He just had to be firm as he gave it. He couldn’t leave any room for arguments. Celia had to know he was happy with the choice he made, and that was that. There was no changing anything. If she couldn’t be happy for him, then that was her problem. He wasn’t going to let it dissuade him from enjoying what he and Damara had.
He glanced out the carriage window. Celia would be expecting him any day now since this was the usual time they came back to London. He took a deep breath. Firm. All he had to do was be firm. Celia would just have to accept things.
He turned his attention to Damara and gave her a kiss. However upset Celia was, it was worth it. There was no one better matched for him than the lovely lady sitting next to him. Thanks to her, he didn’t have to dread the rest of his life.
The footman opened the carriage door, and Anthony escorted Damara out, wondering if Celia was watching them from one of the windows. On impulse, he scanned them, but he didn’t see anyone peering out of them. So most likely, Celia wasn’t even aware they’d arrived. Or, perhaps, she was visiting one of her friends. That could very well be the case, too.
“One of the first things we need to do is get you your own clothes,” he whispered to Damara as they went up the steps to the townhouse.
“Don’t worry. I won’t sneak into your sister’s bedchamber to steal her things,” Damara promised.
He smiled at her joke. She was funny. There was no denying that. Maybe her sense of humor could smooth out any hard feelings his sister might have over this marriage.
The footman opened the door, and Anthony followed Damara into the entryway, listening for the familiar footsteps of his sister. But all was quiet.
He turned to the butler. “Is my sister here?” Anthony asked.
“No,” he replied. “She went to visit Lady Eloise.”
He frowned. “Oh.”
If that was the case, then his sister would be gone until it was time for dinner. He supposed he should have been relieved. This gave him time to show Damara around the place, introduce her to the staff, and get everything arranged for her bedchamber. But it also meant he couldn’t just get the matter with Celia resolved.
Well, there was no sense in worrying for the whole day. Anthony turned to Damara. “This is my wife,” he told the butler. “Arrange for the maid to get her bedchamber ready, and tell her she’ll be filling in for the duty of lady’s maid for the time being.”
The butler nodded and hurried to do as he requested. Anthony turned to Damara. “After I show you around and introduce you to the staff, we’ll go to the dress shop. I’ll talk to my sister later.”
From there, he made sure everyone knew she was his wife and, therefore, the new mistress of the place. The process went smoothly, and he sensed Damara wouldn’t have any trouble fitting into her new life, just as she’d slipped naturally into her role at the country estate.
He’d heard that some marriages had a rough start as the couple adjusted to each other, but that wasn’t the case with him and Damara. He couldn’t have asked for a smoother transition from bachelor to husband. The only possible ripple would come from Celia.
It took a great deal of effort to put his sister out of his mind as he accompanied Damara to the dress shops. Under other circumstances, he doubted he would have enjoyed watching a lady try on different clothes. He certainly would never have liked tagging along if it’d been Loretta.
But he was still eager to spend as much time with his bride as possible, so he willingly watched as ladies swarmed around Damara to make sure she had a wardrobe suitable for a viscountess. By the time they were done, it was almost time for dinner.
“You’ll want to get more dresses over the course of the Season, but what you have now is a good start,” he told Damara as they left the last dress shop.
“You’re going to spoil me,” she replied, glancing at all the boxes the footman and coachman were loading into the carriage.
“If I can’t spoil my wife, who can I spoil?” he teased then squeezed her hand affectionately. “Besides, you saw all the clothes my sister had at the estate. She has nearly as much at the townhouse. Compared to her, you barely have anything at all.”
“Your sister’s very fortunate to have a brother who treats her so well.”
“And if I treat her well, have no doubt that I’ll do the same for you.”
She smiled at him in a way that made his heart warm. It was enough to almost make him forget all about his sister. Almost. Whether he liked it or not, he still had to contend with her.
And that moment came as soon as they arrived at the townhouse. This time his sister didn’t even wait for the footman to open the door. She opened it herself and stepped outside to meet them.
“I didn’t know you were coming into London today,” Celia said. “If I had known, I would have been here when you two arrived.”
Her gaze went to Damara at that point, and Anthony held his breath as he struggled for the best way to introduce them. “Um…” He glanced at Damara. “That’s Celia, my sister.” Chances were, she had already deducted that, but he had to say something, and it was the first thing that came to mind. “Celia, this is my wife, Damara.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Damara said, offering Celia a wide smile. “Anthony had so many nice things to say about you. It’s nice to put a face with a name.”
Celia smiled in return. “Yes, the butler told me that my brother married. I have to say, I was surprised.”
“Celia,” Anthony began when he was finally able to remember the speech he’d painstakingly rehearsed, “can we talk in the den?”
“Of course,” Celia replied.
She went back into the house, and Anthony and Damara followed. The footman and coachman came in after them, carrying some of the boxes that contained Damara’s new clothes.
The butler headed out to the carriage to bring in some more of the boxes. He hadn’t realized how many things he’d purchased until he saw the way Celia was eyeing everything the servants were taking upstairs.
