Chapter Forty-Five
BROOKE HUGGED ANNA’S FINAL words to her as she hurriedly prepared for the ball. They gave her hope. Had she found the family she’d always wished for in the Wolfes?
Dominic said they would leave at eight o’clock, and she only had a few hours to bathe, dress, and have her hair styled, but with Alfreda’s help she managed it.
After combing the last lock of Brooke’s lustrous black hair into place, Alfreda stood back and gazed at her. “You look—” Alfreda didn’t finish. It even looked as if she might cry.
Brooke grinned. “That bad?”
That got a snort out of the maid. “You’ve never looked more beautiful. Your mother has done you proud.”
That got a snort out of Brooke. “All she did was pick the color of the gown. I got to choose the design.”
“I wish she could see you tonight” was said in a mumble, then louder: “I think I will mention to your husband that he should have you painted in this gown.”
“Don’t do that. Aside from the fact that he won’t want any record of me being part of his family, at least not hanging on his wall, his reply will probably make you angry.”
Alfreda’s brows narrowed. “What’s happened to make you lose your confidence?”
“Other than that he jumped on my bargain? Or that his anger is barely below the surface again after he ran into Robert yesterday?”
“What bargain?”
“Never mind. It was just a business deal that might win his friendship someday. I’m at least still hopeful of that. And don’t make me late.”
Alfreda finished fastening the emerald choker to Brooke’s neck. The emerald-tipped pins had already been added to her coiffure, and the bracelet sparkled on her wrist. All three of her ball gowns were made for these jewels, each in different shades of pale green with trimmings to distinguish them. This one was bordered in lime silk with silver sequins. And not one decent mirror in the room other than her small handheld one. But she trusted Alfreda not to let her out the door with anything out of place.
“You should smile when you first see him.”
“So he doesn’t notice the lack of a tucker? He really didn’t like it when I wore that evening gown without one.”
“He liked it, he just didn’t like what it did to him,” Alfreda stated without inflection.
Brooke giggled. She probably shouldn’t have known exactly what Alfreda was implying, so she quickly left the room before the maid wondered about it. And she did smile, since Dominic was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs. She’d draped a thin, tasseled shawl across her chest, since she’d rather he not yet see just how low her décolletage was.
It was the first time she was seeing him in evening attire, the black tailcoat, the dark gray waistcoat under it, and a pristine white cravat tied perfectly, and his dark hair tied back so tightly not a lock would escape his queue. Had his valet come to London, too? She tried to imagine Dominic tying that fancy cravat and couldn’t.
“You look very handsome.” She managed not to blush saying it.
“I suppose that pleases you?”
She started to frown until she realized, “Yes, of course, you will have the ladies drooling over you.”
“I’d rather they not actually do that, but as long as you’re pleased, shall we?”
She preceded him out the door to the waiting coach. The driver helped her into it before Dominic could. She sat in the seat on the opposite side of the one where she had sat in the hack the other day, expecting to be across from him, yet when he got in the coach, he still sat next to her. At least there was enough room this time for them not to be touching, though it didn’t seem to matter. He was still too close, still filled her mind too much. Just two more days and she would know if marriage to him would make any sort of difference. . . .
“You will dance with no one but me tonight.”
She glanced aside at him. “Is that normal for an affianced couple? Actually, are we even that?”
“A royal edict negates the necessity of asking, so, yes, we are, which is why you didn’t need a chaperone for tonight. My mother did offer to arrange one, but I declined. I didn’t think you would want a chaperone to overhear you pointing out prospective mistresses to me.”
Her cheeks lit up hotly. “Is that what I’m going to be doing?”
“Isn’t that what you suggested?”
Yes, it was, when she was tossing out incentives to get her bargain sealed. So be it. Bed made, et cetera. She would manage to do this without snapping his head off.
Then she remembered that he probably already had a mistress and had brought home her payment for it. But just to be sure, she asked, “Did you buy me a horse? I was told you came home with one today.”
“I did.”
“Who is she?”
“The horse?”
“Your mistress.”
“I don’t have one yet. The horse is for you to ride while you’re here, since your mare is at Rothdale. Consider it a wedding gift.”
“That was—thoughtful. Thank you. A thoroughbred?”
“Worthy of breeding, yes.”
She grinned to herself and almost asked him to stop the coach so she could go have a look at it, but didn’t want him to know just how pleased she was. This bargain might work out after all, if she could just think of the horses she would be getting and not think of what he would be getting in return.