Tempted by Curiosity

by Angeleke Kaldis

  “You’re my real-life Titian painting. He too loved redheaded women.” Alexander murmured on her lips.

  Marcella hummed against his loving lips, “Titian was a smart man.”

  The Stansfield and Westbrook wedding was about a month away. Alexander had finally been curious enough to be tempted into love. His mother was overjoyed with the luring hope of a large family of their own. Marcella was proof enough to Lady Scarlett that everyone in this world had a destiny written in the stars. The past may have been dark, but the future was always going to brighter as you moved forward.

  With Mr. Benedict Coll defeated, and one of the four murderers out of their way, they could all start living their lives again.

  The Stansfield’s and the Westbrook’s were out of harms way now, but everyone else would have to keep a watchful eye out for each other. There were three more murderers out there, and they would not stop until they finished what they’d started at the Stanton’s Ball.

  Epilogue

  November 8th, 1850

  Cambridgeshire, Cambridge, England

  The Stansfield & Westbrook Wedding

  The Westbrook Family Estate

  It was a bright and brisk morning in Cambridgeshire. The wind was swift, and the breeze was playing nature’s wonderful melody as the leaves began to fall upon the earth, producing a beautiful mosaic all around the Westbrook Family’s Estate.

  All of Alexander and Marcella’s family members had arrived a week before the wedding ceremony was to take place so that the Stansfield’s could become acquainted with Lady Scarlett. The Stansfield’s turned out to be the perfect cure for Lady Scarlett.

  Alexander’s mother absolutely loved the constant company that the young Stansfield daughters presented to her. She adore all of their whimsical smiles and uproarious laughter, which was undeniably contagious.

  For the first time in years, the Westbrook home was once again filled with laughter, joyful conversations, and love.

  A few days before the wedding took place, the rest of the guests arrived, one after the other, settling into their readied rooms.

  The morning of her wedding, Marcella woke up feeling very sick to her stomach. She had been ill after the rehearsal supper last evening, and yet a whole night’s worth of sleep still couldn’t make her feel any better.

  Sleep felt useless at this point.

  Marcella stood up from her bed and walked over to her water basin, where she became sick once more. She walked over to the window, and opened it up in order to get some well-needed fresh air into her room, and also into her body.

  You would think that on the day of your wedding you would be jumping for joy because this was technically the best day of your life, but that wasn’t the case for poor Marcella.

  How on earth was she going to pull herself together before everyone burst through her bedroom door this morning?

  All of her sisters and her mother had said that they’d all wanted to help her get ready for her big day. What would they say when they saw her like this?

  Marcella wanted to cry from all of the stressful thoughts that were roaring in her brain right now, but she then decided that she just needed to push the tears aside and just breathe. If she did start crying then her eyes would end up looking puffy.

  Who wanted puffy eyes on their wedding day? Easy question, no one. No one wanted puffy eyes on their wedding day.

  A light knock sounded on her bedroom door, bringing her back down to earth.

  Marcella sluggishly sauntered over to answer the door. Did she want to answer it?

  No, but she had to answer it because it would be rude if she didn’t, and she was a bit curious to see who was at her door this early in the morning. Marcella did her best to smile as she pulled the door fully open.

  “Well aren’t you a sight for sore eyes in the morning.” Emilia walked around her and entered the guest bedchamber with an upbeat whim circling all about her.

  Marcella closed the door quietly, and then turned around to face her friend, “Good morning to you too Emilia.”

  Emilia grimaced as she looked into the basin. She gagged slightly, and then frankly spoke to Marcella, “Good lord, so you’re the one who has been tossing up their biscuits all bloody night.”

  Marcella nodded, “Yes, that would be me. I quite enjoyed that sublime garlic roast beef, and that leek salad that we had for supper last night. It couldn’t be any of that.”

  Emilia put her right pointer finger up, as if she had solved an impossible equation, and said “I know exactly what to do, just give me a moment please.”

