Lady Anthea Whittaker wanted nothing more than to stomp her feet like a child.
"It's 1887, for pities sake, not 1812," she huffed.
"For goodness sake, arranged marriages happen all the time," her mother scolded her. "Stop pouting like a child; your brothers are all married,by arrangement."
"They stand to inherit," Anthea bit out. "No matter who they marry."
"Lord Holmes is a very good match, he's one of the fastest up-and-coming men in the House of Lords, they say he's quite close with the queen-"
"I know all about the rumors surrounding him," Anthea sighed heavily. "I don't want to hear any more. I clearly do not have a choice in this matter. At least I know I will live comfortably, I expect that counts for something."
Anthea was to be introduced to her husband-to-be that afternoon. They had invited Lord Holmes to their country house for the weekend for proper introductions and to finalize the engagement, which would be officially announced at a ball in two or three months. How disgustingly proper. It wasn't that she wasn't proper. Anthea was raised to be a lady, and she knew how privileged she was to be raised in society. It was just the smallness of it all! The dull visits she had to endure, the limited topics of conversation, the restriction of her reading material to books and newspapers reserved strictly to ladies magazines which told so little about what was going on in the world she hardly learned a thing (that was easily solved by taking her brother's London Times when he was through with it). She wanted to travel, to go and explore and do great things! Sitting and quilling or visiting other ladies of society simply wasn't adventurous enough. Anthea spent her time tending her wardrobe, visiting with the downstairs staff (who always had something interesting to do or talk about), and looking after her horses. She was gifted three from relatives, and she took it upon herself to look after them, with assistance from the groomsman.
"I'm going for a ride," Anthea announced, heading downstairs.
"Don't be too long, you know Lord Holmes is due very soon!"
"Oh it takes hours to get here by train, and then he'll have to wash up, we won't see each other until tea anyway," Anthea replied.
She ran off before her mother could warn her again of her husband-to-be and his impending arrival.
The groomsman had received her note to please saddle her horse Zeus (not the name she chose, her brother's idea).
"Thank you, O'Bride," she said, still pinning her hat to her head. "I'll look after him when I get back as well,"
"As you say Lady Anthea."
She set off at a steady canter, wanting to get as far from the house as possible. Away from doilies and the beautiful silk gown that was laid out and waiting for her to put on. Once out of view of the house she nudged her mount into a steady gallop, racing towards the hedge row. Clearing it easily, they pounded down the hill to the valley below, Anthea reveling in the feeling of wind in her hair, the freedom she so desperately sought. At six-and-twenty, she supposed she was ready to be married, but not the way her mother wanted her to be. She understood the marriage was advantageous. Mycroft Holmes was ascending the ranks in the House of Lords faster than anyone had seen, they called him a mirror of William Pitt, though there were whispers he sought for ranks higher than prime minister, what that could be, Anthea had no idea. Surely he didn't mean to be king. Powerful men were not to be trusted, especially not politicians. She wasn't sure what Mycroft Holmes was, a politician or perhaps something more, but if he had a hand in the country's welfare, it would mean he would not be home very often, and that meant a little more freedom for her, once they were married.
A dog baying startled her from her thoughts and she slowed Zeus, coming to a stop as she craned her neck around. Two dogs came galumphing through the grass. The dogs circled her, barking and baying. She wasn't afraid of them; she feared more that Zeus would kick them. They looked to be good hunting dogs.
"Go on with you, get!" She didn't raise her crop to them, but had it on hand should the dogs decide they were a threat.
"Hallo there!" she turned at the voice, seeing nearby a man on a horse riding towards her. The man was of slim build, terribly handsome, and impeccably dressed. A gentleman! And certainly not from nearby. No one had moved into the district recently, the staff would have mentioned it. The gentleman tipped his hat. "I beg your pardon, they shan't harm you. They're rather excited to be out in the country again."
"I fear more the damage may be done by my horse if they intend to circle any closer," she reined Zeus again, steadying him. "How do you do, Lord Holmes?" The man's eyes were keen, and they flashed at her, as if pleased.
"Lady Anthea, I presume."
"You presume correct," they nodded again to each other, as was proper. "My mother said you would be arriving by train."
