Embracing The Earl's Dream: A Clean Regency Romance (Resolved In Love Book 4)

by Penny Fairbanks

  The earl wandered around, feeling surprisingly lonely in a ballroom full of what he estimated to be well over two hundred guests, many of whom he considered to be his friends and acquaintances. He heard snatches of conversations that he wished he could whisper to Henry about. The reclusive baron had never much liked these events, but Solomon could sometimes drag him along. With Henry at home with his wife, Solomon was doomed to wander alone.

  His eyes drifted to the dance floor again and against his wishes, a memory of dancing at this very same event years ago with the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen flashed through this mind. He and Henry had listened to a wonderful performance by a masked lady. Solomon knew instantly that Henry had been transfixed by her. In an effort to help his dear friend, Solomon had asked for them to be introduced to the masked woman.

  And that was when Solomon had seen her—the most divine creature in a pastel pink gown with a lovely round face, a glowing smile, the brightest blonde hair, and the most striking blue eyes just visible behind her mask. He’d known immediately that he must dance with her, but he’d had no idea that that single dance would seal his fate. He’d had no idea that meeting Juliet that night would both mend and break his heart not just once but twice.

  Solomon forced the memory back into its dark cage where he’d banished all his thoughts of Juliet. Unfortunately, those thoughts tended to pry the cage open at the most inconvenient times. He turned away from the dance floor once more, resuming his aimless wandering through the crowd.

  A cluster of guests had gathered in Solomon’s path, laughing and drinking without a care in the world. At the present moment, seeing other people flaunt their happiness irked Solomon to no end, but he did not have any other choice but to squeeze by and leave them behind as quickly as possible.

  “Pardon me, my apolo—” Solomon mumbled as he angled himself through their little crowd. He felt his elbow jab against someone’s back or side in the process. As soon as he turned to apologize, Solomon found himself met with a dazzling smile beneath a shockingly familiar looking half mask.

  “Please, the fault is all mine,” she cooed in a low, flirtatious voice. Solomon knew his mask did not do much to hide his looks, while the extravagance of his clothing made it clear that he likely had both money and title. Or perhaps this young woman had heard of the very friendly earl with bright red hair.

  Solomon could only see that mask that reminded him so much of the one Juliet had worn at the Henshells’ welcome ball four years ago. The sheer force of his immediate interest in her as they’d danced and learned about each other had scared Solomon into fleeing the room with Henry. He had never felt such a pull toward any woman. And he’d dreamt of that lovely mask and the woman behind it at nearly every free moment he had until he’d finally found the courage to actually court her.

  “It’s quite alright,” he muttered, hurrying away to another corner of the room. Surely the young lady would be disappointed, but he had no desire to be introduced to anyone or dance with anyone. Truly, why had he even bothered to come tonight?

  After finding an unoccupied spot in the corner between the table of cheese, meats, and fruit and a row of footmen bearing trays of drinks, Solomon let himself breathe and melt into the background. He heard snatches of conversations and saw moments that held both promise and pain. Such a large event as this seemed to contain nearly every possible scenario—couples meeting for the first time who would be wed in a matter of months, couples falling deeper in love, couples falling out.

  Solomon found himself straining to hear a particular conversation taking place just a few feet away next to a platter of fresh strawberries. “Mother, I can’t ask all these young ladies to dance. It’s madness!” a young man whined.

  “Hush, Peter! How else do you expect to find a wife? There is no better place to make matches than at the welcome ball,” the woman Solomon presumed to be his mother snapped back. He smirked, feeling sorry for the poor lad. At least his own mother had been gentler and more tactful whenever she tried to push Solomon into the marriage mart.

  “But this is embarrassing, Mother! I’m too nervous! What if they say no or laugh at me? I would die of shame!”

  The young man’s pleading and his mother’s refusal had become too unbearable for Solomon. He thought he’d spotted another friend from his club nearby. Perhaps he could strike up a conversation with him and get out of his own head for a while. Just as Solomon emerged from his corner, the woman pushed her son forward right into Solomon.

