Eloisa's Adventure

by King, Rebecca

  “How are you?” Eloisa asked softly. She didn’t want to, but she just had to ask. He looked so dashing in his suit that it was almost as though he had stepped out of all of her girlish fantasies and materialised in front of her. She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t think. The ache to feel his arms around her again was so strong that she found herself leaning toward him. It was only the memory of their last morning together that kept her from touching him.

  The noise of the guests in the room behind them faded into insignificance as they stared at each other. Awareness settled over them and, in spite of the world of hurt, fears and doubts that had drawn them apart, they found themselves drawn together.

  “I didn’t realise you would be here,” she said for want of anything else to say.

  “I am staying at the castle for the time being. There is an important project underway,” he replied quietly.

  “Oh?” Eloisa asked politely, curious to say the least. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask him if he was going to sell the castle still, but she had to remind herself that such familiarity would be frowned upon. After all, as far as everyone else was concerned she didn’t even know Simeon Calversham, and wasn’t of a good enough acquaintance to talk freely about his personal business.

  “Yes, but I shall be departing for Pendlebury Hall as soon as it is over.”

  “How is the castle now? Has everything settled down?” She just had to know.

  “It has,” Simeon acknowledged with a nod. The castle was the last bloody thing he wanted to talk about but if that was what she felt comfortable discussing, and then he was prepared to indulge her – for a little while at least. “Have you not read the broadsheets?”

  “I did. I am sorry for the chaos he brought to your life.”

  “He didn’t manage to take anything before he was captured,” Simeon sighed.

  “That’s good then,” Eloisa replied weakly.

  She gasped when the violinist gave the signal for the dancing to begin. “Oh dear, I have to go and find Mr de Lisle.”

  “You shouldn’t be out here, Eloisa. You are an invited guest this time,” Simeon reminded her.

  “I know, but there is more space out here,” she replied absently as she stood on tip-toe to study the crowd for Mr de Lisle or Cissy. “It is such a crush inside.”

  “It is,” Simeon agreed.

  Eloisa felt the warmth of his breath on her neck. She shivered and turned to look at him. Was it her imagination, or had he moved closer? She gulped but couldn’t get her legs to work well enough for her to put some distance between them.

  “I-I need to find Mr de Lisle,” she repeated dully.

  Simeon shook his head slowly and nodded to the card she had forgotten she still held. “I am afraid that all of your dances have been taken this evening. Your card is marked, look.”

  He lifted the card out of her gloved hand but refused to release her hand, and held it while he showed her what was written on the card.

  Eloisa studied the neat writing. Lord Pendlebury was written on each and every line, on both sides. He tucked both into his pocket.

  “I am afraid that you are already taken,” he murmured softly. He looked toward the ballroom and nodded toward someone.

  Eloisa followed his gaze just in time to watch Mr de Lisle melt into the crowd and turned slightly accusing eyes on Simeon.

  “You arranged this?”

  He had the good grace to look not in the least bit sheepish. “I did,” he declared confidently. “I insist upon being the one who gets to dance with you at your first official ball.”

  Eloisa gulped. “My first official ball?”

  Simeon smiled and held his arms out as the first strains of music wafted over them.

  “Dance with me?” he whispered.

  She had little choice but to comply. To refuse him would be churlish; insulting even, and she couldn’t bring herself to be that rude. When she stepped forward and felt his warmth press against her, she tried to edge away to put a more respectable distance between them only to find herself held firmly against him.

  “Simeon,” she whispered a little reluctantly. She glanced furtively toward the ballroom.

  “You cannot ignore what has happened between us, Eloisa. I won’t allow it.”

  “You regretted it,” she accused, and felt the salty sting of tears well when he nodded thoughtfully.

  “But not for the reasons you presume,” he informed her quietly.

  “What other reason could you regret what happened? I am sorry that I imposed on your good nature.”

  “You didn’t impose,” he replied patiently. He could understand her annoyance. He could even understand her reluctance to allow him close again, especially after the callous way he had deposited her at home. However, he wasn’t prepared to acknowledge, understand, or accept any continued distance between them now that Renwick was out of the way, and he was able to offer her a future at last.

  “There was so much going on Eloisa, and Renwick was an incredible danger to our lives. I couldn’t risk someone so precious to me being hurt by him.”

  She gasped and looked up at him. He was so incredibly tall against her that she felt delicate and refined, but so infinitely protected that she couldn’t bring herself to force him to remove his hold. She leaned against him with a familiarity that made them both yearn for more, and sighed when Simeon tenderly kissed the top of her head.

  “I made a mistake,” she replied morosely.

  “I concede that we could have timed things a little better, yes, but I don’t regret what we shared for one second. I never have, nor will I ever.”

  “You were just so cold the morning after, well, you know,” she began, but had to stop because her voice thickened to the point that it came out as nothing more than an unintelligible croak.

