Chapter Fourteen #2
more nervous by the second. But since turning tail and running was not an option, best to do and have done, as Granny would
say.
“No, I’m fine. And your family are hardly lions.”
“Ah, but you don’t yet know them,” he said with a wicked smile. In response to the look she gave him reproaching him for his
teasing, he laughed out loud. Then he said to Jansing, “Very well, we’ll go right in.”
Jansing nodded and glanced at her. “If you’ll follow me, my lady.”
Rynn found herself walking after Jansing with Thomas, being pushed by one of the footmen, following close behind. As they
rounded the corner into yet another magnificent hallway a woman’s voice reached her. The words were perfectly clear.
“An Irish nurse? Are we really supposed to accept her as part of the family?”
“Thomas has been crippled, remember. We must be kind no matter how awful she is,” a second woman replied.
“Yes, that’s all very well, but how do we explain her to our friends?”
“I agree it’s awkward, but—”
Jansing’s back went ramrod straight, while Rynn’s stomach pitted.
“Lord Thomas and Lady Thomas have arrived home,” Jansing boomed, cutting off the speaker before she could finish. His magisterial tone was a rebuke.
The speakers, caught in the act of descending the last flight of a magnificent staircase, froze in place as the converging
parties saw one another. Two women about Rynn’s own age, one plumpish with dark blond hair pulled back into a tight chignon,
the other shorter and thinner with medium brown hair cut short in a fashionable bob, looked startled at the sight of them.
Both in their own way were attractive and dressed in the latest style.
As their gazes fastened on Rynn, she found herself extraordinarily thankful that she was wearing the Nile-green dress with
its black lace overlay and fringe of black beads that Thomas had insisted on purchasing for her as part of her new wardrobe.
With black onyx earbobs—“A mere trifle,” Thomas had told her when she’d protested the expense, “I’ll get you better when I’ve
had a proper chance to access my bank.”—dangling from her ears, and her new wedding band on her finger, she had nothing to
apologize for in her appearance, she knew. The knowledge wasn’t much help. She still felt acutely self-conscious under the
entirely feminine up-and-down looks she was subjected to.
Then, “Thomas!” The brunette flung herself down the stairs, arms outstretched and heels clattering as she fell upon Thomas
to hug him in his chair.
“Maud.” Thomas’s return hug was affectionate.
“Hello, Thomas. And Lady Thomas.” The blonde continued down the stairs at a stately pace. “It seems we’ve been caught out
being quite rude,” she said to Rynn as she reached the bottom and approached them. “I apologize.”
“Think nothing of it. How wretched for you to have been overheard.” Rynn managed a smile and received a rather thin one in
return.
“Such a charming accent,” the lady said. “I predict it will become all the rage.”
Rynn blinked. She might be unfamiliar with how things were done in such rarified social circles, but she was perfectly capable
of recognizing a barely disguised sneer when she was on the receiving end of one.
“This is my sister-in-law, Alice, Marchioness of Wycomb,” Thomas said to Rynn, indicating the blonde as he emerged from Maud’s
embrace. Rynn knew that his older brother, Geoffrey, their father’s heir, was styled as the Marquess of Wycomb. “And this
madcap—” he wagged a finger at Maud “—is my cousin Maud. Lady Maud Dunne. Ladies, this is my wife, Rynn.”
“Thomas, is that you?” A door was flung open further along the hallway and a beautifully coiffed and dressed older woman appeared,
glanced in their direction and, face lighting up, hurried toward them. “Oh, it is! How wonderful to have you home at last!”
“Mother!” Thomas wheeled himself toward her, embracing his mother warmly as she swooped down on him and kissed him on both
cheeks.
“Oh, my poor boy, to see you like this!” Straightening, she pressed both hands to her cheeks and shook her head. “It breaks
my heart.”
“The fortunes of war.” Shrugging, he looked around at Rynn and held out a hand to her. As Rynn stepped forward to take it,
he drew her closer to his side and said, “This is Rynn, Mother. My wife.”
“How do you do?” Rynn dredged up the formal British manners that had been drummed into her by the nuns at St. Louis Convent School who’d overseen the middle years of her education, after Granny had determined that she was too old to attend the local hedge school and run with the lads, and briefly shook the hand the older woman held out to her.
Her own, she feared, was cold as ice, from nerves even more than the weather, but there was nothing she could do about it and the Duchess seemed not to notice.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, my dear. Thomas has been singing your praises for, oh, these many months now. Since you first
became his nurse.”
“Rynn has saved my life,” Thomas said. In Rynn’s view, the steeliness of his tone made the words a warning. Had the Duchess
at some point expressed dismay at her son’s choice of a bride? If so, Thomas had said nothing to her about it.
“Yes, indeed, we are all most grateful to you,” she said to Rynn. “If you can bring happiness to my poor boy, you will forever
secure your place in this family.”
“Hang it, Blanche, are you going to stand about in the hall all evening?” A gray-haired man, tall, slender and slightly stooped
with age, appeared in the doorway through which the Duchess had exited. He scowled at the lot of them. “Is that you, boy?
Well, don’t lurk about. Come in. I want my tea.”
“Good evening, Papa,” Thomas said.
“You’re late,” the Duke replied. Giving Rynn a comprehensive look, he added, “You’re right, she’s quite the beauty. At least
you didn’t make a mistake about that,” and headed back into the salon.
Rynn tried not to react. Thomas’s hand tightened on hers.
“Still on about me joining up, is he?” His tone was rueful as he looked at his mother.
“Oh, dear, you know how he is when he gets in one of his moods. And he does like things to be on time.” The Duchess made shooing
motions that had them all heading toward what Rynn presumed was the Blue Salon. Having had attention called to her appearance
in such a way made her even more uncomfortable than she was already. Still, there was nothing for it but to go into tea.