Story Author's Note: Did someone recently tell me I had too many projects at once? Well, if they did, it's because I do. But it does come in handy when a different mood strikes. So, that's why these chapters are coming out sporadically. However, this new one and the one following are actually being written by LSI: Love Scene Investigator. She doesn't recall ever reading a Regency Historical Romance before, but has read Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" and seen the A&E version of the book. I would say, after reading this, that she has a superb understanding of it. ~ Laredo Grissom
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The impending ball in their honor, and all the planning that had gone on before it, had only served to make Gil more edgy. He'd made himself scarce this afternoon, giving Sara privacy to get ready for the ball. There had been so many servants in and out of their room, drawing their baths and fussing with their clothes, barely able to contain their excitement—as if they too, would be attending the ball—that his head was still spinning from the strangeness of it all.
To say that he felt totally displaced, would be an understatement, though he wasn't as clueless about the customs of the period as Sara thought. His knowledge didn't come from romance novels, as hers had, but his own readings and interest in history had prepared him well. Once the shock of it all had begun to subside, and he could concentrate on the customs and the social graces of the time, he had slowly started to acclimate to the Regency culture.
The only thing he'd never get used to was these high-collared shirts. As he tried to slip his index finger inside his collar to release some of the tension, he promised himself that if they ever made it back, he'd never again complain about wearing a tie.
Standing at their bedroom door…bed chamber, he reminded himself, ready to knock—not that it was necessary or expected, but a courtesy which their situation seemed to warrant at the moment—he pulled the hems of his snug vest over his abdomen, and released a difficult breath. For men, there wasn't much difference between the style of clothing worn during the day and formal evening wear. Both contained way too many layers to ever be called comfortable.
He gave himself a once over, trying not to wince at his appearance. I look like a fucking clown, he thought, taking in the knee breeches with front flap where a zipper should have been had they been invented yet, knee-high white socks and black waist coat with long tails.
He felt himself blush as he knocked softly on the door.
"Come in," Sara called, and he opened the door slowly to reveal her standing in the middle of the room, a shy smile on her face.
He didn't think it was possible for his shirt collar to get tighter, but somehow it did.
He stopped abruptly in the doorway. It wasn't the tight fit of his clothes that impaired his breathing anymore. His heart flipped and his breath hitched in his lungs as he took in her appearance.
Nothing in his life had prepared him for this moment.
She looked like a modern-day bride in an ivory-silk gown that fell straight to the floor and continued at the back in a short train. The neckline fell to her breasts in a vee, and then gathered just below, accentuating that very desirable part of her anatomy.
A very desiring part of his anatomy hardened in response.
He hoped she wouldn't notice.
"You look…uh—" He could feel his chest rising and falling quickly as he searched for adequate words. But, like the zipper, he didn't think those words had been invented yet. "Magnificent," he finally choked out after considerable deliberation.
"You look pretty magnificent yourself," she said, her smile broadening in a perfectly made up face—not too bold, not too virginal. Her dark hair, which had been pulled up at the back, fell in tender curls around her face, with more curls gracing her nape.
He wanted to touch them.
He finally found his legs and advanced into the room.
"I will be the envy of every man tonight."
"And I will be the envy of every woman."
Gil crinkled his brow in disbelief. "I look like a fool in King Henry's court."
She lifted a hand to his cheek, softly caressing his whiskers with her thumb. He wanted to kiss her, but was afraid that if he touched her, he would mar something, her lipstick or her hair or her gown. He couldn't imagine touching her and not wanting to tear that dress from her body.
She looked at his eyes first, and then her gaze traveled down the length of him. When it reached his eyes again, it was full of mischief. "No," she said softly, "You look like a prince, a very aroused prince."
He was certain of his blush, and certain that it fit right into the time period. But he was a man, 2004 Las Vegas; he shouldn't have been blushing like a teenager his first time.
He cleared his throat. "Ready to face the crowd, Mrs. Grissom?"
"Almost." She turned to the dressing table crowned by a gold-framed mirror. "Danielle loaned me these to wear." She lifted a strand of delicate pearls interrupted in the center with a stone, a diamond…a very large diamond.
He extended his hand. "Allow me."
He clasped the necklace around her neck, aware that his hands were trembling. Their eyes met in the mirror, held, and he felt something he'd never felt before.
All these years he'd been aware of her, as a woman, drawn to her, attracted to her on a very primitive level, but he'd never allowed himself to examine those feelings closely. Looking at her now, he feared he was falling in love with her.
His brain fought those feelings. They were caught in some fantastic dream, caught in the romance of it all. His brain argued.
He'd begun to accept their situation in the last few days. By all indications, something had happened in that jewelry store to transport them back in time, though he still couldn't get his brain around it. The scientist in him wanted to believe—how ground-breaking would that be? But logic kept interfering, telling him he was caught in some fantastic and frightening dream.
Looking at Sara now, however, he wanted to embrace that dream—as fantastic and frightening as it could be. They'd agreed not to talk about their situation tonight; they would worry about it tomorrow. And for now, he was happy to oblige.
"You're beautiful, Sara," he said, losing himself a little in her dark eyes.
And she was. And she was his. His wife, for as long as this madness lasted. Right then, it was all that mattered to him.
* * * * *
Her hand rested lightly on his arm, like a princess, and he felt transported into a time that he'd only witnessed in old movies, or in more recent images of royalty. That she was his princess, his queen, his wife, this evening filled him with pride.
"We're up next," she whispered, trying to conceal her excitement. But she didn't fool him. He was certain this was some big, romantic adventure for her. Her smile twisted his gut.
Then they called their name. "Dr. and Mrs. Grissom."
