A Lord Rotheby's Holiday Bundle (63 page)

Grace believed her, all right. The
panic in her chest, that anxious, fluttering tightness, threatened
to swallow her whole. She had to leave them. If only they would
understand. But then, they’d never seen Father in one of his rages.
They couldn’t know.

“
Now, why don’t we have a
lovely luncheon and then get on with our shopping this afternoon,
hmm? Oh! I haven’t told you yet, in all this excitement. We’ll be
going to the Assembly Room tonight, Gracie. There is an evening of
dancing and entertainment planned, and we’ve been invited to
attend. Of course, I accepted. Did you happen to bring an
appropriate gown? If not, never fear. We’ll see what Madam Yeats
has ready-made to suit.”

A dance? An evening of entertainments?
Grace shook her head. If word wasn’t already on the way to London
after the morning’s episode, surely being seen at such an event
would ensure calamity.

A knock at the door signaled their
luncheon had arrived, and Uncle Laurence allowed the servants to
enter and deliver the food.

“
Oh good, we’ll be able to
eat quickly and be on our way then. We’ll begin at the linen
drapers and choose our fabrics before we go to see Madam Yeats.
Now, after we visit Madam Yeats, we’ll also visit the haberdashers
to obtain ribbons and the like. You’ll certainly need a good deal
of those, in order to match the new fabrics for your gowns. Oh,
gracious, this afternoon will keep us quite busy. Be sure you eat
up. You’ll need plenty of energy.”

Only after placing food in
her mouth did Aunt Dorothea’s endless train of plans cease for long
enough to allow Grace to digest all that had happened. She forced
the lump forming in her throat down, at the same time as she
attempted to fight off the sudden wave of nausea that consumed her.
Her aunt and uncle surely only wanted the best for her, but why,
oh
why
could they
not understand the necessity of staying away from society? Of
course, they didn’t seem to grasp even the simpler need for staying
away from Lord Alexander, so why should she expect them to
understand this more dire need?

It grew more difficult to be in the
man’s company, because as hard as she tried to dislike him, she
enjoyed being around him. He created feelings in her she’d never
experienced before—strange and wonderful feelings—that would make
it so much more difficult for her if he ever discovered the
truth.

She ate in silence and searched her
mind for a way out of this convoluted mess—finding few solutions,
if any. When Aunt Dorothea decided it was time to begin their
shopping, she went along, even though all she wanted to do was
crawl under her bed sheets and never come out.

~ * ~

Alex paced the floor of the hotel
sitting room he shared with Gil. He was furious with himself. Why
had he allowed himself to get so caught up in the moment, watching
the passion build in Lady Grace as she had berated him? He hadn’t
even paid attention to what she said to him, so he had no idea
whether he deserved such a tongue lashing or not. All he could
think was how lovely she looked when in pique, and how he wanted to
see her that way more often.

So he kissed her. Again. And this
time, with an audience.

He had sullied her reputation. She was
ruined. If he didn’t offer for her, and if she didn’t accept, there
would be no possible repair for her character.

He had spent the last hour and a half
with Gil trying to discover a way he could help Lady Grace keep her
reputation without marriage, since she seemed so disinclined to any
attachment with him whatsoever, and since she knew nothing about
Priscilla and Harry. But there was no alternative.

All of his good intentions were out
with the wash. He’d tried to avoid her but failed. He’d tried to
ignore his thoughts about her and failed. He’d intended to discover
who he was as a man, what he wanted to do with his life, and how he
could continue caring for his two responsibilities before he
settled down to wife and family. He had only just begun to make
progress in those areas, so he was well on his way to yet another
failure.

Perhaps he should have stayed in
London with his family and allowed Mama to do her worst. At least
then he likely wouldn’t have permanently and irreparably tarnished
an innocent young lady’s reputation.

He couldn’t believe his own weakness
when it came to Lady Grace. He never reacted this way with a woman
or lost his ability to think clearly solely from being in a woman’s
presence. He accepted their affections when they were offered, but
never forced his attentions on a woman—and he had always been too
gentlemanly to kiss a gently-bred lady in full view of half a city
before.

But this had not been just a kiss. It
was hot and raw and needy. Lady Grace gave as much as she took this
time, at least initially—before she realized their performance had
an eager audience.

Perhaps marriage to her would not be
so dreadful. They would certainly have a great deal of passion.
There could be no doubt about that. A marriage to Lady Grace would
never be boring.

“
The fact remains I still
haven’t settled into a responsible and respectable life,” he
admonished himself, “and I have no property. Good lord, I’ve never
even met her father. What if he doesn’t approve?” Oh, God. Her
father might not approve. But it was too late to worry about such
things now. A wedding must be planned with all due
haste.

Gil had, of course, heard his entire
monologue. “I should think your first course of action would be to
speak with Sir Laurence. He cannot grant you permission to marry
his niece, but he might be able to aid your cause with her father.
You should speak with him today, while she is shopping with Lady
Kensington.”

He broke his stride to
consider Gil’s advice. “Yes. Yes, I’ll speak with Sir Laurence
today. And then I must make the situation clear to her. She has to
understand there is no alternative other than ruin.” In other
words, there was
no
alternative.

He would make her
understand. She
must
become his wife.

“
I suppose then I’ll travel
to London tomorrow to speak with her father. Gil, what if he finds
me unworthy? What happens then? I don’t believe she has come into
her majority yet. She must do what her father wishes.” A new
thought struck him now. “He could already have an agreement with
another man. She may already be betrothed!” Endless potential
problems coursed through his mind. “Dare I consider Gretna
Greene?”

