by Rose Pearson
“But that is where you and I are quite different, Lord Allerton,” Lord Poole said icily. “You are weak and soft-hearted. I am not.”
“And so you would kidnap Lady Georgiana to get what you want?” Oliver interrupted, unable to prevent himself from speaking. “You would do this dire thing to gain what you wanted?”
Lord Poole shot him a hard glance and then looked away, an arrogant smirk on his face. “I would not expect you to understand, Mr. Lowell,” he said emphasizing Oliver’s title. “The shame and the embarrassment that would be brought would sting my family name and might have society mocking me for a time.”
Oliver closed his eyes, biting back a sharp retort. For a gentleman to go so far as to steal a young lady away in order to avoid a few months of whispers was something he simply could not understand.
“And Lady Northcott?” Lord Allerton asked, looking towards the lady. “What is it you have to do with this?”
Lady Northcott’s eyes widened, her expression one of sweet innocence. “I cannot understand what you are speaking of, Lord Allerton!” she exclaimed in evident confusion. “I did not even know Lady Georgiana was here until I saw her standing in the hallway with you.”
Oliver squeezed Lady Georgiana’s hand. “Is that true?” he asked in a low voice. “Did you hear her or see her beforehand?”
Lady Georgiana shook her head, looking a little upset. “I was hit on the head, I think,” she said softly, her words sending another slice of anger through Oliver, which he forcibly contained by gritting his teeth. “I only awoke a short time before I saw you from the window.”
Oliver, remembering how he and Lord Allerton had seen a faint shadow moving in a window whilst hearing a loud knocking sound, finally understood what that had been. “I see,” he answered, taking in long breaths to quell his anger a little more. “You have been very poorly treated, Lady Georgiana.”
“I do not believe you were unaware of my sister’s presence in this house, Lady Northcott,” Lord Allerton said firmly as Lady Northcott continued to bat her eyes at him. “She was held here in one of your rooms and—”
“This is not my house, Lord Allerton,” Lady Northcott interrupted with a small smile that baited Oliver’s anger all the more. “Surely you know that?”
Lord Allerton merely raised an eyebrow and looked at Lord Poole, who turned his head away. “It is your brother’s townhouse, then, Lord Poole,” he said as Oliver watched with satisfaction as the smile on Lady Northcott’s face fell to the floor. “Which does not explain why you were above stairs, Lady Northcott.”
“And Lord Poole came from upstairs,” Lady Georgiana interrupted, her voice rising. “As you did shortly afterward, Lady Northcott.”
“We were just visiting,” Lady Northcott protested, her cheeks now a delicate pink. “Surely we are all aware of my enjoyment of a gentleman’s company?” She shrugged whilst Lady Georgiana blushed furiously. “It is not something I—”
“And your brother, Lord Poole?” Lord Allerton interrupted. “Where is he this evening?”
Lord Poole cleared his throat, a supercilious look on his face. Clearly, he did not see any merit in lying to Lord Allerton, merely shrugging at the question. “He is out of town at present.”
“Wait.” Oliver rose to his feet, an awareness hitting him as he caught the attention of everyone in the room. “The necklace.” He turned to Lady Georgiana, who was watching him intently, her eyes wide with astonishment. “That night, Lady Georgiana, when you helped rescue me from that delicate situation.”
Lady Georgiana blinked, then began to nod as she recalled things. “The necklace was placed in your pocket by a footman, I think.”
“That is what I believed, yes,” he said as Lady Northcott began to frown. “Lady Northcott feigned a deep upset it was lost, only for it to be found in the corner of the room…thanks to you, Lady Georgiana.” He gave her a quick smile, his mind working furiously. “You placed it there deliberately, Lady Northcott. You wanted me to be seen as a thief and a charlatan. At the time, both myself and Lady Georgiana believed it was because I had refused your advances, because I did not wish to become one of your many gentleman callers, but what if it was for another reason altogether?”
