CHAPTER FIFTEEN
After seeing their friends off the day after the wedding, Emma moved into the abbey and began her life as a countess. The two of them visited Grace and Carter every day, and they took each opportunity they could to retire to Audsley’s bed to make love. She blushed each time they disappeared in the middle of the day and she was quite certain his servants knew exactly what they were doing, but since the alternative was to refrain from their activities until nightfall and Emma certainly didn’t want to do that, she supposed she would just have to get used to it.
Emma had been afraid Patsy and Victoria would have a difficult time leaving their home for the much larger abbey, but the two loved their new surroundings and adapted to them quicker than Emma did. But, then, they didn’t have a staff looking to them for instructions, as well as having to get used to being addressed as Lady Audsley. She felt like a fraud every time she had to plan a menu. She finally decided to let an expert help her as she asked Cook for her opinions on the meals. Mrs. Wallis had been with the family for forty years and, while deferential, was happy to impart everything she’d learned about Emma’s husband’s appetites. At least the ones concerning food.
As for the others, Emma was learning a good deal about those morning, afternoon and night. He was a patient teacher and she was an eager student, so she was beginning to feel much more adept at those duties than any of the others. Thankfully, it didn’t feel like a duty. They found a myriad of ways to enjoy themselves, though he still hadn’t told her his feelings.
She should have known their sojourn in the country would eventually end and less than three weeks after they’d married, Audsley received a letter doing just that.
“I have neglected my duties in Parliament far too long,” he said, as he set aside the letter from a colleague.
“Of course,” said Emma. She’d known this day would come, though she wasn’t looking forward to it. For close to a month, Audsley and she had spent most of their time alone, other than their visits with Grace and Carter. Now they would go to London and she’d be on display as the new Countess of Audsley. “Will Grace and Carter be going back, as well?”
“Not right away. Carter needs to attend to business on one of his estates, which will delay their return.”
That meant Grace wouldn’t be in London until Carter arrived. “I will arrange for our trunks to be packed so we can leave at your earliest convenience.”
“So, you want to return to London with me?” He asked her without any emotion in his voice, not giving any indication of whether this would be a good thing or not.
“I am your wife, am I not?” Did he not want her there?
“I seem to recall a ceremony where that came to pass,” he said slowly. “But do you want to go?”
“Are you afraid I will embarrass you?”
“Certainly not!”
“Well, you might wonder about it a bit, since I am not entirely certain I won’t make a cake of myself. I don’t know the first thing about being your countess, but since there is no manual I can read, I suspect learning while doing is the best plan.”
He nodded. “I suspect you are right, though I do disagree with you about one thing.”
“What is that?” Would he tell her to stay in the country?
“In a very short time you have become an expert on how the Countess of Audsley behaves in the bedchamber.” His smile was so warm it felt like summer had started over.
“I must say it is one aspect of his whole countess endeavor which is lovely. Do you want me to accompany you to town, Audsley?”
“Very much so,” he said, as he took her hand and kissed it.
She was certain he could feel her pulse quicken. It was embarrassing to be this transparent about her feelings when she had no idea what his were. “I hope I don’t embarrass you too much. While I understand the rudimentary parts of etiquette and promise not to make egregious errors with spoons and forks, I know nothing about being a countess and cannot imagine ever hosting a dinner or, heaven forfend, a ball.”
“That is just as well since I abhor entertaining.”
“There is something else. Your mother will one day return to London. I cannot imagine she will be best pleased when she learns of our marriage.”
Audsley shrugged. “If that is true, it will be a problem of her own making. I am quite pleased with it, myself.”
“As am I.” That was true to, perhaps, a surprising extent. Her life had changed a great deal in the past month and while she was worried about being countess, she had no qualms about the marriage.