Kaleidoscope: A Regency Novella

by Hannah Meredith

  Even though she knew he was short of funds, she didn’t think he’d respond well if she offered him money. That would definitely change the dynamics. Despite her amusement when he’d initially assumed she was Gerald’s mistress, Carolyn doubted Luke would react similarly if their positions were reversed. Anger and rejection seemed his more likely response.

  Unable to sleep, she was up before dawn. Her mind struggled to find the best way to negotiate—for this would be a negotiation just as surely as the effort needed to arrive at a price for a shipment of Chinese silk. Last night at the ball, she’d dressed for seduction, but this morning, she’d donned her usual office attire—a severe, dark blue dress best suited for a governess. She wanted this to happen, but on her terms. She needed to remain as aloof and businesslike as possible.

  She suspected her erratic pulse and shortness of breath were the result of more than just the normal nerves that arrived before she began to bargain. She didn’t just want this to happen—she specifically wanted it to happen with him, Lord Lucien Harlington.

  She’d relegated him to the back of her mind after he’d left her house, combatting the persistent loneliness with dutiful work, dropping into bed late at night when exhaustion claimed her. Until she’d seen him last night, she hadn’t realized how she missed him. Without question, Luke was a breathtakingly handsome man, but what she’d first noticed when he approached her at the ball was his aura of familiarity. She’d wished all of the others had disappeared so she could be alone and comfortable with Luke.

  She attempted to look over the budget for proposed changes to the new ship, but the figures kept slipping out of their columns and made no sense. Her attention was too fixed on the sound of a horse or carriage arriving—and so far, none had. She got up to wander the room, carefully avoiding the windows that fronted on the street. She didn’t want to appear too anxious. She trailed her hand across the spines of books in the case until she came to the kaleidoscope sitting in its frame.

  She carefully swiveled the end cap, knowing she’d changed the pattern within. But this time, she was too keyed up to look in the ocular to see what she’d wrought.

  Would he never come?

  Luke had dressed with exceptional care. He chose not to examine his desire to look impressive. Well, as impressive as was possible in clothing that was not quite the first stare of fashion. He regretted the loss of his best boots to the brigands who’d attacked him, but he’d spent this early morning bringing his second best pair to a brilliant shine. He was as ready as he ever would be. Taking a deep breath, he dropped the doorknocker.

  The butler who answered gave Luke a smile of recognition, but the man seemed only vaguely familiar. When Luke thought back on his time in this house, his mind saw a play of shadows. He remembered only Carolyn Rydell in vivid colors.

  “Lord Lucien Harlington to see Mrs. Rydell,” Luke said, handing the man his card. Luke wasn’t sure why she had asked him to visit her, but he wanted to present his most proper persona regardless of the reason.

  “She’s expecting you, Lord Lucien. If you will follow me.”

  As the butler moved off, Luke touched his arm, stopping him. “I’m sorry I don’t recall your name.”

  “Perkins, milord. When we were first introduced, you were insensate.”

  “But we were introduced?” Luke couldn’t imagine any scenario where anyone would introduce a comatose man.

  “To an extent.” Perkins suddenly grinned broadly. “I helped the footmen haul you upstairs. You are a very heavy man.”

  With a slight chuckle, the butler turned and ascended the stairs, leaving Luke nothing to do but follow. He wondered what besides his weight the man knew about him. The question left him feeling even more uncertain.

  This nagging disquiet increased when he entered a drawing room filled with bouquets of flowers. If their number were any indication, Mrs. Rydell would be inundated with male callers later in the day. To his chagrin, none of the flowers were from him. Had he been remiss in not sending even a small nosegay?

  Carolyn must have read this thought on his face, since she rose from a chair near the windows with a low laugh. “Yes, it is a bit overwhelming, but it seemed such a waste not to display them—and I do enjoy flowers.”

