“I wish that were true, Nicholas,” Cecilia said, quietly. “But as your mother, the Duchess, will always be a part of your life, and mine if we were to be married. If she hates me, she could make our lives miserable.”
Nicholas had not considered this, but now that she spoke, he knew that she was correct in her assessment. Still he could not believe that this problem might prove to be insurmountable. I cannot allow us to be kept apart by money, but what can I do if she will not allow me to pay the debt?
* * *
Cecilia felt that she might cry. Nicholas was offering to pay off her father’s debt, thinking that he could solve all of their problems in one stroke, but she could not accept his offer. She loved him for offering, and she desperately wanted to accept, but she knew that she would never be able to live with herself if she did. And she knew what the Duchess would think of her.
Nicholas looked wounded by her refusal, and she longed to take him in her arms and comfort him with a kiss, but she knew that would only make matters worse. Feeling tears begin to well in her eyes, Cecilia turned her back to Nicholas. She would not let him see her cry. And the Duke of Westfield, a perfect stranger, was still in the workshop.
She continued to sense Nicholas’ presence behind her as she returned to her work, but he did not speak. Cecilia took several deep breaths to calm herself down.
“Excuse me, Miss Baxter,” said a masculine voice from behind her. She recognized the voice of the newcomer, the Duke of Westfield. Taking one more deep breath, she steadied herself and turned to face him, with a smile upon her face.
“Yes, Your Grace?” she said, as calmly as she could manage.
“I wonder if you might be available to take on more work once you have finished your current project?” He said, “My townhouse in London is in need of new furnishings.”
“Surely there are carpenters in London who could help you with that, Your Grace?” she said, shocked by this request.
“I suppose so,” the Duke of Westfield replied casually. “But, The Marquess of Clive has spoken so highly of your talents, I’m not sure I could find a better person for the job. And in truth, I have no idea what to do with the place. I suspect that a woman’s eye is exactly what is needed, and what better woman than you. I can see from your shop that you do excellent work.”
“Oh, thank you, Your Grace!” Cecilia said, momentarily distracted from her feelings of hopelessness. “I suppose I would need to speak with my father about taking on new work, but I think that we would be able to help.”
“I am prepared to pay a deposit of two-hundred pounds, today, if that will make a difference in your decision,” he said, looking from Cecilia to Nicholas with a warm smile.
Nicholas looked shocked by his friend’s offer, and then after a few seconds he broke into a wide grin.
“Your Grace!” Cecilia said, feeling truly shocked by this, “That is extremely generous of you!”
“Please understand,” the Duke said, “that I would expect you to begin work for me as soon as you have finished with Huxley Manor, and I will require pieces for nearly every room in the townhouse, so this will be a large job.”
“Of course, Your Grace,” Cecilia said, “I understand!”
“Excellent!” said the Duke of Westfield, “Is your father about, perhaps I could speak with him about some of the details.”
“He is just out back applying varnish to some of his work, I expect that he will return shortly.” Cecilia said.
“No matter,” the Duke replied, “I shall step outside and find him.” And with that, the Duke of Westfield walked out of the shop, leaving Cecilia and Nicholas standing close together, and Archie working on the opposite side of the workshop.
“Archie!” Cecilia said, excitedly, “Did you hear what the Duke of Westfield said?”
Archie turned toward her and smiled. “Yes, I did,” he said, “that is excellent news!”
He turned back to his workbench and continued to carve the design of a table leg. Cecilia turned to Nicholas, and smiled at him feeling giddy.
Nicholas smiled back at Cecilia, looking as delighted as she felt. He glanced toward Archie, and Cecilia looked as well. When they had confirmed that Archie’s back was turned to them, Nicholas leaned in to kiss Cecilia on the lips, and she returned his kiss eagerly.
After just a few short seconds Nicholas pulled away and whispered in Cecilia’s ear, “Later, my love. I should go speak with your father as soon as Westfield is done.” His breath was warm on Cecilia’s neck and she felt a shiver travel down her spine. She bit her lip and looked longingly into Nicholas’ eyes before nodding.
As Nicholas walked out of the shop, Cecilia looked at him and sighed blissfully. She could hardly believe her good fortune, nor the generosity of the Duke of Westfield. She knew that her father would approve of the match, though she could not help feeling slightly nervous at the thought of Nicholas asking for his blessing.
* * *
Later that afternoon, Mr. Baxter invited Nicholas and the Duke of Westfield to join the household for a celebratory drink in the kitchen. They raised tankards of ale, and Mr. Baxter said,
“Lord Nicholas, I must admit that I was shocked when you asked for my blessing to wed my darling Cece, but I can see that you love one another, and I know that you will make her very happy. To your health, and good fortune!”
Nicholas and Cecilia stood side by side, smiling, while Archie, the housekeeper, Mrs. Williams, and Westfield repeated “Your health and good fortune!” before drinking deeply from their cups.
