Sarah Mallory - The Earl's Runaway Bride

Now, walking in the shrubbery arm in arm with Lydia, Felicity gave a little sigh of contentment.

‘Happy?’ asked Lydia.

Felicity hesitated. She was content: there was a world of difference between that and true happiness, but very few people could aspire to such a luxury. She said, ‘Who could not be in such lovely surroundings? The gardens here at Souden are so beautiful in the spring. Are you still planning to lay out a knot-garden? I have been studying the pattern books in the library and would dearly like to help you draw it up.’

‘Oh, yes, if you please, but I am afraid that will have to wait. James has written to say he wants me to join him in London next month. For the Peace Celebrations.’

‘Oh. Oh, well, while you are away I could—’

‘You are to come with me, Fee.’

Felicity stopped.

‘Oh no, surely that is not necessary.’

‘ Very necessary,’ said Lydia, taking her hands. ‘With the boys at school there is no reason for you to hide yourself away here. Besides, you have read the news sheets, you know as well as I that any number of important personages will be in London for these celebrations: the Emperor of Russia and his sister the Grand Duchess of Oldenburg, the young Prussian princes and—oh, too many to name them all now! And James has already been informed that he will be expected to entertain them all. Just think of it, Fee, dinners, soirées and parties—dear James has also said he wants us to hold a ball! So I shall need you to help me with all the arrangements. I could not possibly cope with it all.’

‘Should you be coping with any of it when you are with child?’

‘Oh, Fee, I am not ill ! I am more likely to die of boredom if I stay here with nothing to do. Besides, the baby is not due until the autumn and the celebrations will be over by then. Do not look so horrified, Fee, look upon this as a rare treat.’

‘A treat! Lydia, you know I am…not good in company. I fear I should let you down.’

‘Nonsense. You have very good manners, it is merely that you are out of practice—and that is because your horrid uncle dragged you away from the Academy to make you his drudge!’

‘Lydia! Uncle Philip was not horrid, he was…devout.’

‘He was a tyrant,’ returned Lydia with uncharacteristic severity. ‘He tried to beat all the joy out of you.’

Felicity hesitated.

‘It is true my uncle considered all forms of pleasure a sin,’ she conceded, ‘but that was only because he was deeply religious.’

‘Then he should have hired a deeply religious servant to take with him rather than dragging you off to deepest Africa!’

Felicity laughed at that.

‘But he didn’t! We only got as far as northern Spain! Poor Uncle Philip, he convinced himself that the Spanish Catholics were as much in need of saving as any African tribe, but I have always suspected the truth was he could not face another sea journey.’

‘Well, it was very wrong of him to take you away instead of giving you the opportunity to marry and have children—’

Felicity put up her hand in a little gesture of defence; she did not want to contemplate what might have been.

‘What’s done is done,’ she said quietly. ‘I am very happy here at Souden, and I would much rather stay here while you go to London.’

‘But I shall need you!’

Lydia’s plaintive tone carried Felicity back to their schooldays, when her friend had often begged her for company. Poor Lydia could never bear to be alone. Now, as then, Felicity found it impossible to resist her. Sensing her weakening, Lydia pressed her hand.

‘Do say you will come, Fee—you are so good at organising parties.’

‘But you will not expect me to attend any of these parties.’

‘Not unless you want to, my dear.’

‘You know there is nothing I would want less!’

‘Then you may remain behind the scenes, invisible.’

Felicity laughed at her.

‘But I cannot possibly be your paid companion if I never leave my room. Sir James will not countenance such a thing!’

‘I shall tell him that you have a morbid fear of strangers,’ said Lydia. ‘He will understand that, for he has a cousin who is very much the same, only because he is a man, and rich, it is quite acceptable for him to be a recluse. And James knows how much I rely upon you, especially now that I am increasing.’

‘Perhaps you should not go at all,’ said Felicity, clutching at straws.

Lydia gave a little gurgle of laughter.

‘But of course I should! I have never felt better, and the doctor says I must not pamper myself but carry on very much as normal. Oh, do say you will come with me, Felicity: you are very necessary to my comfort, you know.’

Felicity could not resist Lydia’s beseeching look.

‘You have been so kind to me that I cannot refuse you.’

‘So you promise you will come to town with me?’

‘Yes, I give you my word.’

Lydia gave a huge sigh.

‘I am so relieved!’ She linked arms with Felicity again and gave a little tug. ‘Come along, now: we must keep moving or we shall grow too chilled. It is only April, after all.’

They walked on in amicable silence for a few more minutes.

‘Is that what you wished to say to me,’ asked Felicity, ‘that we are to go to town?’

‘Well, yes, but there is a little more than that, my dear.’

‘Now, Lydia, what mischief are you planning?’

‘None, I promise you, but there is something you should know.’ Lady Souden gave her arm a little shake. ‘Remember, Fee, you have given me your word!’

‘Very well. Tell me.’

‘The Earl of Rosthorne will be in town.’

Felicity’s heart lurched. The Earl of Rosthorne—Nathan Carraway, her handsome hero. The man who still haunted her dreams, but had proved to be a master of seduction. She swallowed nervously, trying to remain calm.