  Carolyn liked flowers. Luke tucked that piece of information into the back of his mind, although until he found his mother’s jewels, he wouldn’t be able to afford such abundance. Perhaps he could sneak out at night and denude half the gardens in London… He shook his head at his errant thoughts. “I’m sure the florists of London appreciate you. Does this happen every time you go out into society?”

  “I’ll not sound properly modest if I say yes, but this is fairly typical.” She motioned to the chair across from hers. “Please be seated, Lord Lucien. You’ve now discovered one of the reasons I so seldom attend large balls.”

  Luke waited until she was again settled before he too sat down. “You led me to believe you weren’t well-accepted in society.”

  Her smile was rueful. “I’m accepted by only certain segments. If I were to be here for visiting hours today, I doubt I would have any ladies coming to call.”

  “You won’t be at home?”

  Her smile widened, and he could see the remnants of an impish child peeking out of that expression. “Oh, no. I’ll be toiling away at Rydell Shipping, and none of my supposed suitors will come there. Perkins will tell them where I am, and nothing will depress their ardor more than being reminded that my wealth not only comes from trade, but that I actually work. And so I will get to enjoy these lovely blossoms and not have to contend with their senders.”

  “It would seem less of a bother to simply buy your own flowers.”

  “But not nearly as satisfying.”

  Carolyn did, indeed, look pleased with her flower-gathering gambit. Luke’s mouth also curved into a smile, and most of his nervousness dissipated. “Did you manage to extract a bouquet from my brother?”

  “Your brother?”

  “Yes, the Earl of Templeton is my eldest half-brother. He was buzzing around you last night.”

  She paused, as if mentally cataloguing her tributes. “The pink roses, I believe.” She waved her hand in the direction of a massive arrangement near the door. “But I hadn’t realized the relationship. Even after a year in London, I can’t keep the titles straight. I’m afraid I’m no good at gossip, since I can’t remember who is related to whom.”

  “Which may be why you are not so popular with the other ladies, since that seems to be the bulk of their conversation.” A shadow flickered across her face, and Luke realized that what he’d thought a clever riposte was instead a reminder of the prejudice against her. “But I’m sure you asked me here for some other purpose than to flaunt your flowers.”

  He’d hoped to change the subject, but even that hadn’t come out quite as he’d intended. Her mobile face stilled and became a serious mask. “Yes, I had another purpose. I need to ask a favor of you.”

  Luke leaned forward, elbows on his knees. He hoped he looked as serious as Carolyn did. “My dear lady. After what you did for me, if it is within my power to grant, anything you desire will be yours.”

  She frowned and looked away. What terrible thing could she be contemplating? Luke may have planned a burglary, but he’d never done anything else that was illegal. For Carolyn Rydell, however, he would consider anything except murder. And perhaps even that, given the right circumstances.

  Her eyes suddenly returned to his, and she stared at him with incredible intensity, as if she were trying to see into his soul. “I want you to rid me of an inconvenient virginity.”

  With difficulty, Luke kept from falling out of his chair. She could not have said what he thought she did. “Excuse me? You want me to rid you of…”

  “Yes.”

  Murder might have been an easier request. It wasn’t as if he couldn’t imagine taking Carolyn Rydell to bed. Hell, he’d fantasized about that. But this wasn’t a request to be lovers or ha
ve an affair. This was a cold and clinical rid me of an inconvenient virginity. The severe way she was dressed suddenly made sense. She was conducting a business deal, not engaging in seduction.

  He leaned further toward her and took one of her hands into both of his. It was cold, and he found himself rubbing his thumbs along her fingers to warm them. “Caro, I don’t understand. You’re a widow, and I assumed you had—well, I assumed there was nothing inconvenient to get rid of. And if this is not the case, then virginity should not be an inconvenience. It is something most women value.” He tried to keep is voice low and measured.

  Her chilled hand wrapped around one of his with a surprisingly strong grip. “My husband’s nephew, Gerald, has found a doctor who will swear that Charles was impotent, and he plans to challenge the validity of our marriage on those grounds. And so I thought if I were ever asked to offer proof that Charles and I had…”

  “Wait! Kelton said lack of consummation would invalidate your marriage?”

