Harry stepped forward and met Francis. “I was just telling Newhall and Radley here that it is all about London how the house party was cancelled at the last minute. The Countess of Lienz has spread a few rumors that Newhall was going back to France. Something about him and some young diplomat that he decided would warm his bed better than a wife.”
“Vicious rumors, by anyone’s account,” replied James.
Julian’s hand remained tightly fisted. His mother was staying true to form in her efforts to tear him down, but he had other more pressing concerns.
Julian wanted to wipe the simpering smile from Menzies’s face. He was enjoying retelling the story of the ugly rumors far too much in Julian’s opinion. His dislike of Menzies coalesced into hatred as Harry looked toward Caroline and he bowed his head.
“My apologies, dear, sweet Caroline. You should not have to hear those sorts of rumors. One can only hope that they are not true. Though it must be said that diplomacy is not the most manly of pursuits,” said Harry.
Caroline feared for Harry’s safety as he spoke. From where she stood on the other side of the room, she could see the veins on the side of Julian’s neck bulge. If Harry did not cease with his mad rant, she was certain violence would soon follow.
“Speaking of manly pursuits, we were talking about a hunting party this week, were we not?” she said.
She had promised Francis to let him broach the subject of her being allowed to hunt with the men, but at this point she was prepared to say anything in order to break the tension in the room. Harry frowned at her and opened his mouth to speak, but Julian stepped in.
“That would be an excellent idea, Caroline. It has been some time since I got some shooting practice in. One cannot let one’s war skills get rusty. What do you say, Menzies? Oh, my apologies. I forgot you have not picked up a rifle or sword to serve king and country,” replied Julian.
Harry, who had not served in the military at any point, muttered something under his breath then fell silent. Julian and Caroline exchanged a look of shared relief.
Julian stepped forward and offered Caroline his arm. “May I accompany you down to the hunt room so you can select your rifle? I am sure I have something that would suit you perfectly.”
“That’s a capital idea, Newhall. If we all come down and choose our weapons, we will be able to get off to an early start tomorrow. Caroline is a superb shot, and will make a great contribution to the hunt,” said Francis.
“It’s been ages since we went hunting. I am looking forward to it,” replied Caroline.
As she took Julian’s arm, she heard a low huff of displeasure come from Harry. He was clearly not happy with her inclusion in the hunting party.
She ignored his protest. Whatever his reasons were for coming to Derbyshire, he had no right telling her how she should behave. The sooner Francis could get Harry to go home, the better.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
The ice-covered grass crunched under Julian’s boots as he walked across the lower field. It was not long after dawn, so the sun, hidden by low clouds, had made little headway in melting the frozen night rain.
Beside him Caroline walked, humming a happy tune to herself. Midas, who was coming along to help with the hunt, kept close to her heels. Francis, James, and Harry walked on ahead of them. Every so often, Julian caught Harry looking back over his shoulder and stealing a look at Caroline.
If she knew Harry was trying to capture her attention, Caroline hid it. She carried her hunting rifle under her left arm, having politely refused all offers for one of the others to carry it. “I love the early morning. The air is so crisp,” she said.
Julian pulled a hip flask out from his coat pocket, slipped off the lid, and handed it to her.
She smiled. “It’s not whisky, is it?”
“No. Since I was made aware of your checkered history with it, I have made a solemn vow to only carry the finest French brandy in my hip flask,” he replied.
She took a sip, then nodded her approval. “Thank you, that is very kind.”
A flutter of warmth went through Julian’s body as he watched Caroline take a second, longer drink. She licked her lips, then handed the flask back.
Julian downed a mouthful of the brandy, trying desperately not to think about how much he would love to taste those rose-red lips of hers.
At the end of the field, they crossed over into a narrow laneway. Midas trotted ahead, no doubt happier to walk on the dry patches of the lane rather than the wet grass of the field. But when Harry made an effort to drop back in the group, and try to talk to Caroline, Midas bared his teeth and growled. Harry quickly retreated.
“I don’t think Midas likes Harry,” noted Caroline.
That makes two of us.
Julian stifled a satisfied grin. With a rifle tucked under her arm, and a pair of thick walking boots on her feet, she seemed perfectly at home in the chilly Derbyshire countryside.
“Do you hunt often?” he asked.
“Only in Scotland. The whole extended Radley family are big on hunting and fishing when we are at Strathmore Castle. The only thing I am not allowed to hunt are the wild boars. ‘Too risky for young ladies to go chasing after them in long skirts,’ or something to that effect. Papa won’t even let me be a beater,” she replied.
There was a distinct note of disappointment in her voice, and Julian suspected that given half the chance, Caroline would take on a wild Scottish boar. He was relieved that the most dangerous animals that could be hunted in the grounds of Newhall Castle were the local deer. From the easy way she carried her rifle, he sensed Caroline would be more than up to that challenge.
They rounded a bend, and Julian pursed his lips and whistled. The others ahead of them stopped and waited. He pointed toward a nearby thicket. It was the prime place on the Newhall estate for grouse to hide.
