by Jen Turano
“Did Caroline invite every person in Newport to this ball?” Dorothy asked as she fanned her face with one of the fans he’d thought were going to be the only favors given out to the ladies.
Everett smiled. “Mr. McAllister is responsible for the guest list. And I wouldn’t be surprised to discover he’s also the one responsible for giving Caroline the idea about the treasure pails.”
“Which I’ll be certain to speak with him about,” Dorothy said as a lady pulled a sparkling bracelet from her pail and let out a squeal of pure delight. “But since I don’t want to dwell on how much money Caroline’s little treat to the guests is costing you, especially since I’m quickly coming to the conclusion she did it out of sheer spite, we should talk of something pleasant. Have you seen Millie lately?”
“I have, out on the terrace, but . . . I’m afraid I might have made a bit of a blunder, leaving her out there with Caroline and all, especially after Caroline, along with a lot of our guests, found me teaching Millie how to . . . waltz.”
“Oh . . . my.” Dorothy sent him a rather sad shake of her head. “That was a blunder, dear, and if I may give you some motherly advice, you need to go back to the terrace, immediately.”
“I don’t think Caroline would do anything to her,” he said slowly.
“Which just goes to show how truly negligent I’ve been with teaching you the intricacies of a lady’s mind, but . . . off you go now, and . . . good luck.”
Taking a second to kiss his mother’s cheek, Everett headed back down the hallway, but before he had a chance to get to the terrace, the orchestra stopped playing and . . . Dudley’s voice rang out.
“If I may have your attention . . . Miss Dixon is about to present her great surprise. We’ll need everyone in the ballroom.”
The next thing Everett knew, his arms had been taken by two giggling ladies, both of whom were sending him knowing looks as they steered him down the hallway and into the ballroom. Additional looks were immediately sent his way by all of the guests assembled around him—looks that had expectation written all over them.
As the two ladies released their hold on him and stepped back, he found himself standing there, in the midst of a very large crowd but not feeling like a part of that crowd. As if the sun had finally come out from beneath a very dark crowd, truth settled over him.
He could not, tonight or any night in the future, fulfill society’s expectations for him and Caroline, because . . .
He didn’t love Caroline.
She didn’t love him.
And . . . he was fairly sure he was head over heels in love with Millie.
His lips began curving just as the idea struck that this was probably not the best moment to have had such an epiphany, but . . . at least he’d had it before Caroline made her big announcement. That would have been horrible for both of them, and would have ended up embarrassing Caroline no small amount in front of people she only wanted to impress.
“There she is,” someone called out, causing Everett to shake himself from his thoughts and direct his gaze to where everyone was now staring.
Caroline was framed in the entranceway of the ballroom, looking remarkably sparkly as the many diamonds she was wearing caught and held the light from the chandeliers. The crowd scooted backward, leaving her a clear path through the ballroom, and as she began walking, Everett started toward her, stopping in his tracks though when she lifted a hand and shook her head ever so slightly in his direction.
“Since everyone has been on pins and needles to learn about my little surprise, I thought I’d put all of you out of your misery and disclose my surprise sooner than planned,” Caroline called as applause rang out through the room.
Caroline waited for it to end, and then she waved a hand and servers immediately appeared, bearing trays with fresh champagne. Smiling as the servers began to hand out the drinks, Caroline caught his eye and sent him a wink, but held up her hand again when he started moving her way.
“You’re fine right where you are, dear,” she called as laughter immediately spread throughout the room.
When everyone had a drink, Caroline held up her champagne flute. “Before we get to my little announcement, let us raise our glasses to Mr. Everett Mulberry, our host for the evening.”
“Hear, hear,” someone called, and then glasses were lifted to lips and champagne sipped.
Caroline sent another lovely smile his way, which he found less than reassuring, before she waved a hand to the crowd which had them falling silent again. “Now . . . on to the surprise. Darling, would you do the honors?”
Everett’s feet remained rooted to the spot, but then, oddly enough, Dudley strode out of the crowd, across the ballroom floor, stopped by Caroline’s side, turned, and smiled.
“Treasured friends, it is with great pleasure that I’m finally able to announce, here at Mr. Everett Mulberry’s ball, that Miss Caroline Dixon has agreed . . . to become my wife.”
The silence was deafening as every single guest turned disbelieving eyes on Everett. For the span of a split second, he had no idea what to do, but then, he allowed himself the luxury of doing exactly what came naturally . . . he laughed.
His feet were suddenly able to move again, and he turned those feet in Caroline’s direction. Reaching her side a moment later, he leaned forward, ignored the triumph lingering in her eyes, and kissed her soundly on the cheek, earning a hiss from her in response which he also ignored.
“Thank you, my dear, for giving me the greatest gift possible . . . my freedom.”
When Caroline began sputtering, he looked to Dudley. “Well played, old friend, well played indeed. I wish you the very best of luck.” Turning, Everett faced the crowd. “A toast—to Dudley and Caroline, soon to be Mr. and Mrs. Dudley Codman. May they enjoy a happy life together.”
