Awakened By The Lord’s Kiss by Meghan Sloan

Chapter 15

 

 

Seeing Teresa again had been a shock. Henry had thought she was firmly situated in Cornwall with her parents, raising Charles with the money he sent her to help them out. It was the least he could do when he heard that Teresa had a baby by James and his brother wasn’t acknowledging the fact he had a child. Charles didn’t deserve to be left in the cold because his father was heartless.

 

 

 

The problem was getting James to admit it out loud. For years since Teresa revealed she was pregnant, he had been denying he had anything to do with her, claiming that he wouldn’t get involved with the household staff. Since it came to light that one of the maids was going to have a baby, everyone was under the impression that Henry was the father.

 

 

 

Which was ludicrous, given that the only time Henry was home on leave was about the same time Teresa was forced to confess that she was having a baby out of wedlock. He hadn’t been around at the time of conception.

 

 

 

But that hadn’t mattered. Something had gone wrong, so it was Henry’s fault. His parents had expressed their disappointment in him and then washed their hands of the subject. They didn’t even mention that they had a grandchild. It was like Charles didn’t exist, leaving it to be Henry’s mess. His protests that he wasn’t the father were just him not accepting responsibility.

 

 

 

All the while, James would sit in the corner with a smirk on his face.

 

 

 

Henry really hated him now.

 

 

 

He couldn’t enjoy the party after that. Teresa was in hysterics, and she and Charles had to be taken into the kitchen to calm down. Henry arranged to meet them the next day to give Teresa some money to tide her and Charles over for a few months. He was able to do that for now. Once he was disinherited, that money would be cut dramatically, so Henry wanted to make sure Charles got what he deserved. His nephew deserved better than what he was getting.

 

 

 

After leaving Teresa with the cook and housekeeper, Henry made his excuses to the admiral before taking his leave. It was tempting to go and find Caroline, even if they couldn’t finish what they started, but after having Teresa turn up, Henry was sure he wasn’t going to be good company. Caroline didn't need him snapping at her.

 

 

 

Not after the confession he had practically given her.

 

 

 

You kissed her. That’s not a confession.

 

 

 

It was close enough.

 

 

 

Henry had been coming to terms with his feelings for a long time. It was startling that he would care about a girl who hated him and made no effort to hide it, and yet every thought that involved Caroline Folton had been enough to warm his heart. It was that face and those gorgeous eyes that kept him sane while he was finding his feet in the navy, away from land and alone. The mere thought of her, even if she was angry and shouting at him, got him through the battles. It was like he had a reason to keep himself alive.

 

 

 

It felt ridiculous to be in love with someone who had made their feelings known, and Henry knew it was futile that he would never have the woman he wanted because of James’ actions. But it didn’t stop him from thinking about Caroline or feeling something for her.

 

 

 

Life was just not fair to him. And giving his heart to Caroline when she wouldn’t accept it seemed even more unfair.

 

 

 

Until she accepted his kiss. Now Henry wondered if she would accept his heart. But he had to progress slowly. She might have accepted one kiss, but there was a chance it wouldn’t happen again. And if he pushed too much, Henry had a feeling he would have put a massive chasm between them.

 

 

 

Why couldn’t things ever be simple?

 

 

 

The house was quiet when Henry returned. The servants had the afternoon off, and his parents had gone to Bath for a fortnight. Apparently, the duchess needed some respite, so they had made arrangements to go to Bath and take the waters for a couple of weeks. Which meant Henry was going to be here alone with hostile servants and his brother.

 

 

 

Maybe he should find somewhere to stay himself for the next two weeks. He didn’t fancy being in the same house with James for that long. Something was bound to go wrong.

 

 

 

He could go south and stay at their family house just outside of Penzance. It would be empty right now with just a few servants tending to its upkeep. There was plenty to do down there, and Henry could get the space and respite he needed before he had to go back to his ship.

 

 

 

The only problem was Caroline. She would see it as him abandoning her after what he said. Henry wasn’t sure he could invite her without her family, and there wasn’t much he could do if they were present. Lord Bingham might be his friend and genial about Henry’s past, but even he would object to Henry trying to seduce his daughter.

