Pushing him away was for the best. She’d told herself that a dozen times, so why did it hurt so much?
Mary Yates entered the dining room and strode over. “Lady Radcliff, I was surprised to see you here.”
“Lady Mary, how nice to see you. Why did you find my presence a surprise?” Unable to tolerate chatting without some other reason for being there, Aurora followed the queue for the punch bowl.
The smirk twisting Mary’s mouth told a foul tale of what was about to pour from it. “It is all about town that your bid for not one, but two dukes of the realm have been thwarted. I should have thought you would have preferred to stay out of sight for a while.”
Aurora reached the bowl, and with painful slowness, filled a glass without letting a drop fall from the ladle. She turned to Mary and took a sip. “This is quite good.”
Turning her nose up, Mary said, “You don’t deny the rumors?”
As precisely as she’d filled her cup, Aurora stepped to Mary with such determination that Mary’s eye’s widened, and she stepped back. “I need not deny anything, Lady Mary. You are likely the source of the rumors, and I’ll not satisfy your wicked curiosity. I am the Dowager Countess of Radcliff, and that is title enough.” She took another sip. “While I’m flattered you’ve taken such an interest in my future, I beg you not to trouble yourself. I am quite well and independent.”
“When I am the Duchess of Corwin, I shall ruin you and the rest of your little band.” Mary’s mouth twisted, making any attractiveness fade.
The very idea of this witch marrying good, kind Garrett nauseated Aurora. With an act of will, she kept her expression placid. “You forget that one of my little band is already a duchess and the other two countesses. I feel certain our reputations will survive whomever you persuade to marry you, Mary. I would suggest that you hide this nasty bent until after the vows are said. You’re so twisted up with hate, I doubt anyone would have you if they saw you now.”
Realizing she’d let her mask slip, Mary relaxed her face and a smile touched her lips. Her eyes remained full of hate. She pointed to Aurora’s half-finished punch. “You should monitor your drinking, Lady Radcliff. No one likes to see a widow getting sloppy in public. Imagine the rumors.”
Ignoring the line of people, Aurora turned back to the bowl and topped off her glass. “Thank you for your concern.”
With Aurora’s stare leveled at her, fear flashed in Mary’s eyes, and she hurried from the room.
Once she was gone, Aurora apologized to the guests waiting their turn for punch and wound her way in the other direction and back into the garden. She drank down the delightful punch and considered how to refill her glass without having to wait again.
Chapter 19
Poppy waved at Garrett from the corner. Concern radiated from her tight lips and the crinkle between her eyes. She made her way through the crush of people toward him.
“Is something wrong, Poppy?” Garrett searched the room for Rhys in case he needed to fetch his friend to his wife’s aid.
“I cannot find Aurora. None of us have seen her in nearly an hour. It’s not like her to disappear at a ball. She always stays close. Have you seen her?” Shades of panic threaded through Poppy’s voice.
“I’m sure she’s just gone to the lady’s retiring room.” Garrett scanned for Aurora’s familiar blond hair but saw no sign of her.
Poppy shook her head and threw out her clenched fists. “I already checked there. Mercy searched too. Faith tried some of the private rooms. No one has seen her. I’m really becoming concerned.”
The failure of so many in finding Aurora heightened Garrett’s concern as well. “I will help with the search.”
Her shoulders relaxed. “Thank you.”
Checking closets and bedrooms meant that he caught several couples in compromising positions, and with each discovery, he felt profound relief that Aurora was not engaged in something untoward.
The gardens were dimly lit, as the lateness of the evening meant that several of the torches had guttered out. It wasn’t particularly easy to make his way down unfamiliar paths, but having failed to find Aurora in the house, he decided to give the garden a look. It would only cause a scene to call out for her. The Wallflowers and their spouses would be discrete in their search. If word got around that the Countess of Radcliff had gone missing at a ball, the speculation would not be favorable for Aurora’s reputation.
