The Baron's New Wife: Regency Romance (3 page)

Baron Hester had come and gone from the marital home numerous times, generally staying for a few days and then disappearing again for weeks on various business matters. When the Baron was at home the boys desperately tried to ascertain his attention by displaying their work or engaging him in business topics, but all of their efforts went unnoticed. The Baron would mainly keep to his personal study and frequently took his meals alone.

For such a large house the Baron only kept a few servants of whom Anna had tried to befriend, to no avail. They all kept themselves in the servant’s quarter when they were not about their chores and when Anna tried to start conversations they would humor her with short answers.

In short, the days passed pleasantly enough and they all merged from one to next without any consequence. Anna was not called upon to perform any great duties for the children or the Baron, therefore she spent her days entertaining herself and enjoying the children’s company.

Anna had mainly kept to her side of the building and had not ventured over to the east wing where the Baron spent his time when he was at home. Today she found herself walking in that direction, knowing the Baron was away, she could afford to be a little inquisitive. She walked down the red velvet halls which still had faces of Hester ancestors peering down at her from their lofty hangings until she reached the Baron’s study. Anna waited before entering wondering if she should head back to the ‘safe’ part of the house. But curiosity got the better of her and she slowly pushed the door open.

Everything inside looked as one would expect of a gentleman’s study; the walls were lined with books and a huge fireplace sat cold and unlit in one side of the room. The Baron’s desk was filled with papers and some overflowed on to the ground. Anna gently tip toed around the room giving everything a quick scan until she saw the giant portrait hanging over the fireplace. She stepped closer towards it and took in the fine figure of a young woman sitting in a rose garden. The lady was not unlike Anna, she was petite and pale with strawberry blonde hair but her eyes were a deep olive color. Anna stared into the face and couldn’t take her focus from the round eyes which seemed to stare back.

Suddenly the door creaked and a maid stood in the entrance. “Pardon me mam, I thought the room was empty.” The maid stood in the doorway looking at Anna suspiciously. They both knew that she shouldn’t be looking around the Baron’s room but it was not the maid’s place to say so.

Anna held her ground, she was after all the lady of the house and did not need to explain her actions to the servants. “Yes I…” She hesitated trying to think of a quick excuse why she might be in the master’s study, “I have misplaced one of my books and was wondering if the Baron had stowed it away in his library.”

“Very good mam.” The maid smiled and then quickly left the room. Anna sighed and felt like a naughty child that had just been caught red handed stealing candy from the cupboard. She decided to wait a few moments before leaving the room as she didn’t want to follow the maid. Anna walked over to the desk and noticed that some of the letters had an unusual signature. She lifted one which was signed “Awaiting you still, K.” Anna scanned an eye over the brief note and then picked up the next. They were all love letters signed off in the same fashion. Each letter described how the author terribly missed ‘their love’ and that when they were to meet again flames of passion would consume them.

Anna had never read anything so forward or personal and wondered who the mysterious ‘K’ was. A noise came from the hall and Anna thought it best to leave and not risk another servant finding her reading the Baron’s personal correspondence. When she opened the door she could her voices coming from the other end of the hall way so she made her way over to the top of the staircase and saw the two maids standing at the bottom.

“She’s in there now, moseying round the Baron’s study.” The maid that caught Anna was now relaying the information to the other maid.

“No. The master won’t like that. What was she doing in there?”

“I don’t know. She was gaping up at the Baronesses painting when I walked in. Said she was looking for her book.”

“Sure, she was ‘
looking for her book
.” Both the maids smirked and laughed, not realizing that Anna was above them and could hear every word.

“Well he won’t be happy if he finds out she’s been rifling through his things.”

“No, he’ll probably spend more time in London with his mistress than he does now.”

“She must be quit the woman to have him running back and forth all the time!”

“And him with a new wife sat here bored…” The two maids carried on talking as they headed down to the servants quarter.

Anna remained at the top of the stairs and leaned up against the wall. Her feelings were completely mixed and she struggled to comprehend her own reaction. The maids were clearly aware that the Baron had a mistress in London and that was the real reason he was away on ‘business’ so frequently. He had hardly paid any attention to Anna since their marriage and their relationship was certainly not as close as she had believed a couple should be. Yet, the thought of him having a mistress and possibly a loving mistress, did not sit easy with Anna.

“Are you alright Baroness?” Suddenly Mr. Field was upon the staircase and it was quite obvious that Anna was in some sort of a state.

“Oh John, I hardly know not what to think.” Without pausing or thinking words flowed out from her mouth. “I have just this moment overheard the maids talking about how the Baron is not away on business but is rather with his mistress?”

Neither surprise nor shock came over Mr. Fields’ countenance at the mention of a mistress. “I’m sorry you heard of that in such a way. They are foolish women who never know when to keep silent.”

“So it is true then?”

“It isn’t my place to say and I couldn’t confirm or deny the accusation.” John looked at Anna and could see the confusion at his response. “Let us just acknowledge that the Baron does indeed spend a great deal of time away from the family estate and maybe not all of that time away is spent on business affairs.”

