Page 31 of A Marriage is Arranged

Louise stood there in her petticoat, her hair, which had loosened from its braid in earnest once she took her bonnet off, falling in waves around her face. She was blushing and had the look of a schoolgirl discovered in the middle of a misdeed. She looked adorable.

The Earl swallowed and began again. “I, er, wondered why you didn’t use one of our carriages to go wherever it was you went this afternoon. I don’t like you to go about unprotected.”

“I wasn’t unprotected.” Louise’s blushes faded. She was slightly annoyed by the question. Surely she could travel how she liked. “I had Rose with me. Anyway, how do you know?”

“I saw you paying the driver of that abominable hackney.”

“I know, it was awful wasn’t it? But it was getting late and it was all I could find at the Tower of London. There are lots of visitors there, you know. They all need hackneys.”

“The Tower of London?”

“Yes, Rose wanted to see the animals. Actually, it was quite interesting. Did you know they have a giraffe there?”

“We are getting off the subject. Why did you take a hackney at all?”

Louise looked straight at him. “Because I don’t have the wardrobe to be seen in public as the Countess. Dressed as I was, and not using the carriage with your Coat of Arms on it, no one recognized me. ”

“But why in God’s name don’t you have the wardrobe?”

“Your grandmother told me we’d be staying quietly at home for two weeks and would receive no invitations. I wanted to order things from the modiste here in London. She made my wedding gown and understands what I need. But I didn’t anticipate spending most of my days on my own, and to fill in the time I’ve been going out incognito on discovery outings with Rose. Anyway, look! There are boxes from the modiste on my bed. They arrived while I was out. I was just getting ready to try things on. That’s why I’m….” She gestured at her undressed state.

The Earl was struck by her words. He suddenly realized he’d made no provision for the entertainment of his wife. He had left her, a stranger to London with no acquaintance, entirely to her own devices. He should have done better. He had been so determined that marriage should make no difference to his life, he had paid no attention to what a huge difference it would make to hers.

“You should have said something,” he muttered, unaccustomed to being wrong-footed. “I could have arranged… something.”

“But you are so busy with your routine . And in spite of some of the stories you tell, your work in the House is important. I don’t mind looking after myself. But you must see that I could hardly go about as the Countess of Shrewsbury looking as I do!”

“I think you look very nice… like that.” The Earl took a step towards her, his eyes on hers. “You are… delightful.”

Then he took her in his arms and kissed her.

Louise was completely unprepared for his embrace, and trembled all over.

Her husband drew away. “Don’t you like me kissing you?” he frowned.

“Yes, I do! I do like it very much! Oh don’t frown!” She put her finger between his eyebrows and smoothed them apart. “I am just so unused to being kissed I don’t know what to do.”

His brow cleared. “You seemed to know what to do on our wedding night.”

“Yes, I did. I don’t know how.”

“Shall we repeat the performance later?”

He would have liked to have taken her to bed there and then, but he had been brought up to understand the need for regularity in a household that employed a large number of people all dependent on his movements. He could not upset the routine.

“Oh, yes! Please let’s!” Then she blushed. “Later, I mean.” She, too, understood the need for regularity.

Her husband left, thinking for the first time in his life that he’d like to upset the damned routine.

After some reflection, Louise unpacked the evening gown Véronique had just sent. Her whole body was tingling from her husband’s embrace, and she wanted to look her best for him. She put on her new gown. It was of purple silk with a split-front ivory overdress, cut away like two wings beneath the bosom and ending in a short train. The V neckline was cut wider and lower than she was accustomed to, and the swell of her breasts was revealed. She was doubtful about this, but when she looked at her reflection in the mirror, she saw Véronique was right. It was perfect, cut neither too high nor too low. She had loosened her hair from what was left of the braid and even with it down, the shape of the bodice made her neck longer and her bearing somehow more regal.

“It’s really lovely, m’lady,” said Rose, who had returned after a suitable interval. “I don’t know why you’ve never worn that color before. It do look a treat on you.”

“I suppose I’ve always thought of purple for widows,” said Louise, “but with the ivory overdress it doesn’t look widow-y at all!”

After struggling to gather her mistress’s loose hair on the top of her head and having it cascade down the minute she took her hand off it, Rose said in exasperation, “Why don’t I just braid it as usual pin the braid around your head like a snake? That might work.”

And it did. The braid formed a sort of crown that had the effect, like the V-neck of the gown, of lengthening Louise’s neck.

“I wish I had some earrings,” she said. “Véronique spoke of simple drops, but I don’t have any, simple or otherwise.”

But when she went downstairs for dinner, her husband didn’t appear to think anything was lacking. His eyes brightened as he saw her.

“The new gown is very becoming, Louise,” he said. “Véronique certainly knows her stuff.”

Louise was surprised. “Thank you. You know her well enough to recognize her work?”

He hesitated. “Er… yes, she has been making my grandmother’s gowns this age.”

He didn’t mention that he had frequently paid the exorbitant price of the modiste’s creations for his inamorata and was very familiar with her.

They spoke rather little at dinner, both contemplating the night ahead. When Lisle cleared the last of the dishes and brought in his lordship’s port, Gareth said, “No tea tonight, Lisle, her ladyship is retiring early.”

Louise took the hint and went upstairs. After her gown was removed, she said, “Thank you, Rose. You may leave now. I, er, I want to try on the other things Véronique sent, so I shall stay in my petticoat.”

“But don’t you want me t’ stay and ‘elp you?”

“No, thank you. I may be some time and it’s getting late. It’s best you go to bed.”

When her husband came to her a short while later, Louise was in her petticoat brushing out her hair. He understood, and his eyes narrowed in appreciation.

For them both it was even better than their wedding night.