“Not necessary. Is it, sweetums?” Flavion said, looking back at the lady he’d been thoroughly absorbed with only a few moments before.
Sending him a worshipful look, she shook her head and gazed back at him. Flavion placed a quick kiss on her lips before turning her, patting her bum, and shooing her away. She did just as he asked without any protest whatsoever.
Ah, nothing had changed.
After she’d disappeared, Flavion looked over at Stephen. “Er, yes, I suppose you ought to meet the old ball and chain.” Then he paused. “But Stephen?” He shuffled his feet, looking at the ground like an overgrown schoolboy who knew he’d misbehaved.
Stephen feared Flave’s next words. “Yes?”
“She’s rather out of sorts with me at the moment. A temporary matter, I am sure, but I am currentlynotone of her favorite people.”
“A lover’s quarrel?” Stephen asked already knowing it could not be that simple.
“Well, rather more than that, I’m afraid. You see, she didn’t take it very well when I told her that I married her for the money.”
“You did what?”
“Well, after I had, ah, finalized our contract, so to speak, I couldn’t really have her hanging off me and whatnot. You know, expecting me to carry on with all of the doting and fawning. Daphne wouldn’t like that at all.”
“I’m not following. Daphne, your wife, wouldn’t want you to remain a doting husband?” Stephen asked, confused.
“Oh, heavens, no. Daphne is not my wife.” Amusement took over his demeanor. “I’min lovewith Daphne. Mywifeis Cecily.” And with a wink he added, “Daphne is that fine bit of muslin I had in my arms a moment ago.”
“And by ‘finalizing the contract’ you mean…?” Could Flavion truly be that stupid? Oh, hell, could he have been that insensitive? Of course he could!
“Well, I couldn’t give her cause to seek an annulment. Her dowry will keep me in blunt for years to come! I couldn’t risk losing that, now could I?”
Feeling as though he had waded into quicksand, Stephen asked, “How much is this dowry?”
Jerking his chin up, Flavion responded, “Over one-hundred-thousand pounds!”
Stephen took a deep breath. “And who, might I ask, is her family?” Any lady with such a large dowry would be from a well-known and successful family.
“She’s middle class, I’m afraid, rather low birth, actually. Her father is a rags-to-riches sort of fellow. Mr. Thomas Findlay. Not even a gentleman, really, let alone nobility.”
At that particular name, Stephen flinched. Findlay Shipping and Manufacturing was one of his own company’s largest competitors. And Thomas Findlay was known to be ruthless. If Flave’s wife took her grievances to her father, Stephen wouldn’t put it past the industrial giant to put a violent end to his cousin’s life. Lucky for Flave, Stephen knew that Thomas Findlay had left for America on business a few weeks ago. He must have left right after the wedding.
“Have you already invested the dowry?” Stephen asked, his mind straightaway working a mile a minute.
“It’s sitting in the bank, Stephen. Well, most of it anyhow. I’ve been celebrating lately, as anyone would do! Not every day a man creates such a grand windfall for himself.”
Flavion’s words reverberated around Stephen’s head. Only a complete and utter idiot would allow that much money to languish in the bank, uninvested. Before he could complete that thought, Stephen wondered exactly how much of it Flavion had already frittered away. “We need to review your marriage contracts, Flave. Meanwhile, why don’t you introduce me to this new wife of yours?” Then, after further thought, he added, “Do make an attempt to be doting, Flavion. Your life may very well depend upon it.”
Flave glanced at him with a surprised look on his face.
Stephen merely grasped Flavion’s arm and said, “Lead the way, cuz.”
CHAPTER TWO
Cecily smoothed downtheskirt of her gown, unlike anything she had worn as a debutante. As a married woman, Cecily’s obligation to wear debutante pastels and whites no longer applied. Surprise, surprise! There were benefits, after all, in becoming Lady Kensington. Cecily could thank Rhoda for pointing this fact out. After watching Cecily weep continuously for nearly two whole days, Rhoda had decided that Cecily needed to shop — shop like she’d never shopped before. This splendid wardrobe was the one redeeming asset she had acquired through this fiasco of a union.
Her friends had scheduled Cecily an appointment with Madam Chantal, London’s most expensive dressmaker, and quickly endeavored to commission Cecily an entirely new wardrobe. She had since spentmillionsof hours in the French woman’s boutique being measured, pinned, dressed, and fussed over. She’d even shared some of her own design ideas with the modiste, and together she and Madam Chantal were integrating them into her new apparel. In between these lengthy appointments, the young ladies had patronized numerous other shops to purchase all manner of accessory. It was in one particularly pricy jewelry store where Cecily had come across Flavion making the purchase for Miss Cunnington.
He’d not been embarrassed or sheepish at all! In fact, he’d had the gall to ask her opinion of that blasted barrette. Ignoring him, Cecily had narrowed her eyes and deliberately chosen a more expensive piece for herself.
As much as Flavion had spent since their marriage, Cecily presumed she’d most likely spent twice that amount. At the rate they were going, the two of them ought to be broke within the year. It was a rather exhausting undertaking.
At least, Cecily thought bitterly, she would have a terrific collection of gowns to show for it.