A gasp came from Lady Georgiana, evidencing she too had come to understand what he meant.
“You are being quite ridiculous, Mr. Lowell,” Lady Northcott exclaimed with a wave of her hand that was an attempt at dismissing him. “I would never behave in such a devious fashion!”
“Your agreement with Lord Poole to kidnap Lady Georgiana when your first ploy did not work out as expected would say otherwise,” he told her, seeing how pale she went. “Lord Poole, I expect, came to seek your help—for a tidy sum, I might imagine. I presume he saw Lady Georgiana and I speaking, and mayhap feared there was an intimacy there he would have to fight against. Perhaps he did not want anyone speaking of it, did not want Lady Georgiana to even continue with such an association for fear of what it might do to his reputation.”
“And so, he asked you to ruin Mr. Lowell’s good name,” Lady Georgiana breathed, staring at Lady Northcott. “And you found a good way to do so. You attempted to make it appear as though he had stolen the necklace.”
“Which was usurped by Lady Georgiana,” Oliver continued, glaring hard at Lord Poole, who had gone a rather sickly shade of gray. “And when that did not work, and even though you had an arrangement with Lord Allerton, you still were afraid you might not have what you wanted. So you threatened Lady Georgiana. You told her to stay far away from me, otherwise all manner of shame and scandal would fall on not only my head but that of my cousin.”
Lord Allerton rose to his feet, his face now wreathed with anger. “And when Lady Georgiana was convinced not to be afraid of such threats, you decided to take matters into your own hands,” he finished, as Lord Poole seemed to sink a little further into the chair, no longer wearing his haughty smile. “That is utterly despicable, Lord Poole!”
Lord Poole lifted his chin, but the mask of arrogance was slipping. “I am betrothed to Lady Georgiana!”
“You are not betrothed any longer!” Lord Allerton shouted, his rage more than apparent now. “How dare you treat my sister in such a way? What cruelty you have shown to her, as well as to Mr. Lowell? You are not deserving of Lady Georgiana, Lord Poole, and I shall make certain that all of society knows it!”
Lord Poole went sheet white in an instant. His hands began to scramble on the chair arms as he tried to get to his feet, but Lord Allerton was already there, glaring down at him.
“You have nothing further to say, Lord Poole,” he grated as Oliver reached out one hand towards Lady Georgiana, seeing how she had begun to tremble. “The society you hold so dear will turn on you. Everyone will know what you have tried to do.”
Lord Poole began to stammer, holding out one hand beseechingly. “But there will be whispers about your sister!” he exclaimed as though this would make any difference. “Surely you cannot—”
“I would accept such gossip if it were to ensure that all of society knows the darkness of your character,” Lady Georgiana said, her hand tightening hard on Oliver’s as she spoke with strength and dignity. “I am glad to be free of you, Lord Poole, and I will accept whatever consequences come from telling the beau monde what has occurred.” She said nothing more but began to walk quickly towards the door, with Oliver walking beside her, her hand in his. The quiet strength of her amazed him, the beauty of her determined spirits capturing his heart all over again. She was magnificent, and he found himself entirely lost.
The return journey back to Lord Allerton’s townhouse was a quiet one. Lady Georgiana said very little, but her hand held fast to his under the blankets that Lord Allerton insisted on piling onto her. She smiled at her brother but rested her head back against the squabs, clearly exhausted. Oliver felt his throat constrict with the realization he would have to leave her behind. His boat to America would sail shortly after Christmas, meaning he would never see her again.
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Not unless he bared his heart and offered her his hand. It would mean leaving behind all she knew, all those she loved, and Oliver knew all too well it might not be a decision she could easily make. Now was not the time to ask her such a question, however, given just how tired she was. There would need to be a few days to recover before he could even begin to consider speaking to her about such delicate matters.
“I will return to my cousin’s house,” he said softly as the hackney came to a stop. “You will need to rest, Lady Georgiana. I am very glad to see you back here safely.”
