A chance at love (The Winter Sisters Box Set) : Special Edition Regency Romance

by Regina Darcy

  “Miss Winters.”

  Miss Ruthford’s voice was loud and harsh, breaking the silence that had spread across the library and jolting Francis from his growing sense of peace and comfort. He frowned in Miss Ruthford’s direction, only to see her give a small smile in Miss Winters’ direction, as though she was glad that she had disturbed the lady entirely.

  “Oh, I do apologise,” Miss Winters said hastily, curtsying quickly and dropping her gaze to the floor. Colour infused her cheeks as she pressed her lips together, her hands now in front of her as she held her two books and pencil.

  “Might you ring for tea?” Miss Ruthford asked, with a touch of arrogance in her voice. “And then see if Lady Stanway wishes to join us?”

  Francis frowned. It was not Miss Winters’ responsibility to do such things, was it? If Miss Ruthford wanted her aunt to join them, then she could easily send a maid in search of the lady. He opened his mouth to point out just that, only to see Miss Winters nod and turn away without another word, her cheeks ablaze with colour.

  A twist of anger caught his gut, making his frown deepen all the more. He had barely said more than a few words to Miss Winters the last few days, for she had barely been in attendance and even when they sat down to dine, she remained mostly silent unless being addressed by Lady Stanway. Miss Ruthford made no attempt to engage Miss Winters in conversation. Besides any time he so much as tried to ask Miss Winters anything, she would stammer, look away and give him the shortest answer she could. It was as though she did not wish to converse with him.

  Mayhap Miss Ruthford knew of her malaise and had aided Miss Winters in quitting the library – although why she had not just ignored Miss Winters’ presence and continued with their conversation instead, he could not understand.

  “Now, I believe you wished to hear me read,” Miss Ruthford said in a satisfied voice, as Miss Winters walked from the room – making sure to leave the door ajar. “I could do so now, if you wish it?”

  Francis could not explain his sudden change of heart but, for whatever reason, he now found himself less inclined towards hearing Miss Ruthford read aloud, finding that he wished to go in search of Miss Winters so that he might discover the truth about why she avoided him in such an obvious manner. His mind was so caught up with this that he found himself shaking his head, which brought a frown of displeasure to Miss Ruthford’s expression.

  “Perhaps we should wait until another time,” he said, forcing a smile to his face. “After all, Lady Stanway is to arrive very soon and she may wish to hear you also. I would not keep that pleasure from her.”

  The look of displeasure grew. “I hardly think that Lady Stanway will be put out in any way,” Miss Ruthford stated, folding her hands in her lap. “You are being a trifle perplexing, Lord Stanway.”

  Francis wanted to groan aloud, knowing that he was confusing Miss Ruthford by his sudden eagerness to hear her read only to turn around and then request that she leave it to another time.

  “I am sorry,” he said, plainly, still unable to explain why he was so caught up with Miss Winters and her hasty departure from the room. “My leg is aching somewhat painfully. It can often distract me.” It was a half-truth. He made sure he winced as he spoke which, of course, only added weight to his words. Miss Ruthford, looked immediately sympathetic, all frustration wiped from her expression in a moment.

  “Oh, but I quite understand, my lord,” she stated, hurriedly, leaning forward in her chair to look at him with an earnest expression. “It must be terribly painful. Is there anything I can do to ease your pain?”

  He smiled and shook his head, still feeling a trifle guilty over his half-truth. “No, I thank you,” he said, as the door opened to admit his stepmother. “I have had a good deal of work from both the doctor and my valet these last few weeks and I have been glad of their assistance in helping me recover thus far. It will just take a few more weeks of strengthening my leg as I walk about and the like.”

  “Then you never can tell whether or not you will be able to do more than waltz,” Miss Ruthford replied, with a twinkle in her eye as Lady Stanway coughed disapprovingly. “There may even be dancing this evening!”

