A Lord Loves Again
Charity McColl
Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.
© 2019 PureRead Ltd
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Contents
Introduction
1. Ill-fated Attempt
2. Lonely Heart
3. We Meet Again
4. Raising Eyebrows
5. Mysterious Messages
6. Rising Anxiety
7. Shattered Dreams
8. Danger
9. No More Secrets
Other Books in this beautiful Regency family saga
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1
Ill-fated Attempt
The gap between their lives was as wide as an abyss, and yet Doris couldn’t help wondering why their paths always seemed to cross. Lord Victor Murray was the last person she expected to find standing in her small studio, yet there he was. And looking as if he belonged, even though she had never expected to see him again, not after the last time they had met.
“Yes, your lordship,” she wiped her hands on the cloth she kept close by. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?” Her voice dripped with sarcasm and Victor winced inwardly. He deserved this, but he wasn’t about to show this feisty woman that he acknowledged his past errors. He had come to her small studio hoping to make a purchase and appease her, but from her tone, he knew it would be tough.
“Good afternoon, Mrs. Graham,” he held out his hand as a sign of well-being between them but she only looked at it, stared at her paint stained ones and then shook her head.
“My apologies that I can’t shake your hand, my lord. You see, the likes of me whose hands and lives are stained with all manner of deviousness shouldn’t be seen touching one as impeccably pure as yourself.”
“I deserve that,” Victor said, wondering why he had even come here in the first place. He had sworn, and quite audibly, that she was the last person he ever wanted to see, yet here he was. “Please allow me to express my sincere apologies for offending you when all you did at the time was to save me and my family from harm and pain.”
“You’ve said your piece, now if you don’t mind, I still have to work to put food on my own household’s table. Have a good afternoon, your grace,” and she turned away from him. It was rude to do so but she couldn’t help it. If she didn’t make him leave her studio, he would soon find out that his presence greatly affected her. Didn’t he know how handsome and distinguished he looked, or that his nearness made her heart beat faster? Why couldn’t the man she was angry at be short, fat and horrible looking, for then she could so easily have resisted his charms.
“Mrs. Graham, before I leave, I’d like to purchase one of your pieces. The one I ruined when we last met.”
Doris hid a smile behind a gentle cough. The piece in question was one that she had painted of Lord Victor’s first grandson, the offspring of George and Hannah. She had met the little boy and his mother in the park a few weeks ago and though little Stanley was only six months old, he was a natural when it came to posing for his portrait. He was the first child she had ever attempted to paint because they rarely sat still, and that was the painting that had caused bad blood between her and the old duke.
“Unfortunately that particular painting isn’t for sale, your grace. It will forever be a reminder to me to never trust strangers,” Doris said. Just thinking about the day she had painted Little Lord Stanley made her almost burst out in cold sweat. One small mistake was all it took for someone else to take advantage of a perfectly innocent child. “I just can’t part with it.”
“Actually, it was Hannah who asked me to come and beg you to allow us to buy it from you. She is so sorry for the way we all reacted when you were perfectly innocent in all that happened.”
Doris sighed, wishing he hadn’t brought Lady Hannah into the conversation. She was such a delightful young woman and from the first moment they had met in the park, they had hit it off. Too sad that just moments later all that had been turned into accusations and blame when someone tried to snatch Little Lord Stanley as he was posing for her painting.
Hannah needed to find a washroom but couldn’t go into the public ones with her son, so seeing that Stanley was contented to sit still and be painted, had asked Doris to watch him.
“That’s no problem at all, my lady. Just as long as he doesn’t notice that you’re gone, he should be fine,” she had said, settling down to paint the little boy. All went well until he started fidgeting, no doubt missing his mother. She tried everything to get him to calm down, all the while looking out for his mother, who was nowhere to be seen.
Then a sweet looking woman came up to her and Stanley seemed to know her because he held out his hands. Someone called Doris back over to her painting, obviously admiring it and she only turned around for a second when the woman melted into the crowds with the child.
Doris immediately knew that she had been set up and forgot everything, including her expensive easel, palette, paints and brushes. Luckily for her, she was streetwise and soon had the woman insight as she hurried towards a waiting carriage. Before she got there, however, Doris was upon her and in one swipe had grabbed the child who was giggling, thinking it was a game.
“If I ever see you again, I’ll harm you,” she told the cowering woman. The carriage driver on seeing that their plans had been thwarted, drove off leaving the woman to face the music. A constable was passing close by and came to find out what the commotion was all about. As Doris was explaining what had happened, the child’s mother rushed towards her and took her child.
