Chapter Fifteen
Tristan was enjoying the return trip to London far more than his hurried and desperate flight to Avondale, and it had everything to do with his charming companion in the carriage. Arabella was a better companion than Marcus for numerous reasons; she smelled better, was far lovelier, smelled better, took up less room in the carriage, and she teased Tristan far less than Marcus did.
Even though he and Arabella had yet to consummate their marriage, Tristan was greatly enjoying married life. On their wedding night, after Mia had helped Arabella out of her wedding gown and brushed out her hair, she’d come to Tristan’s room wearing a modest white cotton night gown and a thick dressing gown,
Tristan had slipped into a pair of loose breeches while he waited for her; he’d turned down the lamp while Arabella had removed her dressing gown and slipped beneath the covers. Tristan had lain above the crisp white sheet as he had suggested while Arabella lay beneath, creating a barrier between them to protect her modesty. They had exchanged several kisses before both falling into an exhausted sleep.
They’d left Avondale at eleven the day after their wedding, with Tristan and Arabella riding in Tristan’s carriage and Marcus and Mia following behind in a carriage loaned to them by the Waterhouses. Mr. Waterhouse claimed that Victor would be riding to London on Saturday and that Victor would need the carriage then. In addition, Mr. Waterhouse pointed out that the newly married couple would need the extra space to transport Arabella’s things. Mrs. Waterhouse had also loaned Arabella Mia. Mrs. Waterhouse claimed that Mia needed some town polish before she was ready to become Clara’s personal maid. Whatever the true reason was, both Tristan and Arabella were glad of the loan of both Mia and the carriage.
The past two mornings, Tristan had awakened with Arabella’s small, delectable body pressed up against him, her hand holding his. The past nights, they had exchanged heated kisses before Tristan had called a halt to their embraces for fear it would turn into something Arabella wasn’t ready for. They’d also exchanged long kisses between heartfelt conversations on the ride back to London.
Tristan looked out the window of the carriage as they turned onto a familiar street, indicating that they would soon be reaching Tristan’s townhouse. Outside traffic had picked up as well as the noises of the city, shouts of peddlers hawking their wares, and drovers shouting at their horses.
Arabella had been pressed against her window in fascination since they’d hit the outskirts of the city half an hour earlier, everything fascinated her and terrified her at the same time.
“We should be at the house soon, but there are some things I should tell you first,” Tristan said, reaching over to squeeze Arabella’s hand where it rested on the seat between them.
Arabella turned away from the window to see that Tristan was looking at her with a serious expression on his face. As they’d gotten closer to London, she’d been transfixed by everything she saw. The buildings had grown taller and taller, and she’d seen more and more vehicles than she’d ever seen in her life, and more people. It brought home the realization that she was no longer in the country but was now in the largest city in England. She had been to Bath twice with Sir Howard, but it paled in comparison to London.
“What is it?” Arabella asked. She could see that something was troubling Tristan.
“I need to well warn you about some matters we will have to deal with in London. Firstly, there is my mother. I’ve mentioned her before, but I want you to understand and be warned, she’s well,” Tristan paused, searching for the right word. “She is a shrew and a harpy. Her marriage to my father was arranged, and it was not a love match, nor was it even a marriage of friendship. My parents’ relationship was acrimonious at best. When they were not ignoring each other completely, they were shouting at each other and calling each other names. My mother also hates me, and she isn’t shy about letting everyone around her know it.”
“Good heavens, you said she was unpleasant, but that is indeed ghastly,” Arabella replied aghast.
“The point is, I warned her before I left London that if she was unkind to you or disrespectful to you in any way, I’d send her packing, and I mean it,” Tristan stated.
“You would send her away for me?” Arabella asked, both in surprise and pleasure. No one had ever been willing to fight for her before, to put her before everything and everyone else.
“In a heartbeat,” Tristan squeezed Arabella’s hand. “You have become very dear to me, Bella, and I fear I’m losing my heart to you. I have been alone for a very long time, and I will not have you unhappy or uncomfortable or chased away because of her, not after you gave up everything and took a chance by marrying me.”
“Oh Tristan I feel the same about you. I know we have only been together a short time but I can’t imagine life without you now,” Arabella replied.
