by Regina Darcy
“I know,” Julianna admitted, her head dropping down as she tried to bear up under the sad truth that she would not be able to fulfil her promise to her mother and marry for love. “I confess, Lord Mowbray, that I have a deep affection for Ingraham.” She looked up, the truth on her lips no longer being held back. “I would not like you to be unaware of that fact.”
He nodded slowly, his smile fading away. “What shall you do then, Miss Wade? If you care for Ingraham so deeply, can you truly accept my proposal of marriage?”
She could not answer him, her heart slamming hard into her chest and knocking the breath from her lungs. Her eyes turned away from his, her mind and heart filled with Ingraham. Yet, if she was to be safe and protected, she could not simply wait for Ingraham to change his mind and to begin to pursue her!
Lord Mowbray was willing to wed her despite what she felt for Ingraham, perhaps in the hope that, one day, she might have an affection for him in Ingraham’s place. They would, she knew, rub along together rather well, but Lord Mowbray could never truly take the place in her heart where she held Ingraham.
“Lord Mowbray,” she began, slowly. “I—”
“The Viscount St James.”
Her breath surged from her body, leaving her weak and trembling in a moment. Staggering, she reached for Lord Mowbray, grasping his arms in a sudden fit of terror.
“Miss Wade?” Lord Mowbray exclaimed, sounding horrified. “Are you quite well? Should I fetch some smelling salts?”
“St James,” she whispered hoarsely, turning away from Lord Mowbray so that she might be hidden in shadow. “Did you hear him being announced, Lord Mowbray?” Her eyes fixed on his, seeing the slow dawn of realisation. “My uncle is here!”
Lord Mowbray’s expression changed at once. “Your uncle?” he repeated, turning his head to scan the crowd of guests. “Are you quite sure?”
“I heard his name,” Julianna whispered, her fingers digging into his arms. “Oh, Lord Mowbray! What shall I do?”
He stared at her for a long moment, no answering remark coming from his lips. His eyes were wide, his expression one of complete surprise as he looked back at her.
Julianna waited with growing desperation, entirely unsure as to what she could do to avoid her uncle. To remove herself from the ball now would take some time, for the carriage would have to be brought around, and that, in itself, might alert her uncle. To remain here, hidden away, seemed like the best idea, although she did not know whether or not she could remain undetected for the rest of the evening. Her anxiety was mounting with every breath, her body humming with tension—and still, she waited.
“Miss Wade.” Lord Mowbray tone was firm although his voice was gentle. “Miss Wade, will you marry me?”
She stared at him, her eyes rounding.
“At least if we make this announcement before the guests, then it will be more than difficult for your uncle to insist that you wed Lord Faversham,” he explained when she said nothing. “Although, you must understand that it will be practically impossible for either of us to remove ourselves from it thereafter. You must know what it is that you want, Miss Wade.”
Julianna could not speak, her mind so filled with fear that it seemed nearly impossible to make any sort of sense of what Lord Mowbray was saying. To know what she wanted, other than to remain out of sight of her uncle, was rather difficult. Her heart yearned for Ingraham, suddenly desperate for him to appear by her side so that she might turn to him for rescue as she had done before.
“Lord Mowbray,” she stammered. “I—”
“Where is my niece?”
She shrieked involuntarily and shrank back against the wall, silencing the crowd that surrounded them. Lord Mowbray immediately stepped in front of her, turning himself around so that she remained quite hidden.
“My niece, Miss Julianna Wade?” came the voice again, making Julianna’s stomach churn with fear. “I have been looking for her for some time and was informed she was here.”
“I think,” Julianna heard someone say, “that she is speaking with Lord Mowbray. Here, he is just over this way.”
Julianna moved without thinking, pressing herself against the wall as she hurried away from her uncle’s voice, keeping herself cloaked in shadows. The urge to run from him, to escape, was growing with every moment.
“Julianna!”
