Chapter 14
Fourteen
The ticktock of the clock was drowned out by the sound of a carriage and horses. A moment later, Michael entered the room, rubbing his arms. “I expect the pond may have ice by morning. There are no clouds, so likely no snow for your wedding day.”
“I do not want a weather report. What did my daughter say?” bellowed Lightwood.
Michael handed a paper to Richard. “She said many things, but I did not write them down.”
Richard opened Jane’s reply as Michael matched wits with Lightwood, all the while telling the surly man nothing of consequence.
1. Do you wish your father at our wedding?
— No. I asked Grandfather to walk me down the aisle.
2. Do you wish to speak to your father before the wedding?
— I have nothing to say to him. I gather from Michael that he is as he ever was and is not in a pleasant mood.
3. Do you wish to see your father, or shall he only see you through the window.?
— Library window. My sisters and I will play cards before retiring.
Richard looked at Michael. “You discussed the plan?”
“Yes, Philippa and Alex are aware as well.”
“Lightwood, get your coat, we leave to see your daughter at once.”
They rode around to the carriage house. As close as they could get to the rear garden. Richard stepped down from the carriage, his breath hanging about his head in clouds. Michael had not been exaggerating the chill in the air. Good, Lightwood would not wish to linger long.
Lightwood exited last. He immediately turned toward the front of the house. Yates, the largest of the footmen Richard had hired, blocked Lightwood’s way.
“Around back, Lightwood.”
“I will not use the servants’ entrance.”
Michael chuckled. “No, you will not.”
Richard took them to a spot on the garden path, some fifteen feet from the house.
Light from the library spilled out onto the yellowed lawn.
A card table was set not far from the windows at such an angle that each sister sat in some sort of profile with none directly facing the window.
Alexandra and Philippa’s faces were most exposed.
Of Jane and Rose only the curve of their cheeks showed, as their backs faced the windows.
Rose turned to peer out of the window when waiting for someone to play a card.
Jane kept her face directed at Alexandra.
“What is this Kenworth? I want to see my daughter.” Before Lightwood could leave their group, the footmen grabbed him by the arms. “Let me go.”
Richard turned to the man who would become his father-in-law in just a few short hours. “You have not earned the right to call me that. You may call me Duke of Aylton or Your Grace.”
“I want to see her.”
“You are seeing your daughter. She is there, just inside the window.”
“I cannot speak with her. You said I could speak with her.”
“Again, I said you could speak with her if she wished to speak with you. Seeing that your daughters have arranged the table so that Miss Jane’s back is to us, I can only assume that not only does she not wish to speak to you, but she does not wish to even catch a glimpse of you.
” Unfortunately, Richard could not see his bride’s face either.
Her hair was in a less severe hairstyle than he remembered from when he saw her the day he helped orchestrate her twin’s elopement, and it hid any detail of her.
The pale gray dress that outlined a slender figure didn’t offer much either.
Jane laughed at something one of her sisters said.
He wished to hear her laugh again as he had in Bath.
“This is unconscionable. I have a right to see my daughter!” Lightwood’s attempts to escape Yates’s grasp proved futile.
Richard tore his gaze from Miss Jane. “The agreement you signed says otherwise.”
Lightwood strained again. “Jane! Jane!”
The men held him back.
Philippa, Rose, and Alexandra looked up. Philippa stood and signaled to the servants, who closed the heavy curtains over the library windows. Shutting out the light.
The footmen flanked Lightwood as they walked back to the carriage. Richard took the opportunity to confer privately with Michael. “How did she seem?”
“Well enough. They are all fatigued from their journey. Jane was very impressed by the library. Our conversation was difficult for her.”
“I will send Lightwood off at dawn in my fastest coach. He will be in York by midnight if the weather holds.”
“Well over a hundred miles. A brutal ride. You must not be sparing costs on horses.” Michael’s observation was not wrong.
Having the obnoxious man dispatched to his own home was worth every penny if it would give his bride peace of mind.
The sooner she could become accustomed to his company, the sooner they could get on with the business of creating an heir.
Then he could put his half-brother behind him too.
