by Vikki Vaught
When the men joined them in the drawing room, Henry asked where his wife was, and the duchess told him that his scared little rabbit of a wife had scurried up to her rooms. Henry gave his mother an angry look and left. He found Melody in their rooms, and she was crying as if her heart were breaking. He went to her and gently put his arms around her.
“Don’t listen to anything my mother said to you. You are the light of my life, and you don’t need to even think for a minute that she speaks for me or my brother and sisters. She is a hateful, bitter old woman, and you are worth ten of her!” Henry said as he slowly rubbed her back.
“Oh Henry! She said you would get tired of me and cast me aside. I don’t bring anything of value to the ducal coffers. I couldn’t bear it, if you got tired of me,” Melody cried.
“Shush, love, I’ll never grow tired of you. I love you to distraction. Please believe me. I’ll love you for all eternity!” Melody sniffed and began to calm down. Henry held her in his arms until she fell asleep.
Once she was asleep, he carried her to her bed and carefully undressed her so that he would not wake her up. He slipped on her night rail and tucked her into bed. Why did his mother have to be so cruel? There was no kinder or gentler person than his Melody. Henry went to his room and got undressed, and then he came back to Melody’s room and got in bed with her. As he lay there, he worried about how Melody would handle his parents. He knew she was not used to being treated badly, and he was not sure how he could protect her from their distain, especially when he returned to his regiment. He would definitely need to speak with Nelson and ask him to watch out for Melody while he was away and protect her from his parents. With a plan in mind, he pulled her into his arms and held her as he drifted off to sleep.
When Melody woke up the next morning, Henry had already left her bed. The pillow on his side still had a dent in it, and she could still smell his clean masculine scent, so she knew he had slept there, and she was comforted by that knowledge. She thought about what his mother had said last night and what Henry said, and she decided she would believe Henry. It would be best if she stayed out of the duchess’s way, as much as possible. Hopefully, she could avoid future unpleasantness. The drapes were open, the sun was shining in through the window, and it looked like a beautiful fall day. She hoped they could go riding because the weather was sure to turn colder soon. Her maid had been there, for there was a pitcher of steaming water for her to bathe in. She went about her morning ablutions and was soon ready to face her day. As she left her chamber, she realized she did not have any idea how to get to the breakfast room. She wondered how she had found her way back to her chamber last night. It was just by luck that she did not get lost last night, especially since she was so distraught over her conversation with the duchess. There was a maid coming toward her, and she asked, “Hello, could you please direct me to the breakfast room?”
The maid giggled and replied, “Of course, my lady. Just follow this hall to the end and then keep turning right until you get to the staircase. The stairs will take you to the right floor. At the bottom of the stairs, turn left, and it is the first door on the left. If you would like me to, I could take you there myself.”
“No, that’s all right. I believe I’ll be able to find it. I appreciate your help.” Melody proceeded down the hall, in the direction that the maid had pointed out to her, and soon, she was at the breakfast room. There was a sideboard filled with all kinds of breakfast foods. Melody took a plate and began to fill it with coddled eggs, bacon, and a muffin, as she was particularly hungry, for she had not eaten much the previous night.
As she went to the table to sit down, Nelson came into the room and started filling his plate. “Good morning. I hope you had a restful night,” he said. “I’m pleased that Henry married you because I know you’ll make him very happy. I want you to be happy here, so if there is anything I can do for you, just let me know.”
“Thank you, my lord. I appreciate your offer, and I may take you up on it. In fact, do you know where Henry is this morning?” Melody asked as she placed her napkin in her lap.
Nelson smiled pleasantly as he replied, “I believe he went for a ride, but I imagine he should be back shortly. Oh, by the way, please call me Nelson. And may I call you Melody? After all, you’re now my new sister.”
Melody gave him a beatific smile. It pleased her greatly that Henry’s brother wanted to be a brother to her. “I would be happy to Nelson, and certainly, call me Melody. I don’t have a brother, but I’ve always wanted one.” Once she finished her breakfast, she excused herself and went outside to find the stable. As she turned the corner, she ran into Henry.
“Good morning, my love. Where are you going in such a hurry?” Henry asked as he pulled her into his arms.
Melody gave him a sweet smile as she said, “Actually I was looking for you. I was hoping we could go for a ride, but Nelson told me you had already gone out today.”
“I’m sorry, if I had known, I would have postponed my ride and come and gotten you. I tell you what, why don’t we get the gig and I’ll take you to town.” Soon they were off to the village. As they drove through the countryside, Melody noticed how gorgeous it was with all the pretty fall colors on the trees. Once they arrived in the village, they got out of the gig and walked around. Cranleigh was a quaint little place, and surprisingly, it had quite a few shops. Melody was looking forward to exploring them, especially the bookseller. They talked and laughed as they walked along. They went into the confectionery and bought some candies. Then they got back in the gig and headed back to Sanderford Park. The drive back was pleasant, and Henry told her more stories about his youth.
Everyday they would either ride their horses or take long walks. Their love for each other deepened as each day passed. The more time they spent together, the closer they became.
