A Suitable Bride

by Fenella J Miller

  Suddenly the dogs turned tail and ran back the way they’d come and she could hear their excited barking in the distance. Something had attracted their attention so she followed them, hoping they didn’t scare her horse as he could be somewhat temperamental. The hedge was too wide for her to see over when standing next to it, although Rufus was standing with his ears pricked looking in the direction of the noise.

  There was a gap she could peer through. She was about to do so when the unmistakable sound of Lord Sheldon made her pause. Then something prompted her to peep through the shrubbery and her heart all but stopped.

  His lordship was spreadeagled on the grass, there was no sign of his horse and her dogs were bouncing up and down around him. He was unhurt, which was fortunate, but so enraged she thought it better not to announce her presence. With luck he would think Toby and his brothers had arrived through their own volition and not associate her with his accident.

  She clicked her fingers and the stallion trotted over to her. There was no way she could mount without something to stand on unless she removed her skirt. She hesitated for a moment, then decided it would be safer to remove herself from Lord Sheldon and risk being seen in men’s attire than remain where she was.

  She unhooked her skirt and draped it around her neck then grasped a handful of her stallion’s mane and vaulted up. There was no need for her to urge Rufus into motion, he shot forward almost before she was settled and only her excellent balance kept her on his back.

  Her horse had chosen to canter along the track adjacent to the hedge and Grace crouched over his neck making sure she couldn’t be seen from the field on the other side. With luck the dogs would be so interested in Lord Sheldon they wouldn’t attempt to follow her and thus reveal that she’d been present and seen his humiliation.

  The sun was slowly rising and there would soon be servants about and she’d no wish to be seen dressed as she was. The track eventually emerged at the rear of the stables and there was the clatter of buckets and the sound of voices. She dismounted and refastened her skirt. ‘You must find your own way back to the field, Rufus. I daren’t be seen.’ She turned his head in the direction of the paddocks and slapped him on his hindquarters.

  He whinnied loudly and his stablemates responded from the field. He needed no further encouragement and took off; she held her breath as he approached the fence but he jumped it with feet to spare. The horse was safely home, now all she had to do was get herself inside without being seen. She was certain there would be no guests down so early but there would be members of staff and they were bigger gossips than their masters and mistresses.

  The house was rousing, there were maids and footmen already about their duties. She checked her skirt was correctly arranged, repinned her hair and then walked boldly through the side door. If she was going to be seen then she needed to look confident, not skulk about as if she had no right to be there.

  She regained the sanctuary of her own apartment unobserved. She glanced at the overmantel clock and saw that the hour was still early – Annie would not be here until seven o’clock which gave her almost an hour to recover her equilibrium and remove the evidence of her escapade.

  There was little point in putting on her nightgown as she had no intention of going to bed. Therefore, she would wash and put on clean underpinnings and by then her abigail should have arrived to help her dress. Her head ached and she thought perhaps she’d overtaxed herself.

  When she looked in the mirror she was horrified to see a trickle of blood running down the side of her face. She touched the wound and was unsurprised when her fingers came away red. The doctor had left no replacement dressings so she would have to improvise.

  Tearing up a perfectly good petticoat was not an option, so she would have to find something else. Then she remembered the bandage she’d pulled off earlier – perhaps that would do. She was obliged to rummage through the laundry bin until she located it. The pad that had been pressed against the stitches was unusable but the bandage would do very well.

  She wound it around her head and secured the end. She could hardly go down for breakfast as she was, so would have to send for something. If she was honest she was relieved she could postpone making her curtsy to the other toplofty guests for a few hours more.

  ‘Good morning, miss, I’ve brought you a tray as I wasn’t sure if you would be well enough to go down,’ Annie called out cheerfully as she walked into the sitting room.

  ‘I’m afraid I’ve overexerted myself this morning and have started the wound bleeding again. I think I might have loosened one of the sutures.’

