The Scandalous Adventures of the Sister of the Bride

by Victoria Alexander

  That lack of consideration probably explained as well why, the next day, when she was strolling in the park alone, which in and of itself was unusual for her, and she happened upon him, again she did nothing to dissuade him from concluding she was a poor relation acting as chaperone. She might even have encouraged that conclusion. Nor had she felt the tiniest bit of guilt about her relatively insignificant deception. What harm could it do? Besides, she would probably never see the man again.

  They only spoke for a few minutes then and briefly encountered each other the next day in the hotel lobby, when she had explained away the bags and boxes a doorman carried as her sister’s. Their meetings were surprisingly unsatisfying, as if she had been allowed to smell something delightful baking in an oven but would not be allowed to taste it. And she had wanted to taste it even if, at that moment, she had no clear idea what tasting it entailed. And why shouldn’t she? Hadn’t she planned on embracing whatever adventure came her way? Spending a few minutes alone with a handsome American was scarcely the stuff novels of adventure were written about.

  “. . . and quite an adventure as I understand,” Camille said in a teasing manner.

  Delilah’s attention jerked to her sister, who continued without pause.

  “Grayson.” Camille pinned her fiancé with a firm look. “I suspect there is more to this story than you have revealed up to this point.”

  Grayson looked at Samuel, who was looking anywhere but at his friend. Then his gaze met Grayson’s and both men burst into laughter.

  “Oh come now,” Teddy said with a laugh of her own. “You cannot let us hang like this. I can’t imagine either of you dressed in such a manner. And certainly not at a ball. Neither of you are . . .”

  It was the masked ball that was Delilah’s ultimate undoing. Mask or not, she knew him at once and he recognized her. One might have said it was fate if one believed in such a thing. Although she had never been one to believe in magic either and yet . . . One dance led to a second, a second led to a third and before she had time to think, she was in his room and in his arms and in his bed. No. In retrospect, she could tell herself that all she wished now but it wasn’t true. She’d had plenty of time to think, to consider what she was doing, to dwell on all the scandalous repercussions. She simply hadn’t wanted to. Hadn’t cared about anything beyond that night. It wasn’t at all like her. Lady Hargate certainly would have cared. Mrs. Hargate was entirely too busy to care, too busy throwing caution to the winds. Along with her clothes.

  She hadn’t come to her senses until it was too late. And while she was mortified by her indiscretion, if she was being completely honest with herself, she had to admit it was a glorious night. She’d never imagined intimacies between a man and a woman could be quite so, well, delightful. She was no virgin, certainly, but the occasional rare relations with Phillip for the sake of a possible heir had always been brief and not particularly satisfying. And she had heard it mentioned by friends, it should be satisfying and even enjoyable. With Samuel it had been most enjoyable. Now, she could well understand why Beryl had once been so free with her favors.

  Delilah had wanted adventure and adventure was what she had found. Pity, it had followed her home. His presence here now only reminded her of what an awful mistake she had made. It was most embarrassing to have a man—practically a stranger—who had seen her naked now staying in her family’s home. Sitting across the dinner table. Flirting with her best friend! Surely some of the previous long-dead inhabitants of Millworth Manor were now turning over in their graves at this American invasion.

  Regardless, she drew a deep breath, it was time to get on with her life and her plans. As long as Samuel cooperated, what happened at the Murray Hill Hotel would be left at the Murray Hill Hotel. Her night of sin would be left in America where it belonged.

  “Tell us, Sam, what kind of business brings you to England?” Teddy began. “If you don’t mind my asking.”

  “Unless, of course, it’s boring.” Camille signaled to a footman to refill her wineglass. “I must say whenever Grayson speaks of business, I find it quite dull and uninteresting.”

  Grayson’s brow quirked. “Do you?”

  “Don’t look at me that way, darling, of course I do. And you well know it.” Camille scoffed. “You can’t tell me you haven’t noticed the way my eyes glaze when you go on and on about stocks and bonds and deals and whatever else it is you go on and on about.”

