The Viscount's Wife: Christian Victorian Era Historical (Window to the Heart Saga Spin-off Book 4)

by Jenna Brandt

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Ma’am is an American term,” she corrected Debbey. “Using it will immediately cause pause with anyone in your husband’s social circle. You are best to address a person by their title or position. In my case, you would refer to me as Miss Thornton.”

  “Yes, Miss Thornton.”

  “That is better,” the tutor said as her disapproving expression disappeared. Returning to the previous matter, Miss Thornton stated, “A visitor will arrive and present a piece of paper—a calling card—with a time and day engraved on it. Your servant will in turn deliver it to you. If you decide you are interested in meeting with the caller, you will have your servant return your own card to the caller. Afterward, formal plans will be made to meet with the visitor.”

  So far, it didn’t seem to be overly complicated. Debbey felt she could manage to adhere to the directions and keep them straight.

  Miss Thornton continued to the next portion of the morning lesson. “Once you meet with the caller, it is better to say too little than too much when engaging with a peer. When you are socializing make certain to listen, pause, and respond with an intelligent but demure comment.”

  Debbey wasn’t an excessive talker. She was confident she could easily keep to the laid-out rules of conversation.

  “I think we should have several practice conversations, so I can evaluate your ability and make corrections where needed.”

  With an internal sigh, Debbey resigned herself to a long day of tedious etiquette training.

  Although William had been sitting behind his father’s desk and in his chair all day attending to the family affairs, he still had not grown accustomed to his role as the head of the Almonbury family. He felt like an interloper. Knowing he needed to check the numbers for the family’s European holdings, he looked on the desk for the ledger. He could have sworn he had left it on top of the desk the day before, but it was nowhere to be found. Instead he found the ledger for their holdings in the Orient. Perhaps he had gotten them confused.

  With an exasperated sigh, he opened the drawers on the left side of the desk and came up empty. He moved to the right side, and in the second drawer, he found the ledger.

  As he lifted the book he noticed a folder below. The edge of a newspaper clipping was sticking out and his own eyes stared back at him. He pulled the folder free from the drawer and placed it on the desk. Inside were several clippings from over the years, all chronicling William’s accomplishments at boarding school and in the business world, along with many from the different social events he attended.

  Why did his father have all of these? He had never once mentioned anything to William at the time any of them occurred, yet his father had taken the time to collect and save them. Did this mean he had been proud of William the whole time?

  A pang of sadness gripped William’s heart as he thought about what could have been. Their relationship would have been so different had his father told William he was pleased to have him as his son.

  His father had focused all his attention on his older brother, Andrew, as he was the heir to the family title. William had always felt inferior to his brother, believing his own singular purpose was to be the spare heir in case something happened to Andrew.

  These clippings proved otherwise. His father had been paying attention to him all this time. William wished he had known before his father passed away. It deepened William’s loss to know they could have built an authentic relationship and been close.

  There was a soft knock at the door. “Come in,” William murmured, still lost in thought.

  “I was wanting to see if there was anything I can do to help you settle back into life here,” Clara offered.

  He glanced up and gestured to the seat in front of the desk. “Kind of you, but I think it will just take time.” He looked around the study and shrugged. “It is odd, being in here without father present.”

  Clara nodded as she sat down across from William. “This was his sanctuary from her.” William knew his sister was referring to their mother. While they were growing up, their father hid in his study to avoid her. “When I was having a particularly difficult time with Mother, I would come speak to Father in here and he would console me.”

  “He was good with you. Always was. It was he and I that had the precarious relationship.” He tossed the file full of clippings towards his sister. “Do you know anything about these?”

  Clara picked up the folder and skimmed through the contents. “No, I was unaware he had been keeping these.” She looked up at her brother and gave him a smile. “But it must show you how much he cared for you.”

  Before they could discuss the matter further, there was another knock at the door and the manor butler entered the study. “My lord, one of the family solicitors has arrived to discuss legal matters with you.”

  William looked at his sister and asked, “I will see you at dinner?”

  “You will,” Clara stated as she stood up from the chair. “I will let you get back to taking care of the family affairs.”

  A few moments later, Clara exited the room and a short, balding man with glasses entered the room carrying a briefcase. William braced himself, knowing it was going to be a long afternoon of fixing the problems which had spiraled out of control during the absence of any patriarch.

  Chapter 6

  Debbey was nervous. No one was discussing it; however, tonight was a test to see if she was ready to leave for London at the end of the week. Miss Thornton had finished her last session earlier in the day, going over the finer points of table manners. Debbey never realized there were so many rules as to how to eat.

  Her new wardrobe had arrived, and though her clothes were beautiful and most likely cost a small fortune, they were far less comfortable than her dresses from West Linn. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get used to the corset pinching her, or the bustle making her bottom half heavy. A majority of them were in dark tones of grays, purples, blues, and blacks to keep with the mourning attire. Tonight, she wore a dark plum-colored gown edged with black lace at the hem, neckline, and sleeves.

