“How are you feeling?’ she asked.
“As though I’ve spent the entire night before drinking glass after glass of hard wine. I’m so thirty,” Caroline admitted. Gwendolen turned and collected the cup Caroline had used the night before and moved over to the dresser to fill it from the pitcher of water. She returned to Caroline and passed the cup to her and watched as Caroline drank it completely dry.
“A letter has just arrived for you,” Gwendolen said with enthusiasm as she pressed the envelope into Caroline’s hands. She didn’t understand why Gwendolen seemed so excited about the thought, since it was very early in the morning still. Caroline longed to fall back to sleep and simply sleep the day away.
Caroline slowly tugged open the unfamiliar seal and began to read the short note. As she did so, she remembered last night’s events, discovering that the famous Sir Roberts was actually her William. And she soon realized that the letter she held in her hands was also from the same man. He was inviting her and Gwendolen’s family to attend a dinner party at his home. It all seemed so surreal to Caroline that, at first, she didn’t know what to think.
“Who is it from? What does it say?” Gwendolen asked when Caroline didn’t say anything after she’d folded the letter back up.
“It’s from Sir Roberts. He has invited us all to dine with him tomorrow night,” Caroline eventually explained. Gwendolen smirked at her as she folded her arms over her chest, dressed in a day gown of light blue. Her long brown hair hung around her shoulders in waves. And though it was early morning, she already looked eager to enjoy the day.
“So, it was I who was excited to meet this Sir Roberts and in return it was you who made his acquaintance. It seems you also made an impression on him, as well,” she said. Caroline smirked, thinking that if only Gwendolen knew, she would be a lot more eager for the two of them to be together again. After all, William still held a large part of her heart.
“It seems that way,” Caroline said as she looked down at the letter. “He knows that I am engaged.”
“And yet that isn’t stopping him from inviting us all to dinner. My parents will be excited to hear that we’ve been invited to dine with a very recently famous man.”
“I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to accept his invitation.”
“My goodness, it shall be a very exciting affair. The only thing better would be if Lord Sergio was in attendance as well,” Gwendolen said with a giggle.
“Would you like me to reply to Sir Roberts and ask him to also invite the Spaniard?” Caroline offered.
“I would forever be indebted to you if you did. I sure enjoyed his company and would like the opportunity to see him again,” she said, a light blush coming to her cheeks.
“Then I’ll be sure to do so,” Caroline agreed. “Now, let me get ready for the day. Once I’m dressed, I shall write to Sir Roberts and ensure the letter is delivered to him right away.”
“My word, I shall spend the entire day simply planning my attire for tomorrow. I want Lord Sergio to think I am the most gorgeous creature he has ever seen,” Gwendolen said as she rose from the bed and made her way towards the door.
“Trust me, my dear. I’m sure he already things so,” Caroline assured her, causing them both to chuckle. Once Gwendolen left the room, she pulled the servant’s cord next to her to signal that she was awake and ready to be prepared for the day. She got up from bed then and made her way over to the small writing desk, where she sat down and opened the letter once more.
She was still uncertain how she felt about William and all this secrecy surrounding him and his past. So much had happened in the last three years that they had been separated.
The biggest question she had was why he was using a different name and if he had really been a sailor. Was it true what he said about the men he’d served with and lost during the battles against the pirates? He had seemed so sincere that Caroline had quickly believed him. Now, she wasn’t sure what to believe any more.
When her lady’s maid arrived, Caroline put away the letter till she was dressed. She promised the maid she’d be down for breakfast shortly. First, she wanted to pen a reply to William and hope to convey her feelings with every word.
Dear Sir Roberts,
Thank you for your letter and the invitation to dine with you tomorrow evening. As long as Lord and Lady Murphy agree to the outing, I can assure you that I’ll be there. My dear friend, Gwendolen, is excited to attend the dinner party and learn more about the man everyone has been talking about.
She requests that you may consider Lord Sergio, a Spanish merchant, to join your numbers. She has become rather smitten with him and I think the two of them would make the perfect pair.
I have so many questions for you that it leaves me feeling more confused than ever. Though I am well and simply just a bit exhausted, I can’t deny how curious I am of you. I feel angry towards you, yet overjoyed that you are still alive and well. I don’t know what your plans are, but know that I will be married at the end of the summer months. And I know that there is nothing I can do to change that.
Caroline
She looked at the letter and reread it a few times. She wasn’t certain it was very good, but it would have to do for now. There really wasn’t a suitable way to express everything she was feeling, when it came to being close to William again. He had changed so much, after all. There was a good chance that he wasn’t the same person she remembered.