Her uncle’s voice grated behind her, and she shuddered violently, one hand pressed to her mouth as she attempted to quell her fear. She had to hide. She had to run from him. She could not allow him to capture her, not again.
“Julianna!”
She ran headlong into something solid, something that caught her about the waist. A scream came from her lips, disappearing into the shoulder of the man who had captured her. Her fists began to beat hopelessly against him, her whole body almost rigid with fear as the man held her tight.
“Julianna,” the voice said again, although slowly she began to realise that it held a good deal more gentleness than what she had expected of her uncle. “Julianna.”
She looked up, her vision blurry as she realised she had practically been sobbing as he had held her.
“Julianna,” Ingraham said again, his expression gentle as her fists slowly uncurled to rest gently against his shoulders.
“I have you, my love. You are quite safe.”
Her body went weak with relief as she clung to him, her face in his neck as though she might hide there, as though if she remained as she was, her uncle would not even be able to see her.
“I came here as quickly as I could,” Ingraham said in her ear, his arms holding her tightly as the crowd about them began to whisper with all that was going on. “I am sorry I did not get here before him, Julianna.”
She lifted her head, wiping her cheeks indelicately with the back of her hand. “You knew he was coming.”
His eyes glinted. “Yes,” he said plainly, “but I only discovered his presence here late this afternoon. I should have come sooner, but I was busy trying to ensure that…” He trailed off, shaking his head. “You do not need to fear your uncle, Julianna. Not anymore.”
Sniffing, she trembled visibly as she heard her uncle call her name, the crowd parting around them as the guests stepped out of his way.
“No, no,” Ingraham murmured as she made to run away again. “No more running from this, Julianna. Trust me. You are to be quite safe.”
Everything inside her told her to run, to hide, to disappear, but as she looked into Ingraham’s eyes, she saw a steadiness there that urged her to trust him. She did not understand it as she heard her uncle’s voice ring with triumph as he spotted her.
“Trust me, Julianna,” Ingraham whispered, his eyes never leaving hers. “This is all soon to be at an end, and I swear to you that you will be quite safe. Can you trust me in this?”
“Julianna!” she heard her uncle call, his voice harsh. “How dare you stand there and ignore me! I have been searching for you for—”
“Yes, Ingraham,” she said clearly, doing her utmost to ignore every word that came from her uncle’s lips. “Yes, I can trust you.”
His smile was warm and filled with gladness. “Good,” he whispered, squeezing her hand gently. “Now, turn and face your uncle. You have strength within you to withstand him, and I will be here, by your side, just as I ought to be.”
Swallowing hard and feeling the lump of fear in her throat, Julianna slowly turned around to face her uncle, seeing the dark grin on his sweaty, red face. His portly figure advanced towards her, his finger pointing angrily towards her.
“Step away from that man,” her uncle said harshly. “And get yourself outside to my carriage. We are leaving. Your fiancé has been sick with worry about you.”
She shuddered at the mention of Lord Faversham and shook her head. “No, Uncle. I will not.”
“You will do as you are told!” Spittle flew from his mouth as the other guests fell completely silent. “You will—”
“I will not listen to a
man who tried to sell me to another,” she interrupted, her voice ringing across the ballroom. “Nor will I marry a gentleman who beat me until I was unconscious.” She heard gasps about the room but reached for Ingraham’s hand, feeling him gently press her fingers. “In short, Uncle, I will not do anything you ask.”
Her uncle’s face darkened with rage. “Spiteful, disobedient girl,” he spat, reaching for her. “I—”
“Step away, brother,” a voice rang out, sheeted in steel.
Julianna gasped and turned around at once, hope fluttering in her chest. She could feel Ingraham’s warm chest supporting her.
“Announce it,” the man whom the voice belonged to said as he smiled with delight down at Julianna. Throwing a quick glance towards the footman, he inclined his head. “Immediately, my good man.”
The footman, looking a little confused, cleared his throat. “May I present the Viscount St James, recently returned from the continent and father to one Miss Julianna Wade.”
