“I’ve never seen you look so nervous before, Ben. Come to think of it, I’ve never seen you so clean before. Floure must’ve washed out of all the nooks and crannies,” Caleb offered as he puffed on his cigarette. “You look good.”
Tia took a long drink from the flask. She returned it to Caleb and peered through the window again. “Why did you come along, Caleb?”
“Why? To make sure you don’t run away. You’ll have to face Lady Tia, my friend.”
“And what if she doesn’t want to see me? What do I do then?” Oasis’ fingertips tingled as she thought of Tia. It had been so difficult to stay away from the blonde this past week. It was even much harder to redirect her thoughts whenever they wandered to Tia. But at night, when she was asleep, she had no control over the thoughts. That’s when Tia would visit. Her beautiful laughter echoing through the halls of her dreams. Those sapphire eyes gleaming with desire as she allowed Oasis to do the most sinfully, delicious things to her. Images of her body arching off the bed, her gracious neck stretching as she threw it back. Those images would wake her at her night, sweaty and throbbing with need. One night, during a sleepover at the camp, the dreams had woken her with a ravenous hunger for Tia and she had no choice but to slip from the cabin and submerge herself in the cool water of the nearby stream. Her mother had found her there half an hour later and with sympathy in her eyes, had kept her company to distract her thoughts from Tia.
“Well, if she doesn’t want to see you, then you wait until she’s ready to see you.”
Oasis glared at Caleb. He made is sound so easy. “I doubt that’s how it works.”
“Then what do you suggest? You want to beg her to see you?” She pursed her lips as she scowled at Caleb. “You should know that there are people who know that I’m here, with you, right now.” His eyes dropped to her hand where it rested on her cane. “So, don’t you get any ideas.”
Oasis blinked. “What…?” Then she burst out laughing. Caleb joined in and for the next minute they simply laughed at the absurdity of what Caleb had implied and the moment they found themselves in.
“You’ll be fine, Oasis. You always seem to make things work out for you,” Caleb said after a while.
She grinned at him. “You rarely call me Oasis.”
“Why would I call you by a girly sounding name in the presence of other men?” Caleb tossed his cigarette butt out the window. “They would think I was pining for my six foot two, male best friend. Wouldn’t be a good look for me.” He slapped Oasis on the knee. “Now go and find your girl and make her understand that you love her. I’ll go find out who tampered with her carriage the last time she was here.” At her surprise, Caleb shrugged. “Burton asked me to see what we could find out and since we owe the man, I said we’d look into it.”
She nodded and watched as Caleb disappeared amongst the crowd of retainers and drivers. She inhaled deeply and tapped her cane on the door. She would walk from here.
***
“Don’t.”
Tia looked at Lady Penelope. “What?”
“Don’t look at any of them. Ignore them.”
She smiled at her friend. “I’m fine, Penny. Thank you. By the way, when is Milli due?”
Penny shook her head. “Too soon. I saw her last week and she was about ready to pop, I tell you.”
“I should pay her a visit before she does. It’s the duty of a future godmother.”
“Then I suggest we do so tomorrow. The sooner the better.” A server passed them and Penny reached for two glasses. “By the way, it’s a party and there’s free champagne.”
Tia accept the glass and sipped from it. She saw Penny do the same, only for her eyes to widen as she choked on the mouthful.
“Penny? Are you…?”
“Good evening, ladies.”
Tia stilled at the sound of the voice. Eight days later! She looked at Penny and noted her friend’s awestruck expression. Some things will never change. She slowly turned and levelled a wintery gaze on Oasis.
“Good evening, milord,” she said in her coldest voice. “It has been ages since we last saw each other.” Ten days to be precise, but she wasn’t counting. She stopped doing so after her fourth note to Oasis had gone unanswered. At their last meeting, she had declared her love to the woman and they had kissed and laughed together in her bed like new lovers. She saw Oasis flinch at her tone and she felt a glow of satisfaction spread through her. That served her right. She still loved Oasis, but she wasn’t in the mood now, to be accommodating.