  Francis frowned, looking towards his stepmother as he was reminded of tonight’s unexpected plans. “This evening, Lady Stanway?”

  “We are to dine at Lord Williamson’s,” she replied, smoothing her skirts as she sat down. “I do hope you are prepared, Stanway. It shall be your first official occasion since you have returned to England.”

  Feeling as though he was not even allowed to protest the fact that he had been forced into accepting without so much as knowing of the invitation, Francis closed his eyes, sighed and sat back in his chair.

  “Indeed it shall,” he muttered, feeling no delight or even excitement about this evening’s plans. “I pray that I shall not become a laughing stock.”

  He opened his eyes to see his stepmother looking at him quizzically.

  “With my damaged leg, I am certain to garner a fair bit of attention,” he explained, seeing two faint spots of colour appearing in her cheeks. “Or have you not considered that?”

  She held his gaze steadily, then looked away. “If you wish, you can remain in the shadows with Miss Winters,” she replied, a touch tartly. “She is very good at hiding herself away. I am sure, if you follow her example, no-one will show you any particular interest, Stanway.” Turning her head away, she lifted her chin slightly as though she wanted to prove to Francis that she felt no regret or shame at doing such a thing as accepting an invitation on his behalf. “Either way, it is sure to be a wonderful occasion. I know you are looking forward to it, Amy.”

  As Miss Ruthford began to wax lyrical about what she expected this evening to be, Francis found himself sighing heavily. He raked his hand through his hair as he considered all the evening would bring. He had no wish to attend but yet it seemed he had no choice.

  Perhaps I will hide alongside Miss Winters, he thought to himself, as the tea tray was brought in. That, at the very least, will give me a little respite. Perhaps it would be the only chance he would have to force Miss Winters to converse with him – and that thought, at the very least, brought a small smile to his face.

  SIX

  Caroline had eaten well, despite the nervousness that had crept over her the very moment she had climbed into the carriage and sat down opposite Lord Stanway. Dinner had come to an end and she was now sitting at the very back of the drawing room, tucked away in a corner where she could fade into the background. The dinner itself had been very grand and, for the most part, she had enjoyed listening to the conversations that went on around her and had been relieved she had not been forced to take part.

  Miss Smythe, who had been seated near to her, had asked a few questions and they had engaged in conversation for a few minutes at a time during the dinner, but for the most part, Caroline had remained silent. It was of no particular difficulty to her to converse with ladies, of course, but should a gentleman lay eyes on her and ask her something, she struggled terribly.

  It was made all the worse by the fact that she found Lord Stanway to be one of the most handsome gentlemen of her acquaintance.

  It was quite foolish to allow her heart to behave in such a fashion, particularly when there was no opportunity to allow their acquaintance to grow, but Caroline found that she could not help it. He had been residing in the townhouse for a few days now and each and every time she saw him, her heart had lurched in her chest.

  Of course, she had made every attempt, therefore, to avoid his company for fear that she would embarrass herself all the more by attempting to converse with him. She had been desperate to remove herself from his presence whenever she could. After the incident with her needlework, she found herself utterly mortified with even the thought of attempting to speak to him again.

  However, she had noticed his gaze resting upon her on a few occasions with something of a curious look upon his face. Whenever she had dared lift her eyes to his, h
e had looked away at once and she had felt so confused that she had been forced to turn away also.

  She started fiddling with a stray lock of hair as she continued her analysis of Lord Stanway. It seemed that Miss Ruthford was, in fact, quite taken by him, which was exactly as Caroline had suspected, although she could not be certain that Lord Stanway was as intrigued with Miss Ruthford.

  Miss Ruthford had made some remark about reading aloud to them all whenever they might spare the time, but Caroline, thinking that this was to be for Lord Stanway’s benefit, had dismissed it at once from her mind. Miss Ruthford was making no attempt whatsoever to foster a friendship of any sort with Caroline and had, on occasion, been quite dismissive of her.

