by Abby Ayles
He seemed to think this over for a few minutes.
“And now?” Gilchrist said softly, looking her over as he absentmindedly fiddled with the bed cover.
“Now,” Lady Gilchrist seemed to think it over as if it was the first time the thought had come to her, though she had contemplated it plenty in the last few weeks. “Now, I just want to take things one day at a time, I guess.”
He seemed satisfied with her answer. Lady Gilchrist was sure it was not the one he probably wanted to hear but it was honest, and she supposed that was enough for him.
“Well, I best make my bed. It’s getting late, and we will have an early start.”
Gilchrist stood and moved to the head of the bed to remove a pillow. She watched him work, still unsure of what to say. As he made his way back across her and towards the hearth, she stopped him.
“Lord Gilchrist, it seems a silly thing for you to sleep on the hard floor. The bed is certainly big enough for the two of us. I would not be offended at all if you laid next to me in it.”
She blushed furiously as she spoke the words. Though she hoped that her message was clear that she wanted nothing more than sleep, Lady Gilchrist still couldn’t believe she was inviting a man to her bed. It mattered little that the man was her husband.
“If you're sure,” Gilchrist said with a slight hesitation.
He certainly wasn’t looking forward to a night on the floor. He had slept on much harsher and colder ground in his time in the service, but that still didn’t make the prospect of a makeshift bed on the hard wooden planks any more appetizing.
“Yes, of course,” Lady Gilchrist encouraged.
She stood and made her way to the opposite side of the bed. She slipped out of her shawl and into the sheets as fast as she could manage. Gilchrist made his way back over to his side of the bed and gently set the pillow back in place.
* * *
“Perhaps, then, if you didn’t mind terribly since we will be sharing sleeping arrangements, you would call me Colton and allow me to call you Abigail,” he asked as he slipped out of his coat and threw it across a chair next to the bed.
“Alright,” Abigail said softly.
She hesitated for a moment in watching him as his hands went to the knot at his neck. The light was dim with darkness outside, the fire burning, and a simple candle on either side of the bed.
Abigail's eyes lingered on the long fingers as they worked out the knot before they raised to meet his. Seeing Colton’s eyes watching her with an inquisitive expression made her blush all over again.
She turned away and blew out the candle on her side. Snuggling down into the plush mattress, Abigail turned away from her husband to give him privacy in his undressing.
She felt the movement of the bed as he slipped into the covers next to her. He lay there for just a moment before rising and blowing out his own candle. In silence, they kept to their own sides of the bed as the sound of the fire helped them find sleep.
The following morning they were up early. In fact, it was before either the sun or the rest of the house had risen. Of course, the staff was awake and already milling about their duties. Abigail was grateful for this fact so that her lady’s maid could help her dress and get ready for the long trip. She was satisfied in knowing at least for this long carriage ride she could prepare for it.
It wasn’t as extended a trip as to London, only lasting the one day, but she still had a sour taste in her mouth from her last long trip. Today she was in a comfortable brown traveling dress and had her hair set in a relaxed braid at her side.
They climbed into the cabin of the vehicle, and Abigail prepared for a long journey with her husband at her side. Every moment now seemed so much more pregnant between the two of them since their union, and Abigail was struggling to find once again that comfort they once had with the other.
For the majority of their journey, they studied the countryside in silence. As they drew closer to Colton’s estates, he began to point out various things he remembered from his time spent here in his youth.
“Are we very near the coast then?” Abigail asked as she found their carriage riding along a road mirrored by water.
"Yes, we have been traveling southwest I suppose,” Colton told her for bearing purposes. “We are just below the Lake District. This is Morecambe Bay here. We will go along it for the remainder of the trip. Cumberton Park is just south of it. Liverpool is only about a day’s ride south of us,” he added as an afterthought.
“Liverpool?” Abigail queried.
“Yes, it is a rather large port city,” he replied.
"I am familiar with it. I just wasn’t sure why you used it in your mapping of the area.”
“Well," he responded awkwardly, rubbing his chin. “I hoped you would know it and have an idea of the place for one. Also, I suppose because it is where I plan to procure passage to America.”
Abigail said no more on the matter, but couldn’t help the abstruse knot that sunk into the pit of her stomach. So it was true then. Colton was still determined to make the journey and quite possibly very soon if he planned to go before summer’s end.
She looked out her window, seeing nothing but the strange land that she would now have to call home, and likely do so all alone.
Chapter 32
They arrived at their new home just as dusk was settling in the warm summer air. Abigail had to admit the place was breathtaking. It seemed much older than her own home at Wintercrest. The massive structure was made up of large stones intricately placed together and decorated with impressive stone angels on every corner. In fact, it seemed impossible in her mind that such a large and magnificent place could have been made by man.
The whole estate was one long majestic-looking castle. It was raised slightly higher, causing the horses to strain to make the last leg of their trip. Abigail wondered if perhaps a moat once surrounded the four-turret structure.