“I spent the last few days in the country. My mother came for a visit from the colonies and we haven’t seen each other for over six years. It was good to spend the time with her.”
As far as excuses go, that was a good one, but Tia was still not satisfied. “That’s good to hear. You must be glad to have her here.”
Oasis smiled, her dimples showing and Tia’s stomach flipped at the sight of them. Their last night together, she had kissed them every time they had made an appearance, but tonight she didn’t want to be charmed by them. Oasis must’ve realised that she was getting nowhere with Tia and turned to a gaping Penelope.
“Lady Penelope, it’s a pleasure to see you again.”
Penny blushed as Oasis brought her hand to her lips and brushed her knuckles. “It’s absolutely fantastic to…” She caught Tia’s eye. “…to have a night out again, milord.”
Oasis smiled and bowed deeply. “I wish you a wonderful evening, ladies.” And with that she disappeared amongst the partygoers. Tia felt Penny’s eyes on her and glanced at her friend.
“What?”
“You were rude to him.”
Tia shrugged. “I’ll apologise to him later, but for tonight I simply want to enjoy myself. Didn’t you just say something to that effect?”
“I did.” She sipped from her glass and smiled. “He is devastatingly handsome and obviously likes you a lot.”
Tia drained her glass. “Wonder how that’s going to work out for him. I seem to have attracted another unwanted betrothed.”
Penny gasped. “Are you serious? I thought that no-one would…” Her voice trailed off and she quickly looked away.
“You thought what?”
“Nothing,” Penny said quickly. “How about another glass of champagne?” She looked around for a server. Tia stepped forward, blocking Penny’s view of the ballroom.
“You though what, Penny?”
Penny sighed. “Look, it’s only what I’ve heard.” She blushed. “Roger always tell me not to listen to idle tongues. But I heard that the king was furious about the rumours going around, which led to your engagement being broken, he wanted to ensure somehow that your reputation was still intact.”
Tia blinked at that. What a warped way of trying to help her. It was his meddling that got her into this mess in the first place.
“And?”
“The king felt that the malicious gossipmongers should pay and he offered your hand to any man of the peerage with good social standing and rank.” Tia felt her cheeks warm up. “As you can imagine, he was inundated with proposals. But there was one small twist.” She took a long drink of champagne. “The successful candidate must agree to fulfil a two-year long mission on the frontline.”
Tia gasped. “That’s…that’s a suicide mission. Why would he do that?”
“If you ask me, the king felt guilty for placing you in such a position and he wanted to remedy it.”
“But to go to such extremes? Everyone knows that no one comes back alive from the frontline.” She turned her head and glanced to where the king and queen were seated. The queen surely had something to do with this for there was no way that the king would come up with such an elaborate scheme on his own. She felt a presence near her and turned to find one of the courtiers beside her.
“The queen requests your presence, Your Grace.” Tia looked at Penny and handed her the glass.
“I’ll find you later.”
As she made her way towards the dais
that held the thrones, she felt all eyes on her. The queen stood and waited for Tia to meet her on the dais. She smiled warmly and reached for Tia’s hands. “It’s time.”
Tia threw a glance at the king and found him watching her intently. He gestured her over to him. Where the queen was tall and slender, the king was short and portly, but Tia knew that the two loved each other deeply. The king leaned forward.
“Your father was good friend and someone I could always count on. I will be the first to admit that had he been alive, he wouldn’t have kept his silence after what I’ve done to you. Nothing would ever make right what I have bungled up so greatly, but I’ve tried in my way to make sure that no one, present or not, doubts your position in my court. You have no equal when it comes to the bond my wife shares with you and I wanted to make that known, even if you might frown on the method.”
Tia felt strangely appeased by his explanation. He really wanted to fix his mess; however inept it may appear. The king rose from his throne.
