Page 24 of Everything But the Earl
“But does he not help you into your clothes and take care of your grooming?”
“Indeed, he gives me a closer shave than I am capable of myself.” Owen rubbed his jaw, which was shadowed with dark stubble. “And I will admit, it is harder to get into my more stylish clothes without some help. Especially my boots. But there will be no need for formal evening wear in Wales that I anticipate.”
“What, no balls? No house parties?”
Owen smiled, perhaps understanding her sarcasm. “No, my dear, I intend to show you my home, get you acquainted with the staff at my house, show you my favorite places. At night, we shall have intimate dinners without being bothered by the need for social niceties. Will you miss it terribly?”
“I will not miss it at all. That is, I do like my more beautiful gowns, but I do not believe I shall miss the sorts of balls my mother was forever dragging me to in the hopes I’d choose some wealthy lordling to marry.”
“You landed me.”
“And may I never go to one of those balls again.”
Owen chuckled. “That is good, though. I’ve worried constantly that I’m taking you from a life you loved.”
“You aren’t. I suppose many women love the balls and the clothes and the socializing, but not me. I like quiet and I like my art.” She raised an eyebrow at him. “And if you like, I can help you with your boots.”
Owen winked, perhaps appreciating the innuendo. “And I can introduce you to my family, so if you do find yourself at loose ends and in need of conversation, they are available. My aunt handles the castle maintenance, and she’s a real character. Her name is Morvith.”
“Morvith?”
“Yes. Spelled M-o-r-f-u-d-d. Here is your first Welsh lesson. Two Ds in a word make at-hsound.”
“Will I need to learn Welsh?”
“No. My staff all speak English, as does Morfudd, even though she resents it a little. She is a widow and never had any children, although she helped raise a local girl named Gwen, one of her late husband’s nieces. Like you, Gwen has recently come of age but seems to largely loathe courtship rituals, at least according to Morfudd’s letters.”
“It’s not that I disdain courtship—”
“No, I know. You were betrothed to Beresford as a backup in case you met no one else. I can understand what a trial that would be.”
“You do not like Beresford.”
Owen sighed. “It’s not that I dislike him. He is not my favorite person, though, it’s true. He’s arrogant and ridiculous and now that he and Waring are—” He stopped himself abruptly.
“It’s all right. The night we… Well, at the Rutherford Ball, I had caught Beresford kissing Waring. I know they are in some sort of relationship. I don’t understand it, but it is not my place to get involved.”
“I agree. I try not to ask much about it. I suppose if they care for each other, they aren’t hurting anyone.” He sighed. “At any rate, Beresford has been a feature of my life in London for the better part of a year, so I have learned to…tolerate him.” Owen shook his head. “And we shall eventually reach my estate. I’d like to introduce you to my family. I believe you and Morfudd will be fast friends.”
“Then I shall like to meet her.”
“I just worry about you all alone out here when I go back to London. I do not want you to be lonely or bored.”
“I can’t imagine I would be. This is what I wanted, after all. And like I said, I am good at entertaining myself.” And it was what she wanted. They’d had plenty of time to chat about Owen’s home and what he liked about it, and it sounded splendid, if remote. A five-dayjourney meant that Owen couldn’t be going back and forth too often, so she would not see much of him, but maybe that was for the best. Despite all the lovemaking, they still barely knew each other. This way, they would both have their freedom.
“I will be fine,” Grace said, taking Owen’s hand. “The only thing I ask in return is that you stay faithful to me.”
“Of course.”
“I know I may seem naive, but I know how men are.” She knew how her father was, at any rate. She didn’t know for certain, but she suspected that he was not spending all of his nights at his club or on business matters. “Many have mistresses, and it would not be hard for you to keep one with your wife all the way out in Wales. But I cannot stand the thought of you with another woman. On this point, I feel quite strongly.”
“You have nothing to fear from me, my lady. If it is fidelity you want, I can manage it.”
“Good. I trust you. Do not betray that.” She tried to make her voice as threatening as possible.
“I won’t.”
He looked serious. Grace believed him. She did not believe they had a marriage in name only. She’d been at the ceremony, and she’d been with him the last several nights, and it was clear that even if this were not a love match, there was affection and attraction between them. And after the nights they’d spent together, the idea of Owen with another woman made her want to pluck out her own eyes.
