on the estate adjoining Highmoor, the Marquess of Carew’s seat, Lord Francis had opened and read the letter before anything else.
The crops were all planted and growing. The sheephad all lambed, most of them successfully, and the cows had all calved. Everything, in fact, appeared to be going well with Gabe’s life even though he pretended to complain about a projected visit to Harrogate with his wife and children in order to shop. Lord Francis knew that Gabe doted on his wife and family and would take them to Peking to shop if he thought it would give them pleasure. Though not at the present time, of course. Lady Thornhill was increasing—Lord Francis had known about that before—and Gabe was strict about the amount of traveling he would allow her to do at such times.
“And our neighbors, Frank,” Gabe had written just when Lord Francis had been feeling elated and mortally depressed at the conviction that they were not going to be mentioned at all. “Nothing will do but Jennifer must call upon them almost every day when they are not calling upon us, and since I will not allow her far out of my sight when she is in such a delicate way, I call upon them almost every day too—except when they are with us. All is domestic bliss there. We have been delighted and a little surprised to find it, though in truth I am the only one surprised. Jennifer declares that Samantha would not have married for anything less than love (you know what incurable romantics women are and ought to know that Jennifer is perhaps the most incurable of all). But if you had any doubts, Frank, and I know you were a particular friend of Samantha’s, then you may put them to rest. She did not marry Carew for his title and wealth. My wife was purple with indignation when I was unwise enough to suggest to her that such might be the case. And one more
on-dit
, Frank, before I take up the theme of the beginning of this letter and beg you to come and spend part of the summer with us—the children claim that summer will not be complete without the presence of Uncle Frank, who swam and climbedtrees and played cricket with them last year. One more
on-dit
—Jennifer whispered to me and I am whispering to you, in the strictest confidence, of course, that our Marchioness of Carew is to present her marquess with an heir or—heaven forbid—a daughter sometime within the next nine months.”
Lord Francis read the rest of the letter with eyes to which his mind was not attached.
So she was with child. It was hardly surprising when she had been married for longer than a month. Of course she was with child. It did not matter to him. He had lost her as soon as she betrothed herself to Carew. He had lost her utterly on her wedding day.
Now he lost her just a little more again.
4
DO BELIEVE SHE IS ABOUT TO BECOME A NINE-DAYS wonder,” the Duke of Bridgwater said to his mother after all her afternoon visitors—except him—had left. Although he lived alone in a large town house, his mother always chose to open her own house, left her as part of her legacy in her husband’s will, whenever she came to town for longer than a week at a time. She was so accustomed to being mistress of her own house, she always said by way of explanation, that she would doubtless be an obnoxious, domineering mother if she lived with her son.
“It is very gratifying indeed, Alistair,” the duchess replied. “One realized that Elizabeth’s status as Hayden’s betrothed would draw visitors and one hoped that Jane’s eligibility would do likewise—do you not agree that she is in remarkable good looks this year? But one could only be anxious about Cora. I find her delightful, though I recognize that there is something about her that is not quite the thing. But one could not help but wonder if her origins would be too much of an impediment in town.”
His grace withdrew an enameled snuffbox from a pocket, flicked it open with a practiced thumb, and proceeded to set a pinch of his
The crops were all planted and growing. The sheephad all lambed, most of them successfully, and the cows had all calved. Everything, in fact, appeared to be going well with Gabe’s life even though he pretended to complain about a projected visit to Harrogate with his wife and children in order to shop. Lord Francis knew that Gabe doted on his wife and family and would take them to Peking to shop if he thought it would give them pleasure. Though not at the present time, of course. Lady Thornhill was increasing—Lord Francis had known about that before—and Gabe was strict about the amount of traveling he would allow her to do at such times.
“And our neighbors, Frank,” Gabe had written just when Lord Francis had been feeling elated and mortally depressed at the conviction that they were not going to be mentioned at all. “Nothing will do but Jennifer must call upon them almost every day when they are not calling upon us, and since I will not allow her far out of my sight when she is in such a delicate way, I call upon them almost every day too—except when they are with us. All is domestic bliss there. We have been delighted and a little surprised to find it, though in truth I am the only one surprised. Jennifer declares that Samantha would not have married for anything less than love (you know what incurable romantics women are and ought to know that Jennifer is perhaps the most incurable of all). But if you had any doubts, Frank, and I know you were a particular friend of Samantha’s, then you may put them to rest. She did not marry Carew for his title and wealth. My wife was purple with indignation when I was unwise enough to suggest to her that such might be the case. And one more
on-dit
, Frank, before I take up the theme of the beginning of this letter and beg you to come and spend part of the summer with us—the children claim that summer will not be complete without the presence of Uncle Frank, who swam and climbedtrees and played cricket with them last year. One more
on-dit
—Jennifer whispered to me and I am whispering to you, in the strictest confidence, of course, that our Marchioness of Carew is to present her marquess with an heir or—heaven forbid—a daughter sometime within the next nine months.”
Lord Francis read the rest of the letter with eyes to which his mind was not attached.
So she was with child. It was hardly surprising when she had been married for longer than a month. Of course she was with child. It did not matter to him. He had lost her as soon as she betrothed herself to Carew. He had lost her utterly on her wedding day.
Now he lost her just a little more again.
4
DO BELIEVE SHE IS ABOUT TO BECOME A NINE-DAYS wonder,” the Duke of Bridgwater said to his mother after all her afternoon visitors—except him—had left. Although he lived alone in a large town house, his mother always chose to open her own house, left her as part of her legacy in her husband’s will, whenever she came to town for longer than a week at a time. She was so accustomed to being mistress of her own house, she always said by way of explanation, that she would doubtless be an obnoxious, domineering mother if she lived with her son.
“It is very gratifying indeed, Alistair,” the duchess replied. “One realized that Elizabeth’s status as Hayden’s betrothed would draw visitors and one hoped that Jane’s eligibility would do likewise—do you not agree that she is in remarkable good looks this year? But one could only be anxious about Cora. I find her delightful, though I recognize that there is something about her that is not quite the thing. But one could not help but wonder if her origins would be too much of an impediment in town.”
His grace withdrew an enameled snuffbox from a pocket, flicked it open with a practiced thumb, and proceeded to set a pinch of his
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