Chapter 26
Leonard felt as if the breath had left his lungs as he watched Prudence descend the stairs to the foyer. “You… you look breathtaking,” he managed.
Her cheeks turned sweetly pink, and she ran her hands over the lavender skirt of her gown. “Do you really like it?” she asked. “I’m very excited to show it off tonight though I didn’t know that I would feel this way about it.”
“I think you’ll turn many heads,” he told her, offering her his arm. “I’m eager to show you off.”
“I’m so glad to hear that you feel that way. I did want to do a good job dressing to impress the members of the ton for you,” she said. “I know how important this is.”
He pulled her a little closer than was strictly necessary as the two of them made their way out to the carriage, and he helped her aboard.
“Remember,” he said as he got in, “the purpose of our presence at Staffordshire tonight is to show everyone that there is no scandal here. We want them to see that we are in a happy and functional marriage and that we care deeply for one another. We can do that, I think.”
“I feel sure we can,” Prudence agreed. “It’s important to me too, Leonard. I want to please you.”
“And I have no doubt you will.” He cocked his head. “Where did this come from, though? This desire to please? I’m not saying you haven’t been pleasant, but this doesn’t sound that much like you.”
She smiled. “It comes of wanting you to know what I’m capable of,” she said.
“I don’t like to be underestimated, so I don’t want you thinking that I can’t manage to make a good impression on the ton.
I intend to walk away from this evening’s festivities with you impressed with what I’ve been able to do. ”
The carriage came to a halt. She gave him a long look as the door was opened then turned and allowed herself to be helped down by the footman without waiting for him to go first.
Not a good start, Leonard thought. If anyone was paying attention, that was something that might raise an eyebrow. People would want to know why she wasn’t depending on her husband.
Or maybe they wouldn’t. As soon as he’d exited the carriage, she turned and put a hand on his arm.
An excited expression took over her features.
She didn’t look like herself at all—she looked younger and merrier than he had ever seen her.
“Isn’t this lovely!” she chirped. “We’re going to have the best night of our lives, aren’t we? ”
It was a struggle not to laugh, but he managed it. “A very good night, I should think,” he replied. “You’re sure to catch everyone’s eye in that gown.”
She leaned close to him and whispered in his ear.
“I waited to tell you this until we arrived, because you won’t get angry with me now that we’re in public, but I bought every yard of this fabric.
Nobody else will wear it all season. I’ll be the only one to have so much as a scrap of it in any of my gowns.
And I think it will be quite eye-catching, too.
People will want to know where I got it, but I won’t tell them. ”
He turned to look at her. Her eyes were sparkling. “You thought I would be angry about that?” he asked her.
“Are you not? You frequently do get angry when I spend money in ways you don’t agree with,” she pointed out.
“Well, this happens to be a way I do agree with. It’s going to make you look very good—and me by extension. I support the idea, and I think it was clever of you,” he said. “And I think you chose a wonderful fabric by the way. That color is really lovely on you.”
She flushed again. “Thank you.”
She couldn’t blush like that on command.
Most of what she was doing here was performance, he was sure—the leaning in to whisper a secret, the clutching his arm as they entered the manor, the girlish smile on her face.
But that blush could only be real. His compliment really had affected her.
It occurred to him then to wonder how much he might be able to affect her with further things he might say and do. Could he get her to blush again?
In the foyer, they made their greetings to Lord and Lady Staffordshire and their daughter, Lady Cora, who was making her debut and would be looking for a husband of her own this season.
“We must take advantage of this opportunity to get to know one another better,” Prudence said, gripping Lady Cora’s hand between both of hers.
“I’m so recently married myself, and now, you’re going to be courted.
It’s a very romantic time in a young lady’s life, and I’ll be interested to see how you get along and who catches your eye! ”
“Thank you, Your Grace,” Lady Cora replied. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I only hope that I do as well for myself this season as you did.”
“It’s hard to imagine anyone finding as much happiness as I have, and yet I hope the same for you,” Prudence said. “Perhaps you and I can find some more time to talk this evening, but I won’t keep you from your other guests for now.”
She pulled Leonard along, and the two of them made their way into the ballroom.
“That was quite a performance,” Leonard murmured.
“Not a performance at all,” Prudence protested. “I really do hope she’ll do well for herself. Why wouldn’t I?”
“Oh, I don’t doubt that. No, the performance I was referring to was your claim that no one could possibly find any more happiness than you have,” he told her.
Prudence smirked. “Well, that’s what we’re here to convince people of, isn’t it?” she asked. “We want everyone to think we are in the throes of unparalleled joy.”