“Dear friends, welcome to our Annual Spring Ball. Even in these dire times, where our armies are defending our sovereignty on two fronts, we will not allow that to hinder our spirit to strengthen our bonds here at home. And like every year, we humbly request donations for our brave men on the battlefield who, thanks to them, allow us all to be here today to mark the dawn of spring. But this year, the ball coincides with the dawning of a different kind.”
Tia’s heart began to race, knowing what was coming. She looked out over the faces before her. There was an air of anticipation, even as some faces showed outright shock.
“I am proud to announce the betrothal of Lady Tia Miranda Bellingham, the Duchess of Camphor to Lord Benedict Harold Pope, the….”
No! Tia felt faint as she watched the crowd of faces seeking Oasis’ face, only to meet a sea of stunned onlookers. She saw the crowd part and watched as Oasis made her way towards the dais, her stride powerful and sure. She wanted to scream at her for having done this.
There was a droning of voices as Oasis ascended the dais. She bowed before the king and queen and waited for the king to place Tia’s hand in hers.
“Lord Benedict Pope, your betrothed, Lady Tia Bellingham, the Duchess of Camphor. Congratulations. The wedding ceremony will take place exactly one week from now in the St. George’s Chapel. Invitations will be sent out in a few days.”
Tia struggled to meet Oasis’ eyes, but when she did, she was surprised by the look of utter happiness in the dark gaze. She found it hard to look away when the crowd applauded them.
Oasis was happy. What did it mean? Wasn’t she the one avoiding Tia for the past week?
She accepted the glass of champagne that was thrust in her hand. She took part in the toast; all the while, keeping her gaze on a beaming Oasis.
***
Oasis couldn’t believe how happy she felt. She was going to marry the most beautiful woman in Britain and the woman she loved. She smiled as three MPs approached her and raised their glasses.
“Congratulations, Pope,” Lord Temple said, with a slightly disbelieving smile. “You never made your intentions known, you sly fox.”
Oasis chuckled. “Well, she is worth it and more.” And she meant it. She might die on the frontline, but she wasn’t going to think about that right now.
“Yes, my friend, she comes with a heavy price, but I know what you mean.” The man looked over to where Tia was surrounded by a crowd of women. “She is definitely worth it.”
A courtier appeared next to her with a note on a tray. “This came for you, milord.”
She placed her glass on the tray and took the note. She read it and placed it in her pocket. She turned back to the men. “My apologies, but my driver requires my presence. I’ll be right back.”
She wove through the guests, stopping to accept well-wishes as she made her way to the exit. She found Caleb waiting for her outside. He pulled her into the shadows.
“I’ve spoken to a few of the drivers and it seems that on that particular day, Lady Tia’s coach was parked in the same section as that of Lady Rocheline Masters. One of the stable boys recalled seeing ‘the other lady’s’ driver loosening the bolts on one of the carriages. He can’t say for sure if it was Lady Tia’s carriage.”
Oasis swallowed a curse as she stared at Caleb. “That…that woman needs to be pulled over her father’s lap. She’s such a spoilt brat. Let me go handle this. Thank you, Caleb.”
She returned to the ballroom, skimming it for the errant woman. She found her talking to a group of her friends and purposefully made her way over to them. The women blushed when she approached them, except Rocheline who glared at her.
“Ladies,” she greeted them as she bowed deeply. “Would you mind terribly if I stole Lady Rocheline for a moment. I have something urgent to discuss with her.”
The blonde jutted out her jaw stubbornly. “Whatever you want to say, milord, you can say it in front of my friends.”
Oasis itched to slap her, but instead she shrugged. “Are you sure? It’s about your driver who was seen loosening a bolt on Lady Tia’s carriage ten days ago, which led to her accident.” Lady Rocheline’s face drained of colour. “And it also ties in to the rumours, which were spread about Lady Tia. The king has asked that a thorough…” The young woman looked around anxiously.
“Maybe we could walk together to the punch bowl. I’m feeling a bit parched,” she offered quickly. “Please, excuse us.” When they were far away from the snooping ears, Rocheline turned to Oasis. “Why did you do that? Do you have any idea what you have done?”