Perhaps two or three days or a week would be enough for her to acclimate to him.
Richard shook his head to push the thought out. He was no better than his late wife putting his desires first. While he needed an heir he needed to—to what? Find a way to not make the marriage so transactional? He needed wisdom quickly.
Rose glared at Phil. “Why must you close the draperies? I did not get to see Father.”
“That was the point.” Alex set down her cards. None of them had been playing to win, the tension was too high.
“I do not understand why you refused to speak with Father.” Rose turned on Jane. “It is your wedding day. Your father is supposed to walk you down the aisle. You are being excessively mean.”
Whether from the stress of her upcoming nuptials or the fact that her sheltered sister could be so uninformed, for once Jane answered truthfully.
“Excessively mean? You do not know what you are talking about. You have no idea what I have suffered these past six years. How many times I took the punishment for some infraction of yours. Do you honestly believe last month was the first-time father hit me? Who paid the penalty when you refused to do your work in the schoolroom? From the first day father slapped me for wearing my pink dress, mother’s favorite, I swore I would never allow him to hit you.
Any of you. Since Phil’s wedding, there was rarely a day when he was in residence that I was not hit or pinched when he could find me.
He killed Sir Galahad. You were there. You heard.
You have the audacity to lecture me on being mean for not wanting to see him on a day that is supposed to be the happiest in a woman’s life when I am marrying a stranger.
A choice founded on the hope the Duke will not treat me with the same malice I received at my father’s hand. ”
Unable to keep the tears at bay and suddenly aware there was still a footman and a maid in the room, as well as Grandfather and Lady Anne, Jane hurried from the room.
The footman barely opened the door before she reached it.
In the corridor, Jane realized she did not know which way to go to return to her room.
The footman who opened the door discreetly whispered, “To your right, my lady.”
The grand staircase was not meant for a hasty retreat.
At the top, she remembered to turn left for the family wing.
Instead of her apartments, she found a small corner sitting room.
Moonlight peeked through windows on two sides of the room.
Jane closed the door and turned to try again, only to find Alex in the corridor, leaning on the arm of a footman.
“Come this way.” Alex pointed to a door across the corridor.
Guilt filled Jane. Alex did not need the strain of coming after her. No doubt her hip pained her.
Alex reached out her arm to Jane and dismissed the footman. “No one will bother you in your sitting room.”
“I did not mean, for you, to follow me, up all those stairs.” Hiccups wracked as they often did after Jane cried.
“Our sisters will be up soon. I need not go back down.” Alex closed the door to the sitting room behind them. The fire burned low, providing the only light in the room. Jane lit a candle.
A moment later, one of the two maids she was to choose from, ironically also named Jane, slipped in and lit two more.
“Thank you,” said Alex. “That is enough light for us.”
“Will you be needing anything else?”
Not wishing to put anyone out, Jane shook her head.
“A pot of tea, ginger and headache powders.” Alex did not share Jane’s reluctance to ask for that which was most needed.
Alex took Jane’s hand and led her to the sofa. “I am sorry.”
“It is not your fault. We should not have coddled Rose so much. She doesn’t know how we economized or the things we did without. I am afraid I shocked her. I am the one who should apologize.” Jane dabbed at the last of her tears.
“While Rose’s behavior was ill mannered, you misunderstand me. I am sorry that you felt you must take our punishments for us, that somehow you became our whipping boy.”
“I did not want Father to hurt you too.”
“Did George know?” Alex searched Jane’s eyes.
“I could not hide if Father slapped my face. You all knew of those. Long-sleeved nightgowns and the lack of a maid helped to keep most evidence hidden. When George saw a few bruises, I would tell her that I bumped into something. I am not sure she believed me. But I did not lie. The something I bumped into was father.”
“May I ask how often?” Alex bit her lip as if afraid of the truth.
It had felt good to tell Rose the truth, perhaps Alex could bear some of the secrets Jane hid for so long.
“For a while after Mother died, I kept track. I kept Rose safe five times. Phil two, but I soon realized that thinking that way did not help, as there was always more. One day I became aware if he thought I broke the teacup I would be hit, but if he saw Rose break the cup, she would only receive a reprimand. I also noticed he didn’t touch you at all.
