Page 1 of A Marquess to Save Her
ChapterOne
Louise gasped when she caught sight of Benburb Manor in the countryside; the grand house that would soon be her home. The compound was vast, and the recently bloomed flowers and the beautiful lawns made her think of heaven. The flowers in the garden were a combination of roses and lilies and they were quite a beauty to behold.
Louise made a mental note to get the gardener to plant lavenders once she started living there. They were her favorite flowers and she wanted nothing more than to be greeted by the sight of lavenders when she opened her windows in the morning.
Mama and Aunt can finally have a peaceful place to call their home too!For a moment, she wondered if the house always looked so beautiful around the year or if special care was taken of it because of Lord Felington’s big announcement. She smiled again.
The carriage finally came to a stop.
“Louise, dear,” her aunt, Theodora said, squinting as she struggled to take a look at the house despite her poor eyesight. She placed a hand on Louise’s, “you have done well!”
“Indeed, I am so very proud of her,” Louise’s mother said, beaming with pride. “To marry such a wealthy earl! Now that ghastly heir of Scranton cannot keep threatening us with eviction.”
Louise was pleased. This was all she had always wanted, to be able to provide the best life for the two people who mattered the most to her. The footman opened the carriage door for them and they all stepped out to a small crowd of people, all of whom were also in the process of disembarking from their carriages.
“It looks as though the Earl invited the whole of London,” Louise’s mother said.
Louise shrugged nonchalantly even though she was elated. House parties tend to attract a lot of crowd, especially when they were organized by people as affluent as the Earl.
“It seems he wishes to announce the engagement in the presence of everyone,” she replied.
“That is a good sign, I suppose. A man that cares about you would want to parade you in front of everyone and publicly announce his devotion to you,” Aunt Theodora said.
“I suppose you are right, Aunt,” Louise replied.
“Of course, she is right,” Louise’s mother said, discreetly dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief, “your father was near ready to go up to the hills to announce that he was courting me, God bless his poor soul.”
“Is that so, Mama?’ Louise asked. Her mother had told her the story a million times already, but she still loved to hear about her parents’ courtship. It reminded her of a time when everything was going well…a time before her father died and her world turned upside down.
“Your mother is right,” Aunt Theodora said, “my late brother had the dreamiest look in his eyes whenever he spoke about her.”
“This is why I am happy for you indeed, Louise,” her mother continued, “you deserve to meet someone who would love you as your father loved me. I am happy that you have finally found that man.”
This time, Louise had to force a smile as she was not entirely confident that she felt something so strong as love for Lord Felington.
“Whatever is the matter, Louise?’ her mother asked. She must have noticed the little change in Louise’s expression.
“Nothing, Mama,” she replied, smiling brightly. It would not do to have her mother worry so, especially on such a day as this. Everyone relied on her for their well-being.
“Louise,” her mother said, holding her two hands in her own, “you know you can talk to me.”
Louise looked at her mother’s face and she knew that she could not hide what was truly troubling her.
“I am grateful that I can finally save us from the ruin that we would have been in by the end of the Season,” Louise said.
“Is it that you do not love your soon-to-be husband?” Aunt Theodora asked. Louise was shocked at her aunt’s accuracy.
“Nonsense, Theodora,” Louise’s mother replied, “of course, Louise loves him. She has not stopped talking about him ever since they began to court.”
“The Earl is a good match for me. He is wealthy and has a vast estate. Marrying him would secure my future and keep us from being thrown to the streets.”
“See? Louise has spoken more of what the man has to offer us and little about how she feels about him,” Aunt Theodora said.
“Lord Felington is handsome and any young lady would be happy to have him as their husband. He is indeed the perfect man,” Louise said, more to herself than to her mother and aunt.
“You have not answered the question, child. Do you love the man or not?” Aunt Theodora asked again.
Louise sighed and looked around to ensure that no one was within earshot. “I do not know what I feel for him but I am certain that I will grow to love him after we are married,” she said simply, “there is no reason for me to not love him. He is…kind.”
