-Honorable Intentions-

Prologue

Victoria did not understand the events surrounding her mother's death. She heard expressions like "resting place, merciful, so sad, for the best, etc." The minister said something about her mother's spirit being taken to heaven. Victoria looked around to see if she could catch this event and all she saw were dismal clouds and equally dismal people looking as though they wished they were somewhere else.

Victoria was not quite nine years old at that time. She had not known her mother very well since Mrs. Treymane had been chronically ill most of her life. Therefore, Victoria was only allowed to spend a few minutes each day with her ailing mother and she was then whisked off to the nursery or classroom to be attended to by her governess, Ellen Bloggs or one of the many maids employed by the opulent household.

Victoria heard that her mother's spirit was supposed to fly to heaven a few hours after her death. Victoria thought she would like to see that event as it took place. She slipped out of the house while the servants and her father were busy with the guests who had attended the funeral. It was several hours before anyone knew she was gone.

Miss Bloggs always went to Victoria's room to tuck her in at bedtime. As she quietly opened the door she could see that her little charge was nowhere in sight. She rushed down stairs and pounded on the library door where Geoffery Treymane had retreated after the tiring day.

"Sir, Sir! Vickie's gone," she wailed. "I went to her room to check on her and she is no where to be found. I looked everywhere."

Geoffery turned to the bell cord that would arouse the entire household. Soon the place was full of sleepy servants and a few guests who had stayed the night.

"Search for Victoria," he snapped. "She has disappeared from her room."

Finding Victoria did not take long. She was lying close to her mother's grave and now covered with snow. A footman picked her up and carried her to the house.

She was aroused by the hubbub when carried into her room. Miss Bloggs bustled about turning down the bed and Fanny Ricketts, who had been the nurse attending Victoria's mother, ordered hot bricks. Geoffery came into the room to ask about his daughter and tell her attendants he had sent for the doctor.

Victoria was wide-awake and enjoying all of the attention. Her father sat on the edge of the bed and asked, "Why did you go out in this storm? Do you not know you could take a bad cold?"

"Papa, please do not scold. I wanted to see Mama's spirit fly to heaven. But you know what?"

"No, what?"

"I do not think her spirit can get out of there tonight with all of that mud stacked on top of her bed. Why did they cover her up like that?"

"Oh, Vickie, someday you will understand. I cannot explain it to you right now. Here is the doctor."

The doctor examined Victoria, told the nurse to keep her warm, and left some medicine. Geoffery was waiting in the hall and the doctor said, "I would keep the nurse on a few days. I do not think Victoria will get really sick, but it would not hurt to take precautions."

Fanny Ricketts had been dreading looking for another nursing position. She overheard the doctor and smiled.

"Well, well, perhaps there is another little invalid for me to look after," she murmured.

She turned to the bed and smoothed the covers over Victoria's small form, and then blew out all of the candles except one. She then snuggled into a large chair, which was drawn up to the fire, and sighed with satisfaction.

Chapter One

Jonathon Fordyce, Marquess of Burlingale, pulled his curricle to an abrupt stop in front of a forbidding looking building in the heart of the business district of London. He tossed the reins to his tiger and dashed up the steps and burst into the receiving room of the dusty office of his man of business.

"I must see Brownlow at once. At once, do you hear?"

"He has someone with him right now, my lord, but he will be through in a few minutes. Will you rest yourself over there?"

Jonathon paced a few turns around the room, and then sat in one of the chairs which lined the wall. His long legs angled in front of him and his shoulders crowded the back of the chair. A deep frown marred his elegant features.

The young clerk looked up, surreptitiously, from his work to study Lord Burlingale. His lordship certainly did not fit into the chair, but then he was so large he would find it difficult fitting into any ordinary chair. He must be a least six-feet-four inches tall with nary an ounce of fat on him. His broad shoulders strained the seams of his dark coat. A ruddy complexion and dark blonde hair gave the young man an air of power and strength.

The door of the office opened and two men came through continuing their conversation until Mr. Brownlow noticed Jonathon. An expression of sadness sobered his pleasantly craggy features. He clapped a hand on the back of his departing client's shoulder and said something about seeing him soon and then turned his attention to Jonathon.

"Servant, my lord. I am surprised to see you. I was going to make a trip to your estate in a few days."

Jonathon unfolded himself from the chair and towered over the small solicitor. "You expect me to wait for you to come to me when I get this coup de main in the mail?"

"I did not expect you to get home from Edinburgh so soon. I expected to arrive at about the same time you would."

"I left as soon as I heard about my brother's death."

"I am so very sorry about that -- and on the heels of losing your father such a short time ago. Sad, sad."

"Yes, very. It is difficult to believe that he is gone. It seems only yesterday that I was talking to him." Jonathon said as a troubled frown marred his forehead.

The solicitor looked away. "Come inside and let us get down to business." Mr. Brownlow indicated a chair in front of a large cluttered desk, but Jonathon elected to remain standing. He paced back and forth in front of the desk while the distracted man of business searched for a file amongst the clutter.

"How was your mother, Lady Burlingale?"

"I found her overset and sad, of course. The loss of her son was bad enough, but equally disturbing was her distress about her dire financial straits. She had to let all of the servants go. Two are still there because that has always been their homes, and they are too old to do anything else."

"Please sit down, my lord. I cannot talk to you while you are wearing a path in my floor."

Jonathon sat on the edge of the chair and leaned forward. He thought he was prepared for bad news, but he was stunned when he heard the solicitor say, "There is just no easy way to tell you. Everything you own has been gambled away. Your brother sustained some large gambling debts and the only way he could pay them was to mortgage the estate and other property."

"How about the townhouse?"

"I am afraid that also. I am sorry, my lord. I do not know what happened to him. He came to me several times to draw out money and I tried to reason with him, but he was always sure the next bet would bring about a big win and recovery."

"And he ultimately lost his life in that stupid race."

"I am afraid so."

"I was never close to my brother -- different interests, don't you see? But he meant a great deal to me. It was -- it seemed so -- reassuring to have him in charge of our home while I was at school. " Jonathon chewed on his bottom lip before continuing. "I guess this means I will not be able to finish medical school."

"I have never heard of a physician who is a marquess."

"That does not signify, for I never ever expected to inherit the title." He laughed. A dry laugh lacking in humor. "It certainly seems a useless honor. We lords are supposed to have property, are we not?"

"With this gambling sickness running rampant, you would be surprised at how many properties are being lost or are on the verge of being lost."

"How long do I have before I have to vacate the premises?"

"Three or four months I think, unless you can get an extension."

Jonathon got to his feet, "I have got to get out of here and try to do some thinking. I simply cannot let property that has been in the family for generations go without a fight."

"I understand. I am very sorry. I wish there were something I could do, my lord."

The small tiger was just turning the curricle around when Jonathon stepped out of the building. He got into the vehicle, took the reins and turned to St. James Street where he could go to Whites and have a bite to eat and try to plan some way to restore his finances and save his estate.

He had not been in Whites for over four years, but it had changed very little. Since it was early in the day there were very few men at the tables. A few were eating either breakfast or early nuncheon. Jonathon took a table far away from the traffic area and ordered steak and eggs with coffee.

He was just tucking into his meal when he was greeted by a familiar voice, "Jonathon, when did you get into town?"

"Just this morning. How are you, Allen?" He gestured to the seat opposite him, "Have a seat and fill me in on the latest on dits."

Mr. Waverly dropped into the chair; his somewhat portly body caused the furniture to complain a little. "I am afraid that will be impossible. I just arrived in town myself. We have a new baby. Elizabeth is her name -- after my mother, you know?"

"How did it go? Any problems? That is the third girl if I remember correctly." Jonathon had a twinkle in his eye. He knew Allen adored his children, and since he was a younger son was not really worried about a male heir.

"Dropped her like a colt. Tansy is getting practiced at this having babies. Three in five years. She adores her children and even suckles them herself."

"That is all that is wonderful." Jonathon looked away. It was difficult for him to continue in this cheerful vein when he was feeling so pulled himself.

A contrite look came over Allen's friendly face and he said, "Oh, I am sorry, old man. Forgot about your brother being killed. Bad, bad news."

"Thank you. It was an unexpected blow. He was so vital that it is hard to believe he is gone. He was like a father to my sisters and Christopher. He will be missed."

"Of course you are going to miss him, but I guess every cloud has a silver lining. Now you are a titled gentleman. Imagine! A marquess."

"Devil-a-bit, Allen." He was becoming very upset with his lifelong chum's cavalier attitude. "This cloud does not have much silver in it. We are out at the heels. Everything will be lost unless I can think of something or some way to raise some brass."

"I had heard he was playing cards pretty deep and gambling on everything he could, even into the cent- per-centers. Bad business, that."

"Yes, well devilishly sorry to trouble you. I just needed to talk to someone. It is a problem with no ready solution, I am afraid."

"I say, old man. Can you borrow on your estate? You have some good farms that should bring in some money."

"The mortgages are so heavy already that Mr. Brownlow says I have only three or four months before the interest is due. The farms are in bad repair. Nothing has been done since my father died. There is very little income from them because the last three years most of the crops have failed. The farmers are in a bad way."

Allen scrutinised Jonathon as though he were a prime bit of blood and said, "I think you are going to have to get married."

"Do not be a complete sapscull! I have a mother and two sisters and a young brother to support. How can I even give that idea a serious nod?"

"Marry an heiress. Done all the time. You are a prize to any woman. Handsome, titled. There are a number of people out there trying to marry off their rich daughters."

"I could never do that."

"Do you think you are going to make enough money as a doctor to rescue your property?"

"I suppose not." Jonathan bent his head and rested it in his long slender hands. He was the picture of dejection.

"I say, old man. I really have to go," Allen said as he hefted his portly frame out of the chair. "Better consider my suggestion. I can ask around if you want me to."

Jonathon looked at Allen and could see he was dead serious.

"That estate has been in your family for generations. It would be a great pity to let it go now. Think about it."

"Well, thank you for the suggestion. I will go to almost any length to save our home, but I hope it does not come down to marrying some rich, Friday faced woman."

"People of the ton do it all of the time. Both men and women. And for reasons not as good as yours."

Jonathon watched him leave the room and pushed his plate of food away. Suddenly he was no longer hungry. He sat drinking his coffee and gazed out into space, not seeing anything but a picture of his worried mother and younger siblings.

Victoria was preparing herself for dinner with her father and Lady Hissop when the door to the bedroom flew open and an enormous woman tromped into the room. She had an air of authority that brooked no disagreement from anyone. She had at least fifty years in her dish, heavy gray hair pulled into a large bun on top of her head, and small blue eyes that were almost lost in the bloated face. Her lips were large and pouting.

"Here now, that will be quite enough," she said to Yvonne who was teasing some tiny curls loose to fringe Victoria's face. "Miss Victoria must get her rest if she is to feel like going down to dinner."

"Oh, I feel very well, Miss Ricketts. I need to do something to my hair."

"Nonsense! You know you must rest. You have to take your medicine also."

"That nasty stuff the doctor left yesterday?"

"Yes, you have been threatening a cold and that could be very serious."

"I think doctors believe the more horrible medicine tastes the quicker the cure." She made a face, but took the medicine.

Miss Rickets stood with both hands on her enormous hips in a threatening stance until Victoria was settled in the bed. As Victoria fell back into the pillow she turned her face away. She hated the old nurse and had tried to get her father to dismiss her, but he thought Miss Ricketts was a rare jewel.

"Will you awaken me at six, Yvonne?" she mumbled.

"Of course, Miss Victoria."

Victoria awakened as she became aware of Ellen speaking to Yvonne in a low voice -- almost a whisper, "I wonder what Miss Ricketts has given her this time? I just cannot feel that all that medicine is best for her. I have a feeling it is doing more harm than good."

Victoria stirred at the sound of the voices and Ellen asked her how she was feeling.

"Not bad, but I could use some strong tea. I feel a might fuzzy."

After a cup of tea, small biscuit and bath Victoria was feeling well enough to dress for what was sure to be an eventful dinner. She chose a dark blue dress, cut in the old fashioned manner with the waist at the natural waistline, long sleeves and a high neck with a small white collar. The material was of the most expensive India muslin and the workmanship was excellent. She looked very prim -- more like a young girl than a woman of nineteen.

Yvonne fussed with Victoria's hair and tried to put a little cochineal on her cheeks, but Victoria would have none of that. "I am not trying to impress that woman. I really hope she hates me and refuses to marry my father."

"Oh, Miss! He be such a fine gentleman. If the lady could make him happy -- ?"

"Fustian nonsense. I do not want to hear it. He is doing quite well without some bird-witted female interfering in his affairs."

She stood and looked at herself in the mirror and sighed. "It is difficult for a dress to look like anything when it is hung on a stick."

"But, Miss. You are in good looks. Ain't she, Miss Bloggs?" Ellen Bloggs had slipped into the room to check on Victoria and agreed that she looked very pretty indeed. Secretly she felt sad that Victoria was so thin and wished there was some way she could lure the young woman into eating a little more. She had tried to coax more food into Victoria since she was a small child. The doctors had told the family that Vickie had the same illness that had finally taken her mother's life, but no one had been able to exactly diagnose just what that condition was.

Victoria arrived at the parlor on the arm of a strong, young footman. Her father came to the door and helped her into the room.

"Fredrica, may I present my daughter, Victoria? Vickie, this is Fredrica."

Seated on a small chair drawn up to the fireplace was the most beautiful woman Vickie had ever seen. Her hair was ginger and gold and her skin as white as milk. Her dress of the palest green silk was cut in the first stare of fashion. The deep bodice revealed her curves, leaving little to the imagination. She stood when it looked as though Victoria had lost her ability to speak.

"I am very glad to meet you, my dear," she said and leaned forward as though she might try to kiss her. Victoria stepped back and looked like some one had just given her a very sour lemonade. "Your father has told me quite a lot about you. I hope you are feeling well this evening."

Victoria usually had impeccable manners, but all of her careful training deserted her at the sight of the spectacular woman in front of her. Lady Hissop was so beautiful that Victoria felt herself fading into the woodwork.

"I am afraid he has told me nothing about you until this morning. I am very surprised. He said he has asked you to marry him."

Fredrica moved back a few steps and a knowing look came over her face. "Yes, he has. Does that bother you?"

"I cannot see why he needs a wife. He has always appeared to be perfectly content with the way things are now."

Geoffery looked on both woman with alarm. "Come now, Vickie. That is no way to behave to a guest in our home. Fredrica will think you are a little hoyden."

The situation was eased by the butler announcing that dinner was served. Geoffery took the arms of the women, one on each side, and escorted them into the dining room.

The table had been reduced to its smallest size, but was still very large for three people. Conversation was at a virtual standstill and an awkward silence accompanied each remove.

Victoria toyed with her food a few minutes and then asked, "Will you take me up to my room, Papa? I feel quite faint."

"I cannot. I have a guest." He reached for the bell pull and summoned a footman.

"If you have not had enough dinner I can have something sent up."

"Will you come up and sit with me later on? After your guest leaves?"

"You will probably be asleep by then. We plan to go to the theatre after dinner. Here is James to carry you back upstairs. Good night."

It took Victoria longer to fall asleep than usual. She was quite sure her life was about to change and probably not for the better. It was plain to see the beautiful Fredrica had completely captivated her father

She began searching for a solution to the problem. She did not want things to change. She liked being more or less in charge of their household, and in spite of her illness, was active in rescuing chimney boys. She had also helped create several homes that served as a refuge for young girls trying to avoid being turned into prostitutes. Her father knew little of these activities.

These thoughts kept circulating through her brain and would not let go until early morning, when she finally fell asleep.

The following day Geoffery knocked on Victoria's door with a strong feeling of dread. She called for him to come in. She was sitting at a small table in the parlor which adjoined her bedroom. A bowl of fruit and a pot of chocolate were in the center of the table. She was nibbling at a plum and sipping her chocolate when he opened the door.

"Oh, you have come to have breakfast with me. How lovely." She smiled to herself feeling quite sure that her father had seen how foolish it was for him to entertain the idea of getting married at his time of life.

"I will have a cup of chocolate. I have had breakfast. I really must talk with you after you have finished your meal."

"I have had all I want. I am sorry about last night, Papa. I hope you are not going to twit me about that. I guess the excitement was too much for me, but I feel a little more the thing this morning. What is it you want, Papa?" She asked as she poured a cup of chocolate for him.

"You know I told you I asked Fredrica to marry me?"

"Yes. I suppose she jumped at the opportunity. You are a very eligible parti."

"No, she did not jump at the opportunity. In fact she laid out some very difficult conditions."

"Like keeping control of her own money and property? That sort of thing?"

"No, she said nothing about that."

"Well?"

"You know I told you she had been married to a man who was much older than she. That would not have been so bad, but he was sickly. She spent the last two years of her married life dancing attendance on him. She says she will never do that again."

"But you are not a sickly old man. You are older than she is, but you are apparently very healthy."

Geoffery veered away from the discussion of health and asked, somewhat bluntly, "How would you like to go live with your Aunt Perridine?"

"Aunt Perridine! That old termagant? Why ever would I want to do that?"

"Fredrica says she will not marry me and live in the house with another semi-invalid."

Victoria's face paled to a pasty white. She gasped for breath and looked as though she might faint. The room closed in on her and her head buzzed with images of her aunt, Fredrica and finally focused on her father. She jumped up, tumbling her chair backwards and yelled, "If you think I am going to live with that dirty, ignorant, vulgar old woman you have a paper-skull."

"We have to do something, Victoria. I will not give Fredrica up. I am going to marry her. I need her. I want her."

"You have women when you want them. Why do you need her?" Victoria yelled, her face red with fury.

"Vickie! I am utterly shocked. You are not even supposed to know about such things."

"I may be sickly and confined to my rooms much of the time, but I read a lot and I notice things. I know about Cyprians and demi-reps and fille de joie.

"Well, since we are being brutally honest, yes I can have a woman any time I want one, but I am tired of that kind of life. I want Fredrica. She even wants children. She has never had any."

"Children? That is disgusting."

"Why so? I am not quite forty. I was just twenty-one when I married your mother."

"I will establish a place of my own. I am quite flush in the pockets. I have never used the income from my inheritance. It has been reinvested until there is all I will ever need." Victoria declared resolutely.

"I cannot allow you to do that. You are not quite nineteen. I will not bring that kind of scandal down on us. Fredrica is a lady. She goes about in the best circles. It will be dampening enough for her to marry me -- a man of business."

"Fredrica, Fredrica -- do you not have any consideration for me?"

"I am trying to, Vickie, but I must insist you go live, at least for a while, with your aunt."

Victoria looked around wildly as though to find someone to rescue her. No one! She picked up the cup of chocolate and threw it at her father. It rested briefly on his shoulder and then crashed to the floor, leaving a trail of the dark brown fluid coursing down the front of his shirt.

"I do not know what I will do, but I will not live with that repulsive old woman," she screamed with more energy than her father knew she possessed.

Geoffery sputtered, pulled out a handkerchief and mopped his face and looked up just in time to duck the bowl of fruit coming his way. He backed up toward the door and opened it as the pitcher of chocolate slammed into it. He beat a hasty retreat. He saw the formidable Fanny Ricketts coming down the hall and said, "See if you can do something to calm Vickie. She is in a real pet -- such as I have not seen since she was five years old."

"I will stop that," said the confident Miss Ricketts. She opened the door in time to see Victoria sweep a stack of books to the floor. She said, "Now, now Miss Victoria. Let's calm down. Here, let me give you a little medicine to help you." She reached into a large pocket and brought out the bottle of brown liquid and a spoon. She seemed to always have that brown liquid and a spoon with her.

"Get out of here, you big old cow. I will not take that nasty medicine." Victoria picked up a vase and threw it with great accuracy at Miss Ricketts. It struck the woman on her arm, trailing flowers and water down that great appendage. Miss Ricketts beat a hasty retreat to the door, opened it quickly and moved out to the hall. She could hear something else hit the door just as she closed it.

Geoffery stood with his mouth wide open. If Miss Ricketts couldn't handle Vickie what was to be done? The crashing sounds echoed throughout the house.

Ellen Bloggs came out of her room and asked, "What in the world is going on?"

"I think Victoria has lost her mind," Miss Ricketts said. Her lips folded together into a grim line.

"Nonsense. Something has upset her, that is evident."

Geoffery turned to Ellen and asked, "Miss Bloggs, do you think you could calm her?"

"I will try." She tapped on the door and called quietly, "Vickie, dear. Will you talk to me? Will you let me in?"

There was a long silence. Not a sound came from inside the room. After several minutes Victoria called, "come in." Geoffery and Miss Ricketts moved as though they were going to follow Ellen into the room, but she stopped them. "Let me talk to her," she said.

She slipped quietly into the room and felt her heart lurch when she saw Victoria sitting in the middle of the floor, bent over and looking the picture of defeat. Ellen dropped down beside her and took her into her arms. "Tell me all about it, my dear. What has happened to overset you so much?"

Victoria sobbed out the story as they sat on the floor with Ellen rubbing her back and saying soothing words at appropriate moments. When the entire tale was told she pulled Victoria to her feet and said, "Let us go to my sitting room and talk in there while someone cleans up this mess."

As she passed Geoffery in the hall she asked him to give her a few minutes with Victoria before he came in to see them. He agreed and said he would go change his clothes and be there in a few minutes.

"I just cannot live with my aunt," Victoria sobbed.

"Remember in two years you will not have to answer to anyone else. You can move into your grandmother's townhouse and run things just the way you want."

"I know, but I just cannot stand Aunt Perridine for two years. And you remember the doctors have all said I probably will not live past my twenty-fifth birthday."

Ellen bit her lower lip and turned away so Victoria could not see the pain on her face, "They may be wrong, Vickie. I think you are getting stronger. It took quite a bit of strength to throw that beautiful tantrum."

"It felt good," she giggled. "I guess I made a big mess?"

"Yes, but the maids here have it too easy most of the time, they can clean it up."

Geoffery tapped lightly on the door and then entered.

"Are you calm enough for us to continue our talk?"

"I suppose I am. Say what you must but I would like for Ellen to stay."

"If you like. I do not have much more to say."

"I do," Victoria said. "I beg you to let me take over grandmother's town house and have my own home. I can continue with my charities and be with some of my literary friends. If I went to live with Aunt Perriodine in Brighton I would not know anyone."

"I have explained why you cannot do that. Fredrica did make another suggestion that I am hesitant to even tell you, but I guess you have a right to know all of the options."

"I am listening."

"She knows an impoverished young lord who needs a rich wife. She thought you might want me to arrange a meeting with him, and give that some consideration."

Ellen sucked in her breath and gasped. Victoria stared at her father as though he had just sprouted an extra head. Her beautiful blue eyes widened and she looked like she might explode again.

"Marriage? Marry an impoverished lord? What a maggoty idea, Papa. I cannot be anyone's wife. I am a semi-invalid. No one is going to marry me."

"Very well, Vickie. I guess that is settled. Begin to make preparations to remove to your aunt's home. I am going to marry Fredrica. I love her beyond reason."

"Wait, Papa. Wait! I-I will see his lordship before I make a final decision."

"Very well. I will arrange for an interview with him," Geoffery said as he started to withdraw.

"Can you tell me a little about him," asked Victoria in a small, subdued voice.

"It seems he became a marquess quite unexpectedly when his brother was killed in a racing accident. A stupid wager, and when Lord Burlingale came home from Scotland to assume the title he found that his brother had gambled so heavily that he ended up mortgaging everything he owned to stay out of debtor's prison. I am afraid it is a rather common thing these days. Gambling seems to be a disease that is rampant in this country."

"And you think this man is enough out at the heels that he might like to have a rich, sickly wife to rescue him. It would be to his advantage, would it not? Since I have a short life span he could take your money and part of mine and have it all to himself before long." Victoria curled her lip up at one corner in an ugly sneer. "And how much money are you willing to spend to buy me a husband, and for you your lovely Fredrica?"

The room was completely quiet for several painful minutes. Finally Geoffery said with a sigh, "That will have to be worked out. First we must meet Lord Burlingale."

"I have always known you to be a rather ruthless business man, Papa. I know you go after what you want. Otherwise you would not own half of London and much of the countryside. It just never occurred to me that you could carry this part of your nature into my life. You know I cannot be a real wife to any man. I will talk to the young lord, but I warn you I am going to be brutally frank with him."

Geoffery looked at his troublesome offspring. Never had he seen her so distressed. She really did not deserve this kind of problem, but for the present he could find no other solution. Victoria had to be out of his home before Fredrica would agree to be in it.

"It is just one idea. It may not be feasible at all. I will contact him."

"How old is this gentleman?"

"I am not sure. I think he is quite young."

"Poor man. He needs a healthy young wife. It is probably useless to speculate because he will probably look elsewhere. There are a lot of women, I understand, willing to marry an impoverished member of the ton.

"I will get in touch with him. Do you want to see him today?"

"Let us make it tomorrow. I believe I have had quite enough excitement for one day."

"Very well, until tomorrow then. Good-bye then." He tried to kiss her on the cheek, but she turned away with a shudder.

Chapter Two

Jonathon stood in his drawing room and looked at his friend Allen Waverly with dawning comprehension. His jaw dropped and his large, hazel eyes narrowed.

"You mean to tell me you were serious when you suggested I marry a rich woman in order to save my estates?"

"What better reason could there be for marrying a rich woman? This Cit is as wealthy as Croesus and wants to get his daughter off his hands so he can marry the beautiful Lady Hissop. Fredrica told me so herself."

Jonathon paced back and forth in front of the fireplace alternately rubbing the back of his head and slapping his right fist into his left palm.

"I just do not see how I can consider such a thing. It goes completely against my principles. But -- I do not know what my mother and family are going to do if I do not come up with some money soon." Jonathon's voice was pitched so low that Allen had to lean forward to be sure he had spoken.

"That is just the point. I cannot see that you have much choice. Here is Geoffery Tremayne's business address. At least go see him and find out more about it. What can you lose? You haven't arrived at any other solution, have you?"

"No, I am completely dished up. I guess it cannot hurt to go see him. I will dispatch a note to him right away."

That afternoon Victoria's father and Lord Burlingale eyed each other across an enormous desk.

"Lord Burlingale, I see you are interested in my little proposition."

Jonathon wondered how the man could refer to marrying his only daughter to a stranger as a 'little proposition'.

"I have decided to give it some consideration," he said, stiffly.

Geoffery said, "I will tell Victoria to expect you tomorrow at eleven. Is that a satisfactory time for you?"

"Yes, I will be there, but I need your direction," Jonathon said.

Geoffery opened a drawer and pulled out a card, which he handed to Jonathon. "Until tomorrow then, my lord."

Jonathon slept very little that night. Actually he had slept fitfully ever since he had learned of the devastating circumstances in which he found his finances. He was not by nature a worrier. He usually handled problems calmly and efficiently. He had never expected to inherit the title. He knew there was always that remote possibility, but he did not entertain any thoughts in that direction. He wanted to be a doctor and had almost arrived at that goal when he heard the news of his brother's accident.

However, things were quite different now and he had a worried frown on his face as his valet helped him tug his broad shoulders into the blue superfine coat. The coat outlined his figure to perfection. His buff colored inexpressibles were tucked into highly polished black Hessians. An intricately embroidered waistcoat completed his morning dress.

He studied himself in the mirror and wished he had taken time to have his straw colored hair styled. It was drawn back and tied with a ribbon in the old fashioned way. Studying day and night did not give one much time to think about appearances.

Finally satisfied that he was dressed appropriately, he took his hat and cane from his valet and went slowly down the stairs.

He dreaded the coming interview. He was not even sure he would not back out. The idea of asking a woman to marry him for her money was repugnant to him. It made him a little sick to his stomach to even think of it. He then thought of his mother and young siblings and what would happen to them if he did not restore the estate. What would happen to the several hundred people who depended on income from his farms for their livelihood? One thing was a certainty -- it would be a very difficult time for all.

He straightened his shoulders, signaled for his curricle and made his way to the home of the Tremaynes.

Victoria was having misgivings also. She refused to let Yvonne put any curls in her hair insisting that it be drawn severely back from her face and braided. The braids then formed a large bun low on her neck. Victoria's hair was one of her best features and seemed to defy ill health by shining like a raven's wing.

She choose a dress of light blue Sarcenet sprinkled with small sunny flowers. The cut was not up to date, but it was attractive. Long sleeves billowed over her thin arms and the neck of the dress was gathered in small gathers under a round yellow collar. Victoria was an expert needle woman and had embroidered small blue flowers on the collar and repeated them on the cuffs of the sleeves. The dress had a natural waistline and hung in loose folds to the floor.

"Miss Victoria, let me put a little cochineal on your cheeks. Just a little would look so nice. You are very pale."

"Nonsense. I want to look just like I always do. I am not trying to impress anyone."

Yvonne sighed. She knew how stubborn Victoria could be and she sensed that her mistress was trying to pretend more casualness than she felt.

Yvonne was entirely correct in her assumption. Victoria was feeling apprehensive and nervous. She had many questions jumbling up her thinking. Such as, what kind of man offered to marry a woman he had never seen just for her money. He must really be in the suds to resort to such a plan. Oh, she knew a lot of the members of the ton married for money, but she had always thought it a poor thing to do.

She was helped down the long, steep stairway by a footman. Her father had arrived earlier and was standing before the fireplace, which had no fire in it. The morning was warm and sultry. He came to the door and escorted Victoria to a chair which was arranged, with two others, in front of the French door which led to a small, perfectly landscaped garden.

"You are in good looks today, my dear," he said.

Victoria gave him a blank look and refused to answer. If he thought she was going to make small talk until Lord Burlingale arrived he was cork-brained. She settled herself in the chair, folded her hands primly in her lap and glanced at the clock. Exactly eleven. Maybe he will not come, she thought with a little sigh. Maybe he knows this whole idea is preposterous.

The doors to the drawing room swung open and Bernard, their butler, announced, "Jonathon Fordyce, Marquess of Burlingale." He sounded as proud as if he were announcing the Prince Regent.

Victoria looked toward the door. She had to put her hands over her mouth to stifle a loud gasp. She was looking at a giant. A handsome, blond giant. His form filled the door and he just stood there for a few seconds, trying to accustom his eyes to the dimly lit room. This gave Victoria the opportunity to scrutinize him from the top of his head to the highly polished toes of his Hessians -- which she did, unabashedly. Granted she had not met many men in her sheltered life, but she knew without question that this was a rare specimen of manhood. Gorgeous was a word that came to mind. Greek God also seemed fitting. He could have easily stepped out of one of the pictures from her Greek history book.

Geoffery walked to Jonathon and shook his hand and said, "Good morning, my lord. I see you found us."

"Yes, I had little difficulty finding your home."

"Let me introduce my daughter, Miss Victoria Tremayne."

Jonathon suddenly loomed in front of Victoria. She had risen to greet him and made a small curtsy. She was taller than the average woman, but she had to look up to meet his lordship's gaze. His hazel eyes looked into hers with curiosity and a rather large dose of embarrassment. He took her hand in his and raised it to his lips, not taking his eyes from her. He appeared austere and defiant albeit somewhat embarrassed.

Victoria slipped her hand out of his and said, "It is good to make you acquaintance, Lord Burlingale. Will you have a seat?" She indicated a chair opposite herself. She was vaguely aware that her father occupied the third chair, but it was a very dim awareness. She felt something stirring in the depth of her being as she looked at the handsome young lord sitting opposite her. The entire situation was terribly awkward, but she felt something akin to joy as she examined him. She abandoned the idea of dismissing him out of hand, realizing that Lord Burlingale was not much more comfortable than she was. Silence permeated the room and threatened to become permanent. Geoffery cleared his throat, and the young people both turned to him, glad that he had broken the awkward silence.

"Would you like some refreshments, my lord?" Victoria asked.

"Yes, that would be nice."

She pulled the rope to summon the butler and ordered tea, cakes and wine. She then leaned back in her chair and continued her scrutiny of the handsome lord.

Lord Burlingale's thoughts and observations were not quite as flattering towards Victoria as hers were to him. He saw in front of him a tall, slender girl with a figure that looked more like a young boy than a nineteen year old woman. He had heard some vague references to her illness, but hadn't been told the nature of her problem. She was neat and clean, with outstandingly beautiful black hair, but her frailty was intimidating. How can I possibly ask this tragic child-woman to marry me? he asked himself. I would be mortified to take her home to meet my family. He then remembered he would have no home to take her to if he did not marry her and her money or someone else of her ilk.

He sipped his claret and tried to think, as he glanced around the tastefully furnished room with its rich Abusson rug, and heavy old furniture. It was evident the Tremaynes did not subscribe to the new decorating ideas that prevailed over London. There was not an oriental piece among the furniture nor even among the expensive accessories scattered about the room. It was tastefully furnished and a thoroughly comfortable room.

Geoffery could not just sit in silence. He was accustomed to taking charge of most situations that came within his orbit. Therefore he cleared his throat again and said, "Well now, well now, we have a few things to discuss? We all know what this is about so why are we being so hesitant? We either make a deal or we don't. Do you agree, my lord?"

Jonathon's face turned beet red and he lowered his glass and his eyes at the same time.

Victoria was astounded that her father could be so insensitive. He seemed to want to treat this just like any other business deal and he did not want to waste any time on polite chatter. She decided that since it was her life that was being bargained for she could not just sit and let her father decide things or force Lord Burlingale to make a commitment that he was not ready for.

"Papa, will you leave us alone for a while?" she asked. "I think there are many things that need to be discussed that are just between Lord Burlingale and myself."

"Well, is that proper? I mean to say we do not want his lordship to think we are unaware of what is expected of us."

"I do not think that has anything to do with it. I want to talk to Lord Burlingale without you sitting there listening and putting your opinion forward every other word," she said, cheekily.

Geoffery sputtered a few times and then agreed. "Bernard will be just outside the door. I will be in my study if you need me."

"Very well," Victoria said.

As soon as her father closed the door the two young people turned to each other. Both started to speak and then thought better of it and tried to find something in the room to catch their interest, but soon their eyes turned to each other again.

Jonathon swallowed the lump that kept trying to choke him and said, "Miss Treymane, this is the most awkward moment I have ever experienced. I just have no idea how to proceed."

"My lord, I understand. If you have decided I am not for you then feel free to say so. I will not suffer unduly."

"Oh, no! It is not just that. It is that you deserve something better than an arranged marriage."

"I have never expected to have any kind of marriage, my lord, arranged or otherwise. This is all quite sudden. But can you tell me why a handsome, titled young person like yourself is even considering offering for someone like me? My mother was a lady, and I have good lines on my mother's side, but as you can see my father is a businessman right down to his expensive boots." She lowered her eyes and her face flushed a charming pink, which greatly enhanced her appearance.

"Yes, I know. I have considered that, but it does not signify."

"What does, then?"

"My family. All of the people who are depending on me for their very survival. My mother and young sisters and brother as well as the farmers on my land." He then took several minutes to tell Victoria about how and why he came to be in a situation where he was considering marrying a woman he had not met until today. A woman who would bring with her a sizable income that could be used to restore his holdings to full productivity.

Victoria watched the play of emotions on his face and could not help sympathizing with him. She believed he was telling the truth. She had been fearful that he wanted her money to gamble away or waste on other unworthy pursuits, but she could see that was not the case. He exuded an air of authority that she had noticed men of the ton often displayed. He held his head high, his back ramrod straight and his very size was menacing. That he was the most stunning man she had ever seen or ever hoped to see gave her an unfamiliar feeling of inadequacy. Nevertheless, he seemed a better alternative to going to live with her repulsive aunt, but there were some things she really must clear up before she could think of marrying him -- that is if he decided to offer for her.

She took a sip of her tea, which had gotten cold, then put the cup down. "I have had an illness since I was nine years old that no one seems to know how to treat. Some believe it is the same illness that took my mother while she was quite young. So you see I have never been able to gain much strength and I certainly have not led a normal life. I stay in my rooms for the most part."

"But why are you, at this time, deciding to get married?"

"I am not deciding to get married. My father gave me two choices -- to live with my repulsive aunt -- or marry you or perhaps some other impoverished lord. I will not live with my aunt, so I told Papa he could contact you."

"My dear, that is a very harsh way to treat you. What made your father do such a thing? He seems a good man."

"I always thought so, but you see he fell head over heels in love with Fredrica Hissop."

"Baroness Hissop? Allen mentioned her. She is the one who told Allen about you. What does she have to do with all of this?"

"She said she will not live in the same house with another invalid. It seems her late husband was sick for two years of the six they were married and she wants nothing to do with a sickly step-daughter."

"I am so very sorry, Miss Treymane."

"I must tell you more." Victoria studied her hands and bit at a hang nail and then looked directly into Lord Burlingale's beautiful hazel eyes. "I can bring a fortune to you, my lord. I cannot, however, be a real wife to you. I am not healthy enough. I am not expected to live for more than five or six years. My mother died when she was only twenty-eight years old. Most doctors think I have what she had and they have found nothing to help me."

Jonathon looked at Victoria with compassion. He knew it had taken a lot of courage for her to make such a confession. He was acutely aware of her embarrassment at having to discuss such an intimate subject. She had nothing to worry about. He certainly would never demand his marital rights because he could not imagine ever touching her that way. It would be equivalent to bedding a child and he shuddered at the thought.

Jonathon Fordyce, Marquess of Burlingale, swallowed the bile that forced its way into his throat, remembered that his situation was desperate, and offered his impressive title and equally impressive person to Victoria Tremayne. If time were not so essential he could look around for a more favorable match, but he had been told Victoria's father was one of the richest men in all of England and that gave Victoria a desirability that would be difficult to match elsewhere.

He took both of her hands in his and asked, "Will you marry me, Miss Tremayne? Upon my word of honor I promise never to make any demands on you that you do not want and I will do my best to make you happy."