“Damara, would you mind if my sister and I talk?” Anthony asked, dragging his attention off of the stunned expression on his sister’s face.
“No, I don’t mind.” Damara gave him an encouraging smile then left him and Celia alone in the hallway.
Before Celia could say anything, he led her to the den. She was in shock. That was to be expected. He should have sent her a missive ahead of time to warn her that he’d taken a bride. It was a lack of judgment on his part. With all the excitement, he hadn’t given any thought to writing anything.
He shut the door and turned to his sister. “I know I should have sent you word about Damara. I had all autumn and winter. But the truth is, I didn’t know what to say. I had promised to marry your friend, and I knew the news would upset you. Not that I blame you,” he quickly added before she had a chance to say anything. “I had every intention of marrying Loretta when I left London, but I met Damara and…and…” He straightened his shoulders. “Well, I married her, and I’m glad I did. With her, I have what our grandparents did. A love match.” Since she didn’t say anything, his eyebrows furrowed. “Are you upset?”
Her stunned expression softened, and she smiled. “No, I’m not upset. Shocked, yes. No one would have suspected you were the type to run off and elope.”
“No, I’m not.” And under ordinary circumstances, he never would have done anything so rash.
“I can tell you love her.”
“Yes, I do. I didn’t expect that of a marriage. I had expected it to be something done out of duty, or to save your friend from financial ruin.” He shifted from one foot to another. Since he was making his confession, he might as well come out with everything. “I didn’t care for Loretta. I would have married her, but it would only have been because of you. You know I don’t want to do anything to hurt you. I understand you’re worried about Loretta, but we can find someone to help her family. There are plenty of wealthy gentlemen looking for a wife. I’ll talk to the bachelo
rs at White’s, and I’ll go to the balls with you and see who I can find. I’ll make it up to you.”
She laughed and shook her head. “Anthony, you mustn’t act like this. I’m happy for you. Truly, I am.”
Not sure he heard her right, he asked, “You are?”
“Yes. You’re my brother, and I want you to be happy. I remember our grandparents and how happy they were. I only suggested the match between you and Loretta because she’s been in love with you for two years, and I thought since she loved you, you two would eventually have something as precious as our grandparents did.”
“No, I don’t think we would have. I’m sorry, Celia, but I don’t love Loretta, and to be honest, even if I had married her, that wouldn’t have changed. I don’t think these things can be forced. You either love someone or you don’t.”
His sister closed the distance between them and gave him a hug. “I understand. There’s no need to be sorry. You can’t help how you feel.”
Relieved, he relaxed. “Thank you.”
She released him and gave him a teasing smile, “Now that you’ve been absolved from guilt, I’m going to hold you to your promise. You said you’d help me find a wealthy gentleman for my friend.”
“Yes, and I’ll do that.”
“And I want it to happen before the Season is over. This is very important.”
“Finding Loretta a husband will be my main goal this Season. I’ll go to White’s tomorrow and start looking for suitable bachelors.” Since she seemed content with their arrangement, he ventured, “Would you like to get better acquainted with Damara?”
“I’d love to.” She slipped her arm around his. “I must find out what was so fascinating about her that you had to marry her on a whim.”
With a smile, he led her to the door. “I don’t think it’ll take long for you to find out. She’s sweet and kind. I believe you two could be friends, if you’re willing to give her a chance.”
“Of course, I will. Anyone important to you is important to me.”
He studied her again, just to make sure she was being sincere, and after a moment, he decided she was. Yes, she was disappointed about Loretta. He couldn’t blame her for that. But at least she was willing to put aside her feelings and welcome Damara to the family. That was more than he had hoped for. Better yet, he could stop worrying about telling her the news. It was done now, and he could fully relax and enjoy his new life.
***
Damara was sipping the black tea the butler had brought in when she heard someone coming down the hall. She set the cup down and rose from the settee.
Anthony came into the drawing room, his sister holding onto his arm. The two were close. There was no denying that. And that was good. Maybe it would make things easier between her and Celia.
“I told my sister the good news,” Anthony said as he slipped his arm out of Celia’s and went over to her. He touched the small of her back and kissed her cheek. “She’s happy for us.”
“Yes, I am,” Celia replied as she poured tea into two more cups. “I can see you two love each other.”
“We do,” Damara assured her. “Anthony’s the most wonderful gentleman in all the world.”
Celia smiled and handed Anthony a cup of tea before picking up her own. “I won’t argue with you about that.”
Since Celia sat down in a chair, Damara took that as her cue to return to the settee. Anthony sat on the settee with Damara, slipping his arm around her waist. Glad for his support, she reached forward and picked up her cup.
“Tell me, Damara,” Celia said after she took a sip of her tea, “how did you and my brother meet?”
Damara glanced at Anthony. So he didn’t tell her?
As if he could read her mind, Anthony said, “I only told her I met you on my way to the estate and that I married you.”
Did that mean he wanted her to fill in the rest of the story? Damara shifted on the settee. How much did she really want others to know about their meeting? She couldn’t come out and say she approached him in an act of desperation. That would lead to a lot of other questions, and it’d been awkward enough to avoid telling Anthony anything more than she already had.