Therefore, Caroline thought it was reasonable enough to tread on the side of caution and simply see where this would all lead her. After all, her engagement was already announced and the likelihood of it being undone was slim. It would surely ruin her reputation if she did. But would marrying for love be worth the scandal?
Caroline honestly didn’t know what to think as she folded the letter and sealed it. After making sure the address was correct for William’s current location, she took the letter and made her way downstairs to enjoy breakfast with the Murphy family. She left her letter by the front door to be sent off with the rest of the morning post and then slowly headed towards the dining room. As she drew near, a familiar voice permeated the air, causing to her stop suddenly.
“After the first few days, I thought I’d be fine without my darling fiancée. But I decided to come early and surprise her. My love for Miss Caroline motivated me to return to her side as quickly as I could,” came Lord Canton’s voice. It caused Caroline to feel an uncontrollable amount of dread. She’d reasoned that she had at least four more days before she would be forced to see the man again. And to think he’d come so early in the morning to visit her made her skin crawl with nerves.
“How charming,” Caroline heard Lady Murphy say. “I’m sure she will be pleased to see you. Would you care to wait for her in the drawing room?”
“Certainly, Lady Murphy.”
Caroline quickly ducked into the study and closed the door just enough that could still hear what was happening. She listened to the sound of footsteps as someone left the dining room and went down the hall. She assumed it had to be Lord Canton, and so she waited a few more moments before leaving the study and quickly making her way to the dining room.
“Ah, Miss Caroline. You’ll never guess who has come to visit with you this morning,” Lady Murphy said happily.
“I thought I heard Lord Canton’s voice,” Caroline replied as she sat down at the table next to Gwendolen and allowed the footman to serve her breakfast.
“I sent him to the drawing room so that you could have a proper meal,” Lady Murphy said with a smile. “How are you feeling today?”
“I am exhausted, to be honest. I appreciate your hospitality and hope that I did not cause any harm last night,” Caroline said as she began to cut her breakfast sausage and mix it with the runny eggs.
“‘Twas no trouble at all,” Lord Murphy said then between bites of food. “I wouldn’t be surprised if half of the Ton is exhausted today because of last night’s ball. It was rather warm and sure to have taken a toll
on many people.” Caroline simply smiled as she ate, not wanting to explain the actual cause of her fainting. Even now, remembering the sight of William’s true face behind the mask caused her to feel tingly in the arms. It was such a surreal experience that only seeing William again would confirm what she had seen the night before.
“Mother. Father. I wanted to discuss with you a letter that was received this morning. It is from Sir Roberts, inviting us to dine with him tomorrow evening for a dinner party he is hosting,” Gwendolen spoke up, and Caroline began to pay closer attention to the conversation at hand.
“Really? I did not realize we were acquainted with the man,” Lady Murphy said, setting her fork aside and appearing quite surprised at the news.
“I made his acquaintance last night and received his invitation this morning. He is wanting to broaden his knowledge of elite society since he is now ranked amongst them. I gave him good remarks concerning the Murphy family,” Caroline explained.
“How kind of you, Miss Caroline. We’d be delighted to attend this dinner party,” Lord Murphy agreed. “And I’m sure Lord Canton will enjoy dining with the man that all of the town is talking about.”
“I’ll be pleased to tell him after breakfast,” Caroline said. They talked more about Sir Roberts for a time being and it only made Caroline wonder how William had found himself in such a position. A part of her was proud of him for accomplishing so much, for having been a footman. And she wondered how society would treat him if they knew his real identity.
After a while, Caroline knew she couldn’t delay any longer. The breakfast had been cleared and the family had all announced their plans for the morning. Caroline knew she needed to greet her fiancé and rose from the dining table to do so. Afterwards, she would no doubt retire to her bedchamber to catch up on all the sleep she’d seemed to miss out on the night before.
“Do you want my company?” Gwendolen asked as they stepped out of the dining room together.
“No, that won’t be necessary. I shall greet him and send him on his way so I can get some rest. I want to be at my best for the dinner party tomorrow,” Caroline said softly, unsure of who might be able to overhear them.
“Then we shall have tea in the garden after you have rested. There, we shall discuss our thoughts about tomorrow.” Gwendolen dipped her head and made her way upstairs. Caroline stood and watched her go for a moment before making her way to the drawing room. She took a deep breath before opening the sliding doors and leaving them open as she stepped inside and faced her fiancé.
“Caroline, my dear. You are looking well this morning,” Lord Canton said as he stood and came to embrace her.
“Please, sir. I am not well and do not wish to be touched,” Caroline quickly said before the man could gather her in his arms.
