The Marriage Contract

by Ruth Ann Nordin

Since Patricia had never met Brad, she would have to take her word for it. She took a sip of the tea.

  “Is there anything you’d like to know about Stephen?” Loretta asked. “I imagine that marrying someone you don’t know can’t be easy.”

  “Uh, well…” Patricia tried to think of something she could ask Loretta, but her mind drew a blank. There was so much she didn’t know about him that it was hard to even think of something to ask about.

  “Uncle Stephen didn’t kill his first wife,” Rosamond spoke up.

  Patricia’s eyes grew wide. “What?” Yes, Lewis had already told her about the rumors, but she hadn’t expected a child to be aware of them.

  Loretta shushed her daughter. “I told you not to bring that up.” She gave Patricia an apologetic look. “There’s no truth to the story. While it’s true Stephen’s first marriage wasn’t a good one, I know him, and he would never physically harm anyone. Eloise died because she fell down the stairs. The butler saw her fall. She tripped on the hem of her gown. Stephen was nowhere near her. He was in the den when it happened. The detective concluded Stephen was innocent within one day of investigating the case.”

  “If the situation was so easily resolved, then why did it require a detective?”

  “Eloise’s lover paid for the detective.” Loretta glanced at the children and cleared her throat. “She was awful to Stephen. I’ve known her for years, and even I didn’t think she could get as dark as she turned out to be. The only good thing that came from their marriage was that my brother became a better person. I think suffering has a way of maturing people.”

  Patricia couldn’t argue that with statement. She felt as if she’d aged a hundred years in the time following her mother’s death.

  “Now, don’t concern yourself with gossip,” Loretta said. “Focus on the facts.”

  Patricia nodded and took another sip from her cup.

  “Uncle Stephen!” Rosamond called out as she ran over to the doorway.

  Patricia turned as Janus followed after Rosamond. Being younger, he couldn’t keep up with her, but that didn’t stop him from trying. As before, Stephen had on his mask. Since the children weren’t afraid of it, Patricia guessed that he wore it around everyone. Which made her wonder… Just how disfigured was he?

  The two reached Stephen, and Patricia noticed that he had both hands behind his back.

  Rosamond reached up to him. “Where’s my present?”

  “I’ll show you after you tell me who your favorite uncle is,” he said in a playful tone.

  “You can’t do that to her, Stephen,” Loretta warned. “She has two uncles, and she shouldn’t be made to choose between them.”

  Ignoring her, Rosamond told him, “You are!”

  Loretta groaned.

  “If Brad isn’t here, then what’s the harm?” Stephen asked her as he gave Rosamond a skipping rope and Janus a spinning toy. “Besides, does Brad give them gifts?”

  “You already know the answer to that,” Loretta replied.

  “He doesn’t. He’s still as miserly as ever,” Stephen said.

  “Not miserly. He’s just careful with how he spends his money. And yes, he does give them gifts. He doesn’t do it every time they see him, but he has given them things.”

  “Do they enjoy his gifts as much as they enjoy mine?”

  Loretta sighed in exasperation. “You can’t compare yourself to him, Stephen. Both of you are good uncles.” She glanced over at Patricia and straightened up. “I came over for a pleasant visit.”

  “Which is why I wanted to give my niece and nephews some gifts.” He went over to her and handed her a rattle. “This is for the spare.”

  Patricia frowned.

  Loretta’s gaze went to her. “He’s referring to the expression, ‘an heir and a spare’. Janus, being the oldest boy, is due to inherit my husband’s title. Edmund is second in line.”

  “I’d never heard it expressed that way,” Patricia said.

  Stephen sat in a chair, and Rosamond and Janus climbed up on his lap. “Despite how things might seem, I don’t hold any ill will toward my older brother,” he told Patricia. Turning his gaze to Loretta, he added, “I was only joking about the favorite uncle thing. I realize your children love us both equally.”

  Loretta’s expression softened. “Brad won’t stay mad at you forever.”

  Stephen glanced at Patricia then told Loretta, “Perhaps this is a discussion we should save for another time. I thought you wanted to get acquainted with my future wife.”

