He thought better of trying to stop the tirade in this manner when he saw the petulant look descending on Lady Melissa’s face and tried a different tactic. “If your brother’s wife does not know how to go on as the Countess of Westfield, perhaps you could give her a few suggestions. You are always looking for a new hobby. This could keep you busy for a while,” said Lord Merivale with the best of intentions.
“Why, what a marvellous idea,” gushed Melissa insincerely with a malicious glint in her eye, which her husband tried valiantly to ignore as she drifted off into a reverie of plotting.
∞∞∞
Justin realized after his sister’s visit that he would have to make a push to introduce his wife to some other lady of influence who could sponsor her amongst the fashionable crowd. It would be to his advantage to have her participating in the social whirl of the Season. He knew that as the Countess of Westfield no doors would be closed to her, but it would be much more comfortable for her if there were some lady who could take her under her wing. It would have been ideal if his sister had been a bit more amenable, but she made it obvious that was not going to happen.
He amazed himself by spending a great deal of time wracking his brain for a suitable solution. With his involvement at the House of Lords it would be valuable if his wife could be helpful for social occasions. If she could hostess gatherings where he could garner support for whichever political effort he was working on at a given time, it would be of particular assistance to him. Everyone knew most of the decisions for running the country were made over the card table or in the dining room, so it really was imperative that his wife be at least passable socially.
From what he could tell in his short acquaintance with his wife, she should be able to handle the social pressures, but if someone could take her in hand it would be all the better. He was beginning to see just how far reaching the consequences of his rash decision to marry could be. It could even impact the entire Nation! Not to get too big for his britches, he thought with some self-deprecation, but he really was an important figure in the government and had a steady hand with his fellow lords. He would have to bestir himself to ensure his wife was a success.
He sat there for some minutes systematically considering and eliminating the wives of his various acquaintances. He didn’t have a particularly large circle of close friends and wasn’t on very close terms with most of the wives of Society, so it was a challenging task to consider who would be the best guide for his wife through the turmoil of the social Season when there was so much at stake. But then he hit on the perfect solution to his problem.
Lady Geneva, the attractive young wife of his friend, Lord Cumberland, Viscount of Inniskillin. The young lords had gone to Eton together as boys and had even spent some time together on the Grand Tour before Justin had been prematurely called back to assume his responsibilities as the new Earl of Westfield when his parents had been killed in the carriage accident.
Justin and Gary, Lord Cumberland, hadn’t spent a great deal of time together in the past couple of years since Gary had also been busy with his new responsibilities as viscount as well as being preoccupied with his wife, and Justin was pretty sure they were already the proud parents of a couple youngsters. But the earl knew they usually came to London for at least part of the Season so Gary could sit in on some of the sessions of the House, so they would be the perfect option to help him launch his wife into Society.
He and Gary held many of the same views on political matters, so there would be no conflicts of interest to worry about either. And from what Justin could remember of Lord Cumberland’s wife, he had been favourably impressed with her. She was an engaging conversationalist, neither overly expressive, nor terribly shy. And being a couple years older than Elizabeth, she would be able to add a touch of polish to his young wife. No doubt her added experience would be of assistance as Beth entered the social whirl.
He would have to consider how best to put the matter before the other couple and enlist their tactful support with the project of launching the new Countess of Westfield. Justin thought for a few more minutes before he scrawled off a note and sent for a footman to carry it around to the Cumberlands’ townhouse requesting an audience with the couple earlier than was sociable the next morning. Then he too ran upstairs to get ready for the evening meal.
Beth was nearly finished with her preparations for dinner when she heard her husband entering his dressing room, so she hurried to finish. She had been nervously endeavouring to distract herself from all the troubles on her mind by thinking about the tour of the house she had enjoyed with the housekeeper that morning.
She had been amazed at all the modernizations the house could boast of in comparison to the old manor she had grown up in. Of course, this house was probably at least seventy-five to one hundred years newer than her old house, and it had clearly been well maintained the entire time it was in existence.
She went on to reminisce about the joy of planning the menus with the kindly housekeeper. It had been too late to make any adjustments to this evening’s plans, so she hadn’t had any say over what was to be served today, but still Beth’s mouth watered at the thought of what Mrs. Potts had said they would be eating tonight. Beth was surprised that what she thought of as an extravagant meal was going to be served for just the two of them. She was used to such simple fare, but she certainly wasn’t going to complain.
Whatever the earl was used to was what they would stick with, but she was excited over the prospect of having a degree of control over such things in the future. She had always had ideas about household management and had taken over many of her mother’s duties at home, but there had been so few funds that they often had to make do with very little. It would be exciting to run a well-managed and well-funded household. Maybe tomorrow she could go to the market with whoever normally did the shopping. She would have to ask the earl over dinner. With that thought she shook herself out of her reverie and went downstairs to meet her husband in the dining room.
