Chapter 14
The few weeks leading up to Isabel’s ball were hectic. Rian, anxious to see how much progress had been made to The Hall, suggested to Catherine they leave a few days after the trip to London. Excited by the prospect of returning to her home, their fast approaching departure nevertheless made her remaining time at Oakhaven bittersweet. Not wanting to dwell on all the things she would miss about Liam and Felicity’s home, she forced herself to keep busy and made certain her time was fully occupied.
Fittings for her ball gown and meetings with the dressmaker were interspersed with plans for refurbishment and redecoration. It seemed as if Rian had requested proposals from every skilled artisan within a hundred-mile radius of The Hall. And all of them had submitted samples and estimates for her approval. Catherine found herself practically drowning in a sea of detail. And it wasn’t just the main pieces of functional furniture that she was being asked to select, but all the accompanying decorative pieces and their embellishments.
Rian gave her free rein, venturing his opinion only when Catherine asked for it. She had the oddest impression that he was far more content to play the role of financier than decorator. Which was a good thing as money was an issue for her. She refused to authorize any changes, commission any work, until she had discussed the cost with her husband, detailing the amount down to the last farthing.
“You will tell me if I’m being too frivolous, won’t you?” she asked, worried that the draperies she wanted for their bedroom would be too costly.
“I promise I won’t let you beggar me,” Rian assured her, approving her choice.
Now she watched his reflection in the looking glass as she brushed her hair. He seemed to be engrossed with a number of sketches scattered before him on the bed. Like his wife, he too was busy with refurbishment, but while Catherine was occupied with The Hall’s interior, Rian was focused on the exterior. Pausing her brush, she looked at him in the glass. “Rian?”
“Mmm.” He picked up one sketch, turned it first one way and then the other before discarding it in favor of another.
“Do you think it might be possible to get the fountain repaired before we return?” Catherine asked shyly. “It was always so pretty to look at.” Separating her thick hair into three equal sections, she began her nightly chore of braiding it while she waited for an answer.
“According to Edward’s last letter,” Rian said casually as he gathered all the sketches and unceremoniously dropped them on the floor by the side of the bed, “all the repairs had been made, and the fountain is functional once more.”
“Edward?” Catherine swiveled around on her seat and stared at her husband. “You didn’t tell me you were corresponding with Edward.”
“Didn’t I?” Rian closed his eyes and put his arms behind his head as he leaned back against the pillows. “Must have slipped my mind.” Through half-lidded eyes he watched carefully for her reaction as she turned back around, her fingers flying deftly through the skeins of white blonde hair. “The affection between you is mutual, I think,” Rian said quietly, closing his eyes. “Edward always asks after you in his correspondence.”
“You know perfectly well that Edward is promised.”
Rian snorted. “You cannot blame me for my jealousy.”
Catherine said nothing, giving her full attention to securing the end of her braid with a length of ribbon. Finished, she came and knelt on the bed, the candlelight making her skin glow through the sheer fabric of her nightgown as she waited for Rian to open his eyes and look at her. He obliged and as always, the sight of her took the breath from his body. He reached for her, but Catherine held up a hand, stopping him.
“Edward Barclay is a good man and has been a very dear friend to me my entire life.” Though she spoke softly, Rian heard the weight of her words, and treated them with the respect they deserved. “I would like to continue that friendship, but if it is a source of concern, and you prefer I not see him again, then so be it. However, I think it only fair to warn you he will always hold a special place in my heart, and I will never think of him with anything other than affection.” She looked up at him from beneath long, dark lashes and he felt his heart stumble before picking up its tempo. “Make no mistake, Rian Connor; I have no regrets about who I married.”
“None?” he asked huskily, watching as she lowered her hand. Reaching forward, his fingers slowly began loosening the ties that held her nightgown closed.
