Page 28 of A Lady's Passion Knows No Distance
“This is all such foolishness,” Caroline whispered to herself. “I should be angry at William for what he did to me. He not only let me go but he didn’t keep in contact with me at all.”
Caroline was so at war with her emotions that she didn’t know whether to feel glad that she’d seen William again or remain furious with him for the way he’d treated her. However, despite the emotional war raging inside of her, Caroline succumbed to sleep when she couldn’t handle her exhausting thoughts any longer.
~*~
The last thing William had expected Caroline to do was faint upon seeing him and discovering who the true Sir Roberts was. He’d watched her fall heavily to the ground, followed by the cries of alarm from those around her. He’d tried to get closer to ensure she was well, and saw an older man call for his footman.
The servant came forth and helped this man take the still unconscious Caroline from the dance hall as the room exploded with chatter and gossip. He’d caught the eye of her friend, the woman she had mentioned. They exchanged a particular look before he nodded towards her and turned to leave himself.
Revealing his identity was intended to spark joy in Caroline. He had envisioned them coming together and rekindling their love for one another. What he hadn’t imagined was Caroline becoming so overwhelmed with the truth that she wouldn’t be able to tolerate it. But as he made his way home in a hurry, not wanting the other socialites at the ball to recognize who he was, he hoped to continue his pursuit of Caroline.
She now knew who he was and that he was still very much interested in her. All night, it had been so hard not to come straight forth and tell her everything. He would have even run away with her into the night and do the one thing he should have done years ago.
“No, you must be patient,” William reminded himself as he flagged down a petty driver and paid the man to take him to his townhouse. As he rode in the back of the open carriage, he thought of a plan.
He would write to Caroline in the morning and inquire of her health and invite her and her company to a dinner party. It was time that William put into motion all the things he’d been scheming these last few years. He had an idea of all of whom he’d invite to really use his new social status. People were eager to learn who Sir Roberts was, and he would be sure to show all of town so that he could gain the approval of Caroline’s father.
William was truly exhausted by the time he returned home. The townhouse was quiet, and he let himself in through the front door. Having been a servant the majority of his life, William in turn was a very generous master. He made sure his servants went to bed at a decent hour, even when he wasn’t expected home till the late hours of the night. He could dress himself and take care of his own needs. Therefore, he dismissed his staff early after the dinner hour so they would be fresh and rested by morning.
The one thing William loved the most about the late-night hours was being able to walk through the townhouse and hear very little. No more did he have to fear hearing the sound of his father coughing as though he was gasping for air and might soon pass away. His father had not only made a full recovery but was as strong as he used to be. He no longer hunted, since they lived in town now. However, he was active and friendly to all of their immediate neighbours. William thought it was a good idea that his father had company of his own, especially when he wasn’t home to watch over him.
As William readied for bed, stripping out of his clothes till he was only wearing his underwear, he thought more about Caroline. He had thoroughly enjoyed the evening. Their dance together was almost magical, his hands burning with desire every time their hands came together. He longed to hold her in his arms once more and kiss her passionately. Perhaps the night would have progressed differently had he confessed his true identity right away.
“I’ve come so far. I can’t lose her now,” William said into the night air as he blew out the candle beside his bed and crawled onto the covers. It was too hot of a night to need any sort of blankets. Therefore, he laid barely clothed, his limps sprawled out on the large bed as he took a deep breath and tried to relax.
The last three years had been rather kind to him. At first, moving to town with his ill father had been a nightmare. Every day, he feared his father would grow worse and eventually pass away. The accommodations he had found for the three of them had been rather dreary. But after Lord Canton’s first payment came in, he was able to use the money to not only secure good housing for them and a few staff members, but also begin to invest his earnings. It was a lot of good luck that had led him to where he was today. Now, he owned a fine townhouse in a good neighbourhood and possessed many elegant things. But it was his last year at sea that had given him his fame.
William tried hard not to think about his time aboard the ship as he pretended to be Daniel. At first, it had been rather difficult because he had no experience being a sailor. If it hadn’t been for their similar features, no one would have believed he was Daniel.
After a while, he’d gotten used to it and was really able to help his fellow crewmembers. But then, the attack on the pirates began. Every day he feared the next attack, or when he’d be woken up in the middle of the night to fight for his life. Even now, in the safety and darkness of his bedchamber, the memories of that year at sea still plagued him with nightmares.
Knowing he wouldn’t be able to sleep right away as the thoughts flooded his mind, William got out of bed and lit a candle before going over to his writing desk. Setting the candle there and sitting down into his chair, William withdrew a sheet of writing paper and began to pen a letter to Caroline. There was so much that he wanted to tell her, but he knew that it would require a conversation to be spoken between them.
For the time being, he wrote:
My dearest Caroline,
I apologize for causing you so much discomfort. It was not my intention to scare you so. I simply wanted you to realize who I was, truly. There is so much I want to tell you, but I know a letter will not suffice. I’d like to invite you and your company to dine with me tomorrow evening.
I think it will give us both enough time to sort out our thoughts before we meet again. I shall be hosting a dinner party with a few prestigious families in town. There is so much I am still learning about being an elite member of society. I’m sure you could teach me much.
Caroline, please know that I never intended to cause you any harm. I hope you are well and that you’ll write to me quickly to let me know of your health, and if I can expect you to attend the dinner party at my home. I look forward to your reply.
Sir Roberts
Even now, it felt unnatural for William to write Daniel’s name. But he had a deal to uphold. He would continue to be Daniel Roberts while the real Daniel entered the Navy once more as William Ryan. It had given Daniel the opportunity to be with his father during his passing, when the Navy would have never let him stay ashore for the man’s final year.
In return, those who were keeping a watchful eye on him thought that he was now at sea. William couldn’t wait for those ever-watchful eyes to realize what had happened and who he truly was. And by the time Lord Canton realized who he was, it would be far too late.
With that happy thought in mind, William made his way back to bed after blowing out his candle. He very much liked the idea of proving to Lord Canton that he was the better man. And once William showed all of England the evil deeds of the Earl, William was certain that he’d have no issue securing Caroline’s hand in marriage. It was only these pleasant thoughts of sweet revenge that finally helped him fade fast asleep.
Chapter 16
Caroline woke to the sound of knocking on her door. She rose slowly, feeling a bit groggy. Gwendolen opened her door and peered inside with a smile on her face and a letter in her hand. Seeing that Caroline was at least awake, she quickly came in and shut the door behind her before sitting on the edge of the bed.
“How are you feeling?’ she asked.
“As though I’ve spent the entire night before drinking glass after glass of hard wine. I’m so thirty,” Caroline admitted. Gwendolen turned and collected the cup Caroline had used the night before and moved over to the dresser to fill it from the pitcher of water. She returned to Caroline and passed the cup to her and watched as Caroline drank it completely dry.
