“Then she should get on splendidly with us,” Temperance said cheerfully.
“Splendidly,” Delilah echoed.
With a quick warning glance at her sisters - had she or had she not asked them to keep quiet unless spoken to? - Lynette gave the dowager countess a reassuring smile. “It is no matter, I promise you.”
“Well then.” Looking somewhat mollified, Lady Townsend glanced at the door and lifted a brow. “Should we be on our way? The weather is a bit dreary, but it should clear up by the time we reach Dunhill. I just know you are going to love it,” she chattered as she led the way out the door and into a gleaming two-door coach with leather interior and just enough room for all five women to comfortably sit side by side. With a few thumps and one rather worrisome bang the trunks were loaded onto the roof they were off!
Ignoring the nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach that she was rushing headlong into something she shouldn’t have been, Lynette focused her attentions on Lady Townsend whose chatter had not shown any signs of slowing.
“Of course you shall eventually live at Townsend Estate,” the countess said with a bright smile, “but in the interim Dunhill shall be a fine residence to begin a family. I cannot wait for you to see it. It is admittedly styled in a rather masculine fashion, but I know it shall flourish with a woman’s fine touch. If you need any help at all picking out furnishings, you need only to ask, my dear. I have brought along the latest copy of Ackermann’s Repository” - she patted her silk reticule - “and circled a few items which I thought you might have some interest in. By the by, how many children are you planning on having?”
Lynette froze in the act of tugging her skirt from beneath Temperance’s thigh. “I-”
“Naturally you shall need the heir and the spare, as the saying goes. But beyond that might I suggest trying for a daughter. They can be quite vexatious at times,” Lady Townsend said with a meaningful glance at Annabel who, along with Delilah, was fawning over the still sleeping Mr. Humphrey, “but it is worth it in the end. Annabel has taken to the pianoforte with great vigor-”
“That is one way to put to,” Nathaniel’s sister said dryly, looking up.
“-and we shall simply have to have at least one recital before we return to London for the Season. What instruments do you and your sister’s play?”
“Instruments?” Lynette said in a strangled voice. “Well…” The truth was they’d sold their pianoforte some months ago, as neither one of her sisters had ever shown a great affinity towards music. Temperance had always been too impatient to learn, whereas Delilah had gotten too easily distracted. As young ladies of good breeding they should have been well versed in a variety of instruments, and the fact that they were not was a bit of an embarrassment. Thankfully, she was saved from having to admit their shortcomings when Lady Townsend jumped to yet another topic without waiting for an answer, leaving Lynette to quickly realize that while the dowager countess was fond of asking questions she didn’t seem very concerned with hearing replies.
“...addition to a recital we should also have at least one dinner party. A small one,” she assured when Lynette paled, “but we shall need something with which to informally introduce you and Nathaniel as husband and wife before the start of the Season as there will not be any bans read. Unless,” she went on, a rather crafty gleam entering her green eyes, “you wish there to be. I know my son is intent on pressing forth with the wedding as soon as possible, but if you wanted to wait and go about it in a more traditional manner…”
“Stop pestering her, Mother,” said Annabel with a roll of her eyes. “Can you not see she is feeling a bit overwhelmed? For heaven's sake, leave her be.”
“I was not pestering her,” Lady Townsend protested. “Was I pestering you, my dear?”
“Not at all,” Lynette said quickly, although she did feel quite pestered. If this was what the entire trip to Dunhill was going to be like, she feared she would be quite exhausted by the end of it! If nothing else, however, Lady Townsend’s endless questions were a welcome distraction from what awaited her once they did reach Dunhill. Namely, an impromptu wedding and marriage to a man who was little more than a veritable stranger...and who had said, in no uncertain terms, that she would be more business partner than wife.
