Hope of Romance

by Ellie St. Clair

  “Ah, yes,” he said finally. “I can see he is interested you, and therefore I hoped to have the chance to warn you that Lord Yardley is not what he seems.”

  “Whatever do you mean?” she asked, stopping their forward progress and turning to look at him.

  “I only mean that—”

  “Lady Polly, there you are!” The man in question came striding toward them with a rather wide grin affixed on his face. Sebastian felt like hitting it off of him. “Your mother is looking for you. I promised her I would come find you and bring you back posthaste.”

  He placed an arm at the small of her back and began guiding her toward to the party, but not before shooting a smug look over his shoulder at Sebastian, who could do nothing but look on, a sense of unease continuing to build in his stomach.

  He would stop the man, he vowed. He would make sure Yardley would no longer ruin young girls of the ton — especially Lady Polly Harrington.

  5

  Every time she heard the beat of a horse’s hooves outside, Polly hurried to the front windows, pulling back the drapes so she could see who was coming down the Mayfair street. Thus far, it had not been who she had been waiting for, and she was sorely disappointed.

  Last night, at a dinner at Lady Mallen’s, Lord Yardley had asked if he could call upon her. She’d said of course, and after he left she and Caroline had nearly squealed with delight. Polly could hardly believe that within her first season, a handsome gentleman — an earl — was calling on her. She could hardly wait for her father to return to London in case Lord Yardley might eventually ask for her hand.

  “Whatever are you looking for?” her mother asked, walking regally into the room. Marie was always dressed in the finest garments in all of London, even if she had no plans to host anyone or to go out herself. “One never knows when presentation may be required,” she had always told her daughters.

  “Mama, I am to have a suitor call today,” Polly said, turning from the window to beam at her mother. “Is that not utterly exciting? What do you think I should do when he arrives?”

  “And just who is the gentleman in question?” her mother asked, raising a dainty eyebrow.

  “Lord Yardley,” Polly said, then continued in a rush. “I know what you are going to say, Mama, but he has been the perfect gentleman and seems so very sincere.”

  “Mmm-hmm,” Marie said with a sniff. “We shall see about that. He may come in for tea, and I will sit with the two of you.”

  “Oh Mama, I was thinking perhaps a ride in Hyde Park and—”

  “Tea first,” said Marie in a tone that told Polly she would not be argued with, and Polly rolled her eyes but agreed.

  Polly had nearly fallen asleep on the settee by the time she heard the knock at the door, and she jumped up, quickly brushing the wrinkles out of her dress and patting at her hair to ensure it was still properly pinned in place.

  “I say,” her mother said, folding her embroidery and placing it in the basket beside her chair. “Lord Yardley is rather tardy if indeed that is him.”

  Polly was delighted when the butler announced the man in question, and she had to clasp her hands together to keep from clapping in glee when he walked in. He cut a fine figure in his double-breasted coat and intricately tied cravat. She felt almost like she wasn’t dressed fine enough, although that was a silly thought as she had donned a perfectly acceptable pale green muslin dress that she knew was rather becoming on her.

  Lord Yardley strode over to both of them, first stopping at Marie, bending low over her hand and leaving a kiss upon it, before doing the same to Polly. They were both rather mesmerized by his motions and the charming way he looked at them, Polly realized with a start, and she stepped back to give her head a shake.

  “I must apologize for my tardiness,” he said. “I was caught up in business affairs. I must thank you, Lady Polly, for permission to call upon you. I am so looking forward to your company today as we spend time together.”

  “And I yours,” Polly responded, feeling her mother’s eyes on her.

  “Lord Yardley,” her mother began, standing to greet him. “I realize you asked Polly’s permission to call upon her, but you have yet to ask for her father’s.”

  “I must apologize once more, Your Grace,” he said. “I knew the Duke is not currently in London. I had hoped to wait until he arrived, but found myself so captivated by Lady Polly that I wanted to ensure I did not miss the opportunity to spend time with her away from the crowds before some other gentleman stole her heart.”

