Chapter Six
Caroline felt much like she was being led to the guillotine like those in the French Terror as her mother led—or rather pulled—her outside the townhouse and then down to the beach where the tables had been set up to accommodate all their guests.
To be fair, the scene was pretty with the ivory linen tablecloths and the china, crystal, and silver.
Guests gathered in pockets here and there, either standing in clusters or sitting in the rented wooden chairs at tables.
Maids and footmen bustled about with silver trays loaded with flutes of champagne, glasses of wine, or tumblers of brandy depending on the preference.
“What are you acting so odd?” her mother hissed in a whisper as she clutched Caroline’s arm. “This is your wedding day.”
“I am aware of that,” she whispered back. “You would be concerned too if a dead body washed ashore on the morning of your nuptials, too.” But knowing her mother, she probably wouldn’t waste much thought on that.
“It’s sad, of course, and quite disappointing to hear about Lord Danforth, but you can’t dwell on it.” Her mother smiled and nodded at an acquaintance. “Regardless, I hope you are happy with your choice of husband because you’re stuck with him.”
Annoyance rose in Caroline’s chest in a hot wave.
“I’m not ‘stuck’ with Felix. I love him and have married him.
Frankly, I’m glad to finally be his wife.
” Except, the murder of Lord Danforth had thrown a pall over that joy.
She was having trouble forcing herself to act happy and carefree while mingling with the guests at the breakfast. How could she be expected to talk with people as if nothing had happened?
“Time will tell if you’re right.”
She quelled the urge to give a sarcastic retort, for there was a part of her that thought her mother might prove correct. Instead, she nodded and smiled at a couple of her parents’ friends who came over to offer well-wishes.
Her sister sauntered over, and of course her gown was far too overblown for the occasion, but, she would never miss the chance to overshadow Caroline.
“I hope you’re having a lovely time, Debra.
Perhaps you’ll find a man today.” It wasn’t well done of her, of course, but then, the day been quite trying.
“Good show, Caro.” Debra pulled a face as only a young woman of three and twenty could. “You might have managed to marry before me, but I’m still on the hunt of a titled man, with the fortune to match. I won’t be like you, going about on such nasty investigations that you do.”
Briefly, Caroline rolled her eyes. “There is no shame in it.”
“In working for a living? I’d say there is, but it suits you.
” Debra shrugged then smoothed a hand down the front of her gown.
“I, for one, wish to aspire to nothing except a lady of leisure. Now, if you’ll excuse me?
I believe Lord Coates is looking a tad lonely.
” With a wave, she dashed off while their mother huffed.
“That girl is far too fast these days. If she’s not careful, she’ll find herself disgraced and in trouble, which would cast a black cloud over the whole family.”
“If that is true, it’s not the end of the world, Mama.” She didn’t care to discuss things that were far too close to the surface.
Why had Lord Danforth been in Brighton at all?
Who had invited him? And to that end, why?
He had no reason to bear witness to her nuptial ceremony.
Yet the one thought uppermost in her mind was the fact that Felix hadn’t kissed her when they were alone following the wedding.
He usually couldn’t wait to have her all to himself, or couldn’t keep his hands off her.
But he hadn’t even tried to kiss her before her mother came into the room.
If anything, it seemed as if he tried to distance himself from her in the event…
Well, she didn’t want to contemplate that.
None of it boded well, especially if he didn’t think he could trust her.
Caroline stifled a snort. Could he? After she’d withheld the fact she’d known Danforth years ago?
Add that to the knowledge that she’d not told him of the baby she carried, and he would fall back into his grumpy self.
Or worse, demand she return to her father’s home in London while he stayed in his.
Felix saw the world in terms of black and white, good or evil.
Keeping lies of omission would go against everything he believed in, and he’d never trust her again.
Worse, he’d feel betrayed, and with his history, it would devastate him.
Rendering her marriage over before it had ever started.
Good heavens, I’m going to be ill.
For more reasons than one. Pressing a gloved fingertip over her lips, she hoped any guests in the vicinity who saw her quivering chin or moisture filled eyes would assume she was overcome with emotion because it was her wedding day and that was how a bride should look.
