Page 51 of For the Roses (Claybornes' Brides (Rose Hill) 1)

  She turned to her niece. “If your mother or your grandmother could hear you talk about other religions, why, they’d both die of fright.”

  “They’re already dead,” Elliott snapped. “I find it admirable Victoria would wish to learn about other religions. Indeed I do. I’m certain, of course, that she’ll decide to join the Church of England.”

  Mary Rose didn’t argue with him. She wasn’t certain she’d do any such thing, but she didn’t want to get into a lengthy discussion at the table.

  Harrison was irritated by Elliott’s decision. “The choice will be hers to make, won’t it, sir?”

  Elliott shrugged. He decided to change the subject to a less upsetting one. Lillian’s face was bright red. She’d had enough surprises for one evening.

  “Victoria, did you know you were named after your grandmother?”

  Her eyes widened. She leaned toward Aunt Lillian and whispered, “I was named after the old bat?”

  Lord Elliott heard his daughter. He tried hard not to smile. Lillian let out a loud groan and her hand went back up to her throat again. Mary Rose realized she’d spoken out of turn, and she tried to think of something to say to redeem herself.

  Her father seemed to take it all in stride. His voice was droll when he said, “No, Victoria, not the old bat, the other grandmother.”

  And then he smiled at her and suggested they eat.

  The rest of the meal was subdued. Mary Rose had been hungry when she sat down, but now her stomach was too upset for her to even think about eating. She moved the food around on her plate and pretended to enjoy herself.

  She didn’t care for the formality. Suppers were supposed to be loud and chaotic. It was the only time all her brothers were together, and each would catch the others up on what he’d accomplished during the day. They would argue and tease each other, and there was always something they could all laugh about.

  She felt as if she were at a funeral now. She wanted to go upstairs to bed. She didn’t dare ask to be excused, however, and dutifully followed her aunt Lillian’s instructions all through the long, seemingly endless meal.

  Her father made a lovely toast in honor of her return and her marriage to Harrison. Barbara came up with the idea that a reception held in late September would be a wonderful way to celebrate the union. Lillian embraced the notion.

  They began to make their plans in hushed voices. Mary Rose was soon lulled half asleep.

  She wasn’t allowed to go to bed for another hour, and by then she was so exhausted, she could barely make it up the stairs.

  Ann Marie was waiting for her. And so was the rose. The long-stemmed red flower had once again been placed on her pillow. The sight of the rose made her smile.

  She was sound asleep by the time Harrison joined her. He leaned down to kiss her good night and was inordinately pleased to see she was holding on to the flower while she slept. He removed the rose, got into bed, and let her hold on to him instead.

  Tonight had been difficult for her. He had seen how confused she looked, and at times he was certain she was overwhelmed by all the attention she was receiving.

  She hadn’t eaten any of her supper. He noticed, of course, and thought that the constant criticism she received was the reason for her loss of appetite. It had certainly destroyed his.

  Mary Rose had handled herself well. She’d reacted to the chaos much better than he had. He’d been shaking with anger over her relatives’ thoughtless remarks, but she’d been quite gracious to all of them.

  Harrison fell asleep worrying about his wife. Yes, this evening had been difficult.

  And it was only going to get worse.

  October 3, 1872

  Dear Mama Rose,

  Will you please quit hounding me to take a bride? You know I’m not in a position to even think about marrying. I could be carted off to jail or hung off a tree branch, and I don’t want to make a woman a widow or force her to live the way I’ve had to live.

  Besides, I like it just fine the way things are now. I keep to myself and don’t have to answer to anyone. The last thing I need is a woman pestering me.

  Your letter explaining about a woman’s monthly arrived in the nick of time. Mary Rose suffered terrible back pains and hid up in her room for two whole days. She still won’t talk about becoming a woman, but I know your letter telling her what to expect helped her. She doesn’t like being a female, Mama, but we both know one of these days she’ll change her mind. She’s going to have to learn to quit punching all the boys who come calling.

