Damara looked over at her. It wasn’t? “Why not?”
“Because he’s a servant. His job is to do these things for us.” Celia leaned forward and poured tea into their cups. “If you thank him, you’ll make him think he’s equal to you. He’s not. You are a viscountess. You are someone important. He’s a lowly servant. The distinction needs to be clear so he doesn’t get lazy. Lazy servants aren’t of any use to us.”
“Oh.”
“I’m amazed my brother hasn’t taken the time to explain this to you.” Celia lifted her eyes heavenward and sighed. “I suppose I can’t blame him.” Her gaze returned to Damara, and she smiled. “Love makes a gentleman forget things.” Celia placed the cup on its saucer then held it out to her. “You have a tendency to grab things, so we should do this correctly. Cup your hands together, palms up.”
Damara did as she said, and Celia put the cup and saucer in her hands.
“Excellent,” Celia cheered. “Now, use your finger and thumb to lift the cup by the handle, and take a sip. I’ll demonstrate.”
Damara watched, and it seemed to her Celia didn’t have enough time to take a sip.
“You never know if someone is going to ask you something or if someone will say something that makes you laugh,” Celia explained. “Either way, a very small sip will ensure you don’t embarrass yourself by spitting out your drink.”
“I hadn’t thought of that.” Taking a very tiny sip made sense when Celia put it that way.
“I don’t think many ladies do. You’d be surprised at how many don’t drink their tea properly. But now that you know the reason a sip is best, it should help you remember it.”
“Yes, it will. I won’t forget,” she promised.
Since Celia watched her expectantly, Damara picked up her cup. The liquid in it was almost at the brim, which wasn’t good considering the fact that her hand was still trembling. She took another deep breath and willed herself to steady the cup.
Why would anyone want to be with you? her mother would ask. You’re such an awkward child. Go on to your room before you embarrass yourself.
Damara released her breath. She could do this. She didn’t have to be awkward. Just because she’d been that way as a child, it didn’t mean she had to always be that way. She was grown up. She was a lady with a husband. Her hand steadied. Encouraged, she took a sip, making sure to keep it as tiny as possible.
“Excellent!” Celia said, startling her.
The hot tea spilled out of the cup and onto her dress. “I-I’m sorry,” Damara quickly said and set the cup and saucer down so she could grab a cloth napkin. She wiped up the tea.
“Well, I suppose we can’t be graceful in everything. I’ll just make sure to tell Lady Eloise she should only fill your cup halfway. We’ll come up with an excuse. I know! We’ll tell her you’re not thirsty. We’ll say you drank more than enough before we arrived at her residence. There’s no need for her to know you’re clumsy.”
“Yes, that would be best.” It was a shame. Damara had thought she’d succeeded.
“Don’t be disheartened. You’re just not as graceful as other ladies. We’ll find ways to hide that little flaw. Eating should be easier. There’s no liquid to spill.” She gestured to the scone. “I’ll hand it to you, but when I do, make sure to have your palm facing up, so I can place it there. The last thing you want to do is reach out and grab it in an unladylike manner. Lady Eloise might think my brother doesn’t feed you. You wouldn’t want her to think that of my dear brother, would you?”
“No, of course not. Your brother has seen to my every need from the moment I met him.”
Celia’s eyebrows rose. “Anthony asked me not to question you about the past, but do you mind if I inquire about your thoughts of him? I would like to know what it was that made you say yes to his proposal. Was it something he said or some way he acted?”
Damara bit her lower lip. Anthony hadn’t proposed. She had. And he hadn’t had to say or do one single thing to make her do it. She’d been desperate to get away from Lord Comwright once she was free of her parents. If she had married him, it would have been worse than being with them. At the time, she hadn’t given any thought to who she might end up with. She only had the hope that he’d be better than Lord Comwright.
“Damara?” Celia asked, her expression indicating that she wouldn’t let the matter go unless Damara said something.