“My baby,” she cried out, holding the little boy close. “My baby,” she was weeping and a tall gentleman was soon by her side.
“What exactly happened here?” A strong voice demanded and the constable took his hat off.
“Your grace, this young lady was just telling me that this lady and someone else, tried to make off with that little boy.”
That was when Doris found out just who Little Stanley was, and as soon as she was done explaining, made her way back to her art supplies which mercifully, hadn’t been tampered with, not even the almost complete painting of the little boy.
“I cannot believe your audacity,” the same strong voice reached her and she looked up warily. The man looked really angry. “How dare you paint my grandson without my permission?” He towered over her but she refused to feel intimidated.
“But his mother ….”
“Leave my distraught daughter-in-law alone. She asked you to watch her son, not give him to strangers,” and saying this, he grabbed the easel and ripped the picture in half
, tossing the pieces back to Doris. “No grandson of Lord Victor Murray’s shall be made as a spectacle. How do I know that you and that horrid woman weren’t in on this plan? How dare the likes of you, whose hands and lives are stained with all manner of deviousness touch my grandson?”
His words stung but Doris didn’t answer back. She picked up her supplies and ignored the pitying looks from other park strollers and returned to her small house and studio. Never again would she offer to paint anyone’s child, lest she incur the wrath of others such as Lord Murray.
Yet here he was now, begging her for the same painting he had ripped.
“I’m sorry, you need to leave now. You were clear the last time we met and I destroyed the painting.”
Victor knew that she was lying, but short of calling her out on it, he decided to leave her alone at least for the moment.
2
Lonely Heart
Victor couldn’t get Doris Graham out of his mind. Her angry grey eyes as they flashed at him, the beautifully curved lips tightened in anger and her slender body, stiffened with disapproval. All those thoughts ran through his mind as his footman drove him home. He wondered what he could do to appease her for she was one who clearly wasn’t intimidated by him.
He didn’t understand why she was on his mind and yet she wasn’t the most beautiful woman he had ever set his eyes on. In the past few months, he had seen his fair share of society women who were out to catch his eye. Now that his daughter and sons were all happily married, everyone seemed to think that he should be next. And that included his own children. They accepted invitations on his behalf and short of appearing rude, he attended about three to four social functions per week. The mature spinsters and widows were delighted because each hoped to win his hand.
As the carriage turned into his driveway, something else puzzled him. Who had sent those people who wanted to snatch his grandson? In the course of his life, he knew that he had made a number of enemies but he couldn’t imagine that any of them would dare to snatch his grandson.
Stanley was the light of his life and everyone adored him. Someone was out for mischief and he wanted to know who it was, so he immediately sent for Elias, his son-in-law.
“Yes, Sir? I came as soon as the messenger reached the house. Mary isn’t too pleased that you had to call me away but I told her that it must be very important for you to have called me.”
“It is, Elias. A problem has arisen and I’m really anxious to have it sorted out. It has to do with the people who tried to snatch Stanley from the artist lady.”
“I thought you said she was in on it, and that someone else was arrested.”
Victor shook his head. “I was mistaken and blamed an innocent woman for something she didn’t do, and the other woman is feigning madness, at least that’s what I think. She’s in Bedlam but so far isn’t saying anything meaningful at all. I’m just worried that someone might make another attempt. If they were courageous enough to do so in the broad daylight, then those are people who wouldn’t hesitate to make another attempt at kidnapping Stanley.”
“We’ll ensure it doesn’t happen, sir. How may I help?”
“I’d like you to reach out to some of your friends, though I know you don’t keep in touch so much with them these days. Still, I’m sure someone must have heard something and that will enable us seek out the perpetrators and have them arrested.”
Elias nodded. “I’ll do that, but it might take a few days since I have to renew my acquaintances with my underworld friends. But have no fear, if anyone has heard anything, we’ll find out for sure.”
“Thank you so much,” Victor sighed. “At least now I can have some peace.”
“I’ll do my best, sir,” Elias promised. His own wife was troubled and he could just imagine the anxiety that the family was feeling after the near disaster. They were looking forward to the birth of their first child and more than anything, he wanted the world to be a safer place for his child as well as nephews and nieces.
