The Reluctant Marchioness

by Anne Ashley

  ‘Yes, I think that would be for the best, Patrick.’ She placed a sisterly salute on his cheek. ‘Go now and pack, and arrange for one of the stable lads to take you to Bristol in my coach. I would appreciate a few moments alone with Mary.’

  Julian walked round from the stables to discover Jennifer sitting on one of the benches in the rose garden. She had chosen not to see her friends on their way, and he understood perfectly the reason why. Although he had raised no objections whatsoever when she had discussed her intention of parting with the property in Ireland, he had known full well that parting from her friends would cost her far more.

  ‘They’re now on their way to Bristol,’ he informed her softly, sitting down beside her.

  He longed to take her into his arms and offer some comfort, but refrained. During the past days their relationship had improved immeasurably. They now talked together quite without reserve, frequently laughing and joking. Physical contact, however, remained frustratingly lacking thus far. It would happen, though, given time; he felt certain of it. He would just need to be patient a while longer. Once she felt safe, once she began to trust him completely, realise that he didn’t wish her to remain merely to be a mother to their son, she would then dispense with those final barriers of reserve.

  ‘Both Mary and Patrick quite understood why you didn’t wish to see them off, and have promised to write as soon as they arrive back at the house. I don’t think either of them can believe their great good fortune. They will, of course, once I’ve arranged all the details with the lawyers.’

  ‘Yes, thank you, Julian, for taking care of the legal aspect. You have been wonderfully supportive over this.’ She paused to cast him a grateful smile. ‘You could have prevented my parting with the stud, I know.’

  Without thinking he reached for her hand, and was relieved when she made no attempt to remove it from his clasp. ‘I have my faults, I know, but I’m not an avaricious man, Jenny. I had no desire for a property in Ireland, and in truth I have never once considered it as mine. As far as I was concerned it was yours to do with as you wished.’

  Once again she betrayed her appreciation by a slight smile. ‘I believe I did the right thing. Neither of them belonged here. I never once looked upon either of them as a servant, and I had no intention of ever treating them as such. Being propertied people, they can now visit here as our guests, avoiding any awkwardness. Although Patrick’s leaving has brought about a further problem—namely, who is to look after Oriel.’

  The perfection of her brow was suddenly marred by a troubled frown. ‘Your grooms are all excellent fellows, Julian. Sadly, though, Oriel hasn’t betrayed a particular liking for any one of them, and I’m afraid he can be something of a handful if the mood takes him. Since he came here, I’ve only ever witnessed him betray a marked partiality for one stable-lad’s attentions, and unfortunately he works over at Wilburn Hall.’

  His lordship’s eyes narrowed fractionally. ‘I didn’t realise you had paid a visit to our neighbour, Jenny? I had gained the distinct impression that you were not particularly fond of her. When did you go to Wilburn Hall?’

  He could not fail to notice the faintly wary look, and guessed the truth at once. ‘Was it by any chance on the day of your accident?’ If possible her expression became more guarded. ‘Why didn’t you tell anyone?’ he demanded, feeling slightly annoyed. ‘When I taxed Mary on the subject shortly after my return from London, she assured me that you’d merely gone for a ride in the wood. Why did you lie, Jenny?’

  ‘It wasn’t a lie,’ she returned, faintly defensive. ‘I did go into the wood.’

  ‘I know that. You went to the cottage,’ he responded, drawing a look of surprise from her. ‘So, you went to Melissa’s house afterwards, I take it?’

  She nodded, looking a little shamefaced now. ‘I partook of a glass of wine, if you must know. But as Melissa had a glass too, it could hardly have been that.’ She shrugged. ‘I know Melissa doesn’t like me. I can only imagine that she blames me for her brother’s leaving. But is that reason enough to try to poison me? It’s ridiculous, Julian!’

  Although he was forced to agree, uncertainty remained. Nevertheless, he decided not to discuss the matter further, and changed the subject by announcing that it was high time they held a dinner-party.

  ‘You’ve been back at the Park for three months,’ he continued in response to her faintly surprised look, ‘and not once during that time have we entertained, at least not on any large scale.’

