’

  ‘David!’ Henrietta gasped and started towards the kitchen.

  ‘Not him.’ Nancy caught at her arm, lowering her voice to an undertone. ‘Remember the woman from the street?’

  ‘Ye-es.’

  ‘She says you offered her help.’

  ‘I suppose so, but she ran away.’

  ‘Well, apparently she’s changed her mind.’

  ‘Oh.’ Henrietta took a deep breath. Her meeting with the woman seemed like such a long time ago now, but an offer was an offer... ‘Where are the boys?’

  ‘I sent them upstairs to play.’

  ‘Right.’ She straightened her spine. ‘Well, hopefully it won’t be anything too difficult.’

  ‘Oh, I don’t know. I thought we could do with some fresh challenges.’

  Nancy threw her a speaking look before striding back through to the kitchen. The woman was sitting at the table, twisting her fingers together and looking more than a little nervous, although she’d removed her cloak and bonnet, Henrietta noticed, which at least suggested she wasn’t about to run away again.

  ‘Hello.’ She gave a warm smile as she sat down opposite. ‘I understand that you’d like to take up my offer of help?’

  ‘Yes.’ The woman bobbed her head so vigorously that a couple of sable-coloured tendrils escaped from her bun. ‘If you’re still willing, that is?’

  ‘Of course. Might I ask your name?’

  ‘Bel...’ the woman hesitated ‘...linda. Belinda. It’s not my real name, but...’

  ‘But it’s the one we’ll use. I understand. I’m Henrietta and you’ve already met Nancy. Now, why don’t you tell us what we can do to help?’

  ‘Well...’ The woman put her hands flat on the table as if she were bracing herself. ‘I’m looking for a lady who lives in the boarding house opposite, a Miss Foster. She’s a former governess, my former governess, and this is the last address I have for her. I’ve been waiting outside, hoping to catch her one day on the street, but it’s been almost two weeks and I haven’t had as much as a glimpse. I waited for five hours yesterday.’ She paused for breath. ‘Do you know her?’

  ‘I’m afraid not.’ Henrietta threw a quick glance at Nancy, who also shook her head. ‘Forgive me, but why don’t you simply ask the proprietor?’

  ‘Because I can’t.’ The woman dropped her gaze to her hands. ‘There’s a chance that they’ve been told to look out for a woman like me asking questions and if they were to report back on my whereabouts...’ She swallowed and looked up again. ‘I haven’t done anything criminal, I promise, but I can’t take the risk of being seen. It’s hazardous enough waiting on the street. Now I don’t know what to do. I had it all planned out when I...’ She stopped and bit her lip.

  ‘When you ran away?’ Nancy prodded her.

  ‘Yes,’ she admitted, rubbing a palm over her cheek as tears trickled down her face. ‘I made my way here by stagecoach, but I only had enough money for a couple of weeks. Now it’s almost run out and there’s still no sign of Miss Foster.’

  ‘Right then.’ Nancy clapped her hands together. ‘Give me five minutes.’

  ‘What?’ Belinda got halfway up from the table. ‘Where are you going?’

  ‘To find out if she’s still there.’

  ‘But if you ask questions they might get suspicious.’

  ‘Not of me they won’t. I’ll take a basket so it looks as though I’m making a delivery and it’s not as if they’ll mistake my description for yours.’ Nancy tugged at her copper-red curls. ‘Don’t worry.’

  ‘It’ll be all right.’ Henrietta gestured for Belinda to sit down again as Nancy tramped out through the back door. ‘She’s one of the cleverest people I know and she doesn’
t take no for an answer. Now let’s have some tea while we wait, shall we?’

  ‘Thank you.’ Belinda gave her a tremulous smile, her cheeks still damp, when Henrietta came back with two cups. ‘I truly am sorry to involve you.’

  ‘There’s no need to be sorry.’ She shook her head reassuringly, recalling something similar she’d said to Sebastian. ‘We all have our burdens. It helps to share them if we can.’

  ‘I don’t want to get you into any trouble.’

  ‘You mean with your family?’

  ‘No.’ Belinda gave a short laugh. ‘I doubt my family care where I am. They won’t want to see me again, not now.’

  ‘Then who?’

  ‘I...’ She sounded hesitant. ‘I’m afraid I can’t say. All I can tell you is that I did something foolish.’

