Chapter 9

Frances was beginning to settle into the estate well. She had assumed all of her responsibilities, and the children were comfortable around her.

Her interactions with Christopher remained mostly limited to the children, but even so, she felt as though they had cultivated a good friendship between them.

She had gotten rid of all her misgivings of any possible feelings for him. It was just too impractical, and it was best to not water something that could never bloom.

Besides, the twins were enough of a handful to keep her fully occupied.

Today, her sisters were supposed to pay her a visit—their first one after she had gotten married. She missed them terribly, and she felt excited.

The moment they entered the drawing room, they leaped over to her, engulfing her in a hug.

"Oh, it is not the same without you," Harriet complained. "I have no one to annoy, and I miss you constantly."

Esther smiled. "She is a married woman now. Of course, her priority is her husband."

Frances noticed that Harriet's smile diminished at their sister's words, but she did not put much stock into it. Instead, she turned to Esther.

"I am happy that you could take the time out to visit today. Surely, it is difficult to do with your children."

Esther smiled. "Oh, I had to. Even Phillip was urging me to come so that he could see Christopher, but I told him to stay with the children for the afternoon. I believe he might see Christopher later. How are things with the twins?"

"Oh, beyond my expectations. They have taken to me quite nicely. It's beginning to feel like a family home now," Frances gushed.

Harriet scoffed in response, and both sisters turned to look at her with curiosity.

"Something wrong, Harriet?" Esther asked with a raised eyebrow.

Harriet muttered something under her breath, before turning her face away.

"You must speak clearly. I do not see what you are trying to say here…" Frances furrowed her brow.

Harriet had a habit of being blunt, and she was not one to keep her opinions to herself. It was something that landed her in hot waters often with their mother. But between the sisters, Harriet had always spoken freely.

"I just do not want to say something that would upset you," Harriet sighed and went to sit down on the sofa.

"Since when have you been so considerate of that?" Frances asked, surprised.

Her sister was mincing her words in front of her. It was a rare sight, and it only made Frances more curious to know what was going on in the mind of the youngest Cooper daughter.

"I just…" Harriet hesitated. "Well, the wedding itself was quite a whirlwind, and I never got a chance to process my feelings about it. But now that some time has passed, I have been thinking that you took a gamble marrying a complete stranger. I did not expect you to do that, ever, is all."

Frances felt herself grow defensive, but before she could answer, Esther came to her rescue.

"Christopher is not a complete stranger, Harriet. He's Philip's friend and a good man."

Harriet did not look convinced. "Sure, he is not a stranger in the strictest sense of the word. But I know Frances. Do you remember when we would play with our dolls, and Frances always had the girl doll fall in love? I thought that was something she wanted to experience, as well."

"Well, have you married for love, Frances?" Now Esther was curious, too. "I suppose I never got the chance to ask you that. I know Christopher has always been firmly against arranged marriage, so he be fond of you."

Frances felt that she was being put on the spot with her sisters' questioning. It came from the right place, sure. But there was a lot that she did not have an answer to yet.

Love.

The idea was lovely. Inviting, even. But Frances knew that their marriage had nothing to do with it.

She folded her hands in her lap. "Well, I made my decision for the children's sake. Ernest and Edwin need someone who cares about them, and I believe I can be that person. They are more important than anything else right now."

"But is that not unfair to you?" Harriet pressed. "I am sorry, I do not mean to overstep, but you have always spoken so highly about love. I just wish that you have it in your life, in abundance."

"The children seem to love me." Frances smiled, and then added under her breath, "Or so I hope."

Harriet looked like she was about to protest, but Esther gently stopped her.

"Look at her, Harriet," Esther said softly. "She has that same look I had when I found my own family. Frances has found her place, even if it's not the traditional love story."

Frances smiled gratefully at her older sister. "That is precisely it. I wish I could answer all of your questions right now, but truthfully, even I am navigating these new terrains."

She did not mention anything about the deal she had with Christopher. Surely, that would make her sisters worry too much.

Harriet sighed, her concern still evident but tempered by Esther's words. "I just want you to be happy, Frances. But I can see that you care deeply for those boys."

"I do," Frances replied firmly. "They've already been through so much. If I can provide them with any sense of stability and love, then that's what I'll do."