‘How do you know that?’

‘James wrote to me—’

‘Lydia, you haven’t told him—!’

‘Of course not, I promised I would not give you away. No, his letter was full of the plans for the celebrations. He said that Carraway had been ordered to London, not only because he is now Earl of Rosthorne, but because he is—or was—a military man and Prinny is quite desperate to impress. The royal parks are to be opened, there will be displays, and fireworks, and—oh, Felicity, it will be so exciting—are you not the teeniest bit curious to see it all?’

‘Not if there is the teeniest risk of meeting Lord Rosthorne!’

Lydia turned her wide, blue-eyed gaze upon her.

‘I know he treated you badly, my dear, but are you not curious to see him again?’

Felicity hesitated. Nathan had rescued her, given up his lodging for her, bought her new clothes. He had taught her to love him and then broken her heart.

‘No. I have no desire to see him again.’

‘Felicity, you are blushing. You still care for him.’

‘I do not! It was five years ago, Lydia. I am over him.’

‘Well, perhaps you no longer cry yourself to sleep every night, as you did when we first took you in, but at times, when you are sitting quietly, there is that faraway look in your eye—’

Felicity laughed.

‘Lydia, you are too romantic! That faraway look was most likely exhaustion, having had the care of two energetic boys for the day!’

‘Well, it does not matter what you say, I have the liveliest curiosity to see the man who—’

‘Lydia!’ Felicity stopped abruptly. ‘Lydia, you promised me when I came to you that you would respect my secret.’

‘And so I shall, my love, but—’

‘Pray let us say no more about the odious Lord Rosthorne! If you insist upon my coming to town with you then I will do so, but pray understand that upon no account must he know I am there. It would be embarrassing to everyone.’ She swallowed hard. ‘I am dead to him now.’

Lydia threw her arms around her, enveloping Felicity in a warm, scented embrace. ‘Oh, my dear friend, you know I would do nothing that would make you miserable!’

‘No, of course you would not. Not intentionally, that is.’ Felicity glanced up. ‘The rain clouds are gathering. The sun will soon disappear; I think we should go indoors now.’

They did not speak of London again, or of the Earl of Rosthorne, but when Felicity retired to her room that night he was there, in her head, as close and as real as ever.

‘The Earl of Rosthorne, sir.’

The butler’s sonorous tones filled the small, book-lined study, investing the announcement with considerable gravitas. Nathan squared his shoulders. After twelve months he was still not comfortable with the title. The gentleman sitting behind the large mahogany desk jumped up immediately and came forward to meet him. Nathan regarded him with interest. He knew Sir James Souden only by reputation but even if he had not heard that the man was an active supporter of Lord Wellesley, he would have been disposed to like him, for there was a look of intelligence and humour in his face and an energy in that lean body. Here was a man who was used to getting things done. He was smiling now at Nathan and waving him towards a chair.

‘Welcome, my lord, and thank you for coming so promptly.’

Nathan bowed.

‘Your message was waiting for me when I arrived in town this morning, Sir James.’

‘Ah, but knowing the object of this meeting I would not have been surprised if you had put it off.’

The twinkle in the older man’s eyes drew a wry grin from Nathan.

‘Always best to attack the unpalatable without delay, I find.’

‘Spoken like a true military man.’ Sir James gestured towards the decanters lined up on a side table. ‘You’ll take a glass with me, my lord? I’ve a very fine cognac—stolen from the French, of course, so you might appreciate it.’

‘I would, thank you.’

‘So,’ said Sir James, when the glasses had been filled and his guest was sitting in one of the comfortable padded armchairs that faced the desk. ‘So, my lord, how much have you been told?’

‘Only that his Highness wants me to help with the entertaining of his royal visitors.’

‘Aye. He’s turning the town into a damned beargarden for the summer,’ said Sir James, shaking his head. ‘But there, it’s all in a good cause. Peace, don’t you know, so I suppose we shouldn’t complain.’

Nathan sipped at his brandy. It was smooth and aromatic and definitely not to be hurried.

‘I am at a loss to know why he has summoned me here,’ he said at last. ‘I would have thought there were hostesses enough in London to entertain all the crowned heads of Europe. Mine is a bachelor establishment; my mother does not come to town. You may know she is an invalid and spends all her time at Rosthorne Hall—’

‘Oh, his Highness ain’t looking for you to give parties and all that sort of nonsense. The ladies will be falling over themselves to do that—and in fact I have asked Lady Souden to come to town for that very purpose—not that she needs any persuading to hold a party! But the Regent wants military men around him, especially to accompany Marshal Blücher: the old Prussian is so highly esteemed that even Prinny is in awe of him. There will be so many of ’em, you see: Blücher, the King of Prussia and all those princes, not to mention Tsar Alexander. And his sister, of course, the Grand Duchess…So we are all recruited to help: an army of attendants to ensure that his royal guests are not left to themselves for a moment. Your first task is to head up the Tsar’s escort from Dover. I know, I know, my boy; I can see from your face that you don’t like the idea.’