Hudson, she had come to realise, was her equal; someone who knew her in and out and understood her. When she was younger and wished to be wed, wasn’t he the kind of man that she had always desired to be tied in holy matrimony to?
Then why was she hesitating? Why was she reluctant to say yes? After all, she was here, and the old woman upstairs already thought that he was going to marry her nephew. Moreover, Hudson had already sent invites to people. Perhaps he was only fibbing there to get her to agree to the union.
In a voice tinged with an apology, Hudson said, “If you don't marry me of your free will, you know I can make you, don’t you?”
Disappointment flowed within Tempest. She had thought she was wrong about Hudson, but she appeared to be right. He would do anything to get her to marry him even going as far as revealing her secret to society. Even though he hadn’t said it in many words, his willingness to betray really hurt. It hurt so much that tears stung her eyes.
Tempest, lowering her head, moved away from him. Her tears had to be hidden from his eyes. How he could desire to blackmail her into marrying him after all they’d been through amazed her. He was truly desperate for his inheritance. Poor Aunt Agnes to have such a despicable nephew who was after her wealth.
“You know you owe me, don’t you?” Hudson spoke into the silence.
Indeed, she owed him for keeping her secret and not using it to blackmail her for money. Well, until a few minutes ago. It might not be her money, but money was involved nevertheless.
“If you hadn’t put your nose where it didn’t belong and cost me my marriage to your cousin, you wouldn’t be here now.”
Valerie again! What was it with Hudson and his broken engagement with Valerie? Was it about the inheritance, or did he indeed love her cousin?
Tempest bit her lip to keep from asking in case he accused her of jealousy again. However, before she could stop herself, she asked, “Do you love her? Valerie, I mean.”
When he didn’t reply immediately, she dragged her gaze from the flowers to look at him. Her lips parted at the intensity in his heavy-lidded eyes. He reached out and cupped her cheek. They stared at each other for minutes on end.
“There’s only one woman I have ever loved. Her name is Tempest Haddington.”
Tempest was still struck dumb even when Hudson dropped his hand and stepped back. A pang hit her heart at the realisation that when Hudson asked for her hand in marriage years ago, he had loved her. But he never expressed it! In her defence, she hadn’t known. Would knowledge of the way he felt have changed her decision then? She had no idea.
Dear God, how much her earlier rejection must have hurt him. Tempest felt so terrible at what she had callously done years ago that her eyes watered. Little wonder he had never set foot in her father’s London house again neither had he sought her out. His heart must have been shattered to pieces with the cruel way she had rejected him. How happy he must have been when their fathers brought up the issue of a union between them.
Oh, what a veritable shrew she was. Mumbling words she was sure he couldn’t understand, she excused herself and left his presence to go to her room. Any minute from now, she would make a cake of herself by bursting into tears at the inexcusable thing she had done to the boy she had called her best friend.
Chapter 19
Cowardly, Tempest stayed in her room for the rest of the day. Claiming a malady that was nonexistent, she didn’t care if Hudson thought it was lily-livered of her. She just couldn’t stand another moment with him where he made her feel things that were before strange to her.
With ruefulness, she recalled the conversation between her and Hudson in the garden.
“There’s only one woman I have ever loved. Her name is Tempest Haddington.”
Devastating words to her senses! Her heart clenched when she remembered some incidences that occurred before they parted years ago. Hudson hadn’t told her in words that he loved her, but he had shown it with actions. She had just been too foolish and naïve to see it.
The boy who loved her had championed her on every occasion. Whenever they were with friends, and any of them spoke harshly to her, he was always there to give the person the cut in such a way that the person dared not try it again.
With a regretful smile, she remembered the time they were taking a stroll in her father’s garden. He had leaned down to gently pluck one of the flowers before placing it in her hair.
“There. That looks much better in your hair than with the others,” he had said with something in his eyes that she hadn’t known was love.
As she was wont to do, thinking he was only playing around, she had laughed and told him not to be silly.
Tempest sighed dolefully as she recalled yet another time where Hudson showed he was in love with her, but she had been too blind to see it.
She had arrived at her drawing room one afternoon in a whirl of silk when Hudson came to take her to one of their friends’ birthday party. He had risen with what she now knew as masculine appreciation in his eyes.
“I dare say, Temp. You will be the envy of all the ladies there. Men won’t be able to take their eyes off you. I might have to fight several duels in the morning for your honour.”
