A sudden scuffle brought a collective gasp as a man was dragged away by two others as he shouted obscenities that made Hannah’s cheeks burn.
“Vagabonds who try to sneak in,” Laurence explained in a low whisper. “Apparently, it happens often, sadly.”
“Speaking of matters that remain the same,” the announcer said with a light chuckle that made the audience laugh, including Hannah.
She glanced over at John, who seemed to be as enthralled as she. Now they would have yet another topic of discussion to share.
“Tonight, I promise, will be a magical night. One that you will never forget…”
As Hannah listened, she knew the man’s words were true, for the night was already magical, and it would only increase as the evening continued.
***
The play had entered its fifth, and final, act some time ago and was sadly drawing to a close. As the actor on stage spoke his lines and the woman looked on, Hannah imagined it was she and John instead. Her heart clenched and tears welled in her eyes as the man spoke.
“For neither the sun rising nor setting has shown such beauty as thee,” he said.
The woman took a step toward him, a bouquet of flowers clutched in her hands. “For the love you have shown me shall light a path. A path from which we will never waver.”
“That not even the darkness is able to impede,” Hannah whispered. She had read this play so often, she knew all the lines by heart.
Applause erupted, and everyone stood, Hannah included, tears streaming down her cheek. John offered her a kerchief, which she took with gratitude. As the applause continued to rumble through the room, she leaned closer to John to be heard. “That was beautiful; do you not agree?”
“Indeed,” he replied. “Far better than I could have hoped. I am surprised that I found it so engaging.” Hannah thought the comment odd, and her expression must have shown her thoughts, for he added, “I am afraid I have been worn out all day, which had me concerned I would not find the production as captivating as it was.”
She smiled. “Yes, fatigue can be quite a burden. I am pleased you were able to enjoy it.” She turned to Isabel, who also had tears in her eyes. “I believe I am understanding love more,” she whispered as the shuffling of the audience rose around them. “It is that bond two share when they have overcome any obstacle that might stand in their way.”
Isabel nodded. “That it is.” She turned to look at Laurence, and Hannah did not miss the adoring look she gave her husband. “And yet, it is so much more.”
Hannah followed the group back down the hallway behind the boxed seats and out into the vestibule. The announcer had promised a night of magic and wonder, and he could not have been more forthcoming with his pledge. However, it was not only the play that had brought about such things; it was the joy of watching it with John at her side that made it as wonderful as it was.
Chapter Fifteen
John walked into the sitting room of his home and gazed out the window. Many thoughts possessed his mind this day, but Hannah was at the forefront of them all. They had attended the play together ten days earlier, and although a gentleman would never admit such a thing, the performance had him nearly in tears. He had never given serious consideration to the notion of love, not until he had met Hannah.
In the beginning, he had thought her a boring wallflower, one who secretly hoped to one day become a spinster. Not only had the woman shown to be much more than a simple wallflower, she had taught him to appreciate the arts. Despite what he had told her, he had never had a desire to read or attend the theater. In reality, visiting pubs and stealing kisses had been more his style.
Now, however, it was as if he had matured in some way. The thought made him chuckle. He may think himself a man, but his actions were more that of a schoolboy, especially with the manner in which he decided to come to London in the first place. He had run away like a child, and he could not quiet the troubles that nudged at the back of his mind. Perhaps it was foolish to worry about what had taken place in the past, but, then again, one must assume every situation and prepare for it.
A carriage pulled up in front of the house, and John smiled, for he knew to whom it would take him—the woman for whom he had feelings, strong feelings, in fact. He was not certain if what he felt was love, per se, but each time he was apart from Hannah, the deeper his longing for her grew.
He walked to the front door where his butler stood waiting, John’s coat and hat in hand.
“Thank you, Chambers,” John said as the man helped him into the coat.
“May I get you anything else, my Lord?” the butler asked after handing John his hat.
“No, I believe I have everything I need,” John replied as he buttoned his coat. “I shall return this evening.”
“Very good, my Lord,” Chambers replied with a bow before opening the door.
John’s feet seemed to glide down the steps and out to the waiting carriage, a glorious afternoon sun glowing in the sky. When the door to the carriage opened, John was surprised to find Hannah waiting, as beautiful as a lady could be in her green dress and hair pinned up with two long curls framing her face.
“Hannah,” he said with a smile as he kissed her hand. “How wonderful you came to collect me.”
In the past, Hannah’s blushes fed his ego, but now her crimson cheeks warmed his heart. Across from her sat Laurence and Isabel, Laurence dashing in a green frockcoat and Isabel handsome in her bronze gown.
“I feel quite important having everyone come to collect me,” John said with a grin. “Are we not dining at your house this evening?”
Hannah appeared beside herself with excitement. “Oh, we are,” she said with a wide smile. “Laurence has said he has a surprise for Isabel and me.”
John raised an eyebrow. “Is that so?”
Laurence chuckled. “Perhaps.”
“This is all so mysterious,” John said with a laugh. “Should I not be let in on this little secret?”
“And how is it you believe I should tell you when the ladies are present?” Laurence asked.
