“Hello, Mother. Chris. Wonderful to see you both. To what do I owe this pleasure?” Eric held her right hand in his and wrapped his arm around her waist.
“What the devil is going on?” His mother's voice pierced the entry hall as she began to descend the stairs.
“What do you mean, Mother?” Eric looked at his mother levelly.
“I get a letter no more than three sentences long that you are engaged and getting married at the end of the summer and I arrive to find you gallivanting all over the East Coast with a parcel of soldiers to greet you? Explain yourself.” She stopped on the last step so that her eyes were level with her son’s.
“Mother, I would like you to meet Mrs. Lillian Carter Sampson, my wife.” Eric nodded toward her. “Lily, this is my mother, Mrs. Mary Greystone Sampson.”
“How do you do, Mrs. Sampson?” Lily curtsied, feeling herself blush under the woman's scrutiny.
The other woman did not respond but turned back to her son. “Well?”
“Mother, I am a grown man, I owe you no explanation.” Eric began to steer them both down the hall. They entered what was clearly his office and his mother was forced to follow. Eric poured himself a drink, then sat in his chair, motioning for Lily to take a chair just off to his right. She obliged. Mrs. Sampson stood in the doorway for a moment. She appeared to be surveying the situation then she too crossed the room and sat in a chair directly in front of the desk. Chris followed behind them, sitting as well and finally, Kurt brought up the rear, standing in the back of the room. Mrs. Sampson turned to see who else had entered the room and for the first time addressed someone other than Eric.
“Wonderful to see you as always, Kurt. Were you on board with my son?” Kurt nodded. “Will you be heading back to the boat this evening?” Mrs. Sampson stared directly at the man. While Eric had moved them into his office, his mother still controlled the conversation.
“No, ma'am. I reckon I'll be staying on dry land for a bit anyhow.” Kurt, never one to mince words, did not do so now.
“Why is that?” One of Mrs. Sampson's eyebrows arched up but Kurt only nodded toward Eric.
“What do you want to know, Mother?” Eric sighed and took a large swallow of his drink.
“Who is this girl? Why have you had a wedding that defies all social convention? Why did you not do me the courtesy of explaining any of it before?” Her lips pursed and Eric sighed again.
Eric ignored her questions. “First, Mother, Lily's family will be arriving shortly and I beg you not to voice your concerns about our marriage. James is disgruntled enough with me...”
“Disgruntled with you, whatever for? Any woman would be extremely lucky to marry into my family. Who is James?”
“James Carter is Lily's brother and guardian and he feels, not without good reason, that I am to blame for many of Lily's current difficulties. He is also extremely unhappy with the timeline, that was my choice, and feels his sister would have been better off married to someone else.”
“I see. You have mentioned 'current difficulties.' Is there a child on the way?” Mrs. Sampson pursed her lips.
“Any child will be nine months after our marriage, Mother.” Eric’s jaw clenched and his fists tightened.
“Then why would you marry such a woman—” Eric lightly slapped his hand on the desk.
“Mother. Lily is from a very respected family and I am lucky to have her hand over her many other suitors. The accelerated timeline is due to the interference of Colonel Kingsley.”
First surprise then an inkling of understanding crossed her face. “What does he want with a respectable girl?” Lily noted that Mrs. Sampson's word choice about her had changed dramatically.
“To marry her, of course. “ Eric paused taking a deep breath. “Lily, on top of her many virtues, is an heiress. Her mother was Regina Lafeyette.”
Mrs. Sampson looked abruptly at her then back at her son.
For the first time, Chris spoke. “Who was that?”
Eric nodded at Lily. “My mother came from the Lafayette family of Boston and New York. She defied her father's wishes and married my father but she still retained much of her dowry. My father already had a successful business so some pieces of it he retained for my brothers and myself.”
“Wait.” Chris's eyebrows shot up. “The Lafayette family?”
“What is your dowry?” Mrs. Sampson asked but her voice had softened.
