by Vikki Vaught
Helen realized Margaret had arrived. She wondered how her arrival would affect their household. From what Matthew had told her about Margaret, there was probably going to be quite a bit of upheaval. She just hoped they could become friends. Helen knew Matthew was counting on her to help Margaret. With his arm still around the young girl, Matthew said, “This is my little sister. Margaret, this is my wife, Helen.”
Margaret curtsied. “Pleased to meet you, my lady. I wish I could have come to the wedding. You’re so beautiful. I’m sure you made a lovely bride.”
“Thank you, Margaret. We had a small country wedding, and I wish you could have been there too. Since we’re now sisters, please, call me Helen.”
Matthew gazed down at his sister and said, “Let’s get you into the house and settled in. It’s almost time for tea.”
Matthew didn’t exaggerate about Margaret. She was like a whirlwind, and she never stopped moving. Of course, the twins loved every minute of it. Helen found it difficult to get to know her, because she couldn’t seem to stay in one spot for more than five minutes. It was obvious that she was very spoiled and very used to getting her way, and she had Matthew wrapped around her little finger.
Every day brought some kind of crisis in Margaret’s mind. If it rained, it drove her crazy, because she couldn’t get outside. If it was a sunny day, then it was too hot. Margaret was cheerful and pleasant when she was getting her own way, but if she wasn’t, she became irritable.
By the end of the week, Helen was exhausted from trying to keep up with her. Matthew was no help because he would just go off to his study. The highlight of her day was her morning ride with Matthew. Margaret wasn’t an early riser, so that gave Helen a little peace each day.
While riding on the beach, about a week after Margaret arrived, Matthew remarked, “I’m pleased to see that you and Margaret are getting along. I do realize she can be a bit much at times. Thank you for befriending her.”
Helen shifted in her saddle and readjusted her leg around the pommel. “I’m trying to get to know Margaret, but she’s a bit of a trial at times. Don’t worry. I shan’t give up on her.”
“I really appreciate the effort you’re making.” Then changing the subject, he asked, “What was it like growing up the daughter of a duke? At the wedding, I noticed that you aren’t close to your mother. Why is that?”
“My mother never seemed to have time for me. Neither of my parents spent much time at home. They preferred London most of the year. Being the daughter of a duke did have certain privileges, but for most of my life, I didn’t realize it. It wasn’t until I got to London that I understood I was treated differently. At first, some of the other girls who made their come out with me weren’t very nice, but once they took the time to know me, they realized I was friendly and outgoing. I think they thought I would be all stiff and proper like my parents, which is not me at all.”
“It sounds as if you had a lonely childhood. I know many of the ton leave their children to be raised by servants. I realize that I was very fortunate that both my parents took such an active role in my early years.”
“It wasn’t that lonely because of my brothers. Nelson was wonderful. He made sure that Kathryn and I were taken care of, and that we felt loved. Kathryn and I are very close, even though we’re four years apart in age. Henry was a good brother also. Even though I wanted to follow him around everywhere, he never grew impatient with me, no matter how much I annoyed him.” She smiled as she remembered all the wonderful times she’d had with her brothers.
“I’m glad you had your brothers and that you and Kathryn are so close. Since there was such an age difference between me and my brother and sister, we’ve never been close. Until my father died last year, I didn’t spend much time with them. Now, tell me more about growing up at Sanderford Park. From what I saw of it, it appeared quite lovely.”
“Sanderford Park was a wonderful place to grow up in, what with its verdant green hills, and a great lake, which I learned to swim in. Lady Penelope was the only child that my parents would allow me to play with. She’s the daughter of Lord Stanton, and his estate borders Sanderford Park. Lady Penelope was two years older than I was, but we didn’t get along at all,” Helen said, as she retied the ribbons of her shako hat. “What was it like for you growing up?”
