Ghosts from the Past (Wiggons' School for Elegant Young Ladies)

by Charles, Jane

  “Separated by the will of fate,” Rosemary added.

  “We simply must see that matters work out as they should,” Eliza continued.

  “She is your one true love and you are hers,” Rosemary concluded with a sigh.

  He studied the two of them before glancing at Sophia, who bit her bottom lip, yet her eyes danced with merriment. Anton groaned. Lord save him from well-meaning, romantic young ladies. “I appreciate your efforts, but I will woo her myself.”

  “Might I suggest poetry?” Eliza said.

  “Flowers are always lovely,” followed Rosemary.

  “A book of sonnets.”

  “A walk along the moonlight beach.”

  “High tide,” Sophia reminded them in a dry tone as the other two were caught up in their ideas of romantic gestures.

  “There is a confectioner’s shop in town,” Eliza suggested, as if Sophia hadn’t spoken.

  “And don’t forget the jeweler. A bauble is always nice,” added Rosemary.

  “Ribbons to match her eyes.”

  Sophia stepped between her two friends and linked her hands inside their elbows. “I suggest that you let Mr. Kazakov court Miss Pritchard as he sees fit without our assistance.”

  “That is exactly what I intended to do.” He bowed before them. “I thank you for your suggestions, but I will proceed on my own for now.” He turned and walked away before they could come after him with even more ideas to win Natasha. Of course, none of them were particularly bad ideas, except the beach at high tide. He would give them further thought if his meeting with Natasha did not go as well as he hoped.

  Natalie startled when Wesley announced the arrival of Anton. She had been anxious for him to return and dreading it as well. She hadn’t come to a decision on what she was going to do either. It didn’t help that the students were singing his praises at every turn. He had saved Eliza and now Anton was the most dashing hero ever to exist. She would fear the girls were half in love with him if she didn’t know them so well. The students wanted to bring her and Anton together. It was a love match and anyone could see that. At least she thought those had been Rosemary’s words. As much as she wished the girls would remain out of her affairs, she could not be angry with them. Their hearts were in the right place. They were so young and didn’t realize that relationships were much more complicated than simply being in love.

  The thought gave her pause. Was she still in love with Anton? She loved him yes, but in love, as she had been when only a few years older than her students?

  “Shall I tell him you are not at home?”

  Natalie blew out a breath. “Please, show him in.”

  Wesley nodded and quit the room. She rushed to the small mirror and quickly smoothed her hair then chastised herself for caring. By the time she returned to stand in the center of the room, her heart pounded and her hands shook. Why was she nervous? This was Anton, her husband, not a potential suitor she just met.

  He entered and stopped inside the door. “Ah, Natasha, you grow more beautiful with each day.”

  Her face heated and she tried not to be thrilled at his words. He was only trying to win her over, yet she couldn’t help but be flattered.

  “Anton, how have you been?”

  “Anxious to see you.” He smiled and continued into the room until he stood before her. Taking both hands in his, he bent and kissed the back of each.

  “Not so anxious I believe.”

  He frowned.

  “It has been three days.” Oh, why did she let him know she had actually counted the days since they had last been together?

  “You did ask for time. I had only wished to grant what you asked.”

  If only she could have come to some decision in those days, but they had drug out, each feeling as if a week were passing instead of twenty-four hours.

  She stared into his blue eyes, full of sincerity and her heart hitched. A gentle smile rested upon his face. Those lips were magical. Once they touched hers, she couldn’t concentrate. When they kissed her elsewhere, especially in the more intimate areas, she was lost.

  Heat infused her face, her chest tightened. She couldn’t breathe being so close to him, let alone think. And, she shouldn’t be thinking about their intimacies. If she didn’t step away now, she would be flinging herself into his arms. That is exactly what he wanted, yet she was still afraid to give over to him again.

  “I have brought tea, Miss Pritchard,” a maid announced from the doorway. “Should I put it on the table?”

  Natalie pulled back from Anton, grateful for the interruption. “Yes, please,” she answered as she made her way to the sitting area.

  Anton settled across from her once Natalie took her seat. Thank goodness he did not decide to sit on the same settee as she or she might forget how to pour tea. Her hand shook as she lifted the pot. She hadn’t reacted to his presence in this manner since he first began to call on her in Sankt Peterburg. For a year she had dreamed of him courting her, never believing it would be a reality until the one day he announced he was in her home to call on her and not her brother. Her hands had shook just as badly then and she now had the same butterflies.

  Carefully, she poured the hot liquid into the cup and handed it to him. This was ridiculous. Nearly three years had passed since that day. They had married for goodness sake, so why was she feeling like a young girl smitten with her first love?

  “I see you have allowed your students freedom again.”

  Natalie blinked. Students? Oh, yes. How could she have forgotten those three for even a moment? “They were separated for nearly twenty-four hours. Then they were made to plan menus, learn simple household accounting, sort linens and oversee a staff of servants.” She took a sip of her tea. “This is the first afternoon we have granted them any freedom.”

  Anton chuckled. “Did they manage to stay out of trouble?”

