Alice asked. “What did you believe happened?” She wondered what Calvin had told them.
Francis said, “We thought you and Calvin had been having a go at it, somehow you managed to break the window, and the sheet was simply hiding your…”
Alice’s eyes widened, and she looked down to notice that much of her gown was covered by the sheet and quickly moved it away. This caused pain to spread up her arm and embarrassed heat to flame her face, which prompted her voice to rise. “I am fully clothed!”
Francis lifted his hands in surrender. “My apologies. We just assumed—”
“Anyone would,” Julius said in his own defense.
“Calvin has had his share of women,” Francis went on.
“Yours and my share as well.”
Francis nodded. “Definitely a heavier appetite than Hugh.”
“Less than Morris, however.”
Francis’ face closed. “A frightening thought, that.”
Julius turned toward Francis, as the men completely forgot about her presence. “Do you recall that the year St. Mary’s School for Girls let Morris hold a lecture on hunting. When he—”
“Let us not venture there.” Francis lifted his hand. “I hear the rules have become so severe that they don’t even let fathers visit. No men allowed on the ground. How Morris made it out of that situation without at least one bastard, we will never know.”
“Lucky bastard.”
The men grinned with far away looks.
Francis said, “But Calvin. He’s a cad.”
“Definitely.”
“Barely comes up for air from one woman before diving into another.”
“Sometimes two a night,” Julius said.
“Never more than three,” Francis recalled.
Julius tapped his fingers on his chin and said, “Well, there was that time—”
She’d heard enough and more than she ever wished to know. She’d thought eventually they would remember her presence or even care but apparently, they did not. “Enough!” She did not wish to hear about Calvin’s exploits, though from their stories, she did wonder about Morris...
When she had their attention, she went on, “Calvin and I were simply speaking. And though he did seem to understand me clearly, I wished him to go away! Then a woman with a gun came into the room and I pushed Calvin out of the way in order to save his life. The bullet hit me, broke the window, and so Calvin wrapped the sheet around my arm to stop the bleeding. Then he told me to stay and left!” She didn’t mention the small caress of his hand before he left or the sweet tenderness of his eyes. Those were for her and her alone.
Her eyes were steadfast on Francis but her anger diminished when she took note of the look in Julius’ eyes. It was another expression she’d never seen before, and she didn’t dare try and figure out what it meant.
He walked over to her and knelt, bringing their faces only inches from one another and Alice felt herself falling under the spell of his eyes.
“You stepped in front of a bullet for Calvin?” he asked.
Alice blinked. “Well, I didn’t plan to be shot. I only wished to spare us both.”
Something moved in Julius’ eyes. She watched him smile. A smile much different than the one he’d shared with Francis. This one was private and seemed to say something very intimate.
She licked her lips and asked, “What did Francis tell you?”
Julius spoke slowly. “He said there was a woman in this room. We were to come to the room, close the door, and not let anyone in but him.”
“Was that all?” she whispered. He seemed so very close.
His hand grazed her cheek before tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. Alice shivered through the entire move before he said, “Yes, that was all.”
“Why would he ask you to come?” She was still speaking softly. She moved her eyes to Francis in an effort to include him in their conversation and make it less intimate.
Francis, however, was grinning like he held a secret. “I have no idea why I was asked to come, most likely for further protection, but it makes perfect sense that Julius is here.”
Alice was forced to look at Julius again. “Why does that make sense?”
Julius smiled and said, “Because, I have a gun.”
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CHAPTER FOUR
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Calvin pushed his way past the people who were crowding the halls in an effort to leave the party. There were women crying hysterically and men shouting from one to the other. On more than one occasion, Calvin felt his body being carried as though he were floating on water with all the shoving and moving happening about him.
Then he finally made it to his destination and veered out of the hallway and into the drawing room where he spotted Lord Freyler. He was with Lord Dovehaven and a few others, all standing around in the shadows of the room.
“They said the woman left. They saw her run through the back door. There’s no reason to end the party.” Dovehaven was a handsome older gentleman and, if his statement were any guess, the rumors about him were true as it was known that the viscount enjoyed a good time. He was speaking directly to his brother, Mr. Taylor, a tailor by trade, whose creations for the female portion of London, and his charming looks, made him much admired. Both brothers were grayed at the temple and sported devious glints in their green eyes.
But at the moment, neither man was his concern.
Calvin walked over to Lord Freyler and grabbed his arm to gain his attention. “Alice has been hurt.”
Freyler tensed and swung in his direction. Concern shadowed his blue eyes. “Where is she?”
“Down the hall, last door on the left. She’ll need a doctor.”
“I’ll call for a man I know.” He excused himself from the room and left.
“Who’s been hurt?”
Calvin turned around stared down at the lovely Lorena Cullip, who seemed shaken at the thought of someone being hurt that one would believe she knew Alice but that was simply Lorena’s way and Calvin adored her for it.
In fact, for a long time, he’d more than adored her and had even thought to marry her himself but while Lorena was very much a beautiful woman, he couldn’t help but also remember the annoying little girl she’d been when they’d first met or the fact that she’d not changed and that always calmed any feelings he had for her.
