Scandal of Love (10 page)

Perhaps that was why he was trying to be so kind to her. He had made the choice to marry her, but she hadn’t had one, and he knew how that felt.

Finished measuring, the modiste stepped back. “I’ll have some material squares brought out so that you may choose fabric for your dresses.”

Sera nodded, but remained quiet until Madam Devereaux disappeared behind the curtain again.

“Did you know?” Aubrey asked quietly.

Sera shook her head. “No. I had no clue.” She didn’t want to think about it. Didn’t want to think about being forced into this marriage, about Quinton almost being forced into another one. She needed to put it out of her mind. It would be something she could pull out later and decide her feelings on. Until then, it was just too complicated.

The next two hours were spent taking more measurements and looking at fashion plates, fabric, and lace. There were enough decisions made to drown out thoughts of anything else.

After ordering three dresses, a spencer jacket, and two new pairs of gloves, the two women were exhausted.

“Want to visit the confectionary?” Aubrey asked with a smile.

Thinking about chocolate, Sera nodded in appreciation. “The perfect way to end a shopping excursion.”

They both laughed as they walked down Bond Street.

“Look, Lord Bromley is across the road. Shall we wave?” Aubrey looked to Sera to make the decision.

Sera laughed at her friend’s concern. “Of course. Just because I’m engaged now doesn’t mean I can’t speak with the man.”

Sending Lord Bromley a smile and a wave, he returned their smile with a nod of his head before crossing the street toward them.

They curtsied to his bow. “How well you both are looking this afternoon,” he commented with a smile to each woman.

“Thank you,” Sera said. “What brings you to Bond Street?”
 

He held up a leather bound book and grinned. “Guilty.”

Both Sera and Aubrey’s mouths dropped open before Aubrey chuckled and asked, “Is that Vivian Black’s new novel?”

Sera couldn’t help but laugh when she saw an embarrassed look cross his face. The entire time he had courted her she had had no idea that he enjoyed reading dime novels. Most men scoffed at such stories, proclaiming they were unrealistic. What else hadn’t she known about him?

“I have been meaning to buy a copy myself. Aubrey and I both enjoy Vivian Black’s novels.”

“Really? Which are your favorites?”

“Mrs. Derkly and the Haunted Forest. Most particularly the part where she thought the ghost of her former butler haunted her,” Sera said.

“And yours Lady Aubrey?”

Aubrey didn’t even hesitate before saying, “Lady Guinevere and the Mysterious Lord.”

He chuckled at Aubrey’s choice. “Both excellent books. Well, I must be off now. I’m sure you ladies have plenty of things to do.” He gave them a friendly nod before heading off.

The two women watched him walk away before Aubrey chuckled. “Did you know he enjoyed dime novels?”

Sera shook her head, trying to hold her laughter in. “I had no idea. I’m starting to wonder what other things I didn’t know about him. Shall we head toward the chocolate?”

“Yes,” Aubrey agreed whole-heartedly. They walked in silence for a moment before Aubrey looked over at Sera. “Do you regret that you aren’t marrying him?”

“Lord Bromley?” Sera thought about it for a moment. “I can’t say I do. Although, I will not lie, I was disappointed at first. I thought that I was beginning to fall in love with him, but now that I’m engaged to Quinton, I can’t say I’m too sorry our relationship ended.” And she really wasn’t. She had thought the world was ending when she found out she was ruined. The idea of marrying someone else when she thought she was close to loving another had been unbearable. The thought of not being with Lord Bromley didn’t bother her now. The only conclusion she could come to was that she was never in love with him.

“I’m a bit surprised to hear you say that.”

Sera turned to look at her. “Why?”

Aubrey shrugged. “Well, I don’t know. I guess I just assumed you were already in love with him.”

“No. Truly, I never was. I enjoyed his company and his friendship, but there was nothing more between us. I had thought there would be, but there wasn’t.”

“I see,” Aubrey said quietly.

“Is something the matter?” Sera’s brows scrunched in concern.

Aubrey shook off her worry. “No.” Sera looked at her with doubt. “Okay, maybe something. I just wonder if I’ll ever find love.” Glancing up, she looked horrified. “I am so sorry, Sera. How could I be so inconsiderate? Here I am wondering if I’ll ever find love, and you are engaged to a man you hardly know. I’m sorry.”

The pain in Aubrey’s eyes caused moisture to prick Sera’s. Taking her hand to reassure her, she said, “You need not be sorry. And you shouldn’t worry either. I’m sure you’ll find love. You are wonderful and the right man will come along. As for myself…” she trailed off. What could she really say? There wasn’t any hope. All hope of her falling in love was now gone. “I will be fine. It may not have turned out the way I wanted it to, but I am content.”

Aubrey nodded her agreement, but Sera saw the knowledge, the doubt in her eyes. “Come, let us fill up on chocolate.”

They walked through the doors of the confectionary, the sweet, rich scents wafting over them as they ordered their desired pieces.

“Shall we head back to my house for tea?” Sera offered, not wanting to let go of Aubrey’s companionship and return to an empty home.

