Portrait of a Scandal (8 page)

“How long have you worked here, Geoff?” she asked, drawing him back to walk beside her as they descended the stairs.

“Three years, my Lady. I grew up on the Sterling family estate and was lucky enough to be offered a position by his Lordship when he opened his own household.”

“Oh, how nice. Are your parents still at the estate, Geoff?”

“Yes, my lady. My father is the horse-master and my mother a kitchen maid.”

“How lucky for you as a youth. I am sure you have gained a vast knowledge of horsemanship from your father and a full tummy from your mother.”

Geoff smiled for the first time, his eyes sparkling with merriment. “Indeed, my Lady.”

They arrived at a door attended by another footman. Nellie smiled at him and he gave her a nod before opening the door to the formal dining room. She turned back to Geoff. “Thank you for your assistance, Geoff. I would have surely become lost without you.”

He bowed. “It was my pleasure, my Lady.”

Thomas rose from his seat at the far end of the table, folding the newspaper and placing it down, his eyes focused on her.

Nellie felt herself blush as she approached him. How could she still blush in front of a man who had seen her naked and done the things to her that he had last eve?

“Nel, you look stunning, though I do not know why I am surprised. I have never seen you look any other way.”

She beamed. “Why thank you, husband.”

Another footman moved forward and pulled out a chair for her on her husband’s right. She offered him a smile as she took her place, and Thomas followed suit.

“I do not normally request a breakfast buffet unless I am entertaining. It seems like such a waste of food when I rarely choose anything different from day to day. I hope you do not mind, but I have requested your breakfast be the same as mine this morning. If it is not to your liking, I am sure that cook will be happy to make you something different.”

“Unless you have a strange urge to feast on giblets and suchlike, I am sure it will be fine.”

He chuckled as Geoff and the other footman, whose name she did not recall, brought forward two plates. Nellie’s stomach gave an unladylike grumble as the scent of eggs and bacon reached her nose. Thomas seemed amused but did not comment.

Nellie wasted no time in clearing her plate and was pleased with what she had eaten. She too rarely ventured from her eggs and bread in the morning, and she liked how Thomas did not see the point of wasting food as other houses did. Yes, the food was normally dined on by the servants once the family had taken theirs, but it still seemed wasteful.

“It was lovely,” Nellie said as Geoff cleared her plate. “Please inform the cook.”

“Certainly, my Lady,” Geoff said with a nod as he departed.

“Thomas.” Nellie drew his attention and gaze as she placed a hand on his, “Would it be possible to meet with your butler and housekeeper today? I assume you wish me to take over the running of the household now we’re married?”

“Of course. Parker and Mrs Smith will be pleased to have a lady of the house, I’m sure. I will admit I care for the task as much as visiting the dentist,” he said with a shake of his head. “I was hoping to have you to myself today, but I see you have other plans,” he added with a teasing pout, placing his other hand over her own.

“Oh?” she said curiously. “What did you have planned for us?” Nellie’s thoughts instantly moved to the bedroom, flashbacks of the night before flooding her mind and deepening her breathing. Her nipples beaded in her corset and her core moistened. She felt her face flush.

Thomas’ lips curved devilishly before he flicked his attention to the footman who stood to the side, looking blankly to the centre of the room, seeming to be unaware of his master and mistress. It was, of course, not the case—he was hanging on their every word. That was one reason Nellie wanted to befriend the staff. If they liked her, they would be less inclined to gossip.

“I was hoping you would accompany me on a ride,” Thomas finally said.

“A ride?”

“Yes. I was hoping to show off my new wife to those who find the urge to grace Hyde Park with their presence,” he said with a chuckle, as he leant back in his chair. “Mother was kind enough to have her mare sent over for you to use, since you have not one of your own in London.”

“That was kind of her.”

“Quite. I told my parents of your stallion, and I must admit my father was very impressed with a lady being able to control such a strong animal. My mother, on the other hand, was distraught at the idea,” he said with a mocking sigh. “She would rather spend her time in the comfort of a carriage, and offered her steed for you while we stay in town.”

