In the Shadow of Arabella (26 page)

“I daresay he is having as much trouble understanding you. But you are married, Katherine, and unless you both intend to be miserable indefinitely, sooner or later you must settle your differences.”

He saw the glimmer of hope in her eyes as she asked, “Oh, Oliver, do you really think that will ever be possible?”

“I think that as long as you do not give up hope, anything is possible.” He offered her his arm then, and they turned and led Lady Halfmile off to the stables.

* * * *

Later the same week as Charity and Oliver were returning from their ride, he stopped along the road to show her Weiring, the rambling stone house where his mother had lived until her marriage. “My mother was an only child, and she and my father were childhood sweethearts. Her family is all gone now. When her father died, the property passed to a cousin two or three times removed. There is no entail, and Ned has tried to buy the place from him, but he is not interested in selling.”

As they started their horses toward home, Oliver spoke of what had been foremost in his mind since breakfast. “Katherine told me this morning that you will be leaving for Lincolnshire at the end of next week.”

“Yes. I hope it will not be inconvenient. My parents are anxious to have me home. But I have promised Katy I will come back to her in February and stay through the lying-in.’’ She paused for a moment and then continued tentatively. “This situation in which Katy finds herself has been hard on her—too hard. It is not right that she should suffer so. I have known Katherine since she was fourteen and in all that time I have never known her to willingly hurt anyone. She is a loving and giving person, and she does not deserve such treatment from your brother.’’ She spoke passionately, and Oliver was certain that although she seldom mentioned them, her friend’s problems were never far from her mind.

“Charity, Katherine may not have intended any harm, but you cannot deny harm has been done. I am not defending Rudley’s actions in this matter, but neither can I criticize him. How he deals with it must be left to him. It benefits no one if we choose sides or assign blame. We must help in any way we can, if and when we can, but Ned and Katherine must weather this storm themselves.”

Charity was forced to agree with him. “I suppose you are right, and I will try to heed your advice. But it is difficult for me to see Katherine so unhappy. And it is not good for her or the child.”

“Then you and Serena and I will have to make it our job to see that she has plenty to occupy her mind and little time to dwell on sad things.” Then, changing the subject, he asked, “What would you say to a gallop through the home wood?”

They took off instantly, riding for some distance side by side. When the path narrowed, Oliver checked Tortuga to allow Charity to precede him.

“No, please,” she objected, “you take the lead, for I am not sure I know the way.’’ He moved ahead and she followed several strides behind as they slowed to a canter. Oliver followed no definite path, for the trees were not thick and the wood had been cleared of all undergrowth and windfall.

They had gone only a few hundred yards when without warning Tortuga stumbled and came down heavily. Oliver was thrown violently forward over the horse’s head and shoulders. Charity’s mare broke stride and shied away, but Charity managed to pull her up short of where the stallion had fallen. Tortuga meanwhile had scrambled to his feet and, apparently unhurt, trotted a few paces away and dropped his head to graze.

Charity dismounted quickly, hurried to Oliver, and knelt on the ground beside him. To her dismay he was unconscious. Reaching forward with a trembling hand, she laid her fingers against his neck and breathed a sigh of relief when she felt a strong pulse beating there. She deftly loosened his neckcloth, hoping to allow him to breathe easier.

She was undecided as to what she should do next. Should she stay, or should she leave him and go for help? Even as she asked herself these questions, she knew she could not leave him. She took one of his hands in hers and with her fingers on the pulse of his wrist settled to wait for him to regain consciousness. A few moments later, as she reached to brush back the hair that had fallen across his forehead, his eyes fluttered open. She instantly released his hand.

He gazed at her in bewilderment and spoke her name, and she smiled in relief as he asked, “What happened?”

“Tortuga came down with you. Are you in any pain? Do you think you have broken anything?”

He pulled himself into a sitting position. “I’m fine, I think. I don’t remember anything. What could have brought us down so suddenly?’’

“I think Tortuga may have put his foot in a rabbit hole,” Charity suggested. “He—”

“A rabbit hole!” Oliver exclaimed. “My God! Where is he? Is he all right?”