  The collision nearly knocked Solomon’s breath out of his body as elbows and knees clunked against each other. “Goodness, I’m so very sorry!” the young man sputtered as he took turns brushing off Solomon and then himself. Solomon could hear his mother lamenting her son’s clumsiness behind them, which only irritated Solomon more on the lad’s behalf. She’d been the one who pushed him into Solomon in the first place.

  “Please, it’s no trouble at all. No harm done, I assure you.” Solomon patted the young man on the shoulder, chuckling slightly as he noticed the wide eyes behind his black half mask and the beads of sweat on his upper lip. He looked even younger than Solomon had guessed, barely a grown man. He looked terrified at the prospect of having to interact with young ladies let alone choose one to marry. Solomon glanced over the lad’s shoulder to his mother who seemed to have completely moved on from the collision and had returned her focus to the crowd around them, her eyes darting about and occasionally pausing on various eligible ladies.

  The young man apologized a few more times before Solomon finally managed to extricate himself. He’d only made it a few steps away before glancing back to see him rooted to his spot, his eyes fixed on a nearby young woman. A strange surge of generosity overcame Solomon. He turned back and leaned closer to the young man.

  “Listen my friend, it is perfectly acceptable to be nervous. Everyone is at first. Just remember, many of these young ladies here tonight are just as nervous as you. If you can channel your nerves into excitement, you are bound to catch some lucky woman’s eye,” Solomon whispered quickly, giving him another firm pat on the shoulder.

  The young man stared at Solomon for a moment in stunned silence. Solomon gave an encouraging smile and nodded his head toward the lady in question. The young man gave a tentative smile and muttered his thanks to Solomon before scurrying away, nearly tripping on his own feet in the process.

  Solomon put some distance between himself and his protégé—and his scheming mother who, no doubt, would try to latch onto Solomon and beg him to introduce her son to the finest circles and finest ladies if she had the opportunity. Solomon lingered against the wall, watching from afar as he approached the young lady he’d had his eye on, producing a more charming smile than Solomon had anticipated. The young lady beamed with pleasure, eagerly handing over her dance card.

  “Good luck, my friend,” Solomon whispered under his breath as he watched them chat for a few moments, all giggles and silly smiles.

  It reminded him all too well of his early days as a young man finally making his way about Society, the days when he’d had to fake his confidence before it had become real—the confidence that had turned into a defense mechanism after his first heartbreak.

  Solomon turned to his side with a bemused smile on his face, but he found the space empty. His heart plummeted as he stared at that spot by his side that was missing something crucial—Juliet. For a split second, he’d expected Juliet to be there so they could share their thoughts on that possible match. But this wasn’t four years ago. It was now, and now they were not together.

  This whole evening felt too empty and boring without her. Just like on that night four years ago, the thought of Juliet drove him from the room, his panic at the intensity of his feelings for her propelling him through the crowds. He could not stand this place any longer. It hurt too badly to see ghosts of Juliet everywhere she should have been.

  The dining room door opened and a footman came forward with the mail tray as he did every
morning during breakfast. “Thank you, Caleb,” Solomon mumbled as he took the letters. He did not expect anything of importance, likely just more invitations to dinners or to ask when he’d be back at the club—none of which he had any desire to answer, but he needed to make at least a few appearances around Town. Henry could get away with being a recluse, but people expected Solomon to be at every fashionable event mingling with his vast network of friends and acquaintances. And he certainly was not about to explain to anyone why he loathed the thought of human connection right now—he could not bring himself to say that nothing seemed to matter if he could not have a connection with the one person he truly wanted.

  Solomon sipped at his coffee, mindlessly flipping through the letters, barely noting the names. They’d all come from his London friends. All except one. He’d nearly passed right over it onto the next letter, but the handwriting caught his eye. He set his cup down and pulled the letter out from the rest of the stack, tossing everything else aside.

