Page 54 of Bluebell’s Fate

Chapter Thirty-four

Unfortunately, Nathaniel wasn’t able to explain the whole of his family’s complicated history to Bell as soon as he’d have liked. He sat in the small parlor while his daunting father-in-law loomed over him.

Bell seemed distracted. She’d been telling Ash all about the past few weeks. For all that had happened, there was likely precious little she could tell a seven-year-old boy. However, she surprised Nathaniel by talking about the most mundane things and making them sound exciting. She took her brother straight up to her bedchamber with her godmother in tow. The last he heard, she was telling his grandmother and Ash all about how fairies led her to a specific plot of ground outside with incredible wildflowers. She hadn’t mentioned fairies to him much since they’d been at Cairnsby Cottage, and it gave him pause. What made her hold back her creativity if it wasn’t him?

He found himself alone with his father-in-law in the small parlor. Nathaniel ought to have been shaking in his boots—the last time he’d been with the earl, he’d been threatened with death. And now, when the earl came to visit his daughter, he had found her practically running from Nathaniel’s family. This wasn’t the type of reunion Nathaniel would have chosen.

There was no point in trying to hide the charged emotions Bell exuded as they left Cairnsby Hall, she reminded Nathaniel of an incoming storm. Anyone with eyes could see that she was battling something dark, something she was bound to let loose at any moment. So far, she’d coped well by telling Ash stories.

Lord Gardner steepled his fingers together in front of his chest and sat on the purple settee. Nathaniel watched as the earl transformed his demeanor from doting father to one of strict business, leaving behind all traces of the concern he must feel warring inside of him. “What happened at dinner?”

Nathaniel shook his head. “In short, my family decided to unsettle Bell by talking about old family grievances before we had the second course brought out.” He heaved a sigh. “I’ve had a difficult time building a foundation of open communication with Bell. I hadn’t even thought of broaching topics that might seem troublesome. I’m afraid she was blindsided.”

Lord Gardner shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. “A common mistake for a newlywed…and Bell isn’t the most forthcoming with information unless you listen closely to her stories.”

“Do you mean her fairy stories?” Nathaniel asked, astonished. “I haven’t heard any stories since we left the woods that first day. Well, except for what she’s been telling Ash tonight.”

Lord Gardner looked even more concerned at that. “No stories? None at all?”

Nathaniel shook his head and swallowed back guilt. The closest she’d come to talking about fairies was when she’d shown him her drawings of the blue room. She’d sketched some pages with renderings of fairies. Had she been trying to tell him something he’d missed?

The ramifications of that conversation sat heavy in his stomach. He’d been hurt by her lack of faith in him. He remembered all the ways Bell had shown her disbelief that he could afford to build the conservatory, or even build it correctly. He hadn’t wanted to become angry, or start an argument, so he’d left to cool his head. He’d left her there, with hardly a word—and he’d never addressed the topic since then.

Stars above, he was an idiot.

It was no wonder Bell saw him as incapable. Was he inherently flawed? Even now, his parents still trusted Ian more than him. Ian…the good-for-nothing scoundrel that neglected his own mother. The fact that Ian was at Cairnsby Hall now was like pouring salt into an open wound. The amount of time Nathaniel’s father had carved out to spend with Ian over the past few days equaled more than all of Nathaniel’s adult life strung together.

“What else is wrong?” The earl cut into Nathaniel’s melancholy thoughts.

Nathaniel swallowed back his emotion, or at least he tried to. Ever since his ridiculous heart had begun beating for his wife, emotion—both good and bad—had become one of the side effects. He struggled to look at a problem logically anymore, especially when it came to her.

Although Nathaniel and Bell were wildly opposite. Some things were so good between him and Bell. They had overcome some difficult misconceptions about each other: she’d thought he was a rake, he’d thought she was a figment of his imagination. Both ideas were false. The flame of attraction he felt for her was real, and he was quite certain she felt it as well. Nathaniel found himself biting back a smile, before he remembered Bell’s father was looking at him. “I’m sorry, my lord. What was your question?”

“Never mind.” Lord Gardner waved him off. “I’ve seen you look at Bluebell, and it is the same way Frederick looks at Rose. It’s clear to me that you are as smitten with my daughter as you are confused by her.”

Nathaniel nodded and wondered about the earl’s relationship with his own wife. Was theirs a love match?

“Aside from Ash, being confused by her puts you in good company. Ash is one of the few who really understand her. Bluebell seems to exist in her own realm where dreams and magic are woven into the air around her…not all of it the pleasant sort.” Lord Gardner rubbed his temples. “I came here to take her home. Rose was concerned she wasn’t being received well.”

“Lady Rose had good reason to worry. Even more so now that my cousin is visiting.” Nathaniel confided, not sure why he was comfortable with sharing even more worries with his father-in-law. Perhaps it was because Nathaniel was confident that they shared the same goal: they wanted Bell to be happy.

Lord Gardner leaned forward, candlelight reflecting off his bald head. “I could step in. I could make life miserable for your parents. Quite honestly, my title allows me to get away with far too much. However, I don’t think it’s a wise choice for me to solve all my children’s problems. I admit, I have had little to do in raising my girls. In the past couple years, I’ve begun to suspect that has been a mistake on my part. My wife always wanted responsibility for the girls, and I let her have it. I have charge over Ash. That is why he’s here with me.” He chuckled. “Well, that and because he’s been counting down the days until I told him we can come visit Bell. It is our job, as gentlemen, to care for the women in our family. So, what can we do?”

Ash appeared in the doorway. “I thought that was why we brought the dueling pistols.” He didn’t look a bit abashed at his obvious eavesdropping.

Nathaniel coughed to cover his alarm that the topic of dueling pistols was again coming into play, but the truth of the matter remained. “Actually, it’s not a bad idea. Dispose of me, and Bell would be free to go back home with you. Of course, it’s not the solution I would prefer.”

Ash scrunched his brow. “Oh, that’s not going to work. I thought the pistols were for Mr. Payne, your father.”

The earl would duel my father? Could there not be a more peaceful way to solve their problems? Or were the pistols just a show to intimidate Nathaniel’s parents?

“How is Bell faring, Ash?” Lord Gardner asked, changing topics.

“Oh, she’s pretty good.” The little gentleman turned to Nathaniel with his piercing blue eyes. “She wants you. Her godmother went to bed. She said Bell just needed her husband tonight.” The small, smartly dressed boy yawned.

Bell wanted him. The mere idea of that would never get old.

Nathaniel looked to the earl. “Why don’t you and Ash stay in my room tonight? I can stay with Bell.” The idea of staying in the same room as Bell was different now that he’d grown to care for her; until she was ready to deepen their relationship, Nathaniel needed to get used to the idea of sleeping on the floor for the time being.