Nobody's Fool (Marriage by Design Book 2) Read online

  He’d originally assumed she’d had no interest in him. Whenever he’d approached her at a ball, she’d either run off before he could talk to her or she wouldn’t make eye contact with him while they exchanged pleasantries. Her friend, Lilly, had been the one who talked with him.

  He hadn’t fooled himself into thinking her friend was specifically interested in him. She had gentlemen lining up to talk to her. He’d been one of many. But since she had been willing to talk with him, he figured he should take the opportunity to get to know her better in case more came from it.

  It’d been his good fortune that he had persisted in talking and dancing with her. Because of it, he had learned that Emilia hadn’t been avoiding him, as he’d thought. On the contrary, Emilia had been secretly in love with him but had been too shy to do anything about it. That was why she’d made it a habit of running off and couldn’t bring herself to meet his gaze directly.

  He’d experienced those feelings of uncertainty in the past around certain ladies who had captured his attention. It’d been nearly impossible to form a coherent sentence around them. He’d made himself overcome the tendency to hide because he was a gentleman, and gentlemen had to be the ones to initiate a courtship. It was the only way he was going to get married. Emilia, on the other hand, didn’t have such pressures place upon her. It was perfectly fine if she’d been unable to overcome her extreme shyness around him. The poor lady did, however, have to wait and hope he would find a way to marry her. Thankfully, since Emilia’s friend alerted him to the situation, he was able to do something about it.

  So, he had discussed the matter with her father, and the marriage was arranged, thereby relieving her of the angst of waiting to see if he would ever notice her. He imagined she’d been overjoyed when her father told her the good news. He’d wanted to be with him when it happened, but she’d been unavailable at the time. As much as he had tried to find a way to spend time with her before their wedding day, it just hadn’t happened. He hadn’t understood the depth of her shyness until today. Even now, she had a terrible time making eye contact with him, though there was no denying how pleased she was to be with him by the pretty blush on her cheeks.

  He hadn’t entertained romantic notions of her before he learned the truth from her friend, but over the course of the weeks leading up to their wedding day, he had fallen in love with her. Granted, they hadn’t had time to sit and talk with each other for more than a few minutes at a time, but that wasn’t so unusual before marriage. Now, they had plenty of time to talk since they were being united in holy matrimony.

  Together, they would have a love match. His parents had had a love match, and he’d hoped for the same when it came time for marriage. His parents would be happy for him if they were alive to see this day.

  Once the vicar finished completing the ceremony, he addressed both of them as Lord and Lady Valentine. Benjamin turned to Emilia in excitement, but before she had time to look at him, her family was gathering around the two of them to congratulate them.

  “We’re glad to have you in our family,” her father told him as he gave him a friendly pat on the back.

  “Thank you,” Benjamin replied. “I’ll be good to your daughter.”

  “I know you will. You’re a fine gentleman.”

  Pleased by her father’s words, Benjamin smiled. He had liked her father as soon as he met him, and the more he had a chance to be around the gentleman, the more he liked him. Yes, Benjamin was very fortunate indeed. Not only did he have a sweet and loving wife, but he would have wonderful in-laws as well.

  Benjamin glanced around the crowded room. The people, no doubt, were hungry after the long ceremony. He checked the doorway of the room and saw that the butler was there, which was a silent message that the breakfast was ready.

  He offered the butler a nod then asked everyone to give him their attention. Once they quieted down, he said, “Given the number of people who’ve chosen to celebrate this joyous occasion with us, I’ve arranged for us to have the wedding breakfast in the ballroom. I realize this is unusual, but I didn’t have enough space in the dining room for everyone to be comfortable.” As it was, they were all squeezed into the drawing room. He’d hate to think of how they would all manage in the dining room. “I hope that the ballroom is all right.”