“Not yet,” Catherine answered lightly, shrugging but making no attempt to stop his roaming hands, “but the night is still young.” Her movement allowed the gown to fall open and slip off one shoulder. “What is done is done, and I thank God every day that you came into my life.” Seeing his lips part, she leaned forward and covered his mouth with hers. Kissing him was the most effective way she had found to prevent him from saying something foolish.
Pulling back the bed coverings, Catherine straddled his hips, gasping with sensual delight as she took him inside her body. The feel of his hands as he stroked all her secret places made her shudder with glorious anticipation, but this night she showed him how attentive a pupil she had been. When he whispered in her ear the ways she could please him, it was with a mix of pride and wonderment that she left him shaking and gasping as he spilled himself inside her.
* * * *
It was Liam’s suggestion that they leave for the townhouse a week before the ball. Realizing that in all probability, it would be a long time before they would enjoy each other’s company again, he wanted to make these last few days together memorable ones. He arranged outings to Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral and the House of Lords, as well as visits to Vauxhall Gardens, the venue where the composer Handel had rehearsed his “Music for the Royal Fireworks”. Also included was a visit to Ranelagh Pleasure Gardens with its fabulous rococo rotunda and Chinese Pavilion.
“Please assure me your itinerary does not include a side trip to see the Covent Garden Ladies,” Rian said, taking his brother to one side.
“Good Lord, man, do you think me mad?” Liam was clearly mortified by the thought of either Felicity or Catherine being anywhere near the city’s prostitutes. “I think Mrs. Salmon’s wax exhibit in Fleet Street will be our most questionable entertainment.” Rian chuckled in agreement. Not a moment was to be wasted. For the first time in a long while he had his family complete and whole, and he was both thankful and determined to enjoy every moment.
The journey to London was uneventful, but Catherine could not prevent the lump that filled her throat as Oakhaven slipped from view. It was all too reminiscent of another time when she’d said good-bye to people she cared for.
With Felicity’s permission she had offered Tilly the chance to accompany them, but the young maid’s reluctance to leave Oakhaven did not surprise her. They had spent the better part of their last morning together weeping and hugging as Tilly carefully packed Catherine’s traveling trunk with her personal items. She was thankful that saying farewell to Mrs. Hatch could be delayed as the housekeeper was traveling to town with them. Leaving the motherly figure behind was going to be especially hard.
The first night in the city was spent in the same bedroom where she had been brought by Rian a lifetime ago, or so it now seemed. By rights the master suite should have been occupied by Liam and Felicity, but they were more than happy to give up this particular suite of rooms to the ‘other’ newlyweds. Unfortunately it proved to be an unsettling and unpleasant experience. Catherine awoke in the middle of the night, disoriented and wild-eyed, her body shaking and her breath coming in shallow gasps.
The nightmare had returned.
She had forgotten what it felt like to be caught in the grip of such terror because she had not experienced it since she began sharing Rian’s bed. He suggested that they change rooms, but Catherine would hear none of it. She doubted that a different bed would keep the dream at bay, and she refused to allow it such power over her. Holding her tightly in his arms and whispering in her ear, Rian lay back down and the comforting rumble of his voice soon eased his wife back to sleep. This time to a more calming and untroubled rest.
Listening to the even sound of her breathing, Rian cursed himself for allowing her to sleep in this room. He wondered about all the other times she had awoken from this same dream, afraid and alone, with no one to hold or comfort her. But Catherine had wanted the familiarity of returning to the room she had originally used. Rian did not know whether it was the room itself, or the change of location, that had brought on the nightmare. Emily had confided to him that Catherine had also suffered while at Pelham Manor, but she’d never experienced the nightmare at Oakhaven. And he was at a loss to know why.
He came to the conclusion that there could be two reasons for the return of the nightmare. One, that Oakhaven gave Catherine a sense of peace and safety she did not feel elsewhere, even when she was lying in his arms, or two, the reason for the nightmares was close to being revealed. It was the last blank spot in her memory, and Rian vowed his wife would never know her nightmare disturbed him as much as it did her.
