A flicker of relief danced across his expression, and he nodded, reaching for her hand to bow over it. “Thank you, Lady Jeweliana,” he murmured, before whispering a kiss across the back of her hand. “And good day, Lord Michaels. I hope to see you in Whites very soon.”
Lord Michaels chuckled, the dark tone making Jeweliana shiver.
“Indeed,” he grated. “I am quite sure that I shall have some tales to tell the next time I see you.”
Still a little bewildered by both the strange myriad of sensations that had rushed upon her the moment Lord Darlington had kissed her hand as well as Lord Michaels dark tone, Jeweliana stared at Lord Darlington for a moment, going hot and cold all over. As Lord Michaels began to walk away, she followed woodenly, not quite certain of what to make of it all.
As they walked back through the park, Lady Jeweliana tried to sort out what had occurred when Lord Darlington had kissed her hand. She had not known what to make of it at the time, but it was as though his whispering lips had brushed a heat into her skin that had begun to sear her all over. Even now, she felt that warmth linger, as though the very memory of it made her blush.
She had experienced these feelings before when Lord Darlington had brushed her tears away. Doing her best to ignore them at the time, they now rose in her again, clamoring loudly to be heard.
“The poor fool,” she heard Lord Michaels say, drawing her back to the present and out of her thoughts.
“I – I am sorry?” she queried.
He chuckled. “I was just commenting on Lord Darlington.
He is so set in his bachelor ways that I pity whoever finds themselves on his arm when the time comes. He is a selfish man, I think, always doing what pleases himself and never considering others.”
Lady Jeweliana swallowed, aware that what Lord Michaels was saying could be put to her own situation also.
“Are you very dear friends?” she questioned further.
Lord Michaels shrugged. “We have known each other for some time, and he was very good to me last Season. That is why I am certain that whoever ends up as his bride will be a very miserable young lady indeed. Lord Darlington’s delights and desires ebb and flow like the seas. He has never remained content with one lady for any particular length of time, not that he has ever wanted to marry any of them!” he chuckled and shook his head, leaving Jeweliana feeling as though her heart were sinking into the ground at her feet.
“He can put on a good show, of course,” Lord Michaels finished. “A very good show of concern and all that but, deep down, it all comes back to him. Whatever he does, he does it for himself, no matter how prettily he dresses it all up.” Lady Jeweliana swallowed, well aware that this was precisely what was occurring in her own situation.
“Anyway, enough talk of Lord Darlington,” Lord Michaels smiled, patting her hand. “Shall we go on that drive then tomorrow? Or should you like to walk again?”
Drawn away from her thoughts and yet still feeling that sudden swell of anxiety, Jeweliana tried to smile and answer Lord Michaels, her heart weeping softly within her. There was no reason for her to feel so strongly about what had been said of Lord Darlington, but yet it was as though she realized just how foolish she had been to think of him as anything other than a mere acquaintance. There was no need for her to think of what she felt when he touched her, to allow her thoughts to linger on his face and his smile. She was the fool for having any kind of feeling for Lord Darlington, for allowing her heart to react to his nearness.
“Foolish girl,” she muttered to herself, as Lord Michaels regaled her with some story about how he had met Lord Darlington some years ago. Lifting her chin, Jeweliana determined not to so much as consider what she felt any longer.
She would not waste her time on that or on him. As much as she knew Lord Darlington wanted to meet her in order to converse about the gentlemen she had been introduced to, that urgency no longer remained in her own mind. She had a gentleman by her side, did she not? A gentleman who apparently was somewhat interested in her. So why did she need Lord Darlington’s instruction and guidance any longer?
“The drive tomorrow then, Lady Jeweliana?” Lord Michaels asked as they came to a stop outside her parents’ house. “The same time as today?”
Lady Jeweliana considered for a moment before nodding, seeing a smile come upon his face. He bid her farewell very grandly and, with a smile and a word of thanks, Jeweliana returned into the house.
“Well, my dear?”
Apparently, her mother had been waiting for her, ready to ambush her to discover just how well things had gone with the gentleman. Jeweliana smiled and rolled her eyes as she handed the butler her bonnet and gloves, surprised to find her mother so eager.
