Secrets of a Scandalous Marriage

CHAPTER 17

It was just past sunrise when Lord Colton’s magnificent coach arrived in the alley behind James’s town house. Kate slipped out the back door with a cloak over her head, her face covered. Despite the heavy coat, the winter wind whipped along the bits of skin she had exposed. She rubbed the tip of her icy nose with her gloved hand. The coachman standing next to the conveyance quickly helped her inside, and the door closed behind her with a solid thump.

“You made it,” came Lily Morgan’s cheerful voice as soon as Kate sat back against the seat cushions.

“We’re so glad to have you,” Annie Holloway added with a bright smile.

The curtains on the windows were quickly pulled. Kate glanced around. The three women were alone inside the coach. “Are we the only ones going?” Kate asked, trying to keep the disappointment from her voice at the prospect that James wouldn’t be there too.

“No. We’re just taking separate coaches in case anyone follows us out of town. Besides, it certainly would be cramped in here with six of us. The men will follow us in Medford’s coach.”

Kate smiled and nodded, suddenly feeling joyful again. She would be spending an entire day in the country on a farm … with James. It was silly, she knew, and she couldn’t explain why she suddenly had butterflies in her stomach, but the fact remained that they were there, winging around giddily and reminding her she didn’t know the last time she’d been so … happy.

“It’s going to be so cold,” Kate said, biting her lip.

“Nonsense,” Lily replied. “It shall be bracing.” But even as she said it, she handed Kate a wool blanket that Kate quickly spread across her lap.

“Absolutely,” Annie added, from beneath her own wool blanket. “We’ll make the best of it.”

Kate smiled at the sisters. “It’s nice of you to pretend … for my sake.”

The coach took off with a solid jolt, and Kate leaned back against the seat, a smile on her face. She’d never imagined she’d make it to the country again and, cold or no, she intended to enjoy herself.

“Now, while we’re on the way,” Annie began. “Tell us, we’re positively on tenterhooks to know … what is it like to live with Lord Medford?”

Kate blushed, thankful for the darkness in the coach on this early morning to hide the pink that must be on her cheeks. “Whatever do you mean?’

“We just cannot picture him living with a woman,” Lily replied. “It’s quite a phenomenon actually.”

“Yes.” Annie nodded. “How does he act? What does he do? I mean, I’m sure he’s a perfect gentleman, but—”

“Of course he is,” Kate responded, perhaps a bit too quickly. “And he’s been so kind by indulging my little whims.”

“Ooh, like what?” Lily leaned forward, bracing her arms on her lap.

Kate couldn’t help the slow smile that spread across her face. “He threw a ball for me the other evening.”

Annie’s jaw dropped. “A what?”

“A ball.” Kate giggled.

“With just the two of you?” Lily asked, bouncing back against the seat again, her eyes wide.

“Yes, well, the two of us and Louisa … and Locke.”

Lily’s pretty violet eyes grew even wider. “Who is Louisa? And Locke? The butler?”

Kate pulled the blanket closer to her face and tucked it under her chin. “Louisa is the maid. I promised her James would dance with her. You see, she’d never danced at a ball before and … Oh, the two of you must think I’m an awful ninny.”

“Nonsense. I think it sounds absolutely divine,” Annie said, tucking her blanket under her chin.

“I just cannot imagine Medford dancing with a maid and the butler. He’s usually so … proper,” Lily said.

“Oh, he didn’t think a thing of it. He’s not a snob at all,” Kate said.

“Oh no, not a snob, dear. I’d never think that. He’s just very accustomed to … following rules,” Lily replied.

“I still say it’s divine.” Annie sighed.

“I agree.” Lily’s face wore a wide grin. “And just the sort of thing our Medford needs.” She winked at Kate.

Kate furrowed her brow. “What do you mean?”

“Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed,” Lily replied. “Medford’s a bit … how shall we say…? Ordered? Orderly?”

Kate smiled shyly. “I have noticed that everything is in its place in that house, if that’s what you mean.”

“Yes, you’ve never seen such order,” Annie replied. “Though he hosted my debut ball there and I must say it was absolutely lovely. Perfect actually.” She laughed.

“It was,” Lily agreed, nodding.

“The ball he hosted for me was lovely too,” Kate said with a dreamy look surely in her eye, but she wasn’t so much remembering the ball as the kiss afterward.

“Did Medford dance with Louisa?” Lily asked.

“Absolutely,” Kate replied.

“I knew it,” Annie said. “Medford’s a capital fellow. I mean, he owns a printing press for goodness’ sake. He’s not about to say no to dancing with a housemaid.”

Kate giggled at that. “He didn’t. And here I thought it was my plain roots that made me think it was a good idea.”

