Taming The Viscountess

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  Celia sighed and rose to her feet. “I should probably get back to my husband’s townhouse before Anthony throws me out. Thank you for taking the time to talk to me.”

  Damara stood up and smiled at her. “You’re always welcome to visit.”

  On impulse, Celia hugged her. “Thank you, Damara. You’re a good sister-in-law.”

  Celia released Damara and headed out of the drawing room. As she passed her brother, she decided not to look at him. Maybe in the past she might have, but she was afraid that if she did, she might call him an unflattering name or stick her tongue out at him. Because of Damara, she didn’t want to do either of those things. Damara had stood up for her, and she felt it only fair to Damara that she refrain from reminding her brother what she thought of him. The last thing she needed to do was make Damara uncomfortable.

  When she left the townhouse, she could feel the weight of someone’s gaze on her. Curious, she stopped on the sidewalk and turned back to the townhouse. From the drawing room window, she caught sight of her brother watching her. He was probably making sure she wasn’t going to run back inside. Sometimes she thought it was a miracle that her brother managed to get any lady to fall in love with him by the way he acted. With a roll of her eyes, she turned and continued on home.

  Chapter Thirteen

  A week later, Celia was laughing as Sebastian entertained her with stories of his time at sea. After waking up, they had opted to linger in bed for a while, something he certainly didn’t mind since he was reluctant to be away from her. She’d been busy making her rounds through acquaintances that she thought might want to join her new group. He didn’t get a chance to see her as much as he preferred. So it was nice to have this time with her.

  He was surprised so many gentlemen hadn’t bothered to look past her exterior. She wasn’t intimidating at all. Of course, he had figured that out the day he met her. She just needed to be around someone who wasn’t frightened of his own shadow. So many gentlemen were timid in London. He blamed it on the soft lifestyles they led.

  All they did was float from one meaningless ball or dinner party to another, worried over how they could advance their social standing in the Ton. They thought hardship was having to open their own doors or pick up their own messes. Most didn’t even dress themselves for goodness’ sakes! Was it no wonder she frightened them? And further more, was it any wonder that she didn’t respect them?

  It was just as well. She wouldn’t have been happy with them, nor would they have been happy with her. Even if she didn’t know it, he did.

  She lifted herself up on her elbow so she could look down at him. “Tell me about the time one of your crewmen had a fish wiggling around in his pants.”

  “I must have told you that story three times already.”

  “It gets funnier each time you tell it.”

  He wrapped his arm around her waist and gave it a playful squeeze. “You have a vicious side to you if you think it’s funny when a poor man thinks his penis just fell off.”

  She broke into a fresh wave of giggles.

  Despite himself, he found himself chuckling right along with her. “If you were a gentleman, you’d understand it’s not as funny as you think it is. A penis is very important to a gentleman.”

  “Yes, but it’s also firmly attached to him.” She reached down and stroked him intimately. “See? It’s not coming off. That’s why I can’t understand why your crewman thought his had. It’s not like it’s a leaf that dries up in autumn and falls off a tree.”

  “It was his first time out at sea. He hadn’t been near a whale before, and in his fright, he tripped and fell off the rowboat. His penis struck the side of the boat at just the right angle, and he thought he had done irreparable damage to it. When the fish swam into his trousers, he assumed the worst and started to scream.”

  She let go of him and fell onto her back, clutching her sides as she continued laughing.

  “To be fair,” Sebastian began as he rolled onto his side, “we don’t wear tight breeches like gentlemen do in London while we’re at sea. Anything can get into our pants if it swims in just right.”

  He thought this might settle her down, but she only laughed harder.

  He shook his head. He should have known that would amuse her all the more. He settled back beside her.

  Once she caught her breath, she turned to him and gave him a wicked smile. “So if you and I were at sea, could I slip my hand in your trousers and touch you somewhere interesting?”

  “Yes.” Returning her smile, he added, “And you wouldn’t be wearing a lot of undergarments beneath your clothes, either, so I could bring my hand under your skirt and touch you somewhere interesting, too.”

  Her eyes lit up. “Really? Right there on the ship? In the middle of the day?”

  “I wouldn’t do it in front of the crew. I would wait until we’re in our cabin.” He stopped himself before he spoke further. What was he talking about? “My days at sea are over. I’m stuck in London from now on.”

  “It doesn’t have to be that way. You can sail out at sea again.”

  “I only have the use of one leg.”

  “One and a half, and you could make up for that half if you had a peg leg. I don’t know why you refuse to get one. It seems like a terrible hassle to walk around with a crutch all the time, especially when you have to go up and down the stairs.”

  “Even if I had a peg leg, I wouldn’t go whaling.”

  “I know that whaling was a thrilling adventure, but was it the only thing you enjoyed about the sea?”

  “No,” he admitted. “I loved being on the sea regardless of what I was doing. Even days when nothing happened were enjoyable.”

  “Then why can’t you do that? You have enough money to buy a ship with my dowry, and you will have even more once you win the wager at White’s. You don’t have to be stuck in London all the time. Most gentlemen spend months at a time at their country estate. You can do the same at sea. There’s never anything exciting that happens in the country. But you had so many adventures at sea. Wouldn’t it be nice to have those again?”

