Awakened By The Lord’s Kiss by Meghan Sloan
Chapter 4
Caroline’s good mood at going to her first ball of the Season had been slowly ebbing away for the last twenty minutes. Things had started off well when she and Sarah had arrived, and people were milling around quite happily. They were very well received, especially Caroline. She did notice that everyone was focusing more on her than Sarah, and it was not equal, but Sarah didn’t seem to mind. She seemed happy enough to step back and let things work out naturally.
But after an hour, after going around the room and taking a drink from a tray, Caroline realised that the gentlemen had pretty much vanished. Apart from the occasional older man, the only men in the ballroom and dining room were the servants. Everyone else had gone. That was confusing. Where could they have gone? Then Caroline had been told that the host wasn’t too keen on big social gatherings and liked to hide away in another room to play cards and that the male guests always gravitated towards him. No women permitted.
Caroline thought that was incredibly rude. She liked a game of cards, and she liked to think she was good at it. But women were not allowed to go into the room, so she had to wait in the ballroom with the other ladies, wondering when they would come out. Even her father had snuck in there. Bingham had promised to escort her and Sarah tonight, and now he had vanished. Lady Bingham wasn’t going to be too impressed when she came back from visiting her sister and her family in Sussex.
Things were getting a little boring. Caroline always thought having gentlemen around livened a party up. They made things more interesting, the conversations more diverse. And the harmless flirtations certainly couldn’t be done with another woman, not without getting strange looks.
From the way the hostess was moving around the room, she didn’t appear to have noticed that her husband and half the guests had gone. She was beaming and chatting away with everyone like nothing was happening.
It was strange. Caroline didn’t think she could cope like that when she got married. If she got married. Her future husband would not be leaving her to host on her own, not like this.
Not your relationship, not your business. Leave it be.
“Oh, dear.” Sarah sighed. “This doesn’t appear to be going very well.”
Caroline snorted.
“That’s a bit of an understatement, Sarah. I want to dance, and I can’t really dance with another woman.”
Sarah giggled.
“You could, but that would cause a bit of a stir.”
The image of the two of them dancing to a tune designed for a man and a woman had Caroline giggling herself. She was so bored that she was tempted to actually do it. She had danced with Sarah when they were visiting before, just not out in public. And Sarah was a good dancer.
She really needed to stop thinking about doing something that would have everyone talking.
“You could just go into the room and ask someone if they want to dance,” Sarah suggested, but Caroline shook her head.
“I’m not that forward. And they have a footman on the door, so the ladies can’t go in.”
“Pity.” Sarah slipped her arm through her friend’s. “Come on, let’s go into the dining room and get something to eat. At least we can take the weight off our feet. My knees are beginning to hurt.”
That sounded like a good idea. Caroline hadn’t eaten much earlier, thinking she would eat at the ball. Now her stomach was growling, and she was worried people close by could hear it. They crossed the ballroom and into the dining room. There was a long line of tables at the far end of the room, laden down with a multitude of food. Caroline had seen it when she first came in and had been impressed. Despite the host’s behaviour, he and his wife knew how to keep their guests fed.
Picking up a plate, Caroline selected her food and then carried it across to a nearby table. Sarah joined her, settling down next to her with her own plate. Caroline tried not to laugh at the amount her friend had picked out.
“Are you sure you’ll be able to eat all that?”
“Of course.” Sarah winked. “You know I can eat anything.”
“But that much at a social gathering? Don’t you think that looks a little ... well …”
“No, I don’t. There’s nobody in here, anyway, and I doubt the servants are going to say anything.” Sarah picked up a fork. “Needless to say, I might need to eat quickly before anyone does come in here.”
Caroline chuckled. Sarah did love her food. It was a wonder she had managed to keep her shape. Normally, in social situations, her friend was a bit more conservative. The fact that she had this much food had to mean she was trying to get rid of her own boredom.
They ate in silence. While they did, ladies came in and out of the dining hall, picking up their food and drifting around before leaving again. There were a few nods of greeting in Caroline and Sarah’s direction, but nobody came to talk to them. Caroline was glad they didn’t; she struggled with eating and talking at the same time. She felt like she constantly had to check that she didn’t have food stuck between her teeth.