"Oh, my lord, are you sure? What about heirs? You do understand?"

"I am very sure." He studied her thoughtfully and said, "You know, they may be wrong about your health. It could be that you have been misled all of these years. I have been studying medicine at the University of Edinburgh and they are discovering new ways of diagnosing and treating illnesses all of the time."

"That is what my friend Ellen says. I am afraid to hope, however."

"One must continue to hope. Hope is often the first step to recovering."

She lowered her eyes to mask the bright tears that were threatening to spill out.

"Should we tell your father that we are engaged?"

"Yes, but first I hope you will not think me too forward when I say this -- "

"Say what you will, Miss Tremayne. It is your right."

"Uh-m-, as you know Papa is very rich. I hope you will make him pay dearly for putting us into this situation. He will try to settle for as little as possible." Victoria frowned into Jonathon's face.

He lowered his eyes, but not in time to keep Victoria from seeing a cold, steely look pass fleetingly over his countenance.

"My, do I have a little businesswoman here?"

"Perhaps. I have had little else to do, but study and become knowledgeable about things women are not supposed to bother with. Also, I know my father fairly well. Not as well as I had thought -- but well enough."

"You forget that I am the one who has come begging, so to speak," Jonathon said.

"You are making an honorable offer of marriage, my lord." She paused and looked thoughtful and then asked, "Shall I send Bernard for Father?"

"I expect that is the next step."

She rang for the butler and told him to bring her father to the drawing room. She then sighed and leaned back into her chair and became very quiet. Her face did not betray her inner turmoil. She vowed she was going to have a long talk with her father before she finally settled with him. He was going to give her a dowry to make every other dowry look like small change beside it. While she knew Lord Burlingale would have to find money somewhere if not from her father she felt defensive concerning the young lord. She felt like she was the older one. He looked very embarrassed and vulnerable in spite of his stiff, haughty air.

A satisfied smile tugged at her lips. What a good way to spend some of her father's riches. She had spent considerable on homes for young girls and to rescue climbing boys, but rescuing a handsome marquess and his whole estate was a decidedly interesting turn of events.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Geoffery's return to the drawing room. Lord Burlingale told him that Miss Tremayne had accepted his proposal of marriage.

"Well now, that has worked out quite well, has it not?" He beamed at them as though he had helped bring about the match of the century.

"Papa, I think I need to go up to my room. I am very tired." She stood up and Lord Burlingale stood over her.

"I will call tomorrow morning and we can attend to some details."

"That will be quite satisfactory, my lord." She turned to her father. "Will you come with me, Papa?"

"I can call James to take you."

"No! I want you to help me up the stairs."

"Very well then. Excuse me, Lord Burlingale. I will return soon."

When they were out of the room, Victoria turned to her father and said in a quiet voice, "Do not try to fob off anything dishonorable in the settlement. Lord Burlingale is embarrassed and is very hesitant to offer for a woman whose father is in trade."

During Victoria's years with her father she had been absorbing ideas and attitudes that surfaced as she faced the recent disturbing events of her life. She asserted herself in a way that surprised her father, and he looked at her with a light of pride in his face.

"You are a very gritty gel, Vickie, in spite of not being very strong. I think you enjoy bargaining as well as I do."

"I want to see every document before it is offered to Lord Burlingale," she continued. "If I do not things will soon be at sixes and sevens. I simply will not marry him and that will make everything null and void."

"All right Victoria, but are you not a little pleased?"

"I think Lord Burlingale deserves a healthy wife -- and he will not have that in me. However, it seems he needs money more. Therefore I want you to pay a high price for him. He is well worth it."

"Victoria! That is crude."

"So -- this whole business is crude."

Chapter Three

Victoria knew that her father was not really a ruthless man. She was aware that her father had made his fortune by moving boldly in situations where others held back. He was a member of the landed gentry and had added land to his holdings when he saw a bargain. He made some brilliant investments, some in the India Company, but one of the biggest contributions to his wealth was the discovery of coal on one of his farms. He was, also, interested in the new gas lighting that was being installed in St. Margaret's Parish, Westminster, believing there was a new industry to be developed in that area. Also his luck was legend.

In spite of knowing all of these things Victoria cast her father in a villain's role. Therefore when she was apprised of the first offer he made Lord Burlingale she just glanced at the figures and sent it back with a terse message that her father had not been generous enough.

Lord Burlingale and Geoffery talked, with both solicitors in attendance, and came up with what they thought was something Victoria could not possibly refuse. It provided for a large dowry, plus a yearly amount to be paid over ten years. They were wrong. She sent that one back, enjoying a feeling of power that was quite new. This went on for three days.

She was sitting at her escritoire when there was a commotion on the stairs, and she heard Bernard say, "My lord, you cannot go up there."

"Just watch me!" Jonathon called over his shoulder.

He burst into Victoria's room without knocking. His eyebrows were drawn together in a furious frown. He strode over to Victoria and said, "Miss Tremayne, are you trying to back out of our agreement?"

Victoria turned to him and was astounded that he was so angry. She had not seen him since they had made their arrangement, so she was at a loss to understand his angry mood.

"Why no, my lord. Why would you think such a thing?"

"Because you keep sending back every offer your father has made."

"That is because I want you to have what is due a person of your stature. Papa can afford it," she said with a smug look that his lordship wanted to slap off her face.

"He has already made an offer that would satisfy the Prince Regent. How much more do you want? I consider it inappropriate for you to concern yourself with the business aspect of this arrangement. It is unbecoming for a woman."

"My lord. I told you I often concern myself with business affairs. I suppose it is unheard of in your world, but it isn't that unusual the way I have been raised. Besides I have had few outlets except my charities to occupy my mind."

"Miss Tremayne, if you are not trying to cry craven would you please just quit sending the papers back to your father? How much more do you want?"

"I do not want any more, my lord. The settlement is for you. I have an independent income from an estate that my great grandmother initiated. She deplored the way women were treated in our society and when she was left a fortune she made a will that leaves everything to the women in the family. Since there was only one grandmother, and then my mother and now me, that leaves me with everything."

"Everything?" Jonathon felt a little dizzy with Victoria's nonchalant attitude toward her fortune.

"Why, all the money from rentals, shipping, some farms, a town house here in London as well as interest from a sizable bank account, and oh yes! a coal mine. Of course I cannot use anything but the income until I turn twenty-one. Then I can use everything just as I desire. The only stipulation is that it is never to pass on to the men in the family."

"I have never heard of such a thing. Is it legal?"

"So I have been told."

Jonathon had a stunned look on his face and he dropped into a chair opposite Victoria. His thoughts were confused. What kind of family is this? I have never heard of so much money in my life and I have never been strapped until recently.

"All the same, Miss Tremayne, if you are really not trying to back out of this marriage, then I think you have pushed your father far enough."

A little smile, more a smirk than anything else came over Victoria's face, "Perhaps you have the right of it. Go on and sign these last papers. But do you not see? You can now pay off the mortgages, not just the interest, and still have plenty of money to restore your estates."

"I can see that you did not fall too far from the tree," Jonathon said, resignedly. "I think Mr. Tremayne is downstairs. I will go tell him everything is finally settled. It is, is it not? You are not going to do something else are you?"

"Of course not, my lord. I was just trying to do what is best for you."

"Maybe you could let me be the judge of that."

Victoria thought, Maybe, but I doubt it.

"Very well, my lord."

"And since we are planning to be married do you think you might call me Jonathon and I address you as Victoria?"

"Those who know me well call me Vickie, My -- Jonathon," she said, feeling a little awkward. She then added, "I am going to start my shopping tomorrow. Would you like to take me?"

"I think I will be too busy settling some business affairs. I am very sorry." He could not imagine trailing over the city after this pathetic looking Cit's daughter, even if she were destined to be his new marchioness. He briefly succumbed to a feeling of shame for such an uncharitable thought, but not enough to change his mind.

"Yes, I see. I am sure you will be very busy, my-er Jonathon." The look on her face told Jonathon that she suspected the reason for his unwillingness to accompany her, but he pushed it to the back of his mind.

"Jonathon, how old are your sisters and brother?"

"Maria Louise is fifteen, Clarissa Ann is eleven and Christopher is five."

"I want to take them some presents when we go."

"That will not be necessary. You have done enough."

"But I want to. I have never had a family. I will love shopping for them."

"Do you think you are up to all of this?"

"I will do just a little at a time. I will be very careful."

He stood and bent over her hand, raising it to his lips for a light kiss. Victoria felt the kiss in her toes and a delightful sensation traveled from her toes to the top of her head. She was sure her eyes crossed and she knew her toes curled. My God, what is happening? she asked herself. It was just a simple, formal kiss on the hand. It is done all of the time. I have even had other men kiss my hand when they were visiting Papa, but it never caused this sensation.

The days following the final agreement for their betrothal were filled with frantic activity. All of a sudden Victoria was completely dissatisfied with every garment she owned. Up until now her shopping expeditions had been short and she only bought what was absolutely essential. Often she simply sent Ellen or Yvonne for what she needed in the way of personal items. However, the change in her circumstances brought on a flurry of renewed activity, which worried those persons watching over her health.

She sent for the mantu maker, milner, and hairdresser. She ordered over a dozen new dresses with all of the accessories to match.

She and Ellen went into the shops around Mayfair, Oxford Street and Covent Garden where they bought gifts for Jonathon's sisters and brother. She found a beautiful Norwich silk shawl for his mother. Still not satisfied she went to the drapers at Grafton house and stocked up on fabrics of all kinds.

She came home from every trip bedraggled and at the same time feeling exhilarated. Victoria was too shaky and tired to protest so she allowed Mrs. Ricketts to press the ever-present medicine on her. She nearly always went to sleep a few minutes after she had taken the medicine and if she did not feel better when she awakened she at least did not have that awful shaky feeling.

One day when Jonathon met her as she returned from yet another shopping expedition, he noticed dark circles under her eyes. She appeared to be losing weight and he became alarmed.

"Vickie, you had better slow down this dizzy pace you have set. It would be a strain on a hearty, healthy person. You look very pulled and as if you are losing weight, which you certainly cannot spare."

"I am nearly finished," Victoria answered. "I have been having a wonderful time, but it does seem as though I have had to take more medicine than usual. Perhaps you are right. I will just have a quiet afternoon."

"I would like to see that medicine Mrs. Ricketts is giving you. She may be dosing you too heavily," Jonathon said.

"I can send for her if you want," Victoria said. "However, I am very tired. Can you look at it some other time?"

"Very well. I have some business to take care of anyhow. I also have to arrange for transporting your things to Burlingale."

They had set their wedding date for the second week in November and the time was rapidly approaching. They decided on a small wedding at the home of the Tremaynes to be followed by a large reception. There were many of Geoffery's business acquaintances who were interested in the festivities as well as several of Jonathon's friends.

Jonathon stood at one end of the large parlor waiting for his bride to come to him. The air was heady with the smell of blossoms from numerous flower arrangements, creating an atmosphere of festiveness that was quite false. Both bride and groom were apprehensive and extremely solemn.

Victoria was beginning to enjoy the idea of a new life and even went so far as to allow her father to escort her the short distance to her groom. As she saw Jonathon waiting for her, a feeling of joy and lightness washed over her. He was without a doubt the most beautiful thing in the room. His morning coat was of the palest blue kerseymere. A ruffled white shirt that was trimmed with brussels lace graced his handsome chest, accenting his masculinity. His cravat was worn in a simple style with a small diamond pin fastened in the center of it; buff inexpressibles fit him like a second skin which revealed powerful leg muscles; blond hair had been styled in something resembling the Brutus, but not so tousled. As Victoria gazed into his face her breath stopped for an instant. He looked down at her with an expression that was kind and searching. She was vaguely aware of wishing it were a different look altogether.

His concerned look was based on his observation of the way Victoria appeared. She was pretty in her shell pink gown. Her only accessory was a strand of perfectly matched pearls which held a small diamond pendant in the very center. Her dark hair was piled on top of her head and there were pink rosebuds entwined in a rosette of braids that circled her head. Small pearl ear drops completed the simple accessories. She looked more attractive than he had ever seen her, but there were deep circles under her eyes. It was evident that she had tried to disguise them, but Jonathon had been taught to look past small deceptions and was disturbed by the drawn way she looked.

Along with his marriage vows, he vowed to himself that he would do everything in his power to find the source of his wife's illness. He also determined to treat her a little better. He knew he had been distant and austere, which had hurt her feelings many times. He promised himself to make more of an effort to be cordial at least. If she had been a rich widow, or some waspish title chaser it would be different, but she was smart, brave and totally innocent of the world, or at least he thought she was. He had snatched her away from her sheltered home and was taking her into the unknown. Jonathon forgot momentarily that Victoria's life was going to be disrupted one way or the other no matter what he did.

They made a token appearance at the reception and then changed for the first stage of their journey. Waiting out front was a beautiful black Drag with the Burlingale crest emblazoned on the side. Four perfectly matched black horses were hitched to the vehicle. Jonathon had not seen this until he and Victoria descended the steps. He pulled back, then turned to see his father-in-law standing at the top of the steps grinning from ear to ear.

"Sir! What is this? I did not order a new coach."

"That is a wedding gift from Fredrica and me. We want you to travel in style. I have also engaged four out- riders. They should be here in a few minutes."

"But-but -- Sir, this is just too much."

"Oh, Jonathon. Leave it be. It makes him feel less guilty that he chose to send me away so he can have Fredrica. If he wants to do this for us -- why, I see nothing wrong with it."

"I suppose there is nothing I can do about it at this point, but I would not have accepted such an expensive gift if I had known."

"I expect that is why he was careful to not let you know."

"Did you?"

"Did I what?"

"Know he had bought this beautiful equipage?"

"No, I did not know, but I would not have tried to stop him."

Jonathon sighed resignedly and helped Victoria into the luxurious vehicle. Although he had bought a new stallion to ride much of the way when the weather was cooperative he wanted to ride inside the carriage part of the way. He nearly changed his mind upon seeing Ellen Bloggs and Fanny Ricketts were already inside. He looked at Victoria questioningly.

"Father thought I should have my nurse with me. Do you mind?"

"I suppose not, but it certainly makes for a crowded carriage with both of them." He refrained from telling her that he had hoped for some privacy so they could talk and become better acquainted. Also, he wanted to describe his home and family to her a little more than he had had the opportunity to do before. I will be heartily glad when I can get away from this managing family. It is a good thing we will be several day's journey from Geoffery Tremayne. I am quite sure he would continue to try to run my life, he thought.

The coach was as luxurious inside as out. Lamps were hung at the end of the seats. There were fur lap robes and several sofa cushions scattered about. Jonathon sat next to Victoria and rapped on the roof to give John Coachman signal to start.

"I thought you were going to ride your horse, Jonathon, or I would have arranged for Mrs. Ricketts and Ellen to ride in the carriage with Yvonne."

"I will ride as much as I can. I will need Pegasus when I get home. Most of our cattle have been sold, and I have to have a reliable horse to visit the farms."

They rode in silence for a few minutes. Jonathon looked out the window and noticed the weather was changing. The sky had darkened and it threatened a downpour any minute. "I hope we are not going to encounter bad weather for our trip. We can get some very nasty storms this time of the year."

"How long do you think it will take to get there?"

"Probably three or four days if we have good weather. If it rains there is no saying how long it will take. The roads are very poor in some of the country we have to travel."

Victoria was beginning to feel the effects of her strenuous activity of the last several days. She tried to keep her eyelids from drooping, but without success.

"I think Miss -- I mean Lady Burlingale needs to sleep a while if she can, my lord," said Mrs. Ricketts. "She probably needs a little of her medicine, also."

"Just what kind of medicine are you giving her, Mrs. Ricketts?"

"A tonic that was prescribed by Dr. Marland."

"Let me see it. Do you have some here?"

"Oh, yes. I keep it with me all of the time. Our poor little Victoria cannot get along without it. She becomes very nervous and finds it difficult to sleep unless she has it."

"I said I want to see it, Mrs. Ricketts."

"Oh, by all means, my lord."

She reluctantly brought out the bottle of brown liquid and handed it to Jonathon. He took off the lid and smelled it. He could not tell exactly what was in the medicine. It smelled like a well-known tonic, but that tonic was not known to do much for nervousness or sleeplessness. "Do you ever add anything to this that the doctor did not recommend?"

"Why, whatever do you mean, my lord?"

"It is a simple question, Mrs. Ricketts. Do you put anything in the medicine that the doctor has not prescribed?"

"Well, I do add a little laudanum. He told me I could when she seemed to have trouble sleeping, and she seems to always have trouble sleeping."

"I am going to get out and ride for a while so Victoria can have this full couch to rest on -- and Mrs. Ricketts," he looked at her with a very penetrating gaze and said, "Do not give her any of that medicine. She is already asleep and I cannot see that she needs anything but rest. In fact do not give her any medicine unless I give you permission."

"But, Lord Burlingale, that is what I'm here for, to take care of little Victoria. I took care of her mother until she died and have cared for Victoria since then."

"Nevertheless, Mrs Ricketts, you are not to give Lady Burlingale any kind of medicine unless I give you permission. Do you understand?"

"Yes, m'lord. I understand," Mrs. Ricketts said, but her voice sounded like she did not believe he could possibly mean what he said.

Jonathon rapped on the roof of the carriage and when it stopped he told John Coachman that he was going to ride his horse. As the coach came to a full stop, Victoria roused from her sleep and looked around.

"It is alright, Vickie. I am going to ride so you can have this whole seat to stretch out on." He tenderly lifted off her bonnet, arranged small pillows under head and encouraged Victoria to stretch out.

"Thank you, my lord, but it is starting to rain, is it not?"

"Are you going to forget to call me Jonathon? If so I will have to Lady Burlingale you until you are as tired of it as I am of my lord," he said. "There are only sprinkles of rain so far. I will come back in if it gets too bad, but you need to rest."

"I am sorry, Jonathon," she smiled up at him rather shyly. "I forgot."

He returned her smile and then tucked the fur robe around her and said, "Now go back to sleep. We have a long journey ahead of us." He had the strongest urge to kiss her and would have if the two women had not been sitting there taking in everything he did.

The weather had definitely worsened. There was a cold wind and he could feel little needle pricks of sleet on his face, but he was warm inside his many-layered great coat. A fur hat was pulled down warmly over his ears. In addition he was wearing fur-lined boots and gloves.

He enjoyed being outside in the elements. Riding on top of the big stallion made him feel alive and free. It gave him the opportunity to make plans and ponder the strangeness of the entourage he was taking to his home. Two couches had been sent ahead with Victoria's new purchases as well as several favorite bits of furniture she wanted to take with her. Yvonne was in one of the coaches along with a small child that Victoria had insisted on bringing with her. The tiny boy had been rescued from a chimney sweep and was recovering from burns he had suffered when he had been sent up a chimney in which the fire had not been completely extinguished.

Jonathon had learned that Victoria supported a home for street children. One for young girls that were being pressed into prostitution and one for little boys who were used to go up chimneys to clean them. He wondered if it was Victoria's bent towards rescuing people that had made her decide to marry him. He did not look as pathetic as some of her other charity cases, but he definitely felt as though he had been rescued. "Well, I intend to see that she is not sorry," he said as he patted his horse. "My young sisters and brother could have ended in almost as bad straits without the Tremayne's help. I guess I would have been able to provide some kind of home for them, but we would certainly have had to learn frugality."

As the day wore on the sky grew darker and the clouds more threatening. The wind caused the strong team to strain against the harness, and gusts rocked the carriage, which caused some difficulty with staying on the road.

They finally escaped the London traffic and turned northeast towards the lush farm country where Burlingale was situated. Jonathon, wanting the journey to be as trouble-free as possible, had written ahead for suites of rooms in the best inns along their route. He was confident that he had arranged their stops so they would reach his home in four or five days. It was the middle of November and although he had expected to encounter some bad weather this storm appeared sooner than he had anticipated.

They struggled through the increasing darkness and it soon became evident they were not going to reach Sanstead by nightfall. While he was pondering what to do his problems escalated. Visibility was poor and the wind was so strong the carriage was in danger of being blown off the road. The effort to keep the horses moving in those circumstances demanded all of the strength of the coachmen. The horses were feeling the effects of the sleet, rain and cold wind. The outriders and Jonathon were not faring much better.

Jonathon rode a few feet behind the carriage, letting it protect him and his horse from some of the storm's fury. His head was bent almost to the horses mane and so he did not see the carriage when it began to slip. Shouts from the drivers alerted him to impending disaster. As though in slow motion the vehicle started sliding backwards into a ditch. The horses laid their mighty shoulders against the harness as they valiantly tried to keep the coach steady. Their beautiful black coats glistened with sweat, in spite of the bitter cold. It was to no avail. The carriage skidded further into the ditch and then a gust of wind hit it and it tumbled over on its side.

Chapter Four

Jonathon watched the coach as it began its slide into the ditch with disbelief and awe. His ability to act seemed to be impaired, but as the handsome carriage tumbled into the ditch he yelled at the drivers to alert them to what was happening. However, they knew only too well. The horses tried to remain upright, but they were soon entangled in a confusion of legs, hoofs, harness and the carriage tongue.

One of the coachmen slipped off his seat and fell into the ditch. The other hung on to the side and Jonathon rode quickly to him and helped him down.

"You see about the cattle, John. I will attend to the ladies in the coach."

The efficient driver unhitched the horses quickly and led them a few feet from the overturned carriage. Jonathon, satisfied that everything possible was being done for the cattle, dropped down from his horse and climbed to the side of the carriage and yanked the door open with one powerful movement. He was surprised when he heard no sound from inside. That worried him. Perhaps they had been injured so badly they could not make a sound.

In actuality the women were too stunned by the sudden change in their circumstances to readily grasp what was happening. Mrs. Ricketts tumbled against the door on the ditch side, Ellen slid down against her and Victoria rolled off the seat on top of them both. Victoria had been sound asleep and had had no warning of the accident. Therefore, when she first felt herself falling she had the sensation that it was only part of a bad dream. Her first awareness of real trouble was when she looked up and saw the door where the roof should have been.

"What in the world is happening," she asked of no one in particular.

Ellen struggled to get off of Mrs. Ricketts and her words were indistinct. "I think we turned over, Vickie."

"Are you two all right?" she asked.

"I think I am all right, but I'm finding it difficult to get off of Fanny. Are you hurt Fanny?"

Mrs. Ricketts let out a string of swear words that no one had any idea she knew. "I think I am all right, but I wish you two would get off of me."

"We are trying," Ellen said as she struggled to move to some place other than on top of the cushiony person of Mrs. Ricketts. Victoria gradually pulled herself to the side and away from the other two women.

The door flew open and Jonathon's face appeared in the opening. He was relieved to see the women moving about, but still puzzled about the lack of noise. He would have certainly expected three women to be protesting loudly by this time.

"Victoria, are you injured? Are you all right?"

"I do not believe I am injured, but I'd liefer be out of here. What happened?"

"The carriage turned over and there is a terrible ice storm in progress."

He reached in put his hands around her waist, and lifted her out like he would have a small child. The sleet and rain hit her and she felt like turning around and going back inside.

"What are we going to do, Jonathon?"

"I am going to put you on the horse with me and find an inn somewhere. We cannot be very far from some small town."

"I was asleep. I could not imagine what was happening. I thought I was having a bad dream."

"It is more like a nightmare -- except it is quite real." He ran his hands over her body to ascertain if there were any broken bones. She felt his long, supple fingers move with expertise up her arms and then down her back. A frisson of excitement shot through her entire body as his hands began a slow journey down her back and she was sure she should protest when he did not stop, but kept on exploring her legs with great care. She could not have stopped him if she had protested and she knew he was examining her as a doctor would, but she was not responding as a patient. She was so aware of his masculinity that she felt a deep-seated longing that simply took her breath away.

"You do not seem to have sustained any injury I am happy to say. Stand here a minute." He placed her in the shelter of the carriage and returned to the door to see to the other two women. They assured him they were not actually injured -- just shaken up a bit.

"When are we going to get out of here?" Mrs. Ricketts asked in a demanding tone of voice. "I am afraid I will fall out of this door and into that ditch."

"I do not believe you could do that. There is a thick hedge holding that side of the carriage. I do not think it will go much farther. There should be some more men here soon and they can get you out. If you will hand me the carriage robe I will take Victoria to shelter and then send some one after you ladies as soon as possible."

A couple of the outriders arrived, surveying the situation and immediately started hauling the women out of the coach. Ellen was no problem, but they had to get reinforcements to pull Mrs. Ricketts out. They grinned at each other as Mrs. Rickett's language became more and more colorful.

"That thumping woman must have been raised around sailors. I ain't even heard some of those words."

"It be pretty flashy talk," agreed the other man.

Jonathon turned his full attention to Victoria. "Have you ever ridden a horse?"

"Maybe, when I was a very young child."

"I think the only way we can ride together is to put you in front of me. I will wrap this fur robe around you and anything else I can find. I do not want you getting any wetter than you are."

He picked her up and placed her in the saddle. She looked tiny and vulnerable up there alone. He took the robe and wrapped it around her body, tucking each side under her legs. He then checked to see if the other women were out of the vehicle, gave some instructions to the men and nimbly mounted behind Victoria.

"I believe it cannot be far to a small village. I hope not. This storm is worsening."

He took the reins with one arm and tugged Victoria close to him with the other. He unbuttoned his great coat and fastened it around her, effectively making a warm cocoon for her.

Victoria felt the warmth of Jonathon's powerful body and experienced a reaction much like the one she had had when he kissed her hand. A flush started in her lower abdomen and made its way to her head. If he could have seen her face he would have observed a very rosy blush travel to the roots of her hair. Although Victoria was an inexperienced young woman she readily recognized the sexual nature of her feelings for Jonathon and it alarmed her. She scolded herself mentally and vowed to keep better control of her reactions to him. It would certainly complicate matters if he became aware of how she was feeling.

Jonathon bent his head forward into Victoria's hair in an effort to protect his face from the stinging sleet. She had pulled one of the capes of his great coat over her face, which was effective in keeping the worst of the storm off her. She leaned her head back into the hollow of Jonathon's neck and thought, It is our wedding day. I could never have expected anything like this. She drew warmth from the young giant who was her husband and absorbed it into her innermost being. She sighed as she thought of the things her illness was causing her to miss.

"What is it Vickie?" he asked anxiously. "Are you cold?"

"Just my feet and legs. The robe does not seem to want to stay in place."

"It surely cannot be far to the next village. There is no telling what kind of accommodations we will find. I had made arrangements for us to stay at the Blue Boar in Stanstead, but we are not going to get there this evening."

The hour was early, but the slate-colored sky and the increasing rain and sleet made it look as though dark was ready to descend. They could barely see the road and the going was very slow. Just when he despaired of ever coming out of the dismal weather he saw a light ahead. It was difficult to keep from spurring the horse to a faster pace, but he controlled the urge and they plodded forward. The small inn was nearly in front of them before they saw it. Actually they heard the sign creaking before they saw the inn. The sign informed them they were at The Dutchman.

Jonathon dropped to the ground and plucked Victoria off the horse in almost one movement. He carried her into the crude inn where they were greeted by warmth and delightful smells. Hurrying towards them was a very large, loose jowled man that gave the name of the inn its authenticity. He was a great round Dutchman.

"Vell, vat do ve have here?"

"We have had an accident. Do you have rooms?"

"Yaas. It's early so no one has come yet."

"We may need all of your rooms. There are two other women, four out-riders, two coachmen, one who may be injured. Can you accommodate that many people?"

The innkeeper rubbed his hands together in anticipation. He had not expected much business during such a bad ice storm.

"I zink so. Do you know for how long?"

"No, I will arrange all of that with you later. Can you find a warm room right away for my wife? She was in the carriage when it turned over. I brought her here on my horse and her feet are wet and cold."

A pretty young woman came up behind the innkeeper and eyed they with curiosity. Her face was as round as a moon and her flaxen hair was divided in the back, braided and wrapped over her ears on each side of her head. Her rosy cheeks caused her to look as though she had been bending over an open flame. The Dutchman turned to her and said, "Dese people need rooms, Gerta. Will you prepare the south-west rooms for -- I didn't get your name."

"I am Jonathon Fordyce, Marquess of Burlingale and this is my wife."

"Those rooms are ready, Hans. I keep them ready all of the time. I just need to light the fires." She went up the stairs and motioned Jonathon to follow her.

The small inn was crudely built, but was obviously well cared for. There was not a spot of dust anywhere. Nothing was luxurious, but everything was comfortable. Gerta preceded Jonathon into the room, lit the logs that were waiting in the fireplace, placed a chair in front of it for Victoria and bowed to Jonathon, "I will bring some tea and sandwiches, my lord. Lady Burlingale looks as though she could use something warm."

"Yes, that would be helpful. Thank you."

With people talking over her head as they were, Victoria was beginning to think they had the perception that she could not hear.

"Jonathon, will you put me down?"

He placed her in the chair and started to help her out of her wet garments, but she waved him away.

"You had better get out of that coat and let it dry."

"I want to get those wet slippers and stockings off you before you take a cold."

"I can take my slippers and stockings off. I was not injured, Jonathon. Just shaken up a bit. Now take off that wet coat," she said rather imperiously.

"I cannot. I must go see about sending someone to bring Ellen and Mrs. Ricketts here and find out about the others as well as the cattle."

"I suppose you must."

"You get out of your wet clothes," he said in a voice that allowed for no argument. "I am quite sure you are in a lot more danger of taking a cold than I."

"Very well." Victoria was removed the wet slippers and stockings as Jonathon went out the door. She could hear him clumping down the wooden stairs. She then heard another commotion and could not resist going to the door to look out. Mrs. Ricketts was plowing her way up the stairs. She moved quickly for such a large woman.

"Where is Victoria? She will probably take a terrible cold from being out in that awful weather. I knew we shouldn't have started this trip at this time of the year. Did I not tell you we shouldn't start this trip, Ellen? You know I did, but would anyone listen to me. Oh, no and here I am wet to the skin and I am sure Victoria is the same."

This tirade was pitched at Jonathon half way up the stairs. He gave her an incredulous look. "Mrs. Ricketts, how did you get here so soon? I thought you would wait by the carriage until I secured some kind of conveyance to bring you."

"And get even wetter than I am? I hardly think so."

Ellen came through the door in time to hear Mrs. Rickett's tirade. She shook ice pellets and snow off of her pellise. When she saw Jonathon on the steps she asked, "How is Vickie? Did she get very wet?"

"Lady Burlingale is all right. Her feet and legs were soaked, but the rest of her stayed dry. She is upstairs sitting in front of a nice fire. I want to know how you managed to get here so soon."

"The out-riders put us on the horses and led us here just a few minutes after you left."

Jonathon raised his eyebrows. He was very curious about how they had managed to get Mrs. Ricketts on a horse. It must have been something to behold.

"Where are the men?"

"They are seeing about the horses. Two of the horses sustained slight injuries, but the men do not think they are serious." Ellen answered.

"Good fellows." He located the inn-keeper and asked if the rooms were ready for the rest of his party. The big Dutchman said, "Ya-ah, my vife, Gerta, keeps the rooms ready. I can put the two ladies together. The men will have to take rooms in the attic."

"Very well. Miss Bloggs, Gerta will show you to your room. I am afraid you and Mrs. Ricketts will have to share a room."

The very idea of such a sharing dismayed Ellen greatly, but she refused to allow it to show on her face. "Whatever you have arranged will be fine, my lord. We are lucky that none of us were seriously injured."

"Yes, we are. I will go out to the stables and see if the men need any help. We can see about the carriage in the morning. I doubt anyone is going to bother it in this weather."

A draft of cold air penetrated the warmth of the room as Jonathon opened it. As he was closing the door he heard Mrs. Ricketts bellowing. "Where is Victoria?" He frowned, but went on to see about the men and horses. When he arrived at the stable, which was better built than the inn, he could see the men had been busy. The horses were unharnessed and were being fed while the men were rubbing them down with handfuls of hay.

"How are they, John?" he asked of the coachman. "And how are you fellows?"

"Two of the horses have small cuts, but nothing serious. Lucky. Gerry may have a broken arm. I think he needs to see a doctor."

"I will see to it. I am going to have a doctor look at Lady Burlingale also."

"Oh, I'm sorry, m'lord. Was she injured?"

"I do not believe so, but she does not enjoy robust health. I would just feel better if a doctor were to examine her. Where is Gerry?"

"He's hunkered down in a corner over there," John said, pointing to the far corner of the barn. Jonathon examined the other coachman, who had fallen from the carriage and into the ditch, and determined the arm was not broken. It had been badly scraped and probably the unfortunate man had a pulled muscle.

After determining that the men were doing all they could for the cattle he told them they would have accommodations in the attic of the small inn. They smiled their relief. It would not have been unheard of for them to have to share quarters with the horses under these circumstances.

Jonathon returned to the inn and asked the inn-keeper if there was a doctor near by.

"Ya-as, ve have a Dr. Dexter. I vill send a servant for him."

"Thank you," Jonathon said. He took the stairs two at a time to further check on Victoria.

She was still sitting where he left her in the chair in front of the fire. She had removed her wet slippers and stockings and wrapped her feet in a blanket furnished by the concerned Gerta. She smiled when Jonathon came back into the room.

"How are things, Jonathon? Was anyone seriously injured? Ellen and Fanny were just here and I insisted they go to their rooms and get into dry clothes. It seems one of the out-riders brought our portmanteaus. Was that not kind of him? I would never have thought rough men like that could be so thoughtful."

"I think you should get into a gown and get into bed, Vickie. I have called for a doctor," he said in a sharp tone that implied he would be obeyed immediately.

"It is much too early to go to bed and I do not feel the least bit sick. You are the one who is going to be sick if you do not get out of those wet things. Your bag is in that little dressing room just to the left," she said, gesturing towards a room. The door was hung with a drape for privacy. There were some pegs for hanging clothes and other necessities. A wash basin was on the chest, which was placed across one corner of the room.

Jonathon had a sharp retort ready for her, but thought better of it. He had to admit that he was very uncomfortable so he stepped into the room and peeled out of his wet garments. He quickly dried with the large towel that was hanging on one of the pegs, changed into dry clothes and then went back to Victoria.

"Victoria, the men said they did not find your jewels in the carriage. I thought you said you are bringing a small safe with your jewels."

"I sent them on ahead with Yvonne."

"You what?"

"I sent them on ahead with Yvonne. She is going to be worried when we do not show up at the Blue Boar tonight. Is there any way to get word to her?"

"I cannot see how. No one can travel in this weather. Is the coachman of her carriage reliable?"

"Oh! yes of course. He has been with our family for years. I am sure he will see that Yvonne and the child are taken care of and the jewels safe."

"I think it a little careless to entrust such valuables to a maid and coachman, don't you?"

"Who better? I know they are honest and no highwayman would think to look for jewels in an old traveling coach that is transporting a lady's maid."

Jonathon was forming an answer when he was interrupted by a knock on the door. Hans announced the doctor, Dr. Dexter, was there and did his lordship want him sent up?

"Yes, send him up," Jonathon said.

A few minutes later there was a light tap on the door and Jonathon invited a small, dapper man into the room. Victoria was still sitting contentedly in a chair by the cozy fire. She nibbled on a sandwich and sipped from a cup of fragrant tea.

Mrs. Ricketts came bustling into the room and proceeded to upset Victoria by ordering her to bed so the doctor could examine her. She turned to Jonathon and Dr. Dexter and said, "If you would just step out a minute, I will have Lady Burlingale in her night rail and up to snuff in a trice. I would have already done so, but she insisted I change my clothes. The dear girl. I was very wet."

Jonathon submitted to the dictates of the pushy woman and went back into the hall. In a few minutes the door opened and they were ushered back inside. Victoria sat in the large bed and looked exceedingly angry. Angry enough to start throwing the furniture, or at least the small items on her night stand. It was only a little past four in the afternoon and she did not feel the need to get into bed.

As a matter of fact Victoria was thoroughly enjoying herself. Her life had had very few adventures and this was an interesting escapade. She did feel a little shaky, but then she always did when she had not had any of Mrs. Rickett's tonic. She was sure that was all she needed.

The doctor sat down by her bed and took her hand to introduce himself. "I am Dr. Dexter, Lady Burlingale. Do you feel like you have any injuries?"

Unfortunately for Victoria she sneezed three or four times and everyone in the room looked at her in alarm.

"Now, see there. I just knew she was going to be sick. A lady with Victoria's constitution could not possible avoid being sick when she has been wet to the skin."

"I was not wet to the skin. In fact I was completely dry except for my shoes and stockings. Jonathon wrapped his great coat around me and also a fur robe. I am just fine."

"Now I have taken care of you for years and I know you will be sick from getting your feet wet and cold," insisted Mrs. Ricketts.

Victoria began to tremble with anger, which was interpreted by the people attending her as a manifestation of her illness. She picked up a cup from her bedside table and instead of taking a sip from it she held it threateningly in her hand. Fanny Ricketts remembered how accurately Victoria had thrown things a few weeks earlier and backed away.

"Get out of here, Fanny. Just get out of here. Jonathon is here to look after me and so is the doctor and they do not need you to advise them. Just leave this minute."

Jonathon watched his wife holding the cup as if she were going lob it at Mrs. Ricketts. He stepped to the side of the bed and quietly took the cup away from Victoria. She looked up at him and frowned, but did not protest. She supposed she was expected to behave more the lady now that she had achieved such a lofty status, but she was desperately tired of being bossed around by Fanny Ricketts.

Just as Fanny Ricketts was turning to open the door the doctor intervened. "Perhaps Mrs. Ricketts should stay. I may need her in a few minutes. I need to examine Lady Burlingale before I determine what course of action to take. If you will just step out a few minutes Lord Burlingale I can get on with the examination -- with Mrs. Ricketts in attendance of course."

