She was exceptionally young to have a title, as her mother reminded her daily before she and the old earl wed. And it was her exquisite beauty that captured the heart of the man who promised to keep her well endowed with a small fortune and pin money of her own after he was deceased. He was lonely, and her dear face reminded him of his cherished wife in her younger days. Which is how Catherine found herself at merely nineteen, married to the well-respected Earl of Romney, whose children, ranging from twenty to twenty-eight, were all older than she.
Now at nearly twenty-two, she was a widow of some consequence whose stepson, the new Early of Romney, Charles, and his wife, Sophia, were eager to make Moat House their home. Catherine had been planning for some time what to do, and thought it best to rent some rooms in Bath for a while before deciding where to purchase a nice house for herself and hide away.
Sophia walked into the room, smiling. “Are you eager for tomorrow? To finally cast off your blacks and be in color again?”
Catherine looked up as the dark-haired beauty approached, picked up Catherine’s embroidery hoop, and then sat down next to her. She was dressed in a lovely green gown with darker forest-colored stripes.
“I was only this moment marveling at the change in clothing on the morrow. I have had a few dresses made up, but it will be strange to put them on so soon. Perhaps I should start with darker gowns, like you have, and then work my way back into lighter colors.”
Sophia shook her head and laughed. “Only you would be so concerned about propriety. Come now, tell me all about your plans. Are you still set on Bath and then a place somewhere in the country?”
“Do I have another choice?” At three years older, Sophia had become much more a friend or sister than a stepdaughter could ever be.
“Of course there are other choices, Catherine!” She scooted closer in eagerness. “I am bursting with the idea Charles and I came up with last evening before nodding off, and I think you will love the notion as well.”
“It has something to do with me, I gather?” They were too kind to her.
Sophia grinned excitedly and grabbed each of Catherine’s hands. “We are both in agreement, and believe you should accompany us to London for the Season in January!”
Catherine nearly choked as she abruptly started to have a coughing fit.
“Catherine, do not be like this, dear. You are too young to hide yourself away, and you have never known love before. No, we cannot see you shut up and hidden from the world before you have had a chance to live.” Sophia paused. “Say, are you well? Indeed, you are looking rather pale.” She turned to the footman. “Fetch the dowager a glass of water, please. And hurry.”
“I am fine,” Catherine protested. “I was a little taken aback.”
“Good. I am glad of it. However, we are perfectly serious in asking you to come with us to London.”
“I thought you were meaning to stay in Kent while Charles went for Parliament this year.”
“Yes, that was our intention. However, our plans have changed. We wish to open up the house in London to be together, and are ever so eager to see you come with us.”
“Sophia, firstly, to alter your plans for me is too much. I know you would rather be here in the country. And secondly, after one marriage, I have no desire to wed again.”
“Yes, we know this, but dear, I cannot stress enough—though I loved my dear father-in-law, you were not in a real marriage. It was for suitability only, and I cannot bear to imagine you continuing on thus. You are young. You should rally and come out and enjoy yourself for once.”
Catherine imagined what life would be like had she not wed so early. She had not even had a full Season before she had been swept off the marriage mart. Her heart began to beat rather quickly as she recalled two exceptional dances with Lord Hamson before her father accepted Lord Romney’s proposals. It was folly indeed to remember the dashing light-haired lord. No doubt he had wed some other fortunate girl years ago. Her hands trembled as she pondered what had become of the first man she had set her cap on.
Yet to bring up his name to Sophia now would be crass and heartless, and Catherine was neither of those things. “I do not know if I have the courage to face them all again.” It was best to keep the past in the past.
“Courage?” She smirked. “You have plenty of courage. What you lack is determination.”
“No. I am very determined to head to Bath.”
“Catherine, please, I beg of you. Come. It is time. You have allowed yourself to be buried away in this house for far too long. Dearest, enough. You have lost your vivacity, and it pains me greatly to see you reduced so. I will not take no for an answer.” She looked imploringly at Catherine, and then tapped her lips with one slender finger. “Perhaps you could attempt to enjoy yourself for a fortnight or two. If after one month, you do not wish to remain, we will gladly take you on to Bath. Would that do?”
Catherine grinned and shook her head. “You are incorrigible.”
“No, I have finally grown enough to admit the truth.” She leaned into the soft back of the sofa. “I was so very skeptical when Charles’ papa remarried. I could not imagine that you would become as dear to me as you are now. My thoughts, before meeting you, often turned to moneygrubbing, I am sad to admit. And then you came. And you were kind and gracious, and loved me in spite of my arrogance, and slowly but surely won over everyone around you, including the staff! I still cannot get Cook to make me those cherry tarts she is always presenting you with. And now, here we are, the best of friends. You, wiser and a greater mother than my own, and yet you carry this overbearing sadness.”
Catherine let out a sigh of resignation. It did no good to dispute with Sophia. Eventually, she would wear her down, and Catherine would find herself traveling west for the Season despite anything she would have said otherwise. “You flatter me. I do not feel worthy of such attention as this. Truly, it is ridiculous.” Could it be possible? Could she be given another chance at finding love? “However, if you wish it of me, you know I cannot deny you—I will come to London for one month. And if life is dismal, I shall be much happier at Bath, where it is a bit quieter, in a community full of things to do that are more to pace with that of a dowager widow.”
Jenni James is the busy mother of ten kids and has over twenty-five published book babies. She's an award-winning, best-selling author who works full-time from home and dreams about magical things and then writes about what she dreams. Some of her works include The Jane Austen Diaries (Pride & Popularity, Emmalee, Persuaded...), The Jenni James Faerie Tale Collection (Cinderella, Snow White, Rumplestiltskin, Beauty and the Beast...), the Andy & Annie series for children, Revitalizing Jane: Drowning, My Paranormal Life, Not Cinderella's Type, and the Austen in Love Series. When she isn't writing up a storm, she’s chasing her kids around their new cottage and farm in Fountain Green, entertaining friends at home, or kissing her amazingly hunky hubby. Her life is full of laughter, crazy, and sunshine.
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Jenni James, The Bluestocking and the Dastardly, Intolerable Scoundrel
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