Yet now she was engaged to Emmett. He was happy for his friends and hoped Emmett knew just how lucky he’d been to gain her hand because Lorena had so much tenderness to give and Emmett had never experienced tenderness in his life. Lorena gave him what he needed and in return, she gained his love and protection, protection being the thing she needed most since she had a tendency to find trouble.
Like at the very moment.
“The woman is none of your concern, Ren,” he told Lorena before tapping her upturned nose. Then he started to leave.
Lorena was not one to be steered away from a subject she wished to pursue. “You said woman. Did you mean lady or did you mean woman?”
Calvin turned back to her to find that her expression now held curiosity.
That was the very last thing he needed.
“I meant woman,” he told her. “A simple working-class woman. No one of your acquaintance. Now, if you’ll excuse—”
“Does she need help?”
He narrowed his eyes and asked, “And exactly how do you plan to help?”
Lorena batted her eyes and said, “I don’t know. How badly is she hurt?”
“Ren,” he said with warning.
Lorena never took warnings, if she did, she took them as an invitation. “You’ve sent Lord Freyler after her. She might need a woman to be there for her. Did you leave her unattended?” The question was almost an accusation.
“Of course not,” he told her swiftly. “Francis and Julius—
”
“So that’s where Francis ran off to.” She frowned and shook her head.
Calvin had no clue what she was referring to but needed to be off. “Excuse me.” He started to leave when someone grabbed his hand. “Ren,” he began, only to find that it was not Ren who’d grabbed him.
Rose’s eyes were red, as though she’d been crying. “We've made a grave mistake.”
She was the very last woman he wanted near him, much less touching him.
“Let me go.”
Her hold tightened, and she pressed closer. “I’m so sorry for what I’ve done.” Her eyes glittered. “I knew and still…”
Calvin didn’t care what she saying. “Lady Rose, I need to—”
“She told me.” She caught her breath and released it. The tears fell. “She told me how much she loved you and still I…”
Calvin froze, stared down at Rose, and this time, he didn’t try and stop her. In fact, when she didn’t begin to speak quick enough, he turned to her fully and said, “Rose, what did Alice tell you?”
Rose had put her head down and looked away but at her name, her eyes, eyes so similar to Alice’s that it irritated him, held his. “Alice is in love with you. She has been for years but she only told me recently. She told me about the kiss and…” Rose covered her mouth and whispered, “I didn’t think.” She shook her head and croaked, “And now I can’t find her. She’ll hate me forever. I deserve to be hated.”
Calvin wasn’t sure he’d have felt Rose’s words more if someone had stabbed him in the heart. Alice was in love with him, obviously, since she’d risked her life to save him, and he’d repaid that love by touching her cousin. He’d almost…
He shook his head and closed his eyes.
Alice had been in love with him for years, which meant she’d probably been in love him just as long as he’d felt something strong for her. He was hesitant to call it love but he couldn’t deny a fixation with her.
For years, he’d watched her walk about her father’s establishment and had been able to see straight through her tattered garments that had undoubtedly been made for a woman more than twice her size, seeing down to the woman that she was. He’d enjoyed simply watching her walk. She was tall and elegant and when he’d first noticed her, he’d thought her quite elegant for a woman but now he knew she’d gained not only her beauty but her poise from her mother.
A lady.
How Wilkins, a club owner, had married a lady, he’d never know but he intended to have his daughter, no matter what Wilkins had told him, warned him of the consequence.
“I must go,” he told Rose.
Rose released him and Calvin ran down the hall, which had cleared greatly since he’d last taken it. Currently, there were only servants around, cleaning the mess that Dovehaven’s guests had left behind.
He entered the room and, before he could say a word or his mind could understand what he was seeing, he was pushed. He watched as four women, one by one, walked into the room toward Alice. Lorena stood at the lead.
“Oh, dear,” Lorena said as she knelt next to Alice, whose arm was exposed. The blood had ceased flowing but the wound was not pretty.
Lorena’s friends, or rather the members of her Spinster Society, crowded around. Sophia, Maura, and Genie took to either side of Alice, crowding her like a flock of birds that had found seed, or perhaps they were simply being who they were and saw Alice as the bird who’d broken her wing. Lorena would help a broken bird, so it was easy to imagine her stalking him down the hall to help a broken woman.
Julius, who’d been kneeling in front of Alice, slowly rose and Calvin did not miss the fact that his hand had been stretched out to her. When Julius arrived at his side, he asked, “How is she?”
His friend’s lavender eyes held his for a moment or so before he said, “She’ll need stitching up but she’ll recover. The doctor is being notified as we speak. Freyler went to the kitchen in preparation for his arrival.”
Calvin nodded and made a move to go around him.
Julius stepped in front of them, blocking his path. “I have everything under control. Why don’t you see to other matters?”
Calvin lifted a brow. “Other matters?” He narrowed his eyes. Nothing was more important than Alice. “Move.”
Julius didn’t move. “Alice told me she didn’t appreciate your company. No reason you should bother her anymore.”
