The Earl of Ice

by Helen A. Grant

  Rollo struggled to keep his temper. “You remain foolish. Did you not think that the sight of you would distress the lady? Did you not think that she has suffered enough from your actions? My God! Do you not have a sensible thought in your head?”

  “I am quite prepared to ask for her hand, if she will have me,” Cotson repeated, obviously wanting Brockwood to know that he was in earnest about making things right. “I will pay her a visit tomorrow and ask her.”

  “I cannot imagine you would be allowed entry to see her.” Rollo could not believe how naive this young man was. “She and her family have suffered much hurt by your foolish actions, and her family would not let you near her. I would not let you near her.”

  “Then what am I to do? What would you advise?” asked Cotson, apparently eager now to do whatever it took to get him out Brockwood’s house.

  “You will remain here at these lodgings tonight, and tomorrow I will visit Miss Wells and explain your presence in Bath. I will tell her that you offer marriage. Then I will bring you her answer, and if it is a refusal, you will leave Bath immediately. If you do not, you will have to answer to me.”

  Cotson quickly agreed, though was perhaps a little puzzled as to why Brockwood was so concerned about the lady in question. He left the library, relieved that the confrontation was over. Brockwood’s valet showed him to the spare bedroom.

  Rollo sat and finished his brandy. Would Diana accept Cotson’s proposal? He was of an age with her and being the eldest son, he would inherit his father’s estate in Derbyshire one day. Cotson was not the cleverest of men and probably would not understand Diana’s quick wit and sense of humour, but did that really matter?

  * * *

  The next morning Rollo ate a leisurely breakfast. His brother and friends would not be out of their beds for some time yet, so all was peaceful. To take his mind off his imminent visit to Diana at a more acceptable hour, he began reading the Spectator, a local newspaper that gave all the news pertaining to the cities of Bath and Wells and the surrounding area. As he turned the pages, his eyes landed on a cleverly drawn cartoon. “Good God!” he exclaimed out loud.

  The cartoon was a cruel lampoon. It was a caricature of a young lady with large eyes who bore a striking resemblance to Miss Wells. In her hand was a fishing rod, and dangling at the end of it was a big fish with facial features similar to his own encased in a block of ice. Underneath was the caption “After failing to hook a fish in London, the lady has now cast in the frozen waters for a prize catch here in Bath.”

  Rollo could not believe what he was seeing. This would certainly be the end for Diana. How could the cartoonist be so cruel? How could the editor allow this to be printed? And indirectly he again was the unwitting cause of her downfall. Had he not instinctively reached out to catch her when she had fainted last night, this would never have happened. If she had been caught by a female or left to drop to the floor, there would not have been anything to report.

  In light of this cartoon, it would be sensible for her to accept Lord Cotson’s proposal of marriage, for her reputation could not survive this additional slur. He would have to advise her in this direction, though he regretted it. She deserved better than a marriage forced upon her by circumstances. The cartoon portrayed him as the victim of her scheming, and so he was under no obligation to offer for her. The thought suddenly saddened him. Of course he couldn’t offer for her. He had no intention of marrying. Anyone. Cotson was her best, if not the only, hope for a marriage, which would go a long way to restoring her good name.

  Deciding not to leave the visit until the afternoon, he retrieved his hat and greatcoat and set off on foot to Gay Street, knowing that he would arrive unfashionably early but wanting to see Diana before she saw the newspaper. He hoped that hearing that she had an offer from Cotson would lessen the impact of the cartoon. Upon arriving at the house, he gave his card to the butler and asked for an audience with the ladies of the house. He was shown into a spacious drawing room where Diana and her mother were seated. One look at their faces told him that they had already seen the cartoon. Both ladies had obviously been crying and Diana was still tearful.

  “Thank you for receiving me,” Rollo said quietly as Lady Westbury stood to greet him. “Please stay seated,” he said to Diana, as she looked in no condition to stand. “Am I to understand that you have seen today’s newspaper?”

