Chapter Thirty-Eight
Frances was debating between a green dress Nathaniel bought her before the wedding, and a blue one Elizabeth left her.
Each house the Suttons stayed at had a collection of dresses the girls shared.
At Sutton House, a large majority had belonged to Nathaniel’s mother, which Frances did not feel comfortable touching, but she didn’t have the same negative feelings Lizzie did towards Lord Lotham’s favorite colors or dresses he’d bought.
Not to mention, Elizabeth was avoiding colors to signal she wasn’t ready to be pursued, which Frances didn’t think would ever change.
Why give up being independent with a title that let her do as she pleased?
Most importantly, Elizabeth had Abigail. A few months ago, Frances would have thought it worth marrying a man she wasn’t interested in for the sake of children, but now she knew one could be both childless and married to someone who didn’t want to be married.
“I brought the hyacinths,” Sarah said, coming in with potted plants.
Frances had been building quite the collection in her room, but since Nathaniel was staying in it as well, she did not want to overwhelm him, so they’d moved them to a spare bedroom.
Luckily, Sarah had remembered to bring them back tonight.
“Thank you, Sarah.” Frances smiled as she got to work. “I couldn’t decide which dress to wear. The blue is a bit much, I think, though Nathaniel paid for the green one.”
“I assure you he is unaware of that fact.”
“So you would suggest…”
“Blue is Lord Lark’s favorite color,” Sarah said without hesitation. “Unless you want green because it is a blend of both?”
“Both what?”
“Your favorite color and his. Yellow and blue. The perfect couple.” Sarah must have seen Frances’ face fall because she rushed to say, “Or perhaps I’m partial because my favorite color is green.”
“You must look like an emerald when you wear it.”
“I don’t ever wear green, but I do hope that’s what it would look like. When I told Lady Grace, she said, ‘Like grass?’”
“You’re talking to someone who is very partial to grass,” Frances reminded her. “But something about you screams emeralds.”
“In my dreams.” Sarah laughed.
“Blue it is, then,” Frances decided, then put it on while Sarah went to put the plant back.
“I’ll need those in the morning as well.
Perhaps we can put them in the earl’s chambers for the night, so you needn’t go so far to get them?
” Frances suggested. “Unless there’s too much debris, but they won’t work overnight, surely? ”
“No debris, my lady,” Sarah assured her, but in a tone that gave Frances pause.
“Is there an issue with the repairs?”
“No, everything is on schedule, I believe.”
“What are you afraid to tell me?” Frances’ heart dropped. As much as she would love sharing a bed with Nathaniel for the rest of their marriage, he wouldn’t.
“Nothing, my lady.”
“It was supposed to take a week, two at the most—"
“And they’ve finished,” Sarah agreed.
“They’re done with the earl’s chambers?”
“Since your sister arrived, if memory serves. Stevens remembered that the previous Lady Lark tended to sleep in the same bed as her sister when she visited before marrying Doctor Turner so they could share secrets all night. He ensured the completion before—”
“My sisters and I aren’t like that.” Frances assumed everyone who’d witnessed them together knew as much. “No one thought to inform me, or the earl?”
“I believe Stevens must have told him at the time.”
“You believe?”
“I know,” Sarah admitted. “I shouldn’t have mentioned it.”
“Yet he still…” Frances trailed off, perplexed. “Perhaps he didn’t want to move while my sisters were here.”
“Perhaps.”
“Sarah, do you know something?” Her sisters had left days ago, and Nathaniel was not the forgetful type. “Never mind, please don’t answer that. You’re loyal to Nathaniel, and I would never want you to compromise that.”
“I appreciate that, my lady, but your husband has not confided in me in quite some time.”
Frances wanted to ask what he confided in her before, but it wasn’t her place.
“Would you like me to remove his—”
“No,” Frances answered, perhaps too quickly. “All the rooms at Sutton House belong to the earl. He can sleep wherever he wishes.”
Sarah looked like she wanted to argue, but thought better of it. “I’ll come back to help you in a minute.”
Things like this made Frances hopeful, and it terrified her. There could be a million reasons why. But the fact remained that Nathaniel’s chambers were ready, yet he chose to stay in hers.