Historical Romance – The Best Of The Year

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A week passed so swiftly that the day of Jenny’s dance was upon them before they knew it. That morning the house was a hive of activity; the servants had been dusting and polishing for days, removing furniture from the long gallery so that it would be clear for dancing. Flowers from the hothouses had been brought in and arranged in beautiful vases and their scent pervaded the house.

Madeline asked if she could help and was given the task of checking the rooms that would be used for entertaining the guests to see if anything had been left undone. Of course nothing had, for Lord Ravenscar’s servants had been with him for years and were accustomed to making ready for any occasion. However, by giving Madeline a task Jenny had made her feel she was useful and that was a kindness, for to be always a guest was not what she had been used to.

On the evening of the dance, Madeline dressed in a gown of pale-lilac crape with an overskirt of silver tissue. The neckline was modest and the sleeves short and puffed, as was the prevailing fashion, the high waist emphasised with a sash of silver embroidered with glass beads.

She decided against wearing any of the more expensive jewels from her husband’s box, preferring the delicate diamond pendant that had been a present from her father and a pair of long delicate earrings with diamond drops.

Satisfied that her appearance was modest and subdued enough for a lady recently widowed, she went downstairs to discover that the family was just gathering in the large drawing room. Jenny was looking a picture in a gown of green silk that could only have been fashioned in Paris. When Madeline complimented her, she confessed that it had been bought on her honeymoon and blushed prettily.

‘You are very content in your marriage, are you not?’ Madeline asked for she could not fail to see the shining happiness in Jenny’s eyes.

‘So happy I cannot tell you,’ Jenny agreed. ‘I knew I was in love long before Adam asked me to marry him and I knew he was the man I wished to marry—but I had no idea how wonderful it would be.’

Madeline would have liked to question her further on the intimate side of her marriage, but the guests had started to arrive. It was a delicate subject and one she was shy to raise, but seeing how happy Jenny was had made her wonder. Having experienced only her husband’s brutality in the bedchamber, she had come to believe that all men must be the same. Yet Hal was so gentle and kind to her—and she’d seen the way Jenny looked at Adam, such trust and love in her eyes that she could not believe her friend had ever been subjected to anything remotely unpleasant.

Was it possible that she too could find, if not pleasure, at least acceptance of a man’s touch?

Madeline would not have thought it possible a few days previously, but a subtle change had been happening of late. Hal had never once tried to take her in his arms or kiss her, but the touch of his hand as he helped her to mount, a light finger on her cheek and a gentle kiss on her hand aroused only feelings of comfort and even pleasure.

Her thoughts were suspended as the guests began to move into the series of rooms, which had been opened up to make one long, flowing chamber. The footmen were circulating with trays of crystal glasses filled with the finest champagne. Madeline looked round at all the excited faces and smiled. Many of the guests were young ladies, perhaps attending their first ball, and their eager looks reminded her of herself as a young girl. She must have looked just so when attending her come-out ball, before her father lost everything at the tables.

‘Will you dance with me, Maddie?’

She turned at the sound of Hal’s voice, her heart suddenly pumping hard, as she knew an urgent desire to feel his hand at her waist and be swept around the floor.

‘I wish that I might,’ she said and smiled up at him. How handsome he was and how much she wished she were one of those young girls meeting a man she admired for the first time. ‘You know I cannot, Hal. It would not be right.’

‘No, I suppose not,’ he said and looked regretful. ‘You will not feel neglected if I dance? I must take my share of the responsibility for entertaining our guests.’

‘Of course you must,’ she agreed. ‘Do not be concerned for me, Hal. I shall be happy to watch.’

‘I wish that I might sit at your side and do the same,’ he said, touching her gloved hand. ‘But I must do my duty as one of the hosts.’

‘Go and enjoy yourself,’ she said and gave a slight shake of her head.

He remained with her a few minutes longer, remarking on various guests. Madeline did not know all of them and he pointed out various neighbours and long-standing friends, before leaving her to seek out one of the ladies still sitting on the sidelines.

Madeline found herself a chair by the window, where she could watch the other guests mingling. She could hear the music and see the dancers as they whirled by, but was a little out of the crowd. After a few minutes alone, Lord Ravenscar joined her.

