Hattie Wilkinson Meets Her Match

by Michelle Styles

  ‘I suppose Mr Hook will go to London,’ Hattie said, trying to change the subject. ‘Now that he has given his lecture, do you think he is suitable?’

  ‘Livvy needs a successful Season before she thinks about marriage.’ Stephanie shook her head. ‘I fear Mr Hook is not for her. Did you hear what he said in his lecture? Poor Mr Parteger was beside himself with rage.’

  ‘I thought it was laughter,’ Hattie said, remembering the snort. ‘Livvy will have to choose her husband carefully.’

  ‘No, Livvy will marry who I tell her to. Honestly, I don’t know what possesses that child these days. She keeps going outside to think. Portia says that she goes to the cedar of Lebanon and sits.’

  ‘Do you want me to have a word with her...now that you are satisfied that I remain respectable in society’s eyes?’ Hattie asked. ‘Put it in terms she might understand? Remember how you chafed when our parents forbade you meeting Mr Parteger?’

  ‘I suppose a refused marriage offer is better than nothing.’ Stephanie gave a loud sniff. ‘As long as I have your word that nothing untoward like this will ever happen again, you may speak to Livvy and see if you can reason some sense into her.’

  ‘I am through with romance and all other affairs.’

  ‘Good to hear.’ Stephanie fluffed out her skirts. ‘Then we can discuss more interesting matters such as what will Livvy wear for her Season which now won’t be ruined.’

  * * *

  Hattie’s head throbbed so much by the time she left Stephanie’s that she decided to walk straight home, rather than seeking out Livvy.

  Later after the baby was born, Hattie decided that she would go abroad. Livvy could go with her. Between the excitement of a Season and going abroad, Mr Hook’s charms didn’t stand a chance. Hattie tucked her head down and started to increase her pace. She had a trip to plan.

  ‘You need to watch where you are going, Harriet. You nearly walked straight past me without saying hello. Hopefully we are not that far out of civility.’

  Hattie stumbled. Strong hands caught her. Instantly a pulse of heat coursed through her. Kit here and dressed in his day clothes with tan breeches and high-topped boots.

  Her body wanted to melt against him. She kept herself perfectly rigid.

  She stepped away from temptation. Kit might not have left, but things were finished between them. It bothered her that her headache melted away under the heat of his gaze.

  ‘I thought you’d be well on your way to London,’ she said around the sudden tightness in her throat.

  ‘I told you that I was staying here, so why is it that you are so insistent on sending me to London?’ Kit’s mouth quirked upwards. ‘One would almost consider that you wanted to be rid of me.’

  Hattie clasped her hands together as the warmth of his voice flowed over her. This time, she’d be strong. She’d resist the lure of his voice.

  ‘We have nothing more to say to each other.’

  He inclined his head. ‘And here I thought you were more neighbourly than that. We are close neighbours after all.’

  Hattie regarded him suspiciously. Neighbourly? Was he really staying? ‘You were serious before and intend on living in Northumberland? What about your urgent business in London?’

  He snapped his fingers, dismissing the notion. ‘My mother is unable to travel. She enjoys the neighbourhood. Then there is the Lodge, which needs fixing. Pressing matters. The business can wait.’

  ‘Then I shall have to get used to seeing you at various functions.’ She tilted her head upwards so that her bonnet shielded her eyes.

  ‘I’ve no plans to be a hermit.’

  ‘The entertainment around here is a bit more tame than you are used to.’

  ‘I have found it adequate thus far.’ He touched his hand to his hat. ‘I trust it will continue.’

  ‘Why are you out this way? And on foot?’

  His body stilled. ‘Rupert is about to meet Livvy in the woods. I came across a note from her this morning.’

  Hattie’s mouth dropped opened. She should have expected it. Livvy was headstrong, but she also was young. ‘How long has this been going on?’

  Kit carefully shrugged. His fingers itched to straighten Hattie’s bonnet. He hadn’t anticipated coming on her like this. Alone. He wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her soundly, but he’d made a mess of things yesterday. Today was about proving that he was worthy. Discovering the note had been an answer to his prayers. It was his one chance to show to her that he cared about her and her family.

