Chapter Nine #3
The windows were tall, stretching almost from floor to ceiling, and allowed in a lot of natural light to offset the dark effect of the wood.
So, why put the wood in if it had to be countered with tall windows?
His decorator had grown indignant when asked, so James had let the matter drop, since he liked the décor and this was about providing a home for him and his boys.
“James,” Gwendolyn said, sounding tentative, “I’d like to ask you a rude question.”
“Go ahead,” he said with a chuckle.
She took a deep breath and blushed. “Will you be bedding any of your bride prospects?”
The question took him by surprise, although he ought to have expected it, since he often complained about these ladies brazenly tossing themselves at him.
“No, Gwen, it would set a terrible example for my sons. And what sort of message would it send to these four hopefuls if I bedded a different one every night? Well, perhaps they would not care.”
“I would care if I were one of them, and I am sure they would, too.”
“Shall we wager on it?”
She sighed. “Must you always be so cynical?”
“Yes, I must. There is no other way to protect myself from those who seek to take advantage of me. Why do you find it so hard to believe these ladies are only interested in me because of my wealth and title?”
“But you have so much more to offer!”
He shrugged. “You are one of the few who believe it is important to know the heart of the man I am. You’ve taken the time to know me and have shown endless patience with my sons.”
“It isn’t a chore. They are delightful. So are you, despite your tendency to trust no one, and you grumble a lot.”
“See? You know me very well,” he said, leading her into the dining room, which was large enough to easily accommodate thirty guests. “This is why you are my goalpost. The lady who manages to get beyond you in my estimation will be the one I will marry.”
“So you’ve said before. But you’ve set that goalpost too far in the distance.
They’ll never exceed it in the short span of one week.
Don’t judge them too harshly,” she insisted, now studying the dining room.
“They may feel compelled to make improper advances because they know of no other way to gain your notice in so short a time.”
“They could just talk to me.”
“You are a very intelligent man and they may feel daunted by you.”
“You don’t.”
She cast him an impish smile. “Because I am an intelligent woman and can hold my own against you. Or I am deluded enough to believe myself capable of it.”
“You are, Gwen. Intelligent, that is. Not at all deluded.” Except when it came to Andrew Clement, but he wasn’t going to mention that bounder and ruin an otherwise enjoyable conversation.
“Your dining room is exquisite, by the way. I love the oriental flower design of the wallpaper. It picks up the colors of the ocean quite subtly, as do the blue silk chairs.”
This was another room with tall windows to allow in light to offset the polished wood of the table. “Glad you like it.”
“I do. Very much. But I think what I like most is the joy I see in you and your boys now that we are here. This house radiates warmth and love.”
“Gwen, may I ask you a rude question in return?” He led her to the music room, where he expected they would have dancing in the evenings.
It would also be where his bride prospects might show off their singing talents or accomplishments on the pianoforte on a concert night.
He was sure Gwen or Fiona would insist on holding at least one musicale.
“Go ahead, it is only fair.”
“Let’s say you did not know me, but learned you were one of my bride prospects and I had invited you here with three other ladies for the week. How would you go about gaining my notice amid a summer house party, given all the competition and only having one week?”
“That isn’t a rude question at all.”
“Well, what I am most curious about is whether you would decide to seek my bed as a means to gain my notice. Is this something you would ever do if you felt you had no other options?”
She laughed. “No! How could I? I would not even know what to do. I’d make a fool of myself.”
“How would you make a fool of yourself?”
“I have never been to bed with a man. So how could I even pretend to know how to seduce you?”
Her revelation should not have caught him by surprise, because he already knew how inexperienced she was. It was altogether possible she had never gone beyond innocent kisses with her betrothed.
James had wondered whether she had done more because she felt such a strong attachment to the fellow. Why else wait a decade for his return? On the strength of a couple of kisses?
Blessed saints.
Gwen was sweet and virginal, but it did not strike him until just now that she was actually still a virgin.
But of course she was. She was clueless about most sexual innuendos.
She turned thoughtful as she gazed at him. “Is this the only thing that interests men? Do you want to be propositioned? You were clear that this would immediately dismiss these ladies from serious consideration, or so I thought.”
“It would. I was just curious how you would approach such a situation.”
“Well, now you know. I would have to rely on my charm and intelligence, which explains why I am still a spinster,” she jested.
“You would be snapped up in a heartbeat if you ever stopped pushing away potential suitors.”
“Ah, this conversation is all about Andrew.”
He raked a hand through his hair as they stood together in the empty room that had no furniture other than a pianoforte.
Chairs would be brought in on a musicale night.
Or card tables if they were to have a night of playing cards.
“No, I was not thinking of him at all. Forget I asked. I’m sorry, Gwen.
It’s just that your eyes are sparkling and you haven’t stopped smiling since arriving here.
Seeing you unreservedly happy in this moment… Never mind.”
“Has it made you angry that I am tossing my life away for him?”
He frowned. “Why are you turning all of my comments into something about Andrew Clement?”
But he knew why. She was getting ready to shed him from her life.
Perhaps these were mere baby steps forward, but her actions were telling.
This pleased him, of course. However, he was not going to engage her about it. This leap forward was something she needed to take on her own.
The music room had large doors that opened onto his terrace, and he now motioned toward them.
“There’s a nice walk through the garden down to the beach.
Would you like to see it now? We’ll picnic on the beach later, but it makes for a pleasant walk and a nice way to end the tour, with a beautiful view. ”
She nodded. “We’ve been cramped in the carriage for days. It will do me good to stretch my legs.”
Flowers were in bloom in abundance in his garden, and he was pleased to see how magnificent they looked in an array of reds, pinks, yellows, and blues to rival the splendor of any botanical garden.
Gwendolyn had him stopping constantly so she could put her pert nose to the rose petals and the lilac trees in order to breathe in their delicate fragrances. The lilacs were a bit past their prime but had not yet turned acrid.
He paused when they reached the beach stairs. “What do you think, Gwen?”
She placed a hand over her heart and smiled while she gazed across the water. “It’s the most beautiful sight I have ever seen. Oh, James. I think I am in paradise.”
James. He liked whenever she dropped all formality and called him by his given name, which she had been doing lately.
“Yes, my boys and I think so, too. We’re happy here.”
“I can see why. It is idyllic.”