"I am not going to leave, Dr. Dexter. Do what you need to do," Jonathon said.

The doctor drew his brows together in a deep frown and sighed, "Very well, but it is highly improper."

"So be it. She is my wife and my responsibility."

Chapter Five

Victoria was rapidly getting into the fidgets with people discussing her as if she were a piece of furniture. She sat up in the bed looking for all the world like a small, petulant child with her intricately embroidered night rail and her hair captured under a lacy night cap.

"I do not think I need anything at all, but a little of that nasty medicine Fanny carries about. I just feel a little shaky, but then I always do when I have gone this long without the tonic. I hate it, but it does seem to make me feel better."

Mrs. Ricketts looked over at Jonathon with a smug look on her pudgy face. "Yes it does seem to help, does it not?"

"Nevertheless we had better take some precautions," said Dr. Dexter.

He pulled out various instruments from his medical bag, and laid them out on a side table. Victoria groaned. She had been through this many times in her life and she hated it. She always felt limp for hours after the procedure.

"What are you planning, sir?" Jonathon asked.

"I think she must be bled a little to let the poison out of her system. It is the best treatment I know to head off an inflammation of the lungs."

"I do not agree with you. I do not want you practicing that procedure on my wife."

"Well now, what is this? My lord, are you trying to tell me my business?"

"I am afraid so, sir. I nearly finished a course in medicine at Edinburgh University. I have only just come from there a few months ago. They are very much in doubt about the value of blood letting, and there are some theories that it does real harm."

The doctor put his instruments back into the bag and stood. He had to look up to confront Jonathon, but he stood as tall as he could and said indignantly, "If I cannot treat your wife the way I think she should be treated, then I will have to decline to treat her at all."

Victoria stared at Jonathon and was relieved to see that he did not intend to give in to the doctor. "Very well, sir. So be it."

Jonathon politely escorted the indignant little doctor from the room, and stood in the hall trying to placate the gentleman. He tried to explain the source of his objections to the cupping procedure, but the doctor refused to listen. He simply turned on his heels and quickly went down the stairs muttering something to himself about young students who think they know more than a doctor who has been practicing for years.

Jonathon stood and watched the man depart. I hate that that happened, he thought. But I know bleeding Victoria will only weaken her, and goodness knows she is weak enough.

He returned to the room just in time to see Mrs. Ricketts preparing to give Victoria her tonic.

"Mrs. Ricketts," he yelled. "Did I not order you to cease giving Lady Burlingale any medicine without my approval?" No one could doubt the rage Jonathon was feeling. His usually tan complexion was turning red to the roots of his hair. His eyebrows met in the center of his eyes, which were piercing Mrs. Ricketts with a gaze that penetrated even that pushy woman's facade.

"But, my lord. I always give her this tonic when she is coming down with a cold and she did say that it makes her feel better."

"Yes, you give it to her when she just needs to sleep and when she is a little tired and nearly anything else that occurs to you. Get out of the room, Mrs. Ricketts before I really lose my temper."

Fanny Ricketts had finally met her match. She stood with hands on her hips for a few seconds and then turned and left the room.

"Oh, Jonathon, what if she is right and I really need the tonic? I hate it, but the doctor in London recommended it."

"Vickie, do you feel like talking for a few minutes?"

"Yes. I told you I do not feel sick. Just a little shaky. I am so glad you stopped the doctor from cupping me. I always seem to feel so weak for several days after they bleed me."

He looked at her with a doctor's searching eyes. He leaned over and opened her eyes one at a time and examined them carefully. Yes there was definitely something wrong.

"Victoria -- Vickie. I think you have become addicted to laudanum. Do you remember if the London doctor specifically recommended the laudanum to be added to your tonic?"

"I cannot remember. In fact I did not hear what he said. Mrs. Ricketts has always just taken care of the medicine and all of that sort of thing. Just like she did with my mother."

"Hm-m-m. I think she has been doing her own brand of doctoring. I doubt a good London doctor would want you to take laudanum two or three times a day. That should only be used for people who are in real pain."

"I have been taking it for a long time. When I get nervous, when I cannot sleep, when I seem to be taking a cold -- anything."

"Vickie, if you are willing to gradually go off that concoction you may find you are not a sick woman at all."

Victoria stared at him, her eyes widened and she put her hands up to cover her mouth and choked a little. She then became very quiet. Her voice appeared to have completely deserted her. She closed her eyes and then leaned back into the soft pillows. Tears seeped from under her closed eyelids and ran slowly down both cheeks. She made no attempt to stop them. A great shudder racked her body and she opened her eyes to question Jonathon with a probing expression.

"You mean to tell me I may be able to overcome this illness? Not be sick? If I quit taking that medicine I may be like other women? Not weak like an old lady?"

Jonathon became somewhat alarmed that he may have raised false hopes. He really was not completely sure that if she were off the drug and was not periodically bled that she would have good health, but he was nearly sure.

"Vickie, it will be rough. If I am right you are very dependent on that medication. You know how when you get shaky and Mrs. Ricketts gives you the medicine you feel better soon?"

"Yes."

"You feel better because your system has been depending on that substance so long that it craves it. It will be very difficult to quit depending on it."

"How long will it take?"

"I am not sure. I have never known anyone who has been on it as long as you have who ever really quit needing it. However, you are young and if you are willing to suffer some very unpleasant days and nights you might become less dependent in a couple of weeks."

She grabbed his arms tightly, digging her nails into his flesh, but he knew this was only the beginning of their ordeal so he did not disengage her hands.

"Oh, Jonathon, Oh, Oh! Not to be sick. Not to be sick. Oh that would be so wonderful. To be a healthy woman and live a normal life. Oh, not to be weak and old at nineteen. Oh, my lord. Oh, Jonathon, I will do anything. Absolutely anything."

"Do you trust me?" Jonathon asked, a frown puckering his forehead.

"Yes I do trust you. I have from the very first day we met. You have the kindest eyes I have ever seen. Except, when you become angry, of course. Then you are a little frightening -- you are such a giant of a man."

"I know. I have had to be careful of my actions all of my life because of my size." He grinned at her and pulled her hands away from his arms and took both of them in his. He rubbed them causing little shivers to run up her spine.

"We will begin tonight. I will get that laudanum from Mrs. Ricketts and you are never to take it unless I say so. Also you have to make an effort to eat more. You will just have to push food in even when you do not feel hungry. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I will do anything."

"Eating good nourishing meals is extremely important.

And so Victoria's ordeal began.

Jonathon went to Mrs. Rickett's and Ellen Blogg's room. Just as he lifted his hand to knock he could hear Mrs. Rickett's strident voice.

"I tell you, Ellen, he does not want poor little Victoria to get well."

"I simply cannot believe that. Lord Burlingale is all that is kind."

"You just think about it for a minute. He would not let the doctor treat her and now he won't give her the medicine that has been recommended for her," Mrs. Ricketts said.

"He is nearly a doctor and has studied the newest methods and he does not think the things being done for Vickie are good for her."

"I think he wants to be rid of her so he can have her fortune and then marry some healthy young woman, that is what I think."

Jonathon had heard enough. He nearly knocked the door off its hinges when he made his presence known. Ellen opened the door and asked timidly, "Is something wrong, my lord?"

He pushed into the room and stood nose to nose with Mrs. Ricketts and yelled into her face, "Mrs. Ricketts, you will be gone back to London as soon as the weather clears and I can find a posting station. I will have no one in my employ who cannot be trusted and I certainly will not have anyone who thinks me capable of what I just heard you say."

Mrs. Ricketts was not easily faced down, "I am not employed by you, my lord. I am employed by Mr. Tremayne and have been for years."

"Very well, then, it is back to Mr. Tremayne you will go. I will send a letter telling him what has happened. If he wants to write a recommendation for you, that is his business. As for me, I will not. You are a dangerous woman, Mrs. Ricketts. I think you have made an addict of Lady Burlingale. She can never become a healthy woman as long as she is being dosed with laudanum two or three times a day."

"I took care of her mother for years and that is how I treated her," Mrs. Ricketts said defiantly.

"I rest my case," he said, grimly.

Mrs. Ricketts opened her mouth to make further comments but Jonathon stopped her, "If you know what is good for you, you will leave things as they are. I think I can see that you never work as a nurse again if I decide I should and want to pursue it."

Mrs. Ricketts seemed to shrink in size. She slumped over and then dropped into a nearby chair.

"Have your things packed and be ready to leave in the morning, Mrs. Ricketts. Also, I want all of that medicine and all of the laudanum you have with you."

She reached into her capacious pocket and brought out a bottle, handed it to Jonathon. He stood there waiting, "I want all of it, Mrs. Ricketts. All you have anywhere." When he was satisfied that she had given him all of the narcotic he turned to Ellen Bloggs.

"Miss Bloggs, will you ask the proprietors if they have any nourishing soup? I am going to see that Lady Burlingale eats a warm meal and then sleeps." He turned to Mrs. Ricketts and said, "Do not come near my wife -- ever again."

With that he turned on his heels and left the two women looking at each other, stunned with what had just happened.

"I am sorry, Mrs. Ricketts, but I have always wondered if Victoria needs all of that stuff you have been giving her."

Mrs. Ricketts turned on Ellen and looked as though she would strike her, but thought better of it and let her arms drop in defeat.

"You just keep your mouth shut, you mealy-mouthed ninnyhammer."

Gerta knocked on the door an hour later and Jonathon let her in. She was carrying a tray with a large bowl of fragrant chicken soup and a plate of thick, crusty bread.

"I will come back in a few minutes with some newly brewed tea, my lord."

"Thank you. That smells very good."

"Would you like for me to bring yours up here, m'lord?"

"No, I think I will be ready for a full meal in a little while. I will come down to the dining room so that Lady Burlingale can rest."

He placed a table in front of the chair where Victoria had been sitting earlier, and had Gerta place the food on it. He scooped Victoria up and carried her over to the chair.

"Jonathon, are you going to continue to carry me everywhere? Why, you have carried me everywhere today. I will lose the use of my legs."

"I just thought you might be feeling a little weak."

"I do not feel weak. I do feel pretty shaky."

Jonathon knew Victoria was missing the dose of laudanum which she usually took in the afternoon. He took one of the bottle he had confiscated and poured a little of the brown liquid in a glass of water.

"Here, you had better take this."

"Is that the laudanum?"

"Yes."

"Well, I am not going to take it. I do not think I will ever take another dose of that stuff."

"Vickie, your system cannot stand such a rapid withdrawal from the narcotic. You are not healthy enough. I think to taper off will be best for you."

"May I decide?"

"Unless you appear to be going into convulsions or something like that. As long as I am sure you know what you are doing I will let you decide."

"Very well."

"Now eat the soup and bread before they get cold."

Victoria picked up the spoon and dipped it into the rich broth. She broke off a piece of the bread and tried to eat that. The soup made her sick at her stomach and the bread, which was delightfully light, felt like a wad of paper in her mouth. Her hands trembled and she dropped the spoon.

Jonathon picked it up without comment and began feeding her small sips of the soup at a time, letting her stomach adjust to the warmth and richness. It will be a miracle if she can keep anything down without at least a little of the laudanum, but I guess she will have to discover that for herself, he thought. He dipped a piece of the bread in the broth and offered it to her. He kept this up for several minutes until he had managed to get about half of the bowl of soup and part of the bread into Victoria.

Finally she shook her head and said, "I simply cannot eat any more. It feels like it is all going to come back up if I try to eat more."

"You have done pretty well. You may become sick at your stomach unless you let me give you a tiny dose of the laudanum. Your body is going to react quite violently at completely withdrawing the narcotic."

"I want to go without it as long as possible. The very idea of putting poison into my body is repugnant to me -- now that I know what has been making me ill."

"Very well, Vickie. Now, can Miss Bloggs act as your maid until we are able to join Yvonne?"

"Miss Bloggs is my friend. She will do anything I ask her to."

"I have fired Mrs. Ricketts. Did I tell you?"

"No, but I am glad. I think I hate that woman. She just pushes her notions on everyone. I tried many times to get Papa to let her go, but he thinks she is a wonderful nurse."

"She may be, but she tends to have her own ideas about administering medicine. Now will you let me give you a small dose of the laudanum?"

"No, I am not overly miserable yet. Have Ellen come in and help me with some bathing and then I will go to bed. I promise you if I start to get wretched I will send for you right away."

"Very well. I will be back before long."

Jonathon returned about an hour later and sat in the big chair in front of the fireplace. He had decided he would sleep there, but he was having very little success. The position was uncomfortable and not conducive to sleep, but it was also his thoughts that were disturbing him. He was worried that Victoria would be disappointed about her health. After all he mostly had theory behind his observations. He had been seeing patients some of the time while he was in school, but he had not treated a full blown case of drug addiction. Not that there were not plenty of people using laudanum freely, but most of them did not use it to the extent that Mrs. Ricketts had been giving it to Victoria. It made him so angry when he let himself think about it that he wanted to go into the next room and throttle the ignorant old woman.

He could hear Victoria thrashing about on the bed and went to her with a glass of water, which contained a small amount of laudanum. He sat her up and insisted she drink a little of the narcotic. She resisted, but he insisted.

"You said you trust me, did you not?"

She nodded her head.

"If you trust me then you have to let me do what I think is best for you. I am afraid you are going to become convulsive if you withdraw from the medicine too fast."

She could feel herself tremble so violently that she thought the bed rattled. She had cast up most of her supper earlier, but had not told Jonathon. She was perspiring as if she were in the middle of a dessert. She could feel her awareness of reality begin to fade and she clutched Jonathon's arm.

"I-I-guess I will have to have just a little. I do feel dreadful and think I am going to feel worse soon."

"I am quite sure of it. I told you it is better for you to gradually quit taking the drug. Your body can slowly adjust its needs that way. Now here take this. I am not going to keep giving you enough to continue your dependence on it, but I started this and I know something of what will happen unless you do as I say."

She finally drank the glass of liquid and reached out and patted her husband's cheek.

"You cannot sleep over there in that chair, Jonathon. Get into bed and get some rest," she whispered.

He was exhausted. Therefore, he did not argue with her further. He only partially undressed and then slipped into the bed next to Victoria. He could feel her body shaking and he ached for her. He gathered her into his arms and held her close.

In spite of her misery Victoria felt a stirring deep inside her body at the powerful arms in which she was lying. Her trembling began to subside and she was sure it was as much because of the security she felt in Jonathon's arms as it was the small dose of laudanum that he had insisted she take. She snuggled as close to his warm body as she could and let her face rest on his chest. She could hear his breathing slow and soon his body went limp and she knew he was fast asleep. She timidly patted his face being very careful not to awaken him. It is my wedding night -- my wedding night! It is certainly something I had never expected to experience, but here I am being held by the handsomest man in the universe, she thought, content to spend her wedding night in the arms of her husband even though it was not in the normal way.

Chapter Six

Jonathon awakened the next day to problems he could never have anticipated as he had planned their journey to his home. One of the wheels of the carriage had been damaged beyond repair and the coach was of the newest make and the wheel could only be found in London. He dispatched several men with a sturdy wagon to buy the wheel and return with it.

Victoria was being very stubborn about taking the laudanum when he thought she should. She had declared her trust in him, but she appeared to want to decide for herself about the narcotic and her recovery. He could not blame her. As for himself, he was having second thoughts about her health because he knew it would be a grave disappointment if he proved to be wrong and she did not come about. However, he did not express his doubts to Victoria. He asked Ellen to stay with her while he was occupied with the many other pressing chores.

It was nearly a week before the elegant coach was repaired and they were finally able to travel. The weather had cleared, although it stayed intensely cold, freezing the roads into a rock-like surface which actually made them easier to navigate.

Victoria suffered from depriving herself of the laudanum, but allowed Jonathon to give her a little so she could enjoy the journey. She had liked staying at the inn with the down-to-earth Dutchman and his pleasant wife. They treated the lord and lady with respect, but did not bow and scrape in an embarrassing way. Everything was clean and the food was excellent -- when she felt like eating.

Jonathon had slept in her bed and held her in his arms every night, but he never once attempted to go any farther. She felt relieved and disappointed at the same time.

She was eating meals that were somewhat more normal for a young woman, even though she often had to force herself, but she had not gained much strength. She was impatient to get really well and do the many things she had heretofore been unable to do.

She felt the carriage slow and then stop. Jonathon climbed in with her and Ellen. "I want to be with you when you see Burlingale," he said boyishly. "It is needing a lot of work and with all of the countryside frozen over it will look a little bleak, but I think you will be impressed."

Victoria was impressed. She hated the place. It was an enormous pile of rocks or so it looked to her. She could detect no redeeming feature. All it needed was a moat and a draw-bridge to look like some medieval castle. Drying vines were hanging off it like cobwebs; the mullioned windows reflected the eerie light and added to the feeling of creeping decay. The winding road leading to the front door was nearly obliterated by encroaching growth from adjoining fields.

Victoria had always had difficulty disguising her feelings, but she tried very hard for Jonathon's sake to keep her face from showing her disgust. She almost succeeded as Jonathon looked at her anxiously.

He looked at his ancestral home and was stunned by the realization that he had been thinking of the past happy times he had experienced as he was growing up. Being involved in studying to become a doctor, he had not really looked at the place for some time. He knew everything needed work, and he had numerous plans, but as he appraised the old mansion through Victoria's eyes, he wondered how he was going to convey his vision to her.

"It looks pretty bleak right now," he said hesitantly.

Victoria was at a loss about how to respond. She absolutely hated the way the place looked and felt apprehensive about her future here. She had been so optimistic about her health and her new life, but she could not see how anyone could be happy in that pile of ugly rocks.

"I am sure when you have had time to get a crew together to work on it you will make it look much nicer," was the kindest thing she could think of.

The carriage bumped its way to the front of the estate. Steep steps led to the front doors. The doors were large enough that if the carriage could have made it to the top it could have driven right through the doors and into the great hall, which, considering the cold weather, probably would have been a more comfortable way to enter. They stopped and Victoria and Jonathon simply sat looking at each other for a few seconds.

"Welcome to your new home, Vickie," he finally said. "This is an historic home that has been in our family for several generations, and I hope to some day restore it to its former glory." There was a take-it-or-leave-it tone to his voice and he clamped his jaw shut on the last word.

"It is going to take a lot of money. Are you not glad I insisted on a large settlement?" As soon as the words were out she knew they were the wrong ones. Jonathon was very sensitive about the circumstances of their marriage. If Victoria could have taken the words back she would have because she had felt Jonathon was beginning to like her a little.

"Yes, it will take a lot of money, but the first order of business is to make the estate self-supporting so that I do not have to dip into your money."

"It is not my money. It is your money. I have my own money and the marriage settlement Papa made is your money."

Jonathon's face masked over and it was not possible to learn what he was thinking. There was a commotion on the front steps and three young bodies came pelting down. "Jon is here," the girl in front called back over her shoulder. "They're here, Maman. They're here."

Jonathon opened the carriage door and before he could get completely out was assaulted by three excited young people. He hugged and kissed each resoundingly. "Stubble it -- there are other people here. I want you to meet Victoria, the new Lady Burlingale."

He turned and lifted Victoria down. Ellen had already been helped out of the vehicle by one of the outriders since there did not seem to be any other servant available.

"Victoria, this is Maria Louise, Clarissa Ann, and Christopher."

Maria Louise and Clarissa Ann curtsied and murmured that they were glad to meet Victoria. Christopher had obviously been told he must bow when he was introduced and he tried, but bent too low and almost fell over. Victoria reached out and steadied him, much to his embarrassment.

"I am very glad to meet all of you," Victoria said. "Jonathon has told me something about you. He did not tell me what lovely children you are. I hope we can be friends."

"We are glad you are finally here," Marie Louise said. "We have been wondering what happened to you."

Victoria took in the young girl's budding womanhood and evident beauty. Her pretty blonde hair, so like Jonathon's, was pulled back and held in place by a blue band that went around her head and over her ears. Her eyes were light blue and as clear as a summer sky. She was tall without looking rangy. She was wearing a blue dress of muslin, which was much too light for the weather, and sturdy black shoes.

Clarissa Ann had shining auburn hair. It bordered on red, but had just enough brown to avoid being carroty. Victoria thought of Fredrica's shining head of truly red hair and thought Clarissa Ann was lucky to be less ginger-pated. She was wearing a light brown woolen dress with a full white apron covering it and white pantaloons extending below the calf length skirt. Hair that fell loosely down her back was charmingly restrained by two large combs at the sides.

Christopher's hair was so blond that it looked almost white. Victoria wondered if Jonathon's hair had been that light when he was a child. Christopher was wearing a garment known as a skeleton suit. It had a short, tight jacket with long trousers which were buttoned on under the armpits. It was not very attractive but appeared to be practical, because the buttons could be moved when the child grew -- thus the garment grew with the child.

The youngsters all started dancing around Jonathon, wanting to know about his trip, why he was so long getting there. They hugged him again and he kissed each one and gave them another big bear hug.

Victoria watched this and surprised herself with a strong feeling of jealousy. She was not sure if she was jealous of Jonathon's attention being claimed by the children or by the obvious affection they held for him. She realized all she had missed in life without siblings, and felt sure she would have difficulty fitting into this family; but she knew she wanted them to accept her more than anything.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of another person at the top of the steps. Jonathon turned from the children and took Victoria's hand. "That is my mother. Let us go meet her. I am sure you will love her."

"But will she love me?" Victoria murmured under her breath. Jonathon did not hear or if he did he chose to ignore the question.

He moved as though he would pick her up and carry her up the steps. Victoria pulled away and said, "I do not want you to carry me in front of your family. I think I can make it."

She climbed about half-way up the steep steps and paused a few seconds to rest. Again Jonathon tried to pick her up but she angrily brushed him away. "I am not going to meet your mother with you carrying me like a sick puppy."

The Dowager Marchioness of Burlingale, Cordelia Fordyce stood at the top of the steps watching Victoria's ascent. If she was aware of the effort this caused Victoria her face did not reveal it. After Victoria had paused for a deep breath at the top, Cordelia stepped forward.

Victoria saw an attractive woman, a few inches shorter than herself, and full of figure. It was evident she had been a beauty at one time and even now there was an elegance about her that middle age only seemed to enhance. Her hair was blonde, highlighted by silver streaks. It was thick and lovely and was arranged simply with a neat bun at the back of her head. She was wearing a pale rose wool dress with long sleeves and a high neck.

"Victoria, this is our maman," Jonathon said, simply.

Cordelia's face flushed with the pleasure of seeing Jonathon and meeting his new wife. "I am so glad you are here at last, Lady Burlingale. I have been a little worried, although we did get the note sent by runner that you were delayed."

She stepped forward and took both of Victoria's trembling hands in hers. She looked into Victoria's face with a mixture of curiosity and something else that defied analysis. "My dear, are you cold? You are trembling like a leaf in a storm."

Victoria was warmly dressed in a blue wool frock and a wool pelisse, which was lined with fur. She did feel a little chilled, but she knew that was not why she was trembling. The effort to climb the steps had left her weak and caused her legs to feel like they were made of mush. However, she did not want to discuss her health with all of these new relations so she said, "Yes, I am a little cold. I am not used to this kind of weather. Always in the past when the weather is bad, I just stay inside."

"Going inside is a splendid idea," Jonathon said. He put an arm around Victoria's waist and urged her towards the door.

"I am forgetting my manners," Victoria said, noticing Ellen standing at the top of the steps looking rather forlorn. "This is Ellen Bloggs, my long-time friend and companion." Ellen stepped forward and offered her hand to Cordelia, a little hesitantly.

Cordelia, being a truly gracious lady, extended her hand and welcomed Ellen to her home. "Welcome to Burlingale, Miss Bloggs. I hope your journey was not too trying."

"No, we are just fine, but glad to finally put an end to our trip," Ellen said.

They gradually moved into the large hall during this conversation. It was the most enormous hall Victoria had ever seen and the decor carried out, with relentless determination, the ugliness of the outside. The large barn-like room was little relief from the cold outside. There was no fire in the fireplace, which was located at the center of the vast room. It was large enough for three or four men the size of Jonathon to stand side by side.

"We need to move to the drawing room," Cordelia said. "There is a nice warm fire in there."

It was akin to walking down an avenue to where the drawing room was located. This room was somewhat more hospitable than the other part of the house Victoria had seen. It was not built on such a large scale as the hall and there was a cheerful fire in the fireplace. Worn, but comfortable chairs and couches were placed in conversational settings about the room.

There was something missing that Victoria had been unable to discern until she reached to take off her hat and coat. Jonathon took them from her and hung them on a clothes tree just inside the door. There were no servants about. Victoria had never lived without an army of servants. All she had ever had to do was ring a bell or snap a finger or send a message and numerous persons would come to do her bidding.

"Has Yvonne, my maid, arrived?" she asked. "We just seemed to keep missing her all the way here. She had a child with her."

"Yes, she and the child arrived yesterday. I told her where her room would be and Tilney immediately took the child under her wing. She found a little bed for him and put him in a room just off the kitchen. If you want him somewhere else all you need do is say so."

"Oh, no. I simply wanted to know if they had arrived. It has been so cold and part of the time the weather has been wretched I was fearful they had been delayed."

"They are just fine. Also, I had your things stored in a nearly empty room across the hall from your rooms. I did not know how many of those boxes contained things you need right away."

"Thank you. I am sure everything is just fine."

"I have asked Tilney to bring tea. I am sure you are in need of refreshments," said Cordelia.

"Could I help her?" Ellen asked. She was aware of the absence of servants and began to suspect this household was only being held together by a thread. She knew some of the circumstances of Victoria's marriage to Jonathon, but she did not know the entire story.

"Oh, no. You must be a guest -- at least for today. One of the girls will help her. They are becoming adept at many household tasks."

Victoria glanced up at Jonathon in time to catch a look on his face that caused her to catch her breath. He seemed so downcast and embarrassed that he appeared to shrink into himself, which was quite an accomplishment considering his size. He had removed his greatcoat and cap. His hair tumbled boyishly over his forehead almost obliterating his beautiful eyes, and he was gnawing on his lip with perfect white teeth. He caught her looking at him and quickly looked away. She longed to go to him and put her arms around him and tell him none of it was important. Since there had been no affectionate exchange between them she simply looked away so as not to add to his discomfort.

Maria Louise and Clarissa appeared a few minutes later carrying trays of sandwiches and biscuits followed by Tilney with the tea.

Victoria ate one of the small sandwiches, a biscuit and drank a cup of the fragrant tea. She then asked to be shown where her rooms were located. She explained that she felt grimy from the long trip and would like to freshen up.

Maria Louise silently led Victoria up a curving set of stairs, which led to the southwest rooms of the house. She was shown a suite of rooms, which were big enough to house an entire family.

Victoria had never lived in anything but large and luxurious homes, but there had never been anything to compare, in her experience, with the oversized rooms in this house. There was a sitting room with old, but comfortable furniture. The windows on the south looked over a tangled garden with tumbling down stone fences. It was as though the entire place was collapsing with its own weight. She sighed and walked slowly into the bedroom. There, also, was an enormous old bed with a dark blue canopy over it. Tables and chairs were scattered about willy-nilly. The window in this room sported a small balcony outside with shriveled vines weaving in and out of the railing.

Yvonne appeared and they greeted each other fondly and with enthusiasm. Yvonne said, "Vickie, have you ever seen anything like this place?"

"No! no. I never have, but then I have not gone about very much."

"They don't seem to have any servants. Just an old cook. She is a dear, actually. Also an old man who tries to take care of things outside."

"I have noticed that. We will have to hire some as soon as possible. I wonder how long they have tried to run this place with only themselves and two servants."

"I think it has been about three years now."

"Yvonne, do you think I could have a tub bath? I do not think I have ever gone so long without one. I feel very gritty."

"I'll see -- my lady." This last was spoken with a little curtsey and an exaggerated look of subservience.

"And do not forget that I am a lady now. That advances your position in the world, does it not?"

"It would in London. I can't say about here." Yvonne stopped on her way out the door and asked, "Where is Fanny? I thought she would come barging in here before now."

"Oh, Jonathon fired her. Let me tell you about what has happened." Victoria spent several minutes giving Victoria the news about her potential improvement in health and the firing of Mrs. Ricketts.

"I am so glad she is gone. Miss Bloggs has always thought that old harridan has been overdosing you. Are you feeling better?"

"A little, but Lord Burlingale says it will take a long time for me to become completely well and independent of the narcotic. I still am very weak and get shaky if I go too long without it. He gives it to me in tiny doses and is gradually taking me off it altogether."

"I will go see about your bath now, my lady."

"Thank you."

About thirty minutes later Victoria heard a thumping on the stairs and then a knock on the door. There stood Christopher with a long metal tub dragging behind him. He looked at her shyly and asked where she wanted him to put it. Victoria looked around and decided to have it placed in front of the fireplace. This room was warmer than the ones downstairs, but was still not warm enough to encourage bathing anywhere but in front of the fireplace.

There followed more noise on the stairs and Maria Louise and Clarissa came in carrying large cans of hot water, followed by Yvonne with a can of cold water.

Maria Louise and Clarissa poured the water in the tub and Victoria caught a very sulky look on Maria's face. Clarissa looked a little more cheerful, but she did not appear happy to be taking the place of a footman. Victoria vowed to remedy the situation as soon as she possibly could. It was unconscionable for these children to have to substitute for servants. She thanked them all profusely, but they simply made little bows without answering.

She took a long soaking bath and let Yvonne wash her hair. She was sitting in a chair by the window wearing only a warm robe of pale pink wool when Jonathon knocked on the door. She called, "Come in."

He saw that she was relaxed from her bath, and did not seem to be suffering too much from the journey. Her face looked as though it had a little more color in it. Perhaps a reflection of the pink garment, but he was not sure.

"How do you feel, Vickie?"

"Much better than I did before I had my bath. However, I think I would have satisfied myself with a sponge off if I had realized the children would have to bring the bath tub and water up here."

"I thought Mother would have re-hired a few of our servants, but she said she did not want to do it without my say. I will take care of it soon. I am sorry, Vickie. I know this is quite a let-down after the way you have always lived."

As she watched him chew subconsciously, on his full red lip, something primitive surfaced inside her and she had to fight it down with all of her will power. She felt a longing to take his face in her hands and cover it with kisses. A blush crept up her body flushing her face with becoming color.

She felt Jonathon's searching look, which only deepened the blush. "Come here, Jonathon," she said softly and reached out for him, tugging him to her chair where he dropped down on a small footstool that was near. He continued to search her face for evidence of illness, but could detect nothing.

Victoria thought of the previous week and the way Jonathon had held her as she began to tremble when her body was demanding the evil medicine. She thought of how good it felt to have him there and was tempted to cling to the need for laudanum in order to keep him close. Instead she said, "Jonathon, I think I am about over the need for laudanum and my brain feels clearer than ever in my adult life. I can barely remember feeling so well. It was while I was a very young child. I think I am going to get well. I will always have you to thank for that."

"Oh, my dear Vickie, I hope I was right. I have had some misgivings about it, but you are looking better each day."

"What I am trying to say is that what you have given me is far more valuable than you will ever know."

"It has cost you quite a bit."

"Not really. It is only money. If you do not have health and have all the money in the world you are very poor."

"You are now a marchioness and an important member of the aristocracy. Maybe that will add a little to the benefits you will realize," Jonathon said, lifting his eyebrows as though seeking her agreement.

Victoria simply stared at him for a moment and then lowered her eyes so he could not read the disdain she felt. Having been rich all of her life and at the same time unable to pay much attention to the goings on in society the great honor of being a marchioness was lost on her. Nevertheless, she murmured, "Oh, I am sure."

Chapter Seven

Jonathon left Victoria's room with his eyebrows drawn together in a deep frown. He thought of how Victoria had looked and her hopes for good health. It was gratifying to be instrumental in bringing about her new expectations, but at the same time he felt guilty because of bringing her so far away from her home and friends. Even though she protested that she had few friends, he was aware of her active participation in charities -- as much as her limited health would permit.

He worried about what moving her to this remote area would mean if she became strong enough to take her place actively in society. How would she adjust to a home that was centuries old and primarily a farm, or collection of farms?

He was also distressed about the bleakness of the place, which had not bothered him until he saw it through Victoria's eyes.

There were other things that caused the deepening frown. He did not know anything about running this vast estate, and would find it necessary to shift his interests from medicine to farming. The estate manager had been dismissed soon after his father died, because the money was scarce then and his older brother had felt he could take care of the property.

Jonathon heard loud voices as he approached the drawing room. His sisters were having a very heated discussion. When he stepped into the room they became silent and looked at him apprehensively.

"What is the ruckus all about?"

"Oh, nothing," said Clarissa.

"It did not sound like nothing. I would like to know. Perhaps I can help."

"Maria says we will have to move to the dower house now that Victoria, or I mean the new Lady Burlingale, has arrived."

Jonathon looked at them blankly. He had not given that possibility any thought. It was traditional when a new mistress arrived for the older woman to remove to the dower house. He decided that was one problem which could be postponed until all were more settled.

"I do not believe you need worry about that for a while. Right now I have got to go into the village and try to find as many of our former servants as are still available. I may need to hire a few more when I have assessed what needs to be done."

The girls sighed in relief. Clarissa took her place at the old piano and Maria picked up a dress she was remodeling.

Maria was something of a scholar, but was also an expert seamstress. She could look at a picture and copy a garment almost exactly. She kept all of their clothes in good repair and often took her outgrown things and adjusted them for Clarissa.

Clarissa was already an accomplished pianist at the age of eleven. She had two passions in life. Music and horses. All of the horses had been sold, but she still had her music, but she longed for a good teacher so she would know how to play the music correctly. Her library was filled with book after book of classical as well as contemporary music, but she read the notes and played and wondered if she was making the sounds the composer had intended.

"Jon, do you think we will be able to have some horses?" she asked while she was leafing through the music on the piano.

"Yes, Button. I plan to get the stables stocked as soon as I can. All of this will take time. I just got here, you know."

"I know. I just miss the horses so much."

"It has been extremely difficult for you hasn't it dear? First your beloved father dies; you find yourself having to cut back on many luxuries and then you brother used very bad judgment and left us all in the soup."

"How could he ever do that? I just never thought Harold could do such a thing. How could he just gamble away all we own?" Maria asked.

"I do not think he intended to. Our finances were in trouble and I think he expected he would make a big win when he gambled and restore our fortune. Unfortunately that rarely happens."

"I miss him. That was a stupid bet. The one on the race," Clarissa said. "I would know better than to make a wager on a race like that."

"Maybe we should remember the good things about him. I know you loved him. He was a good brother and he was distressed to know we were in such dire circumstances."

"Uh -- Jon?" Maria hung her head in embarrassment. "Uh-Jonathon?"

"Yes, I am listening."

"What about Lady Burlingale? She is so scrawny and not a bit pretty. Why did you marry her?"

"Maria Louise, I do not want you ever to refer to your sister-in-law like that again. Victoria has been ill for many years. I am hoping I have discovered what has caused her illness and that she will steadily improve. In the meantime she deserves all of your respect. She has sacrificed a lot to marry me and come so far from home. She has always lived in luxury and I am sure this place is a shock to her."

"Our home? A shock! Why, I just love it here," Clarissa said, indignantly. "Or I did when we had our horses and servants and other things."

"Maybe Victoria will learn to love it after she has been here a while. I know it will be easier when we have people to help with the work."

"I would think any woman would just love to have you for a husband," Maria said. "I know if I ever marry I hope I can find a husband as handsome as you."

Their conversation was interrupted by Christopher who had a small boy trailing behind him. The young boy looked to be a year or two years younger than Christopher. The child shuffled and hung his head.

"Who have we here?" Jonathon asked.

"I do not know his name, Jon. He will not tell me, but he is the little boy who Yvonne brought with her."

"Come here, child." Jonathon said, softly.

The little boy moved slowly across the room, keeping his eyes on the floor. Jonathon sat in a chair close to the fireplace and pulled the child into the light. He drew a breath of surprise and distress when he saw the healing burns on the little fellow. He put a big, gentle hand under the child's chin and raised his face so he could see into it. There were healing burns on his forehead, and cheeks, and his hair looked like it had been singed.

"What is your name, young man?" He asked, seething inside that anyone could use a child so harshly.

The child turned his head from side to side and mumbled something unintelligible.

"I am a doctor. Will you let me look at those burns?"

The little boy nodded his head and moved a bit closer to Jonathon.

Jonathon looked closely at the burns on the child's face, and arms and then turned him around so he could examine the backs of his legs. He lifted the loose garment the child was wearing and caught his breath. Great, angry streaks of sores covered most of the child's chest and back. It seemed the only place that had escaped was his tiny buttocks, causing Jonathon to wonder if the child had been sent up the chimney in nothing but a pair of pants.

"May I call you Peter, until we know what your real name is? I do not want to just keep saying 'little boy'.

A smile lit up the child's face and he looked into Jonathon's eyes and said, "Peter is the best name I could ever have."

The fairly long sentence surprised and encouraged Jonathon. "I would like to take you to your room and treat those burns if you will let me."

To a child who had been accustomed to being ordered about with no thought for his opinion, this was a strange request. He nodded his head. Jonathon started to pick him up, but thought better of it and took his hand instead. He called to Christopher, "Will you get my medical bag? I think I have something in there that will make Peter more comfortable."

Christopher dashed off to do his adored brother's bidding and returned in a flash. He followed Jonathon and Peter through the kitchen and to the little room which Tilney had made into a sleeping room for the little boy. They encountered Tilney on the way through and she gave Jonathon a speaking look. He nodded at her and proceeded on to the room.

"Is it all right if Christopher comes in?" he asked Peter.

