Marriage to a Mister (A Daughters of Regency #1) (16 page)

"With this ring I thee wed, with my body I thee worship, and with all my worldly goods I thee endow: In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen."

He slid the ring down her finger and then placed his hand at her elbow, bracing her as they knelt.

"Let us pray." The room collectively bowed their heads in prayer. She listened with her heart as the ceremony concluded, and when it was over, she stood in front of the marriage register and silently signed her name for the last time: Fleur Marianne Osborne.

BROKEN CARRIAGES & MARRIAGES

Her new mother-in-law told her the wedding had been beautiful, her sister said it was a farce, and everyone else applauded them, as if they had done something heroic or worthy of praise. Fleur was just relieved it was over.

She watched the flurry of activity around her as they waited to leave. Soon they would be on their way to her husband's family country seat.

Her husband.

The thought made her dizzy both with excitement and a healthy dose of fear, fear of the unknown. She knew how to run a household, balance the accounts, tend to the menu and the weekly meetings with the housekeeper, but she knew nothing of being a wife. It was times like these she really missed her mother. She would have known how to soothe her. Instead,
she
was soothing her sister.

"I do not see why Fleur cannot ride in our carriage, Papa." Julia stood rigid, her arms folded, her dark brown gloves standing out against her pale yellow dress. "We will discuss this later, Julia," Julian hissed.

Fleur felt her cheeks heat, and she was glad most of the party had already made its way out-of-doors so they could not hear. Unfortunately, that did not include her new husband.

Evan stood next to her, starring at the ceiling with a hand on his hip. "I am standing right here, little sister; therefore, I am able to hear you."

Julia glared and Fleur sighed, knowing her sister would not be persuaded. She relaxed when the footman announced their carriage had arrived.
 

She watched her father escort her sister outside and she was acutely aware that they were alone. Fleur brought the back of her hand to her cheek, trying to cool her skin.

Evan looked around, a slight frown on his face. "Where is your lady's maid?"

Surprised at the question, Fleur looked around as well. "Is something the matter?"

Fleur felt her chest tighten when Evan ran his hand though his hair and grumbled.

"I had thought you would be chaperoned, but I guess that was silly of me."

Fleur followed his eyes with her own, his landing on the new gold band gracing her finger. She covered it with her other hand and looked outside.
 

They stood in the entryway, she not knowing how to respond as she fiddled with her gloves, pulling them on one by one, and he, staring at the opposite wall with his hands clasped behind his back.

"Perhaps it would be more appropriate for you to ride with your father and sister ..."

His suggestion at first confused her, but then she realized he did to want to be alone with her.

"I've only just remembered that ... the wheel ..."

Fleur waited for him to continue, a small feeling of disappointment creeping upon her at his obvious ploy to not be near her. "The wheel," she prompted.

"Yes, the wheel, it's a bit shaky and with all that has happened over the last few days it completely slipped my mind. Not safe for you I'm afraid, no, not safe at all."

He walked towards her as he rambled and took her by the elbow, escorting her outside and over to her father's carriage. He flung open the door, startling everyone inside. "Lady Fleur is going with you," he said, slightly out of breath.

"Is there a problem?" Julian asked, confused as Evan helped Fleur into the carriage.

"Shifty wheel, not safe," he barked.

Evan was relieved when Lord Norfield nodded and did not stop him to ask questions. He moved hastily over to his own carriage, which he now could not ride in for appearances' sake. He could ride with his brother, but Edward would be with Felix and Dom and he didn't fancy explaining to them why he had just run away from his wife, so that left only Nathan.
 

When he walked over to Nathan's carriage he reached to knock on the window, only to lower his hand. He stood there, feeling like a fool, and just when he was about to knock, Nathan pushed the door open.

"What in the devil are you doing?" he asked, leaning through the open door and looking about outside.

"I am, ah, riding with you."

Nathan leaned back into his seat. "With me? Whatever for? Where is your wife?"
 

