A Country Miss in Hanover Square (24 page)

‘It is a very beautiful house,’ Susannah said. ‘I found it overwhelming at the beginning, but it has begun to grow on me. I shall not mind visiting several times a year.’

‘Really?’ Harry’s brows went up in surprise. ‘Well, perhaps we shall in that case. If our own apartments are comfortable, it will be somewhere to escape to if we choose.’

‘You mean from the
crusties
?’ Susannah asked and laughed. ‘I think they are rather sweet, Harry.’

‘You have not been on the receiving end of their displeasure,’ he said and looked rueful. ‘They have each and every one of them told me that it was my fault you were hurt. I have been thoroughly scolded for bringing you into danger by taking part in a duel—and risking the future to boot. I believe they know that without you there would be no heir for Pendleton.’

‘Poor you,’ Susannah said and giggled. ‘I was praised for my courage and spirit.’

‘It seems that you can do no wrong,’ Harry replied and grinned. ‘If I ever beat you or run mad, you will only need to tell my relatives and they will have me confined in an asylum!’

‘Oh, Harry…’ Susannah laughed, for this was the gentle, teasing man that she loved. ‘You are wicked, truly you are.’ How could she ever have thought him dull?

Harry smiled again, but said nothing until they arrived at a pair of imposing double doors. At their approach a footman sprang to throw them open. Susannah looked about her as she entered, feeling surprised at how comfort able and charming the décor was already.

‘But this room is lovely, Harry,’ she exclaimed, looking round at the blend of greens, blues and cream that gave it such a restful air. ‘The furniture is so pretty—and modern.’

‘It is the work of Mr Adam,’ Harry said and looked pleased. ‘I commissioned it when I found these rooms needed refurbishment. The furniture in here is mostly sat in wood, inlaid with fruit woods—and also porcelain plaques in the French style.’

‘I think it beautiful,’ Susannah said. ‘The furniture is so light and elegant and the colours are perfect. I should not want to change anything here at all…’ She ran her fingers over the top of a pretty desk, opening a cupboard to exclaim over the inlay on the tiny drawers inside. Everything was so beautifully made! A display cabinet was set with ex qui site pieces of Sèvres porcelain, and some Meissen figures, which were similar to those that had amused her in the guest chambers. ‘May I see the rest of your apartments, please, Harry?’

‘Of course—go where you please, Susannah.’ He followed behind as she ran ahead, exclaiming over the next room, which was another sitting room, furnished this time in highly polished walnut, the décor rose pinks and creams, and clearly intended for Harry’s wife to be private when she chose. From there Susannah went to the bedrooms. Harry’s own room was furnished in crimson, gold and touches of black, which gave it a masculine feel.

Susannah inhaled the scents of cedar and leather, lingering for a moment. Harry’s valet had tidied everything away, but she imagined it with his things lying on chairs and the stool at the foot of the bed and smiled. The next room was intended for her—and Susannah stood for a moment, looking at the décor of pale yellow, gold and white, thinking how attractive it was, and how comfortable she would be in such a room. The furniture here was sat in wood, again inlaid with fruit woods and porcelain, elegant and, Susannah thought, utterly charming. Letting her gaze travel round the room, she saw that Harry seemed to have thought of everything.

‘This is lovely,’ she told him. ‘Once I have a few of my own things about me, it will be perfect. I do not think we need to change anything at all, Harry.’

‘Are you sure?’ he asked and came to her, gazing down at her lovely face. ‘If there is anything at all, you have only to say.’

‘I love it all,’ she told him. ‘I am quite content, though one day I may want to make changes else where in the house.’

‘You must tell me when you decide,’ Harry said and reached out for her, pulling her close to him. He bent his head, kissing her on the lips. At first soft and tender, his kiss intensified, becoming passionate, demanding. Susannah leaned into him, her body seeming to melt into his as she gave herself up to the pleasure of the moment. ‘Anything you wish for is yours….’

‘Harry…’ Susannah breathed, her lips parting on a sigh of content. ‘You will spoil me.’

‘I fully intend to,’ he replied. ‘Since you have nothing to com plain of here, I think I shall take you for a drive about the park until it is time for tea. Otherwise one of the relatives will capture you and I shall not have you to myself again for an age.’

