by Ayles, Abby
Noelle stared at him, wondering where this speech was coming from. It made sense to her that he would never be in want of anything, because the Earl of Montgomery would always be his closest family. But what did this have to do with her?
Then she remembered that he’d said the words future wife. She blanched as she blinked at him. She didn’t know how she was supposed to feel about that, what she was supposed to say, because a lady like her was never supposed to marry a man like him!
“I think that it is indeed a credit to you that you have the earl and the viscount as members of your family,” she said to him a bit warily. “One is never in want of much when one has supportive family…”
He was looking at her so sweetly, still smiling that handsome and perfectly white smile of his. “I would never be in want of anything if I could have you as my wife,” he said to her then.
Noelle gasped a little, her breath coming in rapidly as she gazed back at him, unable to believe that he had actually said those words. She didn’t know at all what she was supposed to say now. She’d never received a proposal, but she knew that she must exercise decorum and decency.
She had been grappling with duty over devotion for so long in the case of Mr. Edwards – she knew that she had feelings for him and she wished that she could make those feelings known, but she didn’t think there was any hope of her family ever approving.
“Surely you would be in want of some kinder words from my mother,” Noelle replied with a slight smile. She was teasing, but only a little. They both knew that it was true that her mother would never let them hear the end of it if this was truly brought before her and the duke.
His green eyes sparkled as he looked at her and his smile grew a few inches wider. “I am not afraid of her,” he said. And she fully believed him.
Noelle realized that she still had not answered his question and he was waiting to hear an answer. It would be rude of her to stall any longer, even if she felt that she needed to. “Nothing would please me more than to be your wife,” she said to him, batting her long lashes.
“It will not be easy, for reasons that you already know, but I think that there truly is no one better suited to me, not in the entire world!”
She reached over and took his hand again, this time not expecting it to be kissed. All she wanted was to touch him, hold him, feel him there with her. They were breaking so many rules of the ton, so she wanted to at least be proper when it came to touching him.
For now.
Mr. Edwards beamed at her. She could tell that he was touched because his eyes had grown in size as well. “I have learned by now that nothing is ever easy, but you get by as best as you can; I am sure that we will get by more than fine.”
Noelle couldn’t help herself now. She threw her arms around his neck and they hugged each other. It was a short, loose hug but it felt wonderful and electric to her.
“I will go and fetch my mother,” he said to her then, “and inform her of this happy news. She will be thrilled!”
He left the drawing room and went up the stairs to find his mother. Meanwhile, Noelle sat back down on the couch, smiling and overcome with emotion. There had been seemingly no occasion for this visit to Wildhill except that of course there really had been… a secret occasion.
She knew already that this news was going to be greeted with consternation and annoyance by her mother. She could only hope that her father, as understanding as he had truly always been towards Noelle, would approve this union in spite of his wife’s protests.
Now I suppose I shall have something else in common with Lord Edwards besides noble birth, she thought with a little laugh. The difference, of course, was that he got to keep his title whereas she would be giving hers up. She did believe that bothered her mother more than anyone else.
Before long, Mr. Edwards returned with his mother on his arm. As soon as they were in the sitting room, his mother let go of his arm and rushed over to her, sweeping Noelle up in a familial-type hug. Noelle could have cried, she was so overjoyed to be welcomed into this sweet little family.
“I am so happy for you both!” Eleanor Edwards said to her. Her eyes were full of glad, thrilled tears. “We must go and let James and Alexander know this news, but first you should settle in.”
Noelle smiled at her and Mr. Edwards. She should make herself at home because before too long this beautiful little cottage was going to be her home! She went upstairs to the guest room as suggested and she sat on her bed, much too excited to actually nap but grateful for this respite nonetheless.
She took this bit of free time to send a quick letter to Lydia. She wished that she could inform Emily ahead of time but knew that this would be bad form. Everyone in my family should hear this news directly from me in person.
So instead she wrote to her best friend, someone she trusted to keep her little secret until the time was right to celebrate. She hoped that this news would someday be celebrated, even if not by her mother…
My dearest Lydia,
Such wonderful news! Mr. Edwards has invited me to stay at Wildhill and he has just asked me to marry him. I knew that I should receive nothing but scorn from my mother and several members of society, but indeed I have agreed to it!
Now I must depend upon the love and kindness of my father. If he wishes to see me happy, as he always claims to, then he shall override my mother’s ridiculous stipulations and allow us to marry. If he does not, I don’t know what I shall do.
I hope that you and your husband are well. As soon as we return from Hertfordshire together and have had a chance to speak with my family, I would so love to pay you and Lord Andrews a visit.
All my affection and best wishes,
Noelle
When she left the bedchamber a little while later, she handed off this letter to a passing servant, knowing that Lydia would receive her news well within the day. She was excited to know what her friend thought of it, coming as Lydia did from a similar position as Mr. Edwards.
Noelle recalled how her mother had reacted when Lydia married Lord Andrews. There had been no such outcry about ‘commoners’ when it came to them. She was sure that she didn’t know how one couple was different from others.