  “I knew that I had to let you go, Eloisa, even for a little while, but it was damned hard to do,” Simeon declared quietly when she continued to stare absently at his shirt. He dipped his head down so she would look up at him. “It was a damned wrench to leave you at home where you would be safe. I compromised you; a lady of fine standing who deserved considerably more than me. I shouldn’t have touched you while facing such problems with Renwick. I had to see how much scandal I was to face before I dragged you into the midst of it. It wasn’t fair on you, especially given that you had more than enough shocks to face as it is. This passion that lies between us is impossible to ignore though. I find you so incredibly desirable that all sense, logic and reason goes out of the window. You know that.”

  “You know about my connection to Arthur,” Eloisa stated and watched him nod.

  “Rafael told me,” he confessed. “I am so very happy for you.”

  “Arthur told us only this evening so it is all a bit of a shock,” she replied quietly.

  “Arthur and Rafael are both good men,” Simeon assured her.

  As he spoke, he became aware of four sets of curious eyes watching them through a side window. Their behaviour was so unusual that they were drawing the attention of the some of the guests at the ball. However, he daren’t acknowledge Mr de Lisle, Cissy, Rafael, and Arthur, who were peering out at them, and kept his gaze locked on Eloisa instead while he fought a smile.

  They appeared to be waiting to see if their scheming would come to fruition.

  Eloisa caught him smile at something behind her and followed his gaze. She gasped when she saw the faces pressed against the window.

  “Is that Arthur?” she whispered incredulously.

  He grinned at her. “Don’t be mad at them, they know how miserable I have been,” he drawled.

  “You have been miserable?” Eloisa parroted. “They helped?” She turned slightly accusing eyes on the people in the window.

  “Rafael is my good friend, as you know. He issued the invitations and has been working with his father on how to get you and Cissy back into the family. Mr de Lisle has taught you how to dance, and made sure you were pressured into accepting the odd
invitation to the first ball. Cissy has merely applied added pressure at home to get you to this one. I wanted them all here because they matter to both of us. They have all played a very large part in both of our lives really.” It was the truth. Heaven only knows what he would have been forced to do if Arthur hadn’t pushed Eloisa into accepting his invitation.

  “Cissy knew you were going to be here?” Eloisa gasped and shook her head in disbelief. “That’s why she wanted to come to the ball, and was so enthusiastic about attending something she would otherwise have wanted to avoid.”

  Simeon nodded. “They want to see us together, darling. That’s all. I have already discussed our association with Arthur and Rafael. They know my intentions are entirely honourable.”

  Eloisa looked doubtfully at him for a moment. “You barely spoke to me on that last morning,” she accused. A world of hurt was in her eyes when she looked at him.

  He realised then just how much damage he had done to their fledgling relationship and cursed himself for being a fool. He knew now that he should have kept her with him.

  “I was struggling to decide whether I should let you go, even to protect your life. When my friend arrived, I took him to the folly with me to fetch Renwick, but my cousin had vanished while we were asleep. I suspected that he was running around on the estate somewhere, and was undoubtedly vengeful given the ferocity of our fight. I couldn’t allow you to be hurt. I knew that I had to get you home so I was free to concentrate on finding Renwick. Dropping you off at home though was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. Now that he is out of our lives, and the worst of the censure is over, I can assure you that your name won’t be dragged into moral turpitude by being connected to mine.”

  “Being connected to me will bring scandal upon your family name,” she said ruefully.

  He leaned back to frown at her. “Why should it?”

  “Well, I don’t have a title, or anything,” she replied with a shrug.

  “I don’t think you are required to have one, are you?” Simeon murmured thoughtfully. “I mean, you will get one once we are married but until then, you shall remain Miss Eloisa Delaney. You are Rafael’s cousin and Arthur’s nieces. That makes you two of the most well connected members of high society.”

  “Once we are married?” Eloisa whispered, unable to believe what she had just heard.

  Simeon’s lips twitched when he saw Mr de Lisle stumble sideways only to be helped upright by Cissy, who quite obviously chided him for distracting them from their viewing.

  “After a suitable courtship, of course,” he replied with a grin. “Although, seeing as we have skipped several steps already, I think that it would be more prudent to rush matters along a little.”

  He didn’t want to mention just yet that he hadn’t stopped once to think about taking steps to prevent a child. It seemed a triviality at the moment because, as far as he was concerned, his entire future was already decided. He just had to convince Eloisa to share her life with him and everything else would fall into place, he just knew it.

  “Rush matters along?” she whispered and stared at him as though he had lost his mind.

  “I know that we have a lot to learn about each other, Eloisa, but I am afraid that what we shared the other night quite firmly committed you to being mine. I insist now that you follow through on your promises, and spend the rest of your life with me.”

  Eloisa stared at him and shook her head absently, unsure if she understood him correctly. “I don’t believe that I promised you anything.”

  Simeon knew that she hadn’t but wasn’t prepared to back down and allow her to evade him. “You gave me your body.”

  Eloisa blushed guiltily and glanced around her furtively. “I know but that hardly promises you anything.”

  “You gave me your body. You effectively promised me your future,” he argued.

