Joshua stopped walking and turned back to stare at her.
"What does that mean?" He asked abruptly.
"All the servants believe she was father's mistress."
"No," he shook his head. "You must have it wrong. He would not invite his former mistress here, to my wedding. That would be disrespectful to Mother."
She shrugged and let him go, still not convinced.
A lot of the guests were staying a few days before the wedding as well as after and, although he did not know them well, Richard had invited Lord and Lady Roxham and their son. It seemed he was still in favour of a match between Estelle and Robin, and hoped another meeting might seal the bargain.
Bethany struck up a friendship with Robin’s mother, Lady Antonia, and the two spent a lot of time together.
“I hate these functions,” Bethany said. “It is my son’s wedding and I have to live up to my title and position, for his father’s sake and for his. I have never felt I fitted into this life.”
“I will tell you a secret,” Antonia said quietly. “I too had nothing before I married Robert. My father was a minor Baron and when he and my mother were killed in an accident, Robert’s father became my guardian. He was forced to marry me in order to get his title and inheritance.”
Bethany’s eyes widened.
“But you love each other,” she said. “I can see that. Anyone can see that.”
“Yes, but it was not easy. I did not like him at all when I agreed to the marriage, but I felt I owed him something and I did not want to be turned out with nothing. That day I burst into your suite at Whitehall, looking for somewhere to hide, I was convinced he had tried to have me poisoned.”
“I remember how afraid you were.”
“Yes and your husband thought it was because he was violent towards me. A lot of people thought that, because his father was brutal, but I could not let them go on thinking it. Robert is a gentle man; he had a temper back then, it was true, but he always treated me well after our marriage.”
“Why did you think he was trying to have you poisoned?” Bethany asked.
Antonia sighed.
“When his father died, he wanted to marry someone else but he would have lost everything and she would not have him without the title. Then she brought her wretched little maid to our house and asked us to find her a place. That is when I became ill, and when I found out she was poisoning my broth, I thought Robert had ordered it so he could have his title and Camilla.”
“You poor thing.” Bethany reached across the space between them and took her hand. “I know what it is like to believe the man you love wants you dead.”
Antonia raised an eyebrow but asked no questions.
“Yes, and it took him almost getting his silly self killed for me to realise he loved me. You too married for wealth and position and fell in love. It is fate, I am certain.”
“How was he injured?”
Antonia looked a little doubtful. At last she drew a deep breath.
“It is in the past, but please do not tell your husband. He was part of the Wyatt rebellion to get rid of Queen Mary and put her sister on the throne.”
Bethany was stunned, but her memories of that time were something she wanted to keep buried. She squeezed her friend’s hand.
“I will not tell him,” she assured her. “I am quite sure the knowledge would be safe with him, as I know his allegiance is different now, but even so I have my own reasons for wanting to forget that time.”
The following day, Bethany stood in the church and watched her handsome son, resplendent in a suit of silver grey velvet, quilted with silver thread, as he was joined in holy matrimony with the very beautiful Lady Susannah. Had Anthony had his way, this day would never have come; her Joshua, her eldest son, would have been lost to them forever.
***
The wedding was a great occasion, with titled people of whom Lord Summerville approved coming from miles around. There were also some guests which Susannah had not been expecting, despite what Joshua had told her.
The most surprising of all was a woman called Lady Rachel Stewart, whom gossip insisted was Lord Summerville’s former mistress.
But Susannah noticed the way her father was studying the woman during the festivities, as though he knew her too.
Adrian could hardly believe his eyes when he saw the woman he had known as Lady Summerville. She had aged and she looked ill, but there was no doubt about her identity. What on earth was she doing here? And why was Bethany treating her as an old friend? He doubted he would ever know and he was not prepared to ask and spoil this day for the young couple.
They had danced and eaten and now they stood together in their newly decorated bedchamber in the east wing. There had been no rowdy guests escorting them to the marriage bed and although Susannah knew what to expect, thanks to her mother, now the time had come her stomach fluttered and her heart began to race.
“Is it true? About Lady Rachel?” She asked Joshua.
He shrugged.
“Who knows? I do not think my father would invite such a woman here, but my sister does not agree. I doubt we will ever know the truth of it.”
He leaned forward and kissed his new wife with all the passion he had held in check during this past year since they had met.
“I do not want to talk about my father’s exploits,” he whispered, bringing his head close to hers so the servants could not hear. “I would rather have some exploits of my own.”
She laughed and he dismissed the maids who were waiting to remove Susannah’s wedding gown.
"My Lord?" One of the maids queried. "Does Her Ladyship not need help with her clothing?"
He smiled; this was something he had been expecting.
"No, Dora, thank you," he said softly. "We will manage."
Dora smiled knowingly.