For the next few days Harry took Susannah driving each morning, and she spent the afternoons sitting at home in one of the parlours. Sometimes she played cards or simply conversed with the relatives. A few of them had gone home in order to prepare for the journey to Amelia’s home for the wedding, but some lingered and she discovered that she enjoyed their company. Her feelings of being unequal to the task that lay ahead as Harry’s wife had faded to the extent that they no longer worried her. She had much to learn before she could truly take her place as the chatelaine of a great house like this one, but she was learning and she knew that Harry and Lady Elizabeth would help her. Indeed, with such well-trained servants, she need only give her orders and keep her accounts, just as Lady Elizabeth had told her.

It was towards the end of the week that Harry let her take the reins again when they were out, and she managed to drive for half an hour before she was obliged to hand them back.

‘I am afraid that my arm still aches,’ she said and frowned be cause she did not like to give in.

‘It will take time to get the full use of your arm once more,’ Harry told her. ‘I was out of action for at least two months when I was injured in Spain.’

Susannah looked at his profile, noticing the little pulse flicking at his temple. ‘It is because of some thing that happened in Spain that you quarrelled with the marquis, was it not?’

‘Yes.’ Harry frowned. ‘We were on a dangerous mission and the enemy were waiting for us. Northaven cried off sick that day and we believe that he betrayed us, though he has always sworn that he did not. He resented it when we accused him of loose talk. Since that time we have not been friends, though until recently we man aged to be polite to one another in public.’

‘You will not quarrel with him again, Harry?’

Harry looked at her, his expression serious. ‘It shall not come from me, Susannah. I give you my word. I cannot promise that the feud is at an end, but I shall not go out of my way to court trouble. Jenny chose her own fate. I was unwise to promise her brother so much, for I knew nothing of her. However, that is at an end. All I want now is to live happily with you, my darling.’

‘And I with you,’ Susannah told him, eyes bright with love. ‘I cannot wait for our marriage, Harry.’

‘We shall go down to Amelia’s estate tomorrow,’ Harry said. ‘The banns have been called twice in our absence. They will be called for the third time next Sunday and we shall be in church to hear them called—and then we can be married.’

‘Oh, yes,’ Susannah said, her heart swelling with love. ‘I can hardly wait to be your wife.’

‘I can hardly wait to claim you,’ he replied and the look in his eyes burned her. ‘I never thought that I should ever find love like this, my darling. When you risked your life for mine, you proved yourself beyond doubt. I am humbled by such love and I shall try to make you happy for the rest of our lives.’

‘Susannah, my love. I want you to meet Miss Emily Barton,’ Amelia said when she took Susannah into her parlour two days later. ‘Emily has been kind enough to become my com pan ion and I think we shall suit very well.’

‘Miss Barton…’ Susannah studied the young woman’s face as she came forward to greet her. Miss Barton was very near Amelia’s own age, an attractive woman, but with an air of sadness about her. Her dark blonde hair was pulled back into a tight bun, as if she wished for no sign of softness in her appearance. Her dress was pale grey, offset by a collar of heavy cream lace and pinned with a gold cameo. She wore no other ornamentation and her manner was as gentle and self-effacing as her dress. ‘I am pleased you are come to keep Amelia company.’

‘I am very fortunate that Miss Royston was pleased to give me her trust,’ Emily said with a gentle smile. Susannah noticed that even when she smiled the air of sadness did not leave her and she wondered what had caused it. What tragedy lay in Miss Barton’s past? ‘I hope to be all that she expects and needs. I know that she is fond of you and your mama and will miss you.’

‘Oh, but we shall all see each other often,’ Susannah said. ‘Harry is to take me to his house in Devon for a week or two and then we may go to Paris to buy some clothes. After that we shall return to Pendleton, and I shall be giving a ball. It will be a grand affair. I do hope that you will both come.’

‘Of course we shall,’ Amelia told her. ‘I would not miss it for the world. I am so relieved to see you happy and recovered from your…accident, Susannah.’

‘Thank you, dear Amelia,’ Susannah said and kissed her cheek. ‘I do feel much better.’

‘We are looking forward to your wedding—are we not, Emily?’

‘Yes, we are,’ Emily Barton said and smiled her gentle smile. ‘Very much indeed.’

