Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

“ G ood morning,” Beth began the next day, ambushing Adam as he was moving from one room to the other.

“Beth!” He exclaimed, “What are you doing in this wing? Your room is–”

“On the opposite side of the house, yes. I’m painfully aware. I am here because I wish to talk to you, just as I have from the moment we arrived.”

“I told you, I have been busy.”

“And I told you that I enjoy companionship.”

“You have Eliza. I had them find her specially.”

“I know, she has already told me as much herself.”

“See? The two of you have had conversations. Now, if you do not mind–”

“What is so important that I cannot have a few minutes of your time?”

He faltered for a moment.

“If you must know, I shall be away for three days.”

“I believe that is something I must know, yes. Where are you going?”

“London.”

That one word, that one little word, enraged her.

“You mean to tell me,” she said, somehow keeping her tone even, “That you took me away from the city I have lived in for most of my life, despite my pleas to stay for a while, and dragged me here the moment that you had control over me, only to now go back there? And to make matters worse, you have decided this without even considering that perhaps I might have liked to join you.”

“I have work to do.”

“It is our honeymoon!”

“What did you expect from me? You chose to enter this marriage. You cannot now be angry that I am not playing the role of the loving and doting husband when I told you that I would be the exact perfect opposite of that.”

“I am not asking for any such thing as that. I am telling you that you are expected to be on your honeymoon, and now you will be in London for business matters instead. That will look utterly abysmal.”

“And why exactly should I care about that?”

Beth scoffed. Clearly, he had not thought this trip through at all.

“Adam, we married so that we could show the ton that we are a perfect couple capable of turning away those claiming to be the true heir. How do you suppose we will be able to do that when I am here and you are there? Our wedding was already quite suspicious, and I thought that we would at least help ourselves a little afterward.”

“I told you that I do not care what those in London believe. All that matters is I have a wife, and we will be securing my title.”

“And what if they question you again?”

Adam sighed, taking a step toward her and leaning in close.

“As of right now, I am playing their game. They backed me into a corner, and so I married. I did what they wanted. Should they not be content with that, then I shall no longer play their game and instead fight dirty, just as I was taught to do. Does that make it clearer?”

It was certainly clear enough for her to understand.

“I will be away for three days,” he continued, “You will survive, I assure you. My staff might not be the happiest, but they are not monsters.”

Perhaps not, but her husband was making himself out to be one.

“I just… I want this to work.”

Suddenly, she felt his hand caress her cheek. It felt like an intrusion, and it burned her skin.

But then, moments later, the way she felt was replaced entirely by a sensation that she had never quite felt before. He wasn’t burning her; he was warm, and it was the sort of warmth that she had not experienced before. It was pleasant, even if the thought of that made her feel quite the opposite.

She wanted distance from him once more. She needed it if she were to keep her promise of being acquaintances for the year.

“You worry far too much,” he muttered, “I do hope that you find a way to control that impulse of yours soon enough.”

He let her go, striding away.

Perhaps she needed the distance so that she could remain calm.

She did not follow him, simply because she was so angry with him that she was afraid of what she might say. It was his final words that enraged her the most. She shouldn’t worry so much, even though there were people wanting to strip them of their titles and land and home, the very same home and title that he conveniently did not want.

Was marrying her just a way to tell his sisters that he had tried? Was his true aim to do almost enough to keep hold of it all, only to give it up while still looking like the noble Scotsman who gave it his best efforts? Beth hated it, and she refused to play any part in his plan, if that had been the case.

Instead, she would play her role well. She would make everything perfect so that Adam had no choice but to keep everything, including her, and he would be just as enraged by it as she felt at that moment. His plan ruined, he would be forced to continue with his life that he did not want.

She would make him regret tricking her, if that was what he had done.

The moment he left, she pulled Mrs Henshaw to one side.

“Have you spoken to him?” The housekeeper asked, “What did he say?”

“He said yes!” She lied, “He is pleased that I wanted to do it, and he has asked that you accompany me to the village so that we can begin now.”

“Now? That is rather short notice.”

“Yes, well, you see… He asked that we finish everything before he returns. That way, he can return to his work when he comes back without being distracted by us.”

It was a lie again, but a believable one. The truth was that when Adam returned, if everything was finished then it would be too late to put a stop to it. It would mean work, and a lot of it, but Beth was determined. She could do it, she was sure of it.

She entered the carriage with Mrs Henshaw and Eliza, who joined them for some time outside of the estate.

“What is your plan, Ma’am?” Eliza asked.

“As I have already told you, I would like you to call me Beth,” she reminded her, “And what I hope to do is change everything. I have made a list of every curtain, rug, and pillow in the house, and the wallpaper and the pieces of furniture that I want to change.”

“Would that happen to be everything in the house?”

“Almost. The wooden furniture is in good condition, so I see no need to remove those, especially when we have such little time. However… Well, perhaps it is best if you read my list.”

She unfolded a piece of parchment that she had been carrying and handed it to Mrs Henshaw, who studied it carefully.

“If my calculations are correct,” she smiled, “This is, indeed, every curtain, rug, and pillow.”

“It may or may not be,” Beth smirked, “But as I have the earl’s permission, we have full reign over what we decide to do. Eliza, will you know how to do all this?”

“I have enjoyed art a good deal, if that is anything.”

“Good, then you shall be of great help to us. Now, I was thinking of keeping to shades of blue. It is a calming color, don’t you think?”

“It is,” Mrs Henshaw nodded, “And not overly womanly. The earl should like it.”

“Again, it does not matter what the earl wants. It is something for us to do.”