  They were the right words to convince Marie, Polly thought, as her mother smiled at Lord Yardley.

  “I suppose that is understandable,” she said. “And how fares your mother?”

  “She is well, thank you,” he replied with a disarming smile and musical tone of voice. “I was hoping to take Lady Polly for a ride in Hyde Park today?”

  “That sounds very lovely,” said Marie. “However, it must wait until after we have taken tea.”

  Thankfully tea was a rather quick affair, and it did not take long for Lord Yardley to completely captivate Marie with his charm, as Polly knew he would. How lovely, she thought, that her mother could now see the side of him that she had come to know.

  When Lord Yardley asked for leave to take Polly for a ride in his phaeton, her mother readily agreed, and Polly was absolutely thrilled. It was as she had always dreamed, she thought as she took his hand to help her step up into the carriage. A handsome gentleman, a beautiful day, and a carriage that everyone could see her in, she thought. What more could one ask for?

  Sebastian had sat down to review the day’s papers when the butler knocked on the door with the news that a lad had arrived and wished to speak to him. By the way the butler — his father’s butler, in reality — spoke of the visitor, Sebastian knew it was likely a street urchin paid to deliver a message, and he hurried to the door to see what it was about.

  “You Lord Taylor?” asked the child, who looked to be about ten.

  “I am,” he replied.

  “I’m to tell ya the man you been watchin’, he went round to the house of a lady,” said the boy. “Your man is tailin’ them, he thinks to Hyde Park.”

  “Thank you,” Sebastian said, glad he had taken the precaution of having Yardley watched.

  “I saw the woman too,” the boy continued. “She’s a right good-lookin’ one if there ever was one.”

  “Here you are, lad,” Sebastian said, offering the wanted coin and more to the outstretched hand. “Off you go.”

  “Thank you, guv,” the boy said, then sprinted down the street, out of the neighborhood. Sebastian had soon saddled his horse and made his way to Hyde Park, hoping to find Yardley there to determine more of the man’s intentions.

  It didn’t take long to find them. Polly being the beautiful daughter of a duke, she was sought after by the young people of the ton, and Yardley himself was a well-known figure. Their arrival in the park was on everyone’s lips, and Sebastian watched from a distance to make sure nothing untoward occurred.

  He saw Yardley pull the phaeton to a halt. The man said something to Polly before walking off a distance away to converse with another gentleman on horseback. Feeling like a bit of a spy, Sebastian saw Polly look around somewhat self-consciously at the number of people watching her before she turned her gaze to her hands folded on her lap.

  Sebastian decided to take a ride around the park so as not to seem so obvious, when he noted one of Yardley’s horses seemed to be taking exception to something, snorting and throwing back his head. Polly leaned over, just able to reach the horse and pat him on the flank to try to calm him down. Sebastian admired her spunk, but knew the touch of a stranger would do little for the horse. He began riding toward her, not wanting to startle the horse any further, but concerned over what might happen. He was still some yards away from her when the horse reared back on its hind legs, whinnying loudly.

  “Polly!” he shouted as the horse took off at a gallop, taking the
second horse, the phaeton, and Polly along with it. Sebastian heard her cry out desperately for help, and he took off after her.

  The horses thundered through the park, and Sebastian followed, slowly narrowing the gap, although it was taking much longer than he would have liked. Despite the horses carrying the phaeton behind them, it was a light carriage and Yardley seemed to have done well in choosing his horseflesh as they were a fast-moving pair. He saw Polly’s head whip around from side to side, and as she looked back, she caught sight of him.

  “Lord Taylor!” she called, though her voice was somewhat lost in the wind. His mount being equally fine, Sebastian finally caught up to them, seeing that Polly had the reins in her hands and was desperately using all her strength to try to slow the horses. Sebastian rode close enough to come even with the horse that had bolted, and with some soothing words and a hand on his neck, he managed to slow him enough to finally bring them all to a stop.

