Lost Pleasures Found Chapter 3

Chapter 3



August 1814



Henry had made up his mind. He was in love with Melody, and when he went to visit her in Lincolnshire, he would ask her father for permission to pay his addresses. After everything he had been through with the war; he was not going to waste any more time. He already knew Melody was the woman that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Whenever he was around her, he became very aroused, especially when he kissed her. His desire had been so strong that he found it difficult to end their kiss, but he did not want to frighten her with his passion. After all, she was an innocent, and it was up to him to protect her. When she told him he was the first man to kiss her, well words could not describe how truly special that had made him feel. He knew they would be happy together, and he felt sure that Melody returned his regard. He could tell she did, by the way she looked at him, when she did not realize he was watching her.

Henry did wonder how his father would feel about her, since he was so high in the instep. He was not going to let anything get in his way, regardless of what his father thought. It really did not matter anyway since he had never been able to please his father, no matter how hard he tried. He had not been able to figure out why his father did not seem to like him, but it had always been that way ever since he was a young child. His father always seemed to be harder on him than his brother even though he had tried so hard to live up to his father’s high expectations. Neither one of his parents seemed to have much time for him while he was growing up. Now as an adult, he refused to let what they thought matter to him anymore. If they did not like Melody, then that was just too bad, because he was determined to marry her regardless of how they felt about it. Maybe he was worrying about something that would not even happen. They did not take much interest in anything he did anyway, so they might not even care enough to say anything.

His father had talked of him marrying Lady Penelope, but he told him that he was not interested the last time he had been home two years ago. Lady Penelope was a shrew, and he had no intention of ever marrying her, no matter what his father wanted. He just hoped that they would be nice to Melody regardless of what they felt about him. Of course, he had not spent much time with either of his parents, since he had been in the army. He had left home six years ago when his father bought his commission for him. Now that was the best thing his father had ever done for him. He really did love army life, and he knew he would miss it. Now that he was probably getting married, he would not want Melody to have to follow the drum, and since staying in the army would mean being away from her for long periods of time, he knew he would not want to do that. Henry was ready to settle down, and having Melody in his life would be very appealing.

Henry decided he would not tell his father about Melody until after they were married. He certainly did not need his father’s permission to marry. Thank goodness, his maternal grandmother left him an inheritance, so he did not have to depend on his father for money. He was certainly not wealthy, but he could support Melody and any children they might have.

Henry knew his brother, Nelson, would love Melody, once he met her, because she was such a sweet person and because he would understand how much Henry loved her. He wished that Nelson’s wife had lived instead of dying in childbirth along with their son. He hoped that Nelson would meet someone to love, once he got over the loss of Nora. He certainly was looking forward to spending time with Nelson. It had been two years since he was home, and he really looked forward to seeing his sisters also. He could just imagine how much they had changed.

The day before he was due to leave for Sanderford Park, Henry went to his favorite jeweler to pick out a ring for Melody. He knew exactly what he wanted it to look like. As he looked over the selection of rings the jeweler had to offer, he spied a gorgeous square cut emerald with baguette diamonds on the side and immediately knew he had found the ring for her. After he paid for the ring, he returned to Sanderford House for a quiet evening before his trip home the next day.

The next morning, while he was packing up his belongings to leave for Sanderford Park, he decided to stop by to see his best friend, Lord Weston, on his way out of town.

Henry found him at White’s. Weston was reading a newspaper when he looked up and saw Henry. “Hello, Montgomery, where have you been keeping yourself? I haven’t seen much of you in the last few weeks. Have you been too busy with your new love to have time for your friends?”

Henry walked over and shook his hand as he said, “You know I’ve been spending time with Miss. Canterfield-Smyth. Weston, she’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, and I’ve begun to have strong feelings for her. I’m going to visit her in Lincolnshire, after I’ve spent some time with my family.”

Weston looked at Henry as he said, “I enjoyed meeting Miss. Canterfield-Smyth at the ball the other week. She seemed to be quiet and shy. How in the world did you get her to talk to you? She is quite lovely to look at, and I’m sure that I’m not the only man who feels that way.”

