by Alexia Praks
“Grandmamma, I know you care for and love me,” Christine whispered.
“I don’t want you to be like this, my love,” Mrs. Smith said. “I don’t want you to suffer this way. You love him too much. I am sorry.”
“I don’t know what to do. I love him, and he has proposed to me. He gave me his mother’s ring,” Christine said.
“You did not tell me this. That ring that you gave back to him?” the woman asked, frowning.
Christine nodded.
“But he must have loved you, too, if he proposed to you and gave you that ring.”
“Indeed, that is right,” a male voice said from the door. They turned and saw in surprise the Duke of Lynwood standing there.
“Err, I did tell them that Christine is not well, that she is crying, but they still want to see her,” Tyson put in, blushing.
“Your Grace, what are you doing here?” Christine asked.
Max came toward her and smiled. “I don’t want Merrick to lose his trophy because of a mere misunderstanding.” He laughed.
“What misunderstanding?” Christine frowned.
“Merrick loves you, my dear. He is right this very moment killing himself because of you.” Max didn’t want his best friend to be like him. He wanted his friend to have happiness for once in his life. Merrick had suffered too much. He didn’t need any more torment.
“He is?” Christine asked with a bit of hope in her heart.
“Aye, my dear, he is.”
“But, he… he lied. I saw him with Lady Anne, they were—”
“An act, my dear, an act on Anne’s part,” Max said coldly. It disgusted him—women and their bloody tricks. He knew their jealous nature too well not to notice when a plan was laid.
“That’s right, Christine.”
Christine turned to watch Mrs. Ross walking into the room.
“A plan. I questioned the maid, and Lady Anne told her to scream when she presented herself to let the guests know that the earl and she… you know my meaning,” she finished off.
“But Lady Ferguson said—”
“Maria lied,” Max cut in. “Maria is a jealous mistress. I know her. Whatever tales she managed to tell you are all lies.”
Christine looked at Max and saw the sincerity there. She turned to look at Mrs. Ross, and the woman nodded. Then she looked at her grandmother.
“Grandmamma, I—”
“Go to him, my sweet, you have my blessing and your grandfather’s, too,” the woman said.
Mrs. Ross sighed. “Dear me, not much time left. Tyson, fetch Betty and Emma now. We must get ready,” she said.
Tyson’s eyes widened. He nodded furiously, and he rushed out the room.
“Where are we going?” Christine asked.
“To the ball, my dear,” Max supplied.
TWENTY-TWO
Merrick scanned the ballroom with his now-clear, sharp eyes. The women were dressed in their lovely gowns with low décolletage and beautifully made-up faces. They laughed and talked with delight, their fans fluttering about. The men looked all very elegant with their colorful tailcoats, and some, mainly the elderly gentlemen, still wore their long white wigs.
His head didn’t hurt so much now compared to hours before. After Max and Peter had dragged him from the study that afternoon, Paris had dumped him in a very warm tub, and the man had as usual dressed him in his favorite sober black tailcoat and black breeches with white shirt. Paris had attacked him with a pair of scissors and a very sharp blade and had shaven him and cut his hair into order. Now he looked the handsome, powerful earl that he usually did. Though if one dared to look deeply to his eyes, the person would neither see a hint of laughter nor a spark of life there. They were just a dull teal-blue color.
“This is very lovely, my lord,” Anne said. He smiled at her, though the smile did not reach his eyes.
Tonight Anne had dressed with care for it was her show. She wore her most beautiful and expensive gown. The pale pink color complimented her petal-white skin. The sleeves came down to her forearm, and she wore an emerald necklace and matching pear-shaped earrings.
“Enjoying yourself, Lord Queensbury?” Merrick asked, nodding toward the older man.
“Indeed, Huntingdon, indeed.” The older man nodded.
“There are a lot of people here, my lord,” Lady Queensbury commented.
“You are looking lovely, Jane, I must say; that dress of yours doesn’t look that childish after all,” Anne commented, snarling at her cousin.
Jane frowned at Anne and turned away without a word.
