by Jenna Brandt
Why had she been so adamant about going alone? That was not hard to figure out. Her foolish stubbornness was the root of it all. It always got her into trouble. Despite all her resolve to reform and no longer be willful, she ended up going right back to her old ways.
“Very well, Father. If this is the way you want it to be between us, then this is how it shall remain.”
With that, Margaret exited the room, but hearing her betrothed and father continue to talk, she stopped just outside the door to listen, peeking around its edge.
Henry, turning to her father, asked, “Do you think you were too hard on her?”
Shaking his head with a sullen sigh, he replied, “Unfortunately, you can never be overly forceful with Margaret. She never listens to anyone or thinks about the consequences of her actions. She lives in the moment, and almost always, she reaps painful rewards for it.” He folded his arms across his chest.
Turning, he looked directly at Henry, saying, “She is the only child I have left and my last connection to my dear Charlotte. Because of that, I indulged her every whim, gave her everything she wanted, and now, I do not know what I am going to do with her.”
“Do not worry, sir. Soon you will no longer need to worry about her. I promise you that I will protect her and keep her safe, no matter what it takes. I will never let anything happen to your daughter.”
Chapter 5
Not looking forward to the formal dinner that the Baron and Baroness Wollingleer were throwing, Margaret tried to prepare herself for the upcoming event. She tried to avoid the insufferable couple as much as possible, as they constantly made coarse comments towards her. They did not believe she gave Henry the amount of attention they felt he deserved and incessantly picked at her because of it.
“Father, are you sure that we have to go tonight?”
“Yes, daughter, we have no choice. We already agreed to attend and they saw us at church yesterday. We must attend their dinner tonight.”
Margaret sighed and looked at herself in the entry hall mirror once more before it was time to leave. The lavender dress she was wearing was made of the finest muslin and was cinched in at the waist, enhancing her figure. The cap sleeves fluttered upon her shoulders and the bottom of her dress had light tulle underneath that made it puff out elegantly around her. Complementing the gown, she was wearing a gold heart-shaped necklace with matching amethyst earrings. Half her hair was pinned at the crown of her head while the rest of her raven locks cascaded down her back, and dainty flowers were arranged throughout.
“Are you ready to go?”
“Yes, Father, except can you help me with this?” Her father took her evening cloak and placed it around her, and then they both walked out the front doors of their estate.
On the short carriage ride to the Wollingleer estate, Margaret thought about how she was going to get through the night. The people in the ton were excruciating to be around, and listening to them whine and gossip about the most trivial nonsense was like torture. She would much rather curl up with a pleasant book and read by the fireplace at home.
“You will be on your best behavior this evening, will you not, Margaret?”
“Of course, Father. You know I will not embarrass you.”
“I wish I could count on you to hold your tongue, but the last time we were at one of these dinners, you made a very snide comment to the baroness.”
“She deserved it! She told me that I needed to cut back on eating so many scones or I would regret it on my wedding day. All I said in return was that not everyone gains weight as they get older.”
The earl snickered and said, “She has put on quite a bit of weight over the years and should not be telling anyone how to conduct themselves in that regard.”
“I will do my best not to have a similar incident tonight.”
“Excellent. Let us just get through this night, and then we can return home. Hopefully, we will not have to attend another one of their dinners for a few months.”
Margaret was glad to hear that. She could look forward to a reprieve from the baroness’s prying at least for a while. Margaret smiled and was about to say so when they arrived at the Wollingleers’ estate.
As the footman helped her down from the carriage, she looked up to see Henry standing at the steps of the front entrance.
He looked regal in his suit of dark blue. His bow tie was a standard black with matching vest, and he wore his blond hair slicked back per routine. Henry smiled as he walked down the stairs to greet her.
“You look beautiful as usual, Margaret.”
“Thank you… Henry.” She was still getting used to calling him by his given name again. “You look handsome tonight.”
“I am glad you could make it. I would not want to be here without you.”
Looking at Henry, Margaret said with a small shudder, “It is a bit chilly out this eve. I am glad I wore my thicker cloak.”
“Let me get you inside before you turn to ice.”
As Henry escorted her inside, the butler took her cloak and beaded clutch, and then Henry guided her into the parlor for drinks and hors d’oeuvres.
Margaret recognized everyone inside. It was the same noble families from the ton that attended all the parties in their small county of Brighton and Hove. It was going to be a boring night indeed.
Lord and Lady Almonbury along with Marquess Sedrick and his new wife, Lady Elizabeth, were in deep conversation. Periodically, they would look over at Henry and Margaret but continued to talk amongst themselves.
Making no effort to converse with them, she did not notice immediately they continued to glance at her as if they were talking about her in particular. She wondered what was going on that had them focusing on her so intently.
The Earl of Bunsdure, who had been talking with another small group of people, walked over to Margaret and Henry and smiled knowingly. “Lady Margaret, so glad to see you. You look lovely tonight.”
