The Earl's Runaway Bride

by Sarah Mallory

  ‘I was. Poor Craike, it was such a long time ago.’ The widow sighed and turned her gaze upon Nathan. ‘My congratulations, my lord. You must be very happy to have found your bride again.’

  ‘Thank you, ma’am. I am very happy.’ Nathan’s attention was sought by the vicar and he turned away, leaving Felicity alone with Serena Ansell.

  ‘So—’ the widow was smiling but there was no warmth in her green eyes ‘—you could not resist the idea of being a countess.’

  Felicity’s lip curled. ‘Think that, if you will.’ She was determined not to be intimidated by this woman. She turned and began to walk towards the carriage. Serena followed her.

  ‘It is what everyone will think when they know the truth.’

  ‘Why should they? I have merely been living quietly with friends.’

  ‘Using an assumed name.’

  Felicity shrugged. ‘I did not wish to draw attention to my situation.’

  ‘And just what is your situation now, my lady?’ purred Serena. ‘Does Nathan know why you left him in Spain?’

  ‘Yes.’ Felicity stopped. ‘What happened five years ago is no longer of interest.’

  Serena’s brows rose. ‘Are you quite sure?’

  Felicity drew herself up. ‘I will acknowledge you as an acquaintance, madam, but nothing more.’

  ‘And I will acknowledge you as Nathan’s wife in name, but nothing more.’ Serena glared at her, all pretence of friendliness gone. ‘I will allow you your title, Lady Rosthorne,’ she said contemptuously. ‘But do you think someone as innocent, as unskilled as you can keep the man?’

  ‘I intend to try,’ retorted Felicity, thoroughly angry. ‘And if you still have his ring, I think it is time it was returned.’

  There was an arrested look in the widow’s face.

  ‘Well, madam,’ said Felicity coldly, ‘Do you still have it?’

  ‘Why, I…it may well be in my jewel case,’ came the careless reply.

  Felicity’s indignation swelled. If Nathan have given her such a token she would cherish it. Serena was watching her, a cold little smile playing around her lips.

  ‘You never told him of our final meeting, did you?’ she said softly. ‘You never challenged him.’ When Felicity did not reply the widow gave a soft laugh. ‘No, you did not dare. And even now, you will not confront him.’ She leaned closer. ‘You poor fool, you were a nobody that Nathan plucked from the streets of Corunna—you know you can never be worthy of him!’

  Felicity stared at her, inwardly flinching as Serena put into words her own deepest fears. Before she could summon a suitable retort, Nathan came striding up.

  ‘I beg your pardon, my dear, I never intended you leave you alone.’ He placed his hand under her elbow.

  ‘Your wife and I have been getting better acquainted,’ said Serena, smoothly. ‘It is such a comfort to know I have such good friends living nearby.’

  With a final smile she turned and walked away.

  Silently Felicity accompanied Nathan to the carriage where Mrs Carraway was waiting for them.

  ‘You look pale, my dear,’ she observed as Nathan handed Felicity into the carriage. ‘Such an ordeal for you, to meet so many new people.’

  ‘Is that it, Fee?’ asked Nathan, regarding her closely. ‘I trust Lady Ansell said nothing to overset you?’

  Felicity knew that even if she had wanted to tell him everything Serena had said, she could not do so here, in front of his mother. So she shook her head and disclaimed, dismally ashamed at her own cowardice.

  ‘I admit I am intrigued by our new neighbour,’ mused Mrs Carraway as the carriage rattled its way back to Rosthorne Hall. ‘Very beautiful, of course. One wonders why she has decided to bury herself away here in Hampshire? Perhaps we should call—’

  ‘No!’ Felicity’s involuntary gasp caught Nathan’s attention.

  ‘I pray you will not seek for too close an acquaintance with Lady Ansell, Mama,’ he said.

  ‘Oho,’ cried his mama, her eyes twinkling. ‘I smell some story here, Norton! Well, my son, are you going to tell us what is so very bad about the widow?’

  ‘Certainly not,’ returned Nathan, smiling faintly. ‘I abhor gossip. Suffice to say that I knew the lady in Corunna, and she is not good ton.’

  ‘But we cannot ignore her. Such a wealthy widow—she will be invited everywhere.’

