“Free at last,” Caroline said as she stepped out onto the veranda and leaned over the stone railing. She gazed up into the stars above, thinking that it would a beautiful night despite being stuck next to Lord Canton’s side.
“If you like, I can leave you be,” came a voice from behind her. Sitting in a chair was Sir Roberts, hidden in the shadows. The embers from his pipe were the only sign he was there, and when she’d stepped outside, she’d passed right by him without ever noticing.
“Seems it is I that should be leaving you to your pipe,” Caroline said as she curtsied. “Forgive me.”
“Please, Caroline. Do not go,” Sir Roberts said as he stood and placed his pipe on the iron chair. “Walk with me through the garden for a short time.” When he offered her his arm, she could not deny him. Not when she had so many questions running through her mind as to his true identity. With her hand securely on his arm, he led her down the stairs of the veranda and through a garden that consisted of blooming rose bushes and tall shrubs.
“Sir Roberts, I must confess how confused I am. I thought you were someone else when I saw you the night of the ball and—” Caroline tried to say, but Sir Roberts stopped walking then and turned to her, the moonlight showing the guilt-stricken look upon his face.
“It is I, Caroline. I am your William,” he said softly.
“But… you said…”
“Yes, I need Lord Canton to think William Ryan is a dead man. But I assure you, Caroline, that I am very much alive.”
“Then, how did you become Sir Roberts?” she asked next.
“I met Daniel Roberts in a tavern after my father recovered and I had begun to think about joining the Navy to create a name for myself. Daniel does in fact look just like me and it was quite strange to see the man. He is a few years younger, though. When his own father became ill, we struck up a deal. He would pose as me and live with my father while still caring for his own while I went out at sea to pose as him so he wouldn’t get in trouble with the Navy for abandonment.
“That is how Daniel Roberts became so famous and I was knighted with the title. The real Roberts signed on to be a crew member of a merchant ship and left not that long ago after his father passed away.”
Caroline could hardly believe her ears. She couldn’t believe that this was her William after all and that he was only pretending to be another man. Though, it seemed that William would forever be Sir Roberts, since the real Roberts had already left England.
“Why did you never write me?” Caroline asked after a while.
“My dear, I did write you often. At first, it was at least once a week. But as time went by and I never heard a reply, I stopped writing,” he said, taking both her hands in his then so they could face each other properly.
“I never received any of your letters. Do you think they were intercepted?”
“I have many theories, my dear. But for now, I am still testing all my thoughts. So far, this evening has proved rather valuable for my research,” he said. His hand drifted up then and came to rest on the side of her face. Caroline leaned her head into his touch, feeling as she once used to whenever she was alone with William. She looked up into his eyes, searching out the blue in them through the dim moonlight.
“I have missed you, William,” she whispered, tears starting to come to her eyes once more. “I have prayed for so long that one day I would get to see you again, if only once.”
“Do not fear, my dear. I am not only here, but I promise never to leave you again,” William vowed, leaning down and pressing his lips to hers. She hadn’t been expecting to be kissed and remained still for a moment. But when his tongue parted her lips, she wrapped her arms around his waist and began to kiss him with a passion she’d kept locked away inside of her for years.
With their bodies pressed closely together, Caroline gave herself to William once more. She allowed him to kiss her as eagerly as he pleased, and his hands roamed her back and shoulders as she clung to him. She was certain she’d even give herself to him right there in the garden if he encouraged her to do so.
“Caroline, we must return inside. Our time together in the garden is very limited, and someone will come searching for us,” William quickly said as he broke their kiss. “I don’t want to stop, but we must.”
“It’s like we’re hiding our love all over again,” Caroline mused as she straightened her gown while taking several deep breaths.
“But it won’t be for long. As soon as your father comes to town, I shall approach him and ask for your hand in marriage. With my new status in society and the wealth I’ve gained over the years, I will show to be the better man and outdo Lord Canton,” William said.
His words brought hope to Caroline’s heart. She was eager to be married to him and finally be his forever. Although, there was still one question that kept tugging at Caroline’s mind.
“Why did you leave, William? Why come to town and become all of this? Why did you leave me?” Caroline’s heart was still broken, and though she longed for William more than ever before, she still needed to understand.
“Lord Canton and I both knew I couldn’t provide well enough for you to live comfortably like you’ve always done. He offered me a deal, that he would get my father the medical treatments that he needed and pay me ten thousand pounds a year if I left the countryside and came to town. For three years, he paid me, and I invested every extra copper penny I could to grow my wealth and become worthy of you. Now, with my wealth and fame, I’m sure that I can appease your father.”
