“Forgive me, Gwendolen. I was out enjoying the gardens. My word, you’ll never believe who I have met,” Caroline said with a bright smile. When Gwendolen didn’t say a word, she explained, “I have discovered Sir Roberts!” Gwendolen looked at her, completely stunned.
“Was it the man you were dancing with earlier?” she asked, leading Caroline back towards the dance hall through the maze of the garden.
“It was. We were talking together, and when he described his past years of sailing, I just knew it had to be him. Oh, Caroline. I wish you could meet him. He’s the most charming man and by far the most interesting person I’ve met in a long time,” Caroline rambled, causing Gwendolen to giggle beside her.
“Sounds like someone is rather smitten with Sir Roberts,” she said in a soft voice as they approached the veranda.
“If I wasn’t already engaged, I very well would be. But I don’t see any point in feeling such a way. It would be useless in my situation,” Caroline said as they joined the throng of people once more and made their way towards the dining room to secure a plate of food.
“You know, Caroline, it isn’t very uncommon for a married woman to take a lover,” Gwendolen whispered in her ear. Caroline was surprised by such a suggestion and looked hard at Gwendolen. What was she implying?
“It would be rather scandalous,” Caroline replied.
“But it’s better than living an entire life married to a man you don’t love. Better to warm your bed with a man that you do love. After all, the Earl will get the children he needs and you’ll actually get the opportunity to love your children fully knowing they’ve come from the man you love,” she whispered quickly in her ear. Caroline didn’t respond right away. She was so taken back by the comment that she didn’t know what to think. Was there still hope for her to really love someone if she took a lover?
Caroline turned her mind away from the thought for a moment as they entered the dining room and took their time gathering a plate of food.
There were so many wonderful dishes to choose from that it was hard for Caroline to decide. But once she and Gwendolen were satisfied with their selection, they found her parents and dined with them at a round table with a white tablecloth and a bouquet of roses situated in the middle. At one point, Lord Sergio joined them and Caroline was able to see how taken he and Gwendolen seemed to be with one another.
Throughout the meal, Caroline couldn’t help but glance around the dining room, hoping to catch sight of Sir Roberts. She still had so many questions for him and wondered when the two of them had met. Perhaps then she would understand better why she’d left such an impression on him. There would be two dancing sets after the meal, with an hour and a half left before midnight. It was rather possible that she could run into the man once more to discover the answers she was looking for.
When the meal ended and everyone returned to the dance hall, and Gwendolen accepted to dance with Sir Sergio once more, Caroline went looking for Sir Roberts and could not find him anywhere.
She watched the couples dancing together but did not see him. She searched the gardens and could find no sign of him. And as midnight neared, she returned to Lord and Lady Murphy because it would soon be the time for the revealing and to depart from the dance hall.
“How did you enjoy your evening?” Lady Murphy asked as Caroline re-joined their group.
“It was quite lovely. I found myself fond of the gardens,” Caroline said, not willing to explain her real intention of being gone the entire night.
“Tis a good place for a soon-to-be married woman to be. You’re less likely to fall into temptation that way,” Lady Murphy said, seeming pleased by Caroline’s choices. In return, Caroline took no offense to the comment.
As the sound of clocks ringing the midnight hour filled the air, the musicians having departed, Caroline sighed deeply and began to pull on the fabric keeping her mask in place. As she took it off, she felt a small relief at not having the weight upon her face any longer. She saw Gwendolen struggling with hers a bit, but Lord Sergio was quick to help her. Caroline thought it was a rather nice gesture.
Caroline looked through the crowd as everyone laughed and talked excitedly during the reveal. And amongst the throng of people, she spotted him.
The breath in her lungs stilled as her chest tightened. She saw that he was watching her, and as he raised his hands to remove the mask on his face, Caroline thought she could hear her pulse in her ears. She forced herself to breathe as he dipped his head and pulled off the mask, and when he straightened again, Caroline felt the floor quickly come up to meet her.
Chapter 15
Chaos seemed to swarm all around Caroline. One moment, she was enjoying the ball, with questions swarming through her mind. The next, she found herself laying in the bedchamber she’d been given back at the Murphy’s townhouse. She woke with a start and sat up quickly to find herself still dressed in her ball gown and her lady’s maid in the process of leaving the room.
“What happened?” Caroline stammered before the woman could shut the door. She turned and, seeing that Caroline was awake, gave her a kind smile as she came to her bedside.
“You fainted, my lady. Lord Murphy’s footman gathered you and helped you home with the master and his family. They said you become overwhelmed from the heat and fainted on the spot,” she explained.