‘How pleasant to have someone to talk to who does not dance,’ he remarked. ‘I fear my health will not sustain it, but I like to see the young people enjoying themselves.’

‘Yes, indeed, especially the very young girls,’ Madeline replied. ‘There is a very pretty girl over there—the one with red hair. She looks so happy and excited.’

‘You must mean Patience Harris,’ Lord Ravenscar said. ‘Her mother was an exceedingly handsome lady, but she died eighteen months ago. Patience could not attend dances last year and I dare say this may be her first affair of this sort.’

‘I thought it might be,’ Madeline said. ‘I dare say some might think it improper of me to attend this evening, but I do not intend to dance.’

‘No, I fear you cannot,’ he said and looked at her. ‘Hal has told me something of your story, Madeline. You must be assured of a welcome here for as long as you wish and if there is anything I can do to make your life easier...’

Madeline was thanking him for his kindness when her eye was drawn to a party of newcomers. They were a little late and Jenny had left her position at the head of the stairs to join the party, but she went immediately to greet the family. As the last of them entered the room, Madeline’s breath caught.

What was Lord Rochdale doing here? Jenny would scarcely have invited him knowing that he was suspected of having tried to abduct her.

A feeling of panic swept through her as she saw his eyes move about the room until they rested on her. Had Lord Ravenscar not been sitting with her she thought she would have left the room at once. However, to do so would occasion surprise—and, after some reflection, she realised that it would appear to the marquis that she was afraid of meeting him. She must accept that they would meet socially sometimes and, until she was certain that it was he who had had tried to abduct her, she must greet him with cool politeness.

He had seen her. She knew it from the narrowing of his eyes, but, thankfully, he did not come to her immediately and she was able to control her feelings of panic. He could do nothing to harm her here.

‘I suppose I must circulate a little,’ Lord Ravenscar murmured. ‘I shall return as soon as I have done my duty.’

She smiled and inclined her head as he stood and walked away to greet and welcome other guests. Undecided as to whether she would be well advised to do the same, Maddie was relieved when two matrons sat down on chairs next to her.

‘Well, isn’t this pleasant?’ one of the ladies remarked. ‘I was surprised when we received the invitation for it is hardly seven months since Mark was...killed, but I suppose the young people wish to entertain.’

‘Jenny consulted with Lord Ravenscar and he said it would do everyone good to put the sadness of his son’s death behind them.’

‘Ah, yes, a bride must be allowed her amusements, must she not?’ the matron said and looked at Maddie speculatively. ‘I believe you have been recently widowed, Lady Lethbridge?’

‘Yes, that is true,’ Madeline replied. ‘I am a guest here and felt I must attend, though of course I do not dance this evening.’

‘No, that would certainly be frowned on. I dare say London manners are a little different to ours here in the country—and your husband was some years your senior, I understand.’

Madeline murmured something appropriate. She was being tested and perhaps censured for attending the dance, but she kept a cool smile in place and refused to be drawn on the difference between town manners and those that applied in the country. This woman could have no idea of Madeline’s circumstances, or of the pain and humiliation that she’d suffered at her husband’s hands. Nor did she intend to enlighten her.

After a while the woman got up and moved away. Another lady came to take her seat and smiled at Madeline.

‘I believe I am slightly acquainted with your mama,’ she said in a friendly way. ‘We knew each other as girls. I have only sons, but I’ve brought my niece Patience this evening. The poor child has been in mourning for too long and I wanted her to enjoy herself.’

‘She is the very pretty girl with red hair, I think,’ Madeline said. ‘Lord Ravenscar pointed her out to me earlier.’

‘Yes, she is a pretty girl,’ the lady said. ‘I am Lady Eliza Smythe—and I know you are recently widowed. I am glad that you have some good friends. It can be such a lonely time and friends always pick one’s spirits up. I am a widow myself, you see. My husband died two years this past Christmas and I still miss him.’

‘Yes, for I dare say you were happy?’

‘Yes, very.’ The lady placed a sympathetic hand on hers. ‘I was fortunate. I do not ask your confidence, Lady Lethbridge, but I believe...forgive me. The count was not...but perhaps I speak too frankly. I happen to know he was not the kindest of men.’

