The Lady’s Dangerous Love

by Jessie Bennett

  “I apologize, Elena.” He said reluctantly. “I did not mean to hurt your feelings. I am upset. I have a lot of things on my mind.”

  “You can tell me about them, Joshua. I won’t let it get past my own ears. Your words will never pass over my own lips.”

  Joshua seriously doubted that anything he told Elena would be kept secret. She was a gossip-monger and he knew it. Every one of the servants would know by the end of the day.

  “I don’t care to talk about it.” He grumbled, pulling up more dirt with the shovel.

  “Please talk to me, Joshua. You know you can.”

  He stopped shoveling and propped the shovel up in front of him, leaning on it with both hands on the handle. “Elena, I do not want to talk about my problems. I must sort them out on my own. I am a grown man and I can handle it myself.”

  Elena nodded, taking a step closer to him. He resisted the urge to step away. She was inches from him and it looked like she might kiss him. He braced himself. “I know you can handle it. But you don’t have to. Things are often easier when two people are carrying the burden.”

  Joshua put his head down to discourage her from kissing him. She reached out and put her hand on his arm. He looked up at her, taking in the sweet look on her face, wishing he didn’t feel the way he did for Bella. Elena had never been anything but good to him. She had always talked to him, made him laugh, and laughed at his jokes. They had been good friends until he realized that she was bound for more and that his heart belonged to Bella. What kind of a man would lead a woman to think he was interested when he clearly wasn’t?

  He was not that kind of man, he determined, and took a step back away from Elena, moving to place the new bush in the hole he had just created. Elena stepped out of his way and watched him as he worked.

  She didn’t remain silent for long. After only a few moments, she launched into a new story, one that Joshua had heard before. He dismissed his frustration with the woman, trying to remember that she was only trying to keep him company. As she spoke, his mind moved to Bella and stayed there. He stopped listening to Elena altogether.

  He could still smell the sweet scent that always lingered around Bella. He didn’t know if she was eating a lot of fruits or if she had a special perfume that she wore, but it was always in the air whenever she was around. He pictured her wavy hair falling softly over her shoulders, her blue-green eyes resting on him like a warm blanket on a cold night. He wanted to sit in front of the fire and talk to her until the sun came up. He wanted to fix her coffee or tea and serve her any dessert she wished to have. He would do anything to be in the shoes of Lord Humbridge.

  He hoped that Lord Humbridge was truly the man he was thought to be. Bella deserved no less. He should be showering her with attention, loving her every moment he got, forsaking everything else in his life for the sweet woman he was about to marry.

  He patted the dirt down and looked up at Elena. His eyes were drawn to the mansion when he saw movement in the window of Bella’s room. The drapes were pushed aside and then dropped back into place. They were open enough for him to see someone moving through the room but he couldn’t tell if it was Bella or not.

  His first instinct was to run up to the room to make sure no one was going through Bella’s things. He didn’t notice when Elena turned to look up in the direction he was staring.

  “Joshua?” She turned back to him. “Joshua.”

  He moved his eyes to her but his mind was still on the intruder in Bella’s room.

  “What are you thinking? You look angry.”

  He shook his head. “No… it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it, Elena. Shouldn’t you be getting back to the kitchen?”

  Once again, Elena gave him a pouty, sorrowful look. He suppressed a sigh.

  “I suppose I should. I’ll see you later tonight?” She sounded hopeful.

  “We will see. I do have to come in to eat dinner at some point. If you are there, I will see you.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  JONATHAN AND BELLA

  JONATHAN AND BELLA

  Bella watched as Jonathan went to the window and pushed the drape to the side, even though it was already open. His body looked large in between the long curtains, taking up most of the open space. She admired his broad shoulders. He turned back to look at her and she thought how handsome he was.

  She stood up from her seat in front of the dressing table and walked to stand next to him. Her eyes inadvertently fell on Joshua, who was pressing the new bush down into the hole. He looked like he was frustrated and angry. Elena was still standing near him, her arms folded over her chest and her mouth moving.

  Irritated, Bella took Jonathan’s arm and turned him away from the window. She took a few steps with him so that they could not be seen and she would not have to see Joshua and Elena outside.

  “I want to make you happy, sweet Bella.” Jonathan said, his deep voice soft and loving. The sound of it pleased Bella.

  “I know you do, Jon.” She replied with a smile. “You do make me happy.”

  “Then why do you look so down?”

  Bella shook her head in response. “I’m just… it’s just… I guess I am just overly emotional right now. I am going to be married.” She looked up at him with a soft smile. “To a very special man. And I… it’s all new to me, you know.”

  He nodded. “Yes, I suppose I wasn’t thinking about it that way, my dear. I will try to be more mindful of your feelings.” He was quiet for a moment. “Did you know there is a vandal in town?”

  “There is?” The news was a surprise to Bella. Nothing ever happened in Bainbridge.

  “Yes, your brothers told me that one of the shops was completely destroyed by a vandal. It may be necessary to get flowers from somewhere else.”

  “Oh dear.” Bella frowned, covering her small mouth with her fingers. “That is terrible news. Mama knows everyone in town and there are several that she is good friends with. I wonder, does she know of these events?”

