Love Sneaked In (Montgomery Family Trilogy) (15 page)

Matthew looked beseechingly at her, so Helen knew she couldn’t deny his request. “Matthew, I’ll try to help you with your sister. She’s so flighty that I haven’t yet been able to have an intelligent conversation with her, but I won’t give up. Now that I have Mrs. Smith, I’ll have more time to devote to Margaret. I’ll also have more time to spend with Christina and Catherine so I can begin to earn their trust. They’ve calmed down quite a bit since we hired Miss Wilson as their governess. When do you think Gregory will be home? You said he should be here soon.”

While part of her was curious about Gregory, she imagined that he would thoroughly disrupt their household, based on what Matthew had shared about him.

“By what he said in his letter, he should be here within the next couple of days. If I know him, he’ll probably be bringing some of his friends with him. He seems to need people around him at all times, so be prepared for total chaos when he does get here. Well, we need to get back, because I’m meeting with Wilcox in thirty minutes.”

They left the beach, and soon they were back at the house. When they arrived, everything was in an uproar. Gregory had arrived ahead of schedule, and he’d brought three of his friends with him. The housekeeper was a godsend. She quickly had rooms prepared for all the guests. Matthew went to find his brother and find out who he had brought with him.

Helen went upstairs to the nursery to visit with Christina and Catherine. When she entered the nursery, the children were trying to read, and it was amazing how much Miss Wilson had accomplished in such a short time. The girls were very bright, and as Helen watched them, she was pleased that they seemed to enjoy their studies. After she entered the room, the girls looked up at her, and it was obvious they weren’t overjoyed to see her. She walked over to them and asked, “What are you reading?”

Christina stood up and shouted, “I don’t want you here. Go away!”

“We don’t need a mother!” Catherine cried.

Helen was at a loss for words, but she knew she had to keep trying. “I don’t want to be your mother, but I would like to be your friend. Since I’m new here, I’m lonely. Won’t you please help me by being my new friends?”

Christina and Catherine looked warily at her, but then they looked at each other and nodded their heads. Evidently, they would consider being her friend, but they definitely didn’t want her as their mother. She turned to Miss Wilson and said, “I’d like to take the girls for a walk. Would that disturb their studies terribly?”

Miss Wilson smiled at Helen as she stood up. “We were almost finished, so I’m sure they will enjoy a walk since they have worked diligently all morning. I’m very pleased with Christina and Catherine’s progress, so they deserve a treat.”

Helen took both of the little girls out to the garden, and while they weren’t overly friendly, they weren’t rude either. They spent a pleasant hour together, and she felt as if she had made a step in the right direction.

All the gentlemen were already gathered in the drawing room for tea when Helen arrived. The men stood up when they saw her, and Matthew introduced her to his brother. “Helen, this is Gregory, and these are his friends from school.”

Gregory looked very much like Matthew. His hair was lighter, but he had the same piercing green eyes. While he wasn’t as muscular or as tall as Matthew, he was nonetheless a very handsome young man. “It’s very nice to meet you. Your brother’s told me quite a bit about you.”

As he swaggered forward to greet her, Gregory said, “Nothing good I bet. These are my three friends, Harold Gooding, Melvin Austin, and Peter Boling. They all go to school with me, and they’ll be staying for a few weeks. I hope that doesn’t bother you.” He paused and took a step back, as if to get a better look. “You’re very beautiful, by the way. What do you see in my brother?”

Helen smiled at Gregory’s friends. “It’s very nice to meet all of you. You’re welcome to stay as long as you would like. Any friend of Gregory’s is always welcome.” She looked over at Gregory and could see why Matthew was worried about him. He had a very bad attitude and wasn’t very polite. “I met your brother in London, and we decided that we would suit, so we got married. I hope we can spend some time getting to know each other. After all, you’re my brother now. I had two brothers growing up, so I’m used to being a sister. I’m sure that we’ll become good friends.”

Helen sat down and passed tea and sandwiches to everyone. The young men devoured the sandwiches, and she had to order more from the kitchen. As she sat there, she watched Margaret attempt to flirt with the young men. She didn’t have a clue on how to go about it. She made herself appear ridiculous and the young men were baiting her. They weren’t very polite to her at all. She could tell Margaret was getting frustrated and was about to have a temper tantrum.

