Amused, Anthony grinned. “Well, a happy wife makes for a happy home.”
“And a warm bed,” Warren added.
“Which is even better,” Anthony chimed in.
Warren turned his gaze to Corin. “You really are missing out by not being married. It’s a wonderful thing to have a wife you can get excited about spending time with. I wish I had married Iris sooner.”
“Believe me,” Anthony told Corin, “you want to make sure you get the right lady, so bring someone to the dinner party.”
“All right,” Corin said, though he still seemed reluctant. “I suppose I’ll have to find a suitable lady before your sister gets her claws into me.”
“You’ll be glad you did,” Anthony replied. “You can always acquire money, but you can’t always get a wonderful wife.”
Corin groaned. “I’ll have a lady with me when I go to the dinner party. Can we please discuss something more interesting now?”
“Yes, we can,” Warren said as he rose from his chair. “Malcolm’s here. We can find out if Captain Egan is going back out to sea.”
Really? Anthony jumped up, his ears perking up in interest. Despite his young age, Captain Egan showed enormous potential. Never before had Anthony heard of a captain more capable when it came to whaling. Some said he was able to read a whale’s mind, and judging by his success at sea, Anthony was inclined to believe it.
“Ah, so marriage hasn’t made you lose all interest in money after all,” Corin told Anthony in amusement.
“A love match won’t make you lose all interest in money, either,” Anthony replied.
“I hope not,” Corin said. “I have a lot of money to make if I want my estate to be as wealthy as it once was.”
“You’ll get there,” Warren told him. “It’s just not going to happen right away like you want it to.”
Anthony offered his friend an understanding smile. It wasn’t Corin’s fault his father had been reckless with the money. And really, it only went to prove how wrong his sister would be for the poor gentleman. Celia didn’t know the first thing about self-control. The best thing Corin could do was marry a sensible lady like Damara. The sooner he did that, the better off he’d be.
But for now, their attention should be on what news Malcolm Jasper would bring, so he followed Warren and Corin over to Malcolm.
***
Damara shifted uncomfortably in the chair as Celia instructed the jeweler to retrieve rings to match the necklaces that were already on the counter in front of them. Anthony had already bought her a wardrobe, and she’d just added another gown to his account. The gown was almost half the cost of all her other clothes. She had no idea something to be worn to a simple social outing could cost so much. It’d taken Celia ten minutes to convince her it was worth the expense.
“Lady Eloise isn’t just anyone,” Celia had told her. “She’s the daughter of one of the most influential dukes in London. Because of that, she demands only the best of the best.” Then, she’d added, “You don’t want to embarrass me, do you?”
“Of course not,” Damara had said. The last thing she’d ever do was embarrass Anthony’s sister.
“Then you have to wear the gown I picked out for you,” Celia had replied.
And that line of reasoning had weakened Damara’s resolve. Deep down, she wondered if Celia was making a bigger deal out of this social activity than necessary, but as a new member of the family, she didn’t feel at liberty to argue with her. Next time she saw Anthony, she’d explain why she made such a ridiculous purchase and hoped he understood.
But now, she was at the jeweler’s and Celia was trying to convince her to buy even more items.
“Red looks good on you,” Celia said as the jeweler set out an assortment of rings decorated in rubies and diamonds. “I would love to wear the color, but alas, that color doesn’t complement me.”
“An afternoon social doesn’t seem like the right place for a lot of jewelry,” Damara replied as she watched the jeweler match up the rings with the necklaces and earrings. “Maybe if I just wore a necklace-”
Celia shook her head and held up her hand to stop her. “A lady can never have enough jewelry. Not when she’s visiting Lady Eloise. When you meet her, you’ll be glad I insisted on this.”
Damara had no idea who Lady Eloise was, so she had to take Celia’s word for it. “All right.” She turned to the jewelry that was in front of her. With a glance at Celia, she asked, “Will you be getting jewelry as well?”
“Of course. I wouldn’t dare show up without the proper accessories.”
Damara nodded. Given the assortment of clothes and jewelry Celia already owned, she believed it. After a moment of inspecting the selection, Damara chose one of the sets that best matched her style.
Celia let out a slight gasp.
Damara looked over at her.
“I’m not trying to tell you what to do,” Celia began, “but if you show up in something so inexpensive, Lady Eloise might wonder if my brother has sufficient funds to provide for you. Try not to think of yourself when making these kinds of decisions. Think of my brother. Do you want him to be the laughingstock of London?”
Damara’s cheeks warmed. “No.”
Celia scanned the jewelry on the counter then pointed to the set that cost a lot more than the one Damara had selected. “This would be much better. Lady Eloise will be impressed with it, and since it’s not as expensive as most of the jewelry here, you can be more at ease with putting the cost on my brother’s account. It’s a good compromise, don’t you agree?”
“Well, yes. That makes sense.” And Damara did feel significantly better with not going for anything more expensive. Celia was right. This would make a good compromise. “All right. I’ll take that set,” she told the jeweler.
Celia rewarded her with a wide smile. “You’ll be glad you took my advice when I introduce you to Lady Eloise and the other ladies in the group.”