She tried to appear serene as she glided into the room, remembering all the lessons her father had taught her over the years about how a man expected his home to be. She knew she was hungry, but Beth felt her stomach seizing up with nerves and wondered how she would be able to force down the sumptuous smelling meal so as not to offend the staff who had undoubtedly worked so hard on it.
Justin struggled to suppress a weary sigh as he observed his wife’s pale but emotionless face as she dipped into a deep, respectful curtsy upon her entrance into the room. He thought she must still be rattled from her encounter with his sister and wondered how to put her at ease. He watched as she smiled warmly at the young footman who held out her chair for her to sit and wondered why she never looked at him in quite the same way as she did the servants. He had noticed that when she thought he wasn’t looking she was exceedingly kind to those of the lower classes. He shook his head in slight exasperation over the conundrum that was his wife as he seated himself and the servants began to serve the first course.
They had already exhausted all the polite enquiries about each other’s day when they had gone for their drive, so that was not going to be an easy crutch to get them through the meal. He would have to come up with some other ideas. He thought about telling her of his plans to introduce her to the Cumberlands but realized he should discuss it with them before he broached the subject with Beth. While he mulled over what to talk about with his wife and realized he might have a very quiet future in front of him, he was surprised to hear Beth’s soft voice breach the silence.
“Would it be acceptable, my lord, for me to accompany one of the servants to the market on the morrow, to observe as they purchase the provisions?” she inquired quite formally, barely able to meet his eye as she asked the seemingly innocent question.
Justin was perplexed by her inquiry. She was so polite and formal, which puzzled him, besides the fact that he was unsure why she would even want to go on such an errand. And was she asking his permission o
r was she asking if it would be socially acceptable for her to go? He momentarily wished he could read into the workings of her mind, but knowing that was an impossibility, he probed with some questions of his own.
“To which market were you thinking to go, my dear?” he asked, hoping she would elaborate so he would know what exactly she was trying to ask.
It turned out to be a good question because while she did grow flustered, she lost some of her restraint and rushed into speech.
“Oh, my lord, I really have no idea. I would just like to accompany whoever makes the kitchen purchases so that I can observe. I think it would be best if I see how it all takes place so I can learn what is the current manner in the household, then make any necessary adjustments.” She then blushed to her roots and rushed into further speech. “Not that I am implying, my lord, that anything is being done improperly. I am sure it is all perfectly run. I just would like to see for myself, if you take my meaning. I want to see what the market is like here and what options are available to the staff. This way I can better plan the menus and such with Mrs. Potts. I wouldn’t want to bore you with such details, my lord, I just would like to know if it is acceptable for me to go.” She stopped in obvious confusion, embarrassed to be bothering the earl with such matters.
But Justin was delighted that she was already developing proprietary sentiments toward his household and thought it would be interesting to know how she was organizing everything with what little experience she had. And he still wasn’t sure what she meant by “acceptable” since he had no knowledge of how hung up her father was on such matters. But whether she were asking for his permission or for etiquette guidance, in both ways he figured it would be acceptable for the lady of the house to go to market provided she was properly escorted.
“Why yes, Elizabeth, I would imagine it would be acceptable for you to go. The staff may be a bit nervous to have you observing, but there shouldn’t be any problem with you accompanying them. Just make sure you have a footman with you for safety and to carry anything you may wish to purchase.” He was surprised when she interrupted him.
“Oh, no, my lord, I would not wish to make anyone nervous. Perhaps it would be best if I do not go.” She appeared crestfallen.
“No, no, it should be fine. Ask Mrs. Potts what she thinks, then decide for yourself.” He concluded the mundane matter as the next course was being brought out; he then dismissed the staff before broaching another subject that was beginning to grate on him.
“My dear,” he began somewhat hesitantly, “I have noticed that you continue to address me so formally. Do you not think you could bring yourself to use my name, instead of continuing to call me ‘my lord,’ at least when we are in private?”
Beth was surprised by the question and wondered at the reasoning behind it. Her father had always expected formality, even when no one was around. But the earl was the lord of this particular house, so whatever he wished was what she would try to comply with. But then she realized she couldn’t remember being told his name. She was pretty sure his sister had yelled his name a couple of times that afternoon, but Beth had been so nervous that it hadn’t really made an impression.
She let out a nervous, tinkling little laugh before taking a deep breath and thinking back to her childhood lessons studying all the lineages of the families of the ton. She’d had an old copy, but surely it would have had the Earl of Westfield’s heir inscribed, he who is now the current Earl. She bided for time by saying politely, “But, my lord, you never gave me permission to use your given name.”
With relief, she finally remembered. Justin John George Fulton, the 6th Earl of Westfield, among other lesser titles bestowed upon him at birth, or upon the death of his father. She focused her bright blue eyes on her husband’s face and waited to see what he would say.
He smiled kindly at her, wondering what had been going through her mind, as he had seen various emotions flit across her occasionally expressive face. He wondered if he could ask her, but recognized they sadly did not yet have that kind of relationship. Hopefully someday they would. In the meantime, he would settle for his wife using his given name rather than being so formal with him. So, he merely said, “Well, I am sorry for the oversight. Please accept my permission now. I have been calling you Elizabeth for days, and we are married.”