“It was all very lovely, Mama,” she said, quietly, as her mother linked arms with her to walk towards the drawing room.
“We are to go out for a drive tomorrow.”
Her mother exclaimed for a moment before launching into a detailed description of the conversation she had undertaken with Jeweliana’s father all about Lord Michaels. Apparently, her father was more than pleased with his attentions towards Jeweliana.
As she listened to her mother talk, Lady Jeweliana began to wonder whether or not she had done Lord Michaels a disservice in rejecting him so quickly. Yes, there was no immediate spark of attraction between them, but mayhap that would come with time. Perhaps she had still had lingering thoughts of Lord Darlington somewhere in the depths of her heart, which was why she had so quickly rejected Lord Michaels.
Settling herself in a chair in the drawing room, Jeweliana considered a little longer before coming to the conclusion that she would give Lord Michaels some more of her time. She would see what could develop between them and whether or not, in time, some affection might develop. After all, he was very enamored with her, and she hoped that, at least, meant he might feel begin to feel some kind of affection for her, for she was still determined not to marry without it.
That decided, Jeweliana let her heart settle within her, calming her cloying thoughts. She had been much too harsh, much too quick, much too decisive. It was time to forget Lord Darlington and allow herself to be courted by Lord Michaels.
Her entire future was at stake.
10
LORD DARLINGTON MADE his way into the ballroom, his strides long. He was desperate to see Lady Jeweliana, but over the last fortnight, he had barely been able to speak a word to her – and the separation was killing him.
When he had spoken to her at the park two weeks ago, when she had been out walking with Lord Michaels, he thought she had understood that he needed to speak to her with great urgency but, since then, she had barely come near him. There had been no attempt on her part to come to greet him, to make time for him, to even so much as send a note to let him know when he might call. Of course, he could not make repeated calls to her parents’ home, for then suspicion might be raised as to his intentions and that would cause rumors to go flying around London. Rumors he did not want.
Frustrated, Lord Darlington kept his gaze fixed on the scene in front of him. It was busy with guests and, in particular, young ladies who were doing their best to capture the attention of any and all gentlemen around them.
None caught his interest. He had only one lady on his mind – Lady Jeweliana.
He hated how Lord Michaels had managed to ingratiate himself with both her and her mother so quickly. Of course, that in itself did not come as a surprise but what had taken him aback was to see just how much Lady Jeweliana had taken to Lord Michaels company. He had never thought that she would be found in his company so soon after being introduced but, over the last two weeks whenever he had tried to find her or speak to her, she had been standing with Lord Michaels. They had been seen at balls, recitals, musicals, the theatre and the fashionable hour. Society was abuzz with the suggestion that they might become engaged very soon, and the thought made Lord Darlington’s heart sink.
Lord Michaels was not the man he appeared to
be. He might be easily putting on such a façade as to tell Lady Jeweliana that he cared for her, but Lord Darlington knew the truth. There was no affection there. There was no consideration or love. There was simply an acceptance that he would need a wife and that Lady Jeweliana would do the job nicely. She was from a good family, well bred, with a decent fortune and enough beauty to satisfy Lord Michaels. He cared nothing for her heart.
“Why do you care so much?” he asked himself.
Gritting his teeth, Lord Darlington ignored the question that had been dogging him for so long. He ought not to care, of course, for whoever Lady Jeweliana ended up with was of no great concern to him. Whether Lord Michaels would be a good husband or not should not bother him in the least but, for whatever reason, it did. It was as though he could not allow her to do such a thing, even though he had no claim to her. At one time, he had been desperate to rid himself of her, to have her gone from his side and from his possible future, but now it was as if he was desperate to have her near, desperate to keep her tied to him.
“As your bride?” he wondered to himself slowly, word by word.
He grimaced, making two young debutantes hurry away from him at once, clearly thinking his expression was directed at them. He did not care. His thoughts were much too confusing to consider anyone else’s reaction to him.
The truth was, in these last two weeks, he had found himself thinking about Lady Jeweliana more than anything else in the world. She occupied his thoughts entirely, no matter what he tried to do. Whenever he was out within society, he thought of no-one but her, his eyes always searching for any glimpse of her.
