Chapter Twenty

The following morning, with an idea in mind, Malcom sought Cassandra out in the morning room after she returned from her early ride. He would have offered to ride with her but had business with his bailiff at one of the estate farms and so he was unable to.

She looked up from her cup as he entered, looking surprised to see him.

"I thought I would join you if you do not mind," he said, taking the chair opposite her at the small table where she was sitting by one of the large windows.

"Of course. I am glad of your company." She smiled at him as she poured him a cup of coffee from the pot and handed it to him.

"I have been thinking, Cassandra," he said.

"Oh, what about?"

"I realised after what you were saying at dinner last night that living in the country like this must be very tedious at times for you after London. Lonely, even." He paused and saw she was listening attentively while sipping her coffee. "I was thinking that you might like to invite your family to come and stay as our guests for a few days, perhaps sometime next week. Would you like that?"

His heart swelled in his chest to see the way her face lit up. "Oh, I should like that very much, Malcom. I have not seen them for so long, and I'm sure they would be thrilled to come."

"Then why don't you write the invitations today?"

"I shall," she declared, wreathed in smiles, "as soon as I have finished breakfast. Oh, I can hardly wait to see Maggie's face when she sees the piano. You will not mind her playing it, will you?" she asked a little doubtfully."

"Not at all," he replied, finding it was the truth. He was quite pleased with himself because of it. There might still be a struggle going on inside him over certain things, but at least he had gotten over his obsession with preserving the music room.

At that moment, they were interrupted by Carlton bringing a letter for Cassandra.

"Oh, it is from my friend, Diana," she exclaimed after Carlton had left, laying the letter unopened by her plate. "I shall read it later. Now I think of it, would you mind if I include her in the invitations? She is my very best friend, and I do miss her company."

"Why not? The more the merrier," Malcom answered, wondering what he had gotten himself into. In his view, other people were his greatest torment. But if it made Cassandra happy to have guests to stay, then so be it. He would have to put up with other people for a few days and play the host. That was if he could remember how.

With that settled, the next problem he faced was how to get out of attending church with her.

"It would be nice if they were all here on a Sunday and we could make a party going to the church?" he suggested, thinking that way, he could blend into the crowd and not be required to make too much effort on the social front.

"That would be nice," she agreed, beaming at him again. "I shall be sure to arrange it that way."

***

Cassandra was very surprised and excited by Malcom's suggestion that she invite Diana and her family to stay. After breakfast, when Malcom had gone off to attend to estate business, she settled in the morning room to write the invitations. But first, she opened the letter from her friend. It was the sent one in reply to her appeal for advice following the almost-kiss at the breakfast picnic with Malcolm.

. . . your husband is certainly a conundrum, but I think I may have found out some information that may help shed some light on his strange behaviour. I went to visit my Grandmama recently and happened to mention that you were now married to the Duke of Lindenhall. She expressed surprise and showed some sympathy for you. I did not tell her all the details, of course, but since she has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the Ton and going back many years, she told me the story of the death of the Duke's parents. Some of this you may already know, I am not sure. But she told me that the Locksley family were highly respected with an impeccable reputation. The Duke was reputedly a very kind man who enjoyed attending parties. He was in some demand for his tenor singing voice and often used to participate in his younger days in performing at various musical events.

Grandmama said that when he met his wife, Malcom's mother, it was love at first sight. She was very beautiful and gentle, and she too had a talent for music and could play many instruments, including the pianoforte and the harp. She would play at recitals, and it was at one of Lady Castelreigh's musicales that they first met when they were quite young. They quickly fell in love and married and were blissfully happy. They were rather the golden couple, it seems.

But there was one cloud on the horizon. It was well known among the Duchess' friends that she was desperate for children, but they did not come. Only after five years did she give birth to their only son. You are now married to him. He was, of course cherished, doubly so because no more children came.

The child inherited his parents' musical talents and when a young man out on the town was very popular for his singing and playing abilities. He was reputedly a great one for a party and would dance all night if he could. Apparently, he was popular and had many friends. When he completed his musical studies, he took up residence full time in Town and purchased a considerable mansion of his own as his base. You have not mentioned this house and so I do not know if you are aware of its existence.

That brings us to the tragedy that Grandmama told me about. It seems that the Duke and Duchess were travelling from the country into Town one day to visit Malcom at his new house. I suppose he wanted to show it off to them. They were riding in their carriage when they were involved in a terrible accident. I do not know exactly what happened, but both were killed. It truly is a tragic story, is it not?

After that, Malcom unexpectedly became the duke at the age of twenty. He went into something of a decline. Gradually, he ceased to appear in public at all. He gave up music and, as you know, became a recluse, shunning the Season and society and keeping to himself in the country. In short, he became the Beast Of Lindenhall.

Besides what Grandmama told me, I have also heard gossip that this tragedy is what lies behind Malcom's withdrawal from the world. This is what I think you are battling with, my dear—a man with a terribly wounded heart. It seems he has never got over his grief at the loss.

But that is as much as I can tell you. I hope it may do something to help you figure out how to approach the situation you now find yourself in. My advice would be to continue to try to draw him out about himself. It sounds as if you have made considerable inroads if you have got him singing and playing again, and he has shared his grief with you about the loss of his mother. Apparently, they were very close.

And if it has got to the stage where he has almost kissed you, I would say there is a definite bond forming between you. I think it will take a lot of patience on your part, but perhaps you could try to see it as helping somebody who has been ill for a long time to regain their health. Be the kind, sweet, caring Cassie I know, and all may be well.