  Her maid dumped the tray on the sideboard with scant regard for the contents and was at her side in seconds. ‘It’s bleeding badly, miss. I’ll send one of the girls down and ask for the doctor to be fetched back immediately.’

  ‘He said he was returning this morning, there’s no need to make a fuss, it can wait until he comes. We just need to apply a better dressing. I’m sure you can find something suitable that doesn’t require destroying a chemise or petticoat.’

  Annie looked unconvinced but didn’t argue. Soon the bleeding was staunched by a second bandage being applied over the first and all traces of gore had been removed from Grace’s face and she was dressed in one of her new gowns.

  ‘There, that should hold until the doctor gets here. Now, miss, where do you want to eat your breakfast?’

  ‘If you would place it on the hexagonal table that would be perfect. There’s no need for you to remain, Annie, go and have your own meal and then bring me any titbits of gossip you might glean.’

  ‘I shall be back very shortly. If the physician arrives I’ll come at once. Are you sure there’s nothing else you want to eat or drink?’

  Grace waved her away. ‘Everything’s perfect. One thing’s for sure, I shan’t go hungry here for there’s more than enough for a family on this tray.’

  Although she’d thought herself hungry, she scarcely did justice to the delicious food. However, the jug of coffee was exactly what she fancied. She poured herself a second cup and carried it carefully to the upholstered window seat.

  From here she could see the rose garden and, as soon as her wound had been tended to, she was determined to go there. She placed her cup and saucer on the windowsill and then positioned herself so her back was supported and she could stretch out her legs in front of her.

  A short while later there was a sharp knock on the door. Good heavens! The doctor had arrived far earlier than she’d anticipated and her maid would still be eating her breakfast. She was reluctant to ask him to enter without a chaperone but decided as a medical man he would be exempt from the usual rules governing such things.

  ‘Come in,’ she called.

  The door swung back and to her horror, instead of the gentleman she was expecting, Lord Sheldon opened the door. Before she could protest he stepped in and she scarcely had time to swing her feet to the floor before he began his tirade.

  ‘Have you no sense of decorum? No notion as to how a well brought up young lady should behave?’ His question was rhetorical and she made no attempt to answer him. ‘From the moment you arrived yesterday you’ve caused nothing but trouble and your wretched dogs are no better. As soon as you’re recovered I wish you to leave Silchester Court. When Lady Peabody arrives I’ll inform her of my decision. I suggest you remain in your apartment until you depart.’

  He stepped back and closed the door behind him leaving her aghast. Her head was spinning. There was only one reason he had evicted her – despite her precautions he had seen her lurking behind the hedge and knew she had broken all the rules this morning.

  How could she have been so stupid? Her plans were in ruin and she would have to return to DuPont Manor as she had nowhere else to go.

  Tears trickled unheeded down her cheeks and she collapsed onto the window seat and buried her head in her hands.

  Chapter Seven

  Bennett was on the stairs when he stopped. He’d barged into Miss Du
Pont’s apartment and yelled at her as if she was a raw recruit, not allowing her to respond. What the hell was wrong with him? Then his stomach clenched when he realised that the girl had a blood-soaked bandage around her head and she’d been without it when he’d seen her earlier.

  He bounded back up the stairs and ran to her sitting room. He didn’t knock but threw open the door. She was huddled on the window seat sobbing quietly.

  ‘Miss DuPont, please don’t cry. I beg your pardon most humbly. I have the most appalling temper…’

  She sniffed and slowly raised her tear-stained face. ‘I’m well aware of that fact, sir, there’s no need to state the obvious.’ Her voice was scarcely above a whisper but he could hear every word.

  He was somewhat taken aback by her comment but rallied and with a rueful smile handed her his handkerchief. ‘Here, blow your nose and dry your eyes. Crying will only aggravate your injury.’

  His brisk tone did the trick and her shoulders straightened. After a few minutes of mopping and blowing she was more composed. However, her wound was in urgent need of attention.

  ‘You have reopened your gash by your exertions this morning…’

  Again she interrupted him, but this time with a small smile. ‘Yet again, my lord, you are telling me something I already know.’

