Page 43 of The Viscount's Unwanted Bride
Kate lit up, her smile radiant, her eyes bright. The expression—full of hope—hit Theo right in the chest and knocked the oxygen from his lungs.
Hell.
What on earth had he gotten himself into?
CHAPTER 14
Nerves clusteredin Kate’s gut as she knocked on the front door of Lord Blackwell’s London residence with her sketchbook under her arm and waited for a response. It was the Monday after they’d come to an agreement about marriage, and the viscount had offered to show her and Lady Drake his ballroom so they could begin planning the engagement ball.
Kate was excited to see inside the house, since it would soon become her home whenever they stayed in London. She hoped it would be nice.
The door swung open, and the butler filled the frame. He was a short, rotund man with fluffy gray hair around the sides of his head and a shiny dome on top.
“Lady Katherine Drake and Lady Brigid Drake for Lord Blackwell,” she said, handing him a calling card.
He smiled broadly, giving her the impression that he was the cheerful sort. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, my lady.” He bowed low. “And your esteemed mother too. I’m Mr. Albert Smith, but you may call me Albert.”
Kate smiled back, charmed. “Lovely to make your acquaintance, Albert. I’m sure we’ll be seeing much more of each other.”
He looked positively giddy. “Indeed we shall.”
Kate’s heart warmed. It was nice to know that even if Blackwell himself was hesitant about their nuptials, his household would likely be welcoming. She hadn’t known whether they would be pleased to have a new lady of the house or if they’d feel she was replacing someone they cared for and give her the cold shoulder.
Lord Blackwell appeared behind Albert. His expression was difficult to read, as usual, and he inclined his head in greeting. “Good afternoon, Lady Katherine, Lady Drake.”
She frowned, confused by his quick arrival, and before Albert had gone to fetch him too. Had he been waiting for them? Staying near the door, eager for their arrival? Such ponderings were likely nonsense, but it was sweet to imagine.
“Allow me to show you the ballroom,” he said.
He gestured for them to follow him past an impressive staircase and to the right, where a pair of double doors opened onto a ballroom. The space wasn’t as large as the one at Longley House, but it was lavishly appointed with a royal-blue-and-white patterned carpet and numerous shiny candelabras.
The walls were cream colored up to the tops of the windows and powder blue above, with octagonal white-and-blue tiles on the ceiling and elaborate white molding in the center with a chandelier hanging from it. Thick curtains, a shade between cream and gold, framed each window, and there was decorative metalwork forming a floral design above each that was similar to the one on the carpet.
Light streamed in, and the air was warm, as if it captured heat from the sun and held it. There was an ornate fireplace set into one wall.
Kate loved the room on sight. Blue was one of her favorite colors, and, given the way that color combined with the shades of cream and gold as well as the quality of the furnishings, sheknew she wouldn’t change a thing even if she were given leave to redesign the space from scratch.
“You may decorate however you see fit,” Blackwell said, interrupting her silent appreciation. “Please don’t worry about the cost. While Blackwell isn’t the wealthiest estate in the country, you certainly won’t want for anything.”
Kate’s heart sang. While she knew he was referring to material items, his words still made her feel like he cared for her. He might not show it in typical ways, but nor did the Duke of Ashford, and Emma was blissfully happy with him. Perhaps Kate could have that too.
Lady Drake wandered the length of the room from one end to the other. Kate circled around, feeling in her soul that this was exactly where she was supposed to be. Perhaps her first meeting with Blackwell and their subsequent courtship had been unconventional, but all of her instincts said that this was right.
“What do you think?” she asked her mother, interested to hear her opinion.
Lady Drake ran her fingers over one of the silken curtains. “This is your engagement ball, which means you get to make the decisions. If it were me, I’d keep the decor relatively simple. No dragging in entire shrubs. Perhaps some elegant roses or, depending on how difficult they are to source, snowdrops.”
“I agree.” Kate put her hand on her hip as she evaluated the room with a critical eye. “If we were to introduce too many other elements, it would look busy. I think snowdrops or white roses would suit nicely. The guest list could be reasonable but not massive. Perhaps a hundred people.”
Lady Drake turned to Lord Blackwell. “What do you think?”
His gaze was dark and unfathomable. “Whatever you think is best. I know that balls here have hosted upward of one hundred guests in the past, provided the connecting room is open, so you need not worry about that as a limitation.”
“Whatever we think is best?” Kate made her way toward him, a mischievous smile lifting her lips. “That’s an awfully dangerous promise to make, Lord Blackwell. What if I were to suggest several dozen arrangements of lilies and an indoor koi pond with real fish?”
Such things had been known to exist. Kate had always thought it ridiculous, although she did concede that the goldfish were very pretty and nice to watch.
One of his eyebrows inched up ever so slightly. “Then I would do my best to make that happen.”
