Chapter 3 #3
“And congratulations to you both on your engagement,” she said, smiling warmly at both Cilly and Damian.
It appeared the young woman was ignorant of the circumstances of their betrothal, and her pleasure in their news was sincere.
It was so nice to be congratulated without a snide comment that Cilly returned her smile with genuine pleasure.
“According to Miss Halfpenny, the portrait Miss Foxworthy has produced is rather a masterpiece,” Hawkney said, putting himself between Miss Halfpenny and Damian.
A dart of irritation stabbed at Cilly. What the devil did he think Damian would do, eat the girl?
“Oh, I-I don’t mean—” The poor creature looked horrified. “Hawkney, you make it sound as if I have a very high opinion of myself, which you know very well I do not.”
The room fell silent, everyone gazing at Miss Halfpenny in astonishment. To hear her address him as simply Hawkney was one thing, but to hear her tear him off a strip… well, well. Cilly grinned, deciding she liked the girl very much indeed.
Hawkney, to give him credit, did not so much as blink. “I said no such thing. I said the work was a masterpiece, which credits the artist, not the sitter. An opinion which you gave to me in no uncertain terms.”
Miss Halfpenny huffed. “I know very well what you said, and I know very well what I heard. They are not necessarily the same thing.”
“You are speaking in riddles,” Hawkney complained, shaking his head.
“Indeed, I am not, I only—”
“Children!” Gee-Gee’s amused voice cut through the debate. “Never mind, Miss Halfpenny. We understand your point even if Alex is being thick-headed. None of us thought it, however. Is she going to show this portrait?”
Miss Halfpenny nodded. “Actually, I believe she wishes to show it to the Venturesome Ladies first. She also told me that she very much valued your opinion.”
“Did she indeed?” Gee-Gee mused. “Well, then she shall have it. Now then, you two. How many cuts direct did you get today?”
Cilly glanced at Miss Halfpenny, whose eyes had grown rather wide, and took pity on her.
She’d hear soon enough. “It appears you do not listen to gossip, Miss Halfpenny, which Damian and I are the subject of. Our engagement is the result of a scandal at last night’s ball, but for my part, I am very pleased with the results. ”
She sent Damian a winning smile, gazing adoringly at him, just as she had promised to do.
He returned her gaze, though he looked merely curious rather than delighted or besotted. Ah, well.
“Oh, well. All’s well that ends well, then,” Miss Halfpenny suggested, and took a sip of her brandy.
“Quite so,” Cilly agreed, before returning her attention to Gee-Gee and her grandmother, Helena, who appeared rather troubled. “Three cuts, though one was from Miss Templeton, whom I have always disliked intensely so she hardly counts, and the Countess of Dunmere was so very sympathetic.”
Cilly rolled her eyes and pressed her hands to her bosom.
Her grandmother looked incensed. She sat up straighter, her eyes flashing sparks. “That spiteful—”
“Do not concern yourself, your grace. Lady Cecilia rose to the occasion magnificently. I do not believe the countess will cross swords with her again without due deliberation,” Damian replied, a mocking note to the words that did nothing to diminish the effect they had on Cilly.
“Thank you,” she said simply.
He nodded.
Her grandmother grimaced all the same. “Well. I am glad to hear it, but I am afraid she will not be the last. We must arrange the wedding at once,”
“No.”
Everyone gawked at Damian, who gave a careless shrug.
“It is of no matter to me. If it pleases Celia, we shall marry as soon as possible, but I would think it better to wait a while, two or three weeks at least, to allow people to see our courtship before their eyes and grow used to the idea. But it shall be as you prefer.”
Helena considered this as she studied Damian. She did not like him, nor trust him, Cilly knew, but it sounded a sensible plan, and she could not pretend otherwise.
“Very well,” Helena agreed. “I will allow two weeks, three at the outside. Not a day longer, though. I’ll not have you slipping the net.”
Damian stiffened.
“Grandmother!” Cilly exclaimed, horrified. “How can you say such a thing? Damian is the injured party here, might you remember. He has been nothing but honourable and kind to me, which in the circumstances is more than I deserve.”
“Miss Bradford,” Helena said icily.
A flush of colour crested Damian’s high cheekbones and Cilly felt her temper flare.
“How do you know that girl didn’t do just as I did?
It all seemed very fishy to me, for she had no dowry to speak of.
If he was going to ruin a girl, why not choose an heiress?
In my opinion she was a silly chit who decided she wanted something that was not hers to take.
Damian did right not to agree to marry her.
They’d both have been utterly miserable. ”
Her grandmother huffed and made a show of smoothing out her skirts. “A fair point, I suppose. But he is hardly the model of a gentleman, is he?”
“Well, as it turns out, I am not the model of a lady, am I?” Cilly retorted furiously and stalked out of the room.
She made it across the grand entrance hall and to the doorway of the music room before a deep voice stopped her.
“Celia.”
Still fuming, she swung around, ready to bite the head off anyone foolish enough to tangle with her and found Damian. He stood several feet away, gazing at her with that odd expression again, as if she was a question to which he had no answer. Well, that was fair. She didn’t either.
What had got into her? Yes, she had decided not to pretend to be the docile, sweet ninny she had played for so long, but was she truly this… this angry, sharp-tongued creature? Was she better? She certainly didn’t seem nicer.
“Are you… all right?” he asked cautiously, as if uncertain that was the right thing to say.
Cilly took a deep breath and let it out again. “Yes. No. I don’t know.” She threw up her hands and turned away, hurrying into the music room.
Damian followed, hesitated, and then closed the door behind them. Well, the horse had bolted after all.
“Thank you.”
She went to the French doors that opened out onto the terrace and walked outside, sucking in a deep breath, so wrapped up in her own confusion that for a moment she did not register his words.
Glancing sideways as he appeared on the terrace beside her, she shrugged. “You’re welcome. I told you that’s what friends do. But it was only the truth. As I saw it, anyway.”
He was silent as he came to lean against the balustrade.
Oh, but he was beautiful, she thought with a wistful sigh.
A weak glimmer of sunlight broke the clouds, glinting on his fair hair.
She smiled to herself, imagining how Miss Foxworthy might title the scene.
Portrait of a Young God. Or perhaps a fallen angel might be closer to the truth.
Either way, it almost hurt to look at him, to know this man would be her husband, but he would never allow her to know him, to love him.
She held her breath, enduring the swift stab that assaulted her heart.
It was nothing she could not bear. So, she would have a future with a husband who would not love her or allow her to love in return, no children upon whom to dote, or a way to find some outlet for all the emotions that seemed to churn inside her with nowhere to go.
Would they shrivel up and die in time? Would she turn into the Countess of Dunmere, or someone very like her, if she had no one to love?
“It was very much as you said.”
Cilly looked up, his voice dragging her from the mire of her own regrets.
“Miss Bradford,” he clarified.
“Oh. I see.” She drew closer, leaning on the balustrade beside him, waiting for him to continue.
His mouth twisted. “I am not always tactful, Celia, as perhaps you are aware.”
She made a sound of amusement and watched as the mocking slash of his lips became a rueful smile. Her heart kicked. Stupid organ.
“She was fresh onto the marriage mart, very beautiful. It was said she might catch a duke on her looks alone. But she wanted to conquer every man of the ton, to have them all panting after her. She was so very certain of her appeal, of her power, but contrary to gossip, I do not ruin innocents, and I have no taste for silly young girls barely out of the schoolroom. I’m afraid she took it rather amiss when I did not respond as she expected. ”
Cilly turned towards him, frowning. “What happened?”