All That I Am: A Victorian Historical Romance (The Hesitant Husbands Series Book 1)
Page 13
His expression softened. “Oh, yes.” Aidan sighed again. “But then she pushed me away. Said she's afraid of liking me too much, and that she doesn't want to hurt me.”
“Hurt you?”
“Yes. She said she couldn't bear to lose me because of her past…she wants to let it be so I can remember her just as she is.”
“Deuced odd. What could she possibly be hiding that would make you not want to speak to her again?”
“I haven't any idea, and it's been bothering me for weeks.” He rubbed his chin. “She's terrified of men—”
“Obviously, given her reaction to me.”
Aidan grinned. “Nursing a little wounded pride, my friend? Not used to women ducking into the nearest doorway to avoid you?”
“She was terrified of you when you two met,” Gavin pointed out.
“True. But she's not afraid of Tibbs. It seems to be more on the level of men in positions of authority. Do you think it might be possible that she worked for someone who…mistreated her? I've known a few men who have taken, shall we say, certain liberties, with the females in their employ. Do you think it possible that she ran away to break free from an abhorrent situation?”
“That would explain why she hasn't been forthcoming with information about her past. She doesn't want to be found. But we've all heard stories like that before. Is she really that naive to think she'd lose your good opinion because she's not innocent?”
“It does sound ridiculous, but who knows what's going on in her head?”
“She's well-educated, Aidan. She hasn't been a servant all her life. How do you explain that?”
“I can't. That's the missing piece of the puzzle, I'm sure of it.” He shoved off his desk and moved to look out at the darkened street. “If I could just get her to trust me…if she’d tell me the truth, maybe I could help her. I can’t bear the thought of her going back to…well, to the way I found her.”
“Agreed. But what are we to do if she won’t let us help?”
A knock sounded at the door. “Enter,” Aidan called.
Mary slipped in and bobbed a curtsy. “Beggin’ your pardon, my lord, I’ve no wish to disturb you, but…”
“What is it, Mary? Is Miss Townsend unwell?”
“No, my lord…well, not exactly.” She wrung her hands. “Miss Townsend told me not to tell anyone, and I’m good at keeping secrets, but I thought you should know…”
“Go on, Mary. Please tell me what’s wrong.”
“I think Miss Townsend might be in danger.”
The two men exchanged glances. “What makes you say that?” Aidan asked.
“She has a friend who’s gone missing. Someone who was supposed to meet her the night of your accident. Miss Townsend asked me to inquire about her at the markets when I went out, but no one has heard from her.” Mary shifted nervously from foot to foot. “And then I found this.” She handed Aidan a folded note.
“I know who you are.” He scowled at the note. “What the devil?”
Gavin took it from him. “Well, this would explain her sudden desire to leave.”
“Mary, I’ll need her friend’s name.”
“Betsy Clarke, my lord.”
“Thank you, Mary. You did the right thing in telling me. But let’s keep this conversation between, us, shall we? No need to upset Miss Townsend further.”
“I agree, sir. Thank you. Good night.”
“Good night.”
She left and Aidan turned to Gavin. “Well. This is an interesting turn of events.”
“I should say so. What are you going to do?”
“I think it’s time to pay a visit to my old friend, Blake.”
“The inquiry agent?”
“The very same. We need to find Betsy Clarke as soon as possible. If Elizabeth believes her friend is in danger, then I believe that means Elizabeth is, too. If we can find Betsy, perhaps we can help Elizabeth.”
“She is going to be furious with you for interfering, you know.”
“I know. And I don’t care. She can be angry at me all she likes, so long as she’s safe.”
“Well then, here’s to hoping Blake can find a missing person.” He swallowed the last of his brandy and stood to go. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” He paused at the door and turned back to Aidan. “You do realize you are falling in love with her, don’t you?”
Aidan looked steadily back at him but said nothing. Gavin nodded once and left.
Aidan closed his eyes and heaved a heavy sigh.
“Damn.”
