Page 12 of The Baron Takes a Wife

“Yes, but then you missed out on biscuits,” he offered.

“And tea cakes,” his sister cut in

“And scones with clotted cream,” he added.

“But they are all too dry for my taste.” Elena had wrapped her arm with Irene’s as they walked out. “Someday, Irene, I will teach you to make baklava with layers upon layers of honey inside.” Swallowing, she turned back to him. It still felt as though she was looking past him, not quite at him. “Husband, would you like to refresh yourself before tea?”

He tried to cover the small thrill that shot through him from the funny way she said “husband” with her accent. He would save reflection on that for later. He figured husband was a good middle ground between his Christian name and “my lord.”

“Yes, it’s been a while, but I think I shall find my way.”

Elena looked torn between apprehension and pleasure that things were going so smoothly. She gave a small fraction of a nod again.

As he walked away from them toward his chambers, he replayed her words in his head. Husband. He liked that. Husband. He could work with that.

****

Tea was more formal than usual. Elena wondered how she was supposed to act now that David had returned. It was his house, after all. Elena knew she was being too quiet, staring at her tea, but she did not know quite what to say. Given Elena’s silence, Irene filled the natural lull in the conversation with updates and questions for her brother. Elena knew she was supposed to pour, but Irene gave her a knowing look and did the honors herself. Elena couldn’t help but be grateful, as Irene seemed to know how her brother took his tea.

While Irene chattered, Elena studied her husband from beneath her eyelashes. His walk only had a minor limp here and there. He did not use the cane as much as she would have thought from his letters. And his face, his face was definitely different than in Balaclava. For one, he had a beard covering much of his face for most of their acquaintance.

And on top of that, half of his face had been wrapped in bandages. Because of his injury, he had been rather thin, and she had never seen him stand at full height. He now appeared much taller than her and rather broad of shoulder. All in all, a very well-formed man. Like Irene, he had the same dark brown hair and olive-green eyes. Both had much paler skin than Elena's, though David looked tanned from travel. The siblings shared rather defined cheekbones and full lips. Not as full as Elena’s, but unlike most Englishman she had met. She realized he must have been rather handsome before his injury and that even with the scarring, he was rather attractive still. This should have been a pleasant surprise to any wife, but this worried Elena as she did not trust handsome men. When David had been wounded and covered in bandages, he seemed so trustworthy, as he had no way to hurt her or lead her down the wrong path. But the polished and handsome lord sitting before her frightened her deeply. Even though she knew from his eyes and scars that he was the same man, she did not feel that easy trust and friendship she had felt in Balaclava. He wasn’t a stranger exactly, but she had to be wary.

But then again, even though a handsome man had betrayed her most deeply, ugly men had also hurt her. She had almost completely blocked out the memory of the time between coming back to her family home and when Mrs. Raeburn had found her, but now and then, she felt and saw flashes of moments that made her cold to the bone. She tried to push the thought from her head.

Back to David. His burns had healed into scars, and he was still missing a small part of the end of his eyebrow. She could see that maybe he would not be considered as handsome as before he was injured, but the scars gave him a certain rugged aura. They crept down his face on the right side of his temple, almost a mirror of her own scarring, though they reached deeper down the side of his face. They both had been lucky they had not lost their eyes, she thought suddenly and strove to prevent herself from compulsively touching her scar. He looked over at her, seeming to notice her perusal, and smiled. His smile was something to behold, a little cocky and quirked to the right side. It made her feel warm and uncomfortable. And yet, for all the warmth of his smile, she could not tell for the life of her what he wanted.

“So, we shall all go to the Amesbury ball tomorrow?” Irene asked, looking over at Elena.

Elena snapped back to the moment. “Of course. I wonder when Aunt Sophie might grace us with her presence.” Elena and Sophie had both discussed attending events of the season. Sophie had decided she would let Elena handle the majority as she was not very fond of aristocratic functions, and Elena was better at holding her tongue. Sophie tended to the business from the merchant side of the family and helped manage some of the properties. While she usually lived with the family, she also traveled extensively to oversee the family business or visit with friends. Elena admired that David had entrusted so much to his immensely capable aunt, though she suspected many of the men Sophie corresponded with for business did not suspect that she was a woman.

“We will all be there to support you, Renie.” Elena looked up. She had never heard David’s pet name for his sister. Surely, a man who was so good to his sister and aunt would not ask too much of her. Surely, he would go back to Switzerland and leave her be.

“Well, I’ll need all the help I can get.” Irene looked pained.

“Irene, you don’t have to do this if you do not want to. And you do not have to marry anyone this year,” David said flatly. “I can hardly fathom my little sister talking to a man, so let me adjust my thinking first.”

“Take all the time you need, David.” Irene leaned back and finished her tea. “Take all the time you need.”

Elena had a feeling that with Irene’s looks and wealth, she might do very well in the London Season. Even so, she wanted Irene to have a choice in her life and her place in the world.

“Elena, might I have a word after tea?” Her husband’s expression was unreadable.

She looked back down at her tea. “Yes, my lord.”

“David.”

She glanced up to find him watching her.

“Yes, Husband.”

Maybe now she would find out how long he was staying. Irene excused herself, and Elena waited, her heart pounding loudly as she set down her tea. She schooled her nerves and turned her body toward David, waiting for him to speak.

“I have returned,” he said awkwardly.

“Indeed, you have.” She would not look away. She would be direct. “How long do you intend to stay, my lord?

He started to correct her, but she gave him a look. She wanted to keep the formality to have this discussion.