Chapter Fourteen
Derek, Catherine, Simon, Madeleine and Justin arrived late that afternoon in a flurry of carriages that included ladies’ maids, valets and a governess for baby Grace, a cherubic six-month-old with golden ringlets and big blue eyes who instantly captivated Aubrey.
“She’s beautiful,” he told her parents. “Well done, you two.”
“It was all Catherine,” Derek said with a wide grin for his wife. “She did all the hard work. My part was exceedingly pleasurable.”
“Hush, Derek,” his wife admonished. “Don’t speak of your pleasure in front of the baby.”
While the others laughed, Derek made a comical face at his wife.
Aubrey was delighted to see that the two couples were happier than ever, and clearly still besotted.
It gave him hope that he and Maeve might fare similarly in the years to come.
“Dear friends, I have someone very special I would like you to meet.” With his arm around Maeve, he drew her into their group.
“This is my wife, Maeve. Maeve, meet Derek, the Duke of Westwood, his wife, Catherine, the Duchess of Westwood, their daughter, Lady Grace, Derek’s cousin, Simon, and his wife, Madeleine, and our dear friend Justin Enderly. ”
“You have been keeping secrets from us, Aubrey!” Catherine handed the baby to Derek so she could hug Maeve. “Welcome to the family, Maeve. I’m so happy to meet you.”
Aubrey could tell that Maeve was taken aback by Catherine’s effusive greeting. “Thank you, Your Grace.”
If his friends were startled by Maeve’s Irish brogue, they gave nothing away. God bless them. He’d never been more thankful for their friendship than he was in that moment.
“Please call me Catherine. We’re going to be great friends. There’s no need for formality.”
“Thank you,” Maeve said.
Madeleine hugged her next. “It’s so nice to have another woman in our midst. Catherine and I are woefully outnumbered in this group.”
“You think it’s easy being me,” said Justin, “known as the fifth wheel, stuck in the midst of all these lovebirds? I’m devastated to hear you’ve joined their ranks, Aubrey. You were my only hope for this summer.”
“So sorry to disappoint, dear friend, but I’m happily shackled.”
Simon hugged Maeve. “Welcome and congratulations. I can’t wait to hear how you brought Aubrey up to scratch.”
“Oh, um, I didn’t really do that.”
The flush that overtook her cheeks had the same effect on him it always did, and he had to remind himself he wasn’t allowed to ravish her in front of their guests. “That’s exactly what you did, my sweet, and I’ve never been happier.”
“This is quite a development, old friend,” Derek said. “We’re going to want to hear the full story.”
“We’ll be happy to tell you, but first I have to introduce you to my mother and sisters, who are waiting not-so-patiently to meet you.
” Aubrey led them to the back veranda where he’d asked his family to wait so their guests wouldn’t be overwhelmed the second they arrived.
His mother had been none too pleased with the request, but had ceded to his wishes about that, the same way she had about everything else since her arrival.
He felt confident that he’d succeeded in making his stand with her by outlining the consequences that would accompany bad behavior on her part.
As he was fully prepared to make good on his threats by taking his illustrious friends and departing, he expected her to toe the line and show his wife the respect she deserved.
So far, she had left them alone and had allowed Aubrey to oversee the staff.
Even his sisters had commented on their mother’s unusually docile behavior.
Perhaps it was their father’s worsening health that had her preoccupied.
They were all preoccupied with concern for their father, who seemed to be withering away before their eyes.
He was making a valiant effort to participate in family activities, but he tired easily and was often in bed for the night before dinner.
“Mother, I’m delighted to introduce you to my dear friends.
” Aubrey went through the introductions again, cringing when his mother curtsied before the duke and duchess, knowing they wouldn’t expect such a gesture.
“And these hellions are my sisters.” He introduced them and then signaled to Mrs. Allston, who’d been hovering nearby, to go ahead and serve the refreshments he’d requested.
“I hope you’ll make yourselves entirely at home,” Eliza said, beaming with excitement.
Derek and Eliza launched into a “who’s your mother, who’s your father” conversation that further delighted Aubrey’s mother. She loved nothing more than discussing her aristocratic lineage with anyone who would listen.