  ‘But not into my house. Is that what was worrying you, Fee?’ He took her hand and squeezed it. ‘Serena Ansell has her place, but it is not at Rosthorne Hall.’

  Felicity sank back into her corner, deriving some small measure of comfort from his words.

  When they arrived back at Rosthorne, Mrs Carraway went off to her apartment with her companion. As soon as Felicity had divested herself of her bonnet and spencer, Nathan escorted her to the drawing room.

  ‘Well, that is the biggest ordeal over,’ he remarked. ‘To be obliged to sit in church while every man and his dog gawps open-mouthed—’

  ‘It was not so very bad,’ she said, preceding him into the room. ‘I had your mama there to support me.’

  He reached for her hand and pulled her down on to the sofa. ‘They were very taken with you.’ He raised her fingers to his lips. ‘I was told several times how lucky I am to have found such a wife.’

  ‘Nathan.’ She clung to his hand. ‘You never told me what happened to your ring, the one engraved with the rose thorns that you wore on your little finger.’

  ‘I told you it was lost during the war. There is nothing else to know.’

  Felicity screwed up her courage. ‘Did you…did you give it away?’

  Gently he removed his fingers from her grasp. ‘It was a long time ago, Fee. We will forget it, if you please.’ He rose. ‘Collins tells me they have now finished clearing the path through the Home Wood. I was going to ride out there later—would you care to join me?’

  His face was impassive, but there was a hardness about his eyes, a look that told her not to ask more questions. She capitulated.

  ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘I would very much like to ride out with you.’

  Let him keep his secrets, she thought, and I will keep mine!

  Felicity settled into her new home. She enjoyed the companionship of her mama-in-law and fell ever deeper in love with her husband. He encouraged her interest in the estate, was always kind and attentive, yet doubts continued to haunt her. She longed for the courage to talk to him, to confide her fears, but she could not bring herself to risk their new-found happiness.

  Mrs Carraway’s excellent dressmaker delivered another selection of gowns in time for the Hazelford Assembly and Felicity spent a pleasant afternoon choosing just what she would wear.

  ‘You will be the first in consequence there so it is important that you are looking your best,’ Mrs Carraway told her when Felicity asked for her opinion.

  They were in the large sunny apartment that was designated as the countess’s dressing room and Felicity was trying on her new muslin evening dress. It was a very pale cream decorated at the neck, sleeves and hem with exquisite green-and-gold embroidery.

  ‘I am aware that every eye will be upon me when I walk in,’ murmured Felicity. ‘I shall be so nervous.’

  ‘Just be yourself and everyone will love you.’ Mrs Carraway turned in her chair. ‘Martha, my dear, run along to my room and ask Norton to look out my gold shawl.’

  ‘Oh, please, no, you have done so much for me already,’ cried Felicity, dismayed, as her maid ran off on her errand.

  ‘Heavens, why should I not? You are my daughter now.’ She held out her hands. ‘What is there in that to overset you?’

  Felicity went to her and dropped down on her knees beside her chair. ‘You are so generous, and since I have been at Rosthorne everyone has been so kind…I do not feel that I deserve it—I came here with so little.’

  ‘Now enough of this foolish talk. You have won all our hearts and that is all that signifies.’ She put her hand under Felicity’s chin and turned her face
up, smiling down into her eyes. ‘Have a little more confidence in yourself, my love, and you will do very well.’

  The words echoed in Felicity’s head as she entered the ballroom at the Swan Inn that evening. With her hand securely on Nathan’s arm, she thought it was easy to be confident. Easy to convince herself that they could be happy together. A quick glance at him made her heart swell with pride. She had seen Mr Brummell in London and knew that Nathan followed his precepts, but privately she thought her husband looked much more handsome than the arbiter of fashion himself. His tall figure and broad shoulders were ideally suited to the superbly cut evening coat and tight-fitting knee-breeches he was wearing that evening. The snowy whiteness of his intricately tied cravat accentuated his dark face, tanned by years of soldiering in Spain and France, but Felicity much preferred this to the ruddy cheeks and bushy side-whiskers of the other gentlemen present.