  She still doesn’t realize how pretty she is. None of us think she’ll ever turn vain. With four older brothers constantly harping at her, it isn’t possible for her to develop airs. She certainly turns the men’s heads in town. Wait until you see her, Mama. She’s a piece of work, all right. She’s sassy and smart, and those blue eyes of hers are going to break quite a few hearts.

  Lord, how I hate to see her grow up.

  Love,

  Adam

  19

  Mary Rose spent the next day being poked and prodded and pinned. Dr. Thomas Wells and Dr. Harold Kendleton arrived at eleven o’clock in the morning and spent two full hours with her. The physical examination didn’t take any time at all, and the rest of the time was spent interviewing her about her past.

  She was happy to answer their questions, for she enjoyed talking about her family and her life back in Montana. She was proud of her brothers and wanted everyone to know how wonderful they were.

  As soon as the doctors left her chamber, the dressmaker and three assistants hurried inside to begin work on her new wardrobe.

  The doctors sought out Lord Elliott to give him their expert opinions. Mary Rose’s father included his sisters and their husbands in the conference and thought to include Harrison a short time later.

  Dr. Wells was a stout man with thick, gray whiskers. He rubbed them constantly while he spouted his opinion. Harrison found the man a bit too pompous. His know-it-all opinions were all wrong too.

  The meeting took place inside the library on the second floor. Harrison came in just as Wells was explaining how important he believed it was to help Victoria make a smooth transition into her new life. Harrison shut the door behind him and then leaned against it with his arms folded across his chest.

  “She mustn’t be allowed to dwell on her past,” he dictated. “Both Kendleton and I noticed how loyal she is to the men she stayed with. Why, she’s actually accepted them as her brothers,” he added with a nod. “We found it impossible to make her admit they weren’t, in fact, related.”

  Dr. Kendleton nodded agreement. He squinted at his audience over his thick glasses. “I don’t believe it’s a good idea to let her talk about what happened to her. You must help her let it go. In time she’ll forget, once she’s settled in to her new life here. Your daughter is most intelligent, Lord Elliott. She shouldn’t have any difficult finding her place here, and once she gets over this strange loyalty she feels toward those men, her adjustment will be complete.”

  Harrison listened to the experts and vehemently disagreed with every suggestion they made. Elliott, he noticed, was hanging on their every word. He was looking for guidance, but in Harrison’s estimation, he was listening to the wrong people.

  He couldn’t keep silent any longer. “Sir, why don’t you talk to your daughter about your concerns? If you think she’ll have difficulty adjusting to her life here, then ask her what you can do to help her.”

  “I’ve just been advised not to dredge up her past, Harrison. We all want to help her move forward, son. Didn’t you hear her last night? She believes she’ll stay here only a short while and then return to America. She does feel a tremendous loyalty to those four men.” He addressed the last of his remarks to Dr. Wells. “You were right about that.”

  “You cannot undo what happened to her,” Dr. Kendleton announced. “But with work and patience, your daughter will have a full, rewarding future.”

  Harrison was hard-pressed

not to let his anger show. “Why do all of you believe she’s been through some godawful ordeal? She wasn’t a prisoner all those growing up years. She had a good life. She was given everything she needed, and she was certainly loved. You’re making a grave mistake not letting her talk about her brothers, sir. They are her family. Of course she’s loyal to them.”

  “We must listen to the experts,” Lord Elliott insisted. “They know better than you or I how to help Victoria.”

  Harrison didn’t know what more he could say to the man. He was astonished by his behavior. It wasn’t like Elliott to ever be unsure of himself. He was usually a very disciplined, methodical man, and certainly reasonable. If he’d only think about it, he would see the rightness in accepting Mary Rose for what she was.

  If the two of them had been alone, he would have asked him to tell him what he was afraid of.

  Elliott must have guessed what Harrison was thinking, for he suddenly said, “I will not lose her, son. I will do whatever it takes to make her happy.”