  ‘I was occupied with other things and failed to pay attention. They have been communicating by leaving notes for each other in the circulating library,’ he said and watched her cheeks colour. ‘These clandestine liaisons need to stop.’

  ‘As I have discovered, clandestine does little good to anyone.’

  ‘Has something happened?’ Kit asked, every nerve on alert. She had to want him, rather than being forced into the marriage. He knew that now.

  ‘Mrs Hampstead complained to Stephanie, but I explained your proposal and my reasons for refusal.’ Her lips turned up in a mocking smile. ‘All is well.’

  Kit frowned. All was not well. Hattie was being utterly stubborn. She refused to hear what he had tried to say. He simply had to figure out another way. And the first piece was discovering what Rupert and Livvy were up to.

  ‘In the note I saw, Livvy asked Rupert to meet her in the usual place. Do you have any idea where the usual place will be?’

  Hattie frowned. ‘What are you going to do?’

  ‘Find out what is going on. The last thing I want to do is to panic them into taking drastic action.’

  Harriet paled and he saw that she understood precisely what might be at stake. ‘My sister and brother-in-law wish Livvy to marry a title. Mr Hook seems like a perfectly acceptable man, but Stephanie is immovable on this.’

  ‘So Rupert informed me.’ Kit stroked his chin. ‘He might inherit a title if his great-uncle dies without an heir, but he has just married a young woman. He feels it wrong to make mention of something that might not happen.’

  Harriet nodded. ‘I understand the difficulty, but it might do for my brother-in-law. What is your solution?’

  ‘A long engagement and Livvy doing a Season before the marriage,’ Kit said, watching her like a hawk. He had to hope that she understood why he wanted to do this.

  Harriet clapped her hands. ‘Pure genius. It might work. I’m impressed.’

  ‘I can be impressive, given the opportunity,’ Kit said, making his voice become silk. ‘The alternative is a quick elopement. Rupert appears very determined. You know what young lovers can be like when they feel thwarted.’

  ‘Stephanie would never recover from the shame,’ Harriet retorted decisively.

  ‘Now are you going to tell me where they might meet?’

  ‘By the cedar of Lebanon. It is where Livvy goes to think. Stephanie complained about it when I spoke to her today.’

  ‘Now we know where they go.’ He shook his head. ‘I never thought Rupert had it in him.’

  ‘It sounds like Livvy. She loves intrigue.’ Her mouth twitched. ‘You have to admit that it was a pretty good scheme. I suspect even Portia didn’t guess. She can never keep a secret.’

  ‘Is there a vantage point where we can see the tree?’

  ‘Yes, up by the folly.’ Harriet pointed towards a gentle hill. ‘It is a bit far away.’

  ‘I brought a spyglass.’

  Her mouth dropped open. ‘You are well prepared.’

  ‘We observe and take action as necessary,’ Kit explained. ‘I’ve no wish to interrupt an innocent flirtation.’

  ‘You seem to know all the tricks.’

  ‘How do you think I learnt to avoid them?’

  She laughed. The sound rushed through him and the tight place in his heart eased a little. The crisis had passed and he started to hope that he could triumph. ‘I’m coming with you. If there is any confrontation to be done, I want to
be there.’

  ‘I shall be glad of the assistance.’

  * * *

  Hattie walked alongside Kit. Her entire being hummed with nerves. She couldn’t tell if it was because she was apprehensive about discovering what Livvy was up to or because Kit was striding alongside her. She did trust Kit to put things right.

  When he reached the crest of the hill, he withdrew his spyglass.

  ‘Are they there?’

  ‘Yes, holding hands and looking soulful.’

  Her shoulders relaxed. She had feared the worst.

  ‘Then something can be done. I blame myself for this. I had all the clues and did nothing about it. Livvy’s sudden liking for the circulating library and your stories about the mountains of books that Mr Hook got out. I just don’t understand why Portia kept silent.’

  ‘What about her parents? What will they think?’

  ‘But I’m her aunt.’ Hattie hugged her waist. Panic started to claw at her stomach. A thousand what-ifs ran through her brain. ‘How am I going to solve this?’

  ‘Big gulp of air, Harriet. In and out.’ Kit’s calm voice penetrated through the fog.

  ‘I am breathing.’

