A Lady's Plight (Lords of Sussex) (2 page)

'La, scandal I say. The ladies will presume our girl is with child - a marriage of convenience.' She stopped abruptly, her violet eyes glinting, as she picked up a fork pointing it at Isabella. 'Are you … are you ruined? Oh heavens, don't tell me.' Without further ado, the lady promptly lifted the harts' horn, only to fall back on her chair, her body sagging, as she bumped her head on the table.

Lord Horatio raked his fingers through chestnut
waves, taking no notice of the countess groaning at the other end of the table. 'Really Sis, could you not have desisted until after the dinner? There will be pandemonium now. Cook will be furious if you keep him waiting for the next course.'

Venetia rose to her feet, her alabaster skin glowing in the candlelight, her pale lemon muslin dress blending
with the blond curls. 'Hush Horace that is most unkind, how can you talk about Chef when your mama swoons?'

'Exactly Venetia.'
Isabella glared, her jade eyes glittering, as she rose to help her mother. 'Trust you Horatio, all you care about are your food, gaming tables and pugilism.'

Raising his eyebrows, the young man looked at Alex. 'It seems
it's over to you now Alex, what a dastardly mess dammit.'

As the footman exited in search of an
abigail to assist the countess, Isabella pushed back her mother's chestnut locks to see a beady violet eye glance up at her. She knew the lady was acting out, but then it was a shock, the fourth year of arranging a lavish wedding only to have it cancelled once more. The news of a hurried wedding was just too much for the lady to bear.'

Picking up the long ostrich feathered fan, she waved it over her mother's head. 'Mama, I am truly sorry, but it is forced upon us. Alex cannot decline the honour
, and I must needs marry him to accompany him to Brussels. La, who knows what Napoleon will do. If there is war, how long will it last? Why I could be too old to bear children at this rate.' To drive her point home, she added, 'As you rightly say, many of our friends already have children and are younger than I.'

Venetia smiled. 'You have given me pause to think Isa. Why Horatio and I have been betrothed some two years now, and I too must think about the future.'

Horatio's face paled. 'Egad sis, you've whipped up a hornets nest here.'

Narrowing her cornflower blue eyes, his fiancée said, '
Maybe we should make this a double wedding, for I too, could then accompany you to Brussels.'

Isa jumped, as her mother shrieked, '
Oh no - oh dear, where's the abigail? My head - my head. I cannot bear it.'

Unperturbed with the
maid rushing to his wife's aid, the earl on finishing the beef, cut another slice of venison. Before putting it in his mouth, he said to no one in particular. 'Well I see no reason why Isabella should not wed immediately. These are troublesome times; the little Corsican may mount an assault on Brussels; we must needs stop him.'

Wiping her mouth on a napkin, Isa said, 'Papa, mama has lost her senses, she cannot pay heed to you.'

He turned his head to the countess, as she lay sprawled against her chair, her gaze heavenward, with the abigail waving the harts' horn under her nose. Without so much as blinking, his eye, he raised his voice, as he addressed his swooning wife. 'My dear I know this is too much for your delicate constitution to bear, and therefore, I needs must speak for you. We all have to make sacrifices if there is war. We shall call upon the vicar in the morning; give the fellow time to make the arrangements. Shall we say five days for the wedding?'

Isabella nodded her head. 'Yes papa, the General instructed Alex to be ready to sail in six days.'

The countess groaned pushing away the hart's horn. Undeterred, the earl continued, 'Alex has the honour, I repeat the honour of being in the First Foot guards, demme, I know the Duke of Ferring paid as much as £25,000 for his command of the Nineteenth Lancers. I see no reason why Alex and Isabella should not wed. Therefore, let us have an end to this.' Putting the venison in his mouth, he began chewing.

The
countess sat up, abruptly, her violet eyes glowering, as she said, 'Isabella, you have many choices; Alex should bear that in mind. Why you only have to crook your little finger for a suitor to come running.'

'Mama - how impolite and in front of Alex.'

'Alex knows what I imply. I have a headache; I need to lie down - Annie assist me.'

With her head held high, and with much aplomb, she withdrew, in a rustle of silk skirts.

Isa bit her lip; she did not want to upset her mother, but she had no choice. She did have many of the bucks pursuing her still, even though affianced to Alex, but he was the one who made her body pulse with desire.

With the departure of the
countess, the meal continued peacefully.

In her absence, the men looked forward to drinking port or brandy and indulging in the newest phenomenon, the rolled cigar. As the women made their way to the withdrawing room, Letitia touched Isabella's arm. 'Let me stay up for this evening. It has been quite eventful. Please.'

