by Aria Norton
“Yes, yes, of course. Did you help Martha make these? I know that you excel in making light and crispy pastry.”
“I did. Or rather, I made the crust, and she did the fillings.”
He took a bite, making an appreciative sound. “Delicious. You will have to teach Martha for Mother’s sake. She will miss your cooking once we leave.”
“Leave where?”
She enjoyed living here and didn’t want to leave. Most importantly, she didn’t want to be left alone with Carlos. Lydia was a sort of shield, a comforting presence that calmed her tumultuous thoughts.
“We will not be leaving yet, not until you decide on the house you wish to live in. Perhaps we can take a trip with Mother to all the houses, and she can help you choose the best one.”
Including his mother was for her benefit. He is different from any man I have met, including our servants. I do not think I have met a more thoughtful person. I cannot decide if he is the ruthless man who married me against my will or a good husband who tries to make me happy and comfortable.
“That seems like a good idea, although I do not mind staying here. At least I will have someone to keep me company when you leave.”
He was a merchant; it went without saying that he would have to leave for work eventually.
“That will not be for some time, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Mother tells me that your eighteenth birthday is nearly at hand. Do you wish to do anything special?”
Beyond mentioning it to Lydia when she had asked about it, Aurora had not thought about it. Typically, the servants would make all her favourite foods and put money together to buy her a new book or some art supplies. Her painting skills were nothing to boast about, but she did enjoy it. I do not want him doing anything special for me, or he might think that I have forgiven him.
“I do not need anything from you, thank you. You have given me enough as it is.”
She felt a twinge of guilt when his eyes fell, but she busied herself with taking another pastry and biting into it. I’m not a person who takes pleasure in hurting others, but I have no other choice. Being married to him was not as bad as she had initially believed it would be, but that didn’t mean that she should let her guard down. Carlos has not even asked for his marital rights, not that I would give in without a fight. He seems to want nothing from me, but that does not make any sense. He said that he wanted to marry a noblewoman, which he did. Is that it? Simply to boast that his wife comes from a titled family? She couldn’t accept that. There has to be another reason, and I’m going to find out.
Chapter 17
The baron’s letter was due to arrive any day now. Carlos could hardly wait for it as he paced his study, looking outside to see if the mail coach would come. Some days ago, he found out about a ball to be held in London, the first of the Season. At first, it had not concerned him as London always had balls at this time of the year, but it was the second part of the information that had stilled his heart.
“This might be my only chance to get near him without having to work hard at it.”
His father would be attending the ball as one of the honoured guests, a pleasing discovery for Carlos. Now that he had implemented part one of his plan, he had yet to figure out part two, which was actually getting to see his father. It seemed that the heavens were in his favour because, in addition to his father attending the ball, his father-in-law had also been invited.
“I could not have planned this any better. This is years in the making.”
He knew that he needed to get into that ball, but it was only by invitation. That was where the baron came in. Carlos had sent him a letter requesting that he somehow secure an invitation for him and Aurora, suggesting it as their first ‘coming-out’ event as a married couple. He was confident that the man would be eager to prove that his daughter was not the failure and outcast that everyone had made her out to be. Aurora had been cruelly ostracised by her own kind, so this was an excellent way to introduce her as a married woman.
“I doubt people ever thought that she would get married. They might even pity me for marrying her.”
They would be wrong to pity him because he didn’t feel like he had the short end of the stick at all.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better outcome, really. My mother adores my wife, and Aurora is affectionate towards her. Her barbs have lost their bite, and I have come to enjoy having her around me.”
Her nanny had been right to ask him to have patience and understanding. If he had lashed out in the way he had wanted to, he doubted that they would be where they were today, nearly a month after their wedding. Their marriage wasn’t a conventional one, but then again, his wife wasn’t a traditional woman. She always seemed to be doing something, whether it was cooking in the kitchen, embroidering with his mother, kneeling in the garden, or taking a walk with Arthur, her puppy.
“That dog is devoted to her. I doubt anyone will be able to get close to her with him by her side.”
