Baldwin wiped his hands on his handkerchief. This was silly. He was a grown gentleman. He wasn’t a child. He’d been looking forward to meeting Dinah ever since he agreed to the arranged marriage. But now that the moment was finally here, he couldn’t stop sweating. It was ridiculous.
Donald stepped into the den. “My sister’s ready to meet you, but I think there’s something I should warn you about.”
Baldwin frowned. “Warn me about?” If Donald had any reason to warn him about her, he should have done it in London, not wait until now. Perhaps Marcy had been right to be concerned.
Donald offered him an apologetic smile. “My sister is very sweet and very pretty, but, as you know, she’s shy.”
“Yes,” Baldwin slowly stated. So far, he wasn’t learning anything new.
“Well, she’s been a recluse for so long that she only lets me visit her. Perhaps it’s because I’m close to her in age. Maybe I’m more of a friend than a family member.” He shrugged. “She’s unwilling to let the rest of the family see her. I want this marriage to be a pleasant experience for her. I’m afraid if you bring up anything about the others in the family, it might not be good for her. She has such a delicate constitution.”
“Are you suggesting that I not say anything about any family member except for you?”
“I know it sounds terrible for me to suggest. I only do it because I want her to be happy. She’s had such little joy since she’s been holed up in the west wing of the manor.”
Baldwin thought over what Marcy had told him about her time as a maid. She’d expressed feeling guilt and loneliness, and it’d only been Lewis’ love that helped her overcome that part of her past. She’d once told him that Lewis had been patient and kind, and she had blossomed under his care.
Perhaps Baldwin might do something similar for Dinah. It couldn’t be easy for anyone who was living in such a state of isolation. Patience and kindness were the best things he could bring to the marriage.
“All right,” Baldwin agreed. “I won’t upset her by mentioning the others.”
Donald smiled. “Thank you. It does my heart good to know she’ll be protected. You’re an honorable and decent gentleman.” He gestured to the doorway. “I’ll take you to her.”
Baldwin slipped his handkerchief into his pocket and followed him out of the room. As they went to the other wing of the manor, Donald pointed out the portraits lining the hallways. Baldwin could only pay half-attention to what he was saying. He was about to meet his future wife, and that took precedence over any of the ancestors looking down at them.
When Baldwin noticed the large stone wall that separated the west wing from the east wing, Baldwin’s steps slowed. “What is this doing here?”
“My sister insisted on it,” Donald said. “She claims she feels safer with the wall here. I know it’s unusual to have something like this in a manor.”
Unusual was one word for it, but it didn’t seem to adequately describe it. “It’s creepy.”
“I agree, but it makes her feel better. I had it put in for her when she was fourteen. She wouldn’t stop crying until it was there. Ever since then, she’s been content.”
Really? How could someone actually prefer this?
Donald approached the wooden door that marked the only way into the west wing. He turned to face him. “Have you changed your mind? I wouldn’t blame you if you did. I can go in and tell her you decided to go back to London.”
Baldwin considered the option, but another part of him—the stronger part—wanted to meet her. At the very least, he could meet her. He should meet her. He came all the way out here to meet her. If, upon meeting her, he still had an uneasy feeling about marrying her, he would politely say he couldn’t go through with the marriage and leave.
Feeling better with that option, he directed his attention back to Donald. “I’d like to meet her.”
With a nod, Donald turned the doorknob and offered Baldwin the option to go in first.
Taking an uncertain breath, Baldwin proceeded forward. He wasn’t sure what he expected, but he wasn’t surprised to find that this side of the manor wasn’t as well kept up as the other side. There were cobwebs in the corner of the room that led to the staircase. The drapes were drawn, so with the limited sunlight coming into the place, he could barely make out the hallway on this floor that led to other rooms.
Donald shut the door behind them and went over to him. “The maid doesn’t get a chance to clean this side of the manor often. It depends on whether Dinah wants her here or not. Most of the time, the maid only tends to Dinah’s bedchamber and the library. Those are the rooms Dinah uses the most.”
Baldwin wanted to ask him where he should sleep. He assumed he would be given a bedchamber on this side of the wing. Was that not going to happen? Was he expected to go back to the other side when it was time to sleep for the evening?
As if he could make out what Baldwin was thinking, Donald said, “If you marry her, we’ll bring your things to this side of the wing tomorrow. I’ll instruct the maid to get your bedchamber ready.”
Baldwin supposed that would work, though it implied he wouldn’t spend the wedding night with his bride. He’d been under the impression he was going to spend this evening with her. He was sure Donald had told him as much. But as he struggled to recall the conversation, the details eluded him in light of how strange things were on this side of the manor.
“The upstairs is in better condition, and those drapes are open,” Donald said as he led the way to the staircase.
