Page 40 of A Brooding Christmas Promise
Lady Grifford pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes but Samuel remained where he was, his eyes going to the door which would free him from her company and from the terrace itself.
“I think I should return to my guests,” he said, as she sniffed. “Forgive me, I –”
“Is there nothing I can say that will bring you back to me?”
Much to Samuel’s astonishment, Lady Grifford rushed forward towards him as he made to move back towards the door, standing in front of him, her hands going to his. Her eyes werewide, her lips gently parted but Samuel felt nothing whatsoever, apart from dread.
“No.” He pulled his hands away, stepping back from her. “Lady Grifford, I –”
“I have always cared for you!” she exclaimed, coming near him again, attempting to put her arms around his neck as Samuel staggered back, overwhelmed and a little stunned by her sudden fierce response. “I should never have stepped away from you, I should never have removed myself from your company. I am sorry that I did so, sorry that I stepped back from you after all you offered me. How foolish I was to turn away from you! How much of a fool I was in accepting the attentions of a scoundrel over someone such as you!”
Samuel reached up, catching Lady Grifford’s arms and attempting to unwind them from around his neck but as he did so, a muffled exclamation caught his attention – and he saw Miss Millerton standing at the door of the terrace.
“Remove yourself from me, Lady Grifford!” he exclaimed, his heart hammering as he tried to make his way towards Miss Millerton. “I have no interest in this! I have no interest inyou!” He spoke harshly now, desperate to make his way to Miss Millerton, to explain – but she turned on her heel and rushed back inside. Anger streaked up Samuel’s spine and he flung Lady Grifford back, his breathing ragged as he gazed back at her.
“Enough!” His cry rent the air and Lady Grifford gasped, putting one hand to her mouth, her eyes filling with tears yet again but Samuel had no interest, not even the smallest flicker of sympathy in his heart now. “Have I not made myself clear? I have no desire to rekindle anything between us! I am sorry that your husband treated you ill but that is all that I have to say on that.”
“Then... ” Lady Grifford closed her eyes tightly, tears beginning to drip to her cheeks. “Then you will not save mefrom my present difficulties? I know that I do not deserve even a moment of your consideration but I had hoped that, with our history, with what we once shared, there might be something in your heart still.”
Samuel shook his head, his hands lifting either side, palms out towards her as though he feared that she might reach for him again. “There is nothing in my heart for you, Maria, not any longer.” He gestured to the door. “The lady I care for, the lady who has my heart is there, somewhere within the ballroom and I must go to find her.”
Lady Grifford broke into sobs, her handkerchief pressed to her eyes but Samuel could not linger, not after all that he had said and all that he had seen of Miss Millerton in not only seeing him converse with Lady Grifford but also in her hasty departure. “Excuse me.”
Stepping away from her, Samuel hurried to the door and then made his way directly back to the ballroom, hoping that she would be nearby, hoping that she would see him and come close to him, perhaps trusting that things would not truly be as she had witnessed them. Instead, all he saw was a sea of faces, all masked, all smiling. His heart began to beat all the faster as he made his way to the edges of the ballroom, looking into all the shadowy places – but still, there was no sign of her. Time and again, he stopped, thinking he had seen her copper curls and gentle smile, but every time, he was mistaken.
Where is she?
A little afraid that she had left the ball, perhaps confused and upset over what she had witnessed, Samuel pushed open the door to the hallway and stepped into the cooler, quieter space. Pressing one hand to his forehead, he closed his eyes tightly, his jaw flexing. If Lady Grifford had not ambushed him in such a way, then Miss Millerton would never have seen what she had done and all would be well! He would be able to confesshis affection for her without the requirement for any further conversation, whereas now, there was a good deal he would need to explain first.
“And I wanted to tell her what I feel for her,” he muttered to himself, realizing now just how much he cared for her, how much he wanted to say by way of offering her his heart. It was as though, in pushing Lady Grifford away, he had been hit afresh with the strength of his feelings for her – as well as frustration that he had not said anything to her as yet! Instead of being honest both with Miss Millerton and with himself, he had done nothing but try to pretend that hehadno such feelings and that this false engagement would come to an end very soon, just as they had intended. Now, however, the thought of severing their connection and releasing himself from her was so painful, it cut him right to the heart, leaving him breathless and morose.
But is it now a little too late?
“Take your hands from me!”
A sudden shout caught Samuel’s attention, tugging him away from his own thoughts as he frowned.
“Unhand me!”
Samuel began to hurry forward, uncertain as to where the voice was coming from but determined to find it. Clearly whoever was there was in some distress and Samuel had every intention of coming to their aid.
“I will not!” the voice cried again, as a rush of familiarity sent a cold sweat across Samuel’s brow. “I have no intention of leaving!”
“Oh, but you will. Come now, the journey back to the house is long and we – ”
Another cry, another broken, fearful shout made Samuel break into a run, turning to his right at the top of the hallway, only to see three figures a little further along. Two were pulling the third forward, though she was resisting as best she could.Anger poured into every part of Samuel’s body as he recognized Miss Millerton and, striding forward, he let out a roar of rage.
Footmen came running.
“Take your hands from her at once!”
One lady turned, her eyes flaring wide as she quickly dropped her hands and then stepped back, turning her wide eyes to the lady opposite. The second one, Samuel recognized as Lady Foster who, it seemed, was quite determinednotto release his betrothed.
“I said, take your hands from her,” Samuel shouted again as he came close, reaching to grasp Lady Foster’s arm and pull her away from Miss Millerton, but Miss Millerton herself escaped from the lady’s grip before he could do so. He looked to the footmen. “You there, open up this parlor and escort these two ladies within. Neither of them are to leave.”
Miss Millerton was beside him in a moment, her chest heaving, one side of her face redder than the other, and fury broke out in Samuel’s heart. She looked up at him wordlessly, tears in her eyes and Samuel slipped one hand around her waist, determined to do all he could to protect her.
“You have no right to demand anything!” the lady Samuel did not recognize said, throwing up her hands before placing them onto her hips, glaring at him. “We are merely –”
