Page 20 of A Marriage of Necessity

“Kennedy, I am so glad you are home,” Louisa cried.

He laughed. “Then I am glad, as well.”

“Kennedy,” the viscountess said as she removed her gloves.

“My lady.” He gave a slight bow, then addressed his wife, “Anne.”

“Good afternoon, my lord,” she replied.

He saw none of the anger from the night before and prayed that she’d forgiven him.

Louisa hurried to the divan near the window and dropped the box she carried onto the cushion. “You must see this dress I have just purchased for the ball tonight.”

Kennedy halted next to Anne. “The ball tonight?”

“Aye,” Louisa said. “Mama has agreed to allow me to come.” She tore the top off the box, but Kennedy was no longer looking at her.

“We are no’ attending the ball tonight,” he told Anne.

She frowned. “But your father and stepmother are hosting the party in honor of our marriage. We must attend.”

He gave a harsh laugh. “Nae, we do not have to attend.”

“We are not attending the ball?” Louisa asked.

Kennedy glanced at her. She stood, holding a pink velvet evening gown up against her body.

“My lord,” Anne said, “is it not better to stay on good terms with your father?”

He snapped his gaze onto her. “I am on as good terms with him as is possible,” he said in a level voice.

“Oh dear,” Louisa said. “You are angry that we charged my dress and shoes to you, aren’t you?”

He looked at the girl in surprise. “You charged the dress to me?” The moment the words left his mouth, he realized his mistake.

Tears appeared in the girl’s eyes and she plopped down on the divan. The viscountess hurried to her daughter and sat beside her.

“Ye need not worry, my lord, I will pay for the dress,” Anne said in a tight voice. She started toward her sister.

Kennedy grasped her arm. “Wait.”

He released her and took the three steps to the couch and squatted eye level with Louisa. She wasn’t crying—yet—but the sadness in her eyes tore at his heart. He placed a finger beneath her chin and gently tilted her head upward so that she has forced to meet his gaze.

“I don’t at all mind paying for your dress,” he said. “I simply hadn’t planned on going to the party, so you caught me off guard.” He smiled. “You know that ladies oftentimes catch gentlemen off guard.”

Her expression cleared. “I have noticed that. I have a friend Robert. We’ve known each other since we were four. Of late, however, he sometimes says the strangest things. It’s very silly and I’ve asked him if he has some sort of brain disease. That only seemed to upset him, though, and he gets tongue-tied. Is that what you mean?”

He laughed. “Well, I suspect that Robert’s malady has more to do with the fact that you are a very pretty young lady, rather than a brother who wasn’t planning to go to a party. But you have the general idea.”

“If you do not want to go to the party tonight, that is quite all right. I do not mind returning the dress and the shoes and…” she gave him a sheepish smile, “the gloves.”

He stood. “Not at all. Anne is correct. We should stay on good terms with my father. We shall all go.”

Louisa leapt to her feet and threw her arms around him. “I wasn’t at all happy about Anne marrying some stranger. But now I’m very glad she married you.”

Kennedy felt his wife’s eyes bore into the back of his head. He wasn’t at all sure she was happy she had married him.

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