Chapter Nineteen
The next morning when Corin woke up, he turned to face Candace. She had chosen to come to his bed last night. He suspected it gave her a measure of control to be in here instead of waiting for him to come to her, and he wanted to give her as much control as she needed so that she would feel comfortable with him.
He studied her in the morning light. She was a beautiful lady. If she hadn’t upset Lady Cadwalader in her first Season, her reputation would not have suffered, and she wouldn’t have had to marry Lord Hedwrett. She would have been able to marry someone more deserving of her. He didn’t think he would ever understand just how miserable of a husband Lord Hedwrett had been, but he could endeavor to be the best husband he could be.
Fortunately, he had the book to lead him in the right direction. Ever since he had been following its advice, things had been much better between them. Though he wasn’t sure he wanted to thank Lord Erandon for giving him the book, he was glad the gentleman had thought to leave it with him. When Reuben married someday, he would sneak a copy of the book from White’s and give it to his brother as a wedding gift. It was probably to every gentleman’s advantage to have one.
Candace stirred in her sleep, drawing his attention back to her. After a few moments, she opened her eyes and looked over at him. He smiled at her, brought her hand to his lips, and kissed it.
“Good morning, my love,” he whispered.
Returning his smile, she turned so that she was facing him. “I can’t recall a time I’ve been as happy as I am at this moment.”
“I can’t, either. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” He kissed her hand again then asked, “What would you like to do today?”
“I’d like to go for a horseback ride this afternoon. This morning, I need to help Reuben with that song he’s been practicing. As of late, I haven’t had time to be at the piano.” She shot him a teasing grin. “A certain gentleman has been demanding all of my attention.”
“Well, you can’t blame him. You’re the kind of lady a gentleman wants to be around as much as possible.”
“I’m not complaining. I’ve enjoyed every moment of our time together.”
“Even if Reuben is with us most of the time?”
“All that matters is that you’re there. I enjoy your family a lot. Your mother and Reuben are two very nice people.”
“We’ll have to come out here next year. Or perhaps, this winter when things slow down in London. I still need to tend to my investments. I am enjoying being out here in the country, but I still need to be in London if I’m going to keep building up the wealth of this estate.”
“I understand,” she said as she snuggled closer to him. “It’ll be nice to return to London knowing that when I do, I won’t have to dread running into you when we attend balls or go to the theatre.”
He chuckled. “I wholeheartedly agree. And that brings me to a very important question. Since things are going as well as they are between us, I think we should live in the same townhouse. The question is, which one should we live in?”
“I can live in yours. The one I’m living in now used to belong to Ian. We can either rent out the one I have, or we can sell it. I will let you make the decision.”
“I would rather sell it. That way we don’t have anything to remind us of him. I’d like to start over when we return to London, and I think selling the place will help us do that.”
“That sounds fine to me. But I think you will be happy to know that despite everything that can be said about Ian, he was a shrewd businessman. I never once needed any of your money. I had more than I ever needed for an entire lifetime. He was worth two thousand pounds.”
If he hadn’t been lying in the bed, he would have tumbled over in shock. “Are you telling me that all this time you had two thousand pounds in your possession?”
She shot him an amused grin. “Now you know why your whole suggestion that I tricked you into a scandal in order to get your money was absurd.”
He laughed. “Indeed it was.” Never at any time in his family’s history had they ever had that much money. The most they had ever had was a thousand pounds. His father had left him with five pounds. And now he had only accumulated two hundred and fifty pounds, which had seemed like a lot before he learned this. Now, it seemed more like a shilling in comparison with what she had.
“I would like to combine our money,” she said.
“But you have so much.” After a moment, a thought came to him. “Why don’t we do this? If you will allow me to take half, I promise that I will be good with it. I will invest it safely and make sure there is a lot more of it to give to our children. But you should have the rest for yourself.”
“Things like that aren’t done in London,” she replied. “You’re my husband. That gives you the right to all of the money.”
“I understand that, but I would rather do it this way. Given everything you’ve been through with Ian, I want you to have your own money. It’s important to me that you maintain some independence.”
“All right. Since you insist, we will do it that way. I suppose it doesn’t matter anyway. All of the money will end up with our children.”
He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. “It’ll be nice having children together. The one thing I had lamented when we married was thinking I would never have an heir.”
“You’ll have an heir, Corin,” she assured him. “It’s just a matter of time.”
He liked the sound of that. “Thank you.”
She gave him a smile and then kissed him. And from there, they made love.
***
Later that morning after Candace ate, she joined Daphne and Reuben in the drawing room so she could help Reuben play the piano. Before she did, however, Daphne showed her the progress she had made on the tablecloth.
“Having you help me with this has enabled me to be further along in this than I originally planned,” Daphne said as Candace inspected it. “It really does make the tablecloth special to me since we are working on it together.”