“I was the only child for nine years. I remember how delighted my mother was when she had Gregory. When he was born, I was very jealous of the time my mother spent with him. Gregory was a hand full from the day he was born, and he kept everyone busy. What I soon found out was my mother still made time for me, so I was able to get over my jealousy.”
“It sounds as if your mother was wonderful. I’m somewhat envious of you. My mother has always been aloof. I imagine your mother was overjoyed when Margaret was born.”
Looking somber, Matthew answered, “When my sister was born, it was very hard on my mother, and she didn’t survive the birth.”
“I’m sorry,” Helen replied, concern reflected in her voice, “I didn’t realize that was how you lost your mother. That must have been awful for you and your father.”
“It was. My father had been very much in love with her, so his grief overwhelmed him. Up to that point, he’d taken an active role in parenting me, and I thought the world of him. It was difficult to see him so overcome by my mother’s death. Right after she died, I was sent away to school.”
Helen’s heart went out to him, because she could hear the pain in his voice. “That must have been hard, having to leave for school so soon after your mother’s death. Where did you go to school?”
“I went to Eton, and while I was a good student, I didn’t care for school. My only real friend was Bradley. We were both misfits, so we stuck together. We were smaller than many of the other boys, so they picked on us unmercifully. I went through something of a wild stage and got into some trouble at school, but nothing awful.” Matthew’s face grew flushed as he said, “I’m embarrassed to say this, but I was something of a rake.”
Helen laughed. “Remember when we first met at Lady Molson’s ball? I saw you talking to Lady Helton before you came over to meet me, and I thought you were probably a bit of a rake because of the way you looked me over. How did you end up married at such a young age?”
“When I got into trouble at school, Father thought marriage would help me settle down. When I was one and twenty, he arranged my marriage to Belinda, and I hated him for it. I knew I was far too young for marriage, but he wouldn’t listen to me. I made a very bad husband,” he said, and then looking contrite, he added, “I wasn’t faithful to my wife, and she knew it, because I wasn’t discreet. When she died, I felt tremendous guilt over the way I had treated her.”
With a determined voice, Helen replied, “I can’t even imagine being forced to marry at such a young age. Of course, that was no excuse for the way you treated Belinda. It wasn’t her fault that you had to marry so young. I need to let you know right now, I’ll not tolerate you being unfaithful to me. I know that in many tonnish marriages it’s acceptable to have lovers, but I don’t agree. I’ll never be unfaithful to you, and I expect you to be faithful to me. I guess we should have talked about this before we got married, but I just didn’t think about it.”
Matthew looked earnestly at Helen. “Helen, I promise I’ll always be faithful to you. I was too young and too stupid to know any better when I was married to Belinda. I respect you far too much to ever betray you.”
Helen was relieved to hear Matthew say he wouldn’t betray her. She’d never thought about adultery before. She’d just assumed that Matthew would stay true to his vows. She guessed it was quite na�ve of her to not think about this before she married him. “Well, I’m glad we have that cleared up. I promise that it won’t be much longer before I’ll be ready to…ah…consummate our marriage. I understand that it’s difficult for you to wait, but I’m so glad you’re willing to give me time to get used to being married to you.”
“I won’t deny that
I want you badly, but you take as long as you need to feel comfortable with the idea of making love.”
Helen didn’t want to discuss making love, so she changed the direction of their conversation. “I’ve been wondering about something. Since you loved your father so much, I imagine you miss him terribly.”
“I do. I miss my father desperately. Even though I hated him when he made me get married so young, I forgave him years ago. I loved him very much, and when he died, it just about brought me to my knees. Once he was gone, I had a rude awakening. Collingswood Hall was in bad shape, and I told you about the steward. I had to put my philandering ways behind me and face my responsibilities.”
“I’m sure it was a surprise when you found out that he hadn’t been taking care of the estate.”
