by Vikki Vaught
“I’m as surprised as you are. I never dreamed it would be this crowded tonight.” He looked over at Lady Milsom. “The only people I’ve seen tonight that I know are you, of course, Lady Milsom, and I saw Lady Kathryn a few minutes ago.” He turned toward Allison and added, “I was happy to bring you tonight. I do miss dancing. You’re right, I did enjoy it quite a bit. Are you having a good time this evening?”
Roderick spoke up. “She’s having a marvelous time, and it’s getting ready to get even better.” He grabbed his wife’s hand. “Come with me, my sweet. I want to dance. It’s a waltz, and I particularly enjoy waltzing with you.”
With envy in his eyes, Jonathan watched as Roderick and Allison went to the dance floor. Watching them dance was like watching beauty in motion. He was so glad they had such a wonderful marriage. Roderick and Allison made such an attractive couple, what with Roderick being so tall with dark brown hair and bright blue eyes, and Allison, so petite with light brown hair and lovely light blue eyes.
As they danced, it was easy to see the love shining on their faces. If Susannah hadn’t broken up with him, they would have been married eight years, and probably would have had several children by now, but he doubted they would have been as happy. She would have ended up being unfaithful to him just as she had been to the man she had married.
For Christ’s sake, why was he thinking about her tonight?
He never thought about her!
He needed to get a grip on himself!
He turned to Lady Milsom. I’m going to the drink table. Would you like me to bring you a glass of lemonade?”
“Oh, yes, that would be lovely. It’s quite warm in here tonight, and a glass of lemonade sounds delightful,” Lady Milsom replied, as she waved her fan in front of her face.
Jonathan made his way over to the drink table, picked up a flute of champagne, and took a sip. As he picked up the glass of lemonade, he realized that he wouldn’t be able to manage two drinks and still be able to use his cane, so he finished his glass and sat it down. It was such a nuisance, having to use his cane all the time. As he approached Lady Milsom, he noticed she was now standing with the dowager duchess and Lady Kathryn.
“Here’s your lemonade, Lady Milsom.” Jonathan looked over at Lady Kathryn and the duchess and smiled. “Your Grace, Lady Kathryn, it’s a pleasure to see you tonight. I hope you’re enjoying the evening. Can I get either of you ladies a glass of lemonade?”
The duchess said, “That would be simply splendid. It is quite warm this evening, and that sounds divine. Why don’t the two of you go over to the drink table and get us some champagne? I would rather have that instead of lemonade.”
Kathryn glanced at Jonathan. “I’ll be happy to go with you. It will give us a chance to talk about your upcoming sitting.” Jonathan held out his arm for her, she placed her hand in the crook of his arm, and they headed toward the drink table. “My lord, I’m sorry about my mother. She’s always trying to play matchmaker whenever a handsome man is around. I keep telling her that I’m not interested, but she won’t listen to me.”
With surprise in his voice, Jonathan asked, “Aren’t you interested in marriage? I thought that was what all young women wanted.”
“I feel that having a husband would interfere with my art. I doubt very seriously that any man would want their wife painting portraits,” Kathryn said, with determination on her lovely face. “I’ve known since I was a small child that I wanted to be an artist, and I won’t let anything get in the way of that.”
“Well then, we can become fast friends because I have no desire to get married either.” This was an interesting turn of events. Now he could at least relax around Kathryn since he now knew she didn’t want to get married. Of course, that didn’t help the attraction he felt for her. If anything, it made it worse. This attraction puzzled him because he had never felt such strong feelings so quickly. It wasn’t just sexual either—he found everything about Lady Kathryn fascinating.
As they approached the drink table, Kathryn answered, “I’d like that very much. Being at the Art Institute, I had several male friends who understood that I was just as serious about my art as they were and had no more desire to marry than they did. I’d be happy to be your friend.”
Jonathan smiled at her, picked up a flute of champagne, and handed it to her. Then he picked up another one for the duchess, and they turned around and walked back to her mother. Jonathan appreciated how she understood he couldn’t offer her his arm on the way back and felt even more relaxed in her presence.
