Page 109 of Regency Whispers: Scandalous Matches

‘Miss Pickles? Yes, she threatened to leave, and Maria had me intervene to ask her to stay. She doesn’t think she’ll last more than another month.’

Lady Westcroft smiled indulgently, and he marvelled at how she had managed to build a relationship with his family despite not knowing them at all when he had married her. His sister-in-law spoke of his wife so warmly you would have thought they had been best friends their entire lives, and his mother had chided him for not making Lady Westcroft’s life easier this past year. It had forced him to acknowledge the guilt he felt at leaving her so soon after their marriage and not even thinking to write to her throughout the year.

‘The girls are well-behaved when they are on their own, but when they are all together, they lose the ability to control that naughty streak,’ Lady Westcroft said, her voice filled with love. ‘Maria spoke of separating them for their lessons if the governess could not cope with all three of them at once. It will be a shame, but perhaps it is the best solution.’

‘They put a frog on the poor woman’s dinner plate, slipped it in amongst her vegetables when she wasn’t looking. Apparently it hopped onto her fork and looked at her.’

‘Was that the event that pushed her towards threatening to leave?’

‘One of many, I think,’ Simon said. He felt himself begin to relax and was reminded again of how reasonable Lady Westcroft was. It boded well for their marriage of convenience, and he hoped they would be able to come to some arrangement about how to live that would suit both of them.

The music started again, the musicians returned from their short break, refreshments in hand, and Simon recognised a waltz, the music they had danced to on the terrace of the Midsummer’s Eve ball almost a year ago.

Without thinking he held out his hand. ‘Would you care to dance?’

For a second he saw a flicker of hesitation in her eyes, and then she nodded.

‘It would be my pleasure.’

Simon felt the eyes of the room on them as they took their place on the dance floor.

‘Why does it feel like everyone is watching us?’ Lady Westcroft said, leaning in close to whisper in his ear.

‘They are. We haven’t been seen in public together before, and no one can work out the truth of our marriage. I am sure they are fascinated by it and want to see if they can pick up any clues as to whether we despise each other or can’t keep our hands from one another.’

She smiled then, with a hint of sadness. ‘Whereas the truth is much more mundane.’

He placed a hand in the small of her back and adjusted his stance so he was holding her close. It would be a positioning that would be frowned upon at any other time, but they were still considered newly-weds, and there was a certain indulgence for reckless behaviour. As the waltz began he remembered the magic of their first dance together and how she had laughed as she missed a step. He got a sense she was on edge now, but not because she thought she would forget the steps. It was incredible how much she had learned in a year, not least how to fit in at these society events.

‘You’re grinning,’ she whispered.

‘I’m remembering our first waltz.’

This made her smile too. ‘It was a magical evening.’

‘An evening that changed our lives.’

As he twirled her she looked up at him, her face now serious. ‘I do appreciate what you did for me. Often I think of what my life would be like married to Cecil.’

‘Vile Cousin Cecil,’ he said, shaking his head. ‘Do you know I had almost forgotten about him.’

‘He was outraged when he heard I was going to marry you. He came to my parents’ house, stood outside and called me all number of horrible names.’

‘I did not realise.’

‘My mother counselled me not to tell you. She did not want anything to cause any discord. I think until we were actually standing in front of the vicar she was worried you might change your mind, and she would have two disgraced daughters.’ She paused and gave a little shrug of her shoulders even whilst they were dancing. ‘I hear from my mother that Cecil is still searching for a wife.’

‘I pity the young woman who accepts him.’

‘So do I.’

They danced in silence for a minute, and Simon wondered if his wife had taken dance lessons in the time he had been away. She stepped with such confidence now, with the ease of someone who was certain they would not forget the steps. He did not want to insult her by implying she had once not been so graceful and intuitive in her movements, but he was intrigued.

‘Please do not take this the wrong way, Lady Westcroft, but you dance beautifully now...’ He trailed off as she laughed.

‘You mean compared to when we last twirled around a ballroom?’

‘I very much enjoyed our dances at the masquerade ball.’