Damara took a moment to compose her thoughts before she answered, “Your brother happened to be available to talk to, so we had a conversation.” Yes, that was a good way to begin. “As we talked, I learned that he would make a suitable match for marriage.” After another pause, she shrugged. “I just knew he was the one.” She smiled, hoping the answer would suffice.
Celia returned her smile. “He’s my brother, so naturally, I know how likable he is.”
“Yes, he is.”
She’d gotten lucky that way. She could have easily ended up with someone like Lord Comwright. She inwardly shivered. It had to be fate that brought her to Anthony. There was no other way to explain her good fortune.
“Well, the important thing is that you two share a love match,” Celia said as she picked up a scone and placed it on a neatly folded cloth napkin. “Such marriages aren’t common in London.”
“They aren’t?”
Celia shook her head. “Most are done out of necessity. In fact, Anthony was to marry my friend whose family has been struggling financially. Did he tell you that?”
“Yes. He made brief mention of a betrothal to another lady, but I didn’t know about that when I married him.”
“You didn’t?”
“No.” She studied Celia, trying to gauge whether or not she was upset. “I’m sorry, Celia. I certainly don’t want to see one of your friends suffering financially because of me.”
“It isn’t your fault. You didn’t know the situation. For some reason, he didn’t tell you.”
Probably because Damara had shocked him by showing him a valise full of money and blurting out her proposal.
“No doubt he was taken in by your beauty,” Celia said. “I adore my friend. She’s like a sister to me. But even I can see how beautiful you are. Plus, you’re well-endowed in certain areas.” She glanced at Damara’s chest before making eye contact with her. “I might be a lady, but I’m not stupid. Gentlemen are led by a lady’s looks more than anything else.”
Damara frowned. Did Celia think there was nothing more to her than her looks?
Once again, Celia was smiling at her as if nothing was wrong. “At least my brother’s happy.” She held the scone toward her and beckoned for Damara to take it.
Damara stared at it for a moment, wondering if she should decline the invitation to Lady Eloise’s social engagement. But if she did that, then what would Celia think of her?
She’d think you were pitiful, her mother would say. She’d assume the only thing you have to offer her brother is your body. Is that what you want? You should go and conduct yourself like a lady. Prove to her that Anthony didn’t make a mistake in marrying you instead of her friend.
Damara took the scone, her hand once again shaking. She could only pray Celia didn’t notice. It wouldn’t do well if Celia knew she could intimidate her the same way her mother could. She blinked back her tears and listened as Celia instructed her on how to take a ladylike bite.
Chapter Fifteen
An hour later, Anthony was in the middle of reading a book when someone knocked on his door. Assuming it was Damara, he called out for the person to enter, placed the book down, and rose to his feet. But instead of Damara, Celia was the one who came into the room.
“I think the lesson went very well,” Celia said as she went over to him. “Lady Eloise will be pleased with Damara.”
He pressed his hand over his heart and feigned a relieved sigh. “As long as Lady Eloise is pleased, all is right with the world.”
She let out a gasp then gave him a playful pat on the arm. “That’s not funny.�
��
He laughed. “Who cares what Lady Eloise thinks? I’m already pleased with Damara.”
“Lady Eloise will be meeting her in three days. First impressions are everything, especially in London where everyone talks. If you scrunch up your nose the wrong way, you risk public disgrace.”
“It’s not that bad.”
“It most certainly is. You don’t pay attention to what goes on because you’re so busy with those boring business ventures.”
“It’s my business ventures that keep you in the finest clothes London has to offer,” he pointed out.
She considered his words for a moment. “Since you put it that way, you may continue to remain oblivious to the subtleties of social propriety.”
“I thought you’d see it my way.” He glanced at the doorway. “Where’s Damara?”
“She said she wasn’t feeling well, so she went to lie down.”
“I should go see her.”
She grabbed his arm before he could leave. “When a lady says she isn’t feeling well, she needs time alone.”
“Is it something serious? Did she look sick?”
“No. She’s fine. She’s tired, that’s all. Learning how to act correctly when around Lady Eloise takes a lot out of a person. Lady Eloise is difficult to please. Loretta and I are fortunate that we met with her approval. You remember all the lessons we had to take on etiquette.”
