The Baron's New Wife: Regency Romance

By

Emily J. Rose

Published by A. Harmer

Copyright 2016

All rights reserved. No part of this work of fiction may be copied or reproduced without prior consent of the publisher.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 1

Lady Anna Kemp sat alone in her boudoir, dressed in a fine pink gown and adorned with jewels, ready to meet the guests waiting in the dining room. She gazed at herself in the dresser mirror. Her strawberry blonde curls had been pinned up beautifully, elongating her thin neck. A chain of sparkling diamonds graced her delicate shoulders and twinkled in the candlelight. Her mother, Lady Kemp, had given Anna the necklace as an engagement gift;

“This is the necklace I wore the night I became engaged to your father. Now it is yours, and you shall wear it on your engagement to Baron Hester.” Anna’s mother had placed the necklace on Anna’s neck and fastened it in place. This had been one of the few moments in Anna’s life were her mother had spoken fondly, usually her days were spent socializing with various friends and their paths throughout the day would hardly cross. As an only child Anna spent most of her time alone or with various tutors. Her time had been well spent studying several languages, painting, drawing, music and by everyone’s account she was regarded as an accomplished young lady. Lord and Lady Kemp spent their time socializing, leaving Anna with her beloved governess, Miss Wayfair.

Anna’s eyes focused on the diamonds passed down from one bride to the next; she felt just as used and pointless as the necklace. Anna was being handed over to a man she had never met, she was a glistening young bride soon to be on the arm of a much older Baron. He too would probably adorn her while out in society but then box her up when the glamourous people had flittered away.

“I have not even been to one ball.” Anna fingered the diamonds while she mourned the loss of her youth which she had no opportunity to exhaust. Her marriage had been arranged by her parents without the need for her to attend the London season and therefore she would miss the excitement of young men’s advances and twirling in a ballroom in expensive gowns. Instead she would be leaving her London home and moving north to Staffordshire where she would be a stranger with no friends in the countryside.

A tap at the door shook Anna from her thoughts and Miss Wayfair swiftly entered the room. “Oh Miss Wayfair, please do come in.”

“I simply had to come and see you one final time before the engagement is formally announced.” Miss Wayfair made her way over to Anna and gently put her hands on Anna’s shoulders as they both smiled at each other in the mirror. Her governess had been with Anna as long as she could remember and had become dearer to her than her own mother. The years however, had taken their toll on poor Miss Wayfair; while Anna grew older and more beautiful with age, Miss Wayfair had simply become old. Her once jet black hair now had silver streaks and her slender figure had become more rounded and hunched over. Yet the love between the pair grew deeper with each passing year to the point where their imminent separation would be unbearable for both.

“Don’t you look fine in your mother’s jewels?” Miss Wayfair smiled at Anna an understanding smile, which concealed her loss.

“How will I continue on without you Miss Mayfair?” Anna’s eyes started to fill with tears.

“Now, now child. We will have none of that talk. You are to be Baroness Hester. A Baroness does not cry because they will miss their worn out governess.” Miss Wayfair rubbed Anna’s cheek and tried to encourage a smile.

“If you could stay till the wedding that would surely ease my heart?” Anna looked up hopeful that Miss Wayfair would cave on her plan to leave the house after the engagement announcement.

“Your parents have been very generous in letting me stay with you this long. You have not needed a governess for a long time, as well you know. Now what sort of bride still needs an old maid like me lurking in the background?”

Anna stood and took Miss Wayfair’s hand. “I do. I still need you.” Anna’s voice broke slightly as the emotion started to take over.

Miss Wayfair lifted Anna’s chin up, “Come, come. You are a fine young lady now with a whole new life ahead of you. Your guests are waiting, we can’t delay this any further.”

Anna knew her governess was right and if she didn’t hurry her mother would soon be pounding at the door in a less understandable manner. She took in a few deep breaths and calmed herself. “Very well, let us brave our last evening hand in hand.”

The two ladies left the room and made their way down to the dining room where they were greeted by several guests. Anna’s parents stood in the center of the room talking with Baron Hester but Anna could feel the heat from her mother’s glare for entering the gathering late. She made her way over and braced herself for any sharp comment her mother would certainly make.

“Thank you for joining us darling.” Her mother smiled and then placed a hand on the curve of Anna’s back and pushed her closer toward the Baron.

“Mother. I apologize for my tardiness, I lost track of the time.”

“Well you are here now and such a beautiful sight to behold, don’t you agree Baron?”

Baron Hester had small beady black eyes which scanned Anna up and down. She felt violated, as if she were standing in the room with nothing but her nightgown on. Anna herself looked at the Baron, as this was the first time she had met him and she had only the reports her mother had provided of his appearance. He wasn’t tall but neither was he short. He wasn’t particularly overweight and neither was he too slim; overall he was average. His muddy brown hair framed his face which again lacked any outstanding feature. Anna started to realize that Baron Hester was getting the better part of the deal as Anna was regarded as a ‘fine beauty’ in most circles.

“Yes, your daughter is most pleasant to behold.” The words flowed from the Baron’s lips as easy as if he had asked about the weather. He showed no actual interest in Anna and quickly returned to his conversation with her father, Lord Kemp. She stood there bemused wondering what she was to do now that she had met and been examined by her future husband.