John leaned back in the seat. “Will I find this surprise as fulfilling as they?”
Laurence gave him a stiff glare. “We will not discuss it any longer,” he said firmly.
Everyone went quiet, and John shifted in his seat. The carriage trumbled along, and Laurence said, “Lady Brunswick was to host a party in nine days. Unfortunately, the woman met with an untimely death. It seems she was thrown from the back of her horse two days ago.”
“Is that the surprise?” John asked, and then bit his tongue when the women gasped. “My apologies. I suppose that was a bit uncouth of me.”
“I would say so,” Isabel admonished.
Laurence sighed. “I knew little of the woman.” He looked at John. “She was a widow, I believe, but her friend Lord Richard Minn mentioned you knew her. Is that true?”
John felt Hannah’s gaze on him, and he shifted in his seat once more. “I did,” he replied, suddenly nervous. “I met the woman two seasons ago and attended her party last year. I remember she was a kind woman, somewhat older than you, Laurence, but I remember little else.” Guilt plagued him, for he had not spoken the complete truth, but it was one of the many incidences about which he preferred Hannah never learn.
“Are you all right?” Hannah asked with clear concern. “Are you running a fever?”
“A fever?” he asked dumbly.
“You have sweat on your brow, so I was worried…”
He pulled a kerchief from his coat pocket. “Oh, not at all,” he replied with a nervous laugh. “It is a bit close in here is all.”
“Would you like me to open a window?”
He shook his head. “That will not be necessary. We will be at the house soon.”
“Speaking of returning to the house,” Isabel said, giving Laurence a pointed look. “What of this surprise you mentioned? You cannot expect me to believe that John was our surprise.” She giggled. “No offense,
” she said to John.
John laughed. “None taken. I cannot imagine myself being a surprise for anyone.” He glanced at Hannah and was pleased to see her cheeks flush again.
“You must be patient, “Laurence replied cryptically. “You will learn soon enough. We are here.”
Hannah glanced out the window. “But we have only returned home again,” she said, clearly confused.
Laurence laughed. “Indeed, we have. Come now. Your surprise awaits.”
They allowed the women to alight first, and John stopped Laurence. “What is this surprise?”
Before Laurence could answer, two squeals erupted from inside the house.
“Nathaniel!” both women cried in unison.
John followed Laurence inside and found both women smothering a boy of perhaps thirteen with kisses and tight embraces. “Who is this?” John whispered.
“That, Cousin, is the newest Baron Lambert, Isabel and Hannah’s brother, Nathaniel.”
The boy had the same blond hair and blue eyes as his sisters, but that was where the semblance ended. Perhaps he took after his father more than his mother, as his sisters did.
Hannah pulled away, holding the boy’s arms out to his side. “How is it our little brother is growing up so quickly?” she asked.
He gave her a horrified look. “I do not know,” he replied. “I suspect I shall grow for at least another five years.”
As Nathaniel fought off his sisters’ affections, John could not help but laugh as the boy wiped his mouth on his sleeve. “Enough, already!”
Hannah turned to John. “Nathaniel, I would like you to meet Lord John Stanford.”
“It is a pleasure, my Lord,” Nathaniel replied, giving John a stiff bow.
“And mine as well, young sir,” John replied. “Please, call me John.”
The boy smiled, and then Isabel drew him back to her with a bombardment of questions.
Laurence leaned in and whispered, “Come with me a moment. We can steal away while the siblings get reacquainted.”
John followed him down the hall to the library, where he took a seat opposite his cousin. Gone was the smile Laurence had worn upon arriving at the townhouse, and John felt uncomfortable under the man’s steady gaze.
“I received a letter from your mother.”
John groaned. He should not have been surprised, but he had hoped to avoid any discussion of his true reasons for leaving Cornwall.
“She said that you had traveled to Wales to do business for six months. Yet, when you arrived at my door, I was told a different story.”
“I…had a disagreement with Mother,” John said. It was a partial truth, but a truth, nonetheless. “I am sorry for lying to you.”
Laurence sighed. “Disagreements happen in families,” he said. “However, you must swear to me that you will write the woman and tell her where you are. I am afraid I do not understand, however. Why would you tell her you were going to Wales of all places?”
“I realize I should not have lied to her, but I promise to write to her first thing in the morning. And as to why I chose Wales? Well, it seemed the perfect place to go into hiding, and she would never have believed I had gone to Scotland. She knows all too well I do not enjoy the cold.”
“See that you do write. You are far too good of a man to be so dishonest, especially to members of your family. Please, never lie to me again. I can be trusted in any matter; you should know that.”
“I will not lie to you again,” John promised. Then a thought came to mind. “Since I can trust you, I need advice in a particular matter.”
“We have a few minutes,” He chuckled. “Although, I believe Nathaniel will be relieved when we rescue him from his sisters.”
John laughed, but then took a deep breath. “Hannah’s love for the arts, for books, theater and wildlife?”
“Yes? What of it?”
“In order to win her over, I lied to her about having the same interests. However, now I find myself enjoying them as much as she. My question is this. Do I tell her that these interests are new to me, or do I simply enjoy them and not admit that I had lied in the beginning?”