He bent down and spoke to Midas. “Softly now, boy. Walk ahead and find us some supper.”
The dog trotted off and headed into the trees. Julian took the lead, with Caroline following closely. Francis, James, and Harry brought up the rear.
At the bottom of a tree in the center of the thicket, they found Midas standing as still as a stone. At the sound of a rifle being cocked, Julian turned and caught sight of Harry readying to take aim. He pointed at Harry’s rifle and then to the ground.
With a roll of his eyes, Harry lowered his weapon. Julian nodded to Caroline, who quietly readied her rifle. With her heavily bandaged left hand sitting loosely on the side of the rifle she aimed for the top of the tree, then stopped and lowered it.
“I can’t hold it properly. It is not safe,” she said.
Julian cocked his own rifle. The insufferable Harry Menzies could wait his turn. “Can you see the birds?”
He leaned in close to her, and allowed Caroline to point out the grouse. He could see them quite clearly, roosting on the low branches of the tree, but the temptation to tell a little white lie in order to get closer to her was too much to resist.
He caught a hint of her perfume as he took a deep breath. For a moment he wished all the world away. “Ah yes, I see them,” he said.
“Good. Swing ahead, and shoot a yard to the left of them once Midas has stirred them from cover,” she said.
“Come on, Newhall. We don’t have all day,” said Harry.
Julian indulged in one last deep breath of Caroline’s scent before reluctantly stepping away. He turned to Midas and gave a short whistle.
At Julian’s signal, Midas leapt into the bushes. A rustle of leaves followed as the grouse stirred from their hiding place in the tree. Julian lifted his rifle and shot at the exact spot that Caroline had pointed out. He hit the first bird and brought it down cleanly.
Francis, James, and Harry all then took turns to bring down a bird. With a decent haul of four birds, they called the morning hunt a success and decided to head back to the castle.
While Julian gathered up the birds and dropped them into a carry sack, Harry wasted no tim
e in vying for Caroline’s attention. “Did you see my shot? I swear I could have taken all those birds by myself. Pity that your damaged hand could not permit you to shoot. If we hunt again during our stay, I would be more than happy to help you make the shot.”
“Thank you, Harry, that is very kind of you. Perhaps another time,” she replied.
Francis patted his friend on the back and gave him a gentle nudge forward. James dropped in beside him, and the three of them started toward the lane. Caroline and Midas followed behind, with Julian bringing up the rear.
As they reached the wide grassy meadows, he caught up with her. “You did well on the hunt this morning. You have a keen eye. Promise me that when your hand is recovered, you will return to Newhall Castle and show me how you can handle a rifle.”
“Thank you, I shall do just that,” she replied.
As the others walking ahead put more distance between them, Julian savored his time alone with Caroline.
“Can I apologize once more?” he asked.
She looked at him quizzically. “What for?”
“The lake. I know I have already said I was sorry, but every time I think about it, I am filled with shame. I am not sure if I shall ever get it right in my mind. So, if you would indulge me, I shall keep apologizing for a little while longer,” he replied.
Caroline stopped. When she looked up at Julian and smiled, it was like the sun was shining just for him. A wicked glint sparkled in her eyes. “I have forgiven you. But I never said I wasn’t planning my revenge. Don’t be surprised if you wake up one morning and find that your bed is floating in the castle lake.”
Julian’s deep, hearty laugh rang through the trees. The others turned and looked back at them. Caroline raised an eyebrow and continued on her way.
Julian no longer felt the touch of his boots on the ground. His ears rang with the heavy thump of his heart.
Cupid’s arrow had found its mark.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Julian walked as slowly as he could back to the castle, wanting to spend every precious second with Caroline.
As soon as they stepped inside the front door, he caught the scent of hot food and freshly baked bread wafting from the breakfast room. “Breakfast is ready, everyone,” he said.
“Food! I am famished,” cried Harry. He and James wasted no time in racing for it. Francis ambled after them.
As the rest of his guests disappeared, Julian seized the opportunity to steal a private moment with Caroline. “Would you like to come with me while I take these birds down to the kitchens? Cook will have them baked up for supper with bacon and a red wine sauce.”
“Of course, I love the kitchens. Our cook at home is always making secret meals for Francis and I. Mama thinks I am being suitably ladylike at supper, but the truth is it’s because I am already stuffed,” she replied.
The trip to the kitchens took only a few minutes. Julian introduced her to the head cook, who appeared to be at pains to thank Caroline enough for coming to visit. She politely pressed Caroline into promising she would return before her stay was over.
Once back upstairs from the kitchens, Caroline started for the breakfast room. Julian, to her surprise, had other ideas.
“Would you care for a pre-breakfast stroll? I am sure the others will be too busy with bacon and coffee to be bothered much about our absence,” he said.
She considered his offer for a moment, then nodded. The walk back from the woods had ended too soon for her liking.
They made for the lower part of the castle grounds. The elegant gardens slowly gave way to what, she assumed in summer, would be lush green grassy slopes. At the bottom of the small rise on which the castle stood was a lake. The pale mid-morning sun glistened off its flat surface.
