by Lucy Langton
He’d come to her so quietly and left just as such after they’d enjoyed another wonderful night of lovemaking. She knew she’d have to keep an eye on Hugh now that she knew how tricky he could be.
Once Kitty had pulled back on her nightgown and cleaned herself up a bit, she pulled the servants’ cord next to her bed to summon her lady-in-waiting. Kitty tried to actual natural as her maids came up to her room. But Kitty couldn’t help smiling as she often remembered her pleasant night with Hugh. She knew she’d have to contain her glee when she went down to have breakfast with her aunt.
As Kitty came downstairs, her butler stopped her in the hallway and handed her a letter. She looked down at it, thinking that it was a bit early to receive anything from the post. The letter was worn and looked to have been damaged by water. And as she stared at her name on the letter, she had a feeling she knew who it was from.
Kitty hurried down the hallway to the dining room as she began to pull open the letter. She managed to get it open by the time she stepped into the room and began to read it at once as she stood in the doorway. Her eyes scanned over the words, trying to read them as quickly as she could.
“My dear, why are you just standing there?” Aunt Matilda asked. Her aunt’s voice drew her attention away from the letter as her heart pounded in her chest.
“It’s a letter from William,” Kitty explained as she came to where her aunt was sitting at the table. She showed the older woman the letter as she explained, “He writes to say he’s coming home to England. It seems he was already on his way when I wrote to him a few days ago. It is surely impossible that he would have received my letter already.”
“Does he explain why he is coming home?” Aunt Matilda asked as her eyes moved over the letter. “His handwriting is terrible.”
“William writes and says that there is a young lady he would like to introduce me to,” Kitty said with a smile. “I think he is coming home because he’s been married.”
“My goodness!” Aunt Matilda exclaimed. “Are you telling me that the Earl of Sandford was married outside of his mother country?”
“It would appear so, Aunty,” Kitty said as she took the letter back from her and pointed to the part of the letter that detailed his marriage. “Seems William had no choice but to either agree to marry her in Spain or risk ever getting to see her again.”
“Love tends to make one reckless,” Aunt Matilda reasoned. “I suppose I should at least be grateful that William did marry and that he’ll soon be home with his new bride.”
“And just think how surprised he’ll be when he discovers that I, too, will be married,” Kitty said, excited over the idea of her brother arriving in England much sooner than expected. Kitty wondered if this was her fate finally aligning and everything she’d dreamed of was finally coming true.
“I’m sure Hugh will be pleased to hear the wedding may happen sooner than anyone had expected,” Aunt Matilda said with a chuckle as Kitty settled down at the table. Kitty smiled as she nodded her head, thinking that it would be good news to tell him.
“And I’m sure I’ll have all manner of small children to play with soon,” Aunt Matilda added. Kitty was so surprised by her comment that she couldn’t help laughing. The two women laughed together as the morning meal was brought into the dining room. Kitty wouldn’t dare hint to her intimacy with Hugh, but she also wasn’t going to deny that small children would most likely start appearing soon.
~*~
Hugh felt like he could finally breath easily as he travelled to Kitty’s townhouse in his new carriage. Portlock was at his side after receiving Kitty’s letter that it would be beneficial for Aunt Matilda to have some company while he accompanied her to a dinner party this evening.
Hugh couldn’t help but smirk at the idea of the two elderly members of their family finding a way to fall in love later in life. He thought it was perfect that Aunt Matilda, a true lady, would consider the company of a butler. But it seemed that when you reached a certain age in life, social stresses no longer applied.
When his carriage came to Kitty’s townhouse, Portlock stepped out of the vehicle and held open the door for Hugh. It wasn’t often he went anywhere with Portlock, and though he knew that the man was his butler, he was more like an older uncle to him. As Hugh alighted from the carriage, Portlock followed after him to the front door.
Hugh was looking forward to seeing Kitty after the wonderful night they had spent together. He felt bad for leaving her while she slept, but he knew it would be disastrous if he was found in bed with her in the morning.
Though servants often kept their lips sealed when it came to the doings of their masters, there were certain things that could wash through Town in the matter of hours. He wouldn’t ruin Kitty that way, even when their desire for each other had increased dramatically. He was pleased that he and Kitty felt this way towards each other and that it stemmed from a place of love instead of lust.
When Hugh pulled the cord by the door, it was soon opened by Kitty’s butler. The man greeted him kindly and then led him and Portlock into the house and down the hallway to the sitting room. As soon as Hugh stepped into the room, he couldn’t contain his smile as he gazed upon his beloved. He’d always enjoyed being with Kitty, but now that their affection for one another had grown he knew that they would spend a lifetime discovering passion together.
“Good afternoon, Hugh,” Kitty said with a bright smile as she looked up at him from where she sat. A special look passed between them then. One they would only be able to decipher.
