Yes, he did. He might not have been any good with managing money, but he did have a kind heart. She glanced down at the cards in her arms. She wished she could play one more game with him, but no matter how much she wished it, it would never be. She released her breath. She’d just have to be content with these. She set the decks on the table by the bed and went over to her aunt and sisters so she could help them fill up the trunks with his clothes.
“I still haven’t heard from your cousin down in Africa,” her aunt said. “I’m sure he’s gotten my missive by now telling him that the title is now his.”
“Africa’s a long way from here,” Viola replied. “It’s bound to take a while before he comes to take over the estate.”
Her aunt put a hand on Viola’s arm as Viola was folding a shirt. “I appreciate what you did for me and your sisters. Your cousin will manage just fine when he comes here. I talked with his steward, and he’s got a significant amount of money. You don’t have to worry about him.”
Viola had suspected her cousin was much better with money since he used to discuss his investments. She was glad to hear she’d been right.
“Have you seen your husband yet?” Joanna asked.
Viola turned to her. “You know I can’t do that. Part of the agreement I made when I married him was that I wouldn’t.”
Joanna didn’t hide her disappointment. “You didn’t even take a peek?”
“No,” Viola said. “The room is completely dark whenever I go to the attic to speak with him.”
“Aren’t you interested in how ugly he is?” Pamela chimed in.
Surprised that her sisters should care so much about this, she said, “I assume he isn’t ugly.”
“He has to be ugly,” Joanna replied. “If he wasn’t, he would let you see his face. He might even be scary.”
Pamela grew thoughtful. “Yes, he could be. Maybe that’s why he doesn’t want you to look at him. If you saw how hideous he was, you’d probably leave.”
Joanna’s eyes grew wide. “Maybe he’s so scary that his face killed his other wives. Maybe that’s why he says he’s cursed.”
“For goodness’ sakes.” Viola gave them a pointed look. “You two are impossible.” She set the folded shirt in the trunk then put her hands on her hips. “His face isn’t so scary that he killed his wives by frightening them.”
“Maybe he has two noses or three eyes or something,” Joanna said. “That would terrify me if I saw someone like that.”
“Me, too,” Pamela agreed.
“He has two eyes, one nose, one mouth, and two ears. There is nothing wrong with him,” Viola said.
“How can you know that if you don’t look at him?” Joanna asked, eyebrows raised.
“I might not be able to look at him, but I can touch him,” Viola replied. “I assure you that he’s just fine. Now,” she gestured to the rest of the clothes in the armoire, “can we focus on taking care of Oliver’s things?”
“Your sister’s right,” Maud told the twins. “We shouldn’t concern ourselves with how Evander looks. It’s none of our business.”
Though the girls sighed, they returned their attention to the clothes. Relieved, Viola took another shirt and started folding it. She thought she heard Joanna whisper to Pamela that he must be really ugly since he didn’t have an extra eye or nose, but Viola decided to pretend she didn’t notice. Her aunt offered her an apologetic shrug as if to say that once her sisters got started on a certain topic, there was little to distract them. Viola rolled her eyes then proceeded to take another shirt from the armoire.
Chapter Fifteen
Viola returned home in plenty of time to be there for the Duke of Edmondstone’s visit. Before he was due to arrive, she made sure the drawing room was clean and that her chair was just far enough from the settee to give Tabitha and the duke a sense of privacy. She didn’t want her presence to distract them from each other. Sure, she’d participate in the conversation when necessary, but it was better if they got a chance to know each other. Maybe then, Tabitha would look forward to his next visit. That was, of course, if there was a next visit.
She took a deep breath and set her hand on her stomach to help soothe the way it fluttered with nerves.
“One would think the Duke of Edmondstone was coming by to see you with the way you look,” Tabitha said as she entered the room. “You look like you’re afraid he won’t like you.”
Viola turned to her. “I know this afternoon isn’t about me. It’s about you and His Grace. But it’s my responsibility to make sure everything is prepared for you two.”