She wondered if it had something to do with the fact that Lord Andrews was a dear old friend of the family, as well as Lydia, whereas her mother didn’t properly know Lord Edwards or Mr. Edwards. Still, this double standard did not sit well with her. All it did was serve to reinforce her belief that such things really did not matter.
Titles are made up by people in order to give an appearance of importance, Noelle thought. But what is truly important is what is inside a person’s heart. She wished that her mother could grow and come to understand that Mr. Edwards had the kindest and purest heart.
If the duchess could but see that they belonged together… Noelle was determined to marry Mr. Edwards, approval or no approval, but she knew that the man was much too proper to allow that. After everything that he had been through and put up with from her family and the ton in general, Mr. Edwards would still be true to everyone’s wishes.
This proved that he was the best man for Noelle’s hand!
Chapter 40
After only another short stay at Wildhill, it was time for Lady Noelle to return home. This time, though, to Rodrick’s delight, he would be travelling along with her. He would ride in a separate coach, but just knowing that they were going to be arriving at the same place filled him with anticipation and hopefulness.
He hadn’t been to the family’s townhouse in quite some time. He felt all the more special to have been invited there by Lady Noelle. She clearly wishes for me to speak to her parents right away.
It did make sense for him to go at once and ask for her hand before too much further time had passed. Indeed, Rodrick very much wanted to marry her as soon as possible. They had spent practically all of the Season that year with a keen interest in each other.
At the end of two hours, their coaches stopped o
utside of the Salisbury townhouse at Grosvenor Square. Rodrick took a deep breath before stepping out of his coach. He had not packed for a prolonged stay; he didn’t think that was necessary.
They will either say ‘yea’ or ‘nay’ and then I shall be on my way. There’s no use in trying to stay around here and get in their way.
He had a feeling that his appearance there alone would upset the duchess.
Walking towards Lady Noelle, he took hold of her valise so that her coach driver could be on his way. Then he held the door open for her, which shocked the waiting butler to no end. The staff there was going to have quite a lot to get used to when it came to him and how he did things.
Rodrick handed off the lady’s valise to the butler, trusting that this man would be able to take care of her things better than he could just then. He didn’t even know where her bedchamber was, let alone where her discarded clothing should be placed.
Meanwhile, Lady Noelle had rushed off in search of her parents. Rodrick went into their sitting room and sat on the edge of one of their chairs, holding the hat that he’d worn on his travels in his hands and passing it from one hand to the other in his nervousness.
He didn’t know what he had been expecting, but he was surprised to find that he was waiting alone in a room now. He hoped that her entire family wouldn’t come in to interrogate him. He wasn’t prepared for that.
Right as he was telling himself not to panic, a butler came into the room. “His Grace, the Duke of Salisbury,” he announced.
Rodrick sat up straight in his chair before standing as soon as the duke came into the room.
“Yes, yes, that’ll do, Geoffrey,” he mumbled as he walked into the room towards Rodrick. Then he reached out a hand for the young man who stood in front of him.
Bowing low, Rodrick took the offered hand and they shook. The older gentleman had lines on his face but his blue eyes were still bright and alert. He really did seem like a genial sort of gentleman, as Rodrick had always heard that he was.
It pleased him to see that the duchess was not joining them in the room for this discussion. He had a feeling that Noelle was somewhere upstairs getting an earful from her mother on his behalf, and that did not make him particularly proud.
“It is so good to see you again, Edwards,” Lady Noelle’s father said to him. As soon as he sat in the chair opposite, Rodrick knew that he could sit and he swiftly did so, still perching on the edge of his seat in case someone else of importance should enter the room. “My daughter Noelle informs me that you have something you wish to speak with me about.”
He did not say this as a question but still Rodrick felt as though he needed to answer him. “Yes, your Grace,” he replied. “I know that I have come from relatively nothing and I have no land or titles to my name, but as the loyal nephew of the Earl of Montgomery, I believe that I should be able to live a life without want…
I have asked Lady Noelle for her hand in marriage and by the good grace of God she has accepted. As this matter is not up to us alone to decide, I therefore knew that I must come in haste upon her return here so that I may ask you for her hand. Your Grace, may I be so fortunate to call your beautiful and devoted daughter Lady Noelle Fletcher my wife?”
The duke looked at him thoughtfully and for a few rather uncomfortable moments, Rodrick wasn’t at all sure what he might say. “This is indeed a matter that my wife and I have discussed at great length,” he said to him. “It has been no surprise to us, over these many months now, that our daughter is most infatuated with you.”
Rodrick looked at him in surprise, his eyes growing rather wide in his disbelief. They’ve been talking about us for months? But wasn’t she meant to wed Alphonse?
He supposed that just because they were aware of Lady Noelle’s so-called infatuation didn’t mean that they planned to let her abandon her prior engagement, such that it was. They likely hoped that she would get over the infatuation instead. Rodrick, for his part, had been unaware of the lady’s feelings for much of this time, believing instead that she viewed him as a dear friend only.