Did Nathaniel even want children? It was not something they had discussed and while he certainly seemed to desire her physically, how often did he plan on visiting her bedchamber? Every night? Once a week? Once per year? If she did deliver him a son and heir, would he then cease to pay attention to her all together? Was that the sort of marriage she really wanted? One built upon convenience instead of affection? As gnawing doubt began to weigh heavily on her nerves, Lynette’s gaze darted to the window.
They were out of London and were trotting briskly down a well-traveled road known to many as Thomson Highway, named for Gerald Thomson, the man who had first built it. From a map she’d studied, Lynette had been able to deduce that they would follow the twisting highway until they reached Farmingdale, a tiny village of no more than three hundred people. From there they would go directly to Dunhill. In total, it was a journey of nearly sixty miles that would take them all night and half of the next day to accomplish. Fortunately, the carriage was well sprung and while it would not be ideal to sleep sitting up, it would not be entirely impossible either.
As the carriage continued down the highway, Lynette continued to listen to Lady Townsend’s seemingly endless chatter. She even managed to get in a word or two, though they were often few and far between, not that the dowager countess ever seemed to notice.
Lulled by the sway of the carriage and the warmth of a puppy snuggled across their laps, Annabel and Delilah were quick to fall asleep followed by Temperance who decided to use Lynette’s shoulder as a pillow. After a long while even Lady Townsend began to appear rather lethargic, and after a few bobs of her head she, too, succumbed to sleep, leaving Lynette alone with her troubled thoughts as rain pattered softly on the roof and day slowly gave way to night.
They arrived at Dunhill the next afternoon, and Lynette’s first impression of her new home was a favorable one. Sitting tucked away on a hill at the end of a long, tree-lined drive, the three-story estate was long and rambling with four separate wings and an endless array of bright, sparkling windows. There were balconies with ivy curling around the railings, great ivory pillars framing the front steps, dormers jutting out from the slate roof, and, much to Delilah’s delight, a large circular pond complete with ducks.
“I need to see how many there are!” she cried before she dashed away, Annabel and a freshly energized Mr. Humphrey right on her heels.
“That should keep her busy,” Temperance remarked under her breath as she and Lynette followed Lady Townsend inside the manor. A middle-aged male servant dressed in black whom Lynette presumed to be the butler greeted them at the front door. Bowing at the waist, he took their bonnets and cloaks one by one and handed them off to a tall footman who promptly carried them away to be dusted and refreshed.
Having grown accustomed to living without a serving staff, Lynette could only blink as not one, but two maids hurried up with a pitcher of lemonade and a plate of scones that smelled as though they’d just come out of the oven.
“Are you hungry, my dears?” Lady Townsend asked.
“Famished,” Temperance promptly replied.
“I must admit to sleeping poorly in the carriage,” said Lynette with a small grimace. “Would you think me unbearably rude if I retired early to my room?”
“But of course not!” Lady Townsend clucked her tongue. “No doubt you’ve quite a bit on your mind, and with the wedding only a few days away you need your beauty rest! Not that you need beauty rest. You are very beautiful already. Nathaniel is a lucky man! Oh, and by the by,” she added in a hushed tone as Temperance wandered away to inspect a painting hanging on the far wall of the foyer, “I want you to know that you have the full support of my husband and I, my dear. I understand there has been a
bit of...shall we say, unfavorable gossip in your past, but let me assure you that it does not sway our opinion of you, which is to say quite high. I do wish you would consider having a grand wedding in the spring.” She sighed wistfully. “Although I know that once my Nathaniel has his mind set on something he is eager to see it through at the first available opportunity. He has always been that way, you know, even as a boy. And I am inordinately pleased he has set his mind - and his heart - on you, my dear Miss Lynette.”
“Lady Townsend,” Lynette began hesitantly, “I do not know if Nathaniel has told you the reason we are marrying, but I do not believe-”
“I know my son,” the countess said sternly. “He may not be a man who wears his emotions on his sleeve, but that does not mean he does not have any.”