The morning of the wedding was hot. Susannah was awake early. She went down and slipped out into the gardens before anyone was stirring. It felt delicious to walk in the shade of the trees at this hour, though she could already feel the heat building. She wandered as far as the rose arbour and sat there for a while, inhaling the perfume of musk roses and feeling her hap pi ness seep through her.

It was only as she left the shelter of the rose arbour and began to walk home that she was aware of someone behind her. A trickle of fear ran down her spine and she spun round, hardly knowing what she expected. What she saw was a man in the clothes that a game keeper might wear, a long gun over his shoulder. He nodded to her, but did not smile. Susannah had the oddest feeling that he had been watching her—or rather keeping watch over her—which she felt a little strange.

Was Harry concerned that the marquis might try to harm her? The thought made her a little uneasy, but she put it from her mind as she went into the house, running lightly up the stairs to her room. Harry had spent the night at the inn so as not to spoil the traditions of not seeing his bride until they met in church. Susannah had just regained her room when someone knocked at the door and then Amelia came in.

‘I brought you a wedding gift,’ Amelia said and handed her a small leather box. ‘It is just some thing to bring you luck today.’

‘Thank you.’ Susannah took the box and opened it, gasping with pleasure as she saw the gold bangle set with pearls and diamonds. ‘This is beautiful, Amelia. It will go so well with the necklace Harry has given me as a wedding present.’

‘I did ask him what he would give you,’ Amelia said. ‘He told me it would be diamonds or pearls and I remembered the bangle left to me by my mother, which I thought would match perfectly.’

‘You have been so generous to me,’ Susannah said and hugged her, suddenly emotional. ‘If it were not for you, I might never have met Harry. I shall never be able to thank you enough, my dearest of friends.’

‘If it was meant, you probably would have met somehow,’ Amelia said and smiled a little oddly. ‘I shall miss you, dearest, but I wish you all the hap pi ness in the world. Indeed, I know you will be happy, for Harry Pendleton is a good man.’

‘Yes, I know. I am very lucky.’

‘He is lucky to have you, as I am sure he knows. You will both be content in your marriage, for you are well suited.’

‘I wish you to be happy too,’ Susannah said but did not elaborate, for she did not wish to hurt Amelia’s feelings. ‘Did you know someone has armed guards walking the estate? I saw one of them when I went for a walk earlier. He was dressed like a game keeper, but I think he was keeping watch over me rather than your pheasants.’

‘Yes, I gave permission,’ Amelia said. ‘They have been here for the past week or so. Lord Coleridge said that he and Ravenshead discussed it—Pendleton too. Apparently, it is as much for my benefit as yours; after what happened in Pendleton Woods they feared I might be the victim of another attack, but I do not think it myself. At first I thought it was a kidnap attempt, but since then I have been inclined to think it merely a random attack, perhaps for whatever of value I happened to carry. After all, no one could have known I would walk that way.’

‘Unless you had done so before?’

‘Well, I have always enjoyed walking in woods, though for the moment I am content with my garden—and, of course, we shall go to Bath soon, for I intend to live there for most of the year.’

‘Yes, I dare say you will be happier there,’ Susannah said and frowned. ‘Please be careful, Amelia. I should not wish anything un toward to happen to you.’

‘Well, I am sure it will not,’ Amelia said. ‘I shall allow the guards for the moment, but I am certain nothing will come of it.’ She shook her head, as if to dismiss the idea. ‘We shall not talk of this again, dearest. This is your wedding day and I want you to be happy.’

‘I am very happy,’ Susannah said, and then the door opened to admit her mama. ‘Isn’t it a beautiful day, Mama?’

‘Very warm,’ Mrs Hampton replied with a look of approval. ‘I do not think we could have had a better day for it, my love. I have brought you a present—just a lace kerchief of mine and a garter of blue lace. You have your wedding gown, which is new. Amelia’s bracelet is old and now some thing borrowed and some thing blue. You should have lots of luck, dearest.’

‘I am the luckiest girl in the world,’ Susannah said and kissed her. ‘I have Harry—what more could I want?’

The wedding ceremony went smoothly. The sun warmed the old church, its rays sending showers of colour through the stained-glass windows. Susannah stood beside Harry as they took their vows, her heart filled with so much joy that she thought she might burst with hap pi ness. When they came out of church to the bells pealing and a shower of rose petals from friends and villagers, she stood for a moment on the steps looking about her, her arm through Harry’s.