Taming The Viscountess

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  “Maybe you’re right.”

  “I am right. I’ve come across too many people to think otherwise. I might have lost half of my leg, but I was doing what I loved. I would rather live with a peg leg than have both legs and live a boring existence. Which reminds me, did you notice I have the peg leg on right now?”

  She finally looked down at his leg. “No, I didn’t. I was in too much of a hurry to be in your arms.”

  “I certainly don’t mind that,” he teased, giving her waist a playful squeeze.

  She kissed him. “I’m glad you didn’t let the situation with your leg stop you from enjoying life. We are going to take a voyage out to sea, aren’t we?”

  “I fully plan on it.”

  “Good. I want you to be happy. You’re important to me.”

  His heart warmed at her words. Just hearing her say that much about him was more than he’d ever expected. “You’re important to me, too,” he whispered, rubbing the small of her back.

  She lowered her head and brought her lips to his. He could live with being important to her. As long as he had carved out some place in her heart, that was good enough for him.

  When she ended the kiss, she got off his lap. “How does it feel?” she asked, gesturing to his peg leg.

  “Awkward,” he admitted. “I’ll have to get used to it. But the doctor gave me a cane to help me until I’m comfortable.” Noting her expectant expression, he asked, “Do you want to see me walk?”

  “Do you mind?”

  He chuckled and grabbed his cane. “No, I don’t mind. I’ll do anything you want. All you have to do is ask.”

  He stood up. At least this time, he didn’t wobble. He took a step forward, using the cane to help him find his balance as he did so.

  “What do you think of it?” she asked.

  “It’s still awkward. The peg leg is a lot thinner than what I’m used to standing on.” He took another step.

  “Does the peg leg hurt your knee?”

  He thought over her question as he continued walking around the room. “No, it doesn’t hurt. The material in the peg leg has sufficient padding around my knee.”

  “You’re walking well for someone who just put it on.”

  “You think so?”

  She nodded. “I wouldn’t have guessed today is your first day with it. You’re going to be using that without a cane in no time at all. I bet you won’t even need it when you’re on a ship.”

  That would be nice. He’d like to be able to move around freely. Even with the cane, he didn’t feel like he had as much freedom of movement as he wanted. The peg leg wasn’t going to allow him to walk with the ease he did in the past, but he thought it would make movement easier than the crutch did.

  “I’m glad you suggested the peg leg,” he said as he went over to her. “It’ll take time to get used to it, but I think it’ll be worth the effort.”

  Her smile widened. “I don’t ever want anything to prevent you from doing what you love.”

  He slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her to him. “Since that’s the case…” He brought his head to hers and gave her a lingering kiss. “I love doing that.”

  She giggled. “You may kiss me whenever you want.”

  Deciding to take her up on the offer, he kissed her again. Then, remembering the dinner invitation he had extended to her brother, he ended the kiss and said, “After I got the peg leg, I went to pay your brother a visit.”

  She grimaced.

  “And,” he hurried to add, figuring it would be best to get the news over with quickly, “I invited him and his wife to dinner.”

  “Dinner? With us?”

  “You can’t hold these ill feelings against your brother forever. Besides, we have a good marriage. Your brother did us a favor in that regard, don’t you agree?”

  “He wasn’t trying to do anyone a favor. He was trying to get rid of me.” She paused, took a deep breath, and released it. “When I came home, I decided I was going to be a different person than I used to be. So, all right, I’ll accept him into our home. At least Damara will be with him.”

  “I think everything will be fine. Your brother’s actions were rash. He didn’t need to panic the way he did over the scandal you set up, but if he hadn’t done what he did, then I don’t know if we’d be together.” He shrugged. “What I’m saying is that I’m glad he acted in haste.”

  “When you think of it like that, I suppose he did the right thing. However, it won’t be easy to sit with him during dinner. I’ve never had to hold my tongue before, and I’m afraid I’ll say something I shouldn’t. But I’ll try to be pleasant for you and Damara.”

  “I expect your brother will be nice to you.”

  She raised her eyebrow in disbelief. “Really?”

  “He’ll have to. If he isn’t, he risks my wrath.”

  This seemed to please her since her eyes lit up in interest. “What will you do to him if he’s not nice to me?”

  “I’ll have the butler escort him out of our townhouse, and he won’t be allowed back in until he apologizes to you.”

  “Would you really do that?”

  “After I made you finish your wedding breakfast and return all the clothes and accessories you tried to purchase, do you honestly think I would hesitate to do it?”

  She considered his words. “You make a very good point.”

  “I do, don’t I?” With a teasing grin, he gave her another kiss. “You have nothing to worry about. When you’re with me, no one will get away with speaking poorly about you.”

  “No one will get away with speaking poorly about you, either. I will only be with people who can see the good person you are.”

  He smiled. “So we’re in agreement.”

  “Yes, we are.”

  He slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her up against him, thinking that, in addition to being his equal, she was very much a lady worth loving. And it was his privilege to be the one who would do it, even if she would probably never realize the depth of his feelings for her.

  “There’s nothing anyone can say about you that will change the way I feel about you,” he whispered.