  “And I thought that look was one of sheer admiration for my business acumen,” Grayson said mildly.

  Camille stared at him for a moment then laughed. “You did not.”

  He chuckled. “Not for a moment. But I suspect you will find this interesting.” He nodded at Samuel. “Go on, tell them why you’re here.”

  “I’m here for your wedding of course.”

  “And,” Grayson prompted.

  “And to gauge interest among some of England’s upper echelon for, well . . .” Samuel paused. “The future you might say.”

  “Oh dear, then you shall surely be disappointed.” Teddy heaved a dramatic sigh. “Unlike you Americans, we tend to ignore the future rather than embrace it. We are quite set in our ways, you know, mired in heritage and tradition and all that goes with it.”

  “As it should be,” Delilah murmured.

  Samuel turned toward her. “You can’t possibly mean that.”

  “Oh, but I do.” She cast him a pleasant smile. “There is nothing wrong with doing things the way they have always been done.”

  Samuel’s smile matched hers. “Unless there is a better way to do them.”

  Curiosity sounded in Camille’s voice. “What better way?”

  “Horseless carriages.” Samuel’s tone was casual but an underlying current of excitement edged his words, as if he were announcing the way to salvation or the path to Nirvana or something equally preposterous. “Very possibly the way of the future.”

  Delilah stared for a moment then swallowed a laugh. Laughing would be rude.

  “Really? How fascinating.” Teddy fluttered her lashes at him but in the flickering candlelight Delilah might have been mistaken.

  “Do you truly think they could ever replace horses?” Camille asked.

  Better to keep her mouth shut entirely. Yes, that was an excellent plan.

  Samuel nodded. “I do.”

  Surely he wasn’t serious?

  “That’s rather far-fetched, isn’t it?” Teddy’s brow furrowed.

  “Not at all.” Samuel paused while a footman removed his empty plate.

  How on earth did he become so successful? Was the man mad? He was so obviously wrong.

  “Ultimately, I think a horseless carriage would be much more efficient than a horse,” he continued.

  Absolutely, completely, and without a doubt wrong.

  “The cost of maintaining a horseless carriage would certainly be far less than that of a horse.”

  Someone should tell him how very wrong he was. Delilah glanced around the table. Teddy and Camille were staring with rapt attention and Grayson was studying his friend with approval. Good Lord, they were all mad! As well as wrong.

  “And a horseless carriage can always be repaired.” Samuel shrugged. “In theory, it can be repaired forever.”

  “That’s absurd,” Delilah said without thinking. “You can’t possibly be serious.”

  He studied her. “Oh, but I am.”

  “The way of the future?” The words were out of Delilah’s mouth before she could stop them. Apparently there was a fine line between rude and honest. “I’ve never heard anything so ridiculous.”

  Samuel studied her. “Why?”

  “Why?” Delilah stared at him. “I’d say the why of it is obvious.”

  Samuel’s eyes narrowed no more than a fraction. “Why do you think it’s ridiculous?”

  “I don’t think it’s ridiculous,” Camille said quickly. “I think it sounds most exciting.”

  Delilah ignored her. “I don’t think it’s ri
diculous either. It is ridiculous.”

  “Why?” Samuel asked again.

  “We’ve all seen horseless carriages, at exhibitions and the like. Each and every one of us.” Delilah gestured at the rest of the group. “Why, on occasion, one even sees one of those devices attempting to sputter its way down a road, at great inconvenience to the rest of us I might add.”

  “One would hate to see you inconvenienced,” Camille murmured.

  “They’re nothing more than toys,” Delilah continued without pause. “Playthings for men who refuse to give up being little boys.”

  Samuel’s tone was cool. “Then I gather you have not been impressed?”

  “I think they’re most impressive.” Teddy cast the group a bright smile.

  “Impressed?” Delilah stared in disbelief. “Hardly. They’ll never be practical. They’re noisy. They’re messy. They spew great fumes. They’re not the least bit reliable. They look extraordinarily uncomfortable—”

  “Have you ever ridden in one?” Samuel asked in a clipped tone.