Laurence nodded as he sat back in his chair. “This is partly my fault,” he said. “Perhaps you can be honest and say you exaggerated your love of reading and such things. Then you may tell her the truth, that you find enjoyment in those activities more than you did before. Hannah will understand.”
“Do you believe so?”
“I do,” Laurence replied firmly.
Relief washed over John as he rose from his chair. “Thank you for your council in this,” he said, shaking Laurence’s hand. “I appreciate it.”
“Think nothing of it.” Then he paused. “Lord Minn mentioned that last season a rumor circulated concerning Lady Brunswick and yourself. Do you know of this rumor?”
“It depends,” John replied, attempting to hide his apprehension. “What was the rumor?”
“Apparently, you kissed her. In the drawing room at a party she gave last year.”
John knew that a month ago, the old him would have lied, but he had changed and refused to do so any longer. “It was in the library, actually. It was a foolish act on my part kissing the woman.”
Laurence was silent for a moment, and then he asked, “And what do you think of what you did?”
That was an easy question to answer. “I am ashamed.”
Laurence smiled and clapped him on the back. “That information is something I would not share,” he said. “Do not allow the action to cause you shame. Things like that happen when we are young; well, to some of us. I must admit it never happened to me, but that is neither here nor there. As long as they do not happen again, the past is the past.”
“Never again,” John replied. “No woman will draw my eye, for I now only see Hannah.”
It was a relief that he could confide in Laurence. Granted, Lady Brunswick had not been the first, and there were many after, but those days were gone. And he meant to see to it that it never happened again.
***
Hannah was ecstatic at seeing her brother and had to give him one more kiss. The poor boy frowned and wiped his cheek, causing both Hannah and Isabel to laugh.
“Do not worry,” Isabel said. “We are finished…for now.”
“I love you both,” Nathaniel said, “but I cannot endure any more kisses. But if you have a sweet, I will take one of those.”
He wore such an innocent smile that Hannah could do nothing more than sigh. “I will get you as many sweets as you wish,” she replied. “But I must know. How is it you have come to see us?”
“His Grace…Laurence wrote to me, and I had a free day today, so we organized a visit.”
Hannah could not believe how well-spoken her brother had become. It occurred to her that he truly was no longer the little boy she had adored but was slowly becoming a man. A man who would one day take over the running of Scarlett Hall.
“We are glad you were able to come,” Isabel said. “Is there anything you wish to do while you are here?”
“No,” he replied. Then a sad look came to his features. “I do wish Mother were here. And Juliet. Then I could be with all of my family.”
Hannah had to admit that she missed their mother, as well. In fact, he had hoped the woman would visit soon.
Then a bolt of fear hit her. The letters! She had not sent them, and it had been over two weeks since she had written them!
“I will return in a moment,” she said. “And do not worry; I will return with your sweets.”
Nathaniel gave her a smile and then followed Isabel to the drawing room. How she adored him!
She made her way to the library and heard voices coming from within. So, this was where Laurence and John had gotten off to! She turned to leave, but when she heard John’s voice, she froze in place.
“It was in the library, actually. It was a foolish act on my part kissing the woman.”
To keep from crying out, Hannah had to cover her
mouth as she hurried past the door and to the kitchen. Tears brimmed her eyes as she held the bowl of sweets close to her. Had John met someone else? Or was he speaking of Miss Oakley? Her stomach knotted as she tried to calm herself, but she was much too overwhelmed to do so. She did not know how long she stood there, but when she heard footsteps, she turned to find John walking toward her.
“Hannah?” he asked, his voice filled with concern. “Are you all right? You look as if you have been crying.”
Try as she might, she could not stop a tear from escaping her eye, and he hurried over and took the bowl from her.
“What is wrong?”
“Do you truly care for me?” she whispered, finding looking at the man difficult. “Is there another woman you care for more? Someone far prettier than I?”
He placed a finger under her chin and forced her to look up at him. “There is no woman more beautiful than you,” he said. “I swear to you that is the truth.”
She gazed up at him and so desperately wanted to believe him. “I overheard you speaking with Laurence. You said you kissed another woman.”
He sighed.
So, it was true. Now he was going to end their courtship.
“I will not lie to you,” he said, his voice quiet. “I did kiss a woman at a party last season. It was foolish, and I cannot place blame on drink, for the action were my own.”
Hannah swallowed. “I see. And did you care for this woman?”
He chuckled. “No. In fact, I hardly knew her…” His voice trailed off. “Hannah, I swear that I see now that my actions that night were that of a fool. If you must know, it was Lady Brunswick, the woman Laurence mentioned in the carriage earlier. However, I swear to you that no woman in this world compares to you.”
She nodded and wiped her eyes. Although his words upset her, what had happened was in the past, and the woman was now dead, as sad as that was.
“I must confess something more,” John said.
“Go on, although I must admit that I am afraid.” Her heart beat against her chest, and she wondered if it would break through her ribcage. Yet, when John took her hand in his, a peace came over her.
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