by Wendy Vella
“I’m suddenly popular, Livvy. It is a most unusual occurrence, and wholly centered around the fact that my father has increased my dowry. I have been beseeched with morning callers, all men, and have had two proposals in as many days.”
Livvy frowned, her delicate brows drawing together as she looked at Hannah in concern. “Of course you’re beautiful, but we both know that for these fools that is often not enough, and while I understand your father believes he is doing the right thing because he loves you, it is very bad of him to have put you in such a position.”
Relieved that Livvy understood her dilemma instantly, Hannah huffed out a breath. “I have tried to dissuade the men of course, but they tell me it is simply my beauty that has drawn them to my side and not my dowry. Which I pointed out was strange, considering I have been in society for several years and they are only just noticing now.”
“I bet you did.” Livvy smiled. “And I can understand how vexing this must be for you, Hannah, but try not to insult too many men as you dissuade them, as you have no wish for people to start talking about you for an entirely different reason.”
Hannah sighed. “It is not easy to hold my tongue, given my nature.”
“As my middle sister is natured the same, I completely understand, Hannah, but do try all the same.”
“I will, and thank you for your understanding, Livvy. Now, I wish to know how Bella is doing. Tell me, is she well?” Livvy and Phoebe’s youngest sister was expecting her first baby.
Livvy’s smile told her everything. “She is wonderful; in fact, it is Luke who is suffering. He follows her around all day until she is forced to send him away. It’s a wonderful sight, the tough Luke Fletcher brought to his knees by impending fatherhood.”
Hannah felt a small betraying stab in her stomach at the thought of another friend having a child. It was not that she wanted a baby especially, just the opportunity to have one in the future. Of course, she needed a husband for that, and that was not going to happen anytime soon, given the men who were offering for her were money-hungry fools.
“I am so pleased for them both and cannot wait to meet your little niece or nephew.”
“Hello, Hannah.”
“Hello, Will,” Hannah sank into a curtsey as Livvy’s handsome husband arrived at her side.
“Have you missed me, darling?”
“No, and you should not call me darling in front of your wife,” Hannah said, giving him a cheeky smile.
Livvy giggled.
“I meant my other darling,” Will drawled.
Hannah watched as he gave Livvy a smile that he seemed to reserve only for her. She’d noticed this about couples that truly seemed to love each other. They communicated silently, and often forgot anyone else around them. It was not that she wanted that exactly, she just wanted the chance to have or not have it. And that made no sense to anyone but you, Hannah Wooller.
Elegantly dressed in a black jacket and black waistcoat threaded with gold, he was a tall handsome man Hannah was lucky to call friend. Lord William Ryder was a ruthless businessman and a doting family man and friend to many. It always gave her a little jolt of pleasure when she realized that he and his large family all included her in their circle now. She’d never really felt accepted by anyone until she’d met Phoebe and then the rest of their family.
“Will, would you do me a favor?”
His eyes were suddenly guarded as they looked down at Hannah, and she had the feeling he knew exactly what she was going to ask of him.
“In what capacity?”
“Would you attempt to persuade my father to reduce my dowry?” She watched him closely as she spoke, saw the slight panic flare in his eyes. He looked trapped. “He respects you and may just listen.”
“Your father is an extremely stubborn man, Hannah, who loves you very much. I fear he believes he is doing right by you, and interference on anyone’s part will not be appreciated. However,” he added as Livvy jammed an elbow in his ribs, “if you wish it I shall speak with him.”
“Good evening, everyone.”
“Alex!” Will said the word loud enough to draw several eyes. “How wonderful to see you this evening.”
“I saw you not twenty minutes ago, Will.” Alex looked confused. “We discussed your latest shipment of fabrics.”
“Ha, so we did. My memory, you know.” Will fastened his fingers around Livvy’s arm. “Seems to be failing me lately. Come, wife, we are dancing.”
“Why is he dragging Livvy across the floor?”
“To avoid me,” Hannah said, watching Livvy deliver a few cross words to her husband. “I asked him to speak with my father regarding my dowry. I merely thought as Papa respects Will he might listen to him.”
“You asked Will yet not me?”
“My father and he are business partners—”
“And he therefore respects him, whereas me, on the other hand, he does not.”
Alex had not exactly snapped the words at her, but it was implied by the narrowing of his blue eyes.
“You said that, not I.”
“But you believe it?”
“Of course not. I know you are moderately intelligent and garner respect from many.”
“Who?” Alex snapped this time.
“Who what?” Hannah couldn’t seem to look away from his angry gaze. It was so rare to see him anything but composed.
“Who, in your eyes, respects me?”
“Ah, well, Phoebe and I, obviously, and Ben and Finn.”
“My brothers do not count,” he snarled. “And neither do Phoebe and you.”
“Alex, why are we having this conversation?” Hannah was curious. Suddenly she felt as if there was a deeper meaning behind his words. “Do you believe people do not respect you?”
“I’ll speak to him, your father,” he said, ignoring her question. “And don’t think I did not hear the moderate intelligence comment either. I could out-think you using half my brain.”
