Page 5 of The Marquess’ Quest for Love (The Strongs of Shadowcrest #6)

M irella parted from Lord Bridgewater but knew she was not ready yet to go back to her bedchamber. While she loved Effie a great deal, her youngest sister could be overtalkative at times, and Mirella needed time to herself now to think. She doubted anyone would be in the drawing room and made her way there, relieved to find it empty. She went to the far end of the room and took a seat, gazing out the window upon the very gardens she had just strolled in with Lord Bridgewater.

He intrigued her. He infuriated her.

The marquess was an enigma. When he had first appeared upon the terrace, she had picked up on the fact that he was unhappy they were there. Mama had always said that Mirella was excellent at reading the moods of others, and she wondered why he would be upset seeing the Bentons had guests. He had been standoffish, not entering the conversation during teatime, until forced to do so. That was why she had asked to stroll in the gardens with him. She wanted to bluntly ask why he was so resentful of their presence.

No, she could not lie to herself. It wasn’t the only reason she had wished to take a turn with Lord Bridgewater. The man was incredibly attractive. His height alone was impressive, but his muscular frame appealed to her greatly. Those gray eyes of his drew her in. She wanted to get to know him better. The expression still waters run deep came to mind, and she thought it accurately described Lord Bridgewater. Curiosity filled her, and Mirella wanted to know what was behind the serious fa?ade of the marquess.

Not having made her come-out, she had been around very few men of Polite Society, so she did not know if the attraction she felt to the marquess was unique—or if it happened often between men and women. Something told her that the spark evident between her and the marquess was unusual.

Mirella had always been a happy, optimistic person, yet at the same time, she was quite practical. She was eager to make her come-out and find a husband. Until recently, she had not thought to love that husband. Her own parents’ marriage was proof that two individuals could co-exist in a marriage and have little to do with one another. She had thought simply to find a gentleman who interested her, one whom she believed to be honest and reliable, two traits important to her.

Then her family had been struck with arrows of love from Cupid’s bow.

She had seen Pippa, tomboy that she was, grow girlish, swooning over Viscount Hopewell. Georgie, too, had fallen head over heels for Lord Edgethorne. The marquess was terribly scarred from battle—even missing one eye—and yet Georgie had loved August from the start.

James and Sophie were also a shining example of the power of love, bringing together the rivals of England’s two biggest shipping empires, uniting them in marriage. Even her mother, making a new start with Captain Andrews, had finally found what other Strongs had.

Because of what she had witnessed, seeing the incredible transformations in the lives of her loved ones, Mirella had known it must be a love match for her—or nothing at all. In a way, she had almost been relieved when she had been unable to participate in the last Season. It gave her more time to learn about herself, as well as additional time to decide that a love match was most important to her.

She had caught the various couples in the family kissing, so she understood part of love did deal with the physical. Already, she felt a strong pull toward Lord Bridgewater.

The marquess seemed her opposite, however. Closed off from others. Incredibly sober. He also had no family around him to help support him, whereas she had Strongs coming out the seams who loved her and wanted the best for her.

How on earth was she supposed to pursue him?

She had believed it was the role of a gentleman to show interest in a lady first, but now she wasn’t so certain. Had Pippa and Georgie told the men they were attracted to of their interest? How did James and Sophie or Mama and the captain come to be? Suddenly, Mirella had too many questions and absolutely no answers.

Her heart told her that there was a strong possibility Lord Bridgewater could be meant for her but that he would never speak up. Would he consider her too brazen if she made known her interest in him?

Mirella decided her best course of action would be to get to know the marquess during this visit to Benbrook. She knew from watching other Strongs that love involved more than the physical and emotional connections. Her Strong relatives had also formed a bond of friendship with their future spouses. Perhaps that was the way to proceed. Mirella didn’t know if men and women in Polite Society forged friendships with one another, but she intended to extend an offer of friendship to Lord Bridgewater and try to get to know him as well as she could during the next week.

She hoped that he would be attending the Season next spring, and she could pick up the threads of their friendship when they became reacquainted at the various social affairs. She believed it might give her an advantage over other ladies he might meet while in town. It would also test her feelings for the marquess, being separated throughout the autumn and winter months. If they came together next spring and she still harbored feelings for him, Mirella would know then that the marquess was the one for her.

She only hoped he would feel the same toward her.

