Who Brings Forth the Wind (Kensington Chronicles) (13 page)

near her calm and gentle presence. Finding her like this, eyes

fever-bright with anxiety, caused him an even greater sense

of satisfaction because he knew he was the one who could put

her mind at rest.

"Sit down, Anastasia," he told her.

Stacy, not having heard him, shook her head in despair.

"You don't understand."

"Yes, sweetheart, I do. Sit down, and I'll tell you."

Stacy sat then and stared in misery at Roddy and then at

Tanner. "I don't know how to be a duchess."

"Sweetheart," he called her again and sat beside her.

"Tanner--"

"Shhhh. I am not marrying you so that you can entertain

my guests or be a lovely feather in my cap, although I certainly

appreciate your beauty. I'm also not marrying you to compete

with some other duke or to be on the front page of the social

papers." Thinking this settled it all, Tanner fell silent.

"Then why are you marrying me?" Stacy couldn't resist the

question.

"Because I want you for my wife," he told her simply.

"All right," Stacy replied compliantly, wanting to please

him. However, she didn't really feel much better. It would have

been wonderful to hear that Tanner was marrying her because

he loved her. Stacy pushed the thought away. She usually

wasn't so emotional, but the largeness of what she was about

to do--commit herself for life to Tanner--was beginning to

weigh upon her.

Tanner, watching her so quietly, wondered what was troubling

her. He only hoped Stacy would be able to calm down

and enjoy the wedding and festivities. He wasn't entirely sure

if she was aware of what the crowd would be like, but now was

certainly not the time to tell her.

Roddy did a quick change of subject in the next moment,

and Tanner was able to watch Stacy collect her wayward

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The streets of London were thronged with well-wishers

for the wedding of the Duke of Cambridge. That he was

marrying a virtual unknown made it all the more romantic,

and the wedding coaches could barely move amid the good

wishes of the gentry and common folk alike.

"How does it look?" Lucinda asked Roddy as he peeked out

the window.

"Like a riot, but we'll get there." Roddy settled back and

smiled at the wide-eyed Stacy, who did not return his grin.

No one spoke for a time and the young bride-to-be was

relieved. How unsheltered her world had become in the last

weeks. She would npvprhm H. --''1"-

thoughts.

By the time Lucinda joined them she seemed to b

herself. In fact Stacy was calmer than Tanner by the time h took his leave. He knew that once he left, he wouldn't see he

again until she walked down the aisle.

^ .w **w\iuujgui a auKe.ttfie could understand

if this was for the queen or a princess, but not a duke and his

nearly common bride. It was inconceivable.

"Stacy, are you all right?"

"Yes," she answered her aunt immediately, but her voice

was wooden.

"You don't sound all right."

The comment made Stacy sigh. "I'm just a little overwhelmed

by all of this."

For once Lucinda did not lose patience with her. She

smiled tenderly and spoke in a soothing voice.

"While the wedding and reception are going on, you'll be

convinced that it's going to last forever, but before you know

it, you and Tanner will be married and on your way."

Stacy actually managed a smile at the thought. The remainder

of the ride was made in silence and not until they

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at the church did Stacy see what her aunt's words

it.

It seemed that before she had a moment to think she was

ed in her wedding finery and standing with Tanner

fore the bishop. Stacy had to quell laughter over the way the

man had to tip his head to see their faces; they literally

;red over him. At one point, she risked a glance at Tanner,

had also turned his head to look down at her. Stacy

itched as one lid dropped in a flirtatious wink. From that

ment on the service and reception were a blur.

The coach lurched into motion and Stacy leaned back

linst the seat with a sigh. Her feet ached dreadfully, but she IJiad done it--she'd married the man she loved. Aglance to the

| Bide of her found Tanner leaning against his corner of the seat,

just watching her. Stacy smiled with childish delight at him,

and he grinned in return and reached for her hand.

She was about to speak, wanting to tell him she'd never

experienced so many emotions in her life as she danced for

hours and met what appeared to be half of London, but her

stomach growled quite loudly. She turned away from Tanner,

thankful that the dim interior of the coach hid her flaming

face. In the semidarkness she heard her new husband chuckle.

"We'll eat when we get to the house," he told her.

"Winslow?" Stacy asked, curiosity overwhelming her embarrassment.

"No, Winslow is too far. Don't forget we have a train to

catch tomorrow."

"I haven't forgotten," Stacy told him and looked with love

into his eyes. She couldn't imagine a more caring act than

Tanner's willingness to change their honeymoon plans. Just

thinking of it made her want to throw her arms around him,

but she didn't think the time was right for that.