“Actually, there’s not much to it,” Damara slowly began, going over each word before she said it. “I happened to be in one of the towns your brother went to on the way to his estate—that is, Hamilton. As we talked, I realized I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him.”
It wasn’t the exact truth, but it was close enough. She glanced at Anthony, who seemed pleased with her answer.
“I wouldn’t have wanted to marry anyone else,” Damara added. And that was the truth. Fortune had been on her side the day she met him.
“Were your parents or another relative also heading for the country when you two met in town?” Celia asked.
No, Damara had not been heading for the country. She was actually leaving it. But that would also bring up some unpleasant questions. “It was because of my parents that I ended up in the same town your brother happened to be in.” In a roundabout way. She noted the curious expression on Anthony’s face, so she quickly added, “I was taking a walk, and that’s when we met. There’s nothing more to it than that. It was fate that brought us together.”
“It sounds romantic,” Celia replied.
“It was.”
“So when did you marry?”
There was no getting out of this one. Damara was going to have to answer this honestly. “That same night.”
Celia, who was about to take another sip of her tea, put the cup down on the lap and stared at Damara with wide eyes. “Do you mean to tell me that you two married the same day you met?”
“You can’t say I made a bad decision,” Anthony spoke up with a chuckle. “As you said, it’s obvious that we love each other. Sometimes you meet the right person, and everything falls into place.”
“Well, yes, I suppose,” Celia replied, her gaze going from Anthony to Damara and then back again. “It just seems rather sudden. I mean, you two could have given it one night to think about.”
“I think you can just know when you meet the one you’re meant to be with,” Anthony said. “There was an initial attraction between us, and things just fell into place so easily. It felt right to marry her immediately. I never experienced that with any other lady.”
Taking that as her cue, Damara added, “And I never experienced that with any other gentleman.”
“Besides,” he said, “you can’t argue with the result.” He squeezed Damara’s waist. “She completes me.”
After a moment, Celia smiled. “I’ve never believed in love at first sight, but you’re right, Anthony. I can’t argue with the result.” She took a sip of her tea then cleared her throat. “Tell me, Damara, where is your parents’ estate?”
Damara forced herself to sip some tea in an attempt to look at ease. If she gave away the fact that Celia’s questions were making her nervous, it’d only make her look suspicious.
“Oh, they live a good four days’ journey from London,” Damara said. “But enough about me. I’d like to get to know something about you, Celia. You’re my husband’s sister, after all.”
Celia laughed. “You’re his wife. That makes you far more interesting than I am. We can talk about me soon enough. Right now, I’d like to know more about the wonderful lady my brother married. You said your parents’ estate is a four days’ journey from here. What is their estate called?”
Under ordinary circumstances, Damara would never purposely soil a dress, but in this case, she found no suitable way to avoid this topic. Gripping the handle on her cup, she began, “Their estate is called….” She looked down at the floor, let out a shriek, and spilled her tea all over herself. She bolted up and squirmed away from the settee.
“What is it?” Anthony asked, searching the floor for what had disturbed her.
“A mouse. Or a bug. Something passed by my feet,” Damara lied, making sure to add a slight shaky tone to her voice.
“Well, no. It scampered over my feet so fast,” Damara replied.
“I’ll have the butler come in to check the room,” Anthony said.
“While you do that, I should change,” Damara quickly replied, not wanting to give Celia another chance to ask her about her parents.
After she excused herself, she hurried out of the room. The reprieve was a temporary one. Damara wasn’t foolish enough to believe Celia wouldn’t keep asking about her past. Unlike Anthony, Celia couldn’t be distracted. And that could very well pose a problem she hadn’t anticipated. It might have been easier if Celia had been too upset over her marriage to Anthony to talk to her. At least then, Celia wouldn’t want to talk to her. But as it was, she did, and Damara needed to figure something out so she didn’t have to answer Celia’s questions.
Chapter Eleven
Once Anthony had the butler set up traps in case there was a mouse hiding in the townhouse, he went to see if Damara was all right. The poor thing had been so frightened. It reminded him of that evening at the estate when he’d spooked her. He had no idea a lady could be scared so easily. The only thing that frightened his sister was the thought of being seen in the same dress another lady was wearing at the ball.
The differences between Damara and Celia were quite remarkable. One such difference just happened to be how ready they were to talk about their pasts. His sister would tell anyone anything they wanted to know about her. Damara, however, was a very private person.
But there might be a good reason for it. Anthony hadn’t thought too much over the day he and Damara met since he’d married her. Yes, something had prompted her to wait for a carriage so she could make a bargain with a gentleman.
From time to time, he did think about it, but it was easy to forget those inquiries whenever she was near. What gentleman in his right mind could think of such things when there were other, more important, things to tend to, like holding and kissing her? He’d have to be made of stone to not get swept up in the moment and then make love to her.
The Viscount's Runaway Bride (Marriage by Bargain Book 1) Page 8