Page 23 of The Lord Next Door
David did his best to encourage Simon and the Shelby family to stay for dinner, but everyone was determined to leave the newly married couple alone for the evening. The sisters said their mother was tired and needed to rest, so they took her home for the night, promising to return on the morrow.
He watched the good-byes dubiously. There was much kissing on the cheek and hugs and worried looks they tried not to let him see. From the way the Misses Shelby were acting, it was obvious they thought he was about to drag their sister off to his lair and pounce on her. By God, people got married every day.
But surely they knew of the rumors circulating about his family, and were now regretting that their sister was trapped.
But it was too late for any regrets.
David watched Simon escort the women home, and then he closed the door and turned to look at his new wife. She stared at him solemnly before she remembered to smile.
“Shall we go in to dinner, my lord?”
“Give me a moment to file this afternoon’s papers. I’ll join you in a few minutes.”
But a few minutes ended up being a half hour, and he hurried up to the dining room, where Victoria sat amidst fresh flowers and candles.
“I’m sorry for the delay,” he said.
Victoria closed the notebook she was reading. To his satisfaction, she did not berate him, only smiled as she said, “It was not an imposition. Will your father be joining us?”
“Since the table is set for two, I assume not. He doesn’t leave the house much anymore, so the ceremony this morning probably exhausted him.”
She said nothing to that, and he wondered if she believed him. She’d be right not to.
After the first course was served, he watched Victoria quietly sip her turtle soup, her eyes downcast, her manner demure. He was rather surprised by how easy it was to remain focused on her, when his thoughts usually drifted to practical matters he had still to accomplish that day. He watched her delicate fingers at work, and even the movement of her lips. He had thought her plain but for her violet eyes, yet the way she moved intrigued him, full of purpose, without the artifice so many ladies of the ton had mastered.
“Victoria, I know that becoming my wife has led to great changes for you—”
Her eyes fixed on him.
“But I promise not to interfere in whatever you choose to do during the day. I am often gone, or at work in my study. I will, however, try to be home as much as possible for the evening meal. The household is yours to run. You’ll have no interference from me.”
“But my lord, you’ve been a bachelor for many years—surely there are things you’d like done a certain way.”
“Not at all,” he said, taking a bite of his broiled pheasant. “I am relieved to hand over the household to you.”
She frowned, and he knew “relieved” was a poor choice of words.
“If you have any questions, just ask,” he continued. He didn’t expect her to—after all, she had been well trained.
After the next course was served, she looked up at him expectantly.
“My lord, I do have several questions, about you rather than the household.”
“Only several?” he asked mildly, trying to hide his discomfort. “Perhaps I answered most of your questions a very long time ago.”
“You know that is not true. You could borrow our journal and see for yourself.”
He raised a hand and shook his head. “No, that’s all right. The past is dead and gone. I don’t need to relive it.”
She studied him, and he wondered what he’d just revealed to her. He didn’t like to think, let alone talk, about that time in his life so tainted with constant loss.
“Very well, since I have your permission,” she said, “what do you do with yourself all day?”
Her fingers touched the notebook like a lifeline in a storm.
“Much of my time is taken up with Parliament from January to August. I was elected a member of the House of Commons, although when I inherit the title someday, I’ll move to the Lords. Since my father is so ill, I also deal with the running of our estates and our investments.”
“Do you have many estates?” she asked.