Finally, the carriage leveled out after a few switchbacks taking the ride up the steep incline. She was sure that the household had watched them take the long back and forth path up to the main gate, as they were all standing on the other side.
“So many,” Abigail said more to herself.
Colton had made it seem that the place would be barely suitable for living. From the look of the gardens on the outside and the large staff, Abigail would guess they had the house fully functional.
“Well, it is ancient. With that means a lot of people needed to keep it up and running. Perhaps that is why my father chose to stay in London. He preferred not to deal with all the work of it.”
“I am just surprised that you found the people necessary. I feel as if I’ve seen nothing but countryside for the last several hours.”
“Yes, that is true. To the north of us is mostly just open land. There is a village not far to the east, however. Maybe two miles at the most. This area is not very conducive to farming, so there were plenty of people in need of employment.”
“What employment can people seek here, if you don’t mind me asking?”
He smiled softly at Abigail. In truth he was happy to see the light of interest in her eyes. He partly feared she would take one look at this rocky marshland and beg to be returned home.
“A great many live in small fishing villages along the bay. I would say that is the predominant occupation. For some time there were tenant farms here, but they rarely produced enough for their own needs. My grandfather decided to combine the plots and give them to sheep herds instead.”
“And what happened to the families that lived on the land?” Abigail asked with concern.
She thought of the tenant farmers she had known well back home. What would happen if their livelihood was removed from them?
“My grandfather wasn’t the kindest of men, and he left many to return to the local village where they again took their place as fishermen. Sadly, I can’t say my father changed much. There were some hired on to tend to the sheep and deal with the preparation and transport
ation of the wool down south.”
“But your father was so kind and had such a happy disposition. I can’t imagine he would treat others so cruelly.”
Colton shrugged.
“I don’t think he found it cruel, in his mind it was just good business. Wool is much more profitable than tenant farmers. That helped him, all of my family, keep the lifestyle we were accustomed to. I knew he would also pay anyone’s voyage to Virginia if they wanted to go. In return, they worked my father’s land for an allotted amount of years.”
Colton could tell by Abigail’s furrowed brows she was not happy with this story. It had never sat well with him either, to be honest, and became increasingly more the case as he joined the Regulars and saw first-hand how much those below his station had to struggle just to survive.
In a way, his return to Cumberton Park was more to help the surrounding community than anything else. He really didn’t need to return to the country; he could have left Abigail in London and taken a ship straight from Liverpool.
He felt in this small way he might have helped ease the economical struggles of some of the people of the land. It most definitely took a small army of his own to keep the estate house up and running. Even after he left for his New World adventure, he planned to keep the house fully staffed.
Finally the carriage stopped before the front of the house and all the staff stood a little taller expecting their new lord’s appearance. Colton exited first and then turned to help Abigail down. They both felt stiff after the long ride.
When Colton turned to greet the staff, shocked expressions overcame them. He was sure that they had all been warned by Mr. Johnson, the head butler, of his appearance. The warning must have not done justice to the deformed figure before them.
He bowed his head, letting the brim of his hat cover as much as possible. Mr. Johnson, however, did his best to show no emotion at all and merely stepped forward to introduce the earl and countess to the vital members of staff.
Abigail was happy to place eyes on her new lady’s maid, a girl who seemed the same age as herself named Mildred. Abigail could see a long list of questions unraveling in the girl's mind as she looked between the scarred face of the earl and Abigail.
They found the house to be not only prepared but adequately warmed and inviting. They were given a quick tour around the main floor, as neither had knowledge of its layout. There was an office that also opened into a vast library, a morning room, sitting room, breakfast room, and the vast dining room where they ended the tour.
Already a beautiful setting for two was placed at the far end of the table and trays of ham and warm meat pies were being placed down. Both Abigail and Colton were grateful for the warm meal prepared for their arrival and took their places.
“It’s so quiet,” Abigail said halfway through the meal.
Colton looked up from a pile of notes that had accumulated here since the time he took leave of his London house. He seemed to look around the room as if noticing it for the first time. In truth, silence had been his companion all these years since his injury, and he was very content with it.
“I am just so used to having the twins and Jackie. They bring so much happy noise into the house,” she added when he didn’t respond.
“Yes, I dare say it will be a while before I forget the continuous speech that seemed to flow from those two. I actually was rather enjoying not having to answer so many questions while I ate,” Colton said with a lopsided smile on his lips.
“Did they bother you terribly then?” Abigail asked, wondering if her new husband was averse to just his niece and nephew or perhaps all children.
“No,” he said with a heavy sigh. “Well, a little actually. I just wasn’t used to that kind of attention.”
“You were very dear to them these last few weeks,” Abigail encouraged.
“I think I was more like the attraction of Astley’s Circus.”
“Not at all,” Abigail said with deep sincerity.
Over the next few days, Abigail settled into making a routine in her new house and new position. Most of her time was spent with the housekeeper, Mrs. Hanse. However, soon there was little left that Abigail needed to instruct her on. This left Abigail endless hours of the day to wander alone.
