The Accidental Marriage (13 page)

Somehow she managed to eat what he gave her, and drink a glass or two of wine, though she refused most of the dishes. He ate heartily, and all signs of his recent indulgence in brandy had vanished. Herr Ritter himself came in to clear the table when they were finished, and bring a pot of coffee. Sir Carey waved away the decanter.

‘I don’t want that,’ he said. ‘Can you see we are not disturbed again?’

‘Of course. Ring the bell if you require anything else.’

Julia clasped her hands together in her lap. She had to make him understand.

‘Well?’ he asked softly. ‘Have you considered my suggestion?

‘I cannot accept,’ Julia burst out. ‘It would not be fair to you. One day you might meet someone else you might love, and then I would stand in your way.’

‘I did not think there was anyone else you had a
tendre
for,’ he said. ‘You need not be concerned that I will ever fall prey to the softer emotions again. And I promise you I will never mention Angelica again. It would be churlish to keep reminding you, but I had to explain. It isn’t as though reminders would distress you, since we are not young lovers, but it would not be fitting. That part of my life is over, and I want us to make a fresh start. We seemed to have interests in common while we were in Vienna, did we not?’

Julia nodded, unable to speak.

‘I admire and respect you, and I do not think you have some antipathy to me?’

He looked a question, and she shook her head.

‘Then could we not make a success of a business arrangement?’

Julia could remain seated no longer. Impetuously she rose to her feet and began pacing the room. ‘Don’t you understand?’ she cried. ‘I would be ruining you! What would people say, when you marry a penniless girl so soon after being jilted? You must take time to consider, you must!’

He stepped in front of her and grasped her arms. ‘Quietly, Julia! Do you care what people say? It’s no one’s business but ours. We met in Vienna, and got to know one another there. That is the truth, and all people need to know.’

The door opened and he turned round, about to tell whoever it was to leave. The words died on his lips as a couple he had met in Vienna, Mr and Mrs Webber, entered the room. Herr Ritter hovered anxiously behind, muttering that the gentleman did not wish to be disturbed.

‘La, no wonder! What have we disturbed? Is this a rural idyll?’ Mrs Webber asked and tittered. ‘Gregory’s valet met yours upstairs, and we were told you were here. There isn’t another private parlour to be had, so I told Gregory you would surely not object to sharing yours with benighted travellers.’

Sir Carey’s hands had tightened on Julia’s arms as she tried to pull away. She belatedly recognized the woman as the one who had been at Fanny’s party when Paula had been unable to sing, and she was almost certain she had been one of the women who had not bothered to conceal their laughter.

Mrs Webber came into the room, and peered curiously at Julia. ‘What a pretty costume, dear. Is it fancy dress? But don’t I know you? Aren’t you - let me see, don’t you teach Lady Cunningham’s children? Of course, you’re the girl they were all talking about in Vienna. I suppose they’ll all have forgotten whatever you did in England to cause such a stir, and it’s possible for you to return there. Is Lady Cunningham here too?’

‘I have nothing to fear, and never did, in England, Mrs Webber. The gossip in Vienna was all malicious lies, and I think I know who started it. As for my sister, she is, I hope, in London by now,’ Julia said through gritted teeth.

Mrs Webber smiled, and it reminded Julia of a cat’s sly glance. ‘And she has left you alone with Sir Carey? Doesn’t she care about your reputation, child?’

‘Julia’s reputation is perfectly safe with me,’ Sir Carey said, putting one arm round Julia’s shoulders and pulling her towards him. ‘We are betrothed, and are to be wed in the morning.’

Julia opened her mouth to deny it, but Sir Carey’s hand on her shoulder gripped her in warning.

Mrs Webber looked startled, then smiled in comprehension.

‘I see,’ she said, her voice full of insinuation. ‘The gentleman has noble instincts. I don’t know how you came to be here alone with him, but he is doing the right thing to protect your name. Or is he? Is this just a pretence to put me off? We’ll soon see when we all get back to London.’

‘Allow me to tell you that you are being offensive, ma’am,’ Sir Carey said. ‘And now, perhaps, Herr Ritter will make sure you are served dinner in your bedroom, as this parlour is reserved for me and my guests.’