Once Jonathan handed the duchess her champagne, he said, “It’s been a pleasure seeing you this evening. I hope you have an enjoyable time tonight. I think I’ll go to the card room. Excuse me, ladies.” Then he bowed and left the room.
Chapter 4
When Jonathan entered the card room, he saw one of his old school friends and made his way over to him. “Hello, Shelton. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you. What have you been doing with yourself? It’s been, what, five years since we last saw each other?”
Shelton pointed toward the chair and said, “Here, take a seat Sutherland. We were just getting ready to find a fourth, if you’d like to join us in a game of whist. It’s been close to five years indeed. Since I’ve gotten married, my wife and I have been too busy to make it to London for the season, what with having a child almost every year since our marriage. I suppose you’re still a confirmed bachelor, aren’t you?”
“Of course. I haven’t changed my views on marriage, and I never will! Since Roderick is happily married, I won’t have to worry about becoming leg-shackled. He’s already taken care of the succession by having a son.”
Deciding to join them, Jonathan sat down, and soon he was relaxing with a glass of brandy by his side and a great hand of cards. He partnered with Shelton, and they were winning the set easily. He was on a winning streak and was feeling quite mellow from all of the brandy he’d been drinking. He knew he was getting drunk, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself. They continued to play, and he continued to down glass after glass of brandy, smoking one cigar after another.
More than a few glasses of brandy later, Jonathan saw his brother approaching and sat up straighter. Roderick stopped in front of him. “Jonathan, my wife and I are ready to leave. I’ve taken the liberty of ordering the carriage.”
“Hello, Brother,” Jonathan drunkenly replied. “I’m not ready to leave yet. I’m on a winning streak, and I’m playing with my good friend Shelton here. Why don’t you sit down and join us? Have a glass of brandy.”
“I think you’ve had enough tonight. It’s time for you to leave.” Roderick turned to Shelton. “It’s good to see you, Shelton. It’s been a long time. Can you help me with my brother?”
“No problem. He’s just had a bit too much to drink tonight.” Shelton stood up. “Come on, old friend. It’s time for you to go home. I’ll help you up, all right?”
Jonathan looked at them with bloodshot eyes. “I don’t need anybody’s help. I can leave on my own!” He pulled himself up out of his chair but then fell over onto the floor, laughing as he tried to get up. Shelton and Roderick managed to get Jonathan up on his feet, encouraged him to lean on them, and finally got him out to the carriage. The footman helped get him inside, and his head fell back against the cushions as he passed out.
“Shelton, thank you for helping me with him. I’m not sure why he drank so much tonight. I would appreciate your discretion on this, all right?”
Shelton clapped him on the shoulder. “We’ve all had our moments. Don’t worry about it. Here are his winnings from tonight. It was good to see both of you. I hope it won’t be another five years before we see each other again. If you need anything else, just let me know.”
Roderick went back into the ballroom and found his wife talking with her aunt. “Hello, my dear. I found Jonathan. He’s already in the carriage, so we can leave now.” Roderick bowed to Lady Milsom and smiled as he added, “It was a pleasure seeing
you again. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow at four o’clock.”
When they entered the carriage, Roderick helped Allison take her seat, took the seat next to her, and told the driver to take them home. Allison looked over at Jonathan with concern in her eyes and asked, “Roderick, what happened to Jonathan? Why is he sleeping? Is he all right?”
With a disgruntled tone to his voice, Roderick said, “He’s not asleep. He’s passed out. I found him in the card room drunk. Shelton had to help me get him out to the carriage.”
“Oh, dear. I’ve never known him to do this kind of thing before,” Allison replied. “Do you think this happens often?”
“I had noticed that Jonathan was drinking quite a bit,” Roderick answered, “but I didn’t realize to what extent. It’s getting out of hand. I’ll talk to him tomorrow. If he doesn’t change his ways, he’s going to die before his time. I’m really worried about his health. He looks years older than what he really is. Well, we’ve got quite a drive, so why don’t you lay your pretty little head on my shoulder and rest a bit, my darling.”
