Married by Morning (5 page)

     “I am sure you are mistaken Lady Constance.” Lady Darby screeched.  “I will have you know that his father and I set this betrothal up for Sebastian years ago.”

     “Yes, I know. Sy told me.  He also told me he did not want to marry this woman and that he hates you.  So if you want to continue in this house you had better be nice to me.  I will not put up with your theatricals.  I have other things to occupy my time.”  She put her teacup back on the cart and turned around.

     Lady Constance smiled and swanned over to the sisters. “You do understand my meaning, I am sure.  I have not decided about you other three yet.  I do know that the little one wants her marriage and I will see that she has a grand affair but the rest will stop your plotting against me right now.  I am not afraid of you, not any of you.  I will see you wed if you stop plotting with your mother.  Otherwise, I will let your brother send you to the dower house as he has suggested.” Lady Constance then turned paced over to her mother in law to be and bowed, turned again and swanned out of the room and up the stairs back to her room.

     Lady Darby turned three shades of purple.  She jumped to her feet and shook her fist in Lady Constance’s direction. She screamed at the stairs, “You hussy, we will see just where you are in the morning.  I will not permit this marriage!  Do you hear me?  I will not.”  She turned and paced the salon.  Lady Penton rose and bowed to Abigail Darby.  “I am so sorry Abigail.  I cannot imagine a more vile person.  It is horrible to think of poor Sebastian in her clutches but what can I do?  I am just a Lady and it would be beneath me to fight her over the man.”  She turned to go.  “I will ask Papa what he thinks can be done?  I am sure he will know what to do.  He always knows what to do.  Maybe he will duel with Sebastian and kill him and then the ordeal will be over.”  “Oh, No, you cannot allow that Lady Penton.  Please, we would be in the streets.  Please do not allow bloodshed.  We will take care of this chit.  It will be all right.  We will contact you in the morning after we have resolved this issue.”  Lady Darby saw Lady Penton to the door and turned back to the salon and to her daughters.  “This is not to be born.  I will not have that chit deciding my fate and yours.  You must help me.”

     “What would you have us do?  Do you want us to kill her?”  “Yes, that is what we shall do.  Stella do you still have your knife or gun?”  “Yes, mother but the gun has not been fired in ages and my knife is rusty.”

     “It will do just as well.”  “Mother have you lost your mind?  We cannot do this thing.  We are ladies.”  “Yes, ladies with no place to live if your brother has his way and no money.  Will you like working on the streets of London?” 

   All the sisters sat up straighter and shouted, “No!”

    “Well, then let us plot this out.  We can get the ether in the cellar and put her to sleep.  We can all put her in the carriage without the stable hand but we will need the stable boy to put the horses in the traces.  Mable go to the basement and retrieve the either.”  Mable looked at her sister in horror.  “What is wrong with you?  You can not be thinking of doing this tonight.”  “When would you have us do it?  Tomorrow after they are wed?  We must act tonight.  We will take her to the cemetery and dispense with her there.  It will be tidy and the cemetery will be handy.  We can kill two birds with one stone.”  She laughed at her joke, hysterically and with wild eyes.  The sisters scooted together closer and looked worried eyes at her. “She was very peculiar today.  It must be the funeral.  It has unbalanced her,” Stella said.  “Well, that is nothing new?” Rachael whispered to her sisters.  Missy had paled and sank down deeper into the settee.  Diana’s eyes darted around the room.  “Has she taken her medicine tonight?”

     “I heard that ladies and I resent it.  I am just trying to make sure we have a secure future. We must unite in this.  It is the only way to secure our futures.  I can handle Lady Penton but not this chit.  She is a made woman from hell.”

     “Mother we could try to get along with her and not be so set in our opinions of her.  She does not seem a bad sort.  She said she would have me a fine wedding and I am quite pleased with that.”

