Risking it All for a Lady's Heart: A Historical Regency Romance Book

by Aria Norton

  But that was precisely why a person would send death threats! No one liked to be humiliated.

  “I see, but I shall have to investigate him nonetheless. Is there anything else that you wish to tell me?”

  “Yes, but it is unrelated to this matter.”

  Nash did not like the sound of this. “If you mean to interfere in my life, then I ask that you leave it be.”

  “Is it so wrong for a Father to ask after his son?”

  “It depends on the line of questioning.”

  "Very well, I shall be forthright with my concerns: what is there between you and that Dunn girl?”

  The tone his father used was not welcoming at all. If he thinks to speak dishonourably of Freddi to me, he is very much mistaken.

  “Her name is Freddi.”

  The Marquis waved his hand. “That hardly matters to me, Nash. Are you in any manner involved with her? I ask you to remember that you are the son of a Marquis, not a simple man.”

  "You have cut me out of the inheritance, so that makes me a simple man, Father."

  The man sighed. “You have not learnt your lesson, I see. The past will repeat itself if you are not careful, son. Do you wish to lose your life this time around?”

  "No such thing will happen to me, Father, and I ask that you do not concern yourself with my personal affairs. I shall not discuss any relationships with you, you lost that right the day you abandoned me in France."

  “You hold a grudge against me.”

  “Not a grudge, only caution. When you say that I have not learnt from my lesson, you are wrong. I know not to put any trust in you, or to get my hopes up.”

  The man shrugged. “I am certain that I have never given you false hope, Nash. I am not the sentimental type, rather, I am practical. It seems that you do not have these qualities within you.”

  "You call that a quality? Then I am glad that I am nothing like you. I must be going; I shall see you once I return."

  Nash did not wait for a reply, he simply got up and left the drawing-room. Rather than go to London at first daylight tomorrow, he decided that right now would be the best time leave.

  I hope that Freddi will be able to leave now, I no longer wish to wait.

  Nash had the feeling that eyes might be watching him, so he took a little detour that would take him to the back of Freddi's cottage rather than the front. He tapped on her window, waiting for her beautiful face to appear. The window opened and she leaned out, her hair falling forward. He could see that it was freshly washed from the floral scent it gave off as she moved, and the near dampness of it.

  “What has happened? You seem perturbed.”

  “Are you ready?”

  “Ready for what, precisely?”

  “I wish to leave for London right now.”

  “Now? But you had said to be ready for tomorrow morning!”

  "Yes, I am aware of that, but I feel it vital that we leave now rather than waste any more precious time."

  Freddi touched a hand to her temple, shaking her head. “Very well, just a moment.”

  “Lock your front door and come through this window, I shall help you out.”

  “Why?”

  “I do not wish my father to see us; he is already watching me as it is.”

  “Fine, but this is highly irregular of you.”

  “Think of it as an adventure, Freddi.”

  Shaking her head, she moved away from the window. "Goodness, what kind of man is this?" she muttered. "Does he think me some kind of a woman who jumps at his command? Come here, Freddi, do this, Freddi."

  Nash chuckled as her mutterings continued until he could no longer see her. This trip should be interesting.

  Chapter 10

  Freddi looked out of the window, watching Alfriston disappear the further the carriage travelled. Nash had been able to hire private transport, working out a deal with the driver. Freddi knew that it was more so for her benefit as no one from the town would want to travel in the same carriage as her.

  The only problem that remained was finding things to say to him that did not sound foolish or forced. Freddi felt a little nervous in the enclosed space with him. There was no way of simply walking away unless the carriage stopped. But then I would be in the middle of nowhere, neither at home nor London. She sneaked a glance at him, seeing that he too was staring out of the window. A thought suddenly occurred to her, and she could have kicked herself for not realising it sooner. What would people think if they were to see an unmarried couple travelling together?

  It was strictly not allowed unless there was a chaperone. They will think me a loose woman! Or perhaps a courtesan... Oh goodness. Her face went hot at just the thought of the name. What greater mess has Nash put me in now? She groaned, covering her eyes with a hand.

  “Freddi, are you ill? Do you wish to pull over?”

  The concern in his voice was undeniable, influencing her hand to sit back on her lap. He looks as though he is ready to rush to my side. Perhaps he forgot about the matter of propriety?