She watched as he lifted his eyes from her and inhaled through his nose.
“You would do that for me?” Hannah knew she looked surprised.
“Of course, and am insulted you believe otherwise.”
“I’m not sure why you would be. You are rarely serious, and I have never seen you confront anyone; why would you wish to do so with my father?”
“Perhaps you don’t know everything there is to know about me, Miss Wooller, did you ever think of that?”
“Honestly, no I didn’t.”
“Hannah, I—”
“Miss Wooller, Mr. Hetherington.”
Hannah stiffened as she looked at the tall lean figure of Lord McDonald. He had only been in London for one season, and had already made quite a name for himself with the ladies. Tall with dark swarthy looks, he spoke with a gentle Scottish burr. They had danced once before tonight, but she had not taken a liking to him, as he’d spent the majority of that dance talking about himself. Hannah had avoided him after that, however, it now seemed news of her dowry had reached him also.
“McDonald,” Alex said in a curt tone that was most unlike him.
“Would you care to dance, Miss Wooller?” Lord McDonald held out a hand.
“Thank you, I would be delighted,” Hannah said, quickly placing her hand in his before Alex said anything to stop her. “I shall see you later, Mr. Hetherington.” She threw Alex a warning look that told him to say nothing further. She then let Lord McDonald lead her to the floor, where he would no doubt wax lyrical about the exceptional qualities that made up his character.
She caught a final glimpse of Alex’s frowning face and then he was obscured behind several guests. Their conversation had unsettled her, because she had never heard him talk that way before. She wondered if in fact he was right, and she did not know him as well as she believed, and there was another side to Alexander Hetherington. The thought intrigued her far more than it should.
CHAPTER TWO
Alex wondered if he stared into the fire for long en
ough would it give him the answers to the questions churning around inside his head. Closing his eyes, he rested his head on the seat back. The conversation with Hannah this evening had come out of nowhere and he wished he’d kept his mouth closed.
The problem was she, and a few other people, did not take him seriously. They thought he was amiable (which in truth he was), well-dressed (again true), and that nothing bothered him—not true. Society saw him as Viscount Hetherington’s brother, twin to Ben, a society darling, and he was heartily sick of it.
He had a brain, and he used it often to increase his fortunes and solve problems. He loved Ancient Roman literature, he was of a practical bent, and he could lend his hand to most things when required to do so. He put on an act when he was outside the walls of his home, or that of his family, and he was never sure why. It was just something that had evolved, and he’d never bothered to change the perception society had of him.
“It’s like you are two people,” Ben often said to him. “The affable gentleman who can throw out complements with ease, and then there is this sharp-witted, well-read, business-minded person, who when provoked has a temper that only a few of us know about.”
Alex picked up his brandy and sipped as he stared into the fire. It was cool tonight, even though London was currently experiencing a run of excellent weather, and he was enjoying the heat on the soles of his feet, having removed his footwear upon entering his study, where he was now enjoying the peace and solitude.
His anger had increased every time he watched Hannah dance with another man, when most evenings she spent her time chatting around the edges, dancing only with him, his siblings, and their closest friends. Her popularity should please him; instead it made Alex want to stomp around to Woolly, her father, and confront him. He had been foolish to increase her dowry. Hannah was one of the most beautiful women Alex knew. She appeared almost fragile, with midnight hair and rosebud lips, and pale soft skin, like that of a porcelain doll, but appearances, as she had said earlier this evening, were deceptive. Hannah was as fragile as an ox.
She was usually standing over him, green eyes flashing as she fired instructions at him, when he was at Madame Alexander’s. Opinionated, fiery, and delectable, Alex had lusted after Hannah Wooller since the first time he’d met her four years ago, and nothing had happened to change that since.
He remembered his last discussion with her before leaving for Scotland.
“Lady Higgenbottom requested pale blue satin with Vandyke points, Hannah.”
“Emerald with cream lace!” she'd snapped back at him with that smart mouth that constantly beckoned him. Those sweetly shaped, rose-tinted lips that urged him to shut her up by nibbling on them.
“Lady Higgenbottom has no wish for green, Hannah,” he'd said calmly, as his temper had threatened to soar. “She chose the blue, therefore the blue is what we will use.”
“But she did say she liked the green and was quite conflicted between the two.”
Alex wondered how he could lust after a woman he wanted to murder. Hannah Wooller was determined and outspoken, and no man who had met her would question why he had one day snapped and simply wrapped his hands around her neck and squeezed. She made him feel more alive than he had ever felt before.
He had gone into business with her and his sister-in-law, Phoebe, because he liked fashions, loved business, but had no interest in locomotives and shipping, which his brothers leaned toward. He was no molly, nor did he spend hours on getting his hair just so, but he had an eye for fashion and color, and enjoyed working with both. He had invested in several ventures over the last few years, all based around the clothing industry, and hoped to be involved in many more. It was an evolving industry, as he had told his brothers, and he wanted to be at the forefront of that evolution.
“I thought I told you to find your bed, Lawrence?” Alex looked at his butler, who now stood in the doorway. Alex had moved out of his brother’s house last year, and he enjoyed the independence of having his own lodgings.