  Emilia left the room quickly, and then came back within seconds. Her room had been right next to Marcella’s, so the trek hadn’t been too far. In her hands, Emilia had brought with her a small satchel filled with miscellaneous items.

  “Alright, take these. I have nuts, lemons, and some advice of my own that could help you get through this in the long run.”

  Emilia started passing the items one by one to Marcella, who in turn just looked at the nuts and the lemons curiously in her hands.

  Marcella then asked, “Why do you have these in your room, and what am I even supposed to do with them?”

  Taking a lemon from Marcella’s hands, Emilia took a seat by the open window. She then took a small knife out of her dress pocket and said, “Eat the nuts to regain energy, sniff the lemons to reduce nausea, and drink only clean water. That means that you must always order your water to be boiled before you drink it, and no more alcohol. Tea is your go-to drink now.”

  Marcella kneeled in front of the window and took in a few deep breaths of fresh air as Emilia cut the lemon into two halves with her swift knife skills.

  The smell from the lemons hit Marcella right away, and she automatically sighed. It was actually a pleasing scent, maybe Emilia was on to something here.

  “Emilia, why did you come to my room this early in the morning?”

  Sighing with exhaustion, Emilia said to her, “I’ve been trying to sleep for hours now, but I have a weak stomach. Every time I heard you become sick through the walls, I too became sick.”

  Marcella felt horrible, “I am so sorry, I didn’t know I was that loud.”

  Emilia shook it off, “No worries dearie. This is all quite normal for a woman in your condition. I understand how you’re feeling.”

  Marcella’s eyes widened, “You do? My condition? What do you mean by that?”

  “It’s quite obvious. You’re pregnant, Marcella.” Emilia said with confidence.

  Sitting back on her heels, Marcella began to happily laugh into her hands.

  Of course she was with child!

  All the signs had been right in front of her the whole time, and yet she hadn’t even realized any of them because she had been preoccupied with the wedding.

  Marcella was slightly overwhelmed by the baby news, but she knew for a fact that both Alexander and his mother were going to be thrilled when she told them the news.

  As she was about to speak, Marcella shuddered as her stomach warbled. She was going to be sick again. Emilia gave her one halve of the lemon and said to her directly, “Take this, and truly smell it Marcella. Sniff away mommy dearest, sniff away.”

  Marcella snorted at the ridiculous request, but did as her friend insisted. To her surprise Emilia’s lemon trick was working for her. The scent of the lemon was calming her stomach now more than before.

  Emilia helped Marcella up from the floor and walked her slowly back over to her bed.

  “Come lounge in the bed, you have less than a few hours before you truly have to start getting ready for the wedding. I’ll go ahead and ring for some tea, perhaps even a honeyed biscuit or two on the side to settle your stomach for now.”

  Emilia went to ring for a maid, but Marcella warmly caught her by the hand.

  Holding her friend’s hand tight, Marcella then looked into Emilia’s brown eyes and pleaded with her, “Help me, I’m scared. I don’t know what to do, I can’t ask Lady Scarlett or my m
other for any advice. The subject is far too sensitive for either of them. You’re one of the strongest people I know Emilia, surely you can help me with this.”

  Emilia looked towards the door with an urge to run away from the question, but she decided to stay and confess her truth. She sat on the edge of the bed and exhaled deeply.

  Marcella could see how Emilia’s brain was calculating precisely what to say, and how to say it right to her friend.

  “Promise not to say a word of this to anyone?” Emilia seriously asked.

  Marcella crossed her heart.

  Emilia looked towards the ceiling and then said sincerely, “Alright. I am going to say this once, and only once. So you’d better listen to every single word that I have to say because I will not repeat myself twice.”

  “I promise.” Marcella loyally said.

  “Fine, are you sure that you’re ready for this?” Emilia asked cautiously.

  “Yes, yes I am.” Marcella replied.