  Jonathan nodded again. “Yes, I believe she does. If you would like, we can go into town and see what is going on.”

  Bella raised her eyebrows. “I am curious, I must admit. Would you like to go into Bainbridge? I will be glad to introduce you to some of the villagers. Most of them are friends of the family. We have many special events that, if we were in London, only the elite would be invited to. But here, my Mama and Papa invite everyone to attend our parties. Sometimes even our own servants will attend. Such as tonight. And our wedding. I am so pleased that you are willing to let the wedding take place here.”

  Jonathan smiled at her and held out one hand to the open door, indicating she could pass through it in front of him.

  “I will have Andrew fetch the carriage,” he said. “Yes, I understand that most of your friends have neither the wealth or the time to travel to London. To be perfectly honest with you, my dear, there are many, many special events that take place in London. Our wedding would be just a small fraction of it. Here, we will get much more attention. That is what you should have, my darling. You are worth all the attention in the world. I mean to see that you get it.”

  Bella giggled as the two of them made their way down the stairs, arm in arm. “I do not need a great deal of attention, Jonathan. I like to be seen and I like to be loved. However, I will not seek it out. If it is not given, it is not deserved.”

  He shook his head. “Untrue, my dear. It is deserved on your part. If you do not receive it, it is the fault of the giver, who fails to see what a jewel you are, what a prize you are, what a beauty you are.”

  Bella’s cheeks flushed. “You are very generous with the compliments, Jonathan.”

  “I will cease if I am embarrassing you.” He sounded a little fearful that he was doing just that. She shook her head and squeezed his arm with her small hands.

  “Oh no, Jonathan,” she giggled. “You may continue with the compliments. I do have an ego, you know, and it can always use a little boosting.”

  Th
ey both laughed quietly.

  As they passed the open door of the library, Bella glanced in and saw her brother, Steven, pouring over an open book in front of him. She stopped and then steered Jonathan into the room.

  “Are you all right, Steven?”

  Her brother looked up at her. He ran his hand over the small beard on his chin, nodding. “Yes, sister. Why do you ask?”

  “You look very serious.”

  “It might be because I am. I am concerned about the Queen and her health. I believe she will not last much longer.”

  Bella moved closer, sensitive to her brother’s soft heart. “You mustn’t worry about the Queen, Steven. She has relinquished power to the Prince and we no longer need to be concerned for her health or the mental illness of the King.”

  Steven continued to brush his hand over his short beard. He shook his head. “No, my sister. I am concerned for her. I believe she will die soon.”

  “But we needn’t worry about it. Nothing will change. The prince has been in control for quite some time now.”

  Steven looked back down at the book laid out in front of him. “I have been keeping up with the progress of the King’s mental illness as well. I believe he, too, will pass on to the other side in a short time.”

  “Why does this concern you, Lord Steven?” Jonathan asked in a genuinely curious voice. He was aware of Steven’s condition and was always gentle with him. “Why does her impending death consume you?”

  Steven was quiet for a moment before responding. “I don’t know.”

  There was another pause before Bella said, “Steven, please don’t let it bother you too much. I hate to see you upset. Would you like to come with us? We are going into Bainbridge so that Jonathan can be introduced to some of our friends there.”

  Steven blinked a few times as he rolled the idea over in his mind. Then he nodded, closing the book resoundingly. “Yes, I will accompany you to town. But I must leave you there, as I have much to explore on my own. There has been a case of vandalism in Bainbridge and I would like to participate in the investigation.”

  “Where are the others?” Bella asked, referring to her other brothers.

  “They have already gone into town with Mama. She wants to invite more people to the party tonight.” He rounded the desk he had been seated at and approached them. They turned to go through the doorway and out into the foyer. “Will you be having guests of your own tonight, Lord Humbridge?”

  Jonathan shook his head. “There is no one I intend to invite to this party. There will be many, however, when the time comes for the actual wedding. They will travel here from London and other parts of the United Kingdom, as well as other parts of the world.”

  Steven’s eyes sparked with interest. “Will there be anyone from America?” He turned his head and directed Andrew, who was standing nearby, to fetch the carriage for the three of them, as they would be heading into Bainbridge.

  Jonathan nodded. “I have a few friends who will indeed be traveling here from America.”

  “How interesting. I hope to go there in the future. I am interested in traveling all around the world, truly. There are many sights to see and people to meet. I think it would be a grand experience.”

  “Yes, it sounds like it. I have traveled some but most of the friends I have from around the world have come to London, rather than me going to them.”

  Steven nodded, holding the front door of the mansion open so that Bella could pass through in front of them. They continued to talk as they walked to stand at the end of the porch, waiting for the carriage to be brought to them. Bella listened to them talking, forcing herself not to look for Joshua. She assumed he had left the spot where he’d been planting the new bush, but didn’t want to look to make sure. There was a possibility he would still be with Elena and she didn’t even want to think about that. Seeing him with her again would only spoil her good mood.

