Chapter 31
Spencer struggled to comprehend that one day his nephew would be the same size as the boy in front of him.
Would he ever have children of that age?
Of any age? He had not even broached the subject with Anna.
It was the furthest thing from the right time to ask her, even if he did not know when such a time would come.
It had not gone unnoticed by him that she had told him that she loved him, and in return, he had said nothing at all.
He did not know how they could come back from that.
“How has it been since your return?” Maria asked as he played with the boy. “This return, I mean.”
“It has been easier than I expected. Anna has been brilliant, of course. I could not fault the way she has accepted my sister so openly, and once again, she has taken it all in stride. I did not think that would happen.”
“You ought to give her more credit, then, for you should know by now just how resilient she is.”
“I do, but I also know that one can only be pushed so far. I have changed so much of her life in the last few weeks, and I think it has at last become too much for her.”
Maria simply smiled, not believing him, but Spencer knew he had to be concerned.
There had been a shift in his wife, one that he had not been allowed to know about, and it gave him a great sense of discomfort.
Anna had always made her feelings known to him, and that was something he did not realize mattered to him that much until then.
“Well then,” Maria said. “What do you plan to do to fix it?”
“I do not know. I want her to feel better, but I do not know what to do. I fear that nothing I do will be enough.”
“Mama, what is happening?” Maria’s son asked.
He was an older boy, one who could understand that something was amiss. Spencer did not want to tell the child too much, even though he understood that he was a sensitive boy who would not mock anyone for it.
“I believe my wife is unhappy,” he explained. “I want to make her feel better. Might you have an idea?”
“Well, if I were sad, I would want a party. My papa says that we can have one soon, since I am feeling better.”
“Has he now?” Maria asked. “How lovely. I was not aware of such a thing.”
The little boy bit his bottom lip, grinning.
“He told me not to tell you yet.”
Spencer chuckled at the exchange, at least pleased to know that he was not the only man who kept things from his wife. Granted, they could not have been more different in terms of how big the secrets were, but it made him feel like less of an outcast at least.
But the boy had made him think. He had been trying to convince himself that he did not know what had hurt Anna, but it was not working.
He knew the truth, and he knew that it was his own fault entirely.
For too long, he had been trying to push away how he felt, as though ignoring it would make it all stop.
As he looked at his wife across the table at dinner that night, however, he knew that he could no longer deny it. He was in love with her, and he had to fix everything. Fortunately, he had the means to do what he wanted to, and he had the perfect reason for her to disappear while he arranged it.
The invitations were sent the following morning, and he took Sophia into his study and explained his plans. He wondered if she would be against the idea, but when he finished, she simply smiled brightly, enthusiastic about it all.
“I shall take her to the village for the day,” she offered. “If I tell her I wish to take Gilbert for some air, that should give you enough time, yes?”
“That would be perfect. Will you be able to keep it from her?”
“I believe so, but if she thinks that we are hiding something, you may not have time to arrange an event. You shall be found buried before you can do it.”
It was a risk, he knew that, but it was what he wanted for her. After everything that had happened, the gesture had to measure up to it, and so he planned a grand ball and nothing less.
It was short notice, with only two days for everyone to prepare, but as it was their first ball since his funeral, he knew that people would want to be there, and that they would do anything necessary to attend.
It killed him to keep it from Anna, but the day came, and Sophia took her away as planned, giving him time to ensure that all was as it had to be.
“What has brought all of this on?” Mrs. Phillips asked. “I am not saying that I am displeased by all of this, but it is rather sudden.”
“On the contrary, it is a long time coming,” he replied as he surveyed the ballroom.
A platform had been built in the center of the room, and that was the most important part of it all.
He had never done what he had planned before, but he felt a strong sense of confidence about it.
If it was a declaration that his wife wanted, undeniable proof that she was his, he would give it to her.
Sophia knew what was required of her. She was to take Anna to the seamstress, where a gown would be waiting for each of them, and then they could return home.
There, she would suggest that they try their gowns on to show him, and then a maid would fix her hair, apply her rouge, and prepare her for the night.
Spencer trusted that his sister would do what was required of her.
And he would do what was expected of him with ease.
The time came for his guests to arrive, and as he greeted each one, he asked that they remain quiet until his wife made her entrance.
They all seemed intrigued by what was to happen, but they listened nonetheless.
As the time for Anna to appear approached, he felt his nerves increase.
He only had one chance to make things right, and he had every intention to do it.
Suddenly, the music changed, which meant that she was there.
A gentle piece was played as she entered, a vision in her silvery gown.
Spencer felt his breath leave him at the sight of her; the way it did every time he saw her.
She was the most beautiful lady that he had ever seen, and it was not even close.
“Spencer,” she hissed, scarlet. “What are you doing?”
“You will know soon enough. Your arrival is my cue.”
With that, he turned on his heel and stepped onto the platform. All eyes turned to him, and he cleared his throat.
“My apologies to you all,” he began. “I know that moments ago you were all looking at my wife, and now you must look upon me instead, but I shall not take up too much of your time.”
His guests laughed, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Corset Chronicle Club members huddled as they watched on. He knew that he would be the topic of their next meeting, and he was pleased to be.
“I have been away for a long time,” he admitted.
