Page 27 of A Loving Governess in Disguise
Chapter 2
“It is not too late to back out of the wedding.” William smirked and nodded to the wardrobe laid out on the bed by Henry’s valet, Jacob. “You don’t have to dress yourself up and walk down the aisle to a woman who only wants you for what your estate can afford.”
Henry rolled his eyes. “You’ve been saying the same nonsense since the engagement became official. If you think I’m going to turn my back on them now, it’s not going to happen. She is the woman I wish to spend my life with.”
“You went to her home only two days ago, and yet she could not make time for you.” William paced to the window with a shrug, looking out of the sprawling lands of Derbyshire. “If she truly loved you the way that you loved her, don’t you think she would have come to see you instead of hiding in her home and claiming it was bad luck to see you?”
“I met with her sister.”
“Who is a good deal less ridiculous and far more na?ve than Miss Lydia Fairfax is.” William turned and perched himself on the windowsill, his arms crossed over his chest. “I think you should give this a touch more thought, Henry. You are marrying a woman others have warned you against.”
“The ‘others’ that have warned me are you.” Henry looked down at the wardrobe on the bed before nodding to Jacob. “This will do well for the wedding. We should depart Hertfordshire soon after the wedding and return, so I suspect I won’t need much more than that.”
William scowled and tipped his head back, looking up at the ceiling. “You’re not listening to me.”
“I love her.”
Though the words still sounded foreign to his ears, they were true. He loved Miss Fairfax, and he was looking forward to spending the rest of his life with her. He hadn’t thought he would find someone he loved so dearly, and yet, throughout the course of the Season, she had far surpassed what he hoped he would discover when looking for his future wife. With each dance at the balls, his certainty grew.
William made a noise in the back of his throat. “You’re daydreaming about her again and not listening to a word I’m saying.”
“Yes, because I have no idea what your true objections are. There is nothing wrong with Lydia or her family.” Henry glanced down at the shoes Jacob brought forward, nodding to the selection. “You know as well as I do that the daughter of a baron is a perfectly respectable woman to marry, and you’ve met her. She’s kind and considerate.”
Jacob stifled a laugh as he turned and put the shoes into the trunk.
With a triumphant noise, William flung his arm out and motioned at Jacob. “See? Even he knows that there has to be something wrong with this woman, and he hasn’t seen how she flounces around at balls, preening and primping for anyone who might look her way.”
“All the women primp and preen, and for the record, so do most of the men.” Henry tried to keep the frustration out of his voice, but he was growing tired of the conversation. “Can’t you be happy for me, at least in the slightest?”
“I am happy for you, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t worry about you. You may put on a relaxed exterior, but I know you, and I know at heart that you are the kind of man who would like to lose yourself in the love and grandeur of it all, not once stopping to question if you and this woman are truly compatible.”
“We are compatible. I’ve gone on several promenades with her. We share the same interests in music and in art. She has a head for numbers, often speaking about estates and their standings and what she knows of bookkeeping.”
William pressed his lips together in a thin line. “Are you sure that this is what you want to do? Are you sure that Miss Fairfax is the woman you want to spend the rest of your life with, despite the fact that those around you think you should take more time to know her?”
Henry stood taller. “I’m certain. She and I are a good match for each other, and we’re going to have a happy marriage.”
“I’m going to continue to worry about you, but if you’re sure that this is what you want to do, then I won’t argue with you.” William forced a smile and crossed the room to clap a hand on Henry’s shoulder. “I’m glad you’ll be happy in your marriage, and I want the best for you.”
“Do you?”
William squeezed his shoulder. “It’s my job as your oldest friend to make sure that you’re not going to regret this, but based on the way you’re blushing and looking like a little boy with his hand in the cookie jar, I’m sure you’re going to have a good wedding.”
“You’ll be there with me, won’t you?” Henry bit the inside of his cheek. His sister and grandmother wouldn’t be with them due to his grandmother’s illness, but he needed his friend there.
If nothing else, then he wanted William to get to know the Lydia that he knew. The one who laughed and smiled and teased him mercilessly as they promenaded. The same Lydia who would rush to meet him whenever they were to spend time together.
He wanted his friends and family to meet the version of Lydia, who existed outside of balls and showing off for other people.
And in several days, they would have the chance to do so.
Henry looked at the time on his pocket watch. “I have to go meet with Grandmother and Isabella. Jacob, will you finish my packing, please? William, walk with me.”