“Father left my mother nothing, which was rather cruel considering how much money she brought to the marriage. The house was left to my brothers and I, which means it is now mine and yours as my wife. In addition, all the furniture was left to me, so it is now ours, yours, and mine. The only thing she owns is her clothing; even her jewels belong to us now. The point of this is that I don’t want you to let her intimidate you in any way. You are now the countess, not her.” Tristan stated.
“I understand and thank you for the warning. I shall stand up to her if she is disagreeable with me,” Arabella replied.
“Good, very good, that was what I was hoping to hear, and if she says something to you when I am not about, please tell me. You are my wife, my friend, and my future Bella. It is only because I have no place to send her that she is still residing at the townhouse.” Tristan stated.
“Now, as to our room, at the moment I’m sleeping in my old chamber. I wrote to my butler, Buttons, to prepare my sister’s old chamber for you should you desire it. The chamber is across the hall from mine. However, I was thinking that we could go through all the rooms together and pick a chamber we would like to be ours.” Tristan gave her a smile. “As I told you Marcus, and I had to sell some of the furniture to help settle debts, but if there is a chamber you like that is missing furniture, we can move furniture about. What I’m trying to say is I want you to feel comfortable and at home.”
Arabella was touched by the offer; she’d expected to settle into whatever chamber Tristan dictated. The offer that she could pick their chamber was a little thing, but it meant the world that Tristan was asking her what she wanted.
“I would like that very much, may I suggest we start at the rooms farthest from your mother,” Arabella suggested have in jest and was rewarded with a smile from Tristan.
“That my lady is a capital idea. The family rooms are in the west wing with my mother’s room being at the end of the hall, but in the east wing there are ten chambers a second parlor, which I loved as a boy as it was always very sunny.” Tristan replied as the carriage turned suddenly and Arabella was thrown into his arms.
Tristan caught Arabella holding her tightly as the carriage swayed for a moment at the apex of its turn.
“Oh, that sounds very nice,” Arabella murmured as Tristan held her for a moment than kissed her quickly before setting her back on her seat.
“Yes, it is, “Tristan replied thinking Arabella looked lovely all flushed as she now was.
“The only good thing my father ever did was upgrade all the plumbing and water closets. He was also having more efficient stoves placed in all the chambers to replace the drafty fireplaces when he, well, passed away. He had the quest chambers fireplaces replaced first and was just starting on the family chambers when he died, according to Buttons.” Tristan stated.
“Stoves, like a kitchen stove?” Arabella asked in puzzlement.
“Similar, yes, but smaller and square, Father saw them in Germany while on tour and was struck by their efficiency. Father told Buttons that in the palaces and mansions of Germany, there were secret passages in the walls that allowed the servants to stoke the fires and clean out the ash without ever being seen.” Tristan replied. “The ones father installed fit in the existing fireplace, and the smoke goes up and out a pipe. Buttons says that the ones installed are very efficient and keep the chambers extremely warm and comfortable all winter long. They also have flat tops where you can set a kettle to heat water if you wish.”
“That sounds very clever, I know at Rose cottage during the storms of January, the wind whistles down the chimney and chills the room horribly. It would be wonderful to not have a cold chamber or to have to huddle up under the covers trying to screw up the fortitude to slip from the bed and stoke the fire,” Arabella shivered at the memory of being cold.
“Indeed, I too am not looking forward to English winters; I have spent almost thirteen years living where it is warm all winter. Perhaps we should keep each other warm at night,” Tristan teased.
Arabella blushed then nodded her head. “Oh yes, I rather like that idea. You are so wonderfully warm I have not woken cold yet.”
“There is also a second problem we shall have to deal with, Mr. Ebenezer Dewey, he was valet to my father, and then, after his death, he became valet to my brothers. Sometime after my father’s death, he took over the family accounts. I believe he has been not only stealing but embezzling from the family for years.” Tristan stated, and Arabella let out a gasp of shock. “There is more; he has some sort of hold over my mother, one that I don’t understand. I wanted to terminate his services before I left for Avondale, but he said I couldn’t because he had a binding contract from my father. Marcus and I had a confrontation with him before I left, and I had to have him confined to his chamber with strict orders not to let him out till I returned.”
