“I love it,” she said, her voice filled with delight. “It’s so beautiful and elegant.”
Daniel nodded. He considered joining her in the room and locking the door behind him so they could become better acquainted with the bed, but he decided to wait. There were other pressing matters to attend to, like calling on his aunt and uncle. With no way of knowing how they would greet him and his wife, Daniel had decided that it would be best if he handled the first visit alone. He would do so as soon as he’d spoken to Hawkins and satisfied his aching stomach. Lord help him he was hungry!
Moving on, he showed Rebecca another bedroom, which was quite a bit larger than the first. “For guests,” he lied.
Standing at his side, Rebecca said nothing, saving Daniel from having to explain that he’d rather walk barefooted through hell than spend one night in the room that had once belonged to his parents. Unlike so many other members of the ton, they had not kept separate bedchambers, and Daniel had always imagined that he and his wife would share a similar intimacy. From what he knew of Rebecca so far, he suspected that she would be amenable to the idea.
“How very practical that is,” Rebecca said, confirming his thoughts. “Honestly, I’ve never understood why a husband and wife should have separate rooms. I’m relieved to know that we’ll be spending more time together.”
Closing the door again, he quietly wondered if she’d become aware of the demons that haunted him with every step he took. “I’ll show you the third floor later,” he said when Hawkins arrived to inform him that the phaeton had been safely parked and that Cook was preparing a small meal that a maid would bring up shortly.
A cook and a maid? Daniel couldn’t help but be relieved. He’d begun to imagine that poor Hawkins might have taken on the duties of all the servants Avern House required, for he’d seen no one else since his arrival.
“And what is your name?” Rebecca asked when a sprightly young girl arrived carrying a tray that to Daniel’s eye looked rather inviting. Was that freshly baked bread?
“My name’s Molly, my lady,” she said, her voice warm and her smile completely unabashed—not at all the sort of maid that Daniel was used to his aunt and uncle employing. They were a far more somber lot, trained to avoid meeting the gaze of their superiors. Molly, however, just stood there beaming, as if they’d all been jolly good friends.
Daniel felt himself smile in response and decided that he liked the girl. Rebecca must have too, judging from the way she offered to help Molly lay out the plates, teacups and saucers while Hawkins watched with quiet surprise. Daniel had known his valet for years, and though Hawkins wasn’t exactly conservative (he and Daniel would never have gotten along if he had been), he did look as if he was feeling a bit uncomfortable with his new mistress leaping to the aid of a maid, when most ladies would have sat silently and watched until the maid was done. Thankfully Rebecca was not so prim, Daniel mused, unable to stop himself from smiling as she and Molly chatted about this and that.
“She’ll get on famously with Laura once we bring her over,” Rebecca said a short while later when both Molly and Hawkins had departed, allowing Rebecca and Daniel to enjoy the ham, cheese and bread that Cook had sent up.
“I’ll send a messenger over to Grover House as soon as we’ve finished eating. I imagine she’ll be either there or with the Griftons.”
Rebecca nodded. “I expect my aunt and uncle will call on us as soon as they are made aware of our return,” she said with a touch of dread. “Now that’s a visit that I’m not particularly looking forward to.”
“You mustn’t worry. You’re married to me now, Becky. They no longer have the power to bend you to their will, so really, why does it matter what they say?”
“You’re right,” she said with a thoughtful nod. “It doesn’t.” Taking a sip of her tea, she looked at Daniel. “What else shall we do for the rest of the day? I’d love to see the park if it’s not too far. I haven’t been there since I was a child, but I remember it being quite impressive.”
“While such an outing does sound tempting, we will have to delay until tomorrow. Right now I have to have a word with Hawkins—see if there are any pressing matters that need my immediate attention—and then I will pay a call on my aunt and uncle.”
“Oh, I’d love to join you,” Rebecca said, looking terribly excited. “May I?”
Hating to disappoint, Daniel didn’t enjoy telling her that it would be best if he went to see them on his own. “You mustn’t forget that our wedding was quite hasty and unexpected. Considering we eloped and left a duke standing at his own engagement ball without his fiancée, it may take a while for them to adjust. When they’re ready, they will invite us both over for tea so they can make your acquaintance.”
Rebecca frowned. “That sounds awfully formal, Daniel.”
“Yes, well, my aunt and uncle are the formal sort, you know.” An issue he’d had enough difficulty dealing with over the years, since it meant he’d always been at odds with them.
Leaving Rebecca to explore the upstairs, Daniel went in search of Hawkins. He eventually found him in the courtyard next to the kitchen, pumping water for Cook. The valet paused at his task when he spotted Daniel.
“Have we no footmen to handle such things?” Daniel asked, knowing that the answer would likely be no.
“As you may have noticed, sir, the household staff is somewhat depleted. There are only the three of us.”
Daniel stepped closer and crossed his arms. “I don’t suppose that’s because my aunt and uncle were unaware that I would be returning with a bride and in need of a fully functional home?”
“No,” he said with great reluctance.