  “Well, yes. It would,” he slowly replied. “But I have responsibilities now. I have a title.”

  “Who says a titled gentleman can’t go out to sea?” she interrupted before he could continue. “I happen to know of some who do. They take all kinds of trips to other countries. True, they’re not captains of the ship, but there’s no reason why you can’t do it. You can be a captain and travel anywhere you want.”

  “I like the voyage for the sake of the voyage, but I’d also want to work. Even if I’m not out whaling, I’d like to catch fish.”

  “There’s nothing stopping you from doing that. You can catch fish. You can even whale if you want. All you need to do is get comfortable with the idea of doing it. I’m sure if you had a peg leg, it wouldn’t be all that different than having a real leg.”

  “I don’t know if it would or not.”

  “Why don’t you get one and try it? There’s no harm in seeing for sure, is there?”

  Since she put it that way, he supposed there wasn’t anything to lose by getting one. If worse came to worse, he could go back to his crutch. But even so, if he did ever return to the sea, it wouldn’t be the same because she wouldn’t be with him. Maybe some couples were happy to spend time apart, but he didn’t want to spend months away from her at a time. He was quickly getting used to having her with him, and he liked it. She had a passion and excitement about her that made him forget how much he missed the sea.

  “I don’t know,” he said, choosing his words carefully lest she think he was weak. “A captain needs a crew, so obviously, I wouldn’t go alone.” He cleared his throat. “But we’re married. There’s a reason captains don’t often take wives. It’s easier to go out to sea if you aren’t leaving a wife behind.”

  “Why can’t I come, too?”

  He raised an eyebrow. “You’d want to come?”

  “Sure! It’d be a lot better
than being stuck in the country. We could go in the autumn and come back in the winter or spring. You make it sound like so much fun.” She smiled and wiggled up against him. “I know ladies don’t often go out on such adventures, but they don’t mind being bored. I want to get the most out of life. I know! You could make me a part of your crew.”

  “You would be my wife, not one of the crew.”

  “Fine. I’ll be your wife, but I’ll offer assistance when you need it. And,” she kissed him, “if you get me alone, I promise I won’t wear anything under my skirt to make it easy for you to touch me wherever you desire.”

  She brought her hand back to his penis, this time grasping it in her hand and stroking it in a way that made him erect. Turning toward her, he cupped her face in his hands and gave her a lingering kiss.

  “I wouldn’t mind if you didn’t wear anything under your gowns while we’re in London,” he whispered. “You don’t have to wait until you’re on a ship to do something like that.”

  A sly smile crossed her face. “If I don’t wear anything under my gown, would you do something to me when I’m in another room? Say, in the drawing room or the den?”

  He grinned and pulled her on top of him. “Only if the doors were shut and no one was with us.”

  “You’re silly. I had no intention of there being anyone else with us,” she teased.

  “Good.” He brushed her dark hair over her shoulder and then cupped her breast in his hand. “I want you all to myself.”

  “You shall be the only gentleman I’ll ever voyage.” She wiggled her eyebrows then kissed him.

  He liked the way she worded that, but a part of him couldn’t help but wonder if she was still in love with Corin. Probably. Just because he was falling in love with her, it didn’t mean she was falling in love with him. She had such a dynamic personality, and no one could ask for a better lover.

  Everything about her that scared other gentlemen thrilled him to no end. She wasn’t at all like the other ladies he’d come across, and for that he was grateful. He had a feeling she was worth marrying on their wedding day. It was nice to be proven right.

  Maybe, someday, she would come around to caring for him. Maybe the day would come when she didn’t miss Corin. Sooner was better than later, but he knew he couldn’t change her feelings. She would have to change them on her own.

  At the very least, she had just promised to be faithful to him, and for that alone, he decided he would be thankful. He had her body, if not her heart, and for now, that was enough. He chose to concentrate on this as she took him into her and made love to him.

  ***

  Four days later, Celia and Loretta were in Celia’s drawing room at the desk, writing down ideas for what they could name their new group.

  “What about Ladies of Eloquence?” Loretta suggested. “Or Ladies of Influence?”

  Celia wrote down the potential names on the parchment. Then she examined the other names they’d brainstormed so far, which was a total of twenty-two names. She set the parchment down and tapped the quill on the desk. “Why does it have to be so hard to come up with something as simple as a name? Do you know how Lady Eloise decided on Ladies of Grace?”

  “I don’t know how she came up with ‘Grace’, but I do know how she came up with ‘Ladies’. Since she’s the daughter of a duke, she goes by Lady Eloise.”

  Celia wrinkled her nose. “So the first part of the name originated from her social status in London?”

  Loretta nodded. “Lady Eloise was telling Miss Webb about it a year ago after we first joined. You had to visit the water closet at the time.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me this later?”

  “I didn’t think you’d consider it important.”