  “I did no such thing,” she protested weakly. “Did I?”

  He nodded. “I am afraid so. I insist now that you follow through with your promise, and take this matter to a more suitable conclusion that befits our status.”

  The way his eyes slid lovingly over her, from the tip of her tightly curled head to the tips of her satin clad toes, told her what ‘suitable conclusion’ he considered that to be. A wild flurry of awareness swept through her, and she could do nothing to stop him from holding her closer.

  “Simeon,” she warned chidingly, and she threw him a warning look that was more humorous than chiding.

  “I am just stating fact,” he replied obliquely.

  “You don’t have to do so here though, do you? Anyone could overhear us,” she declared cautiously, and cast a furtive glance at the now empty window.

  “They have gone back inside now that you haven’t slapped my face,” he remarked dryly before he turned his attention to the rest of her statement. “I am afraid I do have to make my feelings perfectly clear, darling. I am not going to waste a single moment of our time together,” Simeon argued, not bothered at all about who overheard what. “The Calversham family have already crested the first wave of scandal. I am sure we will be more than capable of surviving the second wave.”

  “Scandal? Wave?” she parroted with a frown.

  “Renwick,” he said flatly. “It will cause a scandal again when he faces the punishment he is served, but it cannot be avoided.”

  “At least he is behind bars. Nobody bodes you ill, do they? I mean, you were the one who turned him over to the authorities as soon as you found him, and he stole from you. It would be a mean person indeed who blamed you for anything that man does,” she declared somewhat protectively.

  He mentally cheered at the look of outrage on her face, and her ready defence of him. For the first time that evening he began to relax, secure in the knowledge that everything really would be alright now.

  “Everything is fine, Eloisa. There is no lasting damage done to either me or the Calversham name,” he assured her.

  “Good,” she sighed with a nod.

  “You see, when I do something, I do it properly,” he said. His gaze dropped to her lips and lingered there suggestively.

  Eloisa shivered and felt hot and cold at the same time. She was hypnotised by the way his lips moved as he talked.

  “You do?” she murmured weakly.

  Rather than respond though, Simeon showed her just how the Calversham men and this man in particular, fought for what they wanted.

  Before she could reply, he bent her over one arm and held her there while his lips laid claim to her. She wanted to push him away. They were, after all, standing feet away from the door to a ballroom that was packed full of guests who were all gathered to begin the dancing. If someone looked outside, they would notice two of the guests locked in a lovers embrace, and she would face ruination.

  That said though, the feel of his lips against hers was so wonderfully tantalising that she just couldn’t bring herself to care what anyone thought. She would face ruin just to be held by him again.

  The desire that flared to life between them felt so infinitely right that she knew that she would follow him to the ends of the earth so they could stay together. Rather than push him away as she knew she ought, she sighed and returned his embrace with a ferocity that stunned him.

  His body roared to life and elicited a groan that came straight from his very soul. He slowly stood upright and took her with him, but drew her closer still while his lips continued to plunder. It was only the slight smattering of applause that sounded some way off in the distance that reminded him they were not alone, and this was no time to indulge in the pleasures of the flesh.

  Unfortunately, although he tried he couldn’t stop. His lips wouldn’t release hers, not until he had assured himself that everything truly would be alright between them. When he tried to put some distance between them, the hot brush of her breath against his cheek and the slumberous desire in her limpid eyes drew him back down.

  “God, Eloisa, say you will be mine again,” he growled husk
ily before he buried his face in her neck. He held her so tightly against him that he could feel her every heartbeat but even that fanned the flames of desire.

  “Yours?” she whispered, unable to deny him anything.

  “Say you will be mine. We will have a proper period of courtship, but I warn you now that I shall waste no time in getting you up the aisle. I want us to be married sooner rather than later. If you don’t want to reside in Pendlebury Hall, we can live at Mitchelham Castle, so you can be closer to Cissy.” He leaned back to smile down at her. “I can even arrange for the secret passageways to be blocked up, if you would feel safer?”

  Eloisa smiled at him in spite of her thundering heart and scattered wits.

  “I really don’t care what you do with them.”

  “I love you, Eloisa,” he murmured huskily. “Say that you will marry me?”

  “I would love to,” she whispered. Stunned disbelief coursed through her that he had actually said the words, and so soon in their acquaintance as well. But she couldn’t doubt him, because she knew that she felt exactly the same way. She leaned forward to kiss him again.

  Simeon leaned back and looked down at her bemusedly. “Are you always going to be this amenable when we are married?”

  “Not a chance,” she whispered.

  They remained locked in a lover’s embrace for quite some considerable time while they ironed out the smaller details of their new life together. When the first strains of a Viennese waltz rent the air, Eloisa gasped and looked at him in delight. Heaven only knew how many dances they had missed while they had been talking but the strains of the now familiar tune brought forth a flurry of excitement that lit her eyes.

  “I was supposed to dance to this,” she whispered. She looked around guiltily for Mr de Lisle.