“Are you able to explain why there are no more servants then? Mr. Tenant, the butler, remained at this address even after my parents were gone. I’m surprised he’s not here.”
Hawkins took a deep breath. “I received a missive from Lord Wolvington’s secretary two days ago requesting that I leave the gentleman lodgings where you have been residing and come here instead. Cook was already busy in the kitchen when I arrived. I believe your mother initially hired her, whereas Molly . . . well, from what I gather, she didn’t suit the Wolvington household.” Hawkins met Daniel’s gaze seriously. “You needn’t concern yourself though—we may be few, but we’ve all decided to make this work as best we can. We won’t be leaving you.”
“Thank you,” Daniel said, touched by the man’s loyalty. “And since you’re prepared to do so much for me, the least I can do is help you with that water. Here . . . I’ll carry it down to Cook while you fill the next bucket.”
As soon as they were done, Daniel and Hawkins climbed back upstairs, where Hawkins abandoned his role as footman in favor of his much-preferred position as valet, offering Daniel a clean set of clothes that he’d brought with him from the apartment. With his cravat tied to perfection and his entire person so immaculate that neither his aunt nor his uncle would possibly find fault with his appearance, Daniel said good-bye to Rebecca and stepped out into the street, where a hackney awaited, yet another service for which he had Hawkins to thank.
Settling back against the squabs, Daniel waited for the horses to take off at a trot, then set his mind to preparing for the interview ahead. Whatever game his uncle was playing at, Daniel would not allow him to drag Rebecca into it, and he had every intention of telling him so.
“I’ve a good mind to throttle you,” Lord Wolvington said when Daniel was shown into his study and the butler had exited, closing the door behind him.
Daniel grimaced. “And here I was thinking that you would congratulate me.”
“Congratulate you?” His uncle looked as if he was having a bout of indigestion. “Whatever for?”
Daniel frowned. Had his uncle grown forgetful in his old age? “I did what you asked of me,” he said. “I got married—and to a lovely woman, I might add.”
“What I asked for . . .” his uncle sputtered. “Are you mad, boy? I did not ask you to steal a duke’s fiancée or to elope with an earl’s ward!” He slammed his fist onto his desk. The action made his quill bounce, while ink flew from the inkwell and spattered across the polished surface. “Have you any idea of the scandal you’ve caused? The Duke of Grover has been made a laughingstock of London. He’s absolutely furious, and rightfully so.”
Daniel blinked. He’d known there would likely be hell to pay, but he’d put off worrying about it in favor of just enjoying Rebecca’s company. “Will he be wanting a duel?” he asked.
“He did, but I managed to talk him out of that notion. The last thing we need right now is for you to kill the man.” Daniel’s uncle shook his head. “Honestly, Daniel, what were you thinking?”
“Well, for one thing I wanted to please you,” Daniel confessed, “and since Rebecca was the only woman I met who was willing to even speak to me, she seemed like the obvious choice.”
“Didn’t she tell you that she was engaged?”
“She wasn’t when we met.” Daniel then told his uncle everything—how Rebecca had feigned madness for two years to escape marriage, the way the Griftons had encouraged Grover and Topperly to bid for her, and how Daniel had offered her a means of escape. “They’re despicable people,” Daniel said at the end of it all.
“And I suppose you think yourself the hero in all of this?” his uncle said. He didn’t wait for an answer, saying instead, “I never cared for any of these people, you know, but that doesn’t excuse what you did. What I wanted for you, Daniel, was for you to find a way to clear your name of scandal, not tarnish it even further. I’m sorry, but I don’t see how I can help you with this situation without affecting your aunt or your sister’s family. The gossips are already having a splendid time with this. They’re ready to rip you to shreds.”
“And here I thought I was doing not only the right thing but the noble and just thing as well,” Daniel muttered. He slumped down on one of the seats across from his uncle. “Instead I just gave them the scoundrel they expected, but then again, it’s a part I’ve played for so long it would probably be difficult for me to be anything else. I was a fool to think otherwise.”
“Devil take it, Daniel, you’re a perfectly good man at heart, but you have to stop acting like this.” Wolvington leaned back in his chair and stared at his nephew. “I know it’s been tough on you since your mother left and your father died—I miss him too, you know—but you can’t keep using their actions to excuse your own.”
“That’s not what this is about,” Daniel ground out. He’d no desire to talk about his parents right now.
“Is that so?”
Daniel stared back at his relative as he thought about the lifestyle he’d grown so accustomed to, the company he’d kept and his taste for adventure—how he hated being alone with his own thoughts. An overwhelming sense of clarity descended upon him, and he suddenly saw his life for what it was. Good God, he’d behaved like an ungrateful scamp, heedless of those around him. Swallowing hard, he tried not to think of what a burden he must have been for his aunt and uncle. They had been stricken by grief as well, yet they had set it aside in order to offer him comfort. In return, they’d gotten a rebellious youth who’d acted out in the most selfish way possible, bringing scandal upon their name. It was a miracle they hadn’t offered him an ultimatum before now.