The Earl's Wallflower Bride (11 page)

A
s
much as Warren hated to bring up a personal topic at White’s, he
was unable to find Anthony at his townhouse the next day, so he
went to White’s to see if he was there. And as it turned out, he
was talking to Corin St. George, the Earl of Durrant.

Well, he supposed it was fitting the two were
here together. That way he could get Corin’s opinion, too.

On his way over to them, Mister Christopher
Robinson jumped in front of him. He jerked back. “What is the
meaning of this?” he asked Christopher. “I didn’t come here to see
you.”

“I just wanted you to know the gentlemen over
there are not playing cards for money,” Christopher motioned to the
other room where Christopher’s friends were gathered around the
table, seeming to be more interested in sharing the latest gossip
than in actually playing cards. “So there’s no need for you to go
over there and demand we behave properly,” Christopher added.

Warren would have taken the time to laugh
since Christopher even cared about it, but he wasn’t in the mood
today. “I don’t care what you and your silly friends are
doing.”

He made a move to step around him, but
Christopher said, “That’s a surprise since all you ever do is go
around here telling gentlemen what they should and shouldn’t
do.”

“Well, there’s a first time for everything,”
he replied.

He was finally able to bypass Christopher. Is
that what Christopher and his friends thought? That just because he
cared about the reputation of White’s, it meant he was overbearing?
London was teeming with a wide assortment of immorality, and it
seemed so few even cared. Christopher and his friends thought it
was one big joke. But people were hurt by it, and Warren had to
stand by and get ridiculed because so few took him seriously.

Just as Iris felt like she wasn’t being taken
seriously. He’d had no idea she’d felt left out at dinner parties.
He’d apologize again if he thought she’d listen to him.

When he made it to Anthony and Corin, he
pulled up a chair and sat with them.

“Warren, we were just talking about you,”
Anthony said, turning to him. “You have to be one of the most
fortunate gentlemen in all of London to have secured a marriage to
the Duke of Hartwell’s daughter.”

“Indeed,” Corin agreed. “I was impressed with
him last evening. Tell me, when you were talking to the Duchess of
Ashbourne about arranging a marriage for you, did you specify you
wanted a lady with a father like His Grace?”

“No,” Warren slowly replied, suddenly
uncomfortable with the emphasis they were giving his upcoming
marriage.

A week ago, he would have enjoyed the way
they envied him for getting into the obvious good graces of the
duke, but having learned so much about Iris, he couldn’t bring
himself to even smile about it.

“I told her all I wanted was a lady who could
have children,” Warren said.

“Ah, the pursuit for an heir,” Anthony
replied. “It’s the one thing that prevents us from a love
match.”

“Are you saying you don’t care for Miss
Bachman?” Corin asked Anthony, his eyebrows raised in interest.

Anthony shrugged. “She’s my sister’s friend.
Celia wanted me to invite her to the dinner party, so I did.”

“Will you be inviting her to another dinner
party?” Corin asked.

After a long moment, he said, “If I can’t
find someone who actually piques my interest, I’ll have to.”

“Speaking of the dinner party,” Warren began,
“I was wondering about something.” Under ordinary circumstances,
Warren would never have interrupted their conversation, but he was
afraid if he didn’t do it now, the conversation would go off course
and he’d be unable to get back to it.

“Sure,” Anthony replied, gesturing for him to
continue. “What is it?”

Warren took a couple seconds to consider the
proper way to phrase the question before he spoke. “I would like
for you to be honest with me. Do your sister and Miss Bachman like
Iris?”

“I wouldn’t be concerned about Celia and
Loretta,” Anthony replied. “They like whoever they want, and
there’s nothing I can do to change their minds.”

“So is that a no?” Warren pressed.

He let out a sigh and admitted, “No, they
don’t care for Iris.”

“Why didn’t you warn me before I invited her
to your dinner party?”

“Because my sister didn’t tell me anything
until I’d already told you to bring her. After that, it was awkward
to withdraw the invitation.”

Warren supposed he couldn’t blame Anthony for
his reasoning. He might have done the same thing in his
situation.

