Romancing an Alluring Lady: A Historical Regency Romance Book

by Lucy Langton

  “Kitty. Kitty!” Hugh cried, gathering her in his arms as he hunched over her body. He pressed his hand to her chest and felt the subtle rise and fall of her breathing. Hugh almost wept for joy right there and then, but he knew he needed to get Kitty to safety. With all the remaining strength left in his body, Hugh lifted Kitty from the ground and began to make his way back out of the opening. Hands met him there, helping to drag Kitty’s body from the wreckage and him back through the opening. A cheer rang out in the crowd as they both emerged from the wreckage. To Hugh, it almost sounded like the most beautiful thing he’d ever heard as everyone felt the relief of being able to rescue the young lady.

  “Let’s get her home,” Hugh said to Portlock as he cradled Kitty in his arms. She was completely unconscious and looked to have sustained only a few cuts and bruises. Her blonde hair swept across her face as though she had been sleeping peacefully this whole time. But Hugh knew that if she wasn’t waking up that she’d probably hit her head pretty hard when the carriage was forced onto its side.

  Portlock summoned a small carriage to be brought over and held the door open for Hugh. With help, he was able to carry Kitty inside of it as he settled onto the bench seat. Hugh felt completely exhausted but was never going to allow Kitty out of his sight until she’d been seen properly by a doctor. Hugh tilted Kitty’s head back as he held her in his arms. He started to talk sweetly to her, begging her to wake.

  “Kitty, I’m here. Please wake up,” Hugh said in a soft voice. “I need you to stay with me, Kitty. I can’t live without you.” He ran his fingers through her hair then, brushing it away from her face.

  “Kitty, you need to come back to me,” Hugh pleaded. “You need to wake up and recover from this terrible accident. Then we will get married and have a dozen children.” Tears were coming to Hugh’s eyes as he wished the carriage would go faster. He wanted to get her into a bed and have a physician come right away.

  Not wanting to lose another chance to show Kitty how much he cared for her, he lowered his lips to hers, kissing her softly. He could feel the warmth in her lips and took that as a good sign that she would soon be alright. He knew that it was an improper thing to do because Kitty couldn’t agree to the sign of affection. But if she was going to take a turn for the worse, he wanted to remember this sweet kiss for the rest of his life.

  When Hugh felt Kitty’s lips press back against his, he was startled by the movement. He pulled his head back just far enough to where he could see her eyes start to flutter open. He smiled at her as she regained consciousness, her arms coming around his neck as she held him close to her.

  “Hugh, what is going on?” Kitty asked in a soft voice as she looked around the carriage.

  “There was an oak tree that was pushed over onto the carriage. You were trapped inside for a long time, but I finally rescued you,” Hugh said in a shaky voice. He was so relieved that Kitty was waking up that he felt like he was about to faint.

  “You look so tired,” Kitty said as she traced her fingers across his face. “Are you alright?”

  “I will be once the physician has given you a once over,” Hugh admitted. “But I am very tired.”

  “Will you kiss me again?” Kitty asked as a smirk came to her face. Hugh chuckled before descending his lips to hers once more, kissing her tenderly as he held her close to him. His arms felt weak from all the chopping he’d done with the axe, but nothing else mattered to him besides holding Kitty in his arms and enjoying her sweet kisses.

  “Will you promise me that you’ll never let me go?” Kitty asked as she broke their kiss. He looked down at her, becoming lost in her blue eyes as he nodded his head.

  “I will never let you go, Kitty,” Hugh promised. “But does that mean I’ve won this challenge?” He smirked at her as a faint smile came to her mouth.

  “I do agree that you have bravely won my heart, Hugh,” Kitty replied just before she lost consciousness again. At first, Hugh panicked as he pressed his ear to her chest. But as he heard the sound of her beating heart, he was reassured that she was simply as exhausted as he was. But even though Hugh yearned for a nice bath and a long sleep in his bed, his heart was fill to the brim as he realised that not only had Kitty agreed to their marriage, but that she returned his feelings after all.

  ~*~

  Wherever she was, Kitty thought that it was rather bright. She slowly opened her eyes, raising her left hand to shield the light from them. She could see several large windows and wished that someone would be quick to close the curtains. But after a few minutes her eyes adjusted as she pushed herself up onto her elbows and peered around the room.

  It was a grand bedchamber that Kitty had never been in before. She knew that it wasn’t a room in her townhouse because the design was both different and much more lavish. The four-poster bed was very plush with silk bedding that felt wonderful against her body. She then realised that she was no longer in the gown she’d worn to the opera but now in a more comfortable nightgown. She also felt rather clean for having been in a horrible carriage accident.

