His sister assumed correctly. Their bachelor uncle’s friendship with the widow spanned two decades and was exceedingly friendly. Julius caught Gunther sneaking from the lady’s bedchamber last night after escorting Bess to her door. His uncle startled then told a rambling story about sleepwalking.
Julius had winked and said, “I haven’t seen a thing, Uncle. I’m sleepwalking, too.”
Gunther chuckled, slapped him on the shoulder, and mumbled, “Good boy.”
Julius’s father stood at the head of the table and raised his goblet of wine. It was time for the traditional Christmas toast. Conversation around the table faded as guests shushed one another. All heads turned in his direction.
“We are grateful to be among family and friends as we share these bountiful blessings set before us. Lady Seabrook and I have much to be thankful for on this day of celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior. You may have noticed the absence of our daughter Ammie and her husband Major Rowland.”
“She is the redheaded one,” Gunther hissed to Bess.
She offered a polite smile and returned her attention to the head of the table.
“The couple is expecting their first child,” Father said, “and our family is eager to welcome the newest member.”
Congratulations were offered around the table as people raised their glasses and drank to Ammie and Phillip. Bess touched Julius’s knee. Her eyes were shimmery, as if she might start crying again. He interlaced his fingers with her and silently vowed to be her rock if she needed one. His father met his mother’s eye at the other end of the table. She inclined her head, giving him a nod of encouragement. He cleared his throat.
“We are doubly blessed to be expanding our family even more through marriage.”
Whispers traveled around the room. Julius spotted several disappointed faces from young ladies and their chaperones. Surely, his older brother hadn’t succumbed to the charms of Miss Chambers-Wallace. He narrowed his eyes at Clive across the table.
‘You?’ he mouthed.
Clive shook his head.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” their father said, “please raise your glass in honor of the newly betrothed couple—to Julius and Lady Hadley.”
Bess tensed. Her round eyes reflected his own shock. She released his hand and shifted on the chair, withdrawing from him.
“Hear, hear,” someone said.
When the toast was finished, footmen arrived with the final course. They paraded around the table with dishes of Christmas pudding, silver stands bearing various cakes, and serving trays of gingerbread and shortbread biscuits for all the guests to admire. Mother always made a grand production of everyone’s favorite part of the meal.
Bess’s face was pale. He felt a sickening tumble in his gut. He suspected they had both lost their appetites.
“Meet me in the floral sitting room,” Julius whispered. “I will leave first and you follow after a bit.”
She froze like a rabbit who’d spotted a hound. He dithered. Should he stay until the end of supper and whisk her away before well-wishers bombarded them, or trust her to follow? He settled on taking his chances and left the table.
He paced the perimeter of the sitting room and checked the mantle clock every few seconds. If the betrothal announcement had scared her away, he would have harsh words for his parents. Her marriage to Hadley had been arranged, which meant she’d not been given a choice. Julius would never place her in that situation again.
Hellfire. He wouldn’t do that to himself. He needed her to want him, too.
The door drifted open. He snapped his head toward the movement. Bess slipped inside, closed the door, and leaned her back against it. “Julius, I have no idea how your parents heard about what happened at Davensworth Cottage. Gemma was the only other person I told. I cannot imagine she would say anything. She knew I played a trick on you. I am so sorry for the trouble I’ve caused.”
Her words ran into each other in her haste to apologize. Her show of nerves agitated the butterflies in his own stomach.
“Come, sit with me,” he said.
“Tomorrow I will request an audience with your parents to explain there has been a mistake. If they want me to leave, I will understand. Law, what will we tell the other guests?”
“Nothing.” He crossed the room to gently take her by the shoulders and walked her to the sofa.
“Yes, of course. Maintaining silence is wise. No need to draw more attention to the matter.”
“Please, sit, Bess.”
She lowered to the edge of the cushion and gazed at him with eyes so green, he was stunned by their vividness. “Perhaps I should take a trip abroad?” she said. “I would need to hire a traveling companion, but a discreet inquiry with an agency shouldn’t raise suspicions. After a few months, everyone will forget a wedding should have taken place.”
He sat beside her and cradled her hand between his two. “Could we slow down before we settle on a plan?”
“Indeed.” Pink brightened her cheeks. “I am sorry. I have a bad habit of rushing into situations before giving the consequences proper thought. I needn’t tell you, though.”
“No, you don’t.” He lifted her hand to place a kiss on her palm and smiled. “I’ve charged into many situations with little forethought, and more often than not, trusting my instincts has worked in my favor.”
“It never works that way for me.” She withdrew her hand; the worry lines crossing her forehead deepened. “That morning with you I… I reacted. I drew conclusions about who you were, and I thought you needed to be put in your place, but you did nothing wrong. I wanted to punish a different man—or maybe every man in my life that did as he pleased and never suffered for doing whatever he wants. I don’t know. It sounds mad when I say it aloud.”
“You are not mad, and you don’t need to explain.” He understood enough to realize she’d been hurt in the past.
She dropped her gaze to her lap and picked at her skirts. “You don’t deserve to be dragged into a scandal I created or become trapped into marrying me. This is my mess to clean.”
He captured her chin and urged her to look at him. “Will you do something for me, love?”
“Yes, anything.”
“Take a deep breath and clear your mind.”
Her mouth pinched. A flash in her eyes was a reminder of how hot her temper could burn—how passionate she could love.
“If you must blame someone for the announcement,” he said, “blame me. I had an audience with my parents this morning to discuss my future. My father remains unsure about my business venture, but he and my mother gave their full blessing for me to propose to you today.”
She gasped. The butterflies had battering rams now.
“I realize it might seem too fast, but I know you are the one for me.” He tapped the place over his heart. “In here, I have no doubts. You are a good woman who values the wellbeing of her family over her own comfort. I’ve witnessed your generous heart with your cousin, and I know about your sacrifice in marrying Hadley.”
“It wasn’t like that.”
“It was, Bess. My mother shared a close friendship with your Aunt Esther. When she married for love, she was no longer valuable to your grandfather. He couldn’t use her to become more influential or increase his wealth, so he disowned her. Your family sees ladies as commodities.”