I stood back to avoid being crushed in the rush, as the two children ran in, giving their grandparents huge hugs. I sat by the fire as the children brought them up to date, and soon they were dragging the couple upstairs to see their work and their rooms.
I let them have free rein for an hour, but then quietly suggested that they had another half an hour’s schoolwork, after which we would have tea together. They knew that I was not going to let them get away from their studies easily.
While the children finished up with Raymond, I arranged for tea to be served; so having a few moments with John and Geraldine. It must be hard for them to visit their grandchildren, particularly for the children to call a strange woman ‘Mama’ instead of their daughter. I said as much to them, at which Geraldine almost broke down in tears.
“I am so sorry, my dear, but after our daughter’s tragic death; we stayed here for the sake of the children for several weeks. But then we had to return home, so we have hardly been able to visit since. Then we heard that Roger had remarried, and although you sent us an invitation, we could not bring ourselves to come. It was still so painful for us, you see.
“We had planned to visit before this, but we understood that the household had moved to France. In such circumstances, of course, we were unable to do so. We saw the announcement of the birth of your dear little son in the Times, so I knew that we should make contact with you. But as you so rightly point out, it was very hard to come here with a stranger being a mother to our dear late daughter’s children.”
“Katie is obviously very fond of you, she calls you, ‘mama’.” observed John.
“I confess that I could not love Katie or William any more had they been my own,” I said, sensing a thaw in the atmosphere.
“Roger took Marjorie’s death very badly. We never thought he would get over it. We were so pleased for him. And Katie is becoming very like her Mama.”
“She certainly is. We had a long talk only recently about life, as she is an outrageous flirt,” I said.
Geraldine laughed.
“Marjorie was just the same at her age,” she said.
We talked about Marjorie and the children for a little while, and then Abigail brought in the tea. There was a commotion in the hall, in which I heard my husband’s voice. The cavalry had arrived!
I went to greet him, embracing him with passion.
“Marjorie’s parents have come to visit,” I said, as he smothered my lips with kisses.
“Damn!” he said, as the children appeared.
“I met the Duke last night. He told me of your fun and games in Oxford. We must talk of that later,” he said.
He gathered up his two children, hugged them, and then made a fuss of Edward, whom I still held. He then went into the drawing room and greeted our visitors.
I sat in a chair with Edward, allowing Roger to dominate the conversation with his late wife’s parents. The children were on very good behaviour, Katie particularly. She glanced at me and winked, the little minx. She was making such an effort to show them how much she had changed. I had no idea how she used to behave when they last saw her, but as she took the dirty cups out to the kitchen, I caught the meaningful glance that Geraldine gave her husband.
Katie and William still called me ‘Mama’ without thinking. It sounded so right, but Geraldine winced slightly each time.
“Will you stay? It is such filthy weather, and I’m sure Cook has sufficient for us all,” I said.
They glanced at each other, obviously they hadn’t planned to, but they were now tempted.
In the end, they agreed to spend one night, so we allowed the children to have dinner with us as a special treat. It was actually a lovely time, but I felt very sorry for the couple. One should never have to bury a child, it is not right. Roger was charm itself, and was ever so cheerful. I wondered how his meetings had gone, so was aching to get him alone.
Geraldine was obviously tired, so announced that she wished to retire as we finished dinner. I stood to bid her goodnight, when she surprised me by embracing me quite robustly.
“Dear Jane, I am so sorry that I was so cool towards you. I see now that you are the best thing to happen to Roger and the children. Please forgive me?” she said.
“Think no more of it. I am only sad that it has been so long since you were last able to visit. I do appreciate how hard this must be for you, but you will always be welcome in our home. I sadly have no parents, so your role as grandparents will always be valued,” I replied.
She smiled, kissed my cheek and went up to bed.
John stayed a while, drinking brandy with Roger and talking about America. Then he realised that we had not seen each other for many days, bade us goodnight, and followed his wife up stairs.
Moments later, I had my husband naked in my arms in our bed, and we were making love as if it was going out of fashion.
Afterwards, as we lay curled up with each other, he kissed me tenderly.
“My darling, how I have missed you,” he said.
“I have gone to sleep every night wanting you inside me,” I said, as he kissed my naked shoulder.
“How I love you. You grow more beautiful every day,” he said, kissing my breast, so before I knew what was happening, he was mounting me again.
He more than made up for the days he had been away that night; the clock struck three before we settled down to sleep.
We rose at eight and, over breakfast, caught up with each other’s news. He told me that he had written to his brother and asked him to have a house built for us. It seems that James had bought the neighbouring plantation, fully intending that Roger take it over. The existing house was in poor repair, so he planned to knock it down and build one to Roger’s specifications.
I was excited, as a poor boy from Ohio, I was eagerly looking forward to being a plantation owner’s wife in wealthy Virginia.
“I am reluctant to utilise the labour of slaves, as I believe it is morally wrong,” said Roger.
“I agree, but I imagine it’s a sorely contended matter, and one that could cause civil war if they are not careful. In any case, I foresee the time that all slaves will be freed, so it would pay us to be one of the few who do not use slave labour,” I said.
Roger smiled and took my hand.
“Dear Jane, you are so wise. Most women would not have an opinion on this sort of matter, let alone such a mature and intelligent one.”
“Roger, my darling, when will you ever learn? I am not, and never will be, like most women.”
I then told him about the incident with the assassin. I left the assumption open that he was after the Duke, but Roger was solely concerned with my safety.
“Oh, I was fine, with all those soldiers and the dashing Captain Pierce, I knew I was as safe as houses,” I said.
He kissed me, and I felt myself becoming aroused again, but our guests came into the dining room.
We bade them good morning, but I left them with Roger so I could see to the children.
Overall, it was a pleasant visit. As the weather had improved somewhat, they left after lunch, happy that they had been, and satisfied that I wasn’t neglecting their grandchildren. Indeed, they expressed surprise that Katie was such a changed girl, as her behaviour was simply exemplary.
When I told the girl, she chuckled naughtily, smiling knowingly at me.
“You were right, Mama, it pays to make people think good things of you.”
“What makes you say that?” I asked.
She showed me the presents that they had given her, “for being such a good girl, they said.”
I smiled and gave her a hug, she had settled down so well now, and I was truly fond of her. She sat on the floor by my feet.
“Mama?”
“My love?”
“Is it wrong to love a stable hand?”