The Widowed Countess (9 page)

Although Daniel was happy for this brother, he had to admit a sense of disappointment at the news, and not for the reason Clarinda would assume. She probably thought he wanted the earldom for himself and would be jealous if she gave birth to a son. Daniel was the spare in the old “heir and a spare” scenario, after all, his mother having completed the heir and spare bearing all in one fell swoop (although, to hear her tell it, she would have preferred to do it the more traditional method. Apparently, carrying twins made her twice as sick, caused her to gain four times as much weight, and ended up causing eight times as many stretch marks.
Whatever those were
.) But Daniel had never begrudged his older brother’s right to sire an heir. He simply wished he would have done so with a different wife. Daniel still wanted Clarinda for himself. He still intended Clarinda to be the mother of his own children.

Well, all in good time. He had plenty of that.

“Not too long ago,” Daniel finally answered carefully to her question of when David had told him her news. “You must be thrilled.” He almost added, “To be expecting twins,” but managed to stop himself when he remembered David saying he hadn’t yet told her. When Clarinda’s eyes widened in shock, Daniel immediately regretted saying anything about her condition.

He wondered how she’d feel when she discovered she was carrying
twins
.

What had David said? That he would just visit her in the middle of the night and tell her she was carrying twins? Damn!
Double damn, in this case
.

“He told you I was with
child
?” Clarinda stared at Daniel for a very long time, her mouth hanging open in shock.

Daniel reached over and placed his hand beneath her chin, pushing it up so her mouth was forced to close while resisting the urge to tell her she was carrying twins. Although he wanted to see her reaction at the news, she would forever wonder how he knew unless he admitted David had told him that, too. What would she think then? She would probably think she had a Bedlamite on her hands. “Congratulations, Clare,” he said with a mischievous grin. “You’ll make a wonderful mother.” He decided now was not the time to inform her he would do his best as their father, even if he was really just their uncle.

Clarinda studied her brother-in-law for a very long time, wondering just when David had sent word to his brother about her condition. And she couldn’t exactly tell Daniel how David came to her in the middle of the night. He’d think she was a Bedlamite!

“Thank you,” she murmured, very aware of Daniel’s hand still touching her chin, although now his fingers moved ever so lightly along her jaw until his hand cupped it. She was sure he was considering kissing her, the way his eyes kept glancing toward her lips and then back to her eyes, as if he was seeking her permission. And Clarinda was quite sure she hadn’t given him permission when she realized his head was moving toward hers. And try as she might, she couldn’t pull away. She might have even leaned forward a bit. She should really pull away. She despised him. She should admonish him for his impertinence. Scold him for thinking he could simply kiss her in the parlor. She was in mourning!

“There you are!” Dorothea announced happily from the doorway.

Clarinda had never seen David move as fast as Daniel did just then, his hand suddenly gone from her face and his body settled back into his chair as if he had just been motioning nonchalantly at something over her shoulder. Then he stood up with the air of a gentleman, turning to bow to his mother.

Dorothea swept into the room as if she owned the place. In a way, she sort of did, Clarinda had to admit as she rose to meet her mother-in-law. “Good morning, Clare. You’re looking especially lovely this morning,” Dorothea claimed as she moved to the chair opposite Clarinda, acting as if they hadn’t already had two conversations that morning before breakfast.

“Thank you, my lady,” Clarinda acknowledged the compliment, realizing almost immediately her face was displaying a bit more color than usual because she’d almost been caught kissing her impertinent brother-in-law in the parlor! 
The despicable man
! “Would you like tea?” she asked as she reached for a cup and saucer and the tea pot.

“Of course. I just had the most delicious breakfast, even if my son neglected me for half of it and then disappeared for the other half,” she stated in a manner suggesting her son wasn’t in the room just then even though she was angling her head in his direction. “But he’s forgiven since he’s here and not already locked away in the study doing God-knows-what with the estate papers.”

Daniel cocked an eyebrow and nodded in his mother’s direction. “Thank you, Mother,” he murmured. If he made the comment facetiously, he didn’t let on with either the tone of his voice or with his impassive expression.

