by Ella Edon
Beatrice was used to getting her own way. She had set her sights on Viscount Hartley and knew she wanted him for herself. And Beatrice had succeeded. Now she was Viscountess Hartley, and the previous Viscountess, Amy’s mother, was now living in a more modest area of London.
Amy missed her mother. She had been a calming influence. Visiting her in the home she shared with her second husband wasn’t quite the same thing. Amy wanted her home.
But anything was better than living with her cruel father and nasty stepmother.
“You’re such an ungrateful brat,” Beatrice hissed.
Amy blinked.
“I beg your pardon?”
“We do everything for you, and you throw it all back in our faces. Do you think we want you around us all the time?”
“I don’t want to be around you, either, but I have some standards.”
Beatrice snorted rudely.
“No, you don’t. You're just stubborn to be the bane of your father’s life. He’s done everything…”
“No, he hasn’t.” Amy cut in sharply. She sat forward and glared at Beatrice. “Father is a cruel man. He beat Mother. She was lucky enough to be able to get away, but I wasn’t. Fathers always have charge of their daughters, no matter the situation. That’s why I’m still under his roof. I will not be ordered around by him, and certainly not by you.”
Beatrice’s face went even redder. She sat forward and jabbed a finger at Amy, prodding her hard in the shoulder.
“You are so ungrateful, little miss.”
“Ungrateful, me?” Amy snorted and slapped Beatrice’s hand away. “You two want me out of your lives. That’s no secret. You don’t want me to have a dowry at all. You’re trying to get me married off now that I’m of age, so you don’t have to spend too much money on me. I want out of the house and away from you two, yes, but I won’t bow down to you.”
The two women glared at each other. It was then Amy realized they were alone. The last time the two of them had been alone was when Amy was twelve years old. She had screamed at Beatrice after Beatrice had slapped her for interrupting her conversation with a duchess at a garden party. Amy had, for the first time, stood up to her stepmother. Beatrice had immediately gone to Hartley and said Amy had attacked her. Hartley had beaten Amy for that.
Amy didn’t want to think what Beatrice was concocting in her mind already for her husband.
“I will not marry who you pick for me,” Amy snapped. “Not a chance.”
“Oh, you will,” Beatrice sneered. “If you won’t choose among the suitors we’ve selected for you, then we will choose for you. And you won’t have any say in it.”
“Yes, I will. You can’t force me into anything.”
Beatrice smirked. Amy held back a shiver when she saw her smug look.
“We can force you, sweetheart. And we will make you marry who we choose. You will not be an inconvenience any longer.”
She then settled back, still wearing that smug look as the carriage rocked on its journey. Amy huddled her cloak around her and shrank into her seat, sinking into miserable silence.
“I’m scared.”
Derby laughed.
“What are you scared about?”
Sarah bit her lip. She was hopping from foot to foot, looking like she wanted to go to the powder room. Her hat was wobbling on her head, and Derby was surprised it had stayed on as long as it had with Sarah’s bouncing. Her nerves were working far too hard.
“It’s different, Daniel. New for me. I don’t know how to deal with it.”
Derby couldn’t stop smiling. It was the morning after the wedding, and Sarah was on her way to a cottage estate in Wales with her new husband for their honeymoon. It would be the first time Sarah had been away from any of her family. Even during her Seasons in London, she had been accompanied by either Derby, their recently deceased mother, or a maidenly aunt. Now she would be heading to a place she had never been to as a married woman.
Derby could understand why Sarah was scared. He slipped his arm around his younger sister’s shoulder and hugged her close as he walked her towards the front door.
“Just take a deep breath and go with it, Sarah. It’s just your honeymoon. It’s not as if you’re going to cross the sea to the other side of the world.”
“I know.” Sarah sighed. “But I’m still scared.”
“Oh, Sarah.” Derby laughed and kissed her head as they paused in the doorway. He turned Sarah to him and cupped her chin, smiling down at her. “You’ll be fine. I promise. Merseyside knows he needs to look after you. He knows I’ll come after him if you’re mistreated.”
“He’s already mentioned that.” Sarah giggled. “I don’t think he’s looking forward to facing you in a duel.”
“Good. I want him to be scared. No one hurts my little sister.” Derby kissed her forehead. “Off you go. Your carriage awaits.”
Sarah bit her lip and looked onto the drive. The carriage that was going to take her and her husband to the cottage had been waiting for a while, their luggage on board. Merseyside was standing by the carriage door, patiently waiting for her. She squared her shoulders and adjusted her cloak before hugging her brother.
“I love you, Daniel.”
“I love you, too.” Derby kissed her cheek and nudged her towards the carriage. “Go. You’ll be fine.”