Peter nodded. He looked afraid, but remained quiet when Jonathon removed his clothes. As was the custom of children of that age he had no clothes under the dress-like garment he had been wearing.

Jonathon examined Peter and determined that his wounds had been well attended to by Victoria's servants and by Yvonne. He cleaned each wound with a gentleness that seemed impossible in a man so large. He then spread each one with a salve he kept in his satchel for that purpose. When he was satisfied he had done all he could he dropped the loose garment back over Peter's head and kissed him.

Peter looked so startled that Jonathon was afraid he was going to run. He was sure Peter had never been shown the least bit of affection in his life. Well, they would have to remedy that.

"Christopher, where were you and Peter going?"

"I thought some of my clothes would fit him. I was going to my room to see. I know I have some things that I cannot wear anymore and I want him to have them."

"Of course. That is a good thing for you to do, but I think it best right now that we just leave him in this loose garment until his burns are healed."

"Jon, how did he get those awful burns?"

Reality was about to thrust itself on Christopher. He had always been a well- loved and cherished child. He was a lively, mischievous youngster, but had never known harsh treatment at the hands of any adult.

"Peter was used by a chimney sweep. He was sent up chimneys to clean them out. They use very small boys for that. It is a cruel practice and there are people trying to get a law passed against it, but so far with little success."

Christopher put both hands across his mouth as though trying to stifle a scream.

"It seems that Peter was sent up a chimney in which the fire was not completely out. He was pretty severely burned and left to die. A man who works for Victoria, Lady Burlingale, found Peter and brought him to her. She asked her maid to bring him here until it is decided what to do for him."

As Peter listened to the story his large brown eyes got bigger and bigger. He had not had any notion of how he had gotten to this place or why. He had been very ill when he was first taken to the Tremayne's and all he could recall was being bathed and his burns being covered with some greasy stuff that made him feel a little better. However, he had been in considerable pain during the entire trip to the Burlingale estate, and was too ill to wonder what was happening, but he was sure it was not anything good. He had never had anything good happen to him. Having a nice little bed, just off the warm kitchen, was a luxury he could never have dreamed.

"I am so glad. When he gets well we can play together," Christopher asked. "Will, Lady -- Lady -- uh, will she send me back?"

"Send you back?" Jonathon asked in a puzzled voice. "Send you back where?"

"To the chimney sweep." Great tears dropped down his cheeks.

"Oh, no. I know she will never do that. She tries to rescue all the little children she possibly can from such treatment. Now you are not to worry about things. You are safe here and I can absolutely guarantee that you will never have to do anything that will hurt you."

Peter leaned back on the bed and curled up in a little ball and sobbed uncontrollably for a while. Jonathon and Christopher watched helplessly. There seemed nothing could be done until the child had let all of his hurt and fear come flowing out with the tears. When his sobbing finally subsided, Jonathon patted his tiny shoulders and said, "I think you need to lie there and sleep a little while, until dinner." He pulled a blanket over Peter and tucked it around him.

Peter nodded his head, but did not look up.

As Jonathon and Christopher went back through the kitchen Tilney asked, "How is he, Jonathon?"

"His burns are healing. His emotions are in a turmoil and will take more time."

"How could anyone treat a tiny boy like that? How could they?"

"I do not have an answer for you. I went into medicine because I want to help people. I just cannot understand the amount of selfishness and cruelty that will cause someone to exploit little children."

Victoria decided to have her evening meal in her room. She was feeling tired from the journey and the several trips she had made up various sets of stairs. She called Yvonne and told her to bring a tray to her room.

A couple of hours later there was a knock on the door and she called, "Come in."

Jonathon came into the room carrying a large tray laden with food, dishes and cutlery. He set the tray down on a large dresser and pulled a small stand table over to a window.

"Jonathon, what a nice surprise. You are going to eat with me?"

"Yes, I thought I would if you do not object."

She saw a rather shy look on his face and wondered why he would think she might not want him to eat with her. This man was certainly complicated.

He placed the tray on the edge of the table and took the dishes off it one at a time placing the serving dishes to the inside. He then put plates and cutlery along with a serviette on each side of the table.

"I thought you would want to eat with your family tonight. You have not been with them for a long time."

"I will have breakfast with them, and then I must go into town and try to rehire the best of our servants that had to be let go."

He placed chairs next to the table and led Victoria over as if she were a little child. She could feel his studied gaze on her and she thought he must have the same look when he dissected a frog. She did not like it.

"How are you feeling, Vickie?"

"Better than I have for a long long time. I am tired from the journey, but I feel very well."

"You will begin to feel even better when you start eating as a grown woman and put on a little weight." He served her a helping of each of the foods and then served himself.

"So that is it. You want to be sure I eat."

"Well, maybe."

"And here I thought you wanted my irresistible company," she said, teasingly.

"I do want to talk to you. What did you plan to do about the child Yvonne brought here?"

"I have not made a decision about that. I just wanted him away from that monster who let him get burned so badly. How is he? I have never seen the child."

"I treated his burns today and gave him a name. It seems he does not even know his name or could not remember it."

"That is often the case with those little children. They are sold to the chimney sweeps while they are small and before they have any idea who they are. I have taken in several of them. What did you name him?"

"Peter. He seemed to like it."

"I do, too. I will try to find out what his real last name is, but it will take a while. As for what to do with him can he not just stay here? Heaven knows there is plenty of room."

"Yes, I think that would be best for him. Besides Christopher has taken him under his wing."

They finished their meal mostly in silence seeming to have exhausted any subject of mutual interest. Jonathon tried to urge more food on Victoria when she quit eating, but she refused. After a while he bid her good night and left.

Victoria looked after his departing figure and sighed. She was almost sure she was falling in love with her handsome giant of a husband and she was at a total loss to know how to cope with such unfamiliar feelings. She could speak French and German fluently, was an excellent mathematician, and was considered a blue- stocking by her few acquaintances. She had read a vast array of books, but not one of them gave her any idea of what a woman did to win a man.

She walked to the mirror and scrutinized herself. One think she did know -- she had to improve her appearance. She looked like a scarecrow. A virile young man would be hesitant to even touch her. He would be afraid she might break.

She went to bed with some of these thoughts churning in her brain and her dreams were capricious and erotic.

She awakened the following morning feeling rested and alert. She stretched and consulted a small watch she had laid on a side table. Although it was early she actually felt hungry which surprised her. She had not felt hungry for many, many years.

"I believe I will go down stairs for breakfast today," she said to the image in the mirror.

She did not wish to awaken Yvonne at such an early hour, so she quickly dressed and went to the dining room. No one was there, but she heard voices coming from the kitchen. There, sitting around the table was the entire Burlingale family as well as Peter.

She hesitated in the doorway and was about to turn back so as not to disturb the family gathering when Jonathon saw her. He arose and made a little bow, took her elbow and escorted her into the room.

"It is good to see you, Vickie. I did not expect you so early. Here, let me get you some food."

"Continue with your breakfast, Jonathon. I can serve myself. That way I can get what I want."

"Very well." He did not sit down, though, until she had served herself and was ready to be seated. He pulled out a chair to his left, took her plate and set it on the table then helped her into the chair.

The eyes of the family were collectively on them. It gave Victoria a feeling of insecurity that she would have found hard to explain.

She buttered a roll and took a bite, looked up and smiled. "Good morning. It is good to see all of you. And who is this? I do not believe we have met." She looked at Peter whose enormous eyes blinked questions at her and then he lowered his lids and ducked his head so low it almost touched his plate.

"This is Peter," Christopher said. "We are going to be best friends as soon as he feels well enough to play."

"Peter, I am Lady Burlingale. I am so glad I have finally been able to meet you."

Peter's large brown eyes opened wide, completely dominating his thin little face. He looked at Victoria with unabashed adoration. He did not have the vocabulary to thank her for rescuing him from the chimney sweep, but his eyes said it all.

Maria Louise and Clarissa Ann murmured an excuse and left the table. Cordelia soon followed.

"I am sorry if I interrupted a family discussion," Victoria said.

"You are part of the family. You did not interrupt."

"They behaved as if I had."

"I am not sure what that was all about. Maybe they thought we wanted to be alone."

The two little boys soon asked to be excused. At least Christopher did for the two of them. That was another thing that was out of Peter's realm of experience.

"I am going into the Village to hire some servants. Do you need anything?"

"I cannot think of a thing. I have not been here long enough to know if there is anything we need. I expect your mother or Tilney would have a better idea than I."

"I have a list from them, but I thought you might have remembered something that you had forgotten to bring with you."

Victoria laughed, "I think I brought half of the contents of the London shops, so I will not be needing anything for quite a while.

Victoria could not remember eating as much breakfast before in her life as the one she had just finished. She sat sipping her coffee and studied Jonathon. He was dressed in some kind of brown coat and light tan britches. His shirt was a peculiar green. His boots looked like they had not been cleaned for days.

"Do you think, perhaps, you should hire a valet?" She asked. "Your clothes look like Christopher might have selected them."

He considered her with amusement in his eyes. "What a wifely thing to say." His voice was teasing.

Victoria blushed and stammered, "I often commented on Papa's clothes. I am sorry. I will not be so forward again."

"My dear, you can say whatever you want. I was just teasing you. Yes, you have the right of it. I do need a valet, but I am going to be so busy for a few months that it is not going to make any difference what I wear. I would simply frustrate a good valet. Besides I hate having someone making a fuss over me."

"You will need to get one you can trust and one who will take your wishes into consideration."

She arose from her chair and Jonathon escorted her to the drawing room. Ellen was sitting in a large chair off to herself. The girls were each engrossed in some reading; Cordelia was sewing and the little boys were on the floor playing with a set of toy soldiers. As Victoria entered the room Cordelia and her daughters got up and left as though on cue.

"Ellen, did you have breakfast?"

"Yes, dear. About a half hour ago."

"Did Cordelia and the girls have some chores to do? Is that the reason they left so abruptly?"

"I do not know, Vickie. They have not spoken to me since yesterday."

A puzzled frown appeared on Victoria's face. They had not been here long enough to have offended anyone so she could not imagine what the odd behavior was all about. She shrugged her shoulders and thought, Oh well, I guess everyone has some peculiarities. I will just have to discover what there's are. Right now I want to unpack all that stuff I brought with me from London. I have even forgot what is there.

Chapter Eight

Jonathon felt a sense of freedom as he rode Pegasus into the little village of Burlingdale, which derived its name from the Burlingale family. He could now hire servants for the household as well as be able to invest monies in repairing and upgrading the farms.

The first order of business was to secure a competent staff to clean and serve the enormous estate. It was fortunate that he was able to locate most of his servants. Work was scarce in these parts and especially this time of the year so they were delighted to be offered their old jobs. In addition he hired more stable hands and several temporary people to clean. He hoped that Victoria would be more in charity with the old place if it shined as bright as it was possible without a major overhaul.

The following days the house was buzzed with activity. The downstairs rooms were all thoroughly cleaned, fuel brought in, food stored and a great deal of cooking was done. They had just finished some of the more pressing chores when the weather worsened.

It began to sleet and snow and the temperature dropped rapidly. The cold, wet north wind pounded the enormous structure, penetrating every room. The windows rattled and the doors creaked allowing the cold air and even snow to seep in. The north rooms became impossible to keep warm. Everyone who had been occupying those rooms was moved to the south side.

The frigid air was matched by the frigid behavior of Jonathon's family. It became quite evident that Cordelia and her daughters were making an exit from any room that Victoria entered. This puzzled her. She had not had any experience interacting with a family and she was not quite sure what to do about it, but the new Victoria was becoming strong and feisty. She decided to confront Cordelia and demand an explanation of her and her daughter's behavior.

Therefore, one cold, gray afternoon she made her way to Cordelia's chambers. She tapped lightly on the door and a pert little maid greeted her. "Good afternoon, my lady."

"Is Lady Burlingale in?"

"I'll see."

The young woman came back with her eyes lowered and said, "She is taking a nap, my lady."

"Is she asleep?"

"Well -- uh, no."

Victoria suspected the maid had been told that Cordelia did not want to see her so she pushed by the girl and stalked into the living room.

"Cordelia, I think we need to talk."

"Lady Burlingale, I think it very rude of you to come barging into my rooms like this."

"I believe it is the only way I am going to be able to get to the bottom of what is going on with you and your daughters. You are treating me as if I had a plague. I assure you I do not. I have been sickly, but I am on the mend thanks to Jonathon."

"As soon as the weather permits we will remove to the dower house. That is where we belong now. You are the marchioness, not I. You will have your home all to yourself then."

Victoria's mouth dropped open and she stood looking at Cordelia as though she had sprouted a set of horns. "Move to the dower house! Why on earth would you do that?"

"It is the custom. You are not of the beau monde. I guess you do not understand our customs. You do not appreciate what a marvelous match you have made by marrying my son. I expect you never, ever expected to be a marchioness."

"I never, ever expected to be a wife. I had never given any serious thought to marriage since I thought I was in such poor health that it would be out of the question."

"My dear Victoria," she said in a tone of voice that would have been more suited to calling Victoria 'you little fool'. "You have a very important position in society. I know your father is a Cit, but I think Jonathon's consequence can overcome that."

Victoria could not believe what she was hearing. She would have never judged Cordelia to be such a snob. They were in such bad loaf when Jonathon married her that she had never expected anything but gratitude. It seems she was the one who was supposed to be grateful.

"Stuff and nonsense," Victoria snapped. "My mother was the daughter of a duke and my grandmother the daughter of an earl and my great-grandmother the daughter of an earl."

Cordelia's expression changed from haughty to incredulous. She bent her head and her shoulders slumped. "Jonathon never told me that."

"I expect he did not think it important. My money was the only thing that was important to Jonathon," Victoria said with bitterness giving her voice a cutting edge. "It seems he was only slightly reluctant to accept the money of a wealthy Cit."

Cordelia paled and appeared overcome with embarrassment. "We were in very dire straits -- he had little choice."

"I know that. It was a marriage of convenience. We have come to a satisfactory agreement, but I cannot live with a family who treats me as though I might have a contagious disease."

"I said we will remove to the dower house as soon as the weather permits."

"My God, woman. Why would I want to live in this run down pile of rocks with only my servants and Jonathon? That is the most maggoty thing I have ever heard. There is enough room we should move in several more families, not have one move out."

"Well, now that is another thing. I do not like for Christopher to play with a child from the gutter. Why in the world would you bring a child like that here?"

Victoria became truly speechless for the first time in her life. She plopped down in a chair and sighed. She looked around the room not seeing anything her eyes passed over. Finally she found her voice and said, "Do you really think that poor little abused child is going to corrupt Christopher? Do you have so little faith in your method of raising your children to think that Peter can cause Christopher to go astray?"

"Well -- "

"I am supporting a home in London that is full of those poor unfortunate babies. I also have a home for child prostitutes. I expect that really makes me an outcast. As I see it, society has a lot to answer for to let little children be so abused. I am just trying to do my little part to make things better."

"A young girl should not even know about such things. You certainly should not talk about them. I do not want you saying anything to my girls about such people."

"But for the grace of God one of those unfortunate people could have been one of your girls. They are just children who have fallen onto bad times. I have read a lot of Hanna More's works and about the work Wilberforce has been doing. I thought I had a fatal disease and I wanted to do something before I died that would benefit a few people. I decided a long time ago that those of us who are fortunate enough to have plenty of the good things in life should give back something to society."

"Everyone should have charities and help the lesser people," Cordelia said with a little prim pursing of her lips.

"It seems I have rescued a very ungrateful element of society by throwing my money into this broken down old estate. I certainly get more thanks from the chimney boys and the young girls I help." Victoria said and stopped herself before she went to a place of no return. Some way or another she was going to be required to live with this haughty woman and her family and she knew if she said much more there would be no way to resolve that.

"Cordelia, when the weather permits, you can move to the dower house if you do not want my company, but until then I think it would be a good idea for you to allow me to make friends with your children -- if I can. If after I have done my best to win them over and they still do not want to have anything to do with me, then that is their business -- and yours."

"I will do my best," Cordelia said in a small voice. "I will speak to them this evening."

"That is all I ask. Just let me get to know them and go from there."

Victoria left the warm room and was met by a blast of cold air from the hall. She pulled her shawl closer about her shoulders and thought of the encounter with Cordelia. One good thing came of it besides learning what the peculiar behavior of her mother-in-law and Jonathon's sisters was all about. That was her perception of herself. She had felt like a guest for the month she had been here. Cordelia's offer to move to the dower house brought home to her, that she, Victoria, was indeed the mistress here.

She skipped a little step or two and looked around. Well if this is going to be my home the place is going to undergo a dramatic change. I will write John Nash tomorrow and see if I can persuade him to come here and make some major renovations. I suppose I should speak to Jonathon about it first.

She ran down the long flight of stairs, feeling light hearted and free. It was not until she reached the bottom that she became aware of the way in which she had moved. I am really going to be well, she thought. I am going to be able to live like a normal woman. Oh! thank God and thank Jonathon.

She walked briskly down the cold hall. She passed enormous picture of hunters with their dogs yapping at a poor terrified fox. Several coats of armor were along the walls in various states of disrepair. One looked like its head had been lopped off and was hanging by a thread; the spear of one had tilted forward and was touching the floor; another had collapsed from rust. Those things are going to be the first to go. I have never seen anything so ugly. This whole place is like a run-down mausoleum, not a place for living people. Her thoughts about the state of the place she was supposed to call home for the rest of her life were still running through her mind when she went in search of Jonathon. She could not wait to tell him her plans to renovate the entire structure, inside and out.

"Have you seen Jonathon?" she asked their newly hired butler.

"Yes, my lady. He is in his study."

"Thank you Perkins," she smiled at him and the butler only just remembered he was supposed to stay very serious, therefore he simply nodded his head slightly.

Victoria entered the study without knocking. Jonathon was standing at a large window looking out at the building storm. He turned slowly as he became aware that Victoria was in the room. A smile spread over his handsome features and Victoria caught her breath.

His blond hair was almost as long as it had been when she first met him. He was not wearing a coat, but stood there in a flannel shirt which did nothing to conceal the ripple of muscle underneath. His legs were encased in trousers which were loose and thick. his boots appeared suited for tramping around in the rapidly falling snow or perhaps the barnyard. I do not think he is in any danger of ever becoming a dandy, Victoria thought. The thought pleased her for some reason.

"Good afternoon, Vickie. How are you?"

"I am very well, Jonathon. However, I cannot remember every having so much trouble staying warm. This place is like an iceberg. I had no idea the climate in this part of the country is so cold."

"It isn't usually. We are having very unusual weather."

"But, Jonathon, we should not experience so much difficulty keeping the rooms warm. We are burning fuel at an alarming rate."

"Yes, I realize that," he said with some irritation.

"Do you not think it would be advisable to instigate some major renovations as soon as the weather permits?"

"Not until I get the farms paying a profit. There just is not enough money. I must put every spare bit of blunt into equipment, seed, and repair on the farmhouses. They are worse than this."

"Unbelievable!"

"You are really very disappointed in your new home are you not, my dear?"

She went over to where he was standing and looked into his face and saw lines of worry. She sensed he was totally out of his element with the management of these vast estates, and knew he was perfectly suited to being a kind, country doctor. Her heart ached for him because he was being thrust into a situation that was not to his liking. For some undefined reason she felt the need to make things better -- to protect him from the harshness of the reality that was bedeviling him.

"Jonathon, I have money. Money I simply have no use for. It is just lying there in banks in London drawing interest. I could use some of that to renovate this place."

"I simply will not agree to that. Do you hear? I have already taken too much money from you. The work on the house will just have to wait."

She nodded in agreement, but Victoria was not so easily thwarted when she embraced what she considered a just cause. However, she kept this to herself and said, "I understand. I will not mention it again." She was true to her word. She did not mention it again, but simply went on with her plans and bided her time.

Jonathon turned back to the window and a very large sigh escaped before he could suppress it. There were so many things he needed to attend to and it would be folly to venture outside in the storm that was becoming alarming in its intensity.

Large flakes of snow were coming down as if they had been dumped from a hay-wagon. The wind blew from the north and slanted the flakes away from this south window. The snow was gradually making a wonderland of the overgrown garden, but he was in no mood to appreciate the beauty being created there.

"I need to go to Burlingame and also some of the nearer farms, but I doubt I would get very far in this." He gestured towards the window.

"I think it would be unadvisable to go anywhere today," Victoria agreed.

"I know."

"Is there not work that needs doing here? Preparations for when the weather clears?" Victoria asked.

"I was working on the books when I quit to see what the storm is doing."

"Maybe I can help," Victoria said as she walked over to where he was standing.

"What? Help with the books?"

"Yes. Is that so unbelievable?" Victoria asked. She turned her face up to him with a little smile on her lips.

"No women in our family ever have. They always leave the business to the men in the family and seem quite content with the arrangement," he said with the haughty tone she had come to expect when he was defending a position.

"I used to help Papa a lot. I seem to have a mind for mathematics, and since I was not trying to break into society Papa saw no reason to keep me from developing my skill."

He moved over to the large desk where he had several books open. "The entries are not up to date and they are sparse. I have really been a little lost as to where I should begin. My brother let the manager go when Father died. He meant to take care of the business himself."

Victoria took one of the large ledgers and dropped down in a chair to the side of the desk. She glanced at it and then started running her index finger down a column of figures. She took a pen and made a notation and then turned the page. She ran her finger down this page and a deep frown formed on her forehead. "Jonathon, these books are completely askew. The addition is not even correct."

"I know."

"Who made these entries?"

"I am not sure. Either the manager or Harold. What is the date?"

"It is difficult to read, but I think it is 1810."

"The manager was still taking care of them at that time."

"That gentleman was either very inept or dishonest. We will need to start back several years and go through all of these accounts to have any idea where you stand!"

"What do you mean, 'we'?" He asked and his brows met in the middle of his forehead in a distinctly disapproving frown.

"I simply thought I could help." Victoria offered in a bright, hopeful tone. She really wanted something to do that would engage her mind and she knew she could handle the books and find the cause of the discrepancies.

"I do not think that will be necessary," Jonathon said.

She looked up at him and her expression was quizzical. "Why do you not want me to help you? Do you think I do not know how?"

"I don't know. It simply does not seem right. Why should you do something so mundane?"

"It so happens that I do not consider it mundane. I like to work with figures. I have the ability to spot errors like some people hear wrong notes in music. It is something that I developed when I was unable to do other things. Papa encouraged it. He brought books home for me to search for errors."

"Well, he is a business man."

"Oh, ho! Now I see. Since I am now a lofty marchioness I should forget that I have a brain for anything but sewing, painting or perhaps singing. Is that it?"

"Well -- "

"I can see that you did not completely escape your mother's influence."

"Now what is that supposed to mean?" he asked and the frown was back.

"Figure it out." She flounced out of the room with a briskness that astonished Jonathon. He had never seen Victoria move like that. It intrigued him.

Victoria went to her room and called for Yvonne. Since they had servants now the meals had become more formal. The younger children were given their meals in what was normally the classroom, whereas when Victoria had first arrived everyone had eaten together in the large kitchen. Now they had meals in the big, uncomfortable dining room and Cordelia made it clear she expected everyone to dress for dinner. Victoria did not mind that, but she did miss the children. Peter was relegated to eating with the servants.

Two hours later Victoria met Ellen in the hall as they made their way to the drawing room where they always assembled before they went into dinner.

"I have not seen much of you lately, Ellen. What are you doing with your time?"

"I have spent a lot of time in the library. There are many wonderful and valuable selections. I think there are books there that are as old as this estate."

"I would not be surprised. I don't think they have ever redone the place or disposed of anything. It is all going to come tumbling down one of these days if something is not done to restore it."

"Victoria?" Ellen asked. Her voice sounded hesitant.

"I can tell you have something on your mind when you use that tone of voice. What is it?"

"I am concerned that these children are getting no formal schooling. Has Lord Burlingale said anything about the children's education?"

"He is so overwhelmed by learning how to run things on the estate that he has had little time to think about it, I suspect."

"You would expect Lady Burlingale to do something about it." Ellen said.

"I doubt she is worried about schooling, especially for the girls and she probably thinks there is plenty of time for Christopher."

"I could set up a classroom for Clarissa and Christopher. I think Maria Louise needs something more. She is quite a scholar, did you know that?"

"I have had little opportunity to become well acquainted with her yet. I am going to remedy that soon." Victoria said. She thought of the conversation, only that morning, with Cordelia and grinned at the memory of the confrontation.

"Do you think Lord Burlingale would approve of my starting lessons for the children?"

"We will find out this evening. I would like Peter to be included. I do not know just yet where his abilities lie, but I think everyone needs to learn to read and do simple sums. Hanna More says so anyway."

"Yes, I know, but much of the aristocracy does not agree. They have been quite belligerent about it."

"That is true, and it is too bad of them."

They arrived at the door of the drawing room and a footman opened it for them. Jonathon was talking to his mother, but turned as they came in. He had a frown firmly in place. It seems like he frowns a lot these days, Victoria thought. I wonder what the problem is now?"

"Good evening Victoria, Miss Bloggs. You both look lovely tonight," he said formally and with not the slightest trace of friendliness.

Chapter Nine

Victoria thought the compliment was somewhat forced and formal. She was sure he was still miffed at her because of the encounter in his study, but nodded to acknowledge his compliment. She greeted Cordelia with a warm smile, but that lady was as frosty as if she had spent time in one of the snowdrifts that piled up against the house. Neither of the girls was in the room and Victoria wondered if Cordelia would honor her agreement to allow her to become better acquainted with her sisters-in-law. She shrugged her shoulders and accepted a glass of sherry from Jonathon as she dropped to a seat close to the fire. That was the only place where any warmth could be found. The storm was still raging outside and the cavernous house was virtually impossible to heat.

"Cordelia, are the children coming down tonight?" she asked.

"Maria Louise should be here soon. Clarissa and Christopher are taking their meal in the schoolroom. Their maid is with them." Her voice had the heavy sound of a person trying to explain something to someone slightly retarded. The implication was that Victoria could not possibly know how important it was for a maid to be in attendance on the children. It was evident that she had let her mind completely blot out their past poverty and she apparently wanted to feel that Victoria had nothing to do with their improved circumstances.

Maria burst into the room in a bubble of pink. Her dress was made of sheer pink wool merino and trimmed in layers of white lace. Her lovely blonde hair was pulled back and held by a large pink bow. The pink of the dress reflected in her face and gave it an ethereal glow.

"Maria Louise, you are absolutely stunning," Victoria said.

"Thank you." Maria answered, rather shyly.

"Is there someone here who makes your clothes? I brought several boxes of fabric and trimmings, but I have not taken time to have them unpacked."

Maria looked over at her mother as though hesitant to answer, but since Cordelia was conversing with Jonathon, Maria said, "I make my own things. I make Clarissa's also. I love to sew."

"So do I." Victoria was in alt to find something to converse about with her pretty new sister. "It is the one domestic skill I can boast of. Would you like to look through those boxes tonight or in the morning?"

"Oh, yes. I am running out of anything to sew. I found an old dress in the attic and made it over."

"Clever, clever. Jonathon, did you know your sister is so clever?"

"I know she does fine needlework. I have paid little attention, I am afraid."

Victoria plucked at his sleeve and he turned a belligerent gaze on her. She was startled at the animosity in his look, but she attributed it to his irritation with the weather. "Look at that pretty dress. Pay attention," she demanded.

He nodded his head slightly and then deliberately turned back to his mother without answering.

They went into supper with Cordelia on Jonathon's arm. It was an intended snub to Victoria, but she was totally oblivious to the significance of the behavior and happily tripped in with Ellen on one side and Maria Louise on the other, chattering about what she had brought from London and how much fun they could have planning clothes. Victoria longed for a real sister relationship with Maria, but she admitted to being as ignorant of how to achieve that state as she was of how to induce her husband to think a little more kindly towards her. I am glad I brought all that beautiful cloth and trimmings with me. That should go a long way in winning Maria's friendship. Now if I could just devise a way to win my husband's affection, things would not be so bad.

Jonathon seated Cordelia, and a footman seated Victoria as well as the other two women. When they were being served their soup Victoria brought up the idea of having Ellen start a study program for the children.

Jonathon paused with a spoon half way to his mouth. He lowered it and the frown returned. "We will have to discuss that at a later date. Right now I want to eat my meal in peace."

"I am sorry. I did not suppose the education of the children would be a controversial subject," Victoria said in a voice that sounded deceptively meek. "After dinner, perhaps?"

His nod was barely detectable. Victoria searched her mind for a clue to why he was being so unfriendly. Of course, she reasoned, she did not know him very well so maybe he was often given to the sullens. Lately he had been a little friendlier and even pleasant at times.

Maria Louise and Ellen conversed a little, but for the most part the meal was eaten in strained silence. Jonathon had seated his mother at the opposite end of the table from himself and was finding it difficult to communicate with her.

They had just finished their dessert when a footman came into the room and whispered something to Jonathon. Jonathon jumped up and said, "Excuse me. There has been a fire at one of the farms and there are people outside I need to see about."

Victoria arose quickly, nearly turning her chair over, and followed him down the stairs to the kitchen. Standing in the middle of the floor was a large man with carroty hair. His face was smudged with black and his shirt was full of burn holes. He grabbed his hat off and twisted it in his hands.

"I'm sorry to trouble you, m'lord, but I didn't know where else to go. We've had a terrible fire and I'm afraid everything has burned down."

"Is anyone injured, Jacob?"

"No, m'lord, but me wife and bairns are outside in the wagon. Theys awful cold, m'lord."

"Well, bring them inside, right this minute," Victoria said. "How many are there, Jacob?"

"M-wife, four kiddies and a pig."

Victoria could not suppress a smile in spite of the seriousness of the situation. "Perhaps the pig can be put in the barn, but bring your wife and children into the house before they freeze to death."

The farmer was not comfortable at following the dictates of such a forward female and he turned to Jonathon for his approval. "Is that the way of it m'lord? Can they stay here until I find what I'm to do with them?"

"Of course, Jacob. This is Lady Burlingale. Victoria, Jacob and his family work the farm just east of here."

"Let us make haste to get your family in here where it is warm, Jacob." Victoria urged.

"Oh, thank you, my lady, m'lord." He bowed almost to the floor as he went out. He returned soon with a pleasant young woman and four little children. The woman looked little more than a girl and Victoria could not imagine her being the mother of all of those children. Her dark brown hair was pulled back in a careless bun; her dark brown eyes were enormous and reflected the terror which she had just experienced. She hung her head shyly and looked up under her lashes like a bashful child. In her arms she cuddled a small baby. The other children clung to their mother's skirt, peeking around to see what horrid dangers might be lurking in this big, castle-like house.

"This is your wife and bairns, is it?" Jonathon asked. "I do not believe I have had a chance to become acquainted with them yet."

"Yes, m'lord. This is Martha. She's a holdin' Matthew, our newest, and that there's John, Mary and Naomi hiding behind their mother's skirts."

"Do we have some food for this little family, Tilney?" Victoria asked, but Tilney was already ordering cocoa and bread and butter to be spread on the table. Tilney's generosity and consideration for any one in trouble warmed Victoria's heart.

Jonathon listened to Jacob tell of how the house had caught fire when they overloaded the stoves, because of the unusual cold. He had tried to put it out, but soon saw how futile that was and concentrated on getting his mule and other livestock out of danger. Most of the animals had scattered, but they had found the little pig separated from its mother and scooped it up and put it in the wagon.

"I'm afraid everything is lost, m'lord. I'm that sorry."

"I think we can count ourselves fortunate that you all escaped with no one seriously injured. We can always rebuild a house. Loss of life is another matter."

"Yes, m'lord. That it is. I just don't know what to do. Our nearest folks is far away from here, and there's not going to be any rebuilding while this weather is so bad."

"We have plenty of rooms here. We will find living quarters for you. Goodness knows there are plenty of empty rooms in this house," Victoria said.

"Here, my lady?"

"Yes, why not. There are two full wings of this house that do not have a soul in them. Of course they are probably too cold for you to move into for a little while, but when we have lit fires and warmed the rooms you will have more room to rattle around in than you want."

"Lord Burlingale?" Jacob was still not going to recognize Victoria as having any authority.

"If Lady Burlingale says you can stay here, well, then of course it will be all right. I cannot think of anything else to do with you tonight at any rate."

"I will get someone started warming those rooms. You just sit here and finish your bread and cocoa. You had better let Jonathon look at those burned hands of yours, Jacob."

Victoria ascended the stairs with brisk purpose, but was intercepted by Cordelia as she started through the dinning room.

"You are not purposing to bring those people into our home are you, Victoria? I will not have my children around such people."

Victoria had to choke down a totally inappropriate remark and said in a quiet, but firm voice, "Those people are human beings like you and me and they have had a dreadful disaster. We, as owners of their farm, are responsible for them. They have no where else to turn tonight."

"I will take this up with Jonathon. I am certain he will insist they stay out in the barn." Cordelia said with her mouth compressed into a disapproving grimace.

"They would freeze to death in the barn. It must be twenty below out there and the wind is blowing hard. There is certainly no way to heat the barn," Victoria said. The thought crossed her mind that the barn might not be much harder to heat than this barn-like house they called a mansion.

Jonathon entered the room and could see the two women were in some kind of tug of war. "What is this?"

"Oh, simply a difference of opinion," Victoria said.

"She says she is having a portion of the west wing opened for that farmer's family. I will not have that Jonathan, I just will not," Cordelia stopped short of stomping her foot.

Jonathon's body slumped and his face looked troubled. He had a feeling these two women were going to go at each other until something was settled. He truly did not want to be bothered by such female fussing, but he supposed he was expected to solve their differences. However, he had not counted on Victoria when she was defending an underdog. She was dauntless.

"Cordelia, I remember just this afternoon you reminded me that I am now mistress of this estate. Do I remember correctly?"

"I suppose I did say something like that. I was trying to help you understand your position as a member of the aristocracy."

"All right, then. I say Jacob and his unfortunate little family are going to be given rooms, clothing, and food as long as they need it."

"Jonathon!" Cordelia wailed.

Jonathon stared at Victoria, who had stretched herself to her full height, which was considerable, and grinned. He had no idea he had married such a feisty woman.

"I imagine we can find places for them and there will be no need for you to cross their paths, Maman," he said as he turned to leave the dining room.

"Well, I never!" Cordelia huffed.

"Probably not," Victoria muttered under her breath.

"Vickie, when you get the family settled will you come to the study? We need to talk about a few things."

Now what have I done? Victoria asked herself.

After Jonathon ordered the stable boy to put the horses in the barn and fed a little grain he went to his study, loosened his cravat and sat in front of the fireplace thinking about the disaster that had befallen the McDougals. They had lost all of their meager belongings as well as the house. That was no small loss for a young, struggling family. Of course he would replace the house and help them any way he could, but it was a distressing situation.

He expected Victoria to arrive at any minute, but it was over an hour before she appeared. He was drinking brandy and felt a trifle foxed. He looked up when the door opened with a swoosh. Victoria hurried into the room with a breathless apology on her lips, "I am sorry, Jonathon. I hope I have not kept you from something important. It took longer to get everything worked out than I had anticipated."

"They are settled for the night, then?"

"Yes, but I could never have managed without Perkins. The rooms on the north are so cold that it would have taken hours for any of them to get warm enough to house a family of small children."

"And what was Perkins' solution?"

"He suggested the attic. It is nice and cozy up there with all of the chimneys passing through. We cleaned one end of the room and found bedding and even some dry clothes. Now they are settled for the night." Victoria was flushed with the excitement of having solved a troubling problem and felt very good about herself. "I was allowed to hold the baby. He is such a dear and has bright red hair like his father."

Jonathon had stood when Victoria entered the room and he now moved over to her. The colorful Spanish style shawl around her shoulders animated her face. Her dark hair had escaped its heavy braids and little tendrils curled around her temple and ears.

Jonathon's hands reached out to finger one of the curls as though against his will. He twisted a large finger into a curl that dangled over her left ear. His hand lightly brushed against her cheek. He touched her softness and moved closer and felt her lean toward him in a gesture of welcome. Azure eyes looked into soft hazel with an unmistakable invitation.

For an enchanting moment Victoria thought he was going to embrace her, but he stepped quickly back and turned to pour another small amount of brandy.

"Did you go up to the attic to see about them personally?"

"Of course."

"Do you realize how remarkable that is, Vickie?"

Victoria's moment of enchantment was over. For an instant she thought he was going to be loving. For an instant she felt some hope for their marriage, but he apparently was going to insist on keeping some distance between them.

"It is beginning to settle in. I feel tired, but I did make it up there and back. What did you want to see me about?"

He turned back to the fire and leaned one arm on the mantle. "What is this Mother tells me about you saying she is to move to the dower house when the weather clears?"

Victoria uttered a small profanity under her breath. She did not feel like rehashing the whole thing, but expected he needed to hear her side of that stupid conversation. She told him of the conversation she had had with Cordelia. "If she thinks I am not fit company for your sisters, then I think that may be the only solution. She relented a little when she found that my mother was of the aristocracy, but she said that Christopher could not play with Peter. I do not know how to keep them apart. They have become bosom buddies."

"I believe Mother is feeling insecure. She is a bit of a snob, but she will come around, I think. At any rate I will speak to her," he said. He had turned back around and indicated a chair for Victoria and then took the one opposite her.

"I think moving to the dower house would be a very foolish thing to do. I do not know what shape it is in, but we certainly do not lack for room here. We could house several families in this monstrosity." She bit her lip after uttering the disparaging words. When would she learn that this man considered his home holy.

"This monstrosity, as you call it, has been our home for several generations. I just wish you would try to be a little more understanding. I wish you would quit comparing it with that house of your father's. This is an estate which encompasses many other properties. We are living in a very historical home." His tone was haughty and the frown was back on his face.