  Rising, he drew her to her feet, and was further gratified when she didn’t attempt to disengage her arm when he slipped it through his own, before heading back towards the house. ‘I wasn’t contemplating a grand affair, just an informal dinner with our neighbours. A table set for thirty or forty guests should suffice, I think.’

  ‘Thirty or forty…?’ Jennifer found herself gaping up at him. ‘Julian, you cannot be serious! I’ve never organised anything of that kind before. We never did any entertaining when we were first married,’ she didn’t hesitate to remind him. ‘Although I did arrange several dinner-parties for James O’Connell when I lived in Ireland, they were just for half a dozen or so of his friends.’

  ‘Then it is high time you learned, my girl!’ he announced, betraying, she considered, a sad lack of understanding and sympathy. ‘When we open the town house next spring, you’ll be entertaining as many as five hundred at the ball I intend to hold.’

  After escorting her as far as the door, Julian returned to the stables, and ordered his horse saddled. Although he might have succeeded in giving Jennifer something to think about which, with any luck, would stop her brooding over the loss of her friends quite so much, the prospect of playing host to their neighbours would not clear his mind of the niggling suspicions which had begun to plague him. He decided to pay a visit, therefore, to Wilburn Hall.

  Although Melissa had been a fairly regular visitor to the Park, Julian had never made a habit of paying frequent visits to the attractive widow, even though they had known each other since childhood. Consequently Melissa betrayed no little surprise when his name was announced and he walked into the parlour.

  ‘Why, this is an unexpected pleasure, Julian!’ Setting her sewing aside, she rose to her feet, holding out both hands in welcome, which he captured and then held momentarily in his own. ‘Is this just a social call, or had you a specific reason for coming here?’

  Had there been just a touch of wariness in her voice, or was he allowing doubts and faint suspicions to make him fanciful? ‘I’m here on both counts,’ he disclosed, making himself comfortable in one of the chairs, while at the same time watching her closely as she went over to the decanters to pour wine. There seemed nothing in the least sinister in her actions, he was forced to concede.

  After a moment’s hesitation he sampled the contents of the glass she had handed to him. Apart from its inferior quality, it tasted quite innocuous. Perhaps Jennifer was right, he mused, and it was foolish to suppose that Melissa had tried to poison her. Jennifer, however, was in no way fanciful, he reminded himself, and if she suspected that Melissa genuinely didn’t like her, then in all probability it was true.

  ‘We are holding a dinner-party at the end of the week, and hope that you’ll number amongst the guests,’ he remarked, once she had resumed her seat.

  ‘I’d be delighted, Julian,’ she responded, before making a great play of rearranging her skirts. ‘Jennifer, I assume, has fully recovered from her accident? I did call as soon as I heard the terrible news, but was informed that she was too ill to receive visitors, and yet when I bumped into Dr Arnold the following day, he assured me that she had fully recovered.’

  ‘The servants were acting on my strict instructions, Melissa. I was forced to go to London on urgent business, and didn’t wish Jennifer to over-tire herself whilst I was away. She had had a nasty fall and needed to rest.’

  ‘Well, I cannot say I’m surprised, Julian!’ she returned, betraying, he felt, a sad want of sympathy. ‘T
hat black hunter of hers looks an unruly brute.’

  ‘Ah, yes, a timely reminder!’ He regarded her over the rim of his glass. ‘She paid you a visit that day, did she not?’

  A moment’s silence, then, ‘Why, yes! Yes, she did.’

  ‘Did she, perhaps, complain of feeling unwell?’

  She appeared to take a moment to consider the matter. ‘She seemed fine, as far as I can recall, although I vaguely remember that she was in something of a hurry to get home before the storm. Why do you ask?’

  ‘It was just that Dr Arnold seemed rather puzzled over certain aspects of her condition.’

  Her laughter sounded faintly strained. ‘Great heavens! I think it’s high time he retired, poor man. She merely took a tumble from her horse, surely?’

