She looked to Francis, who shrugged.
“We had to explain to Newhall why you were standing outside, spinning in the snow,” he said.
Heat burned on her cheeks for a second time. What was it that being in Julian’s presence did to her? She was used to men crowding around her, jostling to find her favor, yet there was something different when it came to him. He made her feel uncomfortable. No. He made her feel different. Perhaps I am losing my touch.
Caroline pushed the notion away. She had clearly been standing for too long outside in the freezing air, and her brain had simply become a little muddled.
“So, it will just be us again tonight? I am so sorry, Julian. I hope that tomorrow will bring a cavalcade of carriages and coaches to your front door,” she said.
“Not to worry. I must say, you three are the sort of guests that are always welcome when it comes to a snow-bound estate,” he replied.
The door of the sitting room opened and in stepped an older woman. Julian came to her side and taking her arm, walked her over to where Caroline and the others stood. “Lady Margaret, may I introduce our guests? This is Caroline and Francis Saunders, and their cousin, James Radley.”
Caroline curtseyed sweetly and the others bowed. As she looked up, she caught the sight of Lady Margaret holding out her hands to her.
“My dear girl, welcome to Newhall Castle. I must apologize for not coming to see you when you arrived late last night. I understand you injured your hand,” she said.
“Yes, but Julian did an excellent job of fixing me up with first-class battle stitches. I still have feeling in the hand, which at the moment is a mixed blessing, but hopefully I shall regain full use of it,” she replied.
Lady Margaret winced as Caroline held up her heavily bandaged hand. She turned to the others. “And this is Francis? Oh and of course James, I know your father.”
James had the pained smile on his face that he always adopted whenever his father was mentioned in company. Everyone in the ton knew the Bishop of London. James was forever being asked to give regards to his father from those that he met. Caroline’s heart went out to him; she was not the only one who society had set expectations upon.
“My aunt has worked hard to get this house party ready. She worked with my mother to arrange all the invitations. The countess, unfortunately, could not join us this week,” said Julian.
Caroline looked at her brother. An unspoken agreement passed between them. No one was going to mention the countess, and the lack of her presence at Newhall Castle.
“Yes, I expect there was a lot of work involved in planning everything. Did you have to bring much up from London?” she asked.
“Actually no, the local town of Burton-on-Trent has much of what we need. We have a day trip planned there on market day. If the weather clears, we shall journey up to the town next Thursday,” replied Julian.
The gentlemen gathered at the nearby sideboard and began an earnest discussion of the merits of the various fine Scottish whiskies which had been set out for them. Lady Margaret took Caroline by the arm and they wandered over to the far wall where a number of paintings hung.
Caroline stood and closely studied the first piece of artwork. It was a sweeping landscape of rugged mountains and deep valleys. She appreciated the rustic reds and greys used by the artist. Portraits were well enough to look at, but paintings of nature and scenery were, to her mind’s eye, far more appealing.
“Is that from around this area?” she asked.
Lady Margaret shook her head. “No, that is where my family comes from. It’s farther north in the Peak District. Lord Newhall’s father had it commissioned for me not long after I came to Newhall Castle.”
Caroline bit down on her bottom lip, unsure of what to say next. If Lady Margaret was not Julian’s aunt on his father’s side, and she was not related to his mother, then how exactly was she his aunt?
Lady Margaret caught Caroline’s eye. “I am not really his aunt. I did my best to raise him in the years after his mother left. I was left a widow at an early age, and Julian’s father and I came to realize that being his mistress was a far better solution for me than having to go through the business of finding another husband. We did love one another, which was more than either of us had had in our respective marriages.”
“I didn’t mean to pry, but thank you for telling me. I promise not to mention it to anyone else,” said Caroline.
“At the rate things are going, we may not have anyone else. I am pleased though to see that you and Julian are making efforts to be friends,” replied Lady Margaret.
Caroline looked back to where Julian and the others were standing. They had been enemies until only a day ago. And she was still a little more than surprised at how warm and friendly he had been to her since her arrival.
“Lady Margaret, I must beg a favor of you, and ask that you be honest with me. I don’t understand why the countess was at such pains to invite me. Our previous meeting had been most unpleasant. So, I am at a loss as to why she extended the invitation,” she said.
The silence that followed added to her unease. Instead of immediately offering her reassurances that all was above board, Lady Margaret hesitated. “The countess made some last-minute changes to the guest list just before she left London,” she explained.
Caroline forced a smile to her lips and did her best to blink away unbidden tears. She now understood the look of genuine surprise on Julian’s face when he saw her standing inside the front door of the castle. Since he had not invited her to the house party, Caroline Saunders was probably the last person he had expected to find on his doorstep in the middle of the night.
Lady Margaret reached out and took hold of Caroline’s good hand. “You and Julian are friends now. Please let any past misunderstandings between the two of you remain in the past.” She glanced quickly at Julian, then turned back to Caroline. “You are welcome here at Newhall Castle, and are a guest the same as everyone else. I would ask that you not say anything to him; it would be deeply embarrassing to him if he discovered that you knew.”