“He is over there”—she pointed—“and yes, he appears to be fine. He certainly trotted off soundly enough.”

“I hope you may prove to be right, for if any harm should come to that animal at my hands, Ned would most likely shoot me.”

“Come now,” Charity argued. “It cannot be considered your fault if your horse has the misfortune to step into a rabbit hole!”

“If not mine, then whose fault should it be?” Oliver demanded.

“Why, the rabbit’s, of course,” she answered sensibly.

He threw back his head, his rich, warm laugh erupting. “Charity, what am I to do with you? You are forever saying something adorable.” Impulsively, he reached forward and, taking her by the shoulders, pulled her to him and kissed her.

Charity found herself in the uncomfortable position of having two equally strong emotions warring within her. She had been secretly hoping for weeks that Oliver would make her an offer, and she had shamefully wondered what it would be like to be held in his arms and kissed by him. She had not, however, expected the kiss to come before the proposal, and she was therefore shocked by the impropriety of the present situation.

After a few moments, summoning all her will, she pushed him away, saying in as dignified a tone as she could manage, “Sir, I cannot think it is proper for us to be sitting here in the woods and for you to be kissing me.’’ She began to rise and he, too, gained his feet, taking her arm to help her. But when she turned to her horse, he kept her arm and made her stay.

“Don’t expect an apology. I am not sorry I kissed you.” He took her other arm and turned her to face him. “I am in love with you, Charity . . . I want you to marry me.” She smiled at him then, and he could see her answer in her eyes, but still he asked, “Will you?”

“Yes, Oliver. I will.”

“I will not allow Nick to plague you, I promise.”

“Don’t be silly. I love Nicholas. He is a wonderful child.”

“Even when he insists you go fishing?”

“I shall enjoy reading to him, and
you
may take him fishing.”

He laughed again, and when he took her in his arms once more, she raised no objection.

It was found that Charity had been right after all—Tortuga had suffered no injury from his fall. They returned home to share their news with Katherine, who seemed pleased but not the least surprised by it. Charity held to her plans to leave at the end of the following week. Oliver, however, now arranged to travel with her to Lincolnshire to make formal application to Lord Harrington for her hand.

* * * *

By the end of September, having completed his work in Yorkshire, Rudley returned with his servants to London. Katherine heard once from Lady Finley that he had been to see her, but he had not stayed long and seemed to have little to say. It was clear from Lady Finley’s letter that she had no idea her brother was fixed in London. She had assumed his visit to her was only a short excursion away from home. Those of his acquaintance who remained in town were led to the same conclusion, for he would not leave the house for more than a week at a time. When they did not see him about town, it was only natural for them to assume he had returned to the country.

Rudley realized that with the Little Season starting, people would begin flocking back to the city and it would become necessary for him to leave. He knew that eventually he would have to return to Rudley Court. If he continued to absent himself during Katherine’s confinement, it would give rise to the very sort of gossip and speculation he was most anxious to avoid.

Oliver stayed only two days with the Harringtons. When he stopped overnight in London, he discovered that Rudley had arrived that morning. He found him in his bedchamber dressing for dinner.

“Well met, Ned. Had I been one day sooner I would have missed you.”

“Had you been one day later you would have missed me as well. I leave in the morning for Scotland. Culross has invited me for fishing and shooting.”

Oliver frowned. “Did you have my letter before you left Yorkshire?”

“None recently. Why? Did you have news?”

“Only news of my betrothal. Hold the fifteenth of April open on your busy calendar, will you? I should like you to stand up with me.”

Rudley’s smile was genuine but showed no surprise as he replied, “I would be honored. I wish you happy, both of you. You must give Miss Harrington my regards.”

“I shall, when next I see her. I am headed back to Rudley Court now to deal with the harvest. Needless to say, I could use your help. Must you go to Scotland? I was hoping you might consider coming home.”

