A Lady's Passion Knows No Distance: A Historical Regency Romance Book

by Henrietta Harding

  A light knocking sounded on her bedchamber door. She turned towards the door and called to whom ever had done the knocking. Gwendolen opened the door then and peered inside, a small smile on her face. Caroline beckoned her friend in with her finger and Gwendolen eagerly entered, shutting the door behind her and even laying upon the bed beside Caroline.

  “I must confess that I stood beside the open door to the drawing room and listened to the entire conversation,” Gwendolen whispered as though someone might hear her. “Please forgive me.”

  Caroline reached forward and took her friend’s hand in hers, squeezing it gently. “There’s no need to ask for forgiveness. I’m only sorry that you heard such words. Now you may also know how beastly of a man Lord Canton is,” Caroline said in the same tone of voice.

  “How can you agree to marry such a man?” Gwendoline asked with pleading eyes, as though she was about to shed tears.

  “It is a rather complicated situation, my dear. Lord Canton has worked hard to discourage any other man from proposing to me. Any interest in the past either came from men who were later blackmailed into leaving me alone or who simply wanted my company in bed.”

  “But what if there was a man who actually loved you and was willing to stand up to Lord Canton?”

  Caroline smiled at her friend, thinking that it would truly take a brave man to do such a thing. “I don’t know if such a man exists,” she admitted.

  “Then what about Sir Roberts? The stories circulating his name peg him to be a very brave man, even heroic. ‘Tis the reason the King granted him such a title and fortune. Surely he could be the man you need in your life.”

  Caroline thought about William and how he had left her before. “I think only discovering Sir Roberts’ true nature would be able to tell me such a thing about the man. But for now, I hope no hope for my future.”

  Gwendoline moved closer to her then and embraced her. Caroline tried not to cry, but eventually the tears did come. And as she sobbed, her dear friend held her close and whispered kind words into her ears, trying to comfort her and help bear the pain that seemed to always be inside of Caroline. She felt certain that her fate had been sealed that dreadful day and no one would be able to rescue her from Lord Canton.

  Chapter 17

  William was thoroughly looking forward to his evening with Caroline. He’d invited five other families from the community, all of which were rather prestigious in their own reputations and seemed eager to spend time with the Bon Ton’s most talked about gentleman.

  It was all a show to cover up the fact that he simply wanted to spend time with Caroline. He had so much to tell her, and after receiving her letter the evening before, he was certain she had plenty of questions of her own to ask him.

  William had begun to pace back and forth in the sitting room as he waited for his guests. His father was in a chair by the empty fireplace, reading the paper by the light of the multiple candles around the room. It was a relief to William that he could afford to have new candles delivered to the house each day for their use, and for this special occasion, he’d really taken the time to decorate the townhouse.

  Thankfully, Grendel had a good eye for décor and had helped him with all the artistic pieces. She now sat with some needlework in her hands. When he introduced her, it would be as his grandmother on his mother’s side, which seemed to please Grendel to no end.

  “Come and sit, my boy. You’ll exhaust yourself from all the pacing you are doing,” his father said as he folded and set the paper aside. “I understand that you are excited, but you won’t make it very far with all your worry.”

  “These types of things are so new to me, Father, that I hardly know what to do,” William admitted as he took to the chair across from the older man. New furniture had been bought for this special occasion since the sitting room had only contained a few pieces beforehand. Everything looked rather charming and was simple in design.

  “You’ve helped a household prepare for dinner parties many times before. You understand more than you give yourself credit for. They are just a means to socialize and gain better connections with respectful gentlemen in town. Think of it as a business arrangement,” his father said as a way to counsel him.

  “I was very thoughtful when it came to who I had invited for the evening, but really my main focus is on Caroline. I wish to truly speak with her tonight,” William explained.

  “It will be hard to get her alone with so many present. I hope you have a good diversion in place,” his father said with a smirk. “Perhaps they’d like to hear me tell old hunting stories?”

  William chuckled as he said, “I’m sure they will only want to hear about my stories of being out at sea and how I became knighted. Or what it was like to spend time with the King for a few days. That seems all anyone is curious about.”

  “Then perhaps some of the young ladies present would like to entertain the party with their singing and playing of the pianoforte. We certainly don’t use the instrument.”

  “I shall encourage the young ladies to sing for me,” Grendel spoke up. “I find that the young people are quick to listen to their elders.” They all laughed at the thought, knowing that Grendel was really becoming used to her new position in society. William was just pleased to see the older woman so happy.

