The earl heaved a small sigh of disappointment as he saw his wife twirled onto the dance floor just before he got to her side. She looked to be having a grand time so he was happy for her, but he was starting to feel a bit foolish to be forever looking on as she enjoyed the company of others, never with him. Maybe it was time for them to go on a marriage trip. He instantly warmed to the idea and decided to broach the subject with Beth at the first opportunity. Really, they should have done so weeks ago; there wasn’t truly anything that pressing that couldn’t have been left to wait for a couple of weeks. It would be great to get away from all the demands on his time, far from interfering Society matrons and his sister’s vicious taunts and underlying plots. Unfortunately, he had no idea when it would be that he could discuss it with his wife. He promised himself that it would be soon.
∞∞∞
Determined to have a frank conversation with his wife, Justin awoke early, only to be informed by her maid that the countess was still asleep, no doubt worn out from the night of frivolity. Not to be deterred, he decided to run out to get a few things done before she was up, then he would have his time free to spend with her. Unfortunately, he was detained and returned later than he had hoped.
“What do you mean the countess is not home?” he demanded with incredulity to the information provided by the footman he had encountered in the hallway. “I wasn’t gone that long!”
Stammering in consternation, the poor young footman didn’t know what to say to his employer and felt confoundedly guilty for no reason. Realizing he was being unreasonable, Justin took a deep, calming breath and continued in more sedate tones. “Do you have any idea where she has gone?”
“No, milord. I’m right sorry, but I don’t know. She left not much more than fifteen minutes ago with her young friend, Mr. Maxwell. The countess didn’t say where they were going, but I did overhear her saying that she wasn’t likely to be home for supper,” supplied the young man helpfully.
“Thanks, John. Perhaps Mrs. Potts might know, could you please have her join me in my library?”
“Very good, milord,” the footman rushed to do his master’s bidding.
The housekeeper didn’t know anything of any use, either. She could only confirm what the footman had said, that Beth had planned to be away for much of the day and that she had left in the company of the squire’s son. Feeling unaccountably disappointed and even a little worried, the earl rushed over to visit the Countess of Brine, Max’s grandmother, hoping she might know where the two friends had gone.
Lady Amelia was surprised when the Earl of Westfield was announced requesting a few moments of her time. She hid it well when he was shown in by her ever-polite butler.
“How nice to see you, Fulton. What brings you by?” Lady Amelia felt her advanced age allowed her the luxury of getting straight to the point and didn’t bother beating around the bush.
“Well, my lady, I was just thinking that I have not spent any time with you of late, and you used to be such a dear friend of my mother’s that I thought I should come by and see how you are,” he began smoothly before Lady Amelia interrupted.
“You smooth tongued, crazy, young man! Don’t give me that flap trap. Yes, I was a dear friend of your mother’s, she was such a lovely soul, and no, you have not been by in a while, but that is not why you are here. Now spit it out, what brings you by? And no more nonsense, young man!” she commanded with a laugh.
Justin protested, “No, no, Lady Amelia, I really did want to see you.” Seeing the commanding look upon her face, he too laughed sheepishly, then relented and admitted the truth. “I was wondering if you might know where my wife has gone off to with your grandson.”
The countess’ gaze sharpened on his face sternly. “You aren’t such a ninny as to think she has run of with Maxwell, are you?” she demanded.
Justin shook his head firmly. “No, despite my sister’s best efforts, I most certainly do not think that. I just conceived of an overwhelming desire to spend some time with her only to find out that she has gone for the day with her dear friend Max.” He sighed dispiritedly at the end of this admission.
Lady Amelia looked at the earl assessingly for a moment before questioning him gently. “What do you know about your father-in-law?”
“I know he is a mean, greedy old man much addicted to his drink,” answered the earl with alacrity.
“Yes, he is that. I will not bother going into too many details, but try to imagine what it must have been like for a sweet little girl with a weak mother living with a man like that. She spent a lot of time at my son’s home. She pretty much grew up with Max. You should ask her about her childhood, when you actually get around to getting to know her. You should also know that she was under the impression that you were a friend of her father’s. From what I understand, this caused her to be very nervous around you.”
Justin was momentarily shocked by this statement, but then realized it made a strange sort of sense considering how everything started out. And it explained a lot of her strange behaviour. If only he hadn’t been so busy when he first brought her to London, he would have gotten to know her right away. Perhaps she would have even confided her history in him. Whatever the case, had he known this, things would have gone a lot more smoothly. But he was determined that it wasn’t too late for them. He said as much to Lady Amelia.
“That’s the spirit,” she commended. “Those two young ones were pining for some time outside of the city. Max had the cook prepare a basket for them and they rode out to the estate of a friend of his about an hour’s carriage ride away. Are you familiar with Hounslow Heath?”
“Yes, it’s a great place. I could make it in much less than an hour on horseback,” Justin declared.
“You probably could, if you are sure you cannot wait for them to come home.”