CHAPTER 7
November 1814
A FORTNIGHT WENT by, and all was going well. Henry’s parents kept their distance but were polite, if cool to her. She got to know his sisters, and she was growing to care for them. Helen was very pretty. She had hair the same shade as Henry’s with his beautiful blue eyes. She was medium height and very slender, which was what Melody would have chosen, if one could choose something like that. Clearly, when Helen made her bow next spring, everything would go well for her since she was so pretty and vivacious. Kathryn was shy, but so sweet. She was all arms and legs, with bright red hair, and she looked just like a typical young lady, beginning her teen years.
Everyday, they would go riding. Henry found Melody a gentle, but spirited mare named Molly and she was thrilled to have her own horse for the first time. They took long walks and went on several picnics in the woods, where they found a secluded spot by the lake, so they could make love and let their passion soar. Every night, he introduced her to new delights of the flesh, and afterward, they would fall asleep in each other’s arms. Melody was very happy and growing to love Henry more each day. He was a charming companion and was always making her laugh, so time just flew by.
The day finally came. It was time for Henry to go back to his regiment since his leave was up. On their last night together, Henry took Melody to heights of passion she had never imagined. As dawn was breaking, he woke her and gently kissed her, then said, “I need to leave if I’m going to get there in time, but I’ll be back in a month. You’ll be fine, and if you need anything, ask my brother. He’ll take care of you for me. Try not to miss me too much, though God knows I’ll miss you terribly! Remember me in your dreams as I’ll remember you in mine.” He tenderly picked Melody up and carried her back to her bed. Gently, he laid her down and kissed her one last time. Then he turned and quickly left her room.
Soon, he was on Jupiter, riding at a fast gallop, and as the wind was blowing in his hair, he felt wonderful. He hated to leave Melody, but he was looking forward to being back with his men. In a few months, he would put his military life behind him, and they would move to the estate his grandmother had left him in
Yorkshire. Melody would love it there, and she would be much closer to her parents. It was a small estate, but it had a wonderful old manor house, and it was situated in a beautiful little valley, so the weather was better than in many of the other areas of the north. It would be a great place to raise their children, and in his mind’s eye, he could see a beautiful little girl who looked just like Melody.
Henry just hoped his parents would continue to be civil to Melody. He had asked Nelson to watch over her for him and make sure that she was all right. He knew he would really miss her; in fact, he already did.
The trip went by quickly, and he was back at the garrison in no time. The first person he saw was his friend Captain Edward Hayden. When Hayden recognized Henry, he said, “Hello, Montgomery, I see you’ve finally decided to join us. How’s married life treating you? I’m still having a hard time believing you’re married.”
Henry had a huge expression of satisfaction on his face as he replied, “It’s good to see you, Hayden, and married life is much better than I ever expected. How are all our men doing? Have many of them left for civilian life yet?”
Hayden clapped him on the shoulder and said, “Come on, let’s go find out, all right?”
Melody woke up later than usual. Her first thought was of Henry and that he had gone back to his regiment. What was she going to do for an entire month without him? She would miss him terribly. They had grown so much closer over the last few weeks. Melody was concerned about living with his family without him, especially his mother. After that incident, the first night they had arrived, she had stayed as far away as possible. At least, with Henry there, he formed a buffer between them. Oh well, this was not getting her day started. She got up and rang for her maid. She arrived, and soon Melody was ready to meet her day.
The breakfast room was empty when Melody arrived. She went to the sideboard and picked out her breakfast. The pastries looked delicious, but she passed them up, electing to have her usual toast and jam instead. She sat down to eat her breakfast and drink her hot chocolate. Nelson entered the room, went to the sideboard, and filled his plate; then he turned and asked, “May I join you?”
Melody took a sip of her hot chocolate, and then replied, “Of course, I would like some company. It looks like it will be a beautiful day even though we’re well into the fall.”
Nelson sympathetically asked, “How are you feeling this morning? I know Henry left for his regiment, so I expect you’re already missing him, right?”
“I’ll be fine. I just started a new book and that should keep me entertained for a few days, and I also have some letters I need to write. I’ve been neglecting my correspondence since my marriage. Of course, I hope to spend some time with you and your sisters, so we can get to know each other better, if that is all right?” Melody asked with a tentative smile on her face.
As Nelson took a seat across from her, he said, “Melody, I think I can speak for my sisters when I say that we already look upon you as part of our family. We know Henry loves you, and he asked me to take care of you while he’s away. Please let me know if you need anything at all. I want you to feel at home here.”
“Thank you, Nelson. You’ve already helped to make me feel welcome. Henry told me some stories about you and the mischief the two of you used to get into while you were growing up. I’m sure you have some interesting stories also. I would love to hear them, if you would share them with me?” she asked.
Nelson laughed, and then said, “All right, after you finish your breakfast, we can go for a walk in the garden, and I’ll endeavor to entertain you with some stories about Henry that I’m sure he failed to mention to you.”
“Yes, I would enjoy that very much. I’ll go to my room and get a shawl,” she replied.
“How about if we meet on the terrace, and we’ll start our walk from there?” Nelson asked as he stood up, when Melody got up from her chair.