Aubrey nodded. “Tea and chocolate. You know I won’t ever turn that offer down.”

“I’ll have to remember that.”

With their chocolate packages wrapped up tightly, they sent off Aubrey’s carriage with a note to her family.

They rode home in short time, quickly dispensing of their bonnets and gloves.

“Mrs. Buttersly, would you mind bringing us a tea service when you get a moment,” Sera asked the housekeeper.

“Right away, my lady. The cook is already boiling the water.”

“Excellent. Thank you.”

With a curtsy, Mrs. Buttersly left to ready the tea tray.

They wandered down the hallway to Sera’s receiving room and flopped down into the chairs.

“I’m exhausted,” Aubrey proclaimed, puffing a piece of hair out of her face.

Sera laughed. “Me too. Remember in our first season when we could shop for hours? What’s happened to us over the last two years?”

“I haven’t a clue.”

They were still laughing when the tea tray was brought in, and discreetly placed on the table in front of them.

“Thank you, Mrs. Buttersly.”

With a smile and quick nod, she accepted Sera’s gratitude. She walked toward the door before snapping her fingers and turning back toward them. “Oh, I almost forgot. A package arrived for you while you were out, my lady. Would you like it brought here?”

“Yes. Do you know who it is from?”

“I can’t say. It did come with a note though.”

Sera nodded before the housekeeper went to fetch the package. Who would have sent her something?

“I wonder who it is from.” Aubrey reached for the teapot before her eyes lit up. “Perhaps Lord Bromley went back and purchased another copy of Vivian Black’s book for you.”

They both chuckled at that. “I doubt it. He seemed in a hurry.”

Aubrey leaned toward the tray, fixing herself a cup of tea. “Well I do hope he did. I would love to start reading it now.”

Sera grinned. “Me too.”

Mrs. Buttersly entered the room; the white paper wrapped box in her hand was topped with a red ribbon. “Here we are, my lady.” She set the package on the table before giving a curtsy.

With a nod of gratitude, Sera dismissed her.

“I think we can safely discount it being a book,” Sera said, eyeing the dimensions of the package.

“Agreed. A book couldn’t fit in there.” Aubrey paused. “Aren’t you going to open it?”

“Of course.” She didn’t know why she hesitated. She had received gifts before, but none since she had been engaged. Who could it be from? She reached for the glossy cream note.

“It’s from Quinton,” Sera said in surprise. “He says, ‘For many more visits to the opera.’ How interesting. What could it be?”

Aubrey leaned forward. “Well, let’s open it and see.”

Sera untied the silky ribbon. “I don’t know what it could be. I know he doesn’t have much money to spend on gifts.”

“Well, that just makes it more special doesn’t it? He knows you wouldn’t expect anything because of his lack of funds.”

Sera nodded in agreement. “True.”

Tearing the creamy outer paper, she lifted a layer of stiff paper and gasped. Gold opera glasses, with mother of pearl inlayed in a feminine design, lay on soft fabric, protecting it from scratching. “It’s beautiful,” Sera said, slightly breathless. Picking up the glasses, she could feel their weight and knew they must be costly. “It must have cost quite a bit.”

“It’s breathtaking. I wonder where he found it. I can’t imagine he just had it laying around.”

“No, I can’t either.”

Sera ran her fingers over the cool mother of pearl, watching it reflect light like fire.

“He didn’t have to do this,” Sera whispered. “It must have cost him at least half of what he has left to survive on.”

Aubrey came and sat next to her, wrapping her arm around her. “No he didn’t, but he did.” They were quiet for a moment, both lost in their own thoughts. “Do you still think he started the rumor?”

“I don’t know.” She set the present aside, but kept glancing over at the beautiful piece, wondering about the man who gave it to her. “I don’t know what to think anymore.”

“A greedy man wouldn’t have purchased that for a fiancée he had already secured. Perhaps you are wrong about him.”

“Perhaps.” But she wasn’t sure. She would never be sure. It was easy to do something nice after getting what you wanted. Could she ever trust him?

Sera hated that she had doubts. She hated this situation. The present was beyond beautiful, but it brought even more confusion to her circumstances.

She had learned at the opera the other night that Quinton could possibly be a friend to her. They didn’t need to be enemies. But what did these glasses mean? Was he trying to buy her affections? Trying to say sorry? She just wished she knew.

If she only knew more about him, she would know what this present meant.

“Let’s drink our tea. I’m not sure I can think about the gift right now.” That seemed to be her coping mechanism for the day, deciding not to think about it. That would only last so long. She couldn’t put off thinking of Quinton and what was happening between them forever.

Aubrey looked at her with concern, but finally nodded, taking a seat across from her again.

She didn’t want to think about Quinton yet, she couldn’t. But the glasses kept shining from inside the wrapping, catching her attention and pulling her thoughts back to Quinton.

Aubrey left soon after, and Sera contented herself with going to bed early. It was a good thing, because the next morning she was greeted with a small crisis.