A Bride for Lord Esher (12 page)

“And what is your master’s name?”

“Mister… uh,
Brown
,” the young valet stammered.

Chastity caught the hesitation though didn’t bat an eye. Many of her guests assumed aliases and though her house was respectable, she knew a few journeyed to her threshold to conceal illicit dalliances away from the watchful eyes of society. Hastings was such a quiet, secluded seaside town, that such an affair could be conducted openly and the world would be none the wiser. Such it had always been, and such she suspected it always would be.

“Very well, I have your key right here. You’re on the top floor. It’s the best room in the house, overlooking the bay. Please call me if I can be of any assistance.”

“Of course.”

Chastity knew that Mr. Brown travelled alone with his valet. She wondered whether he had an amore lodged discretely somewhere in the town. But it was no business of hers, and as soon as the young man and luggage disappeared upstairs she put all thoughts of her new visitor behind her and returned to the tranquility of the gardens.

And she knelt back down amid the roses she saw a lone figure in the distance. There were no other houses up here on the hill, the house was lodged closed to the ancient battle fields where once Norman had defeated Saxon and forever changed the fortunes of a nation, so she correctly guessed the figure in the distance was her new guest. She could not see his face, for he had his back to her, but she could tell from the cut of his jacket and the density of his lace that he moved in the first circles.

Chastity sighed. As she watched him standing there it reminded her of the life that now shunned her. Her heart grew heavy in spite of the soft summer breeze and magnificent view. She lowered her head. Even as she tended to the weeds amidst the roses, Chastity wiped a single tear from her cheeks, and tried to banish these thoughts from her mind.

Lord Warren breathed in huge gulps of the salty air and was reminded of his childhood. His father had been a tradesman in London, but his grandfather had a place nearby which he and his mother often visited in his childhood. His grandfather was long since dead, and though the house still stood it had been abandoned for some time now, and had become a home to creeping vines and weeds which crept around the exposed beams, making the place uninhabitable.

His carriage had rolled past the old homestead on his way here and Warren had looked on in silence. He would not share his memories with anyone, not even Zachariah Moore, his new valet sitting quietly in the seat across from him and enjoying the view.

Lord Warren’s memories of this place were happy ones. In contrast to his grandfather, his father had been a brutal man, who shared little love for his family—to Tom it seemed his father’s one true love was the gold he sought every day of his life. Through a combination of hard work and double-dealing the old man had amassed a great fortune and his son was well on the way to doubling it through speculation. Tom had a weakness for things of fashion and beauty, but like his father before him he knew his love of good things could not be supported on style alone. Tom worked hard to glean information to help minimalize the risk of speculation, and was frugal to the point of miserliness in the management of his estates.

But for all that he was, something had happened lately that had slightly shifted his orbit. Cupid’s arrow had touched his heart. He had journeyed to Hastings with the express purpose of nurturing that love, but it was not his lawful wife he wooed but the handsome young valet he had recently engaged.

As the light wind whipped his neckerchief about his face his thoughts for once were not of money, but something far more delicious. It was of Zachariah he thought of, as he looked far off to the horizon, his passions were ignited by the hypnotic rhythm of the seashore below.

Therefore it was with a pleasant smile that he greeted the young valet as he came upon him now.

“Everything’s in order, my Lord. As I told you, the rooms are very comfortable here, and if I may say so the new proprietress has an even better grasp of management than my mother, her predecessor. It’s much more comfortable now than I remember it.”

“Very good.” Tom placed his hand on Zachariah’s cheek, and the boy nestled into it fondly, his own eyes alive and bright with love. “Let’s go back there, I’m hungry. It’s a little early for lunch but have the kitchen prepare me a tray of something and have it sent up. Get a bottle of brandy, too. I have quite an appetite.”

Zachariah smiled and turned back to Wisteria House. His master followed on behind at a slower pace, enjoying the calm of the air and indulging in his thoughts of love. When he reached the front of the house, he stood to inhale the heady aroma of the wisteria now in bloom. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed a young woman, knelt down between the roses. The girl had her back to him yet in that glance he took in her shapely figure and almost regal posture.
Aphrodite amid in the roses
, he thought. He had just stretched out his hand to push open the door when he heard a young man call out from a window.