Knowing that she had private matters to discuss with Venetia, Isabella shook her head. 'Not this evening my sweetheart.'

Pouting, the girl said, '
But I am of age, I am fifteen.'

'Nearly, and anyway, you know full well; you should repair to bed.'

Once in the privacy of the withdrawing room, Venetia sipped her sherry, her eyes gleaming. 'Tell me - la this is all so exciting, tell me what is truly happening.'

Putting the faceguard before the fire, Isa said, 'I insisted I accompany Alex to Brussels, it is tiresome waiting year after year.'

'Yes - think of the hundred-year war. But, surely he would not wait much longer; he adores you Isabella.'

'I know Venetia, but I suspect he shies away from the marriage ceremony itself. We are quite agreed that if the parents did not give their blessing, we would marry in Brussels.'

'My, how romantic. I fear Horatio is inclined the same way. Now your papa has purchased his colours; I fear I too may have to force his hand.'

'Are you not worried dear Venetia? Carrying the colours is fraught with danger.'

'Alas I know, but he has to serve one year as an ensign before gaining the rank of Lieutenant.'

'Tis the same with Alex, as Captain he leads the charge and commands the square in battle. But, let us not talk of such woeful matters.'

'I have nightmares often about the battles, but still I wish to accompany him.'

'Then, pray do not allow him any excuses - why wouldn't it be wonderful if we could all go to Brussels. Besides, if there is war we can help with the casualties.

'Ooh, I know not that I could actually assist with injuries and such. I fear I would faint at the sight of severed limbs.'

'Yes, I know, but I have a yearning to help the surgeons.'

'What a fine lady like you? Why Alex would never countenance it.'

'It is not up to him Venetia; I am not one of your hapless females who lower their eyes before their lord. Why life would be unbearable.'

Venetia nodded, 'I know; I was very careful in my choice of husband, there are so many brutes who think of their wives as chattels, cuffing them for the slightest misdemeanour. Why some beat them if they so much as voice an opinion.'

'So many demur to such louts; for that is what they are Venetia; pugilists - louts - ne'er do wells.'

'I agree, but I fear it is the norm. Tis time us women raised our voices.'

Isa frowned, 'But, who would listen? Some of the female writers are raising their voices through the novel. Have you heard of the book "Pride and Prejudice," on the front piece, it says, "By a Lady". Her heroine is a fine example of how women should stand up to domineering men.'

'That is why we have to be so careful to whom we give our hearts, Isa. Once exchanging the vows, we are their prisoners, for them to do with as they will.'

'Hmm - not so, if my husband abused me, I would run away, disguise myself as a groom. I handle horses very well.'

Venetia giggled. 'I fear you are too well endowed for that Isa.'

'I could bandage my bosoms. Why Lady Ferrers disguised herself as a tiger when her parents demanded she wed that tyrant Lord Eldridge.'

'Now that was so romantic; the Earl of Blandford had no idea his little groom was a female. Why, she was his tiger for over five months before she was discovered.'

Isabella fanned herself. 'La, fancy, it was just by chance he found out; I remember he had to go to the stables for
something, and there she was peeling the bandages from her breasts. He married her by special licence.'

Venetia grinned. 'They say he fancied her when he thought her to be a boy. Maybe that was one of the reasons he went to the stables.'

'Poor man, he must have been so confused.'

Both girls laughed, their faces glowing in the firelight. Venetia murmured, 'I only worry that I become with child whilst abroad.'

'La, tis a point. Most of us increase within the first year of marriage.'

Isabella grimaced. 'True - and we can hardly deny them the marriage bed, not that I would want to. However, I shall use the douche.' She demurred from saying more
on such intimate subjects. Yet her body quivered at the thought of what was to come.

Isabella tutted, as she took off the divorce, a metal contraption that divided her breasts. 'A lethal thing is it not? The steel cuts in, even though it is covered and softened.
I've a good mind not to wear one ever again. It leaves welts on my skin.'

Smoothing down the jade silk dress before hanging it in the wardrobe her
maid said, 'It does wondrous things for the bosom milady, lifting and parting the breasts. It draws the men's eyes to gaze upon your person more readily.'

'Hmm, methinks they prefer us naked Sarah.'

The girl giggled, pushing a strand of light brown hair behind her ear. 'La - you make me blush milady.'

Isabella grinned. 'Well at least we don't have to wear those wretched corsets. Mama still insists on donning them.
No wonder she is always swooning at the slightest mishap. However, she can hardly order me to do so at my age.'

'The
countess does have the tiniest waist; she is beautiful yet.'