Calvin took a step back. “Alice?” he asked him. “You’ve always called her Miss Wilkins. Since when do you call her Alice?”
Julius’ eyes told him nothing, which seemed to tell Calvin everything. “Since now.”
Heat crawled up Calvin’s neck and he whispered, “Don’t you dare go near her.”
“Her father might approve of me,” Julius went on. “I’ve a title.”
Calvin stilled. “You speak of marriage after only a few minutes in the woman’s company? This makes no sense.”
“Maybe I see what you’ve always seen,” Julius went on. Then he threw out a challenge. “I want her.”
Calvin tightened his fists and said, “Over my dead body.”
Julius took a few steps back and, though he did nothing else, Calvin knew he was prepared to fight.
Francis cut in, placed a hand on both their chests, looked from one to the other, and said, “Am I the only sane person in the room?”
Calvin’s eyes never left Julius’. Julius’ remained on Calvin.
Neither blinked.
Francis looked between them again then he hung his head. “You can’t be serious.”
Lorena’s voice broke the tension. “I don’t know what you men are speaking of but if you could do it while in the hall, that would be lovely.”
“Lorena,” Francis began.
“Alice wants you gone,” Lorena said. Then she looked at every man in the room. “All of you.”
Calvin took the distraction to move around both men and kneel in front of Alice. He cradled her cheek and asked, “How are you feeling?”
Alice’s eyes reminded him of blue moons with her look of astonishment, but she didn’t answer.
So he swept his thumb against her lower lips and asked his question again.
He felt the shiver pass through her and watched her eyes darken before she whispered, “Right as rain.”
He smiled. “I’m right on the other side of the door if you need anything. You call for me and I’ll come.” And then in a low voice he said, “I’m not leaving you.” Ever again.
He didn’t say the last, but when Alice’s cheeks turned red, he knew she’d understood his meaning. So, with a final caress of her cheek, he stood, holding her eyes, then turned and started from the room, ignoring every eye… except for a seething Julius. At that, his smile widened.
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CHAPTER FIVE
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“Did you see?” Genie asked Lorena, who was sitting on Alice’s other side. “Oh, if I could get Francis to look at me that way…” She sighed.
Alice wanted to sigh as well but instead pressed her lips together.
Lorena frowned as she spoke to Genie. “We are close to gaining you that look. We’ll simply have to try again another time.”
Even though she’d not known the women long, Alice knew this to be them speaking of the matter of ‘cornering’ Francis and pressed her lips together again to avoid laughter.
Sophia closed her eyes, groaned, and shivered visibly, and Alice completely understood the shiver.
Maura said nothing but a small smile played on her lips, and Alice understood her reaction as well.
Calvin had been so openly intimate with her that anyone could see he’d claimed her to the room, and Alice didn’t know how she felt about her latest predicament.
Lorena’s next words broke Alice’s silence. “I foresee another wedding in our future.”
>
“No!” Alice stated loud enough to cause every eye to turn her way. She may not have known how she’d felt about Calvin’s touch but she knew exactly what she felt at Lorena’s words. “I am not marrying Mr. Calvin Lockwood. In fact, I might not ever marry. Ever!”
Genie smiled, tilted her head, and said in a sweet voice, “I vote her in.”
“All in favor?” Lorena asked.
“Yea!” rang in the room.
“Splendid!” Lorena said. Then she turned to Alice and said, “Welcome to the Spinster’s Society.”
Sophia pressed her hands to her chest and declared, “I’ll have to write something for the papers.”
The papers?
“Mention the gun,” Genie said at the end of Sophia’s words. “And that she saved someone’s life.”
“Yes,” Lorena agreed. “But do leave Calvin’s name out of the paper. We wouldn’t want to compromise Alice’s reputation.”
Alice thought that quite nice. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a friend who was protective of her reputation. And that’s what Lorena, Sophia, Genie, and Maura had called themselves when they’d stepped into the room and surrounded her. Friends.
Lorena had declared with a smile in her blue eyes, “Your friends are here to help.”
That statement alone had made Alice like Lorena immensely. She was a lovely lady and so were the rest of her society. They’d all introduced themselves. Lady Lorena Cullip was their leader. She was blond with blue eyes and if Alice had been blessed with her curves, her father would have forced Alice to wear coats and high neck collars in the heat of summer. She was gorgeous and so were the others.
Lady Genevieve Tift, who everyone called ‘Genie,’ was the smallest of them all. She was the daughter of the Earl of Buckley, who happened to be one of the wealthiest men in the kingdom. She had dark red hair and green eyes and a pretty smile.
Miss Sophia Taylor was a tall raven woman like Alice but she had green eyes and seemed to wear a clever expression that suited her. From what Alice could recall from the papers, Sophia was the daughter of a renounced tailor and the niece of Lord Dovehaven himself. That was another thing they had in common. They were both not ladies but related to peers and when Sophia looked at her Alice thought she felt it, too, their likeness.
Alice’s Shameless Spinster’s Society (The Spinster’s Society Book 2) Page 3
