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“The road is slanted at that turn. They need to carve out more roads against the mountain. An engineer might determine an easy fix. However, perhaps an alternative route around this curve could be established. We shall see.” He folded the paper he had been reading earlier and tapped his knee, clearly pleased with the idea.
Her mother reached over and laid her gloved hand on his knee. Losing the duke and then his son had been a shock to her family. Her father and the duke had been friends for as long as she could remember.
They were at least one day behind Slade’s family. Grimacing, she realized she never knew how to address him in public these days. With the death of his father, he was a marquess. Then, to lose his brother—it had all been too much to contemplate. He had asked that she think of him as she knew him, realizing he must struggle terribly with all of this. He had been very close to both his father and brother—especially his brother.
As their entourage neared London, she felt her excitement for the holiday season bubbling—even though they were only in London to shop. New dresses always excited her. It meant that she had more to give to Mary, although she never voiced that to anyone. However, it was something important to her and had always been that way.
“Your father sent word to open up our townhouse a week ago. The staff should expect us. I am sure that Mrs. Smith will have some hot food and tea ready for us,” the countess commented. Mama readjusted her feet on the warming brick. “It seems the rain added a bonus nip to the air,” she added cheekily. “I would have preferred drier weather to travel to London.”
“I agree,” Bella murmured, her gaze transfixed on the grey skyline the city offered. It was so different from what they had left behind in Dover. In the country, when it rained, the air did not seem as heavy and grey.Was she already regretting her trip?She had not even had the chance to see Slade. At least the long ride was finally over. That thought alone lifted her spirits.
The rain stopped, and snowflakes fell outside the window.
“Mama, it looks like we may see snow. I am glad you reminded me to bring our muffs,” Bella said in distracted tones. “It might entertain to see the park covered in snow. I do not recall ever seeing such a thing in London.”
“It would be lovely, my dear,” replied her mother. “Recent years have seen some freezing winters, especially these last two years. It might be nice to have snow in London, although it is difficult for horses to traverse.”
“Was it just two years ago we had no summer? I had forgotten, Mama. Lady Diana reminded me recently about the River Thames Frost Fair her family attended in London at this time of year. Her family was in London for the Season the last year they held the Frost Fair. The fairs were so rare, they made it a family event. It all sounded so exciting. Perhaps we will see another one.”
“I don’t know. It’s certainly cold enough,” Papa remarked jokingly. “I went to one of those as a boy. Great fun. They even had a small circus on it. But the Thames must freeze hard enough to support the weight of the event. That’s thick ice—much thicker even than required for ponds to freeze for skating at home.”
“It must have been great fun,” Bella ventured, relieved that the pallor of grief had lifted from the carriage. She had hoped the shopping trip to London would be a chance to distract from the loss.
“It was! I recall the excitement of the festivities, the games, the majesty of the elephants, and the food! Goodness, there was so much good food. As a boy, I thought I had stumbled into the most magical place in the world,” her father reminisced. “I'll own that you would have loved it, Bella. Maybe we will have another in a few years.”
“I attended once as a young girl. I wish I had gone to more, as they were held. We had discussed taking you to the one a few years back, but we already had plans for Christmastide at home. Planning for them is difficult. Once the weather is cold enough and creates the stability of the ice, they are planned. However, London will be wonderful regardless of the Frost Fair. Your favorite shops will be decked out for the holidays. There will be many, many more items in stock which they rarely offer, making shopping that much more fabulous,” Mama soothed.
“It would be nice to spend Christmastide in London,” Bella murmured. She had decided to only drop a hint or two. Slade had mentioned he would be here for the duration, although she realized special circumstances because of the deaths of his father and brother probably drew him to the city. Closing her eyes, she found solace in memories of their time together.
Bella felt a slight nudge on her arm at the same time she felt the abrupt change of road to cobblestones beneath the wheels of the carriage. She stirred from sleep and awoke to the vista of London’s buildings as they entered the city. They had been traveling for days, and she felt ready to sprawl on her bed and take a nap. Traveling had that effect on her.
“Milady! We are almost at the townhouse.” Mary’s excitement was obvious. “I see it!”
Mama smiled in the maid’s direction. Mary always got excited when they came to London. When Bella had remarked on it once, Mary explained she felt a piece of the puzzle of her life was here, and even if she didn’t know it, she felt closer to it. It gave her the feeling of wholeness to be in London.
An hour later, Bella was resting on her bed. Her fireplace had a roaring fire and her pink velvet counterpane called on her to stretch her legs and read . . . or daydream. The cloudy skies threatened snow, she noticed, checking the windows. She could see the garden area of her yard, the rooftops of Mayfair, and the mews from her window. If it did snow, she hoped it would not mess up an opportunity to see Slade. Although since he had now become a duke, he might find little time. He was in town for business, after all.
She sent Mary to her room to rest after she and the maid had hung up her dresses and other fripperies and set about putting her belongings away. Bella preferred to know where her things were and wanted this time to be relaxing. Pulling out her book, she lit another taper from the fireplace and placed it on the bedside table. Leaning back against the pillows of her bed, she tried to focus on the book she was reading. It had gotten interesting, but despite her best effort, her eyelids closed, and soon she was asleep. Her last conscious thought was of a handsome man with dark hair and brown eyes gazing down at her.