  Nathan glanced down at the silent little figure beside him. He knew how nervous she must be to be opening the dancing in a crowded room full of near-strangers and her quiet dignity impressed him. A number of gentlemen were already heading towards the card room, but he decided he would not leave Felicity until he was sure she was more comfortable.

  ‘I insist upon at least the first two dances with you,’ he told her and was inordinately pleased at the way her face lit up. Even now, after a month together, desire stirred his bones whenever she smiled like that.

  As they danced together he found he had eyes for no one else. He enjoyed watching the way she moved to the music, taking in every graceful step. He wanted to draw her aside and plant kisses on the delicate curve of her neck, but that must wait. He could not even dance with her again, at least not yet; having brought his new countess to the assembly, he could not monopolise her. Seeing his cousin as they left the dance floor, he buried his frustration and hailed him cheerfully.

  ‘Gerald, well met, Cos! I thought you would still be in town.’

  Mr Appleby came up, grinning. ‘So I would be, but when Mama received your letter she insisted upon posting down here immediately.’

  ‘Ah, I see.’ Nathan looked down at Felicity. ‘My dear, may I present to you my cousin, Mr Gerald Appleby?’

  Gerald grinned as he took Felicity’s outstretched hand.

  ‘Well, well, Lady Rosthorne, you fooled us all very neatly! When Nathan wrote to explain that you had been living in town all this summer, under our very noses, I could scarcely believe it! Mama was for once almost speechless when she realised that little Miss Brown was in fact Nathan’s wife! Depend upon it, I told her, the whole charade was a scheme concocted by Lady Souden to keep you out of the public eye while Nathan here prepared Rosthorne for his countess. Am I right?’

  ‘Y-yes.’ Felicity cast a laughing glance up at her husband, who grinned.

  ‘Very acute of you, Gerald.’

  Mr Appleby nodded. ‘There is a rumour running around town that my cousin had lost you, Lady Rosthorne. I can only say that it was incredibly careless of Nathan. I hope he means to take better care of you in future!’

  Felicity blushed and murmured something incoherent.

  ‘Forgive my cousin’s attempts at humour,’ retorted Nathan, smiling in spite of himself. ‘Is Lady Charlotte with you tonight?’

  ‘No, we only arrived at Appleby Manor this afternoon and she was too exhausted to come here. I, on the other hand, was eager to meet my new cousin.’ He turned again to Felicity. ‘If you are not engaged, madam, would you honour me with the next dance?’

  Nathan was aware of Felicity’s hesitation. He gave her a reassuring look and a slight nod. Immediately she smiled.

  ‘I shall be delighted to dance with you, Mr Appleby.’

  ‘Capital! I shall return to claim my prize,’ exclaimed Gerald, adding irrepressibly, ‘I charge you not to lose her before then, Cousin!’

  ‘What a pleasant young man he is,’ murmured Felicity, as Gerald lounged away. ‘He was always very attentive when I was in town.’

  ‘I am aware,’ growled Nathan. ‘Insolent puppy!’

  She laughed at that. ‘He was merely being kind to Lady Souden’s impoverished companion.’

  ‘Aye, and putting me to shame. I paid you very little attention.’

  ‘If you had done so, I should have been obliged to retire from society rather than risk discovery.’

  He stopped and turned towards her.

  ‘And now?’ he asked. ‘Are you sorry that I discovered you?’

  A faint blush mantled her cheeks. She did not look up, but he saw the slight shake of her head. Surrounded by the noise and chatter of the room, he had to bend his head to catch her words.

  ‘No, I am not sorry.’

  His heart swelled with pleasure. He hoped he was not strutting like some arrogant coxcomb as they continued their perambulation of the room.

  Felicity was enjoying herself. Nathan’s obvious approval did much to calm her nerves and she almost skipped off to dance with his cousin. After that her hand was solicited by any number of gentlemen, including Mr Elliston, who had arrived with his wife and daughter while she was dancing with Gerald.

  They were talking with Nathan when Mr Appleby escorted her back after their dance.

  ‘Ah, here is that lovely wife of yours, Rosthorne!’ cried Mr Elliston, in great good humour. ‘Good evening to you, Lady Rosthorne. We were just saying what a blessing it is that Rosthorne here is no longer in the army.’

  ‘I count myself very fortunate, sir,’ replied Felicity, smiling up at her husband.

