Page 63 of In Compromise with the Earl
“Yes,” she said with her eyes closed. “Come join me.”
“I’d rather you join me,” he said reaching up for her.
When she opened her eyes she huffed and swung her feet around. He caught her easily and gently rested her on the ground. He greeted her with a kiss and brushed her hair away. “If Mother saw how unkempt you are now, she would have a conniption.”
“If she keeps getting angry at the sight of me, I think it might be inevitable,” she sighed and pulled Oswald down to the ground with her. “Did she send you to fetch me?”
“No,” he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “I came on my own. Mother has told me that she is having a dinner to announce our marriage though.”
“How kind of her,” Aphrodite snorted.
“It’s mainly for you to know our neighbors and close friends that have been with us for years,” he said. “That is if they had not heard the whispers and rumors going around.”
“And how does she expect me to act at this dinner?” Aphrodite asked, her tone tired and flat.
“As happy as you want to be,” he said
“I don’t want to put on a charade over turtle soup,” she said darkly. “Even worse, I don’t know if she has already said something to these guests about me that will make me look a fool in front of them.”
“I know she’s been…hard on you,” Oswald bit back a curse. “But she wouldn’t do that. I know you are observant; when our guests come, look first before leaping. They might not know a thing about you.”
She let out a labored breath. “Fine, fine, tell me about these guests of yours.”
He told her the Richardson’s family and their patron, Lord Valentine who had been his father’s friend from Eton to Oxford and beyond. He told her about Amalie who his mother loved and had expected some sort of match between them.
“So, I should expect snide glances or stares—”
“No,” Oswald said. “Amalie is not like that, she is a sweet soul without a confrontation bone in her body. Besides, she is engaged now, I doubt you will get any ill-will from them.”
Twisting, Aphrodite smiled. “I hope so.”
“And your father will be coming,” he added, reflexively tightening his arms around her waist at her sudden lurch.
“Why?” she exclaimed. “Why him?”
“We were married without him there,” Oswald explained. “It’s only common courtesy to invite him.”
Huffing she fell back on his chest. “And she thinks something will not explode into a ball of flames to have such a sinful man under her roof?”
“Oh, she is not happy about it either,” Oswald kissed her temple. “But it must be done. I’ll be by your side, Sweetling. Nothing will go wrong.”
* * *
The night of the dinner with her father and Oswald’s family and friends, Aphrodite had fretted about her gown. But seeing Oswald’s appreciative glance dip from her head to her feet, she knew she had made the right choice.
Her hair was pulled into a simple chignon with pearl-tipped combs matching the pearl earbobs dangling from her shell-like ears. Her empire style gown of silver-blue silk and white net gathered below her bosoms emphasized her creamy décolletage, though the neckline could hardly be considered risqué.
He took her hand and spun her slowly. “If one could knit a gown of moonbeams, this would be it.”
Coming back to him, she rested both hands on his chest. “Flatterer.”
Oswald’s eyes darkened. “If we didn’t have to attend this dinner, I’d have you on that bed right now. I’m still tempted.”
Pursing her lips, she laughed. “Let’s go and hope this is not a disaster of unmitigated proportions.”
Looping her arm with his, they went to the main stairs and were halfway down when Aphrodite’s eyes landed on the man on a young lady’s arm and felt her heart tumble to her feet. Oswald must have noticed it too because she had jerked to a stop. He turned to her, concern in his eyes. “Sweetling, is something wrong?”
She could not find the words to tell him why her hope of having a good night had suddenly shattered like worthless glass on the floor. Oswald cupped her face, and asked, “What is wrong?”