“You’re wanted in the kitchen, Miss Howard.”

“Be right there.”

Something about her tone caught his ear and he turned to get a better look at the maid as she rose. And in that moment, his jaw dropped in astonishment, for there was no mistaking the beautiful form of the recently fallen Lady Esher. Yet the young Lord did not greet her, instead his eyes narrowed in malice and he moved a little closer to the door to avoid being seen. To his great relief, Lady Esher entered the house through a rear entrance and had not noticed him watching her from the front entrance. He listened attentively, his ear to the door, waiting to see which way she would go. As soon as he felt sure she was out of sight, he slipped inside her house and went straight to his bedchamber. Zachariah stood with some folded shirts draped over his arm, just retrieved from the bottom of the chest.

“Apologies my Lord, I seemed to have overlooked these when I unpacked.”

“No matter, it’s of no consequence. What name did we book under, remind me?”

“Brown, sir.”

“And the name of our hostess?”

“Miss Howard.”

“Very good. Under no circumstances is my real name to be mentioned to her or anyone, is that clear?”

“Yes sir.”

“And Zach, the proprietress is never to enter this room while I’m here. I have a connection with the lady that is distasteful to me. When I go out you will cover my face in a scarf so she doesn’t see me.” Lord Warren collapsed on the bed and stared idly at the ceiling. “I need to think whether providence has been kind or otherwise in sending me here. It’s a nuisance, to be sure, but I wonder if I might glean some advantage from the encounter.”

“Is there anything I can do, my Lord?” asked Zachariah.

Tom smiled softly, and a flash of desire crossed his eyes. “Why don’t you go check on my tray, and once we’ve eaten, then we’ll see.”

Understanding his master’s meaning a broad grin covered the young man’s features. “I’ll be as quick I can,” he said. He turned and left the room, leaving his master to ponder the opportunity chance had put before him.

Lady Caroline Warren was with child. In every way the occasion was a joy, for since the announcement her husband had not come near her, and this gave her a sense of tremendous relief. Despite her desire to make their intimate relations work, she felt nothing but distaste for his preferred method of intercourse. His marked attentions to his new valet disgusted her, but she encouraged him nevertheless, for she would rather the boy felt her husband’s affections than herself. And yet she noticed that he was different with Zachariah, where he was brutish and garish with her, he was tender and loving with him. That irritated her.

Today Lady Ashworth, who had also announced a pregnancy, was joining her for luncheon and she had to select a dress to wear. Fortunately as yet, there was no bump to speak of, and after Betty had presented the fourth dress for consideration, she nodded her approval and submitted to her maid’s ministrations.

When her toilette was complete, Lady Warren rose and pressed down the soft rose colored bodice of her dress and admired her reflection in the tall looking glass before her. “I wonder if Lady Ashworth has any silk as fine as this one?”

“Your Ladyship looks lovely today,” said Betty.

“Yes, I think this color becomes me very well.”

“Bring over my jewelry box – I’m feeling uncommonly extravagant today, and want to find the perfect brooch to set this off, even though it is just a luncheon.”

“Very well, your Ladyship.”

Although Lord Warren had no family jewels of his own, her mother’s had been given to her as part of the dowry. Many of the settings had not been to her taste, so Lady Warren had them reset to better suit the styles of the day. Among the collection was a beautiful mother of pearl clasp, set in the shape of a flower with three natural pearls in the center. The color worked beautiful with the rose tint of the silk and she had Betty attach it to the top of her bodice at once. She turned to admire herself once more in the looking glass.

“There, perfect. Let’s see if Lady Ashworth has anything half as fine today. It’s certainly finer than that cameo brooch she made such a fuss of. I’d have been glad to have the excuse of losing it, rather than having to wear it.”

