The girl blushed, and Lilith’s eyes widened. How embarrassing! If Walter had asked, that would be one thing, but to force them into a dance? She was mortified.
Walter smiled politely. “You read my mind. May I, my lady?”
How no one could hear her gulp, she did not know.
“I’m afraid my card is full, my lord.” It was true.
Drake was not to be outmaneuvered. “Give him Seb’s dance. Since the old goat won’t be here, it’s only fair.”
“Oh, yes,” she said absently with a nervous laugh. “I had quite forgotten. Sebastian’s dance. Yes. The third set is yours, my lord.”
Walter nodded then turned to Drake. “Where’s Roddam this evening?”
“You’ve not heard? Blimey. Lizzie surprised him this morning with an heir!”
Walter snapped to attention. “By Jove. I was called from town. Returned barely in time for the ball. Is she well? Is the babe well? Not to speak indelicately, but isn’t the news coming early?”
Miss Pamela’s face could not be redder. Lilith thought of her rather like a child at the grown-up table. But that was unfair to the girl.
Before either Drake or Lilith could answer, Hazel and Charlotte appeared. The conversation continued, but not for long until her next partner sought her for the second set. She had come face-to-face with him and survived. How flushed she must look!
The second dance flew by in a swirl of color. Her partner engaged her in conversation through the whole of it, but she could not recall afterwards what had been said. Her full attention was on the third set to come. Did she dare ask him his relationship with Miss Pamela? That would be rude. But did she dare? How would she know how to proceed if she did not ask?
And suddenly, he was approaching her, his hand held out for hers, ready for his set.
Walter led her to the center with the other dancers. He did not smile. She searched his eyes for answers but found them veiled. With a deep breath, she launched into the dance.
They moved silently, never taking their eyes from each other. Even when separated and paired with others, their eyes remained locked. Her body tingled with that continued awareness of him.
The first dance of the set ended.
“It’s remarkably warm, don’t you think? Could I tempt you for a walk in the garden?” he asked.
Her heart pounded with such ferocity, she could not hear herself answer, though she must have said yes, for he escorted her to the terrace doors. The London night air was just as muggy as the ballroom, but she was glad to be outside.
The terrace and garden beyond were well lit with colorful lanterns that danced rainbows on the cobbled paths. Both areas were populated with couples and groups. Walter directed her to the garden. They walked in silence, her hand on his sleeve. Even through the layers of shirt, coat, and gloves, she was aware of the silk of his skin beneath, recalling vividly how those arms had embraced her.
The path took them past other couples, some with chaperones, some without, all with courteous nods in their direction, until they came to a secluded snug surrounded by marble statues. Walter leaned his back against one of the statues and stared at her. What could she do but stare back?
She had been away from him longer than she had known him, and yet, now that she was with him again, she could not imagine how she had survived for so long without him. He was the air she breathed. And how ridiculous was that thought?
Before she could stop herself, the words spilled out. “Am I to wish you happy?”
Even in the dull lantern light, she could see him frown.
“Miss Pamela?” he asked rhetorically. “I’ve not yet solicited her hand, if that’s what you mean.”
Yet.
He had not yet solicited her hand.
Lilith’s heart landed somewhere at her feet. Was this how he had felt when she rejected him? If so, she did not deserve his forgiveness. But how was she to survive this evening without collapsing into sorrow? No, no, she would not think like this. She refused to think like this. Yet meant she had a chance. However slim, she could win his heart from the girl.
“You’re well, then?” she asked, wishing she could take it back and ask something else. What an inane question. Love was not won with such insipidness.
“I am,” he answered just as inanely. “And you? I’m shocked to see you here. I thought you were in Allshire, living a quiet but contented life.”
His words came as a surprise. She had assumed someone told him her whereabouts, especially given the time she spent with Hazel since arriving to town. But then, no one had talked about him to her, either.
“No, I moved to Roddam Hall in autumn. Had it not been for Harriette, I might never have made the leap, but I did.”
He clapped his hands together, startling her. “That’s how I know her! From the Allshire church!”
Lilith was confused but only briefly. Blast! In her nervousness, she had let Harriette’s name slip. Of course, he would now make the connection between his new headmistress and Lilith.
She was glad for the darkness so he could not see her flush.
“You encouraged her to apply, I assume?” he asked. “You know about the orphanage, then?”
“I do, yes. I’m proud of you.”
His voice lowered almost to a whisper “Are you?”
Unsure how to answer without embarrassing herself further, she remained silent.
“How’s Jasper?” he asked at length.
She laughed softly. “Spoiled. He has his own valet, if that’s not the most absurd thing for a dog to have. You would hardly recognize him. He’s the size of a small pony and can no longer fit on my lap, though he’s not above trying.”
Walter chuckled. He reached a hand up to rub the back of his neck. The mannerism was so familiar, she ached with longing.
“And Liz is well? Be honest.” Under his breath, he added, “I had wondered if you would accompany her. She should not have come in her condition.”
“You know how stubborn she can be. And yes, she’s well. It would mean the world to her if you called on her soon.”
