The Obedient Bride Part 3

5.

THE following afternoon, Lord Astor was lying on his back in his favorite position, his hands clasped behind his head, his feet crossed at the ankles. He was feeling sleepy and contented. Ginny's hand was slowly circling his naked chest. Her tangled curls and her warm breath were tickling his side. He wriggled his toes and sighed. It seemed an age since these visits to his mistress had been a regular afternoon or nighttime occurrence. It was nearly six weeks.

"I had almost forgotten how good you are, Ginny," he said, lowering one hand to fondle the back of her neck for a moment. "You have quite worn me out."

She raised her head and smiled in that slow, sensual manner that usually succeeded in making his temperature rise. "I take it that the bride is not thoroughly satisfactory if you have come back to me so soon, Geoffrey," she said. "And so very full of energy! I am only thankful that the bruises I am bound to carry around with me for the next several days are in places where they will not be seen in public."

"I would apologize," he said, grinning and returning his hand to the back of his head. "But we both know that you like it rough, don't we, Ginny?"

She pouted. "Sometimes I think you have no respect for me at all, Geoffrey," she said. "I have sung at the homes of no fewer than three t.i.tled persons since you have been away, you know, not to mention other establishments quite as respectable. And everywhere I have been treated with marked respect and praised for my voice. And I have been called Virginia and even Miss c.o.x. Sir Harvey Hamilton called me Miss c.o.x. Why will not you?"

"Call you Miss c.o.x?" he said. "Will you please remove your clothes now, Miss c.o.x? Will you please come to bed now, Miss c.o.x? Come on now, Ginny. Those people have not seen you as I havea"at least, I hope for your sake they have not. And which would you prefer to havea"respect or pleasure?"

She ran her finger over his lips and tapped them sharply. "I would like both," she said.

"Go to sleep, Gin," he said, turning his head and shaking off her finger. "Three times has quite tired me. I am not in the mood for conversation."

"Of course you have to perform for someone else at night too now," she said, wriggling closer to his warm, relaxed body. "You have to save yourself. Poor Geoffrey."

"Enough of that," he said. "I will have my wife left right out of any conversation between you and me, Ginny. Now, go to sleep, there's a good girl."

She seemed to obey him. At least she fell silent and motionless beside him. Lord Astor continued to stare upward. He did not think he wanted to sleep even though he felt drowsy. It was pleasant to have a few minutes in which just to relax. He must go home soon in order to be in time to bathe Ginny's perfume from his skin before getting ready for dinner. But not just yet.

It had been a pleasant day. Arabella had been at the breakfast table again, but she had seen his paper beside his fork and had suggested that he read it if he wished. She had seemed to relax once he did so. She had resumed her eating and finished her m.u.f.fin as she had not the morning before. She was not very fond of b.u.t.ter, she had explained when he had lowered his paper briefly to ask why she ate it dry.

Aunt Hermione had been coming to take Arabella and Frances shopping again. There were all sorts of trappings like bonnets, slippers, fans, and ribbons to be examined and bought. He had not felt it necessary to accompany them this time, as he trusted his aunt to help his wife make suitable purchases. He had spent the morning at White's in delicious isolation in the reading room for a whole hour and then in company with a group of acquaintances who had come straight from Jackson's boxing saloon. He had promised to meet them there the following morning.

He had even eaten at White's and reveled in the sensible male conversationa"all about interesting topics like horses and hunting and politics. No one so much as mentioned a bonnet or a parasol.

His wife and her sister had been invited back to Grosvenor Square for luncheon. Doubtless they would remain there for at least part of the afternoon. And so finally he had had the luxury of a whole free afternoon in which to visit Ginny. And an extremely satisfying afternoon it had been, too. He had not realized quite how much pent-up energy he had been waiting to unleash until he had found himself quite unsatiated after one lengthy and energetic performance on the bed with her, and then another. They had both sweated their way through the third, and lain tangled together, exhausted, for several minutes before finding the energy to move themselves into the positions they now occupied.

