After the Wedding (The Worth Saga #2)(89)

Camilla dried her tears. A maid wiped away all evidence of them with a rosewater wash and dabbed at her eyes with one of Judith’s fancy creams.

“Yes,” Camilla said. “Yes. I’ll be ready.”





Chapter Twenty-Four





Camilla had known Adrian would come. The only question had been how long it would take him.

Adrian Hunter had arrived at four in the afternoon, after the solicitor had left, right in the middle of the appointment that Judith had made with a seamstress to take Camilla’s measurements.

“Mr. Adrian Hunter is here to see Lady Camilla,” a servant announced, as Camilla stood in her underthings, patiently allowing the woman to measure every inch of her body.

Judith—who had stayed in the room with her, as if she feared Camilla would disappear—frowned at this. “Do you know a Mr. Hunter?”

Biblically, Camilla did not say. Just last night.

“Technically speaking, we have been married for almost a month.” Camilla looked upward. “Although you heard what the solicitor said—we’re not supposed to hold ourselves out as married. But yes. I suppose you could say we are acquainted.”

Judith’s face hardened. “Cam, you don’t have to speak to him if you don’t wish to. You heard the solicitor. It was one thing to stay with him when you had no choice. But your chances at an annulment will be best if you keep yourselves as separate as possible from this point onward.”

Eventually, she would have to tell her sister what Adrian meant to her and what she truly wanted from him.

For now, she settled for a shake of her head. “Don’t talk of him that way. You cannot understand how vulnerable I was when we were wed. There is not a better man in the entirety of England.”

Judith just looked at her. “If you want to get an annulment, you shouldn’t say things like that. People will take it amiss.”

Now was not the point where she wanted to explain. “Just this once won’t hurt. We’ve worked together this long; he deserves to have me personally explain what is happening. Please convey to him that I’ll be there as soon as I’m able.”

It was torture to finish the fitting; she was scolded three times for not being able to stand still. She could hardly help it; her heart was beating so. She could scarcely control the hopeful, involuntary clench of her hand. Her entire being wavered between delight that he’d arrived, and anger that he hadn’t told her about his uncle.

He’d made her believe he’d chosen her. He’d told her that she deserved better and then not given it to her.

“Are you sure?” Judith said as the maids bundled Camilla into a day gown at the end of the fitting. “I’ll come sit with you. You shouldn’t be alone with a man. Your reputation—”

“Oh, for God’s sake.” Camilla rolled her eyes. “What reputation? I’ve spent the last nine years of my life having no reputation to speak of. I am about to get a marriage annulled publicly.”

“I’m just trying to help.”

Camilla reached over and patted her sister’s shoulder. “I appreciate it. Really, I do. You can help by telling me if my hair looks presentable.”

“It’s lovely, but Camilla—”

There was nothing for it. She’d been too long without an older sister; she couldn’t let Judith smother her, not already.

“You can help,” Camilla said, “by believing that in the years that have passed, I really have learned what’s best for myself. I’m going to talk to Adrian alone, and you’re going to let me do it.”

Judith looked at her a long moment, then sighed and looked away. “Yes,” she finally said. “I’m sorry. I just have so many years of care I’ve wanted to give you. It’s hard not to give it all at once.”

From the other side of the room, Camilla was aware of Theresa watching her intently. She hadn’t spoken much beyond greetings. She’d actually seemed a little shy, which was odd, given how forward her letter was.

Camilla nodded. “I’ll introduce you after we’ve spoken.” She paused, tapping her lips. “One last thing about Mr. Hunter. I don’t know if Theresa has mentioned it.”

Theresa straightened, her eyes widening.

“What has Theresa to do with Mr. Hunter?”

Camilla looked in her sister’s eyes. “Adrian is of African descent. If you in any way treat him as inferior because of that, I will walk out of this house and never speak to you again. I mean it. I may be annulling my marriage, but I know what it’s like to be looked down upon. Don’t do it.”

Judith blinked. She did not speak for a moment. She looked down at her hands and then over at Camilla. “Well, I suppose it’s best that we’ve all come down this path. I have not lived here all the time you’ve been gone. We used to live near the docks; I knew a great many people then that I’d never have been introduced to otherwise.” She shrugged. “I’ll still fight him if he hurts you.”

Camilla exhaled. “I’m going to see him.”

“This isn’t what I assumed, is it?”

Camilla didn’t answer. Instead, she let the maid guide her to the parlor where her quasi-husband waited. She found him pacing in front of the mantel, hands on his hips. He turned to her.