Even though he’d consented to paying for those lessons a year ago, he still felt the financial sting of the whole thing. “My ledger remembers that, too.”
Those silly lessons on how to properly sit, talk, and other such nonsense had cost more than half of her wardrobe. And somehow she’d talked him into paying for Loretta’s lessons, too, since her older brother wouldn’t do it. At the time, he’d thought her brother had said no because he knew the classes were a waste of time. When Celia confessed that Loretta’s family was struggling to make ends meet, he realized Loretta’s brother had said no because he couldn’t afford it. Which reminded him…
“I have good news,” he said. “There is a gentleman at White’s who’s done very well for himself. I think he might be a good match for Loretta.”
“Really? Who is he?” Celia asked, looking at him in interest.
“Viscount Erandon. Warren suggested him. We do business with his younger brother, Captain Egan. He has as much wealth as I do, and he’s highly respectable.”
She wrinkled her nose. “A viscount?”
“What’s wrong with a viscount? I happen to be one.”
“Yes, but you’re my brother. A marriage to you would have secured Loretta’s family’s future and made us sisters. Viscount Erandon has to offer more than money if it’s to be something Loretta can be happy with.”
“Considering her financial straits, I don’t see how she can be picky.”
“It’s not about being picky. It’s about choosing the best match. From where I stand, he has nothing else to offer than money. I’ve never even heard of him. The gentleman should be someone I’ve at least heard of, Anthony.”
“If you had heard of him, it would have been because he did something worthy of a scandal. Believe me, you don’t want that.”
“You said his brother is a captain?”
He nodded. “One of the best whaling captains you’ll find anywhere.”
She shuddered. “I just can’t suggest the match to Loretta. Whales are disgusting.”
“Whales provide us with a lot of things we use. Besides, Loretta’s not going to marry the captain. She’ll marry his older brother.”
“There’s no way it can happen. Lady Eloise won’t allow it. Captains are dirty and crude. We might need the things they bring us, but they’re better off at sea where we don’t have to be around them.”
“Captain Egan is neither dirty nor crude. He’s clean and decent, and he runs a good ship. You wouldn’t know he’s a captain if you saw him.”
“I’m sure I’d smell the sea on him, if not all that whale blubber.”
“Celia, I can’t believe you’re such a snob.”
“A snob?” She stared at him as if she couldn’t believe she’d heard him right. “I’m a single lady fighting for respectability. My high social standing is the one advantage I have over most of the other ladies in London. That makes me attractive for marriage.”
“I know what you’re saying, and yes, it is ideal if a titled gentleman can have a wife who won’t bring him shame. But Celia, that doesn’t mean you’re at liberty to find fault with other people.”
“It’s not me who’s finding fault with anyone. The Ton does that. If I were to align myself with people of ill-repute, I’ll never secure a marriage to Corin.”
Forgetting all about Captain Egan, he asked, “Corin?”
“Yes. I’ve been to enough dinner parties to know he doesn’t want anything scandalous touching him. I’m sure the good captain is fine as long as he’s making you both money, but I can’t risk Corin’s displeasure by being friends with the wife of a captain. That wouldn’t look good to Lady Eloise. I’ve been careful for the past year to show him I’m worthy to be his wife. I think it’s working, too. He gets the most adorable twinkle in his eye whenever I’m around.”
That twinkle wasn’t at all what she thought it was. It was more like the spark of fear and apprehension.
“I know he’s waiting until he has more money before he gets married,” she continued. “It’s why he hasn’t expressed his love for me yet.”
“Celia, you can’t base all of your hopes on one gentleman. What if you’re wrong?”
She most definitely was wrong. But how could he tell her that without breaking her heart? She was his sister. The last thing he wanted to do was put her through any kind of pain.
“I’m not wrong,” Celia replied. “I’m very much right. You’ll see when he proposes.”