It had been a good idea to get the puppy, although he had paid more than it was worth. The breeder knew of him and likely decided to get as much money out of him as he could. Carlos had bought the dog without complaint, but he had known that he was being swindled.
“You do not get to where I am without picking out these types of men. Still, the dog has made my wife happy.”
When she was happy, he was happy. Was that not the strangest thing? The house revolved around her, with everyone wanting to make her comfortable.
“’Tis like she steals the hearts of anyone she comes across. Or rather, anyone she allows to come close to her.”
At times he wished that she would smile at him for who he was and not because he had bought her something. Oh, she never asked for anything, but he enjoyed giving her everything her heart desired. What was the point of having money if he did not use it to make the women in his life happy?
Carlos was so deep in his thoughts that he almost missed the carriage that had stopped just below his window.
“The letter! It must be the baron.”
If it wasn’t, he would be sorely disappointed. He rushed downstairs, nearly knocking into Aurora. She stepped back, catching her shoe on the hallway carpet. He immediately reached out to steady her, cursing himself for his carelessness.
“I do apologise. I was not looking where I was going.”
Aurora stepped out of his arms, her cheeks pink. “You appear to be in a hurry.”
“I’m hoping an important letter has arrived today.”
“Business?”
“You could say so.”
She nodded. “Let me not keep you.”
She walked away, heading to the kitchen. Carlos had the sudden urge to call her back, but he balled his hands into fists instead. What would he say to her if he called her back?
“Foolish man.”
Shaking his head, he met his footman coming inside. The man carried a letter, but much of it was obscured by his meaty hands.
“I take it that is for me?” he asked hopefully.
“Yes, sir. The mailman has just delivered it.”
“Good. Give it here.”
The footman placed it in his outstretched palm, giving a short bow as he left. Carlos observed the letter with slightly unsteady hands, his heart beating fast. It was definitely from the baron, but now it remained to be seen what it said. Had he managed to get them an invitation to the ball?
Not having the patience to wait until secluded in his study, he ripped the letter open and devoured it. His father-in-law’s message was short and to the point, but it was precisely what he wanted to know. Carlos breathed out a sigh of relief, leaning his lower back against a console table. No one was ever aware of how much stress they were under until they felt it leave as his did now. The baron had enclosed an invitation with the letter, asking him to ensure the restoration of his daughter’s image.
“He needn’t worry about that. No one will ridicule her, not while I’m around.”
> The only thing he was worried about was coming face to face with his father.
“And Alba. I do not doubt that she will accompany him.”
Would she recognise him? Lydia always said that he looked just like his father.
“Well, ’tis a chance I am willing to take.”
Folding the letter, he searched for Aurora, finding her with his mother in her parlour. Their parlour, I should say. They both spend an equal amount of time in here.
“We have been invited to a ball,” he announced.
“We?” Lydia asked.
“Aurora and I,” he explained.
“I am not going,” his wife declared.
What? He hadn’t counted on her refusing to go. Though, it went without saying that Aurora would not wish to be around her kind, not after the way they had treated her. In my joy, I forgot that my own wife would be my next hurdle.
“We are now a married couple, Aurora. We have to go.”
“I tell you now that I will not step foot off this land to go to some silly ball.”
“Oh, but why not, dear?” his mother asked. “This is the perfect opportunity to make your recent marriage known.”
Aurora shook her head. “I am sorry, Mother, but I refuse to be around people who have ridiculed me for much of my life. I made a promise to myself that I would not willingly put myself into a situation that would be to my detriment.”
“But this is the perfect opportunity to dash all their previous opinions of you and gain their respect,” Carlos argued.
“Gain their respect? I do not wish to do any such thing. Let them believe what they want to.”
She looked away, but not before he caught the pain in her eyes. She says she does not care, but she evidently does.
“At least give yourself a chance, hija. You are no longer the girl they treated so unkindly, and you now have Carlos by your side. Do you think anyone will wish to speak terribly about you with him staring at them? My son is a gentleman, but he is not so proper that he will not teach someone a lesson.”
A small smile played about his wife’s lips. “Do you mean to say that he will fight for my honour?”