Even if he raged at you or he regaled Phil, he never struck you.
I learned if he could not find me, then more often than not, no one would be hit, slapped, kicked, or pinched. ”
Alex eased back against the cushion. “So you took to hiding when he was home, and your dog helped you. Now I understand why you were always disappearing.”
“Yes, but it has been harder to hide since George married. Fortunately, Father does not spend much time at Kellmore.”
“What of the servants? Mr. Rhodes?”
“They interfered whenever they could. Father rarely hit me in front of witnesses. After Grandfather took over the finances of Kellmore when Phil married, Father knew they were not loyal to him so he was more careful.”
Alex put her arms around Jane. “I feel so stupid for not noticing sooner.”
“What could you have done? By law, Father can punish us. I have not reached my majority, so he could forbid me from visiting you.”
“Which he did.”
“Even Grandfather could do little, and since he has been so much involved with his new heir, I have had fewer invitations to The Willows.”
“Here I was so worried about you being alone at Kellmore.” Alex sighed.
“I didn’t mind the solitude until recently.
I missed you, Rose, and Phil. And of course George, I miss her most of all.
My life was bearable as long as I had Sir Galahad.
When you and Phil left after the harvest fair was the first time I felt so alone.
No sisters, no dog. I was truly alone. I’m afraid I shed far too many tears for a dog. ”
A sardonic smile formed on Alex’s face. “That sounds like something Rose would say.”
“She did, more than once when I received the news while we were at The Willows. After you left, I had no one to talk to, save the servants, with Isabel on her wedding trip. Nights were the worst. My bed was so big and empty without George or Sir Galahad. I am almost glad Father beat me. It gave me the opportunity to go to Bath to visit you.”
“And now Father has no control. Your husband will keep him far from you.”
“I cannot believe the Duke went to all the trouble of keeping his word to Father and still not making me see Father at the same time.”
“He is one of the best men I know. I am happy for both of you. I believe this marriage, as unconventional as it is, will benefit you both.” For a moment Alex resembled their mother in smile and manner.
“He has already taken prodigious care of me, has he not? And I am disposed to like Lady Anne. Even if I find this—” Jane swept her arm to encompass the sitting room and the rooms beyond, “—quite overwhelming. Have you seen my bed? It is big enough for all of us to sleep comfortably.”
“We should.” Alex straightened. “I mean it, we should.”
“Should what?”
“It is your last night as a Miss Lightwood. All of us should spend the night with you.”
“I do not think Phil will come, she was far too excited about being with Michael.”
“True, plus she might try to give you more advice…” A blush tinged her eldest sister’s cheeks. Phil’s exuberant education on all matters material had embarrassed Alex as well.
“I have heard enough of my wifely duties. I do not think she realizes that not having a love match, that producing the required heir will be different for me.”
“Perhaps, but Richard is far from a cad. He will treat you with kindness. As far as more advice from Phil, we are agreed on that. She can sleep with her husband, leaving more room if Rose still kicks.”
Jane rang for her maid. Both women she was to consider appeared and were sent to fetch Rose and Mrs. Green to see to Alex.
Rose came into the sitting room already in her wrapper, and her hair tied up in rags.
She stood in the doorway, her arms folded.
“Phil already gave me a lecture. Though I do not credit all she said, I better understand why you might not want Father to be at your wedding. I should not have been so harsh.”
“Thank you. However, I did not ask you here for an apology. Alex and I thought it would be grand if we all slept in my big new bed tonight.”
“What of Phil?” asked Rose.
“We think she would like to be with her husband,” said Alex.
“I think you should have invited her,” said Rose.
“So do I,” said Phil as she entered the room.
Mrs. Green came out of the bedroom, hands on hips. “This is a silly idea if I have ever heard one. Mind you, let Miss Jane sleep. No bride wants to look tired on her wedding day.”
“La! We would not keep her up.” Rose’s exclamation sent the sisters into giggles.
Jane could not think of anything she would rather do than laugh with her sisters all night long.