Colton, on the other hand, went right back into the same routine he held back in town. He spent most of his days in his office reading books from the library before the fire. From time to time there was work to be done, though his father and grandfather had made sure the estate was fairly self-sufficient.
He enjoyed the seclusion of his new library. It was much larger than the small cramped office of his London home. It also had its own sitting area with plush couches and chairs. It was perfect as he read up on the country he was about to visit.
He wondered about Abigail, whom he saw so little of. Would she stay here in this big house alone after he left? Perhaps she would return to London and to the society that she seemed to thrive in.
Unquestionably she could return now. In fact, she could expect to now be welcomed with open arms as a permanent member of the peerage. It seemed like it would be a logical choice for her.
Rarely did Colton see her during the day. In fact, other than their evening meals together, he almost didn’t see her at all. He assumed that she kept herself busy, though he wasn’t entirely sure how.
Most of Colton’s focus was now on his preparation for travel and avoiding as much of the staff as possible. Though all had been polite to his face, he knew what it was like in a small country village. He was sure he was the talk of every pub and tavern for miles around.
Chapter 33
After two weeks had passed in her new home, Abigail was sure that she had wandered around every room in the house as well as the pebbled path gardens around the estates. Her life was becoming very dull and she was desperate for any distraction. For this reason, she started to seek her husband out.
It wasn’t an easy task at first as the estate was so vast. Finally, Abigail remembered that Colton had often retreated to his office and she should expect to find him there again. She did so.
She looked at Colton as she quietly slipped into the room. There was no sound outside the flip of his book page and the soft swishing of her cotton morning dress.
When Abigail took a few soft steps into the room, Colton raised his head to the sound. It was easy to see that he wasn’t expecting her. Abigail came to sit on the couch across from Colton as he set his book to the side.
He watched her movements and seemed to wait for her to speak first. She didn’t really know what to say. All she was sure of was that she didn’t want to be left alone in such a big house any longer.
“I got a letter from Isabella,” Abigail finally started after a few moments of silence.
“Oh,” Colton said, now seeing perhaps she was here to share the news with him. “And how is she?”
“Fine. She had her baby. It was a little girl, and both babe and mother are healthy.”
“That is a relief. I must admit I was a tad worried about her health at the end. But she has always been so strong…” he trailed off.
“Yes, I suppose that worry was my doing,” Abigail said, looking at her hands with guilt.
“Completely,” Colton agreed.
Abigail’s eyes shot up from her hands to meet his cool gaze. It was not a proper sort of response. She relaxed a bit when he gave that soft teasing smile he wore from time to time.
Abigail was happy to hear him tease her again. Her relationship with Colton seemed like she was traveling over a mountain range continually going up and down. The last weeks since their marriage had been full of apprehension and unease. She hoped that perhaps now they were turning the bend for another upswing.
“What did she name the baby?” Colton asked, actually enjoying keeping a conversation up for the first time in a very long time.
He couldn’t help but recognize that any time he had enjoyed conversation was in fact with Abigail. Any other perso
n, even those under his employment, he rather dreaded speaking with. With Abigail, however, it was like a ray of sunshine in what was otherwise a dreary world.
“Um,” Abigail hesitated with a rosy blush to her pale cheeks. “They named her Abigail actually.”
“A splendid choice, if I do say so myself,” Colton responded, thoroughly enjoying the embarrassment Abigail was experiencing from the knowledge that her niece was named in her honor.
“Do you really think so?” Abigail asked with an upturned brow.
She seemed to show no genuine belief in his words.
“Well,” Colton responded, relaxing back in his seat and rubbing his chin in thought, “I mean I can’t speak for anyone else, but in my opinion ladies named Abigail tend to be quite unique.”
“Unique how?” Abigail encouraged his flirtation.
“Stubborn, to start.”
Abigail opened her jaw in shock. She wasn’t truly offended by his words for she was a stubborn creature.
“They also tend to have a wild spirit, an aversion to keeping their thoughts to themselves,” he narrowed his eyes at her, “even unpleasant ones that shouldn’t be spoken. More than this, I have found them to be quite enchanting and without a doubt a rare gem.”
Abigail looked away, blushing at his last words. Now that they were joined together in matrimony, his teasing seemed to press heavier on her heart. Unquestionably, he didn’t mean any more of it than he did before.
“So was it the letter then that brought you to seek me out,” he asked after a few more seconds of silence.
“No,” Abigail responded. “I wanted to seek out the library for a book.”
She looked to the shelves behind him. It was partly right, but she was also looking for someone to talk with. She wasn’t used to going so long without having someone to speak with.
“I never really took you for someone who enjoyed reading extensively,” Colton retorted.
“No, I suppose not. I prefer to be outdoors. I know that won't be possible soon, however, so I guess I am looking for alternative uses of my time. I'm not used to being alone for such long periods.”
