The Marquis of Sherrinford called for the carriage to be brought around, in order to take him and his wife to the local parish.
Lady Molly had gone back upstairs to get ready for church.
Lord Sherlock thought about the past two days he had spent with his new wife.
He had been pleasantly surprised to discover she was not, after all, the ignorant country wench he had been expecting. In fact, she was far from it. The woman was very learned, obviously not to his extent, but certainly more than any other woman of his acquaintance.
She had made some helpful suggestions when it cane to doing his experiments. He also found it easy to talk with her. The Marquis had told his wife about Mycroft, and about Eurus as well. He had a feeling that soon he would be telling her about Redbeard, and the way his father had left the family destitute.
Lord Sherlock had also found that his heart beat unaccountably faster in Lady Molly's presence, especially when she was wearing one of her elegant gowns.
Now, he watched his wife descend the stairs in a beautiful gown of dark green silk. Her full petticoats and cinched in waist made him suck in his breath. Her lady's maid had arranged her soft brown hair so it fell in ringlets all around her head, and he thought he had never seen a more attractive woman in his life.
The Marquis helped his wife into the carriage and then seated himself. He couldn't help but remember the ride home in the same carriage just over a week earlier, when he had kissed her.
As they made the short journey to the same church in which they had been married, Lord Sherlock kept darting glances at Lady Molly. She had applied a small amount of rouge to her cheeks and a little colour to her lips, and he felt in indescribable urge to once again feel her lips against his. His heartbeat accelerated once again at the thought.
Once they arrived at church, and the coachman opened the carriage door, Lord Sherlock stepped out, then assisted his wife to alight. As they walked into church together, he noticed many eyes were upon them. He knew it was not because of Lady Molly, but himself.
The Marquis escorted his wife to the front pew, as was traditional for the most important family in the county. His mother was there, and he gave her an acknowledging nod. He almost laughed out loud at the shocked expression on her face. He had seen Molly's parents almost halfway back, and had acknowledged them with a nod as well.
Throughout the service, Molly paid close attention to it, and he followed her lead when it was time to stand, then when they had to sit again. During the sermon, as Molly watched the preacher, Lord Sherlock found himself watching her instead.
Lady Molly was obviously a devout believer. When she prayed, her eyes were closed, her hands were clasped, and her lips moved. It was another side to his wife that he filed away in his mind palace. He was starting to form a more complete image of the woman he had married.
At the end of the service, several people came up to the newly married couple. Violet Holmes took her son aside and whispered into his ear, "What are you doing here? Not that I'm complaining, mind you, but I would never have expected to see you inside a church again voluntarily."
"My wife asked me to come, so I did," he said, attempting to sound nonchalant.
"Well, I must congratulate her. Apparently she is already a good influence on you."
"She is not what I expected, I grant you that."
"I hope you are being kind to her."
"I am attempting to get to know her. She is uncommonly intelligent."
"And attractive as well, is she not?"
Lord Sherlock coloured slightly. "Yes, Mother, she is attractive as well as intelligent."
"Open your heart to her, dear. I have been praying for you both."
"I'm trying, Mother."
Violet Holmes kissed his cheek, then left him to talk to some other friends.
Molly had been conversing with her mother as well. The Marquis approached her and said politely to Mrs. Hooper, "Good morning. I trust that you and your husband are well? Molly and I are looking forward to the ball on Saturday."
"So are we," beamed his mother-in-law. "Molly has been telling me she has been assisting you with some of your experiments and research."
"Yes, she has. I must commend you on raising such a fine, intelligent young lady."
The lady beamed at him again. "Thank you. I am very proud of my daughter." Turning to her daughter, she said, "Molly, remember my words. I shall see you on Saturday."
"Yes Mama." Molly's face had coloured slightly, and Lord Sherlock wondered idly what the women had been chatting about.
As they went outside, the Marquis had an urge to go and visit his friend again for advice. "Molly, I should like to visit my friend John. Would you like to accompany me, or shall I have the coachman drive you home and return for me afterwards? John has an infant daughter, if you like children..."
He stopped suddenly, realizing how insensitive that might have seemed. "I apologize, Molly. I did not mean to infer that you might not like children. I just meant you might like to visit with her. I am sure you are aware that his wife passed away in childbirth?"
The Marchioness laid a gentle hand on his arm. "I am not offended by your words, Sherlock. I know you were not intending to hurt me in any way. I have heard about the sad story of the doctor's wife, and I would be glad to accompany you to your friend's house."
They departed for John's house and soon arrived.
Upon Lord Sherlock's knock, John answered the door, holding his daughter in his arms. There was a note of surprise in his voice as he asked, "Sherlock, what are you doing here? And with your wife as well?"
He looked further surprised when the Marquis informed him, "My wife and I have just come from church, and I thought I'd come for a visit."
John opened the door wider for the couple to enter. "It is nice to see you again, Lady Molly."
"You too, John. Please just call me Molly. You are Sherlock's best friend, after all."
"Very well, I shall do so."
'May I take the baby?" asked Molly eagerly. "I do so adore children."
"Of course." John handed over the infant, then looked questioningly at his friend. "Did you want to talk to me about something?"
He was a shrewd man, Sherlock thought. "Actually, I would like your advice, if it's not too much trouble. Molly, do you think you could watch the baby for a few minutes while John and I talk?"