He nodded, his eyes trained on her.
“Your dance card is full,” he said.
“Yes, yes, it is.”
He laughed awkwardly. “Anyone special you have your eye on? Mr. Kellens is a good-looking chap, I suppose, as far as fellows go.”
Who was—oh! Her dance partner for the second set. So distracted by Walter, she had not paid the man any attention, even to the point of forgetting his name.
“Well, now that you ask, someone has caught my eye,” she said.
Why in heaven did she say that? Flirting was not one of her strong suits, as evidenced by this botched attempt. It was too late to retract it now.
“Ah, yes, I suspected.” Walter crossed his arms over his chest and dropped his gaze to the ground. “You’ve been well received it seems. It’s not surprising you have suitors.”
“No, you misunderstand. I have my eye on him. He’s not courting me. I’m not sure he’ll have me, to be honest.” She wished she could see him better, but the lighting was too poor. Simultaneously, she was glad for the shadows in which to hide.
“He’d be daft not to have you. If you’ve set your cap at him, all you have to do is smile, and he’ll be yours.”
She bit her bottom lip. This was hopeful indeed!
But then it went terribly wrong.
Pushing himself against the statue, he stormed past her. “But I’ll be damned if I’m going to stand by and watch. If you’ll excuse me.” He turned to leave.
Oh dear, oh dear.
“Walter, Wait!”
Without thinking, she grabbed his arm.
When he turned, his expression dark and sinister, she reached up to capture his face between her hands. Before he could move away, she kissed him. She met his
lips with an open mouth, desperate for him to know how sorry she was for hurting him. All that happened in their absence needed to happen for them to be together, but she was deeply sorry at how she had gone about it.
In her kiss, she poured all the love she had to offer, willing him to accept her and forgive her and love her.
At first, he was passive, allowing her to kiss him. Then his hands found her hips, and his tongue found hers, and he was an active participant, pulling her against him in a tight embrace. She was wrapped in his arms, home.
When they parted, it was a slow release, neither wanting to let go.
“After all your hard work to enter Society, you’re going to compromise us both and cause a scandal anyway.” He said this with a laugh, but she knew he was serious.
They stepped away from each other but stayed connected by an invisible string, or so it felt to her.
“Just to be clear,” he said, “am I the one you have your eye on, or is there someone else?”
“Of course, it’s you. It’s always been you and forever will be. But what about Miss Pamela?”
“She’s sweet, but I’m not courting her. How can I when I’m in love with you?”
“Oh, Walter.” She worried she was to be a watering pot after all. Clearing her throat of the mounting tears, she said, “Well, it’s a good thing, then, because we’re to be neighbors. It would have been dreadfully awkward otherwise.”
“Neighbors? I’m afraid you’ll have to explain.”
“I purchased the property next to Colling Orphanage. I knew it was a gamble, but the location was divine. The estate is in disrepair, but there’s a wonderful row of laborer cottages on the property that will be perfect for what I have planned. It was horribly high priced, but Sebastian’s solicitor was able to haggle. Impoverished gents are apparently easy to persuade.”
She was rambling. She knew it, but she could not stop herself. Words tumbled out in her excitement. It had been so long since they had last spoken.
“You bought that property? For what? I had my eye on it! I feel cheated. You snagged it right out from under my nose! What could you possibly want with it?”
With a giggle, Lilith said, “I’m not the least sorry. But before I tell you my plan, I want to ensure you want me for more than my brilliance.”
If she did not act now, she would lose her nerve.
Taking his hand in hers, she asked, “Walter Hobbs, would you do me the honor of making me the happiest of women by marrying me?”
The silence that followed set her heart pounding anew.
This was too soon. She should have waited. She should have renewed the friendship first. She should have waited for him to renew his proposal. This was not how it was done!
“You’ve made me so proud,” she said, filling the silence, “by following through with all your plans. Let me make you proud too. Let me prove to you how fit I am to be a baron’s wife, never to embarrass you. I’ve been training, you see. And I—”
“Lilith,” he said, cupping her cheek in his gloved hand. “Oh, Lilith. You needn’t persuade me. You were fit to be a baron’s wife even in your hand-sewn dresses. You could walk about London in a sack, and you’d still turn my head and make me proud. You have nothing to prove. You’re a stunning woman inside and out. I only hope I’m worthy of you.”
When she made to speak, he pressed a finger to her lips. “If you’re certain you’ll have me, then yes. Yes, I’ll marry you. A thousand times over, I’ll marry you.”
Walter sealed the declaration with a kiss.
Epilogue
July 1792
The Season ended with a flurry of activity. After accepting Lilith’s proposal, however unusual it was for a woman to propose to a man, Walter publicly courted her for two weeks before announcing their betrothal at Mrs. Putnam’s soirée, an event that raised the woman’s status in Society to near celebrity.
During the courtship, he was seen taking Lilith to the opera, sending her flowers, escorting her to the park alongside the Duke and Duchess of Annick, and walking with her and his mother through the pleasure gardens. He knew how hard she worked to avoid any sniff of scandal, while his own behavior in Allshire had been deplorable. It was a wonder the gossip of that botched courtship had not made it to London drawing rooms. He wanted all on the up-and-up this time.