  “Absolutely not! Nor do I ever intend to.”

  “You’ll get your chance soon enough,” Grayson said under his breath.

  “Admittedly, there is still work to be done.” Sam’s words were measured. “This is the beginning of an entirely new mode of transportation.”

  “Actually, Mr. Russell—Sam—it’s not the beginning, is it?” Delilah asked.

  Samuel’s brow furrowed. “I’m not sure I understand.”

  “As far back as Leonardo da Vinci, man has been trying to develop a vehicle that would move under its own power. That was some four hundred years ago. Indeed, history is full of failed attempts to develop horseless carriages.” Delilah reached for her wine. “I should think if someone was going to invent a vehicle that actually worked they would have done so by now.”

  Camille stared at her sister. “How did you know that?”

  “I do read more than romantic novels, Camille.” Apparently Camille not only thought her sister was unable to comport herself in polite society but she considered her uninformed as well. “I keep up on current events, politics and the like, even if I find some of it quite dull. And I am well versed in history.”

  “We had some very progressive instructors at Miss Bicklesham’s,” Teddy said in a confidential manner. “One in particular was fascinated by mankind’s history of invention.”

  “I should have attended Miss Bicklesham’s,” Camille murmured.

  “And even that instructor accepted the basic fact that man will never be able to replace horses.” Delilah smiled in triumph and sipped her wine.

  “Until now,” Sam said coolly.

  “Horses are dependable, loyal, intelligent creatures,” she said. “They have served man well for eons and will continue to do so far into the future.”

  “I’m not questioning the basic nature of the horse,” Samuel said sharply. Obviously she was beginning to annoy him as much as he annoyed her. Good. “But I would much rather depend on something I control rather than something that has a mind of its own.”

  “Perhaps the fault lies in you for not being able to control a horse,” Delilah said with a smug smile.

  “I have no particular difficulties controlling horses.” His manner was matter-of-fact but his hands flexed on the table. Apparently, Sam had no difficulties controlling himself as well. “I simply have more confidence in my own abilities than those of a dumb animal.”

  “I daresay, most of the horses I know are far more intelligent than their riders,” Delilah said pointedly.

  Samuel smiled. “Friends of yours?”

  Camille choked.

  “Sam has just come from meeting with a gentleman in Germany,” Grayson said. “A Mr. Benz who has made remarkable progress in the development of what he calls motorwagons.”

  “Motorwagons?” Delilah’s brow rose. “What a silly word.”

  “No more so than telephone or photograph, when one thinks about it,” Teddy said pleasantly.

  “It doesn’t matter what you call it.” Samuel drummed his fingers on the table. “The fact of the matter is, given the progress being made in the development of new propulsion methods, the motorwagon is here to stay.”

  Delilah met his gaze directly. “Utter, complete, and total nonsense. A waste of time, money, effort, and energy.”

  Samuel’s gaze didn’t waver from hers. “I suspect the same thing was probably said about steam locomotives. History has proven those skeptics wrong. Today, we wouldn’t think of a world without trains.”

  “That’s an entirely different matter.” Delilah adopted a lofty tone, although he did have a point.

  “And time will prove those shortsighted cynics wrong as well.” Samuel smiled.

  She wanted to smack him but settled for returning his smug smile. “Or, more likely, their refusal to be seduced by the lure of the impossible will be shown to be most intelligent.”

  “It’s overcoming the impossible that has driven man since he first discovered the secret of fire.” Samuel leaned forward slightly. “Mankind’s greatest discoveries have come about in spite of naysayers who couldn’t see past the nose on their faces. Impossible, Delilah, is merely improbable not yet accomplished.”

  For an endless moment, Samuel’s gaze locked with hers. Silence fell around the table. The oddest thought struck Delilah that this man was as exciting as he was annoying. She’d forgotten that or perhaps simply ignored it.

  “I’m so glad she apologized before dinner,” Camille murmured.

  Grayson choked back a laugh.