Caroline tried to remember what had been happening when she lost consciousness. The reveal had just begun. She had taken off her mask and watched others do so around her. Then, she had seen Sir Roberts. Only, when he had taken off his black leather mask, he had appeared to her as William had the last time she’d seen him. Though his hair was shorter, it was still him.
As the reality of the situation came crashing down on her, Caroline felt herself sway a little. The lady’s maid was quick to steady her with her hands, guiding Caroline back onto the bed.
“You need your rest, my lady. Here, have some cool water to help with your feverish skin. I don’t know if you’re simply exhausted, but you appear to have seen a ghost,” she said as she held a cup to her lips and helped Caroline to drink the full contents. She did feel much better afterwards and thanked the maid.
“Now, if you feel up to it, you can sit on the edge of the bed and I can help you change into a nightgown,” she offered. Caroline nodded as she did so, and after a bit of effort, she was stripped down to her chemise.
“I don’t think I’ll need a gown tonight,” Caroline said as she laid back down on the bed, not even bothering with the covers. “It’s rather warm and I don’t want to exhaust myself with the heat.”
“Wise choice, my lady. Have a lovely evening and I shall wake you in the morning,” she said as she curtsied, taking the only lit candle with her.
As she shut the door, Caroline’s room was plunged into darkness. It was a welcoming sight as she closed her eyes and thought about William. How could he and Sir Roberts be the same person? How did he end up on a royal Navy ship, and whatever happened to his sickly father? She had so many questions about his presence in town and his doings these last few years.
As Caroline thought about William, she tried to discover her feelings towards the man. Tonight, she had felt drawn to him, more than she had any man since she last was with him. She remembered the way he used to kiss her and how warm she would feel in her core every time they touched. But with so many years since they were last together, did she still love him? He’d obviously made a name for himself and was a wealthy man now. But why hadn’t he kept in contact with her over the years? Did he have any feelings for her now?
As she remembered what he had said to her during the ball that night, she wondered if that was the real reason he had come to the social affair. Was he looking to see her? He obviously knew that she had been engaged and would soon marry. Did that mean anything to him? Would he uphold his promises to her, after all?
The very thought caused her to feel even more feverish. She liked the idea of William keeping his promises and even s
tarted to think about what Gwendolen had suggested earlier. That she could marry Lord Canton but take a man as her lover. She already had experience sneaking around with William. Surely it couldn’t be that much harder now that they were three years older.
“This is all such foolishness,” Caroline whispered to herself. “I should be angry at William for what he did to me. He not only let me go but he didn’t keep in contact with me at all.”
Caroline was so at war with her emotions that she didn’t know whether to feel glad that she’d seen William again or remain furious with him for the way he’d treated her. However, despite the emotional war raging inside of her, Caroline succumbed to sleep when she couldn’t handle her exhausting thoughts any longer.
~*~
The last thing William had expected Caroline to do was faint upon seeing him and discovering who the true Sir Roberts was. He’d watched her fall heavily to the ground, followed by the cries of alarm from those around her. He’d tried to get closer to ensure she was well, and saw an older man call for his footman.
The servant came forth and helped this man take the still unconscious Caroline from the dance hall as the room exploded with chatter and gossip. He’d caught the eye of her friend, the woman she had mentioned. They exchanged a particular look before he nodded towards her and turned to leave himself.
Revealing his identity was intended to spark joy in Caroline. He had envisioned them coming together and rekindling their love for one another. What he hadn’t imagined was Caroline becoming so overwhelmed with the truth that she wouldn’t be able to tolerate it. But as he made his way home in a hurry, not wanting the other socialites at the ball to recognize who he was, he hoped to continue his pursuit of Caroline.
She now knew who he was and that he was still very much interested in her. All night, it had been so hard not to come straight forth and tell her everything. He would have even run away with her into the night and do the one thing he should have done years ago.
“No, you must be patient,” William reminded himself as he flagged down a petty driver and paid the man to take him to his townhouse. As he rode in the back of the open carriage, he thought of a plan.
He would write to Caroline in the morning and inquire of her health and invite her and her company to a dinner party. It was time that William put into motion all the things he’d been scheming these last few years. He had an idea of all of whom he’d invite to really use his new social status. People were eager to learn who Sir Roberts was, and he would be sure to show all of town so that he could gain the approval of Caroline’s father.
