A Rose for Laura by Callie Hutton

22

Dear God, why did he have to look so good? Why did her heart speed up at the mere sight of him? Because you love him.

"Why are you here, Laura?"

That was not how she expected this visit to go. He seemed cold, remote. Not the Keniel Singh she'd grown to know and care for over the past few weeks.

She drew in a deep breath and set aside her pride. "Why have you been ignoring me?" She hated how her voice shook.

"There is no reason for me to play attendance on you. I promised to help you find a suitable home for your orphans. We did that."

Moving closer, she said, "And we did more than that. What has changed?"

He moved around her and poured a cup of coffee. "Nothing has changed. I helped you—twice I might add, including the orphans’ stay at my house—and now it's time to move on. I have a business to run, and you have your life."

Tears rimmed her eyes. "I don't understand."

"What don't you understand, Laura?" he snapped.

She stepped back, shocked by the venom in his voice. One more try. She was not going to leave here without answers. "I have no idea what game you're playing, but what I don't understand is the change in your attitude."

He placed the cup carefully on the table, placed his hands on his hips and looked her in the eye. "All right, if you want answers, here they are. I helped you find a house, gain new sponsors, and you helped me by taking on Driscoll's duties while he was out. We went to a few events, but now it's time for us both to resume our lives as they were before we met."

"Maybe I don't want to resume my life the way it was before we met." She moved closer again and reached out to touch his arm. He stepped back. His demeanor was stiff, unyielding, but his eyes told her he was lying. She saw sorrow in there, along with fear.

"You have no choice. I have my life, you have yours. They are separate, distinct, miles apart." He stepped around her and headed for the door. "I assume you have your father's carriage?"

She shook her head. "No. I hired a hackney."

The muttered curses rang in her ears. He waved at the doorway. "I will see you home."

Now she was angry. This entire thing was a farce. He was lying and too stubborn to admit it. She would nurse her broken heart when she got behind the safety of the closed door of her bedchamber. But now she was angry.

She poked him in chest. "You will not see me home. I saw myself here and I will see myself home." She moved to go around him, but he grabbed her arm, then immediately dropped it, like she was poison to touch. "You will not."

"You have no say over what I do, Mr. Singh."

"In this matter, I do, Miss Benson. I will not have your stubbornness cause you harm."

"I am no concern of yours."

For a minute, it appeared as if he would pull her into his arms and tell her this was all a lie, that he cared for her the way she cared for him. Then he seemed to withdraw again. "As long as you are here in my club, you are my responsibility. And I will not argue the point further."

With those words he took her by the arm and led her out of the dining room, past the office doors, down the stairs and to the back door. "Can I trust you not to leave while I arrange for my carriage to be brought around?"

She nodded. Truth be known, she was reluctant to walk the street to hail a hackney.

"Good."

He was gone only a few minutes. Without words, he took her by the arm again and they left the building. He assisted her into the carriage, gave the driver the directions, and climbed in after her.

Keniel huddled in the corner of the carriage, his thumb and index finger cupping his chin as he stared out the window at the darkness.

Laura reached out and touched his knee. "Keniel?"

"What?" The agony on his face, reflected in the pale light from the passing street gaslights, was heartbreaking.

"Won't you please tell me what's going on? Why the change in you? Why you're no longer the Keniel I've known for weeks?"

His lips tightened and he shook his head. "There is nothing more to say."

Laura slumped in her seat, wiping the tears that she had no control over sliding down her cheeks. She took in a shuddered breath, and from the corner of her eye watched as Keniel's fist tightened where it rested on his leg.

In too short a time the carriage drew up in front of her house. Keniel stared at her for a moment, then climbed from the carriage and turned to help her out. They walked up the steps in silence.

He cupped her chin. "I'm so sorry." With those words, he dashed down the steps, hopped into the carriage and it rolled away.

Along with her heart.

* * *

"Brother,you better get your head out of your arse and take care of what's bothering you."

"Sod off," Keniel said as he blinked bleary-eyed at Dante.