No mention of it was made by either of them the next morning, and suffering no apparent ill effects, Catherine was anxious to meet with Matthew Turner, who had not only been instrumental in helping Rian purchase The Hall, but who was also advising her husband on new opportunities for the investment of his wealth. A short while after introductions were made, Catherine decided she liked the dour looking Mr. Turner very much. With a great deal of patience and no condescension, he took the time to answer her many questions regarding the deed for The Hall, as well some of the proposals he thought might interest her husband.
“I told you she had a quick mind, and an eagerness to learn,” Rian said proudly.
“Indeed,” Matthew agreed. “’Tis a pity more of the fair sex do not take such an interest in their futures, especially when it comes to their financial security.”
“How can we, Mr. Turner, when the very idea is frowned upon by most of your own sex?” Catherine asked. “Too many women have no independent means, and are, therefore, at the mercy of their husbands.”
“Then you are most fortunate, Mrs. Connor, to have a husband who recognizes the value of allowing his wife knowledge of his financial affairs.”
“Indeed I am, Mr. Turner,” Catherine murmured as she smiled at Rian. “Indeed I am.”
Their business concluded, Rian insisted Matthew join them for lunch at a nearby tavern. Catherine was delighted to find the staid and somber man of business had another side to his character. He regaled both of them with hilarious, but still discreet, tales of financial mishap.
“I’m not sure everything Mr. Turner told us was completely true,” Catherine said with a wry smile, holding Rian’s hand during the carriage ride back to the townhouse.
“Perhaps not, but he was entertaining, wasn’t he?” Rian chuckled enjoying the feel of her fingers entwined with his own. “And I feel certain that if he did bend the truth a little, it was only to protect another’s good name.”
The rest of the afternoon was a whirlwind of activity, giving both Catherine and Felicity barely time to change their clothes, and catch their breath before heading from one delightful distraction to another. That night Catherine fell into an exhausted sleep and the nightmare, if it came, did not disturb her rest. Rian wondered if busyness might be the remedy to keep the black dream at bay, and he was determined to make sure his wife had no time to dwell on it, either in bed or out of it.
Only their eagerly anticipated visit to the theater could be considered a failure, marred by an unforeseen consequence. Liam had managed to arrange for them to see the well-known actor, David Garrick, appearing in an unexpected repeat performance of The Alchemist. The comedy was extremely popular, and Mr. Garrick’s reputation well-deserved, but Felicity spent the entire performance in tears.
“The baby!” she sobbed quietly into her handkerchief by way of explanation, refusing to let them leave on her account.
Liam found it very disconcerting to be laughing at the antics on stage while his wife was weeping pitifully beside him.
“I hope this doesn’t mean the child will lack a sense of humor,” Rian whispered in Catherine’s ear, earning a poke in the ribs for his remark.
Visits to the Royal Parks with their beautiful manicured lawns and well-kept gardens were a much more pleasant affair. Felicity confided to Catherine her plan to shamelessly steal some of the designs they saw, so she could incorporate them into her own ideas for Oakhaven.
The day before Isabel’s ball brought a visit from Emily and Charles, along with the dressmaker and their gowns. All three women spent a good deal of time ‘oohing’ and ‘aaahing’ as they selected ribbons, feathers and other decorative accessories, much to the bewildered amusement of their spouses.
“A lot of silly fuss if you ask me,” Charles Pelham declared as he sat with Rian and Liam enjoying a glass of fine Madeira after a leisurely lunch.
“Ah, but the ladies do love it all so,” Rian told him with a wink.
“Yes, indeed they do,” he concurred with a warm smile. “And letting them indulge themselves is just one of the many secrets to a long and happy marriage.”
“What are some of the others?” Liam asked his father-in-law, his tone hopeful.
Charles guffawed. “If I told you then you wouldn’t have the fun of discovering them for yourself, my boy!”