Sarah nodded, still looking unsure. But she walked down the steps and joined her husband. Merseyside took her hand, giving it a kiss, before helping her into the carriage. Then he touched his forelock in Derby’s direction and jumped into the carriage, shutting the door behind him.
Derby watched as the carriage trundled away, heading down the drive. At least that was one thing dealt with. His sister was now someone else’s problem. Much as Derby loved Sarah, it was a relief that he didn’t have to worry about her too much.
He headed inside, back towards his study. His valet, Stuart Dobson, was setting out various papers on his desk. The older man raised his head as Derby entered the study, closing the door with a heavy sigh behind him.
“That’s the last of the guests,” he declared, “and the married couple is on their way.”
Dobson grinned.
“You make all this sound like a real burden.”
“My sister got married, and I’m pleased for her. Merseyside is a good choice, and he’ll look after Sarah.” Derby pushed off the door and approached the desk, unbuttoning his jacket. “I just wish I didn’t have to deal with the huge parties that go with a wedding. They make me wish I was somewhere else.”
“Wedding receptions aren’t that bad, are they?”
“They are. How did you not notice?”
Dobson shrugged.
“I suppose it’s because you gave me the evening off. You told me to make the most of it, so I did.”
Derby groaned. He had forgotten about that. But Dobson had missed his evening off the day before helping his master get everything ready for the wedding, so Derby had agreed to let him have his time off that next night. Just when he was wanted.
He shrugged out of his jacket and put it on the back of his chair.
“Is everything ready for the day?”
“Just about, my lord.” Dobson stepped back, folding his hands behind his back. “How was Lady Merseyside when you saw her off?”
“Nervous, but she’ll be fine. It’s to be expected.” Derby sat down, stretching out his legs. The chair felt like it was getting far too hard. He was going to need to change it. “Merseyside knows he’s in trouble if he hurts her.”
“The Marquis is just as nervous as his wife. He’s just not one to show it publicly.” Dobson paused. “Is everything well with you, my lord?”
Derby looked up.
“Of course, everything’s well. What makes you think it isn’t?”
“You’re not yourself.”
“I’ve just had to deal with a big wedding and lots of people under my roof, which I’m surprised hasn’t caved in after practically bursting at the se
ams. Nobody would be themselves after that.”
But Dobson was shaking his head.
“That’s not it, my lord.”
There were times when Derby wished his valet wasn’t so shrewd. As a younger man, he had served Derby’s father as a footman. When Derby came to inherit the title and his valet had ended up leaving to care for his ailing parents, Dobson was the obvious choice for him. Pushing forty years of age, the man was a calming, stable influence. Derby often turned to Dobson for advice. The man had a very good head for figures, much better than Derby’s extensive knowledge. Derby had no idea how he would have managed without the other man’s help.
But he was too smart, and that was annoying. Derby sat back and frowned at his valet.
“Do I not give you enough work to do, Stuart?”
Dobson’s mouth twitched in a slight smile.
“My job is to serve you, my lord. And I need to know when something’s not right with my employer if I’m to serve him correctly.” Then he bowed his head. “But you must forgive me for speaking out of turn, my lord. It’s just my observation.”
Derby knew he should have dismissed the man and got on with his work. The accounts wouldn’t add up on their own, but he needed someone to talk to. Dobson was a good ear to use when needed. Derby had certainly done that many times in the past as a younger man.
“I’m just concerned, Dobson, that’s all.”
“You don’t need to talk to me if you don’t want to, my lord.”
“You were pushing for it.” Derby pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose. “And who else am I going to talk to? I can’t exactly talk about this with Sarah, even if she was here.”
Dobson was silent for a moment.
“Is it something to do with Miss Hartley?”
“What?” Derby shot up. “What makes you think that?”
“I saw her at the wedding before I left for the evening. She looked like she was about to faint, and she barely left Lady Merseyside’s side.”
Dobson was far too observant. Derby didn’t want to think how many times he had been watching when Amy Hartley was around, and Derby approached her. He had to have thought something was going on with the way Derby treated her.
“She was tired and scared, that’s all. Social events aren’t her favorite past-time.”
“That sounds like a feminine version of you, my lord.”
“That’s not funny, Dobson.”
“Do I look like I’m laughing?”
Derby shook his head. He was beginning to feel like a fool discussing his emotions with a servant. It wasn’t done, but Derby had a habit of doing things that weren’t exactly conventional.
“She has something else on her mind right now, and it was affecting her more than her fear of socializing when I approached her last night. But she wouldn’t talk to me about it.”
“Did you expect her to talk to you, my lord?”
