by Joyce Alec
“I think we have much to talk about,” he murmured, lifting her chin with one gentle finger. “Unfortunately, now is not the time for that.”
She gave him a slightly wry smile. “No, it is not. Perhaps tomorrow?”
He nodded. “Tomorrow sounds wonderful. Shall we go, my dear?”
Lucy took his proffered arm while warmth settled in the pit of her belly. This was working out perfectly.
***
Lucy laughed as Lord Brownly finished the punchline to his joke, appreciating the way Edward’s eyes lit with humor. She could still not believe that he had kissed her, heat flooding her core as she remembered her own intense response. There was a developing affection for him that she could not deny, and even now, as he smiled at her, Lucy felt her cheeks heat.
“May I offer a toast?” Lord Brownly asked, getting to his feet. “My warmest congratulations to my dear friend, Lord Caldwell, and his most beautiful betrothed, Lady Lucy Donoghue.” He raised his glass and gave Edward a grin, followed by a slight bow to Lucy. “I wish you a lifetime of happiness.”
A flush hit Lucy’s cheeks as the entire table raised their glasses to herself and Edward. Glancing at him, she saw him watching her with a deep warmth in his eyes that ricocheted through her and had her heart almost exploding with happiness.
You are not truly engaged yet, Lucy, she reminded herself. He kissed you, yes, but you have not discussed what this might change, if it changes anything. Accept their congratulations but keep your mind clear.
Drawing in one long breath, Lucy settled her mind and waited patiently until the cheers had come to a close before returning Edward’s smile. He was studying her with a dawning speculation, as though he had only just realized what future they might have together, were he to take the next step with her. So much promise presented itself in that one look, so much hope, that Lucy could barely prevent herself from rising from the table and dragging him from the room so that they might talk.
A sudden commotion outside the dining room door brought those thoughts to a swift end as loud voices broke into the genial atmosphere.
“What the devil?” Lord Brownly muttered, rising to his feet. “Whatever is going on?” Turning to his guests, he gave a swift bow before marching to the door. “Do excuse me, please,” he murmured, walking from the room.
“I’d best go with him,” Lord Caldwell said, pressing one hand onto Lucy’s shoulder as he passed. “Please, carry on, everyone.”
Lucy could do nothing but sit silently. The murmurs around the table began to grow in number as the voices of Lord Brownly and then Lord Caldwell added to the commotion.
“She is his betrothed,” she heard Lord Brownly state, his voice loud enough to hear. “You have no right to come here and demand such a thing. Remove yourself from my house before I have someone do it for you.”
Lucy’s stomach tightened, wondering if this was to do with her. If so, then who was it who had come to Lord Brownly’s home in some strange attempt to accost him?
Within a few minutes, all had grown quiet, and the door opened to admit Lord Brownly and Lord Caldwell back into the room. Lucy kept her eyes pinned on Lord Caldwell, but he only smiled and then gave a tiny shake of his head, warning her that he could not speak of what had gone on at this precise moment. Lucy knew then that whatever had occurred had had to do with her, and her stomach dropped to her toes.
“A very strange occurrence,” Lord Brownly said, resuming his seat. “But it has all been dealt with. I do beg your pardon for the intrusion, but we can continue on now. Port, gentlemen?”
Lucy rose from the table with the other ladies and they all excused themselves to the drawing room, leaving the gentlemen to their port. She heard the other ladies begin to discuss immediately what might have happened and who it had been outside the door, but she kept her thoughts to herself. A few ladies glanced in her direction, as though they suspected she was involved, but nothing direct was said.
It was with some relief that she saw the gentlemen arrive in the drawing room, having chosen not to linger over their port.
“And now to the musical performances!” Lord Brownly cried, clapping his hands. “Which of the dear ladies wishes to stand up first?”
