Elizabeth, on the other hand, could not stop thanking him. I should be thanking her! If she had never agreed to this plan, I would still be hounded by the vultures that keep a watchful eye on me.
Anthony thought about Felton's reaction to Elizabeth. He seemed to be affected by her beauty as well, but he need not worry about him. Felton was a lover of all things beautiful, and Elizabeth was most definitely stunning. If I were not currently courting her, would he have pursued her? Anthony did not have to think long about that answer. Certainly. Who would not pursue her? It amazes me that no man has captured her heart yet, or perhaps she only has room in her heart for her music.
He stole a look at her, glad for the dim lights that offered some form of cover. She turned her face just a fraction, enough for him to see that her cheeks appeared wet. On closer inspection, he noticed tears running down her face. This threw him.
Why is she weeping? Did I do something? Is she having a problem of some sort? Is this a delayed response to how the women treated her outside? Seeing her tears invoked panic within him, surprising even himself. What should I do? I do not wish to embarrass her by making it evident to everyone on the balcony. Anthony looked around. When he looked at her again, he noticed a glimmer of a smile on her rosebud lips. She is smiling? He followed her gaze, seeing the romantic scene that the two opera singers were describing in song and props. Oh! Relief flooded his being. She is merely moved and enchanted by the music and passionate singing.
As a person who appreciated music, and indeed loved it, he understood something of what she was currently feeling. It had been the same with him when he had first visited the opera with his parents. That was where his love of music had been born, with his mother encouraging him to pursue his talent by learning to play several musical instruments. The one that he preferred was the pianoforte, but the harpsichord was a close second. Without thinking, he reached over and touched her hand, smiling at her. Anyone who could be so affected by music surely had a heart of gold. As soon as his hand touched hers, Anthony felt a current pass through him. What in heaven's name is this?
Elizabeth, likely realising that he was touching her, stilled for a few heartbeats. He watched her first look at her hand, and then at him, a mask of confusion on her face, her face mirroring his, for he was just as confused by what had just happened.
They stared at each other, neither saying a word. Something had just taken place, but his mind was so frazzled that he could not think clearly. Slightly panicked by this unfamiliar territory, he forced himself to focus on why they were here, sitting in these chairs, watching the opera.
We are here as a birthday gift to her. But why? What is the underlining reason? Think, Anthony, think.
A fleeting image of Diana entered his mind.
Yes, Diana. I love Diana, I want her back.
These thoughts served to ground him to the point where he was strong enough to pull away. Elizabeth looked away, but he noticed how her hand trembled ever so slightly. He could feel those same trembles deep within him, and he did not like it.
This is a game, a plan to win back my true love. I cannot afford to complicate it with unexplainable feelings.
For the rest of the evening, Anthony made sure to keep his hands to himself. There were times when he had to stop himself from reaching out to touch her again. It seemed like such a natural thing to do. But it was playing with fire. Diana had best come to her senses quickly.
*
Anthony did not recognise the garden he found himself in, but it was nothing that he had ever seen before. It seemed to be a mixture of an English garden and the tropical foliage of a tropical island. He walked through it, marvelling at how lush everything was. Something blue caught his eye and he looked up to see Elizabeth walking towards him in a dress that captured the rays of the sun. It had a life of its own, moving and shifting as she glided towards him. It was magical almost, as though a fairytale dress had been brought to life. Elizabeth laughed, a melodious sound that lifted his heart.
“I have been waiting for you.”
He pointed at himself. “Me?”
“Yes. Come, sit by the stream with me. Is it not lovely here?” She held out her hand, her smile inviting and warm.
“Where is the dress that I gave you?”
Elizabeth winked and did a twirl, and as the dress moved, it turned into the white and gold creation. “It is right here. Now, come.”
She held out her hand again, and he took it, feeling at ease as he did so. She led him to a stream that appeared to be flowing in the opposite direction.
“Why is it doing that? Surely that is against nature?”
“It is to make the water taste sweeter, silly.”
That made perfect sense to him. Anthony sat down on a clear patch of grass while Elizabeth went to the stream. She bent down, scooped up some water, and brought it to him.
“Here, this is for you. Drink.”
He obeyed, holding her soft hands at an angle so that he may better drink. As the cool liquid went down his throat, it tasted like the sweetest of nectars that nature had to offer.
“Good?” she asked him.
“Delicious.”
