Heaven Bound (A Blakemore Family Book: Madame Lou Series Book 2)

by Hoyt, Saralynn

  “When will you return?” Addie blew her nose into the handkerchief Henrietta pressed into her hand.

  “It will be two or three months before I’m back in England. Right about the time that the country house parties are getting started. In the meantime, darling Adeline, you will try to enjoy yourself.” The countess pushed Addie’s hair back behind one ear as her mother had done when she was little. “You must promise me not to choose a husband until I return so I can help you decide. Don’t worry about Jackson, he just needs more time. I do believe that once he returns to his family estate, he will find a new perspective on this whole affair. One does not toss aside one’s friends so cavalierly without regrets, and I assure you, he will have many where you are concerned.”

  “It was my fault, really. I shouldn’t have let him see how much I care about him. It only made him remember that the only woman he has ever loved is gone forever.” Adeline sniffled trying not to cry again.

  “How much do you care, Adeline?”

  “Enough for it to be an unwelcome distraction for both of us.” Addie sighed, resigned to her situation. “More than enough.”

  “Then it is probably best for you two to part for now, before there are regrets. Someday you will be able to put this behind you and be friends again−maybe even more than just friends.” Henrietta smiled sadly at Addie. “But now is not the time for such tender feelings, my dear. Jack would never forgive you or himself if he were to fall in love with you so soon after losing his wife.”

  “Love!” Adeline choked on a laugh. “Jack could never love me—not like he loved Clara. So I suppose it really is for the best that I’ve promised to marry someone with a title, since Jack will never inherit one.”

  “Indeed.” Lady Huntington said then murmured so Adeline almost didn’t hear her. “Thankfully, promises were meant to be broken.”

  * * *

  It had been his intention to drive Adeline away.

  Jack had felt something stir in him when she’d held him so tenderly in her innocent embrace. Did Addie not know what she did to him when she was so near? Had she no notion of how long it had been since he and Clara had lain together as man and wife? Of course not, he admonished himself. Adeline James was a virginal young lady with no idea of the effect she could have on a man who was starving for intimate female attention.

  Well, he certainly wouldn’t have anything to worry about now. Jackson assumed that he would probably never set eyes on Adeline James again after the way he’d just chased her off with his carefully chosen demeaning words. He hadn’t meant any of it, of course, but he knew that if she didn’t leave him alone he would not be responsible for his actions. His emotions were too raw right now for him not to equate Adeline with Clara in his mind, and before long he would have seduced and bedded the girl without her knowing what had happened. She would have believed she was comforting a friend and not understood until it was too late that she’d ruined herself for the life her father had planned for her.

  Jack was not proud of his actions, but he knew it was the best thing for Adeline. She did not deserve to get caught up in his tragic life just because of her friendship with Clara. He wouldn’t even admit to himself that he had been friends with Addie as well. That was the problem though, of course. Every time he looked at Addie, he couldn’t help but think of his Clara as well. And he certainly wouldn’t admit to himself that it might be guilt and not sorrow or loss that was the overwhelming emotion he was experiencing.

  * * *

  Adeline and her father checked into the Savoy while most of their luggage was sent on to the new London house.

  “We’ll stay the night here then we need to catch the morning ferry to France. We should be in Paris by tomorrow evening.” Papa had them on a tight schedule. “You’ll have to pick out your trousseau quickly as I want to get back as soon as we are able.”

  “Of course, Papa.” Adeline said obediently.

  “I say, Addie. You’ve been awfully quiet since we disembarked. Something amiss? Are you already pining over that handsome earl?”

  “No, Papa. I just want to get settled into my new life.”

  “Most young ladies would be thrilled for a shopping trip to Paris.”

  “Well, as you know, Papa, I am not most young ladies.”

  “Indeed.” Simon looked at his daughter and sighed. “Well, then we’ll treat it like a business trip and be back all the faster.”

