One Enchanted Evening (Marriage by Fairytale Book 2)

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  He led her to the door and opened it. He paused for several seconds before he looked back at her. “You can’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  “No, I can’t.”

  He took a deep breath then stepped aside and waved for her to take a look into the room. Amused, she approached the doorway. It was hard to see exactly how many cobwebs and dust there was since the drapes were drawn, so she immediately went to the window and opened them.

  “Are you sure that’s a wise idea?” he asked as he coughed from the swirl of dust that rose up in the air around them.

  “I need to see how much there is to clean before I can get started.”

  She opened the window. Judging by the thick layer of dust and all of the cobwebs, the room needed be aired out, too. She went to the other window, opened those drapes, and opened it.

  He grimaced as he scanned the room. “This is worse than I expected.”

  “I’ve seen worse,” she said.

  He stared at her in disbelief. “That’s not possible.”

  She grinned at him. “I have. This dirt is only on the surface. It’ll come right off.” She went to the small room off to the side of the bedchamber and opened the window in there. When she returned to the main room, she smiled at him again. “I promise that it’s not as bad as it seems. A rag, some soap, and a bucket of water are all you need.” She glanced at the bed. “Well, I will need to wash the bedding, but I’ve done that plenty of times in the past.”

  “We’re going to need more than one bucket of water. This entire room will require a hundred of them.”

  Amused by the bewildered tone in his voice, she assured him, “We won’t need a hundred. We’ll tackle one area of the room at a time. This won’t be done in one day. We won’t even start on it today,” she added when she noticed the way he wobbled on his feet. If she wasn’t careful, he’d end up fainting. “We’ll start in a room that won’t be much work. Once you see progress in the small things, it’s easier to work on the bigger ones.”

  “Yes, I suppose that’s a good way to think of it.”

  She closed the distance between them, put her arm around his waist, and led him back into his bedchamber. The poor man. He’d never done any more than a quick cleaning in his entire life, and the only reason he’d done that was because he had no one else to do it. He certainly hadn’t grown up having to clean anything. It was no wonder he was overwhelmed by the thought of doing so much work. She would have been, too, had this happened before she’d left her father’s estate.

  “We’ll start on an easy room to clean,” she told him once they were back in his bedchamber. She helped him sit in a chair then went to pour him a glass of water. “You said the drawing room doesn’t need much work. We’ll do that one today.”

  “You must think I’m a weakling,” he muttered.

  She handed him the glass. “No, I don’t think that.” In an attempt to ease his nerves, she added, “I think your plan is to keep me in your bed for as long as you can. If that bedchamber doesn’t get cleaned, I have no choice but to be at your mercy.”

  A smile spread across his face. “Would I need to avoid cleaning that room to keep you in my bed?”

  “No. I’ll be in your bed whenever you wish it.”

  “In that case, we don’t even need to clean that room because I want you with me every night.”

  “I’m very happy to spend each night with you in this room, but I still need the other room for my clothes.”

  “You can share my armoire. I don’t mind.” He took a sip of water.

  “I’ll do that for the time being. However, one day you’ll have money for more clothes, and when that happens, I’ll need the armoire in the other bedchamber.” She went behind him and rubbed his shoulders so he’d relax. “It won’t be like this forever. I know you’ll make back the money you lost, and soon after that, you’ll have more.”

  “It’s nice that you believe in me. Sometimes I wonder if Stephen thinks I’ll run off and do something else stupid with the little money I have left.”

  “You won’t do anything stupid. You have a determined look in your eye. Whenever someone gets that, it means they’ll get what they want.” She waited for him to finish drinking then took the glass from him. “How much food do you have in this townhouse?”

  “I have enough for a month.” He rose from the chair. “Do you know how to cook?”

  “I can make a few meals. I assisted the cook at Stephen’s on a few occasions before I became Patricia’s lady’s maid. Show me the kitchen. I’ll figure out something we can have this morning.”

  She slipped her arm around his and she led him out of the room, looking forward to what the day was going to bring.

  ***

  After they ate, Lewis showed Marcy the rest of the townhouse. It was probably best she saw her bedchamber first. The rest of the townhouse didn’t look nearly so bad in comparison. He’d known that room was in a sorry state, but he hadn’t realized just how bad it was until he went in there and saw it for himself.

  The musty odor had been overwhelming, and the dust was a lot to take in. Marcy had been right to open the windows, even if it only revealed how neglected the room had been since his mother’s death. But Marcy hadn’t seemed the least bit dismayed by it…just as she didn’t seem dismayed at the other rooms.

  Finally, when they reached the ballroom and he took note of how big it was, he let out a frustrated sigh. “It’s going to take years to get this townhouse ready for any visitors. I didn’t realize there were so many rooms in this place.”

  She gave him a sympathetic look. He knew it was supposed to console him, but for some reason, it only made him feel worse. If only he’d had the foresight to not jump into a risky financial venture. Then he wouldn’t have had to bring her to a townhouse in such a sorry state.

  “It won’t take years,” Marcy assured him as she walked about the room. “If I get started right away, it’ll only take a month.”