  “You look breathtaking, my love,” William whispered in her ear as he guided her down the hall towards the dining room.

  “Thank you, my lord,” she replied.

  William’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “My, my, are we not proper tonight?”

  “Miss Thornton told me I should practice speaking formally with everyone so I become used to it when I am around other people.”

  William shrugged. “Honestly, I think everyone is making a big to-do about your training. I agreed with my mother initially. I was thinking she knew best when it came to the matter; however, I do not want you to change. I love the fact you are unlike the women I grew up around all my life. It worries me you might transform into the very creatures I have avoided for the past decade.”

  Debbey was taken aback at her husband’s confession. William was telling her he liked her better the way she was, but his mother had made it perfectly clear she was not up to snuff for the Almonbury social set. What a predicament it placed her in to have to find a way to please them both.

  As they entered the room, William’s mother and sister were already waiting. Lady Almonbury looked perturbed. Her attitude made Debbey wonder if they were tardy, and she thought back to the time on the clock before she left her room. Remembering Miss Thornton’s rule that a lady was never late, she made certain she was ready early.

  William pulled out her chair, allowing Debbey to sit. The rest of the group joined them around the table.

  “You look lovely in your new dress, Lady Deborah,” Clara complimented from across the room.

  “Thank you, Lady Clara.” Debbey made sure to use the correct address when talking to the rest of the family. It felt so odd speaking in such a formal manner.

  Debbey watched the other two women and waited for the cue to remove her gloves. Another rule—ladies never wore gloves during dinner.

  A few moments l
ater, the servants entered the room with bowls in hand. Lady Almonbury and Clara removed their gloves, cueing Debbey to do the same.

  The first course was soup. Debbey stiffened and tried to go over the rules in her head. You use the soup spoon which is not to be mistaken for the dessert spoon. Soup must be eaten from the side of the spoon, not the end. You never make a noise while eating it. Miss Thornton made it clear you can never eat too quietly.

  After the first bite, Debbey noticed there was a piece of bread on the plate above her main dish. She knew the bread was meant to go with the soup and she wanted to butter it. She looked around the table and noticed the butter was closest to Clara.

  “Pardon me, Lady Clara, but might you pass the butter, please?”

  The girl stopped eating her soup and made eye contact with Debbey. Ever-so-slightly, she shook her head as she glanced out of the corner of her eyes at her mother.

  Debbey looked over at her mother-in-law who also had stopped eating and was glaring at her through narrowed slits. Debbey forced herself not to bite her lip or fidget under the scrutiny. From the irritated look on the older woman’s face, Debbey knew she had messed up. She went through the rules in her head again and after a few moments, she realized where she had made her blunder. Do not ask any one at the table to help you to do anything, but apply to the servants nearby. At home in West Linn, it was common to ask family members to pass items. She had done it out of habit and without thinking. How could she have been so absent-minded?

  William must have noticed the awkward situation because he interrupted the silence by speaking to one of the servants. “Donald, bring Lady Deborah a dish of butter.”

  “Right away, sir,” the elderly servant stated and left the room. A few minutes later, he arrived with the butter and placed the dish next to her.

  Why was there only one dish of butter on the table originally? Had it been an oversight by the staff or a test by Lady Almonbury? She looked at the end of the table and noticed the pleased look on the woman’s face. It was most definitely the latter.

  The next two courses passed without incident. Debbey was beginning to feel at ease. Perhaps she would be able to navigate William’s world after all.

  Donald wheeled out a serving cart with the fourth course upon it. The servant carved the roasted duck, and placed several pieces along with potatoes and carrots on a plate for each of them. As he reached out to place the dish in front of Debbey, the edge of it caught the corner of the table and began to teeter. Impulsively, Debbey stretched out her hand to steady the plate. “Here, let me help you with that before it falls.”

  There were a couple of gasps around the table as Debbey’s hand collided with the servant’s, causing the dish to crash into her lap. The juices from the food soaked through her new dress. The heat from the food began to burn Debbey’s skin. Without thinking, she jumped up from the table and the food and plate dropped to the floor with a thud.

  Everyone stared at her with startled looks of disbelief. Debbey could feel herself turning red from embarrassment. She turned on her heels and darted from the room.

  What was she thinking? She would never be able to measure up to the standard William needed for a viscount’s wife. What a fool she had been to think she could pull off learning in a few weeks what took most girls years to learn at finishing school.

  Debbey found herself at the back of the estate pulling on her winter cape. She opened the veranda doors and rushed from the stifling manor, ignoring the cold made worse by her wet dress. Once outside, she finally felt like she could breathe and let out a deep sigh. For days, she had been cooped up inside attending etiquette lessons. She hadn’t realized how much she missed being outside until now. Even though it was decidedly cold, she much preferred it to being in the suffocating Almonbury home.

  As she walked along the winding paths in the garden, the stress melted away. At the farthest edge of the garden, she saw a bench and walked over to it. She sat and let her body relax against the back of it.