  The trip should have been an adventure and Paris was indeed the most breathtakingly beautiful city Adeline had ever seen, but her enjoyment of it was tainted by her inability to forget the last time she had seen Jack. After all, Paris was a city for lovers and that was obvious wherever she looked.

  She went to all the shops Emily dragged her to and bought everything her lady’s maid and the shop clerks suggested, but she couldn’t seem to muster much enthusiasm for any of it. Adeline was actually relieved when she was finally back in London and arriving at her new home.

  “Well, Addie, what do you think?” Simon James waited for his daughter’s reaction to the house he had purchased on his last trip to London. It was situated in Grosvenor Square, one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in town and appeared to be as grand if not grander than the other mansions they had driven past.

  “Lovely, Papa.” Adeline tried to muster some enthusiasm for her father’s choice of homes. Of course, once she married it would not be her home, so she didn’t want to become too attached to the residence. She had lived most of her life in the house that Simon James had built for his wife, and Addie couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. But her life was changing now in leaps and bounds and in a moment she would have a whole new staff of servants to manage as well. She was not looking forward to the awkwardness of what that might entail. She had heard stories, not only from other American women who’d experienced it, but Emily had also warned her about certain prejudices that all English had for the colonials, as they still referred to Americans more than a century after the Revolutionary War.

  “If you don’t like it, we can find another place,” Simon said patting her gloved hand.

  “I don’t know why it matters if I like it,” Adeline said, looking at her father who seemed awfully eager for her approval. “It’s your home and I’ll be married soon.”

  “No, my dear, it’s your home. I purchased it as part of your dowry, you see. So you’ll need to decide if you want to keep it.” Simon smiled fondly at his only child. “Most of these destitute lords had to sell the little luxuries like London mansions and can only barely manage to hold on to the family estates and land. The entailment usually doesn’t cover the extra properties, so the heirs have had to sell them off in order to keep their estates intact.”

  Adeline felt like an intruder in this privileged world of lords and ladies. But, it was the lot she had been dealt in life, the price she would pay for growing up with every wish granted. If she hadn’t seen the hardship of regular folks up close, she might have had a different view of her circumstance. She might have fought her mother and father’s desire to have their only daughter matched to a proper English gentleman of noble birth. But having had such a life given to her freely by her father’s hard work, she felt that it was the very least she could do to show her appreciation and love to him.

  They pulled up the crushed-oyster-shell driveway to the grand mansion’s entrance. The servants were lined up on either side of the stairs that led to the front door, ready to meet their new mistress. Adeline counted six maids, four footmen, a chauffeur, the cook, the butler, and the housekeeper, along with Stone and Albury, who had been able to get to the house before them somehow. Most likely the chauffeur had driven them in the motorcar, while Adeline and her father had taken the slower route by horse-drawn carriage.

  “Stiff upper lip, as the English say.” Papa said cheerfully. He must have noticed that his daughter had grown quiet as they came to a stop in front of her new residence. “Don’t worry Addie, they are going to adore you as much as the serv
ants back home did. You have a special kindness that they can sense and even the British have hearts, or so I’ve heard.”

  Addie couldn’t help but smile at her father’s attempt to lighten the mood. He was a dear man and for him she would make this work. Stepping down from the barouche with the help of one of the footmen, she put on her friendliest smile and greeted each servant one by one, asking each of them their names and primary duties. Several individuals were not present, she noted, as no one thought it proper for a hall boy, stable hands, or a scullery maid to be seen by the new mistress. Be that as it may, Adeline made a mental note to herself to make sure she said hello to the lower servants as well. It would not do to pretend they didn’t exist. That was not her way, even if it was the social norm.

  “Let’s get you freshened up, Miss.” Stone took control of the situation as soon as her mistress was done with the introductions. “There will be time to tour the house first thing in the morning. Mrs. Primrose will arrange it for you in the proper English way. Cook will be sending up trays for you both this evening, as we know you must be quite worn out by the journey.”

