The Baron's New Wife: Regency Romance (5 page)

“Anna. Daddy Anna is crying.” Harry pointed at her and she could feel the immediate gaze of all three of them upon her.

Desperate to hide her embarrassment and overcome her emotions she tried to leave the room, “Please excuse me I’m just so relieved and very tired.” Anna turned to step out of the open door but the Baron quickly hurried over to her.

“Please, come and sit. You must be exhausted.” The Baron ushered Henry of the seat and took Anna’s hand. He led her over to the chair, sat her down and covered her with a blanket. “You have been caring non-stop for our Harry. Rest, I will have the maid bring some food up for you.” The Baron patted her hand and then left the room.

Anna sat in shock at how gentle and considerate the Baron had just been to her. Except for his recent actions with the boys, he had never shown her any attention or concern for her wellbeing. She sturdied her emotions and finally relaxed her aching body in the chair. Henry stared at her, studying her face. “Is it true that you have been in here all this time looking after Harry?”

“I have.” Anna tried to keep her eyes open to answer his questions.

“Did you not sleep at all?”

“No. We had to keep him cool.” Her heavy eyelids weighed down and eventually the flickering image of Henry beside her became complete darkness.

Several hours later Anna awoke to the sound of tweeting birds and a cool breeze touching her face. She was still lying in the chair next to Harry’s bed but it was as though the whole room had been transported into another dimension or World. The sun streamed through the window lighting up the whole room and the noises of nature outside trickled in. The darkness of Harry’s sickness which had brought gloom and melancholy was now replaced with joy and harmony. Everything in the room appeared to have a new life; the drapes had become brighter, the furniture seemed more welcoming and the boy lying next to her had the full colors of health returning to his cheeks.

Anna, herself felt refreshed after her long sleep and eagerly anticipated walking outside after her long stint of being indoors. She peeled back the blanket and quietly left the room, being careful not to wake Harry. Anna walked out into the hallway and took the time to stretch her whole body. Now that she felt more like herself she quickly realized that she was ravenous and would happily devour any food placed in front of her. With that objective she headed for the dining room in the hope of finding the rest of the family enjoying breakfast.

As she suspected, she entered to find both the Baron, Henry and even Mr. Field at the table.

“My dear, you must be famished.” Mr. Field got up and pulled out the chair nearest to Anna, “You were just marvelous taking care of poor Harry, just marvelous. And now he is back to full health and on his way to recovery. I’m sure we will not hear the end of it from the boy though for a long time.” He chuckled and winked at Anna as she took her seat at the table.

Anna was embarrassed by the high praise Mr. Field was bestowing on her as she regarded it as care that anyone would provide to an ailing patient. “Thank you Mr. Field but I do think you are lavishing me with too much gratitude. It wasn’t just me caring for Harry, Baron Hester was by his side and even Henry helped cool Harry’s brow.”

At this the Baron stepped in to confirm his gratitude, “Please, it was you who acted upon the physician’s orders and ensured Harry was tended to at all times.” Anna’s cheeks flushed as the Baron talked about her. He had never given her as much as a glance or kind word before and now he was talking as though she were an angel. “Mr. Field is not unjust in his praise of you. We are truly fortunate to have had you in our company when Harry fell ill and I dare not think what the unpleasant outcome would have been had you not been here.”

The Baron placed his gaze directly upon Anna and held it intently on her. Anna couldn’t help but reciprocate his stare and the two observed each other for a few moments. The Barons plain features which she had considered average before were now starting to draw her attention, especially his eyes. The deep brown ovals showed flecks of amber which warmed his face and showed hints of brooding emotion. Likewise the Baron was taking in Anna’s features which he had once thought girlish he now considered womanly. She was indeed slim and fragile with a delicate frame but her capable hands and pure heart shone through, maturing her tender years.

“Thank you.” Anna finally said, breaking the silence which had become awkward for the fellow diners, “You have given me kind praise indeed. I am just relieved that the ordeal has passed and our beautiful Harry is still with us.”

The Baron smiled at her and returned to eating his meal.

“Mr. Field,” Henry piped up with a question for his tutor, “As Harry is still resting in bed. Will we be cancelling our lessons for today?” Henry had obviously calmed himself from the thought of losing his younger brother and was now eager to take advantage of the situation.

“No, my boy.” Mr. Field looked up with a comical smile on his face, “
We
will not be cancelling our lessons. You know just as well as I do that you have more work and more years on your brother, and you should know better.” Henrys face quickly dropped and he prodded the food on his plate.

“In light of recent events I would like you all to know that I have rearranged some of my business ventures.” All three looked at the Baron as he spoke. It was highly unusual for him to address the table and even more so for him to speak of his business affairs. They stared in amazement at his announcement and waited for him to continue for the full explanation. “Much of my time has been taken up in London on various matters but I see now that my presence is needed here. I will, for the foreseeable future, be spending less time away.”

The Baron scanned the faces staring at him and waited for a response but no one knew what to say. Everyone had become accustomed to his absences and didn’t fully understand how this change would affect themselves. Perplexed by their expressionless faces the Baron addressed Mr. Field in the hope that it would snap them all back into the conversation.

“Mr. Field, we have not discussed the boys’ education of recent and I would most like to have an update on their progress and curriculum.”

