On the other hand, he did care about her, and that being the case, he did want to make sure she felt safe with him. So it was with this intent that he knocked on the door of her bedchamber.
She opened the door a crack so he could only see her face. “Is it just you?”
“Yes. I could call for the maid if you need help changing. Or,” he added with a mischievous grin, “I could help you myself.”
As he hoped, her eyes sparkled. “I’d much rather have you help me.”
She opened the door further, and he saw she had already removed her dress, leaving her in only her undergarments.
“It’s a good thing we have more clothes for you,” he said while she shut the door. “And these will fit you better than Celia’s did.” He winked at her. “There’s no need for others to see what they’re missing by not having you as their wife.”
She chuckled and gave him a kiss. “You’re so much fun to be with, Anthony. It’s no wonder the winter passed too fast.”
“This Season will pass by just as fast, and then we’ll be alone again.”
“We will? I thought your sister usually joined you when you go to Hamilton.”
“I’m hoping to get her married this Season. Then she can go to her husband’s estate.”
She went to the new selection of evening gowns hanging in her armoire but glanced back at him. “She’s a very pretty lady, and she’s certainly pleasant to talk to. I can’t understand why she didn’t secure a betrothal last Season.”
“I think she has her heart set on marrying Corin.”
“Is that Lord Steinbeck?” she asked as she sorted through the gowns.
“No. He’s Lord Durrant.”
“Oh, right. I remember you mentioning him. He’s the one who loves to fox hunt.”
“Yes. That’s the one. Whenever I have a dinner party and he attends, she insists that he must be the one to escort her to dinner.”
“Does he return her feelings?”
“I’m afraid he doesn’t. He feels the same for her that I felt for Loretta. I’m hoping this Season she’ll take other gentlemen more seriously. It does no good to hold onto something she won’t get.”
She stopped looking through the gowns and turned to face him. “I’m very glad you want to be with me. It was quite the gamble I took in asking you to marry me.”
Which brought him to why he’d come up here. He closed the distance between them and wrapped his hand around hers, offering her a comforting squeeze as he did so. “Damara, I gather that it’s hard for you to discuss your past, but there’s something I’d like to know. Did your parents hurt you? Is that why you were waiting along the road with a valise full of money in search of a husband? Were you anxious to leave them?”
Her gaze went to his hand. He waited for her to answer, but she didn’t. He studied her face and noted the struggle in her expression. She was weighing her words before saying them, much as she had in the parlor when Celia had questioned her.
“It’s all right,” he softly encouraged. “You can tell me. I won’t tell anyone else.”
“I don’t like to think about them,” she said, still not making eye contact with him. “I’d rather focus on us.”
“And we will. You don’t have to tell me anything you’re not comfortable with. A simple answer will suffice. I just want to know if they’re the reason you asked me to marry you.”
After a long moment, she said, “Yes. In part.”
In part? That meant there was something else.
She finally made eye contact with him. “I know there are things I haven’t told you that you probably want to know, but I spent so much of my life miserable that I just want to be happy. What I have with you is something I never dreamed possible. I’ll be good to you, Anthony. I won’t ever give you a reason to regret marrying me.”
This was the first time she’d been transparent about her past. Even without telling him what had happened, he knew she’d been hurt—and deeply so. He didn’t know if it’d be best if she went ahead and confronted her demons, but he knew he didn’t have the heart to bring her any more pain than she’d already dealt with.
And really, what did it matter? She was with him. She was safe and cared for. She had nothing to worry about now. As she’d said, she was happy. Wasn’t it better to let her enjoy what they had? It wasn’t like he could go back and change things for her.
With a smile, he squeezed her hand again. “I agree. We should enjoy what we have. I won’t trouble you about your past anymore.”
To his surprise, she buried her face in his shoulder and hugged him. “Thank you.”
“I love you, Damara, and I won’t let anyone hurt you again. I promise.”
Wrapping her in his embrace, he settled his cheek on the top of her head. He’d have to find a moment alone to speak with Celia and ask her to refrain from asking Damara anything about her past. He was sure Celia would understand. She’d been understanding about his marriage. Certainly, there was no reason why Celia wouldn’t want to do everything possible to make Damara happy. Yes, he’d talk to Celia before the day was over.
***
That evening before dinner, Anthony found his sister in the drawing room, sitting on the settee. She was reading an invitation, and from the color of the stationary, he surmised it was from Lady Eloise.
“You have another invite to the Ladies of Grace meeting?” he asked as he came into the room.
She shot him a pointed look. “Anthony, how many times do I have to tell you Ladies of Grace doesn’t have meetings? We have social engagements.”
With a playful roll of his eyes, he said, “All right. Social engagement.”
She swatted his arm as he sat next to her. “Meetings are the kinds of things you gentlemen have when you come together to discuss your business ventures. The most exciting thing that happens is the butler bringing in something to eat or drink.”
“I happen to find the actual meeting far more interesting than what we eat or drink.”