Merrick felt uncomfortable about what Anne had just said to Jane. In truth, he felt sorry for the girl who was being bullied by her own cousin.
“Eh, Huntingdon, after this I would like to talk to you in private,” Lord Queensbury was saying. “It’s about our business, you see. I am anxious about it.”
“Yes, Lord Queensbury, we’ll talk. I have some information that I think is very important,” Merrick responded.
“Why, that is good news indeed,” Lord Queensbury said, smiling.
“What business is this?” Lady Queensbury asked, staring at her husband.
“Oh, it is—”
Lord Queensbury halted and frowned, for there was an uncomfortable silence settling in around the ballroom.
Merrick realized that something was indeed wrong. He wondered what it was that had made every head in the ballroom turn toward the door. He himself gazed in that direction. Because he was very tall, he stood out in the crowd and he saw her. Suddenly, his heart was drumming hard in his chest. He felt like he was suffocating, and he couldn’t seem to breathe properly at all.
Good Lord above, this was indeed an angel. He swallowed and just stared at her. He didn’t move an inch.
Until just then, Merrick had never realized just how lovely she really was. She was wearing a gold and pink silk gown of the Empire style like that of Princess Josephine. The gown fitted her beautiful shapely body snuggly, accentuating her slender figure. Her milky skin glowed before his eyes. Her short golden curls were now piled into a coiffure about her head with some tendrils caressing her face and ears.
Good Lord, but she took his breath away, and he felt his knees weakening.
Christine froze when she realized that the guests had turned one by one to observe her. God, she just wanted to run away. She couldn’t bear them ogling her like that. She was scared, but the Duke of Lynwood was beside her, supporting her and holding on to her elbow, not to mention that both of her grandparents were behind her. But she still felt very uncomfortable with the sea of faces staring at them.
Her eyes then caught Merrick’s. All she could do then was stare back at him. The sea of faces disappeared from view, and only this handsome man standing before her did she see. She realized then that she loved him so much that her heart cried out in pain. She wanted to run to him and hug him. But she couldn’t, not with these people around them.
Max pulled her forward when she didn’t move. She hesitated just a bit and then took a deep breath and strolled forward with him.
Merrick’s heart thundered harder as she came closer to him. Lord, but he almost didn’t recognize her. She was so beautiful that it knocked the wind out of him. She was standing beside him now, within his reach. He could touch her—he could caress her soft skin. But he didn’t.
“Good evening, Merrick. May I present to you Miss Smith,” Max said and nudged Christine toward Merrick.
Merrick did not hear his friend or the whispering of his guests about this young beauty. All that he could do was stare at Christine’s face. Her eyes were gazing back up at him. God, how he craved to touch her, even just a little bit, on her softly blushing cheek, or even the tendril of her golden hair that was dancing in the air beside her face. Just a little.
“Perhaps you would like to dance, Merrick, with Miss Smith?” Max asked when his friend couldn’t say anything and just stared at the girl with eyes that seemed to say, “I would swallow you whole and keep
you from everyone else if I could.”
Max touched his friend’s arm.
Merrick glanced at the man and nodded. He put his hand out, waiting.
Christine turned her eyes to his large hand, and hesitantly she placed her small one on his.
Lord, was he still angry with her? Would he forgive her if she pleaded with him? Christine’s mind was in a jumble.
They met in the middle of the ballroom. Everyone was standing around them, watching, waiting for something to happen. All was in silence. Then the music started. One by one, couples were dancing around them, but they just stood there, staring at each other. The audience too seemed to be staring at the couple in the middle of the ballroom.
Christine took a deep breath. “Merrick?” she whispered. She saw him raise his eyebrows. “I am sorry I did not listen to you.” She bit her lower lip.
He didn’t move or say anything. He just stared down at her.
Christine was nervous. His quietness scared her even more. He seemed to be just standing there, waiting. She wanted to run back home and hide. She wanted to do that so badly, but, oh, how she wanted to show just how much she loved this man too. She wanted to make all his pain go away. She wanted to bring happiness into his life. She wanted to give him what he had always longed for every time he gazed into her eyes. And so she must show him.