"It does not have to remain so unlivable," Victoria said. "It can be improved without compromising its basic design or detracting from its historical significance. But we have strayed from the subject of this meeting -- now about the dower house?"

"The dower house probably needs to be completely renovated before it is livable."

"It would be wiser to start renovating here first," Victoria said, gesturing with her right hand as though to encompass the enormous structure.

"We cannot start renovating anything until the place begins to pay its way again, and that is going to take quite some time."

Victoria studied the stubborn line of his handsome jaw. She saw the proud lift of his head. The candlelight shown on his blonde hair turning it to burnished gold. His long frame was encased in a well-fitting, but worn, suit of a design that was popular a few years earlier. He was heartbreakingly handsome.

She longed to go over to him and lay all she owned at his feet. She had money in banks just making more money and doing no one any good. She had income from several rental properties and even part interest in a coal mine in Birmingham. She longed to make him realize that all of her wealth did not mean as much to her as his being the means of her improved health. That in itself was enough, but she knew without any equivocation that she had fallen deeply in love with this handsome, haughty, aristocrat.

She moved close to him and stroked his cheek. He turned his face into her hand and then reached up and took it at the same time he brought her other one up to join it. He then raised both hands to his lips and placed a light kiss in each palm.

"My dear Vickie. Without you I would have already had to move out of this old 'monstrosity'. I would have had to try to make a living as a doctor, and support Mother and the children on that. I could have done it after a while, but it would have been tough going at first. However, I would never have been able to restore estates that have been in our family for generations. For all of that I am grateful, but I cannot yet provide you with a home that meets the opulence to which you were accustomed."

Victoria reluctantly pulled her hands away. She wanted so much more than gratitude; her body ached for him to bring his arms around her and hold her close. She yearned for him to look at her with love, not gratitude, not pity, but love. However, she said simply, "Jonathon, all of that opulence does not mean even a fraction of what my improving health does. I now think I will be able to have a normal life. Thanks to you."

"Then I guess we are more or less even, are we not?"

"Even? No! I think not. All I have given you is things. You have given me life."

He looked away in embarrassment. It was hard to argue with her reasoning. He then turned back and again reached out to fondle the curl that kept falling over her ear. "You had better get to bed. You have had a busy day. Even though you are much improved we do not want you to overdo."

"Very well. Good night, Jonathon."

She left him standing there. His gaze lingered on the door long after she had disappeared. What he had felt for her tonight was quite different than he had experienced before. The animation in her face made her almost pretty and her strength of character was awesome. The decisive way she handled the situation with the McDougals revealed an ability to manage a trying situation very well. Of course she had put his mother's nose out of joint, but that was not all bad. Mother needed a little set-down occasionally.

He blew out all of the candles and left the room. He suddenly realized he was very tired. The frustration of the weather, the disaster with the McDougal's farm and the subsequent problems involved had left him feeling drained. He slowly ascended the stairs to his room which was on the other side of a sitting room situated between his and Victoria's bed room. The room was cold. The fire had nearly gone out. If I had a valet, he would have this room warm and my night clothes laid out. Perhaps I will see what I can do about that very soon.

Chapter Ten

Victoria was awakened by a shrieking sound coming from above. It sounded like someone in severe pain. She jumped out of bed, grabbed her robe and dashed out the door to run up the stairs as fast as she could possibly move. She heard the sound again which spurred her to even greater speed. I wonder what is happening. I have never heard anything like that. I wonder if one of the children is being hurt or has fallen or- or. Her thoughts were cut short by the emergence from the attic of a small pink animal, followed closely by John, Mary and Naomi. The little animal squealed in terrified vigor, and the children yelled for Victoria to stop their pig. Their pig? Pig! What is a pig doing in the house? She made an attempt to intercept the little animal, but he slipped neatly between her legs, pushing her gown and robe so tightly between her legs that it caused her to lose her balance and she fell with a resounding thud.

John and Mary swerved around her before she could ask any questions, but she grabbed Naomi, who was only about three years old, but was running as fast as her short little legs would allow.

"Naomi, what in the world is going on?" she asked as she held tightly to the squirming child.

"The pig got away, and we've gotta' catch him afore Pa finds out."

"What is a pig doing in the house?" Victoria held Naomi tighter, determined to get an answer if possible.

"Why, m'lady, Mary was afraid he would freeze out there in the barn so she sneaked out and brought him in. No one was supposed to find out."

"I guess we had better try to catch him, then." Victoria turned on the stairs and sprinted down them and into the long hall where the pig and children had disappeared. She looked up just in time to see the entire unlikely entourage go into the dining room. She ran as fast as she could to the dining room where she encountered unadulterated pandemonium. The children were on their hands and knees trying to reach the terrified pig, which had taken refuge under the table. Cordelia was standing in a corner with a horrified look on her face. Jonathon simply sat there with a stunned, surprised look on his.

"What the bloody hell?" he bellowed.

"The pig got away," Victoria yelled back.

"The pig got away? What pig?" he bawled.

"The McDougal's pig." Before she could further enlighten him the pig saw the door to the kitchen stairs open and made a dash for it. A footman entered with a well-laden tray of food. He lost his balance and fell into the room with the food and tray preceding him. Dishes clattered on the tiled floor adding to the cacophony of sound. Victoria jumped over him and dashed down the stairs after the pig. John fell over the footman; Mary jumped nimbly over both and Naomi dropped down on the floor in utter dejection and howled as loud as it was possible for one so small.

Jonathon joined the fray. He jumped up to help the footman and then quickly descended the stairs into the kitchen. There Jacob stood holding the pig and apologizing to Victoria. "I ain't been out in the barn since I left the little beastie last night. I didna' know they took him up stairs."

"John and Mary were afraid it would freeze out there without its mother." Victoria said. A smile tugged at her lips and she appeared to be about to burst into the giggles.

"Might have, but that ain't no excuse for them to fetch him inside."

"I think you need to see about Naomi." Jonathon turned to Martha. "It has all become too much for her and she is sitting in the middle of the room howling her head off."

Victoria's robe fell away from her shoulders and Jonathon stepped over to her and pulled it up and fastened the buttons and then tied the sash. A blush suffused her face.

"I am so sorry about all of the trouble, Jonathon. I had no idea they had taken the pig up there. I thought someone was in serious trouble so I did not do anything but throw on my robe and run to see. I have never heard a pig squeal before. What a penetrating sound."

"Yes, it will be fine. It was not your fault." He looked down and saw she was barefooted. "My heavens, woman. You do not have your shoes on."

"I rarely sleep in my shoes. I jumped right out of bed and ran. I feel fortunate to have been able to get my robe on. I thought some one was in severe pain."

He scooped her up in his arms and went quickly up the steps. "These floors are like ice. You will have a terrible cold."

"Jonathon, put me down. I feel enough a fool already."

The dining room had almost been restored to normalcy when they went through. Cordelia was sitting with a cup of tea in her hand and a disparaging frown on her face.

"Jonathon, put me down. I insist!"

"I cannot do that. The floors are too cold. Your feet will be chunks of ice by the time you get back to your bedroom." He tightened his grip.

She wiggled around causing him a deal of difficulty. She was about to wrest herself from his arms when he threw her over his shoulder with her head dangling half way down his back and marched out of the room with her protesting and beating on him. He laughed so hard he nearly dropped her, but hung on until he went into her bedroom where he dumped her, without ceremony, into the middle of her bed.

Victoria had never seen Jonathon laugh with such complete abandon. He had always been so reserved with her that she had wondered if he could unbend. He sat on the edge of the bed and roared. "That is the funniest thing I have seen since Harold and I used to get into such scrapes."

She sat up in bed and joined him in his mirth, but not with such complete abandon. She was truly embarrassed.

"Your mother probably will not wait until the weather clears to move to the dower house. She will probably move out today."

He looked out the window and could see there was no let up in the storm. It was snowing at a brisk clip, covering everything with a winter coat.

"I doubt she will be able to do that. She will get over it. Now get some clothes on and come have your breakfast. After all of that excitement and exercise you must be hungry."

"Yes, I believe I am. I will be there before long. Try to placate Cordelia."

Jonathon entered the dining room a few minutes later and his mother was waiting for him with pursed lips and a face stormier than the weather outside.

"Jonathon, you married a hoyden. An uncouth hoyden."

"Yes, I did. I think it is wonderful."

"Whatever can you mean," Cordelia asked, indignantly. "Wonderful! Such unladylike behavior is unforgivable. What of your title -- your consequence. You are not just a country doctor now. You are an important member of society."

"I have never told you how Victoria and I came to marry did I, Maman?"

"No. I know it was because of her being an heiress, but there are many of those around who would have loved having a handsome, young marquess for a husband."

"Yes, well Victoria will be here in a few minutes, but I am going to help you understand why I rejoice in her behavior, even though it seemed a little bizarre."

He told her of how Victoria was under a death sentence when they married and how brave she was throughout. That she had expected to come to Burlingale to die. He played down his contribution to her improved health, but his mother was no fool so she figured it out.

"So you see, she has never felt the freedom to move about, to just be young, and I am sure she does not understand exactly how to handle herself, but she will learn. She is learning. Try to be tolerant with her, Maman. She needs friends and she has never lived in a family. I think she needs to feel a part of us."

Cordelia sat quietly for a few minutes letting all Jonathon had told her sink in. She then looked up at him with adoration in her face. "How did I ever manage to have such a son as you? You are a healer of more things than illness. I will try very hard to be more understanding of Victoria. I will offer her my instruction, also."

Alarm bells went off in Jonathon's mind. I am not at all certain how kindly Victoria will take to being instructed. However he only said, "Thank you, Mother."

Victoria dreaded the encounter with her mother-in-law. She knew she was in either for a scold, a snub or something equally unpleasant. Therefore, she spent an inordinate amount of time dressing. Yvonne insisted Victoria soak her feet in hot water after discovering how very like chunks of ice those feet had become

Victoria could not decide what dress to wear though she had worried very little about that in the past. She insisted Yvonne pull her hair back into a prim braid.

When she could think of nothing more to delay the inevitable encounter she descended the stairs slowly, with head bent. She hesitated for a moment at the entrance of the dining room where she could hear murmured conversation. She slowly pushed the door open and went in slowly and hesitantly like a candidate for the guillotine. She finally looked up only to be greeted by a dazzling smile from Cordelia. She blinked a couple of times and then looked at Jonathon who was also grinning broadly.

"I-I'm sorry about that mill with the children and the pig. I-I had no idea they had taken that pig to their rooms."

"It is all right, Vickie," Jonathon said.

Victoria continued as though he had not spoken. "You see, Mary was afraid the pig would freeze to death. She slipped out before the doors were locked and brought him in."

"It is fine, my dear. Everything is just fine. Now sit down and have your breakfast," Cordelia said.

Victoria looked at her and could not believe the benevolent look on Cordelia's face.

"I-I thought you would be furious. Both of you, and you especially, Cordelia."

"I must admit it bothered me at first, but after awhile Jonathon helped me see the humor in it. Now have some breakfast. You look pale and you certainly need to put on a little weight."

Victoria gratefully accepted the footman's help into her chair. Jonathon filled a plate with food from the sideboard and put it in front of her.

"Do you want tea or coffee?" he asked.

"Coffee, if you please."

She ate her meal with relish and remained quiet while Jonathon and Cordelia discussed some minor problem in the kitchen. Soon Cordelia excused herself and before she went out of the room she came over and dropped a little kiss on Victoria's cheek.

"We need to start thinking about our Christmas celebrations, dear. Would you like to help?"

"Oh, yes. That sounds like fun. I had almost forgot about it being so near."

"We usually give a party for the staff as well as our own festivities. We really need to begin plans. Come to the parlor when you have finished your breakfast."

When Victoria was sure Cordelia was out of hearing distance she turned to Jonathon and asked, "Whatever has come over her? I dreaded coming down because I was sure she would ring a peal over me, and tell me I could never come near her children."

"I think she is beginning to mellow towards you. She is actually a very kind lady -- most of the time."

"Jonathon, what did you tell her? She did not just start thinking kindly of me on her own," Victoria asked with a concerned look. "I do not want her pity or that of anyone else. I am gradually getting stronger and I certainly do not want pity now. I never have, but not now of all things."

"I simply told her a little of how we came to be married and how sick you have been. I also told her I am gleeful to see you have the energy to even chase after those children and that pig. Besides that it was hilarious."

"So-o-o, now I am to be the object of jokes, is that it?"

"Oh, come Vickie. It is not that serious.

Victoria declined to answer and they soon left the table, just as the younger members of the family entered the room. She rushed past them before they could stop her with questions. If that story was to be repeated it would have to be by other members of the involved parties and not herself.

A cold, haughty Cordelia had been difficult to deal with, but the new Cordelia proved to be almost as much of a trial to Victoria. Cordelia fussed and fawned over Victoria like a hen with one chick. She was so solicitous and magnanimous that it was a source of embarrassment. She asked Victoria's opinion on everything, tried to push food on her, insisted she go to her room and rest every afternoon, and when Victoria sat with Maria Louise sewing for long periods of time, that young lady was sent on some trumped up chore and then Victoria was advised to rest.

The cloying atmosphere became too much one day and Victoria left the room on the pretext that she was going to rest. She went to Jonathon's study, hoping to find him there and speak with him about the over- zealous mothering she was being subjected to. She knew he would think her a chronic complainer, but she had had about as much as she could stand.

Jonathon was no where in sight, but he had left the estate accounts spread out in disarray over his massive desk. Wads of paper littered the room and filled a waste basket of some size. It was evident that he had been struggling for hours with the mixed-up books.

Victoria bent over the desk and ran her index finger down one of the columns of figures. It was not long before she discovered one glaring mistake. She quickly turned to another book and did the same thing. There she found three incorrect addition figures and turned to another, older book that was opened to accounts over five years old. She pulled a chair up to the desk and dropped into it. She was totally engrossed in perusing the books when Jonathon came back into the room.

He stood at the door and watched her. He had made no effort to be quiet, because he was unaware of her presence, but she did not look up. She was concentrating intently on the task she had set for herself. A big sigh escaped her and she rolled her head from side to side to ease a little tension from her neck and then saw her husband.

"Victoria, what are you doing?"

"I am looking over these account books. I have found over a dozen mistakes in just the last few minutes. You remember I told you I can pick out mistakes quick as a cat can lick its whiskers."

"And I told you I will handle it. I am working on them."

"You may be working on them, but you are not finding the problems. This is the messiest set of books I have ever seen."

His lips pressed together as if he were trying to keep some unpleasant retort from escaping. It rushed past his lips anyway and sounded much like a snarl.

"I forbade you to meddle in my business, did I not? Do you hear me? I want you to desist from poking into those books."

"Of course I hear. Actually you are shouting. They can probably hear you on the third floor."

He walked over to the desk and picked up one of the books she had been working on. There was the mistake he had been chasing all morning. She had written the correct solution to the problem on a separate piece of paper, thinking (correctly) that it would make him furious if she wrote in the book. She innocently and honestly thought he would be grateful for the ease with which she had solved the puzzle. He was not.

"Do you think you have a right to interfere in my business affairs simply because I am using your dowry to run things?"

"No, I am looking into your business because I am your wife and I am exceptional at all kinds of mathematics. Why are you so stubborn about letting me help? Would you resent it if some man came in here and pointed out the same mistakes?"

"I do not know. I cannot think any man would do such a thing. Most men recognize that estate books are private." He paced around the room and slapping at his boots with a short whip. He ran his fingers through his hair standing it up in golden disarray.

Victoria forced herself to think about the argument they were having instead of succumbing to blatant admiration of his handsome figure.

"Your attitude is quite unworthy of you. So what if you cannot add and subtract. We do not all have the same gifts." She found it impossible to hold back the sarcastic thrust.

"Can't add and subtract? Not be able to add and subtract? How dare you say such a thing?"

"It simply seems you cannot. I see you have been struggling over these books for hours. Now just go away and let me straighten them out. Then I will check them every few days and they will not get into such a mess again.'

"You have certainly turned into a pushing female," he said with an ugly snarl.

"I have always been a 'pushing female'. You were not aware of that when you married me."

"I most assuredly was not."

"Somehow I doubt that it would have made any difference. You never saw me as a person anyhow -- only the possessor of a tidy dowry." Victoria was immediately sorry she had spoken so hastily, but she was exhausted from the unnatural life being foisted on her.

Jonathon turned on his heels and left her. He called from the door, "I will leave you with the books. After all, money is your people's strong point, isn't it?"

"It certainly is not yours. No successful businessman would run a place in the manner of this estate. You need a lowly Cit to set you straight. I guess the next best thing is a Cit's daughter."

She and Jonathon avoided each other studiously, except briefly at meals, for over a week. She excused herself from the Christmas preparations most of the time and spent hours pouring over the Burlingale estate books. She made pages of notes and tucked them inside the pages of the books. The second week she asked Perkins if he knew where she could buy a complete set of blank account books. He told her he would see to it a soon as possible.

A few days later a large box arrived addressed to her and in it was a handsome, leather-bound set of account books. The following day Victoria transferred all of her figures to the new books. Jonathon was still acting glacial, but she chose to ignore him. I am a pushing female, she thought. But surely he will be glad, in the long run, to have some sense made of his bookkeeping system. I know he would if anyone but myself had performed the task for him.

At the end of a fortnight the work was done. Victoria changed into a very becoming dress and had Yvonne dress her hair carefully before she made any attempt to show Jonathon what she had accomplished. Perhaps if she could look more feminine and behaved less threateningly he would not be so stubborn. She also intended to apologize for having thrown the fact of her dowry up to him, but she found it difficult. Apologizing was not something Victoria had ever indulged in.

After donning a pretty cream-colored wool dress, with a lovely embroidered yoke and a row of embroidery and lace at the hem, she went to the study and asked a footman to see if he could find Lord Burlingale and ask him to join her.

Victoria had been filling out so slowly that she was totally unaware of the change in herself. Her coloring had heightened, her hair shone like satin and her figure had filled out to an enchanting womanly shape. Her small, round breasts were high and pushed gently against the bodice of the soft wool. Her hips rounded and curved charmingly away from a tiny waist.

Jonathon burst into the room and looked around impatiently. She went to him and took his hands in hers. "Jonathon, please forgive me for saying the nasty things I did about my dowry. You know it is not important to me. I was frustrated that you refused to allow me to help you solve your bookkeeping problems."

He studied her face for a few seconds, pulled his mouth together in his stubborn way, and she despaired. However, Victoria was closer to triumph than she realized. Jonathon turned away and walked over to the fireplace where he picked up a poker.

My God, he is going to kill me, she thought. He has always seemed so gentle. I have simply pushed him over the edge.

Jonathon poked at the logs in a desultory sort of way, and finally put the poker back into its holder and turned his gaze full on Victoria. He saw a lovely young woman with jet-black hair coiled around her head. Little tendrils escaped and feathered her forehead and ears. With a start he realized she no longer looked gaunt, but had filled out and the outline of her bosom was pushing gently at the fabric of the dress. She was well on the way to becoming a beauty. These things he took in at a glance and knew they had nothing to do with the trouble between them, or at least he would never admit they did.

"What do you want?"

He did not address her by name, just blunt question. She choked back a little sob and said, "I thought you might want to see what I have found out about the books. I have finished and set up a whole new system. Would you like to see what has been done."

A damping retort was on the tip of his tongue when he bit it back. "I guess I can look."

She spread the big books out in front of him and proceded to give him a detailed account of what changes had been made in the books, where she had found the most mistakes, and what she thought his financial status was and how she thought he should proceed in the future.

He studied the books and realized they really did not make much sense to him. What was so clear to her just did not penetrate his brain. Give him a chart of the human body, the study of medicine's effect on that body and the myriad other aspects of medicine and he was as sharp as they came. He had not even been a complete dunce in the chemistry classes he had been required to take. But looking at this set of books he became buffle-headed. He finally had to admit that he would have never gotten to the bottom of those problems. Therefore, he asked himself, why am I so reluctant to acknowledge Vickie's accomplishment? Pride, you fool, swallow your overweening pride and give the girl her just dues.

He bent over the books, but found himself far more interested in Victoria's fragrance. An aroma of violets assailed his senses; she smelled of scented soap and nice clean woman.

"You have done a marvelous job, Vickie. I am sorry I was such a bore about it. You do have a head for figures and I certainly do not." He turned his large hazel eyes on her. His face was only inches from her as they both leaned over the desk. He had the strongest urge to take her in his arms and hold her. However, he straightened up and the smile she loved lit up his face.

"Will you plan to continue to do the books for me?"

"I will until you decide whether to hire a manager or not. Then he would not like it very much, I am afraid.

"Oh! Ho. It is all right if your husband does not like it, but we must tread softly with a manager?"

"Now, you know that is not the case at all. Yes, I will take care of them. I will even check from time to time after we hire an estate manager to see if everything is as it should be."

She folded the books up and put them on the end of the desk. It was not a very large concession that he had made, but she felt there was a little more friendliness between them than she had experienced before.

"I-I guess that is that, then," she said, reluctant to let the moment slip away.

"I suppose, but stay a minute. We need to talk," Jonathon said.

She turned away from him, not wanting him to see the hope in her eyes.

Chapter Eleven

They stood so close together at the desk Victoria found difficulty with her breathing. It could have been because she was holding her breath trying not to do anything to cause Jonathon to move away. She longed for him to put his strong arms about her and draw her close. She felt as though he were magnetized and she was a small sliver of metal being drawn to his body.

He put two fingers under her chin and turned her face up to his. However, instead of kissing her as she hoped, he said, "Vickie, you are looking more the thing these days. I do believe you are gaining weight."

The spell was broken and Victoria turned away. I wonder if he is ever going to think of me in any way except as a sick woman whom he has been able to help? The thoughts were beginning to be a re- occurring theme in her mind.

"Yes, I believe I have. Your mother pushes food on me every chance she gets. I do not know what you said to her about me, but she has decided to take me on as a pet project. I am trying to keep from being totally annoyed by it, but I hope some day all of you will forget that I was ever sickly and let me alone to live a normal life."

"Mother does seem to go to extremes at times. How is the Christmas planning coming along?"

"Very well, I believe. I have spent most of my time here working on these books, but Maria Louise and I have been sewing new clothes for everyone. It seems there is to be a party on Christmas Eve for all of the staff and any several of the neighbors as well as the farmers who can come."

"Yes, that was a tradition years ago. We haven't done it for some time. We were in mourning." He studiously avoided saying that there had been no money for such festivities. It was a sore subject between them and he did not want to start something that would cause another rift in their relationship.

Victoria strolled over to the window and looked at the gray sky. The weather had not improved much in the last few weeks and if the sky was an indicator it was going to get much worse. Being confined to the house was not new to Victoria, but this big, cold mansion made everything so much more trying.

"Jonathon, your mother says there will be dancing. What kind of dancing?"

"Oh, country dances. Just ordinary dances."

She worried her underlip with pretty white teeth, and when she looked up she surprised a hungry look on Jonathon's face. Blue eyes gazed into hazel. He took her by the shoulders and turned her into his arms. He lightly touched her mouth with his. The kiss was meant to be lightly affectionate to honor their new-found harmony; but when he felt her soft mouth under his and she responded by parting her lips, he made a kind of growling sound deep in his throat and brought her closer and teased her mouth with his tongue. His body became taut and he was dimly aware that if he did not break off the kiss soon he would be unable to. His desire was so strong that it was with difficulty that he remembered his promise to her before they were married. His reasoning was faulty or he would have realized that Victoria had no desire to hold him to that agreement. Her yielding body tantalized him to the edge of endurance. With a deep sigh he pulled back and gazed on her flushed face with heartbreaking tenderness.

"Vickie, forgive me? I forgot myself for a minute."

Victoria was shaken right down to her pretty toes. So that is how it feels? She thought. I want more. I want to continue this wonderful feeling.

"Why did you stop?" she asked.

"Because I promised you before we were married that I would make no demands on you. I simply forgot for a moment. It will not happen again."

"Bu-t, Jonathon -- "

"I must go. I will see you at dinner, will I not?"

"Yes, of course."

"You have done wonderfully with the books. I really am grateful. I will be even more grateful when I am able to be out tending to the duties of the estate. If this bloody weather ever clears. I have never known it to stay so bad for so long, and it is colder than I can ever remember."

With that inane speech he left Victoria standing at the window, her face flushed, her body tingling with desire. She was absolutely furious.

"I wonder what I am going to have to do to get that big, overgrown knight to quit being so honorable. I will give that a lot of thought. He just proved he is not really indifferent to me," she said to her reflection in the windowpane.

She wandered absent-mindedly around the room for a few minutes touching various objects, but not seeing them. Finally, with a resigned sigh, she took the new set of account books and placed them on a shelf where the books had always been kept. She had relegated the old books to the back of a large cabinet. Her first inclination was to cast them into the fireplace, but decided they had some historical significance if nothing else.

She strolled to the parlor where most of the family were gathered. They were sorting through centuries-old Christmas decorations and trying to decide which ones would stand up to another Christmas and which ones should be tossed back into the boxes to be returned to the attic. Victoria wondered how many more centuries it would take to fill the attic to the point when something would have to be thrown away.

"Ellen, you look very thoughtful," Victoria said when she saw her friend viewing the scene in a detached sort of way. "Is anything wrong?"

"No, not really. It is only that I am feeling pretty confined. I am not much of a seamstress so I can't keep busy that way, and no one sees to have decided absolutely about a schoolroom. Am I going to be the children's governess?"

"I think that will have to be up to Jonathon. Have you spoken to him about it?"

"Of course not. It is not my place to speak to him."

"I will discuss it with him soon. It is only a week until Christmas. I doubt we would have much success getting the youngsters settled into a routine until after then, do you?"

"No, I suppose not." Her tone of voice so lacked her usual enthusiasm that Victoria looked at her sharply. "Are you unhappy, Ellen? You know you are so dear to me, I do not want you to be unhappy."

Ellen allowed a big sigh to escape and said, "I sometimes do get lonely for our life in London. This is so different from anything I have ever known that I am at a loss to know how to go on."

"I know. I miss the hustle and bustle of London also, and so far we have not had an opportunity to see beyond this mausoleum or-er mansion. I agree it is quite dismal here."

They had been speaking softly in conspiratorial tones. Cordelia could not keep her curiosity at bay. "Why are you two whispering? It is not polite to talk and not include everyone in the room in the conversation."

"Oh, I am sorry," said Victoria. "I guess we did not realize that we were whispering. This weather is rather conducive to hushed conversation, don't you think?"

"Perhaps," Cordelia reluctantly agreed compressing her lips disapprovingly.

Victoria looked at Ellen and that lady's eyes were full of mischief. Victoria patted her hand and said, "Now, now Ellen. Let us not keep any more secrets. You know as well as I do they would never dare bring that pig back into the house."

The butler announced dinner and Ellen was spared having to answer. The ladies filed into the dining room unescorted because Jonathon was no where in sight. He appeared a few minutes later and looked as though he had run and jumped into his clothes. His cravat was crooked, his coat was rumpled, Hessians soiled and inexpressibles ill fitting.

I wonder if he would consider me even more of a managing female if I suggested he desperately needs a valet?" she asked herself. The thought did not stop her.

"Jonathon, have you given anymore consideration to hiring a valet? Your clothes seem to be getting more and more disgraceful?"

Much to her astonishment he looked at her and smiled, "Yes, I have. As soon as the weather permits I am going to scour the nearby towns for someone suitable. I do look a fright, do I not?"

"Not exactly, but I think you can look better and not have to spend so much of your time at it."

The dinner passed with little conversation and soon they all went their separate ways.

The Christmas Eve party and dance had Victoria in a pother. She had never learned to dance. She had started to ask Jonathon to teach her when was in the study looking at the accounting system she had set up. Somehow the events that followed took the subject of a dance right out of her mind. In many ways Victoria was no better equipped for taking her place in society than Maria Louise or Clarissa. She had spent all of her young girlhood learning Greek, French, German, and mathematics.

Young women of the ton were expected to play the piano and sing as well as be good at watercolors, sewing, and of course dancing. Of all the requisite accomplishments Victoria had only mastered sewing. Her stitchery was precise and beautiful. She could make her own clothes if there had been a reason for her to do so. She often had someone else make her garments, but she stitched the trim because most mantua makers did not take the care she liked. Her clothes were conservative, but made of the best fabric therefore quite expensive.

She and Maria Louise had made beautiful clothes for all of the women in the family, even Cordelia. Maria Louise confided in her that if she were not of an aristocratic family she would like to design clothes for people. She informed Victoria that she would never marry just for convenience and then was embarrassed because she had heard that was what Victoria and Jonathon had done.

"It isn't that I think it is bad, Vickie. It is only that I intend to marry for love. I hope I have not offended you -- if so, I apologize."

Victoria regarded the young girl who was on the brink of womanhood. "Maria Louise, I think I agree with you, but you see I just never expected to marry at all. I thought I was suffering from a fatal illness. The luckiest thing that ever happened to me was to marry Jonathon because he discovered my problem and now I expect to have full health."

Maria Louise thought that over for a few minutes before she answered, "I cannot see how anyone could not love Jon. I hope I find some one half as good and sweet."

"I am confident that you will, my dear. You are so lovely, have a good background and are beautifully mannered. You will have the young bucks knocking down the doors to be the first in line to meet you."

"Oh, Vickie, what fustian," Maria said with a slight blush on her cheeks. Nevertheless, she looked pleased.

"Do you know how to dance, Maria?"

"A little. I have attended a few country dances. Everyone goes to them, even little children. I did dance a little, but I have never had lessons."

"We will have to do something about that before you make your come out, will we not? I suppose it is too late for me to learn before Christmas Eve. I would like to know how to dance, also."

"You cannot dance?" Maria asked, astonished.

"No. I told you I have been ill for the last nine years. Or at least I thought I was. I had a nurse who kept giving me medicine that kept me ill. Therefore I was never strong enough to dance."

"You will catch onto country dancing quickly. It is very simple."

Victoria looked skeptical. As it turned out the need to know how to dance was not important. The weather worsened and turned the country-side into a frozen wasteland with the big mansion sitting in the middle like an island.

A Christmas package and letter finally got through from Victoria's father and Fredrica. At first she refused to open the package or read the letter, but Ellen and Yvonne coaxed her, telling her that the presents might not all be for her. Which was the case. Fredrica had tried to include the entire family. There was even a small gift for Peter. That almost softened Victoria toward Fredrica, but she could not relinquish her hurt feelings so readily.

She finally opened the letter. It was chatty and told of many of their activities. Standing out in the news which was conveyed was the fact that the Thames was freezing. Traffic in the metropolis had come to a virtual stand-still. People were hauling out very old sleds that had not seen use for many years. There was much fun as well as suffering in the city, but Geoffery and Fredrica were in no danger, she said.

Victoria felt more in charity toward Burlingale since she had read the letter. She had begun to think she had been banished to Siberia, but if even London was in the grasp of weather such as they were having at Burlingale, then there was nothing to do but make the best of it.

No one who lived any distance had been able to brave the Arctic blast of weather that paralyzed the whole countryside. The family and servants enjoyed a pleasant Christmas celebration, mixing together informally. It seemed silly not to do so since there were no guests. Victoria enjoyed having a variety of people around. She romped with the McDougal children and played games with Christopher and Peter.

Ellen taught the young people some singing games and Clarissa played while they gathered around the piano to sing Christmas Carols. They sang all of the old, familiar carols and learned a few new ones. There was an abundance of food and hot drinks, and presents distributed. The ones intended for the farmers who could not get there were laid aside to be delivered when the weather permitted.

Jonathon and a couple of footmen resurrected an old sled from the loft of the barn. The children, as well as Jonathon and Victoria bundled into their warmest clothes and went to the top of a nearby hill and took turns sliding down.

Victoria tired of the sled and took Christopher and Peter to the side of the house where there was undisturbed snow and watched as they built a snowman. After rummaging in the attic the boys emerged with some old clothes and dressed their snowman. He was the fanciest snowman anyone had ever seen. He wore a brown velvet coat, red bow tie and a slightly crushed top hat graced his lopsided head.

Soon building snowmen and sledding became too tame for the boys of the group. They built a fort, drew up sides and declared war. They were hustled into the house only minutes before dark descended on them. All felt like they had turned into chunks of ice, but they were happy. After being herded into the big kitchen, which was the warmest room in the house, they were stripped of wet garments, bundled into blankets and given large mugs of hot chocolate and wonderful big hunks of bread and butter.

Victoria had stayed with the youngsters as long as she could, but Jonathon found her shivering and whisked her into the house where he made her sit in front of the fireplace and drink hot punch. She sighed happily and promptly fell asleep. She felt herself being lifted and carried. Jonathon cradled her in his arms and she draped hers around him and snuggled into the curve of his neck.

"You carry me around a lot," she said, sleepily.

He pressed a light kiss on her forehead and said, "It makes me feel big, strong and noble."

"You are big, strong and noble," she said. Then under her breath she said, "too noble, too bloody noble."

He placed her in the middle of the large bed, covered her with a comforter and said, "Rest a while. Dinner will not be ready for a few hours."

Victoria drifted off to sleep and did not hear him quietly leave the room with a studious expression on his face.

He crossed their mutual sitting room and went into his own bedroom. He pulled a big chair up close to the fire and extended his legs to the footrest, poured a glass of brandy and looked into the flames.

"My body is hotter than that fire," he muttered. The promise he had made to Victoria that he would never press for his marital privileges was weighing heavily on him. He felt strong sexual desire for her, but he could not quite believe he was falling in love. Her body was filling out and she no longer looked like a gaunt child. her color was pale, but delicate pink lit her cheeks. And oh! Her eyes. She had the most beautiful eyes he had ever looked into. The blue irises were rimmed with little golden flecks highlighted by the whiteness of their setting. The whole was fringed by double, black eyelashes that curled onto her cheeks when she closed her eyes, and framed them with a fringe of black when they were open.

He tortured himself with what it would be like to have her here in his bed. He then reprimanded himself for letting his thoughts go too far. She had certainly seemed to welcome his kisses, but she was such an innocent. Did she know what she was offering? What would be her reaction if he went to her and confessed his feelings? He had, after all, promised to never claim her for his marital bed. But, he was twenty-six years old and he found living up to that promise to be exceedingly difficult.

Then too, what if she got pregnant? He had seen healthy women die in childbirth, and he would never forgive himself if he contributed to Victoria's death, especially now that she had just started to live. No, he would just have to cool his desire.

I would take a mistress, he thought. But that would be shabby when I'd be paying for her with Victoria's dowry money. It simply would not be honorable. I cannot do that.

Sitting by the warm fire and sipping brandy soon lulled him to sleep. He awakened from a very erotic dream where he was making passionate love to Victoria in a snowdrift. He snorted in disgust and arose from the chair, washed his face and went down stairs.

Chapter Twelve

The rest of the Christmas holidays passed with an abundance of food being consumed, games played and a few squabbles between the younger members of the family. The sense of being isolated from the rest of the universe was pervasive. The only ones who were busy with daily tasks were the kitchen help and those keeping the fires burning in a nearly futile effort to keep the great pile of rock moderately warm.

Victoria sat at her escritoire a few mornings later. It was situated close to the large window to make use of any light available. It was still a frozen world and she found herself having difficulty settling down to writing some letters that were long overdue. She became aware of a lot of giggling toward the back of the building near the servants' stairs. She ascended one flight of stairs and down a long, cold corridor towards the happy sounds. The laughter sounded suppressed so she suspected something clandestine was taking place. There was a loud thumping sound, which came from one of the unused bedrooms, followed by a loud shriek. She pushed open the door and was confronted by a bevy of young, startled faces.

"What goes on here, my dears?" Victoria asked.

"Oh, we're just playing in this bedroom. It isn't used anymore," Christopher said, a definite challenge in his voice. His tone clearly told Victoria that he had every right to do what he was doing because he was the lord of the manor. A very small lord, to be sure, but he was aware of his status and Victoria knew he was attempting to intimidate her.

"That does look like fun, but it appears to be a pillow fight to me." The words were not quite out when she was hit in the stomach with a big, fluffy pillow. It caught her by surprise and she sat unceremoniously on her bottom. She recovered quickly, picked up the pillow and whammed Christopher with it.

The battle was engaged and for several minutes, Victoria and the three older children conducted a fight to the finish. Naomi sat on the side of the bed and watched with her right thumb stuck in her mouth.

Victoria was just getting into the battle with complete abandon when one of the pillows broke and clouds of feathers floated about the room. She slipped and fell in the middle of a large feather mattress the youngsters had pulled from the bed. The noise of battle suddenly stopped when the door opened and Jonathon stood there surveying the activity. The children deftly slipped by him to make their escape to their own quarters.

Victoria's skirts had slid up to her waist and she tried to pull them back in place and extricate herself from the mattress and feathers when she felt large hands on her shoulders. She turned and looked, horrified, into Jonathon's eyes.

"Oh, Jonathon. Whatever will you think of me?" She pursed her lower lip and blew a feather away from her nose. Jonathon sat down beside her and helped her straighten her skirts. His eyes were laughing into hers and she held her breath. She felt like they were the only people in the world and knew he was going to kiss her. Which he did. He pulled her close to his chest with one hand and caressed her cheek with the other. He gradually lowered her to the mattress while he let his eyes reveal the desire he felt. Victoria reached up with one arm and encircled his neck; her fingers disappeared into the thick hair at his nape. Jonathon's hands did not remain chastely at her cheek and neck, but slowly and sensuously cupped her small firm breast. Victoria gasped at the heat created deep in her body -- a part of herself to which she had never before been aware.

