Chapter 12 Secrets #2
She smiled. “That was not part of our agreement. When Richard was born, the duke asked me if I wished to live apart from him, for he knows how this house depresses my spirits. Not the duke himself, who has never been less than a perfect gentleman towards me, but this house! I hate it so much. But I stayed for my son, and then, when he was taken from me and I thought to leave at last, the Merrington sisters arrived and brought friendship and joy to my life. My own sisters came and stayed with me a great deal, but they were as overwhelmed by Staineybank as I was. But the Merringtons are not cowed by the size or scale of the place, or the army of servants, or the duke’s rank.
I am happy here as long as they are here. I hope they never leave.”
“Then I hope it too, for your sake, duchess,” he said, lifting her hand to his lips. “We none of us know what the future will bring, but whatever yours has in store for you, I wish it may be very happy.”
***
Georgie was dreading the return to Staineybank. Jamie had dashed off a quick letter to the duke to inform him of the marriage, but they had decided not to stay on in Oxford, so there was a likelihood they would arrive home before the letter.
“Do you think they’ll be upset that we got married?” she said miserably, as the carriage edged its way out of Oxford in the pouring rain.
“The duke will not be upset or surprised, since I have already talked to him on the subject of matrimony, and as for the rest of the household — what does it matter? We did what we had to do, Georgie. My father… hmm, he might be surprised, but he knows I am not one to spill the secrets of the heart easily. I am rather reticent, after all.”
She chuckled. “Reticent? You’re shy, Jamie Hammond. No, no, don’t deny it. A man who won’t undress in front of his lawfully wedded wife is definitely shy.”
He blushed furiously, and snatched off his spectacles, pulling out a handkerchief to polish them. “Well… a little, perhaps, while all this husband and wife business is new to me. I have never shared a bedroom in my life before, but I dare say I shall grow accustomed to it by and by.”
Georgie chuckled again. “I’m sure you will, and I don’t think you’re finding marriage to be a horrid experience.”
He grinned. “Not very horrid, no. In fact, given enough time, I might even grow to like it a little.”
They both laughed, then she leaned up and kissed him on the nose. “I like it, too, rather a lot, actually.”
These moments of companionship were not quite enough to dispel all her fears, and by the time the carriage splashed up the Staineybank drive, for it was still raining, she was almost too terrified to move.
“Courage!” Jamie said, correctly interpreting her expression. “What is the worst they can do to us, after all?”
“Throw us out!” she whispered.
He shook his head gently. “The duke will not mind, and he is the only one with the power to throw us out. As for the others — why on earth should they care?”
She took a deep breath. “You’re right, of course. They might be surprised, but they’ll soon get used to the idea.”
“That is the spirit, but remember to look happy.”
The carriage drew to a halt, but the great front doors stayed resolutely closed. The distance to shelter was not great, but quite enough to become thoroughly soaked.
“I shall fetch an umbrella,” Jamie said, lowering the window and reaching outside for the handle.
Descending hastily, he slammed the door shut again and ran for the front door.
After a moment of wrestling with the doorknob, he got it open a fraction, and disappeared inside.
It seemed a long time before he emerged again, bearing an umbrella and flanked by a pair of footmen.
While the footmen unloaded the luggage and directed the postilions to the stables, Georgie dodged the puddles to reach the Marble Hall safely.
It was empty. Apart from the two footmen, who were habitually stationed there, no one else had appeared. The footmen brought in their luggage and Jamie returned to the carriage to retrieve the leather tubes containing Joe Ingleton’s precious charts of aristocratic families, and still no one came.
“Shall we just steal the silver and leave again?” Georgie said.
“I’ll fetch Miss Hester,” one of the footmen said, vanishing down the service stairs.
The other footman silently began carting bags and boxes up the stairs, leaving them alone again.
“Well, this is awkward,” Jamie said. “What should we do? Go to our old rooms? It will seem very strange.”
“Follow Robert. If they’ve had our letter, there will be some other arrangement made, and if not, it will have to be our old rooms, just for tonight.”
“Oh.” His face fell.
“It doesn’t mean we have to sleep in them,” she said. “There’s room for two in my bed, after all, as we know all too well.” He brightened at once, making her laugh. “Men! Only one thought in their heads. Come on, or Robert will be out of sight.”
Hastily, they rushed up the stairs, catching sight of Robert ahead of them, just disappearing through the door into Georgie’s room.
“Our old rooms,” Jamie said disappointedly.
“Never mind. You know where I am.”
Georgie followed Robert into her room, which looked just as she had left it only a week ago, although it felt like a lifetime now. It was clear that she was not expected, for the fire was laid but not lit, so that the air was frigid and damp.
