“Is he? Or just miserable?”
“Allan!”
“You’ll have to continue to debate me on this matter if you expect me to change my mind, Frederica.”
“I’m happy to stay at this breakfast table for as long as it takes to convince you,” she said, leaning toward him across the table.
* * *
Allan offered his hand to Frederica and helped her down out of the carriage. He didn’t miss the tremble in her white gloved fingers, though she did her best to hide it. She also kept her head downturned, seeming to fuss with the pelisse that kept her gown hidden, rather than meeting anyone’s eye.
“What is wrong?” he whispered with worry as he escorted her up the path toward the house that awaited them. Their path was lined with burning torches. Guests, who had already arrived, were in front of them, being welcomed through a large set of glass doors which led straight from the garden into a ballroom.
“Wrong?” she asked, adopting a confused look.
“Frederica, no one will judge us here,” he said, hazarding a guess at what made her so nervous. “Remember,” he leaned toward her, whispering in her ear, “we are married now. There is no more room for scandal.”
To his surprise, he felt her hand grip his a little tighter. He swept it over the crook of his arm, placing his other hand over hers, determined to show her that she was completely safe with him.
They walked through the doors where they were greeted warmly by their hosts before they continued into the main ballroom. As the servants took Allan’s frock coat, he was distracted, his eyes sweeping over Frederica as her pelisse was taken.
She was wearing the blue gown he had purchased for her — the one that looked as if it had been dusted with snow.
“What is it?” she asked, clearly catching his look. She brushed an errant gloved hand down the skirt. “Is there something wrong?”
“Quite the contrary.” He took hold of her hand and threaded it through his arm again. “You look beautiful, Frederica.”
She blushed a pleasant shade of pink as they moved further into the room.
“Now, I expect you are eager to see Dorothy and Charlotte,” he said. After their enjoyable day when they had discussed their opinions on art — sometimes agreeing, other times amusingly disagreeing — he was keen to see her smile all evening. “No doubt you are also eager to avoid my company after you have been forced into it all day.”
“Ha! Is that what you believe? You think I am tired of you already?”
“I hope not,” he said in a deep tone. She blushed all the more.
Keep blushing like that, Freddie.
“I am not tired of you, but I will be happy to see my friends.” At that moment, she plainly saw them, for she waved eagerly across the room at Charlotte and Dorothy who were standing together, sharing a drink.
“They will be eager to hear about married life to me too. Just do me a favor,” Allan affected a wince. “I can well imagine you and Dorothy being in full flow as you share in all my faults.”
“Ooh, do not spoil the fun yet,” she said in jest. He laughed and took her hand, raising it to his lips. He kissed the back, keeping it brief, despite the fact he wished to linger for longer.
Ever since that moment in the rose garden, he had been imagining what it would be like to kiss Frederica, but he would not give into indulgence unless he was truly certain that she wished for it too.
“Enjoy your evening,” he urged.
“And you.” Her lips parted, as if she wished to say something more, then they closed, and she was gone, sweeping across the room toward her friends.
Allan watched her for some minutes, admiring the way she lit up and talked with keenness to her friends. She was animated and smiling persistently. In his attempt to distract himself from her, he went to share a drink with Stephen and Gerard.
“Are ye all right, Allan?” Gerard asked after some minutes of chatter. “Ye seem distracted.”
“I’m fine,” Allan insisted though at that moment, something curious had caught his attention.
Frederica no longer stood with Dorothy and Charlotte. Perhaps she was on her way back from collecting a new drink, for she had a crystal glass in her hands that now shook. Impeding her from reaching her friends was a gentleman whose face Allan could not see. He was so tall and formidable in build that he blocked out half of Allan’s view of Frederica.
“Curious,” Allan muttered to himself, for what he could see of Frederica was not good.