“Good heavens, that is indeed shocking. How can I help?” Arabella asked.
“I know you are excellent at accounts and bookkeeping, and I would like you to examine the family accounts for me, starting about two years ago, just before Mr. Ebenezer came to work for my father. I only had time to glance at them before I left.” Tristan stated, and saw Arabella nod.
Arabella was deeply touched that once again Tristan was placing his trust and faith in her, once again showing that he truly wanted a marriage of equals.
“Of course, I hope you locked the ledgers somewhere safe,” Arabella said.
“I did, I brought them with me, they are all hidden in a false bottom of my trunk that I used in the army. Once we are settled in, I want us to go through them. Something about them does not make sense, I know it, but I’m not clever enough to figure it out.” Tristan sighed in frustration.
“Do not say that, you are wonderfully clever, I think you are rather brilliant. But sometimes a fresh pair of eyes is needed to see a problem you have over looked. So yes, I would be delighted to look over them for you.” Arabella replied, squeezing Tristan’s hand.
“Thank you, there is one more issue we shall have to deal with, tomorrow we must stop at my solicitors office, well, he is now our solicitor’s office. I wrote to him before our wedding to inform him that we were to marry. Now that we are wed, we need to stop by and show him our wedding certificate. Once we have verified that we are married, he can inform the trustees at the bank administering Uncle Howard’s estate and release the funds to us. I also asked him to prepare an agreement that says Rose Cottage, as well as the inheritance Uncle Howard left you, belongs to you and you alone. That I have no say over what you do with them.” Tristan stated, and saw Arabella nod.
“I remember you saying that, but it means a lot that you would officially put it in writing,” Arabella said. The fact that once again Tristan was including her important matters proved what he’d said to her and continued to reaffirm her trust in him. “And you mean it; you will take me to the solicitors?”
“Of course, we are partners now, as well as friends,” Tristan replied.
“Partners, I like that idea very much,” Arabella replied. She knew that most men wouldn’t take their wives to their solicitors, much less include them in important matters.
“Then I thought that, as it is our honeymoon we should do something enjoyable. There are several renowned gardens in London; we could visit one if you like.” Tristan saw Arabella’s face light up with delight.
“Truly, I have heard that there are wonderful gardens in London,” Arabella was ecstatic at the thought of seeing one of the famed gardens.
“I asked Clara for recommendations as she has been to London before. She suggested the Chelsea Physic Gardens to start. She said it was founded by apothecaries over a hundred years ago and is full of both medicinal and edible plants.” Tristan replied.
“That indeed sounds marvelous,” Arabella said, “Could I bring a sketch pad and be allowed time to sketch some of the plants?”
“Of course, it is our day out, and our honeymoon. In fact, I think that sounds like a marvelous idea, I shall bring a sketch pad as well. I haven’t taken time to sketch in months. We shall take our time, admire the plants, and draw whatever catches our fancy. We could even bring a picnic lunch if you like,” Tristan suggested.
“That is a wonderful idea, and we could show each other our sketches over supper,” Arabella proposed.
Before Tristan could respond, the carriage rolled to a stop, and Tristan looked out his window to see that they were home.
“We are here, Lady Sizemore,” Tristan said as Jeremy appeared on the sidewalk beside them and pulled down the stairs. Tristan opened the door and stepped down, then turned to help Arabella down from the carriage as the second Carriage rolled to a stop behind them.
The other carriage driver, Freddy, jumped down and hurried to put down the stairs, then opened the carriage door before moving around the carriage to begin unloading the luggage. A moment later, Marcus stepped out of the carriage then turned to help Mia down.
Anabella stood back to look up at the towering brick building before her. The townhouse before her was enormous; it appeared to be larger than Avondale Manor but smaller than the Waterhouses’ sprawling mansion. While Tristan greeted Marcus, she turned around to see a large park on the other side of the street, the park was surrounded by tall buildings with immaculate sidewalks in front. The square was clean and quiet’ reminding Arabella a bit of the houses in Bath. Elegantly dressed men walked through the park while young women in plain dark grey gowns chased after children.