Helen tried to avert it by engaging Margaret in conversation. “I love your gown. Where did you get it? It’s very attractive on you, and the color goes well with your eyes. I’ve always wanted to wear that shade of green, but it just doesn’t do anything for me.”

Margaret kept glancing over at the young men, but then she replied, “Thank you, Helen. The modiste, Madame Bovary, is well known in Bath. She designed it for me. You should use her sometime, if you’re ever in Bath.”

Trying to keep Margaret engaged in their conversation instead of focused on Gregory’s friends, Helen inquired, “My former governess, Miss Tillman, teaches at your school. Do you have a class with her? I didn’t get to go away to school. I think I would have liked it very much.”

“I have Miss Tillman for deportment, and she’s one of my favorite teachers. You were fortunate to have her as a governess. I enjoy school tremendously, and I have dozens of friends.” Margaret looked over at Gregory and his friends with an expression of envy in her eyes, and then she continued, “If I had known Gregory was bringing some of his friends home with him, I would have brought some of mine.”

Soon everyone left the drawing room. The young men were going to the village, and Margaret decided to go up and spend some time with the twins. As Helen was getting ready to leave, Matthew turned to her. “Thank you. You handled Margaret so well. I just knew she was getting ready to explode. I knew you would be able to help her. Well, I need to meet with Wilcox, so I’ll see you at dinner.”

Helen was pleased Matthew had noticed how she had diverted Margaret’s tantrum. They really were becoming closer, and she was able to relax when she was with him. She enjoyed their morning rides, and she thought she was ready to consummate their marriage, but she wasn’t sure how to let Matthew know she was ready. She didn’t feel comfortable just telling him out right. This was something she would need to think about.

Chapter 10

Late July 1820

Helen and Matthew received an invitation from the Marquess and Marchioness of Ralston for a ball they were holding in two weeks. Helen was pleased, because it would be the first social gathering she would go to as a married woman. She had never met the marquess or marchioness, but from what she had heard, they were supposed to be very pleasant, so she looked forward to the evening. Margaret was mad because she was too young to attend. Helen had to placate her by offering to take her to the village to buy a new bonnet.

Bigbury-on-Sea was a quaint coastal town, and Helen had been there several times with Matthew. They went to the millinery and found Margaret a lovely bonnet in green with cream-colored ribbons that tied to the side. It was quite fetching on her and shopping had put her in a good mood.

They visited the bookshop, and there was a new Mrs. Radcliffe novel in stock. After Helen purchased it, they went to the confectionery and found some delicious chocolate sweetmeats. They were Helen’s favorite. Fortunately, she never had a problem with staying slender, so she could indulge without worry. Buying the candies and book brought Melody to mind, and she felt a fleeting moment of nostalgia float over her. She and Melody had spent many happy afternoons shopping in Cranleigh.

Helen was pleased that she and Margaret had such a lovely time together, and she felt she was making some progress with her. Since it was such a beautiful day, they decided to stroll along the boardwalk. The village was a small fishing port, and there were several small fishing boats tied up to the pier. As they were walking along, some of the men started to make rude comments. Helen was appalled, so they left and headed back to the gig. This was so different from what she was used to in her village. Strange, uncouth men would never have dared to make comments like that in the presence of a lady.

As they got back to the gig, there was a woman coming out of the dressmaker’s and her cheeks grew flushed with what appeared to be anger when her eyes fell upon Helen. Helen couldn’t imagine why this woman would be upset with her, since she’d never met her. The woman was probably in her late twenties, and she was very pretty with jet-black hair.

The woman approached them and said, “Hello, Lady Margaret. I see you’re home from school for the summer. Who’s your friend? I don’t believe I’ve been introduced.”

Margaret politely smiled as she courteously answered her. “Hello, Mrs. Arlington. Let me introduce you to my brother’s wife. This is Helen Cunningham, the Countess of Collingswood.”

