Discovering the Marquess (Courting a Curious Lady #4)

Chapter One

Since meeting her husband two hours ago, Eleanor Compton of Dulac, now Marchioness Ferncroft, had made three observations. He was very handsome, he was exceedingly formal, and he was unusually grateful. It was the last that had her curious.

Lissa, the Baroness of Bellamore and her dear friend, tapped her on the arm as the vicar reverently pulled out the register from a locked cabinet. She whispered, “Are you pleased?”

Pleased? Ellie was still in awe. “I’m far beyond that.

For once my mother has been singing my praises because I was going to marry a marquess.

His children are darlings and are so well behaved, I’m not sure I can believe it.

And he is far younger and more handsome than any man I’ve spoken to in two Seasons. ”

“Shh, Ellie.” Lissa put her finger to her lips.

Drat. Her excitement had raised her voice again, and now Lord Ferncroft looked at her inquiringly.

She gave him a small smile and a nod before turning back to Lissa. “Did you notice I didn’t trip or bump into anything? Maybe getting married will mean I won’t have any future mishaps.”

Lissa squeezed her arm. “It doesn’t matter. You are a wonderful person with a big heart, and I just know that your husband and his children are going to benefit greatly from having you in their lives.”

Ellie risked another look toward her new spouse as he spoke in low tones with the vicar.

She still felt as if she were in a dream.

Until now, the only men interested in her at the ripe age of a score and four had been men her father’s age.

Lord Ferncroft was no more than ten years older than her and had absolutely no white hair.

Her pulse tended to speed up every time he looked at her.

She turned back to Lissa, who, with her husband, the marquess’s brother, had instigated the match.

“Thank you. You are the best of friends.” She squeezed Lissa’s arm to make clear her sincerity.

“You were there for me when I needed help. It’s only fair. In fact, I even slipped the book into your chest. You’d forgotten it.”

At Lissa’s statement, Ellie frowned. “No, I’m quite sure I packed On the Construction of the Heavens by Herschel. I would never leave that behind.”

“Ellie, not that book. The one that will help you gift the marquess with another son.”

She’d purposely left that particular book in her armoire back at the Belinda School for Curious Ladies, since she’d had no time to read it before leaving.

She’d planned to let Sophie know where to find it.

Sophie loved reading. Knowing the book was in one of her chests for a maid to find had heat filling her face. “Oh.”

Lissa patted her hand. “Don’t worry. I wrapped it in paper.”

Relieved yet still rattled, Ellie looked about just to be sure no one overheard them.

“Lady Ferncroft, if you would?” The vicar, a kind older man whose white hair was noticeably missing on his pate, held his hand toward the register.

“Of course.” She quickly moved to the table where the book lay and stood next to her new husband.

“My lord?” The vicar nodded as if telling them it was time to sign.

Darius Taylour, the Marquess of Ferncroft, lifted the quill and dipped it into the inkwell before confidently affixing a sprawling and elegant signature in the register. When he finished, he handed her the quill.

Not trusting her voice as her heart fluttered at his attentiveness, she gave him a short nod before leaning over to set the quill in the inkwell for additional ink.

Somehow, though she wasn’t quite sure how—whether it was the fluttering of her heart or the bird shadow that flew by the small vestry window—she missed the opening and accidently pushed the inkwell, which sent it skidding across the table, only to overturn, splatter black ink upon the vicar’s vestments, and fall to the floor. “Oh no! I do apologize.”

The vicar appeared to be in shock as he stared down at his black-spotted white surplice, his mouth open.

Her heart sank, partly because she’d thought that possibly, by being married, her penchant for being clumsy had miraculously disappeared, and partly because she was quite mortified at what she’d managed to do. “Maybe I can help.”

As she started to turn, the marquess grasped her wrist. “I’m sure the good vicar will be fine with acquiring a new surplice, which I will be pleased to purchase for him. I think it best that you sign the register.”

Feeling her face heat with embarrassment, she acquiesced. “Of course.”

Thankfully, the marquess took the quill, which she hadn’t realized she still held, from her hand. He then calmly walked around the table, crouched down to dip the quill in a puddle of ink on the stone floor, and brought it back to her.

As she looked up at him to thank him, feeling more gratitude than perhaps the situation warranted, he placed the quill in her hand. “Will you sign?”