‘Well, really! Allow me to tell you, sir, that I shall make it my business to let everyone know how this penniless trollop managed to snare a wealthy husband!’

With that she swept out of the room, her husband meekly following. Herr Ritter gave them an apologetic shrug and closed the door.

Julia moved away from Sir Carey and sank onto a chair. ‘She will, you know, she’s an odious gossip. What are we to do?’

‘Get married, as I said. I’ve made enquiries and there is a pastor willing to perform the ceremony tomorrow.’

‘But I don’t want to!’

‘If your reasons are the ones you stated before that wretched woman interrupted us, then they don’t hold water, my dear. I shall never again allow myself to fall in love. It was a mistake, and I have come to accept that a business arrangement with someone who is pleasant, capable, and calm, is preferable to one where the initial violent attraction is likely to fade, leaving nothing in its place.’

Julia sighed. ‘You think that now, but you would regret it in a few years.’

‘I promised not to mention Angelica again, but I must, in order to convince you. She is pretty, and lively, and could have married anyone. She had plenty of offers. For me it was an instant attraction, and I was like a green boy again, in thrall to her, overwhelmed when she showed a preference for me. However, since I have been away from her I have gradually, without really understanding it, begun to think she is rather shallow, and does not care for any of the more serious concerns.’

‘She’s very young,’ Julia interrupted. ‘She will come to care for them, if she wants to please you. You cannot judge her solely by her letters. Many girls find it difficult to express themselves adequately.’

‘You forget, she will be out of my reach by now, so this is not a possibility. I think she has saved me from making a big mistake. I’ve no doubt she has been trained to run a house efficiently, or at least to order the servants to do so, but I am becoming more and more convinced that we would never have been companions, in the way I would wish to have companionship with my wife. It is not just the letters, I have been thinking back to when we were together, remembering, and trying to ignore the unease I felt, telling myself it would be all right once we were married or when she was older. If I face the truth, I know it would not have been.’

‘But you can’t know that you and I would deal well together!’

‘I’m now convinced we would have a more successful marriage than I and Angelica ever could have done. My dear Julia, you will not change my mind.’

‘You’re not taking heed of my wishes!’

‘You have no prior attachment. Your life, without a dowry, would be a succession of unsatisfactory positions living as a dependant in other people’s houses. Unless you found an indigent curate,’ he added, and Julia felt her heart beating rapidly at that devastating smile. ‘I can give you a position in society, a country house, a hunting box, a house in London, and ample pin money. All I want in return is your companionship, your help in managing my houses, and your guidance for my sisters, who will be married and away from Courtlands within a few years. Is that not a better prospect than being a companion to elderly, probably crotchety old ladies, or a governess to spoilt children?’

It was so tempting. Julia knew it would not be a complete marriage, but just to have his company would be enough.

She sighed. ‘I trust I will not prove you wrong. Very well, Sir Carey, I will accept your proposal.’

* * * *

Sir Carey breathed a sigh of relief. He was sincere in his arguments, but he also knew that if they did not wed her reputation would be in tatters. Julia would probably insist she took no heed of what the world said about her, but he found he cared enough for her to protect her from society’s condemnation.

He walked across to the table and poured out two more glasses of wine. Handing one to her he lifted his own high. ‘To us, Julia.’

They drank, and found there was little to say. They were both, he decided, somewhat astonished at the speed of events. Then Julia, rather hesitantly, took a deep breath and spoke.

‘Tell me about your home, please. It is named Courtlands, I believe?’

‘Yes, it is in Oxfordshire. It started as a small Norman castle, then another wing was built on in the 1670s after the Restoration. They knocked down most of the medieval buildings. My grandfather put on a new frontage and two wings, in the classical style. It’s an architectural disaster, but we all love it.’

Julia laughed. ‘It sounds fascinating.’

‘You’ll love it too,’ he said, and watched her eyes cloud over.

Was he doing the right thing, forcing her in this way? If she had any realistic opportunity of a suitable marriage he’d have hesitated. He thought they would deal together admirably, but had he taken her feelings sufficiently into account? He’d used the opportunity presented when Mrs Webber came into the room and found him holding Julia’s arms. She had misinterpreted the situation, probably imagining they had been embracing. Chivalry would have demanded he offer Julia his hand, but he’d already done that.