  ‘Ah.’ Henrietta slid a hand across the table. ‘Well, we all make mistakes sometimes.’

  ‘Yes, but this was a very big one.’ Belinda sobbed and then hiccupped. ‘I’m sorry. I’m not usually so emotional. It’s just been such a worry, waiting and watching and—’

  ‘She’s not there!’ Nancy flung the back door open dramatically.

  ‘What do you mean?’ Henrietta squeezed their new companion’s hand, alarmed by the way all the blood seemed to have drained from her face.

  ‘I mean that she left a month ago, only not as Miss Foster. She’s Mrs Sheridan now, and who knows where on her honeymoon.’

  ‘Oh, no!’ Belinda’s face turned positively ashen. ‘She was my last hope. What will I do now?’

  ‘Don’t panic for a start.’ Nancy deposited her basket on one of the counters. ‘That never does any good at all.’

  ‘But how can I not?’

  ‘Where are you staying?’ Henrietta tried a more sensitive approach.

  ‘At another boarding house on Tibberton Street. I’ve told the proprietor that I’m a governess between jobs, looking for a new position, but I think he’s suspicious about me.’

  ‘Of course he’s suspicious.’ Nancy gave a snort. ‘Your cloak alone must be worth twenty pounds.’

  ‘Is it so obvious?’

  ‘Yes. Everything you’re wearing is much too expensive for a governess.’

  ‘Oh, dear.’ Belinda looked crestfallen. ‘I’ve never run away before.’

  ‘Obviously.’

  ‘Nancy.’ Henrietta gave her a chiding look. ‘It’s not Belinda’s fault.’

  ‘I never said that it was, but it’s obvious she’s not going to survive on her own—and I’m not saying that’s her fault either.’ She held her hands up as she flopped down into a chair. ‘Ladies aren’t taught how to survive because men don’t want them to find out the truth: that they can live perfectly happy and independent lives without them. That’s why they’re taught embroidery and opera instead of anything useful. I mean, what use is piano playing in the real world?’

  ‘Nancy, this might not be the best time...’

  ‘So, as far as I can see, there’s only one thing we can do.’

  ‘What?’ Henrietta and Belinda asked together.

  ‘We can give her a job here in the afternoons.’ Nancy spoke as if the answer ought to be obvious. ‘It’s actually the perfect solution now you have the boys to take care of. Then I won’t be working on my own and she’ll have the money to pay her rent until...well, until she learns how to stand on her own two feet.’

  ‘But she’s a lady! Sorry.’ Henrietta threw Belinda an apologetic look. ‘But a lady like most of our customers. What if one of them recognises her?’

  ‘They won’t,’ Belinda chimed in eagerly. ‘I don’t know anyone.’

  ‘Anyone?’

  ‘Hardly anyone.’

  ‘There you go.’ Nancy folded her arms with a look of satisfaction. ‘Problem solved.’

  ‘Can I really have a job?’ Belinda’s expression was pleading.

  Henrietta opened her mouth, closed it again, considered and then gave an exasperated laugh. ‘Oh, very well, the more the merrier. Welcome to Belles.’

  Chapter Twelve

  ‘And that’s how Nelson escaped the polar bear!’ Sebastian concluded his story with a bow in the middle of the street.

  ‘That can’t be true.’ Michael turned to Henrietta for support. ‘He just made that story up, didn’t he?’

  ‘Upon my honour as a sailor, it’s all true.’ He put a hand on his heart. ‘Or at least that’s what I’ve heard.’

  ‘So his musket misfired and he fought it with the other end like a club?’

  ‘Exactly! I’m not saying it was one of his better ideas, but he was only fourteen so we ought to make allowances.’

  ‘It seems very convenient that the ice broke up and he was able to escape.’ Henrietta looked somewhat sceptical, too. ‘Are you certain Nelson didn’t make that story up himself?’

  ‘Embellished, maybe. Who knows, but he was certainly brave enough for it. Ask anyone who served with him at the Battle of the Nile. Or Copenhagen. Or Trafalgar. He was wounded in combat three times.’

  ‘Did he really lose an eye?’ Michael’s expression turned slightly bloodthirsty.

  ‘No, just the sight in it, but he did lose most of one arm. That’s enough, don’t you think?’

  ‘I want to be just like him,’ Peter announced, somewhat incongruously. ‘But I have to hurry. He was a captain before he was twenty-one.’