 

 

 

There was a lot to think about, and Henry was still confused about it as he got home and let himself in by the side door. There was the sound of clinking glasses in the dining room, which Henry didn’t pay much attention to initially. It was probably one of the servants who had decided work was more important than an afternoon off.

 

 

 

The dining room door was open as Henry walked past. Then he heard a loud crash. Henry hurried into the room and saw shards of glass across the floor. James was sitting at the head of the table where their father normally sat, a whisky decanter in one hand. There were two other decanters on the table in front of him.

 

 

 

“Ah, good, someone’s here.” James gestured towards the dresser. “Be a good chap and get me another glass. I’m thirsty.”

 

 

 

“I think you’ve had enough, James.”

 

 

 

“What?” James blinked. Then recognition dawned. “Oh, Henry, it’s you. I didn’t realise you had come back. Did they get bored of you already? I’m not surprised. You’re not exactly good company.”

 

 

 

“Teresa Bakersfield turned up.”

 

 

 

James’ expression flickered.

 

 

 

“Did she?”

 

 

 

“She said she’s been trying to find you, but you keep avoiding her.”

 

 

 

“As I should.” James scowled. “I’ve got nothing to say to her. Now get me a glass.”

 

 

 

“I’m not going to get you a glass. You are going to sober up and then clear up this mess. After which, you and I are going to talk about Teresa and your son.”

 

 

 

“Not my son.” James’ words were slurring as he waved the decanter. “I did nothing to that girl. I don’t know why you believe her.”

 

 

 

“Because Charles is the exact image of both of us!” Henry snapped. “I certainly didn’t take her to bed. You were here at the time she would have got pregnant. I know you’re a bit slow when it comes to mathematics, but you’re not that slow.”

 

 

 

James sniggered.

 

 

 

“You’ve paid for that brat. You’ve provided what is necessary. I’d say that was pretty self-explanatory, don’t you?”

 

 

 

“I’m providing for my nephew because you refuse to!” Henry shouted. He was still upset from hearing what Teresa said, and now he was listening to his brother trying to worm his way out of it. Again. “Just over three years ago, you got Teresa pregnant and didn’t admit to it when Teresa had to face Mother and Father alone. Eighteen months ago, your son was born, and you and our parents decided that he doesn’t exist. I’m the only one who actually cares about him! I’m the one who pays for him and makes sure that Teresa doesn’t go without because that’s what family does.”

 

 

 

“That’s what a father does.”

 

 

 

“I’m not Charles’ father!” Henry bellowed.

 

 

 

He stormed across the room and slapped at the half-empty decanter. It left James’ hand and slid across the table, sending whisky sloshing everywhere. Henry grabbed James by the shirt and hauled him to his feet, shaking him hard. James groaned.

 

 

 

“Stop that, Henry. I feel sick.”

 

 

 

“Serves you right. You shouldn’t have drunk so much. And I was only gone an hour!” Henry snarled into James’ face. “You have messed things up your whole life, and you made sure my life was miserable. I was being a big brother and protecting you, and you took that to mean you could do whatever you wanted. You ruined my life, and now you’re going to ruin your son’s. He’s a child! He doesn’t deserve that!”

 

 

 

“I have a life to live, and I’m going to do it my way.” James pushed Henry away, adjusting his shirt and smoothing down his hair. He looked a little less drunk. “I didn’t make you protect me from Mother and Father, but you did. I didn’t make you go into the navy; I didn’t make you provide for my child, and I didn’t make you feel in love with a woman who doesn’t want you.”

 

 

 

“You leave Caroline out of this!”

 

 

 

“Why should I? We had a competition, remember?”

 

 

 

“Which you’re losing,” Henry shot back. “After you assaulted her at the ball, she wants nothing to do with you. And I don’t blame her. No woman should be treated like that.”

 

 

 

“And you think you’ve won, do you?” James sneered. “I can get her back. All I need to do is turn on the charm, and she’ll be putty in my hands.”

 

 

 

“Even if you stopped drinking long enough to do that, I highly doubt it.” Henry looked at the empty decanters. “Why are you even drinking this much, anyway? What’s happened for you to become an inebriate?”

 

 

 

“That’s none of your business.”

 

 

 

“I think it is.”