  Caroline had accepted this quietly, thinking that the sooner Miss Ruthford found a gentleman to whom she might put her claws into, the better. Lord Stanway too, she reasoned, would also have to marry since he would have to produce an heir at some point, which meant that perhaps Lady Stanway might consider returning to the country and her own, smaller estate. Caroline was already quite certain that she would go with the Dowager Countess if she was offered the chance to do so, not wishing to return to her father’s estate and continue on with her life there. She was a spinster now, and a spinster she would remain.

  “Ah, Miss Winters.”

  Caroline looked up in surprise. She realised that her thoughts had taken her far away from her present circumstances. The gentlemen had returned to the drawing room, apparently, and there was the sound of laughter and conversation drifting towards her.

  Except, Lord Stanway had broken away from the group and come towards her, for whatever reason. He was now looking down at her expectantly.

  “Lord Stanway,” she stammered, feeling heat climb up her spine as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat, not quite sure what else to say. Her mind clouded as he sat down in the seat nearby, his expression open and a little curious.

  She wanted to sink low in her seat, wanted him to disappear elsewhere and talk with those who were able to hold a conversation. Her skin felt hot and clammy, her hands pressing together tightly as a deep, unsettling anxiety filled her.

  “My stepmother told me that I might find you hidden away somewhere,” he said, genially. “I thought it best to seek you out.”

  “Why?”

  The word fell from her lips before she could prevent it, a flush creeping up into her cheeks as she looked away from him, unable to keep his gaze. She had not meant to speak so bluntly, had not meant to come across as rude, and yet knew that she had done both those things. It was not within her to speak carefully and calmly, such was the knot of tension that now sat in her stomach.

  Lord Stanway looked a little surprised but then he smiled at her, which she only caught out of the corner of her eye.

  “You wonder why I came to seek out your company, Miss Winters?” he asked, sounding a little amused. “I confess, I have wondered if you have been deliberately avoiding my company ever since I arrived.”

  Her heart was beating so quickly, Caroline’s breathing was beginning to become ragged. She could not so much as look at him now, her face awash with heat.

  “Is it something I have said?” he asked, still sounding a little mirthful. “Something I have done? If you do not tell me, Miss Winters, then I fear I cannot rectify it.”

  She closed her eyes tightly and forced herself to take in a long breath. There had to be a way in which she could answer Lord Stanway without panicking, without losing herself to embarrassment completely.

  “It is nothing you have done, my lord,” she whispered, still not turning towards him. “It is only that I…..” She trailed off, no longer able to find the words to express herself. It was most frustrating. When it came to reading books, when it came to scribing her own words, she found nothing difficult about that particular task. She was able to write from her heart, able to have the words fall from her heart and onto the page. Why, then, could she not simply speak easily to a gentleman?

  “Miss Winters.”

  Lord Stanway now sounded a trifle concerned and she was forced to turn towards him, aware that her heart was quickening for an entirely new reason. Looking into his eyes was doing extraordinary things to her, for she felt both hot and cold at the very same moment, waves seeming to run over her one after the other. The colours emerging from his eyes, the gentleness of his expression and the small smile that quirked his lips seemed to flood her with an overwhelming sense of fondness towards him, which was quite inexplicable given that she barely knew the gentleman. In her mind’s eye, she could see herself reading the letter that he had sent to his stepmother, could feel the pain coming through from the words he had written. In a way, she felt as though she knew his heart, knew what he had been struggling with, knew some of his suffering.

  “Miss Winters, you are not saying anything.”

  She flushed scarlet and looked away. Much to her astonishment, he reached out and touched her hand – and fire burned deep within her.

  “I am quite all right,” she stated, closing her eyes but without removing her hand from his. She could not bring herself to, not when this was the only time in her life that a gentleman had shown her such consideration. “You will think me ridiculous, Lord Stanway, but I find it very difficult to make conversation.” Her words were strained, stuttering and stopping, but she managed to say them regardless, praying that he would not think her ridiculous.