“Of course,” he answered. “You are my wife, and I dare anyone to say anything contrary to you. I will make sure to hire the best seamstress in England to make a dress that will be the envy of every woman there. You already far outshine them in beauty; the gown will just be an added accessory.”
She looked at him, her brow puckered. “You do not have to lie just to convince me.”
“Where have I lied?” he asked, confused.
“Our Aurora does not believe she is as beautiful as you say,” his mother explained. “I blame that on you, hijo. You do not compliment your wife enough.”
Complimenting his wife was like putting his head through the cage of a sleeping lioness. He never knew if she would accept his words in silence or accuse him of trying to minimise his guilt.
“I am complimenting her now,” he argued.
His mother rolled her eyes. “Men. When will they learn?”
Was this two against one? “Let’s not veer off-topic here. Aurora must accompany me as my wife. This invitation is important.”
“Why?” Aurora questioned. “Have you ever attended a ball?”
“Not in London.”
“Then you have no notion of what is up ahead. You are a merchant, and I am an ostracised woman. What do you think they will say when we enter the doors? I am surprised we even received an invitation. Who is it from?”
“The Earl and Countess of Totnes.”
“Oh. I once tried to pet his Great Danes and was rewarded with likely a dozen Corgis yapping at my feet. Why would they invite us? I can understand my father receiving an invitation because he is a well-known figure in the business world and England itself, but they do not know us.”
“I do not know,” he lied. “But it would be rude to refuse an invitation.”
“Are you so set on going? They might not accept you.”
“Then we shall become outcasts together.”
She smiled at that, but it was one of sadness. “You do not know what you are saying. You do not know what it means to be an outcast. People look at you strangely, or sometimes they speak behind their fans, ridiculing you. It does not matter what you do to please them; they will always see you as an outsider because you are not like them. Take it from me: stay with your own kind.”
Carlos could sense the pain in her words, and it made him furious. These people had hurt her with their words and actions because they could not accept that she was different. However, this knowledge didn’t make him want to stay away, but to prove them wrong. She has never admitted this aloud before.
“They will not judge you, but welcome you,” he promised. “Then you may decide if you wish to reject them or not.”
“Listen to Carlos, hija,” his mother insisted. “No one but you has been able to resist his charms. If he says something will happen, then it will. Trust him.”
He wished his mother had never said the word trust because it always seemed to anger his wife. She would sooner trust a snake than trust me. However, she didn’t react in her usual way. In fact, she was calm as she spoke. It appears that my wife is growing up.
“Very well. If you insist that we go, I will accompany you, but do not expect a perfect wife.”
He stared at her in disbelief. Was she indeed agreeing to go with him? I thought I would need to beg her for hours to come.
“Hijo,” Lydia called. “Do not stare at your wife so. She has agreed to go, yes? Now, you must make good on your promise.”
“Oh, I will,” he vowed. “And you needn’t be perfect, not for me. I will be proud to stand beside you.”
Whether she believed him or not, he meant it.
***
The ball was just days away, but Carlos found himself putting off preparation for that in favour of Aurora’s eighteenth birthday. Although she had said that she wanted nothing from him, that had not deterred him from doing everything he could to make it a special day.
“Mother, has Martha managed to get the recipe right? I want Aurora to enjoy her cake.”
Carlos had approached the only people who knew her well to ask their advice on what Aurora liked and what she might want. He had had to lie about his whereabouts, claiming that he had a business meeting in the next town, when in fact he had travelled to her home to see the servants. Upon seeing him, they had peppered him with questions about her well-being and how she was settling in. He had assured them that she was well, but he needed their help with her birthday.
“Yes,” his mother answered. “She got it right on the last try. She is currently putting a few pretty decorations on it. Are all the gifts wrapped? I only managed to wrap four before I fell asleep.”
He had done the rest, bringing the total to seventeen, one gift for every year she had lived.
“The others are in my study. She hardly goes in there unless you send her.”
“Wonderful. It seems that everything is in order, yes? Vanessa is with her in the garden keeping her busy with planting a few seeds. I do not think she suspects a thing, but I feel terrible for not wishing her well this morning. You know how I hate to pretend.”