“No, it took me much too long to realize what I need to do, and I cannot wait any longer. I must act or I will probably run mad,” he exclaimed before laughing self-deprecatingly. “Thank you for your time, my lady.”
“I always have time for you, Fulton. Don’t stay away so long next time, and bring your wife by when you get a chance. I think she is going to be an excellent countess for you,” Lady Amelia concluded approvingly.
“Yes, I agree completely, provided she has not given up on her blockheaded husband,” Justin replied before sweeping hastily from the room.
He was glad he had dressed for riding. It wasn’t quite polite visiting attire, but it would definitely serve him well now as he leapt upon his large horse and rode swiftly toward Hounslow Heath. He hoped to overtake them before they even reached their destination, since Lady Amelia had informed him they were riding in her traveling coach. It was made for comfort, not speed, unlike his surefooted stallion, Cantor.
His impatience was rewarded about twenty-five minutes later when he rounded a corner at a gallop and saw the Brine coach lumbering slowly ahead of him. He swiftly overtook it, commanding the coachman to pull aside. The coachman initially refused, but the earl pulled out his pistol. He quickly pulled the horses to a standstill.
Max opened the door and peered out. “What is going on, George?” he demanded. Then he spotted the earl on his large, heaving horse and was shocked to see him holding a gun loosely in his grip. “Good heavens, Fulton, whatever are you doing?” he asked with incredulity.
Beth stuck her head out next to Max’s. “Is everything all right, Max? My lord, what are you doing here?” she asked in stunned surprise. “Why do you have a gun pointed at poor George?”
Justin grinned at his beautiful wife. “He did not wish to pull over even though I asked him nicely,” he explained, without actually answering her question.
Beth blinked somewhat owlishly at this statement. “But why did you want him to pull over?” she asked as she and Max clambered down from the aging coach. “Why are you here? I thought you would be in the House of Lords arguing about something.”
“I decided I did not want you running off with M
ax,” Justin declared decisively as he swung down from Cantor’s back then pointed the gun at Beth’s friend.
Max remained calm, merely raising an enquiring eyebrow at the earl. Beth, on the other hand, reacted impetuously. She threw herself awkwardly toward her husband, ending up in his arms, exactly the reaction he was longing for, even though he had not allowed himself to even hope things would go this well.
“I am not running off with Max, you looby. I am a countess. I do not run off with people,” she declared haughtily, surprised by the warm look in her husband’s eyes.
“Is it only because you are a countess that you do not run off with men?” Justin asked softly as he deposited his gun in his pocket.
“Well, I made vows to you before God and my parents. That is another good reason not to run off with Max,” she continued to explain as she relaxed into her husband’s arms, clearly becoming comfortable with the position.
“Any other reason?”
“Well, my lord, I am quite sure there are plenty of reasons that I am currently having difficulty remembering just at the moment.” She was about to say more but was interrupted by her friend, who was obviously feeling surplus to this conversation.
Max cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Perhaps you two might like the use of the coach and picnic. I think I am a little much right about now. Would you like me to return Cantor for you, my lord, now that you know I wasn’t making off with your wife and there is no need to shoot me?” he asked dryly.
All three laughed in good humour. The earl shook Max’s hand warmly and agreed to his plan, climbing into the coach after helping his nervously smiling wife in and tucking the coach blanket around her to ward off the chill.
They drove in silence for a few moments. Justin watched as his wife fidgeted nervously on the seat in front of him. He thought her nerves would prevent her from breaking their impasse, so he was surprised when she finally spoke. He had to strain to hear her over the sound of the carriage wheels, but he was delighted to see evidence that she was growing bolder with him.
“Why did you really follow after us, my lord?”
Justin managed to hold her gaze. Although he could still see her nerves lurking in her eyes, curiosity and warmth dominated, a fact for which he was deeply grateful.
“It has become clear to me that there have been some misunderstandings interfering with our relationship. I could no longer tolerate the situation and was determined to do something about it.”
Beth blinked, surprise evident on her face as it split into a smile of genuine amusement. “So, you decided to chase after us to Hounslow Heath?”
Justin shrugged, sharing her amusement. “No time like the present to set things to right.”
He could see a puzzled frown forming on her forehead and meant to elaborate, but just at that moment the carriage began to slow; they had obviously reached their destination. Justin waited impatiently as the coach came to a halt and they were handed down. Taking the basket and blanket, Justin curtly informed the coachman they would manage on their own until they were ready to return to the city. He could feel his wife’s scrutiny as he led her away from the carriage.
“You do not mind if we fend for ourselves, do you, my dear? I find that I am uninterested in any distractions at the moment.”
He could see the colour rising in her cheeks, but she shook her head. “That is fine, my lord, I am quite familiar with fending for myself. I am certain we shall be able to manage to serve ourselves our picnic.” She smiled shyly at the earl. “What do you think Lady Brine’s cook prepared for us?”