  “Yes, I do. Lewis came by and said she’s a sweet lady. My husband is interested in meeting her, too, but he had a meeting with a couple of gentlemen. They are looking into a business venture.”

  “Tad’s investing now?”

  “Yes. Brad’s teaching him everything he knows.”

  Patricia caught the frown on Stephen’s face and wondered what it meant.

  But before she could give much thought to it, Loretta turned her gaze to her. “Would you be willing to attend a dinner party?” She looked back at Stephen. “It’ll just be you, me, Patricia, and Tad. If you want, Lewis can come. If he doesn’t have a lady to escort, I can find someone.”

  “Isn’t it a little soon to be making plans for a dinner party?” Stephen asked.

  “I don’t think so. This would be a good chance to welcome Patricia into the family. We’ll get to know her, and she’ll get to know us.”

  “You know I don’t like going to London.”

  “If it would make you feel more at ease, we could have the dinner party here.”

  “I don’t know.” After a moment, he turned his attention to Patricia. “Do you want to have a dinner party?”

  Surprised she had any say in the matter, Patricia said, “It would be nice.”

  Especially after the years she’d spent surrounded by a silent staff and a practically non-existent husband. Also, having spent the last few hours all by herself, it was comforting to have Loretta and her children here. Patricia hadn’t had any genuine contact with anyone besides Lewis for such a long time.

  Stephen’s gaze went to his niece and nephew, who were busy studying the toys he’d just given them. They were leaning into him, a sign they loved and trusted him.

  A smile tugged at Patricia’s lips. It was a heartwarming sight. Stephen would be good to her child. If anything did happen to her, her child would have a safe place to live. Lewis had been right to insist she come here to marry Stephen. Now, she had one less thing to worry about.

  “Wonderful,” Loretta said as she rose to her feet. “Let me know when you and Patricia are ready to have a dinner party.”

  Unaware Stephen and Loretta had been talking, Patricia stood up.

  Loretta came over to her and gave her a hug. “I’m looking forward to getting to know you.” She turned to Rosamond and Janus, who were now out of Stephen’s lap. Stephen rose to his feet as Loretta went to him. “We need to return home so Edmund can take a nap.”

  Rosamond frowned. “But I like being with Uncle Stephen.”

  “You can come to the dinner party,” Stephen assured her. “I’ll have another gift for you then.”

  “You’re going to spoil them if you’re not careful,” Loretta said.

  “What’s the point of having a niece and two nephews if I can’t spoil them?” Stephen asked. Then, before she could answer, he gestured to Edmund. “Can I say goodbye to him before you leave?”

  She let him hold Edmund, and Patricia watched as he whispered something in the baby’s ear. She wished she knew what he said because the baby gurgled in response as if he understood what his uncle was saying.

  Loretta smiled. “You are good with children. It’s to your benefit Patricia will be giving you a son or daughter soon. You could use something to brighten things around here.”

  He didn’t respond to her comment. He only gave Edmund back to her then hugged Rosamond and Janus.

  “You will make arrangements for a dinner party, won’t you?” Loret
ta asked him.

  “I just said I would,” Stephen replied. “Besides, Patricia said she wanted to have one. Why would I disappoint her? God knows she’s not getting much from this marriage.”

  Patricia’s eyebrows furrowed. It was strange that he should say that, wasn’t it? Couldn’t he tell she was getting a home for her unborn child through this union? He was the one who wasn’t getting anything.

  Once Loretta and her children left, Stephen turned to her. “I suspect Lewis told my sister about the impending marriage before he started looking for a vicar to marry us. It’s not unlike him to do things out of order, but knowing him, he’ll come back and tell us when we’ll get married. He can be disorganized, but he’s true to his word.”

  She nodded and smiled at him. “Yes, he is true to his word.”

  A moment of awkward silence passed between them before he said, “I’ll leave you to do whatever you wish.”

  Then he walked out of the drawing room, and once more, she was alone.