This kiss was not like any they had exchanged before and the sensation she felt in her body was so demanding, that in spite of her lack of experience, she was consumed by passion. It was no longer an obscure term in a romance novel, but a demanding presence in her body. Somehow she knew she wanted him into her body and soul -- a feeling totally foreign to her thinking. She had been aware that she was falling in love with him, but she had never before comprehended what that could mean in relationship to him.

She felt bereft when he pulled away. He smoothed her skirts and appeared to be embarrassed. "Forgive me Victoria," he said as he reluctantly stood. "I am afraid I forgot myself again."

Victoria lay back on the mattress and looked up at him trying to get him to look into her eyes and see what she was feeling. She was no longer willing to pretend that she was not having feelings of desire for him. However, Jonathon kept his face averted and said, "I hate to break up all of this fun, but I think your cushions are disintegrating and those feathers are about to rival the snow. The kids seem to have disappeared -- and well they might -- because they are going to clean up this mess."

He pulled Victoria to her feet, plucked feathers out of her hair, brushed her dress and admired the flush her embarrassment brought to her face.

"As for you, you little hoyden, you'd better go change and let Yvonne get the rest of the feathers out of your hair. I will summon a maid to see the mess is cleaned up, with the help of those brats."

"I will help also. After all it was when I joined the fray that the pillow split," Victoria said. Please don't tell Cordelia, Jonathon. She will be completely disgusted with me."

"You are a marchioness, Vickie. You do not have to clean anything."

"I know, but no true lady would engage in a pillow fight, would she?"

"I expect not," he said, but his eyes were still dancing.

The desire to keep Cordelia from knowing about the prank was in vain. Christopher and Peter were so proud of Victoria that they could not hold back the story. They first told Clarissa and she told Maria Louise and was overheard by Ellen and Cordelia.

"Well, I never!" Cordelia said. "I thought you were beginning to learn how to be a real lady, Victoria. How could you do such an undignified thing?"

"It just looked like fun."

"Give over, Maman." Jonathon came into the room and heard Cordelia's reprimand. "Victoria did not do anything that all of the rest of us have not done at one time or another."

"Yes, but you were children," Cordelia said with an upward lift of her nose.

Jonathon slipped an arm around Victoria's shoulder and pulled her to his side. "Yes, we had a chance to be children, but Vickie didn't. Let her feel like a child for a while only now finding the child within. Let her enjoy that child."

The child within Victoria was having a royal battle with the budding young woman. Every time Jonathon touched her she became more and more aware of his virility and her response was as natural as a sunflower turning towards the sun. She did not feel she had been at all successful with her campaign to change his mind about their relationship. Oh, of course, he had kissed her a little more ardently than a brother a couple of times, but he immediately pulled away and looked apologetic. His arm on her shoulder was simply a companionable gesture, but her flesh felt hot and feverish beneath it.

She smiled coolly at Cordelia and said, "I am sorry. I simply forgot my serious station in life. I will undertake to work harder on my deportment."

Cordelia completely missed the sarcasm in her voice, but Jonathon was entirely aware of her meaning. He looked at her and his grin further ruffled her composure.

"Excuse me," Victoria said. "I am going to my room and rest a little while."

As she went up the stairs she muttered to herself, "Rest from what? I have not done a thing to cause me to need rest."

She walked over to the mirror and absently mindedly plucked a couple of feathers that still lingered daintily in her hair. She remembered the pillow fight with the youngsters and began giggling. She threw herself on the bed and gave over to giggles that soon turned into sobs. She allowed her emotions to surface and cried for several minutes, after which she fell into a deep sleep.

The days after Christmas became a test of endurance. The grip of Arctic weather remained and it was even too cold for outdoor play. Hovering around the fireplaces and trying to read or sew made up the bulk of Victoria's activity.

Ellen had set up a class schedule for Clarissa, Christopher and Peter. She found the room that usually served as a classroom was entirely too cold for the children and herself, as well. Jonathon gave permission to use one end of his study as a temporary classroom, and the youngsters began to accept the discipline of formal studies.

Victoria taught Greek and Latin to Maria Louise and found her an apt pupil. She enjoyed designing clothes for Marie Louise because of her spectacular beauty, so they spent many hours together in study and sewing. At fifteen Maria Louise remained a child, but was beginning to take on the characteristics of a young lady. Victoria gloried in the friendship with her and regarded her truly as a younger sister.

Jonathon paced from room to room with the boredom of a caged animal. He was impatient to get out and about to see how the farmers were faring. He was fearful that there would be many losses of livestock and he was anxious that the families might need food or medicine. He had not had time to check on the stores of food available to them before the stunning cold and snow made it impossible. Even if they had been able to set aside large supplies of food for the families and livestock he was afraid they would run out because of the lingering nature and the unusual harshness of the weather. Even the water supply was in jeopardy. He tried to reassure himself that the men of those families were hardy souls such as Jacob McDougal, but even strong people would find it difficult surviving in this storm.

The family spent most of its time in the parlor. The room was easier to keep warm since it was on the second floor and situated between two other rooms that served as a buffer against the elements.

They were all gathered in the parlor after dinner the second week in January. Ellen was reading; Clarissa played the piano softly, moving from one favorite song to the other; Cordelia sat with a book in her hand and sang quietly along; Victoria and Maria Louise continued working on a new dress for spring. The lovely blue cloth cascaded around them like a small water fountain.

"Now, Vickie, this is the last dress we make for me until we make new ones for everyone else. It is outside of enough to make so many things for me."

"It is like dressing a pretty doll," Victoria said. "I cannot seem to get interested in making anything for myself. You look so lovely in everything we make."

Maria Louise blushed prettily. Cordelia looked up and smiled as she said, "I do not need anything right now, dear. Let Victoria help you with a new wardrobe. You have outgrown your clothes. The rest of us can wait."

Jonathon sat in a large chair close to the fireplace reading a book about rotating crops. The language was totally out of his frame of reference. Nevertheless, he persevered because of the need to acquaint himself with the newer methods of running his estate. He wanted to know all he could of present day methods, even if he hired a good stewart.

Christopher and Peter had their heads together in a corner away from the rest of the family. They engaged in a battle using the toy soldiers Victoria had brought from London. Sounds of artillery as interpreted by a four and five year old, burst from the corner occasionally.

Jonathon sniffed. There was a smell of smoke in the air. Always alert to the possibility of fire he laid his book down and went over to the fireplace. He fiddled with the damper and poked at the logs. Smoke puffed into the room. "Damn old house," he grumbled. "This room always smokes when the wind changes. Especially if the chimney needs cleaning."

"Oh, has the wind changed?" Victoria asked.

"I think it has turned to the southwest."

"Maybe that is a good thing. Maybe the weather will warm up."

"We can only hope so. This is the coldest weather we have ever experienced in all the years we have lived here. I have never known it to be so bad the mail can rarely get through."

"I am glad to know I don't have to expect this kind of weather every winter," Victoria said.

"I am, too. I will have to have the chimneys cleaned as soon as I can. This one is certainly not drawing properly and I expect there is an accumulation of soot in it."

Cordelia told the two boys and Clarissa that it was time they went to bed and then announced that she was going up to her rooms also.

The rest of the company soon followed and another long, dreary day was behind them.

Victoria was seated at her escritoire the next morning when a soft knock let her know that Ellen wanted to talk to her. Ellen had a little rhythm to her knock that no one else had so Victoria always knew when she was on the other side of the door.

"Come in, Ellen," she smiled as Ellen walked into the room in her brisk way. "What is it dear? You look so anxious."

"Have you seen Peter?"

"No, is he not supposed to be having lessons now?"

"Yes he is, but he did not come this morning. I went to the kitchen to ask Tilney, but she was not there."

"We had better begin a search for him." Victoria put down her pen and went to her closet for her warm wool shawl, which she wrapped around her shoulders.

They went to the classroom and asked the other children if they had seen Peter. No one had. They then went into the kitchen where they found the McDougals seated around the table having a late breakfast.

"Have any of you seen Peter?" Victoria asked. "He did not come for his lessons."

"I saw him last night when he went to his room. He ran through the kitchen like something was a chasin' him," said Mary.

Victoria went to the little room off the kitchen, which had been Peter's since they had arrived. Christopher wanted Peter to sleep in his room, but Cordelia would not allow it. She had finally consented to let the little boys play together, and take lessons together, but she refused to admit the child to the family quarters. Since Peter was quite happy with his warm little room close to the kitchen and the friendly servants, Victoria did not press the issue.

They searched in all the places where the little boy might be. Victoria became alarmed. She found Jonathon in the parlor and told him of the child's disappearance.

"Oh, he is probably just playing a game. All children love to play hide and seek. If they can discomfit a bunch of adults it is that much more fun."

"I do not think so. He does not seem to have slept in his room last night. His coat is gone. Tilney said he didn't have any breakfast. That is quite unusual for him. He has been eating very well the last several weeks, ever since his burns have healed."

Jonathon could see that Victoria was distressed so he put his book down and said, "Well, let us get the staff together and form a plan so we won't all look in the same places."

He called the servants together and told them the problem. Most of the servants had become quite protective and fond of the little waif so they fanned out and searched every nook and cranny in the large house.

Victoria became frantic. "Jonathon, you don't suppose he has gone outside, do you?"

"I have no idea, but I will see if he is in the barn."

He returned a few minutes later stomping the snow from his boots. "He is not in the barn. I looked in all of the stalls and even had Henry go into the lofts. He is not up there."

"Oh, Jonathon. If he is outside he will be dead by now," Victoria said with a sob in her voice.

"He seems like a bright child. I just cannot think he would go outside in this kind of weather."

The search continued for more than an hour. After a while all of the servants reported where they had looked and that they had seen no sign of the tiny child. In the end it was Tilney who found him.

"He's down here," she called from the root cellar. She had gone down to get some supplies for soup.

Victoria and Jonathon sprinted down the steps. "Where? Where is he?" Victoria demanded.

"He is behind that big potato sack." She pointed at a sack that was leaned against the wall underneath a tall shelf. There was not much room between the wall and the sack. Only a very small child could have fit behind it. When Victoria approached Peter scooted further over and behind another sack until he was wedged into a corner so tight Jonathon had to remove the heavy sacks to extricate the child.

When Jonathon pulled the sack away Peter looked up at the big man, and his face reflected terror. When Jonathon leaned down to pick the child up Peter tried to screw himself into the wall and screamed like the terrified little animal he had become. Jonathon pulled back and turned to Victoria, "What in the world?"

"I do not know, but I will see if I can coax him to come to me."

She dropped down in front of Peter and reached for him, asking quietly, "What is it dear? What are you afraid of? Come to me, Peter. You are freezing, little darling. Let us take you upstairs where it is nice and warm."

All the time she was talking he kept wailing. Victoria's experience with children was minimal, but she knew that she had to calm the child before she could ever penetrate his mind for the problem.

"Sh-sh, Sh-sh, Peter. Come, dear. You know me. I am Victoria, Lady Burlingale. Remember I brought you her and we have all been taking care of you. We love you. Come on little one."

Her coaxing finally paid off and he came over to her and fell into her arms leaning his head on her shoulder and sobbed great shattering sobs. She stood up and started to pick him up.

"Here, let me take him," Jonathon said.

Peter started screaming again and shaking his head and tried to pull away. "Why, whatever is the matter, darling?" Victoria asked. "You know Lord Burlingale will never hurt you. He doctored your burns and helped you get well. He would never hurt you."

Peter sobbed into her neck, "Chimney, he wants to clean the chimney."

Understanding dawned on both of them at the same time. They looked at each other helplessly. How did you go about reassuring a tiny child who had been so badly used? How did you gain his confidence so the terrors that were so real could be replaced by reassurance of it never happening again?

Jonathon knelt down by Victoria and Peter and with the utmost tenderness lifted the child's chin and held it so he would have to meet his eyes. "Peter, I promise you, you will never, never have to go up a chimney again. Didn't Lady Burlingale tell you that when you first came here and didn't I treat your burns so that they would not hurt so bad?"

Peter nodded his head and Victoria could feel the tense little body relax.

"Will you let Lord Burlingale carry you up the stairs where we can get some food into you and warm you? You are a little heavy for me to carry."

Peter let Jonathon lift him out of Victoria's arms. Jonathon cuddled the little child against his chest as though he were a tiny baby. He patted the boy's little bottom comfortingly and hugged him. Victoria could see big tears standing in Jonathon's eyes.

They arrived at the top of the stairs to be greeted by a whole kitchen full of people. Everyone started talking at once, but Tilney soon shooed them all out, took a blanket from Peter's room and wrapped it around him. His hands and feet were chilled, but the root cellar had been built to keep food, not let it freeze, so the child had suffered no frostbite.

He was ravenous and made quick work of big slices of buttered bread and cups of cocoa. Victoria and Jonathon sat at one end of the table and watched him, both of them looking a little like lost children themselves.

"I am going to take him to the parlor with me when he gets through eating," Victoria said. "Tilney is busy and he cannot be left alone just yet. He is still trembling."

"I'll bring him to you m'lady," Tilney said. "As soon as he finishes his food."

"Very well."

Victoria and Jonathon ascended another set of stairs and went to the study where the other children had resumed their studies. They explained the situation to them and then went to the parlor.

"I wonder what set him off," Victoria said.

"He was playing with Christopher last night when the wind changed direction and the smoke came into the room. Remember? I said I was going to have to have the chimney cleaned."

"Yes, I expect it will take years for him to completely put that all behind him, but I am going to talk to him when he comes in and tell him we never use children to clean chimneys. Nor do we let anyone we hire use children."

Tilney brought Peter to the parlor with the blanket still wrapped around him. Victoria sat in a large chair and motioned for the child to be put on her lap. There she cuddled him against her, feeling his body become warmer by the minute.

Jonathon knelt down in front of the chair and in a quiet voice explained to Peter that he never used children to clean chimneys. He explained how it could be done using a device invented by a man called Mr. Sharp. Mr. Sharp had won a reward from an organization called "A Society for Superseding Climbing Boys," for inventing the device. It could be used on all but the smallest chimneys.

"The chimneys at Burlingale are very large and old fashioned and are perfectly suited for Mr. Sharp's clever invention. So you see," he explained. "There will never be any need to have a child go up one of our chimneys."

Peter's eyes grew heavy and he soon fell into a deep sleep. Jonathon picked him up and placed him on the large couch and straightened the covers over him. He then sighed a big shuddering sigh.

"We must think of some way to give this little one a greater sense of security."

Victoria did not miss the use of 'we' in his sentence. It gave her a warm feeling. It would be nice to be considered 'we' in Jonathon's life.

Chapter Thirteen

The cold gradually released its grip. The wind blew a little less fiercely and sometimes it came from the south bringing warmer air with it. Towards the end of January the precipitation came in the form of cold rain or mist. The gloom was as penetrating, but outside activities were possible.

The mail came and Victoria was excited by the answer to a letter, which she had written very early to John Nash, a renowned architect. The answer was not entirely to her liking, but she supposed the man Mr. Nash recommended could probably do the work she wanted done. Now -- how to get the work started so that she would not set Jonathon's back up. She was confident that when it was a fait accompli he would go along with her plans.

The middle of February brought a rapid thaw and return of the sun. The household became energized and started making plans for spring.

Jonathon announced one evening, just before he started up to bed, that he was going to have to journey to the lake country to see about some crofts he owned there and determine the extent of the damage to property and livestock. Cordelia suggested that she and the children go with him to visit her sister who resided near Manchester. Jonathon suggested Victoria come also and become acquainted with that branch of the family. However, Victoria saw this as her chance to put her surreptitious plan into place. She declined with the excuse that she did not think she felt quite up to so long a trip in a carriage.

There was much bustling about with preparations for the trip. Clothes were packed, servants admonished about their duties and important decisions made regarding the best route to take. Runners were sent ahead to advise lady Callow, Cordelia's sister, that she was going to be visited by a sizable group of people, and to make arrangements for rooms on the way.

"We will be gone two or three weeks, Vickie," Jonathon said. "Are you sure you will be all right here?"

"Of course, why not? I have the entire staff plus Ellen, Yvonne, and little Peter. We will be as merry as grigs, so do not worry about us. Have a good time. You need to get out after so much confinement."

"So do you, don't you?"

"Remember I have never really seen the estates. I will have a wonderful time getting acquainted with the countryside. I am also going to get work started on that rose garden. It looks like there are a lot of lovely roses there, but they certainly need pruning and fertilizing."

"Very well, my dear. I will be back as soon as I can get things attended to."

As soon as Victoria was sure the trip was going to materialize she sent a letter to the architect giving him a time for his arrival. She was sure he would bring some skilled workmen with him, but she had requested that much of the labor force be selected from the surrounding countryside. The men in this area were very much in need of work to augment their meager incomes from the farms. Jonathon was confident that the farms would pay enough for a living one day, but right now they were not close to that.

The vehicles arrived from London very soon after Jonathon and his family left. There were two large coaches and several wagons bringing equipment and supplies.

Victoria ran to the door when the workmen arrived, as eager as a child at Christmas. She was planing a wonderful surprise for Jonathon and she wanted it to be well underway by the time he returned. She knew she should have waited for the butler to announce the arriving young architect, but her eagerness overcame her manners.

"Good evening," said a young man who was little taller than Victoria and not much heavier. "I am Charles Anderson."

"How do you do, Mr. Anderson. I am Lady Burlingale."

Charles Anderson was a neat man of medium height. His hair was as black as coal with eyes to match. His skin had a definite olive hue and Victoria had to wonder about his ancestry. He looked like some of the men she had seen from India.

"If you will have your men drive around to the back, Henry will see to your horses and equipment. Most of the tools and things can be stored in the barns because we have been unable to secure a stable of horses yet."

"Thank you, Lady Burlingale." He instructed the men and then followed Victoria into the house. His sharp eyes were surveying the building as he went and a dark frown marred his handsome face.

"You are not getting to the repairs of this fine old mansion any too soon. I think before long it will become uninhabitable."

"Yes, I know that. That is why I am anxious for you to look the structure over and give me your recommendations."

"And Lord Burlingale? Will he be in on this conference?"

Victoria looked a little taken aback, but then rallied. "No, he and most of the rest of the family went to see his aunt in the lake country. They will be up there for two or three weeks."

Charles looked as though he might challenge her, but Victoria said, "Will you come into the parlor, Mr. Anderson? We can have some refreshments and talk informally for a while, and then we can make a tour of the lower floors."

She preceded him down the ugly hall. He grimaced at the collapsing armor, hideous pictures, and the smoke-blackened ceiling.

They entered the parlor chatting amiably. Ellen was sitting in a chair close to the fireplace. She arose as Victoria and Charles came into the room. She was dressed in a pretty sprigged muslin of pale yellow with white daisies dancing over the soft cloth. The dress clung to her trim figure in just the right places. The sunlight bathed her in gold, creating a breathtaking picture.

Charles Anderson looked as if he had been smitten by a bolt of lightning. He moved toward Ellen before the introductions were complete. He took her hand in his and raised it to his lips. The kiss lingered a trifle longer than was proper and Ellen blushed prettily.

"I-I am happy to meet you, sir," she said. She looked into his black eyes and saw intelligence, kindness, and a degree of shyness.

"The pleasure is entirely mine," Charles answered.

Victoria watched them with avid interest. Well, unless I miss my guess, Ellen has made a conquest; how interesting.

She pulled the bell cord and requested refreshments. She then outlined what she wanted done to the mansion trying her best to penetrate the fog that had arisen between Ellen and Charles Anderson. It was evident that the gentleman was having difficulty concentrating on the words Victoria was saying because he asked her to repeat them several times.

Victoria finally gave up and leaned back in her chair with a little smile. It was amusing to see someone pay such attention to Ellen. She knew what a fine and wonderful woman Ellen was, but it seemed most people took her for granted as a governess and did not regard her as a person at all. This would be a good experience for the young woman. That is if the dapper Charles wasn't a practiced womanizer, and somehow Victoria did not expect that to be the case.

The following morning Victoria surprised Charles and Ellen in the breakfast room chatting animatedly like old friends.

"Good morning," Victoria said.

They both looked up as though surprised that there was another living soul in the world. Victoria felt a laugh start to bubble up and suppressed it just in time. It was so delightful to see Ellen so interested in a gentleman that Victoria went around the table and hugged her.

"I trust you slept well, Mr. Anderson," she said as she filled a plate with food. A footman poured her coffee as she sat down to eat.

"Yes, very well, but I am eager to get started on a tour of the premises. It looks like quite a challenge."

"It certainly is that," Victoria said. "I expect it will take most of the day to see to everything and then come to an understanding about the cost."

"Lady Burlingale, I must warn you before I start that it is going to take two or three years, if not more, to completely restore this mansion. It will be very costly. However, we can work out a payment plan so that everything does not have to be paid at once."

"I am sure we will have no trouble in that area, Mr. Anderson. I know it is going to be costly. But as you pointed out, if we do not start restoration soon it will be falling down around our heads."

She finished her breakfast and suggested they meet in the study in about an hour to begin the tour. She wanted to get into more comfortable clothes and since she would be tramping up and down stairs and inside and outside of the house she needed sturdy shoes.

It amused Victoria when Charles suggested Ellen come along and make notes on their discussions. It was so evident a ploy to keep Ellen at his side that her cheeks had taken on a permanent rosy glow.

After an exhausting three hours, which took them to the attic and into rooms where Victoria had never ventured, they returned to the dining room for lunch. They still hadn't examined the structures outside or the cellars. If she had not been so anxious to get the work started she would have suggested they continue the next day.

The luncheon was delicious and after several cups of good strong tea the little party had their energy somewhat restored.

Charles took a sharp tool and poked the foundation in the basement. He climbed a tall ladder and examined the roof. Victoria and Ellen held their breaths as he scurried up the ladder as though it were a set of wide stairs.

After completing his examination Charles gave Victoria a detailed description of the work he thought needed doing first.

"Fortunately the foundation looks good. It isn't crumbling as I was afraid it could be in a structure this old. It is solidly built. The roof is in need of immediate attention. It may need to be completely replaced. Also, the windows are all coming loose from their leading."

Finally Victoria tired of the details and waved her hand for a halt. "I think the best thing is to get started on the repair work first, that which is vital to the structure, and then go into the more cosmetic aspects later. Can you give me a figure on that?"

He named a large figure that caused even Victoria to blink.

"If it were not an old estate that has been in the family for years, it would be best to just tear it down, saving all the valuable bits and pieces that could be incorporated into another structure. It would be more economical to simply design and build a completely new building."

"That is out of the question," Victoria said. "Lord Burlingale is quite attached to this property and proud of its having been in his family for so many years."

"I thought that was probably the case. Then we had better get started on the work, that is, if you want me to go ahead. Perhaps we should wait until Lord Burlingale returns and see what he thinks."

"Oh, no. I know what he wants. Yes, get started immediately."

"Very well, my lady."

"Do you need for me to sign some papers?"

"No, that will not be necessary."

The following week was filled with the hustle and bustle of workmen coming and going. They built a scaffold on the side of the building where they were to work first. Men were employed to tear away the vines that clung tenaciously to the stone. It had not been trimmed in so many years that it was intertwined with itself and no small problem to loosen.

Charles decided to place a crew both inside and out. Victoria could not wait to begin the decorating aspect of the project and opted to begin in Maria Louise's room. She knew that Maria's favorite color was pale peach. She chose a lovely paper with a peach-colored background embossed in white roses. She was eager to get the woodwork painted white to brighten the room. She had all of the curtains and bed hangings pulled down and took them where they were added to a bonfire far out in a field.

Victoria ventured farther and farther from the mansion as the weather improved. It felt so good to be outside breathing fresh air and watching things begin to grow. The garden was plowed and awaited planting. Several rows of fruit had tiny buds ready to burst into bloom. A small copse caught her attention and she walked over to inspect the growth. The little shrubs and trees were glimmering with tiny leaves which were the color of early spring lettuce. Crocus and Jonquils poked their noses up through the dense undergrowth.

She parted the brush and laughed with delight. There was a tiny, clear pond in the middle of the trees. Mossy grass grew to the water's edge.

"What a lovely place for a retreat from all the hubbub at the house," she muttered. "I am going to bring a book down here this very afternoon." It became Victoria's habit to withdraw to the copse and escape the noise of the renovation, when she could find time.

Workmen trimmed the driveway and new gravel was hauled in. In all there were about one hundred men and women working on the renovations. Twenty-five temporary cleaning women were busily cleaning furniture, chandeliers, and the windows that Charles had not designated for immediate repair.

Victoria was in the center of Maria Louise's room supervising the painting when she heard vehicles on the newly graveled driveway. She went to the window and could see that it was Jonathon and his family returning. They had been gone two and one-half weeks. She certainly had not expected them back so soon.

She sprinted to her room and quickly washed and slipped into a clean dress. She looked at herself in the mirror and was not very happy with her appearance, but she wanted to be down-stairs when Jonathon arrived.

She had one foot on the top stair when she heard a bellow that resembled a bull -moose. She thought it was Jonathon, but had no idea he could make that kind of sound.

"What in the bloody hell is going on around here? Where is my wife?" he asked Perkins. Not waiting for Perkins to answer he strode to the bottom of the stairs and looked up in time to see Victoria coming down.

"I will speak to you in the study, Madam." He turned down the hall to the study without seeing if Victoria was going to answer.

Victoria glanced up at Perkins who allowed a look of sympathy to cross his countenance before his mask slipped into place.

Work stopped. Everyone seemed to be frozen in place. No one seemed to understand what had happened, but they were sure it was not good news. Charles motioned for them to continue their work, but the energy was gone. It was as though the entire crew was working in slow motion. Everyone was listening to see if they could determine what was happening in the study.

Victoria entered the room, closed the door firmly, and watched while Jonathon paced back and fourth in front of the large windows that looked out on the rose garden.

"What is the meaning of this?" He was still yelling.

"Of what?"

"Oh, don't act innocent. You know what. I come home to a madhouse of activity. Scaffolding built to the roof, new gravel in the driveway, vines pulled away from the walls, new stone being laid in the courtyard -- that is what!"

"It was supposed to be a surprise for you and the rest of the family. The work needs to be done and I have been corresponding with John Nash's firm. Mr. Nash could not come personally because he is busy with a project for Prinny, but he recommended Charles Anderson -- who has started the repairs -- and I have begun refurbishing the inside. I also employed a gardener and brought in workmen to landscape the grounds."

Instead of the happy response Victoria honestly expected from Jonathon, he was furious.

"How dare you go on with this when I emphatically told you we cannot afford it yet. You are the most managing female I have ever known. Why do you not just don the pants in this family?"

The happy idea of wearing pants lightly flitted across Victoria's consciousness. That would be infinitely more practical than dresses that dragged on the floor.

"I am not interested in wearing the pants. I just want our home to be attractive and not in danger of falling down around our heads."

"And I told you we cannot afford to do this yet. The farms have to become productive before I dare turn loose of money for other things."

"But, Jonathon, we have money. We have stacks of money. It is simply in banks and stocks and rents that is not doing anyone any good. It just stays there and collects dust -- and more money."

"You have money. We do not. You know all of the details of the marriage settlement. You know how much money there is. You have been keeping the books and know exactly how much there is to spend."

Victoria's first urge was to pick up a nearby vase and throw it at her handsome husband's head. She then recalled that many of the vases, lamps, and figurines, were old and very valuable. So she tried reasoning.

"If it were not for that peculiar will of my great grandmother's you would be in control of everything I own. I am just trying to make use of the money for the good of all of us."

"I have already been stripped of my independence and have to face the embarrassment of being obligated to your father for his generous settlement, without having you flaunt your wealth in front of my nose."

The idea of flaunting her wealth was so far from any thing Victoria could have thought that she was nearly speechless.

"I see. For just a twinkling I thought there was some hope that we could have a marriage. I see now it would have been a better outcome for you if I had stayed sickly. If I had not developed the health and energy to be more than a dependent woman wasting away and preparing to die it would have been easier on you. You could handle a puny, sickly, dependent and pathetic girl, but you find it very difficult to deal with me as a vibrant, healthy person."

"Now, Vickie. You know that is not so."

"Is it not? We were getting along just fine as long as I was a languishing patient that you could practice your medical skills on. However, now that I am no longer sickly you cannot do anything but pull your stiff- rumped aristocratic nobility on me. You think you are the only one with pride of family. Well I will tell you this -- my family would not have let their ancestral home fall down around their heads."

"The farms have not been doing well the last several years. We -- I -- uh -- "

"The decay and lack of care has not been just a result of the last several years. This place has not had proper care for over a century. No, my lord, you and your fine family are not very good stewards. You have not taken care of what is important."

"That gives you no excuse to come in here and start hiring the work done without my consent -- without my say."

"I tried to get you to agree to start this work. You gave me the same old tired argument that you do not have the money."

"I don't."

"But I do."

"I am tired of having you flaunt that before me. I was and am still grateful that my estate was saved, but that is as far as I want to dig into your family's money."

Victoria stood chewing her lip. She had been standing through the entire argument. She dropped wearily into the nearest chair and leaned her head over into her lap. She was very close to tears, and she did not want to resort to tears to soften Jonathon. Not that she thought they would. He was one very angry, and apparently humiliated, lord. She had certainly had no idea he would feel so humiliated. Finally she asked, "What do you propose to do about this? We have about a hundred or more people working around the premises. I requested that all but the most skilled be hired from around here."

"I am going to send them all back to where they came from, of course. I cannot pay for this and I will not allow you to pay for it."

"You know, my lord, that is the most arrogant, stupid, short-sighted thing I have ever heard."

"Nevertheless, that is how it will be." He lifted his chin a little higher and pulled his lips together in a determined pucker.

"It is going to work a hardship on some of those people. As you say the farms are not doing well and they need the work."

"I think this discussion is finished."

"Not quite, my arrogant lord. I have a few more things to say. I will be removing to London at the first opportunity. I cannot live here in this house waiting for it to collapse and having to bow to you stubborn whims. My grandmother's house in Mayfair is empty right now. I will send word to make it ready for me."

"I absolutely forbid you to do that." Never had Jonathon looked so menacing as he towered over her. His face was red with the rage he felt. She was afraid he might strike her, but she persisted in declaring her intention to leave.

"Why? Do you want to pretend we have a marriage? I understand it is quite common for aristocrats to maintain separate homes. I just intend to keep that tradition."

"That is not usual with people who have been married no longer than we have."

"We have never been married."

A studious look came over Jonathon's face and he turned away to the window, which looked out on a rose garden that was beginning to respond to the gardener's careful attention.

"I will confine you to this estate and perhaps to your rooms if you persist in this foolish idea. I am embarrassed enough about the entire circumstances of our marriage without you going back to London and letting the whole world know that we are estranged."

"I have serious doubts that the whole world will be interested in our affairs. I can open my townhouse and make some excuse about seeing about my property and shopping for new clothes. I have put on enough weight that I cannot wear most of the clothes I brought with me." Victoria tried to keep her voice calm She sensed that trying to rant and rave at Jonathon would only make him more determined to detain her.

Jonathon turned finally and looked at this young woman in whom he had stirred so much fury. She had arisen and was standing tall with her lovely hair slipping out of its bindings. Her dress was tight and caressed her in some very interesting places and her cheeks were rosy from the emotion she was feeling. I have married a little tiger. Not so little. She is tall, almost statuesque, he thought.

He also decided that it would be totally against his nature to try to keep anyone captive. Therefore with a sigh of resignation he nodded his head and said, "Very well, Victoria, if you insist on this line of action I suppose I will not really try to stop you. Feel free to leave when you must," He then thrust his chin out and said, "I have every legal right to keep you here, you know, if I want."

"Oh, yes. I do know that. That control over women is why my great-grandmother made such a peculiar will. It was even worse in her day."

Victoria turned to leave the room. She flung back over her shoulder, "You have not seen flaunting of wealth yet. I am going to cut a swath in society that will make your precious aristocratic friends sit up and take notice."

"I thought you were going to bandy it about that you are there to refurbish your wardrobe?"

"I will certainly want to wear those new clothes somewhere, now, will I not?"

"You will have to tell the crew that it is fired," she said. "I will talk to Charles and pay him for the work already started."

"Very well."

"And, Jonathon?"

"Yes?"

"I will only take the carriage that Papa gave us for my trip to London. Since I plan to have all of my wardrobe replaced."

Jonathon nodded his head and Victoria turned and with head bowed left the room. All of her hopes that Jonathon was finally beginning to have some feeling for her gone. Well, she would just go to London and make a new life for herself. She certainly would not have to stay with her aunt now that she was a married woman. Something good, in addition to her restored health, had come of these short months of married life. She was free to establish her own home and no one would stop her.

Chapter Fourteen

Jonathon stood at the window for a few more minutes to calm himself before calling the workers together to give them the bad news. He heartily wished things were different, but he just could not live under such petticoat rule, now could he? It was outside of enough for her to take it upon herself to hire an architect and workmen to restore his ancestral home.

With a frown firmly in place he opened the study door to be greeted by an ebullient Maria Louise.

"Oh, Jon. You should see my room. Vickie has had it papered with pale peach and white wallpaper and painted the woodwork white. I am to get new drapes and bedspreads, carpets and -- and everything! Is that not the most wonderful thing in the world?"

He looked at her animated face and hated to erase the joy there, "I am afraid there will have to be a delay to finishing your room. I am sending all of the workmen home."

"But why? Victoria said we are going to have our entire house refurbished. Why do you not want that done?"

"It isn't that I do not want it done. I do. It is just that I do not like it being done without my consent. I cannot afford to spend money that way yet. One of these days we will complete the work, but not right now."

Maria Louise was devastated. Her lips started to quiver and great tears spilled out of her pretty blue-green eyes. "I see. Victoria thought you would be pleased. She has been very excited about surprising you."

"She did manage to surprise me all right, but I am not best pleased."

Maria Louise turned on her heels and strode off. He looked after her and felt like the veriest devil.

His feelings were not improved when he encountered much the same thing from Clarissa and his mother, who was in alt that the home she had lived in ever since she was a young girl was finally getting the attention it sorely needed. He had a little trouble explaining to her why he was halting the work. She was of the opinion that a woman's money was just naturally her husband's money, and there was no conflict in having it spent on their home.

Jonathon confronted the foreman of the local crew and told him that he would provide a day's severance pay, but the work was not going forward as yet. They turned their backs on him and walked away in a slow gate with shoulders slumped and expressing more of their feelings in heavy sighs. He next found the head gardener and told him that his crew was being reduced to only one extra man.

"But, m'lord, I can't get this all done with only one man." He indicated a packet of plans he pulled from his back pocket.

"That is just it, Clifford. The plans are being suspended as of now. You will see to the absolutely necessary maintenance and a vegetable garden. The other plans will have to wait until the farms become more prosperous.

"The place will be crumbled into the earth by then," Clifford grumbled.

"What's that?"

"I said, very well, m'lord."

Victoria found Charles in the makeshift outer office where he had set up some large tables. The tables were covered with plans that he had drawn up and he was perusing them when Victoria came into the room. He had heard Jonathon's bellow and was not surprised when Victoria told him work would have to be halted.

"I will write you a check to cover the time you have already worked and a bonus for your men. I am very sorry about this, Mr. Anderson. I had no idea he would object to my going ahead with the repairs."

"Does he realize that he is about to lose his home? I have not been exaggerating when I have said the place is going to crumble before long if there is not some major work done. It has been neglected for too many years."

"I have been trying to tell him that, but he cannot seem to feel the urgency that he should. At any rate it is his decision, finally, is it not?"

"Yes, m'lady."

Charles stood looking as though he wanted to say more, but could not quite get the words. Finally Victoria urged, "What is it, Mr. Anderson?"

"Uh, do you know if Miss Bloggs has a family? A father or brother or someone? I wish to pay my address to her, and I do not know whom to approach."

Victoria smiled at him and said, "I think we are all the family she has. We are removing to London, Ellen and I, and you are welcome to call on her there. I will see that you get our direction before you leave. We will not be there for a few days because I have to have my townhouse opened and made ready."

"Thank you, Lady Burlingale. I think Miss Bloggs is the finest woman I have ever known."

"You have excellent judgment, sir. I do, too."

It took a surprisingly short time for the workmen to tear down the scaffolding, pack away their tools and leave. Soon the place was deadly quiet with only the chirping of birds, and the occasional barking of a dog in the distance.

Victoria sat at her escritoire and penned letters to London; one to her solicitor and one to the butler of the house in Mayfair. She then changed clothes to go downstairs for dinner. She was met at the bottom of the stairs by tearful girls. They cried and ranted against their brother. Victoria tried to put a light turn on the problem, but she was so near the same state that it was difficult for her not to sit on the bottom step and turn loose her tears to make a trio of objections.

"I am very sorry, ladies," she said. "I had no idea he would object to getting the work started. I should have handled it differently, but I was just anxious to do something to improve the place. Also, I sincerely thought he would be pleased."

"Why isn't he?" Clarissa asked. "I would think he would be in alt. He has too much to do as it is and he needs to turn some things over to others."

"I believe it is called male pride." Victoria said.

"By the time he gets around to doing the work I will be long gone," said Maria Louise. "I am almost sixteen."

"Yes, you will be making your come-out before long."

"I doubt we will have the money for much of a come-out."

"We will see. Now let us go to dinner. You have had a long day and must be hungry."

They went to the dining room where Cordelia and Jonathon were already in residence. There was a heavy silence; so heavy the air seemed thick with it. The three young women came into the room and refused to look at Jonathon. The footmen came in with the first dishes and their countenances were more stern than usual. Victoria finally broke the silence.

"I have written my solicitor and the butler at my townhouse and I will be leaving in three days time."

"You are leaving?" Cordelia, Maria Louise and Clarissa asked in unison.

"Yes, I have already discussed it with Jonathon. I think I need to get back to the city and check on my property and do some shopping."

"Can we come with you, Vickie?" Maria Louise asked.