Lucy slowly moved into the shadows in the darker corners of the room, knowing that she would not stand up even if she was asked. She was relieved that Lord Brownly knew not to expect her to do so, glad to see a young Miss Edwards seat herself at the pianoforte and begin to play. The other guests took to their seats almost at once, although Lucy caught Lord Caldwell looking through them, searching for her.
Lifting her hand, she saw him catch her eye and carefully move towards her.
“You are hiding, I see,” he murmured, his mouth so close to her ear that it caused her to shiver. “Are you well?”
“What on earth went on out there?” Lucy asked, not answering his question. “Was it to do with me?”
She refused to look away from him, her eyes searching his face as he pressed his lips together, struggling to find an answer.
“I have no wish to alarm you,” he said quietly. “The matter is dealt with, I assure you.”
Lucy shook her head, refusing to accept his response. “Please, Edward. Do not hide things from me.”
Sighing, Edward caught her hand in his, squeezing it gently. “It is only for your good, but I see that you will not be dissuaded. Come, shall we take a walk in the gardens? Tis late, I know, but we might slip away without being noticed—and I have heard that engaged couples are shown a little more leniency by society!”
“And you will tell me?” Lucy asked, tension coursing through her body.
“I will,” Edward promised, lifting her hand on to his arm. “Come, my dear. Let us make our escape.”
Chapter Eight
The gardens were cold, making Lucy shiver, and Edward immediately removed his jacket and pressed it to her shoulders.
“We cannot have you catching a cold now,” he said with a lilt to his voice.
“But you will be cold now,” she protested, although she could not help but pull his warm coat a little more closely over her body.
“I will be all right,” he reassured her, his eyes catching the moonlight as he smiled. Then he stopped and took her hand. “We have much to talk of, do we not?”
Lucy found herself letting out a breathless laugh. “I believe so, Edward.” She lifted her face. “But of what do you wish to speak?” Quirking one eyebrow, she made sure he was aware that she would not forget her questions about what had happened outside the dining room.
He sighed heavily, shook his head, and grinned. “You are quite incorrigible, my dearest Lucy,” he murmured, sliding his arm around her waist before beginning to walk with her once more. “But I believe I like that about you.”
“I did hear a little snippet of what was said,” Lucy admitted quietly. “Something about someone who was engaged… and I was worried that I was the one being discussed.”
There was a lingering silence, which made Lucy’s heart beat faster. Was she right?
“You do not miss much,” Edward said after a few moments. “Yes, it was about you, I’m afraid. About the both of us.”
“Oh?”
His clasp around her waist tightened “Lord Hutton was here.”
Lucy stopped dead on her feet, despite the way Lord Caldwell urged her to walk on. “Lord Hutton?” she repeated, her breath wavering slightly. “What do you mean, he was here? Did Lord Brownly invite him?”
Edward shook his head at once. “No, not at all. He does not hold the man in high regard, much as I do.” Lucy saw the way his face grew puzzled. “In truth, I am not sure how he came to know we were here.”
Trying to control her anxiety, Lucy drew in two long breaths before speaking. “And I presume he wished to speak to me?”
“I’m afraid it was more than that,” he answered. “He told first Brownly, and then myself, that he had some claim over you. That you were betrothed to him first. App
arently, he was going to attempt to procure a Special License.”
Lucy’s eyes widened as she stared up at Edward, hardly able to comprehend what he was saying. “He was going to attempt to marry me?”
Edward shrugged. “I have very little idea what his intentions were, in truth. He seemed quite crazed, and I grew concerned over his behavior. You must be careful, Lucy.”
“I am glad now that you have told me the truth,” Lucy murmured, leaning forward so that her head rested on his chest. “It means that I am at least aware of what Lord Hutton intends.”
To her surprise, a quiet growl came from Edward’s chest. “I do not like it, Lucy. That man is determined to have you, for whatever reason.” He pressed a gentle kiss to her hair and Lucy smiled despite the anxiety she felt. “I believe we must call our faux engagement off, my dear.”
