Lessons From a Scarlet Lady (24 page)
It really was unusual, but she was delighted.
Two footmen had been sent ahead with linens and the food. Under a spreading oak, they served sliced cold chicken, meat pasties, several different types of cheeses, ripe pears, and crisp apples. Chilled white wine and champagne lent a festive air to the informal meal, and Brianna was grateful the clear weather, unusual in England for so many days in a row, held. Besides herself and Colton, Lord Emerson and the oldest Campbell sister had joined the party, also Damien, Mrs. Newman, Arabella, and her handsome husband, the Earl of Bonham. Brianna found she was famished after having eaten so little for breakfast, and when she asked for a second meat pie, Colton’s eyebrows went up a little but he obligingly passed the plate over.
“They’re delicious,” she said defensively, but also laughed. “You see? This proves I am quite recovered.”
“Apparently so.” He sipped his wine, watching as she inelegantly licked crumbs from her fingers. A half smile lifted the corner of his mouth and his azure eyes were shaded by lashes too long to be wasted on a man. It was warm enough that most of the men had removed their coats, even him, and the casual look of a white, fullsleeved linen shirt, breeches, and boots emphasized his uncharacteristically relaxed state.
He looked happy, Brianna decided, watching the dappled sunlight slide along the clean line of his nose and jaw. No, perhaps that was going too far, but he looked content certainly, and more at ease maybe than she’d ever seen him except in the aftermath of lovemaking. Brianna considered another apple, decided against it, and said, “That was unexpectedly delicious. Maybe it is all the fresh air that makes it taste so good.”
“Perhaps.” Colton reached over and with one long finger, brushed the corner of her mouth in an unexpectedly intimate gesture in front of other people. “A stray crumb, my dear. We can’t have everyone knowing about your fondness for pork pasties.”
“I ate too much as well,” Belinda Campbell said. She was a pretty young woman with sparkling dark eyes and a curvaceous figure. “I think I’d better take a walk.”
Lord Emerson could scarcely take his gaze off her as he scrambled to his feet and extended his hand. “A capital suggestion. Shall we?”
Arabella poked her husband in the ribs, making him give a small grunt. “Let’s walk over to the stream. Today is so glorious, and winter is approaching. I hate being inside for months, so I refuse to let this opportunity pass.”
“Then by all means we should walk, lest you injure me in the meantime.” Lord Bonham rubbed his torso theatrically.
Damien and Mrs. Newman decided they would ride back to the house, and in moments, Brianna and Colton were relatively alone. It was impossible to believe, but she realized she was sleepy again. Perhaps it was all the food; maybe it was the wine, though she hadn’t drunk much at all.
“I think I must be staying up too late, or maybe it is just that the party is winding to a close and so I am not quite so anxious over every little thing,” Brianna murmured. “I slept late this morning and I still swear I could nod off at any moment.”
“By all means, if you wish a nap, take one. Here.” Colton rose in one lithe movement and shifted position, so his back rested against the tree. “May I offer you a comfortable place to sleep, my lady? My shoulder is available as a pillow.”
Brianna looked at his outstretched arms, not quite able to believe it. Her austere husband did not believe in public displays of affection, and while the middle of Rolthven Park was not precisely a busy street in central London, it wasn’t the privacy of one of their bedrooms, either.
Still, how could she refuse the gallant gesture, even if he was acting oddly? She moved, scooting over so she could crawl onto his lap. His muscled shoulder actually made a very nice pillow as she nestled against him and his arms cradled her. He smelled wonderful, slightly spicy: a woodsy scent to match the surroundings of grass and trees. A breeze whispered overhead and she let her eyes close, wondering if she deserved such happiness. A beautiful day, the clasp of her husband’s strong arms, and that wisp of a cool fall breeze.
Heaven.
Colton was coming around, she thought drowsily.
And promptly fell fast asleep.
“I hope I am not keeping you from your regular schedule.”
In answer to Colton’s question, his grandmother gave what sounded like something close to an unladylike snort, though he would never dare to describe it in those terms. “Please, Colton, you are the one forever buried in estate affairs and political agendas and whatever else it is that requires your constant attention. I suspect this audience is keeping
you
from something, not the other way around.”
you
from something, not the other way around.”