When she had gone he stepped toward his bride, took her into his arms and kissed her, a kiss which thrilled her deep down inside. Then he began to undress her. He unlaced the bodice of her satin gown, he removed her sleeves, slowly, gradually rolling each one down to her wrist before removing it altogether. He untied and removed each petticoat separately and let it fall to the floor, stopping to kiss her again between each layer of clothing. She could feel his heart hammering each time he kissed her and she could tell that he, too, was nervous, although he seemed to know precisely what he was doing. This was the last thing she had been expecting, but the feelings his actions were arousing were mystifying and left her feeling helpless. When she was left with only her silk shift, he took off his own clothes, all of them, then he untied her shift and let that, too, drop to the floor.
She felt weak, as though she would collapse if he stopped what he was doing, but by this time she felt her breath coming in little gasps which she tried to keep silent, and she longed to put her arms around him and hold him close. What would he think of that? Thinking of his parents and hers, she no longer resisted the urge and she wrapped her arms around him, pulled him closer to her, kissed his neck, his chest, reached up and kissed his lips with all the passion she had suddenly discovered.
He lifted her on to the bed, lie down beside me, and his lips moved over her neck, her breasts, her body. Helpless to resist anything he might want to do to her, she was his, completely his to do with as he pleased.
She had gone into that bedchamber with him, very afraid and not really knowing what was going to happen. Despite her mother’s assurances when she had told her what to expect, it had not sounded like something in which she would find pleasure and she was prepared to do her duty, nothing more. But now she knew what she wanted. She felt an emptiness in that most secret part of her, a hollowness which she longed for him to fill, longed to feel him inside her, longed for him to become one with her and when he did she cried out his name and pulled him closer.
After that first time together, they had lain beneath fur covers, his arm around her, her head resting on his chest and she could not speak. She was so happy, so content,
and her mind was filled with the memory of it. Was this what she had been afraid of? Was this what she believed would be something to be endured out of duty? Her mother had tried to explain, but no amount of explanation would have come close to the reality, the joy of him inside her, the bliss of feeling his flesh against hers. Even now, the touch of him lying beside her sent thrills of excitement throbbing through that secret place.
In a far distant part of the house, the musicians still played, the dancing still went on and would go on for the next few days but they had their own place. Susannah was so grateful to the Earl for giving them this part of the house for their own, for allowing no one to intrude on this private time.
"Are you happy?" Joshua asked softly.
She did not move, did not want to look at him; she felt too embarrassed.
"Very," she answered in a whisper. "Are you? You are not disappointed?"
"God, no!" He laughed then held her tighter. "This was the first time for me too. My father told me it should be beautiful and it was, the most beautiful experience I have ever had."
She clung tighter to him. Would it be the same the second time? Would they feel that exquisite bliss again? She could not wait to find out. She wanted him again, wanted to feel his touch on her private places but she was afraid to ask. She did not want to appear too forward.
"What is it?" He asked. "There is something on your mind, I can tell. If there is anything you are not happy about, you must tell me."
She took a deep breath and held on to him, hoping he would not think less of her.
"I was just wondering," she murmured quietly, feeling the heat spreading over her cheeks, "if we could do that again."
He moved up to rest on his elbow and look at her face and he wore that beautiful, warm smile, then his lips met hers, he kissed her and aroused all those mysterious feelings once more.
***
Susannah was taken out to meet the tenants on the estate, who all greeted them almost as equals, took their hands, wished them well and some of the older women even hugged Joshua. She found that so heart-warming, she wore a permanent smile of pleasure. She was curious about the chimneys, standing tall like sentries on all the cottages, just like in the main house.
“Did your father pay for this?” She asked, then thought it a foolish question. “Of course he did; who else?”
"My father has always taught us that we are no better than them," Joshua told her. "He makes sure they have enough of the essentials of life, such as food and warmth. That is one of the reasons they are all loyal to us."
She wore a determined expression as she followed him.
“I shall write to my father when we get back,” she said. “He should be providing his tenants with such comforts as well.”
Joshua laughed, making her turn to him with a puzzled frown.
“He will not want my father to have the advantage over him, I daresay,” he remarked.
“You are right,” she said with a laugh.
He took her to the abandoned church in the woods and showed her where food and firewood was always left for the poor. There were straw mattresses on the floor inside the church and fur covers.
"But it is a church," she commented. "Some would think it sacrilege to treat it like this?"
"It has been deconsecrated," he replied.
"Even so…"
"There are more ways to serve God than praying and chanting," Joshua said.
"That sounds like something your father would say."
"Well, my darling," Joshua said with a teasing smile. "You knew we were a strange lot when you agreed to marry me. It is too late to be horrified now."
There was a blanket of dead grass quite close to the church. It was charred, as though there had been a fire there many years ago. It was too big for a camp fire and she turned a questioning look on Joshua. He shrugged.
"I have no idea," he said. "I never really noticed before. It looks very much as though something has been burnt down here. I shall ask my mother; she will know."
Susannah walked over to the oak tree then stopped in surprise. Someone had carved something in the bark and she turned to Joshua with a smile. This place was so full of love, she could almost feel it in the atmosphere.