“What?” Stepping back, she looked at him in confusion, wondering what precisely he meant. “You wish to call our engagement off?”
Chuckling, Lord Caldwell took her hand. “No need to look so fiery, my love. You have misunderstood me. I wish to call off our faux engagement.” His expression softened. “You will marry me, won’t you?”
Confusion parted to make way for delight as a soft smile spread over Lucy’s face. “So, this is just to protect me from Lord Hutton, is it?” she teased, refusing to answer his question. “Or is it because you kissed me earlier today and now feel obliged to wed me?”
“You are toying with me now,” he growled, sliding his arms around her and lowering his head. “I might have to kiss you again if you continue.”
Lucy could feel her heart beginning to pound in her chest, her hands reaching up of their own accord to twine around his neck. “Tell me the truth, Edward.”
He sighed and pressed his forehead to hers. “In truth, Lucy, I have found you a most wonderful companion… and a beautiful one at that. I must confess that I have some affection for you.”
It is not love, Lucy thought to herself, a strange pang of sadness echoing through her chest. But perhaps love can come from it.
“And I will admit to feeling the same,” she replied. “In time, I believe I will love you, Edward.”
“I remember that you said you will not marry without love,” Edward continued, his voice barely louder than a whisper. “I do not wish you to forgo what you have long hoped for. Therefore, let us have a prolonged engagement, Lucy, so that what I feel might develop into the deep love and affection you have been waiting for.”
“Do you truly believe you can come to feel those things for me?” Lucy asked hesitantly. “I will marry you without them.”
He laughed quietly. “But I would not have it. I believe that I already feel the beginnings of love rooting in my heart.”
She sighed then, letting out her breath and thinking through all he had said. “Very well,” she murmured, her fingers now toying with his hair. “I accept your terms, Edward.” Her tone grew mischievous once more, in the hope that he might do as he had said and kiss her again.
“Minx,” he murmured jestingly before lowering his head and kissing her firmly.
***
Lucy could hardly sleep a wink the following night, her heart and mind too full of all that Edward had told her. When she finally arose, it was late morning, so she sought out her mother. Lucy found herself suddenly filled with a desire to throw herself, headlong, into the wedding plans.
“Oh, Lucy!” her mother exclaimed the very moment she stepped into the drawing room. “I have been waiting for you to appear!”
“How was your visit, Mama?” Lucy asked, smiling as she sat down opposite her mother. “I do hope that Lord Caldwell’s mother, Lady Blackinstore, was kind to you.”
“She was very kind, indeed!” her mother cried, her eyes lit with excitement. “She is wonderful. I can hardly believe you are going to be her daughter-in-law—and one day, the Marchioness of Blackinstore.” She shook her head, evidently still struggling to take it all in. “The ball has been arranged. It is to happen in four days hence.”
Lucy’s mouth dropped open. “Four days, Mama? Is it to happen so soon? What of the guests?”
Lady Withington let out a long, trilled laugh. “Lucy, you are going to have to get used to your new status. Those who receive an invitation, even if they are already requested elsewhere, will simply give their apologies to the others and ensure they attend our ball.”
“I see,” Lucy murmured, not sure whether she particularly liked that idea. “I do not want anything over the top, Mama. You know how much I have disliked balls in the past.”
“Nonsense,” her mother said shortly. “You will appreciate every moment of it, Lucy. It will be all about you and Edward.”
Thinking that she liked that idea even less, Lucy braved a smile and sat back with an inward sigh. She supposed that her mother was right, in some regard. She would be a marchioness one day, and society would expect her to, at least, be visible. Attention would follow her wherever she went.
Marrying Edward means your life will change entirely, she reminded herself, her stomach rolling with an instant anxiety. Are you prepared for that, Lucy?
It was not something she had considered before, knowing that their engagement was to be nothing more than a pretense of short standing, but now that it was real, now that an actual wedding would be planned, her future appeared entirely changed.
