Page 21 of Married By Twelfth Night
Grace squinted at the door. “Do you think we could be so fortunate?”
Ruth hit a low chord on the piano, her response unmistakable.
“Do not upset yourself. I doubt it will come to that.” Grace waited for the gentlemen to return, but the minutes ticked by without them. Ruth’s music turned into a jumble of tunes, a new one beginning before the last had ended.
Grace dusted off her hands and climbed out of her seat. Waiting had made her hungry, and she wanted to skip down to the kitchens and find something more satisfying than tea.
“Grace! You cannot leave me here alone. What if they come back?”
“I don’t think they will at this point. But do not fret. Whatever has happened, I trust Richard.”
Ruth’s brow rose in the perfect mimic of Mama’s. “You meanMr. Graham?”
“Not you too. Mr. Graham was Richard’s father. He will have to be just Richard.”
Ruth hurried from the pianoforte to her side. “Then is he courting you?”
It sounded so impossible to even pretend an answer. “Maybe,” she managed.
Ruth worried her lip. “Did he ask me on a walk the other day to be close to you?”
Grace found herself blinking rapidly again. “I—I cannot say.”
Ruth heaved a sigh. “I am deeply relieved. I feared he might be interested in me. That would have been a true devastation, for I haven’t the faintest attachment to him in return. There cannot be a worse pair, I assure you. Can you imagine? Me, married to a socialite?” She shivered.
Oh, dear. This was a problem. “At the very least he is handsome,” Grace hedged.
Ruth grimaced. “If you do not mind his narrow jaw.”
Grace balked. “Narrow? Romeo himself could not have had a finer jaw.”
“That is your opinion, sister. His face is too expressive. And his voice carries.”
Grace couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “He isconfident.”
Ruth shook her head. “I call it loud.”
Grace huffed. He was nothing of the sort. Why was Ruth finding fault with the best parts of him?
“I must prefer the brooding, serious type. So, you see, you are a much better fit for him than I.” Ruth gave Grace a knowing look and vacated the room, leaving her alone to stare after her.
What? Her sister was wrong. Grace wasn’t a better fit. Richard was fun to banter with and even more fun to rile, but this was just a game. It didn’t matter how good he smelled or that he kept coming to her rescue—first at the ball, then with Tobias, and now with Mr. Dobson—none of that mattered. She still despised how conceited hewas. And even if he was trying to salvage things with Bridget, it was too little too late.
This was silly. There was nothing to talk herself out of. Besides, Richard wantedRuth. She rubbed the back of her neck. She had merely been trying to point out that he did have some good qualities amongst the bad ones. But Ruth had been so against him that it would be exceptionally hard to convince her to care for him. Indeed, it might be easier to convince Richard to find someone else altogether.
Dropping her hand to her side, she straightened. If Richard could remove Mr. Dobson, then it was her duty to persuade Ruth.
Fair was fair.
Chapter 9
Richard stood beside Bridget,welcoming the Steele family into his home. He was tired, having rode home from a quick trip to Birmingham to meet with a potential investor. It had turned out to be an utter waste of his time. The day on horseback had left his muscles tight—muscles that had not recovered from helping a tenant family rebuild their home that had partially burned to the ground earlier that week.
He hadn’t known what to do, but leaving three children and their parents out in the cold was not an option. He had worked alongside the builder and thatcher and a few other laborers, learning skills he had never even seen before. It had been gratifying when they had finished, but now neither time nor money were on his side. Unless he received a Christmas miracle and the perfect investment, marrying Ruth appeared to be his only option. He’d finally written to his friend to secure a special license from the archbishop. God willing, he would have a cooperative bride to go with it.
As if hearing his thoughts, Ruth approached him first, wearing a pale yellow satin gown that brought out the fairness in her features.
“Good evening, Miss Steele.” He smiled and dipped his head. “Thank you for joining us.”