  “For a change, yes.” Natalie smiled. “I allowed them outside because frankly, they were driving me quite mad.” Not that she would dare tell Anton she had sent them away so she didn’t have to listen the long list of Anton’s attributes the girls insisted reminding her of.

  His grin widened. “I spoke with them on my way to the manor.”

  She nearly groaned and her face heated again. If those three had bothered him the same as they had her, she would send them straight back to the school. “I apologize if they bothered you.”

  “On the contrary,” he assured her. “They had some excellent suggestions.” He leaned back and tilted his head. “Such as writing you poetry, or bringing you flowers, a book of sonnets, confections, jewelry and ribbons to match your eyes.” He stopped and stared into hers. “Though I don’t think they make a ribbon that could ever match the exact color of yours.”

  “They are grey, how hard could it be?” She shook her head and waved a hand. Why was she contemplating gifts? The difficult decision she faced could not be solved as easy as being given a ribbon.

  He continued to hold her gaze. “Ah, but it is more difficult than you may think. Right now they are a light grey, complimenting a drab gown.”

  Natalie gasped. “I am not wearing a drab gown.”

  Anton chuckled. “It is the dress a teacher wears. One who has nothing to look forward to other than instructing students for the rest of her life?” He sat his cup and saucer onto the table and reached forward. “You should wear blues and greens. Those colors are the best on you.”

  Flustered, Natalie pulled her hands away. She picked up her cup then hastily sipped.

  “Sometimes your eyes darken and remind me of a stormy sky over the ocean.”

  They did not, but she was not going to argue with him. This conversation was a bit uncomfortable, even if it was flattering. Anton had never spoken of her eyes in such a manner.

  “That color is reserved for when I have been kissing and touching you.” He leaned over the table. “Usually in the throes of passion,” he whispered.

  Goodness it was getting warm in here. She se
t her cup and saucer on the table then folded her hands tightly on her lap to keep from fanning her face.

  He straightened. His eyes were hooded and the left side of his mouth tipped up ever so slightly. He looked her over in a way that caused her skin to tingle and her clothing suddenly to become unbearably tight. Goodness. He looked as if he wanted to devour her and if she did not retain a firm grip on her resolve, she might just allow him to do so. It was that look, and similar ones, that sent her heart racing, pulse pounding and heart soaring. Natalie recognized it now as his desire to seduce. She had been too innocent to realize his intentions before they married; only that Anton could produce the strangest sensations in her body without even touching her.

  He slowly smiled. “I see you are not immune to me, Natasha.”

  “I don’t know what you mean.” She straightened. Certainly she hadn’t given anything away. If he knew how much power he truly carried, she would be lost.

  “If you don’t believe me, simply look in the mirror and tell me what color your eyes are now.”

  Goodness, would he need to start wearing the colored-glass spectacles like Lord Atwood? Surely her eyes did not give so much away. “Please cease talking about my eyes.”

  His grin widened. “But I am not yet finished.”

  This time Natalie blew out a breath and picked her teacup up once again. She would not let him rattle her.

  “They also turn a lovely shade of light blue when you are by the ocean.”

  They did? She had no idea.

  “And when you are happy, such as the night we married,” he added quietly. “They haven’t been blue since I arrived.”

  She looked down into her tea. For the past weeks she had been anxious, angry and hurt. None of those emotions would turn her eyes blue. She was surprised they weren’t black.

  “Please, let me back into your heart. Let me make your eyes blue again.”

  Oh, this was too much. She placed her cup on the table and rose, turning away from him then marched to the doors leading to the terrace. It would be so easy to give in. Why didn’t she?

  24

  So much did fear operate upon his mind, that he was uncertain whether it arose from

  within or from without.

  A Sicilian Romance

  Ann Radcliffe

  “How long before you might forgive me?” Anton asked.

  Natalie turned to study him, remembering everything Vanko had told her. Would she have been able to withstand everything Anton had without succumbing to doubt and eventually revenge? She would like to think she would have never suspected her husband of betrayal, but if she had been told one thing over and over, and Anton never visited her in prison, she might begin to believe the guards as well. Yet, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t turn on her again and that was what scared her the most.

  Yet, the hardness in his eyes that had lingered those first days she had encountered him was gone, but they weren’t as warm as they were on the day they married. Would they ever be again given what he had endured?

  “As long as all that, or never?” he asked when she didn’t answer.

  “I believe I understand, somewhat now,” she finally said.

  His brow furrowed.

  “Vanko came to see me a few days ago.”

  Anton narrowed his eyes. “What did he tell you?”

  “How you almost died and hung onto your believing that I would not betray you until he began to convince you otherwise.”

  “He thinks that is what saved my life,” Anton explained.

  “Did he?”

  He took time in answering. “Yes. I had no desire to live any longer. Revenge fueled my spirit.”

  She turned away. It was difficult to think or even speak when so close to him and his penetrating blue eyes. “I can understand and forgive,” she said a moment later, and it was the truth. The forgiveness had begun after Vanko’s visit. She would not have been nearly as strong as Anton and she should just admit it to herself instead of wondering. “But I fear the future.”