  “Are you all right?” he asked Polly, who nodded at him, though she held a hand to her chest as if to slow a rapidly beating heart. Satisfied for the moment, Sebastian turned his attention to the horse. He wasn’t sure what had spooked him, but he wanted to take a better look to prevent him from bolting again. He was about to remove his harness assembly to look underneath when he felt a presence beside him.

  “Lord Taylor, thank you ever so much,” Polly said, having climbed down from the phaeton. She now looked at him with gratitude as she took one of his hands in both of hers, and his fingers warmed at her touch. “I am ever so grateful you were here. I don’t know what came over the horse! One minute we were standing ever as before and the next …. well. I’m not sure what else to say as I am entirely embarrassed. I usually am much more proficient with a horse, I can promise you that.”

  “I am glad I was there to help you, Lady Polly,” he said gently, trying to calm her after the panic she must have felt during the horse’s flight. “It was not your fault at all. I do not think there was much you could have done to prevent the incident. It seems something was bothering him that was quite out of your control.”

  The horse was pawing at the ground, and Sebastian turned to him once more. As he loosened the harness and shifted it aside, he felt the horse’s belly, finding a handful of burs stuck rather deeply in his skin. He must have been driven through a field of some sort and not been properly taken care of afterward, thought Sebastian, feeling pity for the animal.

  “Here,” he showed Polly. “The horse was protesting at the pain in his stomach. It was not your fault at all. He should be fine now.”

  She nodded, and he had a sudden, strong urge to gather her in his arms to settle her nerves, but instead, he suggested they return. Rather than help her back into the phaeton, Sebastian gathered the reins and began leading the horses back toward the park entrance where he had last seen Yardley. He thought Polly might feel more at ease walking for the moment, and when she bestowed on him a small smile, he knew he had guessed correctly. “What happened to your escort?” he asked.

  “He saw an acquaintance he had to speak to,” she said, not meeting his eye. “He said he would be but a moment.”

  Sebastian nodded but said nothing. Of course he questioned the man’s actions, leaving an unchaperoned lady alone in the middle of Hyde Park, but to say anything to Polly would only make her resentful.

  “Do you often ride here?” she asked him, and he nodded in answer.

  “I do when I am in London,” he said. “Typically, I prefer to do so in the morning. Sometimes Lord Penn joins me, otherwise I take the time alone. I do prefer to ride outside of the city, of course, but in the meantime while in London, Hyde Park will have to do.”

  “It is not often a man of the ton rises early in the morning,” she said, “Particularly one who is out enjoying a wide variety of social events.”

  “I am not one to stay out late, nor do I imbibe enough to cause disastrous results come the morning,” Sebastian responded. “I cannot, for I simply have too much to do.”

  “And what, pray tell, does such a man as you do to keep himself occupied each day?” she asked, looking at him quizzically.

  “Oh, a rather wide selection of activities,” he answered vaguely; he and Greville always kept their work with the Bow Street Runners rather quiet as that was how they were able to maintain their effectiveness. “Although, Lady Polly, truth be told, I can be somewhat … unorthodox."

  “Whatever do you mean?” she asked, turning to him with sudden interest, and Sebastian had an abrupt urge to tell her the truth of everything he was involved in. Perhaps that would make her better understand his concern. Before he was able to say another word, however, a horse came striding up to them.

  “Lady Polly!” It was Lord Yardley, who had apparently borrowed another mount to come after her. “I must apologize. I am so incredibly sorry. I have no idea what could have happened to so spook my horse. Ah — you there.”

  Sebastian looked around to see who Yardley was pointing at, and was shocked when he realized he was the one being addressed as such.

  “Bring these horses around and we will be on our way. Come, Lady Polly, let us go. I promise I shall not leave your side again.”

  Polly seemed somewhat reluctant to climb back into the carriage, but with an encouraging word from Yardley, she returned to her seat.

  “Lord Yardley,” Sebastian said determinately. He was not one to be dismissed so easily. “Your horse had burrs embedded in his hide. You’ll have to ensure he is properly looked after.”

