Page 59 of Watching the Earl

“You said you were meeting with the solicitor. Would you like him to meet you in the study?”

Since he’d been to the townhouse before, he knew where the study was, so he nodded. “That will be acceptable. Thank you, Haines.” He headed in that direction.

“My lord?”

He halted, having barely made two steps. “Yes, Haines.”

“Your hat?”

Blast. He’d been so busy mooning over his wife, he’d forgotten. He took it from his head and handed it to his butler. “Thank you, Haines.” Without another word, he strode off and into the study before he made more of a fool of himself than he already had.

Moving to the sideboard, he took in his surroundings. It wasn’t the largest townhouse, not nearly the size of the one he’d lost, but it was acceptable. He might make an offer on it, now that he would be coming to London with a wife and hopefully children. At that thought, he poured himself half a glass of American whiskey he’d recently purchased. He raised the glass to catch the light from the lamp. “To children.” He took a sip before moving to the large desk set near the eastern wall.

He sat in the large chair and set down the glass. If Georgina was like her mother, she might well bear him many children. It was an odd thought. One he’d not contemplated before. He’d never paid much attention to children, except among his tenants, so the thought of having his own was new and somewhat titillating. To mold a child into the person he hoped they’d become was both exciting and intimidating. Then again, his father had done that with him, and he’d disappointed not only his father but himself.

Taking another sip of whiskey, he pushed aside the thought. He’d just married. He was barely getting used to the idea of having a wife, his fortune back, and a second chance at building his family’s reputation. He’d not been oblivious to the fact that mothers who were anxious to have their daughters married didn’t steer the ladies toward him. That said a lot about how the ton viewed him. Georgina, though, didn’t seem to hold that view even upon meeting him. He would need her help to be a role model for his children and had no doubt she’d be pleased to do what she could.

A knock sounded on the door.

“Come.” As his solicitor strode in, Philip moved his mind to finances. Those black-and-white numbers were far easier to handle than his reputation.

*

Philip felt a sense of pride and, yes, even pleasure at the stunned look upon Georgina’s face as Mrs. Bean lifted the shimmering pale green silk that changed color in the light and brought it over to place it against his wife’s skin. “This will fairly make you glow, my lady.”

Georgina looked about to touch it, but then didn’t as if afraid to, before she looked at him in question.

He smiled and gave her a nod. After a week in Town, he found her complete joy in the city gave him a new perspective on it.

As Georgina nodded to Mrs. Bean, he could see his wife was clearly overwhelmed by his generosity. He wasn’t quite sure why he felt so damn proud of himself, but buying her a wardrobe to match her personality had him feeling like the cock of the henhouse. It made no sense, since it wasn’t a sacrifice on his part at all. In fact, he was enjoying himself immensely. “Mrs. Bean, do you have anything almost completed that will fit my wife? I wish her to have a couple of new dresses as soon as possible.”

The woman, who was very happy to have them there, laid the green silk on top of eleven other bolts of fabric that would be made into dresses. “Now, that I must check. Do I have some almost-finished dresses? Yes. But will they need little alteration, I’m not sure. Let me look at what I have. Mary, bring those bolts back. We will get started on these immediately.”

As Mrs. Bean and her assistant scurried into the back, Georgina stepped down from the small platform and walked over to stand before him. “Are you sure you wish to purchase so many dresses? I have some that I can still wear.”

He took her hands and pulled her to stand between his legs. “You’re the Countess of Durham now. We have a reputation to uphold, or perhaps the better word is repair.”

Her face filled with concern. “Did marrying me cause you to be looked at poorly then?”

And just like that, she returned to the timid woman he’d first met who was so desperate to please. He hated that he had caused such a shift. “Not at all. You are, in fact, my hope at rebuilding the Durham reputation. You know that I gambled wildly.”

She nodded, her attention riveted to him, something he noticed she did when anxious to learn something new.

“Well, that and other carousing rather left my reputation to fall significantly with the ton. Not that I cared at the time, which again was poor judgment on my part. However, I feel the need to restore the Durham name…for my father’s sake.” Knowing her curiosity, he hesitated to mention his father, but she was his wife and she deserved to know whom she’d married.

“You feel that if your father had been alive to see your gambling that he would have been disappointed in you.”

Her deduction surprised him, though he was well aware she had the capacity to synthesize information quickly. “Yes. That and, well, even when he was alive, I disappointed him greatly.”

Her brows drew together in confusion. “But your mother said your father was proud of you.”

Perhaps this hadn’t been the best place to approach the subject. He looked around and, seeing they were quite alone, continued. “As I said, my mother and I have a difference of opinion. I know…” He looked away, not quite able to bring himself to say it out loud.

Georgina squeezed his hands. “Husband, I’m your wife. You can tell me.”

She was his wife. She should know in order to better navigate his family dynamic. His sister and mother were very much aware of what had happened, and he had no doubt his sister wouldn’t keep her knowledge to herself. “To be blunt, I’m ashamed.”

She pulled her hands from his and cupped his face. “I know that feeling well and understand how difficult it can be to share such events with another. I trust you will tell me when you wish to.”