  Then, just because it seemed like the right thing to do, he gave her another kiss, and he didn’t stop until they were done making love.

  ***

  It was getting late the following afternoon when Celia finally made her way to the last person in London that she had upset in the past. At least, this was the last person she was aware of. Given how unpopular she was, she didn’t know exactly how many people to apologize to, so she picked the ones she knew she had upset the most. And Lady Steinbeck was definitely one of them.

  Taking a deep breath, she stepped out of the carriage. This was it. After she spoke with Lady Steinbeck, she would be done. She had started on this thing a good six hours ago. She had a list with her, and she went down each person on it. As soon as she was done here, she could finally throw the thing out.

  Then she could move forward with a clean slate. When she went to Lady Eloise’s social engagement, she wanted to have a clear conscience. If she was going to start a fresh new group with Loretta, she had to be deserving of it. If she didn’t take away anything from her unpleasant visit with Miss Wilmington, then she would have wasted the painful lesson. And as far as she was concerned, there was no reason to do that. She might have earned the title of a shrew, but that didn’t mean it had to define her in the future.

  She tucked the list into her pocket and marched up the steps of the townhouse. The more she did this, the easier it got. So she had that going for her. She’d already memorized her speech. She knocked on the door and waited.

  The footman opened the door and greeted her.

  “May I speak with Lady Steinbeck?” she asked.

  He waved her in, a signal that her risk of coming unannounced had paid off. If she had arranged a time to speak to Lady Steinbeck in advance, she would have lost her nerve. Lady Steinbeck had a way of intimidating Celia, probably
because Lady Steinbeck seemed so much more confident than Celia ever felt. No matter what other people thought of Lady Steinbeck, the lady didn’t let it affect what she did. She did whatever she wanted, and if people didn’t like it, she kept doing it. Celia would love to be more like that.

  Maybe, now that she was going to leave Lady Eloise’s group and establish one with Loretta, she would be able to act without caring so much over what the Ton thought. It still bothered her to know that so many people didn’t like her. But what could she do about it? She couldn’t change their opinions. All she could do was focus on the very few people who actually liked her.

  The butler offered her something to eat or drink, but Celia declined. She wasn’t going to stay long. And who knew? Lady Steinbeck might not even give her a chance to speak. She might throw Celia out of the house without even giving Celia a chance to apologize. Celia wouldn’t blame her if she did that. Celia had been harsh to her the last time they were together. But Loretta had assured Celia that Lady Steinbeck would give her the chance to talk, so she went through her rehearsed speech in her mind.

  She sat in the chair with her back straight and hands folded in her lap. Less than a minute later, Lady Steinbeck came into the room. Celia rose to her feet and curtsied a greeting. Lady Steinbeck followed suit.

  “Thank you for being willing to talk to me,” Celia said.

  Had she not been doing this all afternoon, she probably would have been more nervous. When she started this whole thing, her hands had trembled and her voice had wavered. But going through each apology, one right after the other in quick succession, enabled her to face Lady Steinbeck without showing any signs that she felt intimidated around her.

  Celia took a deep breath. “Recently, it’s come to my attention that I haven’t been very nice to a lot of people, and you were one of them. I want to apologize for the things I said to you. If you don’t want to accept my apology, I understand. It’s just that this is something I need to do in order to make amends for the way I’ve been. Thank you for your time.”

  Lady Steinbeck’s expression softened. “You rehearsed that speech many times, didn’t you?”

  “I did. I don’t like to do anything unless I’m prepared.”

  “I can’t blame you for that. I prefer to be prepared, too. I’m surprised that you didn’t set up a time to talk to me, though, since you were so well prepared in all you said.”

  “If you knew I was coming, you might have chosen to be somewhere else at this time. I would have understood if you had done that. I probably would do that if someone I didn’t like told me they wanted to talk to me.” She cleared her throat. “I figured if I didn’t tell you first, then I had a good chance you would be here. Then I could get the apology over with.”

  “It sounds like a good method.”

  “It’s one that worked since I was able to apologize to everyone on my list.”

  Lady Steinbeck’s eyebrows rose. “Everyone on your list? How many people were on your list?”

  “I couldn’t get to everyone I ever upset. There isn’t enough time for all of that, and I have other things I need to do. I just wrote down the ones I upset the most. That amount came to twenty-seven.”

  “Twenty-seven?”

  Celia nodded. “You were the last one on the list. As I said, there’s not enough time to get to everyone. Also, I’m sure there are people I haven’t even thought of yet who I’ve upset. If I think of them, I’ll add them to the list and apologize to them then.”

  “It can’t be easy to apologize to so many people.”

  At first, Celia wasn’t sure what to make of the comment, but when she caught the flicker of sympathy in Lady Steinbeck’s eyes, she further relaxed. Maybe, just maybe, Lady Steinbeck wasn’t so intimidating after all.

  “That’s what happens when a lady decides to be a shrew,” Celia said, a bit of humor finding its way into her voice.

  Lady Steinbeck chuckled. “If you keep this up, people might say you’re not really a shrew.”

