***
“Did you have a pleasant night?” Lewis asked in a low voice as he approached Julian, who was pouring tea at the desk in the drawing room.
Julian glanced over at the chairs where Ophelia and Marcy were talking. He turned his attention back to his friend. “Didn’t you already ask that when Ophelia came down here?” That was only ten minutes ago. Surely, Lewis hadn’t forgotten his question that quickly.
“No, I asked if both of you found your accommodations satisfactory,” Lewis replied. “That’s different from asking if you,” he pointed at Julian, “had a pleasant night.”
Julian chuckled. “I fail to see the distinction.” And he didn’t understand why Lewis insisted on talking in a tone so low that the ladies couldn’t hear him.
“I went through a lot of trouble to make sure your bedchamber was ideal for you two. I’m just curious as to whether or not you had a pleasant evening.”
“Well, the small room off to the side of the bedchamber was locked. I couldn’t get in there.”
Lewis nodded as if he’d expected that to be the case.
Julian stopped pouring tea into his cup and gave his friend a good look. “Was that done on purpose?”
Lewis shrugged. “I have a key to open the door, so does it really matter?”
“Yes, it does matter. I wasn’t able to change my clothes in another room.”
“Considering the fact that you were with your wife, I fail to see why that would upset you, especially since it meant she also had to undress in front of you.”
Julian stared at him in disbelief. “Are you telling me that you arranged all of it on purpose? The locked door, no daybed, the fact that I had to lift Ophelia up in order to put her in the bed because it was too high up… Are you telling me that you arranged all of that?”
“Guilty.” Lewis smiled then asked, “Did it work? Are you finally enjoying the benefits of married life?”
He shook his head. That’s what he got for telling Lewis that he and Ophelia had a platonic arrangement yesterday when they were alone. He hadn’t thought anything of it at the time. For sure, he hadn’t expected Lewis to manipulate things in the bedchamber so that Julian was prompted to make the marriage official.
But, he had to admit that last night had been wonderful, and this morning when he woke up, Ophelia had been more than willing to make love to him again. It certainly was nice to be with her that way.
Julian poured tea into another cup and gave it to Lewis. “I had a very pleasant evening.”
Lewis’ grin widened. “Good. I was hoping you’d say that.” Lewis picked up another cup that was full of tea and headed back over to the ladies. He gave his wife one of the cups.
Who knew Lewis had a bit of mischief in him? He’d always seemed so serious every other time Julian had been with him. He supposed that only went to prove how easy it was to misjudge people. Chuckling, he picked up the other two cups and joined the group.
***
“‘The moonlight spilled upon the still waters, making the ocean shimmer as if the ship sailed upon liquid silver,’” Julian read from Lewis’ book.
“Have you seen the ocean?” Ophelia interrupted.
Julian looked up from the book, and at once, he was brought back to the world around them. They were sitting on one of the benches at Hyde Park, and instead of it being a moonlit night, it was a sunny afternoon.
“Pardon?” Julian asked.
“Have you seen the ocean?” Ophelia repeated.
“Yes. Why do you ask?”
“I’m having trouble picturing an ocean in my mind. Maybe I shouldn’t have selected a story about a group of pirates off to find treasure.”
“An ocean is nothing but a large expanse of water. Just imagine a bowl of water, only bigger.”
“But a ship can’t fit in a bowl.”
“It could if it was small enough.”
She wrinkled her nose in the cutest fashion. “I don’t know if I can imagine that. It makes the story seem more comical than serious.”
“We could always exchange this book with another one. We could select one that takes place on land.”
“But I like the idea of someone looking for treasure. It sounds like fun. I’d like to know if they’re going to find gold or not.”
He chuckled. “I have an idea. Why don’t we go to a bookstore? I might have enough money to buy a book of illustrations. One might feature a ship on an ocean. Then you’ll have a better time picturing what happens in this story.”
“Doesn’t Lewis have such a book?”
“I’m afraid not.”
“I don’t want you to have to buy a book with illustrations in it just because I’m having trouble imagining an ocean. The story isn’t even about an ocean anyway. I’ll just pretend the ship is on land.”
“I can’t have you picturing a ship sailing on dry land.”
“Why not?”
“Because a ship can’t do that. It has to be on the water.” He flipped through the book, and after a minute of skimming the contents, he added, “Half of this book takes place on the ocean. That’s a large part of the story, and…” He stopped in one chapter and skimmed through a couple of pages. “There’s a terrible storm that happens while they’re on the ocean.” He paused, realizing a whale was endangering the crew. He shut it before he spoiled any more of it for himself. “It’s an exciting book. I insist we go to a bookstore on the way back to Lewis’ townhouse. Though…do you even know what a ship looks like?”
“Yes, my governess made me draw a couple of them while I was growing up.”
“She did?” This was more than she’d told him up to now about her past.
“She also showed me pictures of them. None were on the water. They were just floating, as if in midair. A lot of things I drew were like that. I had to focus only on the object she wanted me to draw.”
His eyebrows furrowed. “Did you get to choose what you could draw?”
“No. She told me what to draw.”
