The Wolf's Pregnant Bride Read online

  Chapter 10

  Sophronia looked one final time in the mirror. Ruth had done an excellent job. Not only did her clothes hide her protruding belly but they also brought out the plumpness of her breasts which were swollen as a result of the pregnancy. An onlooker who did not know her situation would think only that she was an attractive and well endowed woman.

  Ruth had also put up her hair beautifully. It was braided in intricate patterns that the servants her father employed would never have thought to do. She was sure she was still no match in beauty for Vivian but she would be pretty enough that Nathaniel would not be ashamed to have her on his arm.

  Nathaniel and Eldon were already waiting at the bottom of the staircase with Mercy. She thought she saw Nathaniel take a deep intake of breath but she could not be sure. She also did not know why his reaction to her should matter. She was no longer some young girl seeking a husband. Now, she was a married woman. She was a woman who could grow plump and dour with no consequences to herself. She did not plan to be either plump or dour as those things best described her mother and she had no interest in becoming a younger model of her mother. Still, it would not change her marriage status if she ignored her looks.

  "Claire and Vivian had better hurry if we are to get there before it starts," Eldon said. She noticed that his eyes were red and his hand shook. She wondered if he had a flask with him or if he was planning to attempt to get through the evening without the help of alcohol.

  "Let me take you to the carriage so you can get comfortable while we wait," Nathaniel said. He offered his arm to both her and Mercy. They both took an arm and he led them outside to where the carriage was waiting.

  A footman that Sophronia had not met before opened the carriage door. She was about to step into the carriage when she started.

  "Are those dogs?" Sophronia asked. Instead of the horses that she had always seen pulling carriages it appeared that a line of eight dogs were hooked up to the carriage. They were larger than any dogs she had seen before. Surely, these dogs could not be the grown version of the adorable little pup that had stole their shuttlecock so many days ago.

  The footman glanced at Nathaniel as if it was very odd for her to ask such a question.

  "They are indeed. I am sure you have noticed that there are no horses on the property. Did you expect my brother and myself to be hitched to the carriage and pull you ladies the whole way ourselves?" Nathaniel asked.

  Sophronia did not answer. Instead, she allowed the footman to help her into the carriage and then the footman assisted Mercy who took a seat beside her.

  The inside of the carriage was nice enough. There were two benches facing each other. The benches were padded and upholstered with a soft fabric that was beige in color. There was room under the benches though she had not thought to bring anything with her for the ride. She knew the circus was rather a ways away. Had Nathaniel said it would take two hours to ride to the circus and another two hours home? She was not sure of the exact times though she knew he had said that their excursion would take the entire day.

  The footman closed the door.

  "Why did Nathaniel not take his seat?" Sophronia asked.

  "Eldon and Nathaniel will sit on top since it is a nice day. I am afraid that it would be quite crowded if we all tried to ride inside. Six men might squeeze in well enough but four women in fine clothes will be a squeeze," Mercy said.

  "The dogs can really pull all of us?" Sophronia asked. She had seen a draft dog or two pulling a milk cart but she never imagined one pulling a carriage.

  "They can. My brother raises some of the best draft dogs in England. He is not the only one of course. He is just the best," Mercy said.

  "I do not see why anyone would prefer to use dogs over horses," Sophronia said.

  "Some families seem to have a smell that the horses do not like," Mercy said.

  "I have never heard of such a thing," Sophronia said.

  "Perhaps those in America do not have the same issue. It is not terribly common but there are perhaps a dozen families I know of personally whose scent makes horses ill at ease," Mercy said. Sophronia was not sure if Mercy was jesting or not. She was not smiling but at the same time the idea that certain people had a smell that affected horses so much that they could not pull a carriage seemed like it must be poppycock.

  The door opened again and Claire and Vivian entered the carriage. Claire's maid had done a good job on her and she looked the picture of angelic innocence. Vivian on the other hand looked like feminine beauty. Claire's looks would make men throw jackets on mud puddles for her while Vivian's look would have men offering her the jewels from the family coffers for a kiss.

  The footman handed them a basket and then closed the carriage door. It suddenly felt quite warm and cramped.

  "I wish I had brought a book," Mercy whispered. "Though of course the light and movement makes reading difficult. I do not suppose I could sleep without making a mess of my hair."

  "Well, I have some news," Vivian said. Her voice was full of excitement but there was an air of mischief to it as well.

  "You have told me no news," Claire said.

  "I thought I would wait and share it with everyone. I did not think I would be believed if I only told you and you certainly would not be believed if you repeated it."

  "Tell us," Claire said.

  "A man has asked for my hand in marriage," Vivian said.

  "Have you accepted it?"

  "I can only say that I have promised it to him in secret," Vivian said. The sly look she gave made Sophronia wonder if that secret had been promised in a bedroom and with few words being spoken.

  "Who is he?" Claire asked.

  "It would not do to reveal his name. Not now anyways. What I can tell you is that he is very rich and very powerful," Vivian said.

  "Is he a duke?" Claire asked.

  "Sadly, no. Which is part of the reason father and mother have not yet been told of our affections."