  Yardley hardly looked at him as he waved his hand. “I’ll have my groom give him a thorough examination. Lady Polly, I am relieved you are quite all right.”

  As the phaeton trundled away, Sebastian saw Polly take a quick look behind her, sending him a small wave and a smile, and he was relieved to see they were headed out of Hyde Park and toward her home.

  This wasn’t the danger he had expected when he had followed Yardley to the park, but nevertheless, he was certainly glad he had been there.

  6

  “Lord Yardley,” Polly murmured, as the gentleman bowed before her, his light blue eyes lit with apparent gladness upon seeing her. “How good it is to see you again.”

  “Indeed,” came the reply, a small, sensuous smile pulling at his lips. “I do hope that you have at least one space on your dance card for me?”

  Polly felt her cheeks burn as she held out her dance card, far too aware of how delicately he touched her fingers as he took it from her.

  “How wonderful,” he murmured, glancing up at her from under his brows. “I shall put myself down for two dances, my dear Lady Polly – and the second shall be the supper dance.”

  Polly averted her eyes, hoping he would not see the spark of delight in them. After their disastrous ride, Lord Yardley had done all he that he could to apologize and pursue her. Polly had been slightly unsure after he had first called upon her, but his continued persistence and charm had ensured she had completely forgiven him.

  His subsequent visits had not been near as exciting as the first, an experience she certainly had not shared with her mother. Marie had, initially, been slightly disapproving of Lord Yardley and his attentions, but she was beginning to come round. As these three weeks had passed, her mother had slowly begun to lessen in her dislike of him. While she did not encourage the association, there was no longer the obvious aversion which, as far as Polly as concerned, could only be a good thing.

  Polly had delighted in his attentions toward her, finding him to be rather doting upon her, always with a complimentary word and a look that would send her heart racing. She also couldn’t ignore how very handsome he was, and she knew the two of them made a rather becoming couple.

  She had also come to realize that her initial impression of him was rather too judgmental, as now he made her feel as though every smile she gave him was some kind of wondrous gift.

  “The supper dance shall be what I look forward to the most this evening,” Lord Yardley said, taking
her hand for a moment. “I very much anticipate having you all to myself, Lady Polly.”

  More than aware of just how strong a reaction she was having to him, Polly blushed and curtsied, only to see her mother approaching.

  Lord Yardley glanced in her mother’s direction, and something flickered in his expression. "Please excuse me. I must see to a somewhat important matter." He took his leave rather quickly, though he held Polly’s gaze with an intensity that sent tingles up her spine.

  “Ah, Polly,” her mother smiled as she joined her. “Was that Lord Yardley with you?”

  “It was, Mama,” Polly replied, frankly. “He has engaged me for two dances.”

  Her mother’s smile somewhat faded. “Has he indeed?” she murmured, picking up Polly’s dance card. “The supper dance, no less!” With a sigh, she let it fall, shaking her head just a little. “You must be careful of that gentleman, Polly, at least until your father returns. He is charming, to be sure, but I am still not altogether sure of him.”

  Polly made to retort only to see none other than Lord Taylor standing by her mother, his eyes fixed on hers.

  “Lord Taylor,” she said, weakly, hoping he had not noticed the anger on her features. “I did not see you there.” She had been slightly embarrassed to see Lord Taylor again after he had rescued her in the park, but he’d said nothing of it when she’d seen him at various events since then, although he had not always spoken to or danced with her. However, wherever she went, was she to catch sight of him, he would always be looking directly at her. It was as though he was constantly attuned to her, keeping her within his line of sight.

  She could not quite understand why he did so, of course, especially given that he appeared to have very little interest in the other eligible young ladies, and, for her sake, she had never once encouraged any kind of attention from him. She wasn’t sure what to think. He was good looking, to be sure, but in a much more rugged way than the typical gentleman, and he did not have the charm of Lord Yardley.