Chapter Fourteen
A soft knock upon Josephine’s bedroom door came when she was checking her appearance one last time in the mirror of her vanity. She came to a stand and took a deep breath. She was ready to meet the day with whatever that might entail be it good or bad. She called out to whoever was knocking to enter. Patience beamed at her as she rushed to her side.
“He’s here!” she exclaimed with wide bright eyes. “You didn’t tell me your marquis was so devilishly handsome, Josie.”
Josephine’s knees buckled and she fell back into her chair. “Gyles is here?” she finally managed to whisper.
“Yes! Can you believe it? Cassie sent me up to come and fetch you. She’s sitting with him in the parlor so you must hurry.”
Gyles! Downstairs. Merciful heavens! What am I to do? She looked back at her reflection and saw her pale face staring back at her. She pinched her cheeks to draw some color into them for all the good that did her. She was now a wreck, and she didn’t know how she would face the man again.
But Patience wasn’t about to take no for an answer as she pulled Josephine back to her feet and all but pushed her toward the door. They began making their way down the corridor to the stairs where Josephine could hear the low hum of Gyles’s voice. She put her finger to her lips to stifle Patience’s giggles and quietly made her way to descend the staircase. And then Josephine did the unthinkable… she eavesdropped on Gyles’s conversation with Cassandra.
“I must say I’m surprised to see you here, Lord Wickes,” Cassandra said in a voice that sounded very businesslike. “May I ask what your intentions are regarding Mrs. Bouchard?”
“My intentions are only honorable, Mrs. Vaughn,” Gyles replied, and Josephine tried not to move her head around the corner to see into the room. She shushed Patience who was frantically whispering in her ear, urging her to enter the parlor.
“That remains to be seen, my lord. However, since Mrs. Bouchard has been under my roof and care for the past two years, I am sure you can understand my concern for her wellbeing.” There was a tapping sound and Josephine wondered if Cassie was rapping Gyles’s calling card on a table.
“Quite understandable, madam, and I assure you I only have Mrs. Bouchard’s best interest at heart,” Gyles answered while silence descended upon the room.
“I understand that Mrs. Dove-Lyon has specifically chosen you, Lord Wickes, as a possible suitor for Mrs. Bouchard,” Cassandra said slowly. “And are you amicable to a match between yourself and the lady?”
“That remains to be seen, Mrs. Vaughn,” Gyles said repeating Cassandra’s words from but moments before.
“How so?” she queried. “You obviously made your bet with your eyes wide open and have a debt to fulfill at the Den. Or are you accustomed to reneging on your promises, my lord?”
“I have no intention of going back on my word to Mrs. Dove-Lyon or Mrs. Bouchard,” he answered. There was a tone to his voice that he implied he was put out that Cassandra even suggested such a possibility .
“Good!” she replied and clapped her hands together. “I will leave you to work out the details with Mrs. Bouchard. Patience, see that tea is brought to the parlor along with some of Cook’s cakes. Josephine… you can come in now.”
Embarrassed that Cassie knew Josephine and Patience had been outside the room all along, she came around the doorway and dropped down into a customary curtsey while Gyles bowed before her.
“Lord Wickes,” Josephine murmured.
“Good afternoon, Mrs. Bouchard,” Gyles returned with a smile that would melt any woman’s heart.
She did her best not to look at the man but what other choice did she have, especially when Cassandra excused herself?
Josephine went to the small table and chairs and sat in Cassandra’s seat while Gyles took a place across from her. “What brings you here of all places?” she finally had the nerve to ask. But before he could answer, the tea arrived. Josephine poured him a cup and offered him a cake which he declined. Once they were alone again, she waited for his reply.
“Isn’t it obvious?” he asked before taking a sip of his tea and setting the cup back down on the table before them.
She raised her brow at his comment. “I thought I made my point perfectly clear several weeks ago. I should think my words held some merit when I explained why we cannot be seen together.”
“Your words always hold merit, Josephine,” he said. Hearing her given name pass his lips was almost her undoing. “However, you never gave me the chance to reply.”
She shrugged. “What more could you say? My past cannot be changed, and my reputation is… tarnished to put it as delicately as possible. You will inherit a duchy one day. Having me as a possible wife or even having my name tied to yours if you are seen to be escorting me around town will damage your good name. I won’t do that to you, Gyles. ”
“While I do have to think about my reputation, my main concern is to restore yours.” He placed his hand on the table with his palm facing up. All she had to do was reach for the support that awaited her.
“Then you’ve spoken to my brother,” she said instead and watch him move his hand back as though rejected.
“Not yet.”
She gave a heavy sigh. If she didn’t have her brother’s backing, or at the very least his consent, then none of this would be possible. She stood and Gyles did the same. “Then I believe you need to start with Simon, my lord, since you had a previous promise that you made to him. If you can get his blessing and he agrees to ensure that he will do all in his power to help restore my good name, then maybe we can move forward together.”
He came to her and took hold of her hand, bringing it to his lips. “You give me hope that maybe one day when we’ve become reacquainted again that we might have a future together.”
“Only if you get my brother’s backing. I don’t know any way this would work without it,” she whispered softly. She held her breath when he stepped closer. Leaning down, he placed his lips upon her own in a gentle first kiss.
It took every ounce of strength that Josephine had within her not to fold herself into his arms. But this was hardly the time or the place for any intimate moments to play out. It wasn’t as though she were a virgin, but they still needed her brother to help them restore her reputation within Society. If Simon accepted her back within the family, this action would go a long way to restore her place within the ton … or so she reasoned. She almost groaned aloud thinking of the rounds of balls and being on display it would take for this to work.
“I will call upon you again soon,” Gyles said and with another quick kiss upon her cheek, he left her standing there until she once more fell into a chair. Her heart was never going to be the same if this failed. She couldn’t stand to lose Gyles twice in one lifetime!