Chapter Nine

Tears stung at her eyes, blurring her vision to the point where Nora could only vaguely make out the clump of houses and shops that was her village. Longing to fling herself onto the ground and weep in despair like the party’s frilly young debutantes would have, she settled for wiping her tear-streaked face with the back of her sleeve. “I’m not a baby,” she chanted softly. “I’m not.” But the embarrassment and hurt she felt only increased, and so did the speed at which she ran home.

Trying desperately to retain control of her shattered emotions, Nora choked on her sobs in a frenzied attempt to stop them altogether. She hurried along quickly, and didn’t even realize she had walked straight into someone until well after she had already done it.

Whoever it was, they hadn’t minded her running into them. A pair of very strong, very masculine arms encircled her, and Nora let her head fall against the hard, sculpted chest that was barely an inch away.

Chris looked down at the distraught creature in his arms. Surely this wasn’t the same woman he was planning on marrying…? The Nora Willman he knew was fearless and independent. What had she witnessed, that would cause her so much pain? Looking back at from where she had come, he was all too afraid to learn the answer.

“Nora? Nora, what is it? What happened, Nora?”

Nora stared up at her comforter, and a glimmer of happiness shone in her eyes once she learned of who it was. However, that was quickly replaced by more sorrow. “I – I was – and it – and I just…”

Christopher grasped her by the shoulders and shook her gently. “Nora, tell me!” She seemed to shrink in his arms, at hearing his raised voice. Realizing that only a soft tone would do at the present time, Chris tried again. “Nora, tell me. Please.”

She regained her composure only slightly, but it was enough for Chris to make out some of what she had to say. “I…horse…Nick…party…married…”

As quickly as she had been enveloped in his arms, Nora was gently pushed away. “You were there, again?” Chris asked incredulously, his voice softer that she had ever heard it.

“Y-Yes…”

“Jesus, Nora, what’s your fascination with that man?”

“I just… And he…”

“Is it his money? Because if it is, I’m sorry, but I just can’t give you that kind of life, no matter how hard I work.”

“Chris, it’s not –“

“Then what the hell is it, Nora?” he yelled. Darkness had descended over the area; the sun was but a mere sliver on the horizon, and Nora could barely make out her lover’s angered expression, but she knew it was there. “Something about him has to draw these emotions from you; I want to know what it is!”

She longed to tell him what those women at the party had said, so at least then he would be able to sympathize with her pain and embarrassment. But Nora suddenly didn’t want anyone to hear what they had called her, regardless of their invalidity.

“Nora! What the hell happened over there?”

Nora stared at the ground and hesitated to speak. She had promised herself the lies were going to stop, and here came another one.

“Nothing. Nothing happened.”

“You said something about a wedding.”

Oh, here it came. “Nick got married today. There was a party.” Nora sniffed a bit and wiped the last of her tears away.

“He got married.”

“Yes.” Nora could see he could put two and two together quite easily, as Chris backed away from her slowly. His voice dripped with anger, and she knew he thought the marriage was the cause of her tears. “But it-“

Chris cut her off before she could finish. “After all this, Nora. After going there, after leaving, after saying how much you cared about me… It was all a lie, wasn’t it? You still wanted that pompous, arrogant, self-centered-“

“Stop it!” Nora cried, throwing her hands up to cover her ears. “Just stop it! I can’t hear one more word of it!”

“Can’t bear to hear me insult him, can you?” Chris asked in a serious, yet almost-mocking tone. Then, “You know, Nora, I hear the nobility take countless mistresses, even after being wed. Perhaps all is not lost.” And before she could say another word, Chris had stalked away.

Nora sank down to the ground, a new onslaught of tears threatening to erupt from beneath eyelids that were tightly closed in disbelief. Now, not only did all of England’s nobility think she was a gold-digging streetwalker, her own childhood friend and present-day lover did, as well.

Things could have possibly gotten any worse, thought Nora, until she saw her younger brothers running toward her.

Without a word, Betty headed toward the door, as Nick quickly strode inside. The door was firmly shut, and both bride and groom faced each other, each waiting for the other one to speak.

After only a few seconds, Grace moved toward the adjoining door to her room. “I’m sorry, I should have… I’ll just –“

“You will not move from that very spot, or so help me, I’m going to nail your slippers to the floor.” Nicholas watched with satisfaction as his wife did as she was told.

As he walked slowly towards her, Grace tried to strike up some sort of conversation. “Are you all right? Did anything happen downstairs?”

“Did I ask you to speak?”

Grace stared at the floor. “No.”