The guests slowly raised their glasses and then sipped their champagne, gazing back at him in obvious shock. Everett caught his mother’s eye and found her beaming at him, while his father nodded in clear approval. Abigail was practically hopping up and down in delight, but before he could so much as send her a grin, Caroline was whispering furiously in his ear.
“You might think you’ve won this, Everett, but I assure you, you haven’t.”
Looking down at her, Everett kept a smile on his face even as his eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”
“Did you truly believe I’d allow her to win? Allow a little nobody nanny to steal my gentleman away from me? I set her straight, I did, got her to see the truth about you, and . . . I might have mentioned that you and I were going forward with our engagement plans.”
“You lied to Millie?”
“I did you a favor,” Caroline corrected.
“Where is she?”
“She scurried off back to that dreadful Mrs. Hart’s cottage. If you leave right now, you might be able to catch her. However . . . I don’t think she’ll listen to any sappy words you might want to tell her. I was very, very . . . convincing. Oh, and I dismissed her as the nanny, so, now that I think about it, she might already be heading out of Newport since there was no reason for her to take the children with her when she left Seaview.”
“Where are the children?” he asked.
Caroline shrugged. “I told them to stay up in Elizabeth’s room, but since those children don’t exactly like to behave, they could be anywhere by now.”
Swallowing the words he wanted to say, words that were not very gentlemanly at all, Everett brushed past Caroline and headed out of the ballroom, unmindful of the titters that followed him. Deciding his first order of business was collecting the children, he turned for the stairs and took them two at a time, the thought coming out of nowhere that Caroline had mentioned something about them being in on the surprise. Hoping she hadn’t filled their little heads with her lies, he reached Elizabeth’s room, but found it empty. Striding onward, he checked Thaddeus’s room next, found it empty as well, and then moved on to Rose’s room.
“If you’re looking for
the children, they’re no longer here.”
Spinning around, he found Miss Gertrude Rathbone standing in the doorway.
“What are you doing up here, Gertrude?”
“I saw you heading up the stairs, knew you’d be looking for the children, so thought I’d let you know they’ve left with Miss Plum.” She began inspecting her nails. “I believe they were heading off to Mrs. Hart’s cottage.”
“Do you know if Caroline spoke with them?”
Gertrude raised her head. “Caroline loathes the little beasts. I doubt she would’ve had much to say to them, although I’m sure she’s absolutely thrilled by the idea that she won’t have a ready-made family waiting for her when she marries Dudley. Caroline does enjoy being the center of attention, don’t you know, and with Dudley, well, he’ll make certain she’s always the center of his universe.”
“I could almost feel sorry for him if he hadn’t just broken every rule of friendship there is,” Everett returned. “But how do you know for certain Lucetta was taking the children to Abigail’s?”
Gertrude smiled. “Honestly, Everett, I would have thought by now that you’d know I’m very good at eavesdropping. How else would I always have such delicious gossip at my disposal?”
Realizing right there and then that Miss Gertrude Rathbone was not the good company he’d once thought her to be, Everett sent her a nod and headed out of Rose’s room. He moved back down the stairs, meeting his mother when he reached the bottom.
“Goodness, but that was . . . interesting. But . . . what were you doing upstairs?” Dorothy asked.
“I was going to get the children, but Lucetta’s apparently taken them over to Abigail’s, so I’m off to fetch them now—along with Millie, of course.”
Dorothy reached up and patted his cheek, causing him to wince since his face was still a little tender from all the brawls he’d been in of late. “There’s hope for you yet, my darling.”
Leaning closer to his mother, Everett kissed her cheek, stepping back to discover that Abigail had joined them.
“I must say that balls are certainly turning out to be far more interesting these days,” Abigail said. “Why, I thought that what happened with Harriet at the ball I held just a short time ago would be enough to keep society all atwitter for ages, but . . . I think society will shove that incident aside and replace it with the drama that just unfolded here.”
Everett leaned down and kissed Abigail on the cheek. “While I’m certain you’re right, we’ll have to discuss the pertinent details at a later date. I’ve been told Millie went back to your cottage. And since I’ve also been told that she’s suffering under some false information, I need to get to her as quickly as I can.”
“How wonderful, dear. Well, not the part about Millie suffering from false information. But when you see her, do make certain to tell her I’ll be expecting an apology from both of you over your lack of confidence pertaining to my matchmaking abilities.”
Sending Abigail a grin, he didn’t bother to address that annoying bit of truth as he strode down the hallway. Not wanting to run into any of the curious guests he knew were probably lying in wait for him, he headed through the kitchen, out the back door, and turned toward the stables.
Reaching his destination in a relatively short period of time, Everett was forced to stop in his tracks when Davis suddenly stepped in front him. His footman was not looking his normal affable self but was glaring at Everett, and . . . the man’s fists were clenched.
“Is something the matter?” he asked slowly.
“I would say so, sir, but since you are my employer, it wouldn’t be proper of me to tell you what that something is, or tell you where I think you should go at the moment.”
“I was intending to go to Mrs. Hart’s house.”