Chapter 20
They arrived at the Everetts’ precisely fifteen minutes after seven o'clock. The Everett home was beautiful, and much larger than most townhouses. It had been built long before the others had moved in, and therefore was spacious and had a lovely plot of land in the back, perfect for afternoon teas outside. Louisa had yet to put her stamp on the house, as she'd only had a week, but it was tastefully decorated and surprisingly cozy inside.
They were shown upstairs to the drawing room, where Louisa rushed forth to welcome them. “Forgive me for not meeting you at the door myself. Miss Hastings had just arrived and I was escorting her. Ladies, you look splendid!”
Lainey was wearing a dinner gown of deep green trimmed at the cuffs and neckline with delicate blonde lace, while Elizabeth was heart-stopping in sapphire blue that matched her eyes exactly and black jet beading that complemented her dark hair and ivory skin. If Louisa recognized the gown as Lainey’s, she said nothing. Instead, she turned to acknowledge the ladies’ escorts. “How nice to see you, Mr. Mayfield. So glad you could join us.”
“I thank you for the invitation, Mrs. Everett. Congratulations on your recent marriage. I'm sorry I could not attend,” Gavin smiled, giving her a polite bow.
“We did miss you…though there was enough excitement to keep us distracted,” she added wryly, glancing at Aidan as he bowed over her hand.
“You look radiant this evening, Mrs. Everett,” Aidan purred. “I've always liked burgundy on brunettes.”
“You've always liked brunettes,” she teased.
He grinned and acquiesced, sending a sideways glance at Elizabeth. “Can you blame me?”
Elizabeth blushed furiously and looked away.
“Come now, Aidan. Stop being such a flirt,” Lainey admonished. She sighed and turned to Elizabeth. “It's going to be a long night. I'm afraid I can already feel the charm beginning to ooze.”
“Oh, hush, my dear!” Aidan capitulated, laughing. “Gavin, please keep your companion under control!”
“She’s your sister!”
They all laughed and Louisa excused herself to greet more guests. Aidan took Elizabeth by the arm and led her off to introduce her to some of his friends. He left Lainey and Gavin on their own to mingle, more so to spare Elizabeth than anything else. She was incredibly nervous, most inexplicably every time Gavin went near her. She steadfastly avoided him every time he was in the same room, and though Gavin had made every attempt at conversing with her, she practically fled every time he approached. She insisted nothing was wrong and that Gavin was a perfectly nice gentleman, yet she avoided him as if he were diseased.
He introduced Elizabeth around the room, then showed her over to a small group standing by the window. They greeted Anne Hastings, Lainey’s best friend whom Elizabeth had met at tea, and then a young man with red hair and an amiable face turned to address Aidan.
“Ashby! Good to see you, my friend.”
“You as well,” Aidan returned, shaking hands. “Miss Elizabeth Townsend, may I present to you Donovan MacKavoy? Mr. MacKavoy, Miss Townsend.”
“A pleasure to meet you, Miss Townsend.”
Elizabeth was standing frozen, staring at Donovan with her mouth hanging open slightly. It was almost as if she'd seen a ghost. Aidan touched her elbow.
“Elizabeth, is everything all right?”
Elizabeth shook her head and snapped to her senses. “Forgive me, sir. The pleasure is mine. I just wasn't expecti
ng…MacKavoy, did you say?”
“Yes, that's right.”
“Are you, by chance, any relation to Daniel MacKavoy?”
“Yes, ma'am. He was my grandfather. Did you know him?”
“No. He was an old friend of my father’s. He was the reason I came to London in the first place, but he had passed on before I arrived.”
Aidan tried to hide his surprise…to discover that her family had known Daniel MacKavoy was startling. Even more shocking was the fact that she had offered the information without any hesitation. If Donovan was taken aback, he didn't show it.
“I'm sorry you didn't get the chance to meet him. He was a wonderful man. Did you have business with him?”
“I'm not really sure. I know that sounds strange, but I was young at the time and didn't know the whole story. Apparently my father was planning to bring my mother and me to visit him, but they were killed before he had the chance. So I arrived by myself, but I was refused at the door. I believe perhaps he had just passed on and the butler couldn’t imagine what business a child would have had with him anyway.”