  A letter from Mother? Solomon couldn’t guess why she would write to him so soon after his arrival in London. She did not write to Solomon very often while he was away since she did not typically have much news to report and she knew Solomon’s news would consist mostly of who had been at his club, what play he’d seen, how his string of dinner parties had gone. Solomon’s alarm bells thrummed in his chest as he quickly opened the letter.

  He took his time reading the letter, absorbing every word despite the anxiety rushing through him. Solomon’s eyes grew wider the more he read, even stopping to reread a few lines.

  Mother begged him to come home as quickly as possible and make things right with Juliet—either by marrying her, making an actual effort to be friends with her, or dismissing her entirely.

  She explained that Juliet had been greatly affected by whatever had happened between them, which Solomon had failed to explain in his haste to escape to London. His mother went on to say that it must be something terrible to have put Juliet in such a miserable state. It had even begun to affect her teaching ability, upsetting Pearl in the process.

  Solomon groaned as he finished reading the letter, nearly crushing it in his hand. He’d just got to London and he certainly did not wish to face Juliet after she’d broken his heart again. Solomon read over the letter again, smoothing out the slightly crumpled corner. According to Mother, Juliet seemed to be suffering immensely.

  He could not remember the last time he’d felt so torn. He had been so sure that it was time to put Juliet behind him once and for all. Yet, as Solomon read again how Juliet was hurting, something stirred in the depths of his heart—concern and care. No matter what happened between them, no matter how many times she broke his heart, Solomon knew that his concern and care for Juliet could never truly be eradicated.

  That seemed to decide it for Solomon. He rang for the butler and downed the last of his coffee while he waited, ignoring the surprise in the older man’s face when Solomon announced that he would be going back to his country home, but expected to be back soon—and he would be back soon one way or another, Solomon promised himself.

  Solomon rushed up to his room to await his valet and begin the packing process, the letter still clutched in his hand. He paused outside his room long enough to fold the letter up and tuck it away in his coat pocket.

  Solomon would come home, but he did not yet know what he would do or say when he saw Juliet. In fact, he likely wouldn't know until she stood before him again.

  Chapter 15

  “Very good, Pearl. Start at the top of the page again before we move on to the next,” Juliet instructed listlessly as they sat at a small table in the main library. Pearl nodded quietly. Juliet knew she had not done a very good job of hiding her pain. It came out in everything she said and did, no matter how hard she tried to act like herself. Her lessons lacked depth these days, her voice did not praise with cheer or correct with kindness. Everything was flat. Juliet could only hope that she would snap out of it soon. Pearl deserved so much more than this.

  The sound of the door opening surprised Juliet. Her surprise deepened when she saw Lady Overton enter. She stood and gave a curtsey, her body suddenly on edge. The dowager countess did not often look for them herself. She usually sent a maid or footman to request them in whatever room she occupied. Pearl, too absorbed in reading the words before her, did not notice their visitor.

  “Good afternoon, Pearl darling, Miss Richards.” Lady Overton announced herself, still only a few feet into the room. Juliet’s confusion only grew. She sounded almost nervous. Juliet could not fathom why.

  “Grandmama!” Pearl stood from her seat, nearly sending the chair toppling backwards in her excitement.

  “I need to have a word with Miss Richards, dear,” Lady Overton quickly interrupted. Pearl sank back down in her chair, her mouth pulled to the side in a disappointed scowl. “I will give you as many hugs as you want when we’re done talking.” The countess chuckled, her eyes fondly watching her granddaughter.

  “Yes, please!” Pearl clapped her hands together, bouncing in her seat.

  “Pearl, keep reading this passage for now. I’ll be back shortly,” Juliet said quietly to Pearl before facing Lady Overton again. Her knees suddenly felt wobbly as she made her way across the room. Why had the countess sounded nervous? And why did Juliet feel so terribly nervous herself? Lady Overton may not have made it a habit to personally seek her or Pearl out but perhaps she’d decided to change that habit today.

