Page 50 of Pursuing Mr. Mattingly

Chapter Fifteen

Oliver glanced about the ballroom of Ettesmere Park with a grin from his position near the open terrace doors. Even though a steady rain fell, the relatively cool air the precipitation brought with it did much to combat the heat in the room. This was his first masquerade, and so far, it had been amazing. With the identity of most people hidden, he had the grandest time attempting to puzzle them out.

To say nothing to how beautiful his wife was.

Currently, Sophia danced a country reel with Hannah as her partner. Both of them laughed their way through the steps, and as he watched, his chest swelled with pride. They were his immediate family, his very own, and nothing could make him happier.

“The two of them are quite the pair.”

He glanced up as the earl came over dressed as the Roman, Mark Antony, complete with a red cloak and a breast plate. Where he’d procured such things remained a mystery, as did the question of why he wasn’t wearing his mask.

“Indeed, they are, Your Lordship.” It was a bit of an annoyance trying to see past the slits of his domino mask and through his spectacle lenses, but it was manageable. Once more, Oliver rested his attention on Sophia and Hannah. Since it was a special occasion and due to Sophia’s condition, Hannah had been allowed to attend the ball, at least for a short time. How could a man not smile when seeing them together? That bond between mother and child had never been stronger, even though all too soon it would break, and he’d be handed the broken pieces. “Are you enjoying the ball? You mother certainly has a knack for planning these sorts of things.”

Colorful tissue paper flowers festooned the ceiling corners. The same decorated the windows and swags of them were draped over the terrace doors. Candlelight twinkled from the brilliant chandelier centered over the middle of the dance floor, while numerous potted ferns and other plants were grouped in strategic places around the perimeter that gave a sense of privacy to wallflowers and others who weren’t in the mood for socializing.

“Oh, quite, on both counts.” He shot Oliver a look that brimmed with ruefulness. “Though, if I’m being honest, I cannot wait until the ball comes to an end. It’s not natural for a man’s arms and legs to be on display.” As the earl gestured to indicate his form, mottled red color crept up his neck. “Additionally, the lack of structure a tunic provides in various other portions of the anatomy is vastly unsettling.”

Despite the utter seriousness of the conversation, Oliver couldn’t help his chuckle. “While I can sympathize, I do admire your bravery for donning such an outfit. Was it your idea?”

The earl snorted. “Hardly.” With his gaze, he searched the crowded ballroom. “Ah, there she is. The culprit.”

Oliver nodded when he recognized the earl’s intended, Julianna. She had dressed in a fair imitation of Cleopatra, though her gown was far less revealing that the original no doubt had been. “It’s odd, isn’t it, that when the ladies speak, we have no choice but to fall victim to their suggestions?” He pushed his spectacles back up the bridge of his nose. With the mask, the glasses simply wouldn’t stay in place.

“That is exactly how it feels.” The other man met Oliver’s gaze and shrugged. “I had been perfectly comfortable and capable of making my own decisions, but then along came Julianna and everything changed. My thoughts, my wishes, were no longer my own, and suddenly I’m listening to her counsel on everything.”

“They change us, make us into better versions of ourselves,” he said in a soft voice as he found Sophia. The country reel ended, and though she pressed a hand to her chest, her expression didn’t suggest she was overly fatigued or in distress. “Honestly, the right woman makes us believe in ourselves and what we can accomplish.” When Sophia glanced up and their gazes connected through her sparkling mask, she waved. That smile would forever be seared across his consciousness for all the heat and welcome it contained.

“That is a good way of looking at it.” Then the earl rested the whole of his attention on Oliver. “You have been good for my sister, by the by. The change in her has been remarkable.”

“I don’t know what you mean. Hasn’t she been the same woman she has always been?” He frowned when a couple of gentlemen approached her on the sidelines while Hannah scampered off to presumably find entertainment or trouble.

“Don’t play coy, Ambassador.” Amusement rumbled in Ettesmere’s laughter. “Before you came along, Sophia moped about the house, keeping inside, hardly daring to do anything that might bright on an attack of her heart.” The skin at the corners of his eyes crinkled with a grin. “Now, it’s as if she’s found renewal. She dances, joins us for lawn games, takes long walks with us, quietly gives out advice even if we don’t want it. Essentially, you’ve given her back her former self.”

Oliver shook his head. “I don’t know about that. The only thing I’ve done is told her that she should live the days remaining to her without fear. It’s all anyone should do when faced with the knowledge that she is.”

“So modest.” The earl clapped a hand to Oliver’s shoulder. The jostling sent his spectacles down the bridge of his nose. “While I was opposed to the suddenness of your marriage, I can see now it was exactly what my sister needed.” All the gaiety faded from the earl’s expression, replaced with worry. “Sophia is a woman who thrives best when she has a husband by her side. More than anyone I’ve ever known, my sister is the epitome of romance and hope. She champions love, and I’m glad you stepped in that gap for her.”

Heat crept up the back of Oliver’s neck at the praise. “I only did what my own heart told me. It’s not a lie when I say from the first moment I saw her, I knew she was the one for me.” People might scoff at the possibility of love at first sight, but he was living proof it happened, and what was more, it could put down deep roots. When he glanced again in Sophia’s direction, sharp shards of jealousy speared through his chest, for she continued to chat with those two men. For the first time since they’d wed, he entertained the possibility that she might not be happy with him.

Did she regret marrying an American who didn’t possess a fortune or hold a title?

“I can respect that. You know immediately what you want and why, and you don’t accept anything less.” The earl nodded. “It inspires me.” He peered more closely into Oliver’s face. “You’ve gone beyond being enamored with her, though.”

“Perhaps.” Oliver flicked his focus back to Ettesmere. “In the short time that Sophia has become my wife, I’ve fallen irrevocably into love with her. It’s always been my intent to distract her from her fate and give her the best life that I can.” He forced a hard swallow into his throat. “However, I won’t lie. When death takes her, I’ll be devastated, but I’m so entirely grateful that I’ll be able to parent Hannah. At least in that way, I’ll still have a piece of Sophia to take into the future.”

God, it sounded pathetic, and it only made his chest hurt to speak about his wife’s impending death. How did a man recover from knowing the greatest love of his life and then losing it?

“How well I know the conundrum, my friend.” Sadness temporarily shadowed the earl’s eyes. “For years I was lost to that grief. It wasn’t until Julianna entered my life that I began to realize I could possibly find a love like that a second time.”

“You mean well, of course, Your Lordship, but just now, I cannot contemplate or even comprehend a life without Sophia in it, let alone entertain the thought of marrying again.” The steady sound of the rain in the open terrace doors brought him back into the moment, and for the time being, his wife was still very alive and frankly the most beautiful creature he’d ever seen. “I’m not going to talk as if she’s already gone. That’s not fair to either of us.”

“Fair enough, and I quite understand.” The earl offered a small smile. “Thank you for what you’ve done for her. I wish I had words of wisdom to give you, for lesser men would have paled and not made the sacrifice at all knowing there wouldn’t be a future. We all should live by your example, Ambassador.”

“You flatter me.” He put his spectacles back into place. Damned mask.

“I speak the truth.” The earl’s expression brightened, for Sophia had moved their way and was nearly upon them. “You are an honorary Winterbourne, and I don’t say that lightly.”

There was no time for a reply.

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