The Duke's Secluded Bride (Marriage by Fairytale Book 5) Page 4

  “I know. You’ve always been careful to stay in another room so as not to disturb them, and I appreciate that.”

  She smiled at his compliment.

  He gave her a sympathetic look then asked, “You get lonely here all by yourself, don’t you?”

  “Yes. I try to get lost in the books you’ve given me, but sometimes it’s difficult to remain indoors.”

  “But it’s necessary you do so. You remember what happened when you were fourteen and went to the trees. I ran out there to warn you that a creature had spotted you, but you didn’t believe me until that night.”

  She shivered. She recalled waking up to the hairy beast at the foot of her bed. Only her ability to run and hide had prevented her from getting mauled.

  “We must not let that happen again. I had a couple of servants create that wall to keep this side of the house safe, but I can’t guarantee that the creatures can’t get in. Now, I was careful today when I took the gentleman around the property. None of those things saw us. You’re young and inexperienced. You don’t know what to look for like I do.”

  “Can’t you teach me what I need to know?”

  “I will, but I’d feel better if you were older first. Perhaps when you’re twenty-five, you’ll be ready.”

  Maybe he was right. It was probably best not to take the risk yet.

  “Dinah,” her brother continued, “the gentleman I brought here is excited to meet you. He’s a kind person. I think he’ll be a good companion for you. But I didn’t tell him about the creatures. It’s very important you never mention the creatures. If you do, he’ll leave, and then you’ll be all alone again, and this time, I won’t be able to bring anyone else here. As soon as people learn these creatures roam the grounds at night, no one will want to come here. So the creatures will remain our secret. Understand?”

  She nodded. “I understand.”

  “Good. I think this will be a good match. I’ll feel much better when I go to London knowing that you’re not alone anymore.” He kissed her forehead. “I’ll bring him to you in an hour. Why don’t you wait for us in the library?”

  “All right.”

  She got ready to turn from him when he snapped his fingers. “There’s one more thing.”

  Her eyebrows furrowed. “What is it?”

  “I hate to do this since I know you love your hair, but it might be time to cut it.”

  Her hands went to the long strands. “You want me to cut my hair?”

  “Not all of it. Just some of it.”

  She pulled her hair over her shoulder and held it closer to her. “How much do you want to cut?”

  “I was thinking of cutting it here.” He tapped the middle of her back.

  She winced. That much?

  “It’s long overdue that you get your hair cut. Hair that long is for children. You’re not a child anymore. You’re a grown lady.”

  Maybe he was right. As she recalled, her mother and aunt hadn’t had hair this long. If she was going to be a wife, she supposed it was time to put away childish things. She’d read enough books to let her know ladies that married didn’t act like children.

  Steadying her resolve, she nodded that she’d let him cut her hair. She followed him to her bedchamber. He took a pair of shears from one of his pockets and gestured for her to sit in the chair in front of the vanity.

  She had to blink back the tears as he cut her hair. In an attempt to ignore what was happening, she let her mind wander to memories of her past. She recalled being held by her mother before going to sleep. She recalled picking out flowers to put in the drawing room with her aunt. She recalled listening to her uncle tell her stories from his time in other countries.

  She could barely remember her father. Her only memory of him was from when she was four, and she thought he was admonishing her brother about something, but she had no idea why her father had been upset. All she knew was that the maid had ushered her out of the room. Her brother had been fifteen at the time. He’d been home from his schooling for a season.

  “All done,” Andrew told her.

  Her attention went back to the present, and her gaze went to the mirror across from her. Her hair didn’t even reach her elbows anymore.

  “You have some curl,” her brother said. He took a few strands and showed her the way they curled around one of his fingers. “You look better this way. I think Baldwin will like it.”

  “Baldwin?”

  “That’s the name of the gentleman you are to marry.” He let go of her hair and tucked the shears into his pocket. “Where’s the broom?”

