The Marriage Contract

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  With a sigh, Stephen finished the rest of his meal.

  ***

  The next morning, Patricia got ready for the wedding. She wasn’t used to waking up early, but she’d done so for the past week. People could travel much farther in a day if they started their journey early in the morning, and yesterday and this morning, she’d gotten up early as well.

  It might have been manageable if she could get to sleep at an earlier hour. She was used to sleeping after midnight, and her body seemed to be stuck in that mode, especially since her child was most active in the evening.

  This morning, she was exhausted. Maybe after today, things could calm down. Maybe she could sneak a nap in. Maybe she could get to sleep in tomorrow.

  Sitting at the vanity, she put her face in her hands. Maybe she’d wake up and find that the past eleven years of her life had been a terrible nightmare.

  A knock came at her bedchamber door. “Are you ready?” Lewis asked from the other side.

  She lifted her face out of her hands and released her breath. “Yes, I’m ready.”

  Gathering what little strength she possessed, she rose to her feet and went to the door.

  Upon opening it, he offered her an encouraging smile. “I promise that things will go well for you here. Stephen might be a bit of a recluse, but underneath that mask, he cares very much for people.”

  “I saw the way he was with his sister and her children,” she replied.

  Also, she had seen the way he was around Lewis. He had only cut himself off from strangers. He hadn’t done that to those who were close to him. And she was a stranger. She wasn’t sure where that put her. She did know, however, that he would be polite.

  “It’s nice that he lets me be in the same room with him,” she said as Lewis escorted her down the hall.

  “No one is afraid of germs like my brother was,” he replied. “I still can’t figure out how you got with child. It must have taken all of his willpower to get the job done.” He held up his hand. “I’m not going to ask for details. That’s between you and him. I know he was worried he wouldn’t have an heir, but I didn’t think it was actually possible for him to do what needed to be done in order to get the child.”

  If Lewis knew just how strange the conception of this child had been, he might not believe it. She didn’t think anyone would believe it if she told them. The only two people who knew had been the butler and maid, and even they refused to discuss it because it was the most bizarre thing they had ever dealt with.

  She didn’t think Stephen would have her go through a similar ordeal in order to have his children. That was, if he expected children. She wasn’t sure what Stephen expected, except for what he had spelled out in the contract. So far, he hadn’t made it a point of talking to her unless Lewis or Loretta was around. When they were gone, he left her alone. Even so, it was much better than what she’d gone through with Lewis’ brother.

  Turning her attention back to Lewis, she said, “You might still inherit the title. It’s possible I’m carrying a girl.”

  “That’s true,” Lewis replied. “It would be nice if it was a boy. Not just for my sake, but for my brother’s as well.” After a moment, he continued, “It’s a shame you didn’t meet Stephen before his marriage to Eloise. He used to tell a lot of good jokes. I know his manner of dealing with people wasn’t for everyone. He had a tendency to annoy his brother and sister, but he was always a likable gentleman around me.”

  Whatever had transpired between Stephen and his sister in the past hadn’t affected them the other day. Patricia would have thought they’d always had a good relationship by the amiable atmosphere in the room.

  They reached the steps, and since she could hear someone talking downstairs, she decided not to tell Lewis her thoughts. Lewis, who also seemed conscious of the person, led her down the steps in silence.

  They arrived in the entryway, and the vicar was talking with Stephen. “It’s commendable that you’re marrying the widow to give her and her child a home. I know widows are discouraged from marrying, but I’ve never understood that reasoning, especially when the identity of the father is already known, as is the case here.”

  “I’ve never agreed with a lot of things the Ton deems appropriate,” Stephen replied.

  Noticing her and Lewis, the vicar turned to them, and that was when she noticed the book in the hand that was resting at his side.

  “Will there be anyone else at the wedding today?” the vicar asked them.

  “No,” Stephen replied. “We are all there is.”

  The vicar nodded. “Where would you like to do the ceremony?”

  “I thought we’d do it in the drawing room,” Stephen said. “That’s what everyone else does.”

  The vicar smiled. “It’s not a requirement that wedding ceremonies have to be in the drawing room. We can do it anywhere.”

  “Can you do it outside?” Lewis asked. When everyone looked at him, he added, “The weather’s pleasant, and I think the gazebo would be a nice spot.”

  Stephen’s gaze went to Patricia. “I’ll let you choose. It doesn’t matter to me where we are.”

  Well, since the matter was up to her, she said, “I’d like to marry at the gazebo.”

  Her last wedding had taken place inside. Granted, it hadn’t been in the drawing room. The priest had stood outside of Ichabod’s bedchamber while she stood in the hallway, but it’d been awkward. Going to the gazebo on a lovely day would make the ceremony feel a lot more normal.

  Stephen nodded. “The gazebo it is.”

  He led them outside and down the path that would take them to the gazebo. She hadn’t stepped outside yesterday, so she took a moment to take a good look at the manor. In the night, it had been an impressive sight, but it was much more so in the day when the sunlight was shining on it. The staff did an excellent job of taking care of it. It seemed that everything Stephen owned was immaculately preserved. And beautiful. Just like all of the rooms in his manor.