“Merrick, would you do something for me?” she asked nervously. She looked up at him and saw him nod. She smiled and sighed with relief.
“Merrick?” She bowed her head, and then a second later, she looked up into his eyes again. “Would you please… would you please ask me… ask me to marry you again?”
Merrick frowned, and then his eyes lit up. God, how he wanted to hear those words! He tried not to show too much of how he felt, but damn if he didn’t smile, even just a bit.
“Christine?” he began and saw her looking up at him with longing. There was pleading in her eyes as well. He saw her torture that was reflected in his own heart. How he wanted to relieve her of such pain. He moved his head closer to her and then whispered, “Would you be my wife, my sweet?”
Christine blinked, and the tears flowed down her cheeks. “Oh, Merrick, yes, yes, please. I love you so much,” she whispered.
“And I you, my love,” he said as he grabbed her waist and pulled her closer. He was about to kiss her when he realized there were people around them, watching them, though mayhap they had not heard their whisperings of love. Instead, he bowed low to Christine and brought her hand to his lips. He lightly and seductively kissed her hand while all the time he gazed down at her. His eyes twinkled with their secret love. His lips were hot against her skin. His kiss sent a tingling sensation down her spine. Christine’s heart was drumming in her chest, and she wanted to cry because her love for him was so deep.
“Would you care to dance, Miss Smith?” he asked.
She blinked twice, not registering what he was asking of her. “But, Merrick!” she exclaimed, panicked. She didn’t want to embarrass him in the ballroom full of important guests. “I don’t think that is such a good idea.”
“Don’t worry, my love.” He smiled at her, winked, and then whisked her along with the rhythm of the music.
“Who do you think that was, Mama?” Jane asked Mrs. Wilson, for she couldn’t seem to take her eyes off the woman who danced around the ballroom in the earl’s arms.
“I don’t know, dear. Why just look at her. She is very beautiful indeed,” Mrs. Wilson commented.
Anne’s eyes burned as she glared at the two figures gliding about the ballroom. Her anger and hatred for the young woman mounted every second. The earl seemed to be enjoying her company very much. Why just look at him; he was smiling and seemed to be very infatuated with the chit.
“Who… who is that, Mother?” Anne managed to say, still gawking at the beautiful chit.
“Why, I don’t know. I think she looks familiar though,” Lady Queensbury said. She could have sworn she had seen her somewhere before.
“Richard, I think that girl looks very familiar. I just don’t know where I have seen her, but I know her from somewhere. Richard, help me out here.” Lady Queensbury tugged at her husband. When he didn’t respond, she angrily turned to berate him for his lack of attention. Good Lord, their daughter’s future was at stake here.
Lady Queensbury halted her tugging when she saw her husband staring at the dancing couple. His eyes were dull and unfocused, his expression a spark of comprehension. He looked very happy, but then he looked shocked at the same time. She turned from her husband in frustration and back to the dancing couple. She stared hard at them. There was nothing special about them that should have caused such an interest from her husband.
Lord Queensbury, on the other hand, thought he was asleep and was dreaming of his lovely Sophia. He thought right then that she was attending one of the balls he had promised to take her to, and now she was dancing with the host, his good friend, his lordship Mathew Washington the Fourth Earl of Huntingdon. He thought how lovely she looked, with her brown curls and her fair skin.
He frowned. But this couldn’t possibly be, for she couldn’t be that young. Suddenly, his heart constricted painfully, for he knew she was gone, and this girl dancing with Merrick was only an imitation of his lovely Sophia. Lord, he had loved her. But life, it seemed, was cruel, for Hades had taken his lovely Sophia away from him eighteen years ago. My lovely Sophia, he repeated in his mind, gazing at the dancing girl. How very alike they were.
The music stopped, and Merrick drew his lovely Christine toward him. He pulled her close and whispered to her. “You danced very well, my sweet. My compliments.”
She looked up at him and smiled. “I thank you, my lord,” she spoke aloud.
