Page 21 of His Scandalous Viscountess
Her mother’s gaze wandered about the room, looking anywhere but at her daughter. “Oh, for heaven’s sake. What a ridiculous thing to say. It is hardly my fault if he has poor conversation skills. One can only offer so many sallies.”
Ros tutted. “Mother, do not be so perverse. You know you’ve behaved abominably all night.”
Julia tried to keep her temper under control. “He is a good man, Mother. I loved him once, but I did my family duty at the time and married as you demanded. Do I not deserve to marry as I wish now?”
“Demanded!” Her mother rose, her face turning beet red. “I did what wasbestfor you. I ensured you were married to a titled man, someone with means and the social cachet to bring London to your feet. And how did you thank me for that excellent guidance? When your aging husband died, you remained abroad, where that social currency was completely useless!”
Julia’s temper slowly cooled. She had always known her mother had social-climbing desires, but she had not realized to what lengths she was willing to go until now. A coldness permeated Julia’s body as part of her heart broke at hearing her mother speak the truth so plainly. “Only for you. My title served me well where I was, but I would have happily forgone such service in order to marry the man I loved. Do not expect any future family dinners of this nature. I would not wish to burden you with my fiancé’s lack of social cachet.”
Shaken by her mother’s selfishness, Julia quietly retreated to the parlor.
A moment later, Ros was there, her arms circling Julia’s shoulders. “I am so sorry. She’s terribly self-serving.”
“It’s not as though we didn’t know that, but she has taken great pains to hide it from us in the past.” Julia sighed and leaned her head against her sister’s shoulder. “Perhaps I should go and rescue Wolf from Father’s clutches, so we can depart?”
Ros let go and straightened up “He seemed to be holding his own at dinner, and he’s a very fine man now. I imagine he can manage on his own for a short while more.”
Their mother walked in a moment later, followed by Wolf and their father. To her dismay, it seemed the men had bonded over a cigar and a drink, while her own relationship with her mother had irreparably fractured.
Wolf sniffed the contents of his bell-shaped glass, then paused as he glanced about the room. “This is a fine cognac, Mr. Fairchild. I’ve not had its equal.”
To Julia, it was obvious that something had shifted in the atmosphere among the women of the room. She and her sister stood huddled together by the fireplace, while her mother sat in a wingchair near the window.
“If I may,” Wolf began, speaking into yet another awkward silence. “While I know Julia is no longer under your auspices, it was important to me to have your blessing.”
To Julia’s surprise, her father nodded in encouragement.
Then Wolf turned and set his glass aside. He strode over to where she stood, lowered himself to one knee, and produced a rather stunning opal and emerald ring. The opal was a cabochon with small emerald solitaires encircling the edge.
“Julia, it seems our lives are destined to be intertwined. And while our time together may be limited…to this life, I cannot imagine another woman I would wish to spend it with. Will you be my viscountess?”
Though his words possessed layers and layers of meaning, most of it couched in terms of the short nature of their engagement, she couldn’t help but be moved by the words and the gesture. They had not discussed him presenting her a ring, and so she truly was surprised. Holding out her left hand, she smiled. “Of course. Yes.”
Then Wolf slipped the ring on her finger and stood to take her in his arms. Pleased that he kept their audience in mind, he pressed a chaste kiss to her forehead and simply embraced her.
Peering over his shoulder, she saw the look of annoyance that her mother did not bother to hide, but her father looked rather pleased with the outcome. It was a surprising turn, since he rarely went against his wife’s wishes, and in this case, he had all but ignored a direct order.
As they parted, Ros, and then her father, descended on them to wish them well. With a flurry of hugs and smiles, it took her a moment to realize her mother had slipped away.
Chapter 9
Wolf fussed with the silverware for what had to be the hundredth time in the past ten minutes. The candles were lit, the table set, the linens crisp, but his mind was a stuttering, nervous mess. He would have thought that seduction was the easy part, but as he stood in the glow of the romantic setting he’d arranged, he suddenly realized how important all this was to him.Howimportantshewas to him.
It was possible he had tried to cease loving her over the years, but the feelings had never truly gone dormant while they’d been apart. And there was no denying the fact that he still harbored deep-seated feelings for Jules. He was well aware of them, however he refused to examine them too closely at the moment.
Taking a deep breath, he attempted to calm the whirlwind of his emotions and let his mind settle. There would be time enough to show her how he felt once she arrived.
A knock sounded just before one of The Market’s footmen opened the door, allowing Jules to enter. Still masked and covered by a heavy, hooded cloak, he wouldn’t have been sure it was her if a single, flame-colored tendril hadn’t peeked out from the green velvet swath she wore.
The servant quickly departed, leaving them alone.
“Good evening.” Wolf helped her with her cloak, and then tugged at the strings of her mask. “No need for this while we are alone in here.”
Setting her cloak and mask aside, he took in her beauty. With her startlingly red hair and vivid blue gown with white trim, which cut low across the tops of her breasts, she was a stunning study in contrasts. In lieu of the pale white skin common to most redheads, she had somehow managed to still retain a sun-kissed glow that invited his touch.
“Good evening to you.” She glanced around. “What a lovely room. I imagine on a sunny afternoon, it must be overwhelmingly cheerful.”
Wolf smiled. “I can’t say I have ever been here in the afternoon to know.”