  ‘Miss DuPont, you are an impertinent young lady, but I’m sure that’s something you already know as well.’ Her gurgle of laughter was contagious and he couldn’t prevent his chuckle. ‘Doctor Adams’s not due to return until later this morning and this cannot be left until then. My valet has stitched me up a few times; I’ll send for him, he can repair the damage.’

  She didn’t look overly impressed by this suggestion. ‘If you don’t mind, I prefer to wait for the doctor.’

  He ignored her comment. She was looking decidedly pale and could be in trouble if the bleeding wasn’t stopped immediately. Instead of pulling the bell-strap he opened the door and yelled using his parade ground voice.

  As expected a footman hurtled around the corner and rushed off with the message. The fact that anyone within the vicinity would have heard him shouting bothered him not one jot. This was his home and he could do as he damned well pleased.

  He left the sitting room door wide open, no need to give the tabbies anything else to gossip about. Miss DuPont had moved from the window seat and was sitting demurely in an upright chair. A streak of blood marred her face where she’d attempted to wipe it away with his handkerchief.

  ‘I think that you’re right, my lord, my injury is bleeding freely now and I’m beginning to feel a trifle lightheaded.’

  Without hesitation he ripped off his neckcloth. ‘Let me have my handkerchief, I’ll fold it into a pad and then secure it with this.’ He grinned as he moved to stand behind her. ‘This is becoming a habit, my dear, and it’s fortunate I have a superfluity of such items.’

  Deftly he pressed the folded handkerchief to the sodden bandage and then added his stock to secure it. She glanced up at him. ‘If your manservant is coming to attend to me, then haven’t you wasted a perfectly good neckcloth? I’m sure I wouldn’t have suffered unduly if you’d waited until he arrived.’

  He wasn’t used to being contradicted and taken to task by anyone, and particularly not by a young lady who wasn’t even a member of his family. ‘No doubt that’s correct, Miss DuPont, but I’d rather ruin my stock than risk your health.’

  Her expression changed and her eyes brimmed again. ‘I beg your pardon, my lord, I don’t mean to be so contrary. I cannot think why I’m going out of my way to offend you.’

  He squeezed her shoulder gently. ‘There’s no need to apologise – I’ve been damned rude to you as well.’

  She rubbed her eyes dry before replying ‘I wasn’t aware that I’d been ‘damned rude’ – I merely thought I’d been slightly uncivil.’

  This girl was an original. ‘Miss DuPont, you’re tying me in knots. Of course you haven’t been as rude as I have and you certainly haven’t been using such appalling language.’

  There was no opportunity for her to reply as the bedchamber door burst open and Abbott, followed by two maids, rushed in. ‘I’ve got everything we need, my lord, if the young lady’s quite sure she wishes me to repair her stitches.’

  ‘Thank you, Mr Abbott, I should be grateful if you would. It’s entirely my own fault that the wound has reopened; I shouldn’t have been gallivanting all over the countryside on my horse this morning.’

  Her hands flew to her mouth as if she wished to push the words back in. This girl was outrageous, impossible, not at all the sort of young lady who should be visiting such a prestigious house as this, but the more he heard her speak and the more time he spent with her, the better he was coming to like her.

  *

  Grace wished the floor would open and swallow her up. To have admitted in front of two servants that she’d been out at dawn on her own was tantamount to tearing her reputation to shreds. Annie wouldn’t dream of gossiping, and she was fairly sure that Lord Sheldon’s man would be as discreet, but an unknown chambermaid couldn’t be relied on.

  She gripped the arms of the chair as Abbott began to unwind the bandage. Whilst his valet was completing this task his lordship picked up a matching chair and placed it beside her. Once he was seated he unpeeled her hands and held them firmly in his own. This was so unexpected it took her mind from what was about to happen.