An extremely satisfying afternoon.

He did not want to think of Arabella. She belonged to a different world. It was not that he did not respect her. She was his wife. He intended to see that she had every material comfort he was capable of giving her. He intended to see that she became well-established in society. He would escort her everywhere it was necessary for her to appear. And he intended to see to her happiness whenever he could, as in this business with her dog and horse, for example.

But he could not be faithful to her. No one of any sense would expect him to be so. It was true that scarcely a week before, he had made a promise at the altar to keep himself only for her. But everyone knew that the wedding service was just a quaint ceremony. No one took the words quite literally. He was doing no harm to Arabella by keeping a mistress and spending such afternoons as this with her. Indeed, he would go home refreshed and with new patience to spend an evening with his wife and her sister.

He did not want to think about Arabella. He glanced down at Ginny's tangled fair curls and thought of his wife's dark curly locks. She really did look almost pretty with her hair cut short. She looked like a little pixie. How absurdly anxious she had been when awaiting his verdict in the hallway the morning before. Had she expected that he would rant and rave and demand that she have the severed hair stuck back on again? Lord Astor grinned. Her eyes had been enormous and very dark with apprehension. And that upper lip of hers had curved upward, showing the very white teeth beneath.

He would not think of her, Lord Astor decided. He closed his eyes. He would sleep for a few minutes. She was so very small. He felt large and virile when he covered her on her bed. In fact, the night before, he had raised himself on his forearms while he took her. He was afraid of squashing her, of suffocating her. He had wondered if he hurt her. She always lay so still and compliant beneath him that it was impossible to tell. He had looked down at her once to find that her eyes were open and looking off to one side. Her face had been calm, as far as he had been able to see in the darkness.

It would not seem quite fair to go to her tonight and violate that innocent little body with his own, which had taken its wanton pleasure with Ginny all afternoon.

Lord Astor opened his eyes again. He really did not want to be having these thoughts. He wanted to relax and savor his s.e.xual satisfaction. He wanted to sleep.

He was not going to develop a conscience, was he? How d.a.m.nably tiresome that would be. He would buy Arabella a string of pearls tomorrow. He had planned to do so anyway for her first ball. Why not for her first appearance in public at his aunt's soiree? He would buy the most costly string he could find.

Lord Astor yawned and dozed for a few minutes.

Arabella was finding it hard to concentrate on the Crown Jewels. They were very beautiful and obviously quite priceless, and normally she would have been paralyzed with wonder. But his lordship had said they were to see the royal menagerie, which was also housed in the Tower of London, and Arabella was all impatience to go there.

Indeed, seeing the animals had been their main reason for coming. His lordship had told her at breakfast that George and Emily might be expected in about a week's time, but that in the meantime she might enjoy seeing some different animals. There was even an elephant in the menagerie, apparently. Arabella could not imagine an animal that was reputedly so large.

Frances had exclaimed with delight when Arabella had told her late in the morning that they were to go to the Tower of London when his lordship returned home after luncheon. He had gone to a boxing saloon for the morning. Arabella wished she could see him box. She would wager that he would pummel into the ground any opponent he cared to challenge.

Frances had not been interested in the menagerie. She had wanted to see the Crown Jewels. So here they were, Arabella thought as she stood quietly at her husband's side, her arm tucked within his, while Frances sighed in ecstasy over every diamond and pearl in Mary of Modena's crown, with its purple velvet and ermine cap and its solid gold band.

"Just imagine being queen and actually wearing that," she said wistfully.

"Saint Edward's crown is very much grander," Lord Astor said, "as you will see when we come to it. It apparently weighs all of seven pounds."

"Gracious!" Arabella said. "It is amazing that the king's neck does not slide right down into his chest when it is upon his head."

Lord Astor laughed down at her. "It is no wonder that kings are reputed to sit on their thrones all day, is it?" he said. "It must take two muscular courtiers merely to raise them to their feet."

They both laughed merrily while Frances moved on to gaze upon the ampulla and spoon.

