The Mistress of Black Grove Manor (84 page)

“Is everything alright in here?” he asked.

“Yes.” Marie answered, her cheeks flushing as both her and Victoria led the room.

Owen turned his attention to Abby. He stared at her, his eyes wide.

“Wow,” he whispered softly.

Abby’s cheeks burned as she lowered her eyes to the ground. “It’s… quite the transformation, isn’t it?”

“I’d say. Not that you didn’t look beautiful before.”

Abby’s heart skipped a beat. “That’s very forward of you.” She raised her eyes to meet his.

“I’m a very forward man.”

Their eyes locked, and Abby’s heart skipped a beat as she stared at him.  He didn’t look away from her, he just stared, his smile widening as he stepped into the room, closing the distance between them.  He reached out, his fingers brushing over her cheeks.  Red heat rushed through Abby’s body.  She stepped back from the man in front of her, despite the fact she wanted nothing more than to let him touch her.

“Owen,” This was the first time she’d used this voice. “I may not be laying with the master of this house, but that does not mean-”

“Do you not think he will let you do as you please?”

Abby stared at him. Was he trying to say that if she’d wanted to Thomas would allow her to have someone? Despite the fact that they were married.

He does have someone.
She thought.

“And who better than someone who is sworn to serve him?” He made a point, though Abby would not admit that to him.  She took a deep breath, her eyes locking on his but did not say anything.

A soft smile touched his lips after a couple of seconds.

He looked away from her as he stepped closer to her. “I understand.  Come, I’ve been sent to collect you, Tom’s mother is here.”

Tom?  Owen didn’t address his employer formally?

Abby didn’t have time to think about it.  His words set in.  She thought she might fall, and suddenly she realized how little she could breathe with her corset on.  He held his arm out to her, and she took it allowing him to lead her from the room.  Fear stricken, Abby was not sure she’d have been able to move without letting Owen guide her to where she needed to go.

“Just… stay quiet, answer as shortly as you can, and let her do most of the talking,” Owen offered as they made their way back outside to a table waiting for them.

“Thank you.”

Abby couldn’t tell him how much it meant to her to have some advice.  She was being tossed head first into the deep end of a pool and she knew it.

Thomas stood as soon as he saw her.  He rushed to meet his bride-to-be and take her from the arm of another man.

“Thank you, Owen.  I trust you have taken good care of my wife-to-be.” His eyes sparkled, as if there was some joke Abby had not been let in on.

Her heart skipped a beat.  Could they be sharing a privet joke because… Is Owen Thomas’s lover? She took a deep breath.  No, that couldn’t be it.  Owen had tried to flirt with her, he’d even suggested he wanted her.  If he were Thomas’s lover he would never do that to him.  Thomas led Abby towards his mother.

“Just take a deep breath, and let her do most of the talking.”

Abby nodded.  They came to a stop in front of the elderly woman.  Her blonde hair was tied up in a bun, and she wore a simple silk dress, with a ruby necklace.

“You must be the woman my son will be marrying.”

“Yes.” Abby stepped forward and lowered herself into a curtsy.  The woman looked impressed for a fraction of a second.

“Well, you’ll have to do if you’re the one my son wants to marry.” She looked Abby up and down, silently judging.  But just because she didn’t say a word didn’t mean Abby didn’t feel every second of it.  Abby forced a smile over her lips, pretending it didn’t bother her at all.

“Come, sit.”  Thomas’s mother motioned for them to sit down beside her.  They both did as they were told and sat there, waiting for her to speak again.  She watched them closely.

Thomas reached out and took Abby’s hand, their fingers tangling together as he squeezed gently, and the small action made Abby feel much better than she would have thought it would.

“Tom says you’re a commoner.”

Abby worked her not to retort, not to say anything out of line.  She nodded.

“Well, you hold yourself reasonably for a commoner, you’ll have to go through training.  You understand that you will represent this family.  You must look presentable.”

“Of course,” Abby said. “I would never want to disgrace my husband-to-be or his family.”

It must have been a good answer because she smiled when Abby said it.

“I’ll have someone come over tomorrow. A week of preparation should be enough before you can go out in public.  After that you will be assessed and we will go from there.  You do understand that your wedding with me in a church?”

“Of course,”  Abby nodded.  She had not realized it was a religious family, but that didn’t matter.  She’d accept whatever they told her to.  After all, that is what a bought wife did- wasn’t it?  She would do whatever he told her to, no matter what it was.

“And your family, will they be visiting?”

“I am not sure.  My family is large, it would be very hard for them to travel all the way out here.”

Abby didn’t dare say that she didn’t want her family wasting that money.  And what would she tell them when they came here?  She couldn’t tell them the truth.

“But I plan to write often.”  Abby forced a smile over her lips. It was the truth, and she knew it would probably be the only way the communicated.  But Abby would have to learn to live with that, for the sake of her family.  So they would never have to worry about paying for their food again.

“Tom’s sister will be your maid of honor then,” his mother nodded. “And his father and I will pay for things, assuming everything goes according to plan.”

Abby may be new to the life, but she was smart enough to know that “assuming everything goes according to plan” meant “as long as we get what we want how we want.”

She did what she was going to have to do for the rest of her life.  She nodded.

Chapter 2

Dear mama, papa, and everyone.

Abby stared down at those words.  What was she supposed to say?  She took a deep breath trying to stop the tears that pressed against the corner of her eye.

I miss you.

Already.

I’ve been here almost a day, and already I miss you so much.  I hope by the time you get this letter you will have gotten your full payment.  I’ve been given an allowance, as suggested by Thomas’s mother.  I’ve included it here, buy some bread and a nice cut of meat.  Treat yourselves.