At that moment, her chamber door was opened and Lady Ashworth’s arrival was announced. “Have her wait for me in the morning room. I shall be down in a moment.”

She looked one last time at her reflection, and pleased with her appearance made her descent downstairs.

Lady Ashworth was seated comfortably in the morning room, and rose to greet her hostess the moment she entered the drawing room.

“Why you’re positively glowing,” said Lady Ashworth. “I do swear you’ve put on a little weight since your wedding, and I must say it becomes you very well.”

Lady Warren smiled and quickly took in her companion’s attire. As always, Lady Ashworth was well-dressed, but on this occasion Lady Warren felt she had the superior ensemble, and smiled contentedly. “And how are you finding your condition?” said Lady Warren.

“Oh, dreadful. I’m sick most mornings and can’t wait for the beastly thing to be born so things can return to normal. It’s positively shocking the things we women endure in the begetting of these heirs. And I wish I could say my condition had stemmed Lord Ashworth’s appetite but the man is as ferocious in the bedroom as ever, and bothers me night and day. Anyone would think he was the pregnant one, he is so enflamed.”

“Fortunately for me, Lord Warren has reacted differently. Come, let’s not talk of such unpleasantness, and let’s have some tea instead.” Lady Warren turned and rang the bell for a servant.

“What a beautiful dress,” Lady Ashworth remarked. “And that brooch is divine. Where did you come by it?”

“This small trifle. Oh, it was my mother’s. I had it reset of course, my mother’s taste was not my own.”

“I confess my cameo is not as beautiful, but my mother wore it just as you see it, and I would not alter it for the world. I must admit I have had the clasp redone, I would not want to lose it again.”

“Indeed.”

A servant arrived with a tea tray, and then a second arrived with a letter on a salver. The letter was presented to Lady Warren. Lady Warren glanced at the handwriting on the envelope, and recognizing her husband’s hand, took it immediately.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “This is from Lord Warren. Would you mind if I read it, it’s marked urgent?”

“Not at all,” said Lady Ashworth. “It’s such a lovely day I might take a quick stroll in your gardens for a minute or two. Come and fetch me when you’re done.”

“Thank you.”

As soon as Lady Ashworth stepped into the garden, Lady Warren broke the seal on the letter and scoured it quickly. The information it contained almost stopped her heart. How delicious! Lord Warren wrote to tell her he had discovered the secret whereabouts of Lady Esher, and that though she was not to tell a soul about his discovery, he would value her thoughts on how best to use this information to their advantage.

Lady Warren clutched the note to her bosom. Since their marriage this was the first time her husband had consulted her on anything, and the experience brought her no little pleasure. She took a deep breath, and then re-read the letter. So, Lady Esher had traveled as far as Hastings. This was a good thing and as far as she knew none of their set traveled that way. If they did, none would confess to it.

Alone, disgraced, and obscure surely that was the best place for her. After all, she was out of the way, far from sight where her low-born person could not pollute the air or give offense to her betters. She had resolved to write and tell her husband to leave well alone, when another thought occurred to her. She was, after all, alone and unprotected. Her reputation was in tatters, for sure, but from her husband’s words it was clear that she was doing well working in a hotel, and lived modestly, but comfortably. So she did not suffer.

Lady Warren walked over to her writing desk and drafted a reply to her husband.

My dear Lord and Master,

I received your letter and it gladdened my eyes to hear the weather is so agreeable and that you fare well in the south. I am relieved the air does you good and do assure you we do well here at home, so there is no need at present for you to hasten your return.

However your primary news distresses me – you say that our
friend
has regained some footing in the world. This does worry me, for should she flourish she may yet betray us. I defer to your wise council in this, as in all things, but wonder what if her reputation was sullied in any other way? Wouldn’t her possible return to good society of any kind be at an end? I’m sure you will think of something.

Respectfully,

Your loving wife,

Caroline.

Just as she finished addressing the letter, Lady Ashworth returned unexpectedly from the gardens. Lady Warren rose from her writing table, perhaps a little too quickly, and noticed her friend look at her strangely.