“What do you think?” Tristan asked, stepping up to Arabella and placing a protective hand on her lower back.
“It is not what I thought it would be,” Arabella replied, feeling a bit overwhelmed.
“Better or worse?” Tristan asked, worried that Arabella hated the look of Hastings House,
“Better, it is cleaner and quieter than I thought it would be and the center park is lovely,” Arabella stated as the door opened and Buttons appeared.
“Welcome home, Sir, and Mr. Marcus, it is good to have you home,” Buttons exclaimed, then stepped down the steps followed by Davis, Mitchel and Jimmy.
“Thank you, Buttons. I would like to introduce you to my wife, the new lady Sizemore.” Tristan replied, happy to see the old butler.
“Arabella, may I introduce my Butler and old friend Mr. Butler. But to me, he has always just been known as Buttons.” Tristan gave Buttons a warm smile. “Buttons, Arabella Layden, my wife.”
Buttons stepped forward to bow to Arabella, “A great pleasure, my lady, please come in.”
“I would also like to introduce you to Mia, my wife’s personal maid. Please be sure she is made comfortable and see that she has a room on the second floor, so that she is close if my wife needs her.” Tristan asked.
“Of course, my lord, welcome Miss Mia, we shall do our best to make you comfortable here,” Buttons said, turning to nod to Mia.
“Thank you, sir,” Mia replied with a respectful nod, before continuing to look around wide-eyed.
“Come in, gentleman, my lady. I’ll have Cook prepare you all some refreshments.” Buttons motioned towards the open door while the three footmen began helping Jeremy and Freddy unload the trunks and cases from the carriages.
Tristan held out his hand to Arabella. When she took it, he led her up the stairs and into the house, with Marcus and Mia close behind. The foyer was large with a massive center staircase and corridors going off in three directions. The floor was made of hand-sized white and black tiles set in a repeating geometric design that looked like large diamonds. Overhead was a large brass chandelier that made Arabella wonder who was tasked with polishing it. A tall, narrow window went from a few feet above the tower to the ceiling, letting sunlight spill into the foyer.
“Was there any trouble while I was gone, Buttons?” Tristan asked while the footmen brought their luggage in.
“Perhaps we should speak in private, Sir?” Buttons motioned to the nearby office.
“All right, Arabella, please join us,” Tristan said, his hand still holding Arabella’s hand, followed by Buttons into the office followed by Marcus, who closed the door behind him.
“Buttons, please go on, whatever you have to say to me, you can say in front of my wife. I explained everything to her on the ride home.” Tristan stated.
“Very well, sire, three days after you left two, men arrived demanding money. I was able to put them off with the money you left.” Butler replied, “But they wanted more, so I was forced to do as you suggested and sell off the furniture from the blue sitting room and the music room. It was enough to satisfy him, and he went away.”
“Thank you, Buttons. Were there any other matters I need to know about? Is Mister Keene still secure?” Tristan asked and saw Buttons wince.
“Yes, sir, I am afraid to report that two days ago, he escaped. Apparently, in the middle of the night, someone struck Davis over the head, rendering him unconscious, and then took the key to Mr. Keene’s room and let him out,” Buttons replied.
“Good lord, I just saw him outside. Was he badly hurt?” Tristan asked in alarm. He liked the young man and didn’t like the thought of him working if he was injured.
“No, sir, he had a headache for several days but is doing better now. I called the physician to look in on him, and the doctor said he was concussed, but after two days rest, he was cleared for work.”
“And you are sure he is gone, the man was as slippery as an eel, I wouldn’t put it behind him to be lurking in the cellars or the attic,” Marcus stated.
“We searched the house thoroughly, sir and could find no trace of him,” Buttons replied.
“Was anything missing?” Tristan demanded, there wasn’t much of value in the house, and he’d like to keep what he had left.
“He’s clothing is gone, but nothing else. It appears he tried to break into the silver closet but wasn’t successful, and your desk here was broken into, sir,” Buttons stated.
“How badly?” Tristan asked in alarm.
“See for yourself, Sir,” Buttons stepped back, motioning to the desk.