Mr. Field was still holding his spoon mid-air as the Baron talked but upon realizing the question was to himself he quickly answered, “Um, yes. Yes, indeed. We certainly can discuss their education today if you so wish?”

The Baron agreed and they all resumed to eating in silence, each wondering how the household would change now the master had decided to return.

Chapter 8

Several weeks had passed since Harry’s illness and he had made a full recovery to the delight of everyone. The Baron had indeed kept his word and remained present in the family home and had not once mentioned a need to visit London. His business affairs still kept him busy and in his study a considerable amount of time but it was evident that he was trying to be actively social with the boys and he even tried to talk with Anna on several occasions. At first Anna thought this new change in behavior would simply revert back to old habits within a few days, but as the weeks passed she slowly became convinced that the Baron truly had transformed. She wondered about the Baron’s strong character and the cruel words she had overheard after their marriage ceremony, and speculated whether his character could be so altered within such a short time. He was now pleasant and amiable when the family dined together and he had even sort her company out for walks and picnics. The time still passed slowly when they were together as they had little to discuss besides the boys but Anna could sense a real effort on the Barons part to engage in conversation. Admittedly, Anna had held back from freely opening the floodgates of friendship to the Baron as she still held on to the memory of reading his mistresses love letters.

“You look radiant among the sunflowers.” Anna turned from admiring the flowers to find the Baron approaching her along the garden path.

“They have grown ever so quickly.” She ignored his compliment and focused her comments on the garden.

“Yes. They certainly have sprung up. I didn’t even know we had sunflowers in the garden.” The Baron reached beside her and touched the petals on one of the flowers. He sniffed and breathed in the aroma of the blossoming flowers. “Everything smells so fresh. It’s so much nicer out here than inside my stuffy library.”

“I would imagine so.” Anna gave a polite smile and then started to walk along the path. The Baron followed beside her.

“Anna. May I call you Anna?”

“I am your wife. I believe we are familiar with each other for you to call me by my Christian name.”

The Baron paused, he was slightly affronted by her sarcasm but was intent on changing the awkwardness between them. “I believe I have been remiss to your comfort since we married and you joined us here. I did not enquire upon your arrival that you had all the possessions needed to enjoy your stay…”

“My stay? Will I be leaving sometime soon?” Anna cut in to the Baron’s speech as she did not intend to make his apology an easy one considering it had now been months since she first arrived at her new home.

“I beg your pardon. I did not mean stay. This is your home and as such I would like to ensure that you are comfortable and it was abominable of me to not have enquired sooner.”

The Baron looked tense and clearly was regretting his prior lack of attention to his new wife. “I am very comfortable, thank you. My maid furnished my room appropriately and I have all the belongings I brought with me from my father’s house.”

“All the same, I would like you to feel that this truly is your home and that you have free reign to amend furnishings or change the décor. I would like to take you into town and have you purchase new furnishings for your room.”

Anna wasn’t sure how to respond as she had no issue with her bedchamber and did not see the logic in purchasing new furnishings when she had perfectly adequate pieces already. “Honestly, I am not being shy of my situation. My room is perfectly furnished. I thank you for your attention but it really isn’t necessary to trouble yourself on the subject any further.”

The Baron tipped his head in thought. “I see. In that case I believe you are in need of your own reading room?”

Again Anna stood perplexed by his continued questions. Instead of answering she remained staring at the Baron with an obvious look of confusion. He followed her direction and answered the unspoken question for her. “You see I have my study, the boys have their classroom and we share the drawing room. The house has more than enough rooms for you to have your own private reading room, if you wish?”

“You would like for me to have my own private room where I spend my time?”

Now it was the Baron that became perplexed. His intention had been to offer Anna some sort of token of kindness but now, hearing her own words, he could see how she would misinterpret his gesture. “Yes, well no. Not exactly. I thought you might care for own private space so that when you need some peace and tranquility away from the boys, you may have a section of the house to truly call your own.”

Anna smiled at the Baron. She had understood his original intention but couldn’t resist twisting his words. The thought of having her own space did appeal to Anna but she didn’t feel that it was a necessity as the home had numerous rooms and she generally spent most of her days away from other company. However she could see that her husband was hell bent on offering her some sort of gesture and more out of intrigue she decided to accept his invitation.

“You are very kind to think of my needs and I would be delighted to have my own reading room. When did you want to take this trip to town?”

“No time like the present.” The Baron beamed a contented smile and led Anna back towards the house. “I will have the carriage readied and then we will be on our way.”

Within moments Baron and Baroness Hester where in the carriage and on their way to the nearest town where they spent all the afternoon visiting various shops and laborers. The Baron spared no expense and insisted that his wife had the finest furniture, drapes, wall hangings and décor that was available. Several pieces had to be ordered in from London which made Anna wonder if the whole offer had been a ploy for the Baron to escape back to his mistress. She tried her best not to think pessimistically and instead thought about how her mother would react if she could see them now. Everything that the Baron picked was luxurious and although Anna tried to keep her taste conservative, the fine materials that the Baron put in front of her did make her feel special. Any time she hesitated as to the cost he would quickly jump in and take the shopkeeper away so that she would not over hear the crude negotiations.