Page 52 of The Reckless Love of an Heir (The Marlow Family Secrets #4)

Susan rolled over and her hand reached across the bed, but she already knew Henry was not there, it was the same as last night. There was no sound of breathing and no dip in the mattress from his weight lying beside her.

She opened her eyes and sat up. Daylight peered about the shutters.

There was a piece of folded paper on the far side of the bed. She grasped it and unfolded it quickly.

Forgive me, sleeping beauty, I am going riding with my brothers, they need me, you see, at the moment.

But Mama and the girls will be in the house. They will keep you company at breakfast and through the morning. Of course, if they become too much, feel free to run to the library. I should return by luncheon.

x

Yours,

Henry

So she had the morning to herself.

She tumbled onto her back. She could lie here and sleep in, but the energy inside her was too excited to do that. She ached. Mostly from making love in the chair, but it was a nice ache.

I am a married woman! She smiled into the air, her soul shouting with joy, as she got up and rang for a maid to bring water to wash with and to help her dress.

Downstairs, Aunt Jane, Sarah and Christine were at the breakfast table.

‘Susan.’ Aunt Jane stood. ‘Come and sit beside me.’

They talked of nothing really, of dresses, balls and some of the unusual fashions they had seen in their short season in London.

Yet Susan was not fooled, they were not happy, they were suffering over William’s loss and talking for her sake.

As soon as she finished eating she excused herself.

Not because she wished to avoid them but because she felt as though they would rather avoid her. So she went to the library.

The door had been left ajar. She pushed it open wider, her fingers shaking nervously, because Uncle Robert might be there. She would not want to disturb him. He was not. She found out a book to read, a book about Italy, and settled in a chair, pressing her spectacles a little further up her nose.

When Henry walked into the room she looked at the clock. It was past midday.

‘Hello,’ she said in greeting.

He smiled as he walked across the room and when he reached her he bent down and pressed a kiss on her lips. ‘Hello,’ he said. Then he straightened, catching hold of her hand. ‘Come along, book-head, it is time for luncheon. Set the book down and come with me.’

She put the book on the table beside her and stood. He held of her hand as they walked. ‘Have you just come back?’ she asked .

‘Yes, well, apart from allowing myself time to change out of my clothes that smelled of horse.’

‘Where did you ride?’

‘Along the perimeter of Papa’s land.’

She nodded.

He looked sideways at her. ‘Were you lonely? I would hate for you to be lonely here.’

‘No, I just sensed Aunt Jane, Sarah and Christine would rather be alone with their thoughts than feeling the need to converse with me.’

‘You know you are going to have to stop calling Mama Aunt Jane. It sounds rather odd for her daughter-in-law.’ He smiled.

She laughed. ‘I suppose so.’

‘Sir.’ A footman stood in their path.

Henry stopped but did not let go of her hand. ‘Yes, Peter.’

‘Mr Hopkins, the steward, is waiting below stairs to see Lord Barrington, my lord, but Lord Barrington is out riding and no one is sure when he will return.’

A sigh slipped from Henry’s lips and his free hand ran over his hair. ‘Have Cook give Mr Hopkins some refreshment. I will speak with him after I have eaten.’

When the footman turned away, Henry’s fingers squeezed her hand a little tighter for a moment before he began walking again.

The boys and Percy were at the table as well as the girls.

In fact the only person missing was Uncle Robert.

The boys talked loudly, full of energy and tales from their ride, which appeared to give Sarah and Christine an excuse not to talk at all.

Susan watched them all, silent herself, but she particularly watched Henry.

He smiled and laughed with the boys and asked his mother questions. Then he spoke with Sarah and Christine.

His gaze collided with Susan’s for a moment. He smiled, then he looked away and joined the boys’ conversation .

He was keeping guard over them all.

It was endearing.

Once they had mostly finished eating, although the boys were helping themselves to more cake, Henry stood. ‘I am going downstairs to talk with Hopkins. If Papa comes home, Mama, please tell him where we are.’

His mother gave him an apologetic and appreciative look. Henry nodded. Then he looked at Susan. ‘Will you find something to do?’

‘Of course.’ She was among the people he was watching over now. She tried to make her smile reassuring.

She did not see Henry again until she was changing for dinner in his room. He walked in when the maid was dressing her hair, with Samson in his wake. The maid stepped away, she had finished anyway.

‘You look beautiful.’ Henry crossed the room with long, quick strides then bent and kissed the back of Susan’s neck, as his hand touched her shoulder.

Susan saw her colour rise in her reflection.

He had already dressed for dinner. He must have used another room. He looked strikingly attractive, incomparably handsome. He smiled at her, through the mirror. She smiled too.

‘Do you need me for anything else, my lady?’

Susan looked at the maid. The term ‘my lady’ still came as a shock to her. ‘No, thank you.’

‘You have done a marvellous job with Susan’s hair, Sally,’ Henry acknowledged as the maid bobbed a curtsy.

Henry bent and kissed the back of Susan’s neck again. ‘Have you been lonely?’

‘No.’ She turned sideways in the chair. ‘I have begun sewing you a new shirt as your mother and sisters were sewing.’

A sound of humour escaped his throat, and his head declined a little in a slight nod. ‘Very industrious, but it sounds like torture.’

She smiled, stood up and wrapped her arms about his neck. ‘I missed you.’

He hugged her in return. ‘I missed you too. We will eat dinner and then come up to bed. As things are, no one will mind.’

Samson nudged at her hip, for some attention or to break her apart from Henry.

They separated.

‘Are you ready?’

‘Yes.’

‘Are you leaving off your spectacles?’

She smiled. ‘Yes, my hair looks better without them.’

