Regency Romance Collection From Christina Courtenay (6 page)

‘
Whatever would the other guests say? It’s very late.’ Amelia glanced at the half-open door. She knew that her voice would carry far beyond this room if she gave it full rein.

‘
I don’t give a damn,’ James exploded. ‘Just sing!’

Fury gave Amelia the courage to do as he asked.
‘Very well, but if we are thrown out of here, it will be your fault.’

She sat down at a pianoforte
that stood in the middle of the room and began to strum a few notes softly while she collected herself and decided what to sing. She was out of practice and hadn’t sung for a while, so she decided on something simple and chose one of the lesser arias from the opera they had just seen. She knew it by heart and once she began to sing, albeit haltingly at first, she soon forgot where she was and lost herself in the music.

Her voice gained confidence, and rang out sweet and pure, and towards the end of the ari
a she sang with all her might. By the time she had finished, a crowd had gathered in the doorway and everyone began to clap enthusiastically. James said nothing, just offered her his arm as she stood up and prepared to leave. She swept past him, however, still angry, but smiled mechanically to acknowledge the applause. Then she went straight up to her room, slamming the door behind her.

If he was going to be this dictatorial, how on earth was
their marriage going to work? One thing was for sure, she would not put up with it.

CHAPTER SEVEN

James was in a quandary.
He had a feeling he had just made a great fool of himself and it was not a feeling he relished. His wife had proved to him that she did indeed possess a rare talent. In fact, he would not be surprised if she
had
reduced grown men to tears with a voice like that, but it still rankled that she had sung to other men, married or otherwise. He was beginning to wonder why that should matter to him so much.

It would seem he was j
ealous, but how could that be? Being jealous meant that he would first have to be in love, and he refused to acknowledge any such thing. He didn’t even dare believe in Amelia’s innocence, so he couldn’t possibly love her. Or could he?

No.
He decided that without trust there could be no love. He had to be sure and what was needed was a breathing space, some time for reflection. Everything had happened with such speed, they had to slow things down a little. The best thing would be for him to leave Amelia at his home in Surrey for a few weeks while he attended to some of his other properties. Perhaps after some time away from her he could begin to think clearly again. He had found that being with her played havoc with his senses and his brain didn’t seem to function like it normally did.

I have
to get away.

When Amelia woke the next morning, James had already gone out.

‘
Said as how he had some business to take care of,’ the maid informed her.

Amelia wondered what to do while she waited for him
yet again and decided she had better just stay in the hotel. She had no idea why James had acted so strangely the night before, but during the night she had calmed down and come to the conclusion that it had probably all been a misunderstanding. She knew she needed to be patient until she learned more about him. They were, after all, virtually strangers still, and no doubt she would understand him better once they got to know each other properly. But it made her cross that he had the power to upset her so.

She went downstairs to look for a
periodical with which to pass the time, and sat down in the lounge by herself. She had just finished the first page when a footman came over to her with a card on a silver salver.

‘
There’s a gentleman who’d like a word with you, my lady.’

Amelia looked at the card, which bore the name of Captain M
arshall, and groaned inwardly. She wasn’t sure she ought to see him without James being present, but on the other hand she was sitting in a room full of people so there couldn’t be any impropriety in simply talking to the man.

‘
Very well, show him over here, please,’ she said to the footman.

Soon after, the captain’s booming voice rang out.
‘Lady Demarr, how do you do?’ He bowed over her hand, but she snatched it back as quickly as possible.

‘
How nice of you to call. Please take a seat,’ she said. ‘How did you know where to find me?’

‘
Oh, we military chaps have connections, you know.’ He tapped his nose with one finger and smiled.

‘I see.
Well, what can I do for you?’

‘Nothing, m’dear, nothing at all.
It’s the other way around, actually, I came to ask if there was anything I could help
you
with?’

‘Me?
No, really I’m fine.’ Amelia was confused by his offer, but didn’t know what to say.

Captain Marshall looked around furtively, then bent forward to whisper theatrically,
‘Just thought I’d come and ask, you know. Your husband didn’t seem to be in a very good mood last night. Not treating you badly, is he? Be honoured to take care of him for you if he was.’ He nodded for emphasis.

