But when she thought more about it later, the dowager decided that she was right. Whatever was driving the marquess, at heart she knew he was a good man, one who in a normal time, a time when young men were not exposed to the horrors of war, would never have put the heart of a young woman seriously at risk. If he were genuinely to fall in love with a woman, that woman’s heart, she was sure, would be safe. And Kate had something to offer him: a down-to-earth quality that could balance his fey charm. It was a shame that neither of them seemed to see what was so obvious to her, now that she’d thought of it.
* * * *
On the days that the dowager was about her work, she accepted no evening invitations. She merely sat back on those nights and enjoyed the sight of her sister-in-law and her nieces readying themselves for the current rout they were to attend.
This evening when Lynette came downstairs in her gown a la Grecque, the marchioness felt she was looking at her niece entirely differently, and a slight wave of anxiety went over her. Should they have been more concerned over the years about Lynette’s retreat into scholarship? Was the young girl hidden away behind her startling beauty?
After her conversation with Edward, the marchioness was seized by a feeling of protectiveness, and had it not been so late, and she so tired, would have accompanied the family to their present engagement. She later wondered whether it would have made any difference at all in what occurred.
* * *
Chapter 19
The evening started much as previous ones had. Young men rushed to fill Lynette’s card, with Sidmouth and Clitheroe as always managing to be there for first choice. Kate’s regular admirers and Lynette’s overflow ensured her a successful evening also.
Lynette’s first waltz was with Lord Clitheroe. By now he was very at ease with her. He was particularly pleased tonight, for he had managed to secure her company for supper also. They talked very little as they danced, but Lynette felt natural and relaxed in James’s arms. He could still feel the reserve, but he had realized that it was more a part of her way of being than a particular reaction to him. And so he dared to hold her a little bit closer than was absolutely proper and to hold onto her hand just a little longer than necessary when the dance ended. Her smile and her “thank you” at the end were warm and genuine, and James walked away from her feeling more hopeful than he had in days. He didn’t even feel his usual fit of annoyance as he watched Harry lead her out for the next country dance. A few more tunes, and he would have her company at supper.
It was a sultry evening for mid-April, and their dance had been quite lively. When Harry suggested that they seek a little more air than could be generated by a lady’s fan, Lynette allowed him to lead her out onto one of the balconies.
She leaned over as though to drink in the air. “This is most refreshing, Lord Sidmouth. I am glad you suggested it. I fear I sometimes miss the climate of Yorkshire.”
“Do the sights and sounds of London not compensate, Miss Richmond?” asked Harry, moving a bit closer.
“Oh, the city is certainly exciting, but after the novelty is gone, I find myself missing walks with Kate on the fell, and my work with my father.”
“You have not spoken much about your work when I have been present, Miss Richmond.”
Lynette smiled. “I have been warned, Lord Sidmouth. Not that I haven’t been warned before, but this time I am determined to be on my best behavior so as not to ruin Kate’s chances.”
“And what about your own?”
“Oh, I am not looking for anything to develop out of this Season. I am happy to please my parents and sister, but I will be happy to be home again.”
A few strands of hair had slipped out of Lynette’s chignon, and Harry reached up and gently brushed them behind her ear. It was a quick, but intimate gesture, and he felt a slight shiver go through her. So she wasn’t so indifferent after all, he thought.
“You are a very beautiful young woman, Miss Richmond, as I am sure you know. It would not be difficult for you to make a good match.”