Her fingers practically itched to play. She had not done so since they had left Kent. They had been staying at inns, with no pianofortes in sight, but there was one in this room, and Mirella went to it. She had done enough thinking. It was time to lose herself now in music, which had always been her passion, salvation, and comfort.

Sitting, she placed her fingers on the keyboard, taking a moment to decide which composer she wished to play. Then her fingers began to dance along the keys, and the music took her over.

When she finished playing the piece, she sensed she was not alone. Turning, Mirella saw that Aunt Matty had slipped into the drawing room. Rising, she joined her aunt on the settee.

“Every time I hear you play, Mirella, it is such a treat. Your talent is immense. I almost wish you could play professionally.”

She laughed. “That will never come to pass, Aunt. I will always keep up with my music, however, even when I wed someday.”

“How did your stroll with Lord Bridgewater go?”

She sensed her cheeks heating and said, “The Benbrook gardens are quite lovely. You will have to go through them with me. Lyric would have been so proud because I pointed out several different varieties of flowers and plants to the marquess. He seemed unfamiliar with gardens.”

“I am not asking about the gardens, Mirella. I am asking about how you feel about Lord Bridgewater,” Aunt Matty said, her gaze intense.

Her aunt knew her all too well. “I do not have a great deal of experience with men,” she began. “That is what my come-out will be for. I will say, however, that I am greatly intrigued by Lord Bridgewater.”

“You feel something about him, don’t you?” her aunt pressed. “Something almost indescribable. Probably hard to put into words since, as you said, you do not have much experience.”

“How did you know, Aunt Matty?” she marveled.

“I saw the way he looked at you,” her aunt said matter-of-factly. “From the time he took your hand upon being introduced, I could tell something had passed between the two of you. He was rather cold to us, though. Flora even apologized for his brusqueness after the two of you left us.”

“He is not the kind of man I thought I would be attracted to,” she admitted. “In all honesty, I believed I would be drawn to someone jovial and outgoing. A man who was friendly to all. Instead of being open, Lord Bridgewater seems closed off from others.”

Aunt Matty looked at her knowingly. “And yet you are still drawn to him.”

“He is struggling, Aunt Matty. He took on his title a year ago and was hopelessly unprepared for it. From what I gather, he received little to no attention from his parents.”

A knowing light filled her aunt’s eyes. “Yes, that is quite common amongst the ton , the heir apparent receiving all the attention, while other sons—and even daughters—are ignored.”

“It is worse than that,” she revealed. “Bridgewater idolized his older brother. Apparently, they were very close during their childhood. Then this brother gained the title and seemed to turn a bit... wild. While the current Lord Bridgewater is all about honor and duty, thanks to his army experience, I think he found his brother lacking in his role as the Marquess of Bridgewater.”

Aunt Matty nodded. “It is hard when you have such a high opinion of someone you love whom you are close to, and then you discover how they have disappointed you and others. Hugh told me that his nephew has always been on the serious side, even as a child. That he and Flora did their best to try and give the boy a bit of attention since he received so little from his parents. Hugh said that the marquess has spent a good bit of time with the Benbrook steward during this visit, trying to learn from him so he could take back new ideas to his own estate.”

“Yes, I know Lord Bridgewater is trying his best to learn about estate management. I offered to help him if I could. You know how both Effie and I have spent a great deal of time with Caleb, and most likely, we know more than the usual person about the scope of an estate and how it is run.”

“Are you going to pursue a friendship with Lord Bridgewater while we are here?”

“That was my very idea. There is something between us. Something unnamed pulls me toward him. I thought if I could be open and get to know him some during this visit, a foundation of friendship might be forged. I would like to think that it might help come next Season when I make my come-out and he is present. If I am a friendly face, he may turn to me. If in the coming months my feelings toward him change, then it would still be nice to see him next Season.”

Aunt Matty looked at her knowingly. “I think the spark you have felt will only grow in magnitude.”

She looked at her aunt a long moment. “You know what you are speaking of, don’t you, Aunt Matty?”

It surprised her when tears misted the older woman’s eyes, and Mirella reached out and took her aunt’s hand.

“Can you tell me about it? I have never thought to ask you about your youth. Why you never wed. I know you made your come-out. As a duke’s daughter, it would have been expected of you.”