It was. The morning ride and picnic had taken up hours of his day, but he really wasn’t concerned at the moment. He chose the one chair in his grandmother’s delicate sitting room that didn’t look too fragile for his height and weight, the feminine surroundings all pastel colors. A Gainsborough portrait of his grandfather hung over the mantel, the stamp of the family features recognizable.
“Now then,” his grandmother said, narrowing her pale blue eyes, “what brings you here?” She waved a thin hand, her cane resting against her knee. “Not that I object, mind you, but I am surprised.”
Hell and blast, this was a little awkward, but he had no idea where else to turn. “I wish to talk to you.”
“That I gathered.” Her eyes were bright with speculation. “I am old, but not yet feeble in the brain.”
No, she wasn’t. She was one of the most intelligent people he knew. She was also a woman.
And
she’d had three children. He had two aunts, one in Sussex and one in Berkshire.
And
she’d had three children. He had two aunts, one in Sussex and one in Berkshire.
“It’s about Brianna,” he said, not sure how to begin this conversation—with his grandmother, no less.
“Lovely young woman,” his grandmother said stoutly. “At first I worried she would be one of those empty-headed, spoiled twits without a grain of sense, but she’s quite the opposite. Her beauty doesn’t exceed her intellect. Good choice.”
Well, he thought so too, but an affirmation of his selection in a wife wasn’t why he came. “Thank you. I agree. However . . .”
His grandmother gazed at him as he trailed off, her gently wrinkled face expressionless, her white hair upswept, one blue-veined hand resting on her cane. “However?” she repeated.
How did a man do this? He cleared his throat. “However, I’m concerned over her health.”
“Brianna? She looks wonderful.”
He said carefully, “She’s suddenly sleeping quite a lot, and this morning her stomach was upset. More than that, I have noticed a few other symptoms. I suppose I am here because I need an experienced opinion on whether or not my suspicion is correct.”
“A child?” His grandmother’s eyes grew suspiciously bright. “So soon? Well done.”
Lord, why he should be uncomfortable talking about this was a mystery. He was a married man, and of course his grandmother knew he was intimate with his wife, but it still wasn’t the easiest conversation to have. “She’s late. Of that I’m certain. It’s been a while since she . . . well . . .”
“Kept you from her bed?”
“Yes.” He was relieved not to have to go into specifics. He might be a duke, might be twenty-nine years old this very day, but he wasn’t sure he was sophisticated enough for
this
damned conversation. “All I want is to know whether you think I am right and she’s indeed pregnant. I could call in a physician, but Brianna doesn’t seem to think anything is amiss, and that seems presumptuous. It’s my opinion she really isn’t educated enough on the subject to realize the implications of the fatigue and nausea.”
this
damned conversation. “All I want is to know whether you think I am right and she’s indeed pregnant. I could call in a physician, but Brianna doesn’t seem to think anything is amiss, and that seems presumptuous. It’s my opinion she really isn’t educated enough on the subject to realize the implications of the fatigue and nausea.”
“The signs are certainly promising. Are her breasts larger, more sensitive?”
There were some things he was simply unwilling to discuss. He muttered, “I hardly keep charts on the matter.”
“You could check. I feel certain it would not be a hardship on your part.”
He glanced up sharply, noting the wicked twitch to his grandmother’s mouth. He said dryly, “With all due respect, I do not appreciate your amusement over my discomfort with this conversation. I came for advice, not for your entertainment.”
She chuckled, tapping her cane on the rug. “Forgive me, but it isn’t often I see you disconcerted, Colton. You are always the model of composure. I could not resist that last comment, but concede it was not very sporting of me. By way of apology, let me say this: if Brianna is carrying your child—and it sounds likely she is—it’s a perfectly normal event. We all got on this earth the same way. You love her, so you are understandably concerned, but don’t fret. If it has happened, she will come to the conclusion soon enough on her own. Do not rob her of the joy of being able to tell you.”
You love her.