Nicholas felt dizzy with joy as he looked at his bride-to-be. She was blushing prettily and smiling at him with her perfect lips, in a way that made him want to steal her away and kiss her all night long. This pleasant thought was interrupted when her colleague spoke.
“Congratulations, Cecilia,” Archie said, nodding to Cecilia, and then to Nicholas, “and to you, My Lord. As Mr. Baxter said, I know that you will make Cecilia very happy. And if not, you shall have to answer to me!”
Nicholas was slightly taken aback by this last remark, but Cecilia laughed along with the other members of her household and looked perfectly unbothered.
“I promise, I shall give you no reason to worry.” Nicholas replied, keeping his tone casual. “It is my greatest ambition to make Cecilia the happiest person in the world!”
Chapter 26
Several days later, Cecilia was seated in Nicholas’ carriage with the maid, Billingsley. She wore the same gown she had worn for her first visit to Huxley Manor. She had chosen it because she owned so few items that were appropriate to wear there, but she could not help feeling sentimental about it as well, she had worn it when she met Nicholas, and could not help but think of it as a good-luck charm.
Today she would be meeting with Lady Isobel and a seamstress who would make a new gown for her. Nicholas was insistent that she attend Isobel’s debut, despite her protests that the Duchess would surely not approve. His solution was to ensure that she was dressed as the perfect aristocrat.
Cecilia highly doubted that the Duchess would approve of her just because she wore the right gown. Nevertheless, she had agreed to the plan. Truthfully, she doubted she could bring herself to say no to anything that Nicholas proposed. And wearing a beautiful new gown and attending a debutante ball did have a certain appeal.
Billingsley seemed to have taken a liking to Cecilia, and chatted to her animatedly all the way to Huxley Manor. Cecilia paid enough attention to hear about Lady Isobel’s maid, who apparently had rather a high idea of herself. She also learned that The Duchess continued to worry about preparations for her daughter’s debut, forcing the servants to change some detail almost daily.
Cecilia smiled and nodded agreement throughout Billingsley’s monologue, but she was too nervous to speak much herself. She had liked Lady Isobel very much at their first meeting, and hoped that she would feel equally comfortable in her company today. However, she could not help but worry about what would happen if sh
e should see the Duchess again.
When they finally entered Huxley Manor, Cecilia was led by Billingsley to the drawing room. Upon entering the room, she saw Lady Isobel and the Duchess sitting opposite each other, both working on their needlework by the light of the window.
“Your Grace,” Cecilia said, curtseying deeply, “Lady Isobel, it is a pleasure to see you once again.”
Lady Isobel smiled, and said, “Thank you for coming, Miss Baxter. I am certain we shall find the perfect gown for you to wear to my debut.”
The Duchess of Huxley raised an eyebrow slightly at this, and sighing quietly, she put down her needlework. Standing up from her chair she said, “Miss Baxter, I must be off. Good day to you,” before walking past her, out of the room.
“Good day, Your Grace,” Cecilia said, curtseying once again.
Once the Duchess had left the room, Lady Isobel invited Cecilia to sit opposite her in the seat that had recently been vacated by her mother. Feeling relieved, Cecilia crossed the room and sat.
“Thank you, Lady Isobel,” she said, as she sat down.
“Well, all things considered, I suppose that could have been worse,” Lady Isobel said with an impish grin that put Cecilia immediately at ease. “Still, I do hope my mother hasn’t offended you with her hasty departure!”
“Oh” Cecilia said, feeling a smile spread across her lips, “no, not at all.”
“No,” Lady Isobel said, thoughtfully, “I imagine it must be something of a relief for you?”
Cecilia laughed at this before answering, “I must admit that is a relief. I’m afraid I was rather rude to Billingsley on the way here, as I spent most of the carriage ride imagining what might happen when we met. Compared to what I had imagined, that was quite pleasant.”
Lady Isobel was the one to laugh now. “I can understand why you must have worried; Mother can be quite intimidating. Nevertheless, I believe that she is coming around the idea of your marrying my brother.”
“Really?” Cecilia asked, nonplussed, “I am pleased to hear that, but she hardly seemed pleased to see me.”
“Well, no,” Lady Isobel admitted, “I cannot say that she is pleased, but my brother has made it perfectly clear that nothing will stand in the way of his marrying you, and Mother understands that she can no longer control you, now that your father’s debt is paid.”
Cecilia nodded at this, “That is true, but is it possible that she will attempt to implement some other scheme to stop the wedding?”
“I can understand why you might think that, but truthfully I very much doubt it. She knows that another attempt to stop the wedding would only cause a rift between herself and my brother.”
“Well, that is quite a relief,” Cecilia said. “I certainly hope that you are correct.”
“You need not worry on that score, Miss Baxter,” Lady Isobel told her kindly. “I know my mother very well and I am quite sure that she will not trouble you any further. And if I am wrong, I shall do everything in my power to stop her.”
“Lady Isobel,” Cecilia said with a smile, “I am so grateful for your help after our previous meeting. I know that your brother is as well. He is quite lucky to have a sister such as you.”