“Very much so,” Leonard said. “I’m very happy with what you’ve done here.”
They were waylaid partway across the ballroom floor by a red-haired gentleman with an impeccably tidy mustache. “Your Grace,” he said, “a pleasure to see you here.”
“And you, Lord Battington,” Leonard said. “This is my wife, Prudence, Duchess of Desford. Prudence, the Earl of Battington is a business associate of mine.”
“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lord Battington,” Prudence said, offering a curtsy. “I haven’t yet had the opportunity to get to know any of my husband’s business associates, but I know that he holds all of them in very high regard, so it’s an honor to meet you.”
“Well,” Battington said, turning to smile at Leonard. “She is a gem, Your Grace. What a fortunate match you’ve made.”
“Yes, I quite agree,” Leonard said. “I’m very lucky she was willing to accept me.”
“You know, there have been many questions surrounding your courtship,” Battington said. “No one saw it coming. No one realized you had made this connection, and then one day, we were all reading that you had been married with no courtship and no fanfare.”
“I’ve never been one for fanfare,” Leonard pointed out.
“Nor have I,” Prudence put in. “I was ever so grateful when His Grace agreed to an intimate wedding without a lot of production. Many gentlemen would have insisted on a lot of pomp and ceremony, I think, but what we had suited me perfectly.”
“Well, how fortuitous,” Battington said.
“I’m glad you were able to come to an arrangement that pleased you both.
It’s the ideal way to start things out after all.
But His Grace has always excelled at all forms of negotiation, so I’m not at all surprised that he was able to come up with a plan that would please both himself and his bride.
I hope your marriage is just as easy to navigate as your wedding plans were. ”
Leonard recognized a leading question when he heard one.
Battington wasn’t just being cordial. He was trying to find out the nature of the marriage between Leonard and Prudence.
But Leonard was happy to oblige since this was what he had hoped to demonstrate to people tonight.
“Things have been going splendidly,” he assured Battington. “I couldn’t be any happier.”
“I never dreamed that marriage would bring me such joy,” Prudence said. “I knew it was my duty to secure a match, but I didn’t think I would find someone I’d enjoy as much as I do my husband. I have been very lucky.”
The musicians began to play, and Leonard saw the opening to take his leave. He held out his hand to Prudence. “Shall we dance?”
“Nothing would make me happier,” she said, taking his hand and allowing herself to be led away.
He waited until they were in the middle of the dance floor, away from Battington, before he spoke again. “That went well,” he said. “I think we made a very good impression on him, all things considered.”
“Do you?” she asked. “I did my best. He seems a bit… overly invested in your personal affairs.”
Leonard smiled. “He’s a nosy fellow,” he agreed. “But then, who isn’t? And if he’s going to talk about us, the best thing we can do is to ensure that he has nothing negative to say.”
He guided her through the easy, familiar steps of the dance, one he had done many times in his life. She looked up at him. “You’re a good dancer,” she said, eyes slightly wide. “I didn’t know you were a good dancer.”
“You haven’t had occasion to find that out about me,” he pointed out with a smile.
“No, I suppose I haven’t. But when did you learn? You don’t strike me as the sort of man who’s been out dancing very much prior to our marriage.”
“Not much. A few times. And it’s one of those things that just comes naturally to me.” He rotated the two of them, so they were facing in the opposite directions. “Perhaps we’ll have more chances to enjoy this about one another as the season goes on,” he said.
“I don’t doubt it! I wonder what other surprises are in store this season,” she mused. “What else am I going to learn about you as we spend time together at balls?”
“You already know more about me than almost anyone else,” he murmured.
“Does that bother you?”
“Yes,” Leonard admitted, experiencing a rare moment of pure honesty. “It bothers me a great deal, Prudence.”
He met her eyes and found himself reaching up to caress her cheek, startled at the way he was feeling toward her—inexplicably fond of her all of a sudden.
Was it only because of the fact that she had done such a good job presenting herself as a loving wife that he was feeling this way?
He had to admit that he wasn’t sure where his affection had come from, only that he was feeling it.
She froze where she stood, seeming unable to break eye contact with him.
“It makes me uneasy,” he said softly, “to be so well known. I’m unaccustomed to it.”
His gaze dropped to her lips.
No one would think anything of it, he realized, if he were to steal a kiss right now.
If he were to lean in and capture her mouth with his.
No one would find fault. In fact, it would go a long way toward showing them all exactly what he was trying to show them—that he was happy and settled in his marriage.
But he couldn’t do it.
I can’t kiss her like that. Not for that reason. Not when it might only be out of a desire to put on some kind of show. She deserves much, much better from me than that.