The footman dumped all the luggage, and set about lighting the fire. “Soon have a good blaze goin’, Mrs ’Astin’s. Then I’ll see to your room, Mr ’Ammond.”
“No need. Just leave my things here. I shall be sleeping in here tonight.”
Robert’s eyes widened, glancing from one to the other, before his expression settled into blank woodenness. “Yessir. Very good, sir.”
“We got married, Robert,” Georgie said, taking pity on him.
“Oh.” The eyes flicked back and forth. “Congratulations, I’m sure.”
Then, abandoning the fire, he dashed out of the room.
“That should get their attention,” Jamie said, picking up the poker and taking over the work on the fire. “Come a bit closer to the warmth. You must be perished. Are you very wet?”
“Not too bad.” She peered out of the window. “Ah, there is the carriage going round to the stables. Those poor postilions! They are the ones who must be perished. They will not go straight back today, surely?”
“No, we usually put them up overnight, and see them well fed and watered. They would not have agreed to bring us so far without that promise. Postilions have a fine time of it in summer, but a wet December day is miserable. At least we have had no serious snow yet. There, that is a good blaze. I am almost prepared to remove my greatcoat.”
Robert had left the door open, but even so, the duchess knocked before entering the room.
“Is it true?” she said, beaming from ear to ear.
“That you are married? Oh, how wonderful! I thought… at least, I suspected something between you. You seemed so… oh, I cannot explain it, but comfortable together, perhaps. It has been coming on for a while, has it not?”
That made everything easier, if Lily imagined some growing romance over the past weeks and months. They had only to agree to it and explain that they revealed their feelings to each other on the way to Oxford.
“So you got married at once, and why not? How delightful! Oh, Hester, is it not exciting? Georgie and Jamie are married! This is such a happy day! Charlotte, Augusta, Maria — such news! These two are married — is it not lovely?”
One by one, the various members of the household arrived to goggle at the newlyweds, to hug them and congratulate them and, in one or two cases, to shed tears over them.
Lily told everyone the same story, of a long-standing affection, so Jamie and Georgie had nothing to do but fill in a few details and explain the hasty wedding.
“We could not bear a fuss to be made over it,” Georgie murmured for the third or fourth time. “A quiet affair, that was all we wanted.”
“We are both of age, so why wait?” added Jamie.
And no one questioned it.
It was long afterwards, when the maids had been sent in to clean, and arrangements made to prepare a larger apartment tomorrow, and space had been found for Jamie’s things in the press and chest of drawers, and wine and cake had been sent up to put them on until dinner, that they were finally alone.
Jamie wrapped his arms around Georgie’s waist, and leant forward to kiss her.
The door flew open and Rowena strode in, her face bewildered.
“Is it true? Oh, it is. And how long has this been going on?”
Georgie could not speak a word. Rowena was upset with her! Rowena, her best friend for years, her dearest and most cherished confidante was unhappy with her.
It was Jamie who answered calmly, releasing Georgie from his embrace, but taking firm hold of her hand. “It is hard to be sure, but we have been working together for some months now and our mutual affection has grown during that time.”
“And you never thought to tell me of it?” Rowena said, her eyes fixed on Georgie. “You were falling in love… thinking of marriage… yet you never mentioned a single word to me! I thought we were friends, Georgie.”
“We are! But… I didn’t think… there was nothing to tell… not even hopes…”
“Neither of us knew how the other felt until—” Jamie began valiantly.
“Yes, but she knew how she felt!” Rowena cried, rounding on him with a spurt of anger.
“When have we ever kept secrets from each other, Georgie? What about Henry? When did you stop loving him and start loving someone else? Was there no point at which you felt the need to confide in a friend? No point when you wanted advice? Or simply to tell me that you had changed?”
Stung, Georgie cried, “You were always so busy with the baby.”
“Never too busy to talk to you.”
“But I couldn’t… it wasn’t…” She was crying too hard to find any more words. She could not tell Rowena the truth, and anything less felt hollow.
“I thought we were better friends than that, Georgie,” Rowena said quietly. “It is hurtful to discover that you have been keeping secrets from me all this time, very hurtful indeed. I cannot tell you how disappointed I am.” And so saying, she swept out of the room.
Georgie’s legs gave out on her and she crumpled onto the edge of the bed. Jamie was beside her at once, his arms around her, holding her tight.
“I cannot make her understand!” Georgie wailed.
“I know, my darling. Perhaps we can never tell her the whole story, but always remember this — we did the right thing, the only thing we could do to correct the mistake we made. There was always likely to be some trouble as a result, but we will weather this storm as all storms from now on — together, facing the future side by side.”
And even through her bitter tears, Georgie was comforted by his words and the reassurance of his arms around her.