Baldwin hurried to join him. He needed to expect things to be different with Dinah than they were with other ladies. Her life had been different. She hadn’t grown up in London. She’d grown up here.
The condition of the upstairs was better than the condition of the downstairs. That made him feel better. The area was clean, and the light poured through the windows to give the place a more pleasant atmosphere. There weren’t many objects in the hallway. While there had been portraits on the other side of the manor, there were none here. There were only two paintings and a small table.
“Dinah’s bedchamber is further down the hall, but this is where she likes to read,” Donald told him as he approached the second door they came to. He stopped and turned to him. “I know she’s in here, but she’s frightened to meet you,” he whispered. “It might be best if you stayed a few steps behind me.”
Baldwin indicated he would do as the gentleman wished and followed him into the room. The room was in good condition. There was very little dust, and the furniture appeared to be only a few years old. There was a fire in the fireplace next to a couple of chairs. Most of the room was filled with bookshelves, and they were all full of books. There were so many books, in fact, that Baldwin couldn’t even begin to count them all.
“Dinah, the gentleman I told you about is here,” Donald said when he reached the center of the room.
Baldwin directed his gaze to the corner where Donald was looking and noticed a slender lady in a green gown with brown hair secured up by gold pins. The gown was surprisingly in style. He had expected something of an older style since she never went to London, but if she were to go there today, she’d fit right in. Donald probably saw to it that she had new clothes on a regular basis. That was the only explanation for it since he was the only one in his family who went to London.
When Dinah didn’t come forward right away, Donald closed the distance to her and took her by the arm. Baldwin thought he heard Donald tell Dinah she was doing well as he brought her closer to him.
Baldwin’s heart sped up as he got a better look at her. She was beautiful. Had the gentlemen in London seen her, they would have all jumped at the chance to marry her, or at least get to know her better.
“Dinah, this is Baldwin. He’s the Duke of Edmondstone,” Donald told her, his tone soft as if he was afraid speaking too loudly would startle her.
And perhaps it would. Baldwin imagined that living in rooms this quiet all the time would make one’s hearing sensitive. He couldn’t hear anything that was happening on the other side of the manor, and since the windows were closed, there was nothing to hear outside. All he could hear was the crackling from the fireplace.
Donald brought her even closer to him and smiled at him. “Baldwin, this is my dear sister, Dinah.”
Baldwin hurried to bow. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I’ve been looking forward to making your acquaintance ever since your brother told me about you.”
“You have?” she asked, sounding surprised.
“I told you he was excited about meeting you,” Donald told her, a chuckle in his voice. He directed his gaze back to Baldwin. “I hope you don’t mind I kept you waiting as long as I did. I wanted to make sure everything was perfect when you two finally met.”
“The wait was worth it,” Baldwin replied.
“Good. I’m glad.” Donald motioned for them to sit by the fireplace. “I’ll let you two talk. I won’t be long.”
Surprised, Baldwin went after him as he headed for the doorway. “You can’t mean to leave her unchaperoned. We haven’t married yet.”
Donald turned back to him, his eyebrows raised. “I didn’t think you were the type of gentleman who would take advantage of a lady’s innocence.”
Baldwin’s face grew warm in embarrassment. “No. Of course not. I would never do that. I just meant that…” He glanced at Dinah who hadn’t moved from the place Donald had put her. In a lower voice, he added, “I assumed that since an unmarried lady can’t be without a chaperone in London that the same rules would apply here.”
“It didn’t occur to me that you would mistreat my sister. Should I stay while you two get better acquainted?”
Baldwin wasn’t sure how to answer that. While he was being honest when he told Donald he wasn’t going to treat Dinah with any disrespect, would Donald now worry he had arranged for his sister to marry someone of questionable motives? No gentleman wanted to marry his sister to a gentleman who couldn’t be trusted.
Baldwin cleared his throat. “It’s not necessary that you stay. I will treat her like the lady she is. I just didn’t want you to worry about her virtue, that’s all.”
Donald smiled. “I’m not worried. I need to see if the vicar has arrived yet. I only wished to give you a chance to talk to her alone so you could decide whether or not you still want to go through with the marriage. You don’t need me around to interrupt the conversation.”
He relaxed. “I understand. Thank you.”
“There’s no need to thank me. If this is a suitable match, I’ll be happy to see the two of you married.”
Baldwin already wanted to marry her, but he owed it to Marcy to at least have a conversation with Dinah. Then he could assure her that he didn’t make a reckless decision.
Donald left the room and headed down the hallway.
Baldwin turned back to face Dinah. She still hadn’t budged from her spot. She’d probably heard everything he and Donald had said. He was sure she didn’t have the vaguest idea of what some gentlemen would do with a lady if he was left alone in a room with her. Though he knew he didn’t have to apologize, he felt like he should.
