“Of course I will, Lady Charlotte, and it would be an honor for me to design the wedding gown and coronation gown for the future Duchess of Cumberland,” said Evelyn.
Maud turned to the window so that Lady Charlotte would not see how amused she looked.
“Well, I must be going. I shall be back in three days to see how far you have progressed with my designs,” said Lady Charlotte as she breezed out of the shop, her hair flowing behind her.
“Oh dear me,” said Maud as she sat on a chair.
“You see what I meant earlier? She is so conceited that I feel sorry for Lord Edward. He is such a nice man,” said Evelyn.
“Well, he is indeed of good stock and renowned peerage,” said Maud.
Evelyn nodded as she sewed a ribbon to Beatrice’s bonnet.
“Well, I must be going. I shall be back soon,” said Maud as she mimicked Lady Charlotte, which had Evelyn holding her sides as she roared with laughter.
4
CHAPTER FOUR
OF MARRIAGES AND THINGS
OF MARRIAGES AND THINGS
“Happiness in Marriage is entirely a matter of chance.” ~ Jane Austen
Lady Charlotte could not hide her disappointment when Lord Edward informed her that their wedding would be low key due to the fact that he was still mourning for his father.
“But why can’t we have a grand wedding?” asked Lady Charlotte with a pout that Lord Edward abhorred.
“I have told you once and I shall repeat myself. I am in no way inclined for celebrations and the pomp of a wedding due to my father’s death,” said Lord Edward.
“Uncle Nathaniel would have wanted it to be a beautiful and grand ceremony,” said Lady Charlotte.
“Well, it is not my father who is deciding the grandeur of my wedding, although God knows why he wanted me to marry you,” said Lord Edward.
Lady Charlotte’s hand flew to her mouth. “Of all the impertinence,” she gasped.
Lord Edward shrugged. “Look at it as you wish, I cannot forestall your views,” said Lord Edward as he rose and donned his hat.
“Are you leaving so soon?” asked Lady Charlotte.
“Indeed I am. I have heaps of work to do and cannot sit arguing over something that will never change,” said Lord Edward as he put on his coat and walked out of the living room. He was anxious to get away from Lady Charlotte, as he despised her, but had no alternative except to marry her. “And Charlotte, I just need to tell you one more thing. I feel that you are high in the instep and it would be good if you adjusted yourself and don’t make a breeze of our marriage,” said Lord Edward as he briskly turned on his heel and walked away, leaving Lady Charlotte lost for words.
“Tares an’ hounds,” gasped Lady Charlotte. “What a bag of moonshine.”
“I thought I heard Lord Edward,” said Lord Nicholas as he entered the living room.
“You heard right,” said Lady Charlotte furiously.
“Oh dear, I hope you don’t rub him on the wrong side, Charlotte,” said Lord Nicholas.
“Well Papa, his boot is cut on the other leg,” said Lady Charlotte.
Lord Nicholas sighed. “What is all this about?” he asked.
“Edward does not want any grandeur in our wedding. He says that he is still mourning for his father,” said Lady Charlotte.
“He is right, you know. Nathaniel’s memory is still fresh in his mind and even mine. He was my best friend and I miss him a great deal,” said Lord Nicholas.
“Oh, Papa, not you as well,” said Lady Charlotte as she got up and stalked out of the living room.
Lord Nicholas watched his daughter leave and sighed. “I do hope Edward instills some values in her,” whispered Lord Nicholas to himself as he stretched out on the couch.
Lady Charlotte headed straight for Evelyn’s shop. Her wedding dress was turning out to be a beautiful one and Charlotte was adamant that her wedding be spectacular and grand. “Evelyn, how much have you finished with my wedding dress?” asked Charlotte as she breezed into Evelyn’s shop.
“I have a few things to do with it, but it would be nice if you tried it on today, so that I could see what needs to be adjusted,” said Evelyn. “And…My Lady, Lord Edward was here this morning…” said Evelyn.
“Edward came here?” asked Lady Charlotte, shocked.