  ‘Perhaps,’ he conceded, wondering why he had never noticed before that her smile was singularly lacking in warmth. ‘And it was concern over her horse which has also brought me here today. I understand you have a young lad working in your stables.’

  She looked nonplussed for a moment. ‘Oh, you must be referring to my head groom’s young relation. Yes, I do believe he comes here from time to time to help out.’

  ‘So he is not, in fact, in your employ?’

  ‘Oh, no, I do not pay him a penny piece. I keep very few animals, Julian, as you know. I have no need for a large staff.’

  ‘In that case, Melissa, I have learned all that I came here to discover.’ He had the satisfaction of glimpsing a look of unease in her eyes before he finished off the contents of his glass and rose to his feet. ‘Therefore I shall take up no more of your time, and will wander round to the stables to have a word with your groom.’

  He discovered his quarry busily engaged in cleaning out one of the stalls. The groom was happy to pause in his task, though he appeared faintly surprised by his lordship’s enquiry.

  ‘That’d be my nephew, my sister Meg’s boy, Jemmy, m’lord. He’s about somewhere.’

  ‘Do you suppose your sister would be willing for him to come to work for me?’

  ‘I’m certain sure she would, m’lord.’

  ‘I understand he took care of Lady Wroxam’s mount when she paid a visit here not so long ago. Her ladyship seems to suppose that her horse took a liking to your nephew.’

  ‘Wouldn’t surprise me none, my lord. He’s only twelve, or thereabouts, but he’s good with beasts, so ’ee is… Ah! Here he is now.’

  Julian turned as the boy came into the stable, and couldn’t prevent a slight smile as he studied the young snub-nosed face, with its liberal covering of freckles, and the mop of bright red hair.

  ‘Ah, yes,’ he murmured, ‘one begins to appreciate the attraction.’

  Chapter Fourteen

  Jennifer couldn’t help experiencing a deal of satisfaction, and—yes—pride too in herself for the splendid way her first dinner-party was progressing. At least, she amended silently, it was her first dinner-party where her skills as a hostess were undoubtedly being assessed by ladies far more experienced than she was herself at organising such events. Strangely enough, though, she didn’t care a whit. She was determined, after all the planning and hard work, to enjoy herself, secure in the knowledge that all her care over choice of menu had been worthwhile, for she had been complimented on the excellence of her table by most everyone present.

  ‘You cannot afford to sit back on your laurels quite yet, madam wife,’ the teasing voice of her husband whispered in her ear. ‘A good hostess does not skulk away in corners, guzzling champagne. She circulates, spending a little time with each of her guests, ensuring that the shyest amongst them is not left to her own devices.’

  Much to his lordship’s amusement he discovered that a pair of lovely green eyes, more often than not glinting with teasing laughter these days, were still quite capable of darting a dagger-look.

  ‘It’s a little late to be offering crumbs of advice now, my lord!’ she hissed. ‘You gave me four days, just four days to organise this affair,’ she reminded him, aggrieved. ‘And not once, not once when I approached you for a little guidance, did you put yourself to the trouble of instructing me on the finer points, not even over what we should serve our guests at dinner. I was obliged to spend the whole of one afternoon poring over menus with Cook.’

  ‘And time well spent it was, too,’ he announced, not above adding insult to injury. ‘The dinner was excellent. Everyone thought so.’

  The praise, though gratifying, in no way lessened her feelings of ill-usage. ‘And then on the evening of the event you compound your shortcomings by lingering over the port and brandy, leaving me to entertain the ladies!’

  White teeth flashed in a smile of pure provocation. ‘And you’ll be glad I did, my beautiful scold, when you hear what I have to tell you.’

  Although quite unable to prevent the sudden rush of colour to her cheeks at the unexpected endearment, she managed to retain at least sufficient control over her voice to demand sharply, ‘Well, what have you discovered?’

  ‘Just that dear Theo has instructed his man of business to approach Colonel Halstead with a formal offer for his fine property which, I might add, the Colonel has accepted. So it very much appears as if we shall be having new neighbours in the not-too-distant future.’

  Pique was instantly forgotten. ‘Oh, Julian! You don’t possibly suppose that dear Theo might be contemplating matrimony to a certain lady of our acquaintance, do you?’