“She really isn’t that shy, she’s just somewhat reserved until you get to know her. Once I got her to open up, she was delightful, and she has a wonderful sense of humor. We both enjoy riding, and we both love to read, so we have quite a bit in common.”

Weston thoughtfully looked at Henry and replied, “Are you sure you want to go visit her at her home? That would definitely put you in a position where you have raised her expectations, and that’s definitely how her parents will see it.”

As they walked outside, Henry turned to Weston and said, “Weston, I’m going to ask her to marry me when I go see her, so I’m not troubled about raising her expectations. I just need her parents to like me, so they’ll approve the match. I know it seems fast, but I just know that Melody is the one for me.”

With an astounded look on his face, he exclaimed, “Well, Montgomery, I must say I’m surprised, since I know you have always said that you would not marry until you were at least thirty, if at all. I wish you all the best, but I’m glad it’s you and not me that’s getting leg shackled! When are you leaving town, old friend? Do you have time to give me a chance to get back at you? You trounced me at Gentleman Jackson’s the last time we went a few rounds.”

Henry shook his head and said, “I’m headed out right now. Sorry, old friend, it will just have to wait until spring. Well, I’ll see you next year, and hopefully, I’ll be a married man by then!”

Weston saluted Henry as he watched him ride away.



Henry made good time and arrived in Surrey that afternoon. As he came over the hill, he looked down and saw Sanderford Park for the first time in two years. How he had always loved it here! Everything was so peaceful and quiet. The park was so beautiful that he got a lump in his throat just seeing it again. Henry galloped down the hill, and when he arrived, a stable boy came running up to take his horse.

“Hello, Freddie! Please take Jupiter to the stables and give him plenty of oats. I’ve ridden him hard for several hours, and he deserves some special treatment. How have you been?” asked Henry.

“I’ll take Jupiter right now, and I’ll make sure he gets them oats. I been right good, milord. It’s good ta see ye home!” Then Freddie led Jupiter away.

Henry dashed up the steps and opened the door. He ran into Simpson, the butler and said, “Simpson, it’s so good to see you! Where is everyone?”

Simpson bowed and said, “The family is in the drawing room, my lord. It is very good to have you home. It has been quite some time since you have been here.”

“I’ll go right up so that I can see everyone.” Henry took the steps, two at a time, and rushed into the drawing room. His mother was sitting on the settee with his sisters, Helen and Kathryn. Nelson was standing by the fireplace, and his father was in his favorite chair. Henry looked at everyone and said, “I’m home. How have all of you been? I’ve really missed you!”

Henry’s father looked disgusted, and his eyes were as cold as ice. He stood up and said, “I see that you have still not learned to show respect. Why do you have to be in such a hurry all the time, Henry? It is not dignified to rush about so much!”

Henry looked at his father and said, “Sorry Father, but I’m so pleased to be home, I forgot myself for a moment. It’s wonderful to see all of you again. I hope that all is well with you.”

His mother looked at him with distain. “It is about time you came home. I know that you have been back in the country for quite some time, but you chose not to come home until now. I would have thought that you would come straight here. Instead, you stayed in town to be with your friends.”

“Mother, I had to put in my request for time off from my regiment and that took awhile,” he said. “I didn’t mean for you to think that I didn’t want to see all of you. I just wanted to get all my business handled before I came home.”

“Well, I still think you are an inconsiderate son. What do all the neighbors think about you not bothering to come see your family and gallivanting all over London?” the duchess asked.

“I’m sorry, Mother, you are right. I should have come straight home, but now that I’m home, can we please just be happy to see each other?” He looked over at his sisters and said, “Do you have a hug for your brother? I’ve missed both of you so much.” Helen and Kathryn rushed over to him and gave him a big hug. “Nelson, it’s so good to see you. How are you doing?”

“I’ve been doing fine, Henry. It’s good to see you made it home safely. I’m so proud of what you’ve accomplished. Our country is a much safer place because of your willingness to serve,” Nelson replied as he smiled proudly at Henry.

“Thank you, Nelson. I’m just glad the war is finally over and our country is now at peace. I’m going up to my room, because I have had an exhausting and hard ride, so I need to freshen up.” Henry turned to everyone and said, “I look forward to seeing all of you at dinner.”