  “A month?” He found that hard to believe. Her bedchamber alone would take a month!

  She ran her fingers over one of the chairs and studied her fingers. “This room only needs a simple dusting and mopping. That can be done in a day.”

  “Really?” He took another good look around the room. For some reason, it seemed even larger than it had a few seconds ago.

  She laughed. “Oh, Lewis, you mustn’t despair. There’s nothing to cleaning. Sure, it requires some work, but it’s not impossible.”

  He offered a reluctant nod. She was right. It couldn’t be impossible. Very few things in life were impossible. If his brother could manage to get Patricia with child even though he was terrified of being in a room with another person, then this townhouse could be cleaned up in a month…or two. He honestly didn’t know how this townhouse could be presentable to visitors in only a month.

  “I should change,” Marcy said. “I don’t want to get this dress dirty.”

  “You’re going to start cleaning right now?” he asked in surprise.

  “I thought I might as well since we just ate.”

  “But you cooked.”

  “Eggs are easy. It took less than ten minutes.”

  “I know, but you still had to cook.” After a moment, he shrugged. “It just seems like you should do something relaxing before we clean. Why don’t we take a walk? I enjoy going for walks. Do you enjoy them?”

  “Yes, I do.”

  “Good. It’d be my pleasure to take a walk with my beautiful bride.”

  “The pleasure, my lord, is all mine.”

  Once they retrieved their hats, he escorted her down the sidewalk.

  “Have you been to London before we married?”

  “I’ve been here a couple of times, but I was a child back then,” she replied. “It doesn’t seem like it’s changed.”

  “Where did you grow up?”

  She shook her head. “In the country.”

  “Do you miss the solitude of the country?” He gestured to the people a
nd carriages around them. “I know this is a lot busier than what you’re used to.”

  “I don’t care where I am as long as I’m with you.”

  Pleased by the sincerity of her words, his smile widened. He was sure he looked like a fool with all the grinning he was doing, but it was easy to get lost in the thrill of being with her. He used to see gentlemen smiling like they’d lost their senses and thought he’d never be one of them. And yet, here he was, acting just as they had.

  “In that direction is Hyde Park,” he said as he gestured east of them. “Would you like to see it?”

  “Yes, I would. I’ve only heard of it.”

  “Oh?”

  “A couple of people mentioned it.”

  “You mean, Stephen and Patricia?”

  She hesitated but said, “No. These were other people in my past. It was a long time ago. In some ways, it feels like that all happened in another lifetime.” She squeezed his arm. “This will be nice. I want to remember this walk with you. It’ll be a good memory.”

  “We’ll have a lot of good memories together.”

  “I’m looking forward to them.”

  He was, too. Ever since he became aware of her feelings for him, it was amazing how different his life had become. He used to go from one day to another, and while he had enjoyed things enough, he hadn’t realized how empty his life had been until now. Well, from this moment forward, his life would have a purpose.

  “I met Stephen on my way to the park,” he said. “Would you like to hear that story? It involves a loose horse, an irate coachman, and a cad who’d just won a bet. I’ll let you know right now that the cad was Stephen.”

  She laughed. “I can’t imagine Stephen as being a cad. He’s so serious.”

  “You don’t know him as well as I do, but he is fully capable of being a cad. He was especially so when he was younger.” Since she seemed interested, he proceeded to tell her about the day he met Stephen, and from there, he told her other silly things Stephen had done over the years.

  Chapter Eleven

  The next afternoon, Marcy slipped into one of the dresses she’d worn as a maid and filled two buckets with steaming water. She dumped soap into one bucket then grabbed some clean rags before she turned her attention to cleaning the cooking range.

  She had already cleaned up the drawing room yesterday afternoon while Lewis was gone. He hadn’t wanted to go, but he’d received a missive from Stephen requesting that he speak with two gentlemen who, according to Lewis, excelled at investing. Since the matter had to do with investing, she had insisted he visit them. And after Lewis came home, it seemed like the meeting had been a fruitful one. In fact, when he returned, he seemed encouraged that they might lead him to another gentleman—someone who went by the Duke of Larkinson—who could be a good mentor.

  She suspected Stephen sent the missive to Lewis because he worried about them. Stephen hadn’t voiced any concerns about the marriage directly to her, but she had the feeling he wondered if Lewis might have trouble building up wealth now that he’d chosen to marry someone without any money to her name. Marcy couldn’t blame him for being worried. She’d started working for Stephen when he barely had any money, and there were a few times when he and the servants had to go to bed without dinner.

  She still recalled the first time she’d gone to bed hungry. Back then, she’d considered it her due for what she’d done to her step-mother. Actually, she deserved far worse than going without a meal. Much worse.

  She shook off the memories of the past that threatened to come back to the surface. She didn’t want to think of it. Not now. She knew she didn’t deserve Lewis. She knew she didn’t deserve to be happy. But she’d spent so much time in misery that she wanted to put the past behind her and move on. It felt good to have a place she belonged to again.