“I see,” he said at last, afraid to look the duke in the eyes. “I sincerely wish for you to know, in that case, upon my honor, that I did not know of any of that. I can only attest to my own feelings.”
The duke raised a hand to quiet Rodrick. “That’s quite all right, my boy.” He smiled now and Rodrick suddenly had a sense that this discussion could very well turn out in his favor.
“Although my wife does not agree with this, it is ultimately my decision to make – along with Noelle’s – and I believe that only good could come from a union between you two,” Salisbury concluded with a smile. “Though she may lose her title here, I expect that she shall remain no less than a lady to you.”
Rodrick was so elated that he felt as though he might fly straight out of his chair and into the sky. He only wished that Noelle was there with them so she could take part in this happy celebration. “She shall be no less than a goddess to me, your Grace,” he vowed.
The duke nodded his head. “That’s exactly what I wanted to hear, my boy.” He had such an amiable, fatherly way about him that Rodrick already could tell that he would be a wonderful man to call his father-in-law.
The two men stood back up from their chairs and shook hands, smiling. Rodrick thought that it was a bit strange to speak and act in this manner as if Noelle was a piece of land instead of a human, but he was not going to fight every last bit of London propriety.
Soon after, the duke took his leave and Rodrick was left there in the sitting room again, only to be joined a few moments later by Noelle and her mother the duchess.
Noelle came right over to him and took his hand, smiling so happily. She’d clearly been given the news by her father that he had consented to this marriage. The duchess, unsurprisingly, did not seem anywhere near as pleased.
When Rodrick looked at the woman, he could see that her mouth was in a thin line. She looked at him with searching eyes, as if she was looking for some sign on him that he could be worth more than he’d once appeared to her.
“Oh, Rodrick, isn’t it wonderful?” Noelle asked him, giddy with the day’s news. He gazed over at her and wished that he could kiss her. Such an action must wait until they were wed, but that didn’t mean that he couldn’t imagine doing so now, in front of her mother!
“Upon my word, I could hardly believe your father at first when he consented,” he said instead to Noelle, smiling lovingly at her. “He said, too, that he has known of your love for me for some time.”
Noelle looked down at the rug on the floor and blushed a lovely shade of pink. He wondered if he should have mentioned it, only he thought that it was incredibly sweet when he heard about it. It had never happened to him before, of course – a lady like her being infatuated with him while he felt the same way about her.
“I did try to not be too obvious about the way that I felt,” she said. “I never came forward and told my parents that I wished to break the time-honored traditions and marry you instead of the Duke of Cumberland.”
“I should say not,” the duchess suddenly piped up. “If you had, your father and I would have been quite cross with you. But… after the actions of the Duke of Cumberland and your sister, it seems that we are not quite on the same footing that we once were.”
Rodrick could hardly believe what he was hearing from Noelle’s mother. It was evident that she remained aloof about him, yet she was coming around to the idea of her daughter marrying him anyway. He didn’t know what had changed her mind about him, but he was ecstatic to see this slight but promising transformation of her attitude.
Though this admittance that she and the duke could no longer expect Noelle to marry Alphonse was not quite an acceptance of Rodrick as the right man for her. “I have heard on more than one occasion that ‘the heart wants what it wants,’” the duchess went on. “If this is indeed the case and you two really do love each other… I won’t try to stand in your way.
&n
bsp; “I don’t wish for any of our girls to be unhappy, either in their lives or in their marriages,” she concluded. “I see now that Noelle will be very happy with you, regardless of what I say about this.” At this, she gave a small but amused smile.
Noelle let out a little squeak in her emotion at her mother’s acceptance. Rodrick knew that this was something she had never expected. She’d been fully prepared to run off with him if her parents refused, and he was quite grateful that it did not have to come to that.
She went to her mother and gave her a big hug, and then Rodrick took the duchess’s hand and gave it a grateful kiss. “I thank you, your Grace. This means the world to me – to us.”
The duchess nodded. “Yes, I know it does. Please do not forget this kindness in future when I may be bothersome at times.” She gave a little wink.
He looked from her to Noelle and he could see that his beloved fiancée was blushing anew. He didn’t know what mortified her more – the knowledge that Rodrick knew about her feelings regarding her mother already or the knowledge now that she hadn’t been as secretive about those feelings as she’d thought.
Rodrick did his best to just laugh a little and nod his head as though he was playing along with a joke the duchess had just told. “I won’t forget,” he said to her. He didn’t believe that she’d ever let him.
The duchess soon left them and then they were alone for a brief time, just Rodrick and Noelle, smiling as they gazed into each other’s eyes.
Chapter 41
Word passed quickly throughout the ton – as it often did – that Mr. Rodrick Edwards was engaged to marry Lady Noelle Fletcher. The response surprised everyone involved when it proved mostly to be positive. Though Rodrick did not have a noble birth, he was known to be an honorable gentleman of good lineage and status otherwise.
