Page 59 of The Viscount's Unwanted Bride
“The only parts of England I’ve seen are London, Bath, and the area surrounding Longley Estate.” She did her best to smile. “I’m eager to see more of the country.”
That was true, although she’d never been driven by a desire to travel. She was simply curious about where Theodore had grown up and how it had shaped him. She was also keen to discover new subjects to paint in the countryside of Oxfordshire.
“I hope Oxfordshire will be to your liking.” He looked around the room, which was bare except for the bed and cabinets.“Are you ready to depart?”
“I am.”
She closed her bag. He picked it up with one hand and offered her the other arm. She took it, and he escorted her along the corridor, down the stairs, and out through the front entrance where his carriage was waiting for them.
As he helped her in, his touch was warm and firm. She instinctively leaned closer, but he cleared his throat and shifted away. Her stomach soured. He hadn’t come to her room last night as she’d expected him to. She didn’t think he found her repulsive. In fact, his gaze had felt admiring at times.
Perhaps he simply wanted to take things slowly. After all, he’d lost a wife before, and she could imagine that it was difficult for him to suddenly be saddled with a new one.
She sat facing forward in the carriage and was pleased to find the seats were plushly padded, which would make the journey more tolerable. They were red velvet, as was the lining on the lower part of the walls. The curtains were crimson and thick. She kept them open, keen to watch the countryside pass by. She occasionally became ill during travel, and watching the scenery helped.
A cold wind whistled through the open door and she shivered, grateful for her thick woolen traveling coat and fur-lined gloves. Outside, Theodore spoke briefly to the driver before climbing in and sitting opposite her. A carriage had gone on ahead of them with the rest of their bags and the members of the household who’d be accompanying them—Margaret and Barlow.
“Tell me about Blackwell Hall,” Kate said as the carriage began to move.
Theodore met her gaze. “The manor was rebuilt around fifty years ago. It’s large but relatively unpretentious. The building is constructed from brick and stone. There’s a main central portion, where the public-facing spaces and the rooms most commonly used by the family are located. Then there are smaller wings jutting off each side. The east wing houses the servant quarters, and the west wing is mostly guest rooms. It remains unused a lot of the time, but it’s cleaned periodically.”
“Is it….” Kate trailed off, unsure how to ask whether Blackwell Hall was comfortable and how much he enjoyed spending time there. “Do you prefer Blackwell Hall or your London residence?”
To her surprise, he grinned. The corners of his eyes crinkled, making him seem younger. She wondered how much older than her he was. She would guess not more than ten years, perhaps less, but it was difficult to know for sure, and one generally wasn’t encouraged to enquire as to other people’s ages.
“While I enjoy both the city and the country, if pressed, I must concede that I prefer Blackwell Hall,” he said, looking somewhere over her shoulder, his gaze distant. “There’s something very peaceful about it. That’s why I return when I get the opportunity.”
Kate nibbled her lower lip before venturing into dangerous territory. “Did you and your late wife spend most of your time there?”
Something dark flashed through his eyes before he refocused on her. “Yes, we did.”
She hesitated, put off by his no-nonsense tone, but she couldn’t tiptoe around the matter of his late wife forever. “Will you tell me a little about her?”
“I didn’t kill her,” he snapped, his fists clenching, the knuckles white.
“I didn’t think you did,” she said, remaining outwardly calm even though knots were tangled in her gut. “I’d just like to know what she was like.”
After all, the other woman had played an important part in Theodore’s life and, possibly, factored into his reluctance to embrace a marriage with Kate.
His hands loosened. He inhaled slowly, then scratched the back of his neck. “All right. My apologies. I tend to leap to conclusions where questions like that are concerned.”
“Understandable.” He’d been vilified, after all.
“Elizabeth was the local vicar’s daughter. I saw her and simply knew I had to marry her. I’m not going to say it was love at first sight, but we fell for each other quickly. Not everyone approved, including my parents, but they came around enough to allow us to wed—or at least, my father did.”
The harsh lines of his face softened as he spoke about Elizabeth, and if Kate had harbored any doubts about his part inher death, they were firmly put to rest. This man had adored his wife.
Her heart twinged. Hopefully, one day, he could feel that way about her too.
“Did you know each other for long before you married?” she asked.
“About two years. My parents insisted I complete my schooling first, and, in hindsight, that was a wise decision.”
“Yes, I imagine once you’d married, you wouldn’t have had any interest in returning to university.”
She didn’t ask more questions, not wanting to push him to share more than he was comfortable with. They’d have a lifetime together for her to get the full story. She didn’t need it now.
After a while, the buildings outside became sparser until, eventually, they were driving through the countryside. They passed a folly that would likely be charming during summer but had a strangely ominous air about it silhouetted against the gray sky. Kate peered through the window, absorbing as much of it as she could until it disappeared from view behind them.