  “That’s what I’m hoping, but if my reputation stays the way it’s been, then it’s something I rightfully deserve.”

  “I feel it only fair to warn you that not everyone might believe you’re sincere, but I happen to believe you mean what you’re saying. I accept your apology, and I also would like to apologize to you for the things I said to you.”

  “You’re apologizing to me?” Celia probably shouldn’t act so surprised, but this was the last thing she expected, especially since no one else she’d talked to today had done it.

  “You’re not the only one who’s done something to upset someone else.”

  “Yes, but I deserved what you said to me.”

  Lady Steinbeck shrugged. “Maybe, but I also had a part in the conversation. No one is perfect.”

  “That’s gracious of you to say, but some people are worse than others, and I don’t think anyone can match me in all the things I’ve done.”

  Lady Steinbeck smiled. “If you’re looking to compete with me in this matter, I’ll let you win, but part of asking for an apology should be the willingness to accept someone else’s apology when they give it.”

  Celia’s lips curled up into a smile. “You’re right. I accept your apology, too.”

  “Wonderful. Now we can start over if you wish. I can have the butler bring something in to eat, and we can talk.”

  “Are you sure you want to do that with me?”

  “Yes, I’m sure. But if it makes you feel more at ease, I’ll make you leave if you say something I don’t like.”

  Celia laughed and sat down. “All right. You have a deal.”

  Still chuckling, Lady Steinbeck summoned the butler before sitting next to Celia, and the two shared a surprisingly good conversation.

  Chapter Twenty

  Celia didn’t realize she’d be nervous when it came time for her to go to Lady Eloise’s social engagement, but it made sense when she considered the fact that no one in the group liked her. She’d never fooled herself into thinking she was the most popular lady in the group, but she thought maybe one or two people thought well of her.

  But the moment she entered Lady Eloise’s drawing room where everyone was standing and talking, they turned their gazes to her. And, with one accord, everyone went quiet. All at once, she knew they did not welcome her there.

  Well, considering what they thought of Loretta, she didn’t want to be here, either. The reminder settled her nerves, and she was able to focus on the reason she’d come. Without saying a word, she sat in one of the chairs and picked up a cup of tea.

  Aware that they were still staring at her, she took a sip and then finally met their gazes. “Is something wrong?” she asked.

  “We didn’t expect you to come,” Lady Stacey finally blurted out. “When your friend left the group, we thought you would, too.”

  “Everyone knows you two do everything together,” Miss Webb added, not hiding the shock in her voice.

  “I needed to come today,” Celia replied then took another sip, opting to wait a while longer before she told them why she was here.

  Lady Eloise walked over to her. “Haven’t you worn that gown before?”

  Celia glanced down at her gown that looked much better than the hideous one Miss Wilmington had on. It still baffled her that the lady believed anyone wanted to wear anything as repulsive as she did.

  Looking back up at Lady Eloise, who towered above her, she said, “I decided your rule is stupid.” Then, pretending she didn’t hear the collective gasp in the room, she took another sip of her tea.

  “The rule is not stupid,” Lady Eloise replied. “It is necessary we look our best at all times.”

  “I look my best no matter what I’m wearing, but I suppose you need the extra help.”

  Lady Eloise grabbed the cup from her and slammed it on the tray. The liquid in the cup splashed over her hand. Giving out a yelp, she wiped her hand with the cloth napkin.

  “I should have warned you that the tea
is hot,” Celia told her.

  Lady Eloise glared at her and threw the napkin down. “May I remind you that this is my group! I can make whatever rules I want. It is a privilege for you to be here.”

  With a shrug, Celia rose to her feet. “I’m glad you mentioned that because I decided I no longer want to be in your group. It’s ridiculous that we should have to give up beautiful and expensive gowns just because you want to waste your father’s money. I also think it’s hypocritical of you to pretend we’re to be loyal to one another when you tried to talk Loretta’s husband into going to your bed.”

  “She did what?” Miss Webb and Lady Gareth asked in unison.

  “The duke wanted nothing to do with her,” she told the two ladies. “He loves Loretta, and he stayed faithful to her. I might have my faults, but I would never approach one of the member’s husbands to take to bed.”

  “You didn’t do that, did you?” Miss Webb asked Lady Eloise.

  Face red, Lady Eloise glared at Celia. “You have no value in this group. You have no value anywhere. You are pathetic. You’ve always been pathetic, and you will always be pathetic. No one likes you. You will never amount to anything in London.”

  “Now that is where you’re wrong. Loretta and I have our own group. We’re calling it Enduring Friendships. We will not focus on impressing people who don’t matter. We will be loyal to one another. We will not take anyone else’s husband to our bed, and we will not ask the members to keep buying expensive gowns they can only wear once. Our main requirement is that we will do what’s best for one another.”

  Lady Eloise snorted. “You and Loretta really believe anyone will be interested in joining your silly little group? You two don’t have any influence. You’re the most unlikable lady in London, and Loretta’s boring. You two will be the only members.”

  “That might be true, but a small group of members who sincerely care about each other is better than a large one where they don’t.”