ELEVEN
Being back in her father’s arms was something too wonderful to be expressed. Julianna found herself both sobbing and laughing in equal measure, hanging onto her father as though he would disappear if she let him go.
“I am quite all right,” he promised, taking a small step back from her to frame her face with her hands. “I am truly sorry I have been gone for so long, Julianna. I’m afraid someone tried to have me done away with, and it took a long while for me to recover. Then, having discovered that it was none other than my brother who had attempted to arrange for me to be killed out on the continent, I knew I had to be careful about my return.” His eyes dimmed, his hands falling from her face. “I am sorry that you have been so troubled.”
Julianna shook her head, words sticking in her throat.
“You need not apologise, Father,” she whispered, hardly able to believe that he was truly standing before her. “I understand. Besides, Ingraham has practically been my guardian whilst you have been away.”
Her father nodded and smiled, seemingly unsurprised by this news. “I spoke to Ingraham this afternoon,” he explained as the crowd of guests circled around them like hungry vultures, desperate for a smidgen of gossip. “As I said, I had to be terribly careful about my return. I was alerted to the news of Mr Ingraham’s distant cousin, Miss Wade, and knew it had to be you.” He inclined his head towards Ingraham, who was standing to Julianna’s left, a little behind her. “I can never thank you enough for what you have done for my daughter, sir.”
Ingraham cleared his throat and took a step closer. “She has taught me so very much, my lord, as I said to you this afternoon. I am a better man because of my acquaintance with her.”
Julianna flushed, her head lowering just a fraction at such a compliment. “You are quite wonderful, Ingraham,” she whispered, unable to look at him, such was the depths of what she felt in that moment. “I knew you would be there, ready to help me as you have done before.” Slowly, her eyes caught his, and she saw the warmth within his gaze, the whispered promise just waiting to be spoken.
Ingraham looked at her tenderly, a smile on his lips. “I think, then, that you are now in safer hands than mine, Miss Wade,” he said, bowing towards her father before taking another step away. “I should go in search of Lady Thayne, to thank her for her help in this matter. Do excuse me.”
Julianna watched him leave, her hands still holding on to her father’s. “I can hardly believe you are here, Father,” she whispered hoarsely, feeling tears pour back into her eyes. “Would you say that Uncle Herbert, that he…” She could not bring herself to say the words, aware that her uncle was guilty of a rather severe crime. Attempting to bring about someone’s death was a grave, vile thing. Looking over her father’s shoulder, Julianna felt apprehension fill her.
“Where has he gone, Father?”
Her father lifted one shoulder in a gentle shrug. “He will have behaved just as I expected him to and will have run from the house,” he stated calmly. “Your uncle is not a brave man, Julianna. He is a coward, and knowing now that the truth of his actions will soon be brought to light, he has chosen to run from me.”
She stared at him, both angry and relieved.
“I will pursue him as best I can, of course,” her father continued calmly as though he had thought everything out. “I had to hire a few good men to help with my return to England as well as discover who had attempted to have me done in, and they will give chase, I am quite sure. At any rate, your uncle shall have nothing more from me. There will be no more financial gifts, no more offers of assistance. Instead, I shall call in his debts.” His smile was tight, his expression drawn. “I do not think we need fear your uncle anymore, Julianna.”
“Oh, Father.” She reached to hug him tightly, awash with relief.
This had all been such a dreadful nightmare, her heart aching from day to day with the knowledge that she was all alone in the world. Not so now, she realised. She was quite safe, quite secure. Things could go back to how they had once been. Although, Julianna thought to herself as she stepped out of her father’s embrace, she was not quite sure that this was exactly what she wanted.
“You look a trifle confused, my dear,” her father commented as the Duke of Essington drew near, evidently wishing to speak to the Viscount. “Could it be because of Ingraham, I wonder?”
His eyes twinkled, and despite herself, Julianna blushed.