Evelyn nodded, looking scared. She had been asked by Lord Edward to cut down on the finery of the wedding gown and at that very moment Evelyn just did not know what to say or do.
“Go on, Evelyn, tell me. What did Edward say?” asked Lady Charlotte as she advanced toward Evelyn.
“Lord Edward wanted me to cut down on the finery of your wedding gown. He said he is still in mourning for the Duke,” said Evelyn.
“Fiend, seize it,” said Lady Charlotte through clenched teeth.
Evelyn was shocked at how unladylike Lady Charlotte was in her speech. She turned away and concentrated on the wedding dress that lay on the table.
“You will do as I tell you, Evelyn. My wedding gown shall be the best in the whole of England and you shall see that it is so,” said Lady Charlotte.
“Yes, My Lady,” whispered Evelyn.
“Just out of curiosity, what did Lord Edward want done to my dress?” asked Lady Charlotte.
“He wanted it to be as simple as possible,” said Evelyn.
“And are you going to listen to him or me?” asked Lady Charlotte, glaring at Evelyn.
“Oh, I just don’t know, Lady Charlotte. I am only a seamstress and…” said Evelyn, almost in tears.
“And you will do as your customer bids you,” concluded Lady Charlotte.
Evelyn nodded.
“I shall be back on Wednesday and shall expect you to finish the dress as I have bid you to,” said Lady Charlotte as she breezed out of the shop, almost toppling Maud, who was entering the shop.
“Oh my good gracious, what was all that about,” said Maud as she rubbed her elbow, which had struck the door when Lady Charlotte brushed past her.
“Oh, Maud, I only wish there was someone else who could stitch this wedding gown,” said Evelyn.
“What happened?” asked Maud.
“She wants it with all finery and Lord Edward wants it to be devoid of all finery, as he is still in mourning for the late Duke,” said Evelyn.
“I think he is right. The dress should be sewn on a low key, as it is not even two months since the death of his father,” said Maud.
“Go tell that to Lady Charlotte,” said Evelyn furiously.
“Look, let me tell you something. To keep both parties happy, let the wedding gown have a bit of finery, but mostly devoid of finery. That way you will please both of them,” said Maud.
“I thought so too,” said Evelyn as she picked up the wedding gown and held it up for Maud to see.
“That’s it. You are on the correct path. It looks beautiful,” said Maud.
Two weeks later
Lady Charlotte Huntington married Lord Edward Frampton in a simple ceremony and afterward Lord Edward was sworn in as the new Duke of Cumberland, which changed Lady Charlotte’s status to Duchess Frampton, Duchess of Cumberland.
Charlotte was furious that there was no elaborate wedding ceremony and she made it clearly known to Duke Edward on their wedding night.
“Charlotte, my father’s body may not have started to rot and it is out of respect for him that I wanted our wedding to be simple,” said Edward.
“Indeed,” said Charlotte with a toss of her head.
Lord Edward sighed and lay down on his side of the bed.
The following morning was as dreary as Duke Edward felt. He had risen early and gone out riding. He wanted to think, and unknowingly to him, he found himself riding toward the vault where his father was buried.
Lord Edward dismounted his stallion. He stood looking at the vault and as the tears of frustration stung his eyes, he brushed them away angrily.
Edward sat down on the stone step outside the vault as he joined his hands in
prayer. What he was praying for he did not know, but after a few moments with the Lord, he felt strangely at peace. Edward prepared to leave and when he turned, he spotted an old man seated under a tree a few yards away from the vault.
He was quite sure that he had not seen the man seated under the tree when he arrived at the vault. As Edward was about to walk to the tree, the old man looked up and smiled. He got up and walked toward Edward.
“Your Grace, pardon me for saying this, but in watching you, I felt that you were troubled,” said the old man.
Edward smiled. Anyone could see that he was troubled, but what astonished him was not what the old man said, but how he had come to be there. “From where do you come?” asked Edward.
The old man turned and pointed to the hills. “Beyond the hills is where I live,” said the old man.
Duke Edward turned to look at the hills and he was amazed that such an old man could trudge up and down those hills.