"What does it say?" He asked, coming to stand behind her and place his hand gently on her shoulder.
"It says: Richard loves Bethany," she replied. "That is so sweet. I wonder why this tree out of all the thousands of trees on the estate."
"I can answer that," he said. "My sister told me. This was their place."
"Their place?"
"Yes. This was where they had their first time together."
“Before their marriage?”
“No, after. Please do not ask why, but I think they waited to consummate their marriage. From the advice my father gave me, it seems likely.”
She smiled. The more she learned about this family, the more she could see her own family in them and she was so thankful to be one of them."
***
Playing hostess to so many people was a strain for Bethany; by the end of the week she was looking very pale and she stumbled once or twice. Richard scooped her up into his arms and carried her upstairs, where he called servants to help him put her to bed. She stayed there for two days and Estelle was not prepared to hold her tongue, not this time.
"She is not strong," her father answered when she asked him about it. "She has not been strong since Alex was born. I almost lost her then."
"You mean she nearly died? Why were we not told of this before?"
"She did not want Alex to grow up believing he had been the cause of damaging his mother's health," he answered gravely. "And she did not want Joshua believing it was somehow his fault. Children always take too much on themselves.”
“Why should Joshua think it was his fault?”
Richard sighed heavily and turned to his daughter.
“Alex was born a little early because Joshua was kidnapped and the shock was just too much for your mother in her condition. Now they are both old enough to understand that these things happen and they, at any rate, were not to blame."
“Kidnapped? Why? By whom?”
He opened the door a little to look in on his wife and be sure she was sleeping, then he turned back to his daughter and led her to a nearby settle.
“It was when he was only three. My cousin, whom I had raised from a child, decided he wanted Summerville for himself and Joshua was the heir, the only person who stood between him and the title and estate. We got him back, thanks to Rachel, but it almost killed your mother in the process.”
“Oh, Father! What you must have gone through. Did they catch him? Your cousin?”
“I swore I would hunt him down and kill him myself, but the law got to him first. He was executed for treason, for trying to replace Elizabeth with Mary Stuart.”
“It seems whoever is on the throne of England, there are always those anxious to replace them with someone else.”
***
Because Lady Summerville had taken to her bed, the guests left early and by the end of that week, Lady Rachel was the only one left. Estelle visited her in her chamber and was shocked at how drawn and pale she looked.
"I shall be all right," she insisted. "I have sworn Louisa to secrecy and I ask the same of you. Your father does not need two invalids on his hands."
"Mother is recovering. It was all too tiring for her, that is all. But there is something more with you, I can see. Should we send for a physician?"
She shook her head.
"No good will come of that," she said. "If you could ask Lucy to visit, I would be grateful. I would send Louisa, but she does not trust your servants to be left alone with me."
She was making a cruel joke at her own expense, but Estelle knew how Louisa felt. She was not sure she would trust them with her either. She stopped one of the younger men as he made his way to the kitchens and told him to go and fetch Lucy from the Orphan home, or from her own cottage in
the village. She spoke to Louisa on her way to the kitchen for Her Ladyship's breakfast.
"What is wrong with her?" She demanded. "It is serious?"
Louisa bit her lip in an effort to stop the threatening tears.
"She is dying, My Lady," she said with a catch in her voice. "The doctors say she has but a few months. It is all to do with…" then she seemed to realise to whom she was talking and she stopped.
"To do with what?"
"An old injury which has never properly healed.”
Estelle decided it would be very unfair to pursue the matter. She was going to mention it to her father, though, whether Rachel liked it or not.
"She is ill?" He enquired. “Of course, I could see she was ill, but I had no idea she was suffering from any serious illness. Why did she not tell me?”
She had found him with her mother in their sitting room and was relieved to see she looked a lot better and what little colour she possessed had returned.
"Yes," Estelle replied. "Louisa tells me she will not recover and it is all to do with something, some old injury, but she would not say what."
"She must stay with us," her mother said at once. "We are all she has. If she is to die, she will not die alone and Louisa, too, will need support."
Richard left to go to Rachel, leaving Estelle to ask her mother about Louisa’s statement.
“As she said," Bethany replied. "But it is Rachel's secret. I can tell you nothing."
So it was decided that Rachel and Louisa would be given rooms in Summerville Hall, but it was obvious her presence would inflame local gossip.
Lady Summerville sent for Thomas. He had worked for the family since Lord Richard was a child and was very loyal.
"Lady Rachel is extremely ill," Bethany told him. "I know how you feel about her, and I appreciate your reasons, but His Lordship and I will not allow her to die alone. Whatever her relationship with him in the past, she is still very dear to him. She will be staying here with us and I want her treated with respect and deference. If you cannot do that, you had best make yourself scarce."
"Yes, My Lady," Thomas replied contritely. "Whatever you wish, of course."
"Good. You can begin by relaying my message to the other servants."
HOLY POISON: Boxed Set: The Complete Series 1-6 Page 92