She, of course, had laughed it off. “Hudson, how dare you practice your wiles on me? Why don’t you leave that for those blushing schoolroom girls?”
Hudson had characteristically grinned at her. “I speak nothing but the truth, Temp. You look absolutely stunning. I’m mighty sure God took an extra day to create you, seeing that you’re so special.”
Giggling helplessly, she had said, “My, Hudson, you’re getting pretty good at this. I dare say your future as a rake is going to blossom. Mothers are going to warn their daughters to stay away from you in balls and soirees. Some might even cross themselves whenever you walk by, bestowing on you the title, the devil’s spawn.”
Hudson had thrown his head back and laughed heartily. “You say the nicest things, Temp.”
Tempest wished there was a way she could turn back the hands of time. But what would she do? Agree to marry Hudson then because of the knowledge that he loved her?
She shook her head. Marriage hadn’t been one of the things she wanted, so she would have still broken his heart. Well, at least, she wouldn’t have done it so callously. Perhaps she would have pleaded with him for understanding, and they would have remained friends. Dearly had she missed their friendship when he called on her no more.
And now that they were acquainted again, she still didn’t want to marry him. Twice she had rejected Hudson’s offer of marriage. Wouldn’t he begin to think that she hated him? Of course, she didn’t hate him. In actual fact, she …
Tempest allowed her thoughts to come to end for she didn’t want to complete the sentence.
“No!” She shook her head rapidly, displacing the pins that held her hair bound.
Pushing aside the sheets, she quickly rose from the bed. There was no point feigning malaise again. All she knew was that she had to leave the manor and fast.
It was very dangerous for her to stay there. Hudson would wreak havoc on her emotions daily. And before she knew what was going on, she would …
“No! I can’t say it. I can’t have it coming to pass because I declared it.”
Tempest began pacing the room as she thought of an escape plan. The fear of falling in love with Hudson, if she wasn’t already, drove her desire to escape.
The man was a consummate seducer. He would continue to say words and do things that would weaken her resolve. And before she knew it, she would be declaring her love for him; giving up her independence and living like every wife out there.
Something had changed in her with his submission that he had been in love with her years ago and for all intents and purposes, might still be in love with her. Something she couldn’t quite place her finger on, but the thing had her heart softening against him and desiring to stay and wed him.
She had to think and fast. Night had already f
allen. Consequently, this was the best time to make good her escape. If she didn’t leave now, she would lose everything to Hudson. And that scared her even more than death. But what could she do to regain her freedom?
Several insane thoughts came to her. What if she were to summon a maid to her room, strip her of her uniform, tie her, and then escape as a maid?
Tempest shook her head. She didn’t think that would work. She would be recognised, and leaving the house might be difficult. The butler, like Albert did back in London, might question her whereabouts. And how did she hope to leave the estate? No maid would be given a carriage to go on personal errands.
That plan wouldn’t work. Then she thought of going downstairs to force the butler into taking her away from the isolated manor. But what would she use as a weapon to threaten him? Her butter knife?
Don’t be a peagoose, Tempest.
Another outrageous thought crossed her mind. What if she feigned severe illness and requested a doctor? The man of medicine would be sent for posthaste. And then when he came, she could tell him she would pay him a large sum of money if he told Hudson that he must take her back to London, for what ailed her couldn’t be cured there.
Tempest sighed again. The doctor Hudson would send for was bound to be Aunt Agnes’s doctor. He would have the Danvers’ loyalty and wouldn’t want to do anything that would ruin their trust in him.
The plotting woman was almost giving up hope of ever leaving the manor when a thought struck her. In the garden earlier, she had noticed that her room was situated close to a hill at the western side of the house. The distance between her balcony and the ground wasn’t much. If she was cautious, she could slide down without hurting herself.
After that, what then?
She would think of what to do as soon as she was safely out of the house. Perhaps she might find a farmer who would take her into town. From there, she could always find her way back to London. She was prepared to walk all the way if she had to. The farther away she could be from Hudson, the better for her.
Quietly, Tempest walked to the windows and carefully opened them. Peeping to make sure no one was about she stepped into the stone balcony and looked down.
Her heart beat rapidly against her chest as she thought of the daring thing she was about to do. Would she succeed? What if something went wrong and she fell from the window and broke her neck? Hudson would have a good laugh and then grimace that he had to find yet another bride to get his inheritance.
Determined not to have him smiling cockily at her grave, Tempest rolled her skirt around her legs so it wouldn’t encumber her when she slid down.