“Besides,” Anthony added, “my sister has a
tendency to exaggerate. I thought her dislike for Iris couldn’t be
that bad.”

Corin glanced from one gentleman to the
other. “Things seemed pleasant enough during dinner.”

“Iris,” Warren began, “said it wasn’t
pleasant for her. She said Celia and Loretta kept whispering
between themselves and snickering at her.”

“I don’t recall seeing that,” Anthony
replied.

“I don’t, either,” Corin agreed.

“Neither did I,” Warren granted. “But I think
we were too caught up in our conversation with Iris’ father to
notice anything the ladies were doing.”

“The Duke of Hartwell did have excellent
advice,” Corin commented.

“Yes, he did,” Anthony said. “From what I
hear, he almost rivals Malcolm when it comes to business
sense.”

The mention of Malcolm brought a momentary
flicker of regret for whatever he must have said or done to push
Malcolm away from him. At least with Robert, he knew what he’d done
wrong.

Pushing aside the thought, Warren
straightened in his seat. “Well, Iris is adamant that they were
snickering at her during the meal. And when they went to the
drawing room, things went from bad to worse. Do you have any idea
what happened?”

“Celia didn’t say anything about it,” Anthony
said. “She only said she’d found the evening amusing. I thought
that was a good thing.”

“Iris was upset. She didn’t find the evening
the least bit amusing,” Warren replied.

Anthony shrugged. “I don’t see what we can do
about it. If the ladies don’t get along, they don’t get along. I
just won’t have Iris over to one of my dinner parties in the
future. I can’t get out of inviting my sister.”

Warren was about to argue he didn’t have to
invite his sister at all, but then he remembered Anthony and Celia
actually had a good relationship, unlike the ones he had with his
half-brother and half-sister.

“I understand,” Warren finally said. “I don’t
want to get between you and your sister. Unfortunately, in light of
the fact that I’m going to marry Iris, I can’t go to any more of
your dinner parties.”

“You care for Iris that much?” Corin
asked.

“I have a lot to learn about Iris,” Warren
corrected. “But she’s going to be my wife, and I need to treat her
with the respect due to her.”

“It also wouldn’t be good to upset her
father,” Anthony added.

Well, yes, Warren supposed there was that
angle, too, but her father would suggest Warren forget his feelings
and focus on Iris’.

“I wouldn’t worry about it,” Anthony told
him. “Ladies have their squabbles all the time. Sometimes Celia
can’t stand Loretta, and at other times, she’ll spend all day with
her. Who can say why? Their moods are so erratic.”

“They are,” Corin agreed. “I’m sure the
ladies will resolve their differences soon enough.”

Warren wished that was true, but he suspected
that would never happen.

“I have an idea,” Anthony said, straightening
in his seat. “Why don’t we visit Lord Haynes? He has friends in
Parliament. It might be interesting to get an idea of what laws
they’re discussing that might be meaningless.”

Usually, Warren would enjoy poking fun at
some of the laws Parliament passed, but today, his heart wasn’t in
it. “As much as I’d like to, I have more pressing things to take
care of. I hope you don’t mind.”

“No, we don’t mind at all,” he assured him.
“You have your bride to focus on.”

“Thank you,” Warren said.

And he meant it in every sense possible.
After his falling out with Robert and the strained relationship
with Malcolm, it was hard to know if he’d say or do something to
somehow upset Anthony or Corin. Apparently, dealing with people
wasn’t his strong point. If only he could figure out how to rectify
that.

***

Iris wiped the tears with her handkerchief in
Bethany’s drawing room. She’d run to her friend’s townhouse as soon
as she was sure Bethany was ready to receive visitors. And Bethany
hadn’t been able to say more than a greeting before Iris broke into
tears and explained the whole sordid story about her previous
evening with Celia and Loretta.

“And then they said the reason I had my
father at the dinner party was because he’d make Warren talk to
me,” Iris concluded, trying her hardest to stop this incessant
crying. Truly, it wasn’t like her to cry so much.

“Oh, you poor thing,” Bethany whispered,
putting a comforting hand on her back. “I had no idea they were
that mean.”

