The Convenient Bride (5 page)

Lucy didn’t really believe that made up for the lack of parental love but as much as
she might want to, she could hardly magic parents into existence for them.

The London orphanage had
originally been built to house thirty children but it sadly, was now home to almost 150. Although her father had extended the buildings, things were still cramped and far from ideal but when a child was brought in or worse, abandoned on the doorstep, they could hardly turn it away. The dormitories were divided into girls and boys, then split by age. Infants were housed in a separate building nearby, so that that they didn’t disturb the sleep of pupils or staff.

The children did most of the work in the orphanage, such as cooking, cleaning and laundry. For many of the girls, it would be good training for entering service, which was the most
that many of them could hope for. They tried to find apprenticeships for them, just as they did the boys, but there were far fewer opportunities for girls.

After chores, t
hat only left an hour each morning for study and an hour after lunch for skills. The children were also allowed two hours before bed each evening for play, and the library was well stocked with books for the brighter pupils.

Lucy did her best to find a variety of volunteers to teach them skills, such as carpentry
, vegetable farming and basic dressmaking, things which would help them become self-sufficient and frugal in their adult lives, even if they didn’t enter those trades.

Many local
people came to the orphanage for their apprentices, as the Steed Homes for Destitute and Waif Children were known to have educated, polite and conscientious children. So when Matron came to tell her that there was a Frenchwoman asking to see her, Lucy naturally assumed that it was someone who had come looking for an apprentice.

The woman waiting for her in the entrance hall was very grand, dressed in a scarlet gown with intricate lace trim and carrying a matching parasol and reticule. Dressed in a very plain, dark brown dress
that was practical for the orphanage, Lucy felt rather dowdy in comparison.

Since this lady obviously wasn’t a businesswoman, Lucy assumed she was here to choose a housemaid, although that was usually taken care of by the butler or housekeeper.

“I’m Lady Steed,” she said, curtseying to the other woman. “Can I help you?”

“I hope so.” The woma
n answered but her accent made the words sound more like ‘Eye ‘ope so.’

“You’re French?” Lucy asked, smiling.

“Oui. I am Madam Poisson.”

“Very pleased to meet you. Would you like to talk in the library? I'm afraid we don’t have many home comforts here
, but I can offer you some tea.”

“Oh no, I am fine, thank you.”

They seated themselves at the table in the middle of the room.

“So what can I do for you?” Lucy asked.

“I have been feeling a little altruistic recently and am looking to gift some money to an institution that does good works. I heard that your family’s orphanages are well regarded.”

“That’s very kind of you,” Lucy smiled. “Monetary donations are always very
welcome, as are clothing, linen and supplies, such as chalk boards, paper, ink wells, quills, books, soap and much more. As you can imagine, the list is endless.”

Lucy was feeling a little odd. Never before had someone come to her orphanage, asking specifically for her, and offering to make a donation. If people did wish to do so, they either spoke with her at a social gathering, or spoke with Matron, who ran the institution.

Not only that but something about Madam Poisson seemed wrong. Lucy had smelled her perfume, lavender and musk, before she even entered the hallway, and it still stung her nose a little. She wore a large beaded choker at her throat that was just a little too large to be tasteful, her hair was also just a little too coiffed and the ornaments adorning it a touch too gaudy. The colour of her dress also was a little too loud, the neck a little too low to be decent and the skirt a touch too wide for fashion. Lucy could be wrong, but her accent also seemed a little forced.

Lucy rather had the impression of a child playing dress up, getting everything almost right but overcompensating on the details in her desire to ‘fit in’.

“I will have to speak to my banker before I can make a donation but would a cheque be acceptable?”

“Indeed.”
Lucy doubted that the orphanage would ever see a single penny.

“Then I shall ask my banker the next time I see him.”

“Thank you.” She hesitated for a moment then decided to test this woman, to see for certain if she was genuine. “
Depuis combien de temps vivez-vous ici?
” she asked.

Madam Poisson’s eyes widened a fraction. “
Pardonne moi
, your accent is a little difficult to understand.” Her accent was also more exaggerated, the sentence sounding more like ‘Pear-donn-eh moir, your ak-sent is jus’ a leetle difficult to understand.’

“
Oh, my apologies, it’s been years since I spoke French fluently. I asked how long you’ve been living here?”

“Oh, for many years,” Madam Poisson waved a lazy hand in the air.

“And do you like London?”

“Very much. I consider it my
home now.”

“And what region in France do you come from?”

“I was born and raised in Paris,” she said, though Paris sounded more like ‘par-ree’.

They chatted politely for a while but Lucy couldn’t stop wondering why this woman was lying about where she came fro
m. Lucy knew that there was nothing wrong with her French accent, for she had spent a year living there with a cousin to improve her French.

In fact it was that year in France that had saved her life, meaning that she wasn’t
at home to contract the scarlet fever which had claimed her brother’s and parents’ lives.

When Madam Poisson declared that it was time for her to leave, Lucy escorted her to the front door.

“Oh, I hear congratulations are in order,” the faux Frenchwoman cooed, and the final piece of the puzzle fell into place.

This was Marie, Max’s French lady-friend, a prostitute whom Max, and a few
other gentlemen from his club, paid handsomely for her services. She had come to see Max’s bride for herself. Perhaps she thought that she might lose Max’s patronage once he married and this meeting was to prove to Max that she could reveal his indiscretions any time she wished, in the hopes that he would continue paying her.

