Louisa always reminded Ruffy of a fragile little doll. She had long fair hair that Ruffy teased into ringlets each morning before tying them with ribbons that would match the gown she was wearing that day. Her eyes were a rich, deep brown colour and she was so delicate that there was an almost ethereal quality about her. She had never been short of suitors but Barnaby Greenwood had attended a ball at her parents’ home and had literally swept her off her feet. He had been somewhat older than her and after the empty-headed young men she had been used to she had soon fallen head over heels in love with him.
Their wedding had been a sumptuous affair attended by over three hundred people, and Louisa had floated down the aisle in a froth of silk and lace on her proud father’s arm. The reception following the church service took place in a huge marquee within the grounds of her parents’ stately home and was so grand that it was still talked about in the area to that day. Top chefs had been drafted in from London to do the catering and people had whispered that they had never in their lives seen a spread like it. There had been whole suckling pigs, huge gammons, enormous joints of beef and every type of meat and pie available, as well as a huge selection of cakes and pastries made by a famous pastry chef. Louisa was sure it had been the happiest day of her life, and later that evening as she and Barnaby had boarded a ship bound for the South of France for their honeymoon the feeling had remained.
It was only then that she realised that some aspects of marriage weren’t as pleasant as she had expected them to be and she had spent most of her wedding night curled up in a chair sobbing broken-heartedly as Barnaby tried to comfort her. She had found the physical side of things painful and dirty and nothing like the tender, adoring kisses she was used to, despite the fact that Barnaby had tried to be gentle with her.
‘But darling, this is what married people do. It’s how we make babies,’ he had told her gently after she had fought him like a wildcat. ‘It only hurts the first time. I promise you, you will enjoy it the next time if you’ll only relax.’
But Louisa hadn’t enjoyed it the next time, or the time after that and after that and she had lain as stiff as a plank every time he claimed his marital rights and simply endured it as she prayed for it to end.
The first time she had found she was with child she had been mortified. ‘But Ruffy, I shall get fat and ugly. Lace my stays up a little tighter, please do,’ she had begged.
‘You might get fat but you’ll never be ugly,’ Ruffy had admonished her. ‘And just think how lovely it will be when you hold your first baby in your arms.’
Louisa had scowled. ‘When it’s born, I shall hand it straight over to a wet nurse,’ she’d declared petulantly. ‘Babies are suchnoisy, dirty little things. A friend of Mama’s called on us for afternoon coffee with her new baby and its nanny once, and it didn’t stop crying the whole time she was there.Andher nanny had to take it away to change its bindings.’ She had shuddered with disgust as Ruffy grinned.
‘Hm, let’s just wait and see how you feel once the bairn is here,’ Ruffy had replied with a secret smile as if she knew something that Louisa didn’t. But that day had never dawned, for three months into the pregnancy Louisa started to bleed and lost the child. The same thing happened twice more over the next two years and then she had managed to carry two babies to full term but they were both born dead. Barnaby had been heartbroken, whilst she herself was indifferent. And now here she was in the same position yet again and clearly none too happy about it.
‘I think I shall take Tumble for a little wander around the lawns,’ Louisa said as she planted an affectionate kiss on the dog’s head. Like his mistress, he was very spoilt. He had been a wedding gift from Barnaby along with an amethyst necklace that Louisa favoured above all her other much more expensive jewellery. Ruffy nodded indulgently as her mistress placed the little dog on the floor and headed for the door, collecting her sun parasol on the way.
Minutes later as she watched them from the bedroom window Ruffy frowned. Would her young mistress be lucky this time and finally give the master the child he so longed for? she wondered. There could be no way of knowing, it was all in the lap of the Gods now, so with a sigh she turned to tackle the piles of clothes that Louisa had strewn about the place when she had been trying to decide what to wear.
