by Ella Edon
“What is it you would like to say?” Louisa sighed.
“You know very well what it is,” Charlotte said simply, her voice tinged with her concern. She quickly came to Louisa’s side, taking her hand. “I find this far too sudden to believe. Just a few days ago, you were alarmed at the fact that Mr. Cooper had seen you at the ball and now you two are to be married? I was not even aware of the fact that you two had been in contact with each other.”
“I was quite drunk,” Louisa explained, the lies coming easier to her tongue now that it was only Charlotte. “What lady would be fine with a gentleman seeing her in such a state? And you did not know that we were in contact because I simply did not tell you.”
Charlotte’s brows lifted in surprise. “Are you two truly…?”
“In love? Heavens, no! Did you not hear what I said? I am only tired of being sought out by gentlemen and decided it would be in my best interest to be married to a man I can at least tolerate.” But Charlotte still didn’t look convinced, so Louisa held her hand tighter. “I know you are surprised and very worried, but there is no need to be. Mr. Cooper is not a bad man. And he has not forced me into anything, nor has he done anything untoward to me.”
“It is merely a marriage of convenience then?” Charlotte asked.
“Very much so, I assure you.” Lying to her sister, claiming she had feelings for Jerome, was the last thing Louisa wanted to do. It truly was a marriage of convenience, though Louisa was already feeling quite put out by the very thought of it.
“Alright,” Charlotte conceded with a sigh. “I will believe you. You have never done anything without reason.”
“Your confidence in me is heartwarming.” It was getting easier and easier to smile, even though the dreadful thought of Jerome talking with her father in his office still lingered in the back of her mind. To distract herself, Louisa rose, bringing Charlotte up with her. “Now, enough about me. How is the babe? And what has brought you all back here so early?”
Charlotte fell easily into the topic of her newborn daughter, a conversation she was always willing to have. Louisa listened and nodded along, tucking her arm into her sister’s as they trailed out the drawing room. She led her toward the gardens, wanting to be as far away from her father’s study as she possibly could. She was hoping that throughout the rest of the day, she would be able to keep Jerome and this dreadful marriage out of her mind, but Louisa knew very well that it would be easier said than done.
And to her utmost horror, Tereza’s remark about Jerome staring at her was the one that lingered the most.
Jerome could not count on both hands how many meetings he’d sat in once he’d taken an active role in his father’s business. He’d always oozed confidence during those meetings, always knew the right thing to say. But, for some reason, his palms were sweating as he sat before the Earl of Warwick, his mind utterly blank. He wondered idly if he had ever felt this way in the earl’s presence, but even the memory of his time with Charlotte evaded him.
“Here,” the earl handed him a glass of dark liquor before the older man sat on the opposite side of him, crossing one leg over the other. Jerome instantly tilted the glass to his lips, letting the liquor burn down his throat. The earl was watching him closely and when he was done, he asked, “Does that make you feel any better?”
Jerome drained the glass, realizing that it was whiskey, before he rested it on the side table of the armchair he was sitting in. He placed both hands on either armrest, gripping them lightly. “You must be able to sense my nervousness.”
“Sense it?” The Earl of Warwick chuckled. “I would be quite dense if I couldn’t see that as clear as day.”
“I am not usually like this,” Jerome said honestly. “Perhaps you are far more intimidating a man than I thought.”
The earl tilted his head back and barked a loud laugh. He had his own drink in his hand, but he hadn’t taken a single sip. Jerome was happy for his laughter, though he couldn’t fathom how what he’d said was funny.
The earl’s laughter faded, his smile lingering. He looked at the drink in his hand, twirling the amber liquid around in the crystal glass. “Are you a lover of whiskey, Mr. Cooper? Or does scotch suit your preference?”
“I find that gin suits my fancy the most, my Lord.”
“Gin, you say?” The earl’s eyes sparkle with interest. “Why is that?”
Jerome didn’t have to think about it. “It is quite unique. Its bitterness has a sharp tang that I like.”
“A simple answer. I like it.” The earl nodded along with his words, sipping his whiskey. “Do you want to know why I fancy whiskey so much? It’s strong. It’s to the point. You do not have to do much for it to work the way you want it to. And if you do not pay keen attention to it, you will find yourself in a sad state soon enough.”
“Are those all the reasons why you have fallen for Lady Warwick, my Lord?”
The earl’s brows shot towards the ceiling at that. “God, you are certainly perceptive, are you not?”
Jerome only shrugged a shoulder. “I made a wild guess, but I am happy to know that I could sense where you were going.”
That made him chuckle. “Well, then, yes. Lady Warwick is very much the same, though she will have my hide if she hears that I have compared her to my whiskey. Perhaps I should find it odd to be drawn to both my liquor and my wife for the same reasons, but I am enjoying myself far too much to be bothered about such things.” Then, the earl looked pointedly at him. “I assume you are smart enough to know why I have brought this up in the first place, then?”