  The chiming of the doorbell sounded throughout the house, signalling that his dinner guests had started to arrive. William stood, ready to greet and accept his guests with a happy smile and disposition. His heart raced as he waited for the butler to see in the first guests and he dearly hoped that it would be the Murphys with Caroline in tow.

  The first family to arrive was Lord Vincent and his wife and their three older children. The youngest was a young lady who flashed her eyelashes at him upon introduction. William knew that with his new fame would come the attention of many young ladies. But the only young lady he was interested in was Caroline.

  After a while, when most of the other families he had invited had arrived, he then spotted the familiar faces of whom he knew to be Lord and Lady Murphy. The young lady at their side must be Miss Gwendolen, Caroline’s close friend. It was the woman he’d shared a peculiar look with when Caroline had fainted the other night.

  William was quick to greet the Earl and his wife, as well as Miss Gwendolen. And it was only when they moved aside that he finally saw Caroline. But alas, she was not alone, and stood with her hand barely resting on Lord Canton’s arm.

  William panicked for a moment as he greeted her. He then shifted his eyes to Lord Canton and made introductions with the man as though they had never met before, and as Lord Canton looked him over from head to toe, William knew that this Earl was trying his best to remember him. William saw the way his brows furrowed, and he didn’t say anything right away.

  “Sir Roberts, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” Lord Canton said after a moment, seeming to regain his voice. “My dearest Caroline has told me about your meeting the other night at the ball.”

  “Indeed, it was a pleasure to meet Miss Caroline. I appreciated her recommendation of the Murphys. I’m so glad you could all join me for dinner this evening,” he said, making sure to include the Murphys in on the conversation.

  “There are many gentlemen present that I am familiar with, Sir Roberts. You keep good company,” Lord Murphy mused as he gazed around the room.

  “‘Tis the result of my sudden fame, I assure you, Lord Murphy. But I appreciate your reassuring words that I have chosen good company for this evening’s dinner party,” William said with a dip of his head towards the Earl.

  “Rightfully so,” Lord Murphy quipped.

  “Come, meet my father and grandmother,” William offered, gesturing towards the marble fireplace. After the introductions were made, William settled down into a seat next to his father, looking forward to speaking with the Murphys—and more importantly, Caroline.

  “Excuse me, Sir Roberts. There is someone I see that I wish to greet,” Gwendolen said with a
small curtsy before she moved to the other side of the room. He watched as she walked up to Lord Sergio and greeted him warmly. William couldn’t help smiling as he turned his attention back to Lord and Lady Murphy.

  “Love is such a beautiful thing,” William commented to Lady Murphy. She giggled, covering her mouth with her gloved hand.

  “It is good that my daughter has taken a liking to a gentleman. She is eighteen and has already enjoyed two Seasons. I think this Lord Sergio will make a good match for her,” Lady Murphy confided.

  “Seems quite serendipitous that Lord Sergio is in attendance tonight,” Lord Murphy said pointedly.

  “I had a very good recommendation from another young lady,” William admitted, glancing at Caroline. Her beauty took his breath away, dressed in a lavender gown with a low neckline that hinted to her large bosom as the tender flesh rose and fell with each of her breaths. How he wished to free her from her fitted gown and teach her all sorts of pleasures of the body.

  “Sir Roberts, we’ve all heard that you’ve served in the Navy,” Lord Canton spoke up. He was sitting next to Caroline on the settee and William regretted ever purchasing the thing. He didn’t like how close to her the Earl was sitting.

  “Yes. I served in the Navy for the last three years. After my last voyage under Admiral Tanner, I returned to England for medical treatment of wounds I sustained in battle. It was only last month that the King granted me my title and fortune,” William explained.

  “I’m sure you have interesting stories to tell, if you so feel comfortable doing so,” Lord Murphy said.

  “Sometimes I am keen to speak about my travels and the countries I have visited. But I ask not to be questioned about the battles I did face. The horrors of such things are not suitable for the ears of women,” William confessed. Several of the other families had begun to position themselves around William, all eager to hear him speak.

  “What would you then say was your favourite part about sailing with the Navy?” Lord Vincent’s youngest daughter asked. She smiled at him proudly, and with so many people watching him, he didn’t want to offend the young lady.

  “The people that I sailed with made each voyage that more memorable. I had the honour of serving with many great men, a good bit who are no longer with us,” said William. He received many condolences then from those in attendance.

  “Did you ever serve with a Mr William Ryan?” Lord Canton then asked. William eyed the man, not willing to flinch or look towards his father for reassurance.