Caroline felt like her world had been flipped upside down. First, her feelings for William had been ignited once more with the knowledge that he was indeed alive and had reinvented himself. But to know that all of this was because he’d allowed Lord Canton to pay him didn’t settle with her at all. She took several steps back from William, feeling wronged and betrayed.
“You left me for money,” Caroline said, tears brimming on the edges of her eyes. “Instead of risking it all to marry me, to create our own life together, you choose to take that man’s money and do with it as you pleased.” Caroline’s voice was growing angrier and louder, yet she didn’t care who heard her.
“Caroline, please. That is not at all what I did. Once Lord Canton offered me the deal and paid me to stay away from you, I only planned to use the money for our future together. There is still so much more you haven’t heard about what I’ve done,” William said, his voice pleading as he tried to close the distance between them.
“Enough, William. This is all just too much for me to bear. Years, I spent, mourning your lost. And to think you were here the whole time, simply focusing on money. I feel like my love for you was all for nothing.”
“No, Caroline, it wasn’t. I’ve never stopped loving you, never gave up on the idea of us being together one day. I’ve never come to love another woman and have even saved myself just for you.”
Caroline knew that she should consider his words, to actually listen to what he was trying to tell her. But all she could think about was that her heart had been broken because the greed of this man. How could she have been so blind? What had she expected of when she was to meet William again? This certainly was not it. She’d never thought he’d be able to transform into a completely different person.
“I must return inside,” Caroline said as she curtsied and rushed back in, blotting her eyes as she went. This time, William didn’t try to stop her or beg her to stay. This time, it was she who was leaving him, and she knew she would need time to think about all of this. Did she want a future with William? Could they even have a future, even with what William had been able to accomplish? All she knew for sure as she stepped back inside his townhouse is that her heart hurt painfully, and she yearned to heal it.
Chapter 19
The next morning brought on a small rainstorm that seemed to never let up. William stood in his bedchamber, looking through the window at the gardens below. His heart felt heavy and he certainly didn’t know what to
do next.
After the passionate kiss he’d shared with Caroline, he was certain that they would be simply starting again from where they left off. As soon as Lord Murphy made it to town, he would meet with the man and ask for Caroline’s hand in marriage, even though she was engaged to another. William had all the documents he needed to show her father that Lord Canton was a despicable man. He simply needed the opportunity.
The one thing William hadn’t foreseen was her pain and agony over being parted from him. Sometimes, he regretted leaving her that night, and other times he would reflect on everything he had been able to accomplish since then and felt vindicated in his choices. How could Caroline not see things as he did?
With all the rain pouring down, he knew he wouldn’t be able to do much today. It would be difficult to call on her in the soaking weather, which made the air feel sticky and hot. It was less than ideal weather to be travelling in, yet William knew that he needed to do something.
Eventually, he left his bedchambers to visit with the rest of his family. He thought about the dinner party the previous night, how Caroline and the Murphys had retired early when Caroline appeared to be ill once more. It left him alone with all the other dinner guests who were eager to hear his sailing stories. Even Lord Canton had stayed behind to speak to William, questioning about his past and business dealings.
William had started to suspect that Lord Canton might know who he really is, but if the man did, he had yet to make it known to him. William knew he had to be ready for the unexpected. Yet, all he cared about now was winning back Caroline’s heart and love.
“You can’t be serious,” William heard his father say as he stepped into the dining room for breakfast. There stood an errand boy that William sometimes paid to help him collect information around town. The lad stood beside his father, dripping wet and holding his hat. He was disturbed by the young boy’s appearance and afraid of the news from the ashen look upon his father’s face.
“What has happened?” William asked as he stepped into the room and quickly approached the table.
“This young boy says that Lord and Lady Goldman have both passed away because of a horrible carriage accident,” he said, turning his large round eyes on William, clearly shocked. William was completely stunned. He looked from the boy to his father, then back to the boy as the lad turned towards him.
“‘Tis true, Sir Roberts. I have been listening to all the chatter about Lord Murphy, just like you asked me to. And everyone is talking this morning about the death of him and his wife,” the boy said, a look of fear on his face.
“Come here, lad.” William motioned, reaching into his vest pocket for a few coins. “You’ve done well, and I appreciate your service. Remember to spend this money well, for one day you shall be as fortunate as I am because I saved all my wealth.”