  “We all want what’s best for her,” Lillian interjected.

  Harrison let out a loud sigh. “What I want is for all of you to realize what a lovely young lady my wife is. She doesn’t need to change. You can’t erase her past, and if you listened to her talk about her growing up years, you would realize what a mistake it would be to try to make her pretend none of it happened.”

  “We don’t want to change her,” Barbara said. “We only want to broaden her education and her experiences.”

  Dr. Kendleton took the floor again to offer a few more suggestions for “handling” Victoria.

  Harrison couldn’t listen to any more of their drivel. Without a word, he left the library. He had an almost overwhelming urge to pack up his wife and take her back to Montana. The thought of anyone trying to improve upon perfection appalled him.

  He decided to wait a few days before he had a talk with Lord Elliott. He would give the man time to get used to having his daughter around, then take him aside and remind him of something he’d obviously forgotten. A father’s love should be unconditional. Mary Rose didn’t need to change. She needed to be loved and accepted for who she was. Harrison fervently hoped Elliott would come to his senses soon and start being reasonable again.

  He looked in on his wife, just to assure himself that she was all right. Mary Rose was standing on a footstool in the center of the bedroom with her arms out at her sides, while two women took her measurements. She was staring up at the ceiling and looking bored with all the fuss going on around her.

  He whistled to get her attention. Lillian came hurrying past him just as he let out the shrill noise.

  “My dear man, one doesn’t whistle to get noticed. Where are your manners?”

  “Harrison has wonderful manners,” Mary Rose called out. “May I please get off this stool now? I wish to speak to my husband.”

  “No, dear, stay where you are,” Lillian ordered. “You can talk to Harrison later. We have work to do.”

  “Sweetheart, I have to go back to London to pack up some papers. I’ll be back by nightfall.”

  She wanted to go with him, but her request was refused by her Aunt Lillian.

  “I wish to kiss Harrison goodbye,” she announced.

  “No, dear,” Lillian replied.

  Harrison ignored the aunt. He crossed the room, cupped his wife’s chin in his hand, and kissed her. He lingered over the task, but Mary Rose didn’t seem to mind. Much to her aunt’s consternation, she put her arms around him and kissed him back.

  He left a few minutes later. He spent most of the afternoon in the storage area adjacent to his London office. There was a pile of paperwork on top of his desk, and he knew he had at least a month’s work waiting for him. While he sorted through boxes of old ledgers and correspondence, his assistant went over his list of questions about more pressing business matters.

  Harrison didn’t return to Elliott’s country home until well after sundown. The house was packed to the rafters with relatives and close friends.

  His wife looked relieved to see him. She was seated between her father and her friend Eleanor on one of the long sofas, but hastily stood up when he entered the drawing room.

  Showing open affection in front of guests wasn’t considered acceptable behavior, but neither Harrison, who knew better, nor Mary Rose, who didn’t know, worried about convention. They wound their way around family and friends to get to each other. He was reaching for her when she threw herself into his arms and hugged him tight.

  “I missed you,” she whispered.

  He leaned down and kissed her on her forehead. “How was your afternoon, sweetheart?”

  “Hectic,” she answered. “Lillian’s frowning at us. I wonder what I’ve done wrong now.”

  “We aren’t supposed to let anyone see how much we like touching each other,” he explained.

  “It is a hard and fast rule?”

  He shrugged. He finally let go of her, but then draped his arm around her shoulder and hauled her up next to him.

  Lord Elliott was looking at him in astonishment. Harrison surmised he was going to once again hear how much he had changed.

  The two of them made their way over to her father. Lillian frowned with displeasure.

  “It isn’t like you to make a spectacle of yourself, Harrison. Let go of your wife.”

  “Leave him alone, Lillian. He isn’t a little boy you can order about any longer. Come and join us, son. Eleanor was just telling us how much she enjoys being in England.”