Victoria looked up, startled. It had not occurred to her that her sisters-in-law would desire to make the trip to London with her. Actually she had the notion that she would shake the entire Burlingale family off and never have anything to do with them again, but then she remembered that she had grown quite fond of all of the family, including Cordelia.

"I expect that would have to be up to your mother -- or Jonathon. You are certainly welcome. There is plenty of room. The house has twelve bedrooms in addition to servant's quarters."

"May we go with Vickie, Maman?" both girls begged in unison again. "It has been years since we have been in London. There are so many wonderful things to see and do there."

Cordelia surprised them all by saying, "Yes, I think going to London for a few weeks would be a wonderful idea."

"Will you come also, Cordelia?" Victoria asked.

"No, I do thank you, my dear. I think I shall go back to my sister's home. Christopher was having a wonderful time with his cousins and I did not finish my visit."

"Are you all just going to abandon me?" Jonathon asked rather plaintively.

In answer they all excused themselves and left the room without another word.

With two extra people traveling with her Victoria had to request another vehicle. She admonished Maria Louise and Clarissa to pack only the absolute necessities to keep them going for a week or two, because she planned to have a new wardrobe made for each of them. This included Ellen who protested mightily, but Victoria dismissed her protests and went resolutely on with her plans.

She then told Ellen that she, too, would be needing a new wardrobe because she was going to have an attractive gentleman calling on her. Ellen blushed and protested that she had no idea who that could be, but she didn't appear too surprised when Victoria told her Charles had asked who he could ask for permission to pay his address to her.

"Besides, even if he does not take you about, we are going to some fancy balls and theaters. I intend to make the ton aware that I am in town."

It was difficult for Victoria to realize that it had been only four months since she had left London. It seemed like a lifetime, as indeed it was for her. She had gained a degree of health she had never expected and was feeling strong and feisty. She was also sad when she thought of her handsome, stubborn husband. She loved him, of that she was sure. She had loved him since he walked through the door of her father's parlor. She had not known at the time, but she suspected now that going with Jonathon had not simply been a means of escape from her aunt, but somewhere in her innermost person hope had sprung up and gripped her tenaciously. Just looking at Jonathon as he moved about the house or over the estate brought unfamiliar feelings. Feelings that were frightening, promising, and utterly foreign to Victoria.

That there was little hope she would ever become his wife in the way she wanted she finally accepted, and this brought on more feelings -- those of sadness and despair.

Her thoughts remained in this vein for the entire trip even though the countryside was displaying bright spots of green and early crocus and jonquils were making a timid appearance. When they finally made it to the outskirts of London she wanted to turn her vehicles around and go back to the country. A gray cloud hung over the city and the smells were almost more than any of them could endure.

"I do not remember it smelling like this," Ellen said.

"I think that is because we became accustomed to it while we lived here. I think we do that."

"We have only been in the country for four months," Ellen replied. "How could we have forgotten how awful it smells?"

"I believe it will be better when we finally get to Mayfair. There is a barrier of trees and other things surrounding that area of the city. We have never grappled with how things are for most people here."

They were able to make it through London and to the elite west side before the end of the day. As soon as their carriage drew up in front of the town house a door flew open and a nattily dressed footman came to take charge of their luggage.

The other coach arrived and Yvonne, Peter and Clarissa all tumbled out, not waiting for anyone to help them.

"Oh, Victoria," said Clarissa. "This place is beautiful. It is much bigger than I pictured it. I adore it."

"We are going to have some good times here, Clarissa. Just wait and see."

"I can hardly bear to wait."

"It has been a long trip, even with two overnight stays, so I think the first order of business is dinner and a good night's sleep."

The housekeeper, whom Victoria had never seen before, curtsied. "Welcome, Lady Burlingale. I am Mrs. Marland. Will you have refreshments before you go to your room?"

"No, I think not, Mrs. Marland. We would appreciate hot baths and then food. I am sure everyone feels the need to wash the dirt of the trip off themselves."

She glanced over at Peter and it was obvious that that young man would like to skip the bath. Amused, Victoria said, "This is my ward, Peter. I judge that he is hungry. He can have a meal in the kitchen and then have his bath. Has a governess been hired?"

"Yes, my lady. Shall I summon her?"

"I find that unnecessary. Let Peter have a little wash in the kitchen and then his meal. I will speak to the governess while I am upstairs."

Victoria found the young governess in the classroom and introduced herself. Miss Allen was the young woman's name and she had an open, pleasant face.

"Miss Allen, you will have Clarissa and Peter in your charge. I need to tell you a few things about Peter before you begin any activities with him." She reiterated the circumstances of Peter's entry into her life. She also made it clear she expected Peter to be treated as a full-fledged member of her family.

When Victoria told Clarissa about Miss Allen and that she was expected in the classroom the following morning, that young lady was indignant that she had to continue her studies.

"I thought we were going to have a vacation," she wailed.

"You will only have to take classes in the mornings and then not all of the time. Some of our outings will be educational so those days Miss Allen can come with us."

"Oh, all right," Clarissa grumbled.

Clarissa was in high alt when she found there was a music room, which had a gorgeous grand piano, harp, and several string instruments. Victoria promised to hire a good music teacher for her.

The following day Victoria left the rest of the family to get acquainted with their immediate surroundings while she went to see Mr. Cottingham, her solicitor. There she made legal arrangements for the care of Peter, got a detailed account of her income and inquired about the possibility of settling a dowry on Maria Louise and Clarissa when they were of an age to need such.

"It is highly unusual for you to provide for Lord Burlingale's sisters' dowries, Lady Burlingale. I think you can do it as long as you don't use your capital, but do you think Lord Burlingale will want that?"

"Oh, I doubt he will like it at all. He does not seem to like for me to use my money for anything. He just wants me to keep it invested and reinvested until the end of time," she said with a bitter sound in her voice.

"You are a very rich young woman, m'lady -- "

Victoria interrupted and told him to call her by her given name as he had always done and he continued.

"I think using your money for such things as a dowry is commendable, but perhaps you should wait and discuss it with Lord Burlingale."

"No! I do not intend to do that. I doubt he will be able to provide a suitable dowry for Maria Louise by the time she makes her come-out -- she's nearly sixteen. Perhaps we can wait with Clarissa. That is, if any of these plans are in keeping with great-grandmother's will."

"I will peruse it again, but I believe you can do anything you want with the money except pass it on to a male heir. A very binding document."

"My great-grandmother must have been very angry with English laws for her to make a will like that."

"They do limit a woman's options. If it were not for the will, Lord Burlingale would have complete control of your fortune."

"I know. Sometimes I wish he did." She then told him of trying to restore the Burlingale mansion and how angry Jonathon had become when he found she was planning to use her money for that purpose.

"Most men would be only too glad to strip you bare, Victoria. He seems a man of great honor."

"Oh, yes. He certainly is that."

She left Mr. Cottingham to work out the details of the trusts, had money transferred to her bank and hired a music teacher for Clarissa as well as a caper merchant for all of them. She had decided that while she was getting a new wardrobe assembled she would learn to dance. It was absolutely necessary for her plans to take the beau monde by storm.

Victoria had no idea how many doors would open when that august body became aware of the presence of the attractive young Marchioness of Burlingale. Before the week was out she had received so many callers and invitations that her head was spinning. All four young women made hasty trips to Madame Delacroix, a modiste known for her beautiful gowns. They ordered a wardrobe of dresses such as they had never seen before: morning, carriage, dinner, evening and garden dresses; they bought several walking dresses for Victoria and Ellen, as well as those suited to Maria Louise and Clarissa. They made plans to return later and order ball gowns, but Victoria thought there were sufficient garments for them to make their entry into society.

Ellen protested such expenditure on her clothes, but Victoria shushed her and said, "I have to have a companion, my dear, and I want you to look your best."

Ellen accepted with a "thank you" and looked thrilled. She knew now she could look as nice as she wanted when Charles came to call.

The first two weeks in London proved to be so busy that Victoria had little time to reflect on her marriage or what was going on at Burlingale. When she did recall some happenings she immediately pushed them to the back of her mind for she had discovered that she missed the tumbled down old estate more than she could ever have imagined. Or was it because she knew Jonathon was there?

In moments when she allowed herself to be honest she felt such longing for him that she was tempted to return the next day. She then recalled how angry he had been and how he had threatened to hold her prisoner. If she could have thought, for one moment, that he simply wanted her near him she would have been thrilled. As it was she knew he really only wanted to exercise his masculine control over her. In actual fact he was probably glad to see her go. Probably glad to have me out of his way so he can go on with his plans without an interfering wife, she thought.

If she could have had a little window to look through and see what was transpiring at Burlingale, she would have found things not quite as she imagined.

Chapter Fifteen

Jonathon was finding that living without petticoat rule was infinitely more difficult than living with it. The knowledge that all the petticoat-clad persons in his household had decided to leave him to work out his worldly problems alone did not improve his disposition.

His mother had expressed total disgust with him -- something he was not accustomed to. Cordelia had always been a staunch supporter of Jonathon's endeavors. She had not understood his desire to be a doctor, but knew he leaned in that direction -- even as a child. Since he was a second son at that time she felt that becoming a doctor was preferable for him than to study to be a man of the cloth.

However, Cordelia had been deeply disappointed when the work on the mansion had been called off. She had done everything in her power to make a home of the decaying structure on the little money allowed her, but it was mostly a losing battle. Therefore when she understood that Jonathon's only objection to the repair work was the use of Victoria's money, she made her feelings known in words that Jonathon had not realized she possessed.

"What kind of addle-pated notion is this, Jonathon? Who ever heard of a woman not being able to spend money on her home? Especially when that woman has more blunt than she can ever spend?"

"Now, Lady Mother, you just do not understand."

"I think I do. You have so much silly pride that you are blind to Victoria's good qualities."

"I thought you were not very fond of her."

"I think she has shown herself to be a considerate and loving daughter-in-law. The children love her. Especially Maria Louise."

"I know, but that has nothing to do with the problem. She married me under duress. I married her under much the same kind of pressure except I needed her money to save our estates and she needed a refuge. It was not until I offered for her that I realized she is an exceedingly wealthy young woman in her own right."

"And you hold that against her? I had never thought you to be so cork-brained.

"I am sorry you're disappointed, Mother. However, I cannot use any more of Victoria's money. Her father settled a vulgar amount on me as it was. It took most of it to pay off the gambling debts and mortgages. What is left must go to making the farms produce. I would much rather be finishing my medical studies, but this has to be taken care of first."

"But this is Victoria's home. Do you not think she has a right to make it as attractive and comfortable as possible?"

"Yes, and I want her to, but only when I can afford it."

"I hope there is still something left when you can afford it. It is almost sure your wife will not live here the way things are. You have in effect chased her off with your overbearing attitude."

"Mother, can you not understand that it is something I must do myself? I want to provide a home for her, but in my own time."

Cordelia let a big sigh escape, "I just hope you do not wait too long, for both the mansion and your attractive wife. Have you noticed how pretty she is getting?"

Jonathon looked at his mother's frowning face. He had never seen her so argumentative. She was angry deep down and it was something he had never expected. Had she been wanting to refurbish and upgrade the mansion all of these years? He had supposed she was content to let things ride along as they had been, but apparently not. She had just been putting a good face on things.

"I guess nothing is going to change your mind," she said. Therefore, we might as well quit talking about it. Do you have a carriage that can take Christopher and me back to Callowvale?"

"Do you feel you must go? I had hoped you and Christopher would stay and keep me company." His voice expressed his disappointment.

"I think I need to get away for awhile. I have to tell you, Jonathon, I have never been so put out with anyone as I am with you right now. You are usually the kindest, dearest man that ever came along, but it was a hateful thing you did to Victoria, not to mention all of the people who had been hired to do the work. I simply need to get away and try to achieve a better perspective."

"Yes, we still have a coach and four that can be made ready," he sighed. "If you insist on leaving."

"I am afraid I do."

Two days later Jonathon waved his mother and brother goodbye. It was early in the morning, because she wanted to make the trip in two days if possible. Therefore, there was a long day ahead of them.

After seeing the last of his family disappear, Jonathon had his stallion saddled so he could inspect his property. He had time to contemplate the events of the last few days as he rode along. He talked to himself as he went from farm to farm, arguing that his entire family was being unreasonable; but then he wondered how everyone could have the same opinion and he be the only one who was right. Being essentially a fair-minded man, little nudges of doubt disturbed his complacency.

For the next several weeks life fell into a routine for Jonathon. He awoke early and visited his workers, discussing crops, livestock, and their prospects. The families expressed enthusiasm and gratitude for the improvements he was putting into motion. Everyone was completely correct in their behavior towards him, but he had no friendly exchanges that had made the work so agreeable.

One of the young wives was expecting a baby and he told her that if she needed him he would come immediately. He knew that most of the women had midwives deliver, but at times there were problems that those ladies could not handle and a doctor had to be called in. The young woman blushed at the thought of his lordship attending such an event, totally ignoring the fact that he was a trained medical man as well as the lord of the manor.

He kept very busy taking care of the business of building up his farms and all the myriad of things that went into caring for his inheritance. He rode out early in the morning and returned late in the evening. His needs were attended to by the several servants that had been hired in recent weeks.

He sat in the parlor, which was huge, empty and lonely. He missed the constant activity in which his family was usually engaged. He wondered about Victoria and what she was doing. He even missed little Peter. Jonathon knew he was not a happy man.

But, damn it, he thought. A man has to retain his dignity, doesn't he? He cannot tumble to every idea, no matter how good, that is thrown his way.

The awareness that he really did not know his wife began to seep into his mind. Also an awareness that he had made little effort to learn more about her. He wanted to know her better now that she was away. An absolute knowledge that he could not be near her and not desire her in his bed caused him no little problem. What a devilish dilemma! "I probably need to give it time and see what happens. I wonder what she is up to?" he muttered to a decaying statue.

He sighed a heavy sigh and went to his bedroom. There he stripped off his clothes and saw in the mirror a tall, well built-young giant. He was looking at a virile, twenty-six year old man that he was sure should be able to make the world bend to his will. The fact that he could, but could not make the world like it, was little comfort. "There must be some way for this to come about," he told his image. "I need to think on it a little more."

Victoria was thoroughly enjoying herself. Only on those occasions when she allowed herself to think of Jonathon and how she longed for him to return her feelings was she unhappy. She quickly pushed all such thoughts to the back of her mind.

"We are going to Astleys tonight," she announced over breakfast. "Everyone of us. There are horses, clowns and all kinds of things that everyone can enjoy."

"Even Peter?" Clarissa asked.

"Especially Peter. He will be completely enchanted by the spectacles that he will see there."

The children were as enchanted with Astleys as Victoria had expected them to be. She was enjoying being a child with them. They next went to Vauxhall with a footman in attendance. Maria Louise went into ecstasies over the fireworks. Clarissa was enchanted with the music and the fact she could stroll from one place to the other and hear a different group of musicians every few yards. The noise, glitter and mystery gave Victoria a feeling of having stepped out of a cage and into a lovely, enchanted kingdom.

Victoria and Ellen attended several operas and other stage productions. They attended a few routs, but it was several weeks before they were confident enough of their dancing to attend a ball. Finally they came to a consensus that they had to venture into the frightening reality of the beau monde.

"Here is an invitation that looks interesting," Ellen said. "This lady is known to give small parties and not try to create a crush. Do you think we should go to something small, at first?"

"I am sure that would be best. Will Charles escort us, do you think?"

"He has been calling every day and keeps asking me to go to various functions with him. If he calls this morning I will tell him that I would like to go to the Hamilton's ball."

Madam Delacroix, the mantua maker, raved over Victoria's figure. "So tall, so slender, such a nice swan- like neck. The only thing I could wish for is a little more bosom, but I can cut the dress so that will not be a problem."

Victoria chose several modest pieces of jewelry and took them to her mantua-maker and had ball dresses designed to set off the jewelry as well as herself.

She was amazed at the way the ton accepted her. Some of them remembered her mother's family, and those who did not were impressed by her charm and her money. She suspected more were charmed by her money than herself.

Charles proudly escorted Victoria and Ellen to the Hamilton's ball. Ellen was lovely in a deep gold gown with a gossamer overdress of pale gold. Her hair had been cut short and found to be naturally curly when it was allowed out of the bounds of the braids she had previously worn. Charles told her she looked like a beautiful daisy.

Victoria created a stir in a slip of purest white with a pale blue over-dress. She wore a dainty necklace of sapphires with matching earrings. Long white gloves and blue satin dancing slippers completed her costume. She had called in Galois, a famous hairdresser. He wanted to cut her hair short as he had Ellen's, but Victoria knew her shiny black hair was one of her best features and refused. He thinned and shaped it, allowing it to a few curls to fringe her face. The rest was piled high upon her head and secured with a large comb, which was set with sapphires that matched her necklace.

"I say, old man, who is that dasher that just came in?" Lord Marland asked his host.

"That is the Marchioness Burlingale."

"Oh, Jonathon got leg-shackled, did he?"

"Um-m, and I understand the woman is quite wealthy."

"All that beauty and wealth, too. Well, well, who would have thought it of Jonathon? He never seemed to be interested in anything but his studies."

"The on dit has it that his brother nearly lost everything gambling and Jonathon quit school to save his estate. He had to marry money."

"How could anyone be so lucky as to marry a beauty who also has money. Will you introduce me? I would like to ask the lovely lady to dance."

He strolled over to Victoria with his host a few steps behind. "Lady Burlingale, I wish to present Lord Marland," said Baron Hamilton.

Victoria looked into the deep, almost black eyes of Lord Marland and was startled at the predatory gleam in them. He raised her right hand slowly to his lips and pressed a kiss on her glove. She could feel the warmth of his mouth through the cloth and flushed. her girlish flush titillated the tall dark man. He was as tall as Jonathon, but where Jonathon had a broad, powerful build, Lord Marland was reed thin. His dark blue jacket was expertly molded to his slim figure. He wore dove gray pantaloons and black dancing slippers. His cravat was tied in the popular 'Waterfall' and tucked into its folds was a large diamond.

"I haven't seen Lord Burlingale," Lord Marland said, looking around as though trying to locate him. "Is he in the card room?"

"No, he was needed at Burlingale and could not be with us at this time."

A waggish grin briefly flitted across the handsome lord's face and he asked, "May I have a place on your dance card, my lady?"

"I think that can be arranged, Lord Marland."

The handsome young lord wrote his name on her card and then strolled off. Victoria was soon surrounded by young bucks and found herself dancing every set and enjoying herself immensely. Lord Marland had put himself down for the waltz and came to claim her toward the middle of the evening.

It was during this waltz, where Victoria was being held much closer than was appropriate, that Mr. Allen Waverly came into the room with his pretty wife, Tansy, on his arm. He watched Victoria and Lord Marland dance for a few minutes and then put his quizzing glass to his eye and stared.

"I say, is that not Lady Burlingale dancing with Lord Marland?" he asked his wife.

"If you will recall I have never met Lady Burlingale. I had just given birth to Elizabeth and was still confined at home. I was unable to attend the wedding."

"Oh, that is correct. It looks a lot like her, but the woman he married was so skinny she looked like she had been brought in off the street and dressed for the wedding. She certainly was not the beauty I see now."

"I will try to find out who she is," Tansy said.

A few minutes later she came back to him and said, "That is Lady Burlingale. It seems she has gained her health and has come to London for the season. She appears to be quite popular."

"She is certainly popular with the gents. Look at that. Lord Marland is holding her so close it is unseemly. I wonder where Jonathon is?"

"Lady Hamilton said Victoria is her by herself. She and another young lady were escorted by Charles Anderson."

"Jonathon is a fool to let such a beauty out of his sight. Lord Marland will be pursuing her diligently, mark my word."

"He does seem to pursue young married women, and they all tumble to his efforts. He is one very handsome young man, you will have to admit."

"Now, see here, don't you go tumbling, you understand?"

"How could I ever look at any other man with you around?" she asked, and batted her eyes theatrically at him.

He smiled down at her and whisked her onto the dance floor. The waltz was almost over, but they were able to make a few turns. They sat out one or two country dances and watched the courtship of Victoria.

"Those young blades are courting her as though she were a debutante."

"She is so young and attractive that it is not surprising. There is some safety in courting a married beauty. Not so much chance of becoming leg-shackled themselves."

"H-m-m," was Allen's reply.

The following day the parlor was blooming with flowers from some of the young gentlemen who had danced with Victoria. Ellen was not left out for several lovely bouquets arrived for her. A small but exquisite nosegay of violets arrived for Victoria from Lord Marland. Along with his signature was a note saying the flowers reminded him of her violet eyes. Also, there was a request that she go driving with him that afternoon. His man waited for a reply and Victoria agreed to the drive, albeit with some misgivings. She had promised herself to cut a swath through the ton but she did not know how far she would be willing to go. However, she reasoned, a simple ride in the park would surely be innocent enough.

At five o'clock Lord Marland arrived, driving a curricle pulled by two perfectly matched bays. Victoria looked delectable in a pale yellow carriage dress and a chip straw bonnet trimmed in yellow ribbons.

"My dear, you look like a sunbeam," Lord Marland said.

She found a blush suffusing her face and ducked her head in an attempt to hide it. She had never had the experience of being complimented by a young gentleman, and she found herself enjoying it very much.

They rode quietly, nodding to first one and then another person whom they met along the way. They had been driving for several minutes when Victoria became aware that they were not on the well-used path where they had started. Lord Marland pulled over under a large tree and turned to Victoria. He took her hand and lifted it to his lips. He kept his eyes on her face and could see she was questioning his actions. He dropped her hand and pulled her into his arms and covered her lips with his own. The kiss started softly, but soon became more demanding. For just an instant Victoria found herself responding to the caress.

It was at this juncture that Allen Waverly came cantering by. He saw Victoria pull away from Lord Marland and whistled to himself. He went on by without stopping, but his mind was working on what he had seen.

"I had better drop a note to Jonathon to alert him to the danger his wife is in. Better yet I believe I will ride down there and give him some good, if unasked for, advice," he whispered to his horse.

"How dare you sir? How dare you take liberties with me? What do you take me for?" Victoria asked.

"I take you for a beautiful and desirable young woman. One who wants to be kissed and perhaps more -- pity we are so public."

Victoria chewed on her under lip. He was so close to the truth that she had trouble retaining her dignity. She did want to be desired and kissed, but she did not want what this young gentleman implied.

"Please take me home. I have not had much experience and I may have let you think some things I should not."

"I do not see how Jonathon can let you be on your own with all of the rakes there are around -- and you such a beauty. Whatever can he be thinking of?"

"I brought his sisters to town for a holiday, and my friend and I wanted to go to some parties, that is all. Now please take me home."

"Of course, my dear. I would never force my attentions on you, but if you change your mind and find yourself lonely -- well -- " he held up both hands in a gesture of invitation.

He turned the curricle around and drove back, slowly, the way he had come. He delivered Victoria to her front door and bid her good afternoon.

Victoria felt turned inside out as she entered her home. She was removing her bonnet when her butler said, "My lady. There is a young woman waiting for you in the parlor. Are you receiving at this time?"

"Who is it?"

"Mrs. Geoffery Treymane, my lady."

Fredrica. Victoria's first impulse was to refuse to see her, but changed her mind.

"Tell her I will be with her in a few minutes."

He bowed his answer and left to deliver the message.

Chapter Sixteen

What an odd time for someone to come calling. Victoria felt a moment of panic. What if her father was seriously ill? She was very angry at him, but she certainly did not want anything bad to happen to him. She checked her appearance in the pier glass and then went into the parlor.

Fredrica was no less beautiful than Victoria remembered her. Her red hair shown like a sunrise and she greeted Victoria with a broad smile. She held out her arms as though she expected Victoria to walk into them.

"Fredrica, what are you doing here?" she asked in a more strident voice than she intended.

"I came to see this new beauty that has become the talk of the town. Victoria, I cannot believe it is you. You cannot be the same person who left her in November."

"No, fortunately, I am not. And neither are you, it seems. Am I mistaken or are you increasing?'

"No, you are not mistaken. I am expecting a baby in September."

Victoria felt an uncontrollable stab of jealousy and refused to discuss Fredrica's expectations.

"How is Papa?"

"He is fine, but would love to see you. Will you come to dinner one night soon?"

Victoria wanted to remain cool and aloof, but she was so proud of her new-found health and beauty that she found it difficult to maintain her position.

"I might, if you are sure Papa wants to see me."

"I am very sure. Why is Jonathon not with you? It seems you have been here for quite some weeks and he has not joined you. Is he coming before the season is over?"

"I doubt it. He is busy with his estate." Victoria pulled her lips together in an effort to keep them from trembling. The movement did not escape Fredrica.

"My dear, will you tell me how you have had your health restored? I know it had something to do with some medicine Fanny Ricketts was giving you, but I have never been able to come by the details."

Victoria found herself opening up to her lovely step-mother in a way she could never have imagined. She told of how Jonathon had stopped the doctor from bleeding her and then ordered Mrs. Ricketts never to give laudanum to Victoria unless he ordered it.

"I owe my restored health to Jonathon. That is why I cannot but be grateful that you forced me into marrying, though at the time I thought it quite cruel."

"Then what is wrong?"

"What do you mean?" Victoria turned away from Fredrica in order to keep her from reading the distress in her face.

"Something is making you distressfully unhappy when you should be celebrating life?"

"What makes you think that?"

"I have been through considerable unhappiness myself. That was the reason I was so harsh on you. I was fighting for my own happiness. I am sorry, my dear Victoria."

Her apology broke what was left of Victoria's reserve. She started weeping profusely. Fredrica pulled her over to the couch and took her into her arms. She patted Victoria's shoulders, but did not try to stop her from crying, sensing that the tears had been building for some time. Finally Victoria stopped, blotted her eyes on a tiny handkerchief and blew her nose a little.

"I am so sorry, Fredrica. I cannot imagine what has come over me."

"Tell me about it. I am a good listener."

"I am not sure I can." Victoria remained quiet, chewing on her under lip, for some time and then said, "I am in love with my husband. I am sure that is what it is. I get faint when I am near him and I want to be in his arms."

"I should think that is good news. It is rare to be in love with one's husband these days, especially an arranged marriage."

"But he does not love me."

"He will learn to love you. You are beautiful, young and now the picture of health. How can he not love you?"

"He made this promise to me that he would never claim his marital rights when we were married. I told him that I was not healthy enough to be a real wife. He needed the money that came with the marriage, but he feels so honor bound by that promise that he will not bend. I believe he has some feelings for me, but he pulls away every time he begins to show it."

"Then you will have to go to him. You will have to take the initiative. I will bet he won't turn you away if you show up in his bed one night."

"Fredrica! That is shocking. I do not think I could ever, ever do that. What if he does not want me at all?"

"Life has its risks. You have to fight for the things you want in this life, Victoria. It is worth taking a chance is it not? A real marriage could have so many rewards. Think on it."

"Well?"

"You know some men are just stubborn and they call it honor. He made that promise when circumstances were much different than they are now. You know you have to do something. You cannot live your lives apart. You just are not ready to take on outside lovers, now are you?"

"No, not that I have not had the opportunity," Victoria said and a becoming rosy color suffused her face.

"I am sure you have and will have many more. Especially if you and Jonathon remain estranged."

Fredrica left with a date arranged for Victoria to come to dinner. As for Victoria she went up the stairs slowly, trying to digest what Fredrica had said. She blushed ruby red when she thought of putting into action Fredrica's suggestion. Still, there are some interesting possibilities there, she thought.

Jonathon had just finished a lonely dinner and was settling down to get quietly drunk when Perkins announced the arrival of Mr. Waverly. He jumped up and rushed over to shake hands with his good friend, "Allen, what a smashing surprise." He pounded on Allen's back and shoulders as he greeted him.

"Give over, Jon, you are going to injure me. You don't know your own strength. How are you?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I am so glad to see you. What brings you to Burlingale?"

"Um-m, it is a little complicated. Can I have a room and get cleaned up a bit before I go into it?"

"Of course. I am so glad to see you. It has been several months has it not?"

"Yes, since your wedding."

Jonathon pulled the bell cord and requested a room for Lord Waverly. The butler led him away and it was several minutes before he appeared again in the parlor.

"Do you want refreshments?" Jonathon asked.

"Just something to drink. I ate only a short time ago."

"Sit down, man. Sit down." Jonathon said as he poured another glass of burgundy.

"I asked you how you are, but I don't believe you answered me," Allen said.

"I am fine, I guess. I have been her with just the servants for a few weeks and it becomes a little lonesome." Jonathon hated to confess this, but Allen knew him so well that he would discern it anyhow.

"Your lovely wife certainly isn't lonesome. Why is she in London without you? I know I am being cow- handed but we have been friends a long time and I am concerned about your welfare."

Jonathon sat silently for several minutes looking into his glass and occasionally taking a sip. He hated to air a family quarrel, but this was Allen. They had been chums since they were in leading strings. Therefore, he decided to tell Allen about the work on the house and Victoria's reaction when he ordered the work stopped.

"She simply packed up and left. Said she could not live in this monstrosity without making it decent. I have to tell you she has insulted my family home ever since we arrived."

Allen looked around and thought Victoria could hardly have been exaggerating. The place was a dismal mess.

"You say the only reason you object to the work was the fact that she was using her own money. Are you daft? What better use could she make of her money?"

"You sound just lie everyone else. No one seems to understand that I have already taken too much of her money."

"A woman's money is usually given over to her husband when she marries. Why are you being so chuckle- headed?"

"I suppose it is because I am humiliated about having to marry for money. It goes against all of my beliefs."

"But, Jonathon, Victoria is as rich as Croesus. I think you might have reason to complain if she had been throwing her money about recklessly, but restoring this old mansion seems like a good way to spend her money and an even better way to spend her time. Certainly better than she is spending it now."

"Why, what is she doing?"

Allen proceeded to tell Jonathon about how Victoria was being seen everywhere. He explained that she was accepted in every home and might even be going to Almacks for all he knew.

"She has become an exceptionally beautiful woman, Jonathon. Do you not see that?"

"I know she has been filling out and looks a lot better now that she is getting well. She really was not sick, you know. She was being poisoned by that awful old nurse. When I took her off laudanum she started improving right away."

"To say she is improving is certainly an understatement. There is hardly any resemblance to the emaciated girl you married."

"I know that is true."

"Do you know Lord Marland?"

"Yes, a notorious rake."

"That notorious rake is pursuing your beautiful wife with complete dedication. You can guess where he is leading."

"Pursuing Victoria? Why, Victoria is a virgin!"

Jonathon could not control the red that suffused his neck and face. He certainly had not meant to blurt that out. His friend seemed unable to speak. He simply looked at Jonathon with his jaw dropped like some idiot. Finally he closed his mouth and swallowed.

"You mean you have been married since November, and in close proximity to your lovely wife and have not taken her to bed? Jonathon, is there something about you that I don't know?"

"No, damn it! You know there isn't."

"My good friend -- your wife has blossomed and is like a lovely ripe peach. She is ready to drop into some man's arms and bed. Do you not think it would be better that it be yours? The circumstances have changed and so has Victoria -- or does she repulse you?"

"Oh, never that."

"Well then?"

"I will have to think about it. Now I expect you are worn to the bone from your long ride. Let's go to bed and I will have a clearer head about this in the morning."

A great blast of thunder rattled the windows and broad streaks of lightening lit up the countryside.

"It looks like you did not arrive any too soon. I think we are in for a downpour. It will be welcome because the crops are beginning to need rain badly."

Jonathon followed Allen to the second floor where their rooms were located, bid him good night and retired to his own thoughts. That was a very strange conversation from any point of view, he mused. But since they had known each other since childhood he could not doubt that Allen had made the long tiring trip because he was truly concerned about Jonathon's welfare.

The day had been long and tiring so he fell asleep quickly. His dreams were chaotic, erotic and full of loud noises. Finally the noise penetrated his foggy brain and he came fully awake. Mixed with the blasting of thunder and pounding rain on the roof there was a persistent banging on his bedroom door.

"Jonathon, hey, Jonathon, wake up." The pounding continued while he lit a candle and found a robe.

"I am coming. Spare the door, Allen. I am getting there as fast as I can."

Finally he stumbled over to the door and opened it, "What in God's name is the matter? Why all the noise?"

"There is a flood in my room. Water is coming down the wall ant it is about an inch deep on the floor."

"You must have left a window unlatched and the wind blew the water in."

"No, I didn't. It is coming from above. I am afraid the ceiling is going to collapse."

Jonathon followed Allen to his room. His friend was not exaggerating. One wall looked like it had a miniature waterfall cascading down it. The ancient carpet was gradually absorbing the water and felt spongy to walk on.

"I had better go upstairs and try to find where that is coming from. Must be a window open up there."

They each picked up a candle and climbed the stairs. The ballroom was immediately above the bedrooms and they inspected the windows there as best they could with the two puny candles. The bright flashes of lightening illuminated the room brilliantly and they could see the windows were tightly closed, but water was cascading its way down this wall also.

"It must be the attic. The children play up there a lot. I am sure we will find some windows open up there," Jonathon said as he led the way to the narrow stairs leading to the attic.

As they opened the door to the spacious attic they could hear water dripping. The brightness of the lightening and sound of thunder was much more pronounced this close to the roof. Jonathon lifted his candle and looked towards that part of the room directly above the ballroom. There he saw a window wide open and the water was blowing in with each gust of wind. But that was not the whole of it. There were large drips all over the attic.

"Allen, will you go get Perkins and have him arouse some servants to bring containers up here to catch this water?"

"Give me the direction to the servant's quarters and I will be glad to."

After Allen left Jonathon went over to close the window, but when he got there he saw there was no window. It had fallen out, frame and all. He made a few choice comments in language best suited to the gutter.

"Those workmen must have loosened the frame and when I stopped the work they just left it. Someone is going to hear about this," he muttered.

He leaned out the window to examine it more closely. That was a decided mistake. The wall gave way and Jonathon felt himself slipping irrevocably down the side of the building along with bricks, shingles and splinters of wood. He managed to catch the edge of the window opening just before he would have fallen three stories to the ground. He attempted to pull himself up, but every time he scrabbled at the wall with his feet something else came loose. He yelled lustily, hoping he might be heard over the storm. Allen saw Jonathon's predicament and grabbed his big friend by the arms, but soon realized Jonathon's weight was more than he could handle alone and called to one of the strong, young footmen. Between them they managed to hoist Jonathon back through the window. He was pulled across the opening and a layer of skin was scrapped off his belly as he was dragged across the rough bricks. When he was almost inside the room the bricks gave way and he tumbled inside among an assortment of bricks and other debris.

When Allen reached down to help him up, Jonathon pulled hard on his friend's arms. Those friendly arms gave way and they skidded in tandem across the wet floor, encountering one of the pans the servants had placed under a large leak, and knocked it over. Men, water, bricks all skidded down the attic floor, encountering a woman's dress form, a rack of old clothes, and a rickety old rocking chair. All came to rest against a large steamer trunk that was sturdy enough to stop their voyage across the room.

Jonathon and Allen sat up and looked at each other. Allen was covered with dirt from the attic floor. His elegant robe was a total wreck. His hair stood up in little peaks on top of his head. Jonathon looked worse. He was wet to the skin, covered with mud and flecks of brick and his robe was gone, leaving him not far from being in the buff.

They turned towards each other and started roaring hilariously. The unfortunate servant who had traveled with them on this unplanned journey looked at the young men as though he thought they had gone mad.

"We haven't had such a romp since we were fifteen years old and put old man Dieter's curricle on his barn." Jonathon declared.

"Your servants think you have lost your mind," Allen said which only set the two young men roaring with laughter again.

Jonathon finally gained control of himself and said, "We will have to get some lumber and board up that end of the attic, and I am afraid we will have to do it tonight. The damage from the water will only get worse."

It was nearly daylight before the household had settled to get a little more sleep. The following morning Jonathon sat in a small room off the kitchen eating breakfast. It was not precisely a breakfast room, but he could not endure eating in the enormous dining room alone, and Allen was late making an appearance. When he finally arrived he looked no worse for the adventure of the night before. He served himself a large plate of food before he took a seat across from Jonathon.

"I will wager you never counted on so much excitement when you started to Burlingale a couple of days ago." Jonathon said with an impish grin.

"No, I certainly did not. But you know, Jon, this old house is going to tumble down around your head if you don't get some repairs done."

"Oh, I think the workmen who were here must have weakened that wall and didn't restore it to its original condition when I sent them packing."

"I do not agree with you. I went up there and inspected the other walls and windows. I tell you your pretty wife had the right of it. Your ancestral home is going to be a fine bit of ruin in the not too distant future."

"You really think so?"

"Yes, I do. You have buried yourself in books for so long you do not seem to be aware of the rest of the world."

"I'm learning. I have had to learn to farm, build, placate the farmers and many other things I had never expected to have to cope with. I supposed the house was the least of my worries."

"I am afraid it is one of the greatest of your worries," Allen said. "Well, I have given you the benefit of my wise advice so I will start back to London after breakfast. I do not like to be away from my family too long. Little Elizabeth is changing every day."

"Maybe I had better make a trip to London to see what is going on. I can be ready soon," Jonathon said, getting to his feet.

"Victoria will be glad to see you."

"I am not going to let Vickie know I am in town for a while. I have a number of things to attend to before I see her. I will stay in our town house on Curzon Street."

"H-m-m, well I guess you have your reasons, but I would not delay long if she were my wife."

"I won't -- and Allen?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks for being a good friend and helping me see what a stupid ass I have been."

"I say, old man. What are friends for?"