  ‘I haven’t the slightest idea,’ he responded, resorting to that annoyingly superior tone she knew of old. ‘In my experience conjecture is frequently inaccurate, and more often than not quite fruitless. Consequently I do not indulge in the practice. Furthermore, I make a point of not interfering in other people’s personal concerns. If Theo wishes us to know his intentions where the delightful Miss Carstairs is concerned, he will apprise us in his own good time.’

  ‘Well, upon my word!’ The look she cast up at him managed to convey both astonishment and reproach. ‘Who was it, may I ask, who induced Theo to pay a visit to Hampshire?’

  He glanced down at her in surprise, the very picture of innocence. ‘Merely a suggestion, my little love. I thought a further period in the country might benefit his health.’

  It required great restraint, but she managed not to stamp her foot. ‘Oh, I should know better than to bandy words with you!’ she retorted, exasperation finally getting the better of her. ‘My time would be better spent in organising some dancing for our younger guests, because it is quite obvious that you would never put yourself to the trouble of doing so.’

  His shoulders shaking with silent laughter, he watched her glide across the salon, recalling quite vividly that, apart from the gorgeous hair, the first thing he had noticed were those striking eyes, shyly gazing up at him as he had sat astride his mount. Then he had been struck by the fluid way she had moved, as light on her feet as a professional dancer, graceful and sensuous.

  ‘Her ladyship looks particularly lovely tonight, Julian,’ a familiar voice unexpectedly remarked. ‘Perhaps that is why you seem unable to keep your eyes off her. But allow me to remind you that it is unfashionable for a man of your rank to pay quite so much attention to his wife.’

  Reluctantly he withdrew his gaze from the object of his admiration in time to catch a hard, calculating glint in the dark eyes of the woman now at his side.

  He had noticed that same hostile gaze once before during the evening, when she had been glancing down the table at Dr Arnold. Melissa, he knew, had no very good opinion of doctors, always preferring to quack herself. Perhaps if she had called upon the services of a practitioner when her husband had first become ill, he might have recovered from the gastric complaint which had struck him quite without warning, sending him to his grave within a matter of days.

  Since his visit to her house earlier in the week, Julian had been granted ample time to ponder long and hard over his relationship with his nearest neighbour, and had come to the conclusion that, although they had known each o
ther for very many years, and he had always found her company both stimulating and enjoyable, he had never really looked upon her as a close friend.

  None the less, he couldn’t deny that, at one time, he had held her in high esteem for the way she had appeared to deal with life’s cruel blows. Who would not feel a deal of sympathy towards a young woman who, denied the opportunity of forming an attachment with some eligible young gentleman, had felt obliged to marry a man old enough to be her own father in order to save the family home. Yet, during the past days, Julian had been forced to revise his opinion, and had begun to look upon past events in quite a different light.

  Melissa, as far as he could recall, had never betrayed the least reluctance in marrying the rich nabob. Nevertheless, she had displayed no real sorrow at his sudden demise, either. Nor had she shown any degree of sadness when her young brother had found it necessary to remove himself from the family home after his disastrous liaison with his aristocratic neighbour’s pretty young wife. In fact, Melissa had seemed blissfully content to reside at Wilburn Hall with only a handful of servants to bear her company. Which had led Julian to conclude that her dislike of Jennifer did not stem from the fact that she held her to blame for Geoffrey’s departure.

  One fact had, however, occurred to him during the past days, and one which now was causing him no little concern—on the two occasions Jennifer had met with some misfortune, Melissa had never been too far away. Coincidence, or something more sinister?

  ‘Your appreciation is quite understandable, Julian,’ she remarked, successfully drawing him out of his uncomfortable reflections. ‘Yes, she does look particularly dazzling this evening. And those pearls! How very generous you are!’

  He chose not to divulge that he had not purchased the fine necklace and matching earrings; nor that they didn’t belong amongst the family jewels. He was mildly interested himself to know from where they had come, and was certain that if he chose to enquire he would undoubtedly have his curiosity satisfied.