Chapter Eighteen #2
“Why don’t you lie down for a while? You look as though you’re not feeling right again.”
“I hate to because we’re so close, and the jerking of the carriage doesn’t help.”
“I can imagine. Unfortunately, we’re going to have to endure it for a while longer.”
“Hmmm.”
She had removed her hat hours ago and laid her head in his lap, kicking her feet up on the seat. Situations like this still made him uneasy. He wasn’t sure how he was supposed to act. Running his hand up and down her arm seemed to comfort her.
Finally, as the carriage drove up on to the cobblestones, he felt at ease. They were at least in town and his driver would know alternative streets to use to help speed up the last of their ride.
“Where are we?” Cathryn asked without sitting up.
“In London. Not sure where. I instructed the driver to try and find alternative routes to get us home quicker.”
“Good. I’m ready to get out and walk about.”
“Perhaps you should consider taking a hot bath. Maybe that’ll help you feel better.”
“You know you’re right, and I believe we’re only a couple of blocks away.”
He peered out the carriage window. She was right. They were about three blocks away from the house, and things were looking familiar. At least he was more comfortable. He could put the old fears away. At least, he thought he could. He wasn’t avoiding situations like he had.
Finally, the carriage turned onto the small drive of the house before coming to a complete stop. Cathryn sat up and smoothed back her hair before putting the hat back on. Curious, he watched her as she made sure everything was in place and she was ready to step out of the coach.
Charles followed her as she walked up to the front door where they were greeted by the butler and others. Cathryn requested tea be served in their suite and that dinner be served at the usual time in the breakfast room.
He entered the room behind her, where he deposited his hat and gloves in the arms of a waiting footman.
Catching up with her, Charles climbed the stairs and followed her down the hall to their suite.
While she immediately removed her slippers and laid her hat and shawl on a chair, he went in search of Frazier.
His valet was in the bathing chamber, arranging things on a stool beside the tub. Steam was coming up as the tub filled. “If you don’t mind, Cathryn is going to bathe first. She wasn’t feeling well on the way back, so I suggested a bath.”
“Not a problem. Let me take these back and I’ll go fetch a maid to assist her.”
“Thank you.”
Charles walked back out and found his bride looking out the window. Hearing him, she turned back around and smiled when she saw him.
“Frazier’s gone to find a maid to assist you with your bath.”
“Aren’t you sweet?” she said. Walking up to him, she placed a kiss firmly on his lips and put her arms around him. “Hopefully, this will help me feel better.”
“I’m sure it will.”
Moments later, Charles’s valet returned with a young maid to assist Cathryn in getting out of her outfit and whatever else it was women did to get themselves ready.
He spied a small pile of letters on the far side of the room.
Who could possibly know they would be here?
There was one addressed to Cathryn. He recognized the writing as being that of Cathryn’s mother.
Now he was intrigued. He assumed they still weren’t speaking, and how she had found out they were here in London was puzzling.
He hoped it wasn’t something that might upset her.
Had her parents received an invitation to the Prince of Wales’s party? Nothing would surprise him.
He hated the idea of having to give her the letter, but he couldn’t keep it from her.
Or could he? If she read the letter now, she’d be upset from today until after her performance.
If he didn’t tell her, he could feign ignorance when it came to the letter.
However, if she found out he’d kept it from her, it would cause friction between them, and he didn’t wish to go through her wrath again any time soon.
That quickly solved his dilemma in a hurry. He’d go ahead and give it to her once she finished her bath. Cathryn would not let her manipulative mother get too close.
When Cathryn returned, he was sitting in a dark-blue wing-back chair reading a newspaper he had requested Frazier to find.
“You look refreshed,” he said, noting her dark-gray dress trimmed in black. It was nothing fancy, but he knew she preferred to wear it when at home because it was comfortable.
“Yes, I feel much better. That was just what I needed.”
He nodded in agreement, his newspaper still folded to the story he wanted to read. “There’s a letter for you on the table over there.” He pointed in the direction of a square mahogany table used for such things.
“Who’s it from?”
“Not sure. Saw it was addressed to you and put it on the table.”
He watched as she picked it up and looked closely at it and sighed. “It’s from my mother. Now how would she know we’d be here in London at this particular time?”