“A piece of land on the harbor,” Lily answered directly.
“And why did her brother agree to allow you to marry her so quickly?” Lily was shocked at Mrs. Sampson's change in attitude.
“He is not happy about it. The Colonel forced my hand by first degrading her reputation with rumors, then, when I stepped in, attempting to kidnap her.”
“He is a man who will use any means necessary.” Mrs. Sampson nodded. “Why didn't you explain any of this before?”
“There has not been much time. I actually have a letter I wrote to you a short time ago with specific details and instructions. Perhaps tomorrow you can read it to fill in any other gaps. For now, Mother, we are exhausted and, tomorrow, I have much to do.” She stood and Lily did the same but she was beginning to feel lightheaded from the complete lack of sleep. Eric looked over at her and reached for her, tucking her next to him. She closed her eyes, wishing to collapse into bed. She pried her eyelids open to see Mrs. Sampson giving them a long look.
“Goodnight,” she said, then turned and left the room.
Chris turned to his brother. “How did you do that?”
Eric merely smiled as the butler entered, amazingly in complete uniform, and announced that the Carters had arrived.
CHAPTER 19
LILY WOKE LATE the next morning, still feeling completely exhausted. She could have slept for another three hours but she knew that everyone else was awake and that they wanted to speak with her.
Eric had already left but another Sampson popped his head into the room. “You’re back. I missed you.” Toby bounced to the bed and she scooped the boy up in a hug.
“I missed you, too.” Tears glistened in her eyes as she held the small boy.
After a bath and being dressed, she felt slightly better but a knot of dread filled her at the thought of facing Mrs. Sampson and James at the same table.
She entered the dining room to find most of the family already through eating. The company seemed surprisingly cordial. Even James and Kurt seemed deep in conversation. Elise jumped up from the table and Lily felt her heart soar. The two women embraced.
“Thank goodness you are all right.” Elise held her close.
“I missed you. How is Tom?” Lily felt herself drawing strength from her sister-in-law.
“Better. He and Danielle should be here shortly but we have scarcely seen them since he and James returned.” Elise smiled and winked and Lily understood completely.
Ann stepped around from the table and Lily motioned her over, embracing the other woman as well. “I am so sorry that you couldn't find your aunt.” Lily held her hand sympathetically.
“Thank you,” Ann whispered. “I am lucky, though. At least I found you and your family.”
“I am sorry to interrupt.” Eric cleared his throat. “Lily would you accompany me to my office?”
Lily nodded and fell in line behind Eric, hopeful to have a few minutes alone with her husband. They had collapsed into bed last night and Eric had obviously gotten up a good deal earlier than she had. She was disappointed, however, when first Kurt, then James, and finally Eric's mother fell in line behind them. Her shoulders drooped. This couldn't be good.
The group stepped into the office and Lily was struck by the magnificence of the room. While not overly large, there were subtle touches everywhere that spoke of the wealth of the owner. For some reason, it made Lily's mood more melancholy. She preferred the small room they had shared on the ship that was simple and intimate. She worried that here, the gap between them would be as large as it was before they had left.
Eric leaned against the desk and took Lily's hand, drawing her up beside him. Kurt stood in the corner while James and Mrs. Sampson sat in the wing back chairs on the other side of the desk.
“How was your honeymoon?” James smiled tightly, clearly on his best behavior.
“Very nice, thank you.” She smiled tensely back.
“I must say, dear, you look lovely this morning. Although we must take you shopping for some additional clothes.” Mrs. Sampson was also on her best behavior if she was offering to take her shopping. This was not the conversation she had expected.
“Precisely what we are here to talk about.” Eric turned to her. “Kurt will be attending to you, much as he did on the ship, about the house. The police have been notified that the Colonel is an outlaw and his ship has left the harbor, but I am assuming this is not over. I don't think he will give up now. You are to go nowhere unescorted and keep trips as limited as possible. We will be attending a few social engagements to announce our marriage and put to rest any rumors about it. You shopping with my mother...”