“I was not trying to imply-”
“Furthermore, if it was merely an obedient wife my son desired, he could have been married a hundred times over by now. He may not have the intelligence God gave him to say it out loud, but there is a reason he chose you, my dear. And I doubt it has very little to do with your obedience and quite a bit to do with your strength of character. Yes,” she said, squinting a bit as she once again gave Lynette a thorough examination, “I believe you will do very well together. Third door down on the left, my dear.”
“I...what?” Lynette said dazedly.
Lady Townsend smiled. “Your bedroom, my dear. Nathaniel said he wanted you to have the Rose Room, which is the third door down on the left. Do not hesitate to ring if you need anything. I will see you tomorrow morning for breakfast, if not later tonight. Good day, Miss Lynette.”
Feeling for all the world as though she’d just been spun around by a charming cyclone with gray hair and green eyes, Lynette nodded dumbly as Lady Townsend took Temperance by the arm and scurried down one of the massive halls on either side of the grand staircase.
“Now let us talk about your hair…” Lynette heard her say before her voice trailed away.
“Well,” she muttered as she picked up her skirts and began to climb the long, curved staircase. “How do you like that.”
After circling around, she found the Rose Room, so named, she assumed, for the soft white and pink wallpaper covering the walls. In addition to a large canopy bed there was an armoire, two matching dressers, a writing desk complete with stationary, and a lovely window seat that looked like the perfect place to curl up with a good book and take an afternoon nap.
Taking off her shoes and unrolling her stockings, Lynette proceeded to do precisely that.
In the days that followed while she waited for Nathaniel’s arrival and their wedding, Lynette distracted herself by exploring her new surroundings. Sitting amidst three hundred acres, Dunhill boasted a large stable - much to Temperance’s delight - and several outbuildings. There was an enormous hay field out back and, as Lynette was quickly pleased to discover, an endless array of walking paths.
Accustomed to a schedule, she soon found herself rising at dawn (which often gave her a good three hours to herself before anyone else aside from the staff awoke) and walking up a light sweat on one of the dozen or so trails that wound through the property. Each day she made a point of discovering a new trail, although her favorite by far was one that cut through the middle of the woods and ended at a small pond no one save herself seemed to know about.
She would always return to the right just as breakfast was being served, and discuss wedding plans with Lady Townsend over delicious jam and toast. Or, more accurately, she would listen and politely nod while the dowager countess rattled on (and on) about floral arrangements, white lace versus ivory, and the importance of throwing grain directly after the ceremony in order to shower the newly wedded couple in prosperity, good fortune, and fertility. After breakfast, she spent time with her sisters and Annabel, who quickly became like a third sibling to them all.
Often they’d make the short journey into the village and wander about the tiny shops buying all the tiny, frivolous things that had been denied them for so long. Afterwards, they would go to the duck pond to watch Delilah struggle to teach Mr. Humphrey how to swim (he despised getting wet) or play bowls and battledore on the sloping lawns behind the manor. Since their arrival it had not rained once, and they spent as much time out of doors as possible, occasionally even eating dinner out in the gardens. After dinner everyone would often go their separate ways. Temperance went down to the stables. Delilah went to her bedroom to read, Annabel went to the music room to practice the pianoforte, Lady Townsend went to the parlor to practice her embroidery, and Lynette took Mr. Humphrey for a walk before returning him to Delilah who had come to care for the fluffy pup as though he were her own.
And so her days went...until one morning, in the middle of breakfast, Nathaniel arrived.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“You are looking well.” Unable to take his eyes off Lynette, Nathaniel crossed the dining room in four large strides and lifted her small hand. He felt the tightness of her muscles as he pressed his mouth her knuckles, and though she did not resist his touch, she made no show of enjoying it either and jerked her hand into her lap the second he released his grip.
Well then, he thought with a flicker of irritation before he managed to school his countenance, that is to be the way of it then.
Given how his bride-to-be had stalked off in a huff the last time they’d spoken, he couldn’t say he was surprised. Although he had been hoping time might lessen her ire which was one of the reasons he’d given himself three additional days before leaving for Dunhill.
