The Ice Queen

by Sasha Cottman

“Of course. I am pleased to hear that his intentions are serious. Now hurry and get dressed. I need to hear more about what happened at Newhall Castle, and why an earl would be sending you a pair of ice skates.,” said Adelaide.

  Caroline pulled one of the ice skates out of the box and held it up. The blade glistened in the morning light. “Rest assured Mama, both of us are serious in our intentions.”

  Adelaide smiled. “Countess Newhall. I think you would do the title a great service.”

  Chapter Forty-Six

  Julian and Lady Margaret walked the short distance from James Street to Hyde Park later that afternoon. It took them longer than it should have due to Midas feeling the need to stop and sniff every tree, bush, and post he came across. Fortunately, he ignored all the other people headed for the park.

  “You would think he had never seen a tree before,” observed Lady Margaret.

  They stopped as Midas found yet another pile of interesting leaves to snuffle about.

  “Well I am glad that we left with plenty of time to spare. Hopefully Midas will be tired by the time we reach Hyde Park and will allow me time to spend with Caroline,” replied Julian.

  He was quietly pleased with himself over the gift he had sent her that morning. Anyone could send flowers, but it was the thoughtful gift which he knew would capture her attention. He beamed, knowing that he already held her heart.

  The interview with Charles Saunders had gone far better than even he could have hoped. By the time he managed to make his goodbyes and leave the house in Dover Street, Charles had pressed him into downing three large glasses of brandy, followed by gifting him a smooth Cuban cigar, which had arrived on a ship that morning fresh from the West Indies.

  He had barely got the words out to ask for permission to court Caroline before Charles had leapt from his chair and held his hand out in congratulations.

  Hyde Park was a crush of people by the time they finally arrived through the gates. The season was over and it was a chilly day, but still the elite of London society had turned out in their droves.

  The plan to meet Caroline and her mother in the park suddenly seemed not such a good idea. He was having serious second thoughts about it when without warning Midas yanked hard on his lead and Julian lost his grip.

  The dog dashed ahead of them, barking loudly.

  “Midas!” bellowed Julian.

  He raced after the dog. Midas disappeared between two parked carriages, leaving Julian with no other option but to go the long way around. With Midas out of sight, he feared he had lost his dog for good. “Bloody dog,” he muttered.

  The crowds made it near impossible to chase after Midas, but he finally managed to make it onto a large section of the lawn. There he spied his prey. And Caroline.

  She waved to him. Midas, meanwhile, was barking and chasing his tail, clearly beside himself with delight at having found her. Caroline crouched down and allowed Midas to jump into her lap. The woman standing beside her looked down, and a soft smile came to her lips.

  He saw the older well-dressed woman next to Caroline and his eyes lit up. He had abandoned Lady Margaret!

  He raced back to find her. “Sorry about that, but I did manage to find Midas, along with Caroline and her mother.”

  She checked his cravat before taking his arm. “All is forgiven. Anyone would think you were nervous over meeting your future mother-in-law,” she replied.

  Julian straightened his back and made a great effort to appear as unflustered as possible as he accompanied Lady Margaret to the lawn area.

  When they reached Caroline and her mother, Julian bowed. “Lord Newhall, at your service,” he said formally.

  Adelaide held out her hand. “Adelaide Saunders. A pleasure to meet you, Lord Newhall. My son William speaks most highly of you, and Caroline here has been telling me all about her stay in Derbyshire. It appears you are quite the skilled surgeon when it comes to stitching up wounds. Our family physician was most impressed with your handywork,” she replied.

  “Thank you, Lady Adelaide. I had some experience in Europe during the last campaign at Waterloo,” he said.

  He studied Adelaide’s face. Apart from the shape of her mouth, Caroline did not bear a strong resemblance to her mother. But he could see where both Francis and Will got their eyes from.

  “Please, just call me Adelaide. I only use my family title when there are good opera seats at risk.”

