Page 45 of For a Lady's Fiery Heart
Her eyes darkened. "That is not really what I was talking about, however. How are things for the two of you? Is marriage everything you hoped it would be?" she asked in a breathless, somewhat mocking tone.
James straightened, his eyes narrowed at this selfish woman. She was bored. But not because Lady Grace was drawing. She was bored with her life in general. It served her right. Lady Beatrice had chosen to marry for wealth. Well, now she must sleep in the bed of her own making.
James smiled. "No, marriage is not what I expected," he began. "It is even better. Caroline is a wonderful woman, full of kindness and compassion. She is good with economising and running the household as efficiently as possible. Indeed, I think my father is a little bitter that I did not find Caroline sooner."
Lady Beatrice's face fell more and more with each word he spoke. It gave him no little pleasure to see her taken down a peg. Her arrogance was unbearable.
"I see," Lady Beatrice said in a tone slightly higher pitched than her regular tone. He could tell he had enraged her, and he had to keep back a laugh. No doubt, she had sought him out, hoping that his marriage was already on the rocks, and instead, she had learned the very opposite.
"Yes, you will be glad to know that I am very happy in my marriage. I see a bright future for the two of us," James went on.
Lady Beatrice stilled, shooting a glare in his direction. "Well, how provincial," she seethed. "I am glad to hear it. And now, I shall leave you to your … work," she waved a hand at the piles of papers strewn about the desk, giving them a distasteful glare. She then turned on her heel and sauntered out of the room.
Once she was gone, James rose and went to close the door. He let out a long breath, looked after her for a moment, and quickly closed the door. His cheeks puffed out as he pushed the air out of his lungs. It was as if he were trying to dispel the air that had been mottled with Lady Beatrice's presence.
However, he was unable to focus on the task set before him. Instead of returning to his desk, he went to pace in front of the large windows on the west wall. The sunshine streamed through the glass, but it did little to lift his spirits. "Eight months," he mumbled under his breath. "How in heaven's name are we to abide her foreight months?"
He raked his fingers through his hair. If it were left to him, he would make Lady Beatrice's stay the most awkward, uncomfortable one she had ever endured. Perhaps then she would beg one of her other friends or relations to take her on for the duration of Sir Gerald's absence. However, he was too well-bred for that.
However, mayhap there was another solution.
James hurried over to the desk. If he and Caroline were to return to Pembroke to oversee the renovations, it would give them some blessed time alone–far from the meddlesome gaze of Lady Beatrice.
Let his father deal with her. James smiled to himself. If they were allowed to head back to Pembroke, Lady Beatrice would have only traded her ageing husband for a father figure. If he knew her, she would not want to sit still for long.
James nodded in decision and went back to his desk and to work. He rifled through the papers again and pulled out the quick sketches he had done of the landscaping ideas he had for the Pembroke gardens. He had outlined original boundaries but had added sections beyond the three fountains and manicured paths and flower beds around them.
The garden had been done in the French style, with perfectly geometric shaped paths and flower beds, with topiaries and mazes of hedgerows. He planned to redo some of the trails, making them wind in a more natural bent. A little chaos was preferable in a garden, in his opinion.
James sighed, stuffing the plans into his vest pocket. He would go and show Caroline his ideas later and get her input. For now, he had several hours of work to do. With any luck, he could have some figures to show his father for the first round of renovations and would be able to convince him to allow him and Caroline to return and oversee the work. He only prayed his father would be acquiescent to the idea. His marriage may depend on it.
Chapter 26
Caroline hummed as she walked through the large foyer toward the library. She had just finished discussing the menus for a party Lord Highclere was to give a few weeks hence. She was glad of the progress she, the housekeeper, and the cook had made that afternoon.
She looked over the notes she had jotted down and smiled. It felt good to be settling into her duties as the lady of the house. And she was thankful that Lord Highclere and James were so patient with her.
Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined she would be managing such a large house and army of servants. Thankfully, she had made a point to be kind to the senior staff and get them on her side from the very beginning. However, it was not only the senior staff but the common man she tried to treat with mutual respect.
Her trip to Pembroke with James had given her a chance to get to know the maids and, to a certain extent, the footmen. Evidently, they had spread the news that the new Lady of Thorneby was a kind and generous mistress, as she had experienced smooth sailing in taking over her duties from Lord Highclere, who had managed the household since his wife's passing.
Smiling to herself, she folded the notes and let her hand fall relaxed at her side. Despite Lady Beatrice's intrusion, she was beginning to feel at home in Thorneby. It was large enough that they need never meet, except at meals and during tea. Indeed, she felt sorry for poor Grace, who had had to endure the woman's company more than Caroline had.
She came around the corner of the large main corridor, and her heart suddenly stopped. Caroline furrowed her brow when she saw none other than Lady Beatrice coming out of the study. She ducked behind a mediaeval suit of armour, holding her breath as Lady Beatrice walked in the opposite direction of where Caroline hid, heading back to the parlour, no doubt. Caroline covered her mouth with her hands to try to stifle any sound that might give her away.
When she was satisfied that Lady Beatrice was well and truly gone, she peeked back toward the study. She froze as James appeared in the doorway, looking down the hall toward Lady Beatrice. Caroline ducked back behind the panoply and held her breath once more. She heard James expel a breath, and the study door closed soon after.
Caroline stood motionless for several seconds, her mind and heart racing. Her stomach rebelled against her as bile rose in her throat. A moment later, her worry was replaced by anger. What was Lady Beatrice doing in James' study? Had he not told her only yesterday that she meant nothing to him? James had promised that he had known nothing of the woman's visit and that he did not want her here. Why, then, would he allow her to enter the study–alone?
Squeezing her eyes shut, she took several deep breaths and tried her best to calm down. She must not allow herself to become hysterical. Did she trust James, or did she not?
Caroline pushed herself away from the wall, peeked around the suit of armour and returned down the corridor the way she had come. She hurried up the grand staircase toward her bedroom. There was no conceivable way she would be able to focus on plans for the gala now.
Once she reached her room, she slammed the door and locked it, not wanting to be disturbed by anyone. She strode across the room and slapped the bundle of notes on her writing desk. How was she to move forward? Until this point, she had been given no reason to disbelieve a word James had said to her.
However, doubt began to creep in, spreading its poison through her mind. How could she be sure that James was genuine? Even now, they had only known each other for a handful of months. Could she trust that he would stay true to his wedding vows?
"No, it is too awful to think about," Caroline mumbled. She huffed, halting her paces across the room. The thought of James and Beatrice together made her stomach roil with nausea.