Cassandra dropped the letter on her lap, the information within hitting her . . . now armed with some knowledge of Malcom's past, pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place. But knowing Malcom as she did, she had already discerned there was something more than mere grief behind his behaviour, that he was carrying around some sort of guilt stemming from his parents' death. It was as though, for some reason, he blamed himself.

But why that should be she could not guess, but she sensed it was that which was holding him back from cementing their relationship. And preventing him from making that final leap into accepting her fully as his wife. She admitted to herself that she was beginning to have deep feelings for Malcom despite their poor start in married life.

She resolved to show him that she cared about him, to continue to be patient and show him that he could trust her. That way, she might finally break through the walls he had erected around his heart, and there was a chance they could be happy together.

She folded Diana's letter away and began penning the invitations, enclosing her thanks to her friend, along with the invitation. She went out to leave them for posting and then went to seek out Hannah. She found her in the kitchen, having a cup of tea with Cook and Carlton. When she told them about the forthcoming visitors, they were all delighted.

"This will be the first time the Duke has entertained, apart from Lord Terrence and Lady Madeleine in six years," Carlton said, beaming.

"Oh, it will be wonderful to have guests here, Your Grace" Hannah exclaimed, looking as if she was about to cry with happiness. "I shall see about preparing the rooms at once! We must show them the best of Lindenhall hospitality."

"Please, Your Grace," Cook said, her round face lighting up beneath her mobcap, "if you would be good enough to tell me some of the dishes your family likes, I will be sure to prepare them."

"I shall most certainly do that," Cassandra promised, pleased to see them all so happy at the news. They seemed as excited about it as she was. "Now, let me see, today is Tuesday. I have invited them to arrive on Friday late afternoon and stay over until Monday.

"We will be going to church on Sunday morning at St. Giles." This elicited looks of astonishment, so Cook, we shall have a cold collation for luncheon that day. The guests will be my father and mother, the Marquess and Marchioness of Granshire, and my younger sister Lady Margaret, and my good friend Lady Diana Melville. So, four altogether. Once I am sure of the dates and numbers, we shall all sit down together and make our plans."

***

Over the next few days, although he felt a growing sense of dread at the imminent invasion, Malcom could not help feeling amused at the way Cassandra threw herself so enthusiastically into preparing for the visit of her family and Lady Melville. Her excitement was a joy to observe. He knew he must not let her down and would somehow have to polish up his rusty hosting skills and make them feel welcome, for her sake.

In the meantime, he could not help but notice that Carlton and Hannah were walking around with continual smiles on their faces, and that the household had gone into a frenzy of scrubbing, dusting, and polishing for the benefit of the guests.

Carlton and two footmen even lowered the hallway, drawing room, and dining room chandeliers to meticulously clean the crystal sconces. In addition, he and Carlton spent a lot of time in the wine cellar, planning what to serve with each meal for the whole of four days. It was quite exhausting!

It was during a lull in this domestic commotion at dinner that evening, when they were by themselves that Malcom made a suggestion.

"Cassandra, I thought it might be nice of us if we rehearsed a few pieces of music to entertain the guests during the evenings. What do you think!"

"Oh, that would be marvelous, Malcom. "You are so clever to think of it. Yes, let's rehearse some of our favourites. We might even get Papa to sing!" For some reason, she seemed to find the idea very amusing.

"I have not told you this," she said somewhat conspiratorially over her dinner plate, "but you know Maggie is a virtuoso on the pianoforte, whereas my talent lies in singing?"

"I am well aware of your angelic abilities on that score," Malcom said gallantly.

"Well, I used to be rather envious of Maggie because everyone fussed over her so. Mama and Papa thought nothing of paying for the best tutors for her, but when I asked to have a singing tutor, Mama turned me down flat. She said anybody can sing, and that it is not a particular accomplishment in a young lady. What do you think of that?"

He had to smile at her indignation. "I think that is not very fair or accurate," he told her. "So, our duets will show them that you have a great talent, will they not?"

"Indeed. That is exactly what I am thinking. I do not wish to blow my own trumpet—"

"You play the trumpet? You have never told me so," he put in jokingly. She giggled.

"You silly, you know what I mean. I should just like Mama and Papa to see that I have some accomplishments as well as Maggie. Is that a little childish of me?"

"Not at all. We all like to be appreciated sometimes, I feel."

"Exactly. Oh, Malcom. I am so excited! I cannot wait to show them around Lindenhall. I have truly grown to love it."

"That is very good to hear, Cassandra.," he said. "I am truly touched. I love the place, but then I have lived here all my life and am bound to be fond of the old place. However, some people find it, I rather forbidding."

"Oh, I don't agree at all. It is a fascinating, wonderful home. It is our home, and I shall thoroughly enjoy showing it off."

"It truly warms my heart to know you have come to love it as I do," he said honestly, deeply moved by her professed love for their home. "Now, if you have finished eating, shall we go and choose some duets to perform for the visitors?"

"Yes, of course."

He pulled out her chair and offered her his arm. She took it with a smile, and they paraded gaily over to the other wing and settled in the music room to sort through the sheet music and plan their entertainments.

Though he was dreading the strain of the social performance he was going to have to summon strength from somewhere inside him, Malcom had to admit. He strode along feeling proud to have Cassandra on his arm and he could not remember having felt so happy in six long years.