Chapter Twenty-One

 

Nearly every day the following week after confessing their feelings for each other, Lord Linfield visited Rachel. At times it was just for a few short words, but twice he had spent hours, delighting Rachel with his company. She had seen the slow growth take hold of him since the day she met him in her father’s pub, a change she cherished and adored. It was the small things, such as the time between outbursts and the smile he wore, like now as he alighted from the carriage.

Rachel returned his smile easily, but then had to paste it in place as he turned and helped his mother step down. The Dowager Countess wore a deep green dress that was quite fashionable but, unfortunately, did nothing to help the scowl she wore on her face.

“Mother, you remember Miss Cooper?” Lord Linfield said as they approached the steps where Rachel stood. Rachel had to fight back a laugh. How could his mother forget the woman he was to marry?

“I do,” the woman said in her haughty tone. “How are you?”

Rachel dropped a low curtsy. “Very well, thank you,” she replied. “I must say, your dress is lovely and quite becoming of you.” She smiled when she saw the look of approval in Lord Linfield’s eyes.

The Dowager Countess gave her a surprised look. “This old thing?” she said, as if what she wore was nothing better than a burlap dress. However, she appeared pleased nonetheless.

“Please, follow me to the drawing room,” Rachel said formally. “I will have tea brought up immediately.” Once they arrived, she waited for the Dowager Countess to sit first and then took a seat on the settee beside her. Lord Linfield gave her an approving nod before he sat in the chair across from them.

“You seem to have taken to your lessons,” the Dowager Countess said. Apparently, Lord Linfield had felt it necessary to inform her of the instruction she was receiving. Well, after the way she had conducted herself the last time they had met, she was not surprised. “My son did not lie; I see vast improvement already.”

Rachel felt a twinge of annoyance but pushed it aside. If there was one thing she had learned during her journey to nobility, it was that the nobility did not know how to curb their tongue when it came to anyone who was not a peer.

Leah entered the room and bobbed a quick curtsy.

“Leah, will you bring us a tray, please?” Rachel turned to the Dowager Countess. “Would you like cakes or sweets, as well?”

“No, no, just tea,” the woman replied.

Rachel offered her a smile and then sent Leah to bring the tea.

“Well, my dear,” the Dowager Countess said as she smoothed her skirts, “we must go over some of the finer details for your engagement party. Joseph says you already had some ideas of your own?”

Rachel was not fooled by the woman’s sudden interest in Rachel’s thoughts and ideas, so she steeled herself for any challenges the old woman would have. “I do have a few ideas I would like to present, mostly concerning the wine Lord Linfield suggested we serve.” She took a steady breath to calm her nerves and then continued. “I believe that, rather than serve it at the end of the party, that we serve it at the beginning.”

His mother snorted, although, if it had been pointed out to her, she would have denied it with great vehemence as a snort. “Although it is a nice idea,” the woman said, “it is far better to wait. People will drink less of it, and they will leave remembering that particular wine as that which they toasted the two of you.”

Stealing a quick glance at Lord Linfield, Rachel decided to stand her ground. “That is very true,” she conceded. “Suppose, however, that it was served first. The guests are not yet inundated with drink and their minds are fresh. Think of the conversation that they will have, wondering how the Earl of Brunsford could afford such an expensive wine. Then, as the night continues and people are less inclined to take notice of what they are drinking, we bring in the less expensive drinks.” The old woman looked as if she wished to slap Rachel, but Rachel continued on nonetheless. “Of course, because it is the wine that my fiancé chose of which we speak, I will do as he requests.” She shot him a quick glance to see his reaction, and he surprised her with his response.

“I have to say, Mother, I do like Miss Cooper’s idea,” he said with a nod. “Besides, it is a celebration; I should not be worried about cost but rather about everyone enjoying themselves.”

Rachel’s heart soared hearing his words. He had supported her decision, even though it went against his mother’s wishes, and was focusing not on the finances but the happiness of his guests. It was great progress indeed.

“Very well, then, the matter is decided,” his mother said with a sniff. “But do not complain to me when you realize how much you have spent and the damage it could do to your coffers.”

Leah came in with a large tray that held the silver tea set and placed it on the table. Rachel sent her away, letting her know she would take care of serving. She would show this woman what she had learned.

“I would not dare complain to you,” the Earl replied as he stood. “Now, I will leave you two to discuss matters further. I have a few items I wish to attend to while I am here, and the study would be the best place to do so. Plus, I have every confidence that you will plan a wonderful party.” And with that he was gone, leaving Rachel alone with his mother.

Rachel was unsure as she sat beside the Dowager Countess. The woman did not hide her disdain for Rachel, but Rachel had learned much since arriving in Kellington about keeping her temper when dealing with the likes of a woman of the nobility. If this woman was to become her mother-in-law, she needed to bite her tongue whenever possible.

“Lord Linfield has taken quite a liking to me,” Rachel said lightly, as if testing the ice of a frozen pond. “I have seen a strong man emerge.”

The Dowager Countess set her cup in its saucer and then placed them on the table. Then she patted Rachel’s hand. “I love my son,” she said firmly, “and he will be great one day. As long as he continues to listen to me.” She removed her hand and returned her attention to her tea. “Now, enough about that, let us discuss a few more details for this party and then we can begin the invitation list.”

***

The weather outside looked inviting, but Rachel forced a smile as the Dowager Countess continued her suggestions for the upcoming engagement party. They had finished the invitation list well over an hour earlier, and now the woman was explaining who the most important people were to impress.

“Lord Sullyard I have no doubt will attend,” she explained. “It is of the utmost importance that he receives the most attention.”

“May I ask why this is?”

“His marriage is in shambles,” the older woman explained, “so he is in a weakened state. Joseph should use this opportunity to gain a foothold in the man’s business. As his wife-to-be, you should do your best to mention the man’s absent wife.”