As Melody turned to leave the room, she said, “I’ll be there. Just give me ten minutes to get my wrap.”
Nelson was already waiting on the terrace when Melody arrived; she could not get used to how much he looked like Henry. “I’m ready for our walk. Henry told me there’s a maze, but we never found the time to go through it. Can we go there today?”
“It would be my pleasure!” Nelson offered Melody his arm, and they headed toward the maze. As they walked along, he started to tell Melody about the time that Henry fell into the lake. “Henry had climbed up a tree, trying to hide from me, and all of a sudden, the tree limb gave way, and he fell into the lake. I had to go fetch him out, since at this point, Henry didn’t know how to swim. The water was freezing that day, as it was early in the spring of the year. Henry was only six years old, and by the time I got him out of the water, he was shivering all over. That was when I decided to teach him how to swim. We spent that whole summer at the lake, and by summer’s end, he could swim as well as I could. We also did quite a bit of fishing. The lake is stocked with plenty of fish, and Henry and I spent many happy moments fishing there through our adolescent years.”
Soon, they arrived at the maze. Nelson told her that the third Duke of Sanderford built the maze many generations ago, back when Henry the eighth was king. They walked and made several turns and then arrived at the center. There was a fountain with the Greek god Apollo in the center amid dozens of rose bushes. Melody looked forward to seeing it in the spring, once all the roses were in full bloom. “My goodness, this is lovely,” she said. “However, I’m glad I didn’t try to come into the maze by myself. I’m sure I would have gotten lost and might never have found my way out again.”
Nelson laughed and replied, “There’s a secret: All you have to do is keep turning left, then right at each turn, and that will lead you to the center, and then you just reverse it to get back out.”
“I still think I would get lost, so I think I’ll stay out of this maze, unless you or Henry is with me.” Melody walked around the walkway and looked at the various kinds of plants that decorated the maze and knew it would be spectacular next summer.
“We used to take girls into the maze when we were young, for a romantic interlude, so I’m sure Henry would be happy to bring you here anytime you want. He could show you the many delightful alcoves that are scattered throughout the maze. Then you’ll really be confused about how to get out, so you’ll have to let Henry lead the way!” Nelson offered Melody his arm and they strolled back through the maze, entered the gardens, and walked through the many varieties of rose bushes all along the walkway.
As they approached the terrace, Helen was there and hurried over to Melody. “I wondered where you were. I wanted to see if you would like to go into Cranleigh with me. I need to get some new hair ribbons to match my new day dress. Would you like to come?”
“Oh yes, that would be lovely. I need to pick some up for my pink day dress, and I need a new bonnet. Can we find one in the village?” she asked as she smiled brightly at Helen.
Helen returned Melody’s smile and said, “Of course, we can. I’ll order the gig and meet you in front of the house in ten minutes, all right?”
As Helen rushed off, Melody called after her, “I’ll be there, and I look forward to going to the village again. I’ve wanted to explore more of the shops.” Melody turned to Nelson and said, “Thank you for showing me the maze. It was an enjoyable morning. I hope we can do it again some time.”
Melody hurried up to her bedchamber, got her new pelisse, and met Helen outside. Soon they were on their way to Cranleigh. She had already been to the village several times with Henry and knew there was a bookshop there. She hoped they would have time to go there while they were in the village. Melody enjoyed spending time with Helen because she was always so cheerful and full of life. She was already feeling much more relaxed about being at Sanderford Park without Henry.
They went to the dressmaker and then on to the bookshop. They decided to go to the confectionery also, and Melody picked out some delicious chocolate sweetmeats to have la
ter while she was reading her book. By the time they returned, it was time for tea.
Simpson took their wraps and told them that the rest of the family was already in the drawing room, so they went there. When they entered, Melody saw the duke and duchess already seated and having their tea. The duke looked at Melody with distain and said, “You are late. Where have you been, gel? We have been waiting to have our tea. It is very inconsiderate of you to keep us waiting. I like everyone to be here sharply at four o’clock, not three minutes after the hour. Make sure you do not let this happen again!”
“I’m sorry, your grace. We went to the village and misjudged the time. I’ll be much more careful in the future.” Melody sat down in the chair, and the duchess handed her a cup of tea and some biscuits. It seemed as if she could not do anything right, in the eyes of Henry’s parents. She tried to make herself as pleasant as possible to them, but they seemed to find fault with everything she did.
Nelson turned to Helen and asked, “Did you and Melody have fun in the village today? And did you find those hair ribbons you were looking for?”
Helen enthusiastically replied, “We had so much fun! Melody found a wonderful new novel, and we’re both going to read it. Melody lent me some of her books, and now I just love Mrs. Radcliffe’s novels. We also went to the confectionery and got some delicious-looking sweetmeats.”
The duchess turned to Melody and looked her over with an expression of disgust on her face as she said, “It appears to me that you do not need any sweetmeats. You need to watch your figure, or you will turn to fat and let us see how Henry likes that!” Melody was mortified. She knew she was a little plump, but she had never had anyone infer that she was fat!
Helen looked over at Melody, rolled her eyes, and whispered, “Don’t listen to Mother. She’s critical of everyone.”
