With His Ring (Brides of Bath Book 2) (16 page)

* * *

During the hours he had sat pouring over
accounts with Willowby, Gregory's thoughts continually flitted to
Glee. Though she had tried to hide it, she had become deeply
wounded by his insensitive remarks this morning at breakfast. He
would have to make it up to her.

When he left the solicitor's office, looking
far and wide for signs of the pitiful urchin but not finding him,
he went straight away to the jewelers. A nice little pair of
diamond earrings should make up to Glee for his cruelty.

Acquainted with Gregory from the purchases
he had made for Carlotta Ennis, the jeweler showed him pearls
first.

"I think I should like diamonds," Gregory
said.

The jeweler's eyes sparkled. He unlocked the
case and pulled out a tray of modest baubles.

"Something more substantial, I should
think," Gregory said. "It's for my new wife."

"Ah!" the middle-aged jeweler said. "You
want
forever
jewels."

Forever.
Blast the word! He supposed
he
was
now bound to Glee forever. The concept was not only
daunting, it was frightening.

Next, the jeweler showed him a tray of
dazzling earrings. At first Gregory thought to purchase the most
expensive. After all, the girl
was
his wife. Then he decided
they were far too big for Glee's delicate face. The next largest
pair would look most becoming on Glee.

He fleetingly pictured her upturned face all
smiles when he presented the earrings to her. Would she throw her
arms around him again as she had when he gave her his mother's
necklace? It was bloody difficult to feel her breasts crushed into
his chest and not want. . .Bloody hell! He must squelch such
demonstrations on her part.

* * *

When he stopped at the Pump Room and met
Appleton there, Gregory learned enough to make him regret the
purchase of the earrings.

"So you've finally finished with your
solicitor," Appleton said.

"How do you know where I've been?" Gregory
asked.

"Pixie told me.”

"Who, may I ask, is Pixie?"

"Your wife. Said for me to give her a
nickname, and I think Pixie suits her, don't you?"

The adjective might very well suit her, but
he did not at all like to think of other men giving his wife
nicknames. "What's wrong with Mrs. Blankenship?"

Appleton handed the attendant his glass.
"She don't like it. Wants to be my friend—like you. I sure as Jove
don't call you Mr. Blankenship."

Gregory peered at Appleton through narrowed
eyes. "How long did you spend with my wife?"

Appleton thought for a moment. "Two or three
hours, I'd say."

"At Blankenship House?"

Appleton shook his head. "Oh, no. I only
entered when Pixie asked me to come in. Said she needed my
advice."

"On what?"

"On purchasing her phaeton."

Gregory's temper began to flare. "Her
what?"

"Phaeton. Just told you." Appleton's
quizzing gaze swept Gregory's face. "You do not approve."

"Of course I don't approve. A lady
doesn't--"

"But she told me you wouldn't object. Said
you wanted her to cut a dashing figure in Bath. I never questioned
her because I've known you to be attracted to women who cut a
dashing figure. Like a raven-haired woman who always wear
purple."

Was this why Glee persisted in vexing him?
He could not allow his wife to ride through Bath unescorted in a
phaeton—no doubt wearing her scandalous red dress!

"I believe I'll go see my wife," Gregory
said, bowing to his friend.

A trip to the mews confirmed Gregory's
fears. Glee had, indeed, purchased a shiny new phaeton. He did not
like it above half. But he could not very well forbid her to ride
it. After all, he was not truly her master. And, God knows, the
girl would have enough to endure being married to him.

* * *

As she dressed in a daring black silk gown
for Thursday's assembly, Glee nodded to Patty to open her dressing
room door after hearing Blanks's knock. Patty did so, then silently
retreated.

Glee stood up to greet him, dipping him a
curtsey. "We shall match!" she exclaimed, running her eyes over his
black clothing.

He watched her with smoldering eyes. "But I
don't have red hair, my dear. And I must say your hair is most
striking with black—as is your fair skin."

Thank heaven he did not disapprove of her
dress! She rushed to him and grabbed both his hands. "I'm happy I
please you."