'Aye, and after rearing four children.
Oliver is now nine and Letitia will enter finishing school this September. I know she hates the idea of it, but I had to go through it. I must say we had some droll times - we were quite wicked to the mistresses. La, such jokes, putting dead mice in their sheets.'

'Oh milady, I would die if I found a mouse in my bed.'

'Sadly they did not.' Isabella grinned wickedly. 'Such demure creatures, I think they sighed with relief when I and my little party of vixens left.'

'It must have been an exciting time for you milady.'

'Exciting? It was a prison, a prison of singing, the pianoforte, embroidery, and etiquette. Oh, at least we had French, which was not so mind numbing. I just couldn’t wait to escape that wretched place. As for the food, it was atrocious – la, they expected us to eat porridge for breakfast every morning and masses of boiled potatoes with each meal.  It was a farce, then the beds – they were abysmal, I declare they were made of horsehair. ' Putting on the lace edged nightrail she said, 'Would you put out the pink silk tomorrow and my pale grey cottage of wool and lace, that should be decorous enough. Papa is arranging for us to see the vicar in the morning, and his rectory is like an icehouse. She sighed, 'Mama is having a fit about the change in the wedding plans. Thank goodness, papa agrees. I could really see myself playing the role of spinster aunt to Horatio’s children. You'd really think mama would be glad we are to marry however soon.'

'You must be so happy milady. To wed is any girl's dream.'

Isabella stopped, seeing the wistful expression on her maid's face. 'Come now, I know the first footman casts many an amorous glance in your direction.'

'I know, at least the Earl allows us to marry
. We are so grateful for that; my cousin is in the employ of Lord Grafton, and she fears she will be a spinster; no-one is allowed to marry.'

'I know tis a dreadful ruling, destroying many lives. At least, papa is liberally minded. But, come now, James will soon make an approach.'

'There is no hope milady, he’s that stubborn you know. I fear I too will be some old maid, cooing over other people’s children. I’ve tried everything to talk him round like, but he won’t give in. He says he won’t be marrying me until he gets to be valet to his lordship, the earl, and that will take years.'

'La,
take heart, I have an idea; I could persuade Lord Horatio to take James on as his valet in Belgium, so you may even see each other. On Horatio's return, he could retain the position. Why that would solve everything.'

Sarah clasped her hands over her chest, '
Oh milady that would be so exciting. He wouldn’t have any excuse then. La, we could even marry much sooner. But, his lordship already has a valet.'

'No - no not really.
Leggett is in his dotage and soon to retire to a cottage on the estate; he couldn't possibly travel to Brussels with his lordship. Why I think it would all work wonderfully.'

'Oh milady - milady - you are so kind - so good to me.'

'And you Sarah are the best maid, we have been friends since childhood. So I need to see you are happy.'

Within minutes of Sarah leaving, Isabella leapt into bed covering
herself up to the neck with a linen sheet. Alex would appear any moment. He loved to come and chat, at least that was his excuse to visit her at night. However, she knew his intent was to anticipate the marriage vows, but she was adamant. He could talk and cajole all night, she was determined to safeguard her virginity. At times, she felt it was as perhaps her only way of inducing him to marry her. She feared if he did have his way, he would possibly lose interest and take off after another girl fresh to the season. Yes, he could easily take her for granted – she would become his lover and not his wife. He was so laid back, so relaxed about everything, he could go on for years like that. No, if he wanted to bed her, then he had to marry her first. Hearing the wooden panel slide open, she looked to see Alex stride over to the bed, wearing his banyan. 'Where is my Venus of the night?'

Isabella looked up at him, a gleam in the jade eyes.
'Alex, I think we have talked and kissed enough for today. Really it seems you wish to anticipate our vows.' Taunting him, she said, 'You know you should not be here this night. After all, we are to see the vicar in the morning; I must needs remain a virgin.'

He pouted, raising his hands in defeat; he sat on the side of the bed
. 'You tease my pet.'

'
Tis you who made us wait my lord. You may lie with me, kiss me, caress me, but that is all.'

He growled, '
Hmm - it seems I must show you who is master here. You have been defying me all day.'

She grinned,
as he took her in his arms, his soft lips on hers, pressing down until she opened to him. His tongue lightly rolled over the top of her tongue and under, sending a delicious tingling down her spine.  As he lightly flicked the inside of her cheek, she felt the heat of his large hands through the thin silk of her nightrail, as he massaged her slender back. Even though burning with desire, her stomach rippling with exquisite sensations, she would not give in to him.  This was heavenly, and would suffice until they married. 

Parting from her for a moment,
he held her away, taking in the flushed cheeks and brilliant jade eyes, God she was beautiful, and soon would be his.  Groaning he pulled her to him, and sought her lips.