The truth was that Beth knew perfectly well that they would be the only ones in the house for the most part. Adam would either be drifting between his bedchambers and study, or of gallivanting who knows where and doing who knows what. They were the ones that would be forced to look at the decorations, and so they would be the ones to choose how they looked.

Fortunately, neither lady questioned her.

“Are we looking at local craftsmen to save time?” Eliza asked.

“Yes, but also because I would like to make a better name for ourselves in the area. I am yet to meet the people in the village, but it cannot wait any longer whether the earl likes it or not. I want to be liked.”

“I see. You seem to have thought of everything.”

Everything, that was, except how she would react to the earl when he saw what she had done. She hadn’t even mentioned it, and he had left after they had exchanged some harsh words with one another. He would undoubtedly be angry with her, but that didn’t matter to her. That was the aim, of course, but it did not tell her how to navigate it afterwards.

She did not completely believe the rumors, but even so it was a frightening thought that he could possibly have such an outburst with her.

“Afternoon, James,” Mrs Henshaw greeted when they entered one of the shops.

“Julia! It has been so long.”

“Indeed, and I have terrible news. You shall possibly have a great deal of work to do over the next few days.”

“Oh, how awful,” he grinned, “What can I do for you?”

“At the request of your new countess,” she smiled, gesturing to Beth before sliding the list over to him, “We would like you to make these. We need it all in three days. Can you do that?”

He looked over it for a moment, and it was then that Beth realized just how much work they were looking for.

“This will certainly cost a good amount,” he muttered to himself.

“The price matters not,” Beth said helpfully, “Name a number and it will be paid. I trust that you will be more than fair with what you charge.”

He smiled at her before looking back at his list.

“This can certainly be done, although I will need to find some men to help me.”

“She is not a man,” Eliza began, “But my mother was a seamstress, if that is of any help.”

“Mrs Chandler?” He asked, “But your father is supposed to be caring for her, is he not? She shouldn’t be working at her age.”

“My father passed away, remember?”

“Oh, yes he did, didn’t he. My apologies, Miss Chandler. I can certainly arrange for her to help, should she want to.”

Beth wondered why she didn’t know more about her maid, but then it was not as though one asks such things, and Eliza was not the sort to share such intimate details about her life.

“Please choose the fabrics you would like,” he continued, “They are all on display.”

Beth wandered the shop, pulling different blues and whites down herself and handing them to the owner, who watched her with a puzzled expression.

“Why is he looking at me like that?” She whispered to Eliza.

“Because Countesses do not typically do this sort of work. They leave it to their maids and housekeepers. For what it is worth, I would be more than happy to take the ones you want.”

“I couldn’t let you do that. I am more than capable of lifting things myself, especially when all of this has been my idea.”

“If you are sure.”

Eventually, when there was no blue left to speak of there, Beth thanked the owner profusely before leaving for the carriage.

“That was far easier than I had expected. Mrs Henshaw, if you do not mind my asking, how did you know that he would be able to do that so quickly?”

“I cannot say that I was certain, but I have known him for a long time. Before my husband passed, they were the best of friends. James was one of few people to talk to me after he died, and I have always reciprocated such affections. He is endlessly kind.”

“His wife is fortunate, then.”

“He never married. He was far too dedicated to his work, and he still is. It is admirable, though also rather a shame given how good he is.”

“There certainly aren’t too many good men left,” Beth sighed, and the two ladies looked at her.

“Surely you do not mean anything bad about the earl?” Eliza asked, before Mrs Henshaw nudged her sharply.

“I do not know yet,” she replied, “Can the two of you keep a secret?”

Both ladies nodded, and Beth believed them; gossiping about her would only harm their own livelihoods.

“The earl and I,” she began, “Have entered into a marriage of convenience. That is why everything has been on such short notice. I do not know the first thing about him, and now I am to be his wife until the day that I die, and I do not know what to do.”

“Well, Ma’am,” Mrs Henshaw smiled, “Why not simply enjoy it?”

“What do you mean? It is not the easiest to enjoy being married to someone you are unsure of.”

“Perhaps, but he is a good man, if a little closed off. You clearly have freedoms afforded to you, and a kind lady as a maid, and a house that will be quite lovely when ready. What is there not to like, beyond a husband that gives you your space?”

Beth had to admit that it was a nicer way to look at it.

The following day, their first delivery came. Beth set to work immediately, ripping everything in the household down and changing things to the new goods that had been delivered. It was only around a quarter of what she hoped to achieve by the end, but already there was a stark contrast between how it was before and after.

“This looks incredible,” Eliza beamed, a smear of paint on her cheek, “I cannot believe that we have done this ourselves!”

“And that will never change. I have to admit, it has been quite the accomplishment.”

“The earl shall love it.”

Beth did not know what to say to that.

“Eliza, about what you said in the shop…”

“Oh! That was rather silly of me. I shouldn’t have said it, but I have known that man for years, and–”

“What sort of struggle is your mother facing right now?”

“Well, the loss of my father, but she is handling it well enough, and–”

“Eliza, is she in need of money?”

“She is, but with the work you have offered she will be alright for a good while. Given that I am taken care of here, I simply send her what I earn. It has worked thus far.”

“I suppose, but we also must consider that Mrs Henshaw has been working far too hard. If she is willing to leave the house she shared with you and your father behind, perhaps she could join us here?”

Eliza’s eyes sparkled.

“Oh, Beth. That is far too much to offer. I cannot accept that!”

“Then I shall ask your mother instead. I will speak to the earl when he comes back.”

“It will be a good time to ask, since he will have just seen how beautiful this house will be!”

Beth froze. It would certainly not be the right time to ask.