“It’s an excellent idea,” Lily replied. “Absolutely excellent.”

The three women spent the morning talking, laughing, and telling stories. By the time they arrived at their destination more than an hour later, Kate was feeling as if they were old friends. A pang of loneliness beat in her chest. But they weren’t old friends, and they wouldn’t be. She might spend a few pleasant hours with these nice ladies but they would be separated soon by prison and—she gulped—possibly worse. And even if she were not found guilty, it was not as if Lady Lily and Lady Annie would remain friends with her. A former duchess with a blackened reputation including murder charges and a thwarted divorce? Why, just being seen with her could ruin them. No wonder they’d taken the extra precaution of bringing two coaches to the countryside.

The coach pulled to a stop and Annie let the coachman help her down before turning back around to address Lily and Kate. “You two stay here. I’ll ensure no one is about. We can’t have anyone seeing you.”

Kate nodded but felt hideously conspicuous. She was putting her new friends in danger by asking them to accompany her on this trip. Even though they were taking precautions to keep her identity and location a secret, there was always the possibility that someone might see her and trace her back to James’s house.

“Where exactly are we?” Kate asked Lily after Annie left.

“We’re on a farm outside Jordan’s estate,” Lily replied. “We asked the owners to allow us to come and stay for the day. They were going to town today as a matter of fact and won’t be here. It’s perfect.”

Kate clapped her hands. Leave it to the efficient sisters to plan everything so well.

Only a few minutes later, Annie returned and motioned for them to follow. “They’ve got the barn all ready for us,” she said. “And there isn’t another soul for miles.”

“Excellent,” Lily replied, and the coachman helped the other two women down the steps. Just as Lily had predicted, the wind in the country was bracing, but Annie quickly explained the plan. “We decided we would stay in the barn, mostly, to escape the cold, but if you’d like to build a snowman or something, just say the word.” She giggled and Kate returned her happy smile.

“The barn will do nicely,” Kate said. “I’m already freezing.”

“And there’s a surprise for you too, Lily,” Annie added with a wink.

“What?”

“A litter of piglets was born in the fall. Two of the babies are still with their mum.”

Lily squealed and Kate finally had an answer to her question. Apparently highborn ladies squealed when they were happy too. She suppressed her smile.

“You’ll have to excuse me, Kate. I love animals of all sorts. Especially baby ones,” Lily said with a laugh.

“Oh, I’ve always adored piglets,” Kate said. “Where are they?”

“Follow me.” Annie motioned and Kate and Lily stepped behind her toward the barn. If the men’s coach had already arrived, Kate didn’t see it anywhere. She had to pinch the inside of her arm to keep from asking Annie where James was. He’d arrive soon enough, she told herself. And in the meantime, why, there were piglets.

They stepped inside the barn, and familiar smells immediately surrounded Kate: hay, animals, wood. She breathed it in. She’d never thought she’d miss the smell of a barn. But she did. She desperately did.

A movement off to the side caught her attention. Kate looked over and immediately froze. The men were already there. James leaned against a stall, his boots crossed at the ankles, looking particularly handsome in fawn-colored buckskin breeches, a white lawn shirt, and a midnight-blue wool overcoat. The man looked wonderful in a cravat and topcoat but he looked even more ravishing in less formal attire.

“There you are,” called a handsome man whom Kate didn’t recognize. “Lily, did Annie tell you there are piglets here?”

“She did, Jordan,” Lily called back. “And I cannot wait to see them.”

Ah, so the handsome man was Annie’s husband. A very nice choice, indeed.

“They’re here,” Jordan replied, gesturing to the stall next to where the three men stood.

Lily, Annie, and Kate edged closer and all three leaned over to look inside the stall. The mama pig was curled up in a pile of hay in the back of the stall snuggling her two little piglets.

“That may be the cutest thing I’ve ever seen,” Lily whispered. “They’re still so tiny.”

“Apparently, they’re a special breed that doesn’t get very big,” Jordan added.

“Don’t even think about it,” the third handsome man warned, arching a brow. He had to be Lord Colton, and he was just as good-looking as his wife was beautiful.

“What?” Lily asked innocently, pushing the tip of her slipper into a bit of hay. “And this, by the way, is my husband, Kate. The Marquis of Colton, but you may call him Devon.”

“And this,” Annie Holloway said, “is my husband, the Earl of Ashbourne, or just Jordan.”

Kate curtsied. “Very nice to meet both of you. Please call me Kate.” She glanced up at the four of them. My, but these were good-looking people. The Marquis of Colton was tall, dark, and handsome, and his friend the Earl of Ashbourne had silver eyes that were positively breathtaking. But despite the attractive company, Kate’s entire being was riveted to the third equally good-looking man in the barn. James.