Caroline considered Lady Margaret’s words. It was not something she was accustomed to doing, but she had made a promise to herself and her family to change her ways. She came to the uncomfortable decision that she would swallow her pride and say nothing to her host. “Of course. Besides, we are having a marvelous time. Julian and I defeated my brother and cousin on the snow-covered battlefield this afternoon. And he has offered for me to eat as many pies as I can this evening,” she warmly replied.
When a soft sigh of relief escaped Lady Margaret’s lips, Caroline wiped away another tear and made a silent vow. From this moment on, she would make every effort to deserve her place at the party.
After supper, Lady Margaret made her apologies and left them. The rest of the group lounged about on sofas and swore collectively to never eat another pie.
“So, Newhall, are we going to ride out tomorrow morning and see if we can greet some of the other guests?” asked Francis.
Caroline looked up from the book she had been reading by the fire. The expression on Julian’s face said enough. He was becoming concerned that no one else was going to come to his party.
“That sounds like an excellent idea. It will be fun to see who is on the road. You could dress up as highwaymen and cry ‘stand and deliver,’” she said.
James shot her a look of feigned horror. “Yes, and you can explain to my father why I am about to be hanged when someone does not see the funny side of the jest.”
Francis took hold of his cousin’s throat and pretended to throttle him. James, in turn, made an excellent impression of having his neck broken and crumpled to the floor.
The applause for his terrible acting was short.
“Perhaps you had better just rug up well against the cold and forget about playing Dick Turpin. I promise to be waiting here with hot coffee and more pies in readiness for your safe return,” said Caroline.
Julian turned to h
er and dipped into an elegant bow. “Thank you. That would make the journey out tomorrow all the more worthwhile.”
Caroline smiled back at him self-consciously. Her heart was beating an unfamiliar tattoo. Had the Ice Queen’s heart began to thaw?
Chapter Twenty-Two
The sun was up, but it was still freezing cold when Julian, James, and Francis assembled out the front of the castle. Grooms brought over three strong horses from the stables.
To Julian’s surprise, Caroline was good to her word and was dressed to bid them a fond farewell on their journey.
“Hello, and good morning,” she said, as Midas bounded up to greet her.
“He seems to have taken a particular fancy to you,” replied Julian.
Caroline bent and gave Midas a friendly rub behind the ears. Midas wagged his tail, and Julian sensed the strong connection that had formed between them. He felt an odd pang in his heart as she spoke softly to the dog.
“Are you going to wait out here with me, boy? I expect you are glad to be blessed with a nice, thick, fur coat on a morning like this,” she said.
Julian took the reins from the stable groom without paying attention to him. His gaze was fixed firmly on Caroline. It was only when she stood and James spoke to her that the spell, she held over him broke. He blinked in the bright early morning sun and tried to regain his focus. As Midas began to nuzzle against Caroline’s leg, Julian felt a second pang in his chest.
I cannot be jealous of my dog. If I was, that would mean . . .
The notion of him forming any sort of attachment to Caroline was ridiculous. They were former enemies, temporary friends, stuck together due to circumstance. When they returned to London, he expected they would go back to being nothing more than cool acquaintances.
“How long do you think you will be gone?” she asked.
“Well, we shall head toward Midway first; that is only a short distance from here. If we do not encounter anyone on the road, then we may ride on toward Ashby de la Zouch,” replied Julian.
It warmed his heart to think that she cared how long he would be gone, but when Francis jumped up onto his horse, Julian convinced himself she was more concerned about her family members than him.
“Well, good luck. I hope you encounter a stream of coaches all headed this way. I don’t think any one of us want to have to eat another hundredweight of pies if they don’t arrive,” she said.
Julian put a foot into the stirrup of his saddle and in one smooth motion mounted his horse. In a world where all men rode, he was particularly skilled at handling horses. As he settled in his seat, he chanced a glance at Francis and James, stifling a smile at their obvious appreciation of his skills.
With a gentle tap of his boots on the side of his horse, he led the small group away from the front of the castle and out onto the long drive.
The morning was crisp, but since there was only a slight breeze, Julian was warm and comfortable in his woolen coat. They rode on in silence for a time. Rather than attempt to start a conversation, Julian was content to enjoy the pleasant peace of the Derbyshire countryside. It was good to be back in England.
When they reached the turn in the road which led to Midway, Julian pulled his horse up. “Perhaps it is a little early for anyone who made it to Ashby and stayed the night to have set out on the road.”
Francis nodded. “We must find someone if we head on to the next village. The weather when we left London was not that bad. It was only after we left Leicester that we encountered any snow to speak of.”
As they rode on toward Ashby de la Zouch, the worry that had sparked in Julian’s mind late the previous evening began to grow. It was odd that only the Saunders party had arrived at Newhall Castle. Even more concerning was the fact that they were the only people he and Lady Margaret had not put on the initial guest list.
“She wouldn’t,” he muttered under his breath.