Tabitha sighed but didn’t roll her eyes like Viola feared she would. That was good. Maybe Tabitha was going to be more enthusiastic about this visit than she’d been yesterday.
Tabitha stopped by the settee. “What do you want me to do?”
“Have a seat. You can stand up when he arrives. You want to look interested but not too interested.”
She sat down. “All right. I’ll try not to yawn while he’s looking at me, but if he happens to turn his head at the wrong time, I can’t be responsible for what he thinks.”
Viola’s jaw dropped.
Tabitha laughed. “I was joking. I promise to be on my best behavior the entire time he’s here.”
She relaxed.
Tabitha shook her head in amusement. “You’re the funniest person I’ve ever met. You take things much too seriously.”
“Well, having a successful first Season is important. Your reputation will be better if you do. Not many ladies want to be around an old spinster.”
“Old implies you have wrinkles and gray hair. You have neither of those things. It’s ridiculous that the Ton should care so much about how old a lady is when she marries.”
“It doesn’t matter if it’s ridiculous or not. It’s the way things are. You’ll have many more opportunities in social circles if you marry sooner rather than later.”
Tabitha shrugged.
The butler stepped into the room. “Would you like me to bring refreshments in now or wait until His Grace arrives?”
Viola tapped her foot on the floor as she tried to figure out the best option.
“Let me guess,” Tabitha began, “you figure if you have Allen bring something in right now, then His Grace won’t like the kind of tea or treat you select. However, if you don’t have anything waiting for him, then he might not be happy because you didn’t think to have something here.” Her eyebrows rose in interest. “Am I right?”
Viola narrowed her eyes at her. “Yes, as a matter of fact, you are.”
Tabitha’s grin widened. “I thought so. You’re easy to figure out. Would you like me to answer the question since His Grace is coming to see me?”
“I’m not sure. You might give the wrong answer.”
She laughed. “You might give the wrong answer, too.”
She made a good point. Viola nodded. “This is your visitor. You should do what you feel is best.”
“Good.” She turned to Allen. “I’d like black tea with sugar cubes on the side and biscuits.”
Allen nodded and left the room.
“Do you think His Grace will like those things?” Viola asked.
“I don’t know, and I don’t care,” Tabitha replied. “I picked things I liked. I figured at least one of us should be happy with the refreshments. Besides, earlier this morning, Allen told me he loves biscuits. I thought I’d let him sneak off with a couple of them before His Grace gets here.”
It was on the tip of Viola’s tongue to warn Tabitha not to get too friendly with the butler. While he was a nice young gentleman, he was also an employee in her father’s house. It was best to keep things on a professional level. But before she could voice the thought, she caught sight of the footman heading for the front door.
“I think His Grace is here,” Viola said. “Get ready.” She took a deep breath and released it. Then, for good measure, she repeated the process.
“You’re much too nervous abou
t this afternoon,” Tabitha whispered. “Relax.”
“I can’t relax. So much depends on this visit. He could be your future husband.” Then, another thought occurred to her. If he married Tabitha, he would be her son-in-law. Or would that be step-son-in-law? Just how did that setup work?
The footman brought the Duke of Edmondstone into the drawing room and introduced him.
Viola offered a greeting then held her breath as she waited for Tabitha to respond.
Tabitha gave him a pleasant smile, curtsied, and asked him to sit with her on the settee.
Viola nearly collapsed with relief. Good. She wasn’t going to joke around like she had yesterday. She was going to take this seriously. Viola sat in the chair and clasped her hands in her lap. “We’re glad you could come by this afternoon, Your Grace,” Viola said.
“It’s a pleasure to be here,” he replied. “My cousin, Lady Pruett, has some good things to say about both of you.”
Since Viola knew Lady Pruett better than Tabitha did, she said, “We think very well of her, too. She came over after my brother’s death to express her condolences. That was very considerate of her. Then, when we saw her and her husband at Hyde Park, she let us know when the next ball was. That was the ball where you met Lady Tabitha.”
