Page 99 of Regency Whispers: Scandalous Matches

Mrs James stepped back and admired her handiwork, tutted and then reached out to fiddle with Alice’s hair again. They had been given one of the many bedrooms in Westcroft Hall for her to get ready in, and now Alice stood in the new dress that had been delivered a few days earlier, a gift from Lord Westcroft for their wedding day.

There was a soft knock on the door, and a moment later it opened and the dowager countess, Lord Westcroft’s sister-in-law, entered the room.

‘Mrs James, I think everything is almost ready downstairs. Perhaps you would like to take a seat with your husband.’

Mrs James flushed and curtsied clumsily, gave Alice a final look-over and then left the room.

The dowager countess smiled at Alice, her expression warm.

‘How are you, my dear?’

‘I feel as though I have a hundred frogs jumping inside my stomach,’ Alice said and then flushed. It was probably too honest an answer.

‘I remember my wedding day. I felt much the same. It was a small affair in the local church, yet I felt as though the whole world was watching me.’ She paused and then stepped closer. ‘I know this has been thrust upon you both, but Lord Westcroft is a good man. He will do his duty by you and so much more.’

Alice looked away. Lord Westcroft’s family were not aware of the nature of their impending marriage. They thought Alice and Lord Westcroft would live together as man and wife, not go their separate ways after the wedding, never to see one another again.

‘You are kind, Lady Westcroft.’

She waved a hand. ‘You must call me Maria. After today there will be three Lady Westcrofts. Simon’s mother, me and now you. Let everyone else tie themselves up in knots working out who they are talking about, but we will be family and can be much more familiar.’

Alice felt the tears prick her eyes. These last few weeks she had felt bereft and uncertain in her decision. Her parents had been focussed on her elevation in status and what that meant for them. Lord Westcroft had been notably absent, sending her notes to update her on the progress of their impending wedding but only spending at most an hour with her in the last few weeks. It was comforting to have a friendly face, someone to make her think she might be welcomed into this family even if Lord Westcroft was not around to help her find her place.

‘You will call me Alice?’

‘I would be delighted to, Alice. Now, I do not know where you and Simon are planning on setting up your main residence, but whilst you are here in Northumberland we will take tea together at least once a week and go for long walks about the estate. I know how apprehensive you can feel, marrying into such a wealthy and influential family, and if there is anything I can do to help ease your path, you must tell me.’

‘That is very kind, Maria.’

She smiled with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. ‘Although, of course, I would not dream of interrupting you during the honeymoon period. Simon did not say if you were going away, but I expect he will at least take you on a tour of the residences he owns around the country.’

Alice dropped her gaze. Maria was a perceptive woman, and Alice sensed her future sister-in-law could tell there was something out of the ordinary about this marriage.

After a moment Maria let out an almost imperceptible sigh and then shrugged. ‘I think it is time, Alice. Shall we make our way to the drawing room?’

Alice nodded and followed Maria out of the room, her eyes flitting over the dozens of portraits that lined the upstairs hallway. The house was old, with oak panelling in the main parts, with various wings and rooms added on at different points. It meant it had a haphazard charm and a mishmash of different styles throughout. They were in the oldest part here, built in Tudor times with sloping floorboards and walls that leaned first inward then outward. The walk felt as though it took for ever, even though it must have been less than thirty seconds between Alice leaving her room to getting downstairs.

They paused outside the drawing room, with Maria giving her one last squeeze of the hand before she slipped inside. For a moment Alice was left alone. She wondered if she was making a huge mistake. Lord Westcroft was a good man—she could tell that from the little time they had spent together—but she was not going to see him after they had sorted the practicalities of the next few days. She would be a countess, but a lonely one.

Alice squared her shoulders. She had chosen this path, and now she would follow it. The alternative had been worse, and now she had to find a way to make the life she had opted for bearable.

She ran her hands over the gold silk of the wedding dress, swallowing hard as she pushed open the door of the drawing room to see her future husband standing inside.

Chapter Seven

Ten months later

The house was quiet and dark as he approached, and he wondered if all the staff were in bed. It was late, much later than he had planned to arrive, but his ship had been delayed, and he had spent some time wandering the streets, trying to clear his head after the long and stormy voyage.

The last four days it had rained incessantly, a foreboding welcome back to England after nearly a year’s absence. He had taken a boat from Italy, a journey that should have taken a little over two weeks, but because of the weather it had been much longer, and at one point he’d thought the captain was going to declare the trip a lost cause and turn around to seek shelter in one of the French ports.

Finally he had arrived home, uncertain how he felt to be back in London after his self-imposed exile.

He looked up at his townhouse and felt a wave of familiarity wash over him. His father had bought this house when Simon was a young boy, and he could remember visiting it for the first time, enthralled by all the sights and smells of London. His father had taken him by the hand and led him up the steps to the front door, then given him a tour of the house room by room, finishing up in the nursery at the very top. He’d pointed out the view over the square, the rooftops of London beyond, and Simon could remember feeling happy.

He’d spent much time there over the years, first with his parents when they travelled to London for the season, then when he was a young man Robert had given him free use of the house whenever he was in London. Since becoming the earl, Simon had been here even more, with his responsibilities often meaning he had to spend months at a time in London rather than in the wilds of Northumberland.

Before his departure to the Continent he had spent a long time ensuring there was enough supervision and funds to run all of his households without his oversight. He had not wanted to burden his mother or sister-in-law with the day-to-day questions that arose from owning a number of properties and employing the staff needed to keep everything running smoothly, so he had made sure there were senior household servants in each house he owned who were happy to take responsibility without the oversight of a master or mistress. He also employed a land steward and his assistant to collect rents and sort any queries from tenants and make decisions on the wider estate business.