The sisters settled into easier topics of conversation, and Frances felt a wave of relief wash over her that her love life was not the main topic of conversation anymore.

"How are Mother and Father?" she asked.

Harriet rolled her eyes. "Oh, they'll visit you soon enough, I am sure. You know Mother will never waste a single opportunity for a tête-à-tête at a duke's estate. Wouldn't you agree, Esther?"

Esther laughed but then shushed her sister nonetheless. "Do not talk about Mother like that."

"I am only telling you what is true." Harriet shrugged her shoulders, "Though, at the moment, she is quite busy trying to find a suitable husband for me. You know she likes to waste no time in these matters."

"How is the search going?" Frances asked, feeling a mix of curiosity and concern.

"By Mother's standards, truly awful. It is like no one is good enough for her. I blame both of you for setting the bar so high by marrying dukes."

Esther and Frances both chuckled at that.

"Do not worry, Harriet. I believe out of the three of us, you are the most capable of holding your own in front of Mother," Frances said.

"Yes, but I think I preferred it much better when I wasn't the sole focus of her attention…"

Frances and Esther exchanged a look, surprised.

"Am I seeing this correctly?" Esther asked. "Are you… scared of Mother?"

Harriet shot her a glare. "I would not say scared. But concerned? Yes. I believe she will soon force me into a marriage that I do not want, just because the man fits the ideal image of what she wants in a son-in-law."

"I believe you deserve more credit than you are giving yourself, Harriet," Frances stated softly. "She will not force anything on you."

"But it is just me in the manor now," Harriet continued. "I scarcely have anyone to vent to about her antics either."

Frances reached out and touched her sister's hand. "You can always write to me."

Something changed in Harriet's expression, and she straightened up immediately."I am sorry, Frances. I did not mean to come across as overbearing and put all my troubles on you. You seem quite tired, as is."

Frances rubbed her temples. "It's nothing too drastic. Just that we have not been able to find a governess for the children yet, so my responsibilities are double."

"Has the Duke been taking care of you?" Harriet asked pointedly.

Frances racked her brain for a response. Christopher was pleasant towards her, and they exchanged conversation at the food table mostly. But he had not really gone out of his way to pamper her.

Somehow, though, she felt as though it would be unwise to admit that in front of her sisters.

"He takes care of me whenever he can." Frances smiled, her expression tired.

"He ought to," Harriet pressed. "You are his wife."

Esther gave her a sympathetic look. "You need to take care of yourself too, Frances. Don't hesitate to ask for help from anyone, should you need it."

"I will," Frances promised, feeling the warmth of their support. "Thank you both for being here. It means more than you know."

The sisters continued to chat, and by the time they left, Frances felt ready to end the day, even though it was only evening.

But she knew she had to spend some time with the twins first, no matter how tired she was.

* * *

Christopher was happy to meet up with Phillip at the gentlemen's club that evening.

"Marriage has made you a changed man," Phillip commented once he saw his friend walk over to him. "I scarcely get to see you anymore."

Christopher shrugged. "I am here now. So let us not lament on time that has passed."

"Amen to that."

The two men settled into conversation over a glass of brandy. Most of Christopher's evenings before the children came into his life looked like this.

Now, he scarcely had the time to go out and mingle with other people. He had a long list of things to do. Finding a governess, of course, was the first thing on the list. It was a change for him, and he was careful not to complain about it.

"How is it going for you, so far?" Phillip asked after a while. "Getting married and all. You are a sly one. All this time, you gave me no indication that the woman you chose to marry was my wife's sister."

Phillip nudged his friend, and Christopher simply took a sip out of his drink in response.

"Well… it all happened quite fast. I did not know what to tell you."

"Frances is suited to your temperament," Phillip noted. "Her thoughtfulness and calm personality is something that will do you well."

The corners of Christopher's lips curled into a smile as he thought of Frances.

He did not quite know how to tell his friend that they did not have much of a romantic relationship.

"Is she as charmed as you now, as the other girls?" Phillip asked. "We know that your reputation with the ladies is something that most gentlemen of our class aspire to have."

"There are no other ladies that I even think of now," Christopher admitted.

It was like he had left the rake life behind overnight. The decision to marry Frances had been so sudden.