You will be a marchioness, said the little voice in her head. The title will be heavy with responsibilities. You will not be able to hide in the shadows or keep to the corners of the room any longer. Everyone will want a piece of you.
Swallowing, Lucy gnawed on the side of her lip, letting her mother’s monologue wash over her as she thought. She had been so caught up with Edward’s kisses and the deep affection she had for him that she had not once considered what it would mean to actually marry the man.
Looking over at her mother, Lucy remembered what she had promised herself before she had ever met Edward: she would not marry without love.
Edward had promised her that.
Her life would change, that was without doubt, but would it be worth it to have Edward by her side, knowing that he loved her more than anything else in the world? They had so much in common, and Lucy knew she would never again find a man like him; someone who found her love of knowledge and desire to further herself as an estimable quality. No other man of a high status would think such a thing, for even her own parents had referred to her as a ‘bluestocking’ in such a condescending tone that it had ripped into her very soul.
Could she manage all the changes that came with marrying Edward, in the hopes that the love she hoped they would share would overcome all the obstacles in their path?
Her thoughts were broken by her father walking, unexpectedly, into the room.
“Lucy!” he exclaimed, looking somewhat surprised to see her. “I thought you would be abed still.”
“And I thought you would be in your study, Papa,” Lucy replied, not getting up to greet him.
After what had occurred the prior night with Lord Hutton, she felt her father was responsible for promising her to him without even asking her permission. In addition, she wondered how Lord Hutton had known she would be dining with Lord Brownly.
“It is just as well you are here, for I have something to ask you,” she said, trying to conceal her anger.
“Oh?” he asked, distracted for a moment by the tray of pastries in the center of the table.
“Lord Hutton was at the dinner last night.”
Lucy watched through slightly narrowed eyes as her father froze for a moment, the pastry halfway to his mouth.
“When I say he was at the dinner,” she continued, “what I meant to say was that he attempted to join us, although I cannot quite work out how he knew I would be there with Lord Caldwell.”
Her father shrugged, although he would not meet her gaze. “Mayhap Lord Brownly told him.”
“I doubt it,” Lucy declared. “Lord Brownly does not care
for him. You will be quite surprised when I tell you what Lord Hutton wanted, I am sure.”
Her mother cleared her throat and shifted in her chair, glancing uneasily between Lucy and her father. “What did he want, Lucy?”
“Me.”
Lucy pursed her lips and stared at her father, refusing to remove her unrelenting gaze from him.
“What can you mean?” her mother gasped, her hand at her heart. “You are engaged to Lord Caldwell!”
Lifting one eyebrow, Lucy glanced at Lady Withington. “He told Lord Brownly—and then Lord Caldwell—that apparently I had first been betrothed to him, and he was currently attempting to procure a Special License so that we might marry immediately.”
“Oh, no,” her father whispered, his face going sheet white as he dropped into a chair. “No, Lucy, he did not.”
“Yes, he did,” she firmly responded. Lucy was glad to see her father’s reaction, hoping that he might tell her all since she was not meant to know any of it. “Father, I don’t understand what is going on. What did you say to Lord Hutton?”
Lord Withington sighed and shook his head. “You will hate me, I am sure, but I had promised Lord Hutton your hand. You were to meet him the very night you became engaged to Lord Caldwell. If I had known that you were interested in another, then I would never have done such a thing.”
“Did you tell him where I was?” Lucy questioned.
“No,” he assured her. “I did not. Unfortunately, it appears that Hutton is not a man who gives up easily. He wants what he wants, and is used to having every one of his wishes fulfilled. That includes your hand in marriage.”
Lucy swallowed, and she steadied herself to speak her following words. “Am I that disappointing a daughter, Father, that you would push one of your potential business partners on me, even though he is even older than you? Do you truly care for me so little that I was simply to be used to further your partnerships?”
The Earl of Withington could not answer, his mouth opening and closing like a fish.