  When everyone indicated they were fine with it, he breathed a sigh of relief and turned to his bride. He held his arm out to escort her to the other room. The poor thing was so shy that her mother had to encourage her that it was perfectly fine for her to go with him. She didn’t make eye contact with him, though she did put her hand on his arm. He hoped that, in time, she would be able to look directly at him. Then she would see him smile at her and know her heart was safe with him.

  He put his hand over hers and escorted her out of the room.

  He was pleased with the time and attention the servants had taken to decorating the ballroom. He’d asked them to make it appealing to the eye so that Emilia might be pleased. They had draped white and pink ribbons throughout the place. They had also taken the time to add other decorative displays such as handmade doves and bows throughout the room.

  He heard people comment on how beautiful the room was, but he was more concerned with what Emilia thought. He glanced her way and saw that her eyes were wide as her gaze swept the place.

  “Are you pleased?” he asked, not sure what the expression on her face meant.

  She blinked a couple of times and kept scanning the room as if she’d stepped into a nightmare.

  His eyebrows furrowed in concern.

  “She loves it,” her mother told him. “She’s just speechless. She’s overwhelmed by the beauty of the room.”

  He relaxed. For a moment, he thought she didn’t like it, but since her mother told him otherwise, he now knew better. In the future, if Emilia looked as if she was appalled at something, the truth was she was only speechless because she was overwhelmed by how much she liked it.

  There was so much he had to learn about his wife, but he was more than happy to do so. Anything he could do to please her would be his top priority.

  He led Emilia over to the table where they were to sit and pulled the chair out for her. The poor thing was still overwhelmed by all the splendor around her. He’d spared no expense for this joyous occasion. One day they would tell their children about their wedding, and he wanted Emilia to remember it as a fairytale affair.

  Her mother patted her on the arm and gestured for her to sit.

  Emilia took a deep breath then sat down. He pushed the chair in gently, but the bottom of the chair caught onto the hem of her gown. She let out a light yelp and almost fell face-first into her plate. He hurried to lift the chair and then reached out to steady her.

  Her face bright red, she lifted the hem of her gown and pushed her chair in herself.

  He glanced around and was relieved to see the guests were occupied with their conversations. He offered her arm a reassuring squeeze and whispered, “It’s all right. I don’t think anyone noticed.”

  Her mother sat next to her and smiled. “All is well. It was an accident. It could have happened to anyone.”

  With a grateful smile to let her know he was glad she’d come to the same conclusion, he sat on Emilia’s other side.

  Emilia’s father sat next to him. “Thank you for allowing all of our family and friends to attend the ceremony and breakfast. When I started telling them she was to marry, I had no idea so many wanted to be a part of the festivities.”

  “I’m happy to have everyone here,” Benjamin said. “I had wished for a large family while growing up, but all of my relatives left for America. I’m not sure I’ll see any of them again.”

  Her father sighed with sympathy. “I’m sure that you’ll get a chance to see your relatives again someday. In the meantime, you are surrounded by people who care about you, and you and my daughter will have a family of your own.”

  After a moment, he gestured to everyone in the room. “It is ni
ce to have all of you in my life. It may not be socially acceptable to say it, but I’ve been lonely.”

  “In this townhouse, you’re with family and friends. Everything you say is socially acceptable. I, myself, am relieved my daughter has married so well. I’m not speaking in relation to money, though I will say it’s nice to know she’ll be comfortable with physical things. I’ve always been more concerned about her finding someone who’ll make her a good companion. I don’t want her to have the kind of marriage some ladies do where their only purpose is to give their husband an heir.”

  “Oh, I don’t see your daughter that way at all.”

  “I know you don’t. That’s why I’m delighted to have you marry her. We should all be so fortunate to have our wives be a lady who can be a pleasant companion. Life is much better that way.”

  Relieved her father really understood what he meant, Benjamin relaxed. He glanced at Emilia who was already eating her breakfast. He would have said something to her if her mother hadn’t been talking to her. Well, there would be plenty of time to get to know his bride later. With a smile, he turned his attention back to her father and had a good conversation with him.