“I was about to retire when there was knock on the door, Mr. Hetherington. Miss Wooller has called and wishes to speak with you, sir.”
Alex looked at his pocket watch. “Tell me she is not here at 2:00 a.m. alone?” Alex rose and made his way to the door, knowing even as the words left his mouth that in fact Hannah had done exactly that.
“As to that—”
“She is alone.” Alex sighed as he made his way past the butler and along the hallway to the front door in his stocking feet. “Please retire, Lawrence, I shall deal with Miss Wooller. Thank you.”
She stood inside. Her bonnet was rich burgundy velvet, as was the long coat. He noted the color of her dress beneath and that it was the one she had worn this evening. She turned as he arrived and he could tell instantly that whatever had forced her out of her house at such an hour was serious. Her face was pale; eyes the color of emeralds looked at his then turned away, which was another indicator of distress, as Hannah Wooller never looked away. She met everything and everyone head-on.
“What are you thinking to come here alone at such an hour?” He took her hands into his.
“I had to see you, Alex. Can we talk, please?”
“You do realize that coming here, alone, in the early hours of the morning, to a single man’s residence could be harmful to your reputation, don't you?” Alex took her arm, and led her back to his study. “In fact visiting anyone alone is foolish at any time of the day. Could you not have brought your maid?”
“No one saw me leave or arrive; now please close the door, Alex.” She moved to sit before the fire.
He gave her a look but said nothing. He didn't sit, instead standing by the hearth so he could watch her face closely. With Hannah, you needed to be focused, or she'd have you agreeing to something before you knew it.
“How did you slip away from your house unnoticed?”
“I waited until father had gone to bed and the household was quiet.”
“Why are you here, Hannah?”
She stripped off her gloves, and then released her bonnet. Her gestures were nervous, another surprise; she was rarely nervous.
“I-I, ah, I have done something extremely foolish and I’m afraid I need your help.
“It could not have waited until a more reasonable hour?”
“It could not.” She shook her head.
“Dear Lord.” Alex groaned. “Don’t tell me you finally told Lady Happer that she must let out her seams before they split and embarrass her in front of society?”
“I’m afraid it is far more serious than that.”
“If you have finally given in to your temper and murdered someone, I will help you hide the body, but only this one time.”
“This is not a time for levity, Alex. I need your help.”
“Then I will of course help you in any way I can,” Alex said, seeing her distress was genuine. He would do anything for her. God, was she sick? Had something happened to her father? The thought turned him cold.
“I have never wished to marry a man who does not at the very least respect me, and as the years passed I have grown comfortable that I will now not find such a man, thus I will remain unwed.”
“Of course you will.” Alex looked down at her. “You are intelligent and beautiful, Hannah, you will marry.” The thought of another man touching this woman was not a pleasing one.
“I have tolerable looks, but my father frightens people, as does my past. I’m opinionated and thus not the best catch, even if my father is a wealthy man. Plus,” she said as he opened his mouth, “I am tainted by trade.”
“Who said you are tainted!” Alex snapped, his anger rising.
“Many people, but it does not bother me, and surely you have noticed that I am unpopular. Well, I was unpopular until my father changed that.”
But it did bother her, Alex realized, it bothered her a great deal that society had never really accepted her. Seeing the small window of vulnerability in the woman he’d believed indomit
able moved him more than it should.
“Well, it bloody bothers me.”
“Yes, yes, that’s very kind of you, but we stray from the point. Alex, please pay attention,” Hannah said as if they were discussing satin ribbon, instead of her reputation.
“I don’t know what the point is yet, Hannah.”
She looked down, clenching her slender fingers briefly before speaking. He followed the sweep of her lashes as she blinked and realized that whatever was bothering her was serious, very serious, and he wondered why he, of all the people she knew, was the one she had come to for help at such an hour.
Hannah had friends, his sister-in-law was one, and all would help her if she turned up on their doorsteps at two in morning, so why had she chosen him?
“My father wants me married as quickly as possible as he fears for his daughters’ futures, should his heart stop beating. There is also the matter of grandchildren which he informed me he wishes to meet while he is still healthy enough to enjoy them.”
Alex could see that speaking about her father’s heart was upsetting, but she merely sniffed and continued.
“This evening no fewer than three men expressed their interest in acquiring me as their wife.”
“Three?” Alex knew he looked stunned, but before tonight, no one had offered for her. “I did not mean to insult you—”
“No.” Hannah shook her head. “You are right in what you say. I have after all been in society many years and have propped up walls most evenings unless you, your brothers, or Will ask me to dance.”
“You are a beautiful woman, Hannah; any man would be proud to have you as his wife,” Alex felt compelled to add. He knew her family circumstance had put men off; fools, all of them.
“There is no need for pretty words between us,” she dismissed him. “We have never spoken that way and need not start now.”
“I meant every word,” Alex said, angry at her dismissal. “Just because I do not say them often does not mean they aren’t true.”
Hannah waved his words away with elegant flicks of her wrists. “Stop now before you swallow the rest of your foot, Alex.”