Page 19 of Loving Mister Stratford
In only twelve days he’d be able to slake every last one of his urges without the least bit of guilt. It would be his right to hold his wife, to touch her, to claim her. And then, as it had for him any number of times over the years, his needs would slip back into their box and his mind would, once more, be able to focus on what was most important.
Until then, it was clear he needed to keep Odette at arm’s length. Being too close to her made his sanity slip. Touching her made him burn. Kissing her wrecked him; leveled him like an inferno.
He hadn’t counted on this reaction when he’d chatted with her at the theater all those weeks prior, and now it would seem he had no other options.
Though, as he contemplated Odette’s sweet taste, her tentative exploration of his mouth and eager acceptance of his kiss, it might not be such a terrible thing.
Chapter Six
Odette was grateful for Meredith’s offer to retrieve her at her chamber door so they could venture down and break their fast together; she felt the chances relatively high that she’d lose her way again and quite possibly encounter that family ghost at which Simon had hinted.
“Three years and I still get lost,” Meredith had laughed at herself.“But at least I can finally get around to the most important of rooms when need be.”
“I suppose you have a good enough reason to memorize the layout,” Odette said as she admired the intricate carvings in the hallway’s white crown molding high above their heads;“you’ll be Lady Aldborough one day and all this will be yours.” She immediately pulled her lips between her teeth, realizing how the flippant comment could be construed as speculative of the death of Sommerfeld’s parents. Of Simon’s parents.
What woman commented on the death of her in-laws before the marriage even took place?
If she was taken aback by the comment, then Meredith didn’t show it. Instead, she slid her arm through Odette’s as they continued down the center of the ruby-red runner.“I suppose that’s almost worse—a lady gets lost in her own home, never to be seen again.” Her laugh was airy and lighthearted enough that even Odette’s mouth split in a smile.“For all my faculty with numbers and anatomy, I’m not the best at mazes.” She proceeded to regale Odette with stories of the expansive hedge maze at Rosehall, Lily and Shefford’s nearby estate, and how she had yet to complete it successfully despite several attempts. The stories were so amusing that Odette hardly realized they’d arrived in the breakfast room without her having paid attention to the last five or six changes in direction.
Blast.
The earl was seated, flipping through the paper his butler had already procured and ironed crisp and smooth. Meredith had told her the countess usually kept Town hours even when in the country, so she likely wouldn’t be seen until afternoon and would break her fast in bed—as was the privilege of married ladies of theton. Meredith was not a woman inclined to such leisure since she’d readily planned to meet early with Odette, who was still accustomed to waking early as she had when she’d been at school. Lily and her husband were clearly of the same ilk, as both were seated at the round, white-clothed table with food and cups before them. Neither Sommerfeld nor Simon was anywhere to be seen, and Odette had yet to inquire as to the whereabouts of Meredith’s husband.
Both Shefford and the earl stood in greeting when they noticed Odette and Meredith’s entrance, meeting them with welcoming smiles and wishing them good morning. The earl’s silver hair was slicked back smartly; his impeccable charcoal-colored coat was paired with a honey-yellow waistcoat and crisp white cravat. Shefford was dressed similarly, but in much more muted tones that did nothing to disguise the impressive breadth of his shoulders. It took every last speck of Odette’s comportment training not to fidget when she was the focus of so much attention, and especially when she stood next to Meredith’s striking, red-haired beauty and across from Lily’s ethereal delicate golden looks. Lily’s delicately proportioned frame and Meredith’s willowy grace made her feel inadequate, to be sure.
Physical appearances aside, she experienced a distinct discomfort at being in an unfamiliar dress. Alyssa had stayed up the better part of the night hemming the gown and correcting the seam allowances to fit Odette’s more voluptuous curves. She’d done an admirable job, but it was uncomfortable, nonetheless, to be the object of so much attention when she didn’t even have the shield of confidence provided by a familiar, favorite piece of clothing. This, of course, wasn’t to say that the garment was not lovely. Her mother had sent a lavender morning gown with a gossamer overlay so light that it floated like dandelion down when she moved. The same fabric created elegant little cap sleeves and an ivory ribbon cinched her torso in just the right place to create the illusion of slimness. A matching ribbon held back her hair in a simple chignon appropriate for breakfast in the country. As soon as she’d been done dressing and witnessing all of Alyssa’s hard work, she’d sent the maid to take the hours before luncheon to herself to rest until another outfit change was necessary. It was only their first day in the country and the poor woman had already been worked to the bone.