Anna perused the room looking for any allies that might help her escape her awkwardness but she could only see friends of her parents. Miss Wayfair had quickly left the gathering the moment Anna entered the room knowing that a governess would not be wanted on such an occasion.

“Looking for your dear Miss Wayfair?” Anna’s mother leaned in and whispered.

Anna put on her poker face, quick to hide any emotional reaction from her mother. “No mother, just taking in all our fine guests.”

Lady Kemp smirked not convinced by her daughter’s answer. “Don’t worry, I’m sure she is right now in a carriage and on her way to whatever hovel it was that she came from.” Anna couldn’t help and gasp slightly at her mother’s hateful comment towards the woman who had practically raised her. “Her duty is finished. You are
my
daughter don’t forget and it’s time you fore filled your own duties.” At this Lady Kemp walked away leaving Anna stunned. She had never had a close relationship with her mother and knew that Miss Wayfair had been kept on purely as a kindness from her father but she had no idea her mother’s disdain ran so deep.

A champagne glass clinked and then Anna heard her father’s voice. “We are so delighted to have you all hear this evening as we announce our daughter’s engagement to …” His voice faded from Anna’s ears as she smiled at all the eyes glaring at her. Her life as a daughter and young maid would soon be ending. Already she had lost her dearest acquaintance and soon she would be leaving her home and family for new strange lands. Admittedly the thought of leaving her mother did not trouble her so much, but she would definitely miss her father’s occasional tender words and generous acts. The future was a great unknown except for one daunting man, Baron Hester, of whom she knew very little.

Chapter 2

The wedding day arrived too quickly for Anna, she was still accepting the engagement and the loss of her governess to be excited for the actual marriage. She had had several sleepless nights crying and then when she finally slept she would awake from dark ominous nightmares. Repeatedly she would dream that she was running through a large mansion desperately trying to escape the shadowy figure that haunted her. Each time she would run out of the main entrance only to find Baron Hester standing at the door and then she would awake. This same dream came to her the night before the wedding and with no hope of abandoning her obligation, Anna assumed the dream was a foreshadowing of her marriage to come.

With bleary sight and dark rings under her eyes Anna washed herself and prepared for the long day ahead. The maid entered and helped her dress in a pure white gown with gloves and a pearl tiara. When Anna looked at herself in the mirror before leaving her room she did not feel like a blushing bride but rather a ghostly maiden, pale, thin and dispirited.

The house was alive with action, servants rushing around preparing for the wedding breakfast and Anna’s mother dressing and then changing outfits repeatedly. Once Lady Kemp was satisfied with her own attire she turned her gaze to Anna and realized that the bride looked positively gloomy.

“Your father has found you the most suitable husband, dressed you in expensive fabrics and you still stand there looking sorry for yourself!” Lady Kemp walked over to Anna and started to pinch her cheeks. “You look ill! Do you think the Baron will want to marry you when you look as white as a sheet?” Anna stood there and let her mother continue to pinch her cheeks in the hope that that she might create a rosy dew but the effort was pointless. Anna had long decided that she was simply moving from one prison to the next with her main duty being to look pretty. She no longer cared if the pink had drained from her skin or if her once shiny hair had matted; she was simply a commodity that had been purchased.

“Let us to church ladies.” Lord Kemp descended the staircase and headed straight for the door, the ladies following in suite. They sat together in an open top carriage and briefly enjoyed the few rays of sun that graced their journey.

“Now my dear,” Lord Kemp leaned toward Anna from his side of the carriage. “After the ceremony we will return for the celebrations and then you will journey with Baron Hester to your new home in Staffordshire.” Anna’s father talked slowly so that she would fully understand the conclusion of the day. He showed some empathy in his tone but still remained factual as to a business transaction. “You have always been a dutiful daughter, obliging and agreeable. Now you go on to start your own journey as a wife and hopefully mother. We will be sure to visit.”

Anna looked into her father’s eyes hoping he would sense her desperation to be free of her fate but he simply patted her hand and sat back in his seat. She knew that once she was married and carried off to the north there would be no visit from her parents. Her mother who had always been hard and cold would not want to take the time or expense of a visit and her father would always be preoccupied with business.

The church slowly came in sight and Anna’s stomach knotted up and her palms became sticky. The arched wooden doors opened and an organ started to play as Anna slowly stepped toward the front of the church. Baron Hester stood waiting with the vicar. He looked exactly the same as he had at the engagement, in fact Anna wondered if he was even wearing the same suit. Her body moved automatically on her behalf, standing, sitting and moving mechanically when prompted to do so. Inside her emotions had become completely numbed and muted, leaving her simply an empty vessel performing the will of others.

Bells chimed, hands clapped and confetti was thrown. Somehow Anna had made it to the end of the ceremony without screaming or fainting but now she had to endure the wedding breakfast. She left the church in a carriage with her new husband, alone for the first time. They sat opposite each other and remained silent for the entirety of the short journey. Anna’s heart raced wondering if she should speak or make a small comment on the ceremony but by the time she decided on what to say the carriage pulled up to her parent’s house.

It was time again to put on a smile and thank all the guests for attending. Everyone dined, a splendid selection of courses and guests continued to congratulate Anna on her new status as a Baroness. Occasionally she would turn toward the Baron in the hope that he might offer her a smile or some small token of the day they were sharing, but he remained oblivious to her presence. Her heart sank at the thought that she would have to endure an affectionless relationship with no sweet discourse or hobbies for them to share.