Because of Rebecca(40)

“Yes, miss.” She followed Rebecca into the room. “Can I pack you a fresh bag for the night?”

Rebecca nodded. “Yes please.”

When Rebecca returned she found the trio chatting quietly. Jared smiled when she entered the room.

“Higgins has arrived. Are you ready to go?”

“Yes. This has been a most eventful day.”

“Yes it has,” Doctor Gordon said, standing. “We’d best rejoin our dinner party. The Calhouns will be wondering where we’ve run off to. Though I doubt the Coopers will have observed our absence for more than a minute. They are still so engrossed with one another.”

“As all newlyweds should,” Josephine cooed, slipping her hand into his.

Rebecca noticed her aunt had repaired her face and you couldn’t tell she’d been crying. She hugged her one last time before she left. “Thank you for telling me about Mariah. I’m sorry you’ve had to bear that burden alone for so long. Papa and Mama never said a word.”

“They wouldn’t, dear. They vowed to never speak of it for all our sakes. And don’t worry about Lucas. I know you’ll be the best one for him to be with, and it’s what Mariah wanted. It was a foolish notion and I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“No. No. It wasn’t foolish. I’m glad you told me how you feel. Even if we aren’t living in the same house we can share him.”

Josephine kissed her on the cheek and nodded. “He’ll have the best of both of us.”





Chapter Twenty-Two

Once settled in the carriage, Rebecca laid her head on Jared’s shoulder and closed her eyes, still hearing Josephine’s words echo in her head. “I can’t believe Aunt Josephine was Mariah’s mother.”

“Neither can I. That was the last thing I expected to hear when we joined them upstairs.”

“I know. I feel sorry for her. She has had to carry this secret for so long and to lose Mariah without getting to tell her she was her mother is simply unfair.” Rebecca sat up and looked at him. “When I think of some of the things I personally said to her. How I teased her for her strong beliefs about premarital relations. I am ashamed of myself.”

“Darling, you had no idea. Exactly what did you say?”

“It doesn’t matter now.”

“Come on, Rebecca. Tell me.”

“I said I’d have no problem taking a lover before marriage if he was someone I loved.”

“Is that so?” Jared tilted her chin up with his finger. “Did you have anyone in particular in mind?”

“Oh Jared, don’t read more into it than what it was.”

“Exactly what was it?”

“Words. Simply words. I was teasing her. Still I had no right… When I think of how hard it must have been for her to keep this secret, especially after Mama and Papa died. She could have easily told Mariah the truth, and yet she kept silent. I couldn’t have done it.”

He smiled. “I think your aunt is a very lucky woman.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Well, take Doctor Gordon for instance. He didn’t seem to mind her past. It goes to show how much he must love her to overlook what she did in her youth. Don’t you agree?”

Rebecca nodded. “Yes. You’re right. It does prove he loves her dearly and I’m so thankful for that. Aunt Josephine deserves a man who will love her unconditionally. No matter what scandal the truth might have brought if it fell into the wrong hands.”

Rebecca sighed and settled back in his arms, resting her head against his chest. “I’m worried about Delaney being at Oak Hill when we arrive. Did you by chance ask Higgins if he’d been there?”

“Yes. He’s been there and Mary was feeding him supper when Rory arrived. Higgins left so he doesn’t know if Rory was successful in getting him to leave or not.”

“So we may have a house guest?”

“We’d better not,” Jared growled, squeezing her shoulder.

Rebecca laughed softly. “I quite agree.”

She became silent and soon he realized she’d fallen asleep. He closed his eyes as well and longed for a night spent in her arms, enjoying the splendor of her body. He pulled Rebecca closer and rested his chin on the top of her head. Breathing in her faint verbena scent he chuckled, recalling her offering Amos the use of her perfume, as the movement of the carriage lulled him to sleep.

“We’re home, sir,” Higgins shook his arm to wake him. “Mr. Hollingsworth, we’re here.”

Jared opened his eyes and blinked a few times. “Very good, Higgins. Thank you.”

“Can I help you and the missus to the house?”

“I’ll carry her if you can get her small bag.”

“Very well, sir.”

Jared gently rubbed her cheek with his hand. “Rebecca, we’re home, darling.”

“What is it?” she murmured unsteadily swaying on the seat.

“We’re at Oak Hill.”

“That’s nice.”

Jared climbed down and reached for her. “Come here.”

She moved to the door and he helped her down. Once she was steady on her feet he swept her up in his arms. “May I officially carry you over the threshold, Mrs. Hollingsworth?”

She giggled. “I’m too worn out to stop you.”

“Good, because I am too tired to argue.” He carried her to the verandah where Mary met them with a lantern.

“Welcome home!” she cheerfully called.

“Thank you, Mary. Has our visitor left?”

“Afraid not, sir. The gentleman was most insistent on apologizing again to you personally for mistaking you for Mr. Rory. But Rory said you weren’t to be disturbed this evening so he’s entertaining the gentleman in town at Monique’s. I never heard of the place before, have you?”

“So we have the house to ourselves?” Jared asked, glancing at Rebecca. “Rory’s at Monique’s.”

She giggled. “May he stay there all night.”

“Except for me, sir.” Mary’s smile broadened. “It’s good to have you with us, Mrs. Hollingsworth. This place needs a woman to cheer it. I hope you find yourself at home here.”

“Thank you, Mary.”

“Rory said you’d want a light supper and a hot bath when you arrived. I’ve seen to both. They’re waiting for you in your room and I set up a second tub in your study, Mr. Hollingsworth.”

“Then we’ll see you in the morning,” Jared told her, eager for her to be gone.

“I’ll prepare a hot breakfast for you in the morning when you want it.”

Jared carried Rebecca into the house and up the stairs. “I’ll give you a better tour tomorrow,” he said, “but I think you recall where the library is if you should need a book for reading tonight.”

“I—I don’t think I’ll need one,” she whispered, running her fingers through the hair at the back of his neck. “I have other things in mind to preoccupy me tonight if I’m not sleeping.”

“Perhaps you can share those ideas with me?” he teased, opening his bedroom door. He carried her inside and sat her down gently.

As Mary had promised, a table was laid out with their meal; soft candlelight glowed from the candelabra on the table and steam rose from the tub partially concealed behind a folding screen.

“Would you like to bathe first or eat?”

“Bathe before the water gets cold.”

“Then I’ll leave you to take care of it and I’ll return shortly.” He kissed her lightly on the lips. “Welcome home, Mrs. Hollingsworth.”

“Don’t go far,” she said. “I won’t linger in the water long.”

He slipped out the door and hurried down the hall to his study. True to her word, Mary had another tub brought in, a clean towel and his robe waiting on him.

Stripping out of his clothes, he sank into the hot water and washed away the sweat and dirt from their travels. He wasted little time lingering, even though the hot water soothed the aches of riding all day. He stood, reached for the bucket of rinse water and poured it over his head. Setting the empty bucket down, he grabbed the clean towel and dried himself, before stepping out of the tub to don fresh clothes.

When he returned to his bedroom, he knocked before he entered. Rebecca was already dressed in her gown and robe, and was drying her hair with a towel.

She smiled when she saw him. “You bathed?”

“Yes. Shall we eat?”

She shook her head and hung the towel over the screen. When she turned around, she untied her robe and let it drop to the floor. “I’m not hungry.”

She stood before him in her thin gown, the material almost translucent in the candlelight.