The Earl, the Lady and the Song of Love by Fanny Finch

Chapter 16

Imogen was thrilled to receive the Earl’s letter the next morning, agreeing to meet her aunt.

 

After exchanging a few more notes, they finally decided on a day and time.

 

It came soon enough. It was a Saturday, and Lord Kensington arrived as early as nine o’clock to pick her up. Once again, Elena followed as her chaperone.

 

When they were well on their way, Imogen broke the silence.

 

“My aunt, she is like a mother to me. She always was fond of me but after I lost my mother, we grew even closer. She would visit often, or I would visit her estate. A year after, she had to leave for Scotland with her husband, the Marquess of Willborough.”

 

“The Marquess of Willborough? He is royalty, is he not?” Lord Kensington asked.

 

“Sixty-third in line to the throne,” she answered.

 

“Ah . . . I believe I might have met him once or twice.”

 

“My aunt did say he used to be friends with your father, just as mine.”

 

“Oh . . . now I remember. I have met him a few times, myself. Now that I think of it, I also recall your father introducing him as his brother-in-law.”

 

Imogen bobbed her head. “You definitely have met him.”

 

“Will I be seeing him today?”

 

Imogen shook her head. “He has been at the grand palace since returning to England. He ought to have been home a few days ago but something happened, extending his stay.”

 

“I do hope all is well.”

 

The genuine concern in his voice touched her. “It is. It is just, you know, politics, I suppose. State affairs are not easy to handle from what I have heard.”

 

“I can tell you for certain that they are not, and I am only an Earl.”

 

She smiled at him. “I believe you will continue to do as well as you have been doing, even better.”

 

He returned her smile. “I will say. Thank you, Miss Hartford.”

 

She waited for the moment to pass before continuing. “You must know, my aunt asked to see you because she worries I might be making a hasty decision.”

 

“A hasty decision?”

 

“Choosing to be your friend with the prospects of marriage in the future. She does not want to see me hurt. I made it clear you are not that kind of man, of course. Still . . .”

 

“I understand. I will do my very best to calm her fears, not to worry. It feels wonderful to know that you are considering the same as I. Marriage, I mean.”

 

Imogen stole a glance then and she saw that he was smiling, happily so. If it were not so dark in the carriage, she would have been able to tell for certain if he was blushing as well, or not. She believed he was.

 

The thought made her belly squirm.

 

Clearing her throat, she answered. “I believe it is where this is headed if all goes well, do you not? After all, it is the reason my father introduced us.”

 

He was quick to nod in response. “Yes. You are right, Miss Hartford. Nonetheless, I am happy to hear you say it aloud.”

 

He reached for her hand then, taking it before evidently remembering they had an audience. He quickly let her go as he looked at Elena who was looking anywhere else but them.

 

He drew back into his seat, clearing his throat. “Later,” he mumbled.

 

It was a promise Imogen held dear even as she hid her own blush.

***

 

Aunt Rachel was waiting for them when they arrived at Dusham. The moment her eyes landed on Imogen, she held her arms wide open.

 

“My precious girl! It is wonderful to see you again,” she chimed as they reached where she stood.

 

“Likewise, Aunty,” Imogen replied as Aunt Rachel planted a kiss on both her cheeks.

 

When they pulled apart, her aunt turned to Lord Kensington.

 

Quickly, Imogen made the introductions.

 

“Aunt Rachel, the Earl of Kensington, Nigel Derby. Lord Kensington, the Marchioness of Willborough, Rachel Darkwood.”

 

Lord Kensington dipped in a flawless bow. As he rose, he flashed her aunt a brilliant smile.

 

“Pleased to make your acquaintance, my Lady. Miss Hartford has told me many wonderful things about you.”

 

Aunt Rachel’s lips curved in a warm smile. “I could say the same, Lord Kensington. It is why I asked to meet you. I had to see for myself that she was not exaggerating,” she jested, her eyes twinkling.

 

They all broke into soft laughter and as they recovered, Aunt Rachel continued. “Welcome to Dusham, my Lord. You must know, I am elated that you honored this invitation. Thank you, very much.”