He opened his mouth to deny it. To explain he married Brianna because he desired her, because she was gracious and intelligent and her family lineage impeccable.
It certainly wasn’t because he’d fallen in love with her.
Was it?
Did he love her? A helpless feeling of ignorance settled over him. Of course he loved his mother, his brothers, his grandmother, but that was quite different from romantic love. There was no experience in his life to compare his feelings to, and why did a man have to constantly examine his emotions anyway?
He said nothing.
His grandmother was still speaking.“. . . you must understand there is something quite special about a woman being able to tell her husband she has conceived his child. I think you should simply wait until your wife realizes she’s breeding and then act appropriately delighted when she breaks the news.”
“I
am
delighted,” he protested. “I hardly need to playact the part.”
am
delighted,” he protested. “I hardly need to playact the part.”
“Masking your concern wouldn’t hurt. She’ll be nervous enough without you hovering over her.”
He’d never
hovered
in his life. Irritated, but mindful it was his grandmother he was speaking to, he said crisply, “I have no intention of treating her like an invalid.”
hovered
in his life. Irritated, but mindful it was his grandmother he was speaking to, he said crisply, “I have no intention of treating her like an invalid.”
Though he
had
enjoyed holding Brianna as she slept after their alfresco luncheon, her slight weight resting against his chest, her breath brushing his throat as she slumbered. When the others wandered back, he’d put a finger to his lips to make sure no one woke her and continued to hold her until she finally stirred, a good hour after everyone else had mounted their horses and ridden back to the house.
had
enjoyed holding Brianna as she slept after their alfresco luncheon, her slight weight resting against his chest, her breath brushing his throat as she slumbered. When the others wandered back, he’d put a finger to his lips to make sure no one woke her and continued to hold her until she finally stirred, a good hour after everyone else had mounted their horses and ridden back to the house.
So maybe he’d hovered a little.
One white brow inching upward, his grandmother continued the lecture. “Don’t. She’s young and healthy, and the fatigue will pass, as will the sickness in the morning. Take my word on it. I went through it more than once.”
“Should she ride? I deliberately went along today to keep an eye on her. Surely a fall would be bad in her condition.” His ignorance on the subject of pregnant ladies had never bothered him before, but now it held him almost paralyzed. He didn’t know how to act, and he disliked being at a loss. Used to making weighty decisions on everything from investments to politics, he was in the dark right now when it came to Brianna.
“Well, she shouldn’t gallop across country and jump fences, but a nice leisurely ride won’t hurt until she gets too ungainly to get on and off. She’ll know when it is time to stop.”
“How? I am certain she has no idea she could be carrying.”
“My dear boy, how do you think any animal breeds? We may bury it under a veneer of civilized behavior, but human beings still have instincts. Trust me, she’ll know how to take care of herself to ensure a healthy child, and what you need to do is be there to lend your support. Make it clear if she needs anything from you, all she needs to do is ask you, and all will be well.”
All will be well. He hoped so. Naturally he wanted an heir, but he hadn’t expected this apprehension. Childbirth was not without its dangers. A fear he’d never anticipated tempered his joy.
What if I lose her?
Shrewdly, his grandmother seemed to understand his thoughts. “Celebrate the miracle, Colton. A little concern is natural, but most women do just fine. There are some things even title and wealth cannot control. It is a waste to ruin the happiness of this day by worrying about the next one.”
Damn all, she was right, of course.
He rose and went to bend over her hand. “Thank you. Your advice is invaluable.”
The thin fingers clasped in his felt like bird bones, light and brittle, but there was nothing but fierceness in her eyes. “I am so glad you have Brianna. Now all we need to do is see Robert settled with his young lady and we can work on Damien, though I doubt he’ll be cooperative. Then I can go peacefully.”
“I am uninterested in you going anywhere and what the dev—” He caught himself just in time, he was so startled. “I mean, what are you talking about? Robert’s young lady?”
“Miss Marston. He’s quite taken.”
Miss Marston? Miss Rebecca Marston, who came complete with a militantly protective father and a pristine reputation? It was impossible. Not his rakish and independent younger brother. Colton said carefully, “You must be mistaken.”
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