"I did, early this morning. The day was fine and my nerves were not as settled as I should like. Anyway I dislike traveling by trains if I can avoid it, however efficient. I much prefer having my own car. I could not manage it this time. I am staying near the village at my family's estate for the time being." She almost cried out in delight. An estate nearby! He wouldn't have to stay in the house after all!
"I haven't heard of anyone moving," Anthea said, masking her relief.
"We've only just, late last night as a matter of fact. My parents wished for something outside of London, I went ahead of them to see everything was settled. I hope you are not disappointed, I'll be staying at my family estate rather than put your mother and staff out." His eyes twinkled at her, as if he knew how relieved she was.
"Oh, not at all," she nodded. They studied each other, horses shifting beneath them. The dogs settled in the grass. At last, Anthea moved to dismount, and Lord Holmes climbed down from his own mount to assist her. His hands about her waist (very pleasantly shaped hands, even hidden by gloves) as Zeus shifted suddenly beneath her. She was half in the saddle and quickly reached out to brace her hands on Lord Holmes shoulders.
"Steady, I've got you," he murmured. Quickly, both stepped back.
"I'll walk you back, if you like," she said finally. "We've only come three miles."
"Three miles already?" he asked, and then looked across the field.
"My nerves weren't as settled as I wanted them to be either," she admitted then. She chewed her lip, thinking and then looked at Lord Holmes. "May I say something rather rude?" His mouth quirked into a smile that reached the corners of his eyes.
"Only if you'll accord me the same honor."
"I think arranged marriages are positively stupid."
"I quite agree," he nodded.
"Then why are we going through with it?" she burst out suddenly. "Oh it's not against you personally, forgive me if I give that impression, you seem to be a terribly good gentleman, and from what I have heard you are a very good man too."
"Liar," he chuckled. "And we are going through with it because that is what we do. What are our other options, Lady Anthea? For you, living with your mother, and then brother and sister in-law, until eventually you'll receive your inheritance and supposedly take a house in London, supplied by your many brothers, a spinster."
"And you?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow.
"Me? Oh I shall continue my way of life, working for Queen and country in a modest position in the monarchy, people will suggest that as I don't take a wife or seek out the company of say a lady in a brothel, that my tastes are something unhinged or perverted."
"Are they?" she blurted out. He turned to her, quite serious.
"No. I simply don't want the distraction of whatever that sort of thing entails. It has been pointed out to me, however, that a marriage would be most advantageous to my career, and that establishing heirs would not be altogether bad."
"Oh." She couldn't mask her disappointment then. So that would be her role. To provide heirs and nothing else. How very, very dull.
"Don't misunderstand," Lord Holmes continued. "I shouldn't like you to feel your sole purpose is to have as many children as you are able, I shouldn't like you to be so confined."
"Oh," she nodded then.
"I expect we will have more time to discuss these matters, what our roles in each others lives will be, and I should prefer to keep them private," he said. She smiled a little then.
"I go for a ride every morning," she said. "Just after breakfast, about quarter after eight, long before my mother is awake."
"Quarter after eight then," he nodded. "And…if you would be good enough to call me Mycroft when we are together, I should appreciate it."
"Only if you will call me Anthea." They shared a smile then, Anthea letting herself hope, even a little that this could be the beginning of a good future. Mycroft Holmes might have been a little rough around the edges, but she could see beneath the posh exterior that at his heart he was a good man, everything a gentleman could be. He offered his arm then, and they headed back to the estate.
Anthea would learn after they got married Mycroft hardly occupied a minor position in the Queen's service, one that he slowly began to make her a part of. She learned that he had a brother with a made up profession, and her husband could be terrifically stubborn and at times cold. It took two years for her to conceive, though he never made her feel at fault for it. It took four more years before he began to truly warm to the idea of having a wife. By their sixth year, three children and another on the way, Anthea, having traveled with her husband all over the world and back, could say that married life was never what she expected, that it exceeded her hopes, disproved her fears, and taught her much more than she could have ever believed about the man she called her husband. Still, she and Mycroft both promised each other that while their marriage had been for the best, and certainly had the very best of outcomes, they would not subject their children to the tedium of an arranged one.