Something in the way she answered him made him wonder all the more about her upbringing. “Were you ever given a choice in what you did?”
She glanced away from him then, as if realizing she had revealed more than she intended. “No,” she softly said.
He knew ladies were often told what to do, but it seemed that she’d been under strict control. If he had to guess, he would say that the first time she made a decision was the night he met her. She had to run away from her home in order to have any freedoms at all.
“Where did you live before we met?” he asked.
“I don’t know. When I took the horse, I didn’t mind which direction I was going.” She picked up the cane. “Let’s check out the bookstore. Now I’m intrigued about oceans.”
While that might be partly true, it wasn’t the whole truth. He almost stopped her from standing up. If they were alone, he would have pressed the issue, but he couldn’t very well do that in a public place. Besides, if part of her problem was lack of control, then it might not be wise to press her too much. The best option might to be to let her choose the time she told him about her past.
Hiding his disappointment, he tucked the book under his arm and stood up. “I won’t force you to tell me anything that makes you uncomfortable, but I hope you’ll come to realize you can trust me. I only want what’s best for you.”
Her gaze met his, and he caught the thankfulness in her eyes. This only led to more questions. Like, who was her family? Did they hurt her? The only bruises he’d seen on her were on her injured leg. He didn’t think anyone struck her, but then, words could produce wounds no one could see.
It was probably best he didn’t dwell on such things right now. It would do neither of them any good. It was in the past, and frustrating as it was, there was nothing he could do to change any of it. The best he could do was give her a future she wanted to be a part of.
He squeezed her elbow to offer her silent assurance and then led her toward the carriage Lewis h
ad lent them.
Halfway there, someone called out, “If my eyes don’t deceive me, it’s my good, long-lost friend and cousin!”
Surprised, he glanced over his shoulder. He was sure his jaw dropped. He couldn’t believe it. He didn’t think he’d ever see Didimus again. The last he’d seen him, they were both in Paris.
“You’re a sight for sore eyes,” Didimus told him as he gave him a pat on the shoulder. “It’s been years. I almost didn’t recognize you.” He glanced at Ophelia. “Is this your wife?”
Julian cleared his throat. “Yes. This is Ophelia. Ophelia, this is Mr. Didimus Lovelace. He’s my cousin.”
“And good friend. Don’t forget that part.” Didimus bowed before her. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, too,” Ophelia replied.
Didimus turned his attention back to Julian. “Are you living in London now?”
“No. I live outside of London,” Julian said. “It’s not that far. I can make it here in an hour to an hour and a half, depending on how the roads are.”
“Are you and your wife staying with your brothers?”
“Actually, we’re staying with some friends. What about you? Are you living in London?”
“I am. I took a wife and settled down.”
“You did?” Julian wondered if Didimus had wasted all of the money they’d stolen, too, or if he’d been smarter with it. He left Ophelia’s side so he could whisper, “Do my brothers know you’re here? Jonah wasn’t happy to see me yesterday.”
“I ended up paying the portion I stole in order to make amends,” Didimus said.
Julian wished he’d been able to do that. “It was best. I admire you for doing it.”
“You haven’t been able to do the same?”
Julian was sure his face turned pink as he admitted, “I spent it all and never made it back. I couldn’t pay back my debt to them even if I wanted to.”
“That’s a shame. I was hoping you were faring well.”
“No. I’m not as financially well off as I used to be. I’m a vicar.”
Didimus’ eyes grew wide. “Oh, tell me you’re jesting.”
“I’m telling you the truth.” Noting the skeptical expression on Didimus’ face, Julian turned to Ophelia and asked in a louder voice, “Will you tell him what I do for a living?”
Ophelia didn’t hide her surprise that their conversation had suddenly included her. “You’re a vicar.”
Didimus burst out laughing. “Good heavens! So you told the truth.” His gaze went to Ophelia. “If you knew him years ago, you’d know why this news is so unexpected. He was quite the cad when he was younger.”
By the way Ophelia’s eyebrows furrowed, Julian could tell she didn’t know what a cad was. Which was just as well. He’d already told her as much as he wanted to about his past. She didn’t need to know everything. Even he didn’t want to remember that part of his life. He’d rather forget it ever happened. He liked who he was now much more.
“Will you two delight me and my wife by coming to our townhouse for dinner?” Didimus asked. “This will be for tomorrow, of course. I need to give Cook time to plan the menu.” He winked at Julian. “You like fish and roasted potatoes the most. I haven’t forgotten what my favorite cousin likes.”
“Oh, well…” Julian hesitated to say yes.
If Didimus told Ophelia more about his past, then she might not be so happy with him. As it was, they’d had a wonderful night followed by an equally wonderful day. Would spending time with Didimus ruin that?
No, that was silly. Didimus had changed, just as he had. In fact, Didimus had paid back his portion of the money he’d stolen. That was more than Julian had done. All Julian had been able to do was offer an apology, and apologies were empty when they couldn’t be followed up with a physical form of restitution.
“We’d be happy to spend dinner with you and your wife,” Julian finally said.
“Excellent.” Didimus told him where he lived then added, “Hope you enjoy the rest of your day.”
