Debutantes Don’t Date

by Kristina O’Grady

  “Lady Harrison has sent some things for you to try on. It’s a pity all your lovely clothes were lost when you arrived. She told Hoskins what happened. It must have been so scary, travelling all that way only to arrive with nothing and nobody. It’s a miracle, that’s what it is, that you’re even here with us today.”

  What had Victoria told them?

  “I was sayin’ to Polly, I was, we’s lucky you’re here, what with the fire aboard the ship and all. Lucky, that’s what I says.”

  There was another knock on the door and another maid came in, again, without Grace telling her to enter.

  “Kamy, Cook needs you in the kitchen.” Once the first maid left the second introduced herself. “I’m Polly, I’m to be your personal maid. If there’s anything you need at all, you just ask me.”

  “Oh. Thank you, Polly, that’s very kind. My name’s Grace. It’s very nice to meet you.”

  “Thank you, miss.” Polly turned towards the wardrobe. “Now, should we get you ready for breakfast?”

  Chapter Six

  It took a while to find him but Robin finally located the man he was looking for in the dark part of London. Gentlemen generally avoided this part of town but if he was ever going to see Bingham’s money he needed to act fast and he couldn’t trust anyone to do it for him; besides, he couldn’t pay anyone to fetch the man he sought and, since losing his money, he’d found his friends to be few and far between.

  Rupert led him down a dark alley away from prying eyes and curious ears. He was beginning to question his own intelligence for following him, when they reached the back of the alley and Rupert focused all his attention on him.

  “You got me money?”

  “Umm no. But I know how to get it.” His eyes drifted to his feet no matter how hard he tried to look the man in the eyes.

  “You dare come ’ere without me money?”

  Robin’s eyes flew to Rupert’s face at the violent outburst.

  “I’s gonna tear ye apart.” Rupert stepped close enough to grab Robin’s collar and Robin closed his eyes, waiting for the impact of Rupert’s fist. “Ye really are a pansy, aren’t ye, boy?”

  Robin cracked one eye open to see Rupert laughing down at him. “I am not a pansy, but seeing as I owe you money and cannot pay it, I was going to take what was coming to me like a man.” Robin stood as tall as he could but gave away his false bravado with a loud sniff. He straightened his jacket and smoothed his hair. His hands were shaking so badly he did more damage to his appearance than good.

  “What’s this grand plan ye have then?”

  “Getting rid of one Miss Grace Lancaster.”

  “Of the Lancasters?”

  “How do you know the Lancasters?”

  “Everyone knows ’em. Ol’ Lord Lancaster has done a lot for us blokes down on the wharf…besides, his son owed me a lot of money,” he added with a smirk.

  The blood drained from Robin’s head and pooled at his feet when he saw the gleam in Rupert’s eyes as he rubbed his hands together. Things had not ended well for Colin Lancaster. “Well, we need to get rid of her. She’s managed to weasel a betrothal out of my sister’s intended. He is the one who owes us the money.”

  “Huh?” Rupert stood staring down at him with a look that Robin couldn’t quite read. “You sure about this, boy? They be no going back, you know? Once it’s done, it’s done.”

  Robin wasn’t a short man himself, but at the moment he felt like one of those little people he saw at the fairs, as he craned his neck to look the other man in the eyes. “That’s exactly what I want; for it to be done. There’s no other way.”

  “Right then, leave it to me, boy, no one will know she ever existed.”

  Robin nodded and turned to go but he paused before he reached the end of the alleyway, Rupert’s last words ringing in his ears.

  “I’ll do this favour for ye for double my normal fee plus another fifty per cent on top of the bill you already owe me; for your stupidity. Now get out of here before I decide to take it out of your hide!”

  Robin fled to the sound of Rupert’s cracking knuckles and his menacing laugh.

  ***

  What was he going to do about Anne? Jasper mulled this over as he walked the two short blocks to his sister’s house. He was glad when she married Neal they didn’t move too far away. He liked to have his family close by. Now he would have a family all of his own when he married Grace…there was a thought.