He was now only a few inches away from her, and she could feel the heat radiating off of him, and it was quite stifling, indeed. Without thinking, she took a step back, towards the window.

Nick caught her arm and drew her close to him. “What did I say about moving, Gracie?” he whispered softly against her lips.

“Have you been drinking?”

The potentially romantic moment ruined, Nick let her step out of his embrace. “What? No! I’ve never been more sober in my life!”

“You sound giddy.” Grace’s voice took on a hint of concern. “Did you kill Samuel?”

“Grace-“

“It’s not that I care about him, if that’s what you’re thinking,” she told him quickly. “I would just hate to see any blood on those expensive carpets of yours…”

“Grace-“

“Many of them are from the Orient, you know; oh, I know how you don’t like to pay much attention to the details concerning your possessions – you see, I do listen when you talk – but when I was last here, I’d had some of your more precious items appraised…”

“Grace-“

“I wasn’t trying to sell them, of course, though you would probably think that. I mean, why wouldn’t you? If I were you, I’d think that. I was just thinking about the future of our child, what with the economy being the way it is, and many of our dearest friends’ fortunes fast dwindling…”

“Grace-“

“So yes. I admit it. I had the carpets appraised. And I’d do it again. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”

By now Nick had her backed into a corner of the large room, and Grace could do nothing but stare up at him. “Grace?”

She gulped. “Yes?

“You’re babbling.”

Grace tried to look down at the floor, but there was no space between the two of them, so she settled at looking at Nick’s shoes. “Yes, I know, I tend to do that when I’m nervous. Did you see me downstairs with Mr. Greentree and his wife? I mean, I know the poor man couldn’t hear even if you yelled in his ear, but I babbled like I never have in my life.”

“You’re doing a pretty good job of it now.”

“Oh, I am?” Grace looked up and attempted a half-smile. “Sorry. I’ll stop now, I promise.”

“Good,” he told her, closing the small gap between them. “Because, I believe we could do something a lot better than talking with our mouths…”

His lips landed on hers in a soft caress, and Grace was suddenly pulled into the world she knew four months ago, when nothing could have torn her and Nicholas apart. His arms came up to encircle her slim waist, as Grace kept her own arms plastered dumbly to her sides. Shaking her head slightly to rid herself of thoughts of the past, Grace pulled away before her husband could deepen the kiss.

“Damn it, Grace, every time I try to do something even remotely romantic-“

“So you haven’t been drinking,” Grace reasoned as she walked away from him and began to pace the floor, ignoring what Nick had just said, “Because I would have been able to smell it on your breath. But something is obviously different about you, so I will forgive you whatever it was you thought you just did.”

Nick advanced on her again. “I was professing my love to you. Or trying to, at least, since no one can get a damn word in edgewise with all your blubbering.”

Grace moved away and gave him a “don’t-come-any-closer” kind of stare. “Have you gone insane?”

“Only with love for you.”

She wanted to burst out laughing, slap him, and throw her arms around him all at the same time. “I beg your pardon?”

Nicholas collapsed in the chair Grace had been previously occupying when Betty was combing her hair. “I love you, Grace.”

“Surely, you jest.”

“No jesting here. I promise.”

“You promised me you would always trust me,” Grace told him sadly, “and look how that turned out.”

Nick gave her a hopeful smile as he looked up at her quivering frame. “I know, and nothing can replace what was lost because of my pride and selfishness.” Before Grace could protest, he continued. “But I made an even bigger promise today, Grace. I promised to love you always, and to take care of you. And I’m not going to break that promise, I swear.”

Grace sniffed once and tried to return his smile. “Didn’t I always tell you not to swear?”

“It’s been too long, I must have forgotten.” Nick’s expression suddenly turned serious. “Come here, Gracie.”

She was flattered he was using his old nickname for her, but she still approached him tentatively. When Grace finally came to stand beside his chair, he drew her around to the front of it and placed his hand on her pregnant stomach.

“It’s yours, you know,” Grace told him shyly.

“I do know.” Nick pressed the side of his face against the swell in her abdomen and spoke softly to their unborn child. “I love your mother,” he told it in a gentle tone, “and I love you, too.”

Grace stepped back so he could stand, and they faced each other now with what they both hoped would be a new, permanent understanding.

“Come to bed, Grace.”

A/N: I’m so glad I’ve finally solved everything between Grace and Nick, for the most part. There are still a few things to tie up, and that’s about it. I’m not too sure about the new conflict for Chris and Nora, though, so any reader input is welcome. Is it just me, or is this getting to be a bit too soap opera-ish? Maybe it’s just me…