Yours,
Henry
Her curiosity piqued by the sentimental and personal nature of the note, she made quick work of opening the box. Inside was a beautiful bouquet of large, lush dahlias with a note attached to the stems:Such a lovely lady deserves to have her favorite flowers not only known but provided whenever possible. Grace was touched by the effort Henry had made to procure the flowers. He would need to visit a hot house as it was too early for dahlias to be in season. Next was a small, ornate cut glass perfume bottle with a note around its neck:A woman should always have her favorite scentavailable. Releasing the stopper, she inhaled the purest aroma of roses she had ever smelled outside of the real things. Already emotional that he had remembered their conversation in the garden, and that he had even thought to ask her favorites in the first place, she began to tear up.
It was the final item, however, that broke her. She pulled a book from the bottom of the box, and as she opened the front cover to read the title, a note fluttered out. Before picking up the note, she saw that the book was a collection of Mary Wollstonecraft’s works, includingThoughts on the Education of DaughtersandA Vindication of the Rights of Woman.Tears streaming down her face, she picked up the note:Every woman has the right to an education and to be the mistress of her own life. I choose you, but you are your own. I hope you will enjoy adding this to our library.
Noting Grace’s emotional state, Moira, who had given her some space to open the gift in semi-privacy, asked, “What’s wrong?” She picked up the book and looked at Grace in confusion. “Why has a book upset you?”
“Nothing is wrong,” Grace said, “and I’m certainly not upset. In fact, I’m quite happy.”
Studying the book, Moira asked, “But what does it mean?”
“It means that he sees me,” Grace responded. She could not remember the last time someone had recognized her for who she truly was or treated her as more than an afterthought. Henry had not only listened to her, but he had heard what she said.
Overcome, Grace realized that she was marrying a truly wonderful man, and she may be in danger of falling in love with him after all.
CHAPTER23
In the end, it was a lovely but simple wedding. Henry and Reid had returned from London as the house party concluded, and the next day had seen them married. It was a small gathering with Henry’s three best friends, Moira, and Angeline joining them after all. Fitz was delighted to see his sister, obviously caring deeply for her, and her appearance allowed him to relax. Happily, Thomas left with some of the guests as the party dispersed and did not attend the reception even though he was family to the hosts.
Sitting at the table with everyone and enjoying the wedding feast, Grace marveled at how her life had changed within the span of a week. While much of life with her new husband was still unknown, and past experiences made her cautious, she suspected her life might be much more pleasant moving forward.
The afternoon before, she had composed two immensely satisfying letters that would be sent out with the days post. The first was to inform the new Lord Camden that she had remarried and would not be returning to the Camden residence in London. Grace relished writing the first letter, but the second letter was a bit more difficult. She had always hoped to maintain at least a cordial relationship with her own cousin. Yet, when she had essentially been told she was no longer his problem after her husband passed, she had shuttered any remaining hope regarding her relatives. So, it did prove satisfying to inform Edwin that she had married well, and would not need anything from him moving forward. Seeing the letters leave the house this morning provided a sense of closure on that chapter of her life. And now, sitting at a table next to her new husband, she was anxious to see what this next chapter might entail.
“You are not eating, are you well?” Henry asked Grace, noticing her untouched plate of food. His inquiry quickly snapped her out of her thoughts, and she shook her head to clear it before answering.
“Yes, I am well. Just a bit overwhelmed. I was thinking about how quickly my life has changed in such a short amount of time.”
“I hope you do not regret your decision?” he asked, his tone uncertain.
“No,” she reassured him. “I just never imagined this would be the outcome of accepting Moira’s invitation to join the party here at Geffen House.”
“And I was not sure you would agree to marry me once I asked,” he replied. It was said lightly, almost teasingly, while placing his hand on hers.
Starting to blush, as seemed to be her response to everything these days, she said, “Yes, I’m sure you think me foolish for hesitating when I was clearly in something of a desperate situation. I know the world will think it obvious that marrying a duke would be a better situation than setting out to work, but when faced with an option to marry again, I discovered that financial and social security is not what really matters to me in the end.”
“I’m sorry for teasing you,” he told her seriously. “I did not mean to make light of your decision. I like knowing that you did not merely settle for me . . . that you chose me after consideration.”
“I’m happy with my choice,” she affirmed. “You have shown me that you care for my well-being and that this marriage will be different, and for that I am grateful.”
Henry grinned at her response, and it could have lit the room. “Have I told you how beautiful you look today?”
Grace was taken aback by his statement as she was dressed rather plainly in a cornflower blue silk dress of Moira’s that her staff had assisted in converting to fit Grace’s slightly smaller frame. Though it highlighted her eyes, there had not been enough time to finish the gown with many flourishes. Grace was grateful as she preferred a simpler gown, but she knew it was not in keeping with current trends. “Thank you,” she said, not knowing what else to say.
“And,” he said, leaning in to whisper in her ear, “you smell lovely. Like the freshest rose.” She shivered at his closeness. His breath made the fine hairs at her temple dance, tickling her cheek. She felt him inhale at the crook of her neck as he pulled back, and she immediately missed his warmth and nearness.
When she felt she could speak again, Grace said, “Thank you again for the perfume, I love it. I love all of the gifts you sent me. No one has shown me such consideration in a long time, and I appreciate that you remembered what I shared with you. I can’t tell you how much that meant to me. It’s more valuable than the items themselves.”
“And that is why I think you will be a wonderful duchess,” Henry said affectionately. “Others would only care about and be distracted by the material comforts that can come from holding such a high position, but you don’t care about those things, only the good you can do with them.”
Grace was flattered that he saw her that way, and she was not sure she had ever felt so seen or understood in her life. When she had received the Wollstonecraft book from him, she knew that it was his way of telling her he had heard her fears about entering into marriage again. He would allow her to be her own woman, valuing what she had to offer through the work she would do as a duchess.
The rest of the day passed enjoyably. Moira’s kitchen staff had risen to the occasion and presented the group with a veritable feast. After several long hours spent around the table in laughter and conversation, the final bottle of wine was emptied and the events of the day began to catch up with everyone. Making her excuses, Angeline was the first to leave the party for the evening, and Grace noticed how Sidney’s eyes followed her out of the room. She wondered if there was more than just friendly affection there, but she did not know either of them well enough to assess the situation.
Stifling a yawn, Henry let out a low chuckle as he observed her. “It’s been a long day,” he said, “we should probably say our goodnights as well.” She thought his phrasing a bit odd, as he had agreed to give her some space before they would conjugate their marriage. There was no reason for them to leave together, but she agreed and they walked upstairs together after sharing thanks and goodbyes with their friends.
Grace made quick work of divesting her wedding gown with the help of a maid and, after donning her night rail, took a few minutes to enjoy brushing out her hair. She had always loved this little luxury and savored the sensation of the bristles massaging her scalp after letting her hair out of its many pins for the day. Needing rest, as they were leaving for Somerset tomorrow and it would be a long journey to Highland Manor, she set aside the hairbrush with a sigh. Just as she was about to pull back the covers of her bed, she was startled by a knock on the door.