She nodded, caught in his mysterious gray gaze.

“On the register?”

Blinking to stop staring, she forced herself to face the book on the table and scrawled her name, not nearly as elegant as her husband’s but clearly legible.

At the realization it was the very last time she would be known as Eleanor Compton of Dulac, a surge of happiness filled her, and she dropped the quill on the book to turn and smile at the marquess.

He, however, wasn’t looking at her. In fact, he reached across her and grabbed up the quill.

She looked down to find a black spot of ink three lines below growing larger and closer to her signature.

“Anthony, I believe we need you now as our witness?” The marquess turned to his brother.

Though the vicar frowned at her, Lord Bellamore grinned and, copying his brother, crouched down and dipped the quill in the spilled ink before pulling the register toward him and signing it next to the black spot.

“I believe I’m next.” Lissa walked behind the vicar and took the quill from Anthony, quickly bending over for ink and signing the book on the other side of the spot. “Now it’s official.”

Ellie sensed her new husband’s relief, which had her studying him as he gave a smile to Lissa and Anthony. She couldn’t fathom why anyone would be relieved to have married her, especially a man of such wealth, refinement, and handsomeness.

As Anthony stepped forward to pat the marquess on the back, Lissa came over and gave her a hug. “I’m exceedingly happy for you, Ellie.”

When Lissa released her, she opened her mouth to question her, but Lissa linked their arms. “Now you must come out to the church proper, because the other Curious Ladies wish to say goodbye.”

For the first time that day, Ellie’s enthusiasm waned. In all the excitement of marrying the marquess, she’d forgotten that it meant not seeing her friends daily anymore. She would worry about them without her being at Silver Meadows.

As soon as she stepped into the almost empty church, Sophie ran down the aisle toward her, tears already gathering in her pretty green eyes. “Ellie.”

Ellie gave her dear, quiet friend a strong hug, her own eyes misting a bit. Then she set her back. “Now you must take care of the new ladies in the school, since I’m not going to be there to do it. And you must send me weekly reports on how everyone is faring.”

“I will. I promise.” Sophie nodded even as she dabbed at her cheeks with a lace handkerchief.

“I will also want to know all about how your literature studies are going with Mrs. Kingman. And when outings are offered, no staying behind just because I’m not there.”

Sophie’s eyes rounded, but then she took a deep breath and nodded solemnly. “I promise.”

“And I promise not to let her.” Georgie, who was never still for long, clasped Sophie by the shoulder so they stood side by side. “She will be by my side at every outing. And who knows, maybe one of us will be following in your footsteps soon enough.”

Ellie smiled widely at Georgie, whose greatest passions in life were birds and dancing. “I do hope that is true. And when the Season starts, I’ll even be able to play chaperone now.”

Both ladies’ eyes widened at the realization.

“A role you were born to play.” Rose strode forward, a smile playing about her mouth. “I do hope they don’t both marry and go off leaving me all by myself.”

Ellie held her hands out, well aware that Rose’s prospects were better than any of theirs, if she’d stop playing pranks long enough to talk to a few men. “Of course they won’t leave you alone. You’ll just have to marry in the same Season, which I’m sure won’t be a problem.”

Georgie stepped up next to Rose. “It won’t be if we can pull her away from her studies long enough to attend a gathering or two.”

The three women chuckled, and the sound had Ellie feeling a bit more confident that they would be fine. They had each other, and more ladies were coming to the school every day. Her own marriage to a marquess would assure the duchess of even more scholarly students soon.

Then, before she could truly accept the significant change in her life, her friends had each kissed her on the cheek and filed out of the church to continue their old lives.

“Ah, here is where they got off to.”

At Lord Bellamore’s announcement, she turned around to find him and his brother standing in the archway.

A small tingle of excitement started again in Ellie’s belly as she gazed at her husband.

He and Lord Bellamore were a study in contrasts, as Lady Sommerset, her art history instructor, would say.

The marquess was taller and leaner, with short black hair and gray eyes, while his youngest brother was broader, a little shorter, with fashionable-length blond hair and blue eyes.

Ellie far preferred the more distinguished look of her husband.

She quite believed that discovering the marquess would be as exciting as discovering a new star cluster!

Lissa spoke for them. “Don’t worry. We wouldn’t wander too far from such exceptional husbands.”