“I do not want to be married. And I especially do not want to be married merely for my beauty. It is an accident of birth, Lord Sidmouth.” Lynette turned her face away and lifted it up to catch the breeze. In profile she was even more beautiful, and his eyes drank in the purity of line, in much the same way she drank in the cool air. Because hers was such an ethereal beauty, it was untouchable. And that was precisely why he wanted to touch her. He had waited long enough for his kiss, he decided, and moving behind her, he gently grasped her by the shoulder and turned her around toward him. Before she knew what was happening, he had trapped her chin with his hand and lightly kissed her on the mouth. Her eyes opened wide, and she tried to take a step back, but was stopped by the balcony railing. Harry smiled and traced her cheek with his finger and leaned down to kiss her again, this time longer and deeper. He wanted a response, he needed a response, and he lost himself in his own need. When she arched back, he took it as abandonment and opened her mouth with his tongue to make the kiss deeper. He was sure she wanted him. No woman he had ever kissed had resisted him. Underneath the angelic exterior was the responsiveness to his charm he had been counting on.
Lynette could feel the balcony pressing against her waist as she arched her back to get away from him. She was trapped. They were in the corner in the dark; there was no escape behind her and no one would come looking for her. Every cell in her body was screaming “Don’t touch me, don’t,” but she seemed to have lost the power of speech. She finally summoned the strength and presence of mind to place her hands on Sidmouth’s shoulders and push him away. She felt she was in a nightmare, the kind where you open your mouth and no screams come out, or you try to run and your feet won’t move. Her arms felt like blancmange at first, but she was finally able to move him. Harry was ready to come up for air anyway, and he still was operating under the assumption that she wanted his kisses as much as he wanted hers. He knew, of course, that he would have to stop. He did not, after all, want to be caught in a compromising position and have to marry her.
When he finally realized she was intentionally holding him at arm’s length, for the first time he really looked at her face. She was pale, not flushed with pleasure, and her eyes were wide with fear, not desire. She opened her mouth as though to speak or perhaps scream, but no sound came out. He pulled back at last and found himself stammering: “Miss Richmond, I…”
As soon as he let her go, Lynette slipped off the balcony. She immediately sought out her brother and his wife and hurried over to them, slipping her hand in Gareth’s without even thinking. He looked down in surprise, for Lynette was not given to spontaneous gestures of affection, but he squeezed her hand and continued with conversation. She saw Sidmouth emerge from the balcony and start over to them, only to be waylaid by a friend who dragged him off in the other direction, to Lynette’s great relief.
When Lord Clitheroe approached to lead her into supper, she smiled automatically and allowed him to take her arm and seat her and fill her plate. He chatted happily for a few minutes until he noticed that she was merely pushing her food around and hadn’t tasted a bite.
“Are you feeling ill, Miss Richmond? You haven’t even touched the lobster patties,” he inquired solicitously.
Lynette lifted her eyes to his and nodded her head.
“You are ill! Here, let me take your plate and I’ll get your sister.”
Kate, who had been quietly chatting with Sir Horace came immediately. “Are you all right, Lynnie?”
Her sister just looked at her and shook her head and whispered “Home.”
“You wish to go home? Of course.” Kate turned to James. “Could you summon my brother and sister-in-law, Lord Clitheroe?”
“Certainly.”
Kate clasped her sister’s hands in hers. They were cold and damp. “Is it your stomach, Lynnie? You don’t feel feverish.”
“I don’t know,” replied her sister. “It is just a strange feeling that came over me all
at once.”
By the time they got her into the carriage, Lynette was shivering uncontrollably.
“Should we send for a doctor?” asked Gareth, as they helped her up the stairs and into the house.
Lynette shook her head and muttered through chattering teeth, “No, no doctor.”
Kate sent one of the maids for a hot water bottle, which caused a flurry in the kitchen. On such a warm night, someone must be ill to need a hot water bottle.
But it was only that, two quilts, and her sister holding her in her arms that finally stopped Lynette’s shaking.
“I am all right now,” she whispered, and closing her eyes, she finally fell asleep. Kate stayed with her for a few minutes, but when it seemed clear that she really was sleeping at last, she tiptoed out of the room and quietly closed the door.
Her family was anxiously awaiting news downstairs. Lady Elizabeth was pacing in front of the fireplace, and when she heard Kate come in, she sat down at last and said, “What is it? A fever? Something she ate?”
