Marcus laughed.“Let’s hope he’s not a complete angel.It’s good for a boy to get up to mischief now and then, and mischief in the country is not nearly so grim as it can be in the city.”Joey had recognized the danger to Tessa long before anyone else.He himself had discounted the boy’s warning, thinking it was just an imaginative boy’s tale.But if it hadn’t been for Joey ...He shook his head to clear his mind of the dreadful thought.
The boy deserved every chance Marcus could give him.
He turned to mount the stairs, then paused.“The dog, Peverill.My aunt has always been utterly antipathetic to dogs, and yet I noticed earlier...”
His butler allowed a faint smile to appear.“The animal has winning ways, and appears to have charmed her, m’lord.Any night that m’lady has no visitors and no plans to go out, she sits knitting or sewing in her sitting room, the little dog at her feet.She even talks to him—I gather he’s good company.She also ordered a basket made for the little fellow to sleep inandsewed a cushion to line it herself.”
Marcus raised his brows.“So, miracles do happen?”
Peverill permitted himself another small smile.“Indeed, my lord.”
#
THE CHRISTENING OFFlora Louise Blaxland Renfrew was to be in six weeks.Marcus had written to his brothers to invite them, but their replies indicated they were unlikely to make it.Even if were able to get leave, it was too far for Nash to travel from St.Petersburg in the time given.Gabriel was busy with events in Zindaria, of which he was the Regent.And Harry said he would try to come, but it depended—as it always did with him and Nell—on the horses.
Not that Marcus and Tessa minded.Marcus understood the demands on his brothers’ lives, and Tessa was uncertain of how Marcus’s family would respond to her.All of them descending on her at once was an alarming prospect, so she was happy to have it delayed
Though now she had both Marcus’s and Lady Gosforth’s support, things would be easier.
Lady Gosforth, giving up the notion of a family gathering at the christening, had decided that an Easter ball at Alverleigh would suffice, and had already begun negotiations with her nephews for their attendance.She wasn’t worried about thetonattending.“Where I lead thetonwill follow” she declared, and nobody dared argue.
After a few days in London, mainly to purchase supplies for Flora and Clothilde, and for Tessa to have final fittings for the clothes Miss Chance had made for her, they traveled down to Alverleigh.Marcus, in particular, was eager to get there—he’d been a long time away from his estate and knew there would be work to catch up on.
Tessa was happy to be leaving London.She was still uncomfortable with the way people stared and whispered about her, as she knew they would once they learned of her marriage to Marcus.
Before they left on their honeymoon, he’d send a notice to the newspapers announcing their marriage, but it wasn’t ‘old news’ yet, and the gossips were still busy.And once people realized they’d come back with a toddler in tow, well, the tongues would wag even more, and she’d rather not be there to witness it.
Nevertheless, she had mixed feelings about going to Alverleigh, mainly because she would be only a stone’s throw from her beloved Ferndale, and wasn’t sure she could bear it.
They arrived in rain, gray, dreary drizzle.As their carriage turned in between the impressive high stone pillars that supported the gates to Alverleigh, Tessa swallowed.
The gently curving drive lined with ancient oaks straightened bringing the carriage to a perfect view of the house.She’d never seen it from this angle, never actually ventured onto Alverleigh property when she was a child, and the drive approaching it had been designed to impress visitors.
Even through the drizzle, the house was impressive.It was huge, several stories high with wings spreading out each side from a central tower-like structure.Tessa received an impression of many windows gleaming in the rain, numerous turrets and chimneys.She swallowed.Marcus was explaining some of the history of the house, but his words became a background blur and she didn’t take much in.
She would be mistress of this enormous house.She’d never been the mistress of anything.In her previous marriages she was merely ‘the wife’—her husbands made all the decisions and the staff more or less operated without her.How many servants were employed here?
She was very thankful that Peverill and Cook were in the second carriage behind them.And that Lady Gosforth had engagements to attend and would come much later, so she wouldn’t be here to watch Tessa trying to learn the ropes.Peverill and Cook would help her adjust, she was sure.
#
THE NEXT MORNING DAWNEDclear and sunny and, when Tessa threw open the windows of her bedchamber, the air was fragrant with the scents of damp earth, damp leaves, and the last flowers of autumn.It cheered her.It smelled like home.
Marcus had already told her he would be having a very busy day, catching up with his estate agent and dealing with tenants and various local matters.“You familiarize yourself with the household and staff,” he told her over breakfast.“I’ll see you at dinner.”
As she’d hoped, Peverill introduced her to the main staff.And as she’d feared, there were too many servants for her to learn all their names at once, though she vowed to herself she would.But she was treated from the first with deference and respect—and welcome—as the mistress, which was a relief, if also a little unnerving.
Alverleigh was her home now, she kept reminding herself.Yes, it was a magnificent house, quite intimidatingly so, but she would get used to it.Eventually.Even the gardens were spectacular, the neatest she’d ever seen, with an army of gardeners to keep them spick and span.
But more important than too-big houses and too-neat gardens and too-many-servants, she had a husband and a child to love.
She played with Flora whenever she could.The little girl seemed quite happy with her new home, the nursery with all its toys—old as they were—and she delighted in the garden, where she and Billy played.
The staff all seemed to delight in the little girl too, which was a huge relief.“It’s been too long since there were children at Alverleigh,” was something she heard a number of times, from Mrs.Allen, the housekeeper, down to the lowliest maidservant.“Such a happy little soul.And look at the smile on her—lovely it is.”
For Flora was smiling and talking more and more, seeming not just unfazed by all the new places and new people, but delighting in all the attention.
Even the gardeners welcomed the child—despite her and Billy once relieving themselves on the lawn, much to her embarrassment.But the gardeners just laughed.