Jacob nodded and got to work stacking the trunk with everything else Henry would need.
William followed Henry out of the bedchamber and through the halls. “What do you want to talk about?”
“You’ll be here tomorrow morning to travel, and I want you to be on your best behavior.”
“I’ll try my best, but I can’t promise anything. You know how I get when I’m trapped in a carriage for hours on end with nobody but you to speak with.”
Henry rolled his eyes, the corner of his mouth twitching as he walked William to the front door. “You need to go pack.”
William nodded before leaving, whistling to himself as he walked out the door. Henry stood there for a moment longer, glad that his friend was coming around to the thought of him getting married.
As he walked into the drawing room, his grandmother, Lady Eleanor, started coughing. Her entire body shook with the cough, her lungs sounding as if they were rattling in her chest. Isabella surged forward with a cup of water, helping their grandmother sit up and take a drink.
Henry paused and crouched down in front of Lady Eleanor. “Are you going to be well while I’m gone?”
“Of course.” Lady Eleanor sniffed and sat up taller. “You don’t have to worry about me, boy. I’ll be just fine while you’re gone.”
“I’m always going to worry about you.”
“I’m recovering from my cold; this cough is just lingering longer than I would like.” Lady Eleanor smiled and patted the seat beside her, shifting to the side to make enough room for Isabella to sit down. “Now, since I’m not well enough to travel and Isabella insists on staying with me, we’re going to have to talk about the ball for when you return with Miss Fairfax.”
“Are you sure you want to organize a ball?” Henry stood and sat down on the couch across from them, leaning back against the cushions and crossing one leg over the other. “I don’t want to put too much strain on either of you while I’m gone.”
“Miss Fairfax will be family.” Lady Eleanor folded her hands in her lap. “She seemed like a perfectly lovely young lady when we met at that ball last month. She told me how much she loved dancing, so I think it would be a kind gesture to have a ball to welcome her to Derbyshire and her new home, don’t you?”
“It would be very kind, Grandmother,” Henry said, already sensing that he was losing the battle.
Lady Eleanor would do what she wanted, and if she wanted to make Miss Fairfax feel at home once she arrived, who was he to disagree? He appreciated that she would go out of her way to show such kindness to her.
“We’ll have a wedding ball,” Isabella said with a bright smile, clapping her hands together and bouncing to her feet. “It will be great fun, and I know that Miss Fairfax and I will become the very best of friends. She seemed so lovely when we met her previously.”
“If you’re sure that you want to do this, then I would be happy to have it arranged.” Henry grinned as he looked between the two of them. “I want to do our best to make sure that she feels welcomed into our home. The journey will take several days, and I’m sure she will be weary though, so perhaps we have a day of rest between our arrival home and the ball at least?”
Isabelle nodded. “I’ll make sure you both have time to rest. Grandmother and I will work out all the details, and you won’t have to worry about a thing.”
“I like the sound of that.” He winked at his sister before standing. “I have to make sure everything is in order for us to leave tomorrow morning, but you will be sure to take care of Grandmother, won’t you?”
“I’ll send for you if we need you,” Isabella said as she stood and rushed to wrap Henry in a tight hug. “I hope you have safe travels.”
The doors burst open, and Daisy, his youngest sister, came running in, her curls flouncing behind her and her maid rushing to keep up. “Henry, you can’t possibly leave without saying goodbye!”
Henry laughed and disentangled himself from Isabella to crouch down and sweep Daisy into a large hug, spinning her around. “How could I possibly leave without saying goodbye to my little wildflower?”
Daisy laughed and cupped his face in her hands. “You couldn’t.”
“Exactly. I was going to say goodbye over breakfast in the morning before you went to do your lessons for the day.”
Her bottom lip jutted out as he set her on the floor. “Can’t I come with you?”
“Not this time, wildflower, but I promise you’re going to have so much fun once Miss Fairfax gets here. And you and I and Isabella are going to go on one of our picnics, just the three of us.”
Daisy lit up, her smile stretching wide. “Then I suppose I can go to bed.”
“Love you,” Henry said, shaking his head as Daisy ran back out of the room, her maid hurrying to keep up once more. He turned to his grandmother and Isabella. “Do the best you can to keep her out of trouble.”
Isabella blew a strand of her hair out of her face. “I’ll do my best.”
“That’s why I leave you in charge.”