  The entire property was isolated. There wasn’t another manor in sight. Around most of the property were large trees, giving the impression that this was the only place that existed in the entire world. It was easy to forget London was only an hour away.

  Once they were in the gazebo, the vicar opened the book and began the ceremony. When it was time to promise that she would give her life to Stephen, she did so. The last time she’d spoken these vows, they hadn’t meant anything. All they’d done was lead her into a cold and impersonal marriage with Ichabod. She didn’t know if this marriage would be the same way or not. Were the vows she was speaking now going to end up just as meaningless?

  She hoped they wouldn’t be. It’d be nice if she could at least be Stephen’s friend. But she didn’t know if that was possible unless he was willing to let her in. The fact that he had even shown up in the same room she was in gave her hope that he might be open enough to having a cordial relationship with her. As long as she obeyed the terms of the contract, she stood a good chance of it. Then this place wouldn’t have the same heavy feeling of loneliness that Ichabod’s had.

  Once the ceremony was over, Lewis turned to congratulate them. “You two will be good for each other,” he told her and Stephen.

  She wasn’t sure what Lewis meant by that, but she supposed it didn’t matter because he turned to thank the vicar for coming out on such short notice.

  “Will you be staying for the wedding breakfast?” Stephen asked the vicar. “We have more than enough food.”

  The vicar glanced at them. “It wouldn’t be an imposition if I said yes?”

  Stephen smiled. “Of course not. I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t want you to stay. It’s just that you’re a vicar. You might have other obligations to tend to.”

  “No, I don’t have anything pressing to do today,” the vicar replied.

  “Good. Then join us,” Stephen encouraged.

  The vicar nodded, and Stephen took Patricia by the arm as the four left the gazebo.


  Startled, Patricia almost pulled her arm away from him. She wasn’t used to anyone but Lewis touching her. Those touches were like the kind a brother would give her. They didn’t make her feel the pleasant warmth that Stephen’s touch produced.

  She hadn’t experienced anything like it since Barnaby, and he had died from a horrible accident four years ago. As much as she tried to convince herself that the curse had nothing to do with his death, it was too much of a coincidence that he died so shortly after her mother did. Besides, what were the chances someone who’d been a chimney sweep since he was ten would get stuck in one of the chimneys and die there?

  It was hard to think of Barnaby. He’d only been eighteen when he died, and he’d just been promoted to a master sweep. Someone that young shouldn’t have died. But hadn’t the gypsy warned her and her mother that they would never be happy? And since Barnaby had made her happy, it had only been a matter of time before something happened to him.

  She pushed the memory aside. She wasn’t in London anymore. Nothing bad had happened to her since she’d left the city. As long as she lived here, she and her child would be safe. Relaxing, she turned her attention back to the conversation the gentlemen were having.

  Chapter Six

  Lewis left the next morning, saying he had to go back to the estate and set things in order. Patricia was tempted to ask him to stay. She feared that once he was gone, she wouldn’t have anyone to talk to.

  And she was right. Once Lewis left, Stephen excused himself and headed off to another room. Then she was stuck all by herself.

  She spent most of the day trying to read, but her mind kept drifting off to other things. Whether it was the baby kicking in her womb, the heavy silence that hung over the manor, or the terrible memories that kept vying for her attention, she couldn’t concentrate on the book in her hands.

  When it was time for dinner, she breathed a sigh of relief and went to the dining room. To her surprise, Stephen was there. She hadn’t expected to share meals with him now that Lewis was gone. But she was relieved. Even if they weren’t going to say much, it was nice to know she wouldn’t have to eat by herself.

  Once they began eating the meal, Stephen broke the silence. “I will send my sister and her family an invitation to a dinner party tomorrow. Have you given any thought to what day you’d like them to come?”

  Surprised he was leaving the decision up to her, she stopped eating the pheasant on her plate and thought over his question. “You don’t have a particular evening in mind?”

  “Time stands still here. After a while, I forget what day it is.” When her eyebrows furrowed, he added, “What I’m saying is that one day is as good as another. I’ll leave the choice up to you.”

  She poked around at the food on her plate. She needed to give Loretta enough notice so that her family would be ready to come out for a dinner party. Also, she didn’t want to ask them to come out too soon in case they picked up on her loneliness.

  After a moment, she asked, “Is a week from now all right?”

  He nodded. “Yes, that’s fine.”

  He turned his attention back to his meal, so she did the same. She thought he might introduce another topic at some point during the dinner, but he didn’t. She tried in vain to come up with something to add to the conversation, but it was pointless.

  When Lewis was here, everything was so easy. But then, he was a talker. One only had to sit back and listen.

  Stephen wasn’t as bad as Ichabod, though. She was glad she didn’t have to eat her meals alone. Obviously, if she thought of something to say, he would reply to it. He wasn’t going to ignore her. She just had to come up with a topic. That was all. If only this wasn’t so difficult. If only she could think of something that would spark a discussion.

  In the end, they finished their meal without another word exchanged between them, and she ended up going to her bedchamber, the same heavy silence still lingering in the air.