“Yes,” Candace replied. “But you have done so much more work on this than I have.”
“That’s because you’ve been spending time with my son.” Her eyes twinkled. “I’m not complaining. I think it’s wonderful that you and Corin are getting along so well.”
Reuben looked over at them from where he sat at the piano. “She’s been spending time with me, too.”
Daphne chuckled. “Yes, that’s true. She’s been spending time with both of my sons. It’s nice everyone gets along as well as they do.”
“You have a wonderful family, Daphne,” Candace said. “I hope that when I am a mother, I can do as good of a job at raising my children as you have done with yours.”
Daphne’s eyes filled with tears, and she hugged Candace. “That is a very lovely thing for you to say.”
“Will I be an uncle when you have children?” Reuben asked.
Candace nodded. “You will.”
“That will be fun,” Reuben replied.
“Well,” Daphne began as she went over to the settee, which was next to her sewing supplies, “I’ll let you and Reuben get to your music. I know Corin is anxious to be with you, so I won’t take up any more of your time than I have to.”
Candace’s face warmed. Just how much did Daphne know about her and Corin? Did she know they had finally made their marriage official? Deciding she would rather not know, Candace joined Reuben at the piano bench.
She sat beside Reuben and asked, “Have you been practicing on your own?”
“I was able to get an hour in yesterday,” Reuben said. “It was right after my lessons. You and Corin hadn’t returned from the lake yet, and it was close to dinner.”
Candace decided not to look over at Daphne in case she inadvertently gave away exactly what she and Corin had been doing at the lake after Reuben had left.
Clearing her throat, Candace gestured for the lad to play the music. “I want to hear how much you’ve progressed since we last played together.”
Reuben immediately started playing, and Candace was pleased to note that he had made significant improvement since the first time she’d heard him play. He still had a ways to go, but there was no doubt he was working hard at it.
When he finished, she offered him an encouraging smile. “You’ve made marvelous improvements. Your brother will be very pleased when he hears you play.”
“Do you think I’ll be ready before it’s time for you and my brother to return to London?”
“Yes, I do.”
Candace proceeded to play the piece with Reuben, and they were almost at the end of the music when the footman entered the drawing room.
“My apologies for interrupting,” he said.
Candace and Reuben stopped playing.
Daphne set aside her tablecloth and rose to her feet. “What is it?”
“There are two visitors,” the footman said. “They say they are the Duke and Duchess of Watkins, and they are here to take Lady Durrant back to London.”
Surprised, Candace got up from the bench and went over to him. “They’re my friends. Bring them in.”
He nodded and left the room.
“Does this mean you’re leaving?” Reuben asked.
Before she had time to answer, Anna came running into the room. She wrapped Candace in a hug. “We came as soon as we found out where you were,” Anna whispered in Candace’s ear. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” Candace assured her as Jason came into the room. “It’s a long story, but everything is fine.” She pulled away from Anna, and in a louder voice, she said, “This is Corin’s mother, Daphne. And this is Reuben, his eight-year-old brother. Why don’t you two sit down, and I’ll explain everything.”
Daphne nodded and she moved her sewing supplies to make room for them on the settee. “You two can sit here. I’ll have the butler bring some tea and scones. I’m sure you two are famished.”
While Daphne went to summon the butler, Candace urged her friends to sit. Once she sat in the chair beside them, she started to tell them everything that had happened from the moment she was abducted in London.
***
Meanwhile, Corin was speaking with Reuben’s instructor, Mr. Danvers, a gentleman who was in his late fifties, in the privacy of his den. “Reuben enjoys art. All kinds of art. So I think we should encourage that in his studies. I would like there to be time for him to do some painting, drawing, and even some sculpting. In the other wing of the manor, there should be plenty of supplies. I’ll go down there today and see what I can find. If there’s anything that isn’t there, I will purchase it when I’m in London.”
Mr. Danvers nodded. “I will do as you wish. I only hesitated with artistic pursuits because I wasn’t sure if that was something you wanted me to teach him. I know he’s had an interest in it for quite some time.”
“Don’t let it trouble you. I didn’t realize it meant so much to him. Now that I do, I want him to explore that side of learning.”
“Is there anything else, my lord?”
“No. That is all for now.” Then, on second thought, Corin hurried to add, “I should introduce you to my wife. She hears about you, but she’s never seen you in all the time she’s been here.”
His face went pale. “Do I have to? I don’t do well around strangers. It makes me so nervous that I get nauseous.”