  “How so?”

  “I am not sure I can trust that you will not seek to punish me in a similar way again, if for some reason you think I’ve wronged you.”

  His hands caressed her upper arms. “I wish I could take back what I did, Natasha. Vanko tried to convince me to learn the truth from you, but I had been planning my vengeance for so long I was blinded to whatever truth you might have told me.”

  She closed her eyes. It hurt to hear him say the words.

  “I know you don’t trust me, but I swear, I will never harm you again. I will only love you from the depths of my soul as I longed to do the day we wed.”

  Natalie bit her upper lip to keep from crying. She wanted his love. She wanted to go back to the fateful night and bask in the warm of their love before Anton had left her bed. But they had both changed and the past could not be undone. “Do you have any idea what I went through when I learned you had been killed?” It was a pain she could never revisit. It would kill her to do so.

  “Do you know the pain I suffered when I had to finally accept your betrayal?”

  She spun around and faced him. “I never betrayed you,” she insisted. He couldn’t possibly believe she did. Not now.

  “And I never died.”

  They both had been living a lie for the past two years.

  Anton caressed her cheek and it was all Natalie could do not to lean into his hand. “I love you, Natasha, and if it is the last thing I do, I will make up for all the wrongs I caused you.”

  As much as she tried to keep it from happening a tear escaped from the corner of her eye. “I love you too.”

  Anton leaned in and kissed it away. “Come live with me at the manor. Let’s make a home. One we should have made two years ago and put all of this behind us.”

  He leaned in, bringing his lips to hers and Natalie nearly sighed. They moved as one as her arms went about his shoulders and neck and Anton brought her flush against his body, holding her tight while he devoured her mouth. It was how it should be and maybe one day she would be able to put the past to rest.

  When he pulled back, Natalie looked up and into her husband’s eyes. This was the Anton she had fallen in love with. Circumstances had led them to this pass. Doubt and fear were erased when she was in his arms and all was right in the world. “I do love you. I never stopped,” she finally confessed.

  Anton’s heart lightened at her words. He had no idea how much he feared never hearing Natasha speak of her love again until they were voiced. The vise around his heart released and all tension left. If she still loved him, there was hope.

  He drew her to him again. Her head rested on his shoulder and he was at peace. The softness of her body comforted his. They would be one once again and he would do everything in his power to make up for all the wrong he had caused her. Natasha was his heart, his love.

  She tilted her head up and looked at him. He lowered his mouth to hers. It wasn’t a passionate kiss, nor was it chaste. He fought to control his desire for the woman in his arms, took her lips with his and tried to convey the deep love he felt for her. There was time enough in the future for passion. For the moment, he was content.

  “Miss Pritchard, are you in here?”

  Anton jerked back. It wouldn’t do to have the students find their teacher being held and kissed, even if it was by her husband.

  “We shouldn’t disturb them,” another one hissed.

  In that, he was in agreement. Once he had Natasha settled in their home, he would make sure the doors were barred to keep out the untimely intrusion of those three. He would also speak to his staff to keep an eye out should they choose to visit at inopportune times or slip in by way of some hidden passageway.

  Natasha stepped away from him and further into the room. “I am in here.”

  The three girls rushed through the doors and were brought up short. They looked from Anton to Natasha and back again. The question lingered in their eyes.

  “What is
so urgent?” she asked.

  “I’ve had a letter from my father. He will arrive this afternoon.”

  25

  His mind appeared to labour under oppressive remembrances; he made several attempts to speak, but either resolution or strength failed him

  A Sicilian Romance

  Ann Radcliffe

  Anton and Vanko approached Atwood Manor on horse. After Natasha admitted her love, he was loathe to leave her. But, he wanted his friend with him for the meeting with Lord Hopkins. Had he been thinking straight, he would have asked one of Atwood’s servants to deliver a message, but Anton rarely thought clearly in the presence of his wife. Wesley ushered the gentlemen into the sitting room upon their arrival. He immediately sought Natasha. She was seated beside Lady Atwood on a settee. Lord Atwood occupied a chair. Opposite Lady Atwood was a gentleman of approximately forty years. Beside him sat Sophia. The two were in discussion. The gentlemen stood when Wesley announced their arrival.

  Anton quickly introduced Vanko to those in the room.

  Lord Hopkins came forward to shake his hand. “It is an honor to meet you at last, Mr. Kazakov.”

  The man did not know him but behaved as if he did. Had Natasha already explained their plans?

  “I understand you wish my help in capturing this ghost who has been plaguing the roads.”

  “Yes.”

  He smiled and nodded. “I am intrigued and wish to discuss it further.”

  This was going better than Anton anticipated. He thought he would have to make an argument to get the man to help them, but he appeared amiable.

  “Why don’t we take a walk?”

  “Very well.”

  Lord Hopkins strode across the room then opened the door leading to the terrace and Anton followed.

  “Would you care for some tea, Mr. Michalovic?” Natasha asked of Vanko.

  Anton heard his friend accept as he stepped out into the sunshine.