Anna understood that Mr. Field’s didn’t directly want to admit his knowledge of the situation purely out of his concern for her feelings and not his regard of the Baron. He diplomatically answered her question without actually answering it and confirmed her suspicion that the mysterious ‘K’ in the Baron’s letters was also his mistress.

Chapter 5

Days passed without word from the Baron of when he would be returning home. Anna played over in her mind the words she had read in the love letters and the whispered gossip about a mistress. She couldn’t help but feel betrayed, even though they did not have a close relationship, Anna still expected fidelity between a husband and wife. She had entered the marriage knowing that the Baron had not cared for her in the romantic sense but she believed that he would at least respect the institution of marriage and the vows that they had pledged to each other in church. As the days passed, the more Anna dwelt on her situation and the more vexed she became by the Barons lack of presence.

She spent many hours walking through the gardens and riding over the fields to help ease her tension but she would inevitably return to the same subject in her mind. Anna was young, beautiful and had tried her best to be pleasant and amenable to the Baron, why could he not show her some sort of affection? She knew that many husbands took mistresses but it felt shameful and highly embarrassing that the Baron would take one so quickly after their marriage.

Anna sat outside reading a short letter from her mother which contained no warmth of feelings when she heard a carriage pull up at the front entrance. She turned to see the servants quickly hurrying outside and the Baron calmly stepped out into the mid-afternoon light. Anna thought about walking over and welcoming her husband back but she was too annoyed by the sheer sight of him to move or give him any attention. The Baron stood for a moment and stretched after his long journey, he turned and noticed Anna sitting on a garden bench to the rear of the building. He assumed that she would have heard his arrival but she showed no interest in greeting him and didn’t even look up from what she was reading.

For a moment he stood and watched her, enjoying how the light illuminated her white gown as though she was the main subject in an oil painting. He knew that he had not shown her much attention since she had joined his family and he regretted how cold he had been to her on the wedding day. Anna had proven to be a loving mother to the boys and had not once complained or asked for anything since her arrival. For a moment the Barons heart softened as he looked at Anna reading alone and he moved towards her.

“Are you reading something interesting?”

Anna quickly looked up at the Baron slightly shocked that he would even address her. “It is a letter from my mother telling me all the news of London which I’m sure you have more knowledge of.” Anna couldn’t help but to comment slightly on his long absence.

The Baron immediately picked up on her indirect comment and felt the accusation of a lonely wife. “Yes, I have been away in town for a number of weeks. My business has kept me occupied but it cannot be put off.”

“Indeed
, business
affairs keep you away.” Anna gave the Baron a scornful look, “You must be lonely spending so much time alone?”

He stood there confused at what point she was trying to make; perhaps she was reflecting her own loneliness on to him? “I have my clubs and business partners, so I do not pass the time alone.”

“Good, I would not want to think of you, my dear husband, as lonesome and in need of company during your trips.” Anna couldn’t believe that she was speaking so sarcastically to her husband but the rage which she felt at being betrayed was bubbling up inside.

The Baron’s face was clearly dumbfounded at the concern Anna was showing for him, “Thank you, I did not realize you cared so much for my health.”

Anna stood up from her seat and put her letter away. “The boys have missed you and would enjoy your company when dining this evening.” Now Anna started to sound like she was giving the Baron orders and she wasn’t sure how much derision the Baron would tolerate.

“Yes, I have missed them greatly.” His face changed slightly now that he was being reminded of his parental duties.

Anna wanted to get away from her husband as she knew she would regret any harsh words spoken out of hate. As she passed him to enter into the house she couldn’t help but pause and take one final stab, “Oh, I have misplaced a book and thought you might have accidentally put it away in your library. It isn’t there but I would be more careful with your mistresses’ letters, we wouldn’t want the boys to read them.”

Anna didn’t wait for a response, as every instinct in her body told her to run, so she quickly rushed in the house and up to her bed chamber incase her quick comment had infuriated the Baron. If she had have stayed she would have seen the pure astonishment on the Baron’s face. He stood confounded for a minute trying to fully understand her remark and then rushed to his study.

Upon opening the door he immediately saw all the love letters sitting on his desk and realized his mistake of not concealing them in one of the drawers. He hastily picked them all up and at first went to throw them in the fireplace but he couldn’t quit let go of them. He stood, leaning over the mantle his arms filled with letters and then he gave out a large gasp. The Baron fell to his knees and the letters landed around him. Bent over on all fours he panted like a dog and then broke down in tears. His heart couldn’t endure the weight of his pain any longer and a flood of cries poured out from his collapsed body.

Several hours later the Baron picked himself up of the floor and carefully picked up every letter. He placed them in the bottom drawer of his desk and locked it secure. He didn’t know how long he had been on the floor sobbing but the daylight had gone and he had clearly missed supper with his family, another reason for Anna to be displeased.

Chapter 6

The Baron spent the next few days alone in his study, rarely coming out to join the family for meals. Anna wasn’t sure if he was angry with her or simply just didn’t care about her comments on his mistress, so she also remained at a distance and didn’t seek his company.

“Will father be joining us this evening?” Henry asked Anna about the Baron, one of the few comments he had made to her since arriving.