“Thank you, kind sir. I shall always remember your words,” the boy said as he accepted the coins and rushed from the dining room.
William slumped down into a chair, his heart beating hard against his ribs as he forced himself to breathe and try to relax.
“Do you think we can believe him?” his father asked, pushing his plate aside as though he was no longer hungry. His elbows came to rest on the table as his hands held his head. His eyes were round with dread as he simply stared straight ahead.
“I’ll look into the matter. If it is true, it will be in the papers soon enough,” William reasoned. All his planning seemed to have become undone with this news. For the longest time, they all looked around the room, unable to really say anything. Grendel was the one that eventually rose first and collected her plate, still used to taking care of herself.
“If this is true, William, then Caroline is really going to need a friend to rely on,” she said as she came over to him and rested a heavy hand on his shoulder.
“You are right,” William said with a nod. “As soon as the papers confirm it, I shall go to her straight away. I have no knowledge if she even has any other family members.”
“Then she’ll need you now more than ever,” Grendel added before leaving the room.
Despite the sullen news, William forced himself to eat something. After months of eating the same old rations, William always tried to eat a good helping at every meal. And since his cook had gone to the trouble to fix him something to eat, he wasn’t going to let it go to waste. Though the amount was small, he at least had something solid on his stomach.
“It’s hard to obtain Caroline’s hand in marriage when I have no one to ask permission of it,” William said after a while, looking to his father for some sort of advice. His father nodded as he looked at William.
“However, if she can now speak for herself, then she will be able to have a lot more say in the matter,” his father replied. “This may very well be a blessing in disguise.”
“She’s already been through so much lost, Father. It hurts to know she will be in agony over the sudden loss of her parents.”
“Then do as Grendel says. You must go to her soon and comfort her. She may be currently engaged, but you are still her very good friend.”
William nodded once more, knowing he could still be there for Caroline. Even if they didn’t end up together, he would always be there for her, as long as she requested it of him.
~*~
Caroline thought that the rain fit her mood perfectly. She stood in the sitting room, watching the rain wash down the windowpane. She’d been unable to sleep after the dinner party with William last night.
The kiss they had shared was filled with so much love and passion that now she felt foolish for becoming so angry with him. Her heart was hurt, and she was desperate for some sort of relief. And with her marriage scheduled for the end of summer, she suspected that her grief would only continue to grow once she was forced to be by Lord Canton’s side at all times.
A soft knocking on the door caused Caroline to turn away from the window. Her lips parted as she gasped at the sight of Lord Canton standing in the doorway. He was soaked through and through, raindrops falling from his coal black hair. From where he stood, he was starting to form a puddle on the carpet.
“I came as soon as I heard the news,” he said, trying to wipe the water from his face.
“And what news is that?” she asked, completely perplexed by his current state. He looked as though he’d been running in the rain for hours.
“Has no one told you, Caroline?” he asked, his voice soft.
“Just have out with it, Lord Canton. I am no mood to deal with you today,” Caroline said, her temper getting the best of her.
“Caroline, please. You must sit down. I have the most dreadful news for you,” Lord Canton said, gesturing towards a nearby chair. His voice was so calm and gentle that she was curious to know whatever news he had for her.
Reluctantly, she sat down in the chair. Then, Lord Canton came and knelt before her, a strong odour coming from his body that made Caroline’s nose crinkle in reaction.
“Caroline, I just received word from one of my road scouts. A report has come into town concerning a terrible carriage accident. The carriage has been identified as belonging to your father, from the Earl’s crest on the side of the vehicle. Both of their bodies were recovered from the tangled mess, yet they did not survive, Caroline. I am so terribly sorry.”
As Lord Canton finished his speech, Caroline stared at him for several long minutes. She tried to understand what he was saying while rationalizing the truth of it all. Her parents couldn’t possibly be dead… after all, they should be arriving to town by the afternoon. Was this some sort of joke? What was Lord Canton planning to do by causing her so much pain?
“I don’t believe you,” was all that Caroline thought to say after a while. “This simply cannot be true.”
“I know this is terrible news, my dear. But you must believe me, for your own sake,” Lord Canton said as he reached out and rested a wet hand on hers. She recoiled from him, wanting him as far away from her as possible for comin
g to her and telling her such lies.
A Lady's Passion Knows No Distance: A Historical Regency Romance Book Page 16
