Accidentally, Love: A Regency Novella

Accidentally, Yours

Kate Harper

CopyrightKateHarper@2014

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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Chapter One

One night in August at Almack’s…

‘My dear Miss Hathaway,’ the Earl of Allingham murmured, staring down into Audrey’s eyes. ‘As ever, you are looking exquisite tonight!’

Audrey smiled up at Roderick Allingham, eyes alight with laughter. ‘My lord, you always say that. Indeed, if I were to believe everything you say, I would be the most exquisite, the most glorious, the most charming creature in London. And I must tell you, Sir, that I do not believe that to be the case.’

‘And I must tell you, Miss Hathaway, that I think I might know best in this matter,’ he assured her earnestly. ‘I know for a fact that your manners are too well developed to quibble over a gentleman’s honest opinion.’

Audrey laughed and they twirled with the other dancers around the floor. She was having a marvelous night. Indeed, since coming up to London in May, she was having a wonderful Season. Things seemed to be going so well for her family, the past darkness created by the untimely death of her father, now nothing more than a shadow in their lives. Her eldest sister Isabella – married for these past ten months to her beloved Harry – had just announced that she was expecting her first child, an eagerly anticipated event that only added to her already joyous union with Harry Carstairs. And then there was her brother, Marcus, miraculously returned to them – for they had believed him dead – from the brutal war in France. He had been forced to face the cold reality that his fortune and his estate was gone and his father was dead, killed by his own hand after a particularly unfortunate night of gaming. For all of his determination to go forward in his own way Marcus, bless him, after meeting Johanna Claybourn and fate – along with the determined machinations of Johanna herself – had redesigned his destiny. He had been elevated from a depressingly genteel poverty by marriage to the rich, beautiful heiress from Yorkshire. It had been inadvertent, that meeting, for Audrey knew that her brother had not gone off to find love but the entire thing had been quite remarkably fortuitous and they all liked Johanna very much. Of course, poor Marcus would be kept on his toes, trying to keep his headstrong wife out of mischief, but in its own way, that was a good thing for it gave him little opportunity to think about the trials he had experienced in France and made him focus instead on his future.

Two of the Hathaway children have found the most perfect happiness, she mused as she was guided into another graceful spin that made the satin skirts of her green gown flare and flutter. Now there is only Millie and me to sort out and Millie is still too young to worry about. Although she was sure that, when the time came, they would be worrying about Millicent, the most eccentric of the Hathaway children and the least inclined to accept the strictures of Society. But as Mama said, Millie was a bridge to be crossed when they came to it.

She glanced up at Allingham again, wondering if this was the man who would make her glow in the same manner Isabella and Marcus were glowing. For there was no doubt each of her siblings seemed to have discovered something very special since they had met their matches. Isabella had once described it as finding the other half of herself, a part she had not known she was missing. In fact, it wasn’t until she had fallen in love with Harry that she’d even known there was another half to be found. It had been, her sister had confessed, the most remarkable revelation.

Audrey had pondered the idea that each person might have another half, waiting out there for them. Was it really true or had Isabella and Marcus just been extraordinarily lucky? It all sounded very mysterious and wonderful but she suspected that they were the exception, rather than the rule. She had seen too many of her friends settle into marriage after forming connections from their first Season to believe that everybody was so fortunate. It made her realize that the fairytale her brother and sister had found was extremely rare, something that had been reinforced when she had paid a morning call on her friend, Charlotte Bennett, just yesterday. Audrey had been expecting that the girl would still be radiant with the joy of a newly married young lady, having been Mrs. Edmund Bennett for less than five months, but instead of the rosy contentment she had expected, she had discovered that Charlotte did not seem to particularly care for the marriage state – or her husband – in the least. When Audrey had inquired as to the health of Mr. Bennett, Charlotte had given a careless shrug.

‘I suppose he is well enough. I cannot say that I have seen him for several days.’

‘Oh?’ Audrey had been puzzled. ‘But where is he?’

‘At one of his clubs, I expect. He is never home at this time of day.’

‘I see.’ Audrey had studied Charlotte carefully, wondering how much she should say. There had been an air of brittle tension about the girl that was disconcerting. ‘Is that usual, not seeing him for so long a time?’

Charlotte’s lips had twisted a little. ‘Perfectly usual, I can assure you. Why? Did you think he would be here? Most gentlemen do not hover about their wives in such a manner, I can assure you. As you will no doubt discover,’ she added, giving an Audrey an envious look. ‘I hear that Allingham is chasing you. How clever of you to have caught the interest of an earl.’

Audrey had felt her face warming a little. She knew, of course, that every step in the dance leading up to offers and marriage were monitored by the ton, who hung on what alliances were being made with which families but she still found it all very disconcerting.

‘There is nothing certain, I can assure you of, although Lord Allingham is a delightful man.’

‘Oh, pooh! Don’t be so missish, my dear. Allingham is the Season’s catch and all the world knows that he is now in control of his fortune since his birthday and can take any girl he sees fit to wed, which must be dreadfully annoying for his witch of a mother. Naturally, I am delighted that you will be the one that gets him.’ Charlotte didn’t sound particularly delighted. She sounded rather sulky, if the truth be told and Audrey had felt distinctly uncomfortable. Was it just her family that went about the business of marriage with delicacy and sensitivity? Audrey doubted she would ever get used to the intrusive curiosity of people who were practically strangers taking such an avid interest in her affairs.

She had cleared her throat, wondering what to say. ‘Is there some significance in the earl having a birthday?’

Charlotte raised an eyebrow. ‘Really, Audrey dear. If you are to marry the man you should know his history. His brother has held the purse strings until now. Actually, if rumor is to be believed, it is a wonder there is any fortune left. The wicked brother was supposed to have removed a good part of it.’

