They drank their sherry in silence, each feeling acutely strained in the others’ company. Hugh thought the sherry tasteless.
“It’s like you could cut the air with a blade,” George said behind his immaculate white-gloved hand to Mackles, a young footman who had just received a blistering set-down from a usually polite, calm master.
“It ain’t so much ‘is lordship,” Mackles said after ruminating over George’s comment for several moments. “It’s ‘er ladyship. Like a ghost she’s been, so pale and quiet-like, if you know what I mean.” He glanced sideways toward the breakfast room, thankful that the door was firmly closed.
George knew very well what the footman meant, but he was suddenly aware that such a conversation, even though it be with a superior servant, was unseemly. “Well, just never you mind about all that, my boy,” he said formally, bending a stern eye on the hapless Mackles. “You just help Eliza with her ladyship’s trunks. His lordship and ladyship should be finishing their breakfast shortly and will wish to leave.”
On the other side of the breakfast-parlor door, Julien was sitting across from his silent wife. “Do at least try some of your eggs, my dear. It will be a long time before luncheon.”
She nodded, her head down. She didn’t feel at all well this morning, and the thought of the eggs made her stomach churn. But as she didn’t want him to know, she raised a morsel to her mouth, chewed with her eyes closed, and forced herself to swallow.
“Your gown is very smart. Madame Giselle?”
Kate nodded, thinking privately that the dove-gray dress emphasized her pallor and the dark shadows under her eyes. She looked dowdy and sallow. She’d pulled the gown from her wardrobe to the sound of Eliza’s disapproving clucking.
“How long do you intend to remain at St. Clair, my lord?” She asked, seeing her husband frown at her nearly full breakfast plate.
“If it pleases you, at least until the new year. You do have a say in the matter, you know.”
She knew the look she shot him was disbelieving, but she only nodded. She could remember no occasion when any opinion of hers had affected his decisions. Indeed, she had learned but two days before that they would be leaving for St. Clair.
Not many minutes later, the earl and countess of March said hasty good-byes to the assembled servants in the marble entrance way.
“Have a safe journey, my lord, my lady,” George said in his superior butler’s voice as he opened the front doors.
“I’ll keep you informed as to the date of our return, George,” Julien said.
Kate looked with something akin to dread at the open carriage door. “Maintain a smart pace, Davie,” she heard Julien say to their coachman, “We’ll stop at the inn in Bramford for luncheon.”
“Yes, my lord,” David said, giving the earl a smart salute. He shot a smug smile at the gimlet-eyed Bladen, who was not to accompany the earl on this trip.
Julien assisted Kate into the carriage and handed her two fur rugs to wrap about her legs. Then he swung in and after settling himself comfortably, tapped the roof with his cane. He briefly looked out the carriage window to ensure that the other carriage, containing Eliza and Timmens, was also in motion.
Satisfied, he sat back and stretched his long legs diagonally across from him. “Are you warm enough?”
“Yes, my lord March,” she answered, not turning her head to face him.
“So formal, sweetheart? Shall I call you ‘my lady March’?”
She watched Grosvenor Square disappear behind them before saying with a forced smile, “If it suits your fancy. With all those servants at your command, it seems more natural for you to be a Lord March, and not a simple Julien.”
“They’re also your servants,” he said, steadily regarding her.
“Very well. As you will, Julien.”
Not a very auspicious beginning, he thought glumly, watching his wife from the corner of his eyes.
As the carriage rumbled through Hounslow Heath, Julien said, “It looks quite barren, does it not?” He directed her attention to the forlorn leafless trees set against a gray, fog-laden landscape. “Our most famous highwaymen have frequented this place, and still do, for that matter. I myself was stopped here some years ago.”
Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164