  The sound of snoring brought Kitty’s attention to the figure that was sitting in a chair next to her bed. She chuckled once she realised that it was Hugh. He looked tired, as though he’d been up all night. Yet he appeared to have at least recently bathed since he was no longer dirty like she’d last seen him.

  Kitty’s memories started to return to her as she remembered the last time she’d seen Hugh. He’d been holding her tight in the carriage, kissing her lips softly. He had looked so worn down and exhausted then and now he simply looked tired. She hated to wake him but figured he’d want to know she was awake if he’d kept watch over her all night.

  Kitty picked up one of the many pillows and tossed it at him, causing the pillow to land on his lap and startle him awake. Hugh’s bright green eyes shot open as he quickly straightened his posture. But when his eyes settled on hers, his face lit up as he quickly closed the distance between then. Hugh climbed on top of the bed as he gently rested his hand on the side of her face and kissed her soundly. Kitty giggled as she returned the gesture of affection, enjoying how eager Hugh was to kiss her.

  “I was so worried about you,” Hugh said when he broke their kiss. He ran his fingers through her hair, and Kitty loved feeling his hands on her.

  “You don’t have to worry, Hugh. I was only sleeping,” Kitty tried to reassure him.

  “Kitty, you don’t understand. When the physician came to examine you, he said that it wasn’t a good sign that you’d fallen unconscious for a second time. I had feared the worst,” Hugh explained. Kitty’s heart dropped as she wondered just how close to death she’d come.

  “Besides for a headache, I am feeling alright,” Kitty said then. She took Hugh’s hand in hers and squeezed it, trying to show him that she still had strength within her arms.

  “You’ll have to forgive me, but I took the liberty of having your aunt come to stay here while you’ve been recovering,” Hugh explained. “Your lady-in-waiting and your other maids took the time to wash you and change your outfit.” Kitty was a bit puzzled by Hugh’s words.

  Eventually, she asked, “How long have I been unconscious?” Hugh sighed as he took both of her hands in his.

  “You’ve been sleeping for almost four days now,” Hugh said softly, surprising Kitty to the core. Could she really have slept for that long when it only felt like a few hours since she’d seen Hugh last?

  “That is quite unsettling,” Kitty admitted. “I surely don’t feel like I’ve been asleep for that long.”

  “I’m just so glad to see you awake,” Hugh said with a sigh. He smiled at her, his green eyes travelling all over her body as though to ensure that she was alright.

  “I should go and tell Aunt Matilda at once that you’ve awoken. She’s been worried sick about you as well,” Hugh said as he went to get up from the bed. But Kitty stopped him by grabbing his arm before he could be completely away from her. He looked towards her then, his face quizzical to kno
w why she’d stopped him.

  “I just want to be with you for a little while,” Kitty said as all her emotions began to boil up inside of her. “I was so very terrified when I heard the large cracking noises, followed by the carriage being flipped and crushed.” Kitty took a deep breath as she tried to settle her nerves. The last thing she wanted to do was start crying again. Hugh wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his chest. It was the most comforting feeling in the world that she wished that she could remain that way for the rest of her life.

  “Right before it all happened, I had come to realise just how much I love you, Hugh,” Kitty said as she tilted her head up towards him. “And I mean just more than a childhood friend.” Hugh chuckled as he held her close, the sound pleasing to Kitty’s ears.

  “I’m glad to hear you love me more than just a friend,” Hugh replied. “Because I’ve come to love you very much and intend to make you my wife the moment you are recovered.” Kitty was so pleased to hear this that she couldn’t help shedding a few happy tears.

  “I can’t wait to tell Aunt Matilda the good news,” Kitty said as she hugged Hugh back.

  “Then perhaps you’ll finally let me go to summon the older woman,” Hugh said as he let Kitty go.

  “But you promised that you’d never let me go,” Kitty said with a smirk, remembering their exchanged words in the carriage.

  “You’re right,” Hugh said as he leaned forward and placed a kiss on her forehead. “I will never let you go again. But there will be times when I must go to another part of the house.”

  “It seems I have no choice,” Kitty said in a mocking voice. She finally let go of him and giggled when he winked at her before leaving the bedchamber. Kitty sighed, thinking that she would never be this happy. She’d finally fallen in love with a man who could equally love her in return. He was a gentleman that she could trust with her life and rely on when she needed him most. Kitty knew that one day soon they’d have a family together, and she was sure that they would never again have to be apart.

  While Hugh was away, Kitty took the time to relieve herself of the call of nature. It was hard since Kitty was still weak on her feet, but she was glad that the job was done before people started coming into the bedchamber once more. She’d just got back into bed when the doors were opened and Aunt Matilda came walking quickly into the room with her cane. Her lady-in-waiting was close behind her with several other maids.