“I promise to be gentle,” he said in a soft voice. But Caroline stood her ground, refusing to be touched by the man. Instead, she sat down in a winged-backed chair and gestured to the chair across from her for Lord Canton to occupy. His face turned sour at her disapproval of his affections, but he nonetheless took to the chair.
“I’m quite exhausted from a ball I attended with the Murphys last night. I shall be retiring to my bedchamber for the rest of the morning once our little visit is over with,” Caroline explained.
“Surely you would like to enjoy the day with me instead. I could take you to the shops district and you could pick out anything you desire. And a walk around Hyde Park would be lovely after we’ve dined at one of the taverns or bakeries,” Lord Canton offered.
“Perhaps another day. My health is not well, and I don’t want to faint again from being overheated and exhausted,” Caroline said firmly. She might be stuck marrying the man, but she wouldn’t allow him to boss her around, either.
“Then you shouldn’t have gone to the ball last night without me,” Lord Canton said as he stood and began to pace the room. “You are my intended now and shouldn’t be seen in public without me. I don’t want people get the wrong impression about you.”
“I’ve been invited to dine with Sir Roberts tomorrow evening with the Murphys. You could join us, if you wish,” Caroline said. She hated the idea of attending the dinner party with the Earl. He would surely recognize William, just as she had. And she didn’t want any trouble to spark between the two. After all, William had left her years ago and Lord Canton had already staked his claim. The gentlemen should act civil, after all.
“Sir Roberts? The man everyone is talking about? How on earth did you receive such an invitation from the famous sailor?” Lord Canton questioned, coming to stand over Caroline in a gesture that made her rather uncomfortable.
“I made his acquaintance last night and referred the Murphys as good company. Therefore, I received the invitation this morning,” Caroline explained.
“Then it’s a good thing that I came to town when I did. It will do good for my reputation to make friends with Sir Roberts. It will boost my credit if I can say I’m friendly with a man like him,” Lord Canton mused as he began to pace once more.
Caroline didn’t know much about Lord Canton, besides the fact that he was a scheming man with the ability to have eyes everywhere. She was certain he paid servants to spy for him, and therefore never really felt safe and secure around anyone. Even Gwendolen she doubted from time to time as sincere.
“Then I shall see you tomorrow evening for dinner,” Caroline said as she stood and went to leave the drawing room. But Lord Canton grabbed her arm and halted her progress.
“A kiss before you go,” Lord Canton suggested as he tried to pull her towards him. Caroline ripped her arm out of his grasp and took several steps back towards the open door.
“I don’t love you and will never love you, Lord Canton. This marriage is a sham and brought on only by blackmail, since you’ve done something to discourage any other gentlemen from proposing to me. Do not expect me to give you affection, ever.”
Lord Canton smirked at her as he placed his hands on his hips and looked down at her as though she was speaking humorously. “When we are officially married, Caroline, you’ll have no choice. You’ll open your body to me, and if you try to fight me, then I will have no choice but to force myself upon you. So, make your decision now. Either give in to me or expect harmful consequences,” he said, his voice low and dark.
“You’re a monster,” Caroline said before she quickly turned away and hurried from the drawing room. She didn’t slow her pace till she was on the second floor, and even peeked over her shoulder to ensure Lord Canton hadn’t followed her. She heard the shutting of the front door shortly afterwards and sighed heavily with the knowledge that Lord Canton had left the townhouse.
When she made it back to her bedchamber, Caroline didn’t even bother with changing. She crawled into the bed with her day gown still on and let her head lay softly on the feather-filled pillow. She felt at ease alone in the room and was convinced that a good rest would help improve her mood. But as Lord Canton’s words danced around in her mind, she found it very hard to relax.
“Tomorrow night will reveal much,” Caroline said to herself. She wondered how Lord Canton would react and giggled to herself at the thought of him fainting like she had done. It would do her good to see the Earl in such a vulnerable position. Perhaps then he could be tossed out and left to recover on his own.
The idea of giving herself to him freely caused Caroline’s stomach to recoil. But she also didn’t want to feel the pain of him forcing himself upon her. Either way, Caroline reasoned, she would not enjoy being in Lord Canton’s arms.
Instead, she remembered what it felt like to be with William—the way he would kiss her gently, or the times when his kisses would be filled with passion. His arms had always felt strong and supportive of her body, and his firm grip on her had always left her wanting more of him.
With her impending marriage looming just right around the corner, she wondered if William would fulfil his promise by allowing her to experience a night of true love b
efore being forced to marry a man she didn’t want. Just the thought brought a deep blush to her cheeks.
A Lady's Passion Knows No Distance: A Historical Regency Romance Book Page 14
