“Why are you silent, Lord Shore?”
“The man, he is Henry Tottenham, is he not?”
Alice's hand went to her neck. “How do you know that? Did you know of all this already and just wished to make a fool of me?”
“No, no! I only just realised it. When you mentioned a Frenchwoman, it was not difficult for me to deduce who she was.”
She covered her face with her hands. “I should have never said a word.”
“But it is good that you did, Alice. You look far better now than you did a moment ago.”
Her hands came down. “Do you mean to say that I looked terrible?”
“No! Of course not. You are easily the most beautiful woman here. Even more so than Bridgette.”
Alice groaned. “You know her name as well?”
“Yes, they were introduced to me earlier on, and I have an excellent memory.”
“I ask that you do not treat them any differently now that you know who they are.”
“I shall most certainly try, Alice.”
“I do not remember giving you the use of my name, Lord Shore. I respectfully call you by your title, but you have called me Alice several times.”
He shrugged. “I have no qualms with you calling me Luke.”
“Do I perhaps look as though I have rocks in my head? What would people say if I started to call you Luke after only a second meeting?”
She was right, people would become suspicious. Not just people, but Suzannah. She would dig into this until she happened across something she could exploit.
"If I was to call you Alice and you call me Luke in private, no one need know."
“You speak as though we shall see more of each other.”
“Do you not think so? The season has only begun and I have promised my sister that I shall remain for the duration. I am sure to see you at balls and other social events.”
“Perhaps.”
Luke did not like that answer. Did she not want to see him again? “Have you not enjoyed my company, Alice?”
“Why should you ask that?”
“Your noncommittal answer.”
Alice looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “I gather you will be a busy man, Lord Shore. Where will you find time to speak with me?”
“Luke.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Luke, we agreed that you would call me Luke.”
“You agreed, not I.”
What an exasperating woman. She would argue with him at every turn. But he rather enjoyed it.
“Very well, do as you wish. Did you call Tottenham by his first name?”
She looked down. “That hardly matters now, does it?”
According to her it had been a year already, and yet she still seemed to be pining for him. “Do you still love him?”
“Of course not! I would be daft to do so. But I cannot deny that seeing them together reminded me of how he had hurt and humiliated me. Do you realise that she is pregnant? They have started a family together.”
“If it helps, she is nothing like you.”
“That does not sound as though you are complimenting me, Lord Shore.”
Luke laughed. He had a tendency to put his foot in his mouth when it came to women, which was probably why he mostly kept away from them. “What I meant to say is that you are far more beautiful.”
“You jest, Lord Shore, or you are blind. Do men not prefer fairer women with hair of flaxen and with blue eyes that remind them of the sky? She is quite the delicate flower.”
Luke almost thought that she was describing Miss Charpentier, until he remembered that the now Mrs Tottenham had similar colouring.
“Not every man, Alice. I personally prefer women with dark hair, porcelain skin, and cat-like eyes.”
Her cheeks coloured before she looked away. What did he say? Luke could have kicked himself in the rear when he realised that he had basically described her! What possessed him to say such things?
“Well, uh, Henry is not like you.”
"I shall take that as a compliment. Alice, the man was a fool to have left you as he did. I cannot understand why anyone would wish to hurt a beautiful and kind woman such as yourself. The man did not deserve you to begin with, and you should put this matter behind you and carry on with your life."
Slowly, Alice raised her head to look at him. The lovely smile that reached her eyes hit him straight in the gut.
“You are a one of a kind man, Lord Shore. Thank you for your words.”
He gave a nod. “At your service, Miss Campbell. Whenever you are in need of someone to remind you of just how special you are, you need only tell me.”
“I shall keep that in mind.” She looked around her, eyes widening. “Goodness, perhaps we should return to the party? Violet must be wondering where I have gone off to.”
He stood up first, holding out his hand to grasp her gloved one. Luke pulled her up, allowing her to dust any grass from her dress before they returned to the party. He was glad that a smile had returned to her face. But the need to confront Henry on her behalf was strong indeed. But he would not do it now, not when Alice was around. Luke was confident that he would see the man at some point in the weeks to come. He would speak with him then. Until then, he intended to enjoy his time with lovely Alice.