“I will let Cook know of your sentiments,” Clarinda responded with a smile, handing the teacup to Dorothea. “And the reason Daniel disappeared from the breakfast room was so I could share some good news he apparently already knew.”

At this, Dorothea’s eyes widened. “
I
didn’t tell him!” she claimed rather defensively. She turned her attention to Daniel, her eyes widening even more. “You already
knew
?” she questioned, her face taking on a look of confusion. And then it changed to something approaching offense, as if she thought he should have shared the news with
her
just as soon as he learned of it.

Daniel sighed in a manner suggesting he was a dead man. “My brother informed me,” he said simply, hoping he wasn’t going to be pressed for more details. At least with his mother, he could have told her the entire truth of it, David’s ghost and all, and she would scoff and admonish him for telling fibs. He was pretty sure Clarinda would take him at his word.

Dorothea huffed. “You men are worse gossips than we ladies,” she stated before helping herself to a cake. After a bite, she smiled. “If you haven’t already, Clare, you really must have one of these,” she said before discreetly wiping a crumb from her lips. “I just adore lemon cakes.”

Clarinda didn’t have to be encouraged to try one; despite having just finished breakfast a half-hour ago, she was hungry again. She held the plate of cakes for Daniel and then took one after he did.
I am eating for two now
, she thought to herself. And so what if she’d already gained half a stone in the past couple of months? It wasn’t as if she had to keep a trim figure for her husband.

“Now, Clare, what do you plan to wear to the funeral service?” Dorothea asked suddenly.

Suddenly self-conscious, Clarinda put the remaining bite of her cake on her saucer and considered her limited choices. “I believe a black silk carriage gown was included in the dresses the modiste brought yesterday,” she answered uncertainly. “And there was a black hat with a veil.”

Dorothea nodded, looking suitably somber. “That sounds lovely, darling,” she replied, her voice quite at odds with her comment. She turned to regard her son. “And you, Daniel?”

Daniel gave her an uncertain look, as if he’d been ignoring her comments and was suddenly caught not having heard the original question. “A suit of clothes,” he replied with a shrug.

“Daniel!” she admonished him. “Details, please,” she encouraged before finishing off her tea cake.

Giving his mother a quelling glance, Daniel sighed. He wasn’t really sure what the valet would choose, but given the circumstances, he could at least guess. “Black swallowtail coat, silver waistcoat, black breeches, black boots, black cravat ...”

“Ooh!” Dorothea interrupted with a wave of her hand. “You will look quite dashing as you escort Clare,” she said with an air of appreciation.

Daniel dared a glance at Clarinda, his first since his aborted attempt at a kiss. He hadn’t intended to kiss her, at least, not today. And not for several months, truth be told. She was in mourning.
He
was in mourning. But she’d looked so beautiful, so willing, so much like she had that day in Kensington Gardens when he’d asked for her hand in marriage amongst the pink roses. “I shall escort both of you,” he countered, realizing he had paused too long in his response.

“Oh, that won’t be necessary, Daniel,” Dorothea replied, one eyebrow arching suggestively. “Lord Wallingham will see to me,” she explained with a mischievous grin.

Clarinda’s gasp was barely audible, but her mother-in-law turned to regard her with a smile. “Wallingham and I have renewed our acquaintance this past week in Kent. He insisted he escort me tomorrow,” she said with a slight shake of her head. “And I am not about to deny him his pleasure.” She said this last with an elegantly arched eyebrow, daring anyone to guess what she really meant by the comment.

Daniel regarded her with a not so elegantly arched eyebrow of his own. “Am I to expect he will be my step-father soon?” he wondered, no amusement evident in the question. Although he held no particular dislike for the viscount, he didn’t really like the man, either.
Oily
, he thought as he remembered the man’s card play at the last ball Daniel had attended.

Dorothea’s eyes widened. “Goodness, no,” she replied, almost as if she was horrified by the thought of being married to Thurston Wallingham. Although Viscount Wallingham was a tall, dark-haired aristocrat, the son of an earl and a countess who was a daughter of a viscount, he was a rake and a gambler. But he was exceptional between the sheets. And given his propensity for bedding widows – and not necessarily young widows, as most rakes did – Dorothea Fitzwilliam thought to take her place among his conquests before she saw her sixth decade. “I’ve no intention of giving up my freedom to marry
anyone
,” she announced happily. She followed her proclamation with a sigh. “You, of course, will need to marry again,” Dorothea stated as she suddenly regarded her daughter-in-law. “The sooner, the better.”