  "Who is he?" Claire asked again.

  "Have you ever heard of John Astor? He is involved in real estate. Apparently he is quite good at it," Vivian said with a titter.

  "I have," Sophronia said. He was a rich man and someone she was sure Vivian had not managed to get her claws dug into.

  "Let us just say that this man is a very close personal friend of Astor. More like family, really. He stands to inherit a small fortune when Astor passes from this world. More importantly, he has connections to some very important people from our circles," Vivian said.

  "Your circles?" Sophronia asked. She did not recall Claire mentioning what her father did for business. He must be wealthy and prestigious for his daughter to marry a Wolstenholme.

  "My father travels in many circles," Claire said and swiped her hand as if to make light of the comment.

  Sophronia wondered for a moment if Claire and Vivian's father was involved in something untoward. That was the main reason she had found for people to be vague about their business. She had not met many people like that. Her mother and father were both upstanding and moved in circles of equally upstanding people. Still, occasionally they had befriended a wealthy man who seemed interested in business only to find that the business he ran was questionable.

  "Is he American?" Mercy asked.

  "His family is German. Apparently his family had some connection to the Astor's in the old country. My love is sadly an American, now though," Vivian said with a sigh.

  "And you are sure he means to marry you?" Claire asked.

  "Whether or not he means to marry me I fully intend to marry him," Vivian said.

  "Do you not think you should let father know about him so that his suitability can be determined. I mean, if he is all you say there are reasons to be cautious. The people in our American circles have their own tensions and concerns. I am not sure father would want you joining with an American," Claire said.

  "In our circles," Mercy added taking Sophronia's hand as if to assure her that it was not all American
's that they wished Vivian to avoid. It was only whatever people they considered in their circles that might be questionable. She had heard rumors of some lawlessness in newly settled western towns but that was all she had heard that might cause concerns in her mind. Unless of course the man in question had something to do with the slave trade or perhaps even abolitionists. She wished that she knew Vivian well enough to ask her. After all, the cause that Vivian's partner was backing might be well in line with the things she believed in and wanted to fight for. Or they might not. She did not quite trust Vivian to be fighting for worthy causes.

  Relief filled Nathaniel when the carriage finally pulled into the grounds where the traveling circus had been set up. He and Eldon had spent the ride on a seat behind the driver. It had been made comfortable and it was plenty secure but his body still ached from sitting in one space for so long.

  There were two other carriages pulled by draft dogs instead of horses and he had Dalton pull the carriage in by them. Since Dalton was technically Eldon's servant he usually let his brother issue the orders but Eldon's eyes were closed. Nathaniel was not sure if he was asleep or not. He had not been drinking anything so it was not a drunk stupor his brother was in which at least was a comfort.

  The carriages beside them were not manned with dogs that had originated in his kennels. One had large spotted dogs with short hair. He had talked to their breeder before about his concerns with the cold and sun more easily penetrating short hair but the breeder had been unconcerned. The other dogs were a mix of colors and coat lengths. Apparently, the family that owned that carriage did not breed their own dogs nor did they buy them from only one breeder. Either that or they were not being selective in their breeding and creating mongrels. He hoped that was not the case. There were so few draft dogs. It was a shame to waste a bitch's heat cycle on mongrel pups.

  Dalton hopped down from the carriage. Nathaniel shook Eldon who woke with a start and then quickly seemed to find his bearing. Nathaniel waited for Eldon to climb down from the carriage and then he followed.

  Sophronia took the arm that Nathaniel offered and allowed him to lead her towards the white tent in the distance. Mercy was on his other arm. Vivian and Claire were on either arm of Eldon who looked disinterested but at least did not appear drunk.

  "How was the ride?" Nathaniel asked. In truth, it was bumpy and stuffy and had made her queasy. She would not tell him that though. If she did, he might insist she stay on the estate until her babe was born and that thought was unbearable. She needed to see the world and believe that she was still a part of it. Her life was not going to be as a wife confined to an estate while her husband ran about the world doing all the interesting things forbidden a proper woman. Especially a woman with a babe.

  As they drew near the entrance she heard Eldon curse. She turned her eyes to see what had caught his wrath and attention.

  "Bloody Society for Animals," Nathaniel whispered.

  "The what?" Sophronia asked. She could see a commotion ahead but they were not close enough for her to fully view what was going on."

  "The Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is making their appearance. Probably want to make sure the horses were brushed three times this morning and given gold troughs to drink from. They want damn animals to be treated better than humans. They are just animals."

  "Animals have feelings too. They should be treated with kindness even if they do not have souls," Sophronia said. She was not sure she entirely believed that sentiment either. Her mother assured her that animals, Negroes, and Indians had no souls and so could be treated however was seen fit. Sophronia had seen preachers argue that Indians needed taught of Jesus and turned from their heathen ways. She was sure that Indians and Negroes had souls. She was also sure animals did as well though that was harder to prove than the other two.

  "The Society is full of self righteous prigs who have never spent a day with real animals. They think their fluffy lap dogs deserve the same rights as human beings."

  "You do not agree?"