Amelia was aghast.
The last thing she needed at the moment was some other man championing her cause. She didn’t think James would like that at all. ‘No, Captain,’ she said firmly, ‘everything is fine, I assure you. No one could ask for a better husband, truly.’ She tried to look as sincere as possible and evidently succeeded since the captain looked satisfied.

‘
Just thought I’d make sure, m’dear. Owe it to your father to look out for you.’

‘
Thank you, it’s very kind, but there is no need. I’m very happy with my marriage.’

‘
And I’m very happy to hear that.’ A new voice entered the conversation and Amelia felt her spirits sink.
James.
Why did he have to arrive now of all times?

‘
The Captain was just leaving,’ she said nervously. She looked at James to see what his reaction had been, then rather wished she hadn’t. His face was set in a very forbidding expression, his icy gaze on the captain, who swiftly took his leave.

‘
Shall we take lunch in our room, madam?’ James asked, still icily polite.

‘
Yes, of course.’ Amelia wondered if it was her fate to be forever in disgrace, but she didn’t see how she could have avoided talking to the captain. When they reached their room, James turned on her at once.

‘
Can I not leave you for five minutes without finding you smiling at some gentleman? I do not expect to find my wife sitting in the common lounge talking to someone, is that understood?’

‘Perfectly.
Should I have asked the captain up to our sitting room then, where I was without a chaperone?’

‘
I do not want you to entertain gentleman callers at all,’ he fairly shouted. ‘Perhaps you need a little reminder as to who your husband is?’ And without warning, he took her in his arms and began to kiss her ruthlessly.

Amelia had no doubt it was meant as a punishment, but
she could not help her enjoyment of the kiss and soon responded in kind, thus unwittingly beating him at his own game. He broke it off looking thoroughly frustrated.

‘
I think in the circumstances it would be best if we set off for my country estate immediately. If you would be so good as to pack?’

He stalked off towards his room and slammed the door, leaving Amelia feeling
exasperated once again.
What an infuriating and difficult man he is!
But so attractive at the same time
. She sighed. Would she ever understand him?

The last leg of their journey was accomplished in stony silence. Amelia knew where they were going, since James had told her previously that his home was near East Grinstead, but she had no idea how long it would take to get there. She refused to ask though.

It didn’t take more than half a day, in fact, and when they arrived Amelia couldn’t
help but exclaim in surprise. He had said that he owned a ‘small property’, and Amelia hadn’t much cared about the size of her prospective new home, but what lay before her was nothing less than a mansion. As the carriage swept through a well-kept park, a beautiful house in the Palladian style came into view, with neatly laid out formal gardens all around it.

‘
This is Marr Place?’ she asked incredulously, and James, obviously pleased with her reaction, unbent enough to reply.

‘Indeed. Do you like it?’

‘Like it? It’s magnificent! I thought you said you had a small property.’

‘
Well, it’s small in comparison to some. My grandfather’s house is much larger. I haven’t lived here for very long myself,’ he added. ‘I’ve been abroad until recently.’

Amelia did not reply, bu
t stared at the house instead. She couldn’t believe she was going to be the mistress of such a grand establishment. It was too good to be true, but also daunting in the extreme. What if she couldn’t manage such a large household? She shook herself mentally and told herself sternly not to be so silly.
Of course you can manage!

The carriage came to a halt next to a curving flight of steps le
ading up to the front portico. As James helped her alight, Amelia marvelled anew at the beauty of the house, but her attention was soon claimed by the front door opening, and a butler who greeted them with a bow.

‘
Ah, Jamieson, forgive our sudden arrival, but we finished our business in town a trifle early,’ James said to the butler. ‘I’m sure that with your usual efficiency you have already arranged everything to our satisfaction.’

‘Indeed, my lord. We have been ready for days.
May I take this opportunity to wish you joy and on behalf of myself and all the staff to welcome her ladyship to her new home.’

‘Thank you.’
Amelia smiled at him. ‘You are very kind.’

Next, she was introduced to the housekeeper, Mrs Flint, and this lady escorted her upstairs to her room, which proved to be an entire suite on the seco
nd floor overlooking the park. It was decorated in shades of moss green and gold and Amelia could not but approve of this choice as green was one of her favourite colours.

