Indeed that night she ended up taking off all of her clothes first and when they were naked in the study, they made love on the carpet. Unleashing the passion that always consumed them.
In the days that came, they both enjoyed their mutual company. They visited the tenants that lived on their lands. They walked and attended a few events from people who invited them due to their recent wedding. Many wanted to meet the new marchioness and talk to her. Some wanted to see her out of curiosity, others simply because they needed someone new to criticize, but she didn’t care. She thought that very soon they would talk more about her because of her failed marriage.
After those days, Sonia felt even more attracted to Robert, and he was charming despite the fact that he was a man that had a hard and cold facade in front of others. They traveled to the house in London a week later and Sonia’s mother was happy to see her. She couldn’t do anything else but to ask her about her new married life and made comments that she expected the future arrival of the stork soon. To which Sonia didn’t know what to answer. Robert had decided that it was best to stay at his house and not at his father’s. Although that was also his home, he preferred to stay as far as possible from a person who only knew how to put him in a bad mood. She was not aware that Robert had a beautiful house in Portman Square which he had bought a week ago. He told her that until his father died he preferred to live in that house where he knew he would have peace of mind. She accepted it because that would not be her house either way. There would come a time to buy her own house and decorate it, but in the meantime, she was distracted decorating his house because Robert asked her to.
When they saw each other again Robert and his father locked themselves in the study and talked all afternoon about business. Sonia meanwhile went with her mother to visit Angustias Walton in Berkeley Square. Angustias was at her cousin's house and the poor woman needed to see a friendly face.
There they stayed there for a while and Angustias told Sonia that she felt a little nervous about everything that was going on around her. Her cousin exhibited her as if she was something for sale and she had to go to all the activities and events where the people looked at her badly because they believed she was an upstart social climber, but nothing could be further from the truth. Sonia tried to calm Angustias’ fears and gave her some advice.
CHAPTER 8
In any case, Sonia felt sorry for her and offered her friendship. She told Angustias that when she felt that life overwhelmed her she could visit her whenever she wanted. Although she didn’t know where she would be when that happened.
“I would like to visit some places, but the person that always goes with me is my cousin's wife and although she is very kind, she is always aware of possible potential suitors.”
“Oh dear, that must be very irritating.”
Angustias nodded. “This is a very different world for me. I do not mean that in America I went out a lot or socialized a lot, but here I do not feel safe talking to people. They look at me strangely and they avoid telling me anything.”
Sonia kept to herself the fact that Angustias appearance most assuredly did not help, but she was unable to say it. Instead, Sonia told her that there would be a dance given by the Count of Arfort and the invitations were beginning to be sent throughout the city. Sonia was sure that they would invite her. She told Angustias that when she received her own invitation, she should send her a letter so they could meet and they could go to her dressmaker to get a nice dress for that day.
Angustias happily accepted and thanked her. After having a good time there, Sonia returned home with her mother. On the way, her mother kept asking how her marriage was going and how Robert treated her.
“Everything’s fine. He is a real gentleman and things are going great.”
“Your face tells me otherwise my daughter.”
“Things between a married couple are not always idyllic, mother. You should know this well,” Sonia answered annoyed by her interrogation, but she regretted it the moment she said it.
“I know, daughter. I got married with such hope but your father changed.”
“I’m sorry, mother. I didn’t mean to be impertinent. I know what you have suffered from my father’s temperament and I should not have said that.”
“Don’t worry, dear. You have only told the truth. I just hope things are different for you.”
Sonia resisted the urge to tell her everything. She couldn’t risk her mother saying something to her brother or father and ruin everything.
*****
A couple of days later Sonia left her house to meet with Angustias. Angustias had written to her the previous day telling her that she had indeed been invited to the dance held by the Count of Arfort and begged her for help. She would prefer her cousin’s wife not accompany her to obtain the dress for the dance. Sonia smiled thinking of the expression of horror that Angustias must have had when she wrote the note. Sonia wrote her immediately and let Angustias know that she would gladly help her with everything and set a time they could meet.
Later that day the carriage stopped in front of the dressmaker’s shop. A huge shop with a spool of thread painted in one of the windows. It read Madame Angelique’s Boutique. When they entered the woman was waiting and had set aside a small room that was only used by the exclusive customers of the store, like her.
“Lady Wilmington, what