‘You know I like you with and without them, just so we are straight on that point.’

‘I know.’

‘Come along, then.’ He grasped her hand and began to lead her from the room. ‘Samson, stay.’

When they walked outside the bedroom door, he let go of her hand. ‘Take my arm.’ He held up his forearm.

She wrapped her fingers about it.

‘You know you are the only woman who holds my arm and does not just lay her hand upon it…’

‘Am I doing the wrong thing?’

He smiled at her. ‘No, you are doing absolutely the right thing. That is why I offered my arm, only because I wished you to hold it just so.’

She leaned against him a little, as they walked.

When they entered the drawing room, his arm dropped. ‘Papa.’ He walked away from her, crossing the room to speak with his father.

‘Good evening, Susan,’ Aunt Jane intervened .

As she stood with the women, she watched Henry talking. Uncle Robert kept shaking his head.

‘Dinner is ready to be served!’ Davis called.

‘Susan.’ Percy was at her side. He had been talking to the boys but now they were talking with their mother.

She accepted his arm and lay her hand on it rather than held it. ‘How are you? You have been busy entertaining Stephen and Gerard.’

‘I do not mind. Henry has enough on his shoulders, he needs someone to help.’

Susan looked back. Henry was walking towards her.

‘Percy! That is my wife, of one day. I hope you will be gracious enough to let her take my arm to walk to the dinner table.’

Percy laughed and lowered his arm.

Henry raised his.

She held it.

They walked ahead of the others, leading the way into the dining room, and at the table, Henry withdrew a chair for her, before a footman could. He sat beside her, as everyone else sat down around them.

‘Your Uncle Edward is going home in the morning,’ Uncle Robert said as the footmen began serving.

‘Why?’ Henry looked shocked.

‘Because I told him to go. There is no point in him kicking his heels here. I told him to leave Rob and Caro in peace and go home.’

Henry sighed, and picked up his wine glass. It was as if he wanted to say something and did not.

As she was served, Susan slipped her hands underneath the table and rested one on Henry’s thigh. He glanced at her and they shared a smile. Then he sipped his wine and set the glass back down .

‘Is Harry leaving too?’ Percy asked.

‘He had to go back to his regiment. He left today.’

The conversation moved on, but both Uncle Robert and Henry were quiet from that point forward. Susan spoke more frequently, compensating for Henry’s silence, to stop others noticing. But there was definitely something wrong.

As the crockery for the dessert course was removed Aunt Jane stood.

‘We will leave you now.’ Sarah, Christine and then Susan rose too, to leave the men and Stephen and Gerard, alone with the port.

Susan lay her hand on Henry’s shoulder before she walked away, and for a moment his hand lay over hers and he looked up with gratitude in his eyes.

In the drawing room, she offered, ‘Shall I play the pianoforte, Aunt Jane?’ It would give her something to do. She could not sit here with nothing beyond conversation to occupy her mind.

‘That would be pleasant. But please, nothing boisterous, and please stop calling me Aunt Jane.’ She walked across and hugged Susan for an instant. ‘Please call me Mama now, or just Jane at least.’

Susan held her in return, seeking to offer comfort as much as gratitude.

‘Shall we play together?’ Christine proposed.

Susan smiled. ‘If you would like.’

‘I will choose the music and might I sing…’ Sarah offered.

Perhaps they all needed other things to occupy their mind.

‘Then I shall sing too,’ Aunt Jane said.

There was some debate over which sheet of music to choose, yet by the time Percy entered with the boys, they were gathered about the instrument, playing and singing a love ballad in a very reasonable harmony.

Percy joined in, as Stephen and Gerard excused themselves and left the room.

Aunt… Mama… smiled and waved goodnight, but did not stop singing .

Susan sat on one side of the stool playing the part at one end of the pianoforte, while Christine’s fingers moved over the keys of the other side.

Susan glanced away from the music, looking over her shoulder.

Neither Henry nor his father had come in.

She continued playing, forcing a smile, for his family’s sake, as they began the next verse.

Susan was playing the last chorus when Henry walked in ahead of his father. Henry walked straight to the decanters as his father joined Aunt Jane – Mama. He whispered something in her ear then left her and the room.

Henry drank his brandy then poured another.

Susan played the final note.

‘What shall we sing now?’ Sarah asked immediately.

‘Let me look,’ Percy said.

Susan stood. ‘I shall bow out and let you play, Sarah.’

While the conversation continued over what to play next, Susan walked across the room to Henry. He did not notice; he was staring into his glass.

‘Henry?’

He looked around. ‘Hello. Sorry, I am feeling a bit miserable.’

‘You have no need to apologise, you have a good excuse to feel miserable. Would you like to retire?’

He smiled. ‘Yes. I cannot tell you how much I would love to escape this house.’

He finished his brandy then set down the empty glass.

‘Let me say goodnight.’ Susan walked across to the pianoforte. ‘Henry and I are going to retire, if you will excuse us. Goodnight.’

‘Goodnight, Susan, dear.’ Aunt Jane – Mama – hugged Susan.

Henry did not approach them to say goodnight. His mother lifted a hand in his direction. He smiled, that was all.

Susan returned to him, and he lifted his arm, not offering it, but encouraging her to walk ahead of him. Yet once they were outside the drawing room, his arm fell onto her shoulders and he sighed. She leaned against him as they walked towards the stairs. ‘What is it?’

‘Nothing for you to be concerned over.’

‘But I am concerned because, as I said last night, if it affects you then it affects me.’

‘That is very sweet of you to say, but I do not expect you to solve my problems.’

But I want to. She said nothing more. She did not think he was in a mood to be persuaded with words – but with her body, she could and would comfort him.