When it came to the unknowns about their future together and the opposite of never being able to see her again, William reasoned that he’d rather have a harder life with her as his wife than a simple one without her.
“Yes, let’s do it. We can ride tonight and make it there in a few days,” William said, breaking their embrace so he could turn to Grendel. “Could you stay with father for a few days? Tell him what happened for me, please.”
“Of course, I will,” she agreed with a bright smile, her hands clasped in front of her. “You go and marry the girl. We can figure out the rest when you get back.”
“Thank you, Grendel. I will repay you someday,” he said with a broad grin. Then, after quickly gathering everything he might need, including a small purse of coins, he led Caroline out into the dark.
“We should take my mare. They will discover our plans if they find her here,” Caroline said as she stopped and pointed to where she’d tied her horse to a nearby sapling.
“As you wish,” William said, thinking Caroline was the most intelligent creature he had ever met. He approached the mare and rubbed its neck, allowing the beast to get used to him. Then, he pulled himself up onto the saddle, his leather bag over his shoulder before he helped Caroline settle onto the back of the horse with him. With her arms secured tightly around his middle and the fine leather reigns in his hands, he urged the horse forward at a trot until the open road came before them. Then, with a flick of the reins, he sent the mare into a full gallop, knowing they needed to make haste.
~*~
It was late and she was exhausted, but at that moment, Caroline didn’t care. She was with William, they were on their way to be married, and that was all that she cared about in that moment.
When she’d decided to run away with William, she hadn’t bothered to take a single thing from her parents’ home besides the sample day gown she’d put on earlier. She didn’t want to give them an excuse later to demand back anything from her, so she decided to take nothing with her.
As they rode off into the night with only the moon as their guide, Caroline wasn’t sure what her future would hold. She knew she loved William, that she wanted to be with him for the rest of her life.
She wasn’t sure what type of life they could have together, with her no doubt becoming estranged from her family and William currently without employment. But when she considered the alternative, of never being able to see him again, she had decided rather quickly that the risk was worth taking.
When William slowed the mare and eventually pulled her to a halt, Caroline wondered if they were stopping to rest for the night. But as the mare moved to the side, she saw in the darkness that a carriage blocked the road, its footmen holding lanterns to shed light into the darkness. The vehicle was very elegant, and Caroline knew that a very wealthy man must own the thing. But why would it be out on the road in the middle of the night?
When the carriage door opened and Lord Canton alighted from the vehicle, Caroline’s heart seemed to drop out of her body. She couldn’t fathom why he was blocking the road or how he would have known they would be traveling by night. Had her father already alerted their neighbours that she had run away? She was so careful to slip out of the house quietly that she hadn’t thought anyone would have known till morning.
“Good evening,” Lord Canton called as he took one of the lanterns from his footmen and came striding over to them. “I had a sneaky suspicion something like this was going to happen.”
“How could you have known?” Caroline demanded, tightening her hold on William. He rubbed her hands with his thumb, the reins brushing against her folded hands. She quickly thought about taking the reins and urging the horse around the carriage, despite the danger of it all.
“When you denied me, I knew the only possible reason was because you’d fallen in love with someone else. I just never knew that it would be for some man so lowly in stature,” Lord Canton said as he held the lantern up towards William as though to get a good look at him.
“There is no possible way you could have known. Who told you?” William asked, making Caroline think that they were both thinking the same thoughts. Lord Canton chuckled then, sending a wave of shivers over her body at the sound of the man.
“You two are so young and have many things to learn about the world. The one thing you don’t understand about me, Miss Caroline, is that I’m a very cunning man. I understand how people react, especially when they are desperate.”
“Then what do you plan to do, now that you’ve found us out?” William asked.
“I will return Miss Caroline to her parents. She will enter my carriage, then we shall have a private conversation,” Lord Canton explained.
“And why on earth would I go with you?” Caroline demanded.
“Because if you do not, I will not only have my footmen take you by force, but I will make sure they hurt this young man as well,” Lord Canton said with a smirk. He gestured towards the carriage then, causing five of his men to approach them. Caroline stared in horror, surprised that Lord Canton would be such a brute.
“I will never marry you,” Caroline yelled at him then, fear surging through her body as she tried to think what they could possibly do. If they made a run for it, his four horses and carriage would be able to catch up in no time.
“Perhaps in time you will come to find how much you like my wit and intelligence,” Lord Canton said with a shrug. “But for now, it’s time to go home, Miss Caroline. Especially if you want your lover to live.”