  Mary Rose and Harrison sat down on the settee across from her father and her friend. Lillian was seated in a round-backed chair adjacent to the sofas.

  “I do love it here,” Eleanor announced enthusiastically. “I have my very own lady’s maid and everyone has been quite gracious to me.”

  “She loves being pampered,” Mary Rose whispered to her husband.

  “Victoria, a lady doesn’t whisper secrets while in the company of others,” Aunt Lillian dictated.

  “Yes, Aunt Lillian.”

  She wasn’t through correcting her niece, however. “Quit slumping in your seat, dear. Straighten your spine with pride. You’re an Elliott, I’ll have you remember.”

  “She’s a MacDonald,” Harrison interjected, just to set the record straight.

  “But also an Elliott,” Lillian insisted.

  Mary Rose tried to sit the way her aunt was and found it painfully uncomfortable. Lillian reminded her of a general. Her back was ramrod straight. She looked as if she were about to snap. Lillian had her hands folded in her lap. Mary Rose imitated the action and was rewarded by a nod and a smile from her relative.

  “It’s difficult to know what a lady is here,” Eleanor interjected. “The rules of behavior are different than in America. Lady Barbara was telling me that a true lady never squints. Did you know about that rule, Mary Rose?”

  “No, I didn’t.”

  “Her name is Victoria. Please address her by her proper name,” Lillian instructed. “The rules shouldn’t be different,” she continued. “Just remember, a lady is a lady no matter where she resides. Jane Carlyle defined a lady as one who has not set foot in her own kitchen in over seven years. I believe she’s right.”

  Mary Rose felt like throwing her hands up in despair. She’d never heard of such rubbish. She noticed Eleanor looked devastated by Aunt Lillian’s opinions. She’d obviously taken the definition to heart. Her friend flipped open her fan and waved it in Mary Rose’s direction.

  “I used to be a lady, and I would still be, if Mary Rose . . . I mean Victoria hadn’t forced me to go into her kitchen back home. I even had to cook, Lady Lillian. Must I now wait seven years before I’m deemed a lady again?”

  Lillian appeared stunned by Eleanor’s confession. “You cooked?”

  Mary Rose looked at her father. He seemed bewildered by the turn in the conversation.

  She decided to change the subject. “I would like to see Harrison’s home,” she blurted o

ut. “He has boasted that his Highlands are as beautiful as my valley back home, and I would like to see for myself if he ...”

  The expression on her father’s face stopped her from going on. He looked angry. Now what had she said wrong?

  “I’ve upset you, Father?”

  “No, of course not,” he replied. “I was thinking about something else, my dear,” he added. “The Highlands are beautiful. Harrison was right about that.”

  “I would like to see his home before I go back to Montana. Will there be enough time?”

  She posed the last of her question to her husband. He nodded. “We’ll make time.”

  “What is this nonsense about leaving? You’ve only just gotten here,” Lillian stammered out. “Victoria, this is your home.”

  “Quit pecking at her, Lillian. My daughter needs time to . . . settle in.”

  Elliott gave his sister a hard look. She immediately closed her mouth.

  Mary Rose could feel the tension in the atmosphere, but she didn’t have any idea what had caused the change. Her. father and her aunt both appeared to be upset about something.

  Mary Rose felt the need to apologize. She would have to find out what she’d done first, she supposed. She knew she was somehow responsible for the sudden silence and their quick frowns.

  She almost let out a loud sigh of frustration but caught herself in time. She didn’t wish to be criticized by her aunt again, and so she remained silent.

  Harrison suddenly reached over and took hold of her hand. She realized she’d been gripping her fingers together then. His touch comforted her.

  She held on to her husband and edged a little closer to his side. The conversation turned to the latest styles in women’s fashions. Mary Rose wanted to talk about her father’s work instead. Harrison had told her that Lord Elliott used to be a member of Parliament, but had retired from that duty when his wife had died. He was still active behind the scenes and had brought about several important changes in government. Mary Rose was curious to know what the changes were.