Allison smiled up at him with love shining in her pretty blue eyes, kissed his cheek, and snuggled close as they made their way back to St. John’s Wood. When they arrived at the house, two footmen helped carry Jonathan up to his room. Hatton didn’t look surprised when he saw the condition that Jonathan was in—he just shook his head. “I’ll put him to bed, my lord.”
Roderick looked Hatton in the eye and asked, “Does this happen often? He’s quite drunk tonight, and I’m worried about him. Thank God, he’s got you to look out for him. I appreciate your help with him tonight.”
“My lord, his lordship’s been drinking to excess every day for quite some time, and lately, he doesn’t seem to be able to hold it as well. I’ve been quite worried about him.”
“I’ll talk to him in the morning. Well, it’s late. I’m off to bed.”
When Jonathan woke up the next morning, he had the worst headache he could remember having in years. Nausea rolled over him. He couldn’t even remember coming to bed last night. The last thing he remembered was sitting down to play cards with Shelton. That was very troubling. He’d never been so drunk that he forgot how he made it to bed. When he tried to sit up, he barely had time to reach for the chamber pot before he cast up his accounts. Hatton came into the room, assisted him, and gave him some water to rinse out his mouth.
Jonathan rubbed his hand over his face. “Hatton, what happened to me last night? I can’t remember coming home nor coming to bed. Did I do something stupid last night?”
“My lord, evidently you drank too much and passed out. When Roderick got you home, two of the footmen carried you to your bed. You’ll have to talk to your brother to find out what happened. We’ve been together for a long time now, and I know it’s not my place to say anything, but I’m worried about you. You’ve been drinking a lot more lately, and not just brandy. I know that you drink because of the pain. If you’d just take some laudanum, it may help you could cut back on the drink.”
“Maybe you’re right about the laudanum. I guess it wouldn’t hurt to try it, instead of drinking. Hatton, please know that I do value your opinion. You’ve been with me a long time, and I know you have my best interests foremost in mind. Help me get dressed so I can go talk to my brother.”
Once Jonathan was dressed, he went downstairs and found Roderick in his study. Jonathan could tell by the expression on his brother’s face that he wasn’t going to like what he had to tell him.
As Jonathan took his seat, he asked, “What did I do last night? The last thing I remember was sitting down to play cards with Shelton. Tell me what happened.”
Roderick sat down across from Jonathan. “I found you in the card room, and you were extremely drunk. You made quite a scene and fell out of your chair. You were in such an inebriated state that Shelton and I had to help you out to the carriage, and once we got you in, you passed out cold. Jonathan, I’ve noticed that you’ve been drinking quite a bit lately. I think that you need to cut back. I realize you drink to deaden the pain, but surely, there’s a better way to deal with it. What can I do to help?”
“Hatton has suggested that I try taking laudanum for the pain, and I’ve agreed. I’m sorry I was such an ass last night. I normally can hold my liquor better than that. Please apologize to Allison for me.” Jonathan hung his head in shame. He certainly hoped he didn’t run into Shelton any time soon.
“No apology is necessary. Allison knows how much pain you’re in. We both helped nurse you when you came back from Waterloo, remember? Just try to lay off the liquor for a while, all right? I’m worried about you. Now, are you up for our morning ride?”
“Thank you for being so understanding. I promise I’ll at least cut back on my drinking. I know it’s getting out of hand. I’m afraid I’ll have to pass on this morning’s ride, but I’ll be fine by tomorrow. I’m just going to sit here and go over some reports that Whetherby left for me. I’ll see you later this afternoon for tea, since I’ve missed luncheon.” Jonathan slumped down in his chair and reached for his reports.
Roderick stood up and turned to leave the room. “Why don’t you have Goodman bring you a tray? You really need to eat something. You’ve lost quite a bit of weight lately.”
“You’re right, I have lost a bit. I promise I’ll try to eat something.”
“Well, I’ll leave you now. I’ll see you this afternoon.”
Jonathan ordered a tray, and when it arrived he tried to eat something, but his stomach was still so nauseated that he was unable to eat much at all. He sat there all afternoon, fighting the desire to drink. His hands were shaking badly, but he was determined to stay away from liquor, at least for a few days.