Julien pointed toward the lake. “I checked this morning and there is a thin layer of ice across most of it. A few more weeks and the ice will be thick enough to skate upon. Your evil plan to drop me into the water will have to wait until the spring.”
Caroline turned to him and smiled. “Do you skate? I love to skate.”
If there was one thing above all that she loved about winter, it was being able to ice-skate. Every year, she and her family skated on the River Thames when it was frozen. Twirling around on the ice gave her a freedom of activity rarely afforded to a young woman of London society.
“Yes, I do. I skated a lot while I was at university in Scotland. The winters up there are magnificent for racing on the ice,” he replied.
“I would love to see you skate. Perhaps when you are next in London, we might put together a small group and head down to the Thames. It is a pity that they don’t hold the ice festival anymore, but still, it could be fun,” she said.
Julian caught her gaze, and Caroline could have sworn that his eyes sparkled as he smiled back at her. “Come. I have something to show you,” he said.
He led her up a small rise which ran to the west of the castle grounds. At the top, he pointed toward what appeared to be a round stone stage. When they reached it, she was surprised to discover it was a small man-made pond. She guessed that it was probably somewhere in the range of twenty-five feet from edge to edge.
The stones ran all the way around the pond. At the end, a small gap had been left, which allowed the two of them to walk to the edge of the water. Caroline looked down. The water was frozen solid.
“What is it?” she asked.
Julian dipped into a low bow. “Your skating pond, your royal highness,’ he announced. He cursed under his breath. “I am sorry. I should not have called you that. I know you don’t like it.”
Caroline waved his apology away. “No. I was a tyrant and rightly deserved the name of the Ice Queen. I was cold and at times, cruel. But I promise I am trying to find myself again.” She pointed to the skating pond, and Julian took his cue.
“My father had it built for my mother when I was small. In those days, he was still trying to find favor with her. I think she may have skated on it once, and then abandoned it, like all his other gifts,” he said.
Caroline had tried not to judge Julian’s mother for how she had treated her late husband. She did not know the countess’s life story well enough to have an appreciation of what her marriage had been like. Instead, she reserved her anger for the way she treated her son. There was a distinct sadness in Julian’s voice every time he made mention of his mother.
He put the toe of his boot onto the ice, then lifted his foot and brought it down hard. The ice gave a deep moan, but remained perfectly intact.
Caroline looked out toward the middle of the pond. The water was a satisfying deep-blue. “It’s frozen. Perfect.”
Julian stepped out onto the ice and walked confidently across to the center of the pond. He held out his hand to her. “Care to join me?”
She sucked in a deep breath, unsure as to whether it was from the trepidation of stepping onto the ice, or the fact that she was well away from the castle and quite alone with him. She hesitated for a moment. Her heart told her that this was more than a simple step forward.
“It’s quite safe. It was designed so that the water would settle at different depths and so the middle actually freezes first. My father was a personal friend of Humphry Repton, the landscape designer. He is responsible for most of the castle gardens and the land which runs down to the lake. He built the pond as a special favor to my father.”
Caroline stepped out onto the ice and, taking tentative steps, walked to Julian. She shyly took his offered hand. They stood silently in the middle of the pond for a time, listening to the odd sounds that the ice made as it shifted deep under them.
“This is marvelous. I would spend every day in winter out here if I lived at Newhall Castle,” she said. She looked away, down toward the lake. The air was still chilly, but heat prickled on her cheeks.
Julian drew close. “I have ice skates which you could use. I would love to see you spinning on the pond. I watched you dance in the snow the other day, and I thought it w
as magical.”
He was so close now that she could feel the heat of his breath on the back of her neck. Caroline shivered. “That would be nice.”
Her heart raced. Never before had a man had this sort of effect on her. Her sense of control was slipping away. When he brushed his fingers softly on her cheek, she let the air slowly leave her lips before taking in a shuddering breath.
He drew back. She dared not look at him. What was she to say? That while men paid constant attention to her, she was afraid to open her heart to any of them?
From all the many men in her life, she knew Julian was different. His open honesty told her that he was not one for playing games when it came to love. He was the first man who’d made her feel as if she could lower her guard and he would keep her safe. The champion of her heart.
She walked toward the edge of the pond, only turning to face him when she had put some distance between them. He was still standing in the middle of the frozen pond, his eyes cast downward. There was a vulnerability about him she had never noticed before. When he finally looked up and began to walk toward her, his posture was stiff. “As I said, you could come and skate here if you like. I shall ask the castle housekeeper to find a pair of ice skates for you.”
She nodded, allowing him to change the mood between them back to one of host and guest. “Thank you. I would like that very much. I suppose we had better head back to the others.”
For the first time in her life, Caroline found herself afraid of what else she might say. Her mind usually dictated her words, but now it was her heart which cried out to be heard. She knew enough to know that once she had declared her love for him, there would be no going back.
Doubt filled her mind. What if she was not reading the signs from Julian right? Could she take the risk, knowing that if she had it all wrong, the bitter taste of rejection would soon follow?
Chapter Twenty-Nine
The Ice Queen Page 11