by Anna Macy
Damn it all. This is why he avoided lies; they only created more issues to clamor out of down the line.
“Are you hiding out here as well?” The gentle, soft voice spoken from behind him made Robert whirl.
There, standing against the theater’s elaborate stone exterior, was a petite young woman. Dressed in layers against the winter chill, Robert could barely see the speaker’s face in the flickering light of the streetlamps that streaked in between the Grand Theaters trademark pillars.
The part of her that he could see was intriguing. Wide, dark eyes looked out at him over slim dark brows that curved almost sarcastically into a high forehead. A dark widow's peak teased a head full of medium brunette hair.
She smiled at him as he startled, full pink lips curling and showing a single dimple on only the right cheek. There was something familiar about her, but Robert couldn’t place it. Robert’s carefully installed manners screamed for action, and he bowed quickly to the speaker.
“My Lady,” he said.
She stepped forward from the shadows. “Excuse me, sir. I’m sorry if I startled you,” She spoke again, her voice growing concerned.
“Not at all. I didn’t see you there, my Lady-,” Robert couldn’t help his eyes; they moved smoothly down what he could see of the woman before him.
“Georgiana, my name is Georgiana,” her voice was warm against the frigidity of the night air. Her casual use of her Christian name surprised him, but the way it rolled off her tongue was strangely perfect.
“Lady Georgiana, please excuse my manners,” he finished solemnly. Her dimple flashed as he straightened to his full height. “I’m Robert Wains,” Robert began automatically.
To his surprise, her face flickered with something he’d never seen before. Was it at the mention of his name? Or perhaps he had inadvertently frightened her with his size? He couldn't quite read her face in the long shadows from the theater’s immense front pillars.
“Nice to meet you.” Georgiana gave a polite, if not hurried curtsy, and seemed to draw away from him back towards the theater's brightly lit entrance. Feeling self-conscious, Robert tried to make his broad frame smaller, to be less intimidating. He could only assume that she was feeling fearful because of his sudden appearance and size.
“I wasn’t hiding,” Robert blurted out, oddly disappointed as she retreated from him. He’d been called many things in his life, but dangerous was never one. The fact that she sought refuge from him was disconcerting, and he felt obligated to change her opinion of him. “At least not completely.”
She hesitated for a moment; the smile on her face as she looked back at him was genuine. It made her whole face glow. “Well, Mr. Wains, I must admit that I was. To whom do I owe the pleasure of your company to?”
“That’d be my match-making mother,” Robert answered honestly, observing for her reaction. He hadn’t met her before, had he? There was something so familiar about her, and it tickled the edges of his memory as he looked into her face. Georgiana. Where had he heard that before?
Robert couldn't believe that he would’ve met someone like her and not remembered.
Georgiana blushed, he thought, as she ducked her head, lips pursed in a small smile. Her face was still partially cast in shadow.
“And what is your reason for hiding?” He took a careful, measured step in her direction, finding himself drawn into their conversation.
“My family can be a bit overwhelming.” She glanced up at him; her voice wavered.
“I can understand that. My sisters do tend to keep me on my toes.” Robert found himself grinning, realizing that this was the most enjoyable conversation he’d had the entire night.
“I only have brothers, but I can imagine,” was the soft reply.
“I’m sure you’d never put them through the torment that mine does me.” Robert’s blood warmed as he flirted casually. He gave her a soft, smirking smile.
She chuckled, ducking her head again. He stepped forward into the light.
“You seem familiar somehow. Have we met before?” Robert asked, watching as she skittered back away from him. He halted immediately, surprised at her need to keep so much distance between them.
Glancing around, Robert noted several doormen who were well within eye line as well as a few other theatergoers who had stepped out for the fresh air. Her reputation wouldn’t be damaged merely talking to him.
Perhaps his fiancée had called off their wedding, but rumor favored him and the Devonshire name. He hadn’t been a scoundrel or done anything to drive away his bride. At least nothing that would concern any other ladies. Most of the gossipers, his mother had found, were horrified at the implication that the future Lord of Devonshire was anything but completely honorable.
Of course, they didn’t know the full story. They never would, and he had no problem with that. The Devonshire name would handle the stain, as could he.
“London is a small place,” came the whispered reply, “If you’ll excuse me, I must rejoin my family. Goodnight.” She whipped away from him, giving him another glimpse of her golden brown locks, neatly pinned back with a silken red ribbon. Quickly reaching the entrance, she let out a startled gasp as a crowd of people enveloped her, shoveling her back out into Robert’s path.
Robert immediately moved to help her, gripping her forearm lightly as she steadied herself. The hum of the group's chatter suddenly went silent. Looking up, he felt Georgiana tear herself away from him.
“Georgiana, darling,” the coldly spoken words were warning enough. He let his hands fall away from the stumbling woman, a trickle of unrest sliding down his spine.