  Julian ushered Lady Margaret forward. “May I introduce my aunt, Lady Margaret. She was the hostess of the house party.”

  Adelaide held out her hand to Lady Margaret and Julian smiled. It was well known in the ton that Lady Margaret had been his father’s mistress, and many society matrons would not have spoken to her in a social setting. Adelaide Saunders was fortunately a sensible and fair woman.

  “Thank you for taking such good care of Caroline. It was a great comfort to know that she was in the hands of people who cared for her. Francis said he had no hesitation in recommending that she stayed on at Newhall Castle while he came back to London to deal with business,” said Adelaide.

  Caroline finally finished with Midas and stood. She smiled at Julian. Midas lay his head against the side of her hip and Caroline continued to gently pat him. A spark of green jealousy lit in Julian’s brain. He longed for the day when it would be, he who was so close to her.

  He blinked away the sexually-charged thought and took a deep breath. The middle of a crowded park was not the place to be having private daydreams about Caroline and what he would like to do to her.

  “Lord Newhall,” said Caroline.

  Julian bowed, unable to hide the schoolboy grin which seeing her again brought to his lips.

  “Miss Saunders.”

  When she softly chuckled, his heart soared.

  “Oh, and thank you for the wonderful gift. It is perfect. I hope when winter becomes deep, I shall have the chance to use them,” said Caroline.

  Julian beamed. He had that much up on Midas.

  Adelaide turned to Lady Margaret. “Would you like to walk? I am sure that Midas could do with the exercise. Lord Newhall has spoken to my husband and has received his permission to court Caroline.”

  Lady Margaret took up Midas’s lead and offered Adelaide her arm. The two ladies set off across the lawn, leaving Julian alone with Caroline.

  Julian stepped in close, resisting against all his urges to plant a hurried kiss on her lips. Hyde Park was a sea of people all on the lookout for the next piece of gossip. He would not risk putting Caroline’s name back on the list of scandalous chatter again.

  “When did you arrive in London?” she asked, taking his arm.

  Julian hesitated with his reply. “The last day or so.”

  She looked at him sideways and smiled.

  “And how has your time at home been?” he asked.

  “Better than expected. Papa and Francis managed to sort out the Harry problem. Well, as best as they could. Francis is still not speaking to him, and I am afraid that the friendship has been permanently damaged.”

  Julian struggled to muster any sympathy for Harry Menzies. In his opinion, Harry had acted selfishly and was now reaping the rewards. Lady Margaret had kept her ear to the ground and reported that while the matter had been officially put to rest, there were plenty of people who thought Caroline a jilt.

  “I have a small confession to make,” he said.

  Caroline stopped. Ahead of them, Adelaide and Lady Margaret continued to walk, and soon were well out of earshot. She turned to Julian. “Yes?”

  “I watched you from the shadows, at the ball last night. You are no longer the ruler of a small nation of admirers. I am proud of you, but a little ashamed at my deception,” he said.

  She looked up at him, and he held his breath. It had been a foolish thing not to show himself to her, and in the cold light of the afternoon sun he realized she may not take his deception kindly.

  “I know. I saw you being all mysterious and hiding in the back of the room. It
left me all a fluster and when I got home, I lay on my bed. I touched myself while thinking wicked thoughts of you,” she replied.

  Julian swallowed deep. When she licked her lips in a deliberate and provocative manner, he felt himself go hard.

  “Wicked, naughty girl,” he murmured.

  “Don’t forget willful and demanding. I expect you shall have to use a firm hand with me once we are married,” she teased.

  As other people walking in the park passed them by, Julian forced himself to look away from the tight folds of the bodice of Caroline’s gown. His fingers itched to cup one of her soft, supple breasts and roll his thumb over her perfect rosy nipple.

  When Caroline began to fidget with the bandage of her injured hand, Julian reached out and took a hold of her fingertips. His thumb traced gentle patterns over her skin. “I could take a look at your hand, if you would like. You should be able to take the bandage off soon.”