  ‘Good, now trust me. You are not alone. Your niece won’t be ruined. I promise you.’

  Trust him? She had little choice.

  ‘Stephanie will have a fit.’

  ‘Better a fit now than a catastrophe later.’ He jerked his head. ‘Run and get her. I want her to see this while it remains innocent.’

  Hattie nodded. ‘You had better be right, Kit, or I will never forgive you.’

  ‘I had better be right or I will never forgive myself.’

  * * *

  ‘What is wrong, Hattie?’ Stephanie looked up from her sewing. ‘I suppose you have come to apologise for your behaviour. Very well, I will listen.’

  Hattie grasped the door frame and swallowed her quick retort. ‘Apologies will have to wait. Come now, Stephanie. There is something you need to see. Livvy’s happiness depends on it.’

  Stephanie put down her embroidery. ‘You are being awfully mysterious.’

  ‘It has to do with Livvy and your forbidding of Mr Hook’s courtship.’

  Stephanie went white. ‘She hasn’t run away, has she? Mrs Smith’s eldest did that. The shame of it. Mrs Smith had to hide her face for weeks.’

  ‘Livvy remains at Highfield, but I hate to think what could happen. You need to come now. Simply sitting there and expecting other people to act for you won’t wash this time, Stephanie.’

  Stephanie opened and closed her mouth several times. ‘Who alerted you to this?’

  Hattie rubbed a hand across her face. ‘Sir Christopher. He discovered Livvy’s communication to Mr Hook. Hurry.’

  ‘If what you say is true, then we shall be in his debt.’ Stephanie grabbed her bonnet.

  * * *

  Kit breathed a sigh of relief when Harriet arrived back at the hill with Mrs Parteger in tow.

  ‘They remain there.’

  He silently handed the spyglass to Harriet, who took a look and passed it to her sister.

  ‘Is all as it was?’ Harriet asked. ‘Hand-holding and gazing into each other’s eyes?’

  Kit pursed his lips. There was no need to describe the passionate embrace he’d witnessed. ‘They are young and in love. And you know what can happen when love is thwarted. It is obvious that they are a resourceful pair. No one guessed until today about their little romance.’

  Mrs Parteger gave a slight gasp and leant on

  Hattie’s arm. Harriet put an arm about her. Kit suddenly understood why she had been reluctant to leave Northumberland. She had shouldered a vast amount of responsibility.

  ‘Kit has a plan, Sister.’

  Mrs Parteger wiped her eyes. ‘I should like to hear it. I never considered my baby girl capable...capable of such things.’

  Kit exchanged a glance with Harriet. Her eyes danced.

  ‘A long engagement, but Miss Parteger should have her Season. I would suggest Mrs Wilkinson would be the best person to accompany her.’

  ‘I couldn’t possibly...’ Mrs Parteger began.

  Harriet cleared her throat and nodded towards where the couple stood.

  ‘What I mean to say is that it is an excellent suggestion. I can’t speak for my sister, but I would be honoured if she chose to serve as Livvy’s chaperon.’

  He watched Harriet’s eyes widen. ‘Of course I’d be delighted to go if the occasion arises.’

  ‘Shall we break this embrace up?’ Kit asked, giving a loud shout.

  He started down the hill. Harriet’s hand touched his sleeve. Kit fought against the urge to cover it with his hand.

  ‘Do not think this means I have forgiven you, but thank you,’ she said in an undertone. ‘You appear to have saved the day.’

  ‘Only appear? I have saved the day and allowed two people to have a chance to get to know each other before they are leg-shackled.’

  ‘And, yes, I did want to go to London with Livvy before you ask.’ Her eyes twinkled with mischief. ‘I hope you are not going to be insufferably smug about the whole thing.’

  ‘You are speaking to me and that is a start,’ Kit answered. He inclined his head. His fight back had started. This time he intended to leave nothing to luck. He was going to do everything in his power to show Harriet that she should take a chance on him. ‘Do remember to save me a dance at the Summerfields’ ball. It is all the thanks I require.’

  Chapter Fifteen

  The ball to mark the end of summer hummed with activity when Hattie arrived at Summerfield three days later. She hated the bitter-sweetness of attending a ball here again. It shouldn’t matter that the last time she had been here, she had met Kit, but somehow it did. That evening had changed her life in more ways than she had considered possible.