Tristan, with Marcus on his heels, walked around the desk to see that all the drawers had been pried open and the paper rifled through. Piles of papers were on the desktop and everything was in disarray. Tristan pulled open the large bottom drawer on the left to see that it was empty, the heavy lock on it had been smashed, and the wood around it was splintered.
“Wasn’t that the drawer the ledgers had been in?” Marcus asked in alarm.
“It is,” Tristan replied. “Luckily, I packed them all in my trunk for safekeeping and had them with me the whole time.”
“That was prudent,” Marcus stated.
Arabella followed after Tristan and Marcus to see that the drawers hadn’t just been tampered with; they had been forced open with something large, leaving a great deal of damage to what had once been a lovely oak desk. The damage to the desk was extreme, with the wood around the locks splintered in places and the locks apparently smashed.
“Oh dear, the damage is extensive. Was the desk valuable?” Arabella asked.
“It belonged to my grandfather, and then my father and brothers. I am not attached to it, but it is a valuable desk. Buttons, could you please try to find a carpenter and see what it would cost to repair it? No one heard anything? And was the office door locked or unlocked?” Tristan asked, rising to give Buttons a questioning look.
“The servant’s quarters are below the west wing, and Cook’s room is off the kitchen. And the door had been locked. I made sure that it, your bed chamber, and Mr. Marcus’s bed chambers were all locked. But Mr. Keene had a copy of the key to the office door; he could have hidden it some place sir.” Buttons replied. “And I will begin making inquiries starting tomorrow about repairing the desk. Now, where should I have her ladyship’s belongings taken?”
Tristan exchanged a look with Arabella, who nodded, “My chamber for now, please, but after we have had refreshments, we shall begin examining all the chambers upstairs to see if there is one that suits our needs. Please let the footmen know that we might require them to help us move furniture about.”
“Very good, my lord, if you will take seats in the family parlor, I’ll go see if Cook has tea Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.and food.” Buttons stated.
“Thank you, Buttons, and can you also make inquiries with a locksmith to have the lock to the office door and the front door replaced. I don’t want to take any chances with Mr. Keene on the loose.” Tristan replied.
“Of course, my lord.” Buttons stated.
“Come, Arabella, I’ll show you the parlor.” Tristan held his hand out to Arabella.
“You were wise to have the ledgers with you,” Arabella stated as she followed Tristan out of the office and into the foyer.
“Indeed, once we have settled on a chamber, we should begin looking at the ledgers tonight, unless you are too tired,” Tristan replied.
“The fact that someone tried to steal the ledgers shows that your belief Mr. Keene was embezzling has credence,” Arabella replied. “And no, I’m not too tired.”
“Tristan, you’re back, one of the footmen just told me,” An attractive, dark-haired woman called from the bottom of the staircase.
“Hello, Penelope, come down here and meet my bride,” Tristan called.
“Oh yes, Penelope descended the steps with the grace of a queen, coming to stand before Arabella and Tristan.
Arabella studied Penelope for a moment; she was several inches taller than her with the same dark hair as Tristan, but instead of his blue eyes, hers were brown. She was also several inches taller than Arabella, and by the subtle wrinkles on her lovely face she was older than Tristan by a good five years.
“Penelope, this is Arabella Layden. Arabella, this is my big sister Penelope, Lady Kenyon she is staying here for a bit,” Tristan said as he made the introductions.
“Oh, Tristan she is lovely, truly lovely. Welcome to Hastings House.” Penelope said, giving Arabella a smile.
“Thank you,” Arabella replied. “I hope we can become friends,” Arabella replied.
“Oh yes, I look forward to that once you are settled in. Perhaps I can take you shopping,” Penelope stated.
“Yes, that would be wonderful. I look forward to it. I have never been to London before,” Arabella replied, though she didn’t think that there was much in the budget for shopping.
“And Tristan, I can’t thank you enough for your help. The boys arrived a few days ago; they are in the nursery on the third floor for the moment, though they are a bit old for that. Once you are settled, I would like to introduce you,” Penelope said.
“I would like that very much, Tristan replied, happy y that his sister and her sons were reunited,
“I’ll see you at dinner, and welcome home Tristan” Penelope stated before turning towards the steps.
“Of course, dinner will be at six, Penny; we keep country hours now,” Tristan stated.
