‘Are you acquainted with the Fairfax family, Hannah?’
Hannah had just taken a bite of brioche and forced a quick chew and swallow to enable her to answer without disgracing herself. Caleb noted that his mother had timed the question to ensure this exact scenario would play out and he watched his mother with disdain as Hannah hurried her mouthful.
‘Why, I do not believe I have had the pleasure-’ Hannah began.
‘No, of course. They mostly socialise with the upper echelons of society,’ Anne interrupted. ‘But you willadorethem Hannah, I am quite sure. Lady Lucinda is a darling girl; I do so hope she will regale us with her piano playing and angelic singing voice this evening!’
Caleb sighed heavily and Hannah envisaged a precocious ten-year-old who was likely bid to perform for her parents’ friends and contemporaries at each social gathering. Hannah liked children – perhaps Caleb found their company tiresome, but Hannah decided it would be lovely to meet the Fairfaxes and hoped she might yet make friends within this new circle.
‘Doyouplay the piano well, Hannah?’ Anne asked pointedly.
Hannah fumbled and was poised to answer that she didn’t play at all, when Caleb dropped his serviette to the table and stood.
‘Hannah, should I show you the house? The ‘grand tour’ as it were?’
His suggestion was quite sudden and unexpected. Hannah had assumed after breakfast that he would disappear to his study and leave her to her own devices – certainly, that is the practice he had conditioned her to anticipate, given his little speech in the carriage the past afternoon.
Hannah quickly finished her mouthful once again and accepted.
‘Thank you – that would be quite wonderful.’
She was sad to leave half her brioche on the plate – she was still so hungry, yet if Caleb was offering this olive branch, she surely had to welcome his benevolence.
Caleb was already striding out of the room – he seemed keen to leave and so Hannah excused herself politely and rapidly followed him. Emmeline gave her a sweet little wave as she went and Anne adopted her usual glowering stare.
Caleb moved with eagerness through the corridors of his home, stopping and opening doors for Hannah to enter within. Once they arrived at each room, he would slow and allow her time to look about, offering only the name of the room by way of description.
‘Dining room…..Parlour….Ballroom…’
Hannah was overwhelmed by the opulence of the house. Every room had a chandelier – even the downstairs bathroom. Caleb did not show her to the back-of-house areas or staff quarters, but she would not have been surprised if they, too, had golden banisters and silver-plated picture frames.
They walked in silence despite each of them hunting in their minds for some conversation to make the experience less awkward.
As Caleb opened the door to the formal dining room where they were due to dine that evening with their guests, Hannah’s eyes fell upon a superb oil painting above the fireplace mantle. She was drawn to it and walked over, staring up at it in awe. It was a stunning depiction of a seaside scene at sunset, with moored boats bobbing in the orange light. Hannah took in a deep breath as she indulged in it and swallowed hard as she noted the heavy gilt frame around its perimeter. She should look forward to the evening more now that she knew she could luxuriate in the presence of such a grand piece of art.
Realising she had stood staring at it for nearly a full minute, Hannah dragged her eyes away and turned to rejoin Caleb, who was standing in the doorway watching her. His brow furrowed slightly as she walked toward him – she worried that he had grown impatient waiting for her, but then his eyes flickered away in embarrassment and she wondered if he was trying to figure her out in the same way she could not fathom him out.
They resumed their silent tour but as they passed a wall of coloured tiles, that Hannah reached out to touch, enjoying the texture beneath her fingers, she commented;
‘You have a beautiful house,’
Caleb seemed surprised that she had broken the silence and stopped walking to turn to her.
‘It was my father’s pride and joy. He always preferred the town-house to the country estate.’
‘I am sorry I did not have the honour of meeting him. My father speaks very fondly of him,’ Hannah said softly, unsure how raw the loss still may be for the Duke.
He nodded curtly and continued to walk. Hannah followed once again, resuming their mutual culture of quiet.
‘Parlour…’ Caleb announced as they turned into a bright room on the ground floor. The flooring was tiled and the expanse of windows looked out onto the gardens, where Hannah could see the cherry blossom Emmeline had cooed over and Anne had demanded be gotten rid of. She stood looking out the window and Caleb, instead of standing by the door, walked into this room.
He paused halfway and took a breath as though he were about to speak which made Hannah turn expectantly.
‘This room…’ Caleb spanned about, his arms wide. ‘Is yours. To do with as you please.’
Hannah inhaled in astonishment and she felt Caleb’s eyes alight on her as she turned to look at the room again – this time with a fresh perspective of the expanse of space. There was so much opportunity for easels, canvases, experimentation of light and colour… Hannah felt her mood lift significantly at the prospect of creativity and as she looked back at her husband, she saw her joy reflected in his eyes that watched her closely.
‘Thank you!’ Hannah smiled breathlessly. To Caleb, it was a redundant room that he could give with no compromise to himself. To Hannah, it was everything.