“I have been doing what was expected of me, and for the longest time, I thought that it was all I was good for. I did what was considered my duty, and I took a wife while undertaking my role in society. In the time that I have been here, however, I have come to a few conclusions. The first of these is that, if I am honest, I no longer wish to follow what is expected of me.”
He saw the look in Anna’s eye, as though she was afraid of what he was going to say. He had been the one to remind her of how precarious their situation was, and yet here he was standing before members of the ton making ridiculous statements.
But he simply gave her a wink, for he was only doing what he learned from her.
“I know,” he continued, “that I am expected to be a husband quietly. I am to protect my wife, serve my village, and do what I can to be an upstanding member of society. I can do all of that. Well, almost all of it. You see, what I have learned since my return is that I cannot bear the thought of being apart from my wife. It is rare to meet a lady who makes you feel like you were not living before, merely surviving, but that is what changed when I saw my wife. Anna, would you mind coming here?”
Again, all in attendance turned to her, and she looked at him in bewilderment. It was only when Sophia nudged her that she stepped forward, joining Spencer by his side.
“Spencer,” she whispered, “what are you–”
“Is she not exquisite?” he asked. “I have had the pleasure of looking upon her since my return, and of late I have also had a lot of time to think and to reflect. I have recognized that our wedding ceremony was quieter than my wife deserved, and so, one year after our wedding day, I was hoping that you would all humor me.”
Around them, people seemed to understand what he had planned. Anna glanced down at the silver fabric of her gown, and she flushed pink.
“My Duchess,” he announced, taking her hand in his, “I wish to renew my vows to you. I promise to always care for you and to do all that I can to give you the life that you deserve. I do not think that even a king could do that, but I promise to always do all that I can. I will make you the happiest lady in all of England, and I will love you until my dying breath.”
It was only a four-letter word, but it was precisely what she had been wanting to hear him say.
At his vows, she brightened, her eyes sparkling.
Around them, their guests applauded them, but Spencer knew that none of it was for him.
It was all for her, the beautiful and precocious lady who had done everything that she could for their family.
“You may wish to take a turn now,” he whispered as he leaned in to her.
“Oh!” she gasped. “I… well, good evening, everyone. I am yet to greet you all, but I thank you for coming. I do not know who among you was aware of my husband’s plans, but I certainly was not.
Nobody has ever– nobody has planned something like this for me before, and I cannot thank him enough for it.
Love is a very fickle thing, as is duty and family and all of those things that I hold so closely to my heart. ”
She glanced at Sophia, and Spencer felt his pulse quicken. If she said the wrong thing, they would all be ruined, but she turned to him with a confidence that only she could exude, and he knew that he could trust her.
“In fact,” she continued, “I have truly come to understand just how important family is, as well as the value in being honest. And so, I would like to present to you all Lady Sophia, my husband’s dear sister.”
There was silence around them, and before Spencer could say anything, Anna stepped forward and took Sophia’s arm, guiding her to the platform.
“Anna,” Spencer asked, “what are you doing?”
“Trust me,” she said quickly, turning back to the guests.
“Lady Sophia was taken ill as a child, and was taken away from their home and was deemed lost. Last year, they found one another, and at last she has been able to return to us. We could not be happier, and we trust that you will all be welcoming to her, too.”
The quiet remained, and then the whispering began.
Spencer tried to listen for something unkind, but there was nothing.
There was only positivity among those in attendance, and within seconds, people were swarming Sophia, who took it in stride with a smile.
Spencer turned to Anna, steering her away from the small crowd that had gathered and walking her to the edge of the ballroom.
“How did you know that would work?”
“In truth, I did not, but if there is one thing that the ton loves, it is spectacle. You gave an outpouring of emotion so lovely that they will not question Sophia. They are all happy, which means they will not ask anything more.”
“And if they do?”
“If they do, it is a good thing that you and I know how to tell a story.”
She was smiling still, and it made him realize just how much he had missed seeing her happy. He had already made his intentions known to her, but he also swore to himself that he would never allow her to be upset again. He could not stand it.
“It is going to be a terribly long night,” he grumbled.
“Why is that? You planned the event after all, have you changed your mind?”
“Not at all, but I shall assume that separate bedrooms will no longer need to be tolerated?”
She considered it for a moment, which almost made him groan in anticipation, but he managed to keep his composure, and then she grinned.
“I would say so, yes.”
“Then the rest of this night will be spent waiting to go to our room,” he sighed. “Frankly, it cannot come soon enough.”
At that, Anna understood the predicament. They would have to go the rest of the evening, unable to touch one another.
She had waited this long. She could wait a few more hours.
“Now that,” Maria said excitedly, “was a wedding!”
“I can only hope that my dear sister has one so lovely one day,” Evelina agreed, much to her younger sister’s fury.
Anna laughed along and then gave Spencer a glance.
“Thank you all for coming,” she said warmly. “Now, I shall retire to bed with my husband and… celebrate a second honeymoon.”
It was precisely the right thing to say, for her friends left quickly after that. At last, with Sophia in her own room after all of the excitement, they were alone.
“And now what shall we do?” she asked.
He took her into his arms, carrying her toward the stairs as she giggled.
“We,” he said firmly, “are going to disappear for a while.”