Rachel nodded slowly, but she knew she would do no such thing. To use someone’s pain in such a way was cruel and she wanted no part in it. However, she would not voice her disagreement to this woman; she simply would not do as she suggested.

The door opened and it was as if sunshine had entered a darkened room when she saw Lord Linfield in the doorway. “Surely the planning has been completed by now,” he said with a chuckle.

Rachel smiled as she allowed her eyes to roam over his well-fitting coat and breeches. The man took great care in his appearance, and Rachel could not help but stare.

“We have just finished,” the Countess Duchess said. “I believe this engagement party will be the best the ton has ever attended.” As the woman stood, she swayed on her feet, and Lord Linfield ran to her side.

“Mother?” he asked, his voice filled with worry.

“Oh, I am fine,” she said with a slap at his hand. “The strain of everything does weigh me down at times. I believe I am ready to return to Abberton House.”

Her words of assurance did not seem to calm the Earl. “Perhaps you would like to go lie down upstairs and rest for a while,” he said. “We could dine here; I am sure Miss Cooper would not mind.”

“No, not at all,” Rachel replied, although she had to admit she had seen better performances from a drunken man explaining to his wife how a woman ended up in his lap at the pub. The woman would never perform in the theater, that much was certain.

“No,” the older woman said firmly. “I need to leave. Goodbye, Miss Cooper.”

Rachel returned a quick farewell and walked the pair to the front door. Sherman was there with their coat and wrap as their carriage was brought around, the Dowager Countess hanging on Lord Linfield’s arm as if she would collapse at any moment.

Although Rachel found the Dowager Countess a bit odd, she was glad the woman had not berated her son as she had the last time they met. In fact, like her son, she had made vast improvements in her attitude. Perhaps she would not be as bad as Rachel had first believed.

A smile came to Rachel’s face when she caught her own reflection in a mirror. Truth be told, she, herself, had made great strides. Her vocabulary was much improved, her mannerisms now impeccable, and she was becoming quite the lady, and it made her proud. If only her parents and friends back at the pub in Falmouth could see her now, she thought. They would not even recognize her.

Rachel had told Lord Linfield she wished to make him happy, but now, as she looked down at the ring on her finger, she realized that he was making her happy, as well. The small things he did for her, such as working on his temper or smiling at her each time they met, they showed the person hidden behind the stern facade.

Once the Dowager Countess was gone, Lord Linfield asked, “What are you thinking about?”

She shrugged. “The party, my life, the two of us,” she replied. “So much has happened over the last few months, and yet so much of it has been wonderful.”

He smiled as he took her hand in his, and Rachel considered she might melt from the heat in his eyes. “Let us go outside. The weather is far too nice to spend indoors.”

She slipped her arm in his and they made their way down the steps from the veranda onto the garden path, the sun’s rays warm but not overbearing.

“Your mother, is she well?” Rachel asked, although she suspected she already knew the answer.

Lord Linfield let out a half-laugh. “I have begun to realize…well, perhaps I have always known, that Mother likes to be in control of things. When she is not, she feigns illness to gain sympathy.”

Rachel wanted to laugh. So, she had been correct in her assessment of the woman. “Was it she who taught you how to maintain a rigid schedule?” she asked rather than laughing.

The Earl nodded. “Indeed. However, a woman I know has been showing me that life does not rely simply on schedules. A lesson I appreciate her sharing.”

Rachel stopped and turned to him. It was time for her to reveal a secret she had been keeping from him. “Remember the first time you were late, and I showed you the clock on the wall?” He nodded and she continued. “I had Sherman move the hand forward by twenty minutes.”

His jaw dropped and she let out a laugh. “Miss Cooper!” he said, but then followed it with a laugh. “Why would you do such a thing?”

“To teach you a lesson,” Rachel stated firmly. Then she gazed up at him. “I hope you are not angry with me.”

“A few months ago, had I known, I might have left and never returned.” Rachel felt her heart sink a little. “But I am glad you did it. I have a confession to make myself.”

“Oh?” she asked. Then she found herself holding her breath.

“Let it be known, I will never leave you.”

Her heart rose as joy coursed through her body. “Those words mean everything to me,” she told him. “I must admit it is something I have feared, being left alone.”

“I have never asked you, and I will not again, if you do not wish to answer. However, your mother, your real mother, when she left you at the pub, did she explain to you why she did so?”

Rachel stopped beneath a large elm, its branches providing a bit of shade. “Mother had met a man, apparently a wealthy man who promised to marry her, although there was no possible way he would marry her if she had a child, especially an illegitimate child.” She spoke without tears, for she had wept too many for that day over the years. “I still remember the journey to the pub as if it were yesterday. My mother told me that she needed happiness in her life, and that that man could give it to her.” Though she had no more tears, the memory still made her shudder. “I cried and begged her not to go, wondering how a mother could do such a thing to her child, but it did not matter. She left me and never returned. From that moment forward, I vowed to hate anyone of title and class, for they took my happiness from me, or so I had thought.” Then she looked up into his eyes. “That is, until I met you.”

Lord Linfield stepped in closer and placed his hand gently on her face. “I am happier now than I have ever been in my life,” he said, his gaze seeming to look into her soul. “And I look forward to remaining happy with you by my side forever.”

Then he leaned in and Rachel felt a fire ignite inside her as his lips pressed against hers, the hunger in them unmistakable. She wrapped her hands around his neck as he tightened his grip on her waist, and she could feel the strength in the muscles beneath the sleeves of his coat.

When the kiss broke, he held her tight against him, and she laid her head on his chest. For the first time since she could remember, Rachel felt safe and secure. And when she looked back up into the eyes of the man holding her, she knew that nothing would ever come between them.