“Yes,” Beatrice said. “Will you see about sending word to town for me?”
“Of course, my lady,” Guinevere said, before hurrying out the door.
Beatrice followed her and then realized that Guinevere was heading for the servants’ staircase at the other end of the hallway. She turned around, her cheeks heating, as she made her way toward the grand staircase.
She would get used to this eventually, right?
She placed her hand on the banister and began walking down the stairs, careful not to trip over the slightly too-long length of her dress.
“Which way was the dining room again?” she wondered aloud, trying to think back to the night before. All she could remember was that Mrs. Jenkins had led her there. Was it through the sitting room?
As she reached the bottom of the staircase, her toe caught on the hem of the dress, and she fell down the last step.
She lay on the floor, unsure if she should laugh or cry, when the sound of a door opening caught her attention, and a moment later, her husband loomed over her.
“Are you all right?” he asked, offering a hand to help her up.
“I am,” Beatrice said, feeling her whole face redden as he helped, his other hand coming to her elbow to steady her as she stood. “Doesn't everyone fall down the stairs on their way to breakfast?”
Lord Dunham's cheeks twitched. He might have almost smiled as his hand slid down her arm to take her other hand.
“I personally don't make a habit of that,” he said. He hadn't let go of her hands yet, though she was already standing, and the warmth of his hands felt so good.
Beatrice tried to tell herself it was simply because her fingers were cold.
“Thank you,” she said, pulling her hands out of his.
“Of course,” he said, offering his arm. “What kind of husband would I be if I didn't help my wife off the floor after she decided to fall down the stairs?”
“You’re such a gentleman, my lord,” she said.
“Alexander,” he reminded her gently as she took his arm.
“Lord Alexander,” she said, hoping her tone was enough to show that she was teasing him.
“Lady Beatrice,” he said, raising an eyebrow at her.
It wasn’t a smile, but it might as well be for him.
He might not smile much, but perhaps she would enjoy their conversations if this dry humor made more of an appearance.
Perhaps she could enjoy this marriage.
Chapter eight
Alexander
He had known thatBeatrice Montgomery was an interesting girl, but Alexander hadn't been prepared for how quickly she had turned things upside down for him.
He hadn’t expected to find his wife on the floor at the bottom of the stairs when he’d heard the noise from inside his study, but from the moment he’d offered a hand to help her up, his heart hadn’t slowed to its normal beat.
Perhaps he should have expected marriage to be more life-changing than he'd thought. But since it was simply a marriage of convenience, he hadn't expected to find himself so concerned about his new wife. The fear that had gripped his heart when he saw her lying on the floor had surprised him.
Although, to be fair, he probably would have felt the same fear had it been Jenkins falling down the stairs.
The image of his butler falling down the stairs was almost enough to make him laugh. If Jenkins was ever undignified enough to fall down the stairs, he might suspect that the butler himself was dying.
“What made you fall?” he asked, turning to glance at the staircase behind him.