The crowd erupted in applause as they took their first step. He wondered if Sara knew how many butterflies were invading his stomach right now. She just seemed to be so completely at home in this setting, composed, accepting this weird dream. He even suspected she was enjoying it.
It was dreadful.
Gil released a long, soothing breath as they reached the floor and the applause died down. Lord Wentworth and his sister, Danielle, were there to greet them.
"You are a hero, Dr. Grissom," Edwin said with a jubilance that made him even more uncomfortable, if that were possible. "Everyone heard that you saved my mother's life, and they came to rejoice in it. You will be in high demand tonight."
He drew a blank, looked at Sara, who seemed totally amused by the situation.
"My husband, I'm afraid, is not accustomed to this kind of attention and praise, Lord Wentworth," she said with a confident humor. "You will have to excuse his stage fright."
Gil did a double-take. Where was she getting it? She was a natural, and so confident, he was in awe of her.
"Ah, I can understand it, Mrs. Grissom," Lord Wentworth said mildly. "We are scientists, your husband and I. Men of science have much more important things to occupy their minds than the trivial matters of social behavior." He turned to Gil with acceptance and admiration. "I fully understand you, Doctor."
"Thank you," Gil said, simply because he couldn't figure out what else to say at the moment. It sounded like a compliment, and every compliment deserved a 'thank you'. He was winging it.
"But you, Lord Wentworth, seem practiced in the art of socializing," Sara said, flattering their host.
He smiled and turned briefly to his mother, who was sitting in her stately chair at the other end of the room. "My mother is deserving of the compliment, Mrs. Grissom. She insisted that I engage with society at a very young age. She wouldn't have it any other way."
"You do her honor, my Lord."
"And you flatter me, ma'am." He bowed his head to her.
Gil looked at Sara intently, curiously. How many of these romance novels had she read? It seemed to come so naturally to her. He on the other hand, would have to stay very close to her if he were to make it through the evening without mishaps.
He was curious, but he couldn't question her just then. The music had started and several young people had lined up for a dance. As one of the society parties of the year, it had attracted several well-to-do families and their daughters who were to be debuted this evening. As he watched them dance, Gil prayed that he and Sara wouldn't be expected to join in. He was certain even she wouldn't know the first move.
Danielle, who had been silent until now, took advantage of the lull in conversation to greet Sara properly.
She took her hands in hers and spread her arms wide, looking at her. "You look magnificent, dear Sara."
It irked Gil that she used the same word he had to describe her appearance.
"The credit is yours, Danielle," Sara replied, her fondness for the Lord's sister evident. "My husband was suitably impressed."
Gil received Sara's teasing smile, and returned one of his own. She didn't know it yet, but he had every intention of making love to her tonight. And he had managed to discretely secure the proper protection for them.
A man approached their small party then, a man who was tall and lanky, with a shock of black hair and high cheek bones that gave him the clichéd magician's look. He looked dangerous, Gil decided. The image of the wizard that lived in people's imaginations, only this one was real.
It made him uneasy.
"May I introduce, Lord Sexton," Edwin said, throwing Gil for a loop. Even his name sounded surreal. "Lord Sexton, this is Dr. and Mrs. Grissom." Sara was already curtseying at the introduction. Gil followed her lead and bowed his head.
He watched as she extended her gloved hand with a grace he wouldn't have expected in modern-day America. He wasn't sure he even knew her anymore.
Lord Sexton's attention was focused…on Sara. Edwin and Danielle looked slightly uneasy, as was Gil, though he couldn't pinpoint the source of his uneasiness.
Lord Sexton brought Sara's hand to his lips slowly, deliberately, his eyes bearing into hers in a seductive manner. And then, he kept holding her hand, which pissed Gil off royally. He didn't care at this point if anyone had a problem with that.
"Lord Sexton," he said, his voice cool and even. "Mrs. Grissom is my wife."
The Lord bowed his head at Gil and smiled. "Of course, she is. And a most handsome woman, Doctor, if I dare say so; one of the handsomest women in this room." He looked at Sara, who was beaming at him. "Your husband is a fortunate man."
"Yes. I am," Gil said pleasantly, but with a warning in his voice. Take your hand off her.
The lord threw him a mocking glance and excused himself politely.
"Sara," Danielle said quickly, brightly, as soon as Sexton left, "you must come and meet my cousins."
"I would be honored."
Sara allowed Danielle to lead her away. Gil watched her go.
"How long have you been married, Dr. Grissom?" Lord Wentworth asked as soon as Sara and Danielle left.
"Not long." Not long at all he added to himself.
"Ah. You married for love," Lord Wentworth said, dragging Gil's attention from Sara who was circling the room with Danielle, to Edwin.
He looked at him curiously. "Pardon me?"
Edwin smiled. "It's obvious that you love your wife. Yours was not an arranged marriage."
It was so arranged it wasn't even funny, Gil thought. But looking back at Sara, who was smiling and exchanging words with everyone she met, Gil felt a surge of pride. She was charming everyone…As she had charmed him.
"I love her." It was a whisper, a moment of clarity, a revelation to himself more than to Edwin. He loved her, he realized, had probably always loved her.
"Then it befalls upon my duty to warn you about Lord Sexton. He is a man of questionable morals."
"I trust my wife," Gil said quickly, but as his gaze followed her, he frowned. She and Danielle had met up with Lord Sexton again, and Sara appeared to be enjoying his attentions way too much.
~TBC
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Chapter Author's Note: I suggested the idea for this story to Jo months ago because she was particularly interested in Regency romance. When it looked like she was abandoning the story, I couldn't live with it. So, Jo suggested that I write this chapter and the next… hopefully with your encouragement, Jo will rediscover a passion for this very unique story. ~ by LSI: Love Scene Investigator