Chapter Seventeen

On the way to London Jonathon made a mental list of the things he needed to attend to. He began his planned activities early the following morning. His first task was to find Charles Anderson to see if he could be persuaded to return to Burlingale and resume work on the mansion; second was a trip to his solicitor to determine the state of his finances and ask for advice on hiring a steward to help ease his work load; the third was a trip to Weston's where he ordered a complete new wardrobe. The selection of his wardrobe was time- consuming. He had to be carefully measured and quizzed about his needs. He had some trouble exacting an early date for deliver of his most needed garments. He was finally promised two complete outfits in one week's time. One was an elegant evening outfit, something he had never bothered with before, but he planned to attend the Abercrombie ball and wanted to look his best. His invitation had arrived at Burlingale the week before. He had put it aside with no intention of attending until Allen had alerted him to his wife's activities.

The fourth task was a visit to a well-known florist. He ordered an enormous bouquet of deep red roses to be delivered to Victoria. He signed the card simply "Jonathon."

That evening he went to Whites, where he was greeted by friends whom he had not seen for months.

It did not take long for him to hear of some of Victoria's activities. He was kidded about letting a beauty such as she out in society without his protection. He soon became thoroughly annoyed at some to the remarks and was about to retaliate when Lord Waverly arrived on the scene. That good friend whisked Jonathon away to a game of cards where the stakes were low, put a glass of brandy in his hand, and stayed with him the rest of the evening.

As he climbed the steps to his townhouse he was overwhelmed by a feeling of confusion. He knew that Victoria was gaining her health, and she had blossomed while at Burlingale, but he certainly did not consider her a beauty. It was as if the rest of the ton were talking about some other woman. And they could not possibly know what a pushy creature she was or they would not be quite so complimentary, would they?

Victoria's parlor was full of flowers the following day when Jonathon's impressive bouquet arrived. She found a place to display the gorgeous blooms and then took the card which had Jonathon's name on it. Only his name -- nothing else. Her heart beat a little faster. This was the first time he had given her any notion that he thought of her as a woman.

Ellen was receiving flowers from Charles nearly ever day so the parlor looked like a well-stocked flower emporium. Victoria was embarrassed at the offerings from casual acquaintances, and could not help wondering why they were pursuing her as if she were a debutante. She blushed to think of the intentions of some of those men.

She dressed carefully in a lovely blue dinner dress for her evening with Geoffery and Fredrica. She wore a strand of pearls and pearl ear drops as her only jewelry. Her hair was pulled back in a cascade of curls and fastened with an exquisite jeweled comb. She surveyed herself in the pier glass as she waited for her carriage and preened a little. "Papa is going to be astonished at his little girl," she said to the woman in the glass.

Stunned was too mild for Geoffery's reaction. He kissed her and then stood back and simply stared for a few seconds, "Vickie, you have become a gorgeous woman."

"Thank you, Papa. I knew you would be surprised. You know what happened, do you not?"

"I know something about it, but I would like to hear the story in detail from you."

Victoria gave him a brief account of Jonathon's diagnosis and her gradual return to health. She added that marrying Jonathon was the luckiest thing to have ever happened to her. She could now expect to live out a normal life.

"Where is you husband?" Geoffery asked.

"He was still at Burlingale when I came to town. Surely Fredrica has told you something about why I am in London without him."

Geoffery turned to the beautiful Fredrica and raised an eyebrow. "You told me nothing, you minx. Are you keeping secrets from me so soon?"

"I thought Victoria spoke to me in confidence and I can keep a secret if need be."

"I am thrilled I am going to be a sister," Victoria said. "I was aghast at the idea of my papa being a father again, but I have grown up a little the last few months, and I am now excited about the idea."

Geoffery patted Fredrica's hand and said, "We could not be happier."

The meal was eaten in silence for a few minutes with each person engrossed in his own thoughts.

"I understand you are making quite a splash in society, my dear." Geoffery said.

"Yes, I suppose so. I did come to town with the idea of being noticed, but it seems when a young married woman moves about in society without her husband's escort many of the young men get the wrong idea. They have been dealing with me as if I were on the marriage market."

"H-m-m," was the noncommittal reply.

"I have sent back all expensive gifts."

"That is quite wise," Fredrica said. "It will let them know you do not intend to play the games that are prevalent among the beau monde."

"I have been invited to the Abercrombie ball," Victoria said. "I have not decided yet if I will go."

"Of course you must go, my dear. I think the Prince Regent will make an appearance. You do not want to miss that," Geoffery said.

"In that case I may wear my grandmother's ruby and diamond necklace. It is as impressive as the crown jewels.'

"That is probably not a very good idea, Vickie," Geoffery said. That thing is too ostentatious for a young woman and it is too heavy for your pretty slender neck. Why do you not wear something more modest?"

"I suppose I am angry at Jonathon and want to do something flamboyant. I had not thought about being wealthy until he made such an issue of it. He just wants me to let my money pile up in the bank or elsewhere while I live in near poverty with him. He said I was flaunting my wealth when the only thing I did was try to restore and actually save his ancestral home for him and create a better life for the whole family."

"I know he is a proud man -- exceptionally so, but can you not see his point of view?"

"No! I cannot. I think it is cork-brained. The house is falling apart and there is money to restore it if he would just get off his high ropes."

"Mayhap he will come around later," Fredrica said.

"I told him he had not seen money flaunted until he sees the way I go on in London. Therefore, I am going to wear that necklace. There is naught in the whole of England to match it."

"No -- outside of the crown jewels," Geoffery said. "We are going to the ball, also. Would you like for us to call for you?"

"That would be lovely. Charles has been taking us about, but he was called out of town and cannot escort us."

Victoria returned home feeling happy that the rift between herself and her father had been patched, but also sad because she felt pangs of regret for the way her marriage had turned out.

She arose early the following morning, so early, in fact, that the servants were still at their breakfast. She had decided that she needed a special dress for the Abercrombie ball. She dispatched a footman to Madame Delacroix asking her to come to Victoria's residence to confer about a very special dress. The famous dressmaker accommodated Victoria because she always paid for her purchases as soon as they were delivered, something none too common with the aristocracy.

The first thing that greeted Madam's eyes when she entered Victoria's bed chamber was the impressive ruby and diamond necklace. It had been laid out on a small table that was situated next to a window. It twinkled in the morning light creating tiny prisms of color about the room.

"Dear Madam, forgive me for summoning you on such short notice, but I have decided to wear this necklace to the Abercrombie ball next week and I want a dress designed expressly to display it."

Madame Delacroix pursed her lips and studied the necklace. "You know those are not the sort of jewels a woman as young and slender as you should wear, don't you?"

"Oh, yes. Many people agree with you. However, I understand the Prince Regent will be there and I may never have a better excuse for wearing it. Can you fashion a gown in a week's time that will set off the jewels to their best advantage?"

"Certainment, Lady Burlingale. I can set the jewels off to their best advantage, but nothing a lady wears should detract from her own beauty, and I think it will be difficult to produce something that will enhance both the jewels and your beauty."

"Nevertheless, I want you to do the best you can. I intend to wear that heirloom to the ball."

Three days later a note arrived announcing that the dressmaker would be there that afternoon to fit the dress if that was agreeable to Lady Burlingale.

Victoria was astonished when Madame Delacroix told her to strip completely because she was furnishing the underclothes for her creation.

First was a short, flesh-colored camisole that had strategically placed ruffles which Victoria accurately concluded was to enhance her small bosom. Next were flesh colored tights. A lovely underdress the exact color of the rubies went over the other garments. The line of the underdress was simplicity itself. It clung to Victoria's youthful shape revealing her long legs through the cloth when she moved. She was about to protest that the dress was entirely too immodest when a gossamer overdress of pale silver floated over her head and gently dropped to the top of her feet. The necklace was then fastened around her neck and the matching earrings followed.

"Now, my lady, you can see if you are pleased."

Victoria gazed at herself in the mirror. She knew immediately that the famed modiste had created magic, for the necklace appeared to flow into the dress and become a part of it. The center of the necklace was graced by a drop diamond, which ended exactly in the curve of Victoria's bosom.

"This is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. You are certainly a genius, Madame. I would never have thought to create such a simple outfit. It is perfect."

"I do not want to obscure your beauty, Lady Burlingale. You are far lovelier than the necklace and we want everyone to be aware of that."

"You say the loveliest things. Thank you."

Madame and her helpers gathered up the garments promising to have them, along with the proper shoes by the day before the ball.

The Abercrombie ballroom stretched across the back of an impressive mansion. The entrance was by way of two sets of stairs. One set took guests to a small landing which overlooked the enormous sunken room. The descent into the room from the landing gave everyone a full view of the arriving guests. They were announced, in stentorian tones, by a colorful liveried footman.

Victoria hesitated at the top of the stairs, viewing the elegant ballroom which was already filled with dazzling men and women. She felt a flutter of doubt when she saw the glittering assemblage. However, she became the center of attention as she descended the steps on her father's arm. Fredrica and Ellen followed behind, having agreed between them that it would be wonderful for Victoria to arrive on the arm of her strikingly handsome father.

There was a lull in the conversation as people turned to watch the party make its way into the room. Then a low murmur could be heard while those who did not already know speculated about who the handsome couple was.

The Abercrombies greeted their guests at the bottom of the stairs which led into the entrance of the ballroom. Geoffery's hand was shaken heartily and Fredrica greeted effusively. Geoffery proudly presented Victoria, "This is my daughter, The Marchioness of Burlingale."

Victoria curtsied prettily and then presented Ellen. Soon they were into the beautiful room, which was lighted by great candle filled chandeliers. The walls were awash with color, having been lined throughout with growing plants and flowers.

"I wish Charles could see this," Ellen said. "He is always so interested in how people build their homes and how they decorate them."

"Where did you say he went?" Victoria asked as they strolled along nodding first this way and that at the curious crowd.

"He went out of town on a job."

"Oh, and when will he return?"

The two young women had little opportunity for further conversation as they were whisked out on the dance floor immediately.

An hour later a hush went over the ballroom. Everyone stopped dancing and turned toward the stairs. The Prince Regent was standing there resplendent in his military dress. He lifted his hostess from her deep curtsey and raised her hand to his lips. He spoke a few friendly words to Lord Abercrombie and then moved on into the room, greeting people as he went.

The Prince was known for his appreciation of beautiful women. He flitted from one to the other like a bee choosing the most fragrant flower. His eyes alighted on Victoria and he moved slowly, but deliberately, in her direction. She looked at him apprehensively for she had heard stories about him all of her life. But when she was presented to him she curtsied deeply and remarked on the privilege of meeting him.

He requested the dance that was forming, which was a waltz, and without waiting for an answer took Victoria in his arms and swung her onto the dance floor. She was amazed at the lightness of his movements, and what an excellent dancer he was. He was a man of such corpulence that it was difficult to believe he could be so graceful.

It was just as he turned Victoria in a sweepingly dramatic movement that Jonathon entered the hall.

Jonathon hesitated at the top of the stairs, as nearly every one did, and viewed the dancers. Victoria had been turned away, but when she was twirled to the edge of the floor and facing Jonathon she saw him and missed a step. The slight stumble made her feel extremely awkward.

She had never seen Jonathon dressed like that. He wore a black velvet evening coat with a paisley waistcoat and pure white shirt. Gray inexpressables clung to him as if he had been poured into them. His cravat was folded simply with a diamond pin in the center. Victoria was sure her heart stopped beating for a few seconds and when it began again it was so fast that it created a roaring in her ears. She was quite sure the rest of the dancers could hear, most especially the Prince Regent.

Jonathon was without doubt the handsomest man in the room.

"Oh, Ho! I see why you faltered," said the prince with a twinkle in his eye. "That is a very handsome fellow who has just entered."

Victoria blushed and said, "Yes, Your Highness. That is The Marquess of Burlingale, my husband."

"Well, well. I knew his father and brother, but I do not believe I have ever met him. You must introduce me." He waltzed her to the edge of the floor and walked with her to where Jonathon was just reaching the bottom step.

The dancing almost stopped while the beau monde watched this tableau. Victoria was able to make the introduction without disgracing herself, but she felt like she had been through a mill. She had not even known Jonathon was in town and to see him now, dressed to the nines, was disconcerting to say the least. She almost forgot the prince's presence in her awareness of her husband.

"I appreciate dancing with your beautiful wife, Lord Burlingale. Thank you. She is an exceedingly charming young woman." The prince nodded to Jonathon and Jonathon bowed formally, but did not answer.

The prince drifted away leaving Jonathon and Victoria regarding each other silently, each trying to find something appropriate to say, especially while in this crowded hall.

Finally Victoria said, rather inanely, "Good evening, my lord. When did you arrive?" She struggled determinedly to regain her composure.

"Let's go over here and sit where every word we say cannot be overheard," he said, steering her to a corner of the room which sported two small chairs surrounded by enormous shrubbery.

"My dance card is nearly full so I cannot simply disappear."

"Oh, I am sure your partners will find you. I certainly would. You are absolutely dazzling, Victoria."

"Thank you, my lord."

"My lord? Are we back to that?"

"Since our relationship is rather formal it only seems natural to address you so. Now, quickly, tell me when you arrived."

"I have been here a week."

"And you did not even feel you should let me know?"

"I had many things to attend to. I did not want to interrupt your routine."

Before Victoria could answer she was claimed by a handsome young baron, one who had been pursuing her rather diligently. He appeared a little crushed when Victoria introduced her husband, but whisked her to the floor where a cotillion was forming.

Jonathon watched Victoria dance and his thoughts were confused. This beautiful, stylish, animated young woman bore little resemblance to the sickly girl he had married. Would she have ever considered marrying him if she had been then as she goes now? She certainly could have had her choice of husbands.

Jonathon was a modest man and largely unaware of his own attractiveness. Oh, he knew that Weston and his staff raved about his well-muscled form and the fact they had little need to add padding to the shoulders of his coat, but he had always been a large, strapping lad. Now he was simply an overgrown young man, in his own opinion.

He was not allowed to dwell on his disturbing thoughts very long. He was soon drawn into the room by Allen and presented to many people who had been only vague names before. Many a young woman smiled at him invitingly and made it clear they could find room on their dance card for him. But Jonathon had other things on his mind. He danced with Fredrica, but was not a very satisfactory partner because his eyes kept looking for Victoria.

When he succeeded in locating her she was being led to the dance floor by Lord Marland. A green-eyed monster invaded Jonathon's being and he quickly made his way to the couple's side. He took Victoria's hand and pulled her to him. The dance was a waltz and the music was beginning.

"Lord Burlingale, I spoke for this dance early in the evening," Lord Marland protested.

"Leave, my lord," Jonathon said in a menacing voice. "I have not danced with my wife all evening and I intend that I dance this waltz with her." His look dared Lord Marland to do something about it. That rakish young man knew instinctively that it would be best not to challenge Jonathon. The look in Jonathon's eyes was cold and daring. Lord Marland decided it was a game lost. He bowed stiffly and walked away.

Jonathon whisked Victoria smoothly onto the dance floor, holding her breathtakingly close. She felt weak at his nearness and the rest of the people in the room ceased to exist. This was their first dance and she was giddy, as the exquisite music swirled around them. Their bodies fit together as though they had been created for each other. Her tall figure molded to her husband's in an unconsciously suggestive manner, causing one of the matrons on the side to remark that there was the reason the waltz was considered indecent.

As the dance was coming to an end, Jonathon steered them to the wide doors that led into a formal garden. People were strolling the graveled paths. Some were sitting on the benches located every few feet along the pathways. Jonathon kept Victoria in his arms and swirled down one path with her until he found an isolated spot.

"You are the loveliest woman at this ball," he said. "It makes me very proud to be your husband."

Victoria averted her eyes from his gaze fearing he would see the longing in them. "Thank you, Jonathon. I guess that makes us the handsomest couple here, because there is no other man in the room to compare with you."

"I guess Weston is really as much of a genius as they say if he can take my big frame and clothe it so well."

"Oh, my lord! You really do not know how handsome you are, do you?"

"I have never given it much thought."

Victoria put a hand up to pat her hair in place. It had been threatening to fall down as they whirled to the strains of the vigorous waltz.

"You know if you had gone to a few routs and balls looking the way you do tonight, you could have married nearly anyone you chose," Victoria said.

"And the same is true of you, my dear. The gentlemen cannot keep their eyes from you."

Victoria knew no one's opinion, save Jonathon's, meant anything to her, but she said, "I must go back in. I have several dances still promised."

"Yes, I suppose you must."

She went reluctantly to the dance floor with a young nobleman, but her mind and heart were still with Jonathon.

Chapter Eighteen

Jonathon made his away across the ballroom ignoring the inviting glances from many of the young women he passed. He chose to become reacquainted with people he had know from years past, but he was aware of where Victoria was every minute of the time.

He turned a welcoming smile to her when she was returned to him by her partner. Several giggly girls were standing around making comments on various people. They looked at Jonathon and tittered. Their glances then turned to Victoria, her father and Fredrica and their noses turned up with ridiculous expressions of disdain.

Victoria tried to ignore them, but she was becoming angry, although she knew they were a bevy of empty headed chits and not really worth her notice.

A baby faced blonde who obviously had more hair than wit and an uncommonly loud voice lisped, "Do 'oou not wish 'oou was the daughter of a vulgarly rich Cit. He could buy 'oou a rich, handsome, titled husband."

All members of Victoria's party heard the remark, along with several people standing about waiting for the next set to begin. Victoria narrowed her eyes and looked at the pouting, hateful face and before she gave it another thought she reached out and slapped the woman resoundingly. The slap could be heard half-way around the hall. All eyes turned in her direction.

The young woman was not much more startled than her attacker. Victoria clapped both hands over her mouth, her eyes widened in horror at what she had done, then she turned and ran up the wide staircase where she had first entered, making her way to the outside doors which a doorman opened for her. She went out into the balmy evening without retrieving her shawl. She stood looking wildly about, with no idea of what to do. She turned towards her townhouse with the idea of running home. It really was not very far from the Abercrombie's, but no one ever walked. It was just not done. Everyone came in a crush of vehicles to every route, party or ball.

A feeling of complete humiliation washed over her. She did not care for herself, but was devastated that she had created such a stir and would surely upset her father, Fredrica, and Jonathon.

She became aware of arms around her and she struggled for a moment until she heard Jonathon's soothing words.

"There, there sweetheart," Jonathon's said, soothingly. He patted her back and took out his handkerchief and wiped away her tears.

"I came to town to make an impression on the ton. I guess I did that," she sobbed. He threw his head back and laughed, "I would say you did that in several ways. Let us get you home. I told your father I would see to it. They will probably be leaving soon, also."

"I do not doubt it. I disgraced them."

"Actually Geoffery seemed amused at the incident. In fact I think he is going to stay a while just to let people see that he is not bothered at all."

He held her in his arms, while stroking her back and running his hands through her hair making a complete mess of her intricate hairdo. He gazed into her eyes with a look that questioned her. They revealed feelings she had never seen before, and she drew in a breath that almost turned into a sob. Will you come back to Burlingale with me?" Jonathon asked. "I really need you. The books are getting behind. I have hired a steward, but you need to show him how you set them up."

Victoria allowed the breath to escape in a sigh. His request was much better than she had hoped for. She had been afraid he would tell her he never wanted to have anything to do with her or her family again. "I expect I had best go home with you. I doubt I will ever get another invitation anywhere."

"Oh, everyone will forget that incident. There will be another on dit to occupy the ton before long," he said while patting her on the shoulder. "I have persuaded Charles to resume work on the house."

"Did you come into some unexpected money?" Victoria asked with a falsely innocent look on her face.

He cocked an eyebrow at her, "No. I trust you have not spent all of your blunt yet."

"No. But, Jonathon, are you going to let me restore our home?"

"I have been a fool. You were correct. The place is about to fall down about our heads. In fact part of it did just a few days ago in a rain storm."

He related the story of the incident in the attic and had her laughing at him. She felt he was more relaxed with her than he had ever been and hope bubbled through her body.

It was a merry family that made its way to the lush farm country where the Burlingale estate was located. Victoria had been afraid the girls would be unhappy about a sudden return home, but they had seen nearly all of the attractions available to them and, being raised in the country, London was beginning to wear on their nerves.

Clarissa was a bit distressed at leaving the music room and her teacher, but Victoria told her she was sure one of the many rooms at Burlingale could be turned into a music room. She also engaged the music teacher to come to Burlingale to continue the talented young woman's studies. Also, Jonathon had ordered horses to restock his stables and promised one especially for Clarissa.

Ellen was ecstatic because she knew Charles was already there. They were now formally engaged to be married and she had to do a deal of planning.

"Uh-Vickie, I have something very important I need to discuss with you," Ellen said.

"Why, Ellen, you sound so serious. Whatever can it be?"

"I have become very fond of Peter. He is a smart, appealing little boy and is blossoming with all of our love and attention."

"Yes, I have noticed."

"Charles and I would like to assume his care. As you know Charles understands what it is like to be an abandoned child and while he is not well acquainted with Peter, he thinks he would be able to be a father to him."

"This is a surprise, my dear. I settled some money on him and made him my ward, but you are better acquainted with him since you have been his teacher all these months. Victoria looked thoughtful and then added, "I had better discuss the matter with Jonathon before I give you an answer. I have made too many decisions on my own already."

Victoria became aware of the countryside with its lush growth. The clear air delighted her as the entourage escaped the noise and dirt of the city. The end of June weather was warm, but not quite hot enough to make traveling uncomfortable, especially with the windows open. A picnic basket had been packed and they found a pretty clear area with one enormous plane tree, where the servants laid out a repast fit for the Prince Regent.

Peter was thrilled to be allowed to ride in front of Jonathon a few miles each day. The family arrived at Burlingale merry as grigs to be home. It had taken four carriages to transport the family and servants. Victoria had brought most of her servants from London with her. The vehicles appeared to be spewing out people when they stopped. Formalities were ignored, much to the chagrin of the servants, and even Victoria and Ellen were too impatient to wait to be handed down.

Victoria felt like she had been let out of a cage. It surprised her to be so glad to be back. She felt she had come home and was unable to understand why.

Christopher ran down the steps and flung himself against Jonathon. Jonathon swung him up in his arms and gave him a big hug. Next came Peter. Christopher's greeting to him was to poke him on the arm and yell, "Come see the new ponies. We have horses. Lots of horses and there are two ponies."

"I am glad the horses have arrived," Jonathon said. "Everyone needs to be able to ride over the countryside. These boys must be taught to ride and take care of horses."

"How about the girls?" Victoria asked.

"They already know how to ride," he said.

Victoria lowered her eyes, being a little embarrassed that she was probably the only person on the place that was not at home on a horse.

Jonathon correctly interpreted her expression. He leaned over and gently tweaked her nose in a playful gesture. "I have a beautiful little mare for you. I intend to teach you to ride. That is, if you have any desire to do so. I would not try to force it on you."

"I would love to," Victoria said thinking anything that would keep her in close proximity to Jonathon would be welcome. "I would especially like to be able to ride around to the farms and get to know the people. I could see if they had need of anything. Men do not always have the ear of women. The farmers' wives might need things that you do not know about."

He put his arm around her shoulder as they made their way up the steps. "You are going to be a wonderful marchioness. Your servants love you and I am sure everyone will when they get to know you."

"I already know some of them. I hired them to work on the house. Are any of them back?"

"Yes, some. But we are in a busy time on the farms and many of them can only work part of the time."

Cordelia waited at the top of the steps. She embraced Victoria and allowed herself to be bear hugged by Jonathon.

"I am afraid everything is a complete mess. There are people all over the house, and I do not know quite what to do with them. I am so glad you are back, Victoria. You can get everything running smoothly again, I am certain. I have arranged for a simple country dinner because I had no idea of when you would arrive or even what day."

"I am sure everything will be fine, Cordelia." Victoria felt herself glow with pride at Cordelia's praise, praise that sounded spontaneous and completely sincere.

They walked down the great hall, and it soon became evident what Cordelia was talking about. There were long drop cloths along the floors. The furniture was covered with old sheets and some of the chandeliers had been pulled low enough for cleaning to be a menace to Jonathon trying to walk under them.

"I think the first thing we will do is clear the room of anything that can be moved. It is too difficult to work around all of these -- uh, shall we say accoutrements."

"Very politely expressed, my dear," Jonathon said. "I am giving you free rein with this work. I have entirely too much work outside to give it any attention. I only would like you to consult Cordelia or myself if you feel the urge to dump some priceless horror on the bonfire."

Victoria giggled. "I will try to restrain myself. But if it is priceless and still a horror, may I consign it to the attic?"

"I think that will be satisfactory, don't you, Maman?"

"Imminently. I have wanted to get rid of many of these monstrosities ever since I married your father. How anyone could have such bad taste is a mystery to me."

Jonathon studied his mother's face. She had been wanting to redecorate her home all these years and had not said a word about it, as far as he knew, until the cheeky Victoria took matters into her own hands.

Jonathon was a happy man. His petticoat contingent was back running his home and that was just fine with him. That is, now that he had seen the error of his ways.

His eyes followed Victoria as she moved down the great hall, turning her head this way and that, stopping to say a few words to a workman here or there. He could see that her mind was working hard at planning what to do with the cavern to make it a more hospitable place to greet guests. She looked relaxed and happy.

How could he have ever accused her of flaunting her wealth? She was just one of those people who believed in using her money for good causes. She was generous with all who came into her orbit and appeared to be happiest when she could give someone a helping hand.

He felt an almost overwhelming urge to run after her and take her in his arms. He realized he had fallen in love with his wife. He wanted to carry her up the stairs to their rooms and make love to her. He squelched the thought, remembering his promise. He also remembered Allen's remark about Victoria just waiting to fall into someone's arms and bed. That she had bloomed into a desirable woman was a given. "I will find out how she feels about me. If she thinks she can love me then that promise can be honorably broken," he muttered as he sauntered after her.

Although everyone was delighted at the work taking place on the mansion, the confusion and noise became trying. Each person found his own means to escape to a quiet place for a respite.

The copse which Victoria had discovered earlier was situated less than a half mile from the house. The small trees surrounded a small pond, which was fed from an underground spring. The water was clear and cool. The edge and bottom consisted of small pebbles which cast an incandescent light through the clear, blue water.

She escaped to the restful copse when she could no longer endure the noise of hammers and the smell of paint. As long as she was near she was constantly having to field a barrage of questions. The only respite was to play least in sight. Therefore, she escaped with a thick blanket, a large pillow and one of Maria Louise's novels.

She could still hear the noises from the house, but they faded into the background of her consciousness and she became aware of the twittering of birds in the trees.

A bower was formed by the tangled growth. The ground was covered with a soft moss and felt cool to her touch. She sighed with relief, as she spread the thick blanket on the ground, and stretched out, content to look up through the ceiling of leaves. A breeze fanned the trees and the sun peeked through. She read a few pages of the romantic novel, imagining it was Jonathon pursuing her instead of the heroine of the story. A languid feeling crept over her and try as she would she could not stay awake. She was soon sound asleep and her dreams were far more interesting than the book she had been reading.

Jonathon rode into the stable yard; he was just returning from a long journey to the outer farms. As he dropped from the saddle he looked across the field and saw Victoria walking briskly toward the copse. He had observed her going there nearly every afternoon and had been tempted to follow her. He chided himself for being so selfish and decided he should let her alone to rest in privacy.

Victoria was wearing a pale green sprigged muslin morning dress, and had her hair pile carelessly on top of her head. Her movements were fluid and graceful. The desire that throbbed in Jonathon, at the sight of her put a decided strain on his resolve.

Instead of following her, he went to his room where he washed off the smell of horse and sweat, changed clothes and made his way to his study. He strode through the rose garden and out the back gate and found himself at the edge of the copse before he realized he had moved.

When he came to the fringe of trees he parted them and peeked in. The area was shady and he could see very little. He slipped quietly through the dense growth. He drew in his breath at the sight of his lovely wife stripped down to her chemise, and standing in the clear water. She gently moved from side to side causing a play of sun and shadows to give her the appearance of some other-worldly creature. He felt like a voyeur, but he could not have looked away if his life had depended on it. He felt a tightening in his groin and tried to curtail his feelings for he still had not determined how she felt about him, but he was lost.

As Victoria became aware of the sky again the sun was in a different location. She felt refreshed from the unplanned nap. The afternoon had become quite warm and the cool water beckoned her. She slipped off her shoes and long silk stockings, "Why do I wear silk stockings in this kind of weather?" she asked her reflection in the pool. The coolness of the water was so inviting that she dangled her feet into it and quickly snatched them back. The contrast of her warm body and the chilled water was shocking and rendered her fully awake. Gradually she eased her feet back into the water allowing her body to become accustomed to the delicious feeling. Soon the pretty sprigged muslin dress went the way of the shoes and stockings. The freedom of being rid of her clothes made her bold and she stepped down into the water. As she walked forward she was surprised to see how deep the little pool was. Therefore, her petticoat quickly followed her other clothes and she was gloriously stripped to a very skimpy chemise. She glanced around guiltily. There must be something wrong with doing this, she thought. It simply feels so wonderful. I could enjoy living without so many clothes. Gradually the water came to just under her breasts. She stood and swished water about and occasionally scooped a handful and splashed her face, letting the delightful cool liquid refresh her. Turning around and around she felt as if she were being transported into a small, private world which was created solely for her pleasure. Her mind was completely disassociated from the present. That present was brought back to her with a shock when she glanced up and there stood her husband.

She squealed and tried to cover herself with her hands, because she was aware that every bit of her was revealed through the flimsy, wet material.

"Vickie, don't cover yourself. I am the only one here and I am your husband."

"But, Jonathon, you have never seen me like this."

"I know and I can see I have been sorely deprived."

Victoria held her breath as he sauntered to the edge of the water, sat down and pulled off his shoes and stockings. Before she realized it he had stripped to his small clothes and slipped into the water to swim across the pond in a few long strokes. She watched the play of his powerful shoulder muscles as he propelled himself through the water. She let her breath out in one loud gasp and caught it again as he came up directly in front of her.

"This is the most refreshing thing I have done in years," he said, moving close.

"It is glorious here. I have been coming to this place for a while, but this is the first time I have come into the water." She was cognizant of her undressed state, but now she was even more aware of Jonathon. She had never seen him without his clothes and he was no less handsome.

Jonathon stood so close to Victoria that she could feel his warm breath in contrast to the coolness of the water. She felt hot all over and wondered how that could be when she was standing up to her bosom in cold water. Her blue eyes lifted to look into his heated hazel ones. The birds seemed to be holding back their songs as she absorbed the intensity of Jonathon's gaze. Maybe this is the time, she thought of Fredrica's advice. She moved closer to Jonathon and lifted her arms to his shoulders and pressed her body against him allowing his warmth to overcome her. He shuddered, pulled her to him with one hand under her buttocks, and molded her body to his. She could feel his swelling desire for her and lifted her face for his kiss.

He covered her mouth with his and gently teased open her lips. His kiss was deep and satisfying, but Victoria felt like a drunk needing more wine. She wanted more, and more. She kissed his cheek, neck and turned her mouth up inviting more kisses. He picked her up, his mouth still on hers and laid her on the bank in a tuft of soft grass and then jumped up beside her, barley breaking the kiss.

His body covered her as he rained kisses on her eyes, cheeks and trailed down her neck to stop at her small round bosom. She gasped at the delightful sensation when he continued the kisses to her breasts.

He looked deeply into her eyes and asked, "Are you sure, Vickie?"

"I am very sure, Jon."

He peeled the wet chemise from her body and tossed it onto a tree limb along with his small clothes. He then gathered Victoria up in his arms and carried her to the bower and eased her down on the blanket, never taking his eyes off her beautiful naked body. He ran his hands through her hair dislodging the pins, encouraging the ebony locks to tumble around her shoulders. She sat in front of him while his eyes roved over her. She was quite sure she was being wicked, but it was such a delicious experience. Having him gaze at her with the desire shining from his eyes made her feel hot all over, but then she allowed herself to look at all of him and came close to combustion.

"You are so lovely," he murmured.

"And you are gorgeous," she said, allowing her eyes to continue their perusal of his body.

He chuckled deeply. A very suggestive chuckle. "I feel big and awkward beside your daintiness and am afraid I might hurt you. Are you sure this is what you want? I promised never to make these demands on you, and I had every intention of keeping that promise."

"Jon, if I remember what you promised it was that you would make no demands that I do not want. I want you. I have wanted you since the first day I saw you, when you walked through Papa's drawing room door looking like some handsome young Viking."

"Really? How could you know you wanted me that soon?" he asked, truly intrigued by her declaration.

"I don't understand it, but I did. That is why I married you. I never expected to be well enough to ever be a real wife to you, but I am well now, and I want to be everything a wife can be."

He lowered her to the pillow and trailed his hands down the side of her face and held her with his eyes as he lowered his lips to hers. He searched her mouth for its sweetness and then let his hands wander to her bare breasts. He cupped a small, perfectly formed globe in each hand and in turn kissed them until they were rosy from his loving.

His kisses gradually wandered further down her body until he came to her rounded buttocks. He lifted her with a hand under her body until she squirmed and murmured, "Oh, dear, are you going to kiss me there? Isn't that very wicked?"

A low, purely masculine laugh answered her. "Don't you want me to kiss you there?" he whispered. "I can't believe loving you anyway is wicked."

Victoria felt herself emersed in sensations that had only been a distant dream before. Her body tingled with the delight of his kisses and their promise. She felt like a bewitched wanton, but had no intention of stopping him from his titillating pursuit.

"No, oh yes! I don't know. I don't know anything about this. You will have to teach me. Whatever you want - - "

"What I want is to caress and love every inch of you even down to your dainty feet."

He trailed kisses over her body intimately, tenderly and thoroughly, including her pink toes.

"I adore you, Vickie. I don't know when I became aware of being in love with you, but I love you beyond all reason."

She reached up and fastened her arms around his neck pulling him down to warm her already burning body. "And I love you. I love you so much and have been wanting this to happen for a long, long time."

"I guess we are a couple of fools because I have wanted to make love to you many, many times, but then stopped myself because I thought I would be breaking my word."

The sun was well on the way to dropping completely out of sight when they finally became aware of the rest of the world again. They went into the water and playfully rinsed each other off and then put on their clothes. With arms about each other they walked erratically across the field like a couple of drunks holding on to each for support as they made their way to the house.

They were vaguely aware of the rose garden as they went. The fragrance assaulted their senses, but they just considered it a part of their newly found love. The French doors to the parlor were open and they staggered through the room. Someone spoke to them of dinner. It seems it was about to be served. They ignored everyone and continued their way through the house.

Jonathon called over his shoulder that the family need not wait dinner on them, because it might be a while before they came back down. At the base of the stairs he picked Victoria up and carried her to her room.

"Here you are carrying me again, Jonathon. I declare I think you would carry me everywhere."

"I want you in my arms as much as possible."

He kicked the door of the bedroom closed and threw the lock. They did not emerge until late the next day.

A festive mood seized the household, from the lowest servant to Cordelia. Everyone knew (for no one can have secrets from the servants) that all had not been completely harmonious between the young lord and lady. Victoria and Jonathan could not have announced the consummation of their marriage any clearer if they had strung a banner across the house.

Epilogue

Victoria and Jonathon had an excellent view of the sprawling mansion from the rose garden where they were taking tea. The day was warm, but not unpleasantly so, and the scent of the roses was heady. They sat in comfortable chairs with a small table between them where a plate of tiny sandwiches and tasty biscuits had been laid, along with a fragrant pot of tea.

Jonathon sighed contentedly and said, "The work on the house is progressing well, is it not?"

"The repair work is all finished, but there are still a number of things that need work inside."

The mansion sparkled in the sunlight. The encroaching vines had all been stripped from the native stone exterior, which was then scrubbed with heavy brushes to remove years of accrued dirt. The complete restoration of the castle-like structure had taken the better part of a year.

The gardens had not been neglected. The lawn was smooth and flowed away from the house in all directions like a lovely green carpet. The stone fences had been repaired and new plantings graced the interiors of these gardens. Stables, barns and all other outbuildings had been made better than new.

"How much longer will Ellen and Charles be here? His part of this task is about over isn't it?" Jonathon asked.

"Yes, I think they will be leaving next month. I can hardly stand the idea of Ellen being so far away as London, and I will miss Peter."

"It was so good of them to adopt Peter. He now has a complete name -- Peter Anderson." Jonathon said. "Maria Louise will be making her come-out before long, and you can be in London then."

"After my disgraceful behavior at the Abercrombie's ball I may not be accepted in society any more."

"Oh, everyone has forgotten all about that by now. Worse things have happened at the balls in London. There is always some new on-dit to catch the ton's attention. Do not let that worry your pretty little head. My title and your money will open all the doors you desire."

A soft cough interrupted them, "My lady," a young maid said as she made a small curtsey. "Beg, pardon, but nurse says the babies need you."

"Thank you Ginny. Tell her I will be there right away."

Victoria looked at Jonathon and smiled. She could not put into words what having a healthy pregnancy and delivery had meant to her after her frail years in London. She and Jonathon walked hand in had up the path toward the house. At the bottom of the steps Jonathon hoisted Victoria into his arms, and playfully ran up the steps to the second floor. It had become something of a joke between them that he would never let her walk up the stairs when he was with her.

"Jonathon, are you going to keep carrying me like I am some invalid, you goose?"

"Every time I get a chance."

"I weigh a lot more than when you first started doing it. I expect you will have to give it up pretty soon."

"H-m-m, maybe, but I am a pretty big lad."

They went into the nursery where they could hear complaining from two small people. The twin boys, one with dark hair and the other with light, were now three months old and their parents were convinced there were no other children so beautiful in all the kingdom.

The babies were fondled, fed and then laid in their little baskets. Victoria and Jonathon stood back and looked at them with identical idiotic grins on their faces.

Jonathon pulled Victoria into his arms and nuzzled her neck. He whispered something in her ear, which brought a slight flush to Victoria's face. She nodded and said, "I will race you to the lake."

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