  Chapter Five

  “I don’t understand why people get so uptight about the tiniest things,” Lewis was saying that evening at dinner. “Lady Cadwalader practically had a fit over the color gown her daughter was wearing at Sir Blakemoor’s ball. Who cares if Lady Cadwalader doesn’t like the color purple? That doesn’t mean her daughter shouldn’t wear it.”

  Stephen had hoped that, by now, Lewis would tell him and Patricia when they would be married, but Lewis had spent the past half hour discussing the rumors he’d heard while in London that day. And none of them mattered. As loath as Stephen was to admit it, Brad had been right when he said gossip wasn’t all that interesting.

  While Lewis was taking a drink of his sherry, Stephen asked, “Did you get a chance to speak with any vicars?”

  Lewis nodded and put the glass down. “Yes. Thank you for reminding me.”

  Stephen stared at his friend in shock. Had Lewis really forgotten the whole reason he’d gone into town to begin with, or was he joking? He glanced at Patricia whose eyes widened in surprise. At least Stephen knew he wasn’t the only one who’d been caught off guard by Lewis’ statement. He cut into his steak and waited for Lewis to answer.

  “I saw five vicars before one agreed to do the wedding,” Lewis said.

  “Agreed?” Stephen asked. Did that mean the others had been reluctant to come out here because of the fact that Eloise’s last lover, Lord Burt, had hired a detective in hopes of pinning her death on Stephen?

  Lewis offered an apologetic smile. “A lot of people have some suspicions, even after all this time.”

  Stephen sighed. “Of course, they do.” Lord Burt had done a good job of spreading the rumor that had no basis in fact. Noting that Patricia seemed curious about the turn of the conversation, he asked Lewis, “What about this vicar who agreed to marry us?”

  “He’s a likable fellow,” Lewis replied. “He’s a bit younger than the other ones. I’d be surprised to find out he’s older than twenty-five.”

  “I meant, when did he say he’d come here to perform the wedding?”

  “Oh. Right.” Lewis cut into his steak. “He said the earliest he can come is tomorrow morning.”

  Thankfully, Stephen hadn’t been eating or drinking anything when Lewis said that because he gasped. “Tomorrow morning? That soon?”

  Lewis swallowed the piece of steak he’d been eating. “He’s new. No one is using him yet. Well, not as much as he’d like. He presides over a small church.” He glanced at Patricia. “When you’re just starting out, it’s hard to find people who trust you to do a good job.”

  “All he has to do is read vows,” Stephen said.

  “Yes, but he has no reputation in London. You know how important reputations are to everyone, especially when it comes to gentlemen who represent God.”

  “But what about a marriage license? Did you have time to get one?”

  “I did that after I told the vicar how to come to this place.”

  Stephen couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “But what if you couldn’t get a special license that quickly?”

  Lewis considered the question and then shrugged. “The thought never occurred to me.”

  He closed his eyes for a moment. He liked Lewis. Really, he did. Lewis was the one steadfast friend he had in this entire world. But sometimes Lewis could drive him mad. Granted, he wasn’t the most organized person in the world, but he’d never been as absentminded as Lewis.

  “The important thing is that Lewis got everything done,” Patricia spoke up.

  “That’s what I figure,” Lewis replied. “As long as I did all that I needed to, the day was a success.”

  That was true. Stephen took a sip of his drink. At least Lewis didn’t have to make the vicar come out on a different day. “It was a success when you look at it that way.”

  “It’s not difficult to get a special license,” Lewis said. “Which reminds me. While I was obtaining the license, I heard the most fascinating piece of gossip. It seems that Miss Tumilson is to be married. She’s thirty-five. She’s well past her prime. I didn’t think she’d ever get married, but it turns out the Duke of Jowett has taken a liking to her.” He looked at Stephen. “Do you remember Miss Tumilson?”

  “Should I?” Stephen asked.

  “Maybe not. She hasn’t done anything noteworthy. I only asked if you know her because she’s friends with Lady Farewell, and Lady Farewell is friends with your sister-in-law.” He glanced at Patricia. “That’s Ava. Ava’s married to Stephen’s brother.”

  Patricia chuckled. “I gathered that she was married to Stephen’s brother when you said she was his sister-in-law.”