“Which is why God saw it fit to make you a gentleman and me a lady.”
He poured himself a cup of tea and turned to her. “Then it’s definitely good you are my sister instead of my brother. If you were my brother, I’d feel an obligation to teach you everything I know.”
“I’d die of boredom. I’ve had to listen to you and your friends talk about your business ventures often enough at dinner parties.”
“If that’s the case, then why do you insist on going to them?”
“Because you invite Corin.”
He was afraid that was the reason. She hadn’t come right out and said she wanted to marry him, but he suspected that was her intention. Given the fact that Corin didn’t return her feelings, he needed to encourage her to seek out other gentlemen, and since this was to be her second Season, the sooner he did so, the better.
“Celia,” he began after he took a sip of tea, “while I’m searching for a suitable husband for Loretta, why don’t I do the same for you? Maybe I can find two brothers who are looking for brides. Wouldn’t it be ideal if you two married gentlemen from the same family?”
“That’s very sweet of you, Anthony, but I already have someone in mind.”
“He might not want to marry you.”
She gasped. “You can’t be serious! I’d make the perfect wife.”
“I’m sure for the right gentleman, you would make the perfect wife. But not all gentlemen want the same thing in a wife, just as not every lady wants the same thing in a gentleman.”
“And what is there not to want when it comes to me?” she pressed, her eyes narrowed at him.
Immediately, he regretted his choice of words. If he wasn’t careful, he was going to get himself into trouble. Offering her a smile, he patted her back.
“You will make a wonderful wife,” he assured her. “Any gentleman would be fortunate to marry you. It’s just that you shouldn’t limit yourself right now. You need to go to more balls and dance with a lot of gentlemen. Let th
em fight over you.” Yes, that was better. “You’ve been sticking to my dinner parties too much. We’ll change that this Season. I’ll take you to every ball, and while we’re looking for a husband for Loretta, we’ll have fun watching the gentlemen fight over you.”
“Why would I want that when I already know which gentleman I want?”
“Because…” Because…Because… Come on, Anthony. Think of something. “Because you don’t want to make it easy on this gentleman, do you?” No way was he going to ask who she wanted. If she said it was Corin, then she might ask him to help her get him, and that was the last thing he wanted to do. “If this gentleman sees a lot of others vying for your hand, it’ll make him appreciate you all the more.” Yes! That was brilliant.
He was ready to applaud himself for his quick thinking when she shook her head. “You didn’t have to work at all for Damara, and you appreciate her. In fact, you appreciate her much more than you’ve ever appreciated Loretta, and Loretta did try to make you jealous by having other suitors last Season.”
He noticed Loretta had tried that method, and all through the Season, he had hoped she’d take a sincere interest in one of them. It was his misfortune she’d clung to him the way she had.
“By the way,” Celia continued, studying his expression, “what do you know about Damara? She wasn’t very forthcoming with me when I tried to find out about her.”
He shifted on the settee and set the cup back on the tray. This wasn’t going to be easy, but he had to do it. He’d made a promise to Damara, and he was going to keep it, even if his sister was likely to think this meant there was something wrong with her.
“Celia, I know this won’t be easy for you, but in the future, I would appreciate it if you didn’t ask Damara about her past.”
“Why not? As her sister-in-law, I’m naturally interested in her.”
“Of course, you are. But the thing is… Well, Damara’s past is not something she wants to talk about.”
“Is it that awful?” she asked.
He was sure it was. If it’d been pleasant, she wouldn’t be reluctant to discuss it.
Her eyes widened. “You don’t even know it, do you? You married her without knowing anything about it.”
How did she figure that out? Was he that easy to read?
She glanced at the open doorway to make sure no one was there then turned her attention back to him. “I can’t believe you. Why would you do something so foolish?”
“She’s a good wife, Celia.”
“And how do you know that? You don’t know anything about her except that she’s beautiful to look at.”
“I spent all winter with her. I know who she is.”
“But you don’t know where she came from.”
“I don’t need to know where she came from.”
“What if she did something horrible in her past? For all you know, she could have killed someone.”
The notion that Damara was capable of killing someone was so ridiculous he had to laugh. Damara wasn’t capable of any kind of violence, much less murder.
“I don’t see what’s so funny,” Celia hissed. “You met her in a remote town. She said she was there because of her parents, but did you see them? Did you get their permission to marry her? What was she even doing when you met her?”
“Celia, this is unnecessary. I knew I could trust her when I married her.”
“How is that possible? You married her the same day you met her.”
“I just knew. It’s the same when I do business. I can discern who to trust within a few minutes of talking to someone. It’s been that way ever since I was a child.” He almost added that the same discerning voice warned him not to marry Loretta, but that would only upset Celia even more.
“That sounds rather foolish to me,” she replied, not the least bit happy.
“I know how foolish it sounds to you. We don’t look at the world the same way. You don’t trust people as easily as I do.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“Nothing. It works for you, and that’s fine. But I’ve learned that when I go with my initial impression, I make the right choice. It’s only when I hesitate that I make the wrong one.”