  She pointed to the small room off to the side of her bedchamber.

  “Why don’t you brush your hair and make yourself pretty while I clean the floor?” he suggested before he went to the other room.

  She picked up the brush and ran it through her hair which seemed abnormally short. She sniffed and wiped a tear away. This was all part of the process of being mature. She wasn’t a child anymore. She had to grow up sometime, and ‘sometime’ might as well be now.

  He returned and cleaned up the hair. She wasn’t sure what to do with her hair now that it was so short. She almost felt naked without the long strands to fall over her shoulders. She turned to the jewelry box on her vanity and sorted through the pins and ribbons. She hadn’t worn any of these in years. Ever since her hair got past her waist, she’d stopped wearing them.

  Finally, she chose to put a ribbon around her hair.

  Her brother finished discarding her hair and put the broom away. He took a good look at her and frowned.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked. Had she put the ribbon in wrong?

  “I think these pins will flatter your face more,” he said as he selected a few from her jewelry box. “You want to look the best you can for your future husband.”

  She accepted the pins that he held out to her. As she pulled the ribbon out of her hair, she asked, “Do you like Baldwin?”

  “Is it important? I’m not the one marrying him. You are.”

  “I trust your judgment. If you like him, then I’ll know he’s a good person.”

  “Since you put it like that, yes, I do like him. He’s an amiable fellow, but he prefers ladies who are quiet. I don’t want you to scare him away. Let him talk first. When you respond, speak softly. All right?”

  She nodded.

  “It might be best if you meet him in the library,” he said. “Perhaps you should wait in the corner of the room. I’ll call out to you once he feels comfortable enough to speak with you.”

  “Is he shy?” she asked, surprised he wanted her to hide.

  “No, but I think it’s best if you don’t go running up to him as soon as you see him. Ladies are better off letting the gentleman take the lead. You remember that from the few love stories I’ve brought for you to read.”

  She hadn’t read one of those in years. They’d struck her as rather dull and boring. Not much of anything happened in them. All she recalled was that the gentlemen courting ladies did all the talking, and if a lady didn’t understand something, she kept her thoughts to herself. She’d also read books he’d brought her on how ladies were supposed to act, but again, those bored her as well. She preferred the books he’d brought her that explained what to do when monsters attacked innocent people. That was what she really needed to know.

  He patted her shoulder, an action which broke her out of her thoughts. “Don’t take long. I’ll return with Baldwin soon.”

  She nodded. She wondered if Baldwin was going to be as boring as the gentlemen she’d read about in books. Her brother was a gentleman, and she didn’t consider talking to him to be boring.

  From what little she could recall, her uncle had been interesting. She recalled the vivid images he’d painted of Spain and France. So not all gentlemen were boring. She hoped Baldwin wouldn’t be, either. She’d like to think she might finally have someone to spend time with whose company she could enjoy. With a mixture of hope and apprehension, she put the pins in her hair.

  Chapter Five

  Baldwin wiped his hands on his handkerchief. This was silly. He was a grown gentleman. He wasn’t a child. He’d been looking forward to meeting Dinah ever since he agreed to the arranged marriage. But now that the moment was finally here, he couldn’t stop sweating. It was ridiculous.

  Andrew stepped into the den. “My sister’s ready to meet you, but I think there’s something I should warn you about.”

  Baldwin frowned. “Warn me about?” If Andrew had any reason to warn him about her, he should have done it in London, not wait until now. Perhaps Marcy had been right to be concerned.

  Andrew offered him an apologetic smile. “My sister is very sweet and very pretty, but, as you know, she’s shy.”

  “Yes,” Baldwin slowly stated. So far, he wasn’t learning anything new.

  “Well, she’s been a recluse for so long that she only lets me visit her. Perhaps it’s because I’m close to her in age. Maybe I’m more of a friend than a family member.” He shrugged. “She’s unwilling to let the rest of the family see her. I want this marriage to be a pleasant experience for her. I’m afraid if you bring up anything about the others in the family, it might not be good for her. She has such a delicate constitution.”

