Page 35 of Sacrificing the Untamed Lady Henrietta
“Ewan,” the Duke called after him.
“Yes?”
“Thank you.”
“Good night, Father.”
* * *
Henrietta nestled herself under the coverlets of the burrow-like bed, and breathed deeply, trying to relax. She had no idea if she would even see the Marquess again before tomorrow.
Insult to injury.
The words stung afresh. Having given his opinion of her at the altar, she had little cause to worry that this would ever be more than a marriage in name only. She certainly admitted to limited knowledge of such things, but she imagined that a man who looked upon his bride for the first time and felt insulted would probably prefer to sleep alone. Besides, the man was still grieving his first wife. That should have given her some peace of mind, but they had agreed to nothing. They had discussed even less. She knew not what to expect.
Getting no closer to a sense of calm, Henrietta turned her thoughts toward tomorrow. Scarborough! He was taking her to Scarborough! In her wildest imagination she could not have anticipated such a wonderful surprise. The sea. Fresh air. Freedom!
The medicinal spa waters. The circulating libraries. The postal-office.Adream come true!
It wasn’t long before the ever-present voice of reason cleared its throat. Truth be told, it wasn’t exactly a dream come true, but it was an opportunity to begin her quest afresh. She would write a few more letters to the universities, perhaps under an assumed name. Yes, that was a far better plan. With the Marquess by her side, she would be allowed to investigate the medicinal claims of the famous spa waters. His pocketbook would surely open the right doors, and she would visit the reading rooms at Whiting’s or Ainsworth’s. There were no doubt new science periodicals in the stacks, and the journals in those private libraries were known to be far more impressive than those in the General Library.
There was only one problem with her plans, reason returned to insist, and it was a big one.
Molly.
And why should Molly be such a big problem? I will simply dismiss her. I am the great phoenix lady that has arisen from the ashes of humiliation,she giggled at her silliness,and I will not endure my father’s spies. No doubt the Duke and Duchess have plenty of their own to spy upon me.
She would send Molly back home with the General. She knew it would infuriate him, but right now with Scarborough on for tomorrow, she was too happy to care.
Henrietta was quite pleased with herself, then she suddenly froze, hearing someone enter the room. She was unable to move, barely able to breathe. The key in the lock turned with a click.
She waited, holding her breath, straining her ears for clues as to who it was. Her nerves were rattled mercilessly as another log was dropped upon the fire with a thud and a fresh crackle from new wood. She sighed, relaxing slightly. Popping and hissing noises continued to come from the hearth as the fire consumed its fresh fuel, but Henrietta could make out no other sounds in the room.
The moments ticked by with agonizing slowness, giving no clue as to what was going on beyond the four curtained walls of her hideaway. Her curiosity eventually got the better of her and she carefully crept from beneath the covers to the foot of the bed where the curtains came together. She lay upon her belly, as flat as she could make herself and with one finger furtively parted the heavy velvet drape ever so slightly. She just wanted a quick peek.
Her eyes widened as she took in the scene. The Marquess had extinguished the few lamps Molly had left lit, but the fire was behind him, offering a soft silhouette of his movements. He stood before the hearth with no sign of his coat and his linen shirt untucked from his breeches and hanging loose. She watched as he unwound his rather elaborate neck cloth, and tossed it to the settee before he laid down.
Henrietta felt herself blushing. Besides the General, she wasn’t sure she had ever seen a gentleman’s naked neck. The Marquess was indeed a fine figure stretched out full length on the settee, his stockingless feet crossed comfortably at the ankles. His breathing became even and deep, and she wondered how he had fallen asleep so quickly.
“Do you spy upon me, my Lady?” he asked softly without moving, without even opening his eyes.
Henrietta jumped back from the curtain as if she had been burned. How had he seen her? Heart racing, she said nothing as she carefully moved back to burrow beneath the safety of the coverlet.
Soon she heard him snoring lightly, and she felt the tension leaving her own body too. Sleep, however, would not come for quite some time.
Chapter 15
It had been no small thing to get the entourage on the road the next morning, but Ewan had emerged the victor in a battle of wills with not only his mother but his new in-laws as well.
They surely thought him both unreasonable and obstinate, but he hardly cared. General Oliver had not impressed him as a man who troubled himself over what others thought of his decisions, and Ewan suddenly felt inclined to emulate that devil-may-care manner.
The General and his household were quite put out to learn of Henrietta’s dismissal of her former abigail. Anna was to take her place, and Molly would return from whence she had come with the Olivers.
This news, coupled with the impromptu departure of the newly-wedded couple, left Nightingale in uproar. As the Marquess and his wife took to their waiting carriage, they left in their wake many unhappy relatives. Their overtly lighthearted spirits refused to be troubled by that fact.
The Marquess had chosen the Duke’s coach for their journey, and it was quickly made ready. The couple would have the carriage all to themselves for the fifty miles, or so, they would travel that day to Scarborough. Anna and Gerome would ride behind them in the pony cart with the luggage. Add the drivers and two grooms, the traveling party was kept small, intentionally so.
Ewan wanted all the privacy he could manage and more. For all his gloomy bluster, he did desire a fresh start, and he knew his new wife would be instrumental in its commencement. But for that to happen, he would have to come to terms with how similar to Patricia she looked. He had discovered that when she spoke, the illusion was disassembled, so perhaps he just needed to keep her talking.