  He wanted to see the bandage gone so he could place a betrothal ring on her hand instead.

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Charles Saunders greeted his wife and daughter as they stepped inside their house in Dover Street a short while later.

  “Caroline, you have a visitor. I told him I would ask if you were prepared to see him, but I gave no undertakings that you would. After what happened in Derbyshire, he says he will understand if you say no,” he said.

  She had been expecting a visit from this particular person from the day she returned home. “Where is he?”

  “The lower sitting room. I thought it best that he should not venture too far into the house, in case Francis suddenly came home. Your brother is in no mood to forgive him.”

  Harry Menzies stepped away from the window as Caroline entered the room. He held his hat and gloves tightly in his hands. At the sight of her, he dropped his head. “Thank you for seeing me. I promise not to take up too much of your time.”

  The last time she had seen Harry, Caroline had been ready to throttle him. But seeing him now made her hesitate. She had never known him to be so ill at ease.

  “I came to say I am sorry. Sorry for all that I did to you and for the utter mess I made of things. As a result, your reputation has been held up to scrutiny that was entirely undeserved,” he said.

  Caroline silently studied Harry’s face. There was nothing to show that he was anything but the kindhearted Harry she had always known. But she now knew the other side of him. The dark, dangerous Harry, who would use violence against a defenseless woman. The sooner this meeting was over, the better.

  Caroline held out a hand to him. She had Julian’s love and Harry was no longer a part of her life; let them shake hands and part ways.

  He refused to take it. “I don’t deserve your good graces. I behaved like the worst of scoundrels. My parents have barely spoken to me since they discovered the betrothal notice in The Times. It doesn’t matter that they do not know what else I did to you. Newhall was right in threatening to put me down. I am deeply ashamed of myself.”

  It was a relief to know that Harry had finally accepted the gravity of the terrible things he had done to her. But the damage was done. They would never again be friends. The trust she had once had in him was gone.

  “So, what now?” she asked.

  Harry retrieved his gloves from inside his hat. “My father is sending me to work at our Manchester office. He says I need to be away from London until I can find myself. It pains me greatly to know that I have lost your trust and friendship. But it is entirely my fault and the punishment does fit the crime.”

  Caroline nodded. Harry’s father was a sensible man, and getting his son out of London, for a time, was a prudent move. It would give space for the ton to move onto the next rumor or scandal. By the time he returned, people would have forgotten about the matter of his non-engagement to Caroline Saunders. But she would never forget that morning at Newhall Castle, and the certain knowledge that if Julian had not come to her rescue, Harry would have taken to her with his fists.

  The door to the sitting room opened and Adelaide’s head appeared around the door. “Are you alright?” she asked.

  “Yes. We are fine,” replied Caroline.

  “Please give my regards to your mother,” Adelaide said.

  “Thank you, Lady Adelaide. I shall do that,” he replied.

  As he headed for the door, Caroline reached out and touched Harry on the arm. For all the hurt he had caused her, he didn’t deserve to find out in public about Julian and herself. “Lord Newhall has asked my father for permission to court me. We had begun to build a tentative connection before you arrived at Newhall Castle, so please don’t think that Julian took the opportunity to capitalize on your grave error of judgement,” she said.

  His posture stiffened at her words, and surprise and disappointment appeared on his face. “Thank you. I appreciate you telling me this in private; it is more than I deserve.”

  After she had escorted Harry to the front door, Caroline went in search of her father. Charles was busy stacking papers on a table in his study when she knocked on the door.

  “How did you go with young Menzies?” he asked.

  “As well as could be expected,” she replied.

  He put down the papers. “Did you tell him about Newhall and yourself?”

  Caroline nodded, after which her father produced a small card out of his jacket pocket, and showed it to her. Caroline recognized the Newhall coat of arms on the top of it. “Lord Newhall is a fine chap. Will likes him immensely, so that will be a good start for the two of you. Your mother likes him as well. It was nice to finally be able to say ‘yes’ to a young gentleman appearing at my door. Though I must admit, I was not expecting a formal courtship.”