“I must say,” Sarah said as she bit into a strawberry with a moan, “these are simply delicious.”
“I agree.” Caroline finished off her strawberry, dipping it into the cream she had put on the edge of her plate. “I love that we can still have strawberries at this time of year. I didn’t think they were in season yet.”
“According to Lady Ashburn, they are. Just. She has her own strawberry patch somewhere in the grounds.”
“How do you know?”
“She told me. Apparently, the strawberries start getting ripe about now, providing you tend to them correctly.”
It was the way she said it that had Caroline frowning at her.
“You’re not planning on sneaking out and getting a few strawberries, are you?”
Sarah bit her lip.
“Well …”
“Sarah! We’re young ladies. We’re not poverty-stricken people or vagabonds.”
“We may be young ladies, but we are allowed to act out now and then.”
“Within reason.”
Sarah winked.
“And providing we don’t get caught.”
Caroline groaned. There were brief moments like this when she wondered why she and Sarah were friends. They liked to have fun and be a little wild occasionally, but stealing strawberries? Surely, they would get found out pretty quickly. Even in the dark, her red hair wasn’t easy to hide.
“Look, maybe this evening won’t be a complete failure,” Sarah said as she picked up her glass of water and took a sip. “The gentlemen will come out from hiding soon, and we’ll be able to do some dancing. And you can see if any young men want to go beyond flirting. I mean courtship,” she added hurriedly, “I don’t mean …”
“I know what you meant.” Caroline sighed. “But I have a feeling that’s going to be a tough thing to deal with.”
“How so?”
“Sarah, gentlemen our age don’t want to settle down and get married. Not by choice. They want to have some fun and enjoy themselves. It’s like they want to remain little boys.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised.” Sarah shrugged. “But, you know very well that women are far more mature than men. It’s our job to keep them in line, even if they refuse to admit it.”
Normally, a comment like that would have Caroline giggling, but it just had her frowning.
“I don’t want to keep my husband in line. I want someone who is equal to me, who loves me and looks after me as much as I look after him.” Caroline rubbed her scar. Why did they always itch when she didn’t want them to? “I want a husband who loves me for who I am and doesn’t care that I’m scarred to high heaven.”
Sarah snorted.
“You’re not scarred to high heaven. There are only two, and both of them are barely noticeable.”
“It’s very kind of you to lie, Sarah, but they are noticeable.”
“Caroline, if you bring attention to it, people are going to stare. But you don’t need to be so concerned about them. The gentleman who chooses you as a wife isn’t going to care.”
If they knew how much money was in Caroline’s dowry, they really wouldn’t care. But Caroline wanted a husband who loved her for her, not because of the money that came with her. That was not fair. Unfortunately, there were occasions when she had no idea if someone was in her company because they wanted to be around her or because of the dowry.
So much for wanting a husband who loved her for just being her.
The hairs on the back of Caroline’s neck started to prickle, which had her sitting up. Something had changed, but she couldn’t be sure what. Then she saw the young man in a red jacket step into the dining room. Tall, raven-haired with a full, trimmed beard, he stood tall with a poise that spoke of arrogant confidence.
Her heart began to race, and Caroline began to panic. Oh, no. She had hoped to keep away from this man. She had been hoping she could avoid him all evening, but here he was, standing there like he owned the place.
Panic faded, and the rage began to build. He really thought he could walk in here as if nothing had happened? Like he hadn’t physically harmed her? That made her feel sick.
“Caroline?” Sarah touched her hand. “Caroline, what is it?”
“It’s him.” Caroline swallowed. Her mouth had gone dry. “It’s Henry Beaufort. He’s here.”
“Where?”
“Can’t you see him? The one in the red coat.”
Sarah looked with a frown. She shook her head.
“That’s not Henry. That’s his brother.”
“What?” Caroline started. “His brother?”
“James Beaufort went into the army. That’s what you told me. Army officers wear red coats. Blue is for the navy.”
It took a moment for the words to sink in. Caroline realised that she was right. James Beaufort had been enlisted by his father two years ago, and he had been in France ever since. Caroline was aware that he had been back on leave quite a few times, but their paths hadn’t crossed. She wasn’t sure if she could when she knew she would remember his brother whenever she looked at James.
