Chapter 10
The slowing pace and jostle of the carriage indicated to its occupants that they approached their final destination at last, each of them craning their necks to see out the window.
Alaina could see the marquess on horseback and forced her mind to think of Graham.
She clasped her hands tighter in her lap to keep them from shaking as she took in the densely forested drive of the Ashford estate, thankful to bring the journey to an end, but terrified of what the coming days could bring for her heart.
Across from her, Eleanor and Georgiana seemed to bubble with excitement, clearly happy to be headed toward their ancestral seat in the country, and chatting quietly about the country gossip.
Evelina and Charlotte were looking out the opposite side of the coach in wonder at their new surroundings.
This gave Alaina some time to contemplate her mission.
After the discussion with her father, Alaina was determined to glean her compatibility with Graham at this party.
She would put the marquess out of her mind.
Their interactions, though engaging, seemed to end in awkwardness, or bickering, or in an embrace in a dark hallway, begging to be discovered.
He was not even inclined toward marriage, and he was Graham’s best friend.
It would be in her best interest to ignore him.
In the last few days, it had been easy for Alaina to ignore Christopher.
Georgiana and her mother had only come to call once more to finalize travel plans, staying only for a short tea.
As became custom in those few days since the duke’s departure for the country, Christopher had escorted the dowager duchess and the countess to the Norwich house only to wait outside on the steps.
Though the marquess’s behavior was odd, neither Eleanor or Georgiana seemed bothered, and so it was left at that.
The day before they were scheduled to leave for Kent, Alaina had been to the dressmaker’s shop with her mother, sister, and father to have the final fittings for their new attire.
Madam Benoit had certainly delivered beautiful dresses for both of the sisters, and with a day to spare for their trip.
It had been a relief to Alaina that any further outings to the dressmaker’s had not been in the company of the marquess, and yet, she also felt the weight of disappointment.
The remaining packing had been done later that evening, in preparation for an early morning departure in the duke’s conveyance shortly after breakfast. The plan was for Eleanor, Georgiana, and Christopher to stop by the Norwich townhouse to pick them up before heading out of London toward the Ashford estate near Kent.
Alaina had been the first awake and ready for the journey, taking a breakfast to give her energy for the trip ahead, but not much, too anxious about the upcoming proximity to Christopher.
The two-day journey had been uneventful, and Alaina had been saved from having to face Christopher in the carriage, as he had opted to go on horseback, claiming that he could not protect the group whilst sitting in a carriage.
Only a few times had she caught a glimpse of him riding in front of the conveyance, seemingly engrossed in his surveillance of the country road and its immediate surroundings.
When they had stopped at an inn the first night, Christopher was quick to retire to his room, claiming exhaustion from the ride.
In one instance, as Alaina had been taking in the countryside, she had felt her eyes drawn to Christopher’s form where it lingered. When she had dragged her attention back inside the coach, pondering such questions, Alaina caught Eleanor’s curious stare.
“Beautiful countryside, yes?” had been Eleanor’s only question, accompanied by a wistful smile.
Not waiting for a response from Alaina, the dowager duchess joined in an animated conversation with Evelina and Georgiana, both of whom had chattered throughout the entirety of the trip.
Both seemed equally boundless in energy, and Alaina giggled remembering the hours of amusement provided by just the two of them covering a range of subjects, from the party, to horses, to society.
It had been truly pleasant to feel part of a larger family.
“What is it, dear?” Eleanor punctured Alaina’s thoughts again, this time reacting to the giggle that had escaped her in her reminiscence.
“Oh, just remembering this trip with fondness. Georgiana and Evelina truly did keep us entertained,” Alaina answered.
Eleanor seemed to agree, a wide smile gracing her face. “They certainly do not need our help in conversation, do they?”
“I do believe we have arrived!” Georgiana exclaimed, just a moment before the carriage came to a halt.
When Alaina looked out the carriage window, she could see that it was true; they had arrived.
Ashford Manor was an imposing sight, its columns looking large on its facade.
Mature shrubs and trees softened the face of the building and surrounded the front walkway.
The tree-dappled late morning light spotted the front drive, and Alaina felt calm despite the dramatic edifice.
Christopher brought his horse to a stop just ahead of the carriage in the wide entryway of Ashford.
Dismounting, he quickly turned to the carriage in order to provide assistance to those disembarking.
The footman was setting the small step in place when Christopher arrived at the open door.
The first to alight was the dowager duchess.
Eleanor accepted his outstretched hand with a smile and stepped down, looking up at the large facade of the Ashford Estate as she moved toward the front door, seemingly sure of her place in the world.
Georgiana followed, stepping down briskly to catch up with her mother.
Alaina had moved toward the door when she spied Christopher, offering assistance to both Eleanor and Georgiana.
She hesitated ever so slightly before accepting Christopher’s outstretched hand.
As she stepped down onto the small step, she found herself entranced by his gaze, unable to avoid meeting his eyes.
Alaina had hoped to offer a quick thanks to Christopher for the assistance and be on her way, much like the two who preceded her, but she was unable to form any words.
In her distracted state, she missed the step with one of her feet and descended unnaturally, at a pace that sundered the outward display of grace she had hoped to convey.
Her fall would have been worse had Christopher not caught her around the waist and set her down easily.
He was quick to step away once he was assured of her stability, and briskly turned around to offer his assistance to Charlotte and Evelina.
Alaina found herself short of breath, both from the near-disastrous tumble and the contact between herself and the marquess.
She quickly brushed her skirt, ensuring it was in its place and, turning her head down to hide her embarrassment, made her way toward Eleanor and Georgiana.
Alaina was unsure of what they had seen of the interaction, but she was sure of one thing: Christopher’s hand had left its mark on her waist, and she could still feel it burn through the fabric of her dress.
Ignoring him was going to prove difficult.
Christopher finished handing Evelina down and closed the door to the carriage, allowing it to make its way toward the stables. As he watched the carriage slowly make its way out of sight, he took an uneven breath in, shoring up his emotions for what was to be a long four days.
If he were being honest with himself, he had almost been too late to save Alaina from certain disaster as she faltered down the steps; he had been so distracted by her nearness.
The whole journey he had been content to ride astride, ignorant of the goings-on in the carriage, but never quite able to shake the feelings he got just knowing Alaina was in close proximity.
His distraction had been so acute on the journey that the mere sight of her, and the look in her eyes, had made time stop, if just for a moment.
Her unexpected tumble had caught him by surprise, but he had sighed in relief as he was able to right her just the same, assured she had taken no injuries.
Her nearness in that brief interaction had struck him like lightning.
He had essentially picked her up by the waist to save her from the fall, making their closeness acute.
His head had been quite close to her hair, if only for a second, and the smell of soap and roses had been heady.
He had felt a quick tightening in his lower belly and, not trusting his reaction should he continue to attend to the lady, had brusquely placed her on her feet, and turned to assist her mother and sister.
Alaina had moved to the front door shortly thereafter, giving Christopher time to collect himself.
“Yoo hoo, Christopher, are you coming inside or do you plan to go out for a ride? My mother wants to get everyone settled,” came a reminder from Georgiana that he was not alone, not even close to it, and needed to steel himself against the upcoming few days.
He slowly turned and headed toward the house without a word, taking a deep breath, more determined than ever to ignore the lady. His sanity depended upon it.