‘This is lovely!’
she exclaimed.

Mrs Flint looked pleased, but said,
‘To be sure, we hope you will find everything satisfactory, although I expect you’ll want to make some changes.’

‘
Oh no, not in here at any rate. This is just perfect.’

‘I’m glad you like it, my lady.
Now I will send up one of the maids to help you with your unpacking. Her name is Maryann and if you approve of her, she can be your maid, as I understand from his lordship’s letter that you didn’t bring anyone with you.’ There was a knock on the door. ‘Ah, here she is now with some hot water and towels.’

‘
Thank you, Mrs Flint, you have thought of everything.’

Amelia was soon pleased to approve the housekeeper’s choice of maid for her, as Maryann was a very capable country girl,
cheerful and willing to help. Together they set about repairing the ravages of the journey.

Amelia wanted to look her best before seeing her husband again.
Not because I want to impress him,
she thought. That was clearly impossible. But it would make her feel better and there was no harm in trying, was there?

CHAPTER EIGHT

Amelia was asked to join his lordship in the library as soon as she was finished, and with a last look in the mirror she followed a footman downstairs. She felt unaccountably nervous, despite knowing that she did look her best in one of her new gowns, and wondered what mood James would be in now.

The library proved to be very grand, its walls covered with bookcases from floor to ceiling, with little niches in between which house
d tiny antique marble statues. The high ceiling was covered in lavish plaster decorations and the windows were draped in burgundy velvet, a colour scheme echoed in the furnishings and thick Oriental carpet. The footman announced her, then bowed and took his leave.

James watched her as she approached, then indicated that she should t
ake a seat near the fireplace. He took the chair opposite.

‘
I have been doing a lot of thinking since yesterday evening,’ he began, ‘and I have decided that perhaps we need some time away from each other to enable us to get used to this strange bargain we have struck. I own a stud farm not far from here called Westfield, and I propose to go and stay there for a while. It is no great distance, so you can contact me at any time if necessary.’

Amelia was taken aback.
‘I see,’ she said calmly, although inwardly she wanted to rail at him. They had made a bargain, that much was true, but surely it would be better for them to live together if they wanted to get used to it? She said nothing, however, merely asked if she would be in charge of the household while he was gone.

‘
Yes, of course, and you may do as you please. This is your home now, and if you wish to make any changes, you are free to do so, within reason of course. I leave it entirely up to you and should you need funds for anything, just send a groom over to me with a note. I think you will find that the shopkeepers in these parts will be only too happy to extend you credit and send their bills to me.’

‘Very well.
Thank you.’ Amelia didn’t know what else to say, so she folded her hands in her lap and waited.

‘There is one more thing,’
James said. ‘I have asked the children’s nanny to bring them down here to be introduced to you. Perhaps you can oblige me by becoming acquainted with them while I am away?’

As he finished speaking, there was a knock on the door and upon his ‘Enter’, a rather sour-faced woman in her early thirties came in with two little girls in tow.

‘Ah, there you are Miss Downes, children. Amelia, allow me to present my daughters Mathilde, who is six, and Chloe, who is four. This is their nanny, Miss Downes. Girls, this is your new step-mama, my wife. Please come and make your curtseys.’ He sounded stern and Amelia was just beginning to wonder what sort of man she had married, when he added with a smile, ‘And then you may come and give your papa a kiss.’

The little girls obediently curtseyed to Amelia, under the watchful eye of the nanny, but only the older one said,
‘Pleased to meet you, ma’am.’ She was a sturdy, bright-looking child, with straight corn-coloured hair and eyes exactly the same shade of arctic blue as her father’s. She seemed curious, but not unfriendly, so Amelia smiled at her.

‘
I’m very pleased to meet you too. I have heard so much about you. Perhaps later on we can have a little chat and you can tell me more about my new home?’ She turned to the other little girl, who was completely different from the older one. A tiny thing with dark curls and huge grey eyes in an elfin face, she looked both scared and wary at the same time. Amelia smiled encouragingly at her to try and put her at ease, but she could see that it would probably take time to win her trust. She decided to take things slowly so as not to frighten her.