The other two men bowed to her while James remained leaning against the stall door. She didn’t look at him. She swallowed. Was he remembering their kiss the other night too? She hadn’t seen him since then. Hadn’t spoken to him. And now their being together was positively … awkward.

Annie winked at Lily. “Seeing these piglets, Lily, I know you’re thinking exactly what I’m thinking.”

Kate turned back to listen to the conversation.

“And that is?” Jordan Holloway asked his wife.

“That there are two of them. Lily and I could each take one.”

“I should have known that’s what you were going to say,” Jordan replied with a grin, smacking himself on the forehead.

“I am not about to take a pig into the house,” Devon said. “We’ve already got a raccoon.”

“And we’ve already got a fox,” Jordan added.

Kate shook her head. Surely they were jesting. And she had no idea what a raccoon was. But she couldn’t take her eyes off the cute little baby pigs.

“Not to mention, I doubt pigs make very good pets,” Devon continued.

Lily opened her mouth to speak but Kate interrupted. “Actually, they make excellent pets.”

All four of them turned to look at her.

“They do?” Annie asked.

Kate nodded. “Yes. The little runt there reminds me of the pig I had when I was a girl.”

“You had a pig?” James asked, pushing his shoulder off the stall door and walking toward her. She did her best to ignore the rush of heat his voice sent up her spine.

She nodded. “I did. A little pink one named Margaret.”

“See,” Annie said to her husband. “Kate’s had a pig and says they do make good pets.”

“Excellent pets. You can train them just like any dog, and they’re quite loyal.” Kate sighed. “I’d give absolutely anything to have a pig again.”

James gave her an inquiring look. Oh dear, what he must think of her. A duchess with a pet pig, what was next?

Annie lowered her voice. “Let’s let the mama feed her babies, and we’ll have breakfast. It should be all set up in the little cottage down the pasture.”

The group made its way out of the barn and across the fields, the brisk wind whipping along their hair and cheeks. Annie led them to the copse of trees on the edge of the forest where a small whitewashed cottage stood nestled among the evergreens. The cottage reminded Kate of the ones that had been sprinkled along the lands where her parents’ home had been. A wave of homesickness hit her. It was so nice of these people to bring her here. To give her this experience. How could she ever repay them?

Annie ran ahead and opened the door to reveal a fire burning in the fireplace, warm and cozy. A picnic lunch had been set out on a large tabletop, six mismatched wooden chairs sat around it. Their little group piled into the house, shed their cloaks, and quickly took their seats. Lily and Devon sat together, Jordan and Annie sat together, and in the space remaining, Kate and James managed to squeeze together at the end of the table.

Jordan poured wine into wooden cups for all. “It’s a bit early for spirits but perhaps this might serve to warm us up.” He grinned widely.

“Tell us, Kate,” Annie asked as she filled plates full of cheese, eggs, meats, and bread and passed them around to everyone. “What was it like living on a farm as a child?”

Kate smiled widely. “It was … magnificent. Always something to do, always something happening. But nothing as grand as the lives I’m sure you all led.” She held up the wood cup and gestured to the small room in which they sat. “Of course, I lived in my parents’ house which was a bit more formal, but I visited all the farmers constantly. This cottage is not more grand than the ones I used to frequent as a child.”

Lily waved a hand in the air. “We were raised at a grand estate, to be sure,” Lily replied. “But there was never any money for anything. My father gambled it all away. No doubt we would have been happier in a home like this.”

Kate bit her lip. She’d never considered such a thing. She’d always assumed all of the people who lived in large luxurious homes were wealthy. Lily’s words made her stop and think. Kate had had a happy life as a child and money hadn’t been what made it happy. Not at all.

“You didn’t have brothers and sisters?” Annie asked. “That seems so sad. I don’t know what I’d do without Lily.” She reached over and squeezed her sister’s hand.

Kate smiled at the friendly gesture between the women. “No.” She shook her head. “I wasn’t lucky enough to have siblings. It was just my parents and I. But we had scores of animals to keep us company.”

“Like pigs?” Devon asked her, smiling.

“Precisely.” Kate nodded. “I talked my mother into letting me take in one of the pigs that was born on the farm.”

Jordan cleared his throat. “If you don’t mind my asking, how did you ever … that is to say … how exactly did you … become a duchess?”

Annie slapped her husband’s sleeve and gave him a warning look, but Kate laughed. “I don’t mind one bit,” she said, taking a sip of wine. She could feel James’s eyes upon her, watching her, waiting for her answer. “I met my husband at a country dance.”