 

“There was never a thought to refuse. Thank you for inviting me.”

 

Aunt Rachel, evidently pleased, turned to Imogen and gave her a wink.

 

“Let us say we are both thankful then. A good thing, indeed. Come now. I have prepared a list of activities for the day. We shall wine, dine, gossip, and oh, I do hope you know how to play croquet.”

 

Imogen turned to Lord Kensington with questioning eyes, and he shrugged before answering.

 

“I might have played the sport a few times, yes.”

 

They were rewarded with charming laughter from her aunt. “I think it has been more than just a few times, Lord Kensington but never mind, we shall be able to tell soon enough now, shall we not?”

 

It did not seem like she was truly expecting a response so Lord Kensington held his peace.

 

They were led to the dining hall where a small feast awaited them.

 

Quietly, they ate, save for the occasional small talk. When they were done eating, Aunt Rachel began.

 

“Lord Kensington, tell me, what do you think of our dear Imogen?”

 

Her question was quite abrupt and for a moment, Imogen and the Earl were taken aback. They exchange looks, and Imogen managed to force a smile at him, hoping it would serve as reassurance.

 

He cleared his throat before he answered, dabbing the side of his mouth. When he was done, he folded the napkin neatly and returned it to the table. He spoke then.

 

“I have only known her a short while, but I believe her to be a wonderful young lady, calm yet strong willed. Beautiful and

kind-hearted. She does not speak much, but I can tell that it is not for lack of things to say. No, I believe her sensible, intelligent, witty, even. I think her smile is the loveliest I have ever set my eyes upon, and I know that I relish every moment with her.”

 

“Sounds like a lot of praises for someone you have only known a short while.”

 

It was Aunt Rachel speaking, but he could not seem to take his eyes off Imogen.

 

“I suppose when one speaks to your soul and heart, it feels as though you have known them forever,” he replied with a small, amused glance towards Aunt Rachel.

 

“I see. She says you seek friendship. Am I to take it, that is all you require?”

 

Lord Kensington’s smile deepened. He looked away from Imogen then, turning back to her aunt, and she felt like she could finally breathe.

 

All of her body tingled, from his gaze and his words.

 

“No. If she accepts me and if I receive her Father’s blessings, I wish to take her as my wife. Nonetheless, there is no hurry. I have no wish to rush Miss Hartford. We have all the time in the world to get to know one another better and decide if this is what we truly want.”

 

“Am I to take it you love her, then?”

 

At Aunt Rachel’s question, Imogen’s heart stopped beating. Her stomach twisted in knots and her eyes widened.

 

“Aunt Rachel . . .” she said softly, unable to recover from her awe.

 

Swallowing hard, she turned to Lord Kensington.

 

“Certainly, he does not have to answer that question. It is too soon to ask and quite frankly, this is not what this arrangement is about. We only desire friendship.”

 

For how solemn her aunt tried to look, Imogen could see the slight twitching of her lips. It made her breathe a little easier.

 

“Is that so? Lord Kensington, do you agree?”

 

He cleared his throat again, “A wonderful friendship is good enough for me, my Lady. Nevertheless, I am very open to possibilities. Who knows what might happen? Not everyone is lucky enough to be blessed with a love match. If the heavens decide to bless us with one, I reckon we will be grateful and happy.”

 

Aunt Rachel finally gave in to a full-fledged smile then. She reached for her glass of wine, still smiling as she sipped. When she had drank her fill, she set the glass aside.

 

“I suppose that is good enough. I have no more questions—for now. So, you may relax and enjoy the wine. It was shipped from the finest vineyard in France.”

 

Aware that the storm had passed, Imogen heaved a deep sigh, reaching for her glass of wine herself. If she had known that Aunt Rachel had the intention to interrogate Lord Kensington so, she might have given bringing him along more consideration.

 

Still, she could not find it in her to have any regrets. Imogen loved her Aunt even more for looking out for her happiness.