"She wanted to ride with her sister It is a long drive and I did not want to deprive her of her company," Evan explained.

"Then why are you not riding in your own carriage?"

Evan gritted his teeth and moved over to the farthest corner of the box. Not knowing what to say, he blurted the first thing that came into his mind. "I didn't want to be alone."

"Didn't want to be alone?" Nathan asked, clearing his throat in that way that Evan knew indicated he was trying not to laugh.

Yes," Evan ground out, shoving his hand in his pocket to fiddle with the metal object inside.

Nathan smiled. "You're lying."

"Lying?" asked Evan, his eyes bulging.

"Yes, lying. You always touch whatever it is in your pocket when you lie or feel anxious, don't think I haven't noticed. Even so, I'd still know you were lying, 'didn't want to be alone,' indeed."

Evan whipped his hand from his pocket and leaned into the carriage wall, closing his eyes.

Nathan laughed but thankfully let the matter drop and started speaking about Oliver and when he and the other guests might arrive the next day.

Evan settled in for a very long and very chatty drive as he blocked out the noise inside and outside of the carriage. The silence in his mind opened feelings and memories he did not bid and
 
could not ignore.
 

Perhaps she did not care for him as she had in the past, but his own feelings remained ever constant. It was then he decided he would do everything within his power to make her happy, even if that was to lessen his presence around her, and give her the solitude and ease of life she so desired.

***

Things did not become easier.

As soon as Evan stepped out of the carriage behind Nathan, his mother accosted him, bringing him aside and away from the others.

"I have just had the most wonderful idea," she said, her green eyes sparkling.

Evan blinked hard, trying to wake his tired eyes and wanting nothing more than a good stretch after being cooped up in a box for hours on end. "And what might that be?"
 

"The dower house."

Evan smiled as his mother practically bounced with excitement. "What about it? Weren't you having repairs made while we were in town?"

"Yes, but they were completed and the house sits empty now, though it is ready for use. Why don't you and Fleur stay there during the next few weeks? It could be like a honeymoon! Of course you will have to arrange to visit the main house every day for activities, but that should not be a problem, it's only a ten-minute walk or quick carriage ride —"

"Mother."
 

"This will give you some privacy. Time to get to know each other as man and wife —"

Evan slumped. "Mother, I don't think —"

"It's perfect. I can't believe I didn't think of it before, and don't slouch like that, darling. Oh! I shall have to inform the servants —"

"Mother!"

Madeleine jumped and looked around to see that the others had stopped and were now looking at them curiously.
 

"You don't need to shout, dearest," she said, a wobble in her voice.

Evan was horrified. "Mother, no, forgive me, please don't be distraught." He took her by the shoulders and pulled her to him, patting her slightly on the back, and she sniffled. "I do not think it's a good idea. Lady Fleur still has not had time to accustom herself to all these rapid changes, and I think it may be prudent for you to have a talk with her about ... about what to expect."

"Expect?" she asked.

 
Evan could feel his face flaming. "Expect of marriage, and all that entails," he said slowly, trying barely to move his lips as there were still onlookers.
 

Realization dawned on his mother's face, and she grinned. Embarrassed and in disbelief, Evan wished he had not said anything at all but knew he must. Shrugging his shoulders, he went on. "Her mother passed before she could fulfill that role, and this all did happen rather suddenly. I doubt anyone thought to discuss it with her."

"You are right, of course," she agreed. "Oh, how could I have forgotten? And her father would not have, surely. Not to worry, darling, I will handle everything." She smiled beautifully and stood up on the tip of her toes to kiss his cheek. "I will tell Hayward to put you in the white room in the east wing. He will be vexed with the last minute change, but it is a larger room and has a sitting area that you could use to give each other some space. You won't mind roughing it for a few days on the settee while she becomes accustomed to your presence, do you? If I put you in separate rooms, people will talk."