Caroline was about to tell him off when William quickly spoke to her. “Go with him, Caroline. You’re better off with someone who can actually provide for you,” he said.
Caroline couldn’t believe her ears. “What are you saying, William?” she asked in a soft whisper so only he could hear.
“I’m saying that you deserve better than what I could ever provide for you. I know you love me, and I love you in return. But after we are married and you begin to see what kind of life I live, after you begin to work, you might not love me as much anymore and instead come to resent me.”
Caroline listened, but she felt like a stranger was speaking to her. How could this be her William? Where was the man that she was certain would always be with her?
Eventually, when William didn’t say anything more, she finally let her hands unclasp and her arms fall limp at her side. Lord Canton came forth then and helped her down from the mare; all the while William remained silent and didn’t even bother looking towards her. She stood for a second, Lord Canton’s hand on her elbow, as she looked up at William, urging him to look at her. But when he didn’t, she allowed Lord Canton to lead her into the carriage.
As the door was closed, she felt like the door to her heart was also closed and locked away forever.
Chapter 8
As Lord Canton walked over towards the horse he was upon, William ground his teeth together. He knew that Caroline must hate him for what he had done, but when he thought about her future, he wanted the best for the woman he loved—even if that meant they couldn’t be together. Now he just had to hear what this gentleman wanted to say to him so he could return to the cottage to his father, his heart feeling as though a winter cold had settled over it.
“Good choice, my boy,” Lord Canton told him, holding the lantern high so that they could both see each other clearly. “We both know she won’t be satisfied with you in the long term.” William simply stared at him, his eyes narrowing as his hands tightened on the reins.
“Now, we both know that if you stay in the neighbourhood, things are bound to continue between the two of you. I can’t allow you to stand in the way of my future any longer, Mr Randel. Therefore, I’m offering to pay you ten thousand pounds a year for the next three years. You’ll take your father and move to town, where he’ll get the medical attention he needs. And with your new fortune, I’m sure it won’t be hard to find a new woman.”
William couldn’t believe his ears. Was this man really
willing to pay him to leave Caroline alone for the rest of his life? And with that sum of money, he knew he could not only get his father the treatments he needed, but he could finally become the man that Caroline deserved. William looked from Lord Canton to the carriage, wishing Caroline was close by so he could tell her his plan. Instead, he’d have to find a way of getting a note to her to explain his decision.
“How do I know you’ll be a man of your word? That you’ll not only pay the amount you have suggested, but will also make sure my father gets the best care possible?” William asked, feeling a heavy blanket of guilt settling over him.
“As long as you keep up your end of the bargain, so will I. I’ll not only make sure that your father is cared for, but that Miss Caroline will have everything she needs in her married life.” William looked at him, feeling sick to his stomach for allowing this man a chance at marrying Caroline. He felt better with the knowledge of Caroline marrying someone she actually cared about. But the thought of Caroline being stuck with this conniving man for the rest of her life didn’t settle well with him.
“Fine. I return to my home this night and will be on the move in the morning if your payment is received, along with a letter of recommendation for your doctor,” William said, ready to race away into the night and put into plan his new ideas to win Caroline’s hand in marriage.
“Pleasure doing business with you, Mr Randel. Have yourself a good night,” Lord Canton said with a dip of his head before he turned with the lantern in hand and walked towards the carriage. Silently, William hoped that Caroline would wait for him, even if it took years for him to put himself into a position to marry her and gain her father’s respect.
Turning the mare around, he flicked the reins and made his way back home. He missed Caroline’s arms around him, the hope she gave him that they could accomplish anything together. And now, he’d let her down. Both him and Lord Canton knew that he couldn’t care for Caroline like she needed. But if Lord Canton was really going to pay him such a fortune each year, then he’d really have to make good use of it.
After all, one day he would need to make this night up to Caroline and prove his love to her.
~*~
Caroline felt numb as the carriage rolled down the road towards her father’s estate. A lantern hung in the carriage, rocking back and forth with the carriage and casting shadows all around. Thankfully, Lord Canton didn’t offer to speak with her. It was already so late that Caroline couldn’t will herself to say anything to the man.
She knew that deep down she should be angry with him, but at the moment all she could muster up was a complete lack of emotions. She was still surprised by William’s actions and couldn’t really wrap her mind around his choices. Just moments ago, they had been on their way to be married, to throw all caution to the wind. And now, she was being returned to her home by a man she’d refused that night.
