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“Oh, yes, Lady Chalmers,” Chelsea added at the same time, both of them jumping up excitedly to give the woman a curtsey, all too eager to see her gone so that they could have a moment of privacy to talk. Though she gave the two of them a rather suspicious look, Lady Chalmers did not question them as to why they were both so eager for her to be away. She simply smiled and walked around the table to kiss Julia upon the cheek before she departed for the carriage awaiting her outside.
With a deep breath of relief, Julia dropped back down onto the couch the moment she heard the sound of the front door closing behind her mother.
“Well, I’m certainly glad she is gone,” Chelsea commented as she too dropped back into her seat. “I thought she would never leave.”
Julia gave a silent nod of agreement and then sat upright, grabbing hold of both her friend’s hands and squeezing them tightly. Chelsea sat to attention at once and looked at Julia with an obvious look of excitement spread across her face, looking as though she already knew exactly what the other was going to say. “Oh Chelsea, I have come to a decision. I must find a way to marry Lord Sutthers.”
“Oh, yes, the two of you are perfect for each other!” Chelsea responded immediately, squeezing her hands in return. “I cannot imagine a finer, more handsome couple.”
“I can imagine our equal,” Julia said, raising an eyebrow at Chelsea before she chuckled. “Perhaps we could have a joint wedding, us and our Tatford brothers!”
Chelsea’s elation at the idea was quite clear and although Julia continued to share in her enthusiasm, there was something in the pit of her stomach that simply would not let go. It clawed at her insides and made her feel quite sick. It was clear from the way that Chelsea’s face fell that she had sensed it the moment it had taken hold of her friend.
The elated smile faded from Julia’s face and Chelsea asked, “What is the matter?”
“I… I am fearful that he will not wish to marry me,” she admitted. Feeling as though she could meet her friend’s gaze no longer, she looked instead at their entwined hands. “He may not wish to know me at all once he learns I have been deceiving him.”
Her stomach clenched at her own words, telling her that was the exact reason why she could not bring herself to be entirely happy with her current situation. It was all well and good that her heart had chosen its path, but the only problem was she wasn’t sure that Lord Sutthers would meet her upon it if he learned the truth.
“How have you deceived him? I have seen the two of you together and I have only ever seen you being yourself around him,” Chelsea protested. She pulled her hands from Julia’s almost as if she were angry, as if she believed that she too had been deceived by her.
“I have not told him exactly who I am,” Julia pointed out. “And though I am certain now that he likes me well enough without knowing who I am, I am fearful he might be upset with me once he learns who I truly am.”
“Why ever would he be upset?” Chelsea blurted, rolling her eyes and huffing with indignation at her. “So you did not tell him that you have a huge dowry to accompany you, but surely when you do tell him that will only be a bonus in his eyes?”
Though Julia hoped her friend was right, she couldn’t help but feel that Lord Sutthers was a man of principle and a man who much preferred transparency. She could only imagine how he might react when she told him that she was the daughter of one of the most wealthy viscounts in England.
“Remember, they were not entirely truthful with us when we first met, either,” Chelsea reminded her. “It was not until the night of the musicale after they had left that we learned he was even the earl at all!”
Her friend’s exclamation helped to calm Julia’s nerves just a little. She was right, she and Chelsea had not known he and his brother were high-ranking noblemen when they first met. Perhaps he might be understanding when she eventually came around to admitting it.I hope,said a small voice in the back of her mind.
“After the way the two of you were together last night,” Chelsea said, reaching for Julia’s hand all over again before she continued, “I can’t imagine that he would be able to stay mad at you for any length of time, anyway.”
Julia again hoped her friend was right. Whenever she thought back to the night before, all she could think of was finding herself atop him in the snowdrift and her lips still tingled when she thought of how he had kissed her.
That had been the moment when she had known without a doubt that she wished to marry the man. It had been the moment when she had seen the look in his eyes that mirrored her own and said,did you feel that? Because if you did, I felt it too.
As if she saw the doubt that still lingered upon Julia’s face, Chelsea insisted, “The only way you will know for certain is if you speak with him, and from what his brother says of him, he appreciates honesty and straightforwardness.”
Yes, that sounds like him,Julia thought, nodding with agreement. Yet she was still apprehensive and knowing that she would continue to be so, she decided to change the subject, “But enough about me, tell me about you and Mr. Tatford. Are there wedding bells in the air for the two of you?”
At the question, Chelsea’s cheeks grew bright red, and she glanced down for a moment before finally meeting Julia’s gaze again. “I’ll admit that I am not sure on his end just yet, but on my own, I certainly hope so.”
Excitement and anxiety roiled in Julia’s stomach as they fell into a much easier conversation about Chelsea and Jonathan, leaving all her anxieties over Gabriel behind for just a short time to allow her brain a moment of respite. Yet she knew that as soon as Chelsea was gone, she would be back to thinking and procrastination all over again.Could he possibly love me as I love him?
Chapter 14
Gabriel had surprised even himself. Arriving at the gentlemen’s club just outside of London at the request of his cousin Barnaby, he could not believe the change in himself as he sat at the gambling tables, drinking and playing, laughing and conversing as though he and his brother had not been pariahs of society ever since they arrived in London.This is all because of her,he thought.
Ordinarily, he would never have accepted an invitation to the gentlemen’s club for the simple fact he knew he would not have enjoyed it. Yet everything seemed more pleasurable since having met Miss Julia. Everything save for meeting with his mistress, Miss Flowers, whom he had not seen for weeks or well before his incident.
“You know, brother, I have to say,” Jonathan said during a moment of quiet between games of cards, “I am quite pleased with the change in you recently.”
Gabriel couldn’t stop himself from smiling, feeling as though his brother had practically read his mind, just as he had always been able to do when they were young and in Italy. Somehow, he felt closer to his brother.
“I am pleased with it too,” Gabriel responded, accepting a clap on the back from Jonathan before taking the drink he offered with the other hand.
“What are the two of you whispering about?” Barnaby asked almost as soon as he returned from relieving himself to drop down onto his seat opposite them. Before either of them could answer, he picked up his own drink and took a deep swig.
