Doubt Not

Doubt Not

By Tracy Edingfield

Chapter 1

December 16, 1805 

On the outskirts of Dover, England

Irritated. Edward Lord Chevers was irritated, as was the skin beneath his nose, an unwelcome side effect of this blasted head cold. Being sick always put him in a sour mood. Today was no exception. Dwelling on the inconveniences of not having his own carriage only worsened his temper. He’d loaned his post chaise to the newlyweds, and just missed the mail coach, which was another reason for his poor temper. It was unlike him to be tardy; his sister often teased him about being unfashionably punctual. This morning Viscount Chevers’ vaulted reputation slipped. His swollen head made him slow and now he would pay for his sluggishness. Edward despised traveling by public conveyance, where one had to consort with commoners.

Thank you. He took the hot toddy the landlady offered. Raising the tankard to her, he murmured, Much obliged.

Poor thing, she said, shaking her head and tutting.

Viscount Chevers gave the landlady a rueful smile. Admittedly, he had been quite careless in catching this cold. He closed his eyes and drank deeply, savoring the soothing warmth of the whisky and honey toddy.

Good?

He nodded.

The landlady clucked then bustled away.

As he considered the sticky problem of proud in-laws, Edward frowned. He had loaned his post chaise to his sister and brother-in-law, Fiona and Michael, for their bridal trip to Scotland. He wondered if he should buy them a new carriage. Unless Edward was mistaken in Michael’s character, he didn’t think his brother-in-law would welcome the largesse. Surely, though, it would be acceptable to augment Fiona’s dowry? Marrying for love was all well and good for his sister, but a carriage was awfully convenient nowadays.  

The landlady rushed to the kitchen, her heavy skirts swirling as she ferried pewter plates and earthen mugs from the kitchen. For a moment, Edward envied her energy, missing his usual vigor.

A fellow patron at the posting inn caught his attention. She wasn’t flashy. She wore a bonnet and a high-necked gown of navy wool. Her outfit was perfectly acceptable for any upper servant, such as governess. He glanced at her bare hands, noting she wore no wedding ring. Edward watched her, swallowing another sip of the warm toddy.

The landlady presented the governess with a sandwich. Here you go, dearie. A hearty ham sandwich for you.

Why, thank you so much! It looks simply delicious.

Edward blinked.

The woman’s smile dazzled. Its impact wasn’t felt just by him, either, for he noticed the landlady’s own countenance brightened in response. The customer’s ordinary features brilliantly transformed with her smile. Her eyes glowed, as if her soul were lit from within by a hearth’s friendly fire, and his body stirred in response. It had been nearly six months since he’d felt the slightest attraction toward a female. Edward almost failed to recognize the sensation of being drawn to another.

Lady Penelope was to be blamed for his recent disinterest in women. She had impressed Edward as ideal when they first met. Penelope possessed every quality Edward thought essential in his future viscountess, except constancy.

The stage coach’s trumpet sounded, heralding its arrival. Edward left a coin on the tabletop then joined the throng of travelers who surged into the muddy yard of the posting inn. The drizzling rain forced Edward to pull his collar up.

The idea of re-wooing Lady Penelope was fast losing its appeal, and Edward’s enthusiasm waned. Perhaps it was the weather. Perhaps it was this melancholy mood brought upon by being ill. Whatever the reason, Edward had taken the past six months since Lady Penelope broke off their engagement to reassess the wisdom of his list. It never occurred to him to list ‘constancy’ as a viscountess’s attribute, yet clearly that had been necessary. In what other ways, he wondered, had he been remiss in his requirements?

Now he wished he had ignored Maylene’s encouragement to reconcile with Lady Penelope. Edward might have remained home, safe and dry and miserable in his bed.

Long strides carried him across the muck in a hurry. He reached the coach and opened the door for his fellow passengers, motioning them aboard. The attractive female from the inn stood at his elbow, stepping sprightly.

Thank you! With her bright eyes and wide smile, joyful gratitude radiated from her as she hitched her skirts and ascended the steps.

All at once, Edward was filled with dread. He did not want to travel in close quarters with this woman. She was the first female who had intrigued him in months, and it was a deucedly uncomfortable feeling now when he was on the cusp of renewing his addresses to Lady Penelope. There could not be a worst time for him to succumb to a stranger’s beaming smile.

Two other gentlemen embarked then all three men settled into their seats. The men removed their hats and brushed the wet from the brims. Edward combed his fingers through his hair, sweeping the stubborn hank into place which tended to droop over his forehead.