     “You are quite pleased are you, quite pleased, with the crumbs from her table.  I will not be reduced to such a state.  I will not!  Do you hear me?”  Stella looked at her sisters and stood.  “We hear you mother.  I think most of the servants did too.  If we are to do this, I suggest discretion.  Can you please lower your voice?”

     “At last, someone with some sense.  I feel very bad about this and I have not had my supper.  Can we discuss it after we eat?”  Missy flounced out the door to check in at the kitchens.  Her nose was inhaling a delectable fragrance, indeed.

    “Mable?  Where did that woman go?”  Mother you sent her to get the ether, remember?”  Stella hissed at her mother, shaking her head.  “Let us go dress for dinner and decide this in my room after we have dined.  I am famished.”  Rachael said as she left the room.  Stella took her mother’s arm and steered her toward the stairs.  She thought it better to put her in her room.

* * * *

Chapter Four

     Diner was very quiet.  Everyone stared at the plates but their eyes shifted from one to the other.  Nobody looked innocent.  They all looked like they had ideas about how to get rid of each other.  The mother was really hostile to Lady Constance and her son.  It was not a pretty sight.

   Sebastian returned late and knew there was something in the air.  Lady Constance only smiled at him but if looks could kill, his mother Lady Darby would have killed both of them before supper.  It was all so distressing.  He noticed that several of the weirder members of their family had stayed for supper.  The one that looked more like a wolf and the other grey fellow that looked like the life was sucked out of him years ago.  Cousin Alfred was the wolf fellow and Sebastian decided he would try and open the conversation.

     “Cousin Alfred, are you enjoying your rooms?  I am sure we have more if you feel cramped or it is not to your liking.  I know that we are very pleased to get to know other members of our family.”

     “Lord Darby, the room is quite sufficient.  We will not be troubling you long.  I must get back before the moon. . .I mean before the week is gone. I have duties to tend.  I left my ailing mother all alone.”

     “I am so sorry she could not come with you.  I would have loved to meet my Aunt Alice.  I have heard so much about her from my mother.”

     ‘Oh, do not be silly Sebastian.  I never talk about my sister Alice.  She disgraced us at my come out. She howled at the moon of all things.  I had to have her forcibly removed.  She would not think of coming to my dear husband’s funeral. She probably danced around her house when she heard he was dead.”

     “I am sorry Lady Darby but my mother is ill.  She would have come to pay her respects if not for her illness.  I do not see any rifts in our family.  Your son is the head of the family now and he has behaved most hospitably. I am quite honored by his care and concern.  He has also seen to honor me with an invitation to his wedding in the morning.  I am looking forward to honor the new Lady Darby.”

     “I would think that you would chastise my son on such a hasty marriage instead of staying to honor it.”

     “I assure you that I think the Lady Darby to be is a most delectable Lady and much to be admired.  I look forward to welcoming her into the family,  especially as the new Lady Darby.”

     “You insult me Sirrah!”  “Hardly, I do not believe anyone can do that to you, my dear aunt, I mean Lady Darby. You do that all on your own.”

Cousin Alfred growled a little and sneered in Lady Darby’s direction.  Then he dipped his head in honor of Lady Constance.  His smile was very toothy to say the least.  Lady Darby turned away in a huff and ignored him.

     Sebastian was pleased that Cousin Alfred had found a way to silence his stepmother.  It was most unpleasant to see her at his table.  He would be glad to see the back of her after the wedding tomorrow.  She would leave.  She had to leave.

     Lady Constance smiled at Cousin Alfred and nodded back as she forked her fish and then took a sip of her wine.  This was an unorthodox family.  She had never seen people that looked so different from each other.  She looked at the grey cousin and batted her eyelashes.  Cousin Driscoll should be included in the conversation.  She smiled at him and said.

     “Cousin Driscoll, I pray your rooms are comfortable.  I did not help in their preparation but I find my accommodations quite adequate.  Have you any needs we need to address?  Tell me Cousin Driscoll have you seen Cousin Devlin Snead?  He was at the funeral so Sy said but I have yet to meet him?”   He turned to her and she dropped her fork as she stared into the deadest black eyes she had ever seen.  His cheeks looked like they were sucked into his face and his bones stuck out at all angles.  There was a very long nose that reminded her of her soon to be mother in law.  He was very pale too.