“I...I don’t know. She did talk to me often before when we were younger.” Derby rubbed his hand over his face. “And she left very abruptly as well.”
Derby had half-expected to come back from the buffet table to find Amy gone. He would have been incredibly surprised if Amy had stayed. But he had been disappointed to return and see that the table was empty. Amy had fled yet again. Derby had wanted to go after her, but that would have raised a lot of eyebrows. He needed to bide his time, let everything go at Amy’s pace. If she wanted to speak to him, he would wait for her to come to him.
Then Derby realized Dobson was looking at him curiously. He shifted in his chair.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“You find Miss Hartley attractive, don’t you?”
“I...what?” Derby started. “I beg your pardon? Did you just assume that I find Miss Hartley attractive?”
“Yes, my lord.”
For a moment, Derby was speechless. His attraction for Amy wasn’t something he denied himself, but he hadn’t realized anyone else had noticed, especially his valet. Derby narrowed his eyes.
“Is this part of you not doing your job, Dobson?”
“My job is to look after you, my lord,” Dobson replied without blinking. “That includes your mental welfare. I need to know if you’re in the right frame of mind.”
“Last time I checked, my frame of mind hadn’t been questioned, and whether I find her attractive or not is none of your business.” Derby sat back and shook his head. “She wouldn’t consider me in the same way, as it is.”
That was the sobering part. Amy Hartley was a childhood friend. They had known each other for years, and Derby was sure that Amy merely saw him as the brother she didn’t have. When they were children, and Amy was going through the trauma of her mother divorcing her father and then marrying a ghastly woman to take Anna Hartley’s place, the two of them would talk. Amy saw Derby as someone to confide in. Even as they grew up, Amy would write to him every now and then asking for advice. Derby had kept all the letters, unable to throw them away.
While he had watched her grow into a beautiful woman along with his feelings for her, Derby didn’t think the feelings were reciprocated.
“Well,” Dobson turned away and headed around the desk, “I guess that answers my suspicions.”
Derby groaned.
“Some days, I wish I had hired someone who wasn’t as observant,” he grumbled.
Dobson flashed a smile at his master over his shoulder as he reached the door.
“How would you be able to cope without me?”
“Here you are, Amy.”
Amy looked up when someone touched her shoulder. A huge man with blazing red hair was standing beside her, holding out a cup and saucer. Amy smiled and took her cup of tea.
“Thank you, James.”
“You’re welcome.” Doctor James Day came around the bed and leaned over, pressing a kiss to his wife’s head as she lay on the pillows. “Sorry, honey, I’ve got to go and see a patient. I’ll be back soon.”
“Don’t worry about us.” Anna Day gave him a warm, loving smile. “We’ll be fine.”
“I’m sure.” Doctor Day looked at Amy with an affectionate grin. “Take care of her, Amy.”
“Of course.”
Briefly stroking his wife’s head, Doctor Day picked up his medical bag and left the room. As the door closed behind him, and Amy could hear his footsteps on the stairs, Anna let out a heavy sigh and shifted herself to a more upright position.
“He does fuss over me so,” she said, adjusting the pillows behind her. “I’m getting better now.”
“It’s because he loves you,” Amy pointed out. “I would be concerned if he wasn’t fussing over you.”
“I suppose you’re right.” Anna made a face. “I just don’t understand. I haven’t been ill like this for years. Maybe even at all. It’s completely knocked me off my feet.”
Amy agreed. Her mother had been a strong-willed, healthy woman. It was only in the last two years that her health had changed, and Anna spent more time in bed than she did up and about. Amy knew that frustrated her. Anna Day loved to keep busy.
At least her second husband of six years was able to look after her. Amy was glad James Day was around. He devoted himself to his wife, and he didn’t bat an eye at how much Anna was ill. There was a wave of sickness going through London, although it was alarming at how much Anna was ill in two years. Amy was worried about it, but Doctor Day didn’t seem to be. He was more than likely used to it.
Anna wished she had been allowed to live with her mother. Even though she had been living alone, no husband in sight, her mother was a better option than her father. But Society dictated that a daughter stayed with her father unless he was dead. And the judge had given Anna the condition that he would grant her divorce, but she couldn’t take Amy with her. It had felt like a form of blackmail to stay with her husband when Amy heard about it.
She didn’t like being left behind, but she was glad Anna had left. She was happier, smiling more and loving life. Even
when she wasn’t well.
Chapter Four
“What’s troubling you, love?”
Amy jumped. She hadn’t realized she had wandered off in her own thoughts. Anna was watching her closely through narrowed eyes. It was that scrutiny that made Amy uncomfortable. She shifted in her seat, sipping her tea.