  “You’re right. I wouldn’t have. I was too excited to be in the group to concern myself with how she came up with the name.” Her gaze went back to the parchment. “Maybe we shouldn’t do something similar to her group’s name. We want to distinguish ourselves, don’t we?”

  “Yes, we do, but I think we should also let others in London know your group is equal to hers.”

  “This is our group. You’re as much a leader of it as I am.”

  “But you’re the one who came up with the idea.”

  “And you’re helping me form it.”

  Loretta smiled. “That’s very nice of you, Celia.”

  “Nice has nothing to do with it. It’s only right. We’re the best of friends. I couldn’t be in a group unless you were in it with me. We’re kindred spirits.”

  “I agree. We are.” Then, after a moment, her eyes lit up and she said, “We can name the group Celia and Loretta’s Ladies of Influence!”

  Celia laughed. “That’s too long.”

  “So?”

  “We want something that’s easy to say. The easier it is to say, the easier it’ll be to remember.”

  “That’s true. You make a good point.”

  The footman came into the room and handed Celia a neatly folded invitation. Right away she could tell it was from Lady Eloise. Only Lady Eloise used such fancy script.

  Celia glanced at Loretta, sure her friend recognized it as well. After a moment, she opened the invitation. “The next social engagement is in a week. That doesn’t give me much time to get things ready.”

  “You’re going to go to that social engagement even though we’re forming another group?”

  “I have to. It’s a matter of principle. I need to face Lady Eloise and tell her exactly what I think of her.” Noting the worried dimple in Loretta’s chin, she added, “I’m going to let everyone know I won’t tolerate the disloyalty within the group. We should not be sleeping with each other’s husbands. Then I’ll announce our group.”

  Loretta paused. “You’re going to confront her about what she did with Tad?”

  “I have to. They must know what kind of lady she is. At the very least, they should keep an eye on their husbands when she’s around.”

  “Well, I suppose they should be warned. I’d like to know if I was one of them.”

  “Exactly. This is something I have to do.” Celia took another look at the list of names they had come up with and then put it in the drawer, along with the invitation. “Before I can worry about a name, I need to get something appropriate to wear for my last appearance in her group. I want to make sure that I have on a much better gown than she does.” She drummed her fingers on the desk. “Now that I think about it, I should get more than one gown. I’ll need several new gowns for our own social engagements.”

  As she rose to her feet, Loretta asked, “You’re not going to insist our members buy a new and expensive gown every time we get together, are you? That might dissuade some ladies from joining, especially if their husbands or fathers aren’t doing well financially.”

  “I hadn’t thought of that. There are many reasons gentlemen lose money. Not everyone is as careful with their money as my brother is. How about this? We’ll allow our members to wear their gowns more than once as long as the gowns will impress prominent members of the Ton.”

  Loretta seemed relieved, and Celia knew she’d given her the right answer.

  “I know you worry about getting new gowns,” Celia said. “It’s why you made changes to each one you bought. But I would like to wear a new gown for every social engagement.”

  “Oh, I don’t think anyone will have trouble with that.”

  “Good.” She clasped her hands together. “Want to go shopping with me?”

  With a nod, Loretta stood up. “That sounds like fun.”

  “It will be. I haven’t bought a single thing since I married Sebastian. The seamstresses are likely to think I left London.”

  “We better reassure them that you haven’t,” Loretta teased. “I’m sure a lot of their money comes from you.”

  “If we are going to make this group one that can compete with Lady Eloise’s, then we need every advantage we can get. Come, let’s get the coachman to bring the carriage to the front!”
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  Excited, the two ladies hurried out of the room.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Three hours later, Sebastian stood in his drawing room while Dr. Derek Westward, the Marquess of Dodsworth, finished measuring the length from Sebastian’s knee to the floor.

  “I’m glad you decided to get a peg leg,” the doctor told him. “You’ll have an easier time moving around with it. The crutch is large and cumbersome.” He gestured for him to sit back in the chair.

  Sebastian settled back into the chair. While the doctor wrote down the measurements on his paper, Sebastian debated whether or not to ask about the possibility of going back out to sea. Yes, he knew Celia had mentioned it, but it almost seemed too good to be true. If he heard it from someone else, someone of the doctor’s reputation, then it’d give him a lot more hope that it was a real possibility.

  Finally, he decided to just blurt it out. “With a peg leg, is it likely that I could be the captain of a ship again?”

  The doctor tucked the paper into his pocket and smiled at him. “You’re only limited by what you believe you can or can’t do. The peg leg will be like your old leg once you get used to it.”

  So Celia had been right. He really could go back out to sea, and if she was serious about going with him, he could take her with him. Just because captains didn’t make it a habit of bringing their wives on a ship, it didn’t mean he had to do the same things they did. He could live his life however he wanted.

  “I think you’ll like the peg leg,” Dr. Westward said.

  “Well, as you said, the crutch isn’t all that comfortable.”

  The doctor had encouraged him to get a peg leg right away, but Sebastian had been in shock from losing so much that he didn’t care about having one. Now that he had a purpose again, he felt some of his old self returning, and he didn’t think that would have happened without Celia’s encouragement.