Caroline couldn’t cry, couldn’t fight, couldn’t think of anything besides what her father was going to say to her when Lord Canton’s carriage arrived. What would happen? What would Lord Canton explain to her father? What would her father to do her with this knowledge? Yet, even with all these thoughts running through her mind, she felt nothing. No fear. No anxiety.
All she knew was that she wasn’t with William, wasn’t going to be with him forever, leaving her with a future that was completely unknown to her. And as she looked across the carriage at Lord Canton, who was smiling at her, she knew she didn’t want a man like him in her future.
When the carriage came to a stop in front of her home, Caroline simply waited for something to happen. For her father to come out of the house, yelling and screaming at her. For Lord Canton to drag her into the house to confess all her sins and intentions for the night. But for the longest time, the carriage door remained closed and Lord Canton simply stared at her.
“What are you waiting for me to do?” she eventually asked him, the last of her energy seeming to sizzle within her body.
“Mr Randel and I came to an agreement. We both know you deserve a life better than what he can provide you,” Lord Canton said, leaning back against the carriage seat. “And eventually, my dear, you’re going to realize that I’m the best thing for your future.”
“So, is that what you’re waiting for? For me to accept your marriage proposal?” she asked, raising her chin in defiance.
“No. I am a very patient man, Miss Caroline. I do love to plan and scheme. So, for tonight, you’ll return to your bedchamber as quietly as you did leave it. I will not tell your father of this night. In return, I only ask for your company.”
Caroline eyed him, wondering what plot he was already forming in his mind. “And if I refuse?” she asked, ready to find refuge in her bedchamber once more. After all, the likelihood of William coming for her now seemed rather slim.
“Then I will not only inform your parents, but I will also write to the papers. Your good name will be ruined, and your father’s business affairs will suffer greatly because of it,” Lord Canton said in a dark voice, as though growling out the words. A shiver ran across Caroline’s skin then, reminding her that she was wearing nothing but a gown and that the night’s cold had started to seep into the carriage.
“You won’t be able to hold this blackmail against me forever,” Caroline retorted, wanting this man to see that she was not afraid of him.
Lord Canton shrugged his shoulders, a smirk coming to his face. “I’m already waiting for my father to die or will the Earldom to me. Therefore, I have all the time in the world to play these games.”
“Then why me? Why don’t you marry a woman who actually wants you?”
“Where would the fun be in that? You are not only beautiful, but bold. I will enjoy my time breaking you slowly, until you realize I’m your only hope in the world for a normal life.”
Caroline could take no more of this cruel man’s words. She quickly opened the carriage door herself and stepped down without any help from the footmen. She didn’t turn back or try to look at Lord Canton as she ran up the stone stairs of the manor and pushed open the front door very quietly. Once the door was securely closed behind her, she stood there for a moment, simply listening to the silence of the house. All she could hear was the grandfather clock ticking in the hallway.
Very slowly, Caroline made her way back to her bedchamber. She was exhausted and felt completely defeated. William had let her go in the end without a parting word or kiss. Had she been deceived this whole time? Had he ever really loved her like he’d always confessed? Caroline was so unsure of what was real anymore that she knew that it would be a long time before she ever allowed herself to love again.
After a time, Caroline reached her bedchamber and dressed in a nightgown. She knew she should sleep but wasn’t sure if she’d actually be able to do so. Instead, she sat down at her writing desk by the window and propped her elbows upon it, resting her head in her hands in a very unladylike fashion as she stared out into the night.
Eventually, the night began to lighten as the first rays of the morning sun stung the horizon. It was so subtle that at first Caroline didn’t realize that morning was coming for she simply stared into the space before her, not really thinking or feeling anything.
It was only when she noticed a creature galloping across the lawn that she seemed to stir. Her mare was making its way alone back to the stables, as the noble beast was trained to do if ever it lost its rider. Caroline slowly got up from her chair to get a better look at the graceful horse, confused and curious to know what had happened to William. As the mare darted into the stables, Caroline made haste to put on her house robe and riding boots before making her way back downstairs.
As she went, she could hear the stirring of all the servants. Yet, she did not care. In the days to come, there would be plenty of rumours about her amongst them. They would gossip about why she’d refused Lord Canton, the reason behind why William was fired, followed by why she was spotted so early in the morning with her horse in the s
tables, dressed in nothing but a nightgown and house robe.
She was starting to suspect that she was becoming quite scandalous, and since servants often gossiped with other servants, her reputation in the neighbourhood would take some time to mind. But all of these thoughts were problems for the future. Right now, Caroline only cared about inspecting her mare.
A Lady's Passion Knows No Distance: A Historical Regency Romance Book Page 7