She smiled shyly before replying, “Thank you, my lord, I mean,” she stammered, then paused before saying in a rush, “Justin.”
He had never thought his name could sound so sweet and was amused by his own miss-ishly maudlin thoughts, before being further surprised as his wife continued.
“If you would like, my lord, Justin, you may call me Beth. That is what my friends call me, rather than Elizabeth. My father calls me Elizabeth.”
“Excellent, Beth, let us be friends.” Justin liked the idea of trying to be friends with his wife. It would make the transition so much easier for them both as they got used to this awkward marriage. He could tell there was a subtext to Beth’s statement, although he was unsure what it was. He decided time would mend all that they didn’t yet know about one another.
After that, the conversation as the meal concluded was much smoother and Justin was happy to see that his wife seemed to have discarded some of her nervousness around him, as she managed to eat a reasonable portion. It wouldn’t do for her to make herself sick by not eating. He would have enjoyed spending the evening quietly getting further acquainted with her, but unfortunately, he had an engagement.
“I’m sorry, my dear, but I have a commitment this evening that I really must keep. I shall have to leave you to yourself for a while.”
“Oh, that is quite all right, my lord, I mean, Justin,” Beth answered with a shy smile. “I am actually quite tired,” she continued as she stifled a yawn. “I believe I shall go straight to bed after I speak to Mrs. Potts about tomorrow.”
“Excellent plan, my dear. Do you think you shall have some time in the afternoon to make some social calls with me? I may have some friends I would like you to meet.” Justin wanted to get on with his plan, and if his meeting with the Cumberlands was successful in the morning, he wanted to take Beth there in the afternoon for them to get acquainted.
“Social calls?” Beth enquired a bit nervously. She wouldn’t want to refuse her husband such a request, but she felt terribly unprepared for meeting anyone in his social circle. Nevertheless, she bravely answered, “Of course, my lord, I would accompany you. At what time should I be ready?”
He could tell how nervous she was by her return to such formality and he stifled a sigh. “If you don’t want to, we do not have to go out,” he offered as kindly as possible, trying to control his disappointment.
Beth was gratified by his kindness and determined to try to explain herself. “It is not that I do not wish to accompany you,” she began, “It’s just that I don’t really feel as though I have the proper attire for such visits, my lord, Justin.”
Justin blinked, nonplussed. He had never given any thought to a female’s wardrobe. She looked fine to him, but he realized he knew very little on that particular subject. He determined to address the subject with Lady Geneva as well, if they agreed to help him. And he knew they weren’t such sticklers that whatever Beth might have in her possession would be fine for a visit to the Cumberlands’ house. So, he said as much. “The friends that I am thinking we might visit are very kind and not overly high in the instep. Whatever you might decide to wear would be fine for a visit to see them. I am not presently sure if they will be ‘at home’ tomorrow, but if we can visit them it would probably be some time in the early afternoon. If they are unable to see us, perhaps we could just go for another drive, and I will show you a little more of the city.”
It must have been the right thing to say because Beth visibly relaxed before bidding him a gentle good night and leaving the room.
Justin sat back down after her exit to give the matter a bit more thought before he left for his evening engagements. He had already realize
d having a wife was going to be a complicated endeavour, but more details kept cropping up. A new wardrobe? How was he going to manage that? He was skilled in many areas of life, but choosing his wife’s clothes was not one he aspired to acquire. If Lady Geneva agreed to his plan, she would no doubt be able to guide Beth with that, and he would have no difficulty with footing the bill. Although if what Mrs. Potts had told him was true, Beth might be bothered by spending the money. Well, tomorrow was soon enough to worry about it, he supposed. If Gary and Geneva couldn’t or wouldn’t help him, he would figure out something else. On that heartening thought, he briskly got up and strode from the room.
A couple of hours later Justin was asking himself why he had even bothered coming out this evening. None of the conversations that he would have found scintillating under normal circumstances could hold his attention for longer than a few minutes. He kept finding himself drifting off into thoughts about his lovely wife he had left at home. He was hoping she was comfortable, not stressed or worried about the next day or her new circumstances in life. He was calling himself all sorts of a fool for not arranging to meet with Lord and Lady Cumberland this evening rather than putting it off until the morrow. Of course, they no doubt were engaged for the evening anyway and he was, in fact, lucky to be able to arrange to meet them at such an early hour the next day.
He had just laid that worry to rest once more when he was again distracted by observing how many of his male acquaintances now had wives. He had never really given much thought to any of the ladies of his acquaintance, but now he found himself wondering which of these gentlemen’s wives might become friends with his Beth, and whether or not she would like any of his friends, and if she would want to plan any social gatherings of her own to coincide with his interests.
The Debutante Bride: A Sweet Regency Romance (Ladies of Mayfair) Page 7