 

 

 

Henry tried to think what could have made James turn to the bottle. As far as he was aware, nothing untoward had happened at home. So it had to be from an outside source. Then he remembered the morning before their dinner party that Caroline and Sarah had come to. James had taken a letter off the pile left by his father’s plate at breakfast and read it. Henry had questioned him about opening his father’s mail, to which James had said it was none of his business. Then his face went white, and he had left with the letter. Lord Cornwall wasn’t any the wiser that someone had messed around with his letters; Henry had a feeling he would be blamed, even though it was in his brother’s possession.

 

 

 

What could possibly have him so spooked that he was drinking heavily?

 

 

 

“The army is catching up with you, aren’t they? The Cavalry Staff Corps are looking for you to bring you back for your court-martial.”

 

 

 

James didn’t immediately respond, but he did tense up. That had to be it. The army had written to notify the Duke of Cornwall that his son had deserted and they were looking for him. It wouldn’t be long until they had officers from their infamous Cavalry Staff Corps coming to escort him back. A deserter couldn’t be on the run forever. Once the duke and duchess found out about this, they would be devastated. Their image of a perfect son in James would be completely shattered.

 

 

 

Henry wanted to feel glee that James would get some comeuppance soon and that the truth would come out eventually, but all he could feel was exhaustion. James just sucked all the energy out of him.

 

 

 

“How long have you got until you get picked up?”

 

 

 

“Two weeks. Just before Mother and Father get back.” James waved a hand. “But I’ll be gone before then. I’ve got a ticket for safe passage over to America. I’ll be leaving within the week.”

 

 

 

“You’re really going to run away from your problems?”

 

 

 

“Of course I can. You’ll take the blame for everything. As always.” James sniggered. “You always were the perfect scapegoat.”

 

 

 

Henry snarled and punched him, knocking James back into his chair. Then he pointed at the mess on the table and the floor.

 

 

 

“Clear this mess up. The servants aren’t going to like this when they get back. If they ask about it, I’ll be pointing them in your direction.”

 

 

 

“As if they’ll believe that you didn’t do it.”

 

 

 

“Considering I’m the one who’s sober out of the two of us, I think I’ll be believed.” Henry turned away. “Clear up this mess, and clear up yourself. You can’t keep running away from your troubles. It’ll only get worse for you.”

 

 

 

He left the room before James could respond, heading towards the stairs. It felt like his head was splitting open.

 

 

 

#

 

 

 

Caroline woke late the next morning, and she lay in bed staring at the ceiling. She hadn’t slept very well, tossing and turning as her mind just wouldn’t settle. All she could think about was Henry and the kiss. Something that she should have stopped.

 

 

 

But she didn’t. And now it was invading everything, including her dreams.

 

 

 

Caroline didn’t want to think about the erotic dreams that had crept up on her during the night. More times than she could count, she found Henry in bed with her, kissing his way down her naked body. Or out in the fields as he took her clothes off and made love to her.

 

 

 

Or even on a beach, Henry pulling her into the waves and bringing her to pleasure as the water washed over them on the shore. Each scenario was more erotic than the one before, and they all had Caroline waking up, covered in sweat and out of breath. She had run out of water in her washbasin, trying to cool herself down.

 

 

 

That kiss had completely tipped her over the edge. She had to be going mad that a simple and very beautiful kiss would have her thinking about something more. That wasn’t going to happen, no matter what her mind thought.

 

 

 

No matter what she had felt when Henry was holding her before. She was naive when it came to anything meant to be between a married couple firmly in the bedroom, but she wasn’t stupid. She was sure that the hardness pressing against her as Henry focused on her mouth was something that was part of it, and it left her in no doubt as to what Henry wanted.

 

 

 

He wanted her. Preferably without the restraints of her corsets and without the worry of being caught. Caroline had a feeling if they had really been in private, Henry would have taken her to the ground or pressed her against the tree while reaching under her skirts.

 

 

 

And that had been part of her dreams as well.

 

 

 

Caroline couldn’t begin to count how many times she had cursed Henry for putting her in this position. A kiss should not have done this to her.

 

 

 

But that could mean something. Maybe that you’ve desired Henry for a while. It would explain why you didn’t push him away.