Damara hoped she was right, but more than that, she hoped Anthony wouldn’t be upset.
“Everything will be fine,” Celia said, as if she could read her mind. “My brother makes these types of purchases all the time. What’s the point in having money if you can’t enjoy it?”
Then, to probably demonstrate how necessary it was to spend money, Celia selected her own set of jewelry, which was more expensive than the one she picked out for Damara. That made Damara feel a little bit better. If Celia spent this kind of money while shopping, then Anthony shouldn’t be shocked when he saw how much Damara spent. She released her breath. Hopefully, he wouldn’t be shocked. She closed her eyes and said a quick prayer that he would be perfectly all right with the purchases she’d made today.
Chapter Fourteen
Damara paced Anthony’s bedchamber that evening before dinner. He had said he was going to White’s, but he hadn’t said when he’d be back. She had no idea how long gentlemen spent at gentlemen’s clubs.
As the minutes passed, the knots in her stomach tightened, but for an entirely different matter than how much she’d spent that afternoon. Celia had been nice to her that afternoon. She’d even avoided asking her anything about her past. But Damara didn’t want to have dinner alone with her. She wanted Anthony to be there when they ate.
Something about Celia made her uncomfortable. It was similar to the way she felt around Lord Comwright. The problem was, Damara couldn’t pinpoint why. Celia had gone out of her way to be nice to her. Lord Comwright had never done such a thing. From the beginning, he’d let her know he had nothing but contempt for her. But, as he’d put it, she was solely for producing heirs so what did it matter if he liked her or not?
She shivered despite the warmth in the room. She got away from him. That was all that mattered. And now that she’d consummated her marriage with Anthony, no one could make her go back to him.
The door opened, and she turned in time to see Anthony enter the room. With a smile, she ran over to him and hugged him.
Returning her hug
, he laughed. “I might have to spend more afternoons away from home if I’m going to get this kind of welcome.”
“Don’t you dare spend too much time away from me,” she replied, the knots in her stomach relaxing. “I like having you around.”
He kissed her. “I like being with you, too.” He pulled away from her and went over to his armoire. “I should get ready for dinner. Celia’s already waiting for us downstairs, and I can see you’re ready to eat.”
“Yes.” And now that he was here, she didn’t have to dread going through the dinner alone with her. “I was hoping you’d make it back in time to eat with us.”
“I wouldn’t miss a meal with you for anything.” He sorted through his clothes. “Oh,” he glanced her way, “that reminds me. I’d like to introduce you to some of my friends. I told them about you today.” He winked. “I can’t help but brag that I have the best wife in London.”
She smiled at the compliment. “I don’t mind it if you brag.”
“I didn’t think you would. But now that I mentioned you, I want to show you off.”
“Oh?”
Did this mean he wanted her to go to a ball? She knew people went to balls during the Season. Her parents had told her about those, but they had never attended them. At least they hadn’t for as long as she could remember. But Lord Comwright had mentioned going to a ball during one of the very few conversations she’d had with him.
Anthony selected the outfit he wanted to wear for dinner and went over to her. “Warren is going to talk to his wife about having a dinner party at their townhouse.”
Hoping she heard right, she asked, “Dinner party?” As in a private affair?
“Yes. It would be us, Corin, the lady Corin brings, Warren and Iris, and Warren’s in-laws. Warren’s sister might even attend since she’s old enough.”
Good. That would be a small affair. She could handle that. She wasn’t sure what she was going to do if he mentioned going to a ball, but she’d deal with that if the situation came up. For now, she was being asked to a dinner party with people she didn’t know, and that would be an easy thing.
“It sounds like fun,” she said. “I’m looking forward to it.”
“I thought you might say that.” He patted the small of her back and kissed her. “I should change before Cook thinks I don’t want to eat his food.”
“Since I’m here with nothing to do, I’ll be happy to help.”
“I certainly don’t mind the assistance.”
She caught the twinkle in his eye and grinned as she began to unfasten the buttons on his waistcoat. “Anthony, I have something to tell you.”
“You don’t like my taste in clothes?”
For a moment, she thought he was serious, but then she caught the playful expression on his face. “I love your taste in clothes. You aren’t gaudy like some gentlemen.” Most notably, Lord Comwright who wore the most outrageous color combinations she’d ever seen. Even now, her eyes hurt at the memory of them. “No, I have something else to tell you.” She paused in the middle of unfastening the last button. “I went shopping with your sister today.”
“And you made it back here before I did? Celia’s been known to stay out all day when she’s buying something.”
“It didn’t take long, but then she said she already knew what type of gown she wanted.” She finished unfastening the button then met his gaze. “I got a gown and some jewelry that were much too expensive. I should have stood firm and told your sister no, but I didn’t know how. I can return them if you want.”
With a smile, he brought his hands up to her shoulders and squeezed them. “Why do you think I’d be upset to find out you spent some money today?”
“Because it’s a lot of money.” She told him how much everything cost and waited for him to yell at her.
“It sounds like the kind of shopping day my sister often has,” he said then kissed her. “It’s all right. I’m not upset. I’m used to her extravagant purchases. And if I’m willing to spend that kind of money on her, then why wouldn’t I do the same for you?”