  ‘He will be done before you know it, little one, and then you must rest as you did yesterday.’ He squeezed her hands and began to talk of something else entirely. ‘I hope you’re intending to enter Rufus in the races. However, you’ll have to ride him side-saddle as I don’t think my guests would survive the sight of a young lady astride, wearing men’s breeches.’

  Despite the horrible pain in her head she managed a weak smile and from somewhere summoned the words to reply. ‘I ride him with a side-saddle as often as I do astride. Are you sure I’ll be allowed to enter? Aren’t these races meant for gentlemen only?’

  His smile made her forget the pain. ‘You’re forgetting, Miss DuPont, that all the entertainment and events are at my instigation. Therefore it’s up to me who participates or not. We’re having several events on the water – do you have any interest in entering those as well?’

  ‘I shall join in everything I’m allowed to, my lord, as there’s nothing I like better than being outside. I’m an excellent swimmer, can row a boat but have never sailed a dinghy. Neither have I travelled in a punt – but I doubt it can be particularly difficult so am prepared to have a go at that as well.’

  The excruciating agony stopped. ‘There, all done, miss, and I reckon I’ve done a better job than the quack. These sutures won’t come adrift. I’ve cleaned up the wound but it will be better left uncovered.’

  ‘Whatever you think is best, Mr Abbott. Thank you for coming to my rescue.’

  ‘I’m afraid I’ve had to cut away a deal of hair, miss, but once the injury begins to heal you’ve more than enough to cover it.’

  She was about to put a hand up to explore just how much had been removed but Lord Sheldon wouldn’t release her fingers.

  ‘No, don’t touch it. It would be better left alone. And I can assure you once you can brush your hair across the injury no one will know.’

  ‘Very well, I’ll take your word for it, sir. I meant to say that I’m grateful for the excellent care that’s been given to my dogs and horses. Could I ask you to take my pets for a walk this afternoon as they seem, for some strange reason, to have taken to you.’ Why had she said that? The remark could be misconstrued as a criticism. ‘I don’t mean…’

  ‘I’m sure you don’t, I understand exactly. Your dogs appear to have adopted me which is certainly an odd thing to do on their part.’ He was now on his feet and had moved a decent distance away from her. ‘I’ll explain to everybody that you will be unable to join us for a day or two. I’m sure that your godmother will wish to visit when she arrives later today.’


  For a second Grace looked at him blankly. ‘I’m sure that Lady Peabody will have better things to do than see me. I’ve never met her, she’s merely doing my mother a favour by sponsoring me. They were bosom bows many years ago, I believe.’

  ‘Whatever the reason, Miss DuPont, I’m glad she agreed to do so. I can honestly say that there’s been more excitement in this house in the past twenty-four hours than in the past twenty-four years. I’ve not enjoyed myself so much since I returned from my soldiering.’ He raised his hand in casual farewell and was gone and the room seemed empty without him.

  Annie began to fuss. ‘I’ve never seen the like, you’d better come back to bed like his lordship said, miss, you look ever so peaky.’

  It was useless to argue when her maid was in this mood so Grace reluctantly agreed to return to her bedchamber, remove her garments and put her nightgown back on. By the time this was accomplished a jug of watered wine and another of lemonade arrived, as well as some sort of concoction prepared in the kitchen that would soothe her headache.

  She drank half the watered wine and swallowed the tisane and she scarcely had time to settle into her pillows before her eyes became heavy and she drifted into slumber.

  *

  Bennett left Miss DuPont’s sitting room unable to stop himself from smiling. The girl might be headstrong, impertinent and unconventional but she was also a bruising rider, brave to a fault and undeniably attractive. Russet hair and green eyes were not a fashionable combination, neither was her unusual height and well-rounded figure, but there was something about her that appealed to him. Was it possible he’d found the girl he wanted to marry?

  He descended the stairs two at a time and jumped the last four like a schoolboy. He would go through the motions of looking at the other young ladies who’d been invited, but was sure none of them would come up to scratch. He’d told Beau he wanted an outdoor girl, someone with intelligence as well as money – Miss DuPont appeared to have all these attributes.