Always a Maiden (The Belles of Beak Street #5)(50)

They were crossing through the gates of Hyde Park when Lord Farringate suggested that they get out and walk. His suggestion that they leave the carriage to walk alone surprised her. Although, they wouldn’t be truly alone as the park was filling up with the fashionable crowd.

She agreed, thinking this would be her chance to ask about his previous wives.

He handed her down, and they moved to the walking path as the landau with his sister and daughter drove on down Rotten Row.

“Are you looking forward to the wedding?” asked Lord Farringate as she tucked her hand into his elbow.

No. “Of course I am,” she answered with as much brightness as she could fake. Because what other answer could she give out loud? “I’m sure it will be a lovely event. Will your children attend?”

“Not all. Just the ones in town.”

“I am looking forward to meeting the rest of them.” She knew better than to quiz him on the names and ages of his children. He’d grown impatient with her questions. His daughter had to supply the information as if he couldn’t be bothered with knowing the names and ages of his children. Although, he’d been able to relay ages and names of his sons well enough.

Becoming a stepmother was not a task she felt suited to, but she was determined to give it her best effort. She hoped to be more of a friendly sort, like a sister, because she wasn’t old enough to have given birth to most of them. Away from her mother, she could be less rigid and warmer in her approach. No one would fault her for being kind to her stepchildren.

“Would you mind if I asked you a personal question?” she ventured.

His lips flattened. “I need to tell you of a few things. That is why I asked to walk alone with you.”

It wasn’t an answer, and she wasn’t encouraged. “Oh?”

“I’m afraid we won’t take a wedding trip.”

“I see,” she answered carefully. It would probably be better to not have to be alone with him for the duration of a wedding trip. “Will we go directly to your castle?”

“No.” He sighed.

“Should I not meet the rest of your family?”

He flashed her a dark look.

The hairs on the back of her neck rose. But she kept the thin smile on her lips. “I am certain I will be content with wherever you decide we shall stay. I don’t care about a wedding trip. Travel can be overrated, but I was looking forward to seeing your home—our home and the children.”

Those were the things expected of a wife. That she would manage her husband’s home and his children whether they were hers or not.

“I have enough children,” he said gruffly. “And they don’t need another mother. Most of them are too old for a mother anyway.”

“Yes. But I do hope to get along famously with them.”

“Lady Susanah, I don’t wish to speak about my children.”

“All right,” she answered. “I fear I have said something that has upset you, and it was not my intention to do so. I do want to assure you that I am looking forward to managing your households.”

“That won’t be necessary.”

His words shocked her. “Sir?”

“My sister manages my townhouse quite well, my daughter-in-law presides over Farring Castle as it will be my son’s one day.”

What was she to do? Twiddle her thumbs all day.

“With your father’s blessing, we will make our home with your parents at Weatdon House. I assure you, we will be far more comfortable there.”

She wouldn’t have been more stunned if a passerby hit her in the head with a rock. She only realized she’d stopped walking when he caught her wrist before her hand slid out of the crook of his elbow. He yanked her forward. She nearly stumbled as she had to step quickly to catch up to his uninterrupted stride. She didn’t want to live with her parents a second longer. “I’m sorry, but I thought I would be living in the castle. Isn’t that what your previous wives have done?”

“The castle will be undergoing extensive repairs for the next few years. It isn’t a pleasant place to live. It is cold, damp, and drafty in the best of times. Parts of it are in severe disrepair. You must have heard how the third Lady Weatdon fell when part of the battlements crumbled under her feet. I’ve had to restrict access to the older towers.”

“Oh,” said Susanah. What on earth was his wife doing on the battlements? But this was the opening she’d craved. “If you don’t mind my impertinence, what happened to your first, second, and fourth wives?”

He made a low sound in his throat that was very much like noise preceding the snarl of a dog about to attack.

She swallowed hard and looked around. There were people about—not close enough to overhear their conversation, but close enough to intervene if he attacked her. Not that he would. It was just fanciful thinking. “I won’t speak of it again as I know it must be painful, but I would not like to be caught off guard if someone talks about them.”

“The last Lady Weatdon had an abscess that festered. The second Lady Weatdon took too much laudanum, and the first died in childbed.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” she said. “But thank you for telling me.”

“I hope that your mother can give you some pointers for avoiding children. As I said I don’t need any more.”