“I am sure I will take great pleasure in riding the animal. I must say, I have never ridden while father and I were in London. He prefers the carriage, as well.”

“Then after your meeting with Parker and Mrs Smith, we will ride?”

“I look forward to it.”

* * * *

Nellie smiled at Geoff as he led her into the library. A tall man with a cropped beard and a demure woman stood waiting for her as she entered. The man bowed, while the woman offered a lacklustre curtsy.

“My Lady, I am Parker, the butler, and please allow me to introduce you to Mrs Smith, the housekeeper.”

“Thank you, Parker. It is a pleasure to meet you both. Please.” Nellie indicated they should sit with a gesture of her hand towards a group of settees, on which they all sat. “I know Thomas introduced us last eve, but I fear your names had escaped me. I will do my best to ensure I do not forget them in the future.”

The two exchanged a glance, but said nothing. Their surprise at her frankness was a revelation.

“How long have you both served my husband?”

“We have served Lord Sterling since he bought the house, my Lady,” Parker said. “We were employed with the previous owner.”

“Well, you hardly need me to point out how you both excel at your roles. Your time here alone speaks of your excellence.”

The eyes of both the housekeeper and butler widened slightly.

“That is kind of her Ladyship to say,” Mrs Smith exclaimed.

“Not at all. You and the staff will learn very quickly that I am a woman who finds it important to speak the truth. While I am happy to express my delight, I feel it just as easy to express my displeasure, but I can see there is little fear of that,” she offered. “Please know that you can come to me with any concerns you have regarding the household. I will always be open to your thoughts.

“Anne, my maid, will also be of a great help to you. She has known me since we were children and understands me better than I do myself at times. Feel free to seek her counsel if I am not available.”

Mrs Smith pursed her lips slightly, and Nellie wondered at the cause. Anne was not under the housekeeper’s command like the other maids of the house. No lady’s maids ever were, as they were employed by their mistresses. And while Anne could be brash, she was a wonderful lady’s maid and a true friend. But there was something about the housekeeper that caused Nellie to hold on to a hint of reserve. Trust for this woman would need to be earned.

“Is there anything you wish to discuss with me while we are all together?” Nellie asked. “I am sure there are menus and such that will require my attention, but please inform the cook that for the time being, she holds free rein in her meal preparations. Once I have a firmer grasp on her capabilities, we can then confer over menus.”

Parker and Mrs Smith shared a glance before the butler shook his head. “Then there is nothing else that I can think of, my Lady.”

“Very well, but should you think of anything, please come to me. I will not begrudge you the time on any account.” Well, perhaps if she and Thomas were alone…

“Of course, my Lady,” Parker said.

“Wonderful.” Nellie rose, a smile forming upon her lips at the thought of her husband. “I believe his Lordship and I are going on a ride.”

Geoff led her around to the stables, located at the back of the large townhouse. Four enclosed stalls lined the small block. Two large, black carriage horses craned their heads out of their stalls, watching the grooms who held two riding horses, no doubt eager for a treat or a pat from their handlers. Thomas stood next to the same stallion he had used for the hunt, over a month ago.

She glanced at the horse’s leg. “He has healed well then, husband?”

Thomas turned to her and patted the horse. “Indeed. It was lucky you were around to assist me in his care, my dear.”

She raised an eyebrow at his sensual meaning but chose not to comment. Instead, she looked to the other horse, a fine-boned bay mare. “Your mother’s mare? What is her name?” Nellie asked as she moved forward to stroke the horse’s muzzle.

Thomas chuckled. “Pearl.”

She cast Thomas a look at his amused tone.

“Mother did not favour the name she came with—Sally, I believe—and felt it important to change it. Though I do not know why.”

“She is a beautiful animal, and clearly your mother felt she needed a more befitting name,” Nellie said, nodding to the groom, who came around and assisted her to mount.

Beautiful she was, but Nellie quickly realised the horse was also as slow as a mule. As they rode down the street, she now understood why the groom had offered her a crop. She did not normally ride with one, simply because Geist had not needed it, though most women who rode side-saddle used a crop. Nellie had used it as a gentle reminder to this mare more than once already.