Then James caught sight of her, and he stared at her for a moment. She watched as a broad smile spread across his face, and he began to walk across the room to her.
Oh, God. What did she do now? Caroline looked around, hoping there was a way she could get out of this. But there wasn’t.
“Lady Caroline?” James stopped at the table, still staring at her. “Is that you?”
“Lord Beaufort.” Wincing as Sarah kicked her under the table, Caroline got to her feet, just remembering to drop a curtsy. “Or do you prefer your army title?”
“It’s Corporal Beaufort, so I think we’ll stick to Lord.” James grinned. “It sounds a bit more regal, don’t you think?”
He hadn’t bowed to her, Caroline noticed. It looked like the army hadn’t improved his manners. She arched an eyebrow at him, and it took a moment for James to realise he had forgotten something. He cleared his throat and bowed.
“Forgive me; I completely forgot. I was just so stunned by your beauty.”
“That’s one way to get yourself out of a faux pas, My Lord.” Caroline turned to Sarah, who was also on her feet. “This is my friend, Lady Lakeford.”
“Delighted.” James gave Sarah a bow but was immediately focused on Caroline, his eyes glinting. “You’re looking lovely tonight, Lady Caroline. You’ve really blossomed.”
Caroline blinked. She hadn’t seen him in years, except in passing before he enlisted, so this came out of the blue. She licked her lips.
“I ... I don’t know what to say to that.”
“Well, how about you don’t say anything except yes to a dance with me.” James’ smile widened. “I think Lady Ashburn has the orchestra set up to start in a moment. She’s managing to corral several gentlemen out of the game room.”
“Dance with you?” Caroline squeaked.
“I will admit that I haven’t danced in a while, but I like to think that I can be a good partner.”
Sarah nudged her.
“Go on. You’ve been wanting to dance for a while.”
Caroline had, but with James Beaufort? She wasn’t sure about that. On the other hand, he wasn’t his brother. He was actually the nice brother. It wouldn’t hurt to dance with him. She smiled and came around the table to take James’ arm.
“All right. That sounds like a good idea.”
#
Henry smiled when he saw the cards in his hand. He had this won easily. He laid them out on the table. Lord Bingham sighed and put his cards down. They were nowhere near a winning hand.
“You got me again, Bannock. I’m impressed with your card-playing skills.” His eyes twinkled as he counted out the coins beside him. “Do you actually do any work during the day on your ship?”
“Why do you say that, Lord Bingham?”
“Because what you’ve shown could only come from hours of practise.”
Henry chuckled and picked up his whisky glass. He had been playing cards since he arrived, and Bingham was the only one who appreciated what he was doing. Everyone else grumbled and said he was cheating, and they chose not to play against him.
“One of the men on my ship is a card shark. Did it for a bit of money before he was caught and put on a boat to avoid going to prison.” Henry sipped his drink. “He taught me a few things.”
“I might want to meet him.” Bingham finished counting and pushed the coins across the table. “It would save me from losing so much money if I know how to play properly. Do you play chess as well?”
“I used to when I was a child. But we don’t have a chessboard on the ship.”
Bingham cast him a smile, his eyes twinkling.
“Maybe you should come over to the house at some point. My wife doesn’t play, and Caroline is becoming too predictable. I miss having a game against someone who keeps me on my toes.”
To play chess again. Henry had enjoyed playing with his father when he was younger. It was pretty much the only time he and the Duke of Cornwall could actually spend time together and feel like they were father and son. Cornwall had tried to get Henry to play with James, but James didn’t have the patience, and he ended up throwing a tantrum, which just resulted in Henry being scolded for not going easy on his brother.
He hadn’t realised until he was put on the ship that his brother didn’t just ruin his fun.
“Are you sure about having me in your house, Lord Bingham? Your wife and your daughter …”
“What about them?”
“They don’t have a very high opinion of me.” Henry shifted in his seat. “I’m surprised you even want to be in my presence after ... well, you know …”
Bingham smiled, the smile reaching his eyes.