“She did not seem unwell, Mother. At least, she had not been sick to her stomach. And she is not at all feverish. She just kept telling me that it was a feeling that she couldn’t stop or really describe.”
“Perhaps the excitement of the past few weeks has been too much for her,” suggested Mr. Richmond. “We have all been going at a pace none of us is used to.”
“I think that must be it,” said Kate. “I can’t think of anything else it might be. Unless she does develop a fever, I do not think we need to call a doctor.”
“Well, I will make sure that she gets a few days of complete rest with no visitors and no obligations,” declared Lady Elizabeth.
* * *
Chapter 20
The next morning, when Lynette awoke, she felt as though she had been through a mangle. She closed her eyes and tried to remember the sequence of events from the evening before. Lord Sidmouth was kissing her, she was being bent back over a stone wall, and his hand was between her legs… Her eyes flew open. Lord Sidmouth had kissed her, that was true enough. She had leaned back to get away from him… She closed her eyes again and made herself remember. Her body felt the sensation of someone lifting her skirt, but the skirt was cotton, not silk. And then she heard Gabriel Crabtree’s voice shouting, as though from a long distance, “Let her go, tha bastard, let t’lass go.”
She opened her eyes again, and it was as though the ten-year-old Lynette were opening them. The strange feeling from the night before started to come back: where was she and how did she get here? She breathed deep into her stomach, and the feeling of panic began to recede. Something must have happened years ago, and Lord Sidmouth’s advances had made her remember it. At the thought of Sidmouth, she shuddered. She could not imagine seeing him again. She had been right to be frightened of him. He had obviously had no sensitivity to her fear. Nay, he saw only what he wanted to see, based on his own responses. And his indifference to her feelings had brought her back to another time in her life when someone had used her, although she could not remember who.
Not only could she not imagine seeing Sidmouth again, she couldn’t imagine continuing with the Season. The whole whirl of courting and being courted made her feel dizzy. She wanted to go home. She wanted to see Gabriel and find out from him whether she was crazy or remembering something that truly happened and he was somehow a part of it.
Having a purpose galvanized her, and she had just gotten out of bed when Kate opened her door slowly and peeked in.
“Lynnie! You get right back into bed.”
Lynette smiled at her sister. “I feel much better, Kate, truly I do.” But after pulling on her wrapper, she found herself wanting to sit down and sank into a chair.
Kate came over and held her hand against her sister’s forehead. “You have no fever this morning either. That is a good sign. Perhaps Mother and Father are right, and it is just exhaustion from this mad pace we follow here in London.”
“No, no, it isn’t illness, Kate. It wasn’t anything physical,” Lynette started to say, and then color rushed to her cheeks.
“What is it, Lynnie? Whatever happened? The last time I saw you, you were dancing with Lord Sidmouth. The next thing I knew you had Gareth’s hand and looked like a ghost. Wait a minute? Lord Sidmouth didn’t frighten you in any way, did he?”
“We were out on the balcony to get some fresh air and he…kissed me,” whispered Lynette.
“I will kill him for upsetting you so,” said her sister.
“He only kissed me twice. I was trying to get away, but I couldn’t. But now I am not sure it was really his fault, Kate.” Lynette paused, not knowing how to explain, or even what there was to explain. Until she remembered fully, until she talked to Gabriel, how could she tell any of it. And even then, how could she speak of anything so shameful?
“Of course it was his fault. That rakeshame has been pursuing you since we arrived in London and is too sure of his own effect on women to even notice that you might not want his kisses. Wait until I see him. I will give him something to chew on, you can be sure.”
Lynette protested weakly, feeling overwhelmed by all that had occurred. She didn’t want to think about Sidmouth right now, she just wanted to go home. But she couldn’t do that till she got a bit of strength back.
“I think I will spend the day in bed, Kate. But I am hungry—”
“I’ll have a light breakfast sent up to you, Lynnie. Now get back into bed.”
