Thee I Do Wed: A Marriage in Name Only Romance by Constance Kent

Author:Constance Kent [Kent, Constance]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Writewood Creations Publishing
Published: 2022-05-10T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

IT WAS, PARISH informed Lilly in solemn tones, a great event for a young couple to give their first big dinner. Her handler had taken up residence to superintend the planning of the menu, the arrangement of the furniture to allow for conversation corners, and the hiring of a string quartet.

All was in readiness.

Lilly was dressed, as per Parish’s instructions, in a close-fitting armor of whale-boned silk, called ‘a simple dinner dress.’ There was very little that was simple about it, Lilly thought, as she caught her reflection in a hall mirror. The skirt murmured softly as she moved down the hall toward the stairs. It was sapphire blue, slightly open at the neck with lace ruffles filling in the crack and tight sleeves with a flounce uncovering just enough wrist to show a dark blue velvet band.

Their guests had arrived and were shown to the formal drawing room where the butler was plying them with drinks. Lilly couldn’t hide out in her room forever. She would have to brave the stares, the intrusive questions and veiled suspicion if she was to convince the elite that she was one of them.

Julius was waiting for her at the top of the stair.

“I thought you had climbed out of a window. Are you nervous?”

“Very.”

“You only have to remember that you are the daughter of a Baltimore millionaire and act the part.”

“Oh, is that all?” She lifted her eyes to him. “You won’t leave me alone, I hope, to smoke cigars with the men. I’m not good with names. If I get flustered, I’m bound to make a mistake.”

“I won’t leave you alone for long but I must leave you after dinner for a time. It is customary and if I don’t, there will be talk. Fortunately, the servants are on our side. I don’t know what you did to them but they are as disciplined as a drill squad. They’ll manage the dinner courses with little instruction. Look to me if you get confused about the order of service, which spoon to use and so forth. Lastly, there’s nothing wrong with being a good listener if you don’t know what to say.”

“I don’t know what to say,” she muttered anxiously. “I have no subject on which I can reliably converse.”

“You know how to run a household and manage servants. The wives of my acquaintance have a deep interest in that subject.”

They stepped into the gilt and glory of the gold and white drawing room. A handsome man of Julius’s age came toward her, smiling broadly with a knowing air.

“Ah, here she is, the mysterious Miss Lilly Gryce who captured our friend’s heart. We were beginning to think he made you up.”

“Why would he do that?” Lilly asked without missing a beat.

“I should think it was to avoid marrying the lovely Regina Mingott who has been patiently waiting in the wings for our friend to broach the subject.”

“Until she heard news of my trouble and then her affection took a decided turn for the worse.

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