     “Lady Constance, I assure you that I am most comfortable.  The back rooms are always my favorite rooms.  There is more shade in that part of the house and I love the quiet. I can sleep during the day, which is my preference.  No, I am sorry cousin Snead disappeared right after the service.  He is very shy.  I am sure I will see him soon.”  He nodded slightly, smiled a toothy smile, and drank his red wine.  He had not touched his food.

     “Is the food not to your liking?  I am sure the cook could find something better for your taste.”  Connie smiled her best smile and looked into his black eyes.  He looked away and shook his head no.

    “I have a delightful drink that your cook brought me at my request.  I am fine, thank you so much for your concern.  You have a nice rosy complexion Lady Constance.  Do you get into the sun more than usual?”

     “I do love to take my bonnet off in the sun.  It warms me to my toes. It is most pleasant to feel the warmth on your face.”

    “I can imagine it is.”  Cousin Driscoll sneered and drank more wine.

Driscoll looked around the table at his relatives.  There were a lot of scoundrels in this house.  He would love to rid the world of a not a few of them.  It would be a pleasure to start with the mother.

  Cousin Horace smiled at Lady Darby and then to Lady Constance.

“I think the food is delightful. I cannot seem to get enough.  My complements to the cook.”  He grabbed another slice of bread and a big chunk of ham and cheese.

    Lady Darby sneered, “You always like the food.  It could be raw mutton and you would love it.  You eat everything Horace.”  Horace looked down at his plate and pushed it aside for a few moments until the attention was off of him.  Then he returned to his meal with renewed gusto.

    Lady Darby turned to the man beside her and asked,

     “Lord Thornton, I understand you have two children.  It must be hard raising them all alone.  At least my husband waited until his children were grown before he departed and left me all alone.  She looked up at his pudgy chin and smiled a watery smile through her lashes.  I understand you are a barrister, which must be very interesting work.  I have never met a barrister before now; do you defend people that are criminals?”

     “Why yes, I do.  Most of the time I make wills or help with deeds to estates but I do some criminal work when I am not running for a political position.’

     “Oh my, I had no idea that you were a political man too.  I am quite impressed.  I would love to have you come back to one of my balls or to another dinner sometime.  Would you honor me with your presence?”

    “Lady Darby, I would be delighted.”  He smiled at her and took her hand to nibble on her fingers.  He was a little portly and saddled with two children but he was a prospect a lonely, Lady Darby had not thought about in many years.  She could make a match and leave these horrid children her husband had spawned.

   “Lord Fenster, have you met my aunt Mable, my stepmother’s sister?  She is a very capable lady with her knitting needles.  She made me the most wonderful shawl.  I am sure that you are of an age that you might have things in common.  Lady Stella beamed at the widower, that was a baron and wealthy too.

    Aunt Mable blushed and nodded to Lord Fenster. “Pleased to meet you sir, I have never seen you before at this house.  Do you know my nephew Lord Darby?  He has not entertained many of his friends.” She whined and lowered her head to look at her hands. “He was discouraged before now.”

     “Lady Stewart, I had the honor of meeting Lord Darby at my club.  He was a dear friend of mine and I made my condolences known to your nephew today when he invited me to this delightful supper.  I am so delighted to meet such a Lady as yourself.”  He smiled at her and nodded his head as he took her hand under the table and squeezed.  Aunt Mable blushed even darker and giggled.  Could this man actually be talking to her and squeezing her hand?

     “Viscount Rally, this is my sister Lady Rachael Stewart on your left.  She is my younger sister.  She has the purple eyes of my father.  I believe she makes the best pecan pie in the whole county but she never tells anyone she likes to cook.  It is of course beneath a Lady to cook but it is just a hobby.  She has a sweet tooth.”