  Chapter Three

  Emilia stayed in her bedchamber for as long as she could. She knew Benjamin was waiting for her in the drawing room. Right before she came up here to change from her wedding gown into something less extravagant, he’d told her he had something he wished to give her. She was sure it was the thing he had shown Lilly and Roger. If she was into material possessions, she would have been intrigued by the prospect of finding out what he intended to give her, but as she’d told her parents when they gushed on and on about the expensive wedding gown, she wasn’t impressed with things. She’d give up all the fancy things she owned in order to live in her own townhouse.

  She glanced around the room with its frilly pink bedding and plush white chairs and daybed. The drapes were parted, allowing some sunlight into the room, and the fireplace warmed her. The place was beautiful. Benjamin had obviously taken considerable time in getting this room ready for her. Lilly would probably be envious if she saw all of this splendor.

  It would be perfect if the thought of touching and kissing Benjamin didn’t make her want to run far from here. She glanced at the bed and shivered. She just couldn’t be in there with him. Even if it was dark, she’d know he was the one making love to her.

  She didn’t have a single bit of attraction for him. How was a lady supposed to spend the rest of her life with someone like that? Maybe that was why some ladies took lovers. Maybe they were in a similar predicament.

  She, however, had no desire to take a lover. It wasn’t her goal to be unfaithful to Benjamin. She just wanted to live a life apart from him.

  She took a deep breath and released it. She had to be intelligent about this. It was a gentleman’s world. The only way she was going to get what she wanted was if Benjamin came to the conclusion that they were better off living apart. It had to be his idea.

  Now that everyone was gone, she could enact her plan. She went to the vanity and checked the bun at the nape of her neck. Perfect. It was wound up tight. Then she smoothed the waves in her hair. There. Her scalp did ache from having her hair pulled back so tightly, but it lessened her beauty. Her drab brown dress pressed her breasts down so they looked smaller than they really were, and, thankfully, they were completely hidden so he wouldn’t see the assets her mother had implored her to show off earlier that day. The dress also didn’t have any decorative pieces in it to bring out her curves. Well, there was no getting around showing the narrowing of her waist and the widening of her hips, but the effect was minimized. She also wore no jewelry. There was no sense in wearing accessories at a time like this.

  She couldn’t think of anything else to add, or detract, from her appearance to make herself more unappealing, so she had no choice but to go to the drawing room. She turned to the door, and, like a resigned prisoner, she pushed her shoulders back and marched forward.

  Ignoring her pounding heart, she made her way down the hall and then down the stairs. As she reached the drawing room, Benjamin rose to his feet and hurried over to her. Like her, he had also changed clothes. She hadn’t thought it was possible for him to have an outfit that was worse than the one he’d worn at the wedding, but she’d been wrong.

  His shirt was a bright yellow, and the rest of his clothes were orange. She tried to blink the brightness of the items away, but no matter how hard she tried, she felt the urge to squint as if she was out in the sun. The fact that he was coming toward her didn’t help, either, because the closer he got, the brighter his clothes seemed.

  “I hope you found your bedchamber to your liking,” he said. “I asked your mother how I should decorate it.”

  She waited for him to give an indication that he noticed her lackluster appearance, but he only smiled at her in the same way he’d smiled at her during the entire wedding ceremony. That was strange, wasn’t it? Was it possible he didn’t have good vision?

  “If you want to change anything in your bedchamber, you can,” he continued. “I don’t mind. The important thing is you’re happy with it. I have plenty of money, and I told all the shop owners that I would pay for anything you wanted. When you go to the market, just say that you’re Lady Valentine. The owners will take care of the rest.”

  His smile grew wider, and she pretended not to notice the food stuck between his teeth. She hated it when someone had food stuck between their teeth. It always left her in something of a dilemma. Did she mention it or pretend it wasn’t there? Of all the things she’d learned about etiquette, this hadn’t come up. On the other hand, the food did take her attention off of his garish clothes, so maybe it was best he not remove it from his teeth.