“You need not worry about going to him now,” her father said encouragingly. “He appears to be a good man in most respects, my dear. If you care for him, then I would press you towards him. It is quite apparent to me that he is hiding all that he feels for you, my dear, but you will be able to cajole him into speaking it aloud, I am quite sure of it.”
Julianna managed a small smile, her heart racing. “I do not want to leave your side.”
Her father smiled and patted her hand. “I will be here when you return,” he promised gently. “You need not worry that I will disappear again. You are quite safe, my dear, as am I. Go to him. I know he will want to speak to you.”
Seeing that her father had turned to talk to the Duke of Essington, Julianna drew in a few steadying breaths before lifting her chin and making her way through the crowd in an attempt to find Mr Ingraham. The Christmas ball was now back in full swing, with plenty of dancers already on the floor, and from what she could see, a few couples stopping near the kissing bough hung just above their heads. The memory of what had almost been shared between herself and Ingraham made her blush, her eyes eagerly searching the crowd for him. She would not be denied this time.
And then, she saw him. He was not speaking to Christiana Thayne as he had said but was in fact standing quietly to the side of the room, his face pale and drawn. She stopped for a moment taking him in, only to hurry towards his side.
“Julianna!” His eyes widened at the sight of her as he pushed himself away from where he had been leaning against the wall.
She laughed softly and threw her arms about his neck, uncaring as to whether anyone might see them. “Oh, Ingraham,” she whispered, as his arms encircled her waist. “Thank you. Thank you for all you have done for me. How can I ever repay you?”
He let out a shuddering breath, his lips close to her ear. “You need not, Julianna. I meant everything I said to your father.” Slowly, he let her go, his hands finding hers. “I have become a better man, simply by your acquaintance. I have been forced to consider my life, forced to look at the way I have been living. I have a manor house, land, and tenants to consider, but I have been more than content to allow my steward to run the place instead of taking on my duties as I ought.” Shaking his head, his lips twisted. “But no longer. I shall return there now, to live and work as I should have been doing for some time.”
The smile slowly faded from Julianna’s face, her spirits sinking to the floor. Was this Ingraham’s way of saying goodbye to her? Had he still decided against them?
“I hear I am to congratulate you,” Ingraham cont
inued heavily. “Lord Mowbray will—”
Her hand flew to her mouth. “No, Ingraham!” she exclaimed, her eyes brightening with the sudden realisation that ran all through her. “Lord Mowbray has not yet proposed—I mean, he was considering it, but I did not accept him.”
Slowly, his eyes settled on hers. “He did not?”
“No,” she promised truthfully. “No, he did not. Besides which, I do not know if I could have accepted him, not when my heart belongs to you.” Julianna felt herself glow with delight as she spoke the truth to him, seeing the way he dropped his head for a moment, one hand pushing through his hair.
“I do not feel worthy of you, Julianna,” he admitted, his eyes still fixed on the ground by her feet. “I am not the sort of gentleman Lord Mowbray has become. I do nothing but gamble and roam the country, doing just as I please. Mowbray, at least, has taken his responsibilities seriously.”
“But Lord Mowbray does not have my heart,” Julianna whispered gently. “Can you not see that?” Squeezing his hands, she took a small step closer, the noise of the ballroom fading away. “I promised my mother I would marry for love. I think, Ingraham, that such a thing might still be a possibility, if only you would see it.”
“I do see it!” His fervency surprised her. “I do see it, Julianna,” he promised, his hands now settling back around her waist. “I want to be worthy of you.” Shaking his head, he let out another breath before his lips finally began to curve into a smile. “I will do everything I can to make myself worthy of you, Julianna.”
Her heart quickened, her anticipation rising.
“Will you marry me, Julianna?” Ingraham asked, his gaze settling on hers again. “I love you. My heart belongs to you, and it will not let you go.” He smiled as a tear tracked down her cheek, aware that she was bursting with happiness. “I will love you, protect you, care for you, and share my life with you, if only you will accept my hand.”