“It was, to say the least. Another thing that bothers me is that I know he was counting on me to turn Gregory around, but I’m not sure I can. My brother is totally out of control. He’s been in trouble constantly this entire year. He’s always overspending his allowance, and it’s created quite a few problems for me. My father was right to be concerned about me not having an heir, because Gregory would probably gamble away everything he could get his hands on.”
“I can just imagine how exasperating it is to watch your brother going down the wrong path.”
Matthew ran his fingers through his thick wavy hair. He tended to do this whenever he was troubled by something. “Yes, it is. My father was also concerned about Margaret. He made me promise to watch out for her, and when the time comes, find her a good husband. I haven’t spent much time with Margaret since we’re eleven years apart. I told you that my father spoiled her terribly, so I’m reaping what he sowed, so to speak. Please try to reach out to her. I know she’s a real trial, but I’m sure with your guidance she’ll calm down. Will you help with her?”
Matthew looked beseechingly at her, so Helen knew she couldn’t deny his request. “Matthew, I’ll try to help you with your sister. She’s so flighty that I haven’t yet been able to have an intelligent conversation with her, but I won’t give up. Now that I have Mrs. Smith, I’ll have more time to devote to Margaret. I’ll also have more time to spend with Christina and Catherine so I can begin to earn their trust. They’ve calmed down quite a bit since we hired Miss Wilson as their governess. When do you think Gregory will be home? You said he should be here soon.”
While part of her was curious about Gregory, she imagined that he would thoroughly disrupt their household, based on what Matthew had shared about him.
“By what he said in his letter, he should be here within the next couple of days. If I know him, he’ll probably be bringing some of his friends with him. He seems to need people around him at all times, so be prepared for total chaos when he does get here. Well, we need to get back, because I’m meeting with Wilcox in thirty minutes.”
They left the beach, and soon they were back at the house. When they arrived, everything was in an uproar. Gregory had arrived ahead of schedule, and he’d brought three of his friends with him. The housekeeper was a godsend. She quickly had rooms prepared for all the guests. Matthew went to find his brother and find out who he had brought with him.
Helen went upstairs to the nursery to visit with Christina and Catherine. When she entered the nursery, the children were trying to read, and it was amazing how much Miss Wilson had accomplished in such a short time. The girls were very bright, and as Helen watched them, she was pleased that they seemed to enjoy their studies. After she entered the room, the girls looked up at her, and it was obvious they weren’t overjoyed to see her. She walked over to them and asked, “What are you reading?”
Christina stood up and shouted, “I don’t want you here. Go away!”
“We don’t need a mother!” Catherine cried.
Helen was at a loss for words, but she knew she had to keep trying. “I don’t want to be your mother, but I would like to be your friend. Since I’m new here, I’m lonely. Won’t you please help me by being my new friends?”
Christina and Catherine looked warily at her, but then they looked at each other and nodded their heads. Evidently, they would consider being her friend, but they definitely didn’t want her as their mother. She turned to Miss Wilson and said, “I’d like to take the girls for a walk. Would that disturb their studies terribly?”
Miss Wilson smiled at Helen as she stood up. “We were almost finished, so I’m sure they will enjoy a walk since they have worked diligently all morning. I’m very pleased with Christina and Catherine’s progress, so they deserve a treat.”
Helen took both of the little girls out to the garden, and while they weren’t overly friendly, they weren’t rude either. They spent a pleasant hour together, and she felt as if she had made a step in the right direction.
All the gentlemen were already gathered in the drawing room for tea when Helen arrived. The men stood up when they saw her, and Matthew introduced her to his brother. “Helen, this is Gregory, and these are his friends from school.”
Gregory looked very much like Matthew. His hair was lighter, but he had the same piercing green eyes. While he wasn’t as muscular or as tall as Matthew, he was nonetheless a very handsome young man. “It’s very nice to meet you. Your brother’s told me quite a bit about you.”