After Elias had left, Victor sat in his study for a long time, wondering why he felt so listless. Just a few months ago, he had refused his daughter Mary from having anything to do with Elias Cartwright. But the young man had turned out to be the best husband he could ever have wished for his only daughter and now they were so happy.
George had gone against his wishes and married a poor young woman who turned out to be such a delightful daughter-in-law. Mark also married a lovely young woman, whose dowry lifted them from poverty to the wealth they were now enjoying. Yes, his children had made perfect matches and he was happy for them, so why was he feeling so low?
“You’re lonely,” a small inner voice told him and he tried to quash it. When his wife of twenty years had died, he hadn’t thought he would ever open his heart to love any other woman again. For a long time his sole mission had been raising his children and ensuring they were well taken care of, but now they were adults and living their own lives. “I can’t be lonely,” he argued back. “I just need a new project to take care of and to keep me busy.”
His eldest son had given him a grandson, his second son would soon do the same and Mary was also in the family way. Perhaps he could spend time with his grandchildren as they were born, that would keep the boredom and loneliness away.
But even as he thought about it, he knew he was deceiving himself. He yearned for companionship and someone to sit with in the spring and summer evenings, watching their grandchildren as they frolicked on the lawn. Someone who would chase away the cold winter nights.
Making a sound of disgust, he got to his feet and went in search of Hannah, who had just finished feeding her son. Stanley loved his grandfather and immediately raised both hands up.
“Someone wants to be held by his grandpapa,” Victor bent down and scooped the little boy into his arms. He missed this, and it took him back many years when he held his own children in his arms. “You’re such a lovely boy, now say good bye to mama so we can go and find papa and Uncle Mark.”
“Father, he has just eaten and in a few minutes will be ready to take his nap.”
“I’m well aware of that, but I just couldn’t resist. I promise to bring him back as soon as he’s sound asleep.”
“Thank you,” Hannah smiled sweetly, though Victor could see that she really wanted to have her son with her. The scare a few days ago had made her very cautious and she wanted her son within her sights at all times. “Please take care of him.”
Victor turned back to her. “Hannah, you know that I would give my life for this little boy. After all, he’ll one day be the duke after his father. Nothing is going to happen to our Stanley, not while I live.”
“I was just so scared, father,” she twisted her hands. “It was my fault for leaving him alone with Mrs. Graham. He doesn’t like being away from me for a long time.”
“Nobody is blaming you, child. Let’s just thank God that our little one is safe and rest assured that your brother-in-law, Elias, is going to find out whoever was behind the attempt. We shall leave nothing to chance, but will see that anyone who was involved gets what is due to them.”
“Yes, father.”
3
We Meet Again
Doris stared at the card that had just been delivered and then sighed. The messenger hadn’t waited for a response since evidently he didn’t need one.
“Lord and Lady Mark Murray, Baron and Baroness of Pembington, request the pleasure of your company in celebrating the birth and christening of our daughter,
CHELSEA ANNE MURRAY
On the seventh day of July at two p.m. in the year of our Lord at the family estate in Pembington, and to a reception at the same venue thereafter.”
There was a shorter note from Lord Victor Murray also asking that she be present and Doris wondered what the man was up to. She knew that nobles only invited their kind to such family gatherings and since she was neither a noble nor a relative, she thought about not going.
She had read the notice of t
he birth of the baby girl to Victor’s second son about two weeks ago and now she was being invited to the child’s christening.
At least she had been given seven days’ notice and she would find a way of gently refusing the invitation because she didn’t want eyebrows raised at her presence. But she had reckoned without Victor Murray who showed up at her doorstep exactly a day after the invitation was delivered.
“Mrs. Graham, I would have brought the invitation personally yesterday but was held up in some family matters. That notwithstanding, I thought it only polite to come and extend the same to you in person.”
“Your grace …”
“Please call me Victor,” he smiled and her insides melted. “My name is Victor and I would prefer that you call me that, at least when we’re alone. I know propriety demands that you address me by my title, so I’ll allow you to do that when we’re in the presence of other people.”
“Really, there wasn’t any need for you to come because I was just about to write a thank you note but I’m sorry I won’t be able to make it.”
“Why, my dear?”
“There’s really no other reason except I wouldn’t fit into your world, your grace. I’m aware that such invitations are for only family and close friends and I’m neither of those.”
“Well, I’d like you to be a friend of the family,” Victor stepped closer and she moved back, wishing her studio was larger for she soon reached the wall and could retreat no farther. “That’s the reason I’ll keep coming here every day until you say yes.”
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