"Do you suppose the king will ever regain his health?" Arabella asked suddenly, sobering and gazing earnestly into her husband's eyes. "Do you hear anything of his recovery, my lord?"

"I am afraid not much hope is held out, Arabella," he said, smiling gently down at her. "The king is very sick." He touched her gloved hand lightly with his fingertips.

"Poor King George!" she said. "I wish he could know that his subjects still love him and admire him and wish him to recover. Do you think he knows, my lord?"

"I am quite sure he does," he said, and he curled his fingers under hers for a moment and squeezed them.

She flushed deeply suddenly and looked jerkily away from him. "Let us see this crown," she said. "The one the king wore at his coronation."

Another twenty minutes pa.s.sed before they finally moved on to the menagerie. Even Arabella stood spellbound before the grand crown and told herself in awe that she was within a foot of the crown that the king himself had once worn on his head. And then on the way out of the apartments that housed the jewels, Lord Astor was accosted by a tall, thin young man with carrot-red hair, pale eyebrows, and a boyish, lopsided grin. Arabella liked him immediately. He was not at all handsome or grand.

"Astor!" he said. "What an unexpected place in which to meet you. I thought you were in the country." His eyes slid curiously to Arabella and Frances.

"I returned three days ago," Lord Astor said. "How d'ye do, Farraday? May I present my wife, Lady Astor, and her sister, Miss Wilson? Lord Farraday, an old university friend of mine."

Arabella beamed at him while Frances curtsied. Here was a man with whom she was sure she could feel perfectly comfortable. She hoped they would see more of him.

"How do you do, my lord?" she said. "Have you come to see the jewels too? They really are a splendid sight. The king's coronation crown weighs seven pounds, you know. His lordship has brought us here because we are new to London and want to see absolutely everything. At least, my sister wanted to see the jewels, so we came here first. I want to see the menagerie, and that is where we are going now. There is an elephant there. Have you ever seen it? Perhaps you would like to come with us?"

Lord Farraday bowed to her and grinned. "I would like nothing better, ma'am," he said. "But I have lost my mother and my grandmother somewhere around here. My mother will surely rip up at me if I take another half-hour to visit the animals. Will you be at Lady Berry's tonight, Astor?"

"Most certainly," the viscount said. "You can imagine how agog my aunt is to show off my wife to all her guests, Farraday."

"I shall see you there," the baron said. Then, turning to the ladies and smiling, "I shall do myself the honor of paying my respects to you again tonight, ma'am, Miss Wilson."

Arabella smiled, but her eyes had lost some of their sparkle. Lady Berry was eager to "show her off" to her guests? She was to be the center of attraction at tonight's soiree? She would be introduced as Lord Astor's wife. Everyone present there would see what a very unfortunate choice of bride he had felt obliged to make. They would see Frances at her side and wonder why she was not the new Lady Astor. And Arabella had not even had time to lose more than a few ounces of weight!

It was perhaps fortunate for her that Lord Farraday moved on in search of his female relatives and her own party turned in the direction of the menagerie. Her spirits rose immediately. Even Frances seemed eager to see the elephant.

They stood gazing at it a few minutes later. Arabella was speechless. It was huge. But there was far more than its size to stupefy the viewer. It legs were like tree trunks. And its skin was wrinkled and leathery. It looked a thousand years old. Its eyes were small and seemed almost human in its mammoth body.

"Well, what do you think?" Lord Astor asked after a while.

"I cannot imagine living in a country where such creatures run wild or where they are ridden down the streets," Frances said. "I would be extremely frightened to venture outdoors, my lord."

"Is there only one elephant?" Arabella asked.

"Did you expect a whole herd?" Lord Astor grinned down at her.

"But it has no company," she said. "It is all alone, my lord. And in a bare cage."

"The expense of having two and housing them in a larger area would probably be prohibitive," he pointed out to her.

"But he looks so lonely," she said. "Look at his eyes, my lord."

"I am very glad it is locked safely away in its cage," Frances said with a shudder.