As he swaggered forward to greet her, Gregory said, “Nothing good I bet. These are my three friends, Harold Gooding, Melvin Austin, and Peter Boling. They all go to school with me, and they’ll be staying for a few weeks. I hope that doesn’t bother you.” He paused and took a step back, as if to get a better look. “You’re very beautiful, by the way. What do you see in my brother?”
Helen smiled at Gregory’s friends. “It’s very nice to meet all of you. You’re welcome to stay as long as you would like. Any friend of Gregory’s is always welcome.” She looked over at Gregory and could see why Matthew was worried about him. He had a very bad attitude and wasn’t very polite. “I met your brother in London, and we decided that we would suit, so we got married. I hope we can spend some time getting to know each other. After all, you’re my brother now. I had two brothers growing up, so I’m used to being a sister. I’m sure that we’ll become good friends.”
Helen sat down and passed tea and sandwiches to everyone. The young men devoured the sandwiches, and she had to order more from the kitchen. As she sat there, she watched Margaret attempt to flirt with the young men. She didn’t have a clue on how to go about it. She made herself appear ridiculous and the young men were baiting her. They weren’t very polite to her at all. She could tell Margaret was getting frustrated and was about to have a temper tantrum.
Helen tried to avert it by engaging Margaret in conversation. “I love your gown. Where did you get it? It’s very attractive on you, and the color goes well with your eyes. I’ve always wanted to wear that shade of green, but it just doesn’t do anything for me.”
Margaret kept glancing over at the young men, but then she replied, “Thank you, Helen. The modiste, Madame Bovary, is well known in Bath. She designed it for me. You should use her sometime, if you’re ever in Bath.”
Trying to keep Margaret engaged in their conversation instead of focused on Gregory’s friends, Helen inquired, “My former governess, Miss Tillman, teaches at your school. Do you have a class with her? I didn’t get to go away to school. I think I would have liked it very much.”
“I have Miss Tillman for deportment, and she’s one of my favorite teachers. You were fortunate to have her as a governess. I enjoy school tremendously, and I have dozens of friends.” Margaret looked over at Gregory and his friends with an expression of envy in her eyes, and then she continued, “If I had known Gregory was bringing some of his friends home with him, I would have brought some of mine.”
Soon everyone left the drawing room. The young men were going to the village, and Margaret decided to go up and spend some time with the twins. As Helen was getting ready to leave, Matthew turned to her. “Thank you. You handled Margaret so well. I just
knew she was getting ready to explode. I knew you would be able to help her. Well, I need to meet with Wilcox, so I’ll see you at dinner.”
Helen was pleased Matthew had noticed how she had diverted Margaret’s tantrum. They really were becoming closer, and she was able to relax when she was with him. She enjoyed their morning rides, and she thought she was ready to consummate their marriage, but she wasn’t sure how to let Matthew know she was ready. She didn’t feel comfortable just telling him out right. This was something she would need to think about.
Chapter 10
Late July 1820
Helen and Matthew received an invitation from the Marquess and Marchioness of Ralston for a ball they were holding in two weeks. Helen was pleased, because it would be the first social gathering she would go to as a married woman. She had never met the marquess or marchioness, but from what she had heard, they were supposed to be very pleasant, so she looked forward to the evening. Margaret was mad because she was too young to attend. Helen had to placate her by offering to take her to the village to buy a new bonnet.
Bigbury-on-Sea was a quaint coastal town, and Helen had been there several times with Matthew. They went to the millinery and found Margaret a lovely bonnet in green with cream-colored ribbons that tied to the side. It was quite fetching on her and shopping had put her in a good mood.
They visited the bookshop, and there was a new Mrs. Radcliffe novel in stock. After Helen purchased it, they went to the confectionery and found some delicious chocolate sweetmeats. They were Helen’s favorite. Fortunately, she never had a problem with staying slender, so she could indulge without worry. Buying the candies and book brought Melody to mind, and she felt a fleeting moment of nostalgia float over her. She and Melody had spent many happy afternoons shopping in Cranleigh.