“Mother won’t like it, but I’ll be there,” Penelope turned to nod to Marcus. “Welcome back, Mr. Berkley.”
“You have returned and you brought the lumbering oaf back with you,” A voice rang out from the top of the stairs. All eyes shifted to the top of the steps.
“Hello, mother”, Tristan replied, “And I would thank you kindly not to call my friend names.”
“How dare you speak to your mother that way?” Miriam admonished following Lady Sizemore down the stairs to stand before Tristan and Arabella.
Tristan glared at the woman in annoyance. This wasn’t the return home he had envisioned.
“I can speak to my mother any way I wish; this is my house,” Tristan stated, barely keeping the irritation out of his voice. “Arabella, I would like you to meet my mother, the dowager Sizemore, and her companion Miss Miriam.” Tristan motioned to the older woman in grey and then to the tall, pinched-face woman in dark blue.
“Mother, Miss Miriam, my Wife Arabella Layden,” Tristan said.
“It is a pleasure,” Arabella stated. She momentarily considered curtseying but changed her mind, remembering what Tristan had said, remembering how this woman had treated him. This was her home now, and she would not kowtow to her mother-in-law, especially after all the cruelty she’d leveled upon Tristan.
Lady Sizemore walked closer to Arabella and looked her up and down, then made a face like she had smelled something bad.
“You made this ugly little country thing your wife?” Lady Sizemore gave Arabella a sniff followed by a dismissive wave, “Your countess, are you mad or simply stupid as I always knew you to be?”
Tristan was about to retort when Arabella placed her hand on his arm, staying him and stepped forward.
“I am not a thing. My mother was a lady, and my father was a highly decorated naval officer. And I care for Tristan, deeply even though we have only been married a few days.” Arabella took a step forward her eyes boring into Lady Sizemore’s .“You will not speak to him that way again. While he might be reticent about sending you from this house, I am not. I have had to deal with women like you before, sad, lonely, bitter women. Women who spew hate and bile because they loath their lives so that they must make everyone else just as miserable as they are. You are a bully, and I pity you.” Arabella saw the older woman’s eyes widen in anger as she raised her hand as if to strike Arabella. Tristan stepped before Arabella, using his body to protect her.
“Touch her and it will be the last thing you do in this house. You can go live in Penelope’s house, in Rawlings, or on the street for all I care. I warned, you mother.” Tristan saw his mother step back in shock. He was amazed and proud of the things Arabella had said.
“You wouldn’t dare, you ignorant boy. This is my home,” Lady Sizemore snarled, reminding Tristan of a cornered animal.
“It was your place of habitation, but it was never your home. It was never a home to any of us. To make a house a home, you need love and kindness, and you don’t know what that means. Now go back to your room. I will not have you ruin Arabella’s arrival with your vitriol.” Tristan said evenly.
Lady Sizemore opened her mouth as if to retort, then closed it as if she thought better of it, “Miriam, I need my tonic. Come, I will not stand here and be insulted by these peasants. Penelope attend me.”
Lady Sizemore turned to storm up the steps, Penelope gave Tristan and the others an apologetic look, then followed up the steps after her mother.
“You shall regret how you have treated her. I shall see to it.” Miriam turned and marched up the stairs after the dowager and Penelope.
Silence reigned for a heartbeat to be broken by slow clapping.
Tristan and Arabella turned to see that Marcus was clapping, a smile splitting his face. A heartbeat later, Buttons joined in, to be followed by the footmen who had hidden in the shadows while everything transpired.
Tristan spun to Arabella, looking at her in awe; no one had ever stood up to his mother for him before.
“You were magnificent, absolutely magnificent. You were a tigress; I should have known by the hair. Oh my Bella, you surprise and delight me every day,” Tristan cupped Arabella’s face with his hands and, bending, pressed his lips to hers.
A few minutes later, Marcus cleared his throat loudly, “Yes, yes, that is enough, I’m hungry.”
Tristan stepped back but caught Arabella’s small hand with his.
“Come, Bella, we shall eat and then pick our chamber, I’m thinking far away from my mothers,” Tristan said, earning a laugh and a nod or agreement from Arabella.