  Addie was not about to argue with her lady’s maid. The young woman knew how to manage these unfamiliar waters much better than she, so following her lead seemed the most prudent course for the time being.

  The house was classic Georgian, with many upgrades. When they entered the front hall, Adeline was duly impressed by the marble columns, double staircases that curled up the sides of the three stories, and fully-grown potted trees sitting around the entrance along with beautiful hothouse flower arrangements. No expense had been spared.

  “Well, that went well I think.” Adeline said stepping out of her traveling suit.

  Emily snorted disdainfully. “Not likely, Miss.”

  “What do you mean? I greeted each servant and know all their names now.”

  “But it’s just not done that way here.” Emily said, pulling the pins from Addie’s hat and setting it back into its respective box. “A real lady would turn her nose up at the sight of the maids and footmen and just call them all Tom or Mary. A proper English lady only speaks to the butler and the housekeeper and, of course, her lady’s maid.”

  “How awful.” Adeline said, wrinkling her nose in distaste. “I certainly won’t adhere to that beastly rule. People want to be treated like human beings, no matter their class or rank and I believe English servants are no different.”

  “I suppose there won’t be any changing your mind on this point.” Emily sighed, knowing her mistress well enough. “Maybe the servants will warm up to you, but the Toffs will not take kindly to your crass colonial opinions on the topic. Please indulge me, Miss, at least not behaving like a commoner in front of the other ladies and gentlemen.”

  Adeline laughed and stuck her tongue out playfully at her maid in the mirror as Emily brushed out her hair and plaited it for the evening. “I’m not that stupid, Stone. I know how to comport myself in front of company. Only, you, the household, and I will know what a heathen I am in private. Of course, I won’t be able to stop gossip from leaving the house. I shall just have to trust that no one will want to spread the word of my unconventionality.”

  “You’ve had a long few weeks, Miss. I want you to eat something and get a good night’s rest. In the morning you have several invitations you’ll want to look over and decide which ones to accept.” Emily moved the tray of food over to a tea table near the chaise longue that was placed at an angle in front of the fireplace. “Cook sent up a lovely tray of tidbits and I’m told she’s quite a good chef.”

  “Her name is Mrs. Canter.” Adeline said, sitting and looking around the pretty chamber. It was obvious her father had told the decorator that her favorite color was green, as the room was filled with shades of that color along with gold and cream trimmings. It had the feel of the luxurious French hotel she had recently stayed at. “Is this part of the master suite?” she wondered aloud.

  “Of course,” Emily responded, laying the linen napkin in Adeline’s lap. “This is your room and your husband’s room will be the adjoining chamber.”

  “Where is Father’s room?”

  “I think he took a guest room at the other end of the house.”

  Addie yawned and pushed the food around on her plate.

  “You must eat something, Miss.” Emily had that stubborn tone in her voice that Adeline had learned meant she wasn’t going to budge until she got what she wanted.

  Adeline obediently tasted each item, making sure to comment on everything and sipping her wine as she ate. The dessert was a strawberry cake with freshly whipped cream. Addie finished the whole thing it was so delicious. She ended the meal with a glass of sweet wine. Between the meal and the wine, her eyelids refused to stay open and she allowed Emily to tuck her in and turn out the lights.

  That night Adeline dreamt that Clara came to her and reminded her of the promise she had made to her friend all those months ago back in New York on the night she had died.

  Don’t forget to seek out Madame Lou...

  The next morning, fully-rested and with a new outlook on life, Adeline decided that the dream meant nothing other than a reminiscing of a part of her life she wanted to leave behind. Meaning no disrespect to Clara, she simply did not want to dwell on the painful memories.

  It was time to begin afresh in a new country with a new mission of reform. Even the shipyard workers’ plight would have to be forgotten temporarily as they were hundreds of miles and a boat ride away in Belfast and she was here in London. But she was certain there would be plenty of other causes for her to champion in her new city. And if nothing else presented itself, there were always the suffragettes. The only reason that Adeline hesitated to join her sisters in pursuit of the vote right away was because they already had a large support system and didn’t really need her involvement, where the common workers had little outside aid in their quest for safety and rights.