He kissed each of her hands, then detached
his entwined fingers from hers. "I've bought you something." He
reached into his pocket and withdrew sparkling diamond earrings
that would dangle from her ears. "Can't have my wife's ears
naked."

His thoughtfulness and kindly words nearly
brought tears to her eyes. But she couldn't become a watering pot.
It would not at all be the action of the fast women he so admired.
"You shouldn't' have. I don't deserve such consideration, but I
must say they're beautiful. You'll have to fasten them on for
me."

She trembled under his gentle touch as his
hand brushed her ear. "Oh, Blanks, I truly don't deserve such a
kindly husband. And to think, you are even gracing the dull
Assembly Rooms for my benefit!"

"It's all part of the plan, my dear.
Everyone in Bath is to be convinced of our devotion to one
another."

Why must he be so adamant about keeping to
his blasted plan? If only he could spontaneously perform his
husbandly acts, she thought morosely. She slipped her arm into his,
and they began to leave the chamber. "You will be most pleased I
have persuaded Appleton and twins to join us tonight so you won't
be so terribly bored. Timothy has promised to liven tonight's
action."

Blanks frowned. "I don't think you should
refer to my friends by their Christian names."

"Oh, la!" she exclaimed. "How many times
have I told you that you mustn't think of me as a wife but as one
of the bloods?"

His brows knitted together and a frown
tugged at his mouth as they descended the stairs.

* * *

His wife had been right, Gregory reflected.
Appleton and the twins had yet another prank to offer at the
Assembly Rooms that night. Since Glee had insisted on a proper
dinner before traveling to the Assembly Rooms, they did not arrive
until the dancers repaired to the Tea Room at nine. And there,
serving tea in costumed livery were his trio of friends. For all
the world, they appeared to be taking their job most seriously. He
looked at them, exchanged an amused glance with his wife, and they
both burst out laughing.

Still laughing, Glee took his hand and
walked toward the table where Appleton was serving. "We must let
Timothy wait upon us," she said happily.

She and Gregory sat at a small table covered
with a white cloth, and he made eye contact with Appleton. "What
other manner of entertainment do you provide tonight?" Gregory
asked his friend in voice barely louder than a whisper.

"Drink your tea, and you'll know," Appleton
said with a wink.

Good heavens, did his friends think to
render the assembly more jovial by adding spirits to the tea?
Gregory picked up his cup and sipped. Very definitely strong
arrack. Then, despite himself, Gregory smiled and drank up.
"Perhaps you're not so thirsty," he said to his wife. It wouldn't
do at all for Glee to get foxed. After all, she
was
George's
little sister. And Gregory's wife.

Her eyes widened as she looked at him. "You
think they've spiked the tea?" she whispered.

He nodded.

She smiled sheepishly. "What a devilishly
clever thing to do!" She lifted her cup and drank. "I agree with
your friends. These affairs are far too sober. What's needed is
more gaiety."

To his consternation, Glee finished her cup
and asked Melvin, when he visited their table, for another. Since
Gregory had no doubt he could hold his liquor far better than his
wife, he also allowed Melvin to pour him another cup.

Then Melvin rushed off to another table to
serve more demanding patrons.

"You know, Blanks," Glee said, "You could
never go undetected as your friends have."

"Why?"

"Because you're far too handsome. Your
friends are, all of them, rather ordinary looking. But not you. All
the women would be sure to remember you even if you were a
servant."

He did not know how to take his wife's
words. He'd been told since Oxford how agreeable women found his
appearance, but Glee did not say
she
personally found his
appearance agreeable. Fact was, she didn't think of him that way at
all. He supposed she thought of him rather as she thought of
George. Why, she hadn't even expressed one bit of outrage at the
fact he had a mistress. She talked of Carlotta as one would speak
of the village vicar. Which wasn't at all the thing.

Also, he did not like to hear praises for
the appearance over which he had no control. "Beauty, as they say,
is in the eye of the beholder. I'm certain any number of women here
would find my countenance quite ordinary." Which he knew from
repeated experience was not at all truthful. "Besides, any number
of people here have recognized the twins. They may not know their
names, but it's hard to go unnoticed when one stands next to one's
exact likeness."