  ‘You have ten years.’ Henrietta laughed. ‘That sounds like plenty of time to me.’

  ‘But we’ll accelerate your training anyway. This afternoon’s subject: map-reading!’ Sebastian winked and then grinned at the boy’s happy expression. A week and a day into his new routine, he was surprised to discover that despite his friend status, he was actually enjoying himself. Being a nursemaid wasn’t a career he’d ever contemplated before, but it felt good to be doing something useful again.

  In the mornings he picked up the boys from Belles, escorted them across the city to school, then collected them again for excursions in the afternoons, usually accompanied by Henrietta. In his spare time, he visited old acquaintances, helped James in his store and continued to make enquiries about David, so far without any success. Although he hadn’t yet told Henrietta, it seemed increasingly likely that her brother had left Bath altogether.

  ‘Will you teach us to row?’ Peter asked as they approached the school yard.

  ‘Yes, as soon as you’ve learned how to swim. Unfortunately, November’s a little cold for that.’

  ‘Then will you teach us in the spring?’

  ‘Mr Fortini has other places he needs to visit.’ Henrietta leaned forward. She’d joined them that morning to do some shopping and was walking on Sebastian’s other side with Oliver holding on to each of their hands and swinging between.

  ‘But he said he’d stay as long as you needed him!’

  ‘He did?’

  ‘I did,’ Sebastian confirmed, trying to sound casual despite her obvious surprise.

  ‘Oh...well...here we are.’ She gestured towards the front door of the school. ‘Have a good morning.’

  ‘Yes, Aunt.’

  ‘Goodbye!’

  ‘Sorry about that.’ Henrietta looked apologetically at Sebastian after they’d all scurried inside. ‘You know, you mustn’t feel obliged to stay and help us.’

  ‘So you keep saying.’

  ‘But surely you want to go and visit your family soon?’

  ‘Ye-es.’ He felt a stab of guilt at the words. He really ought to be heading north, but somehow he couldn’t bring himself to leave Bath either. ‘I’ve had a letter from my mother, as it happens.’

  ‘Oh? How is she?’

  ‘Very well. Only it seems that Anna isn’t in Derbyshire at all. The Earl’s grandfather is ill and they’ve gone to stay with him.’

  ‘Oh, dear. I’m afraid that sounds s
erious. He seemed very frail the last time I saw him.’

  ‘Apparently it is. So Anna is in Retford, although my mother still urges me to visit her and my...’ he clenched his jaw, steeling himself to say the words ‘...my grandmother and uncle in Yorkshire.’

  ‘Don’t you want to?’ She looked at him curiously.

  ‘I suppose so.’ He pressed two fingers against the bridge of his nose and squeezed. ‘It’s just that I never imagined a reconciliation was even possible. It’s hard to accept a family I’ve never met before, especially given the circumstances.’

  ‘From what Anna told me, your grandmother never wanted the estrangement in the first place, but your grandfather was very proud.’ She placed a hand on his arm with a sympathetic expression. ‘There may be more to the story than you think.’

  ‘Perhaps.’ He resisted the urge to put his own hand on top of hers. ‘But it’s still hard to feel enthusiastic, especially when...’ he paused, trying to think of a way to finish the sentence that didn’t involve mentioning her ‘...when Bath is my home. I feel as though I’m just settling back in.’

  ‘I’m sure—Oh!’ She came to a halt abruptly.

  ‘Henrietta?’ He turned to her in alarm. Her expression looked strained all of a sudden, as if her skin was pulled too tightly across her cheekbones. ‘Are you all right?’

  ‘Yes. No. I just didn’t realise we were walking this way.’

  ‘I thought it would make a nice change.’

  ‘Yes, but...’ She looked up at him and then quickly away. ‘Can we take another route?’

  ‘Of course, but what’s the matter?’ He looked up and down the street, trying to work out what had upset her. Everything looked perfectly normal to him.

  ‘The shop where I used to work is over there.’ Her voice sounded noticeably smaller than before.

  ‘Ah.’ He followed the direction of her gaze. ‘I understand. In that case, we’ll go another way.’

  ‘Thank you.’

  ‘So...what do you need to buy?’ Sebastian asked, discreetly changing the subject after a few minutes of walking in silence. ‘Now that we’re out shopping.’