The servants were well taught in their trade, and experienced as well, but Lillian’s beautiful appearance still made them stare involuntarily. She wore a tight-fitting white corset gown that made her tiny waist even more pronounced, hid some things to invite curiosity, and made some other things stick out just the right way. Her golden hair had been lifted up and shaped into a veritable castle of spirals on her pretty head, and the makeup applied to her face made it seem almost angelic.
“Oh, would you look at that! Is it not absolutely divine?” the Lady Ashdown commented, having exited the carriage right before Lillian and taken in the sight of the grounds. As was usual for her, she wore mostly purple.
I know that you have seen it before, mother. She turned her gaze toward the mansion and its surroundings. Her mother had always liked to exaggerate, but this time her elation was justified. The Stanbury Manor, along with its courtyard, was impressive in every way. The grass was perfectly tended to, the white sculptures were well maintained, and the structure was as well-put-together as it was large. “Indeed it is,” Lillian said, smiling all the while.
“And look at all this hired help, so eager to wish us a warm welcome!” The Lady Ashdown discreetly unfurled a fan, hid her lower face behind it, and used her chance to whisper to her daughter. “You will never have to work in your life, I promise.”
Nor will I get a say in anything again, she thought, but again refrained from saying anything. She had to be absolutely immaculate tonight, and upsetting her mother again was not the way to do it. “Shall we proceed, then? I am eager to meet my future groom,” she said courteously.
Visibly pleased with her daughter’s demeanor, the Lady Ashdown gestured for the help to escort them through the front gate and over the courtyard. One man stayed behind near the coachman to instruct him where to go, but the others went in front and behind the two women.
“I dare say, this place is as remarkable as everyone says!” Lady Ashdown broke the silence. It is always good for the servants to like you, she always said.
“Thank you, madam,” one of the men replied, while the others merely smiled. They were being paid well, that much was apparent from their very appearances. The Lady Ashdown smiled in response, more due to the conclusion she had made than the servants’ happy circumstances.
Lillian said nothing, although she kept smiling herself. It was not her duty to run the show, after all. She was to present herself as the beautiful, graceful, and above all well-bred girl that any man would want at his side. Surely a rogue such as the future Lord Stanbury would overhear the help talk from time to time.
Yet… this estate really is stunning. She turned around as discreetly as etiquette would allow. Every little detail was in its proper place. The family of her future husband was indeed in possession of assets even other nobles could only dream of. Then why has he turned out to be such a disreputable character? She could not think of an answer.
“Here we are, my ladies,” another servant commented as he helped the women climb the stairs. They did not need it, but they took the offer regardless. A moment later, the doors were opened, and a long, exquisitely decorated hallway lay before them. At its end was another pair of doors, no doubt leading to the main hall. “You are expected, of course,” the servant said, waiting until they went inside before he closed the entrance behind them.
“Now, do not worry, my dear. Be your usual, perfect self, and I am certain that your betrothed will just love you!” the Lady Ashdown said as she folded her fan.
Instead of replying, Lillian straightened her back and put on her best smile. She had done it just about at the right moment, too, for the pair of doors that led to the main hall were just then opened almost simultaneously. It was grand in every imaginable way. Expensive paintings done by famous artists adorned the surrounding walls. Furniture that was obviously handcrafted by the finest of carpenters waited for them to grace it with their noble backsides. An imposing crystal chandelier hung in the center of the room, and directly below it stood two members of the Stanbury household: the Lord and the Lady. The heir was notably absent.
“Welcome to our humble abode!” The head of the family greeted them with open arms and a sincere smile.
“It is a pleasure, of course. But I would hardly call this humble, Lord Stanbury! Such luxury! Such fine taste! Why, your line must have been collecting these for generations!” Lady Ashdown said, her smile practically extending from one ear to the other.
“Nonsense! It is all the work of my lovely wife! She is the one who chose the decoration; I am merely the unfortunate who had to pay the bills! But it is worth it, for the sheer awe the place evokes, yes?” He smiled as he gave his response.
The Lady Stanbury smiled as well, sincerely, yet far less mirthful. She was a thoroughly beautiful woman, but it was obvious that she was in poor health. Her neck was as thin as a tree branch, and not even generous amounts of makeup could hide the fact that she had slight bags under her blue eyes. She always wore black by choice, and this evening was no different despite its joyous nature.
“Why, my dear, you have amazing taste! Don’t you think so, Lillian?” Lady Ashdown asked her daughter.
“Quite so! I am afraid that I’ve been caught by surprise by all of this… splendor!” Lillian spoke with awe in her voice. She did not have to fake it; the feeling was genuine. So, this is what it means to be truly rich.
“Pish-posh, my dear! Please, be my guests and make yourselves comfortable! The help shall serve you with refreshments shortly.” Lord Stanbury extended his hand toward a nearby sofa. Lillian had never seen a more comfortable-looking thing in her life. With graceful steps, she and her mother took the invitation, and sat on the expensive piece of furniture. It was not as comfortable as it seemed. By all means, it was better.
“Might I know where my future husband is, my Lord and Lady?” Lillian asked, and everything around her went silent immediately.