  "Of course I do not. They have come after us a number of times. I have a letter from them claiming that I should cease raising draft dogs because forcing dogs to pull anything, from milk cart to carriage, is cruel servitude. I wonder if they would keep harping on it if I hooked them up to the carriage," Nathaniel growled.

  "It does seem like dogs are poorly built to be draft animals. They do not have the strength of a horse or an ox."

  "My dogs are specially bred to pull. They are trained to do it practically from birth," Nathaniel said. His voice was rising and she knew she had hit a nerve. Her good sense told her to cast down her eyes and be silent but doing so was not in her nature.

  "I have heard many of the same things argued about the Negroes. Do you think that just because a child is made to pick cotton they are happy in that life?"

  "We are talking about dogs. Not people."

  "I am just saying that perhaps the society has merit in what they say," Sophronia said. She looked over at Mercy who looked green. Apparently, Mercy agreed with her brother. Sophronia should have suspected as much. At home, she was the only person with radical views. How could people like Nathaniel and Mercy not see how civilized many of the ideas were? No man or woman should be kept a slave. No animal should be mistreated. Women should have a say in the world. Why was she considered radical for believing those things?

  "Perhaps you should cease speaking of things you know nothing about," Nathaniel said curtly. He handed his tickets to the attendant and then found a seat quite near the back.

  Nathaniel felt like his head was fuming. He wished he had never agreed to go to the silly circus in the first place and even more so he wished he had not brought his ridiculous wife. What did she know about anything? She was nothing but a silly American woman.

  His dogs had a wonderful life. All of his animals were cared for and fed. They were not like the filthy and starving dogs one often found in the street. They were born and raised to pull the carriages. Not one dog that was not happy doing it was ever harnessed up. It would have been futile and ridiculous to do so. His dogs liked pulling. They liked following their pack leader.

  Assuming the animals at the circus were treated kindly and cared for well they were as well off traveling with their human companions as being hunted by predators and trophy collectors in their native lands. Had the girl never seen real hardship?

  She talked well about slavery but had she ever seen it? Had she seen the hungry and impoverished in the streets of London? He did not believe in slavery. It did not seem right for one man to sell another. Still, that did not mean that life was never cruel to people, even free people. She might think him arrogant, pompous, and spoiled but she was unrealistic and idealistic. He could not save the world. No one could. Instead, he worried about his little corner of the world. He made sure that his dogs were cared for and bred for the tasks required of them. His family made sure that the tenants on their land had what they needed. He showed all the household staff the respect they deserved. Nathaniel was even making sure that the chit who might be carrying his brother's bastard had a home instead of ending up destitute on the streets. It would serve her right and might show her what real hardship was about. Obviously, she had nothing better to do than argue that the horses be brushed ten times a day and the lions be given the freshest meat. Would she care so much about the rest of the world if she was trying to put food into the mouth of a babe as a woman on the streets? If she was a factory worker barely scraping by and always afraid that machines would take her job would she care so much about enslaved Negroes?

  Sophronia looked to the large ring that divided the spectators from the circus performers. She wondered if Mercy would be angry with her once they were home. She hoped not. Claire and Mercy were the only people she really had now. They were the only ones who might make life as Nathaniel's wife bearable.

  Perhaps she should have held her tongue. Her mother always did say that she should be less free with her words. He
r tongue had certainly done little to keep the peace back home with her mother.

  The ringmaster came to the center of the ring and announced the first act.

  Sophronia watched as a monkey did tricks on the back of a horse while it galloped in circles around the ring. The audience cheered and Sophronia found herself amused by its antics in spite of herself.

  This circus was one of the better ones that Nathaniel had seen. It had a lion tamer, acrobats, rope dancers, jugglers, clowns, and an elephant. The elephant was a bit on the scrawny side and it did the required tricks without enthusiasm. As someone who worked with animals day in and day out he could see that the elephant was not thriving in its life in the ring. His own dogs were happy with the life they had but perhaps this elephant had known the freedom of the African savannahs before being brought to do tricks for people. He could not know for sure but he thought that at least in this one instance there might be something reasonable for the silly society to protest. Let them find a way to bring life back into the elephant’s eyes. He just needed them to stay away from his well cared for and happy dogs.

  He offered his hand to Mercy and Sophronia and they walked in silence back to the carriage. They were feet away when Sophronia began to yawn.

  "Perhaps you should rest once we arrive home. It can not be good for either you or the child to be overly tired," he whispered to her.

  He wondered if she was still in her feisty mood from earlier and would argue that women carried babes while working in cotton fields and factories. He never let his pregnant bitches pull loads and he suspected that women forced to exert themselves during their pregnancies lost more children and had higher mortality though he would say neither thing to his wife.

  "I think I will rest. I did not think it would be such an exertion. Still, it was a lovely day," Sophronia said. He wondered if the exhaustion had calmed her or if perhaps she had thought about his words and decided she did not want to argue with her husband any longer. Perhaps, she had even seen the wisdom in what he had said though he doubted that. He had dealt with bitches as stubborn as his wife. It took a skilled hand to convince the canine ones to submit to their master and do as they should.