Corin studied the gentleman’s face, surprised that the idea of meeting someone new should fill him with such dread. He recalled the gentleman’s condition when he had met him in London. Corin had been searching for someone to teach Reuben his lessons, someone who was willing to take less money than most instructors would. When he had come across this particular gentleman, he had been greatly relieved. Mr. Danvers was well versed in many subjects, and better yet, he was seeking employment in a country setting, far removed from the hustle and bustle of London. Being on limited means at the time, Corin was grateful to be able to negotiate the terms of the arrangement. In return for lodging and food, the gentleman had agreed to work for free.
So, Corin couldn’t begrudge the gentleman his wish. “All right, we won’t worry about it,” Corin hurried to assure him. “You don’t have to meet my wife. If you ever change your mind, I’ll introduce you to her.”
At once, the gentleman relaxed. “Thank you, my lord.”
There was a knock at the door.
Corin rose to his feet. “I’ll get that. You stay here. If it’s her, I won’t let her in.”
Corin didn’t think it was going to be Candace since she was in the drawing room with his mother and Reuben, so he wasn’t surprised when he saw the footman. He was, however, surprised when the footman told him the Duke and Duchess of Watkins were in the drawing room. It took him a moment to realize they had been at the vicar’s house the day he married Candace. Maybe they were here to take her back to London.
He must stop them at once. Quickly turning back to Mr. Danvers, he said, “That is all. You may return to your quarters.”
Then he rushed out of the room, down the hall, and barged into the drawing room.
Candace was sitting by the Duke and Duchess, and his mother and brother were close by in their chairs. Before anyone had a chance to say anything, he blurted out, “Please don’t take her back to London. I love her, and I want her to stay with me.”
Candace rose to her feet, a wide smile on her face. “I love you too, Corin. I have no intention of going back to London until the three months are complete. I was just explaining that to my friends.”
“It’s true,” his mother added. “She was just telling us about the day you two started to get along.”
Reuben nodded. “It was the day you were spying on us in the abandoned wing.”
“It’s so much fun to hear the details of how you two fell in love,” his mother continued. “You told me so little.”
Corin’s face blanched. “That’s because you didn’t need to know the details, Mother. I told you everything was going well between us, and that was all you needed to know.”
“You see what I have to deal with?” His mother turned to Candace, the duke, and the duchess. “I know so little of everything going on. A mother likes to know details of how her son fell in love with his wife.” She glanced at Corin. “Take a seat. If she leaves anything out, you can tell us what it is.”
“I will do no such thing,” he told his mother. “What happens between me and Candace is private. There’s no reason why anyone should know everything. All they need to know is that I love her and she loves me. Nothing else matters.”
“Well,” Candace began, “he is right. I suppose no one needs to know all the details. What matters is that we’re happy and we want to be together.”
His mother’s face fell in disappointment.
Corin sighed. “All right. I relent. Go on and tell them everything, except for the details of what happened yesterday at the lake.”
“You’re not going to tell them about the fish I caught?” Reuben asked.
“No, she can tell them about the fish,” Corin said.
“Then what can’t she tell them?” Reuben asked.
Realizing he had dug himself into a hole, Corin quickly amended, “That’s all that happened at the lake. Now that I think about it, there’s nothing else to share.” He gave Candace a pointed look, knowing that she would understand his private message.
“Your brother’s right, Reuben,” Candace told his brother. “Well, we dipped our feet in the water, too, but that was it.”
“Why don’t you want to talk about that?” Reuben asked. “It was fun to do that.”
“That’s why I mentioned it,” Candace said.
“And that is all anyone needs to know,” Corin added.
“Oh!” His mother’s eyes lit up in a way that let him know his mother had figured out there was a lot more that had happened at the lake than what he and Candace were willing to say.
“Oh, is all you need to say, Mother,” Corin said, hoping they could drop this particular subject immediately.
It was just his luck that his mother was paying so much attention to every little thing they were saying. He was sure the duke and duchess were now very much aware of what happened at the lake as well, especially since his face was probably the brightest shade of red anyone had ever seen.
The Duchess of Watkins cleared her throat. “Jason and I understand. Things are going very well between you two, so there is no need to come and rescue her.”
“Well, I would still like to know all the other details of what you two have been doing,” his mother said. “Won’t you be willing to share the other things that have happened between you two?”
Candace looked over at Corin, secretly asking his permission to do so.
“I suppose the other details are fine,” Corin replied.
His mother clasped her hands together. “Good! Pull up a chair, Corin, and join us.”
Corin took a chair and set it beside Candace’s. “I’m sure Candace will do a suitable job without my help.”
The butler came in with a tray of tea and scones.
“We’re just happy that everything is all right,” Jason told Corin. “I wasn’t looking forward to challenging you to a duel.”
Corin’s eyes widened. “A duel?”
“No,” Candace told Jason. “That won’t be necessary. He is nothing like my first husband. In fact, I would say he’s just like you: kind, considerate, and thoughtful. I’m very happy.”