“I make my opinions on people through my own experiences, not by what people say. You’ve been a respectable gentleman with me, so I’m going to trust my judgement about you.”
For a moment, Henry wasn’t sure what to say. The only people who had accepted him for who he was and knew the real side of him were the sailors he worked with. They saw the person Henry actually was, and they didn’t care about a reputation that wasn’t of his own making. That was another reason why he had refrained from taking leave for longer than a day; people still remembered his ‘reputation’, and Henry knew he couldn’t change anyone’s opinion.
It was just not fair. All he had done was protect his brother, and James had taken advantage of it.
“Why don’t you go and meet some people, Bannock?” Bingham gestured towards the door. “You can’t stay in here forever, you know. And your brother wandered off some time ago.”
Go out into the rest of the house, where everyone would be looking at him. Henry’s chest tightened at the thought, and he shifted in his seat.
“I’d rather stay here, Lord Bingham. My brother’s a grown man. He doesn’t need someone watching over him.”
“It won’t hurt to stretch your legs for five minutes.” Bingham shrugged, picking up his glass. “Off you go, young man. I’ll be here when you get back.”
He wasn’t going to get out of this, and none of the other gentlemen wanted to be his opponent. They were already giving him snide looks, watching him in silence. They must think he had been cheating. Henry had never cheated in his life, but there was no changing someone’s mind once it was made up.
Putting the coins he had won into his purse, Henry shoved it into his pocket and got up. Just once around the ballroom, maybe outside for a moment, and then back into the gaming room. If they allowed him back in.
Henry wished he had been more forceful about staying home. He had said he didn’t need to be James’ chaperone, but his mother had insisted. That he needed to be a normal, civilised person, and going out to meet people would be perfect for that. Henry didn’t think that would be the case. He knew how to be around people and interact with them. There was no miracle to it; being in the company of lords and ladies didn’t make someone a better person. Henry was quite happy to spend his leave doing what he wanted, but his parents wouldn’t hear of it.
So much for being a grown man and being left to his own devices. Once he was back under their roof, Henry was back to being a boy. Ignore the fact that he only needed one more journey at sea, and he would be able to buy his own ship and have his own crew at the mere age of twenty. Ignore the fact he had two combat medals. He was the troubled heir to a dukedom who was a bully and a thug.
And someone capable of shooting at a human being.
Henry wished he had set things straight years ago. He would never have done that to an innocent person, and certainly not to someone like Caroline Folton. She had never done anything wrong, and yet James had thought it would be amusing. Henry had tried to stop him, and it was only because he grabbed the pistol when James fired that Caroline hadn’t actually been hit.
But she was very set in her opinion. She believed it was him, and Henry knew changing her mind would be next to impossible. From what he had heard of her, Caroline Folton was incredibly stubborn. That would be a very admirable trait if it weren’t for the fact that her view of Henry was mixed up in it.
Not looking anyone in the eye, Henry bypassed the ballroom and entered the dining room. If he went into the ballroom, he would be expected to ask one of the many ladies for a dance. He didn’t like dancing, and he had a feeling nobody would want to dance with him with his reputation. The cool looks he had received when arriving hadn’t helped much.
Just a little longer, and then he would leave. Then he could say that he actually went out and socialised. Even if it was just with one person, someone who treated him like a man rather than a monster in the making.
There was a dark-haired young woman close to his age sitting at a table in the dining room, finishing off what was left on her plate. She wasn’t someone who could stand out in a crowd, but she was certainly very striking.
And very familiar. Henry couldn’t believe what he was seeing. She was here as well?
“Sarah?”
Sarah Marcus looked up and did a double-take. Then she was beaming as she got to her feet, wiping her hands on her napkin.
“Henry! Oh, goodness!” She grasped his hands and accepted his kiss to her cheek. “I didn’t realise you were in London.”
“I’ve been put on strict leave. I’m to keep away from my ship for two months to give myself a proper rest.” Henry looked her up and down. “How long has it been? Eighteen months?”
“Close enough. You’re looking well.” Sarah gave him an appreciative look. “Although I am surprised to see you here. I thought you said you would never come to any of these, even if you got the dukedom.”
Henry sighed.