Julian tipped his hat. Once Didimus headed on down the path, Julian turned his attention back to Ophelia, and it was then he realized he hadn’t asked if she’d wanted to go. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think to see if you wanted to go to my cousin’s for dinner.”
“I don’t mind going,” Ophelia said. “He was so happy to see you. It would have been rude of me to reject the offer.”
“Yes, he did seem happy, didn’t he?” He put his arm around hers and helped her to the carriage.
“Were you happy to see him?”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?”
He knew that was an odd answer, considering at one time he and Didimus had been the closest of friends. “He did the right thing. He’s far more honorable than I am.”
“But…?”
Julian shrugged. “I don’t know, exactly. It’s just hard to put the past behind me when a part of it is around. I don’t like thinking of who I used to be.” Hopefully, she wouldn’t ask him more than that.
Thankfully, they reached the carriage, and the coachman opened the carriage door. Julian waited until she went into it before he settled beside her. He glanced out the small window. Didimus was heading to the townhouses. He hadn’t turned around to come back. Julian relaxed.
“Are we still going to the bookstore?” Ophelia asked.
Julian glanced from her to the coachman, who was waiting for his instructions. “Yes. Take us to the market.”
The coachman nodded and closed the door.
Ophelia smiled and took his hand in hers. He liked the way she looked at him. She looked at him as if he was the embodiment of all things good and decent. It made the past fall away from him. He hadn’t stepped back into the past ever since he became a vicar. It was funny how one trip to London could change all of that. Between his brothers and Didimus, he could feel the sins of the past trying to wrap its tentacles around him.
He forced aside the image. He didn’t have to give into the sensation. He was a different person now. Even if there was no way he could make up for the wrong he’d done, he was still a changed person. With Ophelia, he had a reminder that his past didn’t have any hold on his future as long as he focused on what was ahead. All things are new. There is no condemnation for the forgiven.
He returned Ophelia’s smile and squeezed her hand.
The carriage moved forward, and once more, he found himself looking forward to going to the bookstore.
Chapter Eleven
Ophelia finished getting ready to go to Didimus’ dinner party before Julian did, so she decided to look through the book of illustrations he had purchased for her. Sitting at the vanity, she opened it to the page of the ship sailing on an ocean. The illustrations were all in black and white, but Julian had told her that the ship would be a deep brown color and the ocean would have a swirl of silver and dark blue hues in it. It didn’t give her an exact image of the ocean at night, but it was enough to offer her an approximation of it.
Upon returning to this townhouse yesterday, Julian had read a couple more chapters of the book to her, and he’d left off at the point where the pirates had banked on the shore of a deserted island. She was eager to find out what was going to happen next. She had no idea that books contained such fascinating stories. It was like a whole new world had just opened up to her. She hoped it wouldn’t take her too long to learn to read on her own, but, as Julian had advised, she would be patient.
At the moment, the only thing she recognized was the letter A. She hadn’t written it yet. Julian had said it would help her learn to read better if she wrote words out, but she had to start with individual letters first. She glanced down at the words below the name of the illustration. She could only make out three A’s in it. Julian had said it read, “A ship at sea.”
She turned the page and looked at the next illustration. This one was of a lad milking a cow in front of a barn. A rooster was walking on by, un
aware a cat was following behind. She’d never seen a barn or farm animals before, so it was interesting to learn something else.
She’d known her life had been a sheltered one, but it was just now occurring to her how much she didn’t know about the world. Lord Wolfe had wanted to keep her naïve to almost everything. He hadn’t even wanted her to read books. Why? What had he hoped to accomplish by withholding so much information from her?
Julian stepped out from the room off to the side of the bedchamber, fully dressed and ready for the evening ahead. His gaze went to the book in front of her. “I thought you’d enjoy those illustrations.”
“I do. It’s nice to see them. I might even do some drawings of them.”
He rubbed her shoulder and glanced down at the book. “I think drawing will help to reinforce the images in your mind.”
She closed the book and used her cane to help her stand up. “I’m looking forward to the day when I don’t need to take it easy on my ankle anymore.”
“I don’t know if you should say that. You saw the condition of the cottage. It’s not clean and tidy like this place.”
She grinned at him. “I would rather wash clothes and dust up a cottage than sit around all day.”
He arched an eyebrow at her. “You haven’t been sitting around all day. We went to the park, took a couple of carriage rides so you could see all of London, we’re almost done with a book, and we’ve played card games with Lewis and Marcy.”
“Yes, but I miss walking around like a normal person. I have to constantly be careful not to step on my foot the wrong way.”
He cupped her face in his hands. “Your time will come soon enough, and when it does, you might be wishing I could afford a maid.”
She chuckled. “I lived my life surrounded by maids who did everything for me. It would probably do me some good to learn to do things for myself for a change.”
“Well, you can’t say I didn’t warn you.” He lowered his head and kissed her. He brushed her cheeks with his thumbs and gave her another smile. “You’re a very sweet and lovely young lady. I hope you always keep a spark of innocence in you. It’s refreshing to come across someone untarnished by the darker side of the human soul.”
The Wedding Pact (Marriage by Fairytale Book 3) Page 11