  Caroline’s mood lifted. It was nice for her and her father to finally have this conversation. At last count, her father had turned away well over a dozen young men who had come to him and offered for her hand. All of them had failed. Not one of them had thought to ask Caroline for her permission. Julian had been the one who had broken the mold.

  Everything about her relationship with Julian was a first. He had been the first man to openly challenge her. He had not fallen at her feet like all the others. He had treated her as an equal and demanded the same in return.

  Most importantly of all, he had been the first man to stop and look beyond her beauty. To call upon the real Caroline to step out into the light. The Caroline whose blood heated at his slightest touch. The woman whose soul he owned, possessed.

  “I love Julian and I want to spend the rest of my life with him. We have agreed that a formal courtship is necessary. Both of us have things in our past we wish to smooth over. Thank you, Papa, for saying yes,” she replied.

  Her father pulled her into a warm hug. “As far as our family is concerned, you have nothing to answer for. Though, when the time comes, I would ask something of you.”

  “Yes?”

  “You are not allowed to run off to Scotland like your sister did. Your mother deserves to have one of her daughters married in the proper fashion. If you do marry Lord Newhall, it will have to be a full wedding service at St. Paul’s, with your Uncle Hugh officiating.”

  Her father’s stipulation would be easy to meet. Julian was far from the rash and impetuous Freddie Rosemount, who her sister had recently married. There was little chance of him suddenly spiriting her away to Gretna Green.

  “Yes of course. I know how much a society wedding and ball means to Mama. I promise not to disappoint her,” she replied.

  “Excellent. So, when Lord Newhall next comes to pay a house call with Lady Margaret, I shall wait until you ladies are busy discussing the latest on dit before arriving to rescue him. A shipment of wine arrived from France this morning, and I have a few cases of Cabernet Sauvignon from Chateau Mouton-d’Armailhac. Will and Francis may just happen to fortuitously drop by and share a bottle or two with us.”

  She kissed her father on the cheek, grateful for such a wonderful parent. An afterno
on of bonding between Julian and the Saunders men was the seal of approval for which she had hoped.

  The man she loved was being drawn into the embrace of her wonderful, big, family, and her heart felt fit to burst.

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  Caroline stared at her gowns lying on the bed and huffed. Not one of them suited her mood, or in fact, the occasion.

  She and Julian had spent several pleasant afternoons taking Midas for a walk in Hyde Park. There were benefits in having formal permission to court, one being that she was able to venture out with only a footman and maid in tow. A coin had been slipped into the hand of each of the Saunders family servants to encourage them to lag behind and out of earshot.

  A week from now was a formal society ball. She and Julian were to make their social debut as a courting couple. They would dance together with more than just friendship between them. Everything she did that night would be publicly and privately scrutinized by London society.

  No doubt tongues would wag, but the matrons of the ton would get the message loud and clear—she intended to marry Julian Palmer and become the next Countess Newhall.

  The gowns, however, were not suitable. A pale blue one, a pretty pink gown with white embroidered flowers, and an elegant silver one all failed to pass muster.

  Adelaide knocked on the bedroom door and came to stand next to Caroline. She looked at the gowns. “They are rather beautiful. Do none of them appeal to you?”

  Caroline pursed her lips. She needed her mother’s counsel at this critical time. In order to get it, she would have to make a personal revelation. “They are the gowns of an innocent, young woman. After my stay at Newhall Castle, I am no longer that.”

  She stilled, waiting for her mother’s response. Adelaide reached over and placed a kiss on her daughter’s cheek. Caroline gave a sigh of relief, grateful for having a supportive mother.

  “Well then, if that is the case, we need to find you something with more color. Something that a young woman on the cusp of marriage would wear. One which makes a clear statement,” said Adelaide.