“Thank you, Miss Smith,” he also spoke aloud.
Once they were off the dance floor, people were instantly surrounding them, eager to meet this new young woman. Each person wondered where the Duke of Lynwood could have found her, for they had never seen her before.
“Well, my lord, would you at least introduce this lovely young lady to us?” one of the men moaned, obviously dumbstruck by her beauty.
“That’s right, my lord. ’Tis very unkind of you to keep her all to yourself,” another commented.
“Who is she, my lord?” a woman asked, pushing herself in to get to the front of the line.
“Ah, ladies and gentlemen, if you don’t mind, I would like to return this lovely young lady to her grandparents.” Merrick laughed, guiding Christine and trying to fight their way through the crowd.
Christine was scared that she should receive so much attention. In truth, no one had ever looked at her before, and now it was too much. She was very frightened by these people’s interest, so she clung as close as possible to Merrick’s arm. Occasionally, she tried to smile at them, but they were just a sea of faces she did not recognize. At last, they were able to reach Mr. and Mrs. Smith. As they approached them, Merrick saw that both husband and wife were smiling proudly at Christine.
Merrick handed Christine to Mr. Smith with a smile.
“Would you care for a drink?” he asked Christine. She smiled up at him and nodded gratefully. Merrick disappeared to get the drinks, and more people enveloped them.
“Hello, may I ask what your name is?” Christine heard a familiar voice and froze. She turned and smiled at Jane.
“It’s—” Christine tried to think of what to say.
She was panicking when Max arrived just in time. “Miss Smith,” he supplied.
Merrick came back with three glasses in his hands. He smiled at Christine and handed her a glass in which she guessed would be lemonade. He handed the other one to Mrs. Smith and the last one to Mr. Smith. They thanked him gratefully.
“Well, Miss Smith, I’ve never seen you before, but then how could I when most of the time I am in the country with my family?” Jane laughed.
“Indeed, my dear,” Mr. Wilson commented, coming around behind his daughter. He joined the gro
up and moved toward the elderly gentleman. He put his hand out for Mr. Smith to take, and hesitantly Mr. Smith took it.
“Nice to meet you, sir, I am Mr. Wilson,” he greeted. “Your granddaughter, sir, she is very lovely,” Mr. Wilson said, nodding toward Christine, who blushed beautifully. Merrick laughed at Christine’s shyness.
“Yes, she is very lovely, and believe me when I say she is more than just lovely,” Merrick said, his eyes on Christine.
Christine saw him looking at her, his eyes shimmering with their secret love. Her heart fluttered at the way he was staring, and she tried not to think too much about how strongly he affected her.
“Miss Smith, where did you get that gown from? I must say, it is very pretty, and I believe not as childish as mine.” Jane laughed.
“Oh no, your gown is very fetching, not childish at all,” Christine commented.
“Really, do you think so?” the other girl asked.
“Yes, indeed,” Christine responded.
“My, what a cozy little group this is.” Mrs. Wilson joined in, fluttering her fan about her face.
“Oh, Mama, this is Miss Smith.” Jane introduced Christine to her mother enthusiastically.
“Miss Smith, is your brother the earl’s ward?” Mrs. Wilson asked.
Christine bit her lip. She didn’t know what to say.
“Yes, Chris is Miss Smith’s younger brother,” Merrick put in.
“Over here, come, you must meet the new guests,” Mr. Wilson called out to Lord Queensbury from the other side of the room.
“My lord,” Christine said to Merrick. “I have something to tell you. It’s very important.”
“It’ll have to wait,” Merrick responded.
“But, Merrick, this is very important, and I think you should know right now,” Christine whispered persistently.
“Now, my sweet, behave yourself. It’ll have to wait,” he whispered back firmly, seeing Lord Queensbury approaching them.
“Ha, brother, come.” Mr. Wilson waved his hands toward his brother. “Let me introduce you. Now, this is Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and that beautiful young lady over there is their granddaughter,” Mr. Wilson said whilst nodding his head.