Henry hurried up the stairs to his room. He entered and was so relieved to have that over with. It was just as he had expected; his parents could care less that he was back home. Even though his mother asked why he did not come right home, Henry knew it was not because she missed him. It was just something that she could find fault with! Oh well, it was pleasant to see his brother and sisters again. He was astonished at how much his sisters had changed in the last two years. Helen was a real beauty, and Kathryn was as pretty as ever. He could not wait to spend some time with Nelson. Henry knew that Nelson had missed him and would be grateful for any help that Henry was able to give him in managing the estates.

Henry rang the bell pull and requested a bath so that he could wash all his travel dirt away. Mansfield, his valet, prepared his bath and then started to get out his evening clothes. “Mansfield, how have you been? I’ll have to get used to having someone to take care of me again. It’s been a long time since I’ve had anyone do that for me.”

“I look forward to serving you again, my lord. You have always been a pleasure to serve. It is very good to have you home!” Mansfield said.

Henry smiled and said, “Well, thank you, Mansfield. I appreciate your help. I’ll see you later this evening, and we can catch up, all right?”

“Very good, my lord, I look forward to it,” he replied.

Dinner went about as well as he expected. His parents continued along the same path they had started when they first saw him. It was not pleasant. When the duke got him alone over port and cigars, he really let him have it, and he even brought up Lady Penelope again. Henry reiterated again that he was not going to marry her and that there was not a thing that he could do about it, so he might as well quit bringing it up. By the time Henry left him, he was quite exasperated and went straight to bed instead of joining his sisters in the drawing room.

The next day, Henry and Nelson toured the estate, and Henry was pleased to see how prosperous everything was. It was obvious that his brother was doing a superb job of managing the estate. He just wished he did not look so sad. Nelson was obviously not over losing Nora. Henry knew how much he had loved her, and it must have been so hard to not only lose his wife, but also his son. Henry had hoped that Nelson would be doing better by now. “Nelson, how are you doing? You look tired. Are you feeling all right? I can just imagine how hard it was on you to lose Nora. I wish I could have been here to help you deal with it all.”

Nelson pulled back on the reins of his horse so that they could talk. “I’m doing all right. I just haven’t been feeling well lately. I’m sure that I’ll feel better soon. It’s good to have you back home again. I know that you would have been here when I lost Nora, if it were possible. How long are you going to stay?”

As they allowed their horses to meander along, he said, “I’ll be home for about a month, but then, I need to go to Lincolnshire. I’ve met someone. Her name is Melody, and I’m in love with her. Nelson, I’m going to ask her to marry me.”

When Nelson heard this, he stopped his horse altogether, looked at Henry with astonishment on his face and said, “Henry, am I hearing you correctly? Did you just say you were getting married? I thought you always said that you would not marry until you were at least thirty and maybe not even then. She must truly be a special lady for you to change your mind about marriage. This is astonishing news. How long have you known her?”

As Henry stopped his horse, he said, “Sometimes things just happen when you least expect them to, and Melody and I are just meant to be. She’s so beautiful and sweet. I knew from the first moment that I had met someone very special. I met her shortly after I got back from the continent. I think I need someone now that I’ve returned from the war. I’m ready to settle down, and Melody is the one for me.” Henry smiled as he thought about how much he loved his sweet Melody. The more he thought about her, the stronger his conviction became that he was doing the right thing by asking her to marry him.

“I’m happy for you, Henry. Are you going to tell Mother and Father about your plans?” he asked. “You know that they’ll probably not be happy about you getting married. Father still wants you to marry Lady Penelope. He’s definitely not going to be happy that you’re leaving so soon. Father was planning on you helping out around here for a while, and then he wants you to take over the Doncaster Stables in Yorkshire.”

Henry knew that Nelson was probably right about his parents, but they would just have to accept his decision in regards to his marriage. “I’m going to do that, but I just need to make sure that I get my life settled before I take up the management of Doncaster Stables. It’s going to be at least six months before I can do that anyway, because I need to get my men settled first. I want to make Melody my wife, and I need to do this soon, before someone else comes along and tries to take her away from me. I’m not going to tell them I’m getting married. I’m going to just do it and then tell them. That way they can’t try to do anything to sabotage my marriage, before it even gets started. You’ll keep my plans to yourself, won’t you, Nelson?”