  At the breakfast table, one of the footmen—Adeline thought his name was Collin—presented her with a silver salver filled with calling cards and several invitations. Not as many as a proper English lady might receive, but enough to begin Adeline’s quest for a noble husband.

  “Ah, my dear, I see you are quite recovered from all the traveling we’ve been doing. I went straight to the club last night to spread the word that we are available for entertainments.” Simon was very proud of his membership in the Turf Club, which was one of the most exclusive clubs in London. Few men were invited to join and even fewer outsiders such as him. But in these new times, money could buy a man nearly anything. “Tell me what invitations you have there and maybe I can help you decide which ones to accept.”

  “Of course, Father.” Addie replied, separating the calling cards from the invitations. She began to read the names of the hosts and what sort of party or event was being provided. “Mr. and Mrs. Forsythe are holding a musical evening on Tuesday. Mrs. Evanston is having a dinner party on Friday. Mr. and Mrs. Partridge have invited us to a late supper on Saturday. Lady Michaels has requested our presence at the opera on Monday.”

  “Nothing from any of the upper peers, eh?” Simon sounded disappointed. “Well, accept them all, Adeline. You never know which one will lead to Almack’s or maybe some single earl or baron will be wandering by the Forsythes’ musical.”

  “It’s the Willis’s Rooms now, Papa. It hasn’t been Almack’s in ages.” Addie replied smiling behind her napkin. Mr. James was an incurable optimist, which was part of the secret of his success. He refused to give up no matter the odds. And right now, the odds were stacked against Adeline.

  “Either way, my dear, it’s time to get to work on finding you an appropriate husband.”

  “I guess that means our week is planned. Tomorrow night we begin with music at the Forsythes’.”

  After breakfast, Addie accepted every interesting invitation and then began her tour of the household, looking for opportunities to engage with the servants. As was the custom in Engla
nd, however, none of the lower servants made themselves visible wherever she happened to be. Apparently it was the way things were done here. Only the upper servants were allowed to engage with the master and mistress, and even then only when directly addressed. So she made due discussing the menu with Mrs. Canter, the silver with Mr. Phillips, and the running of the household with Mrs. McAllister. They were all very polite, yet distant with her. But Adeline was determined to make them come around to a more amiable relationship with her even if it did mean looking gauche in their eyes.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Four months later…

  “I know what you want,” Lady Eleanor Callahan purred, moving her hand up Jackson Bradley’s thigh.

  Jack’s body wanted nothing more than to allow this predatory woman to take him to her bed and ravish him until he forgot all his troubles. But his mind resisted. He couldn’t decide if he was still being loyal to Clara’s memory or if he was simply repulsed by this woman’s crude methods of seduction. The thought that if it had been Adeline touching him so intimately, he wouldn’t be resisting nor making excuses, made him wish for the thousandth time that he hadn’t chased her away so completely. But what was done was done and either way, he wasn’t ready or willing for a purely sexual encounter for the sake of his base instincts.

  Grabbing her hand by the wrist, he stopped its ascent before she reached her destination.

  “Lady Eleanor,” he began, trying not to anger the woman who he’d been warned had a dreadful temper. “While I do appreciate the thought, I’m afraid I must decline your generous offer as I’m still in mourning for my wife. It hasn’t yet been a year since she died in my arms and I would like some more time to grieve before engaging in such pleasures again.”

  Lady Eleanor pouted but withdrew. “Call me when you are out of mourning, Jack.”

  Jackson sighed with relief and retreated to his brother’s study. He’d been on the family estate of Basildon Park for nearly four months now, after having traveled directly from Liverpool by train. It had been a brisk day in early April and his oldest brother, Winston, who was now the current Earl, had picked him up at the train station.