 

 

 

It was just a wave of emotions. Nothing more.

 

 

 

Or was it? Caroline didn’t know what to think anymore.

 

 

 

She needed to get up and show her face. Her mother would be wondering where she had gone, and her maid was going to come looking for her soon. Lady Bingham liked everyone to have breakfast at the same time, and that time was about now. Caroline groaned when she saw the clock.

 

 

 

Rolling out of bed, she fumbled with the clothes the maid had left out for her and got dressed. She managed to get her corset tightened and fixed her dress over it. God, Caroline hated corsets. They were a nightmare, and they just made Caroline feel like everything was being squeezed out of her body. She had seen people with corsets so tight they had tiny waists, but everything else was large. She had no idea how that was attractive.

 

 

 

Henry would probably like her without a corset. Or without any clothes.

 

 

 

Caroline wiped that out of her mind and left the room, trying not to look at the bed and see the previous scenes from the night before. It was like Henry had imprinted himself everywhere, and he hadn’t even been in her bedchamber.

 

 

 

The man was insufferable. And Caroline couldn’t bring herself to be angry about it.

 

 

 

Her parents were already in the dining room when Caroline entered, both of them halfway through their breakfast. Bingham was reading the newspaper, squinting behind his eyeglasses, while Lady Bingham was going through the pile of letters at the side of her plate. She looked up and frowned when she saw her daughter.

 

 

 

“Good morning, dear. You’re up late today.”

 

 

 

“I had a bad night’s sleep.” Caroline went to Bingham and kissed his cheek. “Good morning, Father.”

 

 

 

“Good morning, Caroline. There’s plenty of food left. I’m sure you’re hungry.”

 

 

 

Caroline was surprised to find that she was. Normally, she had some toast and a couple of eggs, but this morning she was putting sausages, fried potatoes, and tomatoes on her plate. She hadn’t realised she was so hungry.

 

 

 

Maybe thinking about making love to a naval officer is a good way to entice an appetite.

 

 

 

Don’t start! Not now.

 

 

 

Trying to keep her thoughts neutral, Caroline sat across from her mother and began to eat. She didn’t plan to do anything today. She would spend the day writing back to a couple of her friends and then hide in the library with a book. There were no invitations to go to someone for tea, and there were no dinner parties. For once, it was a quiet, slow day.

 

 

 

Caroline needed it. It might help her to figure out which way to go forward.

 

 

 

“Oh, look at this!” Lady Bingham was looking at a letter with a surprised expression. Bingham lowered his newspaper.

 

 

 

“What is it, dear?”

 

 

 

“It’s from Lord Bannock. He’s asking for Caroline to join him for dinner tomorrow night.”

 

 

 

Caroline dropped her fork, and it clattered against her plate. Lady Bingham flinched.

 

 

 

“Do be careful, Caroline!”

 

 

 

“Forgive me, Mother.” Caroline put her cutlery down before she dropped it again. “Is this a dinner party his parents have arranged?”

 

 

 

“Didn’t you hear? They’ve gone to Bath for a fortnight. Lord Bannock and Lord Beaufort are going to be at the house.” Lady Bingham sighed. “Although I don’t know what I think about that. Those two get into scraps so much, even at their age.”

 

 

 

“Lord Beaufort is a pain in the neck.” Bingham grunted. “He’s never been given proper boundaries or put on the right track to be a gentleman.”

 

 

 

“After what Caroline told me what he did that night, I’m now inclined to agree.” Lady Bingham shook her head. “I wish I had known about him in the beginning. If I had, I wouldn’t have pushed Caroline towards him. I thought he was the better option.”

 

 

 

“He was never the better option, dear. I did warn you that it was going to end with someone getting hurt, and Caroline almost was.” Bingham growled. “If I had been around when I saw that brigand grabbing my daughter, I wouldn’t have been responsible for my actions.”

 

 

 

“Oh, Father.” Caroline reached over and touched his arm. “Don’t be angry about it. That moment has passed, and Lord Bannock was there to get me away from his brother. I was safe.”

 

 

 

“That I’m glad of.” Bingham’s expression softened as he looked at his daughter. “I couldn’t think of anyone better to watch out for you.”