“Ah, that would have been Winston. Stuffy old bird, mean as the day is long. I was terrified of him as a child and never happier than when he retired. I’m sorry for your loss, Miss Townsend, and your great misfortune. You must have been very young, indeed.”
Elizabeth was spared having to answer because dinner was announced just then. William approached Elizabeth and offered her his arm.
“Miss Townsend, as the guest of honor this evening, may I escort you down to dinner?”
Elizabeth smiled and slipped her arm through William's, while Aidan paired with Louisa. His mind was reeling. Her family knew the MacKavoys? Had her parents been killed in an accident? And why would she come to London on her own instead of turning to family? It didn’t make sense.
And the fact that she had just blithely offered up information to Donovan that he’d been begging for since he met her really stuck in his craw. Could it be that she no longer felt she needed to hide her past because she was leaving tomorrow?
Aidan’s chest tightened at the very thought.
The dining room was comfortably sized to seat twelve, and Elizabeth had never seen such a fancy table in her life. It was covered with an ivory damask tablecloth, in the center of which sat a glorious crystal work of art in the form of a pair of swans, and crystal candle holders that held beeswax candles. Huge bowls of fresh flowers marched their way down the center of the table so that everyone had something pretty to look at while they ate. The china place settings practically glowed in the candlelight and were flanked by more utensils than Elizabeth knew what to do with, plus a bill of fare to the left of every place. It was quite a pleasing effect overall, and Elizabeth could hardly believe that this had been done on her account. She was seated on William's right, with Marcus Walker, Viscount Thorpe, next to her. Across from her was Louisa, next to Aidan, then Anne and Gavin. Next to Lord Thorpe sat Lainey, then Donovan. Anne’s brother, Maxwell, completed the party.
They were seated, and a silent footman brought out the soup. Conversation began to flow as easily as the wine, and before long it turned to the night Elizabeth had saved Aidan's life.
“Do tell us, Miss Townsend,” Anne said, “How did you ever find the courage to rush in front of a speeding carriage?” She, of course, already knew the story, but she wanted everyone to hear it.
“Yes, how did you manage to knock our boys off their feet?” Donovan grinned.
Elizabeth blushed and glanced at Aidan. “I don't think I was very courageous, Miss Hastings. I wasn't even thinking, I just reacted. And I'm sure desperation had everything to do with my strength, Mr. MacKavoy.”
“Well, I for one, am very grateful to you,” he returned. “You can't imagine what a scene it was when I came out of the club. I've never felt so helpless in my life.”
Until that moment, Elizabeth hadn't realized that she had probably caused quite a ruckus. There had been few people about when the accident had happened, but obviously, she had no idea what had happened after she was knocked unconscious. “I gather I attracted some attention,” Elizabeth said wryly.
“That would be a bit of an understatement,” he agreed.
“Oh, dear,” was all Elizabeth could think of to say. She was horribly embarrassed at the thought of all those people gawking at her lying on the cobblestones. She was even more embarrassed that she had caused such a scene for Aidan.
“Don't worry, Miss Townsend,” Anne reassured her. “You are viewed as quite the heroine. As a matter of fact, several of my friends were quite jealous to learn that I would be dining with you this evening.”
“Really?” Elizabeth was doubtful.
“See, sweetheart?” Aidan said, grinning. “People are clamoring to meet you. Imagine that.”
Elizabeth’s heart caught in her throat. She glanced around the table to see if anyone had noticed the term of endearment Aidan had let slip. William Everett raised his eyebrow at Elizabeth and hid his amused smile behind his wineglass. Further down the table, Donovan snickered. Clearly, it had not been missed. Thankfully, Louisa was there to set things right.
“I'm sure Miss Townsend will tell us all the details you wish after dinner. Shame on you, Mr. MacKavoy, for putting her on the spot like that,” she admonished good-naturedly. “Let the poor girl enjoy her dinner.”