Duty done, the girls ran to their father and gave him a hug and a kiss each. He managed to lift them both up at the same time and sat down o
n a sofa with them on his lap. The nanny, meanwhile, was still looking dour, and as soon as James had finished chatting to the girls, she whisked them out of the room saying it was time for their tea.

Amelia rose to go too, but James halted her with the words,
‘Wait, what did you think of your new daughters?’

‘
I think they are delightful and I’m sure we shall deal very well together. Mathilde seems very confident and mature for her age and I think that if I give Chloe some time to get used to me, she will overcome her shyness.’

‘Good,’
he said in a softer tone than the one he had used earlier. ‘I am aware that being a step-mother is not always easy and I shan’t expect miracles, you know. I’ll be happy if you just do your best.’

‘
Of course I will, I told you I like children.’ Amelia hesitated. ‘There was one thing though …’

‘
Yes?’

‘
The nanny, has she been with them long? I mean, it’s probably not my place to say so, but she looked a trifle severe to me.’

‘
I suppose you may be right, but nannies have to be a bit severe, don’t they? I know mine always were. Discipline is necessary for children, don’t you think? But you may do as you see fit – if you consider her unsuitable, by all means find someone else.’

‘
Thank you,’ she said, feeling unaccountably happy that he trusted her judgement in this matter.

‘
Then everything is settled and I must be off if I am to get to Westfield before nightfall.’

‘
You are leaving so soon?’

‘
Yes, but don’t worry, you will be well taken care of.’

Amelia was sure she would be, but not by the one person
she really wanted to be with. A spurt of anger shot through her.
Annoying man!
She had hoped they could at least share a meal on her first night in her new home. With a sigh she made her way back to her room, where she ordered an early dinner to be sent up on a tray. She couldn’t face eating alone in the no-doubt vast dining room. It was easier to plead fatigue and eat in peace and quiet.

Amelia did not allow herself to feel lonely and bereft for long. Such foolishness did not have a place in an arranged marriage, she told herself, and she ought to be grateful to have this wonderful new home with everything she could possibly wish for and two lovely daughters into the bargain.

She was determined to make the best of everything and to prove to James that she could be an excellent wife and step-mother
. Then perhaps he would come back, she thought. The following morning she therefore dressed quickly in another of her new gowns, then sought out the housekeeper, who readily agreed to take her on a tour of the house. This occupied them until lunchtime and Amelia complimented Mrs Flint on her efficiency.

‘
You’ve left me nothing to do,’ she smiled. ‘Everything seems to be running smoothly.’

‘
Thank you, my lady, I’m glad you think so.’ Mrs Flint looked pleased at the praise. ‘I’ll be sure to ask your opinion now that you’re here. Will you be wanting to make any changes to the rooms?’

Although beautifully furnished in a rather old-fashioned style and spotlessly clean, Amelia felt some of the rooms needed a woman’s touch.
‘Well, I would like to change some of the curtains to lighter, less heavy and ornate, materials, I think, in due course. Perhaps add some cushions and the like to give this place a more homely feel? And there should be fresh flowers in some of the rooms, if possible, don’t you think?’

‘An excellent idea, my lady.
I’m sure the gardener will be only too happy to supply you with anything you need.’

‘
I’ll seek him out after lunch then. I enjoy flower arranging. Could you be so kind as to find me plenty of vases, please?’

‘
Right away.’

Amelia had lunch in the morning room, acutely aware of the servants hovering behind her
. They were no doubt wondering why her husband had abandoned her so soon, but she was still determined not to let it faze her. She was, however, happy to escape to the garden afterwards, having fetched a bonnet and shawl.

She walked along the well-kept paths i
n search of the head gardener. It was a lovely spring day, quite warm for May, and as the sun was strong she was glad her bonnet shaded her complexion from its glare. She finally tracked down the gardener in a remote corner of the rose garden.

‘
I’d be very happy to bring you flowers every day, my lady, or however often you need them,’ he beamed, when told what she wanted. ‘I always thought it was a shame not to make use of some of these wonderful blooms.’