Madeline swallowed hard. Lady Eliza meant to be kind and she could not rebuff her. ‘No, he was not, which is why...I am not grieving.’

‘I thought not. You will recover all the sooner, my dear.’

Madeline’s eyes had strayed to the dancers and what she saw made her cry out. Lady Eliza asked her what was wrong and she nodded in the direction of the dancers.

‘Forgive me, ma’am. Your niece is dancing with a gentleman I think she ought not...the Marquis of Rochdale. It is not my affair, but he may not be all he seems and perhaps not suitable company for such a young lady.’

‘No, indeed he is not. I know of his reputation. Thank you for bringing it to my attention. She will be warned not to dance with him a second time.’

‘He was not invited tonight, but came with friends, I imagine.’

‘He does have relatives in the area,’ Lady Eliza said and stood up. ‘Thank you for the warning. I must make sure Patience removes from his company as soon as possible without giving offence.’

Madeline inclined her head as the lady set out with new purpose. A little shiver went through her as she thought of that pretty child at the mercy of an unscrupulous man like the marquis. Thank goodness her aunt had the good sense to know the man for what he was and not be blinded by his wealth or title.

She knew that she was not the only young girl to be forced into an unhappy marriage, though perhaps her father had had more excuse than many parents for obliging his daughter to marry a man she could never love.

Madeline was alone with her thoughts for a few minutes and then Hal came to sit beside her. He looked at her, a frown creasing his brow.

‘Adam begs your forgiveness for inflicting Rochdale’s presence on you, Maddie. He had no idea the Harrington-Browns would bring him here this evening. Mr Harrington-Brown is a friend of Lord Ravenscar and it was impossible to repulse him—but you are safe enough here.’

‘Yes, I know.’ She smiled at him. ‘I understand completely, Hal. Besides, Lord Rochdale is accepted everywhere despite whispers about his private behaviour. If I am ever to go into company again, I must accept that we may meet—and there is no proof that he...’

‘None. If we had even the smallest proof, Adam would have turned him out immediately even if it offended his relatives.’

‘Do you think he knew I was here?’

‘We cannot be sure,’ Hal said. ‘He knows now, however, and we must be extra vigilant.’

‘Yes.’ She bit her bottom lip, for the marquis’s arrival had cast a shadow over the evening. ‘I wish he had not come—but there is nothing we can do.’

‘He will not harm you. I shall make certain he cannot come near you.’

‘I would retire to my room, but that is the coward’s way,’ Maddie said. ‘No, I shall not let him drive me away. I will enjoy the evening despite him.’

‘We shall be going down to supper soon,’ Hal said and reached across the divide between them to take her hand. ‘You will let me take you down?’

‘Yes, of course, thank you.’ Maddie smiled. ‘Should you not be doing your duty and dancing with the guests?’

‘I have danced with three very silly young girls and with two married ladies. I think I have done my duty this evening and shall now devote myself to you, Madeline.’

‘You may take me for a little turn on the terrace before supper if you will,’ she said. ‘It is very warm and I should like a breath of air.’

‘Yes, of course,’ he said and offered her his hand. ‘You have only to say. I wish always to please you.’

Madeline took his arm. They walked through the crowded rooms to the French windows. Hal opened one of the long glass doors and they stepped outside. The night air was cool, but not cold, and there were strings of lights on the veranda and in bushes and trees at the edge of the lawns.

‘This is much better,’ Madeline said. ‘I must confess that it has not been easy this evening, for I am an object of curiosity and the ladies are discussing my situation. Some pity me and others condemn me for not observing strict mourning.’

‘You must not mind them, dearest,’ Hal said and reached for her hand. He carried it to his lips and kissed it briefly. ‘You have done nothing wrong. It is acceptable for a widow to attend an evening of this nature providing she takes no part in the dancing.’

‘I must show some respect or lose my reputation—but I have wanted to dance with you, Hal.’

‘Not as much as I would wish to have you dance with me,’ he murmured and laughed softly. ‘I should like to take you in my arms and hold you close as we waltzed.’