 

Eventually, they settled into idle gossip and by the time they had emptied the bottles of wine, the ambience was much more relaxed.

 

“I believe it is as good a time as any to step into the field for our game, do you not?”

 

Imogen and Lord Kensington nodded in agreement, and they all rose, following her lead out into the gardens.

 

The lawn had already been set by the time they arrived. Imogen did not particularly fancy the sport, so she decided to be their audience, keeping scores.

 

“Head or tail?” Aunt Rachel asked, coin in hand.

 

“Head,” Lord Kensington replied.

 

Aunt Rachel flipped the coin then and as it landed in her palm, she yelped, “Looks like you called it.”

 

“Ladies first,” Lord Kensington said.

 

“Hmm, such a gentleman. Very well then. I shall do the honors. Gladly.”

 

With those words, she picked up a mallet and took a stance, bending. She held her mallet in an Irish grip and made the first strike.

 

“Yes!” she exclaimed as the red ball ran over the first hoop. Turning to Lord Kensington, she smiled.

 

“I have not played in ages, but it appears these old hands have still got some strength in them. I do hope you are not afraid yet.”

 

Lord Kensington chuckled softly. “Would it be cowardice if I admitted that I am? Perhaps, I should concede, I fear I stand no chance.”

 

Imogen found herself smiling even as Aunt Rachel broke into hearty laughter.

 

“Not giving up so soon, are you? Come now, I promise to go easy on you. It is no true victory if you do not even try to put up a good fight.” she said, her voice teasing.

 

The Earl bobbed his head. “In that case then, I shall try my best.”

 

They waited as Aunt Rachel struck her second ball. She was not so lucky this time and the ball stopped just before the first hoop.

 

“Your turn,” she said, stepping away so that the Earl would take his stance.

 

They continued to play, turn after turn and soon, they were both at score six.

 

The first person to successfully run seven hoops would be the winner. Eyes wide, interest utterly arrested, Imogen watched them, wondering who the winner will turn out to be.

 

“Your ball,” Aunt Rachel said again, stepping away for Lord Kensington when she missed her strike.

 

Imogen’s heart flew to her throat. If Kensington managed to run over the seventh hoop with this strike, he would be declared the winner.

 

She could not believe that she would ever be so invested in a game of croquet. There was just something about the way her aunt and Lord Kensington played that spoke of mastery at its finest.

 

Even at that, she could tell that the Earl was holding back. He was much better at the game than he was letting on.

 

Her breath held as he took his stance, wrapping a standard grip around the mallet. He took his time, preparing to strike.

 

Everyone had eyes on him, including the servants that were there, watching. Finally, he made the strike.

 

Because Imogen was watching him so intently, she saw as he bent his hand, breaking the swift movement as he struck the ball.

 

It did not come as a surprise when the ball failed to run over the seventh hoop. What surprised her was the fact that he had decided to throw the game.

 

Aunt Rachel wasted no time taking position once again. “Well, I guess I will be getting another chance.”

 

As she said those words, she readied herself. One smooth strike and every pair of eyes followed the ball until it ran over the seventh hoop. The second ball was closely behind, running over the hoop as well. Just like that, she became the winner.

 

Their small audience broke into applause, including Imogen. As they cheered, Lord Kensington bowed to her aunt, and she dropped a shallow curtsy in return.

 

She was all smiles, but it was the Earl who looked the happiest.

 

“It appears I won this round,” Imogen heard her aunt say as the applause ended.

 

Lord Kensington was warm in response, “Indeed. We all knew you would.”

 

Aunt Rachel’s eyes twinkled at him as though she knew just what he had done. “Still, it was quite close. You were a worthy opponent, my dear Lord Kensington. I am glad you decided to play after all.”

 

“Me too,” he responded smiling. “I had a wonderful time.”

 

A message came for Aunt Rachel then, and as she attended to it, the Earl walked to where Imogen stood.

 

“Did you enjoy the game?” he asked as he reached her.

 

She nodded. “Like never before. It was quite a delight to watch. I never knew you are such a talented croquet player.”