She smiled and sat beside him, her body turned towards him. Anthony had so many questions on his mind, but he could not voice them as he looked at her. Her skin glowed like the inside of a shell, pearl-like with a hint of pink. He wanted to touch her skin, to see what it was that made her look so ethereal. As if reading his mind, she took his hand and laid it against her cheek. He found it to be warm and cool at the same time, with a softness that was like the purest silk.
“So soft,” he murmured.
She wrinkled her nose at him. “Silly.”
When she lay down and stared at the rolling clouds, she motioned for him to follow suit. He did so, his heart feeling happy when she took his hand and simply held it. A peace entered him, a peace that he often craved. Without warning, she sat up and looked behind her. Her eyes took on a great sadness when she looked at him.
“She is here.”
“Who?”
“Your love.” Elizabeth stood up and started to walk away from him.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
She shook her head but did not turn around. Anthony scrambled to his feet, worried that she was going to disappear.
“Elizabeth, wait!”
She continued to shake her head as she glided away from him. He took off at a sprint, desperate to get to her. He did not want to lose her, could not lose her. When he caught up with her, he grabbed her arm and spun her around.
“Eliza –” he stopped.
Before him was not Elizabeth, but Diana.
“Diana?”
She started to laugh, an eerie sound that made the hair on the back of his neck stand up.
“Why are you laughing?”
“Am I your love?” she asked.
"Yes, of course, you are."
She shook her head. “I could never be your love. You bore me. I have never loved you.”
Shaken by her words, Anthony struggled to make sense of it all. "Why are you saying this? Of course, you love me."
“I have never loved you. Never loved you. NEVER!”
“No!”
She laughed again, a horrible cackling that hurt his ears. He covered them, frightened by the Diana that he saw before him. Suddenly, her face changed as it took on a hideous expression that he would never forget. As she walked towards him, he took a step back, but the creature continued to come to him, its mouth wide open. In a blink of an eye, he found himself on the edge of a cliff.
“What am I doing here?”
He took a step forward, only to find the creature directly in front of him. The creature's hands came up, but they were not hands at all but claws that slashed at him. It pushed him, and Anthony screamed as he fell backwards. Closing his eyes, he waited for the fall that would surely kill him. When his rear connected with a hard, wooden floor, he opened his eyes only to find hims
elf on his own bedroom floor, his bedsheets tangled around his body. He breathed out in one swoop, relief entering his body.
It was just a dream, a foolish dream at that.
Anthony was drenched in sweat, the sheets sticking to his body. That was unlike any dream he had ever experienced before. What was that all about?
Perhaps he was thinking too much about Elizabeth. If that were the case, he needed to get his head on straight. He loved Diana, he wanted Diana back in his life – that was the bottom line.
“I shall make sure that Diana hears of me courting Elizabeth. She will come back to me before long,” he said into the darkness.
He would get his servants to spread the news, making sure that it reached the most notorious gossipers of the barony.
It would not be long now.
Chapter 9
Anthony could not forget about his nightmare. Several days had passed, and yet it continued to play on his mind. He had yet to tell anyone, mainly because he felt foolish about it. Why should he obsess about a dream?
“A dream is just a dream,” he muttered.
“Unless it tells you how to make money,” Felton commented. “Then it is divine intervention.”
Anthony forgot that his friend had sharp ears. Even a whisper could be picked up by him.
“Of course, you are right.”
They were quiet for a moment, sipping their brandy as they reclined in armchairs. All of the ceiling-to-floor windows had been opened wide in the drawing room, letting in the cool afternoon summer breeze. It had been a blisteringly hot day with little comfort except to keep in the shade while the sun beat down voraciously on London.
“So,” Felton began. “What did you mean by 'a dream is just a dream'?”
He should have known that his friend would not let go of the subject. “Nothing, merely thoughts floating in my head.”
“Would these thoughts have anything to do with the lovely Elizabeth?”
At times it seemed more like a curse when a friend knew you too well. “Thoughts are thoughts, Felton. They are neither here nor there.”
“What a vague answer to give, Anthony. One would think that you were evading the question which leads me to believe that you are indeed thinking about Elizabeth. I do not blame you for she is a beautiful woman. Intelligent, too. I do like her. More than I ever liked Diana.”
Anthony guessed as much. Felton and Diana did not see eye-to-eye on most things, especially when concerning him. It was difficult having the one you love and your best friend at odds with each other. Felton, forever the gentleman, was able to keep things polite and civil with her, but Diana was not as willing. He could not remember the number of times he had been forced to make excuses for her behaviour and words. However, he still loved her. He did not judge her as so many others did. And yet she had still felt the need to run away from him.