‘One day,’ she said and smiled up at him. For a moment she thought he would reach for her...would kiss her...but with a sound that might have been a moan of passion or a groan of self-denial, he stepped away from her. ‘I have been thinking, Hal. When my affairs are settled I think I should like to go abroad for a few months. In France or Italy I should not be obliged to pretend to be in mourning for a man I disliked intensely.’

‘Yes, that might be best,’ he agreed. ‘We could even make it our honeymoon. When we returned the whole affair would have blown over.’

‘But you have things to do here,’ Madeline said. ‘Your estate, your commission to be resigned...’

‘Once I set the estate renovations in hand I shall be entirely at your disposal. As for my commission, it was my intention to journey to London and visit headquarters so the thing may be done in the proper manner, but I shall wait until we are certain Rochdale has left the district.’

‘Oh, Hal, you make me feel so much better...so protected and cared for,’ she said and reached out to touch his hand. Just at that moment they heard the strains of the supper waltz and impulsively she took his hand. ‘Dance with me here,’ she whispered. ‘No one will see us.’

‘Maddie, my love.’

Hal placed a hand at her waist and took her right hand, drawing her close. They swayed to the music, dancing in the shadows of the night, lost in the sweetness of the moment, their unspoken feelings in tune as the world and its censure was forgot. Madeline felt herself swept away by a kind of magic as the years melted away and she was once again a young girl, dancing with a young man she had fallen in love with at her very first ball. All of the hurt and pain of the last few years had somehow melted away and she wanted to be held in his arms for the rest of her life.

After the music died away, Hal stood with his arms about her still and she looked up into his face, her heart beating frantically. He lowered his head, kissing her so softly that it was like the touch of a flower petal, as soft as gossamer and so brief that she hardly knew it had happened. Almost at once he released her.

‘Forgive me, I forgot myself,’ he said. ‘It was the magic of the music...’

‘No, no, do not beg my pardon,’ she whispered. ‘I liked it...you know that I—’

The sound of a slow clapping of hands interrupted her and they both turned to see that they had been observed. A man stood in the shadows of the garden, but as they stood as if turned to stone, he walked towards them. Madeline drew her breath sharply as she saw him clearly in the light of the lanterns.

‘How touching,’ Lord Rochdale said, a malicious leer on his face. ‘The grieving widow and her lover...and Lethbridge hardly dead a month.’

‘Madeline does not need to answer to you or anyone,’ Hal said coldly. ‘It is none of your business, but since you take an interest, we are to be married as soon as it is possible.’

‘Romance lives,’ the marquis sneered. ‘I had no love for Lethbridge. He was a cheat and worse. But perhaps he was right to believe that his wife had a lover.’

‘No! That is a lie!’ Madeline cried.

‘Spread such lies and you will answer to me,’ Hal said furiously. ‘Come near her again, Rochdale, and I’ll kill you.’

‘As you did her husband?’

‘It was not I that killed him—but an assassin.’

‘Paid by someone, presumably. And who had the most reason to see him dead?’

‘You are mistaken, sir. I might have killed the count in a duel, but I am no murderer.’

‘Have I said you were?’

‘If I were you, I should leave a house where you are not welcome. And my warning stands. Come near Madeline again and I shall kill you.’

‘You are welcome to the lady. I have other interests,’ Rochdale said. ‘However, I demand payment of the debt your husband owed me, madam—twenty-five thousand pounds. I shall give you one month to pay or I foreclose on the estate and shall tell what I saw this evening. If you wish to keep your secret, make arrangements to pay me.’ He inclined his head. ‘May I be the first to felicitate you on your engagement.’

They watched as he walked past and into the ballroom, which was now empty because everyone had gone down to supper.

‘Hal...’ Madeline said, her hand trembling as she placed it on his arm. ‘Do you think he is telling the truth? Did Lethbridge truly owe him so much? I do not know, but I think his whole estate can be worth no more than fifty thousand pounds at the most, and if there are other debts... It may be impossible to pay such a sum.’

‘I was told that Lethbridge had lost a large amount at the tables to Rochdale,’ Hal said looking grave. ‘A gambling debt is normally a debt of honour, but you can only pay what the estate will fetch.’

‘And what if he demands more—and supposing I am not the heir?’ She looked up at him anxiously. ‘He may try to ruin us, Hal. I can bear it for myself, but I do not wish to bring shame on you or your friends.’

