Free Those Endearing Young Charms by Marion Chesney

She had been so immersed in her dream that it was horrifying to see the man she had so lately buried standing beside her clad only in a nightshirt.
    "Who on earth did you expect to see?" said her husband crossly. "The way you go on, young lady, leads me to wonder whether you are touched in your upper works."
    He walked over to the toilet table and began to pull his nightgown over his head.
    _"Devenham!"_
    "What _is_ the matter? Are you going to sit there screaming Devenham all morning?"
    "You are taking off your nightgown!"
    "You have a great deal to learn about me that is interesting and strange," he said caustically. "I do not normally wear my nightgown under my clothes during the day. Strange, is it not?"
    He wrenched off his nightgown. Emily took one horrified look at his well-muscled back and buried her hot face in her hands. There was a great deal of splashing, then the sound of him crossing the room, followed by the imperative summons of the bell. After a few moments, the door opened and Emily lowered her hands as she heard the earl say, "You may barber me now."
    While his Swiss got to work, Emily summoned up courage to ring for Felice. She began to relax as the French maid tut-tutted over the mess of her mistress's hair and began to set it to rights. At one point, Emily caught the maid and the valet exchanging a glance as if both were wondering about this strange wedding morn. After her hair had been carefully curled and styled and her face and arms bathed in warm water and cologne, Emily felt that the day might not be quite as bad as she expected.
    My lord and my lady were informed that breakfast awaited them in their private parlor. Emily did not know whether to be glad or sorry that there was not much opportunity for conversation, since the earl had his nose buried in the morning paper.
    At last he lowered the newspaper. "What shall we do today, Devenham?" asked Emily brightly.

    He drained his tankard of small beer and looked at her thoughtfully. She was looking very beautiful, if a little pale. Her gown of blue silk velvet enhanced her blond beauty and the purity of her skin. The earl sighed. When he had planned this honeymoon he had meant to spend most of the first day in bed and then, on the following day, travel to his country home. He shrugged. "I do not know, my lady. This is market day in Market Warborough, which is the nearest town. Perhaps I might go to see if there is something interesting in the way of horseflesh. You may come if you wish."
    The day matched Emily's mood, being cold and gray, with the bare branches of the trees rattling in an icy wind. They made their silent way to Market Warborough, finally stopping at an inn in the very center of the town. Everything was noise and bustle, farmers and their wives, horse dealers, shepherds and market women, all jostling along the narrow, cobbled lanes under the shadow of the overhanging Tudor buildings. What long and mysterious conversations the gentlemen seemed to have about horses.
    Emily stood patiently with her toes beginning to ache with cold and her nose turning first pink and then blue. Finally the earl became aware of her patient waiting.
    "Go back to the inn," he said, "and I will join you shortly."
    Emily made her way back to the inn and then stood inside the door, wondering what to do.
    Everyone seemed to be very merry, very loud, and very drunk, and there was not another lady in sight.
    A buck looked out of the open taproom door and called, "Venus in our midst, fellows. A veritable Venus!"
    Emily was soon surrounded by beery, grinning faces. Her clothes were of a fine enough quality to stop her admirers from more open insult, but on the other hand, she had no maid and no husband, so the throng pressed closer and the jokes became warmer.
    "You are all disgusting and drunk," said Emily, goaded beyond endurance. "You cannot hold your drink like a gentleman should ... or even a lady for that matter. I swear I could drink any of you under the