  After she slipped into bed, she stared at the ceiling, lightly rubbing her belly as the child moved in her womb. Soon, the child would be born. That was good. Because after the child was born, the horrible silence would be gone.

  When morning came, she took a long bath and let Marcy help her into a gown, making sure she picked something thick enough for the cooler weather. The last thing she wanted was to spend all day inside again. Today, she was going to go out, even if all she did was take a walk to the gazebo. She needed to feel connected to life. She was beginning to feel like a ghost wandering the halls, much as she’d felt when she was married to Ichabod.

  To her surprise, Stephen was waiting for her in the drawing room. “I thought we’d start the morning off together, if that’s all right?”

  She hid her relief the best she could. “Yes, it’s all right.”

  She had thought after how awkward things were last evening, he would prefer to be alone. But he gestured to the small table by one of the large windows in the room where an assortment of food waited for them. He waited until she was sitting before he sat across from her.

  The drapes were pulled back so she had a good view of the hill that sloped upward to the covered bridge that marked the entrance of his property. The trees hovering near the bridge had long since lost their leaves. It was a cloudy day, and the tree branches swayed in the breeze.

  A fire had been lit in the fireplace behind her, which made her feel warm. If she wasn’t so desperate for something to do, she might opt to stay inside. But regardless of the chill, she’d venture out there and take a long walk.

  “I sent my sister the invitation this morning,” Stephen told her, breaking the silence.

  She swallowed the eggs she’d been eating and turned her attention to him. He had initiated the conversation last night. Granted, it’d been a simple topic, but he had made the effort. She had thought he’d only done it because he had promised his sister a dinner party. Now, she suspected he did it because the silence bothered him as much as it bothered her. And, like her, he didn’t know how to get past it.

  She cleared her throat. “When do you think your sister will respond?” True, it wasn’t the most exciting response she could have offered him, but it was better than nothing.

  “Knowing Loretta, she’ll send a reply before the day is up.”

  “That soon?”

  The corner of his lip curled up. “Loretta loves being around family and friends. I’m sure she’d come to a dinner party tonight if the invitation called for it.”

  Really? Perhaps Patricia shouldn’t have waited for a full week to have her come back.

  He smoothed butter on his waffle. “The staff is at your disposal. You may go to town if you wish to pay her a visit. The coachman knows where she lives.”

  She didn’t hide her surprise. “You’d let me go to London?”

  His eyes met hers as if he hadn’t expected the question. “You’re not a prisoner here.”

  Her face warmed. “I never meant to imply that I felt like I was a prisoner. I don’t.”

  “My apologies. I didn’t intend to upset you. I know living here isn’t for everyone. I chose this place because no one wants to be here. There’s a certain…peace…in being removed from London.”

  That was an interesting way to put it. Yes, it was peaceful out here. The absence of people had that effect on a place. But it seemed to her that he wasn’t here because he wanted to be. He was here because he had to be. And if she had to guess, she bet it was because of the mask. Too many busybodies would whisper about it behind his back.

  She took another bite of her meal then ventured, “Do you ever go to London?” She figured the answer was no, but she couldn’t think of any other way to continue the conversation.

  “I have on a couple of occasions, but I don’t stay there for long.”

  Surprised, she asked, “Can I ask what you do when you’re there?”

  “I’ve only gone to visit family. Loretta and I didn’t always get along. It was my fault. I wasn’t the easiest person to
deal with in the past.” He cleared his throat. “Shortly after I came out here, I gathered up my courage and went to see her. She forgave me for my indiscretions, and we get along today because of it.”

  “That’s wonderful.”

  He cut into his waffle. “It is. Not many people are like her.”

  Sensing there was more, she prompted, “They aren’t?”

  “My brother won’t talk to me.” He shrugged. “I don’t wish to go into it. Suffice it to say, I deserve it.”

  She watched as he ate another bite of his waffle, thinking it was a shame things hadn’t worked out with his brother like it had with his sister. She might have a curse shadowing her life, but at least she had fond memories of her mother and Barnaby. There hadn’t been any unresolved issues with them.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

  “Don’t be. I told you I deserve it. I’m just glad Loretta comes by with her family from time to time. It helps ease the…”

  He let his voice drift off. Clearing his throat again, he focused on the meal in front of him.

  It helped to ease the loneliness. That was what he was going to say. He probably thought it would make him sound weak if he had finished the thought, so he had opted to let it hang in the air.

  Even so, she said, “I got lonely while I was married to Lewis’ brother. I was left to myself all of the time. There were a couple of servants who helped to break the monotony, but they were never friends.”

  “I heard Ichabod was afraid to leave his bedchamber. Lewis said he thought he’d get sick.”

  She nodded. “Lewis is right. Ichabod used to communicate with me through missives he slipped under the door to the butler. I know the butler brought him his meals, but I don’t think the butler ever entered his room. I think he left the tray outside the door.”

  Stephen looked as if he wanted to say something, but then, probably deciding against it, he turned his attention to the plate and continued eating the waffle in front of him.