Page 16 of In the Eyes of Lord Lingley

“I still remember my Spanish, which you taught me when we were young, and have worked to increase my vocabulary,” she declared proudly in quite a passable accent, which pleased him. “I would not vouch for my others as I am completely self-taught in French, Italian, German, and Portuguese. I also attempted Greek, but my father declared that it was too masculine a study and took away the primer and Greek to English dictionary I had purchased.”

Lingley rolled his eyes. “Self-taught? Did your father not offer to hire masters for you all? I thought that your sisters had mentioned it.”

“Lizzy had several masters for music and mathematics but the one time I asked Papa to assist me with my education he declared that he would not waste his funds on such silly things that would be of no use to a female,” she explained quietly. “He always said that he was surrounded by silly, useless females and that only Lizzy had a bit more intelligence than the rest of us. She always laughed at that, as if he were telling a joke. But it was obvious to me that it was an honest complaint couched in questionable humor.”

“Your parents are ridiculous.”

She flushed hotly and dropped her eyes to her hands. Her entire life had been one mortification after the other as her mother and younger sisters horrified and offended their way through the neighborhood, all the while her father laughed at them all rather than restraining them. Their family was a laughingstock and no matter what Jane and Elizabeth may have told their own husbands, Mary was under no illusions that her family would be in any way acceptable to polite society and had no desire to embarrass her new family by insisting that they be invited into their lives in the future. A yearly letter, in her opinion, was entirely sufficient.

“They are,” she replied before he could comment on her embarrassment. “Luckily, we shall not need to endure their company.”

“You do not demand that I respect your family as my own?” he asked, remembering Darcy’s complaints.

Mary snorted, “No.”

Chapter 10

They traveled the entire day, stopping along the way to change horses, which Lingley had sent ahead, and refresh themselves, arriving at Dover about an hour and a half before sunset, when the ship he had chartered was scheduled to leave. Mary stood, mouth agape, staring at the wide blue expanse of ocean, daubed over with turquoise and sky blues which created the most interesting streaking as the waves crashed into the shore before the rising cliffs of white limestone and chalk. Lingley enjoyed her awe as he gave instructions to his men as they unloaded the carriage and handed over the luggage to the stevedores.

When he had finished, he went to her side, sliding her hand around his arm and startling her from her stupor. “You have never seen the sea.”

She shook her head in reply and followed him up the gangplank and onto the main deck of the ship, where they were greeted by the captain. He led them to the main cabin, which he had given up on their behalf and left them to get settled before they raised anchor. Mary nervously fiddled with her reticule as Lingley poked about the spacious room.

“Have you often made this crossing?” She finally worked up the courage to ask, drawing his attention to her disquiet.

“Oh yes, usually twice a year for the entirety of my life,” he assured her, pulling her onto his lap as he settled into one of the large chairs set before a small round table. “You are nervous?”

“I have never even been in a rowboat, let alone something so large on the actual ocean!” she exclaimed, face blanched with fear, leaving two bright spots of color on her cheeks.

He clutched her tightly to his chest for just a moment and attempted to kiss the side of her head but was stymied by her bonnet. He cursed, tugging at the ribbons and making her laugh as she assisted his questing fingers. With a cry of victory, he tossed it onto the bed and nuzzled his face into her locks. “I would never allow any harm to befall you, May. I am certain your father has never given a thought to your protection, and thus you were forced to see to your own. You need not worry over such a thing again, my dear. Your wellbeing is central to my own.”

She flushed and doubted, but one glance at his earnest face and she was forced to accept his words as truth. He had promised, she reminded herself, to never lie to her, and she determined to believe him until he proved himself one way or the other. He had been trustworthy, thus far, after all.

Once they had set sail and traveled nearly five of the 24 nautical miles of their trip, Lingley bundled her into her coat and led her up to the main deck once more. He showed her to a short set of stairs which led to the roof of the captain’s cabin and presented her with a nest of blankets, cushions, and a basket of food.

“Do you still enjoy observing the stars?” he asked as he helped her find a seat.

She smiled widely and replied, “My room at Longbourne was the smallest and did not have a fireplace, but there was the sweetest little window enclosure overlooking the wilderness at the side of the house, which was perfect for looking at the stars. This, though, is something else! From horizon to horizon— it is breathtaking!”

“There is Sagittarius, and of course, Hercules.”

“And Lyra and Cygnus!” She sighed contentedly and leaned back into his embrace. “This is a wonderful surprise, John. Thank you for thinking of it. It looks like a river of stars.”

“May I kiss you, May?” he whispered in her ear, stirring the small hairs at the nape of her neck and making her shiver in anticipation. She nodded, and he shifted to run his hand up her arm to her neck, where he cupped her cheek. The first brush of their lips was soft, almost hesitant, but he quickly deepened the kiss as she melted into his arms, and only the sounds of a sailor going about his work reminded him of their public position. Drawing back, he pulled her head to his chest as their breathing slowed. A gasp from Mary drew his attention to the sky, where a stream of meteors was shooting toward the horizon.

“A good omen for our marriage, I should think,” he laughed delightedly.

“Undoubtably,” she agreed breathlessly as they watched the cosmic ballet until a desire for privacy drove them back to their room.

~~~~~~

Though the voyage was only six hours, the ship was docked in Calais and the night spent aboard. By the time the newlyweds awoke the next morning, all the preparations for their travel had been made, and the carriage, one belonging to the earldom and kept in France for their use, was loaded with their trunks. The horses for their men were saddled, and all were awaiting their convenience.

Mary could not help her blushes as she was forced to beg her new husband for his assistance with her buttons, as, unlike her usual gowns, the new travel dresses did up the back. He was pleased to be of assistance but promised her that she would hire a maid at the first opportunity once they arrived in Paris. After a quick meal, Lingley assisted her into the carriage, and they were on their way.

After two nights on the road, staying at very fine inns, they arrived in Paris and stopped before a large beige-stoned mansion in the Faubourg Saint-Germain. It was not so fashionable as the Champs-Élysées, but it was much more exclusive. The house itself was six stories of beautifully carved stone facade with large windows and several balconies overlooking the street. Mary was in awe, feeling entirely inferior as the servants swarmed the carriage. Lingley was completely at ease as he stepped down into the chaos and turned, holding out a hand for her. She had frozen, and only his soft murmur of understanding helped her to relax enough to reach for him and step out of the carriage. She stared up at the mansard roof for a moment before squaring her shoulders and accepting Lingley’s arm. They entered the house, where they were greeted by the upper servants, whom Langley quickly released to their duties, knowing how uncomfortable Mary would be.

Madame Durand, the housekeeper, led them to the family floor where a new suite of rooms had been prepared due to their marriage, as Lingley had had the same single chamber near his parents since he had graduated from the nursery. Mary murmured in agreement to Lingley’s approval of the rooms, and the woman smiled widely.