  “I haven’t told anyone outside of my family about this, but I gave birth to a baby girl at the end of July, months before I came back to London for the season. Gabriel convinced me to try another season in hopes of finding a husband who would marry me, and take on my situation. You know, there is a saying that when you make plans God laughs at them and you.”

  Marcella crawled closer to where Emilia was sitting at the end of the bed, and with a sweet smile she asked, “What’s her name? What does she look like?”

  Emilia’s face brightened up as she spoke, “I named her Kira Nina after my paternal grandmother and my mother. I wasn’t lucky enough to meet my paternal grandmother, but I’ve seen her portraits and I’ve heard tales of her from my father. Apparently, I look similar to her. To be quite frank with you, I’m proud to say that I named my daughter after two very strong women who have shaped my life in many positive ways.”

  “What a wonderful sentiment Emilia, I am sure that baby girl of yours already knows how much she is loved by you and your family.”

  “I’m sure she does. I love and adore my little Kira. I would do anything for her, and I mean anything Marcella. She is the most beautiful baby girl in the whole entire world, I am biased of course. I personally think she looks just like me, with her curly golden-blonde hair and her bold brown eyes. She’s the perfect baby, after all she is mine.”

  Emilia heaved a sigh as she continued to speak, “I miss her so much Marcella. She’s my life, and my whole world. As much as I love London, I love my peace and quiet with her in Oxfordshire far more. That’s where I’m going right after your wedding tonight. I’ve been away for far too long, and even though my mother and my Yiayia watch over her, I know she needs me the most.”

  Marcella agreed. A baby needed its own mother, as much as Gabriel had wanted to help his only sister move on with her life, he had no right to separate a mother from her child. His family had made him do it, but he could have said no, he could’ve stood up for his sister, and especially his niece.

  However, some part of Marcella did not believe that Gabriel would do such a thing. There was something else here, there was most definitely someone else pulling the strings behind all of this.

  Marcella was ready to ask Emilia another question when horses sounded from outside her window. Both ladies jumped up from the bed and rushed over to see who it could be.

  To their surprise, they saw Alexander and his closest friends saddled upon their horses, and heading out for an early morning ride right before the wedding ceremony.

  Emilia instantaneously saw Vincent looking dangerously handsome on his powerful Scottish Clydesdale. She couldn’t resist the urge, so she stuck her head out of Marcella’s open window and whistled.

  To Emilia’s surprise, that caught his attention as Vincent halted his horse and maneuvered it around to look towards the house. That caused the rest of the men to turn their horses around as well.

  Seconds later, all the men were looking in their direction. Emilia pushed Marcella out of the way so that she was out of view, before she bellowed down to the men below, “Didn’t anyone ever tell you gentlemen that it was bad luck to see the bride before the wedding? Canter away boys.”

  Emilia then waved goodbye to them all, but she stayed put at the window and waited for the men to leave first, but they lingered below to tease her.

  Marcella harshly whispered, “Why did you whistle in the first place? Have they even gone yet?”

  Emilia whispered back through her teeth, “I did not think that he could hear me from up here, and no, they haven’t left yet. Oh no…he’s coming closer.”

  Vincent galloped closer to the house, and calmly, yet flirtatiously, stated up to Emilia, “If you don’t stop talking so loudly you’re going to wake the entire household up from their peaceful slumber.”

  Emilia cheekily grinned down at him, “We wouldn’t want that now, would we? By the way Vincent, we both know whom is truly the loudest one…in bed.”

  Emilia could see him blush deeply at her comment, and with great satisfaction she slammed the window shut and dramatically closed the curtains. Emilia looked at Marcella’s odd facial expression, and nonchalantly shrugged as she spoke.

  “What? What is that look for Marcella? He is rather loud, at many things, it is a known fact. I cannot seem to shut him up.”

  Marcella snorted, “I believe you. One last question Emilia, and then I promise to let this conversation end here and now.”

  Emilia rolled her eyes, “You’re lucky it’s your wedding day. Go for it.”

  Marcella tentatively asked, “Why have you not told Vincent about the baby? It is his, isn’t it?”