As surreptitiously as possible, he studied the governess. She displayed no feminine wiles, offered no coy looks. Evidently, she had no idea how appealing she was. She possessed a confident air, as if she were capable of tackling any task, but she carried herself without arrogance or haughtiness. Sitting opposite her, Edward marveled how she cast a cloak of serenity upon the others. Her secret, he supposed, rested in her brilliant, assured smile. It was both enchanting and calming simultaneously.

Under guise of studying the dreary landscape, he questioned himself. After a thorough search of his memory, Edward realized Lady Penelope’s smile had never affected him so. As Edward recalled her smile, it had been a basic motion, the lifting of the ends of her lips. There was no spontaneity or exuberance in Penelope’s smile. It was a mechanical reaction which engendered no emotion in others because it lacked the core, essential quality of inner happiness.

He frowned, dismayed that he had never before considered the matter. Edward did not wish his wife to live in his pocket, but he did not wish, either, to marry a person who was fundamentally unhappy.

These thoughts annoyed him.

Edward had already proposed once to Lady Penelope, and would do so again. George and Maylene Stockton expected it, as did Lady Penelope. Edward did not doubt that Maylene had told Penelope to expect his arrival and renewal. It did not signify if his erstwhile fiancée had a joyless smile. He had not written ‘lovely smile’ on his list, so it must not have mattered then, and it should not matter now.

Naturally, Fiona had teased him about his Attributes for My Viscountess. She declared the list a waste of time and parchment. He ignored her criticism, judging that younger sisters could not possibly understand the importance in ensuring the title.

Hello, said a fellow passenger.

Edward glanced up, taken out of his surly introspection.

I’m Orin Dudley. Secretary to Mr. Barnsby.

Mr. Dudley carried a satchel and wore spectacles, which seemed to be obligatory for clerks. The man’s coat was tidy and well made. Mr. Dudley appeared to be the kind of man upon whom England relied. A steady, respectable sort.  

One thing Edward did not relish today was conversing with others. His head cold was monstrously annoying, so he made a sparse, civil nod in Mr. Dudley’s direction.  

The other passengers murmured polite greetings to the secretary.

Rather timidly, the other male passenger said, I’m Nathanial Thornway, painter. His Adam’s apple bobbed in his narrow throat, as if the act of introducing himself had made him nervous.

Edward’s eyes narrowed on the painter. Thornway had the lean, hungry look about him that William Shakespeare warned not to trust. The man caught Edward’s intent gaze then shifted his elsewhere. Thornway squirmed in his seat, as if he knew the viscount had inspected him and found him wanting.

Mr. Dudley shook the artist’s hand, showing a friendly openness that Edward could not. None of the passengers shook Edward’s hand, for which he was grateful. At least his illness would keep his fellow passengers at a distance. Mayhap traveling by public conveyance wouldn’t be so troublesome.

Glancing at the female, he saw she had dimples.  This was another confounding annoyance on an already full plate. Dimples were absolutely charming, and anyone who said otherwise was simply mad. He smothered his sound of exasperation, feeling beleaguered. Why today, of all days, did he meet this lovely vision? He didn’t want to be drawn to this confident, beaming woman. My God, Penelope all awaited his imminent proposal.

She unfolded a lap rug, murmured a greeting, and stated her name was Miss Rutherford. Properly withholding her first name, she managed to convey an aura of stout respectability.

Miss Rutherford went on to add, I teach at an academy outside Dover, Miss Laing’s School for Daughters of Gentlemen.

Not a governess, but Edward’s guess wasn’t far from the mark. Schoolteachers were on a rung above governesses on the ladder of Women Not to Trifle With.

Gazing upon the misty, rolling hills of Kent, he silently urged the coach to greater speed. Lady Penelope awaited him at the Stocktons. They would enjoy the house party amongst their friends and reconcile. This sudden anticipation for Miss Rutherford’s sunshiny smile would dissolve as soon as he left this carriage, Edward predicted. Instead, he should be looking forward to reuniting with the earl’s daughter and his friends.  

He stretched out his legs, tilted his hat, and feigned sleep. His mind wandered back to the day Lady Penelope accepted his proposal. He had thought their future well-settled. She was well-born, attractive, and traveled in the same circles he did. As his viscountess, Lady Penelope would give him a well-bred, well-behaved heir. They would lead a comfortable life.

Fiona did not care for Lady Penelope, but agreed Edward was not a romantic soul. He was too practical, she accused, before she quizzed