  “Are you suggesting that I not say anything about any family member except for you?”

  “I know it sounds terrible for me to suggest. I only do it because I want her to be happy. She’s had such little joy since she’s been holed up in the west wing of the manor.”

  Baldwin thought over what Marcy had told him about her time as a maid. She’d expressed feeling guilt and loneliness, and it’d only been
Lewis’ love that helped her overcome that part of her past. She’d once told him that Lewis had been patient and kind, and she had blossomed under his care.

  Perhaps Baldwin might do something similar for Dinah. It couldn’t be easy for anyone who was living in such a state of isolation. Patience and kindness were the best things he could bring to the marriage.

  “All right,” Baldwin agreed. “I won’t upset her by mentioning the others.”

  Andrew smiled. “Thank you. It does my heart good to know she’ll be protected. You’re an honorable and decent gentleman.” He gestured to the doorway. “I’ll take you to her.”

  Baldwin slipped his handkerchief into his pocket and followed him out of the room. As they went to the other wing of the manor, Andrew pointed out the portraits lining the hallways. Baldwin could only pay half-attention to what he was saying. He was about to meet his future wife, and that took precedence over any of the ancestors looking down at them.

  When Baldwin noticed the large stone wall that separated the west wing from the east wing, Baldwin’s steps slowed. “What is this doing here?”

  “My sister insisted on it,” Andrew said. “She claims she feels safer with the wall here. I know it’s unusual to have something like this in a manor.”

  Unusual was one word for it, but it didn’t seem to adequately describe it. “It’s creepy.”

  “I agree, but it makes her feel better. I had it put in for her when she was fourteen. She wouldn’t stop crying until it was there. Ever since then, she’s been content.”

  Really? How could someone actually prefer this?

  Andrew approached the wooden door that marked the only way into the west wing. He turned to face him. “Have you changed your mind? I wouldn’t blame you if you did. I can go in and tell her you decided to go back to London.”

  Baldwin considered the option, but another part of him—the stronger part—wanted to meet her. At the very least, he could meet her. He should meet her. He came all the way out here to meet her. If, upon meeting her, he still had an uneasy feeling about marrying her, he would politely say he couldn’t go through with the marriage and leave.

  Feeling better with that option, he directed his attention back to Andrew. “I’d like to meet her.”

  With a nod, Andrew turned the doorknob and offered Baldwin the option to go in first.

  Taking an uncertain breath, Baldwin proceeded forward. He wasn’t sure what he expected, but he wasn’t surprised to find that this side of the manor wasn’t as well kept up as the other side. There were cobwebs in the corner of the room that led to the staircase. The drapes were drawn, so with the limited sunlight coming into the place, he could barely make out the hallway on this floor that led to other rooms.

  Andrew shut the door behind them and went over to him. “The maid doesn’t get a chance to clean this side of the manor often. It depends on whether Dinah wants her here or not. Most of the time, the maid only tends to Dinah’s bedchamber and the library. Those are the rooms Dinah uses the most.”

  Baldwin wanted to ask him where he should sleep. He assumed he would be given a bedchamber on this side of the wing. Was that not going to happen? Was he expected to go back to the other side when it was time to sleep for the evening?

  As if he could make out what Baldwin was thinking, Andrew said, “If you marry her, we’ll bring your things to this side of the wing tomorrow. I’ll instruct the maid to get your bedchamber ready.”

  Baldwin supposed that would work, though it implied he wouldn’t spend the wedding night with his bride. He’d been under the impression he was going to spend this evening with her. He was sure Andrew had told him as much. But as he struggled to recall the conversation, the details eluded him in light of how strange things were on this side of the manor.

  “The upstairs is in better condition, and those drapes are open,” Andrew said as he led the way to the staircase.