The shuffle of stones in the darkness halted his progress. A soft feminine hiccup came from the right. A knot formed in the pit of Garrett’s stomach, but still he followed the sound.
In the moonlight, Aurora glowed in a heap of skirts like a fallen flower in the damp grass. She leaned against a perfectly good bench with her head resting on her arm and her arm resting on the stone bench. Another hiccup sounded and jerked her entire body.
Lord, she was more endearing than ever. He wished he could just admire her as she was rather than come to her rescue, but there was no choice. “Rora, what are you doing, my dearest.”
She looked up, her head lulled to the other side, and with heavy lidded eyes, she gazed at him. “I exceeded my limit on punch.”
Too adorable for words, Aurora with her hair mussed and her gown fluffed out around her without a care to smooth herself into perfection. “I can see that for myself, but why are you sitting out here on the ground? Your friends are worried about you.”
Unfocused, she blinked in the direction of the house. “It wouldn’t do to be seen in public in my state. I thought to wait for my head to clear. The bench was unsteady, so I sat here.”
He had to hold back his laugh over her claim that the bench was unsteady rather than her head was spinning. “I see. Shall I take you home, Rora?”
“I should not like for people to see me as we saw Hexon when he drank too much in Cheshire.” Her frown was nearly as adorable as her bewildered look when he’d found her.
Garrett knelt in the grass in front of her and took her hands. “Sweet, sweet girl, you could never be seen in such an ugly light. I’m not condoning your overindulgence, but your disposition is far afield from Hexon’s. He hides a hateful nature, and that nature was revealed due to excessive drink. You hide no such duality.”
Still unable to keep her gaze steady, she shrugged. “I hide a great many things, Garrett. I always have.”
He kissed her forehead. “Not always.”
Canting to one side, Aurora nearly collided with the bench. Garrett gripped her with one hand on her waist and the other on her shoulder. Easing her over, he shook his head. “Stay here, dearest. I shall tell our friends you are safe and then take you home.
Whatever she muttered was lost in her stupor.
Glad that distance from the house gave some privacy to the spot where Aurora had attempted to hide herself until the effects of alcohol had eased, Garrett still gazed about for intruders. He didn’t want her found by anyone in his absence. With that in mind, he rushed back to the house and searched for a member of their small circle of friends.
Mary Yates spotted him before he could slip away. She rushed across the ballroom to intercept him. “Your Grace, I feared you’d left early.”
Ever since Aurora’s strange reaction to him dancing with Mary, he’d noticed how Mary’s eyes narrowed whenever she spotted a Wallflower. Disdain in her eyes betrayed the forced smile on her lips. At some point, he would have to hear the full story, but at the moment, he had no time for Lady Mary. “I do have to leave. Perhaps I will see you at the theater on Wednesday.” He took her hand and kissed it.
A warm smile lit her eyes, and then something else as her gaze drifted to something behind him.
He knew before turning that one of the Wallflowers was nearby. There, a few feet away, Mercy scanned the crowd. Yes, he would have to hear the story at some later date. “Good evening, Lady Mary.”
Making a low curtsy, she said, “Your Grace.”
Garrett left her and walked to Mercy. “I found her. She’s a bit under the w
eather. I’ll see her home.”
Mercy’s eyes widened. “Shall I come with you?”
“There’s no time to alert more of our circle. Please inform the others. I shall see her safely home.” Garrett knew sneaking one lady out the side garden would be difficult enough; he didn’t want to worry about a second.
With a nod, Mercy left him to his duty.
Mary was still watching as he spoke to Mercy. He wondered if she’d follow him from the house. Something told him she might. That wouldn’t do. He offered her a smile and walked to the front of the house and out the front door.
Once he’d alerted his driver to bring the carriage to the back gate, he rounded the house and entered the garden through an alley gate. When he returned to the bench in the grassy clearing where he’d left Aurora, he found only her slippers.
