Theresa Romain: Season for Temptation

A thought suddenly seemed to seize Louisa. “James, what if I came to London, too, to keep Julia company, and I could look for bride-clothes at the same time? I could take part in events when I wanted, and it wouldn’t matter if no one noticed me, because as an engaged lady, I am no longer in competition with the young misses.”

Her spirits looked as if they were lifting as she spoke, and she continued in a rush, “Oh, James, it would be perfect. Please do agree. Aunt Estella will do a much better job as a sponsor than I, and Julia would not be lonely as I was, and you could show her around at any parties that I didn’t wa—” She paused, her gaze dropping, and finished, “Um, that I was not able to attend. Due to, er, fittings with my modiste or some such thing.”

The idea was unusual, but he considered it. Louisa was willing to come to London; this was more than he had expected her to grant after her initial reluctance, and he might yet be able to persuade her to come as his wife.

“It would be uncommon, but it seems like a reasonable solution,” he granted. “Do you think your aunt would agree to have you both stay with her?”

At her eager nod, he added, “I myself would be delighted to have you in town for another season; otherwise there would be little reason for me to go. And you are right, I can ease your sister’s path as I was not able to do for you.” He smiled down at Louisa, whose dark eyes were now sparkling with excitement.

“Oh, James, it would be so much better with her there — and with you, of course.” Her brow puckered. “But what would we tell people if anyone wondered why we had not yet married?”

That was a good question, and one for which he had no answer. He was marrying to subtract from the family’s notoriety, not add to it.

He shrugged.

“We’d tell them to get their blasted noses out of our business,” James replied straight-faced. Perhaps Julia was already influencing him; he’d never have dreamed of speaking so to a lady before yesterday.

Louisa gasped, then started laughing when his face broke into a smile. “Why not? Or perhaps we could tell them that my parents enrolled you in their livestock operations, and you were far too interested in developing new cattle strains to get around to planning a wedding,” she suggested.

“Or that you refused to marry me until my entire home was decorated exactly as you like, with fashionable Egyptian furniture and a bathtub shaped like the Sphinx,” he teased, pleased to see his fiancée shaking her head with laughter.

“Oh, no one would ever believe that one. That would be too repulsive,” she said, catching her breath. “Unless — is this the truth of your renovations at Nicholls? Are we to be transported to the Pyramids when we enter your estate?”

“I’m afraid it’s much more prosaic than that,” he admitted. “I’ve got a sound roof over the place as a start, and the rest is repairing the damage of years of neglect. My father never kept more than a skeleton staff there, and many of the rooms have been closed off for years.

“Come to think of it, though,” he continued, “it would be nice to have you put your own stamp on it as the work proceeds. You know, have things as you like — the wallpaper and draperies and whatnot.”

Louisa nodded and offered him a small smile. “Your offer is generous, and your point’s well taken. Maybe we could make a family party of it someday soon. I’d love to see Nicholls, and I’m sure you are keen to get back there as well for a time.”

“It’s settled, then,” James said, and he stood to take his leave of her. “I’ll go and speak to your father, and I’ll acquaint him of your wishes for your aunt’s sponsorship of your sister. And I will suggest an excursion to Nicholls sometime soon, whenever it is convenient for your parents.”

“But what shall we tell people about our postponed wedding?” she asked again. She bit her lip.

He pondered the question for a moment. Nothing came at once to mind, which had become a disturbingly common phenomenon since he’d entered this house.

“Well, we’ll figure that out if we need to,” he said finally. “‘For family reasons’ is accurate enough.” It wouldn’t silence any gossiping tongues, but what else could he say under the circumstances? He tried to hide his perturbation with a small joke. “Or we can just say you’re waiting for the Sphinx tub to arrive; whichever you prefer.”

She shook her head, smiling, and began to reach again for the bound volume she had laid aside upon his entrance.

“I wouldn’t tease Papa like that if I were you,” she recommended. “He won’t be able to tell that you’re joking, and he’d think I had returned from London an extremely silly creature. Of course,” she considered, “a Sphinx is part lion, is it not? He is so fond of animals, he may think it an excellent choice for interior décor.”

James smiled and kissed her hand again, to remind himself again that he was a betrothed man. Louisa pinkened again, and as he left her, he was pleased — and perhaps a bit relieved — that he could affect her despite her worries.

Once outside the library, he leaned against the wall for a moment and shut his eyes. That conversation hadn’t gone at all the way he’d expected.

True, his fiancée was going to visit his home, which he supposed was a good thing. But why the devil didn’t she want to get married yet? Did she hate London so much? And if so, why was she willing to go back again to help her sister?

He opened his eyes, but shook his head in puzzlement. Louisa seemed to be offering him as much as she could, and it would be ungentlemanly of him to press her again right now. It would all work out eventually. They would be married, and with his wife at his side, he could help his sister and her young daughters.

As for that idea about Julia coming to London with Louisa — well, it would probably turn out very well for the two sisters. But he obviously needed to check his reactions better. His attraction to Julia was far beyond what he should allow himself to feel as an engaged man. He was going to find himself baying at the moon every night at the rate he was going.

Left behind in the library, Louisa was even more unsettled than the viscount. She laid aside her book, but in case James stepped back into the room, she kept her face carefully smooth.

It was an expression — or rather, a lack of expression — that she had developed during her time in London. There had been so many times her natural reserve had hindered her, it seemed small consolation that it also gave her the ability to keep her thoughts from her face.

She could show no fear when she entered a room full of hundreds of strangers, who looked her over and openly dismissed her. She could show no disappointment when she was overlooked for dance after dance; show no pain when her host, out of pity, took her onto the ballroom floor and trod all over her feet; show no chagrin when her aunt, who was gracious enough to sponsor her, lamented loudly to all her friends about how no one was coming along to snap Louisa up.

Truly, she was a talented young lady. The ton had had no idea just how talented.

Compared to the agonies of a single London supper party, her conversation with James had been a breeze. But she was left with an uneasy feeling all the same. She knew that the very reason for his visit was to discuss their marriage. She knew, of course, that he planned for them to be married fairly soon, at which point she would be his viscountess.

It was just that when he actually brought up the subject, she was terrified. Terrified of leaving her family again, of living in London, of always bearing the crushing loneliness she’d hardly even spoken of to Julia, her dear sister and closest friend.