  ‘But what if Boney should get free?’ put in Gerald. ‘What then?’

  ‘If he posed a threat to England then I suppose I might be called upon to join up again,’ said Nathan.

  Mr Elliston cocked an eyebrow. ‘And what would you say to that, Lady Rosthorne?

  Felicity smiled. ‘If my lord considers it his duty to go and fight then naturally I should support him. And I think I might best do that by staying here and looking after his estates.’

  ‘A truly excellent answer, my love, thank you.’ Nathan picked up her hand and kissed it. He smiled into her eyes. ‘I knew you would make me a perfect wife.’

  Later, when Nathan asked Miss Elliston to stand up with him, her father turned a kindly smile towards Felicity.

  ‘I’d be honoured to tread a country measure with you, Lady Rosthorne, if your husband will allow it.’

  ‘With pleasure, sir, if your wife will allow it,’ responded Felicity, twinkling.

  ‘Away with you both,’ laughed Mrs Elliston. ‘I shall take myself over there to enjoy a comfortable gossip with my friends!’

  Two lively country dances left Felicity and her partner breathless but upon excellent terms, and Mr Elliston took her off in search of refreshment in the supper room.

  ‘If you will forgive me for saying so, ma’am, it does my heart good to see Nathan in such spirits,’ he told her as he handed her a glass of punch. ‘The war took its toll of him, you see. Losing so many comrades.’

  ‘Including your son,’ she ventured, shyly.

  ‘Aye. That shook him badly. Even now he don’t like to talk of it and shies away from any mention of Adam. Feels he is somehow to blame, you see, because Adam followed him into the army. He came to see us, you know, as soon as he could get leave. Brought back Adam’s effects, such as they were. They were like brothers, growing up, and Nathan is like a second son to us.’ Mr Elliston shook his head. ‘I don’t say it didn’t break our hearts to lose our boy, but it was some consolation that Nathan survived the war, albeit marked. It don’t frighten you, that scar down his face?’ he shot at her.

  Felicity smiled. ‘I do not notice it.’

  The old man beamed. ‘That’s the spirit! Now, I suppose I had better return you to his lordship, before he thinks I have run off with you!’

  Nathan observed Felicity going down to supper with Mr Elliston as he returned Judith Elliston to her mama, where she was immediately carried off by Gerald Appleby to dance again. Nathan m
ade his way to the card room, satisfied that Felicity would not need his company for a while. However, he found he could not settle to picquet or whist and it was not long before he was heading towards the ballroom once more to look for his wife. As he crossed the deserted landing he heard his name and stopped. Lady Ansell was coming up the stairs.

  ‘I am very late—have I missed all the dancing?’

  ‘Not quite, the orchestra will play for another hour yet.’

  ‘I suppose it is useless to expect you to partner me.’

  He returned her speculative look with a bland one of his own. ‘It is.’

  ‘Ah well, then you can at least escort me to the ballroom.’

  He made no move to offer her his arm. ‘Why have you come here, Serena?’

  ‘Why, to dance, of course.’

  ‘I meant why have you chosen to settle in Hazelford?’

  ‘Do you not know, Nathan?’ she murmured, looking up at him from under her lashes.

  ‘Should I?’

  She laughed and waved her hand dismissively. ‘I have been invited to go to Bath at Christmas,’ she told him, straightening her long silk gloves. ‘I have family there. But I can easily cry off, if you would like me to stay.’

  ‘Your actions are of no interest to me, madam.’

  ‘No?’

  ‘Not in the least.’ He held her eyes. ‘You are wasting your time with me, madam.’

  ‘Am I?’ She stepped close, sliding her fingers over his chest and on to his shoulders. ‘Are you not just a little bit tempted?’ Her voice was warm and inviting. She was leaning into him, so close that he could smell the heady perfume of the flowers pinned to her corsage. ‘I liked you well enough in Corunna,’ she murmured, ‘but Adam Elliston was before you and you had such chivalrous ideas about not stealing his lover. Besides, then you were only a boy. Now I would like to try the man…’

  She reached up, brushing her lips against his. For a moment he did not move, but allowed her to kiss him. Her hands slid up and around his neck, but her touch awoke no answering spark in him. He placed his hands on her waist and gently but firmly detached himself.