Mrs. Arlington looked at Helen with ice in her violet eyes. “Charmed, I’m sure. I had heard that Lord Collingswood had taken a wife. We’ll have to get together and chat some time. I’m sure we would find we have much in common. Well I’ll be off, because I still have several more places that I need to visit. I’m sure we’ll meet again soon.”

When they were back in the gig Helen turned to Margaret. “
Who
was that woman? She looked at me with such disdain in her eyes. Why would she hate me when we’ve never met before?”

Margaret had taken out her new bonnet and was admiring it. “Oh, you just have to overlook her, Helen. Her husband died about four years ago, and she’s been chasing after my brother ever since. She just
knew
he would marry her. As far as I could tell, he only looked on her as a friend. I wouldn’t worry about it, if I were you. You’ll see her socially, because she’s invited everywhere.”

Helen usually got along with everyone. The only person she didn’t get along with was Lady Penelope.

Would Mrs. Arlington really have a grudge against her for marrying Matthew?

Could he have raised her expectations as the duke had done with her?

This was something that troubled Helen. She couldn’t hold him in esteem if he’d ever done that to a woman. She would have to watch how Matthew reacted when they were around Mrs. Arlington.

When she arrived home, she went up to visit Christina and Catherine, and it went very well. She was slowly, but surely, winning their trust. It would be a good idea for the two of them to take the girls on an outing of some kind. A picnic would be just the thing. She would talk to Matthew about it tonight after dinner.

Dinner was a raucous affair. Gregory’s friends were loud and ill mannered. They were all sons of aristocrats, but whoever had been in charge of their upbringing had failed miserably. Margaret was again trying to flirt with them, and this time they were flirting back, especially Peter Boling. Helen was concerned that she might take him seriously. Matthew had to call them down several times because they were getting too loud. Finally, dinner was over, and they left the men to their port.

When they entered the drawing room, Helen and Margaret sat down on the sofa together. Helen wanted to talk to Margaret about her flirting, but she didn’t want to make Margaret mad. Helen smiled at Margaret. “That was a pleasant meal. Oh, by the way, Margaret, you look lovely tonight. Your gown goes so nicely with your pretty hair. Did your maid do something different with it?”

“Thank you, Helen, and yes my maid did fix my hair differently this evening.”

Then deciding to address her concerns for Margaret straight on, Helen said, “Margaret, I remember what it was like to be sixteen. I was watching you at dinner and noticed you were flirting with Gregory’s friends. Please be careful, and don’t take them seriously. I wouldn’t want you to be hurt. They’re not very nice young men, and I wish Gregory hadn’t brought them home with him. They’ll only be here for a few weeks, so try to stay away from them, and whatever you do, don’t let one of them get you off by yourself. Will you do that for me?”

Margaret rolled her eyes at Helen and in a bored voice answered, “Helen, I know how to handle them quite well. I
have
been around boys before you know. I know I need to be cautious when they’re around, so you don’t need to worry about me.”

“Well, good. Just know that you can count on me if you need help. Now that I’m married to your brother, I look on you as my new sister, and I want us to be close.” Looking up, Helen saw Matthew enter the room. “Ah, here’s Matthew.”

Matthew joined them. “Hello, my dears. Gregory and his friends decided to go into the village this evening. Margaret would you like to play some cards with Helen and me?”

“No, I think I’ll go upstairs and read. I’ll see you in the morning. Good night.”

“Helen would you like to play a game of chess?”

“That would be delightful. I used to play quite often with Henry.” Helen set the board up, and they began to play. Helen enjoyed playing chess and she was quite good at it. Before very long, she had taken his queen and was ready to take his king when Matthew sneaked a move in on her and won the game. They played another game, but Matthew was able to win again.

While they were putting up the chessboard, Helen asked, “I was wondering how you would feel about taking Christina and Catherine with us on an outing, possibly a picnic at the beach? It would help them accept me better, if they saw us together. What do you think of that idea?”

Looking pleased, Matthew replied, “I think that’s a wonderful idea. I appreciate you spending so much time with them. As long as the weather is fair tomorrow, we can do it then. I’m sure you’re right about us spending time with them together, and I want to do my part in helping them feel more comfortable around you. I’ll have Cook prepare us a basket. How did it go when you took Margaret into the village? Did she find a bonnet she liked?”