“Perhaps she heard about you playing for the prince and his wife.”
“Perhaps.” She studied the letter for a few more seconds before opening it.
He watched as she read it, and from the facial expressions, he gathered she read it more than once. Then he saw her smile and shake her head.
“Problems?” he asked.
“It seems my parents have heard about my playing for the Prince of Wales.”
“What do they want? For you to get them invited?”
She shook her head. “Oh no. She simply is letting me know that they’ve secured an invitation because they are my parents and are looking forward to seeing me and hearing me play.”
“Don’t let her get under your skin.”
“I’m not. I do find it amusing at how she has to tell me how important she and my father are. They wouldn’t have secured an invitation if I wasn’t playing for the prince. They’re not the sort of people the prince keeps as friends.”
“I’ll look after you, my love. Just concentrate on what you are there for.”
“I plan to. I just fully expect her and my father to want to hover because who knows, Father might find a business deal while he is there.”
She walked toward him and handed the letter to him. “Read it for yourself.”
He did, and more than once. Her mother was a miserable woman. Cathryn had neglected to tell him that his mother didn’t think it would be a good idea to bring him along. He might embarrass them all with his lack of social skills.
He barked out a laugh. “I don’t know what to say that hasn’t already been said.”
“You’re right, and you’re going to accompany me. You’re my husband, and she’d just better get used to that.”
“I never intended not to go with you,” he replied.
“I know.”
“Now it’s just gotten a little more interesting.”
“It certainly has. We’ll have to make sure to make her uncomfortable when she’s around us,” she said.
“How’s that?” he asked with a smirk.
“You know, kissing, holding my hand, just be attentive to each other. It’ll drive her crazy because she can’t control the narrative.”
Charles chuckled. “You, my dear, are an excellent judge of character.”
“Thank you,” she replied with a smile.
She had to be, with parents who were like chameleons, changing their personalities to suit the scenario around them.
*
The following morning had a delightful pink and gray to the sky, Charles thought as he paused to look outside a window on his way to the breakfast room. He hesitated as a footman opened the door for him.
He had no sooner gotten a plate filled with eggs, sausage, and fried potatoes than the door opened once more, and his wife walked in. She sat across from Charles. As she stirred her tea, he noticed she was quieter than usual.
“Good morning,” he said.
“Good morning,” she replied, pulling a folded paper out of the pocket of her brown and rust dress. “This just came.”
“What is it?”
“I’ve been invited to check out the piano I’ll be playing and to rehearse if I like.”
“That’s good, isn’t it?”
She nodded and chose a piece of toast and began to slather it with strawberry jam. “Yes, it is. There aren’t many hosts who would think to do such a thing. The prince and his wife are different.”
“I know you’re going to go, but may I suggest I go along with you? Afterwards, we could grab a light lunch.”
“How did you know what I was considering? I was going to ask you to accompany me. I’d prefer not to go alone.”
She didn’t have to give him an explanation for what she was asking. Charles knew what she was uncomfortable about: the Prince of Wales showing up unannounced, and she would feel ill at ease about being alone in the same room with him. The prince did have a reputation.
“Good, it’s settled. I’ll accompany you so you can practice and afterwards we’ll have lunch.”
“Thank you, Charles.”
“No need to thank me. I’m your husband. While a lot of husbands would simply send a footman to accompany their wife, I’m not like that.”
Nodding, Cathryn placed the letter back in her pocket and took a sip of tea. He knew she felt better just knowing he’d be with her.
He watched as she pushed her toast and remaining dollop of strawberry jam on the plate. “Is there something wrong with the toast?”
“No. I’m not as hungry as I thought I was.”
“How can you not be hungry? You haven’t eaten since last night.”
“I’m just not hungry. I’ll eat this toast, and by lunch I’ll be more than ready to eat. It just takes me a while sometimes for my appetite to wake up.”
“Understood. Think about where you’d like to go.”
“I will.”
He continued to watch her as discreetly as possible. Though she did eat the toast, it took an effort on her part. She finished her tea and began to rise from the table.
“When would you like to leave? Did they give you a specific time to go and practice there?”
“All it says is any time after ten and before three.”
“We have plenty of time.”
“Why don’t we plan on leaving at ten?” she asked.
“Very well. That’ll give us plenty of time.”