Her eyes glistened as she looked at him, and for a moment, Oliver thought Lady Georgiana might ask him to come in, might ask him to stay. But then she let out a long breath, sighed, and nodded.
“Thank you for all of your help, Mr. Lowell,” Lord Allerton said gravely. “I cannot tell you how much I appreciate all you did.”
Oliver cleared his throat, feeling the weight of what he had left unspoken resting on his shoulders. “Not at all,” he said reluctantly letting go of Lady Georgiana’s hand. “I hope I will see you again very soon, Lady Georgiana.”
Her hand caught his again, holding it tightly. “Come to call on Christmas Eve,” she said softly, looking into his eyes. “Bring your cousin and her husband if you wish, but do say you will come. My brother is having a small soiree that will lead us from Christmas Eve into Christmas Day, and I am sure you would be welcome.”
“More than welcome,” Lord Allerton said, nodding. “I would be glad to see you there, Mr. Lowell.”
Smiling and feeling his heart lifting with a surge of happiness, Oliver accepted the invitation. “I would be glad to,” he answered, seeing how Lady Georgiana let out a long breath of evident relief. “Until then, Lady Georgiana. Lord Allerton.”
“Until then,” Lady Georgiana answered as the hackney driver pulled open the door. “And thank you again, Mr. Lowell, for all you did this evening. You do not know just how grateful I am for your help.”
He said nothing but watched her climb from the hackney, feeling his heart go with her as she climbed the steps and into the house. He loved her desperately, he knew, and even a short separation pained him terribly. How, then, was he meant to leave for America when the lady he loved remained here? His heart and his head filled with questions, Oliver closed the door and rested his head back, his eyes closing. Christmas Eve could not come soon enough.
Epilogue
“Mr. Lowell.”
Georgiana practically breathed his name, her cheeks flushing as he came into the room and grasped her outstretched hands. His eyes searched her face for a moment before, finally, he broke into a smile.
“You look quite wonderful, Lady Georgiana,” he told her, clearly relieved she did not appear to be ill or weak from her trial. “You are well recovered, I hope?”
“More than recovered,” she answered honestly, expressing the relief that had come from knowing she was now free from Lord Poole’s clutches. “I am so very glad you could be here on Christmas Eve.” Her eyes fastened on his face, seeing how his gaze went around the room. All the greenery for the festive season had been brought in earlier that day, as tradition would have it, and she and Lady Allerton had spent some time making wreaths and folding ribbons to bring extra festive cheer after what had been a very difficult few weeks.
“Another mistletoe bough I see,” Mr. Lowell murmured, making Georgiana’s heart race with a sudden excitement. “And good gracious, what a roaring fire!” Instinctively, he moved towards it, and Georgiana went with him, glad that her brother and sister-in-law had thought only to invite a small number of guests. It was more intimate this way, more welcoming and friendly. And, given the way the news of Lord Poole’s actions had spread through society, Georgiana was all the more relieved.
“It is the Yule Log,” Georgiana said, briefly explaining the tradition. “The staff did very well in finding such an excellent log this year. I am sure it will burn for the twelve nights it is expected to.” She smiled up at him, seeing his eyes grow sorrowful and felt her stomach twist with anxiety. “Is something wrong?”
Mr. Lowell let out a long, slow breath and, with a quick glance over his shoulder, moved a little closer to her and settled his hand over their joined ones. “Twelve nights. That is as many days as I have left here.”
She caught her breath, staring up at him as a sudden rush of sorrow ran over her. “You have booked your passage?”
“I have,” he said a little heavily. “I cannot stay any longer. I must go back to Boston to look after my business affairs.”
Georgiana nodded slowly. She had known this was coming, yet still, it crushed her spirits.
“I am sorry to have to leave you,” Mr. Lowell continued, a trifle quieter now. “It makes me wretched to think of leaving you behind.”
She looked up at him sharply, wondering if he was about to say something more, but he only glanced away, appearing a little uncertain.
