Chapter 19
Out of my Hands
LANIE
Baz and I arrived at breakfast late. I was sure everyone thought we’d been involved in carnal pursuits.
While I wished we had that excuse, I couldn’t have wanted anything less.
I wasn’t ready to give myself to him in anything other than a business agreement in this moment.
We were cordial, but gone was that lust we felt.
I worried that the days of him eating me out on his dining table were over.
If he was only interested in the chase, finally having me would bore him.
I entered the room and bowed slightly to my host, even if I just wanted to stab him in the fucking eyeball.
The Baron’s smug look conveyed he had Baz under his boot heel.
Ellie smiled pleasantly. There, as well, were four new faces.
One was a priest. The other two I guessed were Baz’s brother, nephew, and sister-in-law.
Why a priest was at breakfast, I didn’t know.
The look of confusion on Baz’s face signaled I wasn’t the only one.
A footman rushed over with a fry up, but I wasn’t hungry.
“Four, are you going to introduce the lady to your brother and Nessa?” The Baron asked Baz.
Why does he call him that?
“Apologies. This is Delanie Delphine. But her stage name is the one you might recognize… Lanie Day,” Baz said. “Lanie, this is my brother, Alexander. And this is his wife, Nessa, and son his, B.C.”
I nodded a polite hello.
“And I shall introduce you to Father Merill,” Baz’s father said. “Father, Miss Delphine is the granddaughter of the previous Baron. I can assure you the two of them are only distantly related. And it is all very above-board.”
Baz turned, his expression almost sending me into a fit of laughter. Nothing about us was above board. This whole thing was ridiculous. Were we the only sane ones?
“I don’t know why you didn’t tell me that yesterday, Lanie,” Ellie said. “No wonder you were so taken with that photo of Lady Danna.”
“I felt it might be a little awkward,” I lied, not sure what to say.
“Miss Delphine’s family are quite good practicing Catholics, Father.”
It was a weird flex, but not untrue. Well, true for my mother but never my father.
Daddy had never been religious. He went along with it for Mum.
We all sort of went through the motions due to guilt, but Mum was very outspoken about her own spirituality.
That included her own desire to wait until marriage—something she tortured us all with growing up.
Maybe Dad loved her enough to refrain but I’d never buy a car without driving it first. Unless, of course, a billionaire bought it for me.
“That is lovely to hear, given that we do not hear or see much of you, Lord Osgoode,” the priest leveled at Basil.
“Well, I am in London. There aren’t many parishes there.”
That seemed incredulous at best.
“Basil, would you like to offer up the good news?” Baz’s father said.
What news? I couldn’t seriously believe the old man was about to announce an engagement that hadn’t happened in attempt to force us together, but I expected very little of what I’d seen here over the past twenty-four hours.
Baz, just as confused, asked, “Which news?”
“Don’t play coy. We’re all quite invested in this. It’s been probably twenty years now I’ve waited to hear this news from you. He’s engaged. He and Miss Delphine are set to be wed. And, it cannot come fast enough for I… I am unwell.”
My jaw dropped. Baz and I stared nervously at one another. I had to take the lead.
“How did you know?” I played along. “Did he tell you he asked me last night?”
“Well, he did this morning when I rang his line and pestered him. Yes, indeed.”
“It was… unexpected,” Baz said.
To my knowledge, no such call was made.
“I’ll say as you didn’t even do the bare minimum to buy her a ring,” Alex said. “Jesus Christ, Baz!”
Nessa smacked him, aware of the priest.
“That is quite alright, darling. Our jeweler is on his way up from London. I am flying him up with some options for you,” The Baron declared.
“I’d rather Baz choose me something and surprise me,” I wanted to torture Baz just a bit. “I mean, given his unconventional proposal. It’s the least he could do.”
“I could do that,” Baz coughed. “Really, Father, that was unnecessary.”
“Will you be wed in the church then?” Father Merrill asked.
“They will,” Baz’s father said. “And hopefully quite soon. I have only a few months left. I am already housebound.”
“He is very fragile,” Ellie said. “It will be complicated to have a wedding.”
“Well, then there is a rush,” the priest nodded. “I could waive the premarital counseling, but such things usually take at least six months. I would need the archdiocese to agree.”
“Could you please check, Father?” The Baron asked. “It would mean the world to me to see my boy wed his bride. And they both feel strongly that their future children should be baptized in the church.”
“The church might catch fire at the very thought of it,” Alex murmured.
Baz shot him a death stare.
Here we were—tired, somewhat miserable, and full speed ahead on a sham wedding that even the church would sign off on. Baz’s father played puppet master with our fate. I could only hope he was near death and would actually expire soon. We could pray for that alone.
BAZ
“Is there a reason she doesn’t want to choose the ring?” Jonathan the Jeweler asked.
That wasn’t his legal name. I had no idea as to what his given surname was, but I imagined it had a nice ring to it.
“I don’t know. She says she wants to be surprised.”
“Women say that,” Jonathan sighed. “But they do not mean it. That is just women for you. Can you ring her?”
“She’s here,” I said. “But she’s not the type who minces words. If she says she wants a surprise, that is her expectation.”
“What is she like?”
I didn’t know where to begin. I was marrying a woman I met only a couple of weeks ago.
