Christopher opened up about his childhood, his father who was almost never home, and how difficult it was when his mother, so happy and full of life, had turned so closed and melancholy after a rift had opened between his uncle and his father. Then Christopher’s heart had broken even further when his mother died years later, putting his father into a constant state of drunken moroseness. After that, he saw little of anyone until Eton, where he met Graham and ultimately became a member of his family.
A common theme was Christopher’s value of family and disappointment in his own. His parents had been absent much of his life, both emotionally and physically. Christopher’s connection to his cousin had been severed by some rift between his father and uncle. The relationship with Charles had only healed in recent years, since both patriarchs had passed away. Where some people may have become bitter from experience, this seemed to make Christopher acutely aware of his own friends, some of whom were practically family, and their needs.
Alaina, by comparison, had little to lament in her life, save for the embarrassment she experienced early in her first season in society and some unkind remarks or insinuations, much of which her parents had shielded her from. Nonetheless, both listened to the other’s hopes and fears, and goals and regrets, with equal empathy; they knew that better knowledge of each spouse was required for a happy union and future life full of joy.
Alaina sighed contentedly, the day beautiful and wonderful, with the man she loved. She snuggled closer to Christopher, safely ensconced under his arm as they made their way up the winding path through the trees.
As they approached the back of the hunting cabin, darkness was descending, and Alaina was immediately unsettled by the sight of what had been her and Christopher’s safe haven the last few days. One of the windows on the second floor stood ajar, the slight breeze causing an eerie creaking of its hinges as if to warn the couple away. By the stables, Alaina saw that the earth had been disturbed by something resembling horse hooves, but the jumble of markings made it impossible to determine how many horses, or riders for that matter. The chestnut mare pulling the phaeton nickered as they approached and Alaina realized, distracted as she had been, that she had hardly noticed Christopher alert at her side. It seemed he was equally unsettled.
In silence, Christopher pulled the phaeton alongside the large stables, but not inside, and turned to Alaina with a finger to his lips, his stern expression almost lost in the receding light. Christopher climbed out and helped Alaina down, looping the reins of the horse quickly around a nearby fencepost, to allow for a quick getaway should they need one. Coming around the stone pathway leading to the front door, Alaina followed closely and quietly behind Christopher. She glanced around his broad-shouldered torso as they walked, finding the door to the cottage carelessly ajar. Alaina shivered as they slowly approached the open portal.
Christopher motioned for her to stay put while he retreated inside, gone only a few moments before reappearing through that same portal. Alaina jumped, unaware until that moment of how afraid she was that someone other than Christopher would walk out, or that he would be hurt.
“Let’s go.” Christopher firmly clasped Alaina’s hand, waiting for her feet to catch up to his as they quickly made their way back to their conveyance.
“What’s wrong?” Alaina asked as she settled on the bench, Christopher pulling the horse and phaeton back onto the gravel path, this time toward the main manor house.
“I am not sure, but I certainly did not leave the window nor the door open. And to my knowledge, there is only one animal who can enter a latched portal.” And with that they rode back to the manor house in quiet, hopeful of more security, but both upset that their seclusion and bliss had been violated just shy of a week into marriage.
“See that the cabin is cleaned and secured,” came Christopher’s voice from the lower level. Alaina could hear him talking to his butler, Baldwin.
“Yes, sir. Any idea who would have intruded?” came the even timbre of Baldwin, who had been the butler of Rochester estate for over a decade.
“Unfortunately, no, Baldwin. I will keep you apprised if I hear anything,” Christopher sighed, sounding defeated.
Alaina descended the rest of the stairs, having paused midway to listen to the conversation not out of suspicion, but out of worry. She could almost see Christopher pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration and it made her heart lurch. As the early morning sun played along the wall during her descent, Alaina wondered how early Christopher had gotten up to see to the hunting lodge. Alaina knew her husband had been awake well past midnight, and she had awoken this morning to find him already gone from their bed.
The trip back to the manor house from the hunting cabin had been largely silent and tense. Arriving around the dinner hour, Christopher had been surprised, but a little thankful, that all their house guests, even their closest family and friends, had seen fit to return to their own homes. Alaina felt a pang of absence that her family was not there to greet her, but was also thankful for the peace after an unsettling evening.
Rounding the final corner into the front hall, Alaina saw Christopher, alone and staring off in the general direction of the cabin, his eyes glassed over with thoughts that Alaina could only begin to guess. At the sound of Alaina’s footsteps, Christopher turned to meet his approaching wife and could not help the smile that came to his face, although it was a little less bright than usual.