Thank God, Roderick was so understanding.
He still felt he owed Allison an apology, and he would deliver it at tea later.
Kathryn woke up the morning after seeing the Marquess of Sutherland at the assembly rooms, thinking about him. She was glad they had talked, and since she now knew he had no more interest in marriage than she did, she could relax and not worry about doing his portrait. Not that she thought every man she met wanted to marry her. For some reason the marquess made her very nervous. She wasn’t sure why, but he did. Kathryn got an odd feeling in the pit of her stomach every time she met his gaze. His eyes were such a penetrating blue, and he had such a beautiful, sensual mouth.
She couldn’t remember ever noticing a man’s eyes, let alone his mouth before.
Goodness!
What was this all about?
Lord Sutherland seemed to be a somber man, and she doubted that he smiled often. Kathryn wondered why he seemed so sad. He’d obviously sustained an injury at some point in the past, because he relied heavily on his cane. She would guess his age to be a few years older than Henry, who was three and thirty. His face was interesting with his strong jaw, high cheekbones, aquiline nose, and high forehead. While he certainly wasn’t what she would call handsome, he was, nonetheless, quite attractive. She would enjoy the challenge of capturing his face on canvas.
Yes, she was very pleased about painting his portrait.
Well, this wasn’t going to get her day started.
It was very unusual for her to woolgather like this. It must be because she was anxious to get started on his portrait. Kathryn rang for her maid, Sarah, and soon she was ready to meet her day.
When she arrived at the breakfast room, she was surprised to see her mother already there. Normally her mother didn’t come down for breakfast, preferring to break her fast in her rooms. Kathryn’s eyes narrowed. She knew her mother must be up to something.
While her mother buttered her toast, she said, “Good morning, Kathryn. I hope you had a restful night. I thought we could have a nice little chat this morning. Go ahead and get your breakfast and then sit here beside me. Did you enjoy the assembly rooms last night?”
Kathryn looked at her mother in astonishment, but did as her mother asked. Now she knew some
thing must be up because her mother was never this pleasant. Kathryn went to the sideboard, filled her plate with her usual breakfast of coddled eggs, bacon, and toast with fresh creamery butter, then sat down across from her mother. “I had a very pleasant evening last night. You look refreshed this morning. You must have had a pleasant night’s sleep. It’s unusual for you to join me for breakfast. Is there something that you would like to chat about?”
The duchess slyly glanced at her. “I want to talk to you about painting the Marquess of Sutherland’s portrait. I’m not pleased that you’re accepting payment for doing it. That’s so… bourgeois. He’s quite an attractive gentleman, don’t you think?” Taking a sip of her tea, she continued. “He would be a very good match for you. I’m sure that spending time with him will help you catch his eye. It would be wonderful if you could bring him up to scratch. He would be an even better match for you than your sister Helen made by marrying Lord Collingswood.”
Kathryn interrupted. “Mother, I’ve told you repeatedly that I’m not interested in marriage. I have not changed my mind. I will not allow anything or anyone to interfere with my art. Besides, I already know that Lord Sutherland is a confirmed bachelor.”
“How do you know he’s not interested in marriage? He will need an heir, after all.”
“He told me he already has an heir. Since his brother Roderick already has a son, there’s no need for him to marry. I told him I wasn’t looking for a husband, and we’ve agreed to become friends. So please, don’t start trying to play the matchmaker! Remember, you promised me that you wouldn’t do that if I agreed to come visit you here, and I expect you to honor your promise.”
“Oh, all right, I’ll leave you alone as I promised, but I can still hope that you’ll change your mind. Surely, you don’t want to be dependent on your brother your entire life?”
Kathryn took a deep, cleansing breath, trying to get her temper under control. “Henry and I have discussed my independence, and he has agreed to allow me to set up my own household in three years, once I’ve turned five and twenty. I’ll hire a female companion so I won’t be living alone. Henry understands how I feel about my art, and he supports my plans. I’m eventually going to have a studio in London, where my patrons can come to me.”