“Thank you, Lord Bunsdure.”
“Did you hear about our surprise guest?”
Margaret widened her eyes and questioned, “To whom are you referring?” She looked around the room and did not see anyone out of place.
“He should be arriving any moment. Baroness Wollingleer wanted to be friendly and invite our new neighbor.”
Could it be? It had not even crossed her mind as a possibility, but was it conceivable that Richard was going to be in attendance tonight?
She tried to contain her excitement at the prospect of it. Ever since their encounter in the woods, she had been thinking about when she would be able to see him again.
“Ah, here is our new neighbor now,” Lord Bunsdure said with a hint of mischief in his voice as he looked over her shoulder.
Turning around, she found herself face-to-face with Richard. She drank in his good looks and could not help but admire the attention to detail he put into his attire. He had on a stunning black suit that had been perfectly tailored to his body. There were hints of silver woven through the material, and his dark burgundy ascot with swirls of gray accents was gracefully tied at his neck. His dark curly brown hair was parted on the side and effortlessly swept across the right side of his forehead.
He looked at her for several seconds before he said, “Good evening, Lady Margaret,” and then, almost as an afterthought, he acknowledged the men standing next to her, “Lord Bunsdure, Rolantry.”
Staring at him, Margaret waited for him to show some sign of affection. But before anything could occur, Lady Helen entered the room and announced, “Everyone, it is time for dinner. Please make your way into the dining hall.”
As they entered the room, everyone made their way around the table to find their places. At the end of one side of the table, next to the baroness, Margaret found her name. Henry was assigned to sit across from her, and to Margaret’s surprise, Richard had been placed next to her. She realized that she had been set up by the baroness to see if she could entrap Margaret with the seating arrangement.
&nb
sp; The duke picked up his card and looked at it with a smirk. “It seems that our hostess wishes for us to get to know one another better.”
Margaret looked up at Richard with unease evident in her eyes and whispered only loud enough for him to hear, “The baroness is always up to something.”
He chuckled under his breath and then said softly, “Come now, do not pretend to be unhappy about this. We both know that you want to be near me as much as I want to be near you.”
She was treading on dangerous ground, allowing herself to be this close to him with so many people around. If she was not extremely careful, someone was bound to see her reaction to him. “Even if that were true, it is not proper.”
“Here, let me help you with your chair, Lady Margaret.” Richard pulled her chair out from the table and firmly placed his hand under her elbow, guiding her into her seat.
It was as if his mere touch seared her, causing her skin to tingle where his hand had lingered just a moment longer than was necessary. He was teasing her with his touch and he knew it.
“Thank you, Your Grace.”
“My pleasure.”
Richard sat in his seat next to her. “I am glad I was invited tonight. It seems Brighton is becoming a place I quite enjoy.”
Henry stared across the table at them, and Margaret could feel his anger boiling under his cool demeanor.
“I think you should return to London, Lord Townsend, where you belong.”
“You did not hear, Rolantry? I bought Burlingler Estate, right next to your fiancée’s home. I find country life suits me quite well. I do not think I will be going back to London anytime in the near future.”
Before Henry could respond, the servers came out and began to serve the first course of the meal.
The evening went by quickly and Margaret found herself having to hide her enjoyment of Richard’s companionship during dinner since Henry never took his eyes off them.
The other dinner guests started to stand up to leave, but Richard and Margaret delayed getting up, causing them to be the last guests at the table. Richard whispered to Margaret, “If you decide to go riding again, you could make sure that your servants know where you are going and we might be able to have a repeat of our last encounter.”
Looking at Richard, she replied, “Our last encounter cost me dearly. I am not allowed to leave the grounds without someone accompanying me now.”
“You are very capable. If you are determined, you will find a way.”
Their conversation was interrupted when Margaret’s father came to fetch her to leave.
As they headed out the door, her father said, “Daughter, you spent too much of tonight focusing on the duke when you should have been paying more attention to your betrothed. He left a few minutes ago and did not look happy. You better be careful or you are going to throw your future away on a man who looks at you as a passing fancy.”
Margaret had not realized that Henry had left already. The truth was she had been completely absorbed in Richard and had paid little attention to much else that night. She did not want to hurt Henry, but her feelings for Richard were deepening. What was she going to do? Her heart wanted to pursue what was forming with Richard, but her head told her she would be ruined if she tried to break her commitment to Henry. She felt trapped between what she wanted for herself and the future her father had chosen for her.
Chapter 6
Margaret intended to follow her father’s instructions regarding an escort for her afternoon ride. Of course, she planned to take a servant of her choosing whom she knew she could trust and would not try to control what she did.
As she headed to her father’s study, she heard laughter coming from the room. Who was in there with her father? She did not know anyone was expected to be here for business. She peeked through the crack of the doors and saw a man sitting in a chair facing her father with his back towards the doors.