***
Rose Charpentier was not a woman who knew defeat. If she wanted something, then she would do all that she could to get it. She had come to this garden party to see Lord Shore, to weave a spell over him. But he had not seemed interested. Rose had even convinced the Duchess of Richley to have her stepson speak with her, but even that was not enough to have the man pay attention to her. Yes, she had conversed with him for some minutes, but she had done most of the talking. He seemed more frustrated than happy, and she was not accustomed to that.
Rose regularly had men eating out of the palm of her hand. It was no significant thing to have a man declare his undying love for her and ask for her hand in marriage. But Rose had aspirations, ones that would see her move up the ladder of society. The Duke of Richley was both a wealthy and powerful man and, despite his age, his son was fast becoming just like his father. He may be a marquess now, but he stood to inherit his father's title, wealth and power. To have him devoted to her would guarantee her success. But there was currently an obstacle in her way.
Rose could deal with obstinate men like Lord Shore, but when their eyes were already fastened on another woman, it became that much more difficult. She needed to find out just who that dark-haired woman was. It looked as though she would get the chance when the duchess returned to the party, her expression none too pleased. She assumed she was vexed about her husband. Everyone knew his penchant for gambling and drinking. Rose hoped he did not lose his wealth before his son inherited everything. Rose quickly went to her, unwilling that anyone should get to her before she could ask her question.
“Duchess, I must say that this colour becomes you. Wherever did you find such a lovely green?” Although she would throw it away if she were her. It made her look positively sickly. Rose knew her fashion well, having made it her goal to always be the most talked about at a party. People often came to her for advice, a fact she relished. Despite her thoughts, her smile remained steadfast as she waited for the woman's response.
“Do you like it? I was not entirely sure about the colour, but the Duchess of Uxbridge assured me it was the colour of the season. However, if you say that it is becoming, then it must be. I am well aware of your fashion knowledge, Miss Charpentier.”
“I am honoured that you think so much of me, My Lady. Your family is quite fortunate to have a mother such as you. Speaking of which, where has your dear stepson disappeared to? He ran away from me quite suddenly.”
The duchess frowned. “Truly? Do you know why he ran away?”
“He wished to follow a young woman who seemed quite distressed.”
“A young woman? Do you know who she was?”
"No, but she is pretty and dar
k."
“There are many pretty and dark women here, Miss Charpentier. I am surprised that he would leave quite suddenly, unless, as you say, the woman was in distress.”
Behind the duchess’s shoulder appeared Lord Shore and the woman, and they did indeed cosy.
“My Lady, I see Lord Shore making his way to us now. And he is with the woman.”
The duchess turned around. “Oh, it is Miss Campbell. I was not aware that Luke knew her.”
Did this mean that they had a secret relationship? They looked rather comfortable with one another, both smiling as they talked. Rose do not like the close distance between them, not one bit. Perhaps the woman had executed a plan to have the marquess pay attention to her? Lord Shore looked the type of man who would offer his services to any damsel in distress, and Miss Campbell certainly looked the part. She was taking advantage of his good nature. That was her job! Rose could not let her get to him before she herself had made him fall madly in love with her. Rose needed to keep an eye on the woman to assess her rival. Only then could she find her weak spot and keep the woman away from her future husband.
***
With much encouragement, Alice felt confident enough to face the other guests, two in particular. Three if she counted their unborn child. She still could not believe that Henry and Bridgette were here, blissfully happy and pregnant. It had been too much to bear, but Luke had given her the courage to deal with it without running away. At the end of the day, she and her family had been invited as well. She had much right to be there as they did. The fact that Luke preferred her to Bridgette was liberating. It told her that not all men were like Henry.
“Have you had something to drink yet, Alice?”
They had not yet reached the guests, but she was worried that someone would overhear him. "Lord Shore, it is time for you to use the name 'Miss Campbell'."
He nodded. “Yes, you are right, but I do prefer Alice.”
She wanted to say that she preferred Luke to Lord Shore, but that would be considered too forward. A little further away near the centre of the crowd, Alice noticed people crowding around something. “What on earth is happening there?”