A fit of coughs seized Gil, and Alex
stopped pacing and rushed to the older man’s side. Once the
coughing subsided, Gil implored, “You’ll worry yourself into
creating problems that don’t exist. Stop this claptrap at once.”
Gil took hold of his arm and pulled him down to sit in an armchair
next to him. “You’ll go this afternoon to speak with Sir Laurence.
He’ll arrange for you to speak with Lady Grace before the night is
through. We’ll pack tonight and be on our way to London in the
morning.”

“
We? What is this
we
?” No way would he take
the earl with him on such a journey in his state of health. “I must
go to London, but the travel is too hard on you. You should stay
here, take the waters, handle your business. I am certain the
Kensingtons would be glad to return to Somerton with you when you
are ready to go.” The man was in no shape for the journey, and he
didn’t want his friend’s health on his conscience, should it take a
turn for the worse.

“
I will not have you treat
me like a child. I was a grown man when your father was still
younger than you are now. I make my own decisions. I’ve decided to
accompany you to Town.”

Alex tried to interrupt, but Gil’s
hand stayed him.

“
I’m not finished. This is
one of the most important journeys you’ll ever make in your life,
and I want to take part in it. I can handle my business in London
better than in Bath. We’ll travel in the morning. You will not
change my mind. I’m coming with you.”

The set of Rotheby’s jaw proved no
amount of argument would dissuade him. Alex’s heart dropped. With
his current delicate health, Gil may never make it back to
Somerton. But he would respect his friend’s wishes. Nothing else
could be done.

~ * ~

Grace was exhausted—both emotionally
and physically—yet Aunt Dorothea still insisted she attend the
entertainment that evening at the Assembly Room.

She’d spent the day before
in the carriage traveling to Bath with a constant case of nausea.
Then this day. Oh, what a day it had been. It had started with the
scene with Lord Alexander, followed by shopping that seemed to
never end. Aunt Dorothea had found the fabrics at the first linen
draper’s unsatisfactory, so they visited three more before she
found enough variety. Then they had gone to see Madam Yeats to
order new dresses made. This, of course, required discussion about
any number of patterns and designs, debates over which fabric
should be used for which design, and endless chatter over all sorts
of other details Grace would have preferred be made for her. After
all of that, she had been
encouraged
to try on any number of
gowns and select one for the entertainment that evening.

The first was too loose, the second
too long, the next made her skin look sallow, the next too pale—the
list of Aunt Dorothea’s complaints went on far too long. Finally,
after she tried on the tenth gown, they found one everyone could
agree on.

Everyone, that is, except
Grace.

The gown appeared too expensive for
her tastes. She much preferred something very simple and plain. But
she was overruled. She would wear a gown of silvery-blue gauze with
lace accents. Madam Yeats and Aunt Dorothea, as well as a number of
other patrons in the shops, were all in agreement. The silver made
all the other gowns look like peasant frocks in
comparison.

With all of their business completed
at Madam Yeats’s shop, they had headed to the haberdashery for
ribbons and trimmings. As with the earlier visits to the linen
drapers, Aunt Dorothea was not satisfied with the selection in the
first haberdasher they visited, so they were forced to visit
multiple shops. Grace simply must have the best ribbons to place in
her hair and on her bonnets. Nothing short of the best finery would
do for Aunt Dorothea. And of course, following the visits to the
various haberdashery shops, Aunt Dorothea had declared they simply
must also see a milliner. Grace’s supply of bonnets would not suit.
Following their previously set pattern, visiting one milliner was
not sufficient for her aunt, so they made multiple
stops.

Finally, after what she was certain
must have been three days’ worth of shopping all rolled into a
single afternoon, they returned to the hotel for a spot of tea
before they dressed for the evening.

Grace jumped as she entered their
suite and saw Lord Alexander seated across from Uncle Laurence in
the parlor. The two men immediately rose upon their entrance.
Servants brought in countless boxes and bags full of the purchases
she and her aunt had made throughout the day.

Lord Alexander glanced at her and
smiled briefly before turning back to her uncle. “Thank you again,
Laurence. You’ve been most kind and exceedingly helpful. I’ll take
my leave of you now.” He inclined his head to the ladies before
moving to the hallway.

Grace sent a questioning
look to her uncle from across the room as she stepped aside so Lord
Alexander could walk past her. He’d called her uncle by his given
name. No one but a close friend ever called him by his given name.
Close friends, or
family
. Oh, dear.

“
Ladies, I do hope you have
had luck with your shopping excursion.” Lord Alexander bowed his
head to them again and walked away.

Aunt Dorothea, as usual, became a
flurry of words and motion. “Oh Laurence, we did have the most
excellent luck today. I do believe we bought everything Gracie will
need. And her gown for this evening! Oh, you will not believe your
eyes when you see her in it. She is simply stunning. I didn’t think
she could be more beautiful than she already is, but I was quite
wrong.”

She seated herself on the sofa and
unpacked bags and boxes, turning the parlor into a state of
disarray. “And you’ve visited with Lord Alexander. How delightful.
I do hope your meeting with him was productive.”

There appeared to be some
underlying hint to him, a secret code only those two could
interpret. Grace was unaware of any business her uncle might have
with Lord Alexander, but she sensed anything it could be would not
meet her definition of
good
, especially since the man left
and called her uncle ‘Laurence.’

“
Yes my dear, our meeting
went very well. Everything’s in order.”

Aunt Dorothea sighed and sank back
into the cushions.

“
Do you intend to show me
all of your purchases, my dear, or would these be better unpacked
in Grace’s chamber?”

Grace flushed furiously when she
looked down. The items her aunt had unpacked were the
inexpressibles they had purchased.