Oh goodness! She was serious. She honestly believed Corin was going to marry her. Corin was going to be horrified when he learned about this. But maybe it was a good thing. It might be the incentive Corin needed to get serious about finding a wife.
“Anyway,” Celia shrugged, “I’m going to visit Loretta. We have a lot to talk about before we go to Lady Eloise’s. It’s not easy to prepare for what topics to bring up when we’re around someone so important.” She kissed his cheek. “Wish me luck!” Then, with a wave, she hurried out of the room.
***
Loretta didn’t feel like answering when someone knocked on the door of her bedchamber. She pulled the blankets over her head and dug deeper into the bed. Ever since she found out Anthony had married someone else, she could barely bring herself to eat, let alone get out of bed.
The door opened and soft footsteps crossed the room. “Miss Bachman,” her lady’s maid said, “Miss Barlow is here to see you.”
Celia was here? Loretta pulled down her blankets and looked over at Miranda. “She is?”
Miranda nodded. “She said she’d like to speak with you. What should I tell her?”
“Tell her I’ll be down in a few minutes. Then hurry back up and help me dress.”
After her lady’s maid left, Loretta got out of bed and went to the washbasin where she washed her face. She inspected her face in the mirror. Her eyes were still puffy and red from crying. She made an attempt to smile, but it came out as a wince. Oh, what a miserable sort she was. She didn’t know if she could act happy when she went to Lady Eloise’s later that week.
Miranda returned to the bedchamber, so Loretta quickly got dressed. Celia was the only person she could stand to see when she was sad. But then, Celia was the only person who understood her, and Celia, more than anyone, knew how much she wanted to marry Anthony. A gentleman like Anthony didn’t come along every day, after all. And since he had married someone else, she didn’t know what to do. Was there anyone else in London who could fill the void he’d left? Honestly, she doubted it.
By the time she was ready to see her friend, she felt a little better. But only a li
ttle. Once downstairs, she found her friend sitting in the drawing room, drinking some tea.
When Celia looked over at her, her eyes widened. “You look horrible. What happened?”
“Your brother married another lady,” Loretta replied as she shut the doors. She went over to the settee and sat next to Celia. “I had no idea a broken heart could be so painful.”
“Oh dear.” Celia put the cup down and turned to give her a hug. “I knew you cared for him, but I didn’t realize how much you loved him. You must love him as much as I love Corin.”
“I do. I really do.” Loretta fought to keep the tears at bay, but they fell anyway.
Celia continued to hold her as she cried. She’d thought by now she should be out of tears. She’d cried so much in the past few days that she’d almost filled an entire basket with handkerchiefs to wash. But there was something in the way Celia patted her back that prompted Loretta to cry again.
“How did I miss the fact that he didn’t love me?” Loretta asked through her tears. “I’m such a fool.”
Celia pulled away from her and gave her a handkerchief. “You aren’t a fool. He is. You would have made him an excellent wife.”
“That’s what I thought, too, but apparently, we were wrong.”
“No, we weren’t. We were right. You would have. Neither one of us could’ve known Damara would come along and trick him the way she did.”
Loretta wiped the tears from her eyes. “You think she tricked him?”
“Of course. You can’t trust her. She doesn’t share anything about her past, and if you ask her something, she gives a vague answer. I think she took advantage of his innocence. I know for a fact he was a virgin when he left London. He’s not like other gentlemen who seek out mistresses. He’s too busy with his business ventures for that. I think she realized how much money he had and got him into bed. He felt so guilty that he had to marry her. You know how honorable he is. He couldn’t leave her in case she’d conceived his child.”
“Well, I suppose it could have happened that way.”
“It most definitely happened that way. I’ve seen the way he looks at her. It’s not love. It’s lust. But gentlemen are too stupid to know the difference.” Celia shook her head. “It’s disgusting the way she has him wrapped around her finger. I never should have let him leave London without marrying you. That was the worst mistake I ever made. I’m sorry, Loretta.”
The Viscount's Runaway Bride (Marriage by Bargain Book 1) Page 12