William was truly exhausted by the time he returned home. The townhouse was quiet, and he let himself in through the front door. Having been a servant the majority of his life, William in turn was a very generous master. He made sure his servants went to bed at a decent hour, even when he wasn’t expected home till the late hours of the night. He could dress himself and take care of his own needs. Therefore, he dismissed his staff early after the dinner hour so they would be fresh and rested by morning.
The one thing William loved the most about the late-night hours was being able to walk through the townhouse and hear very little. No more did he have to fear hearing the sound of his father coughing as though he was gasping for air and might soon pass away. His father had not only made a full recovery but was as strong as he used to be. He no longer hunted, since they lived in town now. However, he was active and friendly to all of their immediate neighbours. William thought it was a good idea that his father had company of his own, especially when he wasn’t home to watch over him.
As William readied for bed, stripping out of his clothes till he was only wearing his underwear, he thought more about Caroline. He had thoroughly enjoyed the evening. Their dance together was almost magical, his hands burning with desire every time their hands came together. He longed to hold her in his arms once more and kiss her passionately. Perhaps the night would have progressed differently had he confessed his true identity right away.
“I’ve come so far. I can’t lose her now,” William said into the night air as he blew out the candle beside his bed and crawled onto the covers. It was too hot of a night to need any sort of blankets. Therefore, he laid barely clothed, his limps sprawled out on the large bed as he took a deep breath and tried to relax.
The last three years had been rather kind to him. At first, moving to town with his ill father had been a nightmare. Every day, he feared his father would grow worse and eventually pass away. The accommodations he had found for the three of them had been rather dreary. But after Lord Canton’s first payment came in, he was able to use the money to not only secure good housing for them and a few staff members, but also begin to invest his earnings. It was a lot of good luck that had led him to where he was today. Now, he owned a fine townhouse in a good neighbourhood and possessed many elegant things. But it was his last year at sea that had given him his fame.
William tried hard not to think about his time aboard the ship as he pretended to be Daniel. At first, it had been rather difficult because he had no experience being a sailor. If it hadn’t been for their similar features, no one would have believed he was Daniel.
After a while, he’d gotten used to it and was really able to help his fellow crewmembers. But then, the attack on the pirates began. Every day he feared the next attack, or when he’d be woken up in the middle of the night to fight for his life. Even now, in the safety and darkness of his bedchamber, the memories of that year at sea still plagued him with nightmares.
Knowing he wouldn’t be able to sleep right away as the thoughts flooded his mind, William got out of bed and lit a candle before going over to his writing desk. Setting the candle there and sitting down into his chair, William withdrew a sheet of writing paper and began to pen a letter to Caroline. There was so much that he wanted to tell her, but he knew that it would require a conversation to be spoken between them.
For the time being, he wrote:
My dearest Caroline,
I apologize for causing you so much discomfort. It was not my intention to scare you so. I simply wanted you to realize who I was, truly. There is so much I want to tell you, but I know a letter will not suffice. I’d like to invite you and your company to dine with me tomorrow evening.
I think it will give us both enough time to sort out our thoughts before we meet again. I shall be hosting a dinner party with a few prestigious families in town. There is so much I am still learning about being an elite member of society. I’m sure you could teach me much.
Caroline, please know that I never intended to cause you any harm. I hope you are well and that you’ll write to me quickly to let me know of your health, and if I can expect you to attend the dinner party at my home. I look forward to your reply.
Sir Roberts
Even now, it felt unnatural for William to write Daniel’s name. But he had a deal to uphold. He would continue to be Daniel Roberts while the real Daniel entered the Navy once more as William Ryan. It had given Daniel the opportunity to be with his father during his passing, when the Navy would have never let him stay ashore for the man’s final year.
In return, those who were keeping a watchful eye on him thought that he was now at sea. William couldn’t wait for those ever-watchful eyes to realize what had happened and who he truly was. And by the time Lord Canton realized who he was, it would be far too late.
With that happy thought in mind, William made his way back to bed after blowing out his candle. He very much liked the idea of proving to Lord Canton that he was the better man. And once William showed all of England the evil deeds of the Earl, William was certain that he’d have no issue securing Caroline’s hand in marriage. It was only these pleasant thoughts of sweet revenge that finally helped him fade fast asleep.
Chapter 16
Caroline woke to the sound of knocking on her door. She rose slowly, feeling a bit groggy. Gwendolen opened her door and peered inside with a smile on her face and a letter in her hand
. Seeing that Caroline was at least awake, she quickly came in and shut the door behind her before sitting on the edge of the bed.
A Lady's Passion Knows No Distance: A Historical Regency Romance Book Page 13