  Lewis’ face grew pink. “Oh yes. I suppose that would make it obvious. Well, you know me. I tend to ramble.”

  “I don’t mind it,” she assured him. “You have a good heart. That’s what matters.”

  She was right. Lewis did have a good heart. “You are a good friend,” Stephen told Lewis. “So what if you repeat yourself from time to time? I’ve done worse.” He cleared his throat. “What time tomorrow should we be ready for the vicar?”

  “Seven. He said he’d be here at seven,” Lewis replied.

  Stephen would have to notify the cook that he would be preparing a wedding breakfast. “Am I right to assume that it’ll only be the vicar, you, me, and Patricia tomorrow?”

  “Did you want me to invite other people to the ceremony?”

  “No. I just want to make sure I give Cook the right number of people to plan for.”

  “Do you intend to include the vicar on the guest list?”

  Stephen shrugged. “I see no reason not to. If he is presiding over a small parish, he doesn’t have a lot of money. I think it’s only fitting to send him away with a full stomach.”

  “That’s nice of you.”

  At first, Stephen thought Lewis made the comment, and that would have been strange considering the fact that Lewis was a gentleman. He could only recall ladies mentioning how nice someone was to do something. His gaze went to Patricia.

  She blushed and looked down at her plate. She probably assumed she had spoken out of turn. But she hadn’t. This was going to be her home, and that being the case, she had a right to speak her mind.

  “Thank you,” Stephen told her.

  She seemed surprised that he chose to acknowledge her comment, but before he could dwell on that, Lewis said, “I heard the Duke of Rumsey actually paid his son-in-law, Lord Edon, a compliment the other day. Mr. Robinson had to catch Lord Edon before he fainted in shock.”

  Patricia chuckled. “Surely, the gentleman didn’t faint.”

  “In all fairness, I don’t know if he did or not,” Lewis replied. “It’s just something I overheard while I was in town today.”

  “Are you one of the secret writers for the Tittletattle?” Stephen asked his friend.

  Lewis’ eyes grew wide. “What makes you think that?”

  “Sometimes I think you know more about what’s going on in Lo
ndon than anyone else,” Stephen replied.

  “What’s the Tittletattle?” Patricia asked.

  “It’s a gossip paper,” Stephen said. “Most of the stories aren’t true.”

  “How do you know they aren’t true?” Lewis asked.

  “Because I tracked one of the writers down a few years ago and told him a story I made up about my brother. The next thing I know, it’s in the Tittletattle. So, as you can see, you can’t trust that paper.”

  Lewis seemed to think over the argument for a moment. “I’m sure some of the stories in it are true.”

  “Some might be, but some aren’t.”

  “Well, the person you talked to must not do a good job of checking facts.”

  Stephen nodded his consent. Then he turned his attention back to the meal in front of him as Lewis continued rambling. Unfortunately, the three stories the scandal sheets had posted about him and Eloise were true. They had berated each other in public. She had made him look hideous. And she had taken multiple lovers. There hadn’t been a single embellishment in those. Not that there had to be. His marriage to her had been a horrific experience.

  He could only hope things wouldn’t repeat themselves with Patricia. He was no longer the same person he used to be. By what Lewis had told him, Patricia wasn’t anything like Eloise. So maybe, God willing, things would be different this time. It’d be nice to be able to sit through an evening meal alone with Patricia without getting into an argument.

  He had taken part in some of the screaming and sarcastic remarks, but he’d drawn the line at throwing things. Throwing things had never been his style. It had, apparently, been Eloise’s way of working through her anger. It was why he had to wear the mask that forced him into seclusion.

  “Stephen,” Lewis spoke up.

  Stephen glanced at him.

  “Is that mask uncomfortable?” Lewis asked. “We won’t mind if you step out of the room to readjust it.”

  Unaware he was touching the mask, Stephen lowered his hand. “No, the mask is fine. It’s very comfortable.” It was a lot more comfortable than his own face. Sometimes, he forgot he was even wearing it.

  “Oh, all right.” Lewis turned back to Patricia. “As I was saying, I’ll bring out a couple copies of the Tittletattle so you can see what it is.”