“Yes, I made my debut into Polite Society many years ago, the same year Flora did. She met Hugh—and I met the love of my life.”

“How did I not know this?” she asked.

“Flora and Hugh know about it because they were present and saw the events unfold.” Aunt Matty patted their joined hands. “The only other person I have ever spoken to of this was Pippa recently, when she had questions about her and Seth.”

“Would you be willing to share your story with me?” Mirella asked quietly. “If it is too upsetting, though, we need never speak of it again.”

“No, perhaps it is time I told you. I am close to all six of you girls, Mirella, but I have always felt a special bond with you.”

A dreamy expression filled Aunt Matty’s face, and Mirella eagerly anticipated what her aunt would tell her.

“I came to town all those years ago with stars in my eyes, ready to make my match. After all, as you pointed out, I was a duke’s daughter. I would most likely have my pick of the eligible bachelors at the Season. I was quite the beauty back then, and my dowry was substantial. I entered the Season with high hopes of finding a husband from a good family, one who would give me plenty of children to love.”

Aunt Matty swallowed. “From the first, I was quite popular, my programme filled at each ball. While I found many of the gentlemen present amusing and handsome, only one stole my heart.”

Perplexed, she asked, “Why did you not wed this man?”

“Sadly, he was leaving England. He was the second son of an earl, and his family had purchased a commission for him in the army. He was to be a lieutenant and would leave for his officer’s training mid-way through the Season. His mother thought it would be good for him to share in the company of other young people before he left and have a bit of fun. After his training was complete, he had already been told his group would be shipped out to North America. This was at a time when the colonies still were a part of the British empire.”

Her aunt sighed. “Oh, how I loved him, Mirella. His kisses took me to places I could never have dreamed of. His touch was simply magical.”

Aunt Matty paused. “But he told me that he could not offer for me. That it would be inappropriate for an army lieutenant to wed a duke’s daughter. And even if we did marry, we would be more than three thousand miles apart while he went to fight in what became known as Pontiac’s Rebellion. I begged him not to go. To change his mind. To stay in England with me. I told him how much I loved him. That I would always love him—and only him.”

Her aunt shook her head sadly, and Mirella’s heart ached for her loved one.

“He would not utter words of love to me and give me hope, which I will admit pained me. He told me the commission had been purchased, and his family expected him to do his duty to England. We parted with one last kiss, and I never saw him again.”

She found her own eyes welling with tears. “Oh, Aunt Matty. I had no idea that you had loved a man so deeply.”

“I still love him to this day,” her aunt admitted. “I tried not to. I did another couple of Seasons with the intention of finding myself a husband. But no one appealed to me after having known my lieutenant.”

“Do you know what became of him, Aunt Matty? Did he rise through the ranks?”

“He died of his battle wounds, only a few months after he arrived on the war front,” her aunt said, shocking Mirella. “I received a letter from one of his fellow officers. My beloved was dying, too weak to write, but he begged his friend to write to me in his place. In the letter, he told me how much he loved me and how hard it had been to walk away from a life with me. That his last thoughts would be of me.”

By now, tears fell down her aunt’s cheeks, and Aunt Matty pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve, wiping them away.

“I knew in my heart that I could never love another as I had loved him. I decided I would devote myself to my family instead. It would not have been fair to wed when my heart and soul would always belong to someone else.”

Aunt Matty cupped Mirella’s cheek. “From the moment we laid eyes upon one another, I felt a connection with him, much as you have experienced with Lord Bridgewater. I think your plan sound, my darling. Get to know this man further during the next few days. Let the months go by and see if your feelings ebb or if they grow stronger with his absence. Next Season, you can reacquaint yourself with him, as well as meet a good number of other eligible bachelors. Your heart will tell you what you need to know.”

Mirella wrapped her arms about Aunt Matty, hugging her tightly.

“Thank you for sharing your story with me. For always being here for me.”

Aunt Matty brushed the tears from Mirella’s cheeks. “Come. We should return to our bedchambers and prepare ourselves for dinner. Flora will be sending up hot water for our baths, knowing we have been traveling and would enjoy soaking for a good, long while.”

She returned to her room, where Effie was already bathing. Her sister was chatty as usual, not noticing how quiet Mirella was.

She would take her aunt’s advice. Hopefully, her heart would speak loudly enough so that Mirella could hear it—and act accordingly.