It had been a week since his final meeting with Laura. And despite how wretched he felt, it would remain the final meeting.

Never much of a hard spirit drinker, he'd begun to turn to his bottle of brandy to fall asleep after his stint at the club. He used the brandy to wake himself up, to force himself to dress, to command his body to work at the club.

"When was the last time you had a decent meal?"

This was the second interrogation he'd received from a brother. Driscoll took a few shots at him two days before, and now it appeared it was Dante's turn. Next, he would expect Hunt to come barreling into the club demanding Keniel listen to his opinion on how to run his life.

"I'm eating, and I don't need you mothering me." Keniel pushed away from the wall, stumbling for a minute as dizziness struck him. Bloody hell, when was the last time he'd eaten?

"Get yourself upstairs and take a break. Eat something and drink a lot of coffee. You're not of any use to me down here." Dante strolled away, leaving Keniel wanting to punch something. Preferably his brother.

Every time he thought perhaps he should just go see Laura, to inquire as to how the orphans were doing, he stopped himself. In all honesty, although he cared about the orphans, he really wanted to know how Laura was faring.

Had she resumed her Society life? Was she dancing each night in the arms of someone suitable? Someone who would not tarnish her name, bring her down, and not impregnate her with children who would be shunned and scorned?

Whenever he argued to himself that they could still have a future, he remembered it was her friends who were so concerned about her that they went to the trouble of visiting him. It must have been hard for them to do that since they knew it would hurt Laura.

"Good evening, Keniel."

Keniel groaned and rested his forehead on the table at the sound of Hunt's voice. They weren't spacing their torture even twenty-four hours apart. He stood to leave the room. To go where, he had no idea. Dante was correct, he was doing nobody any good on the floor.

Hunt clapped his hand on Keniel's shoulder. "In a rush, brother?"

"I have work to do," he mumbled.

"Fine. I won't keep you from the superior job Dante tells me you've been doing lately. I just wanted to extend an invitation to you to join Diana and me for dinner tomorrow night."

"I work tomorrow night."

"Take the night off."

"I can't."

"Yes. You can," said Dante as he entered the dining room. "In fact, take the rest of tonight off. Visit Hunt and Diana tomorrow night."

"I don't need all this coddling. Leave me alone!" He swung at Hunt, missed, and fell to his knees. Dante and Hunt each grabbed an arm. Without a word, they ushered him the length of the corridor, down the stairs and into his carriage which was miraculously awaiting him.

They pushed him inside and slammed the door. Hunt yelled to the driver that Keniel was ready. Then he looked at the carriage as it rode by. "See you tomorrow night, Keniel, even if I have to come to your house and drag you out."

"And don't show up here," Dante added.

* * *

Laura rolledover in her bed, telling herself for the hundredth time she must rally. She'd been sulking in her room since she'd last seen Keniel. Papa was concerned enough to ask what was wrong.

Of course she assured him everything was fine, she was quite well, and the only reason she'd been spending so much time in her bedchamber was because she needed to recover from all the events she'd attended in the past month.

Papa responded with bollocks and walked off, mumbling to himself about women and the difficulties of living with them.

"Miss Benson, Lady Huntington has called. Are you receiving visitors?" Sophia tapped lightly on her bedchamber door.

Diana was here? Whatever would she be calling on her for? "I shall be right down, Sophia. Please send for tea."

Laura raced to the mirror. She looked ghastly. She'd lost weight in the past week, her hair was limp, and her skin pale. Good Lord, she looked as though she was recovering from a deathly illness.

No. Only trying to recover from a broken heart.

She did the best she could with a hairbrush and a bit of rouge on her lips. She glanced down at her skirt and shirtwaist. They were at least clean, even if somewhat wrinkled from lying on the bed all morning.

She took a deep breath as she entered the drawing room. The Countess of Huntington rose as Laura passed through the doorway. "Laura. It is so nice to see you." She extended both of her hands.

Laura took Diana's hands, noting they felt very warm.