‘You must send for your husband’s lawyers,’ Hal said. ‘Rochdale must be obliged to show the notes Lethbridge gave him...and then you can pay what is available. You cannot do more. No court in the land would expect it.’

Madeline gripped his hand. The marquis had destroyed the magic of their dance and that sweet kiss, making her remember the last dark days of her marriage.

‘I do not care for the estate. My settlement should be safe and that is all I need. If the estate is mine, I will arrange for him to be paid—but if there is another claimant...’

‘Then it will be his decision whether or not to pay.’

‘If he is not paid, he will make everyone believe that we were lovers. He might spread a rumour that it was you that had my husband murdered.’

‘He could never prove it, for it is a lie,’ Hal said grimly. ‘I have witnesses that I did not even fire when it was my right to do so had I chosen. You must not let Rochdale distress you, Madeline. He cannot harm us if we stand firm.’

‘He can and will ruin both our reputations,’ she said. ‘He is welcome to what he is owed but...’ Tears trembled on her lashes. ‘I am a curse on those who love me. Forgive me, Hal. I have brought so much trouble on you.’

‘Do you think I fear his threats?’ Hal said. ‘I meant what I said to him, Maddie—if he comes near you again I shall kill him. As for the money, I have no personal desire or wish for you to inherit it, but it would have made you independent.’

‘I do not need a fortune to be happy,’ she said. ‘Truly, all I want is to be your wife, Hal.’

‘I had thought we might make our home at my estate in Cambridgeshire,’ he said, ‘and perhaps we shall one day. But...’ He paused and shook his head. ‘It might be best if we went abroad soon, Maddie. If there is a scandal, we can live quietly somewhere we are not known until talk has died down.’

‘Oh, why did he have to see us?’

‘It does not matter. Let him do his worst,’ Hal said and took her hands, holding them firmly. ‘We shall be married quietly here and then go away. Our friends will not believe his lies—and the others do not matter.’

‘I must contact the lawyers as soon as possible,’ Madeline said. ‘I do not wish to tear you away from your family and friends if a scandal can be averted. Perhaps enough money may be raised.’

‘I shall go to London in the morning,’ Hal said. ‘You must promise me not to go anywhere alone and to be very careful while I am away.’

‘Yes, I shall remain in the gardens near the house or the house itself,’ Madeline promised. ‘You must go to London and see your business done, Hal—and ask my husband’s lawyers what my situation is regarding Lethbridge’s debts.’

Hal smiled at her. ‘Have courage, my love. Even if he does his worst, words cannot truly harm us. If need be, I shall sell all my property in England and we shall make a new life abroad.’

‘Yes.’ Madeline smothered the sob rising in her throat.

How could she let Hal sacrifice everything for her?

Chapter Ten

Somehow Madeline managed to control the tumult of her feelings as she allowed Hal to take her back into the ballroom. She declined supper, excusing herself by saying that she needed to tidy her gown, smiled, touched his hand, and then went upstairs to her bedchamber.

What was she going to do? Her mind was tumbling with doubts and anxiety. The marquis was a spiteful man and would delight in taking his revenge on them. Lethbridge had promised to give Madeline to him and he’d been thwarted not once but twice, perhaps even three times if it was his men who had tried to abduct her—and she did not believe that he would be satisfied with spreading malicious lies.

She could scarcely believe that Lethbridge had lost so much money to the marquis. Madeline had always believed her husband to be a rich man—but twenty-five thousand pounds...could the estate in Hampshire and the London house together be worth so much? She did not know for sure, but she suspected that there might be a mortgage on the country estate for she’d once heard a few words of it when Lethbridge was speaking to his lawyer.

Of course there was also the strongbox that Thomas had smuggled out of the house and brought here to her. Nothing that remained in the box meant anything to her. She would give the jewels to the marquis gladly in part settlement, yet somehow she did not believe that even if she could pay every penny of the debt he would leave them in peace.

Having splashed her face in cool water and tidied her gown, she looked at herself in the elegant dressing mirror. She was very pale, but her face showed no sign of the tears she’d shed as she prepared to go down again. A knock at the door made her start and freeze with fear, but then Jenny’s voice asked if she were all right.