“Father, I’ve been waiting for you,” Georgiana’s reply was hushed, almost fearful. Straightening her cloak, she hurried away from Robert, as if he were on fire.
For a long minute, silence fell; even the other patrons seemed to have retreated into the radiant warmth of the second act. Then a male figure, decidedly shorter than Robert, stepped out into the narrow thread of light from the theater behind him.
It was Theodore Conning, or as he had come to be known, Teddy. Robert would recognize the man who broke his sister’s heart until the day he died.
Robert felt every part of his body leap to attention. He had been waiting for this day, hoping that he’d have a chance to face the man who had destroyed his beloved sibling’s heart without so much as an apology or explanation. He cracked his knuckles, his bright blue eyes never leaving Teddy’s form.
Unlike the rest of his family, Robert had all the explanation he needed. Robert raised his chin, rolling his shoulders back as he felt the shorter man's intense scrutiny. This man had strung along with his eldest sister, Marian, for years. Marian paid for his commission to join the army with her dowry, and Teddy had promised her a future when he returned.
Then he arrived back in London years later, uniformed, smiling with a woman on his arm, a new wife. Marian had been crushed, her future in shambles, and her reputation around London dissolved into a mix of pity and disbelief.
How the mighty had fallen, they all whispered. The darling of Devonshire, so elegant, so sweet, fell for the second son of the family who had competed with the Wains business for years. And then, in a strange turn of events, was left heartbroken along the river that their family erected their shipbuilding empire upon.
Robert had been there that day when Teddy had come home to London and flaunted his new bride to the girl he’d left behind. Finding his usually polished to perfection sister, huddled against the crates on the dock, a sobbing mess had been one of the worst moments of Robert’s life.
He would never forget it. His fingers curled into fists.
“Robert, how interesting to find you here.” Teddy's voice was bold, but as Robert moved forward, he appreciated that the other man sidled closer to his family. A tiny, fierce-looking woman stepped up beside him.
Robert wanted to laugh. This must be Teddy’s wife. His eyes quickly assessed the almond, skinned young woman, inky hair tumbling ar
ound her shoulders. She was indeed beautiful, but she could never hold a candle to his sister.
Robert briefly recognized the other Conning brother, Edwin, standing to the back of the group, his face serious. Their father, Bert, looked at him with something strongly resembling disdain as he stepped up to Teddy’s shoulder. He put a long-fingered hand on his younger son’s shoulder and glared at Robert.
Robert’s eyes narrowed. “Interesting, eh?” He echoed the words quietly, his voice deep and restrained.
“Yes, interesting. Stay away from my sister, Wains.” Teddy snarled, his boyish face twisted.
His sister. Georgiana Conning, that was her name.
Now it was obvious why the strange woman hadn’t wanted to be found here with him. Save Teddy and Marian’s brief love affair, it had been over a decade since the Connings and the Wains families had even been on amicable speaking terms. Simply the sight of the two of them speaking together would send tongues wagging for weeks.
Georgiana was passed quickly through the cluster until she reached Edwin, who tucked her behind his tall frame. Her face, before it was quickly hidden, was one of quiet dejection. Something briefly pulled at his heart. He pushed it easily aside.
“You’re one to talk,” Robert responded quickly. Usually, he was slow to anger, but he could feel his tightly held temper spiking out of control. Teddy’s face paled, nervous eyes darted to Robert’s sizable fists.
How dare he be here? Why was scum like Teddy Conning allowed a night out with his family while Marian remained huddled at home, still too fearful of being in the critical eye of the ton? It was despicable, especially since Marian had done nothing but fallen for the wrong man.
Robert could feel the increasing pulse of his heartbeat in the fists clenched at his side. It would be so easy to explain away any scandals. No one would blame him for taking a swing at the man who’d made a fool of his family.
Sensing the rising tension, Bert Conning, the head of the family, stepped forward. Dressed in his finest, Bert was the picture of the new wealth that was infiltrating Robert’s world. He had no qualms with the new rich's in principal—only a problem with the man who stood in front of him now. The Connings were, above all, competition.
Wains Shipbuilding and Conning Family Shipwrights were two of the largest enterprises in the Port of London. With his father temporarily out of the country, Robert now found himself in the leading role of Wains Shipbuilding during the largest industrial upheaval anyone could remember.
Bert, of course, was at the helm of the Conning Family Shipwrights. It was hard to imagine, seeing him now, as the same man who had worked alongside the Wains family for years. His abandonment had signaled the end of a powerful partnership between Bert and Robert’s namesake and father, Robert senior.
He had once been a polished salesman; his infectious laughter had filled the Wains business as he toiled beside Robert’s father. Together they had been unbeatable, innovative, and the united face of the industry. The crooked, skinny man who stood before him with a scowl on his face bore almost no resemblance to his former self.