  “I did once, a long time ago. It was uncanny how similar we looked, and we became close friends. However, he was killed in one of the pirate attacks,” William explained with a level voice. A moment passed before he dared glance towards Caroline to gauge her reaction. She looked at him with tears in her eyes, and he wondered if his lie had caused her to believe that he wasn’t who he really was. It was all a part of his plan to make Lord Canton think he was someone else in order to gain the upper hand on the Earl. William was now desperate to speak with Caroline alone to tell her the truth of the matter.

  “Was it dreadfully frightening to face the pirates?” a young lad asked. He was quick to be scolded by his father, but William smiled at the man, reassuring him that the question was all right.

  “It’s always frightening when you’re faced with a situation in which you don’t know the outcome. Sometimes, I did fear for my life and the lives of my fellow crewmembers. Every time our ship came upon a pirate ship out at sea, no one knew what was about to happen. They never surrendered. And the worst part was always discovering when it was English pirates disguised as merchants that would attack without warning,” William said, causing the room to fall eerily quiet.

  “Why would our own countrymen do such a thing?” the young lad asked after a while.

  “For money, plain and simple. It always surprises me when I hear of lords employing men to do such a thing. It’s sometimes hard to determine who you can trust.” As William spoke, he let his eyes drift across the room. He settled his gaze on Lord Canton but didn’t remain there for long. After all, he didn’t want to give away any key knowledge he had against the Earl.

  “I have heard similar stories,” spoke up a viscount. “‘Tis secret black business when a man is so desperate as to rely on pirating. Though, I have never met such a man before.”

  “I would keenly agree,” chimed in another lord. William smirked—one of his tactics was going as planned.

  “Sir Roberts, what matters of business are you now interested in? Will you be returning out to sea any time soon?” Lord Sergio spoke up then.

  “Ah, I know a businessman when I see one,” William said with a chuckle, causing the others to join him. For the next half hour, William entertained the gentlemen in conversation about business and the export of goods in England, as well as the imports from other countries. William could speak honestly because he’d been investing in different business dealings concerning goods for the last few years and had certain insight that the other gentlemen seemed very interested in hearing. Especially Lord Canton.

  “Are you familiar with the route these ships will take? I will consider it for my own ships,” Lord Canton spoke up at one point.

  “Forgive me, Lord Canton, but there are some secrets I must keep to myself. I reserve them only for my business partners,” William said, causing the gentlemen to chuckle. He was certain to gain their respects by showing that he was a logical thinker and not too eager to make new friends. After all, if he was going to continue to grow his wealth and provide a good life for his family, then he needed show these reputable gentlemen his business ethics.

  When dinner was announced, William rose and led Grendel by the arm to the dining room. She giggled softly, pleased as punch to be the one escorted to the dining room first with his father following behind them. Once everyone was settled at the table and the dinner commenced, William used his position at the head of the table to keep a close watch on his guests.

  He allowed himself the luxury of gazing at Caroline from afar while still keeping up with the conversation around him. The food was delicious and his company very enjoyable. But all the while, he was biding his time till he would be able to speak to Caroline alone.

  Chapter 18

  As the evening progressed, Caroline was feeling more confused than ever. She had been convinced that Sir Roberts was William. But when the man had said he knew William, that he had died during a pirate attack, Caroline felt as though her heart had been ripped out of her body and presented to her in a bloody mess.

  She had batted her eyes furiously to get the tears to go away. If she began to cry now, she’d not only make a spectacle of herself, but she was sure that Lord Canton would take some pleasure from it as well.

  When the dinner came to an end and the gentlemen left the room to enjoy their evening port in the drawing room, Caroline felt a sense of relief. She was finally free of Lord Canton for a short time, who had seemed rather intent on remaining close to her for the night while seeming to pick Sir Roberts’ mind for business techniques.

  She was pleased that at least Lord Canton was distracted. But if she was being honest with herself, so was she. Caroline couldn’t help but often stare at Sir Roberts, because he looked so much like William that she was convinced it was truly him. But after his story, she wasn’t sure what to believe anymore.

  “Gwendolen,” Caroline said softly as the women rose from the dining table and made their way towards the sitting room once more. “I’m going to step outside for some fresh air. If anyone asks, tell them where I am.”

  “Are you feeling well?” Gwendolen asked as they stopped walking in the hallway leading back to the sitting room.

  “I am. Just a bit stuffy is all,” Caroline reassured her. “Go on. I believe I heard Sir Roberts’ grandmother talking about signing and playing the piano. You have a wonderful singing voice and should show off to Lord Sergio.”

  Gwendolen nodded as she hurried off, leaving Caroline the o
pportunity to slip out of the back door and venture into the gardens.