She swiftly finished her second cup of
arrack tea. "If that's what you prefer to think, Blanksie."

Good heavens! His wife was getting foxed. He
shouldn't have let her drink the wretched stuff. After all, she was
far younger than he and not at all accustomed to drinking strong
spirits. And knowing his friends, the arrack was the most potent
available. He frowned at Elvin as he passed by with a tray of tea.
The fellow was getting all too confident, balancing the tray on one
hand.

Gregory had no sooner thought of Elvin's
lack of skill when the fellow's tray went crashing down on the
Dowager Countess Richdale, who leaped to her feet and began to
scream.

Gregory turned his head to keep from
laughing at the foul-mouthed dowager as she went chasing after the
fleet-footed Elvin.

Glee was not so polite. She laughed out
loud, then turned to him. "How I wish I'd thought to dress as a
servant tonight!" How fun it must be."

"You, my dear wife, could hardly conceal
your beauty."

She shot him a puzzled look, then smiled and
cupped her hand against his cheek. "What a very sweet thing to say,
Blanksie."

Good lord, but she really was foxed. It
wouldn't do for her to dance, unless it were a waltz with her
husband.

But after the refreshments, Glee expressed
no interest in dancing but in playing cards instead—which was all
very good with him.

He settled her at a whist table and went off
to see if Elvin had come to harm at the hands of the irate
dowager.

Since she was said to be skillful at cards,
Glee had decided wagering on whist would be the method by which she
would earn money to pay for her new gowns and see her clear until
the next quarter.

She and her partner, a somewhat elderly man
unknown to her, won the first hand, which apparently broke one of
the gentlemen playing against her. He rose from the table and
excused himself, saying it was growing late. It made her feel
wretched to have taken the man's last sovereign.

The man was replaced by William Jefferson.
Since her first assembly as a married lady, Blanks had warned Glee
against fostering a friendship with the handsome bachelor. Blanks
had even told her William Jefferson was not received in London.
What could the man have possibly done to be cut in society? Color
hiked up her cheeks. Of course, she knew what he had done! He had
told her himself he had a thirst for married women. Mr. Jefferson
must have dallied with the wife of a powerful man.

Well, he'll not use me in such a
manner
, she vowed. She would use him only to ignite Blanks's
jealousy. For she knew where William Jefferson was concerned,
Blanks must be jealous.

Their play continued for several hands.
Blanks popped into the room to check on her several times, and each
time he frowned at Jefferson.

As the play progressed, Glee's confidence in
her skill diminished. She had lost twenty-five pounds. Any more
losses, and she did not know what she would do.

The hour was growing late. Only half an hour
until the Assembly Rooms closed at eleven. Perhaps Lady Luck would
smile on her, and she could win back her twenty-five pounds. Such
failure was totally alien to her.

When the next hand was dealt and she picked
up her cards, her heart fell. Her whole body tensed. She was not
strong in any suit and would never be able to win this hand.

With trembling hands and sinking stomach,
she played out the hand. Jefferson won and, with a sly smile on his
face, he scooped up his winnings.

"I shall have to owe you the remainder, Mr.
Jefferson," she said timidly after the other two players had
retreated from the cloth-covered table.

His eyes swept over her and settled on her
face. "Then I'll just take your earrings to secure payment," he
said blandly.

She thought she had never seen a colder man.
"But. . ." How could she give him the earrings her beloved Blanks
had just bestowed on her that night?

"You'll get them back," he assured. "I'll
receive my payment. All that I desire is a kiss from you, and I
mean to have it."

He made it sound so simple. Merely kiss him,
and she would have her earrings back. But she didn't want to kiss
him. She didn't want to ever kiss anyone except Blanks. Surely she
could think of a chaste manner in which to comply with Mr.
Jefferson's demand.

"I would rather wait until the next quarter
and pay you back real money—with interest," she whispered.

"Since I'm the one owed, I'm the one to
dictate terms," he said harshly, then gave her a sinister
smile.