It was no wonder. The maritime industry was fickle, and in the past decade, England was inundated with new material and innovations. Ships were faster, stronger. In a word, better. Wains’ company, with generations of backing, was barely staying ahead of it. In contrast, the Connings had been consistently declining for the past decade. There was no chance they could keep up.
Robert could feel it in his bones, the Conning’s impending doom. He would happily crush them. Not just for Marian’s broken heart, but for his father’s. Robert was proud of his good-natured reputation, but underneath he was still a man protecting his family.
“Teddy, Robert. Boys, this is not the time or place.” Bert stepped between them, his face quivering as he looked up at Robert. His hair had thinned since Robert had seen him, and he anxiously ran his gloved hand through the remaining strands.
It had been a long time since he’d been referred to as boy. Robert stepped back, his heart hammering as the Connings gathered themselves, drawing together like a nervous flock of sheep.
Pity uncurled in his chest. Straightening his collar, Robert sniffed loudly. “It was nice to meet you, Georgiana.”
Without another word, he turned his back on the Connings and walked away. He would find a ride further down the street.
Behind him, he heard her whispered reply. “My pleasure Mr. Wains.”
TWO
Georgiana Conning gritted her teeth, trying to keep her face impassive as her mother’s body pressed her painfully into the carriage’s interior. By the time they made it home, she would simply cease to exist.
Her entire family had somehow fit inside the carriage, even if it meant Serena, her new sister-in-law perched on Teddy’s lap. Nervously Georgiana glanced out the window, her breath fogging the pane.
She had to keep an eye on the streets, as to be prepared for the door swinging open. At this rate, she would quickly spill onto the road the moment their butler came to retrieve them.
The embarrassment of that thought was enough to make her scoot silently closer to her mother. If the woman noticed the move, she said nothing. Not surprising, as she rarely noticed anything Georgiana did. She rolled her eyes in the darkness. What a mess the night had turned into.
When her father’s client had invited them to join him in his box, Georgiana’s heart had soared with pleasure. It had been a long time since she’d had the opportunity to get out of the house, let alone enjoy the glamour of the finest theater in London.
While they had dressed for tonight, her father had promenaded about the house, declaring this night the beginning of his bold return to success and glory. Then one by one, her siblings were rounded up and threatened that they would not, could not, under any circumstances, humiliate him.
Georgiana had heard it all before but held her head up proudly as they walked through the theater, the blood-red carpet leading them straight upstairs to the mezzanine level of the theater. There, the most elite citizens of London socialized. Champagne corks popped, and soft feminine laughter filled the airy arched ceilings.
Just the thought of the glamor that awaited sent Georgiana’s heart racing with both excitement and anxiety. These people used to be friends, colleagues, and even schoolmates before the family’s collapse. She should have nothing to fear, save possible gossip. But in all honesty, she knew that any respectable Lord or Lady would probably ignore her family completely.
It had been years now since the Conning family name inspired anything other than pity from the ton. And for that, she should be grateful. Being mixed up in the highest rungs of society had done nothing for her family or her. Gripping tightly to Edwin, her oldest brother's arm, she hid the excitement bubbling up in her chest, pasting a serene smile across her face.
The Conning family, while not explicitly titled, had always existed on the edge of the ton. Gentility by proximity to blue blood, not by ownership of it. That’s how Edwin had once explained their status her. Their father had never let them forget how easy it would be to fall from their delicate status. As it turns out, he was right to have worried.
With the plush velvet seating, gilded walls, and ornate decor, seeing the opulent theater box was enough to make Georgiana swoon. Even the usually pompous, bold Serena had clung to Teddy’s arm with an awestruck expression on her attractive, dark-featured face. Georgiana thought that even her mother might’ve offered a bit of a smile as she settled her thin frame into a chair.
Her father, with his endless need to undermine, looked around, glancing haughtily down at the panorama on stage, then stood stiffly, his face bored, apart from his family as he awaited their host. She had let Edwin guide her to the front row, glad that at least if this were the only theater performance she might see for years, she would at least have a nice view.
It was her father’s only wish in life, to convince others that the Connings were still thriving. Looking at them tonight, dressed in the fine
st clothes they owned, you could never guess they were slowly crumbling into ruin. But Georgiana knew the real truth. She lived with it every day.
Something had happened when she was a child, barely out of the nursery, and her family had never recovered.
It was the reason she had never had a debut into society. Now at one and twenty, she was an oddity. Years ago, people had looked at her with high hopes, commenting on her pretty face and pleasant demeanor. “Perfect to catch the eye of a Lord, maybe even a Viscount someday,” they had whispered at her mother, clucking like excited hens as they watched her.
Yes, she had once represented her family’s chance to attract a peerage member and marry up in the world. Now she was barely allowed to leave the house. Swallowing hard, Georgiana guessed that many people might jump to the conclusion that her family was ashamed of her, which is why they had never introduced her to society.