Page 45 of A Countess of Convenience

Kitty cocked her head. “How?”

John had bitten into his toast, although thankfully had gotten no further. Frowning at his too precocious sister, he chewed and swallowed carefully. “Such knowledge is not for unmarried young ladies. Your husband will explain it to you.”

“If I am to have a husband at all. No one I am interested in seems interested in me.” She toyed with her teacup. “Who will chaperone me after you marry, John? I assume you and Judith will take a wedding trip.”

Lord, another loose end he’d forgotten to tie up. Who was there to take over that task? Lacking his mother or aunts, an aged and distant cousin, Mrs. Conrad, had presented Kitty at court her first Season. He could possibly contact her, although she lived in Brighton and was likely into her seventh decade by now. Depending on how the court ruled, he and Judith might very well need to stay in London in any case. “We will stay in London throughout the Season. With everything so topsy-turvy, it is best we make no plans for a wedding trip until things settle down.” Should the courts rule in their favor and Judith wished to take Anna back to Marholm, he would continue here with Kitty. Separation was one way to prevent his wife from becoming pregnant too soon. “So you need not worry on that account.”

John returned his attention to his breakfast as Barr appeared at the door. “Lord Farringdon for Mrs. Harper, my lord. I have put him in the small receiving room.”

“Thank you, Barr.” Another awkward interview for Judith. Should he support her with his presence? Not the best idea. No gentleman wanted to be refused with the woman in question’s betrothed looking on.

“Who is Lord Farringdon?” Kitty asked, a puzzled look on her face.

“A gentleman of Judith’s acquaintance from home. The physician, in fact, who saved her life.”

“A physician and a peer? How singular. Should we not go and give him our great thanks for that service?” Kitty rose and looked at him expectantly.

“I think not at this time. Judith must speak to him about a delicate matter.” And then send him on his way, hopefully.

“Is there something she’s doing you’re not telling me?” Kitty could always divine when he withheld information.

“Yes.”

“What is it?”

“Something I hope you will not have to do this Season.” John bolted his tea and rose. “Refusing a suitor.”

* * * *

Judith’s wedding breakfast teetered between absolute joy and darkest despair. The joy was obvious in John’s face, and Judith experienced a great measure of satisfaction in her new status of wife because of his delight. She still had grave doubts about the marriage, yet her choice had been the right one. Life with a man she loved and respected, and desired as well, must be preferable to one where she admired and respected her husband, but wasn’t well acquainted enough with him to trust him implicitly.

Of course, these were not the reasons she’d given Miles five days ago. She’d sworn she’d not think of that interview today, but she could not rid herself of the feeling that she’d used Miles badly in refusing him seemingly out of hand, with few good reasons for doing so. When one cannot profess love for the man one is about to marry, all other excuses for refusal sound hollow indeed. She had cited their short acquaintance as the major reason for refusing him, as opposed to her longtime friendship with John and his family. Also, she’d mentioned that she feared her gratitude to him for saving her had taken from her the ability to see him in a husband’s role rather than physician and friend. Very thin indeed.

Gentleman to the end, Miles had accepted her decision, as he must, wished her and John happy, and left.

She prayed he did understand the reasoning for her decision, although she suspected she’d not see Miles again, even when she traveled to Marholm. Since John would spend quite a bit of time at Donningham when there, they’d need to seek medical attention from another physician. An inconvenience, but a necessary one.

John had written to Blanchard to inform him of their decision to wed in four days’ time. They would have tied the knot, as the Scots would have it, the day after the proposal, but His Grace the Archbishop was from London and only just returned yesterday. Consequently, her case was being heard before Chancery on the day of her wedding. Had Judith not been so preoccupied with worrying about her child, she would have been absolutely terrified.

At John’s insistence, they’d wed in St. George’s in Hanover Square, as Society found it the most fashionable place to marry. John wanted no one to say they were trying to hide anything. Still, if the breakfast guests were an indication, they would have much to endure as Society decided whether they were truly scandalous or not.

From the moment they entered the breakfast, held in several of the townhouse’s rooms, the more than fifty guests had all taken it upon themselves to ask, in both subtle and not so subtle terms, whether she was increasing.

“I wish you much happiness, my dear.” The Duchess of Carringford had been the first. She nodded, and Judith curtsied.

“Thank you, Duchess. You are most kind.”

“They tell me your last husband died not quite five months ago. Such a tragedy, to be sure.” She took out her quizzing glass and peered at Judith.

“It was, I assure you. I was quite prostrate with grief.”

“Yet you are not yet out of full mourning and have taken another husband.” Her Grace looked down her nose at Judith. “Such things are simply not done, my dear. Where is your mother?”

This part of the litany they had come up with she knew by heart. “She had to remain at our home in Marholm, Your Grace. My father died suddenly a week ago and she could not leave with the household so unsettled.”

“Your father just died and your husband only a short while ago? Have the Fates decreed some unfortunate punishment upon you, Lady Haxby?”

Starting a little—no one had used her title since her marriage—Judith smiled serenely and nodded. “It certainly seems one of the gods is being…capricious, shall we say, with my life at present. It has been filled with tragedy, save only in my present marriage. In that, Your Grace, the gods have positively smiled down on me.”