  What was she going to do? If tonight’s dinner proved anything, she was not ready to enter in the lion’s den known as the London Season. Not only would she humiliate herself, she would mortify William.

  God, please help me! I need you to show me what to do. I want to be the wife William deserves, but I don’t know how. Please help me to change into what he needs.

  From behind her, she heard a low growl. Her whole body stiffened as the growling grew closer. She wanted to turn to see what was behind her, but part of her was too afraid. A second growl joined the first. Debbey knew it must be wolves. What should she do? Being at the back of the garden, she was too far away to make it to the manor. If she stayed where she was, the wolves would attack.

  Debbey sent up a silent prayer before jumping to her feet. She turned around to see if her fears were well-founded. Two grey wolves stood only a few feet from her, crouched into a predatory stance. Their long fangs were showing, and she could swear their eyes were glowing red.

  Looking around for anything to defend herself, she saw a fallen tree branch a few feet away. Could she reach it in time? If she stayed where she was, they would jump on her and rip her to shreds. She had to take the chance.

  With a fluid motion, Debbey rushed towards the branch. Before she could reach it, she felt something grab ahold the bottom of her cape, jerking her backwards and knocking her to the ground. Within seconds, the wolves were on top of her. She placed her hands up in defense, but she felt teeth dig into her flesh. She cried out in agony as a jolt of pain shot up through her arm. She tried to shake the wolf free, but he had a sharp grip with his teeth on her upper arm.

  Just as Debbey thought her life was ending, there was a loud yelp and one of the wolves slumped forward onto her. The second one took off, whimpering as it fled into the nearby woods.

  What just happened? She tried to push the wolf off of her, but the animal proved too heavy. A couple of seconds later, the beast was dragged away, and she saw William staring down at her with a fearful look on his face.

  “Are you harmed, Debbey?”

  She shook her head as he placed his sword back into its sheath on his hip. William reached down and lifted her up. She thought she would be fine, but as she tried to move, her legs gave out from under her. William braced her weight on himself as he helped her walk towards the manor.

  “You should not have come out here on your own, especially at night. The woods behind Hinwick Manor are overrun with all manner of beasts that would like nothing better than to rip the flesh from your bones.”

  A shiver shot up Debbey’s spine. How many bad decisions could one person make in a night? She should have known better. Even in West Linn, it wasn’t safe to walk around late at night.

  “I’m sorry, William. I wasn’t thinking. I just needed a moment to myself.”

  “I understand wanting a little privacy to collect yourself, but you cannot do anything like this again. I do not know what I would do if something were to happen to you.”

  Debbey knew he was right. She had acted recklessly and nearly paid the price with her life. Thank goodness William was able to find her before the wolves were able to do any permanent damage. As it was, she was certain she would have bruises and a scar on her left arm where one of the wolves had latched on to her skin. Gingerly, she rubbed the wound. Her curiosity was rewarded by pain that made her flinch.

  As they reached the back steps of the manor, William reached out and inspected her arm. “Do I need to send for the doctor?”

  “I think it will mend on its own without any intervention.”

  William nodded. “I will still have one of the servants clean and dress the wound. We do not want an infection taking hold.”

  Just as they walked into the enclosed sun porch, Clara rushed to their sides. “What happened? Is Deborah alright?”

  “She will be fine. She had an incident with a couple of the wolves from the woods.”

  Clara cried out in disbelief. “Do you need me to send for t
he doctor?”

  “I told your brother he needn’t bother,” Debbey snapped from the pain. “I’m sorry. Please forgive me, Clara. I appreciate your concern and offer to help. I’m in quite a deal of pain, but there’s nothing requiring a doctor’s care.”

  “I am taking Deborah upstairs. Inform mother of what happened and tell her I will be with my wife for the rest of the evening.”

  With a nod, Clara shifted to the side, letting them move past her. William guided Debbey into her chambers and helped her sit down at her vanity. A few moments later, Lily arrived. She helped her out of her clothes and into her nightgown, making sure to dress her wound and wrap it with clean bandages. Afterward, William dismissed the servant and gently walked Debbey over to her bed where he helped her climb inside.

  He knelt down beside her. “I love you, Deborah, and I am so glad God watched over you until I was able to reach you.”

  “As am I.”

  “I want you to know, I will do anything and everything to keep you safe.”

  Debbey nodded as the knowledge seeped in and warmed her heart, and for a moment, the pain dissipated.

  Chapter 7

  William jerked himself awake and glanced over at his wife. He had not wanted to leave Debbey’s side and chose to stay in her chambers, watching over her while she slept. He had spent a restless night in the chair next to her, and only fell asleep by accident in the wee hours of the morning.

  There was a soft rapping at the door and he heard Debbey’s maid, Lily, state from the other side, “May I come in, my Lord?”

  “Yes, Lily, you may enter.”

  “Lady Deborah asked me to return in the morning to help her get ready for the day.”

  With a shake of his head, William stated, “I am certain she had every intention to finish her packing for London today, but since the turn of events last night, I think it best if she rests.”