He and the countess did not see eye to eye on many things, but until this morning, he would not have thought her capable of actively seeking to do him or the Newhall title harm. She had stolen a prized necklace from the estate. Could her spite plumb to a deeper level? The closer they drew to Ashby, the more the fear within him grew.
They passed through the village of Packington, but still did not see any travel coaches. Julian licked his lips; his mouth was dry from sucking the cold morning air in through his teeth. An image of his mother sat in the forefront of his mind as he rode. He pictured her laughing long and loud over her foolish son and her cuckold of a late husband.
When a local gentleman passed them on the road, it took a great deal of effort for Julian to muster a nod of acknowledgement. If his mother had indeed managed to sabotage his house party, he would be the laughing stock of the ton. He didn’t want to think how much damage his reputation would have suffered by the time he showed his face in London again.
Francis dug his heels into his horse and came to ride up alongside Julian. Julian then looked across at him, taking comfort from the fact that Francis looked as worried as he felt.
“I can go into the local taverns or inns to inquire if you like. You shouldn’t have to do it yourself,” offered Francis.
A bitter chuckle was Julian’s response. “Ashby is not that big a place. The amount of people who were supposed to be coming should mean that the town would be full of coaches. If no one has arrived from London, we will soon know.”
Julian found himself liking Francis Saunders. He was not your usual run-of-the-mill son of the ton. He, like his father, Charles, actually worked for a living. Francis’s older brother, William, who had been with Julian in Paris, was cut from the same cloth. Will was a warm and friendly chap, who was as at home in the dingy taverns of Paris as he was in the glittering ballrooms of London.
As they reached the town, they turned into Market Street. The Bull’s Head Inn was on the left. There were no coaches or carriages out the front. Francis took the lead and brought them around into the stable yard at the back.
As James and Francis dismounted from their horses, Julian remained in his saddle. He wanted to get down from his mount, but he knew the moment he did he would have all his worst fears confirmed. A young stable boy came over and took the reins of James’s and Francis’s horses.
Francis looked up at Julian, then patted Julian’s horse on the rump before strolling off toward the door of the inn. “I will be back shortly,” he said.
“You might want to get down off your horse, Newhall. The lad, no doubt, has other jobs to do,” said James.
With a resigned sigh, Julian climbed off his mount.
As the stable boy led all three horses away for a well-earned drink of water, James stood, hands on hips, and surveyed the yard. “I’ve never stopped in this town before. I’m usually in too much of a hurry to get to Burton-on-Trent,” he said.
“You know this area?” replied Julian.
James nodded. “Yes, I have some old school friends who regularly come up to Burton. I was hoping to try and squeeze a visit in to see them while we were staying at Newhall Castle. I thought that with all your guests taking up your attention, you wouldn’t mind if I went missing for a day or so.”
Julian’s hopes for a full house were diminishing by the minute. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Francis returning. The look on his face said it all.
“No coaches, no carriages. In fact, I am the first gentleman they have seen all week,” said Francis.
Julian growled. “She couldn’t leave it alone.”
Francis and James exchanged a quizzical look. “Who?” replied James.
“My mother. She was adamant in having a hand in settling the house party guest list. I would not be the least bit surprised if she has done something to set my plans all to waste,” he said.
“But she is your mother. Why would she do such a thing?” said Francis.
Julian felt a familiar pang of pain in his heart. How did one explain to other people that not all families were loving and caring?
<
br /> “Gentlemen, I need a drink. No, make that several drinks. In fact, I would like to start drinking and when you think me unable to ride back to Newhall, I would ask that you buy another round,” he said.
He didn’t want to talk about the countess, or even think about her. He needed very badly to dull his brain. To imbibe as much alcohol as his body could stand, as long as it numbed the pain.
Francis nodded. “James and I shall take care of the drinks.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Poor Julian,” said Caroline
While the men had been out in search of guests, she had sat outside on a chair with Midas asleep on the ground beside her. Her gaze was fixed firmly on the road. As the hours slowly dragged on, she found herself willing hard for a fleet of travel coaches to appear.
Upon leaving London, she had only seen the party at Newhall Castle as a means to escape her own problems, but her view had changed. She wished very much for Julian to have a successful party. For him to find a lovely girl to marry. For him to be happy.
“Where on earth is everyone?” she whispered.
Midas stirred beside her and got to his feet. He shook his head, then his whole body, before letting out a soft woof.
Caroline reached out and gave him a friendly pat. “You are awake. What has stirred you?”
Midas leaped forward and raced toward the drive. At the top of the rise, three horses appeared. Their slow progress toward the castle, coupled with the lack of other movement on the road, did not portent well.
She rose from the chair and fixed her skirts. She wanted to appear calm. If the returning riders brought bad news with them, she wanted to show Julian that he had her full support.
Midas reached the horses and scampered around them in a big loop, barking with unrestrained joy. Caroline waved.
Francis managed a half wave in return. When she saw Julian, her heart sank. He was slumped, his head bowed in the saddle. A man crushed by disappointment.
The Ice Queen Page 9