  And what about Grace? Her lips had glowed and her checks flushed after that wonderful, disastrous kiss they shared. If only Lady Barrett had not seen them. Although if they hadn’t been interrupted he imagined things would have become a lot more heated than they had. Either way he was not sure he would be able to walk away from any lady he’d compromised so thoroughly. There must have been something in the water last night. He’d never behaved that way before. He’d always thought of the consequences before he did anything. Maybe it was a good thing they’d been caught before it had got even more out of control.

  But he worried at her reaction to their conversation in the library. She seemed genuinely distressed when the Duchess arrived. He could have sworn she honestly thought she’d organised the ball herself. Did he believe what the doctor said and accept that her behaviour was due to hitting her head? If that was the case, what about the kiss? Did she even know what they’d done?

  And Lady Anne? He just wished she hadn’t been left wondering where her engagement went. Damn. He’d just passed his destination. Turning sharply on his heel he walked back the way he’d come and stalked up the steps to the door.

  Hoskins opened the door well before he reached the knocker. “Good Morning, my lord. Lady Harrison is in the breakfast room with Miss Lancaster.”

  “Thanks, Hos. I’ll show myself in.”

  ***

  Grace savoured the tangy sweetness of the grapefruit as it slid across her tongue. She was apprehensive about how the food would be and worried that it wouldn’t be very fresh, but this was divine. The fruit had been picked from the conservatory this morning, just for her. Well, not just for her but just for breakfast and Lady Harrison hadn’t touched the other grapefruit on the sideboard, so maybe it was just for her. A small sigh escaped her lips just as Lord Bingham walked into the room. He looked directly at her with an expression in his eyes she couldn’t read and she felt her face flame with a blush. Really, it was not as if she was moaning about him! Her face got hotter with the thought.

  “Jasper! Come and join us, won’t you?” Victoria smiled up at her brother and waved a hand holding her fork at an empty chair at the table.

  “I’ve already breakfasted hours ago, sister dearest. But, I was hoping to steal your companion away for a few moments, if I may.”

  “You may have already had breakfast, my lord, but I have not. You can wait until I am done, thank you very much.” There was no way Grace was leaving her grapefruit, and the eggs looked nice too. Oh, and the bacon. She must go and have another look at what all was on offer. She knew she was putting off what needed to be done and she knew she was being rude to the only person who could help her, but she felt it was the only way she could keep her distance. Besides she needed to talk to Victoria again first.

  “Of course. I will enjoy a coffee while I wait until you are free.”

  Infuriating man! How dare he dismiss her rudeness as if it never happened? And Victoria wanted her to align herself with this man? She might as well get it over with; she’d lost her appetite anyway. She pushed her chair back from the table and winced at the sound it made as it scrapped the tiled floor. “I’m free to see you now, My Lord.”

  Jasper paused in pouring coffee into his cup and raised a brow in her direction. “As you wish. Victoria, may I use your drawing room?”

  “Of course you may.” She smiled at her brother and then turned to Grace. “Remember what I said.”

  As if she could forget.

  Grace followed Lord Bingham down the hallway to the drawing room near the f
ront door. Even after Mrs Walters gave her a tour this morning she was awed at the grandeur of this home. She was amazed it was so clean. Everything sparkled, even the rooms that were so obviously not in use. She couldn’t even keep her one-bedroom apartment this clean. She was so busy gazing at the crystal chandelier, she didn’t notice Lord Bingham stop at the doorway.

  “Ouf.” Strong arms wrapped around her body and his scent invaded her nostrils. Suddenly she was back at the ball and her body melted into his.

  Jasper tightened his arms and planted his feet so he didn’t topple over. He tried to move his hips back so the bundle in his arms wouldn’t feel his sudden desire. She was having none of it. Her prickliness earlier at breakfast melted away and she became the woman who seduced him last night. Her arms wrapped around his neck and her lips begged to be kissed. Well, he was a gentleman after all, and if that was what the lady wanted…

  “I thought you would have more sense than making love in full view of my staff, Bingham. And you miss, if you intend to stay under my roof, you will act with some restraint and decorum.”

