Page 34 of A Lady's Passion Knows No Distance
“Do not fear, my dear. I am not only here, but I promise never to leave you again,” William vowed, leaning down and pressing his lips to hers. She hadn’t been expecting to be kissed and remained still for a moment. But when his tongue parted her lips, she wrapped her arms around his waist and began to kiss him with a passion she’d kept locked away inside of her for years.
With their bodies pressed closely together, Caroline gave herself to William once more. She allowed him to kiss her as eagerly as he pleased, and his hands roamed her back and shoulders as she clung to him. She was certain she’d even give herself to him right there in the garden if he encouraged her to do so.
“Caroline, we must return inside. Our time together in the garden is very limited, and someone will come searching for us,” William quickly said as he broke their kiss. “I don’t want to stop, but we must.”
“It’s like we’re hiding our love all over again,” Caroline mused as she straightened her gown while taking several deep breaths.
“But it won’t be for long. As soon as your father comes to town, I shall approach him and ask for your hand in marriage. With my new status in society and the wealth I’ve gained over the years, I will show to be the better man and outdo Lord Canton,” William said.
His words brought hope to Caroline’s heart. She was eager to be married to him and finally be his forever. Although, there was still one question that kept tugging at Caroline’s mind.
“Why did you leave, William? Why come to town and become all of this? Why did you leave me?” Caroline’s heart was still broken, and though she longed for William more than ever before, she still needed to understand.
“Lord Canton and I both knew I couldn’t provide well enough for you to live comfortably like you’ve always done. He offered me a deal, that he would get my father the medical treatments that he needed and pay me ten thousand pounds a year if I left the countryside and came to town. For three years, he paid me, and I invested every extra copper penny I could to grow my wealth and become worthy of you. Now, with my wealth and fame, I’m sure that I can appease your father.”
Caroline felt like her world had been flipped upside down. First, her feelings for William had been ignited once more with the knowledge that he was indeed alive and had reinvented himself. But to know that all of this was because he’d allowed Lord Canton to pay him didn’t settle with her at all. She took several steps back from William, feeling wronged and betrayed.
“You left me for money,” Caroline said, tears brimming on the edges of her eyes. “Instead of risking it all to marry me, to create our own life together, you choose to take that man’s money and do with it as you pleased.” Caroline’s voice was growing angrier and louder, yet she didn’t care who heard her.
“Caroline, please. That is not at all what I did. Once Lord Canton offered me the deal and paid me to stay away from you, I only planned to use the money for our future together. There is still so much more you haven’t heard about what I’ve done,” William said, his voice pleading as he tried to close the distance between them.
“Enough, William. This is all just too much for me to bear. Years, I spent, mourning your lost. And to think you were here the whole time, simply focusing on money. I feel like my love for you was all for nothing.”
“No, Caroline, it wasn’t. I’ve never stopped loving you, never gave up on the idea of us being together one day. I’ve never come to love another woman and have even saved myself just for you.”
Caroline knew that she should consider his words, to actually listen to what he was trying to tell her. But all she could think about was that her heart had been broken because the greed of this man. How could she have been so blind? What had she expected of when she was to meet William again? This certainly was not it. She’d never thought he’d be able to transform into a completely different person.
“I must return inside,” Caroline said as she curtsied and rushed back in, blotting her eyes as she went. This time, William didn’t try to stop her or beg her to stay. This time, it was she who was leaving him, and she knew she would need time to think about all of this. Did she want a future with William? Could they even have a future, even with what William had been able to accomplish? All she knew for sure as she stepped back inside his townhouse is that her heart hurt painfully, and she yearned to heal it.
Chapter 19
The next morning brought on a small rainstorm that seemed to never let up. William stood in his bedchamber, looking through the window at the gardens below. His heart felt heavy and he certainly didn’t know what to do next.
After the passionate kiss he’d shared with Caroline, he was certain that they would be simply starting again from where they left off. As soon as Lord Murphy made it to town, he would meet with the man and ask for Caroline’s hand in marriage, even though she was engaged to another. William had all the documents he needed to show her father that Lord Canton was a despicable man. He simply needed the opportunity.
The one thing William hadn’t foreseen was her pain and agony over being parted from him. Sometimes, he regretted leaving her that night, and other times he would reflect on everything he had been able to accomplish since then and felt vindicated in his choices. How could Caroline not see things as he did?
With all the rain pouring down, he knew he wouldn’t be able to do much today. It would be difficult to call on her in the soaking weather, which made the air feel sticky and hot. It was less than ideal weather to be travelling in, yet William knew that he needed to do something.
Eventually, he left his bedchambers to visit with the rest of his family. He thought about the dinner party the previous night, how Caroline and the Murphys had retired early when Caroline appeared to be ill once more. It left him alone with all the other dinner guests who were eager to hear his sailing stories. Even Lord Canton had stayed behind to speak to William, questioning about his past and business dealings.
William had started to suspect that Lord Canton might know who he really is, but if the man did, he had yet to make it known to him. William knew he had to be ready for the unexpected. Yet, all he cared about now was winning back Caroline’s heart and love.
“You can’t be serious,” William heard his father say as he stepped into the dining room for breakfast. There stood an errand boy that William sometimes paid to help him collect information around town. The lad stood beside his father, dripping wet and holding his hat. He was disturbed by the young boy’s appearance and afraid of the news from the ashen look upon his father’s face.
“What has happened?” William asked as he stepped into the room and quickly approached the table.
“This young boy says that Lord and Lady Goldman have both passed away because of a horrible carriage accident,” he said, turning his large round eyes on William, clearly shocked. William was completely stunned. He looked from the boy to his father, then back to the boy as the lad turned towards him.
“‘Tis true, Sir Roberts. I have been listening to all the chatter about Lord Murphy, just like you asked me to. And everyone is talking this morning about the death of him and his wife,” the boy said, a look of fear on his face.
“Come here, lad.” William motioned, reaching into his vest pocket for a few coins. “You’ve done well, and I appreciate your service. Remember to spend this money well, for one day you shall be as fortunate as I am because I saved all my wealth.”
“Thank you, kind sir. I shall always remember your words,” the boy said as he accepted the coins and rushed from the dining room.
William slumped down into a chair, his heart beating hard against his ribs as he forced himself to breathe and try to relax.
“Do you think we can believe him?” his father asked, pushing his plate aside as though he was no longer hungry. His elbows came to rest on the table as his hands held his head. His eyes were round with dread as he simply stared straight ahead.