Clarinda blinked. And blinked again. “I believe I have a year of mourning before I should even consider the idea of marriage, my lady,” she countered, daring a glance in Daniel’s direction and hoping he might admonish his mother more forcefully than she could.

Catching Clarinda’s expression of surprise, Daniel straightened in his chair. “Mother, really,” he said in a tone that clearly sounded admonishing. “David isn’t even in his grave yet. And had he heard your comment, he would be spinning in it.”

Clarinda’s mother-in-law was about to defend her comment, but closed her mouth and looked suitably saddened. “I just meant that Clare won’t have the freedom in her widowhood that I have in mine,” she said with a nod. “She’ll have a baby ...”

Or two
, Daniel amended to himself, realizing just then that Clarinda really wouldn’t be able to adopt the lifestyle of most young widows. Having twins would certainly put a damper on being a merry widow.

His mood improved considerably.

“A baby I intend to spend a good deal of time with,” Clarinda interrupted as she glanced at the mantle clock. “If you two will excuse me, I’m scheduled to meet Lady Torrington in the park at eleven. I need to leave now so she doesn’t wonder as to my whereabouts.”

Dorothea’s eyes widened. “You’re going
outside
?” she nearly shouted. “You’ll catch your death!”

“Mother,” Daniel spoke firmly, his voice held low as he stood to bow. “You will take a footman for protection, I hope?” he asked carefully, not wanting to offend Clarinda. He knew she could take care of herself, but if he was going to let her out of his sight, he wanted to be sure someone was looking after her.

“Of course, Daniel,” she answered, curtsying. She hurried from the room, feeling an immense sense of relief as she left her in-laws behind. And relief that Daniel hadn’t offered himself as her escort. Clarinda was quite convinced that if he had been her escort, he would complete the kiss he had almost started in the parlor.

So much for protection.

Chapter 10

A Walk in the Park

“Oh, Adele, you must tell me every bit of gossip you can manage,” Clarinda insisted as she hurried up to meet her friend. The late morning fog was just then lifting from the secluded area of Hyde Park where Adele Grandby had agreed to meet her for a walk. “I cannot imagine having to give up all social engagements for the next few months. I’ll go mad!”

The other countess gave her an understanding smile. “The time will pass far faster than you can imagine,” she assured her as she linked arms with Clarinda. “Especially since we’re both with child. We’ll pay a visit to the Temple of the Muses when you return from Norwick Park. I expect there are a good deal of books to read on the topic of being with child.” She gave her friend a long look. “I admit I was a bit surprised to get your note this morning,” she said, changing the subject suddenly. “Wasn’t Daniel supposed to arrive today?”

Rolling her eyes, Clarinda nodded. “Oh, he did,” she said with a sigh. “First thing this morning, in fact.”

Patting Clarinda’s arm where it was linked with hers, Adele gave her friend a sideways glance. “And?” she prompted, expecting Clarinda to say something on the topic of Daniel Fitzwilliam.

“What is there to say? As usual, we had a bit of a row ...”

“Tsk,” Adele sounded with a shake of her head.

“Then we spoke civilly for nearly a half-hour ...”

“There is hope!”

“But he still despises me ...”

“He does not,” Adele countered, her rebuttal suggesting she actually knew the man personally and had spoken with him only moments before. Actually, she couldn’t recall ever having been introduced to Daniel Fitzwilliam, but then, he hadn’t been to London in several years.

Clarinda turned to regard Adele. “How do you know he does not?”

Smiling in her all-knowing, older, wiser woman sort of way, Adele shrugged. “Perhaps you should tell me just why it is you think he despises you,” she suggested, one eyebrow arching up. “What happened, Clare?”

Inhaling deeply, Clarinda gave Adele a look of resignation. “When I was about to marry David, Daniel called on me, rather incensed to have learned that David and I were betrothed. He wondered how I could agree to marry David when I had already agreed to marry him.”