If only this woman knew the truth, that this was a marriage in name only and Max wasn’t about to f
orego any of his pleasures. Besides, Max had already told her all about his French mistress, and the antics they got up to in the bedroom.

Didn’t he realise that his ‘charming’ Frenchwoman was about as
French as cream tea? Or didn’t he care? Perhaps he enjoyed the artifice.

“Yes, I’m getting married tomorrow,” Lucy said, trying not to let her inner thoughts show.

“And who is the lucky man?”

“Maxwell Stark.”

Madam Poisson’s smile became brittle and Lucy wondered if her feelings for Max ran far deeper than simply enjoying his patronage. Did she love him?

That thought was quickly followed by an even worse one; did he love her?

“I hope you will be very happy together,” Marie said, her accent slipping slightly as she forgot to silence the H on her words.

“Me too.” Lucy curtseyed. “Thank you so much for your visit.”

Lucy turned away before the betraying sting in her eyes could turn into tears and made her way back towards the classroom. Once out of sight of prying eyes she paused and rested against the wall, bowing her head as she struggled to rein in her emotions.

Max must have told her about Lucy, for the wedding wasn’t going to be a large
one and hadn’t made any of the Society columns in London papers yet. Did he talk to his mistresses as freely as he talked to her? She had always thought she was special, his best friend and the one person he shared everything with. Could she really have been so very mistaken about the man she loved?

More to the point, could she
actually go through with this?

Max checked his reflection one final time before making his way
from the vestry into the church, waiting by the alter for his bride.

If only he could tell her the truth, tha
t he was madly in love with her and had been since she was an inappropriately young age. Lucy had always kept her heart closed off from him though, and so he had entered a series of meaningless relationships to at least satisfy his needs, if not his longing. She did love him, he was certain of it but only as a brother; she never saw him as a potential husband.

He couldn’t blame her
really; two of her siblings had died soon after birth, a third in a fall from horseback and the fourth at the same time as her parents. After suffering so much loss, why would she risk her heart again?

He had watched
with growing agitation as gentleman after gentleman set their sights on her, and had breathed a sigh of relief as each was turned away.

She always told him that she was concerned that they
loved her fortune more than her and he could hardly blame her. Courting didn’t exactly allow a couple to get to know each other well before marriage. Plus, he knew for a fact that she
had
been correct about a few of the gentlemen.

He
had always been determined that if she ever did fall in love, he would let her go but until then, he had no qualms telling her about the rumours he heard regarding her suitors. And if he sometimes embellished those stories to make the men look even worse, well, he thought that was understandable. No one was good enough for his Lucy.

He
still vividly remembered their one night together; it was seared into his memory and he couldn’t forget it even if he had wanted to. Thankfully he didn’t want to and often immersed himself in those memories, letting them soothe him.

Now his dreams were coming true and she was marrying him, only
she was doing so to save him. In law she would be his, mind, body and soul but her heart would never belong to him and that hurt.

He turned
when he heard a noise behind him and as she walked up the aisle towards him, he could almost forget his doubts. In a pale blue gown of the same shade as her eyes, her long hair mostly hidden by the matching bonnet that framed her face, she looked lovely.

She was truly the most beautiful creature that he had ever laid eyes on and
as she walked down the aisle on his father’s arm, her shy smile melted his heart.

He smiled back, doing his best to give her some confidence.
As he took her from his father and escorted her the final few steps to the alter, he squeezed her hand, trying to reassure her.

He remembered little of the wedding, only his terror as she d
idn’t answer ‘I do’ immediately and his relief as they finally signed the register, making their marriage official. The wedding breakfast was also a blur and as they climbed into the carriage that would take them to Lucy’s estate in Kent, he felt relieved.

He looked ov
er at her and smiled, although it faded as he realised that he couldn’t think of a single thing to say to her. His mind was too filled with dreams of their wedding night to think coherently and the only topic he could think to broach that wasn’t amorous, was the weather. He would be damned if he would be so banal.

Unfortunately, the resulting silence was uncomfortable for both of them.

***

It took about six hours to get to Steed
Manor and they were both grateful to stretch their legs once they arrived.

Originally built in the early 16
th
century by the first Earl of Canterbury, approximately 100 years ago Lucy’s great grandfather had knocked most of Steed Manor down and rebuilt it to his own tastes.

The new house was m
odelled on Blenheim Palace and built in a baroque style, with a grand central avenue that gave visitors a magnificent view of the house as they approached. Although only two storeys high, the stone columns that framed the entrance lent the building a majestic air, somewhat reminiscent of Ancient Greece.

They had both decided to leave their valet and lady’s maid in London. They didn’t intend to keep any company while they were here, so they could make do for themselves
and therefore, the household staff unloaded and unpacked their belongings for them.

Lucy greeted the butler and housekeeper, who had served her parents for
as long as she could remember, and introduced them to Max.

Max suggested that
after they had freshened up, they have a drink before dinner and Lucy readily agreed, meeting him in the front parlour after she had washed and changed.

“So, did you have any plans for while we’re down here?” Max asked as he poured the drinks.
Since his back was turned, he missed Lucy’s answering blush.