Fortunately, Adelaide looked the part. She was radiant, and though she had been hesitant, she fell into the role well. Her posture was perfect, her chin lifted confidently in a way that he had never seen from her. But from the faint tremors in her fingers, he knew it was all an act.
Without thinking, he covered her hand with his own.
She glanced up at him, startled, but he did not pull away. He couldnot. Instead, his thumb brushed her knuckles in a gesture so gentle, he immediately regretted it. He was taking it too far by being intimate, and it would not go unnoticed.
“They seem so close,” a whisper came as they passed other guests.
“Look at how he holds her. Have you ever seen him touch anyone like that?”
Cassian heard every word, and he could not help but wince inwardly. He wondered just what Adelaide was thinking.
They did not love each other, and what they shared would never truly resemble that, but that did not mean he wanted her to think of other ladies he had known. It was not the time for it.
Eventually, they reached the host, Lord Poulston. Cassian bowed, and Adelaide curtseyed with a polite smile.
“Thank you for inviting us,” she said warmly.
“The pleasure is mine. I cannot thank you enough for making an appearance, and during your honeymoon of all time.”
“Fear not, we are more than happy to be here. This is important, after all, and it gives my wife the opportunity to meet some of the ladies here.”
Lord Poulston seemed to like that response.
Cassian sure hoped that the man believed him. His actions had convinced those around him, but that did not mean nobody would question him. Their courtship had been nonexistent, their wedding had been small, and they had never publicly declared their love for one another. It did not help that their marriage was born of scandal, either.
“Indeed, and they have each asked me if she would be in attendance. Actually, Your Grace, I was hoping that you might greet the assembly together. They would all like to see it, and it would be beneficial to me, as it pertains to the discussion to come later.”
Cassian gave Adelaide a look, and she nodded slowly. It was what was expected of them, and they could do it.
They knew that they would have a role to play, but Cassian had not considered that he might be the one to have difficulty with it. He had expected to be the one encouraging his wife, but when she squeezed his arm, it almost felt as though she was the one encouraging him.
And so, one by one, they greeted the assembly.
They all seemed more interested in Adelaide than they were in him, and he was pleased with that. He did not want them to look at him too closely. He wanted them to see his wife for who she was.
Despite her apprehension, Adelaide seemed to enjoy the attention. It was as though she were an entirely different person, greeting those she met with warmth and asking them questions about themselves.
“How are you settling into your new role?” one lady asked. “It must be rather daunting.”
“Oh, not at all!” Adelaide replied. “I can only hope that I do it justice, and that I can do right by my household and the village.”
“And she is doing very well,” Cassian added. “They ask after her every time I see them already, so she has made quite the impression.”
That earned her a look of approval.
Cassian was settling into the act just as his wife was. Though he had to maintain as much cordiality as he could, and he was aware that perfection was demanded from him every bit as much as it was from her.
Then, he realized that he had to introduce his wife to his friend.
Rowan Hartwell was, in truth, the only man Cassian could stand to be around. He was a good man, of average height and build, but with startlingly bright green eyes.
Cassian respected him greatly, but his friend had a way of drawing confessions out of him that he did not like. Rowan wasalso not nearly as secretive. Cassian worried that the man would reveal things to his wife that he wanted to remain hidden.
Rowan ran a hand through his light hair, giving Adelaide a smile that Cassian had never seen before.
“It is good to meet you at last,” he greeted. “I must admit, the moment my friend here told me that he was getting married, I was most intrigued. I had not expected it.”
Nobody had, but that was beside the point. Cassian had only just asserted to his friend that he had no interest in finding a wife when it all happened, and it had been a strange letter to write. It meant hurting his pride, and he had not enjoyed it at all.