"Oh? Has the notorious Christopher Grant turned into a devoted husband already? I must say, I'm impressed."

Christopher laughed, shaking his head. Did Phillip think that he did not have it in him?

"It's not quite like that. Frances and I… we're still finding our way."

"But you enjoy each other's company?"

"She's kind, intelligent, and she cares deeply for the boys. For that, I am indebted to her."

Christopher surprised himself with how mature his answer had been.

Phillip nodded, his expression thoughtful. "That's a good foundation, you know. Many marriages start with less. And from what I've seen, the two of you have genuine respect and affection for each other. That can grow into something much deeper."

"I have to say that I am still learning," Christopher admitted. "I want to be a good husband to her, but sometimes I feel like I'm stumbling in the dark."

Phillip smiled, leaning forward with a knowing look. "Marriage is like that, my friend. It's a journey, not a destination. You'll find your way together, as long as you're willing to communicate and be patient with each other."

Christopher nodded, taking another sip of his drink. "We had an argument recently," he admitted quietly. "About me not taking things seriously enough. She was right, of course. I do tend to deflect with humor, and it frustrated her."

Phillip chuckled softly. "Ah, the classic Christopher. Always trying to lighten the mood."

"Since when is that a bad thing?"

"It's not." Philip chuckled. "But sometimes you need to weigh your words before making a statement. It might be misinterpreted."

Christopher was not too convinced by his friend's answer. Frances had snapped at him out of seemingly nowhere. He had an inkling that it was not the joke that had made her lash out, but something else entirely.

"She's certainly keeping me on my toes. But I appreciate it. It's making me rethink the way I approach things."

Phillip leaned back, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "You know, when Esther and I first married, we had our fair share of misunderstandings. It's all part of the process. What matters is that you're willing to work through them together."

Christopher looked thoughtful, his gaze distant. "Frances is incredible with the boys. They adore her. And I see how much she cares for them. It makes me want to try harder, to be the kind of husband and father they deserve."

"That is how it should be." Phillip nodded, offering him a toast. "Have you told her that you love her yet?"

Christopher nearly spat out his drink."Hold your horses there. We are not quite there yet," he countered swiftly.

Phillip chuckled, enjoying making his friend uncomfortable."But soon you will be? Half the journey is making it to the altar, and you have already crossed that," he said.

Christopher thought of Frances. He would be an idiot if he did not feel attracted to her.

She was gorgeous, and it was something that caught him off-guard quite often in the little moments, like when they were sharing their meals.

Old habits died hard, and he did find himself flirting with her inadvertently at moments. But they had agreed that their connection would not be a romantic one.

It would be foolish to complicate it.

"Let us hope that other lines remain uncrossed," he muttered under his breath.

"Pardon?"

"Oh, nothing." Christopher changed the topic swiftly. "How is the business deal that you have with Lord Alwin coming along?"

Phillip eyed him with suspicion. As his best friend, surely he had an inkling that Christopher was hiding something. But it was not in his nature to press for more information, and for that, Christopher felt grateful.

The two men continued to talk about business, and then the children.

"I did not think it would be this hard to find a governess…"

"It's a challenging situation, indeed. But I have faith that you'll find the right person soon."

Christopher sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I hope so. The boys need stability, and Frances needs support."

Phillip placed a reassuring hand on Christopher's shoulder. "You'll manage. You've already done so much for them. As for Frances, it seems that she loves the children as her own, from what you have told me."

Christopher's lips curled upwards slightly."That she does."

"Besides, I think she keeps you on your toes. Good for her, it will keep you from having a wandering eye…"

Christopher stared at his friend, a bit concerned. Did Phillip really think that of him? Christopher had been a notorious rake, yes, but he was married now.

"I'm afraid my days of roguish charm are behind me. The boys keep me too busy to think about breaking hearts."

"Good. I'd hate to see you out of practice. But seriously, it sounds like Frances is exactly what you need. Someone who can challenge you and keep you grounded."

Christopher nodded, considering his friend's words seriously. "She is, and I'm starting to see that."

Phillip raised his glass, his expression sincere. "To finding what you need and want. And to the adventure of marriage."

"To the adventure of marriage," Christopher echoed, clinking his glass against Phillip's.