  “Oh, Kitty!” Aunt Matilda exclaimed as she came to her side of the bed and leaned over to hug her. Hugh was there to coax her into the chair he’d been asleep in. She sat down eventually, seeming to be out of breath.

  “The moment Hugh told me the good news, I practically outran everyone to get up here,” Aunt Matilda explained as she took a few moments to catch her breath.

  “She’s not lying,” Hugh added. “I had no idea she could move that fast.” Kitty chuckled as she imagined her aunt running up the stairs in her condition.

  “I like to think that I can still surprise you young ones,” Aunt Matilda said with a chuckle. “But I do not like being scared to death.” Aunt Matilda pointed her finger at Kitty and gave her a particular look.

  “I am sorry, Aunt Matilda. I did not plan on any of this,” Kitty said, looking to Hugh for help.

  “Aunt Matilda, I’m sure Kitty could use a change of clothes and something to eat. How about I head down below to talk to Cook about making something special for lunch, and I’ll leave you to the rest,” Hugh suggested. It wasn’t the type of help Kitty was looking for, but she figured giving Aunt Matilda a task would keep her busy.

  “Yes, I will look after that. But when do you think we should tell her about it all?” Aunt Matilda asked as she looked at Hugh. Kitty was instantly curious as Hugh glanced at her for a moment before returning his attention to the older woman.

  “Once she is feeling more like herself, then it will be a good idea to explain everything to Kitty,” Hugh said.

  “Don’t talk like I’m not here,” Kitty said, her temper rising. She never liked to be left out of a conversation and didn’t like that the two people she loved the most were doing so now.

  “Please, Kitty. Don’t worry about this for now,” Hugh said as he turned his attention back to her. “There is a lot to explain about what has happened since you’ve been resting, and I simply think you should eat a good meal before we discuss it all.” Kitty didn’t want to argue with Hugh right then, especially since she was filled with so much joy to be with Hugh and knowing that they loved one another.

  “Fine. You go and tell your cook to fix me up something quickly so that I might understand all that has happened,” Kitty relented. Hugh chuckled as he dipped his head and walked out of the bedchamber, closing the door behind him.

  “My goodness, what a worry wart that one is,” Aunt Matilda said with a chuckle. “That man hasn’t left your side since the terrible incident.” Kitty smiled, pleased to hear that her intended was so protective of her.

  “Are you going to share any details with me?” Kitty asked her aunt now that Hugh was out of the room.

  “No, my dear. I very much agree with Hugh that it will do you good to eat something first,” Aunt Matilda replied. She then had the maids tend to Kitty as they helped her bath and dress in a fresh day gown. It was a bit tricky to keep her balance, but she thought that a bit of exercise would do her good. If she’d been lying down for days, then she should try to stay on her feet as long as she could.

  After a while, a lunch tray was brought up to the bedchamber. Kitty sat down and enjoyed a hearty meal with her aunt. They talked about simple things as Kitty shared her experience at the opera and how much she’d enjoyed it. Aunt Matilda said that Pietro Generali had sent Kitty a bouquet of flowers upon hearing about what she’d endured. That comment brought about a whole new line of questions for Kitty to think about.

  “Was there an article in the paper about what happened to me?” Kitty asked. Aunt Matilda sighed then as she set her teacup aside.

  “There have been several articles, Kitty,” Aunt Matilda admitted. “But like Hugh suggested, you need to regain your strength first.”

  “Is it really that horrible?” Kitty asked, wondering if Hugh and her aunt worried about her fainting again.

  “It is nothing we can’t recover from, Kitty. But there is a lot to go over,” Aunt Matilda explained.

  “Well, I have eaten my fill and feel that I am ready for whatever it is you two have to tell me,” Kitty said as she straightened her posture, hoping to appear stronger than she really felt. She was dreading what news needed to be shared with her and only hoped that her aunt was right in saying they’d be able to overcome whatever the papers had published about them.

  “Then let us go down to the sitting room,” Aunt Matilda suggested. “It’s a far better place to discuss such things instead of in your bedchamber.” Aunt Matilda winked at her before pushing herself to her feet using her cane. Kitty’s lady-in-waiting was beside her, supporting her weight as she stood as well and slowly walked after her aunt.

  Kitty was surprised by how weak she felt and wondered if this was how her aunt felt every day. But eventually, the two fragile women made their way to the sitting room. Once settled, Kitty’s lady-in-waiting went in search of Hugh to inform him that Kitty was finally ready.

  Chapter 17

  Hugh entered the sitting room to see Kitty sitting on the settee next to her aunt. Just a few days ago there had been a completely different scene in the room and now he tried to focus simply on his beloved. He was overjoyed that she’d not only awoken but continued to share their mutual affection for one another. It warmed his heart to know that someday soon she’d officially be his wife and they’d never have to part again. But for now, there was much explaining to be done.