Anna smiled. “We’re relieved to hear that.”
His mother poured tea into everyone’s cups. “Now that we have that all taken care of, let’s get back to the exciting part. Let’s hear how you and Corin fell in love.”
Candace laughed. “All right. We’ll get to all the details that are important to know.”
Corin relaxed and accepted the cup of tea his mother handed him while Candace continued their story.
***
That afternoon, Candace helped Anna get her things set up in the bedchamber she and Jason would share during their stay at the manor. Once Candace finished explaining everything, Corin had invited Anna and Jason to stay for a week so they could get a chance to visit with them. Candace thought it would be nice for Corin to get to know her friends. While Candace was helping Anna get settled in, Corin was talking with Jason in the den.
Anna chuckled as she set up her grooming supplies on the vanity. “I thought for sure your husband was going to faint when Reuben kept asking questions about the lake.”
Candace chuckled along with her. “Corin is very modest about things, especially when it comes to matters of an intimate nature. To be honest, it’s a refreshing change from other gentlemen, Ian in particular. You know how vulgar Ian could be when it was us and your first husband.”
Anna grimaced. “Yes, I remember all too well the way those two used to talk. They had no sense of decency at all. It’s such a relief to know that Corin is nothing like Ian.”
“Was Jason really going to challenge Corin to a duel if he refused to let me go back to London today?”
“He was. He didn’t want to, but after I explained everything that happened between you and Ian, he didn’t want to see you get hurt again. We were hedging our bets that Corin would let you go as soon as he was threatened with a duel. We both know that our first husbands would never have risked their lives to keep us under their thumbs. We were hoping Corin might be the same way. But, it’s much better this way. We would much rather have you be here because you want to be.”
“Which brings me to something I wanted to ask earlier but didn’t.” Candace waited for Anna to sit next to her on the bed then continued, “How did you find out I was here?”
“It wasn’t easy. We would have been here sooner if we had been able to deduct what happened to you quicker. You were supposed to pay me a visit the day after the ball, and when you didn’t show up, I went to your townhouse. I was alarmed to find out your carriage had been abducted. It wasn’t mentioned anywhere in the Tittletattle, and if it should have been mentioned somewhere, it should have been the scandalsheets. Anyway, the coachman and footman said three gentlemen, whose identities were concealed with their hooded cloaks, took you out of London. They had reported it to the police, and the police were looking for you. I decided that I would investigate the matter on my own. So I went to our friends to see if they had heard from or saw you, but they hadn’t. Then Jason and I went to Corin’s townhouse. I thought perhaps Corin was keeping you there so he could coerce you into trying for an heir. But as it turns out, he was not there. His footman said he had run out to his country estate to take care of his brother. That’s when Jason and I started to go to Corin’s friends. His friends were surprisingly secretive on the matter.”
“I’m not surprised,” Candace replied. “It was Lord Worsley, Lord Erandon, and the Duke of Lambeth who brought me out here.”
“Lord Worsley was the one who finally confessed. He was so distraught. I could tell he hadn’t wanted to do it.”
Recalling the way Lord Worsley had been groaning and hiding his head in shame the day she had arrived here, Candace knew that was true. “No, he didn’t. I think he was forced into doing it. Though, the other two were more than happy to do their part.” A smile tugged at the corner of her lips. “I don’t think we can be too hard on them. Their motives were good. They were sure that once Corin and I got to know each other, we would get along very well, and it turns out they were right.”
“Lord Worsley said it was his sister’s idea.”
“Yes, it was. Apparently, she had a hand in the scandal that forced Corin and I to marry. It was her way of making amends.”
“I’m not familiar with her. Do you think she’s a nice lady?”
“I’ve never had any disagreements with her. She always seemed fine to me. Though, as I think back on it, I do recall her mentioning something about being in love with Corin.” It was funny that Candace hadn’t even remembered that until now. Perhaps if she had thought of it sooner, she wouldn’t have been so eager to point the finger at Corin for the scandal. “Her husband, Lord Erandon, said the whole thing with the scandal was a misunderstanding. And he was right. Corin and I assumed things that really didn’t happen. I assumed he brought me to the den to have a dalliance with him and Mr. Bachman, and he thought Mr. Bachman had led me there so I could marry Corin for his money.” She chuckled. “When I think about it, the whole thing is amusing.”
“I’m just glad it wasn’t what we believed. I want so much for you to be happy, and I’m glad that you finally found someone who treats you the same way Jason treats me.”
On impulse, Candace gave her friend a hug. “I can’t think of a better friend than you. No one else would come all the way out here to return me to London.”
“I know that you would do the same for me.” Anna stood up. “What do you say we take a break from putting my things away and go to our husbands?”
“I think that sounds like a wonderful idea.” And even better, both of them were going to the gentlemen they loved.