“Hello, Kitty,” Hugh replied with a dip of his head. “And to you, Aunt Matilda. You are looking radiant as ever.” The older woman chuckled in response as she moved her hand towards him as though to shoo him away.
“Oh, Hugh. You don’t need to flatter me anymore,” Aunt Matilda said. “You’ve already convinced Kitty to marry you and shouldn’t be flirting with any other woman.”
“But you are not just any other woman,” Hugh retorted, causing them all to chuckle. “You remember my butler, Portlock.” Hugh turned and gestured towards the man as he stepped forward and bowed.
“Indeed, I do remember him from our stay at your home,” Aunt Matilda said as she gazed upon Portlock, a twinkle in her eyes. Hugh left the two together as he went to sit beside Kitty.
“So, I received a very interesting letter this morning,” Kitty said with a happy smile as she withdrew a tattered letter from her side. “It’s a little worse for wear, but it is from William.”
“William? I did not think you’d receive a response from your brother so quickly,” Hugh said as he carefully took the letter and looked down at the handwriting. He thought it was very rough to read.
“It was not a response to my letter, but one that he’d sent some weeks ago,” Kitty explained. “He wrote to say that he is making his way to England with his bride.” Hugh looked up at Kitty, surprised to hear this news.
“Your brother has married?” Hugh asked. “And to whom?”
“William explained that because of the circumstances, he couldn’t bring her here to marry, so they were married in Spain. He states that her name is Senora Picasso, or Viviana for short,” Kitty said.
“I wonder what connections her family has, or perhaps she is a common woman,” Hugh said. “Not that it would matter to me since he is an earl and free to marry whomever.” He wanted to reassure his beloved that he was not a prejudiced man.
“Well, I am sure that we will have answers soon enough. If the date on this letter is close to the day that he did depart Spain, then he should be arriving any day now,” Kitty stated. “I feel like we have much to prepare for if that is to be true.” Hugh glanced back down at the letter once more before carefully folding it and handing it to Kitty.
“If that be the case, then perhaps we may spend this evening planning a ball to happen in a fortnight to celebrate Lord Worthington’s return and to his recent marriage,” Hugh suggested.
“I think that would be a lovely id
ea,” Kitty said as she looked to her aunt as though to gain her opinion. But the young couple quickly saw how her aunt and Portlock had engaged in hushed conversation.
“Seems like they are not to be disturbed at the moment,” Kitty whispered. “I will gather some writing paper and we shall move to the far side of the room to start making our plans.” Hugh nodded his head as they stood and walked over to a small table near the double doors leading to the garden. There, they started to construct ideas and plans for welcoming Lord Worthington home.
Chapter 21
Hugh kept a close watch on the docks for the next few days, hoping to hear first word of a Spanish ship coming into the harbour. Day and night he employed errand boys and different ears on the street to keep a steady watch on the harbour so that he might be able to great Lord Worthington personally upon his arrival.
His goal was to make a good impression on Kitty’s older brother so that the Earl could not object to them being married. Hugh wasn’t terrible worried because he was a Duke and outranked the man. But it was the principle of the matter that meant more to Hugh.
The sun had just set when a loud banging was heard on the front door. Hugh was in his study, going over the latest reports when it came to the fire that had damaged his family home. After the fire had been blamed on Lord Harding trying to sabotage him, Hugh had received a handsome sum to help with the repairs. All Hugh had to do now was understand what the damage was, but Hugh couldn’t go to his country seat until he and Kitty were married. But all of that planning was interrupted by the person at the front door.
By the time Hugh had stepped into the hallway, Portlock was already at the door opening it. Hugh tried to peer around the butler, but by the time he reached the front door himself, Portlock was already shutting the door. He then turned to Hugh with a pleased look upon his face.
“A Spanish ship has just entered the Thames and is looking for a spot to dock in the busy harbour,” Portlock explained. “The word on the street is that Lord Worthington may very well be upon it.”
“Fantastic,” Hugh said as he quickly collected his top hat from the rack at the door. “Have my carriage prepared right away. I shall gather Kitty and head down to the ports to meet this ship.”
“Very well, Your Grace,” Portlock replied before hurrying down the hallway to make sure his words were fulfilled. Hugh took the time to put on his gloves and a dinner jacket. He wanted to look his best for when he told Kitty the good news and also went down to the docks to meet Lord Worthington. They both had been looking forward to his arrival since Kitty had received his letter a few days ago. It meant that they could be married sooner and finally be together every day and night. Though Hugh hadn’t snuck back into Kitty’s room, he very much wanted to every night.
A short time passed before the carriage was brought around the house to the street. Portlock bid Hugh good luck, which he greatly appreciated. He then made his way to the carriage and gave orders to the coachman before he made himself comfortable inside. He was brimming with anticipation as he rubbed his hands together, eager to tell Kitty the good news and whisk her down to the docks to greet her brother.