To his credit, Derek paid rapt attention and asked all the right questions, which endeared him to Eliza for life. She could talk endlessly about her upbringing in England, the people she’d known, the balls she’d attended and the other trappings of a pampered, privileged life.
“How did you end up marrying Mr. Nelson?” Catherine asked.
Eliza’s displeasure with the question wouldn’t be apparent to their guests, but Aubrey saw it and resented it.
His father may not have been the world’s most exciting man, but he’d been a wonderful husband and father, and his wife owed him more than her disdain.
“My father, the earl, met Mr. Nelson at White’s and they became friends due to their mutual love of horse racing.
My father introduced me to Mr. Nelson and suggested I allow him to court me, and here we are forty-five years later.
” She added a fake smile to the end of the statement that only her children would recognize as disingenuous.
Aubrey had been in his late twenties when he learned, quite by accident, that the man she had desperately wanted to marry, the Duke of Ellington, had led her to believe a betrothal was imminent before eloping with one of Eliza’s closest friends, setting off a scandal that had rocked the ton to its core.
She’d never recovered from the deception—or the scandal—and carried the bitterness of the duke’s betrayal with her to this day.
The offer of marriage from his father was the only one she received, and her father demanded she accept or end up a spinster sitting on a dusty shelf.
Hosting the Duke and Duchess of Westwood, the current toast of the ton, would give her something to crow about to the people at home in England who still talked about her humiliation in hushed whispers.
Meanwhile Ellington and his wife went on to have ten children who were now adults and among the cream of society themselves.
Aubrey had actually met a few of them during his first Season in London, not knowing at the time of their father’s former connection to his mother.
The group passed an entertaining and relaxing afternoon on the veranda, enjoying the warm summer air and the company of friends.
Grace snoozed through most of it on her mother’s shoulder.
When the governess appeared in the doorway to take the child upstairs, Catherine waved her off, preferring to tend to her daughter herself.
“I’m not sure why we brought Miss Ames with us, my dear,” Derek said with a tender smile for his wife.
“She is here so we can attend events. Otherwise, I wish to care for Grace myself, as you well know.”
“I do know and wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Aubrey noticed that Maeve paid close attention to the conversation but didn’t contribute to it at all, as if she didn’t think she ought to.
He looked forward to being alone with her to encourage her to fully participate.
She had every right to as his wife, and he would remind her of that the first chance he got.
“Shall we adjourn to dress for dinner?” he asked.
The others agreed and were shown to their rooms with two hours to rest and prepare for dinner.
When they were inside their bedroom with the door closed to prying eyes, Aubrey wrapped his arms around her and held her tight against him. “I have needed this for hours.”
“You showed remarkable restraint.”
“I did, didn’t I?” He drew back so he could see her face. “Did you enjoy yourself?”
“Very much so. Your friends are delightful, just as you said they would be.”
“You were very quiet. I hope you know you’re welcome to fully participate.”
“That is kind of you to say, but I didn’t want to intrude in any way. I know how much you’ve looked forward to seeing them.”
“You wouldn’t be intruding. They will want to get to know you, and you should feel free to speak up.”
“I’ll try.”
He studied her face more closely. “Is there something else troubling you?”
She schooled her features and shook her head. “No.”
“You would tell me if there was something, wouldn’t you?”
“Yes, of course. Everything is fine.”
She said what he wanted to hear, but he wasn’t sure he believed her.
“I would hope you know that there is nothing you could say to me that would be wrong. If you’re upset about something, I want to know.”
“Thank you.”
“I don’t want your gratitude.” The words came out harsher than he intended, so he softened his tone. “I want you to share your concerns with me so that we may resolve them together.”
“I wonder about Mr. Tornquist and whether there may be others looking for me.”
“If there are, we will dispatch them the same way we did him.”
“You can’t pay off everyone who comes looking for me.”
“Who says?”
“I say. That’s not the way to handle it. Eventually we are going to have to contend with the fact that I’m wanted on serious charges in Ireland.”
“I’m going to speak to Derek about that. He will know what we should do, and if he speaks up for you, that will matter.”
She recoiled. “You can’t ask him to do such a thing for someone he doesn’t even know.”
“He would do it for me, Maeve. Because I ask him to.”
“I wouldn’t feel right about asking him.”
“If he could help to free you from the weight of your concerns, you wouldn’t want to at least try?”