Page 33 of Unmasking the Silver Heiress
It's funny how quickly one can fall asleep once she abandons all hope of doing so.
* * *
It wasthe clanking of dishes that woke her.
Nell had slept so deeply that it seemed only a moment ago that she'd crawled into bed, and yet it had clearly been many hours. The sun was bright in the window, the black makeshift curtains flung back for the day, and servants were clearing away the remains of their little dinner from the floor.
She spared a moment for quiet relief that she had put her nightgown back on, for she threw off the coverlet from her body before remembering what had passed here the night before.
"Good morning," said Nathaniel from the wardrobe, where he was rolling up his shirtsleeves opposite a thin, propped-up mirror. He smiled at her in reflection, sending her heart directly into her throat. "I hope I didn't wake you."
"You didn't," she assured him, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and stifling an early-morning yawn. "I usually rise before the sun. It was an unusually deep sleep."
"Was it?" he asked, turning to face her, obviously pleased with the idea. "I also slept better than I have in ages. It is a relief to be done with the traveling for a spell."
She blushed, reaching for her sumptuous new dressing gown as she slipped from the bed. Somehow in the light of day, she felt less certain about her body in such thin material. Perhaps it was a silly thing to be bashful now, but here she was, all the same.
"I am going to open some of the rooms on the first floor this morning, after breakfast," he continued, oblivious to her sudden reticence. "There's no telling what we'll find. I also have a carpenter coming today to install proper lighting in this room and the dining area. You are not required to assist in the labor, of course, I simply think it is prudent that I inspect each room before the staff flocks in, so that I will know if aught goes missing. My aunt would be delighted to show you around the grounds today instead, if you prefer it."
"I would love to see the grounds, but I would much rather become acquainted with the house first, if I am to be its mistress. Besides, I must confess I'm dreadfully curious about what's in some of these old rooms," she said, passing him to draw some items from the wardrobe. "I shall wear one of my old frocks so that the dust won't be an issue. I don’t mind a bit of muck, but I would hate to stain one of the new ones."
"It isn't just dust. There might be rodents or other nasties in the unattended areas," he warned her. "We found an unseemly big spider in the kitchen on the first day."
She chuckled, shaking out her patched travel dress and tossing it on the bed. "I grew up alongside a twin brother, sir. I assure you I have met my fair share of nasties. So long as they aren't the venomous sort, I will stand brave against them."
"As you say," he demurred with a little smile. "I confess I'm not fond of insects myself, so perhaps your bravery will embolden me as well. Pray, do not tell your brother of this weakness. I shouldn't be able to regain my sense of dignity."
Nell shooed him from the room, giggling to herself, and rang for Sarah. It was a simple thing to get buttoned into one of her serviceable old dresses in comparison to the layers and endless buttons and bows she'd had to navigate at the clothier's yesterday.
She pinned her hair into its customary bun, and after a moment of deliberation, decided on wearing her spectacles downstairs today. After all, it was going to be dark and dusty in those old rooms, so she would surely be aided by improved vision, wouldn't she?
Hopefully Nathaniel did not mind them nearly as much as her friends from school did. Surely he saw the practicality of optimized eyesight at necessary junctures? He seemed a practical man in some ways, though she knew he had a penchant for beautiful things.
She averted her eyes from her reflection as she passed by their little mirror, reminding herself that she had never cared for such vain concerns and it would be a waste of her finer qualities to begin obsessing over them now.
She considered her husband over breakfast, which they passed with sparse conversation as they cracked their eggs and nibbled at their toast. He made no comment on her spectacles, if indeed he noticed them at all. It was as though nothing at all had changed since yesterday, when in truth her entire life had been redefined.
She noted a light soreness of her person, though it was not wholly unpleasant to be reminded that Nathaniel had desired her. It was difficult to know how well the encounter had gone for certain, though she hoped that the way he had slept afterward meant that he had somehow become more at ease with her. Surely he had, after all of that?
It was no wonder girls got themselves into trouble so often in Society. She had never understood before why it was so difficult for some girls to simply behave and be where they were supposed to be, but if someone like Nathaniel had attempted to coax her into dark corners prior to their marriage, she knew without a doubt she would have followed. Even if she had much to learn about pleasing her husband in the bedchamber, this first experience had been scintillating, and she hoped to repeat it soon.
"Will Kit be joining us today?" she asked as the plates were cleared away.
"Not until after luncheon," Nathaniel had responded with a wave of his hand. "He is negotiating with the orchard foremen today so that he might retain a trusted staff come spring. The land changing hands so many times in the past years has created an unstable network of workers, which of course means a substandard harvest. It will likely take several more years to return everything to its former standard."
"Orchards," Nell had pondered as they walked to the first of the unopened rooms. "What do you grow here? Apples?"
Nate nodded, his hand drifting thoughtlessly to the small of her back as he guided her through the labyrinth of hallways, unaware of the thrill it sent through her. "And pears and the cherries we had last night. My aunt has a talent for potting and preserving. We also had rotating fields for barley, rye, and radishes once."
"How did they come to disrepair?" Nell asked curiously. "Kit seems an earthy and responsible sort."
"He is. The problem originated before Kit was old enough and educated enough to manage the fields. My uncle, that is, Kit's father, was not a responsible land owner and had an unfortunate habit of getting involved with dodgy investment schemes and using our land as collateral. So, Kit has spent the better part of his life attempting to reclaim what once belonged to our families and see the fields back to fruition."
Nell took this in, biting her tongue on the questions that rose immediately to mind regarding this uncle and Nate's personal history with him.
She tucked away her curiosity for a more opportune time as they arrived at their destination, and stepped back as her husband used his body weight to push open the first in a set of double doors which required a coat or three of fresh paint. When it gave way with a thin crack of splintering wood, a cloud of dust did indeed emerge from within, sending both of them recoiling down the hallway until it settled.
It was immediately clear that this had once been a ballroom. Some of the wall hangings were covered with sheets, which gave Nell some hope that they might have weathered the years without much damage. Sunlight slanted in through the smudges and streaks of the long-neglected windows, highlighting their footprints on the deep, burgundy wood that made up the floor. Couches lined the walls, all of them covered in carefully tucked layers of fabric. In the corner was a small, raised platform with a set of instruments which hadnotbeen covered and had accrued a thick layer of dust in the years of misuse.