You began to find your courage when Lord Poole took you away, Georgiana told herself sternly. Do not give it up now. Seize hold of it and speak to Mr. Lowell of your heart!
Taking in a deep breath, Georgiana turned and pulled Mr. Lowell towards the door. She was courting scandal in being so obvious, quite certain that almost every eye was on her as she disappeared through the door with Mr. Lowell behind her but finding she did not care a jot. Without saying a word, she led Mr. Lowell into the library and shut the door tightly behind them both.
“Lady Georgiana,” Mr. Lowell exclaimed, something in his expression that told her he already knew what she was going to say. “Is it not very improper for a young lady to be alone with a gentleman?”
She tipped her head, planting her hands on her hips. “It is,” she answered. “But this is a very important matter, and I will take the risk.” The corner of her mouth lifted in a small smile. “Besides which, given almost everyone in London knows what Lord Poole did, I am already well whispered about.” Lifting one shoulder in a small shrug, she held her head high. “Not that I give any thought to it,” she finished with a touch of defiance. “It is worth it to save any other poor creature from his hands.”
“You are strong of both heart and mind,” Mr. Lowell answered warmly, his eyes holding to hers. “I admire it.”
“I have not always been so,” she replied, feeling her heart hammering against her chest. “In fact, I am not feeling particularly strong of mind at the present, even though my heart is urging me forward.”
Something changed at that moment. Something shifted between them, the air seeming to grow thick as she stopped only a tiny distance away from Mr. Lowell. She could feel his breath brushing across her skin as she lifted her head, looking deeply into his eyes and praying he could see the love in her heart.
“You say you are already touched by scandal, Georgiana,” Mr. Lowell began, reaching out one hand and taking hers tightly in his own. “I don’t want there to be yet more whispers about you throughout all of society, but there is something I must ask.” His voice was low, the words he spoke sending glorious tremors over her skin.
“Yes, Mr. Lowell?” she asked, looking up into his face and feeling her heart lifting towards the skies, chasing away any last embers of fear and doubt. “What is it you must ask?”
Closing his eyes, he leaned forward until his forehead rested gently on hers. There was such beauty in this moment, such wonderful contentment that Georgiana wanted to wrap it up tightly and hold it within herself. She did not want it to end, feeling her heart reach out towards his, tying themselves together as one.
“I have spoken unclearly in the past, but I will tell you the unequivocal truth now,” Mr. Lowell murmured, his free hand now settling on her waist. “I must return to America, Georgiana, but I don’t want to go without you.” His eyes opened, and Georgiana caught her breath. “If you marry me quickly, then we can leave for America together. I know that all of society will be shocked by your actions, I know that rumors and gossip will pour out on your famil
y, but I cannot bear to leave you behind.” Taking a breath, he pulled her a little closer. “It will be a new life for you, Georgiana. There will be things that are unfamiliar, things that are difficult, but my love for you will carry you through it until my home becomes your home too.” Lifting his hand, he brushed it down her cheek, and Georgiana closed her eyes, her happiness burning through every part of her. “I love you, Georgiana,” he finished, almost tripping over his words in his haste to speak them to her. “I love you desperately.”
“As I love you.”
Those four short words were all Mr. Lowell needed. With an infinite gentleness and yet with a heat of passion, he pressed his lips to hers and kissed her. Georgiana leaned into him, her arms about his neck and her heart fully his. She had already made her decision the day she had spoken to Lady Allerton about all she felt. She had known she would set her back to England and go to America with Mr. Lowell, should he ask her. Her brother had already assented, with Lady Allerton thrilled to know that Georgiana would be so happily contented in her marriage. All she had needed to wait for was for Mr. Lowell to ask.
“It will be a very different Christmas next year,” he told her, lifting his lips from hers for just a moment. “But you shall always have me beside you.”
“And that is all I shall need,” she promised, laughing softly as she heard the bells began to chime, bringing Christmas Eve into Christmas Day.
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