The Broken Daylily

CHAPTER SEVEN: Honeymoon

Both lady Madilyn and Thomas were silent as they were riding in the carriage. Thomas had expected his first real visit to Lindenberg very differently from this, but he had also imagined his wedding completely different. One could never know what life would bring, right?

For starters, he had expecting him to be the one to ask a lady for her hand. He would have gone to her parents and asked for her hand, then surprise her with the question and a gorgeous ring.

Also, he had thought of having big wedding. One he would have prepared together with his bride and her family. A day they would never forget with many guests, good food and loud music. He would be nicely dressed and she would be the most beautiful woman in a new white gown.

Finally, he had expected him to love his bride.

But now, he was doomed with a wife he did not know, a wedding he did not want and a child he did not expect. Though he was twenty-four, he felt too young to become a father already. Andrew had only married at twenty-seven and gotten his first child at twenty-eight. Why did it have to be three years sooner for Thomas?

He looked over at the woman in a white dress across from him. She was looking out the carriage, watching the fields and houses pass by. Her hands were folded on her lap, a simple ring on one of her fingers. I am wearing a similar one, he thought, but he refused to look at it. This was not his proudest moment.

Lady Madilyn ought to be happy she had a white dress. Otherwise, she was to marry in a coloured one. But Thomas figured she had enough white dresses. Whenever he would see her at a ball – which was not often – she would be wearing a white dress and a red ribbon in her hair. She was wearing it now too, and he feared he would have to see it for the rest of his life.

But even the red ribbon looked sad. It was tied in a bow around her hair, but it hung down and seemed weak. That is how Thomas felt, but probably also how lady Madilyn felt. She did not seem happy during the wedding either, and he realized it was not just because she was to marry him.

He remembered how she had told the vicar to leave out her last name, how she said she was "no longer a Hayes." What did she mean by that? Was she truly no longer a part of her family, or was it rather something she believed?

He did not know lady Madilyn well, but he knew her kind. The people who always followed the rules of the ton, no matter what. If they broke a rule, they acted like the world was going to throw them off, like their house would collapse or all their friends would hate them. They mostly tried to hide it, but when the truth came out, it had passed so many ears and lips, that it would be completely distorted and far worse than the truth. So the people could laugh at it and forget what really happened.

But then why did lady Madilyn not follow the rules of the ton? Why did she ask him to make love to her when she was not to lose her virtue before her marriage? Why would she break a rule so important to women, when she knew what it could cost her? And it is safe to say she had to pay more than she probably had expected.

As the night started to fall, Thomas recognized the environment. Just a few more hours until they were in Lindenberg.

Lady Madilyn had her eyes closed while she sat in front of him. She was probably tired and wanted to sleep away the day as fast as possible. Thomas wanted that too, but he could not sleep in a carriage. So he decided to look outside at the passing views, but his eyes returned to lady Madilyn every time.

She looked so peaceful as she was sleeping, but all he saw was a lady. He knew her name and he had heard her voice. He had touched her – many nights ago – but did not know anything else but what the surface showed. She had dark blond hair, a fair and pale skin and a sweet voice. She had a beautiful body and seemed to be quite fit. She could probably dance really well and was – or rather 'had been' – adored by many people. She wore graceful and expensive dresses, and her hands had elegant fingers.

But even though he saw all that beauty, he did not see his wife. He merely saw a woman with a similar ring on her finger.

Finally, when the stars were shining bright and the moon was clearly visible, the carriage came to a stop in front of the Lindenberg estate. It looked just the same as when Thomas left it, the pond a black orbit reflecting the stars and the moon above. He walked out of the carriage and straight to the house. He did not look back to see if lady Madilyn was alright, but he heard her footsteps behind him and figured she can care for herself.

Once inside, he turned to round and saw lady Madilyn looking around the big hallway of the estate. She turned around as she watched every wall and every corner, amazed by its beauty.

He cleared his throat. "I shall show your bedroom."

Without waiting for her response, he ascended the stairs to the first landing and took the hallway to the right. With her behind him, he walked the entire length and opened the last door to the left. She passed him and entered, her eyes roaming the room right away.

Thought the room was the last one in the hallway. It was not the smallest one. It was quite neat and rather large, but not as large as the master bedchamber. Also, it was far away from said bedchamber, so that she would not feel the urge to disturb him in the middle of the night.

He was quite certain she realized that although they were husband and wife, they did not sleep in the same bed. He did not think she minded it, and both were satisfied with their personal room. And if she were to complain, he would pull out the man-card, saying he is the master of the house and he decided where they slept.

"Do not expect a honeymoon," he told her while looking at her from the doorway. "If you want one, consider this it."

"I am pregnant," she responded. "I cannot travel."

He nodded, then left her and walked to his own room. Soon, he realized, they would have to return to London before she was no longer able to. He did not want her to give birth in Lindenberg, for during that time, he would need his family's support.