Page 43 of The Marriage Debt
‘Indeed I have, sir. Naturally I must devote some time to Witherspoon and to whatever I may do to assist you. Then there is the Dower House to set to right, a hunting lodge to acquire in the Shires – I think I will rent at first – and the question of a house in Town. None of that should stop me spending time teaching Kat to ride.’
She did not rise to the bait, merely toying with the timbale of rice before her. His father remarked, ‘The Town house is entirely at your disposal, I visit only when the Lords are sitting, and these days, not always then.’
‘Thank you, sir. However, I was wondering whether to take something smaller for the time being.’
The footmen cleared the table and for a moment the room was emptied of staff while the second remove was collected from the adjoining pantry.
‘But surely,’ Kat observed mildly, ‘The family house would be more suitable for your purposes next Season?’
‘Why so?’
‘It will impress fashionable mamas, and that is so important when entering the Marriage Mart.’
Robert stifled a gasp of laughter with his napkin, earning himself a look of mild reproof from his father, and a glare from Theo.
‘I do not intend to enter that particular circus.’
‘Not quite yet of course, it would not be proper, but you did say something about the need to set up your nursery, did you not?’ Kat remarked with maddening affability. Heron returned with the footmen and she turned to his father, ‘Is that delightful view over the fireplace of the park here?’
The next course passed with conversation on neutral topics, relieved only by Robert remarking that whatever else Theo did, he must take himself off to Newcastle as soon as possible and see a tailor. ‘My coats will not stand the strain on their seams for much longer.’
There was general laughter at Robert’s mock indignation at the fate of his clothes but Theo was watching Kat. Her hand trembled as she lifted her glass and she set it down hastily. The graceful line of her shoulders drooped slightly and he thought her laughter sounded forced.
Theo watched her chase a curd tart round her plate until she could hide the remains neatly under her spoon and realised what was wrong: she was exhausted.
Should he say something? What would she expect to happenin this all-male household? But he had underestimated Kat’s poise. She caught his father’s eye, stood gracefully and smiled as the men rose. ‘If you will excuse me from presiding over the tea table this evening, Your Grace, I would like to retire if I may.’
‘But of course, my dear. Sleep well.’
Theo moved to come to her side but she shook her head slightly and he dropped back into his chair as she left the room. He felt guilt that she was obviously too tired even to want to berate him for his deception, hurt that she did not need his company. She seemed more comfortable with his formidable father than with him, she was certainly more relaxed with Robert. With an effort of will he dragged his eyes from the door and listened to what Robert was saying.
Kat was met in her suite by Jenny, bright eyed and excited. ‘Oh, Miss Katherine – my lady, I should say – it’s apalacehere. The servants’ hall is so grand, and I’ve a room all to myself like I told you and they’ve given me a girl to look after my things. And it runs like some great machine, they sent for me to say you were on your way, and a footman brought hot water, and another the warming pan, all without me having to ask…’
‘Please don’t call me “my lady”,’ Katherine said, sinking wearily onto the dressing table stool. ‘I am glad you are enjoying yourself. Is John all right?’
‘Oh yes my...Miss Katherine. A nice room to himself in the stable block and a lad at his beck and call.’ She unpinned Katherine’s hair, picked up a silver-backed hairbrush from the dressing table and began to brush out the brown curls in steady, soothing strokes.
Wearily Katherine closed her eyes and surrendered to the comfort of the nightly ritual. After a few minutes she reached up and unhooked her earbobs, eyes still closed. ‘I’m frightened, Jenny.’
‘Why?’ The rhythm of the brushstrokes hesitated, then resumed. ‘Because of His Grace? I’d be frightened of him and no mistake.’
‘No Jenny. Because Theo – Lord Seaton – does not want to annul our marriage.’
‘Well, and why should he?’ Jenny queried stoutly, unclasping Katherine’s necklace and beginning to undo the buttons down the back of her gown.
‘He should because of all the reasons I have already told you,’ Katherine said wearily. ‘And he will not, because this is now a matter of pride with him.’ She stood up and stepped out of her gown, then sighed with relief as Jenny untied her stay laces. Finally draped in her negligee she went to wash in the great bowl of steaming water on her washstand. ‘This is such luxury but we must not get accustomed.’
‘No, Miss Katherine.’ Jenny sounded unconvinced as she shook out a nightgown and passed it to Katherine. It was the pretty, flimsy one she had worn that night in Newgate. Katherine opened her mouth to protest then shut it again. If she was tired, then so must Jenny be and she did not deserve her megrims.
‘Thank you, Jenny, now you run off to bed and get a good night’s sleep.’
As the door closed behind the maid Katherine eyed the glacial chamber. It seemed vast now she was alone, the light from the flickering branches of candles hardly reaching the frosted detail of the ceiling, the shadows in the corners moving unnervingly.
She climbed into bed, a difficult manoeuvre involving a footstool, and found herself sitting up against a bank of pillows.
‘I am tired, that is all,’ Katherine told herself, her voice echoing round the room. It seemed to be quite out of scale to her solitary figure, as though it belonged to a giantess who would return at any moment to claim it.
She should wriggle down and go to sleep, she knew. The effortof will seemed beyond her.