She watched him as he removed his waistcoat. Was it really that easy? He wasn’t going to express his disappointment in her? He wasn’t going to say he wished she’d be more sensible?
He loosened his cravat and looked at her. His eyebrows furrowed in concern. “I can see you don’t believe me. Don’t you remember all of those clothes my sister has at Hamilton?”
“Yes,” she slowly replied.
“All of those clothes and the ones she has here are much more than anything you own. Feel free to spend as much as you want.”
“But I don’t like spending that much.”
“Then you don’t have to. I don’t spend that much money. Celia does, but then I assumed that’s how ladies are.” He paused then added, “I also have trouble saying no to Celia. She can be very convincing when she wants to be. I know how it is.”
So it was going to be that easy. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry with relief.
He removed his cravat. “You know, it’s much more fun when you’re the one taking off my clothes.”
Laughing, she continued to help him change for dinner.
***
The next morning after Damara, Anthony, and Celia finished eating, Celia asked Damara if she’d spend some time with her. “I want to help you know what to do when we’re at Lady Eloise’s,” she explained as they rose from the table. She glanced at Anthony. “Do you mind?”
Anthony glanced at Damara, his expression indicating that he wanted to know if it was something she wanted to do.
“It might be a good idea,” Damara said. “I would like to help your sister make a good impression.” Also, it might prepare her for Warren’s upcoming dinner party.
“All right,” Anthony told Celia. “But I want to take Damara to Hyde Park today so make sure this doesn’t take long.”
Damara tried to think over whether or not Lord Comwright ever went to Hyde Park. He’d never mentioned it. But even so… “Do a lot of people go there?”
“Yes,” he said, “but there won’t be a lot of people there so early in the day. Afterwards, I thought I’d take you to the museum.”
Celia yawned. “You’re going to bore your poor wife to death. It’s a good thing I’m around.”
Since they would be going early in the day to the park and Lord Comwright had no use for museums, Damara relaxed. The day’s activities should be safe ones.
With an amused grin, Anthony kissed Damara. “I’ll be in the den. Let me know when you’re ready.”
Celia waited until he left before she smiled at Damara. “I can’t believe how enchanted my brother is with you.”
“I think the world of him. He’s the perfect husband.”
“You two seem to be well matched.” Celia turned to the butler. “Bring tea and scones to the drawing room.” She waved to Damara. “We’ll be more comfortable in there.”
Damara put her hand over her stomach as she followed Celia out of the room. “I don’t know if I can eat anything else. I’m full.”
“You didn’t eat much.”
“Well, no, but I wasn’t all that hungry.”
Celia shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. I only asked for the tea and scones so we could practice how to eat and drink while at Lady Eloise’s.”
“Oh?” Was there a right or wrong way to eat and drink? If only Damara had been able to prepare for a Season. Then she might not feel so inadequate about these things.
“There are minor details to tend to, that’s all.”
“What kind of details?”
“Things like taking small bites of food instead of large ones, sipping a drink instead of gulping it down, and swallowing one’s food before talking.”
Damara frowned and her steps slowed. “Do I do those things?”
Celia offered her a smile and slipped her arm around Damara’s. “Think nothing of it. We’ll have you eating and drinking properly before the day is over.”
> Heat rising in her face, Damara nodded. “Thank you for helping me.” No wonder her mother had often said she was an embarrassment. What other things did she do that were wrong?
They reached the drawing room, and Celia led her to the settee. “You’re my sister-in-law. Of course, I’m going to help you. Lady Eloise is going to be impressed with you. I’ll make sure of that.”
“I do want to make a good impression.”
“You will. After today, you will be able to walk into any social situation with ease. Now, let’s start by learning how to sit.”
“Learning how to sit?” She thought they were only going to work on eating and drinking.
“We have to work on everything.” Celia turned to face her. “As it is, you have a tendency to plop down in a chair. But, there is a more graceful way to do it. Watch me.” Lifting the edge of her dress so that the hem was a bit higher, Celia gently settled onto the settee. She straightened her back and clasped her hands on her lap. “That’s all there is to it.” She gestured for Damara to sit. “You do it.”
“All right.”
Damara lifted the edge of her dress, her hands shaking as she did so. The image of her mother’s disapproving scowl flashed through her mind. She took a deep breath and released it. Her mother wasn’t here. She was safe. Celia was trying to help her. She wasn’t trying to criticize her like her mother had. Hoping Celia didn’t pick up on her apprehension, she smiled then slowly sat down. She forced her shoulders back and clasped her hands on her lap.
“Not so stiff,” Celia said with a chuckle. “You’re going to an enjoyable social engagement, not to the gallows.”
“Sorry.” Damara let her shoulders drop slightly, and since Celia seemed happy with it, she felt better. Good.
The butler came in and placed the tray full of tea and scones on the table in front of them.
“Thank you,” Damara told him.
“Close the door on your way out,” Celia added as he left.
Once he closed the door, Celia looked at Damara. “It’s not wise to thank him.”
The Viscount's Runaway Bride (Marriage by Bargain Book 1) Page 11