“Yes, that was a splendid ball, wasn’t it?” he asked. “Of course, Lord and Lady Cadwalader pride themselves on having the very best of everything.”
Viola glanced over at Tabitha who only smiled in response. Feeling the need to fill in the silence, Viola said, “That’s why they’re the most prominent members of the Ton.”
The butler came into the room and set the tray on the table in front of the settee.
Viola straightened up and told His Grace, “I hope you like black tea and biscuits.”
“As a matter of fact, I do,” His Grace replied. “Thank you.”
“You should thank Lady Tabitha,” Viola said. “She’s the one who thought of it. I wasn’t sure what type of refreshments to ask for.”
“Well, that being the case,” His Grace’s gaze went to Tabitha, “thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Tabitha paused for an awkward moment then collected a few biscuits from the tray. She handed a couple to His Grace, a couple to Viola, and then a couple to the butler.
Viola wondered if Tabitha should give them to the butler right in front of His Grace. Would His Grace think that was strange? She bit into her biscuit with a mild sense of unease. Perhaps she should have told the butler to take a couple of biscuits for himself before he brought the tray into the room.
After the butler left, Tabitha told His Grace, “I hope you don’t mind I gave him some. Cook does a marvelous job with these, and it’s the butler’s favorite treat.”
Fortunately, His Grace said, “I don’t mind at all. I think it’s admirable that you care for the staff. I can’t think of many ladies who are so thoughtful.”
Viola breathed a sigh of relief. Good. Tabitha had done a marvelous job of explaining why she’d done this, and better yet, His Grace seemed pleased by it. This afternoon might go well after all.
Tabitha poured tea into everyone’s cups.
His Grace shifted on the settee then asked, “What are your interests?”
Viola looked expectantly at Tabitha. She had hoped this would come up. Now they could find out what common interests they shared and start to develop the foundation for a marriage based off of them.
“I like to laugh,” Tabitha said as she offered him and Viola a cup of tea.
“I can’t think of anyone who doesn’t enjoy laughing,” he replied. “Do you know any good jokes?”
“Oh, um…” Tabitha glanced at Viola. “Well, there was a cartoon I recently saw that was quite funny, but I’m not sure it’d be appropriate to discuss.”
Viola’s eyebrows furrowed in concern. If it wasn’t appropriate, then Tabitha shouldn’t share it. Viola shook her head to discourage Tabitha from doing it.
His Grace, however, not noticing the secret message Viola was trying to send to Tabitha asked, “I’m sure it would be fine. What is it?”
Tabitha settled back onto the settee and glanced at Viola.
Viola mouthed the word ‘no’.
“Don’t be shy,” he encouraged. “I don’t mind if it’s not totally appropriate. We’re not in public.”
When he waved for her to speak, Tabitha finally said, “All right, but you can’t say I didn’t warn you.” She cleared her throat. “There was a nobleman passing by some peasants, and he was three times as tall as they were. He had on peacock feathers and had his nose up in the air. Then in the next cartoon, you can see the nobleman from behind, and his posterior is exposed, and the peasants are laughing.”
Viola had to renew her grip on the handle of her cup so she didn’t drop it. What a terrible cartoon! Just where had Tabitha seen such a thing? And what made her think that mocking a nobleman was funny? She dared a peek in His Grace’s direction and saw the shock on his face.
“Forgive me,” Tabitha said after a long, awkward silence passed between them. “I shouldn’t have mentioned it.”
His Grace blinked as he came out of his shock.
In hopes of preventing the afternoon from becoming a complete disaster, Viola said, “Your Grace, I hear that you enjoy music. I think I heard someone mention you play an instrument.”
He turned his attention to Viola. The change in topic seemed to relax him a bit. “Yes. I love all kinds of music. I prefer to play the clarinet and violin, but I’m also adept at the piano and bassoon.”
Viola’s eyes widened. “You can play four instruments? That’s very impressive.” She glanced at Tabitha. “Isn’t that impressive?”