Mrs. Sampson interrupted. “It would be good for us to be seen out together. It is a show of solidarity.”
“I agree. We just have to make sure you are safe. In addition, James has provided us with a story for the public. You left to visit your favorite aunt. Her dying wish was to see you married so we decided to marry in Maine before her death.”
Lily nodded. She was feeling amazingly hungry and tired but she tried to focus. “When will we be shopping?” If they said today, she might cry. She was not sure that she was up for such a busy day.
“In a few days.” Eric squeezed her hand as she went limp with relief. “I have a great deal to do today but your family is staying for a few days. My mother will help you settle into the house.” He kissed her forehead and turned to sit behind his desk as James pulled his chair closer. She had been dismissed. She walked out the door and glanced back to see James and Eric poring over some papers. Kurt fell in line behind her and she returned to the dining room where she ate breakfast. Elise and Ann chatted and she did her best to participate.
The day passed in a blur, ending with a large dinner. Lily excused herself shortly after to go to bed. She felt she needed to try to catch up on sleep. Her exhaustion seemed to be affecting her entire outlook. She had barely spoken to Eric and the large crowd of people seemed to command his attention. She felt disconnected and alone. She lay down on the bed to collect herself before undressing and fell sound asleep.
She had no idea how much time had passed when she felt someone roughly shaking her. “Lily, wake up.”
She lifted her head trying to figure out where she was and why Eric was shaking her. “What's the matter? Where am I?” Her voice sounded slurred even to her. She was trying to clear the cobwebs in her mind but she couldn't.
“You’re home.” Eric's face was only inches from hers and she blinked confused. “At my house,” he corrected.
“Oh.” She tried to reason out his concern. “Why are you shaking me?”
“You are sprawled out on the bed completely dressed. Your maid attempted to wake you and you were unresponsive.” Eric looked frightened.
“I'm just tired.” She lay back down but Eric pulled her up and began unbuttoning her gown.
“I know you went to bed late but you slept until almost noon and you went to bed at eight o’clock. Are you feeling ill?” Eric had worked at the rest of the layers of her clothes. He pulled a nightgown over her head and she began unpinning her hair. He started pulling pins out when there was a knock at the door.
“Is everything all right?” Chris called.
“Fine,” Eric said tersely.
Chris poked his head in the door and Eric scowled at him as he pulled another pin out of her hair. “What was the problem?” Lily heard James call.
“For heaven’s sakes! I was just tired, I fell asleep. It has been an exhausting month!” She stood up.
James walked into the room. As he saw her standing, looking annoyed, his whole body relaxed. He walked over and kissed the top of her head. “I love you,” he said simply and turned to leave.
“No lectures?” Lily was irritated.
“I don't think I need to do anymore lecturing, I will leave it to your husband. Besides, I think he is doing enough worrying for the both of us.”
James and Chris left and she turned to Eric. “How is it going to be?” She was exhausted and she couldn't mince words or pretend.
“What are you talking about?” Eric was clearly not in the best mood either.
“Before we left, I mean before I was kidnapped, we barely spoke or looked at each other. You didn't seem to like me very much. Are we going back to that?” She turned to look at him.
“How could you think that? Everything I am doing, including having both of our families in my hair, I am doing for you. I am only trying to keep you safe.” Eric gave her a black look.
Feeling instantly guilty, Lily wrapped her arms around her husband. “I'm sorry. I am feeling tired and irritable and I missed you today.”
Eric smiled his beautiful smile and whispered, “I missed you, too.” Eric scooped her up in his arms and carried her to bed. They made love intensely and desperately. Lily snuggled into her husband afterward and once again fell soundly asleep.
Two weeks passed in much the same routine. Lily was worried that she was getting ill. The stress of the past few months seemed to have finally caught up with her. With so much family around, she and Eric rarely spent any time together. She slept late, went to bed early, and ate ravenously. She was sure that she must have put all the weight on that she had lost.