* * * *
After she settled her sister, Kate went downstairs, intent on ordering Lynette some food and then informing her parents what had happened. She was surprised to see the butler opening the door to an early caller and even more surprised to see it was Lord Clitheroe.
The butler was about to take his card and send him on his way when Kate stopped him. “No, Lester, I’ll see Lord Clitheroe in the drawing room.”
“Thank you, Miss Kate,” said James. “I am sorry for calling so early, but I was so worried about your sister, that I came to inquire about her health. I hope it was nothing serious that sent her home early?”
“Sit down, Lord Clitheroe,” said Kate, who remained standing. “I am very angry, my lord and I apologize ahead of time that I take it out on you. But your friend, Lord Sidmouth…”
“Yes?” James looked puzzled. What could Harry have to do with the situation?
“Lord Sidmouth took my sister out onto a balcony and quite overset her by mauling her against her will. I have had occasion myself to experience Lord Sidmouth’s sudden violence, and I can quite understand Lynette’s reaction.”
“Harry attack an unwilling woman? That is very unlike him, Miss Kate.”
“Lynette says he kissed her more than once and that she tried to get away but was trapped on the balcony.”
The thought of Miss Richmond being so frightened by whatever Harry had done, frightened enough to become ill, enraged James. All the jealousy of the past weeks combined with his outrage that what he as a gentleman was bound to do was to convince his friend to offer for the woman he himself loved.
He stood up and, announcing that “He would be sure Lord Sidmouth would do the right thing,” stalked out of the room without even a good-bye.
Kate looked blankly at the door closing behind him and wanted to run after him saying “No, it wasn’t marriage she thought Lord Sidmouth needed to offer, but some sort of penance, like crawling up the fellside fifty times on his hands and knees.”
“Gabriel should have left him to freeze to death,” she muttered under her breath.
* * * *
When James reached Harry’s town house, the marquess was still asleep.
“No matter. I will wake him up,” said James, pushing by the butler and taking the stairs two at a time. He threw Harry’s door open and growled, “Get up, Harry, before I push you out of bed.”
Lord Sidmouth, who had drunk more than usual in reaction to his belated realization that Lynette had not wanted his attentions, groaned a
t the noise. “James, whatever are you doing here at this ungodly hour?” he responded, pulling himself up on one elbow.
“I am here to get you dressed and over to the Richmonds’, my lord, where you will make an offer for Miss Richmond within the hour.”
“What!”
“You heard me. It is one thing to toy with a young lady’s affection and then ignore her. It is quite another to assault an innocent.”
“Assault! What in God’s name are you talking about?”
“I am talking about whatever happened between you and Miss Richmond that made her feel ill enough to leave the ball early and has her confined to her bed at this moment.”
A look of dismay and regret passed over Harry’s face, and James was quick to notice it. He sank down into a chair, and said dully, “So you really did compromise her,” all the anger and energy going out of him at once.
“James, I did not assault Miss Richmond. I took her out onto the balcony for a breath of air. I admit I kissed her once very gently, and then, when she did not make a protest, a little more passionately. But it was not more than I have done with other young ladies, I assure you, and no reason to call compromise. We were not out there so long as to be commented upon. And I thought she was enjoying my kisses until the last moment. I felt very bad about it. But when I heard she left early, I had no idea it had anything to do with me. I thought that she had truly been taken ill.”
“Do you swear to that, Harry?”
“Should I have to, James?” his friend responded coldly.
“It is only that Miss Kate said that she too had experienced what she described as violence from you.”
Harry was taken aback for a minute, and then replied in softer tones. “Miss Kate Richmond was indeed unfortunate enough to awaken me suddenly after that picnic we had on the fell. I responded as I would have to an enemy. I assure you, I do not bring that kind of violence into my dealings with women.”
Harry looked pale under his tan, and his response was so serious that James believed him instantly.
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