As they rode through the grand entrance of Hyde Park, Nellie found herself in a sweat. She seemed to be working harder than the horse, especially in an effort to keep up with Thomas and his stallion’s easy gait.

“Thomas, I think I will ride one of the carriage horses when we do this again. While your mother’s horse is indeed a pearl to look at, I can attest she is the laziest horse I have ever ridden.”

Thomas barked a laugh. “Father said as much, and I fear that was his motivation in purchasing her for mother. I will send out enquires for a horse of your own. That is, if you are sure you do not want to bring Geist into town?”

Nellie looked around at the distractions of the city as her ears picked up the bustle of noise and knew her horse would not like it here. He was a country being, not all that unlike herself. “No, I do not think he will fit in well here.”

“Very well,” he said and moved his steed closer, so they rode with their legs touching.

“Hyde Park is very different from this vantage point,” she commented, distracting herself from her charming and alluring husband. His smile alone had the power to melt her into a puddle. It did not help that she was reminded of last night with every rock of her hips against the hard surface of the saddle. It was indeed a teasing reminder. Surely, it would not take her a week to heal from her discomfort.

“Yes. It is not as grand as the country, but it is London’s little hideaway,” he murmured, then chuckled. “It is also a grand place to take a lady. She is so preoccupied with the beauty of it, she is distracted from her suitor’s flaws.”

Nellie cast him an amused look at his teasing tone, the brim of her top hat keeping the sun out of her eyes. “I do not know if that is true, my Lord. I have not become temporarily blind to your many flaws.”

 He regarded her in a cunning fashion. “And I thought I was doing so well at hiding them from you, wife.”

“Hardly. Yet, while they are your flaws, they also happen to improve your assets, and I warn you not to ask what I feel those are. I will simply not tell, even if you do.”

He laughed again, drawing the attention of those they passed. “I am so very glad I married you, Nel. You will indeed keep me on my toes.”

A rush of pleasure swamped her. She was also pleased with him as a husband. They still they did not know each other’s likes and dislikes, but there was a connection between them and Nellie enjoyed being with him, more so than any other man she had met in her years. His ability to allow her to be herself was not something she had previously felt outside her father’s home, but in Thomas’—or now theirs—she felt she could relax. Her father had been right—Thomas would make her happy. That was, if he did not discover the truth.

The sudden feeling of despair assaulted her. He could never learn the truth—Nellie would simply not allow it. Thomas truly did make her feel free and able to be herself—a tremendous gift in its own right—yet the knowledge that she could suddenly turn his affection for her into loathing knotted painfully in her stomach.

“Sterling!”

Both Nellie and Thomas turned at the call. A man on a grey horse was approaching at a fast clip. Thomas’ horse tossed his head as if tempted to bolt, but unsurprisingly, the mare Nellie rode did not even seem to notice.

“Hello, Headline. How are you?” Thomas asked with a genuine smile.

“Well, thank you,” the man returned as his attention moved to Nellie.

“Headline, allow me introduce you to my wife, Lady Sterling. My dear, allow me to introduce you to Lord Headline. We attended Oxford together.”

“My Lord,” Nellie said with a nod, thinking him vaguely familiar. Perhaps he had been at their wedding?

Lord Headline’s reputation was not dissimilar to Thomas’. He was a rake, a man who liked the idea of marriage as much as he liked the idea of cleaning his own chamber pot. While she had never met him before, Nellie was well versed in the gossip around the ton, simply from the hearsay she received from Anne and the servants in her father’s household. She knew he tended to visit establishments for his manly needs, but she had also heard of his ability to keep young widows warm during their long and lonely mourning periods.

“I must send my condolences, Lady Sterling. If I had but met you before, I would have warned you off this frightful bore.”

Nellie grinned, while at the same moment her mare started to drop back from the group. She reminded the horse of her crop. “Such a shame we did not meet, Lord Headline. Even after a single day of being his wife, I fear you may be right.”

Headline barked a laugh. “Oh, she is a gem, Sterling.”