Chapter 29 #2
After a week of marriage, Kalina had just become used to the whirlwind in the house when her husband made an announcement over breakfast.
“We are going to need to spend today packing, and tomorrow we are removing to London.”
Everyone lifted their heads to stare at him, including Kalina. He had certainly not said anything to her about it. But then… why would he feel he needed to? It was not as though she needed to be consulted.
“All of us?” Julianna asked.
Kalina took heart from the fact that Julianna was clearly surprised as well. Apparently, Hereford had not told anyone of his plans.
“All of us. There are workmen coming in for the roof and some of the walls and floors where they need to be repaired. The Milfords will be staying to oversee the work, but it’s going to be noisy and disruptive and… well, I thought you might all like a trip to London,” he admitted, sheepishly.
The way he looked at Julianna now was almost boyish, hopeful for praise and uncertain he was going to receive it. The look made Kalina’s heart ache for him, as she wondered how long it had been since he’d been able to do something like this for his sisters.
“Yes!” Julianna was nearly bursting with excitement. Emma had gone quiet again, but she smiled readily as Hereford’s shoulders relaxed.
Only Fiona was frowning.
“But what about my animals?”
“Telemachus can come with us,” Hereford said gently.
“Miss Milford has already promised to finish taking care of Robin until he can fly again.” Robin being the bird with an injured wing whom she’d recently rescued.
“Archibald will have to stay here. Daniel is going to look out for him daily and ensure that everyone knows he’s to be left alone. ”
Eyes filling up with tears, Fiona nodded.
“There will be more animals in London,” Kalina told her gently. “We can visit Hyde Park, where there are ducks on the Serpentine. Perhaps we can go to Newmarket for the races one day as well. And there’s the London Zoo, and I believe they have an elephant.”
That was what finally brightened Fiona up.
“An elephant?” She looked at Hereford, as if asking him for confirmation Kalina was not bamming her.
He nodded.
“And a lion, zebras, bears, and kangaroos.”
Fiona’s eyes went wide, no longer so tearful. She looked torn.
“Daniel and Jane will take care of Archibald and Robin?”
“Yes. If you have any special instructions for them, you can give them today. We’ll leave just after breakfast tomorrow.”
“Where are we staying?” Kalina asked, curious. As usual, her husband looked at her shoulder rather than her face as he answered her.
“Manchester Square. I managed to find a house for rent. Apparently, the Earl of Fife and his family had to leave London rather precipitously.” His mouth twitched, and Kalina gathered there was more to the story, which was likely untoward for young ears.
“What does precipitously mean?” Fiona asked, distracted from the deep thinking about instructions for animal care that she’d been doing.
“Very quickly,” Kalina and Hereford said at the same time.
Surprised, he met her gaze, and the shock of it made her heart suddenly start beating triple time, feeling as if it might jump right out of her chest. For a long moment, their gazes held, like a hypnotic spell. She could not look away, yet she felt wildly uncomfortable looking directly at him.
No wonder he did not usually meet her eyes.
“Are these dresses good enough for London?” Emma asked suddenly, looking down at herself doubtfully. She was wearing one of the ones that had been made expressly for her.
“They are,” Kalina reassured her quickly. “Neither you nor Julianna will be able to attend any balls, though there are some teas I might be able to take you to, and your dresses will be perfectly acceptable for those. The readymades you can wear at home.”
“There will be modistes in London, as well, and you can all visit Bruton and Bond Streets,” Hereford said. “By the time we return to Hereford Hall, you’ll all be properly outfitted for the coming year.”
“More dresses?” Fiona asked incredulously, making Kalina cover her mouth with her hand to smother a laugh. As excited as Fiona had been about having a new dress, it seemed that she was perfectly happy with the three that she now had.
“More dresses,” Hereford replied with utter seriousness, though there was mirth dancing in his eyes.
Once again, Kalina felt her heart ache.
She liked her husband.
In fact, she could easily see herself falling in love with her husband.
But she doubted he could ever love her.
At least when they got to London, she would have her friends.
Clarence House was not far from Manchester Square, which meant Tiffany would be close.
Delilah was practically next door in Portman Square, and Lady Astrid’s London home in Grosvenor Square was easily within walking distance. As was Hyde Park.
Her own family was a little farther afield, but at the moment, a little distance between her and her father was likely for the best.
As she watched her husband smiling and joking with his sisters, unsure if he would ever warm to her again in such a manner, it was all she could do not to hold a simmering resentment against her father.
With every day that passed, she was realizing what she had gotten herself into for the rest of her life…
She knew her father had been doing his best to give her what he thought would make her happy, but it was feeling more and more like he’d trapped her in a cage where she could envision the life she could have had with Hereford if he’d chosen to marry her but never actually get to live it.