Heart pounding, he scanned the moonlit garden. Where could she have gone? He’d been sure she would remain until he returned. The notion that someone with nefarious intentions might have found her and taken her away caused panic to rush up from his gut.
“Ouch.” Her voice was soft and came from the other side of a high shrub.
“Rora?” Scooping up her slippers as he passed, he then rounded the shrub. “What are you doing?”
Blinking up at him, she was the most adorable thing he’d ever seen. “I seem to have lost my shoes.”
He lifted the soft leather dancing slippers into her view.
A wide smile split her face. “There they are.”
Did she have to be so adorable? He steeled his desire to sweep her up and take her home with him and reminded himself that she was not his. He knelt with the shoes with intentions of helping her into them, but her left foot sat in a puddle of blood.
“What have you done, Rora?” In one motion, he stood and thrust the shoes into her arms then lifted her off her feet and carried her to the bench.
“Garrett?”
He lifted her foot. The stocking was torn, and the bottom of her foot was cut at the heel with several other deep scratches. “Oh, Rora.”
She listed to one side, and Garrett steadied her. “Garrett, I don’t feel myself.” She pressed her palm to her cheek. “Do you think you might take me home now?”
With one quick tug, he untied his white cravat and pulled it from his neck. He made a bandage of the cloth that should hold off any further bleeding while he transported her home. “Yes, dearest. I will take you home now. You hold on to your shoes, and I shall hold on to you.”
Cradling her in his arms, he lifted her again and made his way toward the garden gate. His carriage was already waiting, and with a quick glance to see they would not be spotted, Garrett put Aurora in the carriage then joined her. He had a thought to have his man take her home. Her servants would care for her. However, without a cravat, he couldn’t return to the ball.
“West Lane, Reggie. Take your time. Her ladyship is feeling ill.”
The driver called softly to the horses, and they bumped down the street.
Aurora leaned her head against the side of the carriage. Her voice was weepy and hardly a whisper. “I’m sorry, Garrett. I’ve been a terrible friend to you.”
Brushing her mussed hair from her face, he imagined other times when her hair had been out of place. There were few, but he’d had a part in mussing the golden tresses, and somehow that made him happy. “You are a great friend to me, Rora.”
“No. I cannot give you what you want, and yet I have toyed with you for my own pleasure.” She turned and pressed her head against his shoulder.
It was impossible to regret holding her, even in her drunken state. He traced the curve of her spine. “I had my fair share of pleasure as well, dearest. I never thought you playing at anything. You have been honest with me.”
A long sigh pushed from her lips. “Perhaps Mary has changed her ways and will make you a proper wife. I suppose she is pretty, and she is assuredly rich.”
“Can we not speak of Lady Mary? Tell me why you drank so much and why on earth you walked in sharp stones without your shoes.”
“Did I?” She looked down at her feet where they peeked out from the edge of her skirt. “I’ve ruined my stockings.”
“Can you answer my questions, Rora?” He eased her cheek around with the palm of his hand and met her glassy gaze.
As she found focus, she smiled. “I only went to have a taste of the punch. It was quite nice. Then Mary goaded me, and I took a second glass. I went to the garden, but somehow found myself back in the dining room with another glass. When my head got all fuzzy, I decided the garden was the proper place for me.”
He might have scolded her if she wasn’t so endearing. He might have kissed her if she hadn’t been so inebriated. What was he to do with this woman who had stolen his heart? “And what of the shoes?”
Aurora stared at the soft leather footwear in her lap for a long moment. “I have no notion of why I took them off.” She drew a long breath and pressed her cheek to his chest.
Garrett held her in his arms. While it was not the first time, he always felt as if each time might be the last. He cursed Radcliff for the hundredth time and kissed the crown of her head. The scent of roses and the grasses from the garden filled him. Holding on to these little moments might be the only joy he’d find in his life. He committed this small happiness to memory as the carriage drew to a stop in front of Aurora’s West Lane home.
The door opened, and Reggie poked his head in. “Can I assist you, Your Grace?”