“I was contemplating staying at home, but Mother and Father insisted that I came out to socialise with people who aren’t sailors. Get myself more civilised, in their words.”
Sarah snorted.
“They have no idea what they’re talking about. Sailors are the most civilised people I know.”
Henry smiled. Sarah would say that. A lot of her family was closely involved in the navy. Her father was an admiral, her uncle a vice-admiral, and two of her brothers were in the navy as well. Her younger brother, Michael, worked on Henry’s ship. He had been there since the age of eight as a powder monkey, and now he was a midshipman working towards his exams. Henry had taken him under his wing and looked after him. Made sure he didn’t get into trouble. His father had been very pleased with Henry keeping Michael on the right path and had recommended him for promotion already.
None of them saw Henry as someone who would physically attack someone because he thought it was amusing.
“There are some days when I wish I were a man.” Sarah sighed. “I would rather be out on the sea than going around looking for a husband who would accept me for who I am.”
“I’m sure you’ll find someone soon.”
“I don’t know about that. If I didn’t go out with Caroline, I would be holed up in the library with a good book.” Sarah made a face. “You know I don’t like crowds.”
“Caroline?”
“Caroline Folton, Lord Bingham’s daughter. Your neighbours in Buckinghamshire?”
Caroline. Henry felt like the air had been sucked out of him. He already knew she was here, but just hearing her name left Henry feeling breathless. His heart wasn’t sure whether to stop or race so fast it made him light-headed. His mouth was dry just thinking about her.
How was it possible that a girl he had only spoken to twice in nine years could have such an effect on him?
“Henry?” Sarah tugged his hand. “Henry, are you still with me? You looked a little pale there.”
“What? Oh.” Henry cleared his throat. He needed to focus. “I haven’t seen Lady Caroline in four years. Not since the day before I was made to go to sea.”
“I see.” Sarah tilted her head to one side. “You mean the day …”
“I do.”
Sarah knew the truth. She had been curious as to why a duke’s son and heir was out at sea instead of being at home learning how to run the dukedom. Henry had been candid with her, and he told her the truth. And she had listened. For the first time, someone listened. That hadn’t happened before. When Sarah said she believed him, Henry had felt the air rush out of him. A huge weight off his shoulders.
Why wouldn’t anyone else believe him like Sarah Marcus?
“Do people still think you’re a bad person?” Sarah asked. “Even after all this time?”
“Even after that.” Henry pulled his hands away with a sigh. People were beginning to stare at them holding hands. “Doesn’t matter how many medals I got while I was at sea or how many battles I fought in. I’ll always be the one who causes trouble. Even the servants are hostile towards me. They believe the lies.”
“I don’t.”
“And that I’m surprised about.”
Sarah huffed.
“Come on; even a clever person would realise why a duke’s heir was where you were. I believed you were a good person because you kept Michael out of trouble. Everyone sang your praises on the ship, and Father can’t commend you high enough. If you can do that for a boy you don’t know, you would certainly do it for your brother.”
Henry wished he had known Sarah growing up. It would have been nice to have someone on his side.
“It’s a shame everyone isn’t like you. I need more of you around.”
“Now that’s a scary thought.” Sarah frowned. “Caroline believes you’re a bad person, does she?”
“I’m afraid so.”
“I could always talk to her.”
Henry shook his head.
“No, Sarah.”
“Why not? You’re a friend, and I don’t like seeing you get treated so unfairly …”
“Please, Sarah. Don’t. If you know Caroline Folton, you’ll know that you won’t be able to change her mind. Unless I can prove that I didn’t do it, which I can’t, I won’t be able to prove that I’m innocent.”
“So, we should leave it.” Sarah folded her arms. “Even if it means you’re unfairly judged?”
“Even then.”
Sarah didn’t look happy with that judgement. She pursed her lips.
“All right. I won’t say anything if you don’t want me to. But don’t expect me to be quiet if you’re spoken about in a manner that I don’t care for.”
Henry had to fight back a smile. Sarah was so much like her brother in terms of loyalty; it was remarkable. It really was a shame that she hadn’t been around in Henry’s younger years; things might have been easier if she had.
And then he wouldn’t be alone against his brother.