Alaina’s simple day dress of ice-blue damask complemented Christopher’s more rugged riding attire that he had donned early in the morning to inspect the grounds, including the hunting cabin, for any signs of who had intruded on his estate. Even with that weighing on his mind, it was hard to ignore the vision his wife presented.
“Alaina, my dear, I hope you were able to get some restful sleep,” Christopher said, his voice straining to sound normal and nonchalant, and failing exceedingly.
“Well, I think we were both restless last night, but after you left the bed early this morning, I think I got at least a couple hours of exhausted sleep. Where did you go?” Alaina asked, yawning uncontrollably as a sort of punctuation.
“Out to survey the property, just a little restless, considering,” Christopher shrugged.
Christopher weighed how much of his concern he should share with his wife, considering how little he really knew at the moment. It was most likely a random passerby who had taken advantage of the vacant but warm place to stay, only to be scared away from the premises by their untimely arrival. Still there was something nagging about the lack of evidence he found in the house; he would have felt better to have come across a poor soul by the fire, surprised by an intrusion. In his mind, it had to be someone planning to not get caught, or at least someone with a lookout. The lack of light or warmth in any of the fireplaces was odd as well. Nothing seemed to sit right in Christopher’s mind, but there was nothing he could put into words.
“Maybe once the groundskeeper takes another look at the cabin he will find something that gives us a clue about who is to blame for the break-in and why. Until then, there is nothing more we can do,” Alaina offered, the words not providing much comfort to Christopher.
A half-smile came across Christopher’s face, another failed attempt to act nonchalant. By all accounts, he had expected his young wife to be in hysterics. He knew his own mind was almost in such a state, and yet here she was, trying to comfort him. How truly blessed he was to find one with such strength, intelligence, and beauty, both inside and out. If he was so lucky to share a long-wedded life with Alaina, Christopher knew they would face times such as these just like now, as an unbreakable team.
In an effort to shake the pall hanging over them, Christopher took Alaina’s hand and placed it through the crook of his arm, and he smiled down at her. “Shall we at least pass the time with a tour of the manor house? I am sure there are some corners you have yet to explore.”
Alaina answered with a gentle squeeze of his arm, a soft warmth of pleasure creeping up from the neckline of her gown. “Well, I would be remiss in my duties as mistress of the house if I did not know every cornerintimately.”
“Well, let us begin then, shall we, my love?” Christopher winked and led them toward the west wing of the house, through the hallway under the grand staircase. The parlors on this side of the house were less used and left mostly alone by the staff except for weekly cleanings, a perfect situation for how Christopher planned on passing the day and distracting them both.
Through the remaining part of the morning, Alaina and Christopher explored much of the quiet side of the house, mostly parlors, studies, and libraries that stood unused. Along the way had been stolen kisses, and soft caresses that turned into passionate embraces, until both of them had been swept away, but thankfully not before closing the doors to the peacock parlor, at least that is what Christopher had dubbed it as a child. It was decorated by some previous marchioness in teals and purples, a screen painting of a group of peacocks taking part in a mating dance gracing the long wall of the room. Some of the furniture had been covered by dust cloths, and Christopher had hastily removed one to reveal a small sofa that Alaina and he promptly fell onto, their hands clasping at buttons in order to quickly free themselves of clothing.
A sharp rap sounded at the door, bringing Alaina and Christopher back to their senses, or at least a vague awareness of their surroundings. Christopher gritted his teeth as he pulled back from Alaina, who was quickly trying to repair her appearance.
Christopher looked down at Alaina after refastening his breeches and found her still struggling to right her chemise and bodice, the latter still gaping indecently in front, revealing thinly veiled peaks. Alaina’s hair was also quite askew. His loins still hot and hard, Christopher steeled himself before plucking Alaina from the sofa by her waist and setting her on her feet in front of him. Christopher left little time for her to be confused before he turned her around and quickly righted her bodice, fastening buttons and smoothing the fabric of her skirts down over her petticoats, both of which he had been seeking to move out of the way before they were rudely interrupted. A quick kiss on her neck did little to ease the strain of the interruption, but it was hardly something he could avoid doing when presented the opportunity. As Alaina, having regained more of her senses, fixed the hair that had escaped from her gathered twist with some scattered pins, Christopher replaced the dust cloth and walked to the door, checking one last time that both of them were respectably clothed before opening the door, revealing Baldwin and the groundskeeper, Thomas.
“What is it?” Christopher blurted, not intending to sound brusque, but failing in his current state. He cleared his throat. “I take it you have found some information at the hunting cabin?” His tone softened a bit.