The words surprised Adele. She stopped walking and turned to stare at Clarinda. “And, had you? Agreed to marry Daniel, I mean?”

Clarinda rolled her eyes again. “Of course not!”

Adele’s brows furrowed. “Why would he claim that you had?” she countered. At Clarinda’s quick shrug, Adele thought a moment. “I hear he looks exactly like his brother,” she commented, keeping a wary eye on Clarinda.

“He does. They’re twins. Almost identical in appearance,” Clarinda agreed. “But they could not be more different in temperament. Where David is ... was ... carefree and agreeable, Daniel is ... morose and serious.”

Adele’s eyebrow arched again. She had never thought the Earl of Norwick to be carefree, nor particularly agreeable – the sound of him bellowing to Clarinda the morning he died immediately coming to mind – but then, she hadn’t lived with the man. Adele held her tongue until Clarinda didn’t elaborate.  “Is it possible there was a case of mistaken identity? Perhaps Daniel really had asked for your hand, and you only thought him to be David.”

Clarinda smiled at that. “Daniel accused me of the same thing two years ago.”

Sighing, Adele shook her head. “But, I take it, he was unable to convince you?”

Clarinda resumed walking. “I know I have never displayed my anger in your presence, Adele, but David claims I am like a volcano. I hiss, and I spit, and steam comes out of my ears until I finally erupt and leave boiling hot lava dripping over the victims of my rage,” she described, her arms waving about her head to further illustrate her point. “Not very ladylike, I know, but it is my only vice.” This last was said with a great deal of humor.

“Oh, my, I would not expect such behavior from you, Clare,” the countess claimed, her merriment quite at odds with the stern sound of her voice. “It must take a great deal to set you off, though.”

Dipping her head slightly, Clarinda allowed a wan smile. “I was never so bad as the day Daniel cornered me in my salon. He was truly hurt, I think, wondering how I could have thrown him over for David. He accused me of marrying David so I would be a
countess
. I could not believe his impertinence. I ... I blew up. I erupted ... I was so rude, Adele, you would not have recognized me. And then I slapped him very hard across his face and told him never to speak to me again.”

Adele stopped walking again, her mouth agape at Clarinda’s admission. “You
didn’t
,” she whispered.

“I did. Which is why he despises me.”

Staring at Clarinda for several seconds before she actually believed the younger woman’s claims, Adele sighed and shook her head. “How long has it been? Since you last erupted on him, I mean?” Adele wondered.

Clarinda sighed, suddenly embarrassed about her behavior. “Two years. And it was just the one time. I remember because David and I had been out for our two-year wedding anniversary at the Clarendon Hotel. Daniel was there with some friends, so David invited him to Norwick House for drinks. That’s when he found me and ...” She shrugged, not sure what else to say. She sighed and resumed walking, her shoulders sagging a bit.

Adele shook her head and hurried to catch up with the younger countess. “And you apologized.”

Clarinda’s face displayed a sour look. “I did not. As I said, he despises me.” She closed her eyes, shaking her head as if to clear it. “It would not be so bad if he didn’t
look
so much like David.”

“He still does?” Adele queried, thinking that a few years would have changed the two men enough so their features were no longer so identical.

“I thought I saw a ghost when I went into the breakfast room this morning,” Clarinda claimed, not adding that she had actually seen – and spoken with – a ghost in the middle of the night.

Adele gave her a knowing look. “Perhaps you two will get on now that David has departed,” she said, a bit too hopefully.

Clarinda wasn’t about to tell her friend that David hadn’t exactly departed. “Perhaps I will encourage a truce. He’ll have to take on the earldom until this baby is born and old enough to take on the responsibilities. He’ll probably wish to remain in London, at least for the time being,” she reasoned, glad she had Adele as a sounding board just then. Everything seemed far less overwhelming when she spoke of her future out loud. “I will learn to deal with him, I suppose.” She was quiet a few moments, apparently relieved to be done speaking of Daniel. “Since I have provided you with an interesting tale, could you at least provide some gossip?” she wondered, hoping to change the subject.

