Pricing The Heart

Chapter 43

"Good morning, Lord David."

"Mr. Decker," David greeted.

"You remained unseen last evening, and until Pearl and I retired for the night, I believe the same was the case with Miss Lydia." He flashed David a smile as he descended the stairs.

David returned his smile. "I thank you for the help you've rendered so far. Eloise... Lydia and I have..." He cleared his throat, rubbing his neck. "The conflict between us has been resolved."

"Good." His smile broadened. "Please, join us for breakfast. I'm certain Pearl shall be pleased to hear the news of your reconciliation with Lydia."

"I'm afraid I have much more pressing matters to attend to. Eloise and I have decided to get married."

Mr. Decker's brows disappeared into his blond hairline. "Oh?"

"Indeed, today. Midday, at best. I covet your help in finding a clergyman who might be willing to conduct the ceremony with such short notice." David hadn't thought it possible that Mr. Decker's smile could grow any bigger, but it did, exposing pearly whites.

"Yes, yes. Right this way," he said, and motioned for David to follow him.

That evening, Eloise and David were joined in the Decker's living room, before a witness of four; Mr. Decker, his wife, and two daughters. It surprised David to find that after the joining, an exquisite dinner awaited them in the dining hall. Mrs Decker proved efficient in putting together the five course meal, and had even managed to throw a two-tiered cake into the mix. Everything was lovely, but it was his bride who stole his attention, as well as the air from his lungs, every time he looked at her.

Eloise was breathtaking in an elegant blue dress that would have appeared white under sufficient lighting. The neckline bared her shoulders, teasing him with a decent display of her bosom. The V-shaped bodice gave the illusion of a tiny waist, and the full skirt swept the floor, forming a small train behind her. Her hair was pulled to the back to form a masterpiece of curls and yellow roses.

David stirred as he thought of the sheer pleasure he might derive tonight from unraveling her dress. He barely paid attention to the conversation that went on around the dinner table, grunting every time a question was aimed at him. By the end of the evening, he was weary of waiting and quite irritated when Mr. Decker invited him to his study for port. He had half the mind to turn the man down—to gather Eloise in his arms and carry her up the stairs to the room the Deckers had been kind to assign to them. But Eloise had cruelly accepted Mrs Decker's invitation to tea and was already making her way out of the room with her.

Stifling the urge to groan, David accepted Mr. Decker's invitation with great reluctance. The two retreated to Mr. Decker's study. They sat talking about politics. Seeing as David had no interest in the topic, he was bored and out of his mind with the need to be with his bride. He breathed a loud sigh of relief when Mrs Decker entered the study an hour and a half later, requesting to be alone with her husband.

"Mr. Thinner will show you to your room," Mrs Decker said with what he thought was a coy smile.

Nodding his thanks, he left the study eagerly and followed the butler to a room on the second floor. The butler handed him the key and left. He unlocked the door and made to go inside, but the sight that greeted him stopped him dead in his tracks.

*

Eloise sat on the edge of the bed, her anxiety rising as she listened to David unlock the door. She feared how he might react to find her like this, clothed in a sheer nightgown. The cotton fabric was so sheer, she wondered about the use of the dress, for it left her feeling utterly exposed. She'd been reluctant to wear the scandalous nightgown, but Mrs Decker had insisted, just like she'd seen to it that Eloise walked down the aisle in one of her elaborate dresses. It was also Mrs Decker's idea to whisk Eloise away after dinner to prepare her for her wedding night. The maids had spent the last hour and a half bathing and perfuming her. Her hair had been combed and oiled, and the loose curls were left to drape her shoulders. Mrs Decker said it was because men had an odd fascination with women's hair. And as the door slid open to reveal David, Eloise silently admitted Mrs Decker was right about everything.