Chapter Seven

V iolet kept her gaze focused out the carriage window as they made their way through the English countryside. Phillip sat beside her, and whenever they passed something interesting, he would explain what she was seeing.

"What is that ahead of us?" she asked when she noticed several buildings together.

"That is the village of Willowbrook. I hear it's growing so fast that it will soon be considered a town."

"I've never heard of it before."

"The town's founder, the Duke of Willowbrook, bequeathed a rather large plot of land to a group of investors to start a town. Hence the name Willowbrook. It's far enough from London for its residents to escape the smoke and the smog and the summer heat, yet travel to London to take in the culture and entertainment and return home in a matter of hours."

"Oh my," Violet said with appreciation. "It looks like a growing metropolis."

"That's exactly what it is, and rumor has it that there will soon be a railroad going right through it."

Violet looked at Phillip and smiled. "How far is Parkwood from Willowbrook?"

"Less than an hour."

"Does this road take us through the main thoroughfare so I can see what stores are here?"

"Of course, Lettie. I can see the wheels spinning in your head. You're planning a shopping excursion in the near future."

"Of course. What am I to do with all the money at my fingertips?"

Phillip laughed uproariously.

"I love to hear you laugh, Markham. It's the most enjoyable sound in the universe."

"As enjoyable as your laughter. It's as if you've stored up all those happy sounds just so I can revel in them."

She leaned toward him and kissed his cheek. "Other than Papa, you're the only person who has ever made me laugh."

"Well, we will spend a great deal of time in our lives laughing. And we will teach our children to laugh right along with us."

Phillip turned toward her and brought his mouth down over hers. He kissed her long and tenderly.

"Did you really consider refusing to marry me, Lettie? Would you have chosen a life alone rather than marry?"

"You are a unique person, Markham. Very unlike any other man in Society. You didn't focus on the surface, but chose to look inside me to see what was of interest there."

She reached for his hand and held it. "I was ready to spare you the disappointment of having to look at my face and constantly find me lacking."

"Silly girl. Your mother left you feeling so wanting that you always expect the worst of people. Especially men."

"Yes, it's true, but you have to admit you are different from most men."

"Of course I am. You've already told me that I am unique."

Violet hit him playfully on the arm, and he wrapped it around her shoulders and tucked her close to him.

They kept one another entertained, delving lightly into the many unknowns they wanted to explore, until at last Phillip said, "Look there, Lettie." He pointed out the window. "We are on Parkwood Estate."

"We are home? This is our land?"

"Yes, we are home. Look up ahead. You'll be able to see the manor house as soon as we round this curve."

"You love it here, don't you, Markham?"

"It's always been special to me. My grandmama was special to me. She was the one who instilled in me a sense of goodness and respect for the creatures God created. Including human beings."

"You must have missed her terribly during the war. However did you survive?"

"It was sometimes difficult. But I think it served to teach me how precious each and every life is, and to not take any life for granted."

"She sounds like someone I would like to have known."

Phillip gave her a wistful smile, then pointed to a massive structure ahead of them.

"Oh, Markham. Is this our home?"

"It is," he answered.

"It's splendid! You didn't tell me it was so grand, or so massive."

"I wanted you to be surprised."

"I am. Surprised and impressed."

He leaned over and kissed the tip of her nose. "Wait until you see the inside."

The carriage came to a halt, and Wilbert opened the door to greet them. "Welcome home, Lord and Lady Markham. We're glad you arrived safely."

"Thank you, Wilbert. Has everyone already arrived?" Violet asked.

"Yes, my lady. They are already hard at work readying your home for you. And may I say, everyone is more than impressed with our new living quarters."

"I'm glad to hear that, Wilbert," Phillip said with a look of pleasure on his face. "Come with me, Lettie. Let me give you a quick tour of your new home."

Phillip took her arm and led her from one room on the ground floor to the next. There was a library, a morning room, two salons, and the room his grandfather had used as a study.

"There are more rooms, but we'll tour those tomorrow. Let me show you the first-floor rooms."

They climbed the stairs and walked down a hall. "This was my grandmother's sitting room and her dressing room. Through there was my grandmother's bedchamber and a second sitting room. Beyond it was my grandfather's set of rooms. They closely matched Grandmother's rooms, although I don't recall Grandfather ever sleeping anywhere but in her room."

"They slept in the same bed?"

"They did. Theirs was a love match, you see."

"Did you come here often when you were young?"

"Most all the time when school was out. Father and my brother didn't want me with them. They said they had more fun without me. Now I know what they meant by fun , and I'm glad they excluded me."