And that was what he’d done with Loretta. He’d let Celia talk him into going against his initial impression. If he hadn’t done that, he wouldn’t have given Loretta false hope.
“Celia, I don’t expect you to understand. I know how this all sounds to you. All I ask is that you give Damara a chance. Instead of worrying about her past, can you please get to know her? Spend some time with her. I’m sure once you give her a chance, you’ll feel much better about everything.”
Celia let out a loud sigh, but after a moment, she relented. “All right. I’ll give her a chance.”
“Thank you.” He put his arm around her shoulders and gave her a quick hug. “I know once you spend some time with her, all your worries will go away.”
“Maybe,” she replied in a way that indicated she didn’t believe him.
“They will. You’ll grow to like her. She might even become your friend.” He stood up. “I should see if she’s ready for dinner. We’ll be down soon.”
“As you wish,” she mumbled as she turned her attention back to the invitation.
She wasn’t convinced. Not yet. But she would be. Before long, all of her doubts would be resolved.
Chapter Twelve
The next day, Loretta was changing after her morning meal when the butler told her lady’s maid she had a visitor.
“Did he say who it is?” Loretta asked as her lady’s maid returned to her.
Miranda picked up a yellow ribbon and slipped it into her hair. “It’s your friend Celia. She says she has something important to tell you.”
Important? Loretta’s heartbeat picked up. Anthony was back in London. Now they could proceed with the reading of the banns and get married!
“Well, hurry then,” Loretta told Miranda. “I don’t want to keep her waiting.”
In the mirror, Loretta caught Miranda giving a slight roll of her eyes as she tied Loretta’s hair back and secured it with the ribbon.
“What was that for?” Loretta asked, eyebrows furrowed.
“What was what for, Miss Bachman?”
“The way you rolled your eyes.”
“I didn’t roll my eyes.”
Loretta spun around and faced her. “You did so. I saw you.” She gestured to the mirror. “You really ought to be careful. I’ve had my brother fire other lady’s maids, and I can have him do the same to you.”
Miranda’s cheeks turned pink. “My apologies, Miss Bachman. I won’t do it again.”
“Make sure you don’t. Now leave. I’ll finish dressing on my own.”
While her lady’s maid left, Loretta picked up her slippers and put them on. Anthony was back in London. How exciting!
It was unfortunate he didn’t come himself, but she supposed Celia wanted to be the one to tell her about his arrival since they’d spent the entire winter planning the wedding. It’d taken them two whole weeks to choose the shade of yellow that would be on Loretta’s gown. Loretta had wanted to wear yellow. Yellow was such a pretty color, especially on her. But the question was whether to pick a lighter or darker shade. In the end, they had decided to go with a darker shade since she had strawberry blonde hair.
And so Loretta had the gown made. A gown which, as it so happened, currently hung in the armoire, just waiting to be worn. If only Anthony knew how hard she worked to make everything perfect for their wedding… Then he would appreciate how much she loved him. She wouldn’t go through this trouble for just anyone.
Once she was ready, Loretta ran down the hallway, nearly bumping into her older brother who happened to step into the narrow corridor just as she passed his bedchamber.
“What’s the rush?” Brad asked with a chuckle as he caught her before she fell. “Did a new dress come in?”
She shoved him away. “Couldn’t you hear me coming do
wn the hall?”
“Those slippers on the rug? You can’t be serious. You’re as quiet as a mouse when you wear them.”
With a groan, she said, “When I’m running, they’re not that quiet. Pay better attention in the future.”
He sighed. “It’s a wonder how you got Viscount Worsley to agree to marry you.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “He loves me.”
Though he didn’t seem convinced, he bypassed her and went down the stairs.
Gritting her teeth, she lifted the hem of her dress and followed him. After spending her life with two brothers, she was looking forward to having a sister. All brothers ever did was get in the way. They never understood why shopping and discussing the latest gossip was important.
Celia did, though, which was why the two got along so well. The moment Loretta met Celia at the park two years ago, the two had formed an instant friendship. It worked to Loretta’s advantage that her brothers and Anthony never became friends. Her brothers couldn’t care less about all the business dealings Anthony liked to do.
But none of that mattered. Anthony was here, and they could get on with the wedding. As soon as she reached the bottom of the stairs, she hurried on by Brad and shut the doors to the drawing room.
Then, turning to her friend who was standing by the settee, Loretta let out an excited cry and ran over to her. “Anthony’s in London, isn’t he?”
“Yes, he is,” Celia replied, not the least bit enthusiastic about it.
Loretta’s stomach tensed. “What’s wrong? Does he want to break off the betrothal?”
“It’s worse than that.” Celia plopped down on the settee. “He’s married.”
No. Surely, she hadn’t heard right. He couldn’t be married. He mustn’t be married. He was only supposed to marry her! “I don’t understand. He said he was going to marry me.”
The Viscount's Runaway Bride (Marriage by Bargain Book 1) Page 9