The old man smiled, for he knew what Edward was thinking. “Your Grace,” said the old man and Edward turned to look at him.
Edward had this feeling that he had seen this old man somewhere, but he could not remember where. “Yes…You have still not told me who you are,” said Edward, smiling at the old man.
The old man smiled. “My name is Nicholodimus and I have lived all my life on the hills beyond.”
For a moment, Edward felt his heart still. What was it? Was it the old man’s name or was there some familiarity between the two of them?
Edward tried to smile and the old man patted his hand. No one had been bold enough as to pat the hand of the Duke of Cumberland, but this old man did and Edward felt a peace envelope him with that single pat.
“Your Grace, I heard from the village-folk that you were married only yesterday. There are times
when one does not marry the one he loves, but there is always the possibility that as time goes on, you will love the woman you married. Give it time, My Lord, give it time. When everything is settled, you will see that the woman you married was indeed made for you,” said Nicholodimus.
Edward listened intently to what Nicholodimus said and nodded slowly. “I can’t help but believe you, Nicholodimus,”
“Believe me….Your Grace, believe me,” said Nicholodimus as he once again patted Duke Edward’s hand.
Edward smiled. “I believe you, Nicholodimus,” said Duke Edward as he patted the old man’s hand in return.
“You must be on your way, Your Grace. The sun is quite high in the sky and in no time you will feel the heat on you,” said Nicholodimus as he picked up his walking stick and looked at Edward.
Edward nodded. “Thank you, Nicholodimus, for the good advice. If I ride up to the hills, will I be able to see where you live?” asked Edward.
Nicholodimus shook his head. “No, my….Your Grace, you will not be able to ride up to the hills with all the mist and fog. Don’t even attempt it,” said Nicholodimus as he smiled, and Edward felt that familiar feeling zip through his body.
“Now be on your way, Your Grace,” said Nicholodimus as he began to walk away.
Duke Edward watched the old man walk away and felt as if a part of him went with Nicholodimus. He turned and mounted his stallion, but when he looked back, Nicholodimus was gone.
5
CHAPTER FIVE
SURPRISES AND TENANTS
SURPRISES AND TENANTS
“There are people, who the more you do for them, the less they will do for themselves.” ~ Jane Austen
Edward returned home, and surprisingly, he felt at peace, although thoughts of Nicholodimus rested in his mind. Who is he? thought Duke Edward as he handed the reins of his stallion to the stable hand. Once he entered the castle, Edward went in search of his duchess. He wanted to walk with her in the castle gardens and explain to her as to how she should adjust herself to the life of a Duchess. Charlotte had a lot to learn and somehow his meeting with Nicholodimus had awakened in him a new life, new thoughts that he would make his marriage work.
Hannah walked to the front door as soon as she heard him. “Your Grace, I presume you are looking for Her Grace?” asked Hannah.
“Yes indeed, Hannah,” said he said.
“Her Grace left to see Lord Nicholas and said that she would be arriving late in the evening,” said Hannah.
“Oh is that so?” asked Duke Edward, a pang of disappointment zipping through him.
Hannah had been the castle’s housekeeper for years. In fact, she had been very young when she had come to work in the castle for the Duke and Duchess of Cumberland, and had also been around when Lord Edward was born. She knew that His Grace was not happy with the Duchess, but then that was what his father had willed; a marriage between them, which he had thought would make a perfect liaison.
Edward decided to finish some work in his office and when he returned to the living room that evening, he found his wife sitting comfortably on a sofa, flipping through a magazine.
Charlotte looked up when she heard the parlor door open.
“You are back,” said Edward as he smiled at his wife.
“Yes, I visited Papa and found him to be in poor health,” said Charlotte.
“Oh, and what is the matter with him?” asked Edward with concern.
“It’s his right leg. He told me that it hurt so much he could hardly walk,” said Charlotte.
Edward was slightly taken aback when he heard of how bad Lord Nicholas’ leg was, as he remembered seeing him ride into town a few days ago and he’d looked quite well. “It must have been a sudden attack of pain,” said Edward.