 

“I would not say I am talented. Although, it is one of my favorite sports. I played often with my brother, Ethan, while growing up.”

 

Imogen gave him the side eye. “Stop being so modest, Lord Kensington. I watched you carefully as you played, and it was easy to see that you have amazing mastery. You held back and let her win on purpose just to get on her good side, did you not?”

 

He lifted his shoulder in a small shrug. “Maybe, maybe not.”

 

There was a special kind of smile on his face that she had never seen before. It made him look younger, and she could not help but glimpse a vision of a younger Lord Kensington in her mind’s eye.

 

Happy, carefree, good-hearted.

 

Imogen would have said something, but Aunt Rachel appeared by their side then, interrupting the moment.

 

She said, “I have just received word from my husband. It appears I have to leave for the palace, right away.”

 

Imogen frowned, immediately worried. “Is anything the matter?”

 

Aunt Rachel was quick to shake her head. “Not at all. Nothing to fret about. You will send my love to your father and Lewis?”

 

Imogen nodded. “When will you return?”

 

Aunt Rachel’s response was a smile that did well to assuage her worries. “I cannot say for certain, but I will not be gone long.”

 

Imogen decided that that was more than good enough.

 

In no time, they were all ready to leave. As Aunt Rachel bade them farewell, she pulled Imogen into her arms and whispered in her ears.

 

“I see what you see in him, my dear. He seems like a good one. Quite charming, I must say. I approve.”

 

Imogen did not think those words would make her so happy, but they did.

 

All the way back to London, she could not stop smiling.

 

By the time they arrived at her home, her cheeks were hurting.

 

“A penny for your thoughts?” Lord Kensington asked as he walked her to the doors.

 

She smiled even harder. “It is nothing really. I am simply happy. It was a good day all in all, do you not agree?”

 

They stopped as they reached the top of the stairs, and he turned so he would face her.

 

“I do. Your aunt is a lovely person. It is easy to see how much she adores you and why you love her. I had such a pleasant time.”

 

“Including when you lost to her?” Imogen teased.

 

He chuckled softly, “Especially then.”

 

They gazed into each other’s eyes for a long moment, the world around them seemingly fading away.

 

There was something in the air that felt too much like magic, and Imogen found herself being reminded of the dark stranger in her dreams.

 

Could it be? Surely not. There is no way that is possible.

 

It was she who broke the spell. “I feel I should apologize. For her questions.”

 

He almost did not let her finish. “Do not, please. I did not mind answering them at all, especially when I simply had to say the truth. You must know I meant every word, Miss Hartford. They were not simply well-thought-out lies to leave a lasting good impression.”

 

His eyes, his voice, the way he was looking at her; they all told her he was being sincere.

 

“I am happy to hear that,” she breathed. “You truly are a wonderful man, Lord Kensington. It should feel too soon to tell, but it is as you say, when someone speaks to your soul . . .”

 

“It is as though you have known them forever,” he completed.

 

Imogen nodded. “It appears you speak to my soul, my dear Lord. I simply cannot help trusting your words and believing you are right for me.”

 

His own voice dropped to a whisper. “It is delightful to know that I am not alone in this. I feel exactly the same way.”

 

Once again, silence reigned as they just stood there, staring into the depths of each other’s eyes.

 

It might have been an eternity for all Imogen cared. The sound of footsteps approaching the door was what broke them free of the enchantment.

 

Clearing his throat as he looked away, he said. “I should get going. I suppose I shall see you at the Nottingham ball?”

 

“Yes. I hope to be there.”

 

He leaned in to place a soft kiss against her cheeks then. Imogen simply stood there, frozen, even after he pulled away.

 

“Until then. Farewell, my dear Miss Hartford.”

 

“You too, Lord Kensington.”

 

His eyes were twinkling, and he was grinning like a happy child as he turned to go.

 

Imogen remained outside, waiting until he had gotten into his carriage and ridden off before placing a hand to her chest.

 

“Be still, my heart. Please, be still.”