“He is… He shall be here shortly,” Lord Stanbury said, after a good bit of consideration. “I have sent the lad to do some business in my stead. Matters of grave importance, I might add. He should be back shortly, but if anything gets complicated… then I am afraid that we just might be forced to do this without him.” His face was expressionless, but it was not difficult to tell from the tone of his voice just how displeased he was.
Is the entirety of our wedded life going to be like this? Lillian could not help but feel a little sad. She had hoped for a man to love, a husband who would love her back. Not someone who would skip something as important as meeting his bride! But there was nothing she could do. It was either this, or watch the rest of her life evaporate as the family debts kept piling up.
“Is that so? Well, I am glad that my future husband is so reliable of a man, then!” She took special effort when she presented her smile, careful so as not to make it appear mocking or fake. Everyone present smiled back, and she instantly felt guilty for taking part in this large game of make-believe. Yet this was the reason she was born: to be a proper lady for a good husband. If only he were actually good, though.
A voice rang out as the front doors opened again. “I see that you are all having yourselves a good time! Judging from the smiles and everything else, of course!” It was deep yet youthful, belonging to a man in his prime. All eyes turned toward the entrance, then, and into their sight waltzed the graceful-yet-powerful figure of Martin Stanbury.
Is that him? Despite all the bad things she had heard about her betrothed, Lillian could not help but be absolutely smitten at once by the man’s overwhelming beauty. Their eyes met for the first time, blue facing blue, and she could immediately tell that he felt the same. Yet something was clearly wrong with him. The way he moved, the way he stared at her, it was all somewhat erratic, and it took her a good while to realize the reason. He is drunk! He has dared to get himself drunk on this very night! It took all the force of will Lillian could muster not to frown.
The Lord Stanbury did not have the same problem. He ap
peared completely composed, as if he had half expected something like this to happen. “Martin, my boy! So glad that you’ve made it, more or less on time! And to think we were all about to start chatting without you!”
“Oh, I would not have missed this for the world!” Martin said as he made his way toward Lillian and her mother. He held his liquor well, that much was obvious, but being drunk in this situation was less than acceptable regardless of how much (or how little) in control of his actions he was. With a single motion, he took the hand of Lady Ashdown, kissed it, and said, “Charmed, milady.”
“Always a pleasure to meet a fine young man,” she replied with a fake smile.
“And is this delicate flower my bride-to-be?” He turned toward Lillian and gave her another look while he moved closer. He took her hand as well, and she felt how strong, yet gentle, his own pair was. Smiling seductively, he pressed his lips to the back of her hand, and a slight chill started to slowly work its way up her arm. Then, she perceived something else that instantly shattered the sensation: the smell of liquor was all around him. It even overpowered his cologne.
“Pleased to meet you, beautiful Lillian,” he said as he raised his head and graced her with another gaze. “I have heard so many wonderful things about you that I just cannot wait to get to know you better.”
The combination of pleasant and unpleasant sensations that he evoked in her interacted in such a manner that Lillian did not know how to respond. So she did the only thing she could: she smiled gracefully. “Thank you,” she said.
“Perhaps our betrothed pair would enjoy a moonlight walk to get to know each other?” Lord Stanbury said, all too eager to get his son out of his immediate proximity.
“What do you think, Lillian?” Martin asked her, still seeming to gaze straight into her soul with those eyes of his.
“I think that would be just wonderful,” Lillian answered, dazzling the room with the sight of her perfect teeth.
Stanbury Manor courtyard,
Later that evening
He is so handsome, Lillian thought as she observed her betrothed while they paced along the courtyard. The scenery was breathtaking, but he was even more so. If only he wasn’t sloshed. She was still deeply conflicted about him, but at least she was not back with their families.
“And how does my fine lady find our humblest of abodes?” He stirred her from her line of thought. She hadn’t realized how obviously she was staring at him.
“It is… it is beyond anything I thought possible, to be frank,” she said, hypnotized by the way his lips moved while he talked.
“I like to throw the occasional party there from time to time. Wild things; I think you will like them. Plenty of people. Lots of shouting, drinking, and everything else you can think of!” He grinned. It was amazing how verbose he was, given the amount of liquor she could smell on him.
“Ahem, future Lord Stanbury, might I ask you a personal question?” She didn’t like what he was implying, so she decided to give him a piece of her mind. If he doesn’t like it, then so be it. No husband of mine is going to be a scoundrel.
“Not at all,” he answered.
“Despite our name, our family is poor. Now, please do not take this the wrong way, I think you are quite charming, but what could you or your father possibly see in a girl like me?” Her mouth smiled as she spoke, but her eyes did not.
He grinned as he voiced his reply. “An explosion of beauty and charm? A mixture of wit and class one seldom sees these days? Exceptional breeding? Take your pick, my dear. The list goes on.”
She stared into his eyes for a little bit more before she spoke again. “Wit? Class? Breeding? Maybe, if you come from one of the rookeries. When compared to the rest of the highborn, I am afraid I am as lowly as the most common of commoners.” She considered what she was about to say again. I have to come clean. Then, maybe he will as well, and give me a way to understand why he is like this. If not, then at least I will rid myself of this farce of a betrothal.
