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Tessa spent the next day working out the details of her travels. Having never ventured outside of the country, the specifics were overwhelming her. Her new maid had started this morning and so far, Tessa found her to be an excellent lady’s maid, especially with hair. Placing her quill back into the ink, she then wrote, “Find a place to stay.” Perhaps whomever Lady Leicester recommended would have more experience at traveling than Tessa.
Hearing a woman’s voice at the entrance, Tessa capped her ink and wiped her quill before placing her papers in her desk. Roberts knocked on the door to her study. “Come in.”
“Lady Leicester is here, ma’am. I have put her in the receiving salon and ordered tea. She told me not to bother, but I assumed you would like some tea and biscuits.”
“Thank you, Roberts. I will be there presently.” She rose and checked her appearance in the mirror over the mantle before heading to the salon. Hopefully, Lady Leicester had a list of candidates to review with her.
“Lady Leicester, how lovely to see you,” she said as she entered the room. She gave the older woman a quick curtsy before moving toward a chair.
“There is no time for sitting, my dear. I told Roberts to have Marianne to pack your valise and then your trunks. We should hurry.”
“Countess, I have no idea to what you are referring.”
“You wanted a companion and now you have one. I shall accompany you to Venice or where ever else you might decide to go.” She smiled brightly at Tessa. “It has been far too long since I have traveled much of anywhere with these blasted wars. But now we are at peace and I should travel before it is too late.”
Tessa’s mind whirled. “But you don’t even like me!”
“Bosh, you and are I are very much alike, Tessa. May I call you Tessa?”
“I believe you already have, my lady.”
“Excellent. And you should call me Regina.”
“What about your grandson?” What would Jack think about her gallivanting around the continent with his grandmother?
Regina laughed. “I doubt he will care. After all, he is the one who tossed you in Newgate without a thought. Now go on and get your pelisse. We shall stop at the estate, as I need to get a few things in order before we leave. It should only take a few days there and then we shall head for Portsmouth and an adventure to fill the rest of our lives with wonderful memories.”
How could she say no to that? She had to admit, the idea of having someone travel with her who knew a little more about the process than she did would be an asset. And Regina seemed to know exactly what to do in every situation.
“I need to write a note to my mother before we leave.”
“Of course,” Regina said with a wave of her hand. “Go on, then.”
~*~
After a few days of traveling with the countess, Tessa had learned far more about the outrageous things Regina did as a young lady than she ever desired to know. At the same time, Tessa had come to think of her as a dear friend and confidante. The only subject that they both deemed unspeakable was Jack. Tessa refused to speak of him or tell the older woman anything regarding their relationship. Thankfully, Regina understood her need for privacy.
“Regina, didn’t we pass Honiton over an hour ago?”
“Yes, my dear. We are already on the estate and if you look to your right, the house should be coming into sight any minute now.”
Tessa had expected a small dower estate, but as the main house came into view, her expectations were shattered. The large home of aged limestone gleamed in the waning sunlight. “I should have thought the earl would have left you an estate in the Midlands, not in Devon.”
“Oh, he did.”
Tessa’s brows furrowed in confusion. “Then why are we in Devon?”
The older woman smiled as the coach pulled up the stone drive. “I don’t believe I said we would be stopping at my home.” She tapped a wrinkled finger against her lips. “No, in fact I said I needed to stop at the estate.”
“This was your first husband’s home, was it not?” Tessa asked as panic sliced through her.
“Yes, Viscount Bideford. My eldest grandson is now the keeper of the estate and title. But before we leave, I must see my newest great-grandchild. I do hope he or she has arrived by now. Georgiana does not handle childbirth well, the poor dear.”
The coach slowed to a stop, effectively halting Tessa’s angry comments to the countess. Tessa knew in her bones that Jack would be here. The old witch had planned this on purpose.
“Do put a smile on your face, Tessa. We would not want to make a bad first impression on the servants.”
She fisted her hands and plastered a smile of her face. “Of course not, my lady.”
The countess climbed down with the help of a servant and then Tessa did the same. The gravel crunched under her feet as she approached the few servants lined up to greet their former mistress.
“Good evening, my lady,” an elderly man, Tessa assumed was the butler, said and then bowed to the countess.
“Good evening, Johnson. Has the babe arrived yet?”
“No, ma’am. I do believe it shall be very soon. His lordship called for the midwife.”
“Excellent. This is my companion, Lady Stanhope. Please put her in the Lily room.”
“The Lily room?” Johnson repeated with a raised eyebrow. “My lady, you realize—”
“Yes, Johnson, I do realize and in fact, I insist,” Regina said effectively cutting off the conversation.