  After so long of feeling isolated from the rest of the world, she had a family again. Lewis was her husband. Someday they would have children. Was it wrong for her to want to enjoy that? Or did she owe it to her step-mother to live in misery until the day she died?

  “So you were serious when you said you were going to clean the kitchen,” came a familiar voice from behind her.

  She turned to Lewis, surprised when she saw him wearing a worn pair of breeches and an old shirt. “What are you wearing?”

  “Clothes that are suitable for cleaning in.” With a wry grin, he turned around. “What do you think? Would Stephen hire me if he saw me in this?”

  Chuckling at his joke, she asked, “Do you plan to clean with me?”

  “I said we would clean this place together. This townhouse is a mess because I was reckless with my money. I can’t expect you to clean it by yourself. Please tell me we’re not going to do this room today.”

  She scanned the room. “It needs a good cleaning.”

  “I know, but it’s one of the dirtier rooms.” He frowned as he inspected the soot in the oven. “I can’t tell if this is worse than your bedchamber or not.”

  “This is worse. It requires much more scrubbing.” Which reminded her… She sorted through the kitchen until she came across a good brush with hard bristles on it. “This will make the oven easier to clean.”

  “I’ll do the scrubbing.” He took the brush from her. “I’m stronger. It makes more sense that I’d do the harder work.”

  She knew he didn’t think it was a chivalrous gesture that he should take on the more demanding task, but she appreciated it. She gave him a kiss. “Thank you.”

  His eyes widened, and he brought her up against him before she could go to the buckets. “Do you like the fact that I’m helping you clean?”

  “I didn’t expect you to help me clean this place.”

  “Even though I said I would?”

  She shrugged. “I assumed when you mentioned ‘we’, you meant I’d be doing it but it would benefit both of us.”

  “No, I meant I would help you. As I said, it’s because of me that this townhouse is in this condition. It’s only fair I do my part to clean it.”

  With a smile, she wrapped her arms around his neck. “You’re a sweet gentleman, Lewis. I can’t think of anyone who’s nicer than you.”

  He lowered his head to hers and kissed her. It was easy to get swept up in the present whenever he was near. She gave no thought to the past when they were together. He seemed to be her anchor, holding her to the moment. She knew he couldn’t possibly realize how much he gave her hope. Before he came along, she had nothing to look forward to.

  Yes, she’d enjoyed her friendship with Patricia, but the past was never completely gone when Patricia was around. It was only with Lewis that it felt as if she truly had a fresh new start. Maybe that was what love did. Maybe it made everything new. Maybe it opened doors to new opportunities. All she knew was that she was complete with Lewis. After a very long time, she felt like she was that thirteen-year-old girl who had her mother and father with her. Up until Lewis married her, that was the last time she’d truly been happy.

  “I don’t suppose we could wait until tomorrow to clean this room,” Lewis murmured as he kissed her neck.

  Her body responded to him, letting her know how much it would rather be in bed with him than cleaning the kitchen. But her mind reminded her that the sooner the work was done, the better. Besides… “You already delayed me all morning,” she playfully reminded him. “The kitchen won’t clean itself.”

  “I know, but you feel good.” He traced her bottom with one of his hands.

  “Let’s make an agreement,” she replied as she took his hand in hers and gave it a light squeeze. “Why don’t we clean for an hour and then take a break?” She wiggled her eyebrows. “I promise I’ll make it worth your wait.”

  “You will?”

  Noting the spark of interest in his eyes, she nodded. “I promise. And we won’t have to go up to your bedchamber to do what I have in mind.”

  “All right.” He let go of her. “You have succeeded in arousing my interest.”

&nb
sp; She glanced at his erection and smirked. “That’s not the only thing I aroused.”

  “It’s not fair that you can see when you have my complete interest but I have no way of telling if I have yours.”

  “You have my complete interest, Lewis.” She squeezed his hand again then went over to the buckets.

  “I only know that because you told me. I hardly think that’s fair.”

  “Does it help to know that if we have a child, I’ll be the one giving birth?”

  He considered her question then nodded. “When you put it that way, I’d rather be the one stuck with physical evidence of my desire for you. Stephen gave me details about my niece’s birth, and I don’t think I could handle the process of bringing a new life into the world.” He put his hand over his stomach. “Just thinking about it makes me queasy.”

  She couldn’t blame him. She’d been there when Patricia had Susanna, and she had panicked. Thankfully, Stephen had been able to keep calm during the whole thing. If he hadn’t, poor Susanna would have ended up plopping right onto the bed.

  “Where do you want to start?” Lewis asked as he took in the large kitchen.

  “I’d like to start with the oven.”

  He grimaced. “But it’s the thing that requires the most work.”

  “Exactly. When you get the worst out of the way, the rest becomes easier.”

  Though he didn’t seem all that impressed by her logic, he went over to the buckets. “All right. Tell me where you want me to go, and I’ll follow your command.”

  Chuckling, she gave him a hard-bristled brush. “You start on the oven, and I’ll sweep and mop the floor.

  “Then in an hour, it’ll be time to have my way with you?”