  “Nash, have you thought my presence through?”

  Puzzlement entered his eyes. “Forgive me, but I do not understand what you are asking. If you are questioning my certainty that I wish you here, then you need not fret about that. I do not only wish to protect you, I genuinely enjoy your company. It is like the days of old when we used to spend many hours together.”

  “But we are adults now, Nash. Can you imagine what people will say when they see us?” She looked down, her cheeks growing warmer by the second. “We are not married, Nash, people might come up with their own explanation for our close proximity.”

  Freddi gnawed on her lower lip, smoothing her dress. Why will he not say anything? I am sure that he understands what I am trying to say. Must I spell it out further for him?

  “Oh,” he said.

  Is that all? Does he not comprehend the magnitude of what we are doing? If not for his reputation, at least for mine. They do not know me in London; I still have the pure character of a young woman to uphold me. Freddi knew that men could get away with many things, including a scandal, but women were not so lucky. He is not behaving sensitively to my situation! She looked up, her eyes narrowing.

  “You clearly do not see the gravity of my position, Nash. What will you do when a man looks at me inappropriately due to this lack of propriety? Will you defend my honour?”

  Or would he ignore it due to her low rank of class? She was just a maid at the end of the day, an educated woman, but still a maid. Nash shook his head slowly at her, sitting back in his seat.

  “Is that what you think of me? That I would allow anyone to treat you abominably, or question your character?”

  She wanted to point out that he had done nothing to help salvage her reputation in Alfriston, but that matter was hardly his fault, was it? It had been his father, and he was a powerful man. Besides, Nash had portrayed himself as a man from the working class, so it would be suspicious of him to defend her.

  "That is my question to you. I dread to think of the judging eyes once we step out of this carriage, and people come to know that we are not related in any way. At least call me your sister!"

  "Now that I can never do. No one would believe that we are siblings, Freddi."

  “Why ever not? Even siblings look different.”

  "I do not wish to explain the reasons why as it would embarrass you, but I think that we can pass as an engaged couple."

  “An engaged couple?” she screeched. “You are bonkers, Nash, you have lost the plot.”

  “But why not? This is the perfect excuse to travel together, Freddi. I can say that we have come to purchase some things for the wedding as you do not have parents or siblings to assist you.”

  “I do not know...”

  “Trust me, Freddi, I would never do something to hurt you.”

  But you walked away from me for ten years. The words were left unsaid between them, but he must have understood the silence because he bowed his head.<
br />
  “What do you suggest?” he asked. “I do not know how to make this situation better, Freddi. I apologise for placing you in this situation, I had not thought that far.”

  “Leave it be, Nash, I know how forgetful you can be. What we need now is to decide how best to counter this issue. If we decide to go ahead and pretend to be a betrothed couple, we still have the problem of a chaperone. We cannot be seen together without a chaperone.”

  “Yes, you are right, but we are better off as a married couple than trying to pretend to be siblings.”

  "But as siblings, we shall not need a chaperone, Nash. What problem could there be?"

  He looked up, his expression troubled. “Someone will be sure to recognise me.”

  "Oh, I did not know that you were well acquainted with London."

  "I may have been in France for ten years, but I guarantee that someone will know who I am. Alfriston is different from London; I was still able to get away with posing as Mr Lucas Salisbury. But here, I do not believe that I shall be so fortunate."

  He is not necessarily jumping for joy at the thought of being in London once again. Does he have a past in London that he does not wish to remember or perhaps encounter?

  “What can I expect from London?”

  “Simply put? The total opposite of Alfriston. It also depends on the reasons why you are in London. Is it for business? Pleasure? Criminal misdeeds? Love? London has it all.”

  "I do not know whether to feel excited or scared. It has been many years since I last travelled to London, but I hear that it has changed in many ways. Besides, I was a young girl back then, so I saw it through my parents' eyes."

  "You are missing nothing, Freddi, unless you seek something different."

  “I was thinking along the lines of establishing a business in London as a seamstress. As my reputation has been thoroughly destroyed back home, I thought that I might try to open a business elsewhere.”

  “You are talented, you would certainly make it in London as many women seek skilled seamstresses. Affluent women tend to spend hundreds of pounds on dresses as each one wishes to be as elaborate as the next woman. Right now, the Season is about to begin, and seamstresses are at work.”