“Yes, but do you? You are in a world of trouble by trying to kill the duchess and for spreading the rumours. Some people have already fingered you as the source. The king wants to make an example of you and I’m sorry, but it will not be good.”
Lady Rocheline waved her fan, clearly agitated. “What do you want from me?”
“To apologise to her in the presence of Lady Penelope and myself.”
“What? Why?”
Oasis shrugged. “To serve as a deterrent, should you ever think of spreading rumours about my future wife and or anyone else. So, what shall it be? A demotion for your husband and a lifelong ban from the city? Or…” The blonde swayed, her face ashen. “I’ll let Lady Tia know that you’ll be over in a few minutes.”
***
Tia noticed Oasis leaving the ballroom only to return a few minutes later and sought out Lady Rocheline. She had no doubt that Lady Rocheline was behind the rumours. The woman was renowned for being a gossipmonger. It’s even worse since she believed that the young woman was under the impression that Tia stole Oasis from her. She watched the latter coming towards her. Beside her, Penny sighed.
“You’re going to have such an exciting marriage,” Penny muttered and was about the leave when she saw Oasis call a server over with her.
“I saw your glasses were empty,” she said with a warm smile and Tia almost smiled back.
“Thank you, milord,” she said softly and looked straight at the delightful dimples. She sighed and turned to Penny, who was staring openly at Oasis. She gently nudged her friend and Penny blushed.
“Thank you, milord,” Penny gushed and almost drained the glass. “What would she want with us?”
“Who?” She looked passed Oasis and saw Lady Rocheline making her way over to them. She glanced up at Oasis, who shrugged.
The young blonde joined them and smiled at Tia. “Congratulations, Your Grace. I was just now telling Lord Pope what a lucky man he was.”
“Thank you, Lady Rocheline, you are so gracious.” She almost smiled when a flash of anger crossed the other woman’s face.
“I’m actually here to apologise to you, Your Grace. I’d heard about your accident and I remember my driver mentioning that he accidently loosened the bolt on a wheel of the wrong carriage. It completely slipped my mind to follow up.”
“Accident, my bum,” Penny hissed. “And you? You never told me about the accident.”
&
nbsp; Tia blinked. “I didn’t know that the wheel had been tampered with.” She glared at the blonde and found her bottom lip trembling slightly. “I could’ve been killed and you could’ve hanged for this. This is not a schoolyard prank, Lady Rocheline, this is attempted murder.” A tear ran down the young woman’s cheek. “I wished I could tell you that this is fine and that I’m fine, but I can’t. You need to learn from this, so you never try it again, on anyone, for any reason.”
Lady Rocheline’s eyes were brimming with tears. “I’m really sorry. For the rumours, too. I only wanted to let you feel how I felt when he cast me away.”
Tia glanced at Oasis. Oasis met her gaze unflinchingly. They had spoken about this that last night they were together. Tia had been open about her visits and her partners at Madame Soaxic’s. Oasis had been a little more discreet about her conquests, but she had mentioned Rocheline and at least three other ladies present tonight. They had closed that chapter as part of their past and decided to move forward. With everything that had happened, it seemed that Oasis had not forgotten about that.
“Well, as you can see, you were unsuccessful,” Penny snorted. “Hope you’ve learned your lesson and if you try anything like this again, I’ll be sure to let people know about what you’ve done.”
Lady Rocheline nodded and made a hasty departure.
“Can you believe the gall of the woman? I hope she never attempts something like this again for it will definitely be her downfall.” She smiled at Oasis. “Now that all this has been cleared up, I assume you’ll get started on the wedding plans.”
Oasis grinned. “Yes.” One of the young lords came over to whisk Oasis away and Tia watched her go.
“You’re so lucky, my friend, so why the long face?”
Tia sighed. “Maybe because I wasn’t looking for a husband, in the first place.”
“Well, you got one now and he’s the most sought-after man in the country.”
Worlds Apart Page 28