I didn’t know her favorite color. I wasn’t sure what stones she liked.
I only found out who she actually was about sixteen hours ago.
I wasn’t even planning on marrying anyone—let alone a girl who came to my country house with a friend.
What did you get the girl who had impeccable taste and came from money?
She knew good jewelry and wouldn’t be satisfied just because something cost money.
“She’s very fashionable. Vivacious,” I said. “She likes to be spoiled. She’s American, if that matters.”
“Oh, interesting,” Jonathan said, not finding it interesting as much as confounding. “Well, is her taste very… subdued or is it a little more ‘wow’?”
Old money or new money?
“She’s not the type to draw attention to herself unduly.” Well, unless she’s feeling like an exhibitionist.
“I think a simple and classic is good. I would recommend a solitaire. Halos are very popular.”
Jonathan passed me a ring with a find row of diamonds around one central round stone.
“I don’t much like that,” I said. “It cheapens the look of the main stone. What is the point?”
“To enhance the size of the ring.”
“I don’t need that,” I pointed to an emerald-cut stone. “I like this one. It’s classic. Simple.”
“3 carats. Will that be enough?”
“Yes,” I said. “She would like that.”
He handed me the ring. I rotated the brilliant stone around in the light. I was no expert in gems, but this would more than do.
“Yes. I think this is good,” I confirmed. “It’s simple, but it makes a statement.”
“That was easy. And her band size?”
“She said it was four-and-three-quarters… whatever that means.”
“It’s an American size. I can translate that. We can send the rings back by courier if you’d prefer to have them delivered here.”
“We must go back to London, so I can pick them up in a couple of days,” I said.
“Excellent. Well, what sort of band would you like?”
“For her?”
“And for yourself, obviously!”
“I don’t want a band,” I said. “I won’t wear the thing. I will ask her if she has a preference. For now, let’s assume it’s something simple. Something to match the engagement ring.”
“Alright,” Jonathan said, but that did not satisfy him. “Do you want to show her the ring? I can settle matters with your account in the interim.”
I dropped my credit card on the table. “That should do it.”
No doubt I’d just dropped a couple hundred grand on a ring I didn’t even expect for a woman who didn’t want it.
I took the ring down the hall to the library where my unlikely fiancée sat in the window seat with a copy of Jane Eyre.
She looked at me.
I handed her the box reluctantly. “I have a ring. I did my best. I hope you don’t hate it.”
“I don’t even care, Baz. It’s not like I am deeply invested in this beyond what we agreed.”
“I want you to love it, though. You must wear it for at least a couple of years.”
She sat the book down and peeled back the box. Judging by Lanie’s pretty, happy face, it thrilled her. She slipped it on just for a look, holding out her hand for full effect.
“Yeah. I could manage it. You really are not too bad of a gifter, Baz.”
“Lanie, I have nailed every single gift I’ve given you!” I scoffed.
“You lack humility, so I must humble you. What are you doing about the wedding bands?”
“I said to keep it simple.”
“And yours?”
“I didn’t think about it.”
“Well, get yourself something you don’t mind wearing.”
“I wasn’t planning on wearing one,” I said.
“What? No. If I am marked, so are you, Baz.”
I winced.
“Baz, do you want a wife or not? I’m not asking you for anything beyond what we’ve discussed. I don’t even expect fidelity, but I do expect you to try not to embarrass me too much.”
“Okay,” I agreed, rolling over on my first hill to die on.
This wasn’t the place to fight with her. I could wear it when she was around or I was in public, at least.
“It’s beautiful, Baz. You did well,” Lanie said.
Her genuine and appreciative tone relaxed, but also reminded me.
I craved her approval too much. I didn’t love her.
I didn’t know what to do with her, even!
However, I longed to get a smile out of her—a sweet grin.
The sides of her mouth curled slightly. It was better than I’d expected six hours ago.
“I’m still so sorry, darling,” I said.
“I know. I am, too,” Lanie said. “It’s a hot fucking mess, but this ring isn’t. And you were so sweet to play along.”
“For you, anything,” I said. And I meant it.
She gave a cheeky grin. “Well, I will remember that.”
The way she looked at me was uncomfortable. She added to it by slightly biting her lip. I wanted to think about anything but that right now.
I cleared my throat. “I need it back, though, because he must resize it. I’m sure you will get it back soon.”
“Okay,” Lanie handed it back. “Well done.”
I smiled, then left her, unsure how to tell her that I did it because I cared about her.
I didn’t want things to feel like this. I also couldn’t imagine what things would feel like if she wasn’t here with me.
Without her agreement, I’d have lost a great deal—we all would have.
She did this for my family as well as hers. I owed her the world.
I returned to the drawing room and handed the ring back.
“Was the lady satisfied?”
“Very,” I answered. “And my ring… I uh… make mine match hers—a thicker band, keep it simple. Platinum is fine. I don’t have a preference beyond that.”
“Good choice. They may tell you they don’t care before the wedding, but they do. Men who say they won’t bother always come back in a panic days before the wedding needing a quick fix. Don’t be like that.”
“I think this is a rush job,” I sighed. “My father is dying. He wishes to see us wed. So, it’s all happening very fast.”