  Emilia closed her eyes for a moment, but then as she opened them she spoke with raw passion, “I had read that he was going to marry another and that the process had already started. I care far too much about him to break up an engagement that he wants, and if he has already promised himself elsewhere why would I want to ruin his chance at happiness with someone who his father approves of? I love him too much to do that to him. Nonetheless, I doubt he would ever forgive me for almost burning down his house in Belgravia. It was an accident of course, but that’s a whole different story for another time. I can still remember that night as if it was yesterday. It was both the best, and the worst day, of my entire life.”

  A tuneful knock sounded at the door, and Emilia sighed in relief, “I’ve been saved by the knock.”

  Emilia answered the door and pleasantly grinned as she saw the rest of the Stansfield women standing all excitedly before her.

  “Good Morning Clan Stansfield, the bride was just expecting all of you. She needs cold tea, or boiled water with lemon, as well as some biscuits with honey. Also, a foot massage would do her wonders. Bye for now ladies!”

  Emilia elegantly walked out of the room with her head held high, and a mischievous grin on her face. The woman was a marvel.

  She may have gotten away this time, but Marcella would corner Emilia some other time, and get the entire story out of her.

  That was a fact, and a sure fact at that.

  The Stansfield women did what Lady Emilia told them to do. Marcella had never been pampered like this before, but she really liked it. Her mother decided to rub her feet as she hummed a little Scottish wedding tune.

  Flora smiled from ear to ear as she put the flower petals into her little flower girl’s basket. Lucinda and Bernice had gone to fetch a tray with lemon tea and biscuits for Marcella to eat. They too both had joyful smiles on their faces.

  Lydia on the other hand, had remained rather quite. She was laying out the wedding dress on the bed and making sure that it was neatly splayed upon the duvet, along with some beautiful accessories to match.

  Lydia didn’t look like her usual self, her crazy hair had been strictly tamed down and pulled back into a bun at her neck. Her once playful smile was missing.

  This was not the Lydia that Marcella knew and loved. She wasn’t her typical roguish-self, in fact she looked rather ladylike. That
alone proved to Marcella that her sister was going through something.

  Was she sleeping better? Were the nightmares still keeping her up at night?

  Marcella had to know, perhaps she could help Lydia out in some way, but for now all she could do was hope for the best.

  Time went by rather quickly, and before Marcella knew it she was all dressed up. Her wedding dress fit like a glove, her hair was pulled back into a sleek chignon with two loose curls at the front. Alexander loved it when she did her hair like that.

  Anne, the family maid, had showed up towards the end of the whole wedding dress preparation to give Marcella a slight tint of rouge on her cheeks and a dab on her lips.

  Marcella’s wedding dress had been made by Ms. Janice, the woman truly knew how to design a garment to perfection. It was a beautiful white dress with long sleeves, and a high collar. It was overlaid with Lyon lace from the arms, to around the neck, and all the way down to her long chapel train.

  The sleeves and décolletage were completely see-through, that was another little thing that Alexander would love.

  It was a modern take on a classic, yet new, Victorian wedding gown. At least that’s what Ms. Janice had called it. When it came to Marcella’s fashion choices, Ms. Janice always did right by her.

  Marcella then wore her enchanting engagement ring proudly on her right finger today, as well as a delightful string of pearls around her wrist. That bracelet happened to be a wedding present from her darling future mother-in-law.

  Marcella walked her way down the long hallway of her new home, and she could not believe that this place would become the center of her new life. There was so much love to be had here, she could see all of their children running up and down the halls, chasing after one another as they played their own game of Medusa.

  Their laughter and their smiles would fill this house with all of the love that it so truly, and desperately, deserved. This house was about to become a home again, and Marcella knew that it was because of her.

  Her entire family led her out of the house and onto the path that would take them all to the Westbrook’s Family Chapel. It was a beautiful little white plastered building with a high archway at the entry of it’s exterior.