  “What did you mean, Grayson?” Teddy said quickly, no doubt in an effort to divert the debate between Samuel and Delilah. Still debate was inevitable as she was right and he was so very wrong. “About Delilah having her chance to ride in a . . . a motorwagon?”

  Grayson glanced at Samuel then shrugged. “Simply that Sam has purchased a vehicle that will be arriving any day.”

  “Arriving here?” Delilah stared. “You’re bringing one of those things here? To Millworth Manor?”

  “Goodness, Delilah.” Teddy fixed her with a curious glance. “It’s not as if he’s exposing us all to scandal. It’s simply an intriguing new invention, that’s all.”

  “Surely, you’re not afraid it will scare the horses.” Samuel took a sip of his wine. “Intelligent creatures that they are.”

  “Well I for one think it’s most exciting,” Camille said. “I cannot wait to take my first ride it in. Although I’m not sure why you’re bringing it here.”

  “I want to try it for myself, evaluate its feasibility if you will, without Benz and his assistants hovering.” Enthusiasm rang in Samuel’s voice. “It’s far easier to do that here than transport the motorwagon to America.”

  “This is only a first step.” Grayson nodded. “We want to determine if there’s enough interest here in England among those who can afford such a novelty—”

  “It’s only a novelty for now,” Samuel said.

  Camille’s brow rose. “We?”

  “And if so,” Grayson continued, “produce motorwagons in England and then on to America.”

  “Grayson.” Shock sounded in Delilah’s voice. “Surely you’re not a part of this absurd fiasco?”

  “Oh, but I am,” Grayson nodded. “And I consider it neither absurd nor do I expect it to be a fiasco.”

  “But it is highly speculative, is it not?” Camille studied her fiancé. “As well as costly?”

  “Of course it is.” Grayson chuckled.

  Sam grinned. “That’s part of the fun.”

  “Fun?” Delilah sniffed. “I don’t think I would call risking a great deal of money on something so ridiculous fun.”

  “Oh?” Challenge twinkled in Samuel’s eyes. “And what would you call fun?”

  She shot him a scathing look.

  “Sam and I have been partners on a number of ventures of an uncertain nature through the years,” Grayson said. “Most of them have proved quite lu
crative. I have no doubt this one will as well.”

  “And if it doesn’t?” Delilah realized the sharp note in her voice might well be due more to her own financial plight than concern about Grayson’s but she couldn’t seem to help it.

  “It will,” Samuel said.

  “Or it could be a dismal failure.” Was Delilah the only one present who saw the perils in investing in something as ill-advised as motorwagons?

  “My dear Delilah.” Grayson cast her an affectionate smile. “One of the joys of having made a great deal of money is being able to take a risk on something that, while seemingly far-fetched today, might indeed be the way of tomorrow.”

  “And while I am certain Grayson appreciates your caution on his behalf,” Camille said in a chastising manner, “it really has nothing to do with you.”

  “Well, no, I suppose—”

  “However, it does have something do with me.” Camille met her fiancé’s gaze. “This is entirely your decision, Grayson. I trust you implicitly in matters of business and I would never think to question your decisions, but I am curious as to whether you intend to lose your entire fortune on this proposal?”

  “That is a good question, let me think.” Grayson frowned but there was a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. “I am about to marry an extremely wealthy woman, you know.”

  Camille nodded. “Indeed you are.”

  “Who would love me no less if I were penniless.”

  “Oh, perhaps a little less.” Camille thought for a moment. “But not substantially less.”

  “However, I don’t intend to risk my entire fortune. Nor does Sam.”

  “I have a very extravagant mother and sisters to support.” Samuel chuckled.

  “But you do still value my opinion?” Camille said to Grayson.

  “As I value my life,” he teased but there was something serious in his eyes. Delilah’s heart caught at the look he gave her sister.

  “Very well then, with apologies to Delilah who will certainly disagree with me.” Camille paused, hopefully to come to her senses although Delilah suspected her sister was just as mad as her fiancé. “I think it’s thrilling. It’s so wonderfully progressive. I have no doubt it will ultimately be a huge success.