Page 25 of Entwined By Error (Madcaps of Mayfair #1)

She approached slowly, realizing that there was no place for her to hide if Mr. Northcott exited the structure.

With each step taking her closer, her excitement grew, the intrigue nearly bursting out of her chest as her heart pounded in her ears.

Approaching the windows, she peered in to find her husband in a paint smock with a brush in hand as he stood back, admiring a half-finished painting of a ship with waves crashing upon it.

The movement in the painting made her sway as though she were on the deck of the boat.

Myra watched for over an hour as he painted until her stomach grumbled, then she slowly walked back to Blackbriar Hall, her mind filled with the image of her husband and the realization that he was far more than a man armed with sarcasm and a cultivated talent for pretending he didn’t care.

A strange sensation burned in her chest, far stronger than the distraction plaguing her since she’d woke that morning.

She suddenly wished she knew Daniel Northcott as more than just the man she’d been forced to wed.

* * *

Wanting to know more about her husband, and actually speaking to him about anything other than pleasantries were two very different things.

The notion that he found their arrangement sufficient stirred a quiet dread she could not entirely dispel.

Over the following week, she went back to the silent arrangement between them, wishing she had the courage to ask him about the letter he’d received and his business trip. But she chose to stay silent.

By the start of the new week, Myra was beside herself as they continued in silence.

The excitement that had brewed inside her slowly faded each time her husband looked past her, the words he’d said while in a dream-filled state not even a whisper between them.

Realizing it had simply been a confession of circumstance, she’d gone back to her routine of speaking with the housekeeper each morning, sewing for a few hours, and then practicing the pianoforte.

Myra was practicing a difficult passage in a concerto when the door to the music room crept open. Her fingers stalled on the ivory keys as she met the butler’s gaze. He looked around, then frowned.

“Lady Hastings is in the morning room,” Melbourne said.

Myra stood, her hand hitting the keys and causing a cacophony of notes to blare from the instrument. “Have you informed Mr. Northcott?”

“No, Ma’am, Lady Hastings has requested to meet with you. Not her son.”

She patted down the front of her dress, her stomach fluttering as she considered what it would be like to see her husband’s mother after all that had occurred the last time they’d met. The memory of her marriage was likely as unpleasant for the countess as it was for her.

“Thank you, Melbourne. I shall go directly.”

Myra waited until the butler left before she looked down at her dress. It was respectable enough for visitors, but was it the right gown for the countess? She considered calling for her maid but decided against it. It wouldn’t be right to keep the countess waiting.

Entering the morning room, she dipped into a curtsy. “My lady, I apologize for the delay in my arrival.”

“Not at all, Mrs. Northcott.” The countess held her hands out, so Myra crossed the room and took hold of them. “Allow me to look at you.”

Standing in front of the countess, Myra was fully aware that she was still wearing the gown she’d put on that morning, having opted not to change into a day frock.

There was no need to change her clothing multiple times a day when no one except the servants were witness.

Perhaps if she were to take to the grounds, she might need to wear a frock and spencer.

“You are lovely.” The countess smiled at her and then pulled her down to sit upon the sofa. “It has been too long since we last saw you and Daniel together; I nearly forgot your features.”

The countess was being a bit dramatic. It had only been three months since their wedding. Three months since she had seen her own parents and her sisters. “I will speak with Mr. Northcott, mayhap we could visit.”

“My son is stubborn. He enjoys the country far more than town. Now that he is married, he will likely find every opportunity to avoid London.”

“You and the Earl of Hastings are welcome to visit Blackbriar Hall.” She would love to have visitors, someone other than herself and the servants to occupy her time.

“You are very sweet, Mrs. Northcott. I am thankful you and Daniel are happily situated here in Bardsea. This part of Cumbria has always held my heart. If I could have raised my boys here instead of at Northcott Castle, perhaps Southwood would not suffer from the difficulties he faces at this time.”

Instantly on alert, Myra sat forward. “Is something amiss with Viscount Southwood?”

“Nothing you need worry about.” The countess patted Myra’s hand. “You have bigger concerns as a wife and mistress of an estate.”

Myra allowed her shoulders to slump a little as she sat back. “What sort of concerns should I address?”

“The same that every married woman must consider, that of bearing a child.”

Myra’s fingers drifted unconsciously to her abdomen, as if willing it to respond.

She hadn’t thought about a child, not with the continued strain with Daniel.

She wanted children, but now that the expectation had been voiced, the question achingly arose in her mind, what if wanting a child was not enough? What if being a wife was not enough?

“Oh.” Myra dipped her head, her eyes landing upon her flat belly. “It has not happened yet.”

“I am quite concerned. The earl and I expected to hear you were increasing by now. Certainly you wish to have a child, do you not?”

“Yes, of course I do.”

“Is it possible you could be with child? Has my son seen to your health, requested a physician to attend you?”

Heat rushed into her neck as she considered the countess’s question.

She bit her bottom lip as she thought about the women she’d known who had children.

Each of them had slowly increased over several months, the size of their middle growing soon after they were wed. But for her that had not happened.

“I do not know, my lady. And no, a physician has not been called as I do not see a reason for it.” It pained her to admit her lack of understanding upon the matter. “I shall write to my mother to see if she can guide me on the matter.”

The countess took hold of Myra’s hand. “There would be indications of a child. Sickness in the morning. Your dresses would have to be let out. If none of that has occurred, then I shall speak to my son upon the matter.”

Myra’s stomach instantly fluttered, her heart racing as she squeezed the countess’s hands. She stumbled over the words, nearly unable to speak until she finally caught her breath. “No need to speak with him, my lady.”

Ignoring her breathless plea, the countess stood and walked to the bell cord. She pulled it three times before taking a seat next to Myra once more. As the door opened, before the butler could fully enter the room, the countess called out. “Melbourne, send for my son.”