"There used to be many different kinds of animals here," Lord Astor explained. "Unfortunately, now there are only the elephant and a grizzly bear, apart from various birds. Shall we look at the bear?"

Arabella was glad to move away from the quiet, patient, sad-looking elephant. But the poor bear looked even worse, she found. Its fur looked moth-eaten and dusty. It was pacing its cage with a slow, rolling gait.

"The bear is a far more deadly creature than it appears to be," Lord Astor explained to them. "One blow from one of those paws would doubtless kill any one of us."

Frances took a step backward. "I do hope the bars are strong," she said.

"You are quite safe, Frances," he a.s.sured her. "Would you feel better if you were to take my other arm?"

Frances hastily availed herself of the offer. Arabella felt herself unaccustomedly close to tears. She hated it! She could have howled with pity for the two poor animals, so far away from where they belonged, so irrevocably cut off from all communication with animals of their kind, so utterly devoid of activity or exercise or love.

"What do you think of it, Arabella?" Lord Astor asked.

"It is very nice, my lord," she said politely.

He looked down at her lowered head and smiled fleetingly.

"Oh, how I wish Mama and Jemima could have been with us this afternoon," Frances said half an hour later when they were all in the carriage on their way back to Upper Grosvenor Street. "How they would have loved the Crown Jewels. And the dangerous splendor of the animals."

Arabella sat beside her husband, her hands in her lap. "Thank you, my lord," she said. "It was kind of you to take us. I am very grateful."

Lord Astor looked thoughtfully down at the top of his wife's bonnet while his sister-in-law gazed eagerly from the carriage window. He reached across finally, lifted one of Arabella's hands from her lap, and drew it through his arm. He kept his hand over hers.

Arabella did not look up or try to withdraw her hand.

Lady Berry was an attractive and fashionable lady in her early forties. She loved to entertain and to be the focus of attention. There was a Lord Berry, an earl in fact, but people tended to forget the fact. He lived in his wife's shadow, seemingly content to finance her whims and to keep himself quietly out of sight. On the night of his wife's soiree, he spent the evening in his library with a bottle of port and two particular friends who enjoyed social pleasures about as much as he did.

Lady Berry was in her element, having a new niece to introduce to the ton. And if the niece was not a remarkably pretty girl, she was fortunate to have brought along with her a quite extraordinarily lovely sister, who was bound to have all the unmarried young bucks swarming around her in no time. The two of them would take quite nicely. There was a certain fresh charm about Geoffrey's bride that would set her off from the majority of the young girls who had begun to descend on London in large numbers.

And so Arabella found herself being conducted around the drawing room in Grosvenor Square on the arm of her husband's aunt, Frances beside her, being presented to a bewildering number of elegant people. She did not feel nearly as shy as she had feared. Lord Astor had been left behind almost in the doorway, and she did not feel quite as plain and inadequate without his splendid person at her side.

And he really did look quite dauntingly magnificent tonight, dressed to match her ice-blue silk gowna"in dark blue velvet coat, paler blue silk waistcoat, and silver silk knee breeches. Arabella had quailed when she had joined him in the drawing room at home, despite the fact that she had been twirling before her looking gla.s.s a few minutes before, feeling quite delightfully pretty in her new gown and with her new newly acquired short curls. And she was inordinately proud of her new pearls, which his lordship had brought to her room one hour before and clasped about her neck himself. A present from her husband! He must not be entirely displeased with her if he had bought her such a costly and lovely gift. And surely she must have lost at least one pound of weight.

Frances, of course, looked breathtaking in her pale apricot satin gown with its netted tunic. And her blond hair was dressed in shining ringlets. Arabella looked eagerly at all the people to whom they were presented, especially at the young men, to see if her sister was properly appreciated. And she was not disappointed. Frances' blushes and shy, downcast glances were creating a decided stir. Frances would have a splendid Season before going home to Theodore in the summer.