As Louisa strolled around the lush green lawns with Tumble scampering at her heels, Barnaby rode up the tree-lined drive on his stallion. As always of late, he had pushed the poor horse too hard and it was sweating and foaming at the mouth. Spotting his wife, he drew to a stop beside her, smiling down at her and she simpered at him in return. There were times when her childlike behaviour almost drove him to distraction. And yet he could remember a time not so long ago when he had been besotted with her. When he had first met her he had been sure that he had never seen a more beautiful young woman. But once they had married he had quickly discovered that her nature didn’t quite match her looks. The sexual side of their relationship wasn’t good for a start off, for she would gaze at him with a look of dread on her face the minute he entered her bedroom. And her tantrums if she didn’t get her own way! He shuddered to think of them, but he kept his smile in place as he said, ‘Good morning, my love. You’re not overdoing things, I hope? We don’t want anything to go wrong this time, do we?’
Her smile disappeared and she pouted, aware that he was talking about her condition again. Surely having her as his wife should have been enough for him.
‘I am only taking a gentle stroll,’ she pointed out with a scowl. ‘Or would you have me stay indoors and waste away for the next seven months?’
‘Of course not, my little dove. I accept that you need some fresh air.’
Tumble was scampering about the horse’s hooves, barking and making the stallion skittish. ‘Could you pick Tumble up, please,’ Barnaby asked. ‘He’s going to get hurt if Star rears up.’
‘Tumble, come here, my darling.’ She leant down in a flurry of yellow silken skirts and scooped the little dog into her arms, frowning after her husband as he turned away without another word and rode towards the stables.
He, meanwhile, was frowning too. His wife could be so damn annoying at times and it was her lack of enjoyment in the marital bed that had made him turn to other women for release – Amber Ainsley being the latest. He was still bitterly ashamed of the way he had ordered her to get rid of the child they had made together. Amber might not have been quite as beautiful as Louisa, nor had she had the advantages that Louisa had had and yet she didn’t make constant demands either, and Barnaby had found he could talk to her and feel easy in her company. This was why he hadn’t dismissed her and now he hoped that it wouldn’t be too long before she came back and they could pick up where they left off. Because strangely, even though she’d only just left, he found he was missing her.
As he rode into the stable yard the head groom came out to meet him and he saw the man scowl as he looked at the state of the horse.
‘Now don’t glare at me like that, Jed.’ He laughed as he leapt nimbly down from the saddle and threw the reins to him. ‘Star enjoys working up a sweat and a good gallop.’
‘Hm, I wonder if you’ll say the same when the poor beast drops down dead wi’ a heart attack, sir,’ Jed answered boldly as he stroked the horse’s nose. He had known Barnaby since he was a young boy and as a youth when he was struggling to build up his business.
‘He’ll be right as rain once you’ve given him a good rub down.’ Barnaby turned on his heel and headed round to the other side of the house to enter by the front door as Jed – shaking his head – led the horse into the cool stables. He really didn’t know what had got into the young master lately; not so long ago he would never have pushed the poor horse so hard.
Barnaby had only just entered the enormous hallway when Ruffy appeared.
‘Ah, Mr Greenwood,’ she greeted him. ‘I hear congratulations are in order?.?.?. again,’ she said drily and Barnaby flushed.
‘Yes?.?.?. yes, they are, Mrs Ruffin.’
‘Then let’s just hope your wife doesn’t suffer too much this time, eh?’ Mrs Ruffin said worriedly. ‘Though I wouldn’t hold my breath on it. Didn’t I warn you some time ago that she wasn’t built for bearing children? Why, she’s so delicate and fragile one good puff of wind would blow her away and all these pregnancies can’t be doing her health any good at all.’
‘I’m well aware of that, Mrs Ruffin,’ he answered coldly. ‘Now, would you excuse me?’ And with that he strode away, leaving her in no doubt that she had upset him.
An hour later, Louisa and Barnaby sat in the formal dining room having lunch at a highly polished mahogany table that could quite easily seat twenty people – and frequently had in the past.
‘I had a look at the account books today,’ Barnaby informed his wife proudly as he sipped at the tasty lobster soup starter. ‘And it appears that the boats and the shipyard are doing well. The new trawler that was ordered should be finished in a week or two.’
Trying her best to hide her boredom, Louisa kept her eyes downcast, wondering why, whenever she and her husband got together, they always ended up discussing business. She would much rather have discussed the latest fashions and hairstyles.