  Now she was committed to dancing with him again. Over the past few days as the excitement of Livvy’s engagement swirled around her, she had tried to think up an excuse, but none had come.

  After he had engineered the engagement between Mr Hook and Livvy, her sister felt that Kit could do no wrong. And she kept going on about how Hattie had made a mistake in refusing him. Even now as they waited, Stephanie made several remarks about how useful Kit was. It was as if she had suddenly been re-infected with her matchmaking fever.

  Hattie closed her ears.

  A tingling went down her back. She glanced over her shoulder. A tall figure alighted from a carriage and then turned to help a woman down.

  Kit.

  As if she had spoken his name, he turned towards where she was standing, waiting to greet the hosts. A tiny smile briefly crossed his features. He nodded towards where she stood, waiting with Livvy, and then whispered something in his mother’s ear.

  Once she would have blushed. Now she forced herself to coolly nod, only to be greeted by an enthusiastic wave and a gesture to come over from Mrs Reynaud. To Hattie’s astonishment, Mrs Reynaud was not veiled, but dressed in a sumptuous gown with a necklace of diamonds sparking at her throat.

  Briefly she contemplated pretending she had not seen the wave, but she knew that would go against the fibre of her being. She did want to see her.

  ‘I will be back.’ Hattie pressed Stephanie’s hand. ‘This queue is taking ages. Mrs Reynaud is here. I hadn’t realised that she had recovered from her chill.’

  Stephanie’s gaze narrowed, taking in Hattie’s reaction to the latest arrivals. ‘You haven’t been paying attention, Hattie. I called on Mrs Reynaud with Livvy two days ago when you were indisposed. Where is your head these days?’

  ‘I’m going to greet my friend,’ Hattie declared. ‘Please don’t read anything more into it.’

  ‘As if you would allow me to!’

  Hattie pulled back her shoulders, suddenly glad that she had given in to temptation and had worn a new garnet-red ball gown with cream-coloured lace around the neckline. She loved the way the skirt moved about her ankles and how the garnet-studde
d hairnet completed the look. She was not some widow content to stay on the shelf, but a woman determined to make the most of life. She might have agreed to dance with Kit, but it didn’t mean he had to be the only man she danced with.

  ‘You look lovely, my dear,’ Mrs Reynaud said with a huge smile when she reached the pair. Close up, the family resemblance was so marked that Hattie wondered how she had missed it earlier. Whatever happened, the reconciliation had done wonders for Mrs Reynaud. ‘Doesn’t she look lovely, Christopher?’

  Hattie forced herself not to move a muscle as Kit’s gaze roamed over her.

  ‘Mrs Wilkinson looks as she always does,’ Kit said, inclining his head.

  Hattie dropped the barest of curtsies. As far as compliments, she could have hardly thought of one which tasted more of ash. She searched his eyes for warmth, but found his expression guarded. ‘I thank you for the compliment.’

  ‘It was sincerely given.’

  ‘I’m pleased you brought your mother here.’

  ‘It took some doing. Up to the last moment she kept me guessing. Apparently she has not attended such events in years. I convinced her that no one would shun her because of past notoriety.’

  Hattie lowered her voice. ‘Mrs Reynaud has always been sensitive about her face, but the happiness now shines from her.’

  ‘There is more to beauty than a face. I notice other things.’

  ‘I agree.’ Hattie shifted in her slippers, aware that the receiving line was finally moving. ‘I should rejoin my party.’

  ‘You promised me a dance.’ He cleared his throat. ‘As payment for arranging Rupert and Miss Parteger’s engagement.’

  ‘A promise is a promise.’ Hattie knew her voice sounded too bright. ‘A quadrille. It is the last ball of the summer after all. There is no harm in it.’

  ‘I was hoping for a waltz, but a quadrille will have to do.’

  Hattie’s heart missed a beat as the image of them waltzing filled her brain. Her hand curled around her fan. She was not over him and was likely never to be over him. The knowledge thrummed through her. ‘That would not be wise.’

  ‘Sometimes it pays to be foolish.’ He caught her hand and lifted it to his lips.