  “Yes, we have both seen that terrible cartoon,” Lady Westbury said. “I am sorry that you have been so badly used when all you did was help Diana. How could the newspaper print such things? It is so unfair. Diana does not deserve this—you do not deserve this.” Lady Westbury lamented, her large grey eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “And how dare Lord Cotson turn up in Bath?”

  “Although I am extremely annoyed by the cartoon, I will survive the slight,” he said. “I do come, however, with a message from Lord Cotson, which may improve your daughter’s situation.”

  “Please be seated,” offered Lady Westbury, belatedly remembering her manners.

  Diana could not think of anything Rollo could say that would improve her situation. She would now, once again, be scorned and ridiculed by society, and the fact that he had been drawn into this situation made her feel even more wretched. How he must regret their friendship! And although, ever since their stolen kiss, she had secretly hoped that something more would come of their liaison, she now knew that that was impossible.

  “Lord Cotson attended the ball last night because he wanted to apologize to you, Diana,” Rollo explained. “Had I known he was in Bath I would have prevented him from trying to do this in such a public arena. He gave no thought to how his arrival would affect you. I have spoken with him and come here this morning on his behalf to relay his apology and tell you that he now realizes how foolish he was last year. He wants to make things right, and so—” the earl hesitated “—he is offering you marriage.”

  Lady Westbury clapped her hands and smiled. “This is excellent news. Diana, did you hear? Lord Cotson will wed you. Your reputation will be restored. It is the only solution!”

  Diana felt ill. She did not want that man in the same room as her, never mind in the marriage bed. “No, no, no. I will not marry him. I will not be made to. I hate him for what he did to me,” she half screamed and half sobbed.

  Her reaction wrenched Rollo’s heart. He hated to see her so upset, and had to fight back the urge to put his arms around her and comfort her. He had promised to protect her and had failed her. This weighed heavily on his conscience.

  “Diana, I realize you are upset, but I think you need to seriously consider Lord Cotson’s offer,” he said gently. “He will provide for you and is heir to a large estate in Derbyshire.” Rollo struggled to ignore the leaden feeling in his chest. The mere thought of that swine’s hands on Diana’s soft skin was enough to make him want to do violence. Preferably something involving his hands around Cotson’s neck.

  “I will not marry anyone,” stated Diana, her heart sinking. She would never marry Cotson and now, with her reputation in tatters, she was unlikely to get any other offers, especially the one she secretly longed for. The cartoon, although not actually naming Rollo, ridiculed him, as well as her; and after today Rollo would never want to speak to her again.

  “Please think about this today and overnight,” Rollo said, “and I will call again tomorrow afternoon. Cotson can remain housed with me in Bath another day to await your answer.” Rollo believed that when she had time to properly consider the situation, Diana might look more favourably on Cotson’s proposal.

  “I will speak to her,” Lady Westbury said quietly as she showed Rollo out of the room.

  Diana did give the matter a great deal of thought and knew that the sensible thing to do was to accept Cotson’s offer, but when she imagined that man touching her or even near her, bile rose to her throat. She could still recall the painful pawing he had subjected her to. How could she marry someone she could not bear near her? How could she marry someone who had w
on a wager by ruining her reputation? How could she respect such a man and how could she marry someone she could not respect? She could not.

  Lady Westbury was aware of what her daughter’s response would be before Lord Brockwood called the following afternoon. None of the arguments she had put forward in favour of Diana’s accepting Cotson had changed her daughter’s mind, and neither she nor her husband would ever force Diana to marry against her will. So it was with a heavy heart that she received Lord Brockwood the next day.

  Rollo also had a heavy heart. He was almost certain Diana would agree to the marriage. A lady needed a husband, and not only was Cotson an acceptable prospect, as a consequence of his previous behaviour toward her, he had a moral duty to wed her. The recent incident in Bath made it very unlikely that she would now attract any acceptable suitor. Diana really had no choice other than to accept Cotson’s offer.