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Without warning, Stacy's thoughts moved to motherhood

She had never told Tanner that she desperately wanted to be a

mother, but it was true. She loved Elena's girls and ached for

children of her own. She wasn't good at many things, but Stacy

somehow knew that she would be a fine mother.

She was contemplating the wonderful idea of presenting

Tanner with a son in nine months' time when the carriage abruptly halted The door opened immediately, and Tanner

swung down and turned to give Stacy a hand She smiled her

thanks.

"I thought I'd lost you for a moment," he spoke as they

moved up the steps to the front door.

"I was just thinking."

"Want to share?" Tanner asked and then chuckled They

had stepped inside the door of his London home, and he had

lost her again. Most men with homes as large as Tanner's

country home cared only to have a small town house in

London, but Tanner was not most men. Although not as large

as Winslow, his London residence was substantial. He watched

Stacy's head move carefully as she saw this home for the first

time. Lucinda had forbidden her from visiting while it was still

a bachelor's domicile.

Tanner loved it when Stacy was awed, as she was now. He

also loved it when she tried not to show it. He admired her

self-control as the staff gathered. The introductions were

performed by Campbell, who was head of housekeeping, and

before Stacy knew it she was being shown to her room.

It was a relief to find Rayna there. Lucinda had sent her to

assist Stacy for her entire honeymoon. The faithful maid had

laid out one of the beautiful dresses from Stacy's trousseau

and, after buttoning her into it, began to brush her hair.

Tanner loved it long down her back, so after Rayna pulled it

back from the sides, Stacy asked her to let it hang.

Just 20 minutes later, a very hungry Stacy entered the

private dining room at the back of the house. There had been a

lavish feast at the wedding, but no time to eat, what with well-wishers

and every man in the room wanting to dance with the

93

ide. Stacy frowned when she remembered that she had only

iced with Tanner twice.

"That's quite a fierce look. You must be starved," Tanner

jmmented, having arrived just ahead of her.

Stacy's face relaxed into a smile as she crossed the small

jsioom to stand before him. She loved the fact that she had to

||ook up to see him. He was the most handsome man she had

^ever seen and as hungry as she was, she somehow wished they

fwere going to be alone for the remainder of the evening.

This was an impossibility as Stacy soon learned The

f thought had barely formed when the food arrived The duke

and duchess took their seats and were served a sumptuous

feast of roast goose by the staff.

Tanner was well satisfied watching his wife eat. She didn't

pick at her food, but ate what she was hungry for and until she

had a sufficiency. Their talk over the table was equally satisfying

as Stacy questioned him about the many different people

she'd met at the wedding. Tanner was pleasantly surprised to

learn that she knew the Duchess of Briscoe.

"Sunny Hawkesbury?"

"Yes. Aunt Lucinda and I had tea with Lady Andrea just

weeks after I'd arrived. Sunny came as we were leaving. She

knows Elena."

Tanner nodded. "Did you like her--Sunny, that is?"

'Very much."

"Then you'll be pleased to know she and her husband are

our neighbors. They live at Bracken, less than an hour's ride

from Winslow. I wouldn't be too surprised to arrive home and

find an invitation to dinner or tea from them."

Stacy had never thought about their being invited as husband

and wife to dine, but now that Tanner mentioned it, she

found she liked the idea immensely. She decided she would

have to learn who their neighbors were and have them in as

well.

"Are you finished?"

Stacy came out of her musings to find Tanner watching

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f

"Yes," Stacy told him, and sat still as he pushed his chair

back and approached. He took her hand as she stood, and with

a gentle squeeze said, "I'll see you upstairs."

Stacy smiled into his eyes before she moved away from the

table and toward the door.

roddy tenderly linked his fingers with Lucinda's as he

f sat down beside her in the open carriage. It was just two days

after the wedding, and Roddy had asked the woman he loved

I to go for a drive. He refused to say where they were headed,

| but Lucinda, feeling young and lighthearted with the wedding

over, readily agreed.

The streets of London were rather quiet for midmorning,

but Lucinda and Roddy barely noticed. They talked of the little

things that only good friends share, and each time Lucinda

tried to learn their destination, Roddy only smiled with

mischievous delight. Twenty minutes after they had left

Lucinda's, the carriage pulled onto a quiet street in a lovely

part of the city and stopped before a grand mansion.

"Why, Roddy," Lucinda spoke with surprise. "This is the

old Wood mansion."

"Come along, my dear" was his only reply as he stepped

from the carriage and held out his hand for her. He led her to

the front door. Lucinda paused in indecision when Roddy

opened it without knocking and stepped inside.

"Come along," he turned back to say to her. "It's all right."

Lucinda followed him uncertainly and gaped at the interior.