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I have changed the surname Denali to Delaney, as it was the closest I could find in the 1800s British surnames list.
Unbeta'ed. All mistakes are mine.
Chapter-13
Lord and Lady Delaney, and their daughter, Lady Katherine Delaney, were our first guests for the summer. They arrived the next morning just after breakfast, in a large and ornate-looking carriage drawn by four horses. Anthony and I welcomed them on the steps outside.
My first impression of them was that they were wearing too many clothes, considering the weather was quite balmy. I wondered how they had fit inside the carriage with all those furs and coats and shawls, even considering its size. It was a wonder one of them didn't get stuck in the doorway!
My guess was that they were in their late thirties or maybe early forties. Lord Delaney seemed an amicable sort of man, talking about their trip from London and the weather in a friendly manner. However, his wife was rather pompous. Also, she had a large nose that she loved to poke in everybody's business. When Anthony had informed me of their arrival, he had also admitted that Lady Delaney made him uncomfortable with her questions. I didn't really understand what he meant then, but after spending an hour with her, I understood very well.
In that one hour, she asked me about my parents, my aunt and uncle, what kind of house they had, how much they earned in a year, how many servants they had, and if they had ever been involved in a social scandal. The last question left me gaping like a fish!
Anthony tried to deflect as many questions as he could, asking her about the season at London, the balls they had attended, and the people they had met. However, as soon as he started discussing something with Lord Delaney, she turned to me with gleaming eyes and began her attack again.
"So tell me Isabella," she asked, dropping her voice as if we were best friends sharing a secret. "How did you manage to snare dear Anthony here? It must have taken a special effort to catch the attention of so eligible a bachelor, did it not? What charms of yours did you display for him?"
I stared at her in astonishment. Did she really expect me to answer such rude, intrusive questions?
"Oh, come on," she continued unabashed, "Anthony is not only an earl, he is also young and handsome. In the last two years, he has received numerous offers from families of title, but politely refused every single one of them. And then he went and married a farmer's daughter? Why would he do that?" Her eyes narrowed in speculation as she glanced at my stomach. "Did he get you with child? Is that how you trapped him into marrying you?"
"Of course not, my lady," I gasped out, outraged at her questions. I had expected some doubts over my suitability for Anthony, but nothing like this. "I had not even seen him before the wedding!"
My tone must have drawn Anthony's attention, even though I did not raise my voice. Both he and Lord Delaney looked at us inquisitively.
"Oh, it's nothing," shrugged Lady Delaney as if she had not just asked me a most insulting question. "I was just asking dear Isabella what spell she cast on you to get you to marry her, that is all. After all, you refused other, more suitable proposals, didn't you? I still remember the very polite refusal I received from you when I asked you to consider Kate as your wife!"
Anthony looked even more uncomfortable than I felt, his eyes darting here and there in the room before he replied that Kate was a child then, only sixteen. But Lady Delaney wasn't pacified with his answer.
"She is seventeen now. We could have waited a year or two, couldn't we?"
Lord Delaney cleared his throat, obviously feeling embarrassed with his wife's behaviour. "My lady, this is not the time or place—" he began, only to be cut off by his overbearing wife.
"Look, I am not saying Isabella is not pretty, because she is—very pretty. I don't understand why Anthony chose her for his wife when he could have had her in some other manner. Being the wife of a lord requires more than looks, I would say. Anthony, what did you see in Isabella that you did not find in my daughter?"
God in heaven, this lady was insufferable! I should really have asked Anthony to ask them not to visit this year, or any other year.
Anthony opened his mouth, but before he could form the words, Edward swept in the room, smelling of fresh air and sunshine, and saved us from more discomfiture.
"Lord and Lady Delaney, what a pleasure to see you again!" he said with a charming smile as he bowed to them. He also greeted Kate, who had been sulking at the lack of attention while her mother dominated the conversation. When he kissed the back of her hand and complimented her on her looks, she blushed and stammered a thank you.
He then directed his charm towards the mother, who simpered like a young girl and claimed that Edward was a rogue, but a charming one.
I was relieved that he had diverted her attention so thoroughly, but strangely enough, I also felt a small spark of jealousy. I knew I was being silly. He was only my friend, and he was doing us a service by engaging the obnoxious lady in all sorts of talk. Still, I wished that I was the only woman he paid attention to, at least where it was a matter of paying them handsome compliments and bantering with them.
As if he felt my displeasure reaching him, he turned to me and smiled.
"Lady Isabella, will you be taking your regular riding lesson today? I was not sure if you will have time from welcoming your guests."
I almost jumped out of my chair at the opportunity to be away from my guest, but controlled myself. I looked at Anthony, asking him silently if I should go.
He smiled and nodded. "Of course you should, Isabella. How will you gain confidence if you don't practice regularly? I am sure Lady Delaney wants to rest for a little while, don't you, my lady?"
The lady in question seemed conflicted, but finally agreed that she indeed needed to take a short nap before lunch. However, her daughter had no such need. Unfortunately.
"Can I come for a ride too, Edward? I remember you taught me well last year. Please?"
Edward glanced at me briefly, but I had no opinion in the matter. Or rather, I couldn't voice the one I had in mind. Even Anthony seemed to be taken aback.