The family was attending a ball that evening, one of the last of the summer, and Eric had asked her to try to make it down for breakfast so that he could talk to everyone about their plan for the evening. While the Colonel had fled the city, Lieutenant Colonel Andrews had stayed behind, and Eric feared it was to once again capture her. They had attended a limited number of social events to announce their marriage and publicly have the support of their families but each affair had been exhausting for Lily and she was not looking forward to tonight.
She entered the dining room, as everyone was taking their seats, still feeling sleepy. Eric rose to kiss her forehead. As his lips passed over her head she inhaled the distinct odor of eggs Florentine, which was placed at the end of the table. She felt the nausea rise in her chest. Her whole body went suddenly hot then cold. She covered her mouth and nose. She was sure she was turning absolutely green. Eric pulled back from her, a look of concern passing over his face.
“Lily, what is wrong?” His brow furrowed as he looked at her but all she could gasp was, “Bucket!” As she doubled over.
James grabbed an empty bowl and stuck it under her face as Eric supported her torso and she emptied the contents of her stomach. She heard the groans and gasps behind her but she couldn't care.
Finally, Lily was done. Eric grabbed a napkin and swabbed her face. She felt immediately better but dared not smell. “Take the eggs away,” she gasped through her mouth, holding her nose.
“Are you all right? What's the matter?” Eric was scowling but everyone else at the table seemed to be smiling.
“Don't you know?” Mrs. Sampson smiled angelically at her son and Elise had tucked her head down to giggle. What was going on?
A servant started carrying the eggs away but Chris stopped him. “We're not going to waste perfectly good eggs, are we?”
Eric gave his brother a black look. “Take them away,” he barked. Eric held her close but she could feel him smiling on top of her head.
“Why is this so funny?” It was her turn to look less than amused.
“How are you feeling now?” Eric asked.
She looked at the table of food and her mouth began to water. “Hungry,” was all she could say when the whole room burst into laughter. Only Toby seemed to share her ignorance.
“Is Lily all right?” he asked, a look of conc
ern on his face.
“She's fine.” Eric patted his son on the head. “You are going to have a little brother or sister.”
Lily looked at her husband, completely stunned, as the pieces fell into place in her mind. He stroked her cheek and then whispered into her ear. “You had better go eat!”
She smiled back and headed down the table to dig in.
After the family had finished eating, they discussed that night's ball. While Eric would spend most of the evening with Lily, one of the three brothers would always be with them, in case Eric had to step away. In addition, two women would go with Lily whenever she needed to use the powder room. They would take several carriages, all looking alike, so that it would be difficult to tell which one Lily and Eric were in.
After lunch, she was feeling sleepy. Now that Lily knew why she had been so tired, she decided to take Toby for a walk, instead of retiring to her room. Kurt looked relieved, he was clearly tired of standing outside her room all afternoon.
They spent a pleasant afternoon identifying flowers in the garden, Lily taught Toby the Latin names of several of the plants. He was a charming boy to be with and she found herself laughing a great deal. Finally, he was called in by his nanny and Lily sat on a nearby bench, exhausted.
Her eyes began to close and she thought she had better go inside and lay down. Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder and her eyes snapped open.
Mrs. Sampson was standing above her. “Are you all right?”
Lily smiled weakly and said, “Just sleepy.”
“You should lie down before tonight.” Lily nodded as her mother-in-law sat down next to her.
They sat in silence for a few minutes “Neither of my other sons are married. Chris seems to despise the idea and Nate is completely indifferent. I was excited when Eric first told me he was marrying, but I didn't see eye to eye with Caitlin. I always thought she was more interested in Sampson money than Eric. You will have to forgive me for the way I acted the first night I met you. I was afraid you were cut from the same cloth. It is obvious that you are not and that both my son and grandson love you.”
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