‘
You’ve done a marvellous job, this is such a lovely garden.’ Amelia meant it, and his smile widened even more at her sincere praise.

Mission accomplished, Amelia retraced her steps slowly, enjoying the sunshine and the feeling that she was free from he
r aunt and the odious Bernard. Even if her situation here was not yet perfect, it was at least a great deal better than being her cousin’s mistress. It was such a relief to have thwarted his evil plans.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard crying and shouti
ng from behind a nearby hedge. She rushed around the corner, just in time to see Miss Downes slap little Chloe hard on the cheek and shout, ‘You naughty little thing, didn’t I tell you to be careful of your new clothes? Now look what you’ve done, there’s dirt all over your skirts.’ The nanny had Chloe’s arm in a vice-like grip, and although Mathilde was trying to protect her sister by pulling on Miss Downes’ other arm, the woman shook her off easily.

Amelia saw red and stalked over to the little group,
fury making her voice strong. ‘How dare you hit your charges?’ she shouted. ‘Chloe is only four, for goodness’ sake, a mere baby.’ She snatched the child out of the surprised nanny’s grip and lifted Chloe into her arms to comfort her. She could feel Chloe quivering with fear and the little girl clung to Amelia as if her life depended on it, sobbing all the while.

‘
But look what she has done to her new clothes,’ the nanny protested, white-faced now with both fear and anger. ‘I can’t have her behaving like a hoyden, she’s forever getting dirty.’

Mathilde, who had by this time grasped the fact that they had an ally in Amelia, piped up.
‘But she only fell down, Step-mama, and she didn’t mean to, it was an accident.’

‘
Of course it was,’ Amelia said soothingly, putting a hand on Mathilde’s shoulder as well to reassure her. ‘No four-year old is going to fall down on purpose, that’s a ridiculous notion. I suggest you moderate your discipline a little, Miss Downes, if you wish to retain your position in this household.’

The nanny glared at her.
‘I’m not staying another minute,’ she declared. ‘You can look after them yourself, your
ladyship
.’ The sneer in her voice as she emphasised Amelia’s title was clear, as if the woman doubted she had a right to it. Amelia said nothing, however, and did not stop Miss Downes from stalking off towards the house.

‘
Good riddance,’ she muttered.

‘
What does that mean?’ Mathilde asked, looking puzzled.

Amelia smiled.
‘It just means we’re better off without her, don’t you think?’

The little girl grinned.
‘Oh, yes, she was hateful.’

Amelia decided to stay in the garden for a while, in order to give the nanny time to pack and leave before they returned to the house
. To this end she sat down on a nearby bench and cuddled Chloe, who was only hiccoughing slightly now. ‘Come and sit by me, Mathilde, and tell me what you do all day. Do you have lessons or do you just play?’

‘
Nanny taught us things like how to behave, but we didn’t have lessons, Step-mama. She said she was going to teach me to read and write maybe next year.’

‘
Hmm, if you ask me, you’re old enough to learn already. Would you like me to teach you?’

‘
Yes please, Step-mama.’

The frequent use of that word was beginning to grate on Amelia as it didn’t have a very nice ring to it.
‘Do you think that perhaps you could call me Amelia instead? Step-mama sounds so … so hard,’ she tried to find the right word for it. ‘Perhaps later you can decide if you would like me to be your new mother, and then you can call me Mama if you wish, but until then we can just be friends and you call me by my name. How does that sound?’

Mathilde agreed readily, and even Chloe was heard to murmur
‘Melia’. ‘I only called you that because Nanny said we had to,’ Mathilde confided.

They walked slowly back to the house, chatting about the various flowers and birds in the garden, and to Amelia’s delight, Chloe bega
n to add her comments as well. She clung to Amelia’s hand all the way, as if it were a lifeline, and it was a touching gesture.

Back in the children’s room, they were met by a frightened looking girl of about sixteen, who said her name was Eliza and that she was Miss
Downes’ helper in the nursery. Amelia asked Mathilde in a whisper whether she and Chloe liked Eliza, and when the child replied, ‘Oh, yes, she’s ever so nice to us,’ Amelia came to a decision.