  Carolyn nodded, “He told me that he could take over the shipping company if Charles and I weren’t legally married.”

  “Were you?” Luke felt her jerk away, but he continued to hold her hand tightly. He could see anger flash in her eyes, but the question needed to be asked.

  “We were married at St. John’s Cathedral in Calcutta. It was the standard Church of England service. Bishop Thomas Middleton officiated. Over three hundred people attended. There can be no question our marriage was legal. Gerald knows he can’t refute that, but he’s questioning whether ours was a true marriage for this, this other reason.”

  All Luke had to do was lie and tell Carolyn that her marriage could be questioned on the grounds of non-consummation, and he could have this fascinating woman in his bed. And Lord, how he wanted that to happen. His fingers tingled with the desire to discover if her skin were as silky as it appeared. He could easily imagine himself over her, in her.

  But not like this. Not as a one-time business arrangement. That would be worse than never making love to Carolyn at all.

  “Caro, Mrs. Rydell, I’m not a solicitor, but I’m fairly certain that a marriage cannot be challenged for non-consummation. Kelton is trying to scare you. I have a friend who knows the law, or you can contact your own solicitor, but this needs to be checked before you take such a drastic step.”

  She suddenly looked more like a young girl than a businesswoman. “Could you talk with your friend without mentioning my name? I don’t want to do anything that would cause gossip about Charles. He was a good man, and I wouldn’t want to hurt his memory. This is the reason I couldn’t ask the attorney that the shipping company keeps on retainer.”

  “Of course. I’ll keep the question generic, but I think you have nothing to worry about.”

  Carolyn took a deep breath and relaxed back onto her chair, her hand slowly sliding from Luke’s now loose grip. “Thank you.”

  He smiled, trying to feel buoyed by doing what was right and ignoring the part of him that wished he had done otherwise. “I told you I’d do whatever you needed—and in this case you needed nothing at all.”

  “Except your wise counsel.”

  “I hope it’s wise. As I said, I think Kelton is just tormenting you. If this turns out to be the case, perhaps you can think of some way to pay him back for what he’s threatened. If you need help with this, remember I am always at your disposal.” Not that she’d necessarily need further help from him, not when she was surrounded by so many flower-bearing swains. “And now I need to leave so you can disappear before the arrival of your admiring horde.”

  She gave him a tremulous smile and stood when he did. He started to turn for the door when he felt her hand on his arm. Turning back, he was surprised when she went up on tiptoe and brushed her lips softly across his cheek. “You are a good man, Lucien Harlington,” she whispered.

  Her girlish kiss flashed like a lightning strike through his body. “I do have one question,” he said. His voice was uncommonly husky. “Why did you ask me to do this and not one of the men who sent you flowers?” He didn’t want to point out that with their gifts, these men had already taken the first step in what they obviously hoped was a dance leading to the bedroom. He tried to make the question sound like an afterthought. Luke didn’t want her to realize how important the answer was to him. He hoped she had not chosen him because of his disreputable reputation. He would hate for her to have such a poor opinion of him.

  “I like you,” she said. “I feel comfortable with you. I thought if I surrendered my virginity to anyone, I’d be happiest if it were you.”

  Luke stopped by the drawing room door and gave Carolyn a smart bow. “Then I thank you, dear lady, for the almost honor.”

  After that, there was nothing else to say. But as he walked from Mrs. Rydell’s house, Luke felt light of spirit. He smiled as he thought of how surprised society at large would be if they knew that he’d just done the right thing to his own loss. The shock would probably kill some of the grandes dames of the ton. It was a good thing his actions would always remain a secret.

  Carolyn artfully spread the letters from the solicitor across the desktop. She wanted to make sure Gerald could see at least part of what was written on the papers, but she didn’t want to make it too easy for him to read. The idea of his getting a cramp in his neck as he tried to take surreptitious peeks pleased her.