Jerome nodded. It was obvious that the earl wanted to gauge how much Jerome cared for Louisa. For a moment, Jerome wondered what he might say if Jerome were to tell him that he was only marrying her to receive his title. But he knew that would be foolish. It might be tantamount to shooting himself in the foot.
“I am honored to have had her accept my hand in marriage, my Lord,” Jerome said honestly. “I am quite aware that she can be very strong-willed, but that is why I am so drawn to her in the first place. I intend to respect her wishes and to care for her for as long as I live.”
He spoke the truth, and he hoped that would be enough. He held the earl’s gaze, trying to gauge his reaction and failing. Louisa had certainly failed to adopt that trait from her father. Jerome could always read the expressions on her face, though he could never understand what they meant.
Then the earl huffed a laugh. Like Jerome had done, he drained his glass in one swift go and then heaved himself to a standing position. Jerome rose along with him. The earl stuck his hand out with a broad grin. “A fair enough answer,” he said, “if I’ve ever heard one myself. I will accept this proposal.”
Jerome took his hand, smiling. “You have my gratitude, my Lord.”
The earl clung to his palm, his smile slipping just a tad. Something shot through his eyes. “Louisa is a strong lady, Mr. Cooper,” he said slowly. “But she is not invincible, though she might like to think she is. I hope you understand what I am trying to say.”
Jerome nodded slowly. “I do. I will do my best to support and protect her.”
“That is what I like to hear.” Just like that, the smile was back. “Now, what say you and I do some proper drinking this time around?”
Jerome was eager to accept, but the earl’s words lingered in his mind. The disconcerting feeling that something terrible had happened to Louisa only deepened.
Chapter Eleven
The wedding planning all moved so quickly that Louisa didn’t have any time to come to terms with what was happening. Both of her parents grabbed hold of this opportunity, put the announcement in the newspaper, and started planning the wedding with fervor. Louisa couldn’t bear to be a part of it and so she only watched as the world around her began to crumble into dust.
If she dared to say something like that to Charlotte, she might respond in a poetic manner, claiming Louisa could use that dust to rebuild her new life with Jerome. The very thought
of it made bile rise in her throat.
“That is enough,” Louisa said softly to her lady’s maid, resisting the urge to sigh. She’d done so far too many times already and didn’t want to inspire any worried questions from the kind maid doing her hair. “I’d like to be alone, please.”
“Yes, Miss.” Her lady’s maid curtsied respectfully, but Louisa didn’t miss the apprehensive look on her face through the vanity mirror. Louisa decided to ignore it. A few days had passed since she’d told her parents that she would marry Jerome and Louisa knew that rumors had already spread like wildfire throughout the manor. The servants were watching her more closely now, clearly wondering why she would decide to marry now after being so adamant regarding her marital state just recently.
Honestly, Louisa couldn’t care less about the gossip. She didn’t care about the announcement in the newspaper, nor about the myriad of congratulatory letters she had been receiving. At this point, Louisa knew that many of the gentry knew about her upcoming nuptials, having been previously known her as the icy lady who turned down every suitor she had. They would all be vying to attend, vying to see if it was truly happening. But Louisa wouldn’t allow herself to focus on such things. She concentrated instead on finding a way to get out of this marriage—and decided the dinner party that would be beginning soon was the perfect place to do so.
Louisa lifted her eyes to the mirror, taking in the blue hue of her eyes that shone back at her. Her blond hair had been styled elegantly at the top of her head, curling tendrils framing her face. With a gentle tinge of rouge on her cheeks and lips, and the slim fitting evening gown she wore with lace trimmings, she was quite the vision. Soon, she would have to go downstairs to the many dinner guests Lady Warwick had invited over to celebrate Louisa’s engagement. She would have to put a smile on her face and pretend she was fine. She would have to be in the same room as Uncle Benjamin, who she’d been avoiding for the past few days. And she would have to look Jerome in the face and pretend she was happy to marry to him, or at the very least content.
It seemed like an impossible feat.
Louisa let out a burdensome sigh, letting her head hang. She didn’t want to leave this room at all. Perhaps I could feign illness. Surely Mother will not be so determined that she would drag me out of bed, would she?
The high possibility had her sighing again. There came an impatient knock on the door and Louisa quickly straightened her spine, reaching for the vial she had hidden within her vanity drawer and tucking it into her gown. She knew it was Tereza and so wasn’t surprised to see that her sister hadn’t waited for Louisa to tell her to enter. She swept into the room wearing a sunflower yellow dress and a broad smile.
“Goodness, Louisa, must I come up here every time you are about to be late?” Tereza asked, putting her hands on her hips.
Louisa didn’t turn to her. “I am still getting ready.”
“You look ready enough to me. Come on, let us leave.”