"My goodness, your hands are cold," Diana said as she led Laura to a settee where they both sat.

Feeling lost as a hostess, since she was still in a tangle over her emotions, she said, "I had my lady's maid send for tea."

"Oh, how lovely." Diana smoothed out her skirt. "It has been some time since I've seen you. I notice you haven't attended any of the usual events recently."

"No. I've been. . .busy."

A footman entered, pushing a teacart with tea and a plate of fruit, cheese, and biscuits. Laura rallied herself to act as hostess and poured tea. They both took a sip.

"Oh, that is wonderful. I just love a good cup of tea." Diana set her cup down and took Laura's hands once more. "I would like to discuss your orphanage."

Good grief, in her despair, she'd almost completely forgotten about the orphans. "How nice. I apologize for not contacting you before now, but I've been …busy."

"Yes. So you said." Diana took a bite of a biscuit. "I'm afraid this is a short visit, since I must leave soon for an appointment. What I thought was, if you are not already planning anything for tomorrow night, you might join me and Hunt for dinner. We can discuss the orphanage then and how Lydia and I can help."

Laura stiffened. "Will your brothers-in-law be there, also?" The thought of facing the entire family when she felt like someone had run her over with a carriage was daunting.

"No." Diana shook her head. "Just us three. You, me, and Hunt."

Laura relaxed. Maybe spending time with those close to Keniel would help her overcome this dark chasm that had overtaken her life.

"I don't have anything planned for tomorrow night, and I would be honored to join you for dinner." It was time she got back to thinking about her life before Mr. Keniel Singh strode through the door of the house she wanted to lease and into her life.

Diana stood. "Excellent. Shall we say seven o'clock? I know that's early for Town, but I'm afraid with me increasing again, I grow terribly drowsy after nine."

"That's fine. I look forward to discussing the orphanage with you." Laura strolled with Diana to the door where they gave each other hugs and her guest left.

She couldn't help but wonder if going to dinner at Hunt's house would be better for her emotional state, or worse.

Laura had decidedthat dinner at Hunt's house would probably be worse for her emotional state rather than better and was set to send Carlson off with a note of apology to Diana with an excuse of a megrim when she glanced at herself in the mirror.

She looked terrible.

"This must end. I had a full, happy life before Keniel came into it and I am ready to take it back again. I shall go to dinner at the Huntington townhouse tonight and have a good time. I will laugh with Diana and speak about my orphans. I shall have a grand time."

It was time to put her sorrow behind her and enjoy life again.

After summoning Sophia and instructing her to prepare her bath and set out her most stunning gown, she sat at her dressing table and looked at her face. After her bath, a bit of powder on the dark circles under her eyes would help. A smidgen of rouge on her lips and maybe even a tiny dusting on her cheeks would certainly improve her looks.

Two hours later, telling herself she felt better than she had in days, she dropped the knocker on the Huntington townhouse door. The butler opened the door and bowed. "Miss Benson. How lovely to see you again. Please allow me to take your cloak. The others are in the drawing room."

After leaving her hat and cloak behind, she followed the man to the drawing room. She stepped in, a smile on her face, when she caught her breath and almost stumbled.

Keniel stood next to Hunt, both of them holding a glass of brandy.

"Laura, I'm so glad you decided to join us." Diana walked quickly to where Laura stood.

Her mouth dried up and she felt as if she would do the most incongruent thing for her and swoon. Instead she took in a deep breath and turned in Diana's direction. "I'm so sorry, but it seems I've developed a megrim. If you will excuse me, I shall return home."

"No!" Keniel placed his glass on the table. "Please stay. I shall leave."

Laura raised her chin. "I disagree, Mr. Singh. I shall go."

"Not so, Miss Benson. I said I will leave," Keniel growled.

Hunt raised his hands. "Stop. Neither one of you will leave." He held his hand out to Diana. "My wife and I will await you in the dining room. Both of you."

Laura and Keniel stared at each other as Hunt and Diana strolled from the room and closed the door.