Strangely, Arabella felt no inadequacy at all when in the presence of her far lovelier sister. She was always too busy feeling proud of Frances. And so her manner quickly became relaxed and unselfconscious. She smiled about her with the greatest goodwill and talked to everyone without first stopping to consider whether she had anything of interest to say. And Lady Berry was proved right. It seemed that the new viscountess and her sister would take very well.

Arabella was delighted to see Lord Farraday again. And she was not mistaken in her first impression of him. He was remarkably amiable. She felt quite as comfortable after a few minutes of conversing with him as she did with Theodore at home.

"Did you find your mother and grandmother this afternoon?" she asked him.

"Yes, I did," he said cheerfully. "And I was entirely to blame for losing them, of course. I got caught up in examining some old armor, they wandered off chattering nineteen to the dozen without even noticing I was not with them, got themselves lost, and I was to blame."

Arabella laughed.

"I have a family of nothing but females," he said. "Three sisters. All older than I. All tyrants. All expect me to be at their beck and call, and all complain that I am underfoot when I am." He grinned.

"I have a mother and two sisters," Arabella said, "but then, of course, I can see things from their point of view, being female myself. If I had had a brother, I think I would have made much of him."

"I shall have to present you to my female relatives," he said, still grinning. "They are all expecting me to marry. When I do, I shall probably produce five daughters. And love them too."

"Ah, Farraday," a somewhat languid voice said. "How are you, my good fellow? I have not set eyes on you for a veritable age. This is understandable, of course, since I have been rusticating. I do not believe I have had the pleasure."

Arabella found herself being regarded by a tall gentleman, his handsome face somewhat marred by a cynical twist of the lip. He was fingering a quizzing gla.s.s.

"How d'ye do, Hubbard?" Lord Farraday said. "I have been wondering when we would see you again. Ma'am, may I present Mr. Hubbard, another university friend of Astor's and mine? Lady Astor, Hubbard."

Mr. Hubbard sketched an elegant bow and raised one eyebrow. "Astor's bride?" he said. "I did not know he had tied the knot. I am pleased to make your acquaintance, ma'am."

He did not sound remarkably pleased, Arabella thought. She curtsied and smiled. "You are my husband's friend too?" she asked. "I am pleased to meet you, sir. And you have recently come from the country? Is it not lovely at this time of the year? I am truly glad I was there during March to see all the spring flowers. Have you seen his lordship since returning? He is over by the door. I am sure he would be delighted to talk with you."

"I shall stroll that way," he said, turning and walking away without another word.

Arabella looked at Lord Farraday.

"A sad case," he said. "Mrs. Hubbard left him a year ago, taking their son with her. He has not been able to recover from the blow, though he pretends."

"Oh, poor man," Arabella said, turning to look at the retreating figure of Mr. Hubbard. "How could anyone do anything so cruel? Oh, the poor man."

"He will not thank you for saying so," Lord Farraday said.

Lord Astor had been invited to join a table for cards in one of the salons. He would normally not have hesitated, as card playing had been one of his favorite pastimes for years. He had never been in the habit of playing very deep, as until recently he had had no great fortune to lose. And he had discovered since he did that his playing had lost some of its charm. Other men expected him to bet more rashly now that he had the money with which to do so, and yet at the same time he became aware of some of the responsibilities of owning a large fortune and having an equally large number of persons dependent upon him for their very life.

A card salon at a respectable soiree, of course, was not the sort of place in which whole fortunes were likely to change hands. It was not the fear of loss ora"worsea" the fear of losing all rational common sense that had made him hesitate. Rather, he felt obliged to stay in the drawing room for at least half an hour to make sure that Arabella was well-established and did not need his arm to cling to. She could be such a shy little thing. He had feared for her first appearance in polite society.

"Later," he had told the acquaintance who had asked him to play cards. "I shall play the next hand."

And he watched Arabella, who was glowing with excitement or fright or some emotion that had helped her through the ordeal of being promenaded around the room by Aunt Hermione and was now aiding her in conversing with various guests. Her mouth appeared to be moving almost constantly and at a rapid rate.