“Oh no, not a sudden attack. Papa has had this pain for a very long time and he did not want to tell me about it for fear that I’d worry,” said Charlotte.
He knew now that his wife was lying, but he curbed his anger and disappointment toward his wife. “Very well, I shall go and see him myself. I have not paid him a visit since before our wedding,” said Edward.
“Oh no, that will not be necessary, Edward. I know how much work you have on your hands and visiting my people can be done at a time of leisure,” said Charlotte, looking worried.
Charlotte went back to flipping through the magazine she had in her hand. Her heart beat fast, as she knew she had lied to her husband and she also knew that Edward was not daft enough to believe her.
“I meant to walk with you in the castle gardens when I came in this morning, but now I can see how distressed you are about your father’s illness and I shall leave you to ponder on thoughts of letting a doctor see your father,” said Duke Edward as he walked out of the living room briskly, before Duchess Charlotte could say a word.
Duchess Charlotte swore under her breath with a very unladylike expletive as she watched her husband leave. “Well, I shall inform Edward at breakfast tomorrow morning of my plans for Papa and Stephen,” said Charlotte to herself as she flung the magazine onto the sofa and stalked out of the living room.
The following morning at breakfast, Charlotte dropped the first bombshell. “Edward, I have asked my father and brother to come and live with us,” she said.
“You what?” asked Edward.
“You heard me,” said Charlotte impatiently.
“I did indeed, but don’t you think that it would have been nicer if you had discussed this with me first?” asked Edward as he tried to stay calm.
“Why should I? I have the right to ask them to come and live with us,” said Charlotte. “Now that I am Duchess of Cumberland,” she concluded.
“And which part of the castle will they occupy?” asked Edward.
“I have asked Hannah to arrange the East Wing,” said Charlotte, inspecting her freshly manicured fingernails.
Edward was silent for a while. He knew that Hannah had no alternative but to do her Mistress’s bidding.
Two weeks later
Lord Nicholas and Lord Stephen Huntington arrived at the castle. Charlotte was thrilled that she had won her way. However, Edward noticed that they only carried t
wo suitcases with them upon arrival.
“I am so happy that the two of you are here,” said Charlotte as she clapped her hands and looked triumphantly at her husband.
“Thank you for letting us come and stay at the castle,” said Lord Nicholas as he smiled at Edward.
Edward had always liked Lord Nicholas and he felt sorry for the old man. He was a nice man and that was why the late Duke of Cumberland kept his company. Edward knew that he was not a scrounger like his son and daughter. “It is my pleasure to have you here Uncle Nicholas,” said Edward, very obviously avoiding including Stephen’s name.
Charlotte pouted and looked the other way. He could have included Stephen in his welcome, she thought.
“If there is anything you want, Uncle Nicholas, please ask me,” said Edward.
Charlotte and Stephen felt very uncomfortable, as Edward only addressed their father, deliberately leaving out Stephen.
That night, when Edward and Charlotte retired to bed, Charlotte turned to Edward. “I am grateful to you for welcoming Papa, but, Edward, you could have included Stephen as well in your welcome,” said Charlotte.
“Charlotte, if I don’t approve of someone, I certainly will not welcome him into my home. In Stephen’s case it is the same, but I cannot ask him to leave, as he is your brother. I hope I have got this straight and you understand what I mean,” said Edward.
Charlotte’s response was almost a grunt as she turned and punched her pillow before she lay down on it and fell asleep.
6
CHAPTER SIX
NEW BONDS
NEW BONDS
“A baby is a blessing, a gift from above, a precious little angel to cherish and love.” ~ Unknown Author
Duchess Charlotte stirred in her sleep as nausea gripped her throat. She sat up like a bolt of lightning and clutched her throat. “Edward……Oh Edward, do wake up, I feel sick,” she whispered as she reached across to her sleeping husband and shook him gently.
Regency Romance: To Capture The Duke’s Heart (CLEAN Historical Romance) (The Inheritance Saga) Page 3