“I have already decided I must come for the last two months before the child is born, to silence the gossip as much as possible. Until then I will stay with Culross. I am his only guest, and he understands that I do not wish to broadcast my presence there.”

“Ned, you have admitted there is a possibility this child could be yours. Have you no concern at all for the well-being of its mother?”

“Has Katherine been ill?”

“No. Serena bullies her into eating and getting enough rest. But she is suffering from a depression of the spirits that none of us can remedy.”

“No more could I. It is Parnaby she pines for, not me.”

“I do not believe that. She told me herself she is no longer in love with him.”

“Nor is she in love with me. I cannot come down, Oliver. Just think for a moment what it would be like. During the day Katherine and I would be avoiding each other, always uncomfortable when we happened by accident to meet. Dinner would be a daily trial. Sitting at the same table, practicing civility, exchanging trivialities. That situation would be more painful than my simply staying away.”

“Why painful? It seems to me you have done with her.”

“No. I have not done that. I have not been able to. I still love her, Oliver.”

“Then go back to her!”

“Loving her is not enough. How can I explain? I have loved her since very early on in our relationship. I knew, also early on, that she was attracted to Parnaby. When he became engaged and no longer eligible, I began to believe she and I had a chance. But it has been made most clear to me that he is not out of Katherine’s life. Regardless of what she may have told you, her actions speak otherwise.”

* * * *

Despite Rudley’s stubborn resolve to proceed to Scotland, Oliver returned to Hampshire in excellent spirits, his marriage foremost in his mind.

“We have set the date for the fifteenth of April,” he told Katherine. “Lady Harrington insists she cannot be ready a single day sooner. Charity hopes you will be able to be there.”

“I will certainly try to be.”

Oliver seated himself beside her. “I saw Ned in London.’’

“How is he?”

“He is off to Scotland for a few months to stay with a friend, Duncan Culross. He plans to come back here sometime in January.’’

“For appearance’s sake.”

“Whatever his reasons, it will put you both under the same roof again. If I am convinced of anything, it is that you two must communicate if you ever hope to mend this rift between you.”

Not wishing to toss her into melancholy reflection, Oliver changed the subject. “How is your work progressing on the chair?”

“Very well. I have an appointment next month with the man who is to remove the old fabric and replace it with the new.”

Oliver studied her work with admiration. “I had forgotten how striking it was before the colors faded. This is a true labor of love, Katherine. I hope Ned will appreciate it. I certainly do.”

“Do you? Truly?”

“Yes, of course. My mother would be deeply touched if she could know how Ned cherishes and protects this chair. But you must understand that she was neat to a fault. Had she been alive when the chair started to show signs of shabbiness, I know she would have been the first to have it refurbished. So, in effect, you have retained our memories and at the same time satisfied my mother’s meticulous nature. And you have done it with an excellence in needlework that rivals her own.”

Katherine had not expected such warm praise for her work and she was touched. She leaned over to kiss him lightly on the cheek. “Thank you, Oliver. You are a dear brother. I could not create a better husband for Charity if I had all the attributes in the world to choose from.”

“Now that is high praise indeed!” he said, smiling and rising to his feet. “But I must be off. Henderson wanted me down at the stables half an hour since to look at a lame horse.”

“Will you take Karma out today?”

“Certainly, if you wish it. I will be going down to Bradley’s later to see how work is progressing there on the new barn. It should be a good outing for her.”

As he picked up his hat, whip, and gloves and headed out through the doors opening onto the terrace, Katherine called after him, “Beware of rabbit holes!”

The month ofOctober passed busily. Each day seemed to bring continuous demands on both Katherine’s and Oliver’s time. Katherine had urged Serena to accept an invitation from Lady Brent to spend a few weeks in London, but Serena refused to leave. When Katherine had informed her of the events leading up to Rudley’s departure, Serena was astonished. “He believed Sir Humphrey rather than you? That is incredible! Sir Humphrey is a puffed-up buffoon. Why would Lord Rudley believe him rather than his own wife?”

“His first marriage was not a success. He told me his wife lied to him. He thinks I have lied to him, too.”