Forcing aside his unease, he returned to her and offered an apologetic smile. “Forgive me, Dinah. I didn’t mean any disrespect. My intentions are honorable.”
Her eyebrows furrowed. “How would you act if they weren’t honorable?”
Sure his face turned bright red at her innocent question, he mumbled, “You don’t have to worry about that.” In a hurry to change the topic, he asked, “Would you like to sit and talk? I’d like a chance to get to know you better, and, of course, you can get to know me better, too.”
She glanced at the chairs in front of the fireplace then walked over to one.
He picked the chair next to her but waited until she was seated before sitting. This was nice. Cozy, even. The fire was warm and gave off a soft glow in this part of the room. And around him were more books than he recalled seeing during the course of his entire life.
“I think it’s safe to assume you like to read,” he told her.
“Yes. Books are my whole world,” she replied, an undeniable fondness in her voice that let him know just how much she cherished them.
“Well, the world you have is a big one,” he joked.
Her lips curled up into a smile. “I like to imagine myself in the books when I read them. They’re more fun that way.”
“Since you don’t go out, is it hard to picture some of the places the books mention?” When she didn’t seem to know what he meant, he added, “Do you have a book about a theatre or zoo?”
Understanding lit up her eyes. “Yes, there are some things in the books that aren’t here, but I have pictures to look at.”
“Does your brother bring those to you?”
She nodded. “He brings me everything I have. Every time he returns from London, he brings a lot of books.”
And probably a lot of clothes and other items to make her comfortable. “That’s nice of him.”
“It is. He’s a good brother.” After a moment of silence passed between them, she asked, “Is he your friend?”
“I wouldn’t call him a friend, exactly. I knew who he was because we are in the same gentleman’s club, but until he told me about you, I hadn’t said more than a few words to him.”
“What is a gentleman’s club?”
“It’s a place where gentlemen go to relax, play games, and talk. Ladies don’t go there.”
“Do ladies have a ladies’ club?”
“Some ladies do create their own clubs, but those aren’t anything like what I’m talking about. What I mean is that there is a building dedicated specifically for the gentlemen to go to. But not all gentlemen can go there. Membership is selective.”
Her eyes lit up with understanding. “It’s a secret club.”
“Yes, that would be a good way of thinking about it.”
“I’ve read a couple of stories about secret clubs. You’re not allowed to tell anyone what happens in them, and no one is allowed in unless they’re invited.”
He nodded. It was a reasonable comparison.
“It sounds like fun to be part of something very few people belong to,” she said, a twinge of envy in her voice.
“It is fun. I enjoy it. I’ve made good acquaintances there. One is your brother. But we’re not in the habit of exchanging secrets all the time. Secrets do get shared, but more often than not, the things we talk about are known through London.” When her smile faltered, he asked, “Are you disappointed?”
“A little. I was hoping to hear that all sorts of wonderful secrets were kept within the building’s walls. I’ve read a couple of books that had some secrets that were quite shocking when discovered.”
“If someone in the gentleman’s club leaked a secret and was found out, his reputation would be ruined.”
“What happens if he isn’t found out?”
“Then he’d be safe, but I suspect he would always have to worry he’d get discovered. I never share a secret. I couldn’t take constantly worrying I’d be found out.”
She leaned toward him in interest. “How many secrets do you know?”
He shook his head. “I’m not going to say. I’m sorry, but I can’t divulge anything, even if you never go to London.”
He thought she might express her disappointment, but instead, she smiled and said, “I understand. There are some things it’s best not to tell another person.”
Glad she wasn’t going to press the issue, he returned her smile.
A tapping at the door brought his attention to Donald who stood in the doorway. “I hope I didn’t return at a bad time.”
Baldwin rose to his feet. “No.” He glanced at Dinah. “I think this will be a good match. Would you like to marry me?”
She stood up and nodded then turned an inquiring gaze to her brother.
“Excellent,” Donald said. “The vicar is here. I will bring him to this wing of the manor.”
“We could go to the other side of the manor if it’s more convenient,” Baldwin replied. “What do you think, Dinah?”
Her gaze went back to Donald before she shook her head. “I’d rather have the wedding here. Do you mind?”
“No, I don’t mind.” Baldwin wasn’t surprised she didn’t want to leave this wing of the manor, but a part of him felt the need to test how determined she was to stay here, even though Donald had already warned him about it.
“I’ll bring the vicar here,” Donald told them and left.
Baldwin did his best to hide his excitement. He looked back at Dinah. Granted he had only met her, but he had a feeling that theirs was going to be a very good marriage.