“What you are saying is nothing has changed in regards to Lady Margaret’s betrothal? She remains engaged to the Viscount Rolantry?” The other man had a thick French accent that sounded familiar, but Margaret could not place it.
“I know that you have been interested in my daughter for some time now, Pierre, but you are quite right. She is spoken for, and I will not be changing my mind on that accord.”
Pierre? Oh, now she knew who was visiting—it was Pierre Girard, the Vidame of Demoulin. He had just inherited his title from his father and must be tying up loose ends on his father’s previous business endeavors.
Their families had been friends for years, and his family had come to visit three years ago. They had spent the summer playing together while their fathers conducted business. Pierre was two years her senior and had grown enamored with her. Henry had become territorial, as always, making sure they did not have a moment alone together. She was surprised that she had made such an impact all those years ago that he was still interested in knowing her marital status.
“I am guessing that her moving to Paris if she were to marry me also plays a significant measure in your decision making.”
“Well, yes, undoubtedly, I would want her to remain close to home.”
“What if I were to guarantee that she would be allowed to travel freely from France to England?”
“That is very generous of you, Pierre, but I also must refuse your request because of my promise to the previous Viscount Rolantry. I made him a promise and I will keep it no matter what offers are made. I owe him at least that much for all he did for me when we were young.”
Why was her father so determined to keep her engaged to Henry? Every time any man showed an interest in courting her, her father refused to entertain the idea. Not that she wanted to be with Pierre. He had always been kind and he was pleasant to look at with jet-black hair and dark eyes, but she could not keep her mind from constantly straying to Richard.
Shaking his head in disappointment, Pierre said, “I suppose we should discuss other matters since there are no concessions regarding your daughter. In regards to the land purchase you and my father had been negotiating before his death, I will continue to invest the same amount and wish to maintain the same equity for the new hospital that will be built in London.”
“Certainly, Pierre. I had assumed as much and am glad to have it confirmed.”
The French nobleman stood and shook the earl’s hand, saying, “Lord Wellesley, thank you for your time. I am grateful for you seeing me on such short notice. I was in the area on other business and felt I would like to discuss the previous matter in person, considering its delicate nature.”
The earl and Pierre made their way over to the doors as Margaret’s father said, “Indeed, it was good to see you, Lord Girard.”
Margaret quickly leaped back as they approached and raised her hand as if she were about to knock. As her father opened the door, he looked startled to see her on the other side.
“What are you doing here, daughter?”
Glancing up at Pierre, she noticed that he was staring at her knowingly, as if he suspected she had been eavesdropping at the door.
Averting her eyes from Pierre’s probing gaze, Margaret turned her attention to her father. “I was coming to tell you that I am headed to the stables as I am going for my afternoon ride, Father. And do not worry, for I am taking one of the servants with me just like you asked.”
“I am glad you are listening to me and doing what a fitting young lady should.”
Margaret blushed, embarrassed that he would point out one of her flaws with a gentleman in the room.
“Father, you know I try to please you.”
“Yes, and I know it often goes against your core nature.”
She flinched internally, hurt that her father thought so little of her character, but wanting to get away and see the duke, she smiled dotingly and bit back her response.
“I can escort the Lady Margaret to the stables, Lord Wellesley.” The earl furrowed his eyebrows together in contemplation, and before he could reject
his offer, Pierre added, “With one of your servants as a chaperone, of course.”
Reluctantly, the earl nodded his approval and said, “Since you are old friends, I suppose allowing you to reacquaint yourselves would be acceptable.”
“Thank you, Lord Wellesley. I will take good care of her,” Pierre said as he gently placed his hand under Margaret’s elbow.
After her father was far enough away not to hear their conversation, Margaret said, “I am able to go to the stables on my own. I do not need to take up your time. You may go, my lord.”
“On the contrary, I would be pleased to spend time with you, Lady Margaret.”
Frustrated but trying to disguise it, Margaret said tartly, “I am not sure why you insist on going with me. As I am certain you are aware, I am spoken for, my lord.”
He winked at her and asked, “Were you listening at the door to my conversation with your father?”
Indignant, she countered, “I have no idea to what you are referring.”
He laughed lightly and said, “Come now, your secret would be safe with me. I believe I saw your shadow depart from the door as we approached.”
“You are mistaken. I did no such thing.”
“As you wish, keep your secrets to yourself, but your father expects me to escort you to the stables, and so I will. You will be gone from me soon enough.”
Realizing she was not getting anywhere with Pierre, she grudgingly allowed him to guide her out of the house and into the back gardens.
“I see you have not changed, my lord. You are exactly the same.”
He scoffed. “You are mistaken. I am much more aware of what the world has to offer, which has made abundantly clear to me what I want,” he said pointedly as he looked at her.
“I think you have grown bolder, sir.”
Ignoring her chastisement, he said, “You have only grown more lovely, Lady Margaret, which is hard to imagine possible. I see you have kept your independent streak as well, judging from your attire.”