After three weeks of banns, an announcement in the paper, and a betrothal ball, Lilith and Walter wed at St. George’s in Hanover Square, an event followed by a wedding breakfast in which a hefty portion of the beau monde was invited and subsequently attended.
Throughout the breakfast, she wove fanciful tales for the guests’ amusement of her time at the orphanage and her discovery of her identity. She had whispered to him later that she discovered her identity alright—a woman capable of any feat. The most remarkable, in his opinion, was that all through the breakfast, she had smiled, and the whole world smiled back.
During their wedding night, a sacred memory to him, she had given a pretty speech before he had swept her into his arms to make love to her until the candle snuffed out, not that the absence of light kept him from another round after a brief doze.
With her cropped hair fanning about her shoulders, dressed in a deliciously short, lace and silk nightdress, she had said to him between sips of wine, “I am proud of who I am, I’ll have you know. I owe it to my mother who risked all to raise me as her own. I owe it to my other mother who risked all to birth me, keep me, and then save me before her death. I owe it to my brother who suffered unspeakable horrors because of my supposed death. I owe it to Lizbeth who searched high and low for me to save Sebastian from the depths of despair. I owe it to you for loving me as I am. And I owe it to myself. I am happy. Not contented, mind. Happy. Deliriously so. Maybe it’s not fashionable to appear happy, but I want the world to know my love for you and my love for life.”
He listened with raised brows and a tapping foot, eager to get on with the undressing. There was no doubt in his mind she was happy, though she could not possibly be happier than he.
Ah, but his attention should be on the present, not the past. He stood at Lilith’s side under the bright rays of the sun, toasting to the grand opening of both Colling Orphanage and Noach Cottage, the joint effort of Baron and Baroness Collingwood.
Annick raised his arms, twirled his baton dramatically, and cued the symphony into action. The music had been written by the duke especially for the event.
There was a small crowd invited to celebrate, but no less special. A few guests made it from London, a few more from his barony, and most importantly, his family.
Lizbeth, cradling her son, stood with Hazel and Mr. Trethow, pointing to the soon-to-be foundling hospital.
Roddam walked over, a bright-eyed Freya perched on his hip.
Shaking Walter’s hand, he said, “Well done, Collingwood. Well done. You’re setting a new precedence for the care of society’s unwanted. May the world take notice.”
Freya, dressed in a fashionable baby bonnet and matching poppy-red dress, clapped her hands in approval.
Walter turned to his wife only to realize she was no longer by his side.
Ah. There, frolicking in the most unladylike manner alongside Jasper, was his wife. With a quick bow to Roddam, he hurried after her.
The next evening, while snuggling post-coitus in the lord’s chamber at Trelowen, he propped himself on an elbow and looked down at her.
“Well, my love? How do you like it?” he asked, running his finger down the length of her nose.
“Hmm. Maybe we should do it again so I know how to assess it properly.”
He threw back his head and laughed. “I meant Trelowen, silly goose! How do you like your new home?”
“Oh!” She blushed. “It’s perfect. I loved it at first sight. If I had come last year, I would have thought it too grand. After Roddam Hall, this home
is the perfect size. And the garden, Walter! Oh, the garden.” Leaning her cheek against his chest, she sighed.
“If you’re good, I’ll let you help me work a quarter of the herb garden.”
“If I’m—a quarter! Of all the—” She harrumphed indignantly.
With a kiss to the tip of her nose, he said, “And if your herbs grow faster than mine, I’ll reward you with a kiss at the top of the Yew tree.”
She huffed, grumbling about unfair advantage that he sowed his herbs earlier in the year.
“I have a better idea,” he said. “How about a honeymoon to that cottage by the sea?”
“You remembered my dream!” she said, nuzzling against him.
Running his fingers through her hair, he confessed, “Actually, I was thinking about how much I want to make love to you against the backdrop of the ocean.”
“Mmm. I like this idea. And Jasper can come?”
Walter nodded, imagining with chagrin the frequency with which the spoiled pup would interrupt their love making.
“Now we know what it’s like to live happily ever after,” he said.
“Happy for now at least,” she argued.
“Nonsense. Envision the big picture, my love. It’s happy forever because no matter what adversity we face, no matter what disagreement we have, no matter what hardships, we’ll have each other and weather the storm together.”
She rolled onto her side and wrapped a bare leg over his hip.
“You’re right, of course. Happy ever after, then. But first, show me the big picture of how much we belong together.”
With a chuckle, he rolled onto his back, pulling her with him.
A Note from the Author
Dear Reader,
Thank you for purchasing and reading this book. Supporting indie writers who brave self-publishing is important and appreciated. I hope you’ll continue reading my novels, as I have many more titles to come, including the continuation of this series.
I humbly request you review this book on Amazon with an honest opinion. Reviewing elsewhere is additionally much appreciated.
The Baron and The Enchantress (An Enchantress Novel Book 3) Page 41