“You’re not done misleading Miss Millie?”
Everett stepped closer to Davis, stopping when the man actually raised one of his clenched fists. “Were you, by chance, present when Miss Dixon spoke to Millie?”
“I was, and good thing too, sir, since I was able to fetch Miss Millie a buggy straightaway so she could get away from . . . you.”
“Miss Dixon lied, Davis. She admitted to me she told Millie we were still going through with our engagement plans this evening, but I had no intention of asking Caroline to marry me tonight. And as odd as this may sound, Caroline is now happily engaged to Mr. Codman.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“I wish I could explain more sufficiently, but now is not the time. I need to find Millie.”
“Miss Dixon told Miss Millie you only see her as an amusement.”
Temper began to boil directly underneath Everett’s skin. “I swear to you, I’ve never looked at Millie as a source of amusement. Granted, I do find her amusing almost all the time, but that’s completely different.”
“What are your intentions toward her, sir, if I may be so bold to ask?”
“I think it would probably be better for me to discuss those intentions with Millie first, although I can assure you, they are completely honorable.”
Davis regarded him for a long moment before he nodded. “Well, that’s all right, then, but I do think you need to find Miss Millie straightaway. She was close to tears when I summoned a buggy for her, and I don’t believe Miss Millie is a lady who is normally prone to tears.”
“You’re certain she went back to Mrs. Hart’s cottage?”
“I had Johnson drive her, sir, so yes, that is where he was told to take her.”
“And may I hope Miss Plum and the children were in that buggy as well?”
“They were not. The last I saw of Miss Plum she was heading off to attend to the children, but I haven’t seen her since.”
“She never called for a carriage or buggy?”
“No, but she might have made use of one of the carriages parked out front. I did see a carriage traveling down the drive not too long ago, but I’m sorry to say I didn’t take note of who was inside it.”
“Well, I’m not doing any good standing here. I’m sure Lucetta’s got the children well in hand, but if you see her, tell her to meet me at Abigail’s.”
“Very good, sir. I’ll have a groom ready a horse for you straightaway.”
It was a mark of how competent his staff was that a horse was led out to him only a few minutes later. Thanking Davis again, Everett climbed into the saddle, urging the horse into an immediate trot. Turning toward Abigail’s cottage, he tried to get his thoughts into some type of order.
The first thing to pop to mind was the realization that he’d narrowly escaped a nasty future. Caroline was not the woman he’d always hoped her to be, but was instead mean, vindictive, and quite honestly, a little disturbed. Being married to her would have turned into torture over the years, and as a great sense of relief settled over him, he lifted his head to the sky.
“You certainly do have an odd way of going about things, Lord, but thank you for helping me avoid a nasty future . . . without hurting Caroline in the process. And, if you could just watch over Millie for me until I find her, that would be greatly appreciated.”
Urging the horse into a gallop, Everett soon found himself in front of Abigail’s cottage. Easing out of the saddle, he looped the reins over the front porch railing and climbed the steps. He was raising his hand to knock when the door suddenly opened, revealing Mr. Kenton, Abigail’s elderly butler.
Unfortunately, given that Mr. Kenton seemed to be holding some type of bat in his hands, a bat he was now raising at Everett rather threateningly, Everett got the immediate impression the man might not exactly be happy to see him.
“Good evening, Mr. Kenton,” Everett finally said when the butler remained mute, something Everett was fairly sure went against every proper bone in the man’s body. “I was, ah, well, I was wondering if I might speak with Miss Longfellow.”
“She doesn’t want to speak with you.”
Before Everett could get another word past his lips, Mr. Kenton stepped back an
d shut the door in Everett’s face.
Squaring his shoulders, Everett moved forward and knocked rather determinedly on that door.
The sound of the lock clicking into place was the only response.
He knocked again.
A minute passed, the door remained stubbornly shut against him, so . . . he knocked once more.
This, to his annoyance, became a trend. He’d knock, a minute would pass, and he’d knock again.
Finally, when his knuckles began burning, he turned and stalked down the steps. Just as Millie had done at the Reading Room, he began to peek in all the windows, hoping to find one that might be unlocked.
Unfortunately, Mr. Kenton had apparently already thought of the whole unlocked-window business, because Everett heard windows ahead of him being slammed shut.
Pushing through the shrubbery he’d been forced to climb behind, he jumped when a flock of peacocks suddenly flew out at him, screeching in a manner he was far too familiar with, right as the sound of barking puppies could be heard from inside the house. Knowing full well those puppies would be with Millie, who couldn’t refuse cuteness if she tried, Everett followed the sound as the peacocks began trailing after him.
Stopping at the back of the house, he pushed his way through yet another shrub, peered through the window, and smiled.
Millie was standing by a roaring fire with a book in her hand, something he would never tire of seeing. His smile widened, until . . . she glared at the book right before she tossed it into the fire.
Unable to stop himself, he leaned forward and rapped on the window.
Because she jumped a good foot into the air after the rap, he knew perfectly well she’d heard it, but Millie did not turn.