Straightening, he greeted his mother, Annabel, and future sister-in-laws in turn before taking the vacant seat at the head of the table. “Father sends his regards,” he said as he cut into a perfectly poached egg, “and will be arriving in time for the wedding.”
“Which will be when?” his mother demanded. “Surely not this Friday!”
He sought out Lynette’s gaze before answering. “Yes, this Friday.”
Had Lynette flinched? He couldn’t be sure, but he thought…
“But that is only three days away!” Rebecca Townsend cried. Setting her fork down, she pushed her plate away before she sprang to her feet with a rather impressive display of dexterity given her age. “There is still so much to do! The bouquets must be made, the food prepared, the dress - oh!” She slapped a hand across her mouth. “Oh no. The dress.”
“What dress?” Could his mother never do anything in half measures, Nathaniel wondered? Had he not made it very clear that this was not to be a grand affair but rather a small, simple ceremony intended to serve the sole purpose of making Lynette his wife in the eyes of the Lord, King, and Country?
“I believe she is referring to my wedding dress,” Lynette said calmly.
“The wedding must be postponed!” Rebecca wailed.
“The wedding is not going to be postponed,” Nathaniel growled.
Delilah, her eyes bright with excitement, suddenly leaned forward onto her elbows, nearly knocking her glass of water aside in the process. “Do you think Mr. Humphrey could be in it?”
“In what?” Temperance wanted to know.
“The wedding!”
“You cannot have a dog in a wedding.”
“Why not?” Annabel interjected. “We could even dress him up.”
Delilah clapped in delight. “Oh yes! We can tie ribbons on his ears-”
“-and a bow around his neck!” Annabel finished. “He will look adorable.”
Temperance crossed her arms. “This is the most absurd thing I have ever heard,” she scoffed before she turned her head and looked pointedly at Lynette. “May I please be excused? If I have to sit here for another moment longer and hear about dogs being dressed up for weddings I am going to scream.”
“You have not finished your ham,” said Lynette.
Picking up the remaining piece of ham with her fork, Temperance stuffed the entire thing in her mouth. “There,” she said, her voice muffled as she struggled to chew. “I am don
e.”
“Do you think if we had measurements taken today the seamstress would be able to have a dress finished by next Wednesday?” Rebecca asked, seemingly oblivious to anything else going on around her.
“Temperance,” Lynette gritted out between her teeth, “do not speak with your mouth full.”
“Then how else am I supposed to talk?”
“I would suggest cutting your food into smaller bites and then-”
“Do you think we could find a hat small enough to fit Mr. Humphrey?” Delilah asked.
Annabel thoughtfully tapped her chin with the end of her fork. “You know, I am not sure. There may be something up in the attic-”
“Or what about postponing the wedding until November?” his mother continued. “That way we could tie it in with the holidays. Oh, I rather like that idea! We could use holly for the bouquets and-”
“ENOUGH!” Nathaniel roared. One by one every woman fell silent and stared at him with wounded expressions on their faces as if he were in the wrong. The only one who did not look hurt - in fact, she looked rather relieved - was Lynette. Keeping his gaze steady on hers, he stood up. “The wedding will take place on Friday. There will be no animals in it. None,” he said, giving his sister a quelling stare when she began to protest before refocusing on his fiancée. Was it his imagination, or had her lips twitched? “Furthermore,” he continued, “I feel I must reiterate that this will be nothing more than a quiet, simple ceremony at the village church. There will be no reception–”
“No reception? his mother squawked.
“–and no bloody floral arrangements. As for the dress, I shall leave that to my fiancée’s discretion. She may wear whatever she likes. Now if you will excuse us both, there is much we need to discuss.” Walking to Lynette’s chair, he extended his forearm. This time she reached for him gratefully, and without another word they all but fled the dining room before they could be bombarded with any more demands.
For the Love of Lynette Page 15
