There would be no problem with the baby’s legitimacy; what was important to the law of primogeniture and to the Church was that her mother and Middlewich were married before the birth. Arabella personally knew of an astounding number of chubby nine-pound infants that had come into the world only six months after a wedding. However, in her mother’s case, it was only three months, which seemed to Arabella rather shameful. Her mother should have known better.
But three months was more than enough time for Arabella to sew and embroider a christening dress and two baby bonnets.
Arabella was sent away in September. Middlewich’s seven sisters scattered to various aunts and uncles. Arabella had hoped to be sent to Sommerleigh where she might see Dr. Alasdair Andrews. But, no. She was sent to Lord and Lady Dalrymple and their daughters in Derbyshire.
Two
At eighteen, raven-haired Juliana Dalrymple was the oldest of the five Dalrymple daughters. Arabella always said she loved the Dalrymples equally, but if she were honest with herself, in her heart of hearts, she loved the light brown-haired Rebecca Dalrymple more than Juliana. Rebecca was six months younger than Arabella, and far more impressed with Arabella than Juliana was. Indeed, Juliana had a smugness about her, intimating that she knew far more about the world than Arabella, since she was older.
Juliana and Rebecca and Arabella were all together in Rebecca’s bedroom one evening after dinner. Juliana was sitting at Rebecca’s dressing table, trying on every piece of Rebecca’s jewelry. Arabella and Rebecca were lying on their stomachs on the bed and looking at the dresses in a copy ofAckermann’s Repository.
“That’s an old one,” Juliana said.
“From this spring!” Rebecca protested.
Juliana sniffed. “When I am married, I will have new gowns made for every season.”
Arabella looked up from the illustrated plate that featured a pink dress with a large white band near the hem and a white hat that looked almost military in its shape.
“Are you to be married, Juliana? Are you engaged? To Sir Timothy?”
Juliana held up a pearl necklace in front of her throat. “We are engaged to be engaged.”
“I have never heard of such a thing,” Arabella said.
“He has not asked me, but he has asked me if he can ask me.” Juliana raised her rather fierce eyebrows.
Arabella swung herself around so that she now sat on the edge of the bed, her legs dangling off.
“And has he kissed you?”
Rebecca raised her head from the periodical to hear her sister’s answer.
“I told him,” Juliana said primly, “that we could not kiss until we were properly engaged.”
Rebecca went back to theAckermann’sand flipped the page.
“But,” Arabella faltered, “what ... what if you don’t like his kisses? What if his breath is bad? Or he is not passionate enough?”
Juliana’s dark brows knitted together and she glared at Arabella in the reflection of the mirror. “There are more reasons to get married than kissing, Miss Lovelock.”
The “Miss Lovelock” was to remind Arabella that she was not a member of the peerage and had no courtesy title, even though her stepfather was a duke and now her mother was a duchess. Her late father had, after all, only been a very rich banker.
“Yes, Lady Juliana Dalrymple,” Arabella said. “But if the kissing is not good, how could the coupling be any better?”
Arabella had shared her sister Mary’s lessons regarding coupling with Juliana and Rebecca the week before. Juliana had asserted she “knew everything already,” but Arabella had noted that Juliana had drawn near and had paid as close attention to Arabella as her sister Rebecca had.
Now, Arabella felt the bed begin to shake. It was Rebecca who was shaking. She rolled onto her back, laughing. An insulted Juliana turned around on the stool and faced a serious Arabella and a howling Rebecca.
“There are—” Juliana started in an imperious fashion, but she could not be heard over Rebecca’s laughter. And as the seconds passed, Arabella’s lips could not help quirking into a smile. Juliana lost her frown, and she too began to laugh. Arabella joined her.
A knock came at the door and the countess entered the room. She was greeted by the sight of the three young women, weak with laughter, tears streaming down their faces.
“Girls,” she said. “Henrietta, Emma, and Frederica are preparing for bed. You must hush.” But she smiled and used a kind voice.
“Yes, Mama,” gasped Juliana and Rebecca even as Arabella said, “Yes, Lady Dalrymple.” The girls quieted themselves, but as soon as Lady Dalrymple had closed the door behind her, there was an outburst of suppressed giggles.
“What I was going to say,” Juliana said, wiping her eyes, “is that there are other reasons to get married besides coupling.”