 

 

 

Caroline didn’t know what to say to that. She was aware that Henry and Bingham were friends and that Bingham always had a good word to say about the younger man. She had found it ridiculous that her father couldn’t see how awful Henry was, but now her opinion was shifting. She could see what Bingham had seen all along.

 

 

 

Henry was a good person. A wounded soul, a neglected son, but a good person.

 

 

 

I bet he didn’t kiss your father like he kissed you, though.

 

 

 

Stop it!

 

 

 

“Well, you might not have found it surprising, but I did.” Lady Bingham snorted. “I’ve always been led to believe that Lord Bannock is one of the worst people alive. His parents certainly don’t have anything good to say about him.”

 

 

 

“That’s because they have a clear favourite in Lord Beaufort. Lord Bannock was always going to be the one worse off.”

 

 

 

“They had everyone convinced that he was a bad person. If Caroline had told me that Lord Bannock was the one who accosted her and tried to assault her that night, I would have believed it.” Caroline’s mother shook her head. “Never did I expect her to say he was the one who sent his brother off.”

 

 

 

“Henry ... I mean, Lord Bannock …” Caroline corrected herself when she saw both parents looking at her strangely, “has always lived in his brother’s shadow. He’s a decorated war hero, and he looks after those around him when he doesn’t need to.”

 

 

 

“But you were prepared to hate him at the start of the Season,” Lady Bingham pointed out. “You’ve hated him for a decade.”

 

 

 

“Because I believed he was the one who hurt me intentionally. I know otherwise.” Caroline picked up her cutlery and tried to focus on eating. “Are you going to tell me that I can’t go to this dinner?”

 

 

 

“On the contrary, I was going to say that you could go.”

 

 

 

Caroline’s head snapped up.

 

 

 

“Mother?”

 

 

 

“However, your father and I are going to be busy tomorrow night, so if you go with Lady Lakeford as your companion, you shouldn’t need us to attend as well.”

 

 

 

Caroline stared. She had not expected her mother to say something like this. She had pretty much stuck to Caroline’s side the day before at the garden party, introducing her to many gentlemen. Caroline was exhausted after the fifth introduction and had almost begged to leave as she didn’t want to talk to anyone anymore. Only Sarah rescuing her and suggesting Caroline needed to rest stopped Lady Bingham from making her daughter keep up the conversation until she collapsed.

 

 

 

It was like the revelation of Henry and his kiss had taken a lot of her energy.

 

 

 

Now her mother was agreeing to let her and Henry be, essentially, alone for dinner. After she made comments that Henry wasn’t the nicest person and she wouldn’t want to be in his presence if she could help it.

 

 

 

The sudden turnaround was a little bewildering.

 

 

 

“Why are you so agreeable to this, Mother?” Caroline asked. “Aren’t you questioning why Lord Bannock wants to have dinner with me?”

 

 

 

“I don’t need to question it. I know why he wants dinner with you.” Lady Bingham smiled. “Lord Bannock is sweet on you. And as he’s the only offer I’ve seen for you lately, it’s best to get on with nurturing this offer.”

 

 

 

Caroline knew her mouth had dropped open. She couldn’t believe her mother was talking about potential marriage like she was talking about the weather. That didn’t sound right.

 

 

 

“This is all about an offer for my hand, is it?” she demanded. “Even after all these years believing he’s a terrible person, you’re actually changing your mind and considering him as a potential husband?”

 

 

 

“I will admit that I was hasty in my decisions about him, which did come from his parents. But we do need to take whatever match we can get. And it’ll be beneficial for our family if you marry the son of a duke. When Lord Cornwall dies, he’ll become the new duke.” Lady Bingham beamed. “And you’ll be a duchess.”

 

 

 

Caroline didn’t bother pointing out that Henry was in danger of being disinherited. If they got married now and he had the title taken away later, they would have nothing. Not quite, as she would be the wife of a naval officer.

 

 

 

That actually sounded better than being a duchess. She could handle being the wife of Lieutenant Beaufort rather than the Duchess of Cornwall.

 

 

 

Why was she even thinking about that? She was still trying to understand why she was in turmoil about Henry. Thinking about marriage was a big leap.

 

 

 

Wasn’t it?