  Baldwin hurried to join him. He needed to expect things to be different with Dinah than they were with other ladies. Her life had been different. She hadn’t grown up in London. She’d grown up here.

  The condition of the upstairs was better than the condition of the downstairs. That made him feel better. The area was clean, and the light poured through the windows to give the place a more pleasant atmosphere. There weren’t many objects in the hallway. While there had been portraits on the other side of the manor, there were none here. There were only two paintings and a small table.

  “Dinah’s bedchamber is further down the hall, but this is where she likes to read,” Andrew told him as he approached the second door they came to. He stopped and turned to him. “I know she’s in here, but she’s frightened to meet you,” he whispered. “It might be best if you stayed a few steps behind me.”

  Baldwin indicated he would do as the gentleman wished and followed him into the room. The room was in good condition. There was very little dust, and the furniture appeared to be only a few years old. There was a fire in the fireplace next to a couple of chairs. Most of the room was filled with bookshelves, and they were all full of books. There were so many books, in fact, that Baldwin couldn’t even begin to count them all.

  “Dinah, the gentleman I told you about is here,” Andrew said when he reached the center of the room.

  Baldwin directed his gaze to the corner where Andrew was looking and noticed a slender lady in a green gown with brown hair secured up by gold pins. The gown was surprisingly in style. He had expected something of an older style since she never went to London, but if she were to go there today, she’d fit right in. Andrew probably saw to it that she had new clothes on a regular basis. That was the only explanation for it since he was the only one in his family who went to London.

  When Dinah didn’t come forward right away, Andrew closed the distance to her and took her by the arm. Baldwin thought he heard Andrew tell Dinah she was doing well as he brought her closer to him.

  Baldwin’s heart sped up as he got a better look at her. She was beautiful. Had the gentlemen in London seen her, they would have all jumped at the chance to marry her, or at least get to know her better.

  “Dinah, this is Baldwin. He’s the Duke of Edmondstone,” Andrew told her, his tone soft as if he was afraid speaking too loudly would startle her.

  And perhaps it would. Baldwin imagined that living in rooms this quiet all the time would make one’s hearing sensitive. He couldn’t hear anything that was happening on the other side of the manor, and since the windows were closed, there was nothing to hear outside. All he could hear was the crackling from the fireplace.

  Andrew brought her even closer to him and smiled at him. “Baldwin, this is my dear sister, Dinah.”

  Baldwin hurried to bow. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I’ve been looking forward to making your acquaintance ever since your brother told me about you.”

  “You have?” she asked, sounding surprised.

  “I told you he was excited about meeting you,” Andrew told her, a chuckle in his voice. He directed his gaze back to Baldwin. “I hope you don’t mind I kept you waiting as long as I did. I wanted to make sure everything was perfect when you two finally met.”

  “The wait was worth it,” Baldwin replied.

  “Good. I’m glad.” Andrew motioned for them to sit by the fireplace. “I’ll let you two talk. I won’t be long.”

  Surprised, Baldwin went after him as he headed for the doorway. “You can’t mean to leave her unchaperoned. We haven’t married yet.”

  Andrew turned back to him, his eyebrows raised. “I didn’t think you were the type of gentleman who would take advantage of a lady’s innocence.”

  Baldwin’s face grew warm in embarrassment. “No. Of course not. I would never do that. I just meant that…” He glanced at Dinah who hadn’t moved from the place Andrew had put her. In a lower voice, he added, “I assumed that since an unmarried lady can’t be without a chaperone in London that the same rules would apply here.”

  “It didn’t occur to me that you would mistreat my sister. Should I stay while you two get better acquainted?”

  Baldwin wasn’t sure how to answer that. While he was being honest when he told Andrew he wasn’t going to treat Dinah with any disrespect, would Andrew now worry he had arranged for his sister to marry someone of questionable motives? No gentleman wanted to marry his sister to a gentleman who couldn’t be trusted.