Tabitha, who’d been drinking her tea, finished her sip and nodded. “It is impressive. When did you start to learn to play them?”
From there, he gave them details on each and every instrument, something for which Viola was relieved. As long as he kept talking, the chances were slim that Tabitha would make fun of another nobleman.
Just where had Tabitha come up with such a horrible joke? And worse, did she know other jokes just like it? Should Viola mention this to Evander or not? She doubted Evander would be happy to find out his step-daughter even knew about such jokes. And this was a cartoon! That meant she probably saw a drawing of the nobleman’s behind! Viola didn’t even want to think of it. She wasn’t even sure she wanted to ask Tabitha how she found this cartoon.
Viola forced down the rest of her biscuit. God willing, His Grace wouldn’t let this deter him from seeing Tabitha again. Viola would have to have a talk with Tabitha about never speaking of another joke like that ever again. Viola had thought she’d taken care of all possible things that could have gone wrong today, but it never once occurred to her that this would happen.
Viola ended up asking question after question about the instruments he played only to keep the conversation from going in a direction it shouldn’t. In the end, she learned more about music and instruments than she ever wanted to know.
Finally, when it was time for him to go, she felt herself relax. She didn’t know if he would ask for another visit, but she prayed he would. He was a good gentleman. Soft-spoken, kind, and polite. He would make a good husband for Tabitha. Viola was sure Evander would agree if he was here to meet him. But Evander might not ever get the chance to meet him because of how things had transpired.
But maybe all wasn’t lost. There might be other gentlemen who’d ask to visit her. She was a beautiful young lady, and when she wanted to, she could be charming. Surely, this one indiscretion wouldn’t ruin her prospects for securing a husband this Season.
As soon as His Grace left, Tabitha turned to Viola and said, “I’m sorry. I tried to think of a way to get out of telling him the joke, but he was so insistent that I felt like I had no choice but to do what he wanted.”
The reprimand on Viola’s lips fell silent. She didn’t need to tell Tabitha her joke had been inappropriate. Tabitha a
lready knew, and more than that, she had learned her lesson. Viola knew she wouldn’t say another such joke to one of her suitors again.
Viola offered a smile. “We all make mistakes. This was your first suitor. I know you’ll do better next time.”
Tabitha relaxed. “You’re not angry with me?”
“No, I’m not angry. I’m glad you see the error of your ways. That will prevent you from doing this again.”
She was silent for a moment then asked, “Will all the gentlemen be as serious as that one was?”
Though Viola knew she wouldn’t like the answer, she had to tell her the truth. There was no point in pretending things were a certain way in polite society when they weren’t. “I’m afraid so. In London, everyone is strict about how they behave. We’re brought up to be on our best behavior at all times.”
She grimaced but didn’t protest.
Hoping to ease her disappointment, Viola added, “It might be that the gentleman you marry won’t be so formal after the wedding.”
“I don’t think the Duke of Edmondstone will be informal after marriage. If he thought the joke was the least bit funny, he would have tried to hide his amusement in order to seem serious. He didn’t cough to cover up a laugh. There wasn’t even the hint of a smile on his lips. He’s not the one for me. You’re not going to make me see him again, are you?”
“Well, he hasn’t even asked to see you again.”
“But if he does, do I have to say yes, or can I say no?”
“You can say no.”
She didn’t hide her relief. “Good because I don’t know how much more I could have taken of listening to him talk about his instruments. It took all of my willpower to stay awake.”
“To be honest, I wasn’t paying much attention to what he was saying, either,” Viola admitted.
“Really? I never would have guessed you were bored. I thought you enjoyed the whole thing.”
“I’ve learned to feign interest when someone is boring me. That’s what I mean about engaging with polite society. You learn how to play a certain part in order to stay in the Ton’s good graces. But there are still times when I do what I want for enjoyment. Would you like me to teach you the different ways you can communicate with a fan?”
Fairest of Them All (Marriage by Fairytale Book 4) Page 16