Luke looked. “I do not know, but it is best that I find out. This is my father's party, after all. Although he seems to have forgotten that.” Luke's pace increased, reaching the crowd before she did. He stopped for but a second before rushing forward.
“Move out of the way, move, move! She needs air!”
Who needed air? The crowd cleared enough for her to see her sister lying unconscious on the floor, their mother trying to wake her up with light splashes of liquid.
“Violet, dear, wake up!” she cried.
Alice ran to her sister, kneeling down before her. What could have happened to her? “Why is she like this, Mama? Why did she faint?”
“I do not know, Alice. I do not know! She was running towards me when all of a sudden she fell down. I have been trying to wake her ever since.”
“Norton!” she heard Luke shout.
A man appeared from amidst the crowd, his gaze immediately falling on her sister. “Move aside, please, let me see what has happened.”
“Who are you?” questioned Alice. She did not want just any man touching her sister. It was not proper.
“He is a physician, Miss Campbell. Do not worry. He will help your sister. Let him examine her.”
“Shore, my case is in the east wing guestroom, please have someone fetch it.”
“I shall fetch it myself.”
Luke sprinted away from them, faster than she had ever seen anyone run. Alice stroked her sister's hair, feeling her damp brow. Perspiration dotted her upper lip as well, making Alice worry about a fever. The physician must have noticed her worried look as he sought to comfort her.
“She has simply fainted, Miss Campbell. Some aromatic vinegar will wake her in no time.”
“Should we not take her inside?” Alice asked. “She should rest once the vinegar does its work.”
“Yes, but let us wait for Lord Shore to return. I am sure he is on his way back – he was quite the sportsman in school.”
Luke and the physician knew one another. Alice was surprised to see Luke return in record timing, clutching the doctor’s case. He dipped in himself and fetched out a small vial, handing it to the physician, who lifted the stopper and waved it under Violet's nose. Her sister came to, coughing from the fumes of the vinegar.
"Violet, dear, are you all right?" their mother asked.
“Move out of the way, move out of the way! I must get to my daughter!”
What a wonder! Papa had dragged himself away from the cards to see to his daughter. Perhaps there was hope for him yet.
“Violet, my dear,” he said. “What have you done to yourself?”
“Do not scold her now, Dougie,” said her mother. “She has only just woken up.”
The physician set the vial aside, feeling Violet's brow before peering into her eyes. “Lord and Lady Campbell, allow me to carry your daughter inside. I fear that the heat is not good for her.”
“Yes, yes, my good man. Do as you believe best,” her father agreed.
The man nodded, easily lifting her sister despite his slender frame. They all followed behind him, her father, mother, herself, and Luke bringing up the rear.
“If you are wondering, he is Gregory Norton, a good friend of mine. I would trust him with my life. Your sister is in good hands.”
“If you say that it is so, then I believe you. I only hope that my sister will be fine. She does not usually faint.”
“I am confident that Norton will find the reason for her fainting spell, Alice. You need not fear.”
But she was worried. Alice had felt a deathly fear enter her when she had witnessed her sister lying lifeless on the ground. Violet was usually so full of life. It was a terrifying thing indeed to see her so pale.
What if she fainted because of her? Violet must have been running behind her to stop her, but Alice had paid her no heed. Goodness, what had she done? As they entered the house, the physician gently laid her on a chaise longue, fixing a cushion beneath her head before moving away. Violet still looked confused as she looked around her, her eyes not quite in focus.
“Heavens, why am I here?”
***
For a moment, Violet did not know where she was. Nothing in the room was familiar, especially the kind man standing before her. Where on earth had he come from? Pieces of memory began to surface: attending the garden party, seeing Henry and his wife, her sister running away.
“Alice!”
Her sister immediately appeared by her side. “I am here, Vi.”
"You were running away, and I tried to stop you, but you would not listen!"
“I am so sorry, Vi. I was not thinking straight.”
Violet nodded, taking note of who else was in the room. Mama, Papa, Lord Shore...What exactly had happened? “Why am I here with you all? Did something happen?”
“You fainted, Vi,” said Alice.
The Way to Capture a Marquess's Heart: A Historical Regency Romance Book Page 7