She glanced down again and gulped. The terrain was quite treacherous but choosing between falling in love with Hudson and perhaps blistering her hands, she chose the latter.
Tempest closed her eyes for a moment, took in a deep breath, and opened them again. Carefully, she climbed over the rail of the balcony and stepped onto the window ledge by the side.
With her heart racing, she carefully moved to the other side to gently slide down the hill. It was at least fifty feet to the ground. If only she could just climb slowly down the stone wall, carefully walk down the hill, then she would be home free.
Deciding that was what she would do, she walked along the balustrade. The chill in the air made her wish that she had at least had the sense to throw a shawl around her shoulders or carry along with her a thick cloak. Well, it was too late to chastise herself now. She just had to brave the wild wind. Seeing that her slippers would encumber her, she lifted the hem of her dress and tied the slippers into the folds.
Satisfied with her work, she carefully slid down the wall and tried to reach the hill without any incident. Unfortunately, she didn’t quite succeed in her mission. The hill was so steep that she couldn’t hook a foot in it. Thus, she went sliding down the mound screaming, sure that she was going to break her neck when she reached the bottom.
She landed in a muddy stream which broke her fall and saved her life. The water was so cold, she shivered at the impact. When she tried standing, rocks bit painfully into her feet, causing her to gasp with the ache. She was soaked through and through and as filthy as a butcher.
She tried to wade through the icy water but shivered so violently that she was wedged there. And she was afraid that the rocks underneath would tear her feet to ribbons.
Oh, dear, why had she embarked on this foolish venture? Wasn’t being married to Hudson better than catching her death of cold? And no one would find her till the morning because she believed everyone had taken to bed. When she was found, she would be as hard as the rocks under her feet from the cold.
Tempest shuddered at the thought and then shivered as the freezing water made her legs numb. A bleat from one of the sheep grazing in the fields so startled her that she fell back in shock. She fell hard into the water, hurting her buttocks in the process. Cold water flowed all around her, threatening to pull her away with its current.
Despair clung to her at her predicament. She couldn’t go forward neither could she go back. Either way, she was between a rock and a hard place. Unused to being caught in such a situation, Tempest gave in to tears.
***
Still wondering why he divulged his feelings to Tempest, Hudson paced the Aubusson carpet in his study. A glass of whisky was held tautly in his hand as he cursed himself repeatedly for making a cake of himself before a woman who didn’t care about his feelings.
Upon trying to think of a way to save himself from further hurt at her hands, he heard something that distinctly sounded like a low scream and a racket loud enough to wake the dead.
Quickly, he placed his drink on his oaken table and hurried out of the room to investigate the source of the noise. He followed the direction of where he believed the sound came from.
Following the narrow road that led out of the manor into the countryside, he saw the sheep glazing yonder and wondered for a brief moment if they had caused the raucous. That couldn’t be possible for he had heard something akin to a scream.
A minute later, he found the source of the noise, and laughter bubbled inside him. Sitting in a puddle of water, her body and clothes stained with mud, looking every inch pitiable was Tempest.
His lips twitched as he strode to the edge of the hill and stood there to stare at her with mocking eyes. From the light the moon offered, he saw that her hair was streaked with mud, her face also. Her dress was also torn at the sleeves. She looked like a ragdoll thrown by an angry child into muddy water. She also looked like the furious child. He placed a foot on the hill and regarded her with humorous eyes.
“Did Little Miss Muffet fall off her tuffet?” he quipped with mirth.
Turning brown eyes filled with fury at him, she tautly replied, “A gentleman would offer to help.”
His brows lifted. “Oh, but I’m no gentleman. I thought we’ve both established that.” He placed a hand on his chin and rubbed it. “If I remember correctly, you told me that a few hours ago in the garden, succinctly I might add.”
She yelled at him. “You can make fun of me all you want, but get it into your head that I’ll continue trying to leave here until I succeed.”
Hudson clicked his tongue. “If you really wanted to leave, you should have taken a horse. Why didn’t you?”
Tempest glared at him, and he laughed heartily for he knew his question had struck a raw chord in her. As a London lady, she didn’t ride.
Enjoying the situation, Hudson strode forward and offered to help her up, but she slapped his hand away. His lips twisted in a grin as he remembered one time they had been close to a surface of water.
“Can you remember the time you pushed me into the river because I caught a bigger fish?”
The Irresistible Lady Behind the Mask Page 17