‘The wicked brother?’ Audrey repeated, bewildered. It had all been news to her.

‘Kirkwood.’ Charlotte gave a slow smile. ‘I have seen him about several times although he does not go into Society much, more’s the pity. A dreadful creature, of course, but gorgeous nevertheless. That sort always are, are they not?’

‘I’m afraid I do not know what you are talking about.’

The girl looked at Audrey for a moment, then shrugged. ‘I think I shall let Allingham tell you his family history. If you are to marry him, it would be a pity to hear it elsewhere.’

‘Is there something I should know?’ Audrey had demanded. ‘Truly Charlotte, I do not know what you mean.’

Charlotte had pursed her lips, annoyingly mysterious. ‘If you marry Allingham you will know, soon enough.’

It had been a very unsatisfactory answer but she had left it. They had chatted for a while longer before Audrey had prepared to take her leave. It had been a far from satisfactory visit. She had hesitated for a moment, but concern had impelled her to ask. ‘Are you all right, Charlotte?’

Charlotte Bennett had made a moue of impatience. ‘Why shouldn’t I be?’

‘It’s just that you seem a little… out of sorts.’

‘I am perfectly well. Tired, of course. There is always such a lot to do that I declare, I am quite exhausted at the end of the day.’

Audrey wondered what a married lady who was in possession of a comfortable household and a large amount of servants found to occupy her to the point of exhaustion. She had discovered after her father had died and they had been forced to retire to a small cottage no more than a mile from Barnstable, their former home, that there was a great deal to do each day to survive. She had joined her mother in the vegetable garden and, as they’d managed with no-one other than their devoted housekeeper and their mother’s equally devoted personal maid, had taken on whatever other household chores needed to be done. It had been an eye-opening experience and one that had given her a new appreciation of all of the services domestic staff performed for their employers. But Edmund Bennett possessed a good income and employed enough people to ensure his lady had nothing to worry about and curiosity had prompted the next question.

‘What is it that keeps you so busy?’

Charlotte had looked at her blankly. ‘Why, there are any number of things. Really, with shopping and attending the endless occasions one is forever being invited to, I swear I can scarcely keep up.’

‘Ah,’ Audrey murmured. ‘I see.’

She had wondered if she should ask if Mr. Bennett accompanied his wife to these numerous soirees but decided it would be an ill-advised question. The state of Charlotte’s marriage was obviously not the same as that of Audrey’s siblings. She was so used to Harry and Isabella spending time together – enjoying spending time together – that she had thought Charlotte would still be glowing with that flush of happiness she had seen in her when they had been discussing the girl’s forthcoming nuptials. Instead, wishing her visit to end on a happy note, she had retreated into the commonplace, a safe topic that was sure not to upset her friend in any way.

‘I must say, that’s a delightful gown, Charlotte. It becomes you very well.’

It had been an excellent tactic for Charlotte had launched forth on the manifest skills of her dressmaker, how she had made a variety of exquisite gowns for a variety of occasions, how she could not wait to go to such-and-such’s assembly or rout or masquerade and show all off her new creations to the world. It had all been said in such a rush of frantic gaiety that Audrey had been taken aback when suddenly, in mid sentence, Charlotte’s face had crumpled and she began to cry. Horrified, Audrey had set down her teacup and had hurried across to perch on the arm of Charlotte’s chair, putting an arm around her shoulders.

‘My dear, whatever is it? What is wrong?’

After a few, breathless, snuffling attempts to control her tears, Charlotte had told her what was wrong. How her marriage was a sham, nothing like she had thought it would be. How she spent so very little time with her husband that he was practically a stranger to her; how he always had somewhere else to be, usually in the company of his friends. How she was sure he was keeping a mistress – a mistress after only five months of marriage! – and, how infrequently they shared a conjugal bed together.

Audrey had been appalled and not just because she had ended up the recipient of so many personal, disturbing revelations. She had seen Charlotte the day before her marriage and the girl had been aglow with happiness, sure that a new, wonderful life was waiting for her just around the corner as she started her journey into the future with a man she loved and who, she was convinced, loved her just as well.

‘But it must have been a sham, don’t you think?’ she had sniffed miserably into a handkerchief. ‘All those pretty words, those protestations of eternal devotion. I had thought Edmund loved me but it must have all been a lie for we were no more than a few weeks married before he began to lose interest.’

‘I’m sure he did love you,’ Audrey had tried to reassure her. ‘That he does love you. Of course he must. He is just… well, gentlemen do spend time at their clubs, do they not? And as for the rest,’ Audrey had not been at all sure what she was supposed to say about the rest of the revelations she had heard. She knew it was commonplace to take a mistress or a lover after marriage – she was not naïve, after all – but it did seem unusually callous so soon after marriage. And she was quite certain she would not want to be married to a man who did so.

Not surprisingly, Charlotte was having none of it. She was already convinced that she had been shamelessly bamboozled by her husband and her resentment was obvious. After a time she appeared to collect herself and once again assumed that rather brittle, hard edge that Audrey had noticed earlier.

‘Oh I am making such a fuss! What will you think of me?’ she’d said, affixing a smile firmly in place that held no genuine warmth whatsoever. ‘As Mama delights in pointing out, I have nothing to complain about, after all. I made a good match of it and my position is hardly unique. Look at poor Letty Hindmarsh, married to a man who, if the rumors are true, beats her regularly. Indeed, her Papa had to intervene now that she is expecting. And Margaret Hartley. Do you remember her, Audrey? She thought she was so lucky, snaring a lord but he took her back to Devon and left her in his moldering ruin of a castle while he returned to London to continue on as