  They settled into silence as she could see that his mind was occupied. Gazing out the window once again, she allowed herself to think of the realities of being Nash's wife. It was a dangerous pastime, but Freddi reasoned with herself, convincing her fears that if she were to pretend to play his fiancée, then she might as well imagine herself in the role.

  They call it role-playing in the theatre, do they not? It is like the Opera, where a woman sings her love for a man and moves us to tears. The only difference is that my love is real. I never did think that I would get as far as pretending to be betrothed to him, but perhaps this will be my only chance to live as one promised to him.

  Lord Blackmore would have a fit if he were to find out what his son was doing, it was just as well that they were several miles away. He has sought revenge for all those years ago, and has destroyed my reputation, what more can he do to me?

  A man as powerful as he was? Probably more than she could ever imagine.

  “Nash,” she called, breaking the silence.

  “Hmmm?”

  “Do not let your father hear of this, please.”

  “Are you afraid of him?”

  “Can you possibly blame me? Have you not seen the work of his hands in Alfriston? If I am to start my business in London, I do not wish him to follow me and destroy me there as well. I feel as though I should take on another identity to ensure my safety.”

  She said the last line in jest, but the more she thought about it, the more she saw merit in doing it. What if an acquaintance were to mention to Lord Blackmore that he had had his daughter's dresses made by Miss Frederica Dunn? What would stop the Marquis from speaking all manner of foul things about her to the man? Just a few choice words could ruin her!

  “You need no longer worry about my father, Freddi, I shall not allow him to hurt you.”

  “Forgive me for saying this, but what power do you have? You have called yourself a simple working man. What can you possibly do to protect me from him? He hates me, Nash.”

  “Rather than get yourself into high fidgets, focus on the task at hand. Imagining the worst about your future will be of no help to you.”

  She blew out a gust of air. "How quick you are to avoid the matter at hand. It may not bother you as you have been absent for many years, but it is of great concern to me. You will return to France, and I shall have to deal with your father's ire. Do not make promises that you cannot keep, Nash, you cannot protect me, let alone yourself from your father."

  With that said, she turned her body and scooted closer to the window. He speaks as though he can do something, but he is powerless before his father! Protect me? Absolutely ludicrous! I am angry that I attempted to imagine a life with him- what good will that do me? He will only abandon me again.

  ***

  Nash wished that he could reveal everything to Freddi at that moment, but to do so would mean that he would have more to lose. Everything is riding on the success of this mission, I cannot fail. She was angry with him now, but once the dust settled, all would be well. In some way, he felt that he was betraying her by keeping his intentions a secret, but he had not the courage to speak his heart, not now when so much was at stake.

  Coming to London signified his last chance to get what he wanted, and it plagued him to no end. I wish that I were going to London with Freddi as my true fiancée, it would make a far more pleasant journey. Now, she sat in stony silence as she stared out of the carriage window. Nash had pretended to do the same from the moment they entered the carriage, but the truth was that he was keeping an eye on Freddi. He loved to watch her, and enjoyed knowing that she was near him.

  Whenever she would glance his way, he would quickly turn his head to the window, watching the fields pass by. I hope that Willoughby will be able to help me, I do not want to return home empty-handed. Nash wanted to do it for Freddi as well. It was not just about making her his wife, but also about taking her out of her difficult situation. She did not deserve to be treated as she was, but it was pointless speaking to his father about it because the man would hear nothing of her.

  He would never lift a finger to help her, why would he when he was the one to cause her predicament? Nash was ashamed on behalf of his father; he felt that he was partly to blame for all that had befallen Freddi. After some time, he noticed that she was slumped to the side.

  “Freddi?”

  He could only hear deep breathing. Oh, she is asleep, that is good. Nash took the blanket folded next to him and covered her with it, stroking her hair once before returning to his own seat.

  "Fate has dealt you a heavy blow," he said quietly. "But I shall be the hero of your story and give you all that you deserve. I have not forgotten what you used to talk about as a young girl full of dreams. I shall give you all the freedom you need to write your novels, and I shall encourage you when you feel that you cannot do it. I shall always cherish you, and I promise to make up for the years we have missed together. Soon, you will understand why I kept away from you, and you will forgive me."

  London was not far now. Fortunately, he knew it well enough to find lodgings for the night, but they would still have some daylight before then.