"Of course. I'd be delighted to do so," smiled his wife.
Lord Sherlock felt his heart begin to accelerate again. She looked beautiful, holding the baby, and he couldn't help wondering what it would be like to have a child with her, and of course what it would be like to make a baby with her. A little flicker of desire passed through his body at the thought, and he said hastily to his friend, "Can we go into your back garden and talk now?"
"Of course." John led the way, and they were soon sitting on a bench together in the garden. John was the first to speak.
"Well, my friend, what gives? The last time we spoke, you were so angry with your bride. What has happened? Has she softened towards you?"
"If you are asking whether we have made love yet, the answer is no," said the Marquis, a little shortly.
"Well, what do you want my advice for, then?"
'I am finding myself increasingly aware of her. I avoided her for three days, was insufferably rude on the fourth, and after that I was ashamed of myself. So, I have been getting to know her. We have many similar interests. She is uncommonly intelligent and has been assisting me in my workshop."
John's mouth dropped open. "You never let anyone into your precious workshop. Do you think you are starting to care for her?"
Lord Sherlock thought about this for a moment. "Yes, I think so. I find myself happy to see her, and I enjoy the time we spend time together."
"So, what is the problem, then? It sounds like things are going very well."
"John, I must confess, I am afraid."
"Of what? Discovering you have a heart after all?"
"Yes. What happens if I allow myself to care too much and something happens to her, as did with Mary?"
"Say the words, Sherlock. What happens if you fall in love with her, not just care too much."
Lord Sherlock heaved a sigh. "Very well. What happens if I fall in love with her and she dies?"
"Oh, my friend, there is no point in always anticipating the worst. I don't regret my love for Mary, and I have a beautiful daughter as a result. You need to open your heart to love and have hope for the future. I am glad you are getting to know your wife, and I hope, for your sake, that you are able to lay your past hurts aside and take your chance at being happy. It will be worth it, I promise you."
Lord Sherlock stood. "thank you, John. I shall take your words under advisement."
The Marquis and his friend walked back to the house. Talking to his friend had been good. It had reinforced his own feelings that he was doing the right thing in getting to know Molly. It had also made him realize that perhaps his real problem was not that he had no heart, but that he was afraid of losing it to someone else.
Back inside John's house, Lady Molly was rocking the infant gently. The baby had fallen asleep.
Lord Sherlock's heart lurched at the sight. Was he falling in love with his wife? Or was he just so desperate for his own child and heir, that he was deceiving himself into thinking it might be possible. It was too early to tell.
The next few days passed swiftly as the Marquis and Marchioness continued their pattern of getting to know one another. It was on Wednesday, when Lord Sherlock read aloud the account of King William IV's death, that he ventured to say, "Thank God it was due to a heart attack, and not assassination by James Moriarty's hand."
Molly looked at him in surprise. "James Moriarty? Who is he?"
"He is the most evil man I have ever had the misfortune to know. He also happens to be my second cousin and heir presumptive to the Marquisate."
Molly put her hands to her mouth in horror. "You mean...you mean if you do not have a child and something happens to you, he will become the next Marquis of Sherrinford?"
"I am afraid so."
He saw comprehension of the situation come into her eyes, and tried to reassure her, as well as himself. "I have many years ahead of me, God-willing. If he dies before me, the next person in line becomes a younger second cousin of mine who would be a quite acceptable Marquis."
"But still..." she said faintly. "Your life could be in danger, and you need an heir to protect the future of your title."
"Do not think about that right now, Molly. I was not telling you this to make you feel any obligation towards me." In truth, he wished he had said nothing. He did not like to see the fear in her eyes, nor did he want her to think of him as only wanting an heir when he was truly making an effort to learn about her and get to know her.
Each night when Lord Sherlock left Molly at the door to her bedchamber, he wondered if he might kiss her goodnight. This night, he decided a chaste kiss on the lips would be appropriate. He obeyed his impulse, lifting his wife's chin with his hand and, leaning his head down, briefly brushed her lips with his. Instantly, a ripple of desire shot through him, and he felt once again the blood rushing in his ears as his pulse accelerated. He forced himself to leave her, although his eyes lingered on her mouth as he walked to his own room.
When he got inside his own bedchamber, Lord Sherlock took several deep breaths, trying to slow his pulse and regain control. He attempted to retreat into his mind palace to think things through dispassionately, but the image of his wife and her soft lips kept distracting him. He couldn't stop thinking of that kiss in the carriage and knew his heart yearned for more. There was something special, something unique about his new Marchioness.
If he had chosen a wife for himself, he could not have chosen better than her.
Was he falling in love with her after all? There was certainly a physical attraction, from the way his body reacted to her, but he sensed an emotional connection as well. Was that love?
Still mulling over these troubling thoughts, the Marquis finally slept.
Author's note: Sherlock's heart is changing. How much longer do you think he will fight these feelings? Are you a believer in love coming so swiftly? I was just listening to a romance novel on my audio player, and a Duke fell in love with a woman in the space of one day. So perhaps my premise is not so far fetched. At least they are getting to know each other :)
A special thanks to those of you who faithfully review my chapters. You are the ones who make this labour of love a joy, because you take the time to comment. It makes the endless hours of writing and editing worthwhile!