Justin didn’t really care. He just wanted to bask in his wife’s smile being directed toward him for once. He cleared his throat as he spread the thick blanket and helped her to arrange her skirts as she seated herself.
“Have you really been finding the city to be such a chore that you felt the need to escape it for the afternoon?”
She appeared surprised by his question, so he elaborated. “When I was trying to track you down the housekeeper and Lady Brine mentioned that the two of you were anxious to leave London.”
Beth giggled. “You do recall, my lord, that I had never been outside of my village before I met you, do you not? It has been an adjustment getting used to city life. But no, London is not a chore. It is just that Max and I had always spent so much of our time together out of doors. It seemed like a comfortable excursion for us.”
“Do you mind terribly that I have intercepted your time with him?”
Beth cocked her head at an inquisitive angle and offered him another shy smile. “Not terribly.”
Justin chuckled and felt his heart cinch a bit tighter at her shy teasing. He was loath to mar their camaraderie but knew the awkward subject must be addressed. “It has come to my attention that your relationship with your father was not always a happy one and that perhaps you have associated me with him due to the manner of our introduction.”
This surprised a nervous giggle from the countess, and Justin hurried to continue. “That was not the most elegant statement, my dear, I do apologize, but I am hoping we can forge a closer relationship than we have thus far enjoyed.”
Beth watched as her husband tugged at his cravat. Her heart melted a little more over his obvious discomfort. She was gratified that he was making such an effort. She took pity on him and stepped into the awkward conversation more fully.
“Thank you, my lord,” she began before he interrupted.
“Would you not be able to finally call me Justin, my dear?”
“Very well, Justin,” she repeated. She could feel her colour rising but she persisted. She was almost silenced when he grasped her hand between both of his but forced her voice to strengthen. “I would like to be closer to you as well, and will admit to you that it is most likely my fault that we have not been. Max has informed me that I have been bird-witted, and I think I probably agree with his assessment.”
“Well, I do not,” Justin insisted, which made Beth smile more warmly and she tightened her hand in his. “I am sorry your childhood was not idyllic, but I promise you that we will ensure the same will not be true for our children.”
Beth felt the breath hitch in the back of her throat as he leaned closer as he spoke. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the warmth in his gaze as his eyes almost devoured her with their intensity. “My dear lady wife, I have been struggling in the throes of jealousy as I watched you and Max enjoying your friendship over the past week.” Beth was about to protest but he gently placed a finger over her lips. “I am quite well aware that there is nothing inappropriate about your friendship. I just want your attention for myself.”
Once again, Beth moved to speak but he maintained his pressure on her lips. She was fascinated by the blush that stained his cheeks as he took a deep breath. His eyes shifted away, almost as though he were embarrassed, but then his intent stare returned to her face and he continued his declarations. “While I was watching you, it occurred to me that you are the loveliest creature I have laid eyes on and I am honoured to have you as my wife. In fact, I very much believe that I am in love with you, Lady Elizabeth Westfield.”
Beth could feel all the jagged edges within her soul settling into place at his declaration and felt a tear slip from the corner of her eye, which the earl caught quickly with the finger that had been covering her lips. This allowed her the freedom to return his smile and break her silence.
“Do you remember when you asked me why I do not run off with men, and I told you it is because I am a countess? I will repeat that with a slight difference. I am your countess, Justin. I would never run off with any other man because I love you,” Beth answered in a shy but decisive voice.
With a whoop of pure joy, Justin stood, picked his errant wife up, and swung her around before depositing her on her feet and planting a swift, hard kiss on her surprised lips. “That, my dear, was an excellent reason. I am sorry for not telling you sooner, but I love you to distraction. What do you say about running off with m
e?”
“That sounds quite lovely. When can we go?” she asked with a laugh before he drowned out further conversation with warmer, more lingering kisses.
Epilogue
Beth stood at the railing of their balcony overlooking the sea, staring pensively out at the sunset when Justin came out in search of her.
“What are you thinking about? You seem a little sad.”
“Oh, no,” she replied as she turned into his arms. “I am deliriously happy. I never would have thought this moment would come, but I think I am finally ready to go home. France was lovely and Italy has been wonderful, but summer will be here shortly and there’s nothing like summer in the English countryside.”
“That is true, and we have probably played truant long enough. There is only so much that can be done through letters.”
“And certain pieces of news cannot be shared in a letter. I would like to see my mother. It has been much too long. And I would really like to tell Molly in person that there is soon to be a new generation for her to care for,” continued Beth as she lovingly caressed her still flat belly.
The earl wrapped his arms tightly around his beautiful bride. He too was deliriously happy. He continued to be amazed at the joy they had found together. But she was right; it was definitely time to go home. They had a whole future waiting for them, and he was delighted how rosy it appeared to be.
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The Debutante Bride: A Sweet Regency Romance (Ladies of Mayfair) Page 15