Evan thought that, yes, he rather did mind the thought of sleeping on a hard sofa, but the alternative was too unthinkable right now. "Of course not. Please convey to the lady that I do not wish for her to feel pressured." Evan paused. "But do not let her know I said so, do not let her know I said
anything
, just handle it, please, Mother.

She brought her hand to his face, her eyes bright. "You are going to be such a wonderful husband to her. I know it."

Evan smiled as she turned with a whoosh of her skirts and walked towards Hayward, who was standing on the steps, waiting for her. He followed and wondered how he would explain to Fleur his sleeping on the settee.

She was an innocent, to be sure, but she would know that something was wrong with the arrangements. He shook his head and jogged up to the stairs and then bounded up. He would worry about all that later.

BILLIARDS & WEDDING NIGHTS

Dinner was a quiet affair, Madeleine having declared that dressing for dinner after such a long journey was not to be done, especially when it was just close friends and family.

Fleur was thankful for the respite as she and Julia joined Madeleine in her private rooms for dinner while the men had gone elsewhere to take theirs.

Madeleine shifted in her chair. "Oh, I ate too much, and I really should be doing more than sitting after that long drive, but I'm too tired to do anything else."
 

"I won't tell anyone if you won't," Fleur teased, looking over to Julia, who had fallen asleep, her head resting on the side of the large wingback. "Look." Fleur smiled and nodded her head towards her sister before taking a sip of her wine.

"Poor girl, she really should be tucked away in bed. Your father said she was quite the nuisance on the drive out of town."

Fleur laughed. "She was. Julia does not handle travel well, and she and Papa argued about everything from the weather to the state of the roads, and she even accused him of taking the more comfortable side of the carriage. They almost knocked me to the floor switching sides."

Madeleine laughed, brow raised. "Oh? You were in their carriage? Now that I think of it you were not with him when I found him earlier."

Fleur looked away, unsure what to say. Could she tell her mother-in-law that her son practically fell over himself to rid himself of her?

"He said that his carriage had a faulty wheel, and it was not safe for travel.

Madeleine gave her a confused look. "Who said?"

"Mr. Woolf," answered Fleur, feeling the awkward formality of his address.

Madeleine's face relaxed and she smiled, her voice gentle and quiet. "Mr. Woolf?"

Fleur winced, her uncertainty making her feel nervous. "I feel silly, referring to him by his surname, to you especially, it is my name too, after all. Though I know I must as convention calls for it."

"No, my dearest, you must never feel silly when it comes to your new role in his life, and you don't have to refer to him as such, not to me. You have both been thrown into an impossible situation and forced to make the best of it. Even the most aquatinted couple will feel out of sorts during the early days, and I would wager you have scarce said two words to one another since we arrived."

"No, we have not. I went to our room to freshen up and I assumed he was with the men, then we separated for dinner."

"Give yourself time. It is perfectly understandable for you to feel unsure about each other just now. Evan is also very abrasive - trust me in this, Fleur, I do know my own son. He does not mean to be harsh, but he tends to be more so with those he cares for. You will have to teach him."

"Teach him?"

"Yes, teach him how a proper gentleman should act. Lord knows I have tried and failed. Do not let him run roughshod over you. He will if left to his own devices. It is how he copes with situations in which he does not feel confident."

Fleur nodded. She could understand that, except she retreated when she felt that way, as she did not want to bring attention to herself. Could she help someone else feel comfortable when she herself had such a hard time in those situations?

"You look worried, my dear, and you need not be. You will prematurely gray, you know," said Madeleine, winking.

Fleur laughed and couldn't help but feel more at ease. Madeleine had always had that effect on her.

"What would you know about graying prematurely? Papa says you have not aged a day since he met you."

"Your father was always bad at giving compliments. I most certainly have aged, and I resent being compared to the ninny girl I once was," she joked. "Oh, how I have missed having someone to talk to, someone to let my guard down with. I have my family, and I love my sons and nephews dearly, but I finally have a daughter I can dote upon, someone to share things with."