  Diana, having made her decision, was in full control of her emotions at this meeting. In the drawing room, she stood to greet Rollo and, before giving him the opportunity to take a seat, gave him her answer.

  “My lord. You may inform Lord Cotson that I am aware he is trying to right the wrong he did me last year and I do appreciate it. You can also tell him that I cannot, will not, accept his proposal of marriage.”

  Rollo was surprised. “Can you assure me that you have given this decision every consideration, or do you need more time?” he asked, even as a part of him felt relieved.

  Diana could reassure him on that count. “I can assure you, my lord, I have thought of little else since your visit yesterday. I cannot respect Lord Cotson after what he did to me last year, and I cannot marry someone for whom I have no respect. I know by making this decision I will, in all probability, never marry, and I accept that.”

  Seeing she was determined in this matter, Rollo felt there was little to be gained from trying to persuade her further.

  “Are you then instructing me to inform Lord Cotson that you will not accept his proposal of marriage?”

  “I am, my lord,” was Diana’s firm reply. She dropped a curtsy and walked away allowing Rollo no opportunity to continue the conversation.

  * * *

  Rollo returned to Royal Crescent and found Lord Cotson waiting for him in the library.

  “I have just come from Gay Street where I went to hear to Miss Wells’ answer to your proposal of marriage.” Rollo struggled to keep his voice neutral as he inwardly shuddered at the thought of Diana coupled with this foppish young man.

  Lord Cotson paled, his whole future about to be determined by Brockwood’s next words.

  Rollo continued, “I can report that Miss Wells did not accept your proposal.”

  Lord Cotson released his breath, which until that point he had been unaware of holding, in a loud sigh of relief. He would have done right by Miss Wells had she accepted, but now he was, once again, a free man.

  Seeing Cotson’s reaction, Rollo was quick to pull him up short on it. “You can now leave Bath and I suggest you do so immediately. Do not, however, think you have been absolved of all responsibility in this matter. I will be asking Miss Wells to confirm she has not changed her mind, and if she should do so before the end of this season, I will expect you to honour your proposal.”

  “Yes, my lord, I understand. I will leave for London with all haste.” Lord Cotson bowed and left the room, eager to go.

  Now on his own, Rollo poured himself a large brandy. His relief at Diana’s turning down Cotson’s proposal forced him to acknowledge that he had deeper feelings for her than he should permit himself when he had vowed never to marry.

  He swallowed his brandy, then poured himself another.

  Chapter 14

  The next morning Rollo was nursing a pounding head. The brandy he had consumed the previous night had not left him feeling any better about himself. He had promised to protect Diana, and not only had he failed in this, her situation was now worse than when she had arrived in Bath. How had this happened?

  At the ballroom he should have intercepted Cotson earlier. He should have been more forceful in persuading Diana to accept Cotson’s proposal of marriage. Her reputation was once again in tatters, and society did not forget. There was now little chance that she would make a suitable marriage, and both she and her parents knew this. Was there any way he could alter the situation? Should he make further efforts to convince her to accept Cotson, no matter how repellent the idea?

  He mulled these thoughts over. Suddenly a germ of an idea sprouted in his aching head. If Diana had determined she would not wed, as she had stated at their meeting yesterday, she had given up any opportunity to have children of her own. His own reason for not taking a wife was that he would not risk passing on his affliction to his children. And so…if he were to wed Diana, it would immediately stop any gossip and restore her good name. However, he could do this only if he was absolutely sure that she understood he did not want any children.

  The more he thought about this idea the better he felt about it. Diana already knew of his seizures. She was also one of the few females he knew who was not intimidated by him. She was pleasant company and had a lively sense of humour. Her large brown eyes had captivated him from the first and he had already come to care about her welfare. Physically, there was no doubt that he was attracted to her. From her smiles and conversation, he knew that she did not dislike him. It appeared, in fact, that she had some affection for him; could this turn into deeper feelings?