Tereza approached her from behind, taking Louisa’s hand. Louisa looked up at her younger sister with a slightly irritated frown. “What has gotten into you?” she asked. “You do not usually need someone to go downstairs with you. Why have you come to bother me?”
“Oh, am I bothering you?” Tereza’s grin widened in the face of Louisa’s clear annoyance. “If something as minor as this is upsetting you, Louisa, then you cannot possibly hope to survive the next few hours.”
In an instant, Louisa understood her sister’s intention. She got to her feet, tucking her arm into Tereza’s as they made their way to the door. “You can tell, can you?”
“I hope you were not trying to hide it,” Tereza said simply, closing the door behind her. Her blond hair was also pinned to the top of her head, though more of it trailed down her back. Her eyes were alight as she took hold of Louisa again and basically began skipping down the hallway.
“Have I been that obvious?”
“In truth, it would have been odder if you hadn’t been. You have denied marriage for so long that to see you grow comfortable with the idea so quickly would be quite surprising. Unless…”
“I am not in love with Mr. Cooper,” Louisa stated.
Tereza sighed. As they continued down the hallway, nearing the staircase, Louisa could hear the chatter of the guests. It would not be as full as a ball, but would be filled with enough eyes to make Louisa uncomfortable. She was suddenly grateful that Tereza had come to walk down with her, which had likely been her sister’s intention. Even someone as confident as Louisa would feel much better having someone by her side.
“How disappointing,” Tereza lamented. “But I suppose that might have been a little too hard to believe.”
Louisa lifted her brow at her sister. “Selina is the tender-hearted one. I thought you would have been more understanding of how I felt.”
“I am. But heavens, a girl can dream, can she not?”
That made Louisa smile, despite it all. She admired her younger sisters’ innocence, their eagerness. Though they were quite different, they were both excited to fall in love, marry, and bear children and begin a family. While Louisa didn’t want any of that for herself, she could support anyone who did.
They continued to talk about useless things. Tereza’s aim to make Louisa feel comfortable worked, up until they arrived at the dining room. The dinner was about to begin, the guests already chatting it up with each other, and Louisa knew that the moment she walked in, it would be cut short. They would watch her take her seat, would whisper about her, would extend congratulations after congratulations while paying scant regard to the tightness of her smile.
Tereza was right. She couldn’t hope to survive the next few hours.
The moment the doors were opened, it was just as Louisa feared. The chatter dimmed. The ladies, elderly women who were close to her mother, didn’t care to hold back their stares, but the younger ones approached with confidence. They showered Louisa with praise, and she could barely manage to respond to them. She had the overwhelming desire to tuck her tail and run out of the room.
Then suddenly Jerome was by her side. He moved so silently that she hadn’t seen his approach, didn’t notice him until he was standing right by her. Louisa looked up at his calm, understanding face as he accepted another bout of congratulations on her behalf. She felt her usual surge of anger rise to the surface. This emotion she could use to her advantage.
“I do not need your help,” she murmured to him once no one was nearby. She kept her eyes trained ahead as she made her way to the head of the table, hating the fact that he was following.
“I am certain you didn’t,” Jerome said smoothly. That only upset her even more. “But I only thought you would appreciate the assistance. Not to worry. I do not intend to hover over you during this dinner.”
With that said, he attempted to walk past her. There was an empty seat on the other side, near Selina and Tereza. No one would think much of it if he’d decided to sit there, since they were still close enough.
But when she spotted that dreaded head of dark blond hair headed her way, Louisa quickly said, “No, sit by me.”
Jerome blinked at her in surprise. Everyone was getting settled now, with the Earl and Countess of Warwick at the head of the table. “Are you certain that wouldn’t make you uncomfortable?” he asked.
“I wouldn’t ask if it did, would I?” she snapped in a low voice. Uncle Benjamin was drawing closer. Louisa could feel his eyes on her, weeding underneath her skin. She tried not to shudder as she took her seat.
After a moment, she was relieved to see Jerome sit next to her. She kept her eyes on the table before her, very aware of Uncle Benjamin rounding the table and coming to sit in the seat by Tereza and Selina. She didn’t dare to look up at him, hardly even breathing as the soup was served. Only through instinct was Louisa able to pick up her spoon and lift the soup to her lips, tasting nothing.
“You do not seem well,” Jerome murmured, low enough for only her to hear. Louisa glanced at h
im, pulled out of her drowning thoughts.
“Quite a noble thing to say to a lady, do you not think?” Louisa responded sarcastically.
“A-ah, I did not mean any offense. I only thought that you might have been ill. I would not be pleased to hear that you forced yourself to attend this dinner party while in ill health.”
Louisa declined to look at him, simply because she couldn’t bear the thought. Whenever she did, it brought back her rage like a roaring wind and there was no telling what she might say or do if she dared to give in to it. She felt trapped when she was near Jerome, felt as if he’d somehow fooled her into agreeing to this marriage without her knowledge. She felt as if she had the worst end of the staff.