  Lord Harrison’s voice had the effect of a bucket of cold water on Grace. She leapt out of Jasper’s arms, tripped on the hem of her borrowed dress and landed soundly on her bottom on the cold marble floor. Tears sprang to her eyes, partly from the pain but mostly from the humiliation of being caught again; and being made to feel like a slut. Good Lord, this whole time-warp was going to take some getting used to. Really, who thought a kiss was an act of sin?

  “You keep this up much longer, Bingham, and you will need to procure a special licence.”

  “Thank you, Neal. I will be sure to heed your advice.” Sarcasm dripped from his lips. “Come, Miss Lancaster, I believe we have a few things to discuss.”

  She was so glad to see the door shut in Lord Harrison’s face that she almost broke out in giggles. She managed to cover them with a cough that lasted so long Jasper stepped towards her to smack her back.

  “Are you quite well? Now then, Grace, I may call you Grace, can I not? I think we are past formalities.” A cheeky smile spread on his face.

  “Of course,” she snorted.

  “Good, call me Jasper.” He raised his hand and almost brushed a wayward strand of hair from her eyes but turned to pace the room instead. “Maybe Neal’s right. Maybe we shouldn’t have a long engagement. There’s really no reason to wait; my family consists of Victoria and you say you no longer have one.” He turned to face her. “What do you say? We get married in a week?”

  “A week?” she squeaked and collapsed into the nearest chair. She couldn’t get married, and certainly not in a week’s time! For the second time in five minutes hysteria set in, but this time instead of laughter there was a body-numbing panic. What if she couldn’t figure out how to get home before then? What if there was no reason that she time-travelled? What if she just disappeared without a trace, anyone she married would be frantic for her. She couldn’t marry someone and then disappear into thin air. But…she couldn’t not marry this man either. As Victoria had pointed out last night, she had no other option. Victoria’s evil husband would just as soon throw her out of his house on her ass as look after her. If it wasn’t for Victoria and Jasper’s protection, what would become of her? Would she end up on the street? It was not as if event managers were in high demand in the 1800s was it? She knew if she didn’t at least pretend to be engaged to Jasper, Victoria wouldn’t be able to protect her and Jasper wouldn’t want to. She would be out on her ear in no time. Oh God, she would have to become a prostitute. The thought of selling her body to the unwashed men of this time made her skin crawl. Eww, yuck.

  Jasper watched as the panic filled her wide eyes. Her face became so pale he was afraid she might faint. Surely the thought of marrying him wasn’t that bad? He knew of several women who’d sell their souls to become the next Countess of Bingham. “Are you perfectly well?” he asked.

  Grace shook herself out of her daydream, looked him in the eye and opened her mouth to accept…nothing came out.

  “Come.” Jasper pulled her to her feet and led her over to the sofa, gently pushed her down and sat next to her. He rubbed her hands briskly in between his to try to get some blood flowing. “Grace, Grace, are you feeling better now?” At the slightest nod of her head Jasper continued. “If getting married to me is scaring you, you need not worry. I will look after you. I’m very well off you know, you will never want for anything and I will never hurt you. Grace, are you listening to me? I know you were confused last night after you hit your head, but surely you feel better now. I’m sorry if you don’t remember the event that caused us to get in this situation to begin with, but going by our reaction to each other, I believe we’ll get along very well together.”

  Grace marvelled at how sweet he looked sitting next to her. His eyes were filled with concern as he continued to rub her hands. He was going to rub the skin right off if she didn’t respond soon. She took a deep breath, looked him in the eyes again and crushed his ego. “I am honoured you would ask me to marry you, I really am. But I can’t marry you. Not because I don’t think that you are a good man, but we just met. I don’t want to rush into anything.”

  “Rush anything?” Jasper jumped off the sofa to his feet and frowned down at her, his hands on his hips. “Every time we are in the same room as each other we are rushing it! If we rush it any more, you are going to be with child!” The last point he punctuated with flailing hand gestures.