  He decided that he would visit Diana that afternoon and ascertain if her decision to never wed was set in stone. She may only have decided this based on the probability that no one suitable would offer for her. If this was the case she might entertain an offer of marriage from him. Rollo felt his spirits lift a fraction. He would, having made the conditions of his offer very clear, propose to her himself.

  He sat back and contemplated this further. He felt a tremor of excitement and was surprised to find that he was actually hoping that she would accept him. Would this not be better than spending a lifetime of solitude, fending off the potential brides that his mother pushed toward him? Diana would not accept out of desperation; if this were the case, she would now be betrothed to Cotson. He knew that she was comfortable in his company, but would this be enough for her to agree to marry him? If she did agree, he could offer her his protection for the rest of their lives—and he vowed he would do better than he had done in the past few days in Bath.

  Rollo dressed with particular care prior to his visit to Diana that afternoon. He walked the short distance to Gay Street, his greatcoat flapping in the light breeze. The autumn sun was shining brightly, lifting Rollo’s spirits. The closer he came to the house, the more convinced he became that this was the right course of action. On arrival he gave his card to the butler and waited in the hall. There was much activity, all of which indicated the family was planning to depart Bath imminently.

  No longer than five minutes after his arrival he was shown into the drawing room where Diana and her mother were seated. Both rose to their feet as he entered and responded to his bow with curtsies

  “I can see you are busy this morning,” he began. “However, I was hoping that you, Miss Wells, will do me the honour of taking a walk in the park with me. The sun is shining and we may both benefit from the fresh air.”

  Diana looked at him quizzically. Surely he did not imagine she would want to expose herself to the gawking crowds who would surely be in the park at this time of day. On the other hand, she would be leaving Bath tomorrow; she would, in all probability, not see Lord Brockwood again, and she would like the opportunity to thank him for the protection he had tried to offer her. Her heart ached at the thought that she may never see him again. She would miss his presence in her life.

  “Perhaps a turn in the garden would suffice,” she offered. “Mother could observe us from the house and my maid can continue with the packing; there is much to do.”

  “Of course,” replied Rollo. “How thoughtless o
f me. A walk in the garden would be most pleasurable.”

  Diana sent for her cloak and in no time they were outside in the small garden. “We leave Bath tomorrow and I will be happy to be back at Caulder Hall. I have had enough of society and its treatment of me, and I am looking forward to withdrawing to the solitude of the countryside,” said Diana with feeling. “Please do not include yourself in that condemnation of society. I have been very grateful for your support during my season in Bath. Do not think I blame you in any way for what occurred on Cotson’s arrival in the Assembly Rooms. I can only apologize for my weakness in fainting—it is most unlike me.”

  Rollo thought that she was being very generous. “Please do not thank me and do not apologize. I am not surprised that you fainted—you suffered a great shock—and I can only be glad that I was present to assist you.” They walked slowly as they talked.

  “And I am sorry that by your assisting me, you, too, were ridiculed in that cartoon,” said Diana. She wondered why he was still seeking her company after all this.

  “I will not give that further thought,” Rollo reassured her. “But tell me one thing—are you completely sure about your refusal of Cotson’s offer of marriage?” he probed.

  “Yes, I truly am. And I know I am unlikely to get another acceptable offer of marriage, but I definitely will not wed a man I have no respect for. I would rather return to the country and live a peaceful existence.” Diana smiled to let him know that she was not feeling sorry for herself.

  “I do, however, have a favour to ask of you, my lord,” she continued.

  “Please, and if it is in my power to grant it, rest assured I will.” Rollo wondered what she could possibly want from him. Perhaps she thought he would be asking for Demon to be returned.

  “My younger sister, Prudence, will have her first season in London next year. I will not accompany her, as I do not want my experience and reputation to have an unpleasant impact on her—although I fear it may do so even in my absence. I was hoping you may grant me the favour of watching out for her. Dance with her occasionally if it seems she is being shunned; your influence will help clear the path for her.”