They had to go through with it now, ready to face the gossips when they returned to London. He’d drive through the night, and make sure he reached England and made his marriage known by sending a notice to
The Times
before the malicious Webbers reported the facts with all the inaccurate embellishments they were capable of.

‘We’ll be up early tomorrow,’ he said. ‘Can you pack tonight? I’d like to set off as soon as the ceremony is over. We should try to reach London before the Webbers.’

Julia smiled rather grimly, and nodded. Yes, he’d not underestimated her intelligence. She had clearly seen the wisdom of this at once, and having accepted the situation, seemed determined to make the best of it.

‘I’ll say goodnight, then, sir. As to packing, all I have is my coffee-stained gown. I’m afraid I shall not do you justice in my wedding dress!’

* * * *

Anna was in Julia’s room, and turned to her in excitement when Julia went in.

‘This is only a small town, but I managed to find a few gowns and nightclothes, and a fur-lined pelisse and hat. I even found some oil of jasmine Sir Evelegh said he particularly wanted you to have, as you lost yours in the accident,’ she said proudly, holding out a small glass phial.

Julia blinked back tears. How thoughtful of him, and how clever of him to have known the perfume she preferred.

‘I bought a trunk to pack them in,’ Anna said, ‘and I threw your old gown away, it was impossible to get the stain out. Look, this one will do for your wedding dress, and it is warm enough for you to travel in tomorrow. Sir Evelegh said you were leaving at once after the ceremony. A pity, we’d all have liked to wish you well. But Herr Ritter says that anyone not working can attend the wedding, if you don’t object.’

Julia could not speak. The bed was covered in clothes. The gown Anna was holding up was a warm woollen one in a delicate shade of rose. The pelisse was a darker shade, trimmed with sable, and the hat, close-fitting and also trimmed with fur, was of an identical shade. There were gloves, a sable muff, some half boots of black kid, plus a small black leather reticule. A fur-lined cloak in serviceable black was draped over the only chair.

‘Don’t you like them?’ Anna asked anxiously. ‘Sir Evelegh gave me so much money, and told me to buy the best the town could provide.’

‘I’m overwhelmed,’ Julia said, blinking back tears. How incredibly thoughtful of Sir Carey. ‘I was not looking forward to getting married in my old gown!’

‘It’s all so romantic,’ Anna babbled on as she folded the clothes and packed them into the trunk. ‘Fancy you knowing him in Vienna, and him turning up here without knowing you were also here.’

Julia was stroking the fur of the muff, then she held it to her cheek. It was not romantic in the way Anna meant, but it was dreamlike. She had been attracted to Sir Carey from the start, but had never thought he might make her an offer, even before she heard about his betrothal to Angelica. If only he felt more than mild liking for her! He’d overborne her objections, and she had no option but to marry him. She could only hope they would neither of them regret it in the future.

* * * *

The actual wedding ceremony passed in a blur. Julia, wearing the pretty rose-coloured dress, made her responses in German when prompted, but afterwards could remember nothing until the pastor, a jolly, round-faced little man, nodded and beamed at them.

‘You may kiss the bride,’ he said in heavily accented English, and chortled.

The sound of quiet laughter made Julia glance over her shoulder. Several of the servants from the inn were present, and when Sir Carey turned her towards him and took her in his arms, they broke into applause.

He pulled her to him and bent towards her. Mutely she stared as his face came closer, and gasped in surprise as his lips, warm and soft, descended on her own.

It seemed an eternity before he drew back, smiling. ‘Thank you, Lady Evelegh,’ he said, almost in a whisper.

Julia wanted to touch her lips. Not to wipe away the unexpected kiss, but with the foolish idea that if she covered them up she would continue to feel the frisson of excitement which had overwhelmed her.

‘The carriage is ready, Sir Carey, and fully provisioned as you ordered,’ Herr Ritter said, breaking the tension.

Sir Carey took Julia’s arm and led her to where the carriage was waiting, with Frisby and another man, a stranger, sitting on the box. Tanner stood holding the open door, and Sir Carey, pausing to say a few words of thanks, ushered Julia inside. Tanner climbed in after them and sat on the forward seat, as far as he could away from them, trying to look inconspicuous.