"It was my mother's favorite place." Sebastian's voice was soft with memory. "She used to say that the air here was different, cleaner and vastly more agreeable.”
"Is that why you spend so much time in London? To escape the memories?"
"Partially. Also because London is where the business interests are. And the politics. And the endless social obligations that come with being a viscount." He smiled ruefully. "It's not a particularly exciting life, I'm afraid. Nothing like the adventures Richard and I used to have."
"I always envied those adventures." Harriet hadn't meant to say it, but the words slipped out anyway. "You two seemed to have so much fun together. While I was stuck at home with my needlework and my deportment lessons."
"You could have joined us, you know. Richard was always asking you to come along."
"I was too proud. Too afraid of being in the way." Harriet shook her head. "I wasted so much time being afraid."
"We all did." Sebastian reached across the carriage and took her hand with that same gentle grip she remembered from the garden. "But we have time now. All the time in the world."
The carriage rolled to a stop, and servants emerged to greet them. There was a flurry of activity, luggage being unloaded, introductions being made, rooms being prepared. Harriet found herself swept along in the tide, nodding and smiling and trying to memorize the names of the endless parade of staff.
Finally, blessedly, she was shown to her chambers.
They were beautiful, a suite of rooms decorated in soft blues and creams, with a view of the gardens she had admired from the carriage. There was a sitting room, a dressing room, and a bedroom with a large four-poster bed that Harriet tried very hard not to look at directly.
"Lord Vane's chambers are through there," the housekeeper said, gesturing to a connecting door. "Shall I send your maid up to help you dress for dinner?"
"Yes, please."
The housekeeper departed, and Harriet was alone.
She stood in the middle of the room, taking in her surroundings, trying to process the reality of her situation. This was her home now. These were her rooms. That door led to her husband's chambers.
Her husband.
The word still felt foreign. Impossible. She was Lady Vane now, a title she had never expected to hold, attached to a man she had never expected to wed.
And tonight...
She forced herself to look at the bed. It was large, comfortable, covered in soft linens that probably cost more than her entire wardrobe. A bed for sleeping.
Or for other things.
Harriet felt heat rise to her cheeks. She was being ridiculous. Sebastian had promised her time, promised her there was no pressure. He wouldn't expect anything from her tonight.
Would he?
A knock at the connecting door made her jump.
"Harriet?" Sebastian's voice, muffled through the wood. "May I come in?"
"I…yes. Yes, of course."
The door opened, and Sebastian stepped through. He had changed out of his wedding clothes into something more informal, a simple coat and cravat, his hair slightly disheveled as though he had been running his hands through it.
"I wanted to make sure you had everything you needed," he said. "The staff can be a bit overwhelming at first."
"They seem very efficient."
"They are. Mrs. Crawford runs the household with an iron fist." He paused, his eyes sweeping over her. "You look exhausted."
"It's been a long day."
"It has." Sebastian moved to stand by the window, keeping a careful distance between them. "I thought we might take dinner in our rooms tonight. Give you a chance to rest before the onslaught of social obligations begins."