  Lord Lucien’s response to her needs had exceeded her expectations. Within twenty-four hours, he’d written that she had nothing to fear and had included comments from a solicitor that made reference to specific statutes. These latter pages were what she had strewn on her desk.

  Gerald had quickly answered her note, so he was no doubt expecting some sort of capitulation. Most likely the reinstatement of the stipend she’d originally granted him. Carolyn smiled at the idea. That would never happen.

  “Lord Kelton to see you,” Perkins announced.

  “Please show him in here,” Caro said. She comfortably seated herself behind the desk and look up expectantly when Gerald entered. “Have a seat, Gerald.” She waved a hand in the direction of the two chairs facing the desk. “This should take only a minute, but I thought it best if we met face-to-face to go over the problem you brought to my attention when we last spoke.”

  Gerald smirked as he crossed the room and sat down. Carolyn had thought his threat was intended to frighten her, but it was possible that the man truly believed he had the upper hand. His expression seemed to indicate this was the case.

  “I’ve spoken with my solicitor,” she said without preamble, “and have been assured that there is no reason that my marriage to your uncle could be invalidated.” She tapped her finger on the papers on the desk to draw attention to them.

  “That’s absurd! We both know Uncle Charles was impotent.” He reached to turn one of the papers on the desk in his direction. Caro placed a hand on the page and pulled it toward her instead.

  “I’ve also been informed that if your repeating this gossip is seen to have a negative effect on the contracts Rydell Shipping has with the government, I could sue you for malicious slander. With the failures of so many banks in the recent panic, the courts are anxious to limit the areas of commerce with difficulties, and they wouldn’t want to call into question the ownership of one of the larger shipping companies. I see no possibility your lawsuit would prevail. So your wisest move would be to keep quiet and act like I’m a well-loved aunt.”

  With satisfaction, Carolyn watched the blood surge into Gerald’s face. She shouldn’t take such delight in angering him, but it seemed only fair after he’d spent the last year making life difficult for her.

  “You will certainly never be my well-loved aunt. I will scream that from the rooftops, and there’s not a thing you can do about it. And as to this other—I think you’ll discover your information is in error.”

  Carolyn had conducted enough negotiations to recognize bluster when she saw it. Her lips tipped up into a smile of satisfaction. “You nev
er even checked the legal basis for what you threatened, did you? If you had, you would know that there is no way to void my marriage and no way you will ever get your hands on Rydell Shipping. The most you can do is try to blacken my name in society, and by now, you should have guessed that I’m indifferent about what others think.”

  “That much is obvious.” Gerald’s face had gone from red to the most amazing shade of purple. “I heard you were flaunting yourself at Hazelton’s ball.”

  “I’m sorry you weren’t there, Gerald. We could have danced.” She gave him an insincere smile. Gerald looked like he might have an apoplectic attack. Carolyn couldn’t find it in her to feel badly if that were to happen. She was sure she was a much nicer person before she came to England.

  “I doubt there was any room left after all the men who think you’ll be their mistress had signed your dance card. Tell me, do all these men know that spot has already been taken by Lucien Harington?”

  She must have shown some reaction, since the satisfied smile again appeared on Gerald’s face. “What? Did you think I wouldn’t know when that rake visits you? You were closeted alone with him yesterday for over half an hour.

  Laughter bubbled out. “Gerald, you really need to decide if I’m your uncle’s virgin widow or if I’m a morally loose woman with a string of lovers. I obviously can’t be both—and if you were to suggest as much to others, you will only confirm that you are a fool.”

  He looked shocked that she had seen his arguments as illogical. “You’re the one who is a fool,” he said, standing abruptly. “You shouldn’t have control of my uncle’s legacy, and I’ll eventually prove it.”

  Gerald stormed out, imperiously calling for his cane in the foyer. Caro relaxed and took a deep breath. She was confident that the man would continue to be an irritant, but she’d decided his threats were toothless. The worst he could do was to blacken her name in society, and, as she’d told him, she really didn’t care what a group of useless, effete people thought of her.