Elizabeth shot Louisa a grateful look, and dinner continued with the conversation turning to a different vein. Before Elizabeth knew it, an hour had passed and dessert was on the table in front of her. She could scarcely believe the chocolate confection before her, and it tasted as heavenly as it looked. She was enjoying herself immensely, so much so that when Louisa suggested that the ladies should retire to the drawing room to allow the gentleman to enjoy a glass of port, she went without even a backward glance at Aidan.
As soon as the women were gone, all eyes turned to Aidan. His gaze shifted suspiciously from one man to another. “What?” he said flatly. He didn't like the way they were looking at him.
“She's quite charming,” Donovan said, casually leaning back in his chair and pinning Aidan with a pointed look.
“I'd have to agree,” Maxwell Hastings chimed in. “Though I'm not sure what surprises me more—the fact that she's such a delight, or the fact that you are so obviously delighted by her.”
“What the devil is that supposed to mean?” Aidan demanded. He was met with amused glances and silence. He turned and shot a dark look at Gavin. “What nonsense have you been spreading about?”
“Me? Aidan, you haven't taken your eyes off of her all evening! What are we supposed to think?”
“Yes, Ash. He's not the one who called her ‘sweetheart’.” Will was grinning from ear to ear. He swirled his port and pretended to study it while he voiced his next thoughts. “Correct me if I'm wrong, but I do believe that on the eve of my wedding, you stated quite clearly—in front of all those currently present, I might add—that if we could find you a woman who had a sharp mind and a sharper wit, you would marry her on the spot.”
“I don't remember saying that.”
“I remember it.” Donovan grinned. “And I believe Miss Townsend qualifies.”
Aidan was incredulous. “You must be joking.”
“I'm afraid not, my friend,” Will said. “We're just trying to help you out.”
Aidan snorted. “This is absurd.”
“Why?” Maxwell Hastings said. “She's a lovely girl. She's smart, funny, and…refreshing. I'd say she suits you quite well.”
Will leaned forward. “There’s a lightness to you now that we haven’t seen in years. She’s obviously the reason.”
Aidan stared at his friends. “Have you all lost your minds?”
“Oh, come now, Ashby,” Donvan scolded. “You can't really believe she wasn't at some point a well-bred lady. Her manners are impeccable and so is her speech. She's not fooling anyone, least of all you, I'm sure. She must have come from somewhere.”
Donovan raised his brows in mock surprise. “Do I hear a note of jealousy in your voice?”
Aidan set his glass down a little too forcefully, and Donovan burst out laughing. It was so rare to be able to tease Aidan about women that they were all taking great advantage of the situation, and he was very well aware of it. He growled at them, causing more outbursts of laughter. He gave Gavin the full brunt of his stare.
“Don't look at me, Aidan. It's obvious you're besotted with her.”
“I'm not—damn you, Mayfield!” Aidan never got flustered, and he was beyond frustrated that he couldn't seem to put a coherent sentence together at the moment. “Miss Townsend is a lovely girl, and yes, I enjoy her company quite a bit. I have no intention, however, of marrying her. I do have a certain obligation to uphold a decent reputation, and the ton, I'm afraid, would not take that news very well.” He left out the real reason he couldn't marry her. But William called his bluff.
“You've never given a damn what society thinks. They can all go hang for all you care.” He leaned forward and studied his friend's face. “Why don’t you tell us the real reason you don’t want to marry her?”
“Because he doesn’t want to love his wife,” Donovan supplied.
“Too late,” Gavin mumbled under his breath. Aidan shot him a withering glance, and then downed the rest of his port.
“Gentlemen, I think we've deprived the ladies of our presence long enough,” he suggested, rising.
Maxwell chuckled. “Coward.”
“That'll be enough out of you, Hastings,” Aidan threatened.
“Darn,” he pouted. “And I was having so much fun.”
Aidan rolled his eyes and strode out of the room, the peals of laughter following him all the way up the stairs.
Chapter 21
Aidan knew by the way the chatter stopped instantly when he appeared in the doorway that the ladies had been having a similar conversation. All four of them looked his way, wearing identical innocent expressions. Heaven and earth. Why had he thought a dinner party was a good idea?