  “It’s so exciting to call you Lady Valentine,” he said. “I’ve been practicing that for the past two days.”

  She was at a loss on what to say. She had planned out what she’d say to him, but all of her replies had to do with the comments she’d expected him to make about her appearance. She hadn’t thought about her bedchamber or the fact that she was now Lady Valentine.

  “Oh! I almost forgot!” He went over to the desk and waved for her to follow. “I have a gift for you. I wanted to give you this before, but then I thought it’d be special to do it on our wedding day.”

  She glanced at the doorway. She supposed it would be rude if she ran back up to her bedchamber. She put her hand over her stomach to settle her nerves and went to the desk. If she had to make a guess, this was the thing he had shown Lilly and Roger earlier that day.

  He opened the top drawer of the desk and pulled out a thin box. “Your friend said you like necklaces. I asked Lilly what you liked last week. As it turns out, an acquaintance of mine knows a captain who just returned from Africa. He usually hunts for whales, but once in a while, some gentlemen will pay him a good sum of money to go to Africa. I had the pleasure of buying some gemstones from him.” He paused and glanced up at the ceiling. “Let me think. I think his name is Captain Sebastian Egan. Have you heard of him?”

  Since he was looking expectantly at her, she realized he wanted her to answer. Up to now, she’d been able to get by with not saying anything because he had a tendency to ramble. But she supposed the reprieve from speaking couldn’t have gone on forever.

  “He will trade with America even though the tension between our two countries is high,” she finally replied.

  Benjamin’s eyes lit up. “That’s right! There are so few captains who’ll go to America.”

  “He considers himself something of a rebel,” she said. “My father says if someone tells him he can’t do something, he’ll do it.” She shrugged. “My father assumes he likes a challenge.”

  “That could be. I never thought about why some gentlemen continue to trade with America. I figured it was their business.” He glanced at the box in his hands. “Your father isn’t fond of captains who’ll take their ship to America, is he?” He drummed his
fingers on the box. “Perhaps I shouldn’t have purchased this. The gems came from Captain Egan’s ship, after all. The thought never occurred to me that your father might be upset to know I bought something from the captain. At the time, I was only thinking of giving you a gift.”

  She didn’t care if he gave her the thing or not, even if Lilly had been impressed with it.

  Benjamin directed his attention back to her. “I never thought I’d be caught in such a dilemma. I took one look at the gems and thought they’d make a lovely necklace. Your friend said you’d like it. But I don’t want to upset your father. That’s not just for my sake. I also don’t want to upset him for your sake. You’re his daughter. What if you felt like you had to choose between accepting this gift and him?”

  As he continued to ramble, she became aware of the mild ache in her forehead. She rubbed her temples.

  “I know. It’s terrible, isn’t it?” Benjamin put the box back into the drawer and closed it. “I didn’t think to ask your father about it. That’s my fault for assuming that necklaces are the concern of a lady instead of a gentleman. Now I realize how the necklace is created is just as important as the necklace itself.”

  “I need to sit down,” Emilia muttered.

  If she had to keep listening to this nonsense, she might bolt out of the room. It was just her luck that she couldn’t bring herself to be impolite to someone who was trying to please her. Yes, he was annoying her to no end, but it was obvious that his aim was to make her happy.

  She went to the settee and sat down. She didn’t realize her mistake until it was too late. If she’d chosen a chair, there was no way he could sit next to her, but since she was on the settee, he could.

  He went to the cord along the wall and pulled it. She debated hurrying over to a chair. Had he seen her actually sit? Or had he only seen her heading in this direction?

  He turned to face her before she could run over to the chair in case he hadn’t seen her. Drat! Now it was too late. She was stuck here. She could only hope he wasn’t one of those husbands who wanted to press himself right up against his wife when he wasn’t in bed with her. Lilly had said Roger liked to draw her close to him when they sat on the settee together.