Annie’s eyes were wide. “A country dance?”

“Yes.” Kate took another bracing sip of wine.

“And he just asked you to marry him?” Lily replied breathlessly, leaning forward.

Kate nodded. “Yes. It all happened very quickly.”

“Oh, how romantic,” Annie replied. She elbowed her husband playfully. “I wish our courtship had happened quickly.”

“No. You two took your time,” Devon replied with a laugh.

“Ironic,” Annie retorted. “Coming from the man who took five years to marry his wife.”

Devon lifted his wine glass playfully as if proposing a toast. “Better late than never.”

Lily raised her glass too. “I’ll drink to that.”

Annie sighed and turned her attention back to Kate. “I still say it’s romantic that you met the duke at a country ball, and he asked you to marry him.”

Kate nodded. “Yes, I … I thought I was very much in love.” She could still feel James’s eyes upon her, but she couldn’t look at him. He’d been so quiet. Barely spoken since they’d all arrived. Was he angry with her? Did he wish he were somewhere else? Was coming out to the country a silly waste of time for him when he could be doing things like planning his next pamphlet or attending to business in his study?

“You weren’t always in love?” Annie asked, and she quickly yelped when her sister elbowed her in the side. “Ouch. What?” Annie rubbed her side.

“Don’t ask Kate such a thing,” Lily replied. “You’ve put her in an impossible position. She cannot answer that.”

Kate shook her head. “No, no. I don’t mind. The truth is, I learned quickly after my marriage began that love wasn’t all that I thought it to be.”

Annie reached out a hand and covered Kate’s. “Oh, but love is the most wonderful feeling in the world.”

Kate smiled wanly. “I suppose. If it’s the kind of marriage that you and Lord Ashbourne have.” Ashbourne inclined his head. “Or you and Lord Colton, Lily.” Devon smiled at her.

“It’s all about finding the right person to marry,” Lily replied.

Annie shook her head sadly. “There are many people who marry for connections or to fulfill a duty.”

Kate nodded. “Yes, but my husband and I were supposed to be marrying for love. Sadly, we realized, it wasn’t love at all. We were completely incompatible.”

Lily reached out and put her hand over Kate’s this time and squeezed. “You were very young.”

“Yes,” Kate said.

“I do hope you still believe in love,” Annie added.

Kate glanced away. She wasn’t about to tell them, but love scared her more than almost anything in the world. The promise of love had kept her in an unhappy marriage for ten years and now had her facing a sentence of death. Oh, how her life would have been different if she’d found a husband like Lily’s or Annie’s. They were very lucky women indeed.

James spoke, his voice tight. “Love is a luxury many cannot afford,” he said in a clipped voice.

Lily nudged at James’s sleeve. “Present company notwithstanding, I hope you mean to say.”

“Of course.” He inclined his head and took a long draught from his cup.

Annie slapped her palm on the tabletop. “Oh, here we are, Kate, we promised you a grand time and we’re making you sad, bringing up the past. Let’s speak of happier things.”

By the time the morning was over, Kate was rosy from the two glasses of wine she’d had. No doubt her face was pink from the laughter she’d enjoyed, and her cheeks ached from all the smiling she’d done. She should be in mourning. She should be in prison. Oh, none of it made any sense, but she’d just had the most wonderful time in all the world. She’d gone back to a farm, if only for one day, and it would have to last her the rest of her life.

They rode horses, played in the snow, watched the sheep roam the fields, and played with the baby piglets once they were awake from their nap and their mama was otherwise occupied with her lunch.

And thankfully, James became less distant. He helped her build a snowman, raced her across the fields during their ride, and scooped up the tiniest piglet, handing it to her to allow her to hold the little thing. Kate smiled at him shyly but not before glancing over and noticing that Lily and Annie had taken note of the solicitous way James was treating her. It made her cheeks heat, but she couldn’t help but beam at him. Being in his company made her heart race. She cuddled the baby pig and cooed to her. “If you were mine, I would name you Margaret the Second,” she whispered.

“An illustrious name.” James grinned at her, before gently taking the piglet and laying her back in the hay next to her brother and her mama.

All too soon, their party prepared to return to London. The three ladies walked arm in arm back toward the coaches that had been brought around. They stood together in the barren snow-covered meadow. This time, Annie led them to James’s coach and Kate entered first. Lily stuck her head in.

“Remember to keep the windows closed,” Lily warned, pulling at the curtains from her vantage point.

“And keep your hood up when you get out of the coach,” Annie added, from outside.

Kate shook her head. “Aren’t you coming with me?”

“No, we thought we’d all ride back to my house together and let you and Medford share the coach to his,” Lily said.

Kate gulped.