  Jonathan took her arm when the carriage was pulled around, completely unaware of her distracted mind. His smile was warm and his eyes loving. She knew she could never reveal her thoughts to him. It was a shame. She wanted to share so much with Jonathan. She didn’t want to hide secrets from him. However, this was one topic that could not be broached. She would never be able to talk to Jonathan about Joshua because, as kind as he was, he would surely not tolerate any kind of competition, titled or not. He would have Joshua dismissed, if not challenge him to a duel in which Joshua was sure to lose.

  “My father says your family runs a successful toy business in London,” Steven was saying as they climbed into the carriage.

  “That is correct, Lord Steven.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  Bella pursed her lips, preparing herself for a long conversation about toys, business, ideas, and more. She watched the scenery pass by, all of it so familiar to her. She loved living in Bainbridge. She didn’t want to move to the city. Bainbridge was small and everyone knew each other. There was rarely trouble, which was why the vandalism in town so surprised her. She wondered if Jonathan would fall in love with the village and decide to stay there after they were married.

  The ride to town was short, but it felt like it was taking forever. Steven and Jonathan talked the entire way. Steven was always interested in new subjects and asked endless questions about the toy business and what it was like living in London. He enjoyed the country and had never visited London or anywhere else for that matter. It surprised her when Steven mentioned traveling the world. He had never said anything about it before.

  “Bella, are you all right?” Jonathan was looking at her with concern in his eyes. She nodded, giving him a smile. She was relieved to see him smile back, relief on his face.

  “We must stop by Fordham Hotel.” She said. “I would like to see Katrina, James’s sister, and they will have some tea and biscuits. I’m feeling a bit hungry.”

  “Of course. We can go there first if you would like.”

  “I will continue to the flower shop that was vandalized, if you don’t mind, Bella.” Steven said. “That is where the others are.”

  She nodded. She could see the outskirts of the town approaching, the tall roof of the Fordham Hotel prominent in the distance. She was anxious to see Katrina. The girl was younger than her, but they had always been good friends, and she needed someone to talk to that would not judge her for having a heart that was torn between two men.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  KATRINA AND BELLA HAVE A TALK

  KATRINA AND BELLA HAVE A TALK

  The carriage stopped in front of Fordham Hotel. Jonathan got down first and held up his hand to help Bella. As soon as she stepped down, she could see through the front window into the lobby. She turned quickly and said, “Steven, you mustn’t go on. The brothers are inside. I can see them through the window.”

  Steven raised his eyebrows and held up his hand so the driver would not continue down the narrow road. “Hold the horses here, Duncan. We will return shortly.”

  Bella, Jonathan, and Steven went through the front door to see a crowd of people gathered in the lobby. Judith Ellingham was standing just inside the door, talking to Anne Marie Wiltshire, who was a visitor to Bainbridge. The residents who stayed on at the hotel were also there, along with the three Cornwall sons, Katrina, and James. There were several conversations going on in the room, causing quite a ruckus.

  When they were seen, the conversations came to a halt as they were greeted by one and all. Bella moved quickly to stand by Katrina after she greeted everyone in the room. Jonathan went to stand with the men on the other side of the lobby. They were deep in conversation about the apparent vandalism of the flower shop.

  “It will be a grand party tonight, won’t it, Miss Bella?” Judith said with a smile, her eyes steady on Jonathan, obviously admiring what she saw.

  “Yes, we plan it to be. I am glad you will be able to attend.” Bella turned to Katrina. “Will you be there, Katrina?”

  “Oh of course I will, Bella.” The young girl responded
. “I would not want to miss that. I am looking forward to it. I get to wear a new dress Mama purchased for me at the Tweddle’s.”

  “I want to see it.” Bella grabbed her friend’s hand. “Show it to me?”

  Judith, Katrina’s mother, got a look on her face that showed she knew Bella wanted to talk alone with her daughter. She lifted one hand and shooed them away. The girls went up the stairs, leaving the adults to talk among themselves.

  “I need to talk to you, Kat. I am having some troubles and doubts.” Bella said the moment the door to Katrina’s bedroom was closed. Katrina went to the large closet and pulled open the door to reveal a line of beautiful dresses of all colors. Bella smiled as her friend started going through them.

  “Tell me, Bella. What is upsetting you?”

  “How did you know something was upsetting me?”

  “I have been your friend since we were children. I know you well enough now to see on your face that something is wrong. Now tell me what it is?” Katrina said over her shoulder as she pulled out a beautiful, long light yellow dress with gold lace trim around the collar and sleeves. Bella had to admit it was one of the most beautiful dresses she had ever seen. It would look fantastic on Katrina, whose coloring would offset the yellow beautifully.

  “Oh my! What a beautiful dress! Lovely!” Bella came toward her and took the dress, holding it out in front of her. She pressed it against Katrina and nodded in approval. “Just smashing! It will look stunning on you, dear.”

  “Thank you.” Katrina beamed. “I thought so, too. Papa brought it home. Mama and I went to the Tweddle’s dress shop to look but we didn’t buy it then. Papa went and bought it after Mama told him about it. She told him how much I wanted it and how good it would look on me. So, he went and bought it!”

  “I am very happy for you, Kat. What a beauty! You will attract all the attention from the boys!”