Page 19 of Bluebell’s Fate

He looked across the carriage to see his bride gazing at the golden edifice before them, her dainty fingertips pressed gently against the glass. Bell spoke his mind, “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” If there were words to break the awkward silence of traveling they had both endured that day, the ones Bell had chosen were perfect.

Nathaniel looked out the window, away from his stunning companion. “It is. I have always loved seeing the cathedral. But tonight, it is more impressive than usual.” He swallowed. “We should be able to see it from our room at the inn tonight.”

The way Bell’s face blanched was evidence enough that he’d made some sort of misstep. He leaned toward her. “Are you feeling well?”

She blinked those incredibly blue eyes quickly before nodding affirmatively and looking away. Her hand dropped from the windowpane and came to rest on her abdomen.

Nathaniel found great relief that his wife was, quite obviously, a terrible liar. He chuckled and tucked his notebook into his pocket. “You most certainly are not. Please, tell me how I can make you comfortable.”

She shifted on her seat, fiddling with some of the lace on her gown. “I wasn’t aware of our travel arrangements,” she whispered.

“Our travel arrangements?” Nathaniel wondered aloud. He’d sent word of his detailed travel plans two weeks prior to the wedding. Apparently, Bell’s father had forgotten to inform his daughter. With how detailed they were, Nathaniel was more than a little put out that the effort he’d put into making them wasn’t even communicated to the party involved. “We will stop at the Rose and Crown here in Lincoln and reach Cairnsby Hall by dinner tomorrow evening.” That was the short of it, at least.

Her countenance did not clear; if anything, she was becoming more agitated. “Very well. Might we walk the rest of the way to the inn? Some exercise would do me good after a full day of travel.”

Nathaniel knocked on the roof of the carriage twice. It was no wonder she needed to walk; she was accustomed to her family’s well-sprung carriage. He felt the insufficiency down to his toes. Perhaps a walk would do them both good.

His footman opened the door.

“Lady Bluebell and I will continue on foot the rest of the way to the inn. You may go on without us.” Nathaniel climbed down from the carriage and turned to help his bride. She scrambled out behind him without assistance, like a frightened mouse.

She took three large steps away from him and turned around to take in the street. Their destination was likely only a couple hundred paces off. As he looked at her, radiant in her pale pink gown with beadwork that sparkled in the fading evening light, he found himself glad that the walk was not a long one. He’d hate for her to ruin her ensemble, as it had likely cost a fortune.

They followed the carriage up the road, walking with an awkward distance between them. She quite obviously did not wish to take his arm, what with how she chose to swing her arms with purpose. The distance made it difficult to strike up a conversation, but the evening was calm, and the walk was more refreshing than he expected. Perhaps he would always walk the last stretch of a long journey.

If only the exercise had the same effect on Bell. Something was very wrong. He quickly closed the gap between them, took her hand, and pulled her to a stop. His hand buzzed at her touch, but he plowed forward. “Please talk to me, my lady. What is the matter?”

“I…well…” she took a slow, deep breath. “I was unprepared to share a room with you on our travels.”

Nathaniel felt his face heat through while simultaneously watching Bell’s face turn a shade of pink that rivaled the sunset. He’d spent quite a lot of time thinking about this very problem. As a married couple, sharing a single room on their first night together was expected. With the untraditional nature of their union, he’d made plans to make her more comfortable, but he had not shared them with her. What an imbecile he was turning out to be. “There is no need for alarm, Bell. I’ve packed a bedroll for myself to sleep on the floor. If you leave dinner early, your maid can help you prepare for bed before I come into the room.”

He felt her muscles relax, and she swiped a single tear from her cheek. Goodness, had he caused her so much fright just by the idea of sharing a room? It was a humbling thought, especially as he’d very much enjoyed her tender kiss from weeks before. He’d dreamed of little else, in fact. But even so, he hardly knew her. He wasn’t about to force his proximity upon her like that.

They continued their short walk to the inn with a much less pronounced swing in Bell’s arms.

“Thank you, Nathaniel.”

And just like that, despite the humility and embarrassment from a moment ago, Nathaniel felt as if he’d grown a head taller.

Chapter Thirteen

Where was Bell’s courage? She feared she’d left it all behind in her woods. Heavens, after the long day of travel, she’d settle for complacency. Bouncing along in the carriage hour after hour was fraying her nerves. It was too quiet, and her imagination was straying to places she’d rather not visit. Bell hated that she was on the brink of falling apart. But she had been married so quickly, and now, there were no rules by society’s standards to keep her feeling safe. For all the time she’d been taught how to act before her marriage, the education that she needed at the moment was sorely lacking. Thankfully, Nathaniel seemed kind and thoughtful enough to give her some needed space.

A lot of space. So much so that he’d not once tried to get to know her better on the silent carriage ride. Granted, she didn’t volunteer any information. It would have been nice, though, to know that her husband would at least try to know her. He’d been caught up in his own thoughts and the infernal notebook he’d pulled from his pocket time after time. More than once, she’d had an impulse to throw the thing out the window and demand that he pay her any amount of attention.

Her lady’s maid, Sutton, although a genius with Bell’s toilette, was the least talkative person of Bell’s acquaintance. Most of the time, they suited each other well, as Bell tended to have stories continually running through her mind. But no stories had come to her since she’d stepped out of her woods.

Not even married for a full day, and she was already lonely.

As they entered the Rose and Crown, a wave of heat and the smell of beef stew embraced her. She winced as her stomach growled. If only she’d eaten more from their traveling basket. But the silence accentuating every bite had quelled her appetite. Besides that, each time she bit into something, Nathaniel grabbed out that ridiculous notebook and began writing.

He looked at her. “Are you hungry?”

She nodded. “I am.”

Nathaniel led her to a tall young woman with her hair tied up at the base of her neck. “Good evening, Miss Chadwick.” He smiled at her, and the young woman returned in kind, dazzling them both with her wide grin.

“Mr. Payne! You’ve arrived at last.” Her gaze turned calculating as her eyes swept over Bell from head to toe. “You must be Lady Bluebell Payne.” The remark wasn’t nearly as friendly as she’d been with Nathaniel, but the young woman dipped a small curtsy all the same.