  “You speak very well to my stepmother, do you not?” he asked, slowly, his brow furrowing as she drew her eyes up to his again. “And to Miss Ruthford?”

  Closing her eyes tightly, she nodded and stared at her hands. Lord Stanway slowly lifted his hand from hers and Caroline fully expected him to leave her side almost at once, knowing that she must have come across as more than foolish.

  “I confess that I have thought you a trifle young to be my aunt’s companion,” he said, suddenly, surprising her entirely. “It is because of this…. difficulty…. that you have, then, in speaking to gentlemen, that has forced you down this path?”

  She hesitated, surprised to find that she was able to think out a response to this. “I would not say I have been forced, my lord,” she replied, her voice hoarse. “It is for the best.”

  He shook his head fervently, astonishing her by the zealousness with which he did so.

  “I think not, Miss Winters,” Lord Stanway stated, in response. “I have been in the depths of despair myself and can well understand the urge to simply accept one’s fate but….” He trailed off and as Caroline looked into his face, she was astonished to see the thoughtful expression that came into his eyes. “I received a letter from someone who encouraged me with such words of hope that I found myself freed from my despondency. I would share them with you now, Miss Winters. Do not give up on yourself, no matter how difficult you might find your current predicament. There is always light, even though it may be very faint.”

  Caroline swallowed hard, overwhelmed to hear him speak so openly and so tenderly of the letter that she herself had sent him. She could not speak, could not think, overcome by all that she saw in his expression. Had it truly meant that much to him?

  “It was the one thing that drew me out of my sorrows, when I was certain that death was all that was waiting for me.”

  “I see,” she whispered, her mind turning over this new information over and over as wonder swept through her. “That is most extraordinary.”

  Lord Stanway smiled at her and Caroline felt her heart twist.

  “You see?” he said, gesturing towards her. “You think you have great difficulty in holding a conversation with any gentleman of your acquaintance but now, here you are, talking to me without any great difficulty.” As her eyes widened in astonishment, Lord Stanway let out a small chuckle and reached to close his fingers over hers again. “I think we should continue our conversations just as often as we can, Miss Winters. That should help you improve even more, until there is no more fear left within you.”

 
A lump formed in her throat and, to her horror, Caroline felt her tears prick at the corners of her eyes.

  “I can see you are a little overcome,” Lord Stanway said, kindly, letting go of her fingers and reaching to rub at his leg, his expression twisting with discomfort. “I shall not allow you to refuse me, however, Miss Winters. A lady such as yourself need not hide away in the shadows forever. I have no intention of allowing you to do so, no matter what you may think.”

  “I thank you,” Caroline managed to whisper, her disbelief at her sudden ability to converse with Lord Stanway – albeit for a short duration – overwhelming her. “You are most kind, Lord Stanway.”

  “It is only passing on the kindness I myself have received,” he stated, firmly. “I shall leave you now, Miss Winters, but I look forward to speaking to you again tomorrow. Perhaps we might be able to discuss your family?”

  She nodded, not quite able to form words in order to accept his kind suggestion. Her eyes lingered on him as he rose, not even noticing his limp as he moved away from her. Her whole body was alive, tingling with both joy and delight. She had finally managed to converse with a gentleman without bringing herself to such a peak of shame and mortification that she had needed to step away. Lord Stanway had proven himself to be the kindest of gentlemen, allowing her the space and time she needed to respond to him. Yes, he had gently pushed her to answer, had gently encouraged her to respond, but he had not laughed at her, mocked her nor derided her. There had been a gentleness there that she had not experienced before, a determination to discover why she had not taken any opportunity to converse with him. It was the first time any gentleman of her acquaintance had shown her any eagerness to develop their acquaintance. The first time a gentleman had discovered the truth about her and had not turned away from that. Instead, he had offered to aid her, to help her in whatever way he could, so that she might have hope that her life would not simply be one of a spinster companion.