By midafternoon on the following day, there was a definite change in the atmosphere of the house. A tense excitement permeated every room, every corner of every room, and even though Liam tried in vain to get Felicity to rest, he could not help but be captivated by her enthusiasm. Deciding the best course of action was to turn the entire proceedings over to the females in his life, both above and below stairs, Liam sought refuge in his study, only to find his brother had already beaten him there.
“You would think they’d never attended a ball before!” Liam exclaimed as he thankfully accepted the glass of wine Rian poured for him.
“Well in truth, Liam, they probably haven’t. At least I’m certain Catherine hasn’t.”
“There were more people at our wedding than will probably be at Isabel’s party,” his brother grumbled.
“Ah, but at your wedding Felicity spent most of the time in a state of connubial anxiety at being the center of attention. I guarantee she will have more fun this time as an observer, and Catherine wasn’t at your wedding. You really can’t compare the two events,” Rian told his brother kindly.
“But you’re not being backed into a corner and asked ridiculous questions about ribbons and bows. As if I could tell whether a satin bow was more becoming than a velvet one!” Liam muttered in exasperation.
“Come now, Liam, she’s your wife. No question Felicity asks should be considered ridiculous.”
“It’s not my wife who’s doing the asking,” he retorted.
“I’m sure both of them will have a wonderful time,” Rian said with more confidence that he actually felt.
“If they don’t, you can believe we’ll never hear the end of it.”
An hour later they stood waiting patiently in the hall for the women in their lives to appear. Rian had just finished making a succinct comment about the amount of time required to pin up a few curls when the change of expression on Liam’s face stopped him. Turning, he looked up to see Catherine standing at the top of the staircase, and had to remind himself to breathe. What was this mysterious power she possessed? Rian wondered. Just when he was confident that he knew every facet of her personality, every intimate detail of her being, when he felt sure of his ability to recognize the subtleties of her temperament and nature, she could do something as simple as put on a ball gown…and steal the breath from his body with a single look. It was a gentle reminder that he didn’t know quite as much as he thought. And he told himself she couldn’t possibly look more beautiful than she did at this moment.
Catherine descended the staircase draped in layers of antique ivory and gold satin that made her skin shimmer as if dusted with some magical fairy powder. The muted blending gave an almost iridescent glow to the blue of her eyes, and in their depths Rian saw a promise he fully intended to redeem later. Her white blonde curls had been caught up in a fashionable design that was entwined with matching gold ribbons and small fragrant flowers, leaving her neck and shoulders deliciously bare.
The only jewelry she wore was the fabulous canary colored diamond, which nestled between her breasts just inside her décolletage. Its partner protectively covered the plain gold band on her left hand. With a smile on his face, Rian gently hooked his finger beneath the gold chain and pulled the jewel free so it lay outside her bodice.
“Your eyes look exactly as they do when you take me inside you,” he said, leaning down to murmur in her ear. His remark was rewarded by a deep pink flush that began somewhere below the neckline of her gown, and spread rapidly up her throat to brand her cheeks.
A polite cough from above their heads told them that another Mrs. Connor was waiting to make her own grand entrance. The periwinkle blue of Felicity’s gown was complemented by an elaborate silver and pink brocade trim, which brought a delightful warmth to her normally pale skin. The subtle glow was further enhanced by multiple strands of creamy pearls at her throat. Liam had given the necklace to her not long after she had announced her pregnancy. Ropes of companion pearls encircled both wrists while more had been cleverly woven in the upswept elegance of her dark hair. Liam could only stare, his mouth falling open slightly. His little mouse was gone and had been replaced by the fabulous goddess standing before him. His wife. The mother of his unborn child. His soul mate.
“You are so beautiful,” he told her as she reached his side, his voice cracking with enough emotion to elicit an anxious look from his wife, before she graciously accepted the compliment he paid her.
“Come,” Liam said taking his wife’s arm and addressing his sibling. “We have waited long enough for these beautiful creatures to appear. Let us share them with the world, and prepare to be the envy of all we meet!”