Frustrated, Lord Darlington recalled how his hands had always curled into fists whenever he had seen her with Lord Michaels, the man he had introduced her to. How he hated to see her laugh and smile in Lord Michaels direction, hated seeing her dance with him, walk with him, talk with him.
“I would marry her myself before I would let him have her,” he mouthed these words while saying them to himself, lowering his eyebrows and squinting his eyes.
The words spoken aloud had him stopping dead in his tracks, his mouth falling open, his limbs freezing in place. Was that true? Would he really give up his freedom so as to have Lady Jeweliana by his side? He could hardly believe it, but yet, there it was. The future he had once considered to be truly hateful was now something he desired for himself, desired for her.
To have Lady Jeweliana as his wife no longer seemed to be so terrible a prospect. In fact, it appeared to be almost…. desirable.
Swallowing hard, Lord Darlington forced his legs to move, walking slowly into a corner of the room and sitting down in a vacant chair. Desirable? Truly? When he pictured Lady Jeweliana in his home, as his wife, there was no longer the tinge of fear and anxiety that had once permeated his thoughts. It was as though he knew that she would make him happy, that she would bring him such joy that he need not fear about giving up his bachelor ways. Lady Jeweliana would not be a noose around his neck, slowly tightening as the years went by. Instead, she would be a shining light, a radiant beauty that brought life and heart into each of his days.
And he would do all he could to make her the happiest woman in England.
Sitting forward, Lord Darlington placed his head in his hands, pushing his elbows into his knees as he let his eyes linger on the floor. This was not something he had anticipated or even expected. To have such a change of heart so suddenly forced him to draw breath, feeling unexpectedly weak at the thought of what he must do.
If he proposed to Lady Jeweliana now, he had no doubt of what she would say. She would, most likely, laugh at him before realizing he was serious. Her refusal would come as no surprise.
So, his other option was to push Lady Jeweliana and Lord Michaels apart. However, given that he had not so much as managed to converse with the lady about her beau, that idea did not give him any hope. His only course of action was to do something radical, something entirely unexpected that would force them into wedlock.
It was not a pleasant prospect. No doubt Lady Jeweliana would be furious with him, perhaps eternally so, for ripping her apart from Lord Michaels and forcing her into a marriage she had been trying to avoid. Was he to do this, he would cause a great scandal, a great embarrassment to the lady, but what else was there for him to do? He could not ask the Earl of Knighton, Lady Jeweliana’s father, since he would most likely refuse him since his daughter was being courted by Lord Michaels. If he wanted to see Lady Jeweliana away from Lord Michaels for good, then he would have to do something wholly outside of the realms of propriety.
A sudden burst of laughter caught his ears and, looking up, Lord Darlington saw none other than Lady Jeweliana standing a little away from him with Lord Michaels by her side. She was laughing and talking with her friend Miss Cartwright, whilst a few other young ladies cloistered around them. The young ladies were, however, sending admiring glances towards Lord Michaels. Lord Darlington gritted his teeth as he saw Lord Michaels smile back at them, his eyes dark and lips pulled into a sensuous smile. Lady Jeweliana did not see the expression on Lord Michaels’ face, given that she was buried in conversation with Miss Cartwright, but it was more than enough for Lord Darlington. Pushing himself up from the table, he strode towards them both, planted his hands on his hips and cleared his throat.
Lady Jeweliana looked up at him, the smile fading from her face as he greeted her. That cut Lord Darlington to the quick, but he forced himself to ignore the stab of pain, turning next to greet Miss Cartwright and then Lord Michaels who grinned at him.
“I do hope you have a dance free, Lady Jeweliana,” Lord Darlington said, cheerfully. “It has been an age since I have had you to myself for even a few minutes!”
“That is by design,” Lord Michaels muttered, making Lady Jeweliana blush. “However, I have taken my two dances, so you may as well try your luck.”
Bristling, Lord Darlington tried to stem his annoyance at being told he had permission to dance with Lady Jeweliana. She was not Lord Michaels’ bride yet, not so much as his betrothed, and yet here he was practically ordering her to do as he asked!