"That sounds like what my mother thought of having me travel with her and Pauline. They had a better time when I wasn't with them."

"It sounds like we were raised quite similarly," Phillip said, and Violet agreed with him.

By the time three months at Parkwood Manor had passed, Violet was aghast. She couldn't believe she and Phillip had been married that long. They had been three of the most perfect months of her life.

It had taken a lot of work, but every room would finally be furnished when the last wagonload of furniture arrived later that afternoon, and every room on all four floors was polished until it shone. Their manor house was a beautiful example of perfection.

"The last of the bedrooms are all clean and aired out. Would you like to inspect them, my lady?"

Violet turned to the housekeeper. "No, Mrs. Wilbert. If you have already checked them over, I know they will be exemplary."

"Thank you, my lady. 'Tis a beautiful house, it is. Thank you for bringing Wilbert and me with you. We've been with your family so long we would have hated having to find employment someplace else."

"And I would have hated having to train a new butler and housekeeper."

"I think everyone from your townhouse must have felt the same, because all but three of your staff came here with us. And that was because Mrs. Grady was of an age where her daughter didn't want her to work any longer and wanted her to come live with them, and two of the upstairs maids found husbands and went to work at their places of employment."

"I'm happy for them, and I'm so pleased that the rest of the staff came with us."

"They were all happy to get out of London, and they know you to be a wonderful employer. As is Lord Markham."

"I'm glad the staff feels that way," Violet said. "Now, what is left to be done? The last wagon of furniture should arrive shortly."

"Don't worry. Everything will be ready for its arrival."

"Thank you, Mrs. Wilbert," Violet said, then left to speak with Cook. She wanted to check if the kitchen had received all the supplies ordered from Willowbrook. If not, they'd have to go someplace further away for what they needed. Perhaps as far as London.

Violet was heading for the kitchen when her husband found her.

"I'm going to ride over the estate, Lettie. Would you like to come with me?"

"I'd love to, but you have to promise we'll be back by early afternoon. The last wagonload of furniture will be arriving."

"We'll be back in plenty of time. I promise."

"Very well, but I'm holding you to it."

She beamed, enjoying the smiles that came so very easily these days. Violet had never been happier. She and Lord Markham seemed to match in almost everything they did. They could talk for hours and never seemed to run out of things to say. And their lovemaking was eminently satisfying.

It should have been a hard adjustment. It should have been a time of acknowledging disappointments and getting past them. It should have been wary days of learning how not to upset one another.

But it wasn't. And Violet could not have been more grateful for the smooth transition into married life, because although she couldn't be sure yet, she thought she might be pregnant. She'd missed her natural courses last month and was late so far this month. She was sure that was what this meant.

She hadn't told anyone yet. And by "anyone," she meant Markham. She wasn't sure why she still thought of him more as Markham and less as Phillip, but it just seemed more natural. It seemed to show greater respect.

Violet hurried to her room and collected a shawl and bonnet, then raced back down the stairs to where he waited for her.

"You look especially happy today," he said, wrapping his arm around her waist and leading her out to the carriage. "You have a certain glow about you."

"Of course I do. After today, our house will be complete. All the repairs are finished, the furniture is in and where it should be, and in seven months you will be a father."

It only took him two steps before he caught the meaning of her words. When he did, he came to an abrupt halt and turned her to face him.

"What did you say?"

"I said that all the repairs—"

"No! Not that. The last part."

"Oh, the part where I said that in seven months you are going to be a father?"

"A father?"

"Well, that's usually what a man is called when his wife is going to have a baby."

"Are you sure?"

"Fairly sure," she said.

"Oh, Lettie." He grabbed her and kissed her, then pulled her into his arms. "This is wonderful. I'm so happy."

"I hoped you would be. I'm a little nervous myself."

"You can be nervous now, and I'll be nervous when it's time for the baby to come."

"What about me?"

"Oh, you won't be nervous then. You'll just be anxious to hold our baby in your arms."

"Yes," she said with a laugh. "That's a perfect way to think of it."

"Are you sure you want to tour the estate? Will a carriage ride be too much for you?"

"No, not at all. If it's too much for me now, how will I ever survive leaving the house in four or five months?"

"You are right. Shall we go?"

"Yes."

Phillip helped her into the carriage then climbed in after her and clapped the reins.

"I do have one question, though," she said.

"Yes, what is it?"

"Are you going to wear that smile for the next seven months?"

"Oh, not just the next seven months, but for the rest of my life."

He leaned closer to her and kissed her with more passion than ever.

That was when she knew it. That was when she knew without a doubt that she loved him, and she always would.