“Thank you, Miss Baxter,” Lady Isobel said, sounding more serious now “My brother and I have always been close, despite the difference in our ages. I hope that you and I shall become good friends as well. You make my brother very happy, and that is the most important thing as far as I am concerned.”
“Thank you, Lady Isobel,” Cecilia said. “I hope that we shall become good friends as well. I feel sure that we will, in fact.
The two smiled at each other for a moment before Isobel began telling Cecilia the details of her debut. This was such unfamiliar territory for Cecilia that she merely smiled and nodded for much of the conversation. Of course, she understand the concept of a ball in a general sense, but there seem to be so many rules, I have no idea how I shall manage to follow them all!
* * *
It was not long before Cecilia found herself standing on a small platform in Lady Isobel’s dressing room with a seamstress taking her measurements. The seamstress used a length of knotted string, similar to the one Cecilia used to measure furniture.
They soon discovered that Cecilia’s measurements were similar to Lady Isobel’s. This was fortunate, as the debut was only a week away and the seamstress would have had to work night and day to have a custom gown completed in time.
“Miss Baxter, I have the perfect gown for you!” Lady Isobel said. She summoned her maid and requested that she bring a certain gown from her wardrobe. “Our measurements are very similar, perhaps the gown can be altered to fit you without much work.”
“Lady Isobel, that really is very kind of you, but I could not possibly take your gown!” Cecilia said.
“Don’t be silly, Miss Baxter, I insist.” Lady Isobel said, kindly, “I have never worn it, and I very much doubt that I will. The color is all wrong for me. I don’t know why I bought it, to be honest, but it will complement the color of your eyes perfectly!”
Cecilia could hardly argue with this assessment when the maid returned with the gown in questions. It was a beautiful pale, periwinkle color that would bring out the blue of her eyes. It was the most beautiful gown that she had ever seen, or even imagined.
The maid and the seamstress helped her out of her green velvet gown, which was the nicest thing that she owned but looked shabby in comparison to the periwinkle one they now placed on her. On top of the heavy blue fabric, fine silver thread was embroidered to make a subtle brocade. The silver thread gleamed in the light, and Cecilia knew that it would sparkle by candlelight in the evening.
Turning to see herself in the full-length looking glass, Cecilia caught her breath. She had always thought of herself as somewhat pretty, in a commonplace sort of way, but in this gown she looked truly beautiful. I must not let this go to my head! But if I could dress like this every day, I think I might never step away from the glass.
The seamstress made some small adjustments to the gown, pinning the waist slightly tighter. She added a small border of dove-gray lace at the bust, which was a much lower cut than Cecilia was used to. The lace provided some coverage, while still leaving the tops of her breasts fashionably exposed.
Seeing her bust in the mirror, Cecilia blushed. She was not used to wearing anything so revealing, but rather than feeling uncomfortable, she felt a thrill of excitement. When she danced with Nicholas, her breasts would be pressed close against him, her bare skin right against his chest. Her breathing quickened, and she lowered her eyes.
“Miss Baxter, you look truly radiant!” Lady Isobel said, clapping her hands together. “My brother will not be able to take his eyes off of you all evening. No man will be able to take his eyes off of you, for that matter.”
“Lady Isobel, it is your party, I would not like to draw attention away from you!” Cecilia said, feeling concerned that Lady Isobel might not appreciate this.
Lady Isobel laughed at these words, and her laughter seemed so genuine, that Cecilia could not help but join in.
“Oh Miss Baxter!” Lady Isobel said, still laughing between her words. “You are so kind to consider this, but I assure you, my gown is truly something to behold. We shall both be the talk of the ball, and I am very happy to share the honor with you.”
* * *
Nicholas had spent a pleasant afternoon riding with Westfield in the grounds. They now returned to Huxley Manor, with windswept hair and flushed cheeks from the brisk autumn air. As they walked through the front door, they saw Cecilia descending the staircase.
She was as beautiful as ever, and Nicholas’ heart beat faster at the sight of her. Will I ever grow accustomed to her beauty?
“Miss Baxter!” said Westfield, “A pleasure to see you again!”
“A pleasure to see you as well, Your Grace,” Cecilia said, curtseying to him, and then turning to Nicholas, “and you, My Lord.”
“You ca
n call me Nicholas in front of Westfield!” Nicholas said, “I assure you, he will not be scandalized!”
“Yes,” Westfield agreed with a smile, “I promise I shall not blush. But, if you’ll excuse me, I must, uh, check on something in my room.”
Westfield walked quickly up the stairs, and it was abundantly clear that he had made an excuse to leave Cecilia and Nicholas alone. Nicholas did not object to this, and nor, it seemed, did Cecilia.
“Has Isobel found you the perfect gown for her debut?” he asked, leaning in close, so that he could smell her skin as he spoke to her.
“She has,” Cecilia said. “It is the most beautiful gown I have ever seen. I do hope that you will like it.”
The Marquess In Her Bed (Steamy Historical Regency) Page 21