Aurora was fast asleep. Garrett handed Reggie her shoes. “If you would knock on the door and give those to the butler, I shall carry her ladyship. Once we are inside, take my carriage home. I don’t want to start the tongues wagging when they see my crest sitting here.”
“How will you get home, Your Grace?” Reggie looked at the sleeping form of Aurora then back at Garrett.
“It’s not far. I’ll walk or find a hack.” Knowing full well, he’d never find transportation, he wished he’d worn more appropriate walking shoes. However, he was in dancing shoes and the journey would be uncomfortable.
Reggie held the door with one hand and as soon as Garrett and Aurora were out, he closed the door. “I’ll come back with a horse within the hour, Your Grace.” He glanced at Garrett’s feet. “I’ll have Bronson fetch some proper shoes as well.”
It was hard to keep a serious expression in place. “You’re a good man, Reggie.”
With a nod, Reggie bounded up the steps and banged the knocker.
Tipton assessed the situation without remark or expression. He held open the door, took Aurora’s shoes and made no comment as he rushed forward to open the parlor door for them.
“Thank you, Tipton. Her ladyship has injured her foot. Do you think some clean water and bandages might be brought?” Garrett placed her on the chaise at the far end.
Tipton glanced out the window as the Corwin carriage rolled away. Turning back, he raised a brow. “Shall I make preparations for Your Grace to stay the night?”
“My driver will return for me within the hour, Tipton. I’ll just see to her ladyship and trouble you no more this night.” Garrett was not used to being questioned by a servant, but the display of loyalty to Aurora from her butler overtook any slight.
“I shall gather what you need. Would you like me to call my lady’s maid to tend her?”
Garrett shook his head. He wanted more time to cherish this woman. It was selfish, but he didn’t care. “I will tend her injury myself then carry her up to her maid.”
“As you wish, Your Grace.” There was something in the stoic butler’s voice that bordered on amusement as he left the room.
Garrett untied his cravat from her foot. The cut on her heel still oozed blood. It was wrong of him to wish she needed him all her days and not just when she was drunk and injured or needed him physically. He dabbed away the blood. Loving her independence, he also wished there was something he offered that she couldn’t do without.
She pulled her
foot back as he dabbed at the wound.
Unable to help himself, he leaned down and kissed her ankle. “I’m sorry, my love. I do not wish to hurt you.”
With a sigh, she gazed at him through hooded lids. Her hands folded across her abdomen. “You never could. I wish you had—”
The door opened, stopping her wish mid-sentence. Tipton carried a bowl of water, a towel, and several rolled bandages on a tray. “I thought it best not to wake the entire house, Your Grace. Her ladyship’s maid will be upstairs waiting when you are finished here.”
“Thank you, Tipton.” Garrett dipped a corner of a towel in the water and sponged away the dried blood.
He never heard the butler leave, but when he looked up again, he and Aurora were alone. Unwilling to worry about gossip and what the servants might think, Garrett pushed those notions aside. He ran his thumb across the heel of her foot and felt a sharp edge.
Damned pebble was still in her skin. He stood and went to the small desk in the corner.
“Are you leaving? There was a dreamy quality to her voice as she lay watching him.
Searching the desk, he located a small knife she likely used to open her correspondence. “No. You still have a small stone in your foot, dearest. I need something to pluck it out.”
“Ah. Well, it serves me right for drinking too much. I never do, you know. I don’t like to be out of control.”
“I know.” He wished she were sober now, so he could seduce her into being out of control with him. However, she was in no condition, and he was a gentleman and her friend.
Returning, he spread a second towel across his lap and lifted her foot to rest there. “This may sting, love. I shall try to be quick.”
She closed her eyes. “I’m stronger than I look.”
“I know how strong you are, but I hate to be the person causing you pain.” The idea actually made him a bit ill. However, she suffered more from the stone, and he’d not let her get a blood infection because he was too weak to pull a tiny pebble from her flesh.
Not Even For a Duke Page 19