“Do you have any dances remaining, Lady Jeweliana?” he asked, quietly, turning his back on Lord Michaels as best as he could. “I would very much like to sign my name to one.” There was a momentary hesitation before she nodded, holding out her card. “Yes, I have some.” Grasping the card eagerly, Lord Darlington scanned the names, noting that Lord Michaels had taken the supper dance and one of the waltzes. To his surprise, the other waltz was free, and he wrote his name there quickly, thinking it the best opportunity.
“Wonderful,” he murmured, signing his name quickly as though someone might come and snatch it from him. “The waltz, I think.”
“Capital,” Lord Michaels exclaimed, slapping him heartily on the back. “And now, my dear Jeweliana, it is our turn to waltz, I believe.” He held out his arm to her, even though the waltz had not yet begun to play, and Jeweliana accepted it at once.
Without a backwards glance, she made her way out onto the floor and, within a few minutes, was dancing in the arms of her beau.
It felt like an age before it came his turn to take Lady Jeweliana out onto the floor. Lord Darlington had danced with no other, choosing instead to hide himself as best he could – sometimes standing up in the balcony and other times clinging to the shadows along the wall of the ballroom. A cold sheen of sweat appeared on his brow as he considered what he was about to do. His parents would, no doubt, be furious with him – as would Lady Jeweliana and her own respected father and mother, but there was nothing for it. In time, they would come to see why he had done such a thing.
“Shall we dance, Lady Jeweliana?”
There was no smile on her face as she nodded, although he did catch a slight intake of breath as he took her hand and set it on his arm. Making their way out onto the dance floor, Lord Darlington tried his best to remain steady and calm, even though it felt as if his very soul were trembling.
&
nbsp; Settling his hand on her waist, Lord Darlington felt his heart begin to race as he took her gloved hand in his own. She was so very beautiful, and he could not pretend he felt nothing for her.
The memory of how he had brushed her tears away snagged his mind, forcing him to remember everything he had felt and thought at the time. He had been surprised at his own reaction to the feel of her soft cheek against his fingertips and even now, that quickening of his heart began again.
“Lady Jeweliana,” he began, as the music started. “I have been desperate to talk to you for some time. I must share with you what Lord Michaels told me.”
She looked up at him, her gaze serious. “Lord Darlington, you need not speak to me of Lord Michaels. He has been nothing but attentive and seems to care very deeply for me.” A small smile touched her lips. “It may not be everything I wanted, but it will be, I am sure, happy enough.” Swallowing the sudden lump in his throat, Lord Darlington twirled her around the floor, pressing his lips together. She had been taken in by Lord Michaels, and he could not allow that to continue.
“Lord Michaels does not care for you one jot, Lady Jeweliana,” he said, firmly, not caring if his words sounded harsh. “I was with him last Season and spoke to him after I introduced him to you. I regret ever doing so.” Her eyes grew puzzled. “Lord Darlington, this is not appropriate. What is between Lord Michaels and I is entirely our business. You need not concern yourself with me any longer.” The music broke the silence between them and, for a few minutes, there was nothing Lord Darlington could do but dance.
She was as light and as beautiful as ever and yet a heaviness settled in his heart, telling him that he could not allow her to continue her association with Lord Michaels.
“He is not who he says,” he said, desperately, as the music came to a close. “Please, Lady Jeweliana, you must listen to me. I have been trying to speak to you for some time and you still –” “Thank you for the waltz,” she said, calmly, interrupting him. “I do not think we need continue what we started any longer, Lord Darlington. I have found a gentleman who, I think intends to propose very soon – possibly even tonight.” Her cheeks burned, but she did not look all too pleased with the news. “Our association has come to a close, I think.” Lord Darlington shook his head, holding her still even as the other couples around them began to bow and curtsy. “No, it is not over, lady Jeweliana. I cannot allow you to throw yourself away on a man who is not whom you think, a man who has vowed never to allow any shred of love into his heart again.” Lady Jeweliana looked up at him, confused by what he was saying and what he was doing. “I think you need to release me now, Lord Darlington,” she said, softly, a hint of worry in her voice. “Lord Michaels will be waiting.” Those were the words that broke him. Unable to wait any longer, he shook his head and looked deeply into her eyes.
Regency Engagements Box Set Page 71