“I am certain that you’ve already heard of this, but I will tell you regardless. It happened while I was but a babe. My father betrayed my mother’s love, with a married woman, no less. It came out in the open, and he could not handle the shame, so he hung himself.” She paused for a little bit, averted her eyes away from Martin, and kept talking whilst gazing at the moon. “Most of our assets were managed by my father, and we had to liquidate a good part of them after his death. The Ashdown family has been in decline ever since. I grew up with no servants; I did not even have governess or a nanny. My upbringing was wholly down to my mother.” She turned back toward him, expecting some kind of negative reaction.
For a few moments, Martin kept smiling. Then, seemingly out of the blue, his disposition became more serious, and he stopped walking like a drunken person. “And I think she did a marvelous job, Lillian.” He moved his hand toward her cheek, wiping at a tear she had not noticed she had produced.
Did I ruin my makeup? Mother will be furious… She touched his hand again. So many conflicting feelings. His arm was stable. Highly unusual for a drunk man. Unless he—
“I know what you are thinking, my dear, sweet Lillian. Indeed, I am not really drunk. Merely splashed with a healthy amount of liquor.” The smile was back on his face again, radiant and divine.
I knew it! But why would he have faked something like that? Just as she was about to pose the question, one of the servants ran toward them accompanied by another, much larger man. Some more people trailed them, in visible distress.
I really need to have a talk to them about letting people in, Martin thought, agitated that their conversation had been interrupted. He waited for the men to get closer, yet his gaze inevitably drifted back toward Lillian. Her rose-colored lips and alabaster face turned out to have an even greater effect on him then he expected. Could it be that my father made the right choice for me? I really like her!
“My Lord! This military officer has demanded access to the estate on urgent business! I’ve tried to turn him down, yet he insisted!” the servant said, as the man behind him marched ever closer. Upon seeing his face, what little color Lillian had under her makeup disappeared completely, and she let out an involuntary gasp.
“Lillian! Do you know this man?” Martin couldn’t help but notice her reaction. Even though he didn’t want to, he had to turn toward the intruder.
“Indeed she does, you rotten scoundrel! You sad excuse for a man! I have been courting the Ashdown heiress here for months, and you snatch her away with but a wave of your foppish hand! And you, Lillian! To think that I thought you were a proper lady! I see now that you are nothing other than a common prostitute. I demand satisfaction, Stanbury, and I demand it now,” he shouted, his eyes red.
So, it seems that my reputation is known to this man, as well. Martin was serious and composed, so unlike the way he’d appeared just a while ago. “We all want something, sir. That fact does not guarantee that we shall get it, now, does it?”
Instead of saying anything, the captain removed one of his gloves and tossed it at Martin. Not moving at all, the future Lord Stanbury let it hit on his face. “So, sabers at noon, I assume? The yard behind the old barracks on the Thames?” he asked, as if it did not matter at all. It appears that all important events in my life begin with a challenge to a duel. It is only fitting that it ends with one.
“Sabers at noon, it is,” Captain Hawkins confirmed as he turned around to leave the estate.
Lillian wanted to ask him why. Just as she was getting to know her betrothed, just as he was showing some cracks in that unpleasant veneer, fate conspired to take him from her. The captain is an experienced duelist, and Martin is a laid-back aristocrat. There was not a chance for him to win. Her eyes teared up again.
Martin was silent too, yet his expression was one of determination.
Stanbury Manor
The next day, morning
Just what have I gotten myself into?
Martin observed the sky-blue shi
rt he was about to don. It was well worn, but still smart. Most importantly, it used to belong to his grandfather. And now I am about to die and end his bloodline. His father hadn’t even tried to prevent him from proceeding with the duel. If anything, he seemed proud. On the other hand, his mother had fallen ill again, this time apparently worse than usual. He took a deep breath and tucked the shirt in before he turned toward the mirror to observe himself. All of his clothing was of the finest blue, which further accentuated his eyes. “At least I will look presentable when I go to face him,” he said to himself, smiling insincerely.
He looked at his reflection a while longer until one of the servants knocked on the door, interrupting him. “What is it? I am busy!” he shouted in a displeased tone.
“It is your betrothed, young master. The future Lady Ashdown has come in person to see you. Shall I ask her to leave?”
Should I send her away? He pondered on his next course of action. It was due to her honor that he was in this situation, yet he bore her no ill will. I like her. I really like her. If things were different, I think I would have enjoyed settling down with her. He could have laughed the entire thing off, used his reputation, and the entire thing would have rolled over. But what of my betrothed’s reputation? He just could not have forced himself into doing it.
“Bring her in,” he finally said, sneaking another peek at himself to make sure that he was presentable. Flawless, he concluded, wondering how long that would last.
By the time Lillian found her way to his room, he was sitting on his bed and wearing a sincere smile. The sincerity wasn’t due to his eagerness for the duel. He was simply glad to see her, even as distressed as she was.
“You deluded fool! What were you thinking?” she asked the very second she stepped in, not even waiting for the servant to close the door behind her.
Arranged Marriage To The Rogue (Victorian Romance) Page 2