“Oh, I do have news, thanks to Grandby,” Adele responded, her suddenly happy expression seeming to cause the fog to clear and the sun to finally make an appearance.

Clarinda opened her parasol and regarded Adele with an appreciative glance. “Oh, good. I think it’s rather fun to hear the news the men bring home. I do believe they’re the better gossip mongers,” she claimed, remembering Dorothea’s earlier comment. David had been quite decent about sharing the news he heard at White’s every day.

Adele grinned. “It would seem we’ll need to secure the services of a midwife well in advance. Apparently you and I aren’t the only ones who are in the family way and due to deliver about the same time.”

Her face brightening, Clarinda was about to ask who else was expecting when Adele added, “Lord Barrings told his contingent of card players that Mary is expecting.” Her arched eyebrow suggested there might be some scandal associated with the pregnancy.

“And, why is that so hard to believe?” Clarinda wondered. She barely knew Lord Barrings, although she had met his wife in various drawing rooms when she called on others.

Adele’s lips thinned. “She is at least as old as me!” she claimed. “And she has been heard to claim she dislikes what happens in a marriage bed. One can only surmise that Lord Barrings’ mistress must have taught him some skills he could employ to convince her otherwise.” This last was spoken in a whisper, as if they might be overheard despite being the only people in the area of the park where they were walking.

“Or that she was as bored as everyone else at Christmastime,” Clarinda countered, her eyebrows cocked mischievously.

Adele paused mid-step. “What did you say?”

Clarinda inexplicably blushed. “Well, what else are married couples supposed to do when they’re stuck indoors for days on end because of a snowstorm?”

It was Adele Grandby’s turn to blush. “Oh, my. I’d quite forgotten about that. Grandby and I were at his house in the country ...” She suddenly clammed up, her eyes widening.

“What is it?” Clarinda wondered, not sure if she should remain amused or be concerned for her friend.

“Last night, when Grandby came home for dinner, he ... he was quite ... excited. He figured it out, Clare,” she said in a quiet voice. “From what was said at White’s, I think, and something he remembered telling me, about how I looked – as if I’d had too many cakes at teatime – and that snowstorm ... he knows I’m with child and he’s ... beside himself with excitement. He bought me the most exquisite necklace, Clare.” She reached up to undo the top button of her pelisse, opening the neckline so the gold and sapphire necklace shown over her morning gown. “I haven’t taken it off since Grandby gave it to me last night during dinner.”

“Adele! It’s gorgeous!” Clarinda exclaimed, one gloved hand going to her lips. “It has to be from Stedman and Vardon. The gold filigree is exquisite,” she murmured in awe.

“And there are two more, although I haven’t yet opened them,” Adele confided. “He must have spent a fortune or two.”

“Or three.” Clarinda was shaking her head, suddenly wondering why David hadn’t bestowed a piece of jewelry on her person when he figured out she was carrying his child.  “And, of course, Grandby is excited. The godfather will finally be a real father,” she added with a grin. “How long has he known then?” she wondered.

Adele shook her head. “He only figured it out while he was at White’s last night. He left there earlier than usual – which must have caused quite a stir among the regulars – so that he could stop at the jewelers on his way home.” She rebuttoned her mantle, another blush coloring her face.

Clarinda noticed. “Adele! You’re blushing!” She gasped. “You haven’t taken it off since he gave it to you, which means you wore it to bed.” Her eyes widened. Before she could even wonder if Adele had worn anything else when she went to bed, Adele arched an elegant eyebrow.

“Have you ever worn a piece of jewelry and nothing else to bed?” the older countess asked conspiratorially. “It’s divine, I tell you.” She sighed.

Clarinda moaned, as much from jealousy as from the thought that she would never again experience what Adele had only the night before. “I have not. But I will be sure that when this mourning period is over, and I have the opportunity to be a merry widow – should I wish – that wearing a divine necklace to bed will be my first order of business.”

Adele giggled, thinking there were still two more such necklaces for her to wear to bed at some point in the future – as well as several others in her jewelry box. “You won’t regret it,” she murmured with a sideways glance at Clarinda. “You won’t regret it at all.”