  When Juliet finally reached Lady Overton, she risked a glance back to Pearl. She’d quickly resumed reading, her eyes never leaving the page and her lips sounding out each word. Despite her anxiety, Juliet smiled. The girl had clearly developed a love for reading.

  “Is there anything I can do for you, my lady?” Juliet asked, forcing her attention back to the matter at hand, though she would have gladly hidden behind the nearest shelf to avoid whatever the countess wished to speak with her about. The rumbling in Juliet’s stomach told her it must be something very important.

  Lady Overton smiled weakly as she took a step closer to the door. Juliet looked back at Pearl again. She was still in her seat reading diligently, but Juliet did not like to let her out of sight for too long. An almost seven year old could get into quite a bit of mischief in a very short amount of time.

  “We’ll stay right by the door to keep an eye on her,” Lady Overton whispered, her voice kind and reassuring. “Besides, it does not seem like she will pay us or anything besides that book much mind right now.” The older woman smiled with such love as she watched her granddaughter flip to the next page. Juliet’s heart swelled with warmth at the sight. No matter what became of her, at least Pearl would always be surrounded by loving and caring people.

  Juliet’s mouth nearly fell open as Lady Overton grasped her hand. She had not expected the countess to be so friendly with her after everything that had happened with Solomon. Juliet did not know if Solomon had explained their situation to his mother, but even if he hadn’t, Juliet’s change in demeanor surely told enough of the story.

  “Solomon has returned from London,” she whispered urgently. “And I think he would like to see you.” Juliet’s mouth did fall open now, her heart stopping as all sense fled from her.

  “I-I’m sure he would rather get some rest after the long journey. I can see him another time. Tomorrow, perhaps,” Juliet stammered. She barely heard her own words, her mind was in such a fog. She hoped they made enough sense to Lady Overton.

  The countess simply gazed at Juliet patiently, with understanding. Juliet’s temporary confusion gave way to curiosity. What could Lady Overton be thinking as she looked at Juliet like this?

  Lady Overton squeezed Juliet’s hand. “I am quite sure he will want to see you now.” Before Juliet could offer another weak protest, the older woman glanced over to Pearl. “And when all is said and done, whatever happens, be sure to thank that little girl over there.”

  “Pearl? Why would that be, my lady?”
Juliet asked, her confusion doubling.

  “She begged me to write to Solomon and ask him to come home. You see, she’s noticed that your spirits have been terribly low ever since he left. She said the only person who could cheer you up would be her uncle.”

  Juliet turned to stare in shock at the child sitting at the table, reading happily to herself. She had no idea that she’d seen more clearly into Juliet’s heart than almost anyone else had. And maybe, just maybe, if the sudden anticipation building in Juliet’s stomach was right, Pearl could very well have changed the course of her life. Pearl had given her a third chance.

  Juliet whipped back around, her heart hammering wildly in her chest. “Where can I find him?”

  The countess frowned. “Well, that is the problem. I’m not sure where he’s gone. I met him out on the front drive and told him to get settled inside, but he refused. He said he wanted to walk around outside, get some fresh air, stretch his legs, and—” Lady Overton cut herself off, looking away from Juliet. Juliet guessed at what Lady Overton did not want to say. He must have wanted to gather his thoughts before seeing her.

  Juliet gasped as the realization dawned on her. “I know exactly where he is!”

  “Go on, dear.” Lady Overton gave Juliet an encouraging smile, gently pushing her out of the library.

  The house and the grounds passed by in a blur as Juliet rushed to the orchard, her hands clutching her lilac skirts to keep them out of her way. The last thing she needed was a nasty fall to slow her down. She could not afford to lose any more time. She’d wasted more than enough of it already.

  A mixture of anxiety and hope swirled through Juliet’s chest as she finally reached the orchard. Despite being in such a hurry just a moment ago, Juliet found herself slowing to a walk. Something about the orchard always brought her peace and comfort. She knew it did the same for Solomon, too.