“Let us not compare Elizabeth to Diana, as they are two completely different women.”
Felton nodded. “You are quite correct. Elizabeth is like this cool summer breeze – refreshing and lovely. While Diana is the scorching heat we just endured – harsh and unwelcoming.”
Anthony rolled his eyes. “You are insufferable. Let us change the subject then – there is to be no mention of women or dreams.”
Felton sighed. “Very well, have it your way. It is odd to me that you have not wished to discuss Elizabeth when you are clearly courting her. Do you not like her?”
Felton was relentless. Anthony may as well give him some information in the hopes that he would leave him be.
“This courtship is still in its early stages, but I do enjoy Elizabeth's company. Immensely.”
“Then why have you not taken her for a walk through Hyde Park? Or perhaps invited her family to dinner? These are the very things that you did with Diana.”
“Perhaps I just wish to change things, to take a different route to courtship.”
“Or perhaps you are not yet over Diana and Elizabeth is merely a diversion.”
Anthony went still, his drink halfway to his mouth. Surely Felton did not know anything. He tried to find something to say, but his friend's words had rendered him speechless.
I am not ready to let him know about my plan, especially as he never approved of my relationship with Diana.
Anthony tried to cover up his shock by taking a gulp of his brandy, coughing slightly when it went down the wrong way.
“Cat caught your tongue, old friend?”
“No. I am merely surprised that you think such a thing. This is why I would rather we change the subject.”
Felton shrugged. “Deny it all you wish, I only hope that you are aware of what you are doing. On a lighter note, I have decided to host a dinner party this coming week.”
Anthony jumped into the subject, relieved that Felton was not going to push the matter any further. “It has been quite some time since you hosted a dinner party. What is the occasion?”
"Nothing specific. I simply feel the need to have one." He took a sip of his brandy. "I would like Elizabeth to attend the dinner. It is time that more people got to meet the new woman in your life."
Felton looked at him, eyebrow raised. He likely believes that I shall protest against his dinner party, that is why he is looking at me with a speculative gaze. Anthony was of two minds. On the one hand, Felton may ask Elizabeth too many questions, and he was not certain as to how mentally strong Elizabeth was. What if she was to let something slip?
And on the other hand, it would be beneficial for him to have Elizabeth attend the dinner party. If Diana had not yet heard about her, then she would soon enough. Surely Elizabeth would not say anything?
“That is a wonderful idea, Felton. I am sure that Elizabeth would be delighted to accept your invitation.”
“Really?”
“Yes. You did get on rather well with her, and you did put our lady friends in their place when they attacked her. I believe that earned you her friendship.”
“In that case, I shall send out the invitations on the morrow. It will be an evening to remember.”
“Oh, I certainly hope so.”
Anthony was genuinely looking forward to spending more time with Elizabeth, especially in a social setting. Felton would be sure to invite those who knew Diana well and who kept in contact with her.
I understand how Felton's mind works. He will invite them so that they may send word to Diana that I have moved on. What he does not realise is that doing so will drive Diana back to me. He could not have planned it any better himself.
*
“Felton certainly does throw extravagant dinner parties, does he not?” Elizabeth asked.
They were sitting side by side in the drawing room, waiting to be called into dinner. Anthony considered her words. Was this extravagant? He did not particularly think so as he was accustomed to more lavish parties. However, he did not want to make her feel 'simple' by mentioning this.
“I suppose so. Are you not enjoying yourself?”
“Oh! I am having a splendid time. I gather that my sister is as well. She has not stopped laughing since we arrived.”
Anthony knew that was due to the fact that she was surrounded by kindred spirits. He had quickly come to learn that Cecilia loved to gossip. Therefore, he was careful of his words around her.
“Felton will be most pleased.”
“And I must thank you for the beautiful book of music you had delivered to my residence. Although I cannot yet play anything as my aunt and uncle do not have a pianoforte, I look forward to doing so when I return to my home.”
He smiled. “The minute I saw it I thought of you.”
“But you have me at a disadvantage for I do not know what to get you.”
He came closer to her, not willing that anyone should hear what he was about to say. “It is enough that you have willingly participated in our plan. For that, I cannot thank you enough.”
A few heads turned their way, their eyes taking in every bit of information that the
y possibly could. Elizabeth must have noticed as well because she chuckled quietly.
“I believe that our nearness is much cause for conversation,” she whispered.
“Let them talk – it is what we want.”
A Courtship to Remember: A Historical Regency Romance Book Page 14