“Of course, madam.” Johnson turned toward Tessa. “Lady Stanhope, welcome to Torridge Hall. Matthew, take Lady Stanhope to the Lily Room.”
“Yes, sir. Please follow me, madam.”
Tessa walked inside and glanced about the hall. The white marble floor led to a massive staircase with large portraits on the walls. As she reached the fifth step, she stopped to look at a smaller painting of two young boys dressed for the hunt. One glance and she knew it was Jack and his brother.
“That is the current lordship and his younger brother, ma’am.”
She nodded and stared at Jack as a young boy. His amber eyes twinkled with mischief and humor as if he knew something no one else did. Slowly, she followed the footman up the stairs to her bedchamber. As soon as she entered, she understood why they called this the Lily Room. White lilies with green leaves covered the walls of the room. Even the large four-poster bed had lilies carved into the posts. She walked to the window and in the dusky light could see serene green pastures with sheep heading in to their pens.
“Is there anything else you need, my lady?”
“I am exhausted after the drive. May I have a bath and a tray in my room tonight?”
“Of course. I shall have the footmen bring up a tub.”
“Thank you.”
As he closed the door, silence filled the room. Tessa flopped on the bed and just listened. The noise of London always filtered through her home but no carriages passed by this house at all hours. She could hear the creak of a wood floorboard and light footsteps of a maid walking by as she went about her duties.
A knock rapped on her door. Assuming the footmen had arrived with the tub, she rose and said, “Come in.”
Instead of a footman, a sour-faced Regina entered the room. “What is this about you having a tray in your room?”
“Regina, I am exhausted. I just need a bath, some food, and a soft bed. I am afraid your little scheme to get Jack and me back together will have to wait until tomorrow.”
“Oh my dear girl, I have no intention of you and Jack restarting your ‘friendship’. I only wanted to see if my grandson has finally accomplished the great task of having an heir. You are last person who should marry Jack.”
She was? “And why exactly is that?”
Regina smiled smugly. “You are far too much like me and would drive the man mad.”
“Oh. Then you have no reason to be upset that I am not coming down for dinner tonight.”
“I am not upset but only worried that you were not feeling well after our long drive.”
The woman was up to something but Tessa couldn’t determine exactly what it was right now. Perhaps in the morning when she was fresh, she could figure out Regina’s plans. A loud scream broke the silence between them.
“It appears I am about to be a great-grandmother soon,” Regina said. “Enjoy your peace and quiet, although it might not so peaceful with Georgiana in labor.”
“Goodnight, Regina.”
Before she could close the door, the footmen arrived with the tub and steaming buckets of water. Marianne trailed behind them a bucket in her hand and a frown upon her face.
“Can you imagine they asked me to bring up the water too?” She placed the bucket near the fireplace. “As if they do not realize what a lady’s maid does in a household.” Once the men filled the tub, her maid placed some scented oil in the water and then proceeded to help Tessa undress.
Once her maid left the room, Tessa stripped off her chemise and sank into the steaming water. She felt as if she had layers of dust on her. Slowly, the warm water eased her tense muscles allowing her to relax and think about what she would do and say when she faced Jack tomorrow. What could she say? The man had sent her to prison. She could never forgive him for that, could she?
“No,” she whispered. He had gone too far. He had lied to her. He had betrayed her trust. He had taught her how wonderful making love could be with the right person. No! She must purge all thoughts of what they shared in bed from her mind. If she contemplated just how amazing those nights had been, she might forgive him in order to have him one more time. But they had been amazing nights, she thought wistfully.
Tessa quickly sat up and vigorously scrubbed her body and hair. She refused to think upon him any longer. As she toweled herself dry, Marianne returned with her tray of food.
“Have you heard anything regarding her ladyship’s progress with the birth?” she asked her maid.
“Only that it was going slow, ma’am.”
“The poor woman,” Tessa said softly. Yet, she still felt a stab of envy, for Lady Bideford had the one thing money could not buy.
“Yes, ma’am. Her maid, Ellie, said it was the same with the two girls.”
Many nights after her time with Jack, she’d lay awake wondering if she could possibly be with child. While he had taken precautions most of the time their first and last night together he had not been careful. Like clockwork, her monthlies started right on time, crushing her dream of motherhood. Hearing the occasional scream from Lady Bideford’s bedchamber only brought back the reality that Tessa would never experience childbirth.
After the footmen carted away the tub and her tray, she lay on her bed staring at the ceiling. No matter how tired, she would not get sleep tonight.