After three hours, the wedding breakfast had finally drawn to a close.
It would have been a beautiful day had her mind not been wracked with worry.
Both she and Felix had friends in attendance, and spending a bit of time with Inspector and Mrs. Bright had been a treat.
Soon enough, though, Caroline was absolutely finished, so she once more had to don a false smile and a chipper attitude as the guests filtered out of the townhouse and off the beach, bound for a continuance of their holiday or back to London.
Her head ached with a fierce megrim, and her heart ached from fear and worry.
Since her new husband was busy talking to a few of his friends as well as a couple of other male guests she couldn’t immediately identify, she slipped away to her room in the townhouse on the pretense of changing out of the wedding gown and packing away the rest of her belongings.
Trunks of her other things would be delivered to his townhouse in London from her fathers’ while they were in Brighton, so she didn’t have command of the whole of her wardrobe while here.
Before she could do any of that, however, she cast up the accounts of her stomach into the chamber pot behind the painted silk privacy screen in her bedroom. Dear heavens, she hoped this wouldn’t accompany her the whole of the pregnancy. She rather detested retching.
“Miss Ives… or rather Mrs. Kourier, are you well?”
The sound of her maids’ voice had another wave of annoyance going through Caroline’s chest. She’d hoped to have a bit of alone time before being attended to.
But she couldn’t remove the wedding gown without assistance, and the likelihood of Felix doing that was slim.
With a sigh, she wiped her mouth and chin with a clean, damp rag.
“Yes, thank you for asking. It is merely nerves. The day has been quite busy and I have a megrim.” Drat, but that sounds like I’m a skittish virgin trying to make an excuse for avoiding my husband’s carnal attentions.
“Are you worried about consummating the wedding night?” the maid continued, clearly misinterpreting Caroline’s hesitation.
“What?” She shook her head. “Uh…” At the last second she remembered that no one knew about all the nights—and some afternoons—of scandal she’d already spent with Felix.
And their consequences. “That must be it, and perhaps the damp air is contributing to my headache.” In reality, it was undoubtedly fretting about the interview he’d give before she could even reach the wedding night.
“My mam said the best thing to do is lay there and let the man have his way.”
“Really?” Unable to hide behind the screen all afternoon, Caroline laid the rag on the basin then came into the room and let the maid help her out of the gown.
“Oh, yes.” The younger woman shook her head so adamantly the lace on her mobcap fluttered. “Mam said the one-eyed snake will bite that first time and there will be pain, but the act will be over as soon as he get his jollies. Then you can move on and do other things.”
“The one-eyed snake…” Caroline stared at her.
Dear God, did she mean a man’s member? How utterly…
horrifying. “Right.” She cleared her throat.
“Thank you for the warning. I shall try to prepare myself.” Was the girl unaware of the bliss and wonder that came from coupling with the right man?
Or even a wrong one in the right circumstances?
Stifling the urge to give in to the hysterical laughter building in her throat, Caroline pressed her lips together.
She felt bad for the maid and hoped she would soon have a better education.
Being with Felix carnally was one of the most magnificent things she’d ever done.
Which had resulted in one of the most worrisome things she now agonized over.
“Don’t worry, though. I’m certain the major will be ever so nice about it.” The maid nodded with encouragement as she helped to get Caroline undressed then garbed in a lovely cotton frock in a jonquil yellow color trimmed with green embroidery about the hem that resembled vines.
“I hope you’re right,” she murmured, but her mind was on the interview.
After her hair was brushed and the wedding finery removed from the tresses, the maid styled it into a loose chignon and stuck a few yellow Sweet Williams into the hair. Then a knock sounded on the door. Seconds later, Mary Bright stood in the frame, and Caroline quickly dismissed the maid.
“Please, come in. I’m glad to see you,” she said in a hushed voice as she gestured at the older woman.
“I thought you might want to talk to someone who wasn’t related to you,” Mary said as she softly closed the door behind her.
“Is it that obvious?”
“Not to many, but to an observer as well as a woman who has had her fair share of worries and troubles when it comes to men? Not really.” Mary perched on one of the chairs in the room and arranged her skirts of rose-colored satin about her legs. “How are you doing?”