"Are you sure you are not tired, Kate?" It was Lord Delaney who asked the question, but Kate quickly affirmed that she was not at all tired and would very much like to go for a ride.
Edward shrugged lightly. "In that case, you are welcome to join us. I will go and saddle the gelding that you preferred last year. It will take a few minutes."
Kate pouted like a toddler. "No, I want to ride Rosalie. Last year you said she was not ready, but she must be by now!"
Anthony tried to pacify her. "Rosalie belongs to Isabella, Kate. Also she is a little temperamental. You will be much better off with the gelding. Rusty, right? He is so sweet-tempered."
Lady Delaney's eyebrows climbed up in an impressive manner. "You gave Rosalie to Isabella? Had she even been on a horse before? Maybe she should begin with a pony!"
Anthony took a deep breath, visibly trying to check his temper. "Rosalie was always meant for my wife, my lady. And since Isabella is doing fine with her, I see no reason to not let her ride Rosalie. Kate, you might want to change your shoes for riding boots."
"Yes dear, your things must have been unpacked by now," crooned the mother. Then she stood up. "Let me see if Martha has done her job well and put your clothes away."
I was not sure if I should wait for them to return, but Edward said that Kate knew her way to the stables. "Rosalie is waiting for the carrot you feed her every morning," he reminded me. I took my leave of Anthony and Lord Delaney, and followed Edward.
Once we were away from the house he rolled his eyes and exhaled dramatically, making me laugh. "Always a trial, those two. They think the world revolves around them."
I raised my eyebrows, teasing him. "Oh, I don't know. Kate seems quite taken with you. I think she doesn't mind much that Anthony refused the proposal her mother sent to him."
Edward snorted quietly. "Now you are making fun of me, Isabella. Kate might think of me as a new toy, but she knows very well that I am not a lord, nor am I likely to be. Why would she want a poor man when her mother is sure to fix her wedding with some wealthy lord?"
"Edward," I said, shocked with the bitterness of his tone. "Why do you think like that? Even if you don't get the title, you are still a member of the Masen family. As for being poor, I don't think you are poor like a peasant, but if you really want to be rich, you can be. There must be some way you can earn well, isn't there?"
He smiled without amusement, his lips twisting up on one side. "Perhaps I can be rich without being a lord. I will certainly try. But I don't know if that will be enough."
We had reached the stables by then, and Rosalie welcomed me with a whinny. Edward got a carrot from a basket and handed it to me so I could offer it to the impatient mare. At least I wasn't scared of her any longer!
"Enough for what, Edward?" I asked as Rosalie munched on her treat. I looked at him, but he didn't meet my eyes.
"For winning the heart of the lady I cherish and admire the most," he answered, his voice so low that I could barely make out the words.
I could have pretended that I did not understand him, but the truth was that I did; and it pained me. A heavy sigh escaped me.
"Edward, please…"
I wasn't sure what I could say, but I didn't need to. Both of us could see Kate rushing up the path, so we tried to smile and act as if everything was all right.
"I changed my shoes as quickly as possible," she panted, face flushed with her run and eyes sparkling. She really was quite attractive when she wasn't sulking, with her golden hair and bright blue eyes. "Mamma wanted me to change my dress as well, but I didn't want to make you wait…Oh, you haven't saddled Rusty yet. Where is he?"
Edward muttered that he would get him in a few minutes and disappeared inside. Kate turned towards Rosalie and began to admire her. She even managed to feed her a carrot while I talked to Rosalie, introducing her to Kate and telling her that she was a guest.
When Edward returned with a beautiful chestnut gelding, Kate greeted him happily. However, she didn't stop flirting with Edward.
When he offered his hand to her so that she could climb on Rusty, she giggled and clung to his shoulder, pretending to be unable to balance herself. Edward's lips tightened, but he said nothing.
As soon as both of us were on our horses, we trotted towards the paddock. Somehow Kate managed to keep her horse between us. Not that it would have mattered. In fact, her inane chatter helped fill the awkward silence between us.
While I progressed to a canter, Edward and Kate let their horses gallop. I couldn't help thinking that Kate didn't need Edward to teach her, even if she did the previous year.
Edward must have noticed it too, for he complimented her at the end of the ride.
"You ride really well, Kate. I don't think I have anything more to teach you. Maybe you should head back while I help Isabella for a little while. She hasn't learnt to gallop yet."
Kate immediately pouted again. "But Edward," she whined, "I do have a lot to learn. I want to learn how to jump obstacles! Galloping is easy: I am sure Isabella can do it herself."
Edward opened his mouth to say something, but I spoke first. "It is all right, Edward. I am feeling a little tired anyway. Also, Kate is our guest. We should do everything to make her happy. You teach her whatever she wants. I will go back and take a nap before lunch."
"But how will you get down from Rosalie?"
"There are always grooms around the stable. I am sure one of them will be able to help me."
He looked unhappy, but nodded. And so I came back alone.
A.N. So what do you think of Lady Delaney? Charming woman, isn't she? :P
What of Edward's bitterness? I must say, the passing of titles was a tricky business!
We will be back to the present in the next chapter.
Oh, I almost forgot! Do read 'Looks bad on paper' by wildlotus1. It's hilarious! The writer's wicked sense of humour had me rolling with laughter.
Here is the link: wwwdotfanfictiondotnet/s/11731175/1/Looks-bad-on-paper