As the carriage rumbled across the cobblestones, Hugh kept his eyes on the passing of the many homes and buildings that separated his townhouse from Kitty’s. It wouldn’t be long now before Hugh would no longer have to worry about taking the carriage to be close to Kitty.
He could soon look forward to waking every morning with her and lying down together at the end of another day. Hugh had never known he could feel so much joy after losing his beloved parents. And the only regret he had now was waiting so long to pursue Kitty’s heart.
The moment the carriage came to a stop, Hugh opened the door himself and stepped down before the footman could even hop off the driver’s bench. Hugh was so eager to tell Kitty the news that he couldn’t wait a moment longer. He jogged up the front walkway and was swift in pulling the door cord. The sound of chimes filled the townhouse and a moment later the butler was opening the door.
“Good evening, Lord Blackmore,” the butler said with a deep bow.
“Would you please inform Lady Winthrop and Miss Worthington that a Spanish ship has been spotted in the harbour. I wish to take them both down to the port right away in the event that it is Lord Worthington returned,” Hugh explained. He watched as the butler’s eyes grew big and a bright smile came onto his face.
“Please come in, Lord Blackmore. And I shall tell the ladies of the house the great news,” the butler replied. As soon as Hugh had stepped through the door, the butler closed it quickly and then went down the hallway to the dining room. Hugh couldn’t help smiling as he heard Kitty’s excited cry of joy once the message had been relayed. He saw her quickly stepping out of the dining room and hurrying over to him.
“Is it true, Hugh? You really think that my brother has come home at last?” Kitty asked, seeming to be in disbelief.
“If the word on the street can be considered true, then yes, Kitty. I do believe the Spanish ship is carrying your bother and his bride,” Hugh replied. He was feeling more excited to see Kitty reunited with one of her few remaining family members than being worried or uneasy about William hearing the news of them being soon married. All he wanted in the world was to see Kitty happy all of their days together.
“Let me fetch my walking shoes and shawl, then,” Kitty said. She leaned up on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on his cheek before hurrying up the stairs. As he watched her go, a part of him wanted to follow her and take a few minutes to explore their passion.
“What wonderful news you’ve brought us this evening,” Aunt Matilda said, drawing Hugh’s attention to her. He smirked, thinking the older woman could easily tell what he’d been thinking.
“I hope it is, anyway,” Hugh said. “We will not know for sure until the ship docks and starts to unload. But I do dearly hope so.”
“Well, if my nephew has returned, you make sure he and his wife come right away. I’ve only travelled by ship once, and it’s deadly sickening,” Aunt Matilda said.
“I promise to do just that, Aunt Matilda,” Hugh promised. Kitty came down the stairs then, having changed her footwear and placed a shawl around her shoulders.
“Alright, my dear. Let us be off,” Kitty said excitedly. Her butler opened the door as Kitty placed a kiss on her aunt’s cheek.
“Be safe, you two. The docks are not the most ideal place to be so late at night,” Aunt Matilda called after them. Hugh turned and waved at the older woman, wanting to reassure her that he’d take great care of Kitty. He helped her into the carriage as the footman stood waiting, holding the carriage door open. Hugh gave orders to the footman before he stepped into the carriage, and once he was seated next to Kitty, he knocked hard on the side of the carriage to signal that they should be off.
When Kitty started to cling to his arm, a look of unease on her face, Hugh began to worry that something was wrong. Then, he realised what he’d done. He had forgotten in his haste that Kitty was still not comfortable in a carriage and was no doubt feeling a little panicked at the moment.
“I’m so sorry, Kitty,” Hugh said in a soft voice. He placed the arm she’d been clinging to around her waist and drew her to him as he wrapped both arms around her. Then, he placed his lips to hers as the carriage started to travel down the road. Kitty fell still in his arms as he kissed her tenderly, wanting to distract her mind from the fact that they were in a carriage. No one could see them, and it was the perfect time to enjoy his beloved in his arms.
It was only when the carriage stopped again, the sound of water hitting the sides of the docks filling the air, that Hugh pulled his lips from Kitty. Her cheeks were pink from their passionate kiss, and her blue eyes sparkled as they opened to his.
“I don’t think I’m going to be nervous about riding in a carriage anymore,” she said with a giggle. The carriage door was opened, and they created space between them as Hugh removed his arms from her waist.
“I
’m glad I could be of assistance,” Hugh said as he winked at Kitty, and then alighted from the carriage before helping her down. They turned their eyes to the docks and searched the harbour until they spotted a Spanish flag flying in the wind. With the sun having already descended below the horizon, little light was left to guide their way. So together, they walked carefully down the cobblestone steps to the docks as they searched every face that was coming and going from the ships.
