“With all due respect, YourGrace, wine is the family business, and we are quite wealthy. Noneof us actually work.” Jean Pierre’s disgust matched hergrandfather’s. “But, we do monitor the business. I am assuming youhave business holdings yourself that you keep a close eyeon.”
Her grandfather harrumphed andaccepted the glass from his son. “We will talk more on thistomorrow or the day after.”
“Yes, Grandfather,”Elizabeth answered respectfully. At least it gave them more time toagree on a story. The most important question on her mind however,why was John here, now.
“You two go get settled.Elizabeth, you have your same room, so you can show your husbandthe way.”
Her father stepped forwards. “You willneed to give Jean Pierre a separate room.”
“We are not in the habit ofsharing a chamber,” Elizabeth added. It was one thing to make loveto John without the benefit of marriage on a ship; it was quiteanother to do so in her grandfather’s home. Even sleeping in thesame bed without touching was out of the question.
“No wonder I don’t have anygrandchildren.” He thumped his cane on the floor and stood. “Youwill share a chamber. Besides, we don’t have any empty, not withyour cousins inviting friends and such.” He started to walk pastthe couple and stopped to poke Jean Pierre in the chest with theend of his cane. “I expect you to do your duty, young man.” Heturned and continued towards the door. “I thought this was the onething the French could beat us at. Apparently I was mistaken.Apparently all their talk of love and passion was just that.Talk!”
Elizabeth’s face must have been red asa ripe cherry. She turned to her father once she could no longerhear her grandfather mumbling down the hall, hoping for asuggestion to get out of this situation. He shook his head and tooka drink. “I am sure you two will work it out. You’ve spent the lastweek or so traveling together, so I am sure a few more days willnot make a difference.”
Elizabeth sighed. She didn’t expecther father, the vicar of all people, to be so calm about hersharing a room with a man who was not her husband.
“Elizabeth, what does yourfather mean?”
There was a warning edge to his toneand she hastened to explain. “Father has always known where I wasand what I was doing. He does not, however, know anything aboutJean Pierre except what I tell him.”
“It is better I don’tknow.” Her father smiled. “Though I suspect you aren’t French atall, I will leave it at that.”
His shoulders relaxed. “Thank you,sir.”
Elizabeth took his arm and turned himtowards the door. “I will show you to our room.”
“Oh, and John?” her fathercalled before they quit the room. Did he call him Jean or John?Were her ears playing tricks on her, or was she becoming paranoidthat there were no longer any secrets? “I do expect you to treat mydaughter with the utmost respect, despite thecircumstances.”
“Of course, VicarWhitton.”
John shut the door behind him. Afterwinding through the halls and walking up various stairways, hewasn’t sure he could find his way to the front dooragain.
“Why are you here,John?”
Elizabeth stood before him, armsfolded across her chest. He had not seen her like this before. Noteven the morning she left Portsmouth. Her hair had been arranged,but the cloak hid any type of dress she may have been wearing. Theblue satin, with capped sleeves and square-cut neckline hinting ather breasts, was nothing like the serviceable gowns he had grownaccustomed to. This was a vision he could become very usedto.
“I couldn’t let you returnhome without a husband. I had heard rumors of how Danby could be,and now I’ve seen the evidence.”
“My grandfather is not asbad as all that. I suspect he has a softer side, somewhere inhim.”
“I’m not socertain.”
A smile pulled her lips.
“I didn’t want to leave youalone to face the questions. When the holiday is over, we canleave, together.”
“What of your ownfamily?”
“I will see them on my wayto London.”
There was a quick tap at the door, andbefore Elizabeth could call for the person to enter ,the dooropened and in popped a young lady, hair as gold as Elizabeth’s,eyes almost as blue, and a sprinkling of small freckles on hernose. This had to be Elizabeth’s younger sister.
“Cook just finished takingthe tarts out of the oven. I have a plate full and a fresh pot oftea so you can fill me in on France, your husband,everything.”
The young woman didn’t even noticeJohn. She waltzed right past him to the table beneath the windowwhere she placed the tray before turning to Elizabeth. “Oh, Lizzie,I’ve missed you so much.” She grabbed Elizabeth into a hug and fromwhere he was standing, it looked as if Elizabeth was hugging hersister just as tight. He really should leave, but where should hego? He hated intruding on what should be a private moment betweensisters.
Elizabeth pulled away. “Louisa, Iwould like you to meet my husband, Jean Pierre Bouvier.”
“It is an honor to meetyou, Miss Louisa.” He bowed before her, and the young woman’s faceturned almost scarlet.
“Oh, I am so sorry tointrude. I was told your husband didn’t come with you, so naturallyI assumed you were alone.” She hastened to the door. “I will runalong now. We can visit later. Please forgive my intrusion. I won’tlet it happen again.”
John had never heard anyone speak soquickly in his life. “Please, don’t go on my account. I know howmuch Elizabeth has missed you.”
“Yes, Louisa, come enjoytea with me and tell me everything that has beenhappening.”
Louisa looked from Elizabeth to Johnand back again. “Are you sure you don’t mind the intrusion?” sheasked John.
“You are Elizabeth’ssister. That is not an intrusion. Besides, I would like to wash up.Is there somewhere I could go?”
“Through that door on yourleft,” Elizabeth instructed.
John turned the handle and entered arather modern bathing chamber. There was a bathing tub with pipedin water as well as anything else a person would need in theprivacy of their room. This may be an old, rustic castle, but Danbycertainly had seen that it had all of the modern conveniences. Heturned and grabbed his