“They’re wretched creatures. They take
delight in hurting others.” Iris struggled to take a deep, calming
breath, hoping this would enable her to stop crying so much. “I’ve
been eating sweets all morning. It’s how I cope when bad things
happen. If I’m not careful, I’m going to gain too much weight and
not be able to fit in my good dresses anymore.”

“Well, it certainly doesn’t help when you’ve
been treated so horribly.”

“The worst thing is that my father can’t
imagine they were that rude. He thinks I misunderstood what they
were saying.”

“He’s probably just hoping it’s not as bad as
you said.”

“Probably. But it was. I hate Celia and
Loretta. I wish they’d trip on their gowns and…and…that the gowns
would rip right off, leaving them naked. Right in front of everyone
at a ball. Maybe then they’d stop acting all high and mighty.”

Bethany offered a comforting smile. “It would
be a sight, for sure. I’m really sorry this happened to you. I wish
I’d been there to stand with you.”

“Maybe if you’d been there, someone would
believe me, but as it is, my father and Warren think Celia and
Loretta were pleasant through the whole evening.”

“Yes, but Warren is oblivious to anything
that doesn’t involve himself. You can’t be surprised there.”

Iris wiped the last of her tears away, glad
she’d finally gotten them out of her system. “You’re right. I
can’t. He feigned interest, but everything he said was simply for
my father’s benefit.” She shook her head and crossed her arms. “One
thing Celia and Loretta did get right was the fact that Warren’s
only interested in the marriage because of my father. I knew Warren
asked me to his dinner parties because of his friendship with my
father. I was never under the impression he asked me because he had
any interest in me. But I had hoped he might get to know me and
find me somewhat interesting.”

What foolish dreams. She couldn’t believe
she’d ever entertained such fantasies.

“I wish I knew what to say to make things
better,” Bethany said, her voice soft.

Smiling, Iris clasped her friend’s hand.
“Being here when I needed someone is enough.”

“It doesn’t feel like it.”

“I know, but it is. Besides, what else can
you possibly do? You can’t get me out of this marriage any more
than my mother can.”

Her friend nodded, but Iris noted the sorrow
in her eyes. What a rare friendship they had. Of all the people
Iris had come across, Bethany was truly a godsend.

The butler came into the room and waited
until Bethany encouraged him to speak before saying, “Lord Dunnaby
would like to visit you, Miss Carlisle.”

“Oh,” Bethany glanced at Iris, “maybe I
should have him come back later.”

“No,” Iris protested. “See him now.” She
smiled at her friend. “There’s no need to make him wait to see you.
Besides, I’ve said all I can. I think I’ll go home and rest.”
Between crying on her friend’s shoulder and having been unable to
sleep the night before, she was exhausted. She rose to her feet.
“I’m glad one of us can experience love.”

Bethany stood up and hugged her. “I’m so
sorry, Iris.”

Iris returned the hug. “You have nothing to
be sorry for.” When she pulled away from her, she said, “Promise me
you’ll enjoy the rest of your day. Don’t let what happened to me
spoil your visit with Robert.”

“I wish things could be different. I wish
both of us could have a love match.”

“One of us will, and that’s good enough.” Of
all the people who deserved good things in her life, Iris could
think of none more deserving than her friend. “I’ll let you know
what day my father and Warren will plan for the wedding. I want you
there.”

“I’ll be there.”

Bethany turned to the butler. “I’ll see Lord
Dunnaby.”

The butler nodded and left the room.

“Let me know when he proposes,” Iris
said.

Her friend’s face turned bright red, but Iris
caught the expectant spark in her eye. “He hasn’t mentioned
marriage.”

“Yet,” Iris replied.

Robert came into the room and bowed. “Miss
Carlisle. Lady Iris.”

Iris joined Bethany in offering a curtsey
before she said, “I was just leaving.”

“Oh, you don’t have to leave because I’m
here,” he replied.

“We were done talking,” Iris assured him. “I
have to return home. There are wedding plans to tend to.”
Unfortunately. “I hope you two have a good visit,” she added,
glancing between her friend and Robert. There was no doubt about
it. The two were very much in love.

“For what it’s worth,” Robert began as she
turned to leave, “I think you’re a fine lady and deserving of the
very best.”