  Grace calmly got to her feet. She didn’t like being looked down on, even if she was vertically challenged. “Don’t be ridiculous. We need to have sex before we can make a baby. And we certainly haven’t done that yet, have we?”

  “S…s…sex! What kind of woman are you to utter such a word?!”

  “Really Jasper, keep your voice down.” Victoria swept into the room and firmly shut the door behind her. “You don’t want Neal coming down from his study do you? Now sit, both of you, I have an idea that just might work.”

  Chapter Seven

  Robin arrived home to find some of his creditors at his door. It was as though they were having a conference on how best to thrash him. He overheard them fighting over who got to have him first. He wasn’t about to wait around to find out who the lucky one was. He ducked around a corner before they saw him and hid behind a tree further down the street. Curtains flicked at his neighbours’ houses as the residents there tried to see what he was up to, but he wasn’t about to satisfy their curiosity.

  The minutes ticked by as he waited for the men to leave. He looked at his pocket watch constantly until he resorted to playing a game with himself to see how long he could go without pulling the watch from his pocket to look at the time. He only made it up to five minutes once.

  He forced himself to wait for an hour before cautiously emerging from his hiding spot.

  Luckily the men had gone.

  His butler opened the door as he approached. “There were some men here to see you, sir. I did not admit them but they did congregate on the steps for a time. They left their cards. I have put them on your desk in your study.”

  “Thanks, Harold.” Robin made his way to his study, but not to see who had called, he already knew their names; he was going to pour himself a drink, if he could find a bottle with some liquor still left in it, that was.

  “Well, what is it?”

  “Patience, Jasper, stop glowering and sit down would you?” Victoria selected the chair nearest the fire, leaving Grace and Jasper to sit where they were before. “Grace, from our conversation earlier,” Victoria started and Grace’s heart skipped a beat; surely she wouldn’t tell Jasper about the time-travelling, would she? He’d have her committed and she had heard Bedlam was not a nice place to visit. “I gather that you don’t want to rush into anything, for reasons of your own,” Victoria continued. Grace let out a sigh of relief.

  “But you, Jasper, want to be engaged to the girl you ruined so your honour stays intact. Yes? Am I right so far?” At both th
eir nods, she continued, “Well, why don’t you have an extended engagement, for as long as you both need, and at the end of it, you either marry or you both go your own way? The ton will soon forget this scandal when the next one arrives. What do you think? If you do go ahead with my plan at least Grace has some time before Neal throws her out and we don’t want him to do that do we, Jasper?”

  Jasper and Grace looked warily at each other. “I suppose that would work,” Grace ventured. “What do you say, engaged for now?”

  Jasper hoped that when he asked someone to marry him, it would have been met with a bit more enthusiasm. “I do think that we need a time limit, don’t you? Otherwise this could go on for years.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous Jasper. Of course you won’t be engaged for years; months maybe, but not years. No one is engaged for years, well, except for you and Lady Anne of course.”

  “Victoria,” he ground out, “we were not engaged.”

  “True. But everyone thought you were, or at least that you were going to be engaged and that is essentially the same thing, is it not?” She waved her hands around vaguely. “It is neither here nor there now though, is it? What I’m saying is of course you have to come to a decision someday, you just don’t have to come up with that decision right now.”

  “I don’t see why we need to worry about it now, Jasper,” Grace said. “Why don’t we just pretend for now and see how it goes? You never know, I might find someone else and let you off the hook,” she joked with a laugh.

  Jasper didn’t like the sound of that. He briefly saw red when he thought of another man’s arms holding Grace. She was not replacing him with someone else.

  “I think we need a time frame. We can’t drag this on forever.” He didn’t want to analyse the feeling gripping his gut, but he knew he didn’t like the thought of anyone besides him kissing Grace, and holding her soft supple body, and feeling her naked skin against…he was going insane. That was the only explanation for the visions entering his mind. How was he going to handle keeping his hands off her? “A month. We can wait a month.”