Things are moving fast.  I’ll not be married until I’ve gone through training- to be a “proper” lady of course.  How could they expect a lowly commoner to know anything, after all?

Don’t worry, I didn’t say that out loud to anyone!  Though I very much would have liked to.

How is everyone doing?  Are the boys working hard?  I hope I will see you some time but right now I’m not sure what else there is to say.  I will try to come visit sometime.

Lots of love,

Abby.

Abby stared down at the words, they were messy from the way her hand shook the entire time she’d been writing it.  But she tried not to let that bother her.  She tried to pretend it was just how tired she was.  It had been a long day, after meeting Thomas’s mother they had a quick lunch, while she drilled in all the details that Abby could not wait to know.  She was given a list of reading to do before the week was done, and Abby couldn’t help wondering how she was going to find time for all of it.  She stared at the letter as it dried, putting her quill away she folded it carefully and slipped in the four coins she’d been given.  She would see if it could be mailed tomorrow, the money would not be lost to her as Thomas had offered to pay for her new clothing.  His mother had insisted on going to pick it all out herself, not bothering to ask what Abby even liked.

A soft knock on the door brought Abby back to reality.  She spun just in time to see it open.  She’d expected to see Thomas there, but it wasn’t him who stood in front of her.

“Owen,” she said softly.

“Ma’am.” He bowed low to her before making his way into the room.

“Was there something I could help you with?” Abby took a deep breath, trying not to remember the way he had made her feel before.  When she locked eyes on him she could tell that was all he was thinking about.

He made his way towards her, ever so slowly.

“Was there something you wanted?”

“Yes.  You.”

Abby’s heart skipped a beat. She stared at her, her mouth open.  She wanted to turn him down right then and there, but she couldn’t bring herself to.  The fact was, she liked him in a way.  Despite the fact he was so up front- or maybe because he was.

“Are you not Thomas’s lover?”  She hadn’t realized she was asking it until she had already said it.

Owen barked out a laugh. “No!  Goodness no!” His eyes danced. “Tom is my best friend, but we’re not that kind of friends!”

“He’s your best friend?”

“Yes.  But not lovers, he does love someone though.” He looked happy to be saying it, as if his friend loving someone meant that Owen himself could be happier.  Maybe he is a kind person.  Abby thought.

“How long have you been his friend?”  Abby stepped away from him, although he was not Thomas’s lover that did not mean he was not someone else’s.

“All my life.  My mom was a maid for his family, when she passed away they took me in, but mostly growing up Tom and I played together.  We were the only kids in the house, it didn’t matter to us that he was rich and I was poor.” He looked away from Abby, his voice trailing off as he stared into the past. “When my mother passed away they took me in because they felt like they had to.  When Tom felt like it was time to move out on his own… he wanted me to come with him, he promised a fair wage and a good place to sleep.”

“And you decided to go with him?”

“Of course, it meant I got to live with my best friend. What more could I ask for?”

“Did you know?  About… him…”

“Yes. I’ve always known, since Tom has at least. It’s not like it’s an easy thing to realize about yourself.  You spend most of your time denying it.”

“I hope you’re not dishing all my secrets to my future wife.”

Thomas’s voice came from the doorway.  Abby gasped, turning to face him.

“I’m sorry,”  she said quickly.  “It was my fault. I asked him.”

His eyes sparkled. “You were bound to hear the story eventually, I’d just hoped I could keep a mysterious air about me a little longer.” His eyes sparkled as he stepped into the room.

Abby looked from when man to the other, they shared a grin between each other.

“Are you already trying to seduce my wife?”

“Wife-to-be,” Owen corrected. That only made Thomas’s grin widen.

“Well, she is the lady of the house now, however she chooses to use the male servants’ is not my place to question.”

Abby’s eyes widened.  She stared at the man in front of her.  How could he say something like that?  She, a common girl,  having a choice to do as she wishes?  In any and all ways?

She opened her mouth to say something, but she couldn’t.  She was speechless.

Thomas’s eyes turned to her. “We are a progressive house hold,” he said, as if being able to read her mind.  Abby stared at him as he lowered himself into a bow.  “I believe I will retire for the night. I’ll see you both in the morning.”

He closed the distance between them and pulled Abby into a gentle hug, his lips brushing her cheek softly.

“I’ll see you in the morning.” She stammered as he pulled away and left the room, closing the door behind himself.

Owen cleared his throat. “M’lady.”

“Yes?”

“I’d like to request you for lunch tomorrow.  At noon sharp.  Tom said you were a fan of hunting, is that true?”

“Yes.”

“Wonderful.  I’d much enjoy some company out shooting tomorrow, if you’d be interested.”

Abby stared at him.  Was he asking her on a date?  She bit her lip.

“That sounds lovely.”  The idea of having a chance to relax was tempting, even-more-so with everything she was taking in today.

“It’ll be a date.  I’ll bring a snack.”

I guess that answered her question.  It would indeed be a date.

Without another word Owen bowed low and headed out of the room, wishing her a good night of rest.  Like Abby was going to get anything close to a good nights worth of rest.  Her brow furrowed.  What have I gotten myself into?  She wondered.

When she’d decided to become a bride, for a price, she did not think she would have been brought into a home like this.  A home where she’d just agreed to a date with one of the servants’!  And the master of the house seemed not to care in the slightest if she were to date any of his servants’.  Of course, he’s got bigger things to worry about then who I date.  Like everyone figuring out who he was dating.