“Please,” the earl spoke with a smile;“do help yourselves to anything. Tea or coffee?” He raised a hand to a waiting footman.
“Coffee, if you please.” Odette practically sighed in relief. She’d inherited her mother’s love of coffee and had been silently praying that the Aldboroughs would have some on hand; it wasn’t served in all households.
What she saw when she approached the groaning sideboard, however, nearly did make her melt into a puddle of gratitude. Piled high with rashers of bacon, sausages, eggs three ways, toast and no less than three types of jams and preserves, roasted potatoes, and even some sugar-glazed pastries, it was a food-lover’s haven. The first meal of the day had always been Odette’s favorite—probably because it was usually the most peaceful—but she’d learned to love and appreciate it more when away at school. Many of the other girls had foregone the meal entirely, opting for strange brews and a bite of dry toast instead—doing everything in their power to attain the silhouette they all so coveted. Every bite Odette took at the communal table felt judged and so, gradually, she’d forsaken her beloved meal and suffered the aches of an empty stomach until later in the day when it was easier to conceal the fact that sheenjoyedthe taste of food far more than she cared for the appearance of a pale waif that was all the rage. The same, unfortunately, couldn’t be said about Odette’s mother. Each time she returned to London during a break at school, her mother lamented Odette’s bountiful curves, the plumpness of her hips, the fullness of her bosom. Slowly, Odette had been forced to taper off her eating at home as well, lest she receive a thorough nagging every minute her mother didn’t spend rehearsing or performing.
Now, confronted by this mouthwatering bounty, Odette felt lost.
Did she indulge in being her authentic self in front of these people who were to be her new family? Or did she continue playing the part of proper society lady and pick at meager morsels without finding true satisfaction?
Odette cast a subtle glance in Lily’s direction and her heart sank. There were only two slices of toast evenly coated in strawberry preserves, while Shefford’s plate had clearly been piled obscenely high with some of everything on offer. Odette’s stomach eked out a pitiful growl. How lovely it must be to be a large, hale, and hardy man.
She turned her attention back to the task at hand when Meredith passed her an ivory china plate decorated in delicate pink flowers and creeping green vines. Her hesitation allowed Meredith to proceed first. She watched her future sister-in-law add two spoons of eggs, a serving of sausage and a slice of toast to her plate. It was less than Odette’s body craved, but it was still more than Lily had taken. She accepted it as permission to allow herself some grace and find a happy median. She couldn’t outrun her mother’s warnings, no matter how far away she was:“A round girl will make a fat wife; and Lord knows how that might turn out if there are children!”
Smothering the unkind voice, Odette spooned some coddled eggs onto her plate alongside a few slices of the delightfully crisp bacon, snatched a piece of toast—foregoing the enticing, gem-colored jams—and rushed back to take a seat at the large round table. Shefford took the liberty of assisting both she and Meredith with their chairs before returning to his wife’s side. The earl resumed his seat as well now that the women were settled in.
A footman had filled a delicate china cup with rich black coffee for her and Odette could hardly wait to inhale the earthy, nutty scent once her napkin was draped across her lap.
“No George this morning, then?” the earl inquired over the bent edge of his paper. Odette’s eyes turned toward Meredith over the edge of her cup.
“I’m afraid last night wasn’t a good one.” There was no mistaking the sadness clouding Meredith’s indigo eyes.“Hours in a carriage will do that. He should be rested enough to join us in a few hours.”
Odette’s tongue fairly burned to ask what that meant, but her curiosity was saved when Lily spoke up.
“His leg?” She’d set down her toast, her doleful green eyes remarkably pained.
Odette felt Meredith glance in her direction, but she remained utterly still, hoping that they’d deem her close enough to family that the conversation would continue around her. She’d paid closer attention to the gossip surrounding the heir to the Aldborough earldom ever since Simon had come into her life, and she was no less immune to the curiosity surrounding his injury than most of Society. By many accounts, it had been a riding accident, but there was some speculation as to the truth of that excuse.
Meredith eventually nodded her head in response.“He’s resting now and should be well enough recovered to join us later for our game of pall mall.”
As if some deity had overheard their plans, the sky chose that moment to release a faint but steady sprinkle against the tall panes of glass lining the curved wall of the breakfast room.