“I won’t say anything, but you know that they’re not going to be happy about this. It’s going to be very difficult for them to accept her, because they always planned on you coming home and marrying Lady Penelope. You know that they want to join our lands together, and since she’s her father’s only heir, she’ll inherit everything.”

Henry was so tired of hearing about Lady Penelope. He kept telling his father he was not interested, but he just did not want to believe him. He knew Nelson did not feel that he should marry Lady Penelope and that he was only pointing out how his father would feel, but he was beginning to get a little angry so he said, “The ducal holdings are already immense. They will survive without that property. I love Melody, and I’m going to marry her. I don’t care about what she can bring to the marriage, and I don’t need a dowry since our grandmother left me her estate. I deserve to have peace and contentment now that I’ve come back from the war. For God’s sake, I’m giving up the military career that I love! He needs to just be happy about that! Melody will make me happy. I just know it.”

Nelson held up his hand as he replied, “Wait a minute. I’m not the enemy here. Henry, I’m happy for you, and I want you to have a love match. I just want you to realize that this isn’t going to make our parents happy. Father was counting on that property. I would marry Lady Penelope myself, but I don’t feel that we would suit. She likes town life too much for me, and she’s far too young. She’s only a year older than Helen. She would never be content staying in the country, and besides, I’m just not ready yet. It’s only been a year since I lost Nora.”

Every time Nelson mentioned Nora, Henry could hear the pain in his voice. He wished there was something he could do to help ease his suffering. “Nelson, I know how much you miss Nora, but I do think that you have to consider marrying again soon. You need an heir. I never want to have to step into your shoes. I’m counting on you to take care of it so that I don’t have to. But you’re right about Lady Penelope. You would definitely not suit, because she’s much too frivolous for you.”

“You’re right, Henry, about me needing to move past my grief. I just need a little more time. And I promise I won’t leave you having to be my heir for long. I have already made up my mind that I’ll go to London next year to find myself a wife, but not some young giddy debutant. That’s why I’m so glad to have you back home. Now Father will start focusing on you instead of me. Well, it’s past time to head back. We’ve been gone all day. If we don’t hurry, we’ll be late for dinner, and you know how angry Father gets if anyone is ever late.” They turned their horses around and at a brisk trot, they headed back to the house.



Over the next few weeks, Henry and Nelson spent quite a bit of time together. Every day they would ride out to all the different farms to make sure that all the tenants had everything they needed. It was rewarding to see all the folks from his youth and to see how well received he was by them. Henry also helped Nelson with the books. Nelson never did enjoy working inside, so Henry took some of that burden off his shoulders. His parents were very cold to him, but that was nothing new. He also spent time with Helen and Kathryn. They were such sweet-natured girls. It was hard to imagine that Helen was old enough to be going to town next season to make her come out.

Finally, it was time for Henry to leave for Lincolnshire. He told his father that he was going to visit one of his school friends that had been wounded in the war. To appease him, he promised to go to Doncaster and check on Doncaster Stables while he was up north. Needless to say, his father was not happy, but he knew that he could not keep Henry from going. It bothered Henry that he had to lie to his father, but if he wanted to avoid telling him about Melody, it was necessary. After hearing the duke go on about Lady Penelope, he knew he would be livid over his plans to marry her. Lying had never set well with Henry, but in this case it was the lesser of the evils.

Henry left Surrey in time to make it to Melody’s by the third week of September. As much as he enjoyed spending time with his brother and sisters, he was anxious to get to Melody. He hoped he was reading her right and that she did return his regard. The trip was long, and it rained part of the way. No matter how long it took, or what kind of weather he had to ride through, it would be well worth it when he was able to finally see Melody’s sweet face again. As he entered Lincolnshire, he noticed how beautiful the countryside was, with lots of verdant green pastures and rolling hills. He had not realized how lovely Lincolnshire was. The closer he got to Little Smythington, the more excited he became. Soon he would be seeing his darling Melody again.