An Acceptable Marriage (BOOK 5)

Chapter 15

Arabella woke early the next morning, feeling ill and uncomfortable. Her back ached from the chesterfield and her skin felt clammy and damp.

She could see Bertram's sleeping figure still in her bed and she winced, remembering the night before; would Bertram be mad at her protests? Or was he too inebriated to have recognised it?

She quietly got to her feet opened the curtains to see that the sun had barely risen and it couldn't be any later than seven o'clock. Bertram would not rise for quite some time.

She was about to ring for Lizzie but decided against it; as much as she trusted the maid she was too embarrassed to call her up while Bertram was sprawled on the bed, still in his clothes, snoring lightly and stinking of drink.

She washed her face and pulled her dark green dressing gown on, wrapping it tightly around her. Puck, who had been sleeping in his basket, followed her down the stairs and his quiet panting was the only noise.

She made her way to the kitchen where she found the staff sitting down at the small table to eat, their chatter bright and loud.

"Good morning," Arabella greeted the kitchen staff as she entered the kitchen.

They all rose in a scraping of chairs and a jumble of greetings.

"I'm sorry, did you ring?" Lizzie looked alarmed, a smear of jam on the corner of her mouth. "I must have missed it."

"No, no, I just came down a bit early. I had some trouble sleeping last night. Please don't let me disturb your meal."

"Is there anything we can help you with Lady Cook?" Mrs. Field asked as the rest of the staff sat down.

"After you're finished if you could get Puck some food that would be wonderful, a perhaps some tea for myself?"

"Of course, I can do it right now." Mrs. Field headed over to the counter, empty plate in hand.

Arabella stepped outside of the kitchen into the adjacent hallway to give the servants some privacy as they ate.

A few minutes later the footman appeared with a tea tray, nearly crashing into Arabella.

"Oh! My apologies madam," he flushed, steady the teapot.

"Please, it was my fault, I can take that from here thank you," she smiled kindly at him, taking the tray.

"Are you sure? I mean, it's no trouble."

"Of course, just make sure Puck has food and I shall let you get back to your duties," she smiled brightly at him and carried the tray away into the parlour.

She settled herself down on an armchair, placing the tray in front of her and preparing a cup of tea for herself.

For some reason seeing the servants chatting gaily at the breakfast table had made her feel even more lonely, as ridiculous as it was. It reminded her the clatter and chatter of the table at Bingham Park, during the days she liked best when all her family were home. She felt desperately homesick, more homesick than she realised she would. When Alice and Lilly and moved away she'd still had her brothers and Isabella, and she was still at home, her favourite place in the world.

But these feelings would surely pass and within a month she'd be settled and very content with her new life she thought.

However, a month later, she felt much the same.

Bertram had spent much of his time at the shipping office and dining with the captains and merchants that worked for him, making deals and offers and Arabella was left at home with Puck, sewing and occasionally entertaining the wives or daughters of her husband's associates. She had read the letters from her sisters and Frances eagerly, clinging to the anecdotes of their children and Frances' observations about the theatre and London.