Page 20 of A Lady's Passion Knows No Distance
“Was that Daniel leaving now?” his father asked as he sat down at the table and allowed his footman to serve him.
“Yes. The ship will be leaving shortly and everyone must report,” William explained. With his plate fully loaded with breakfast sausage and toast, he dismissed the servants so he could speak privately with his family. “I thanked him greatly for all that he’s done and encouraged him to return here again when he is back in post.”
“You’ve been rather lucky, William. It’s not every day that a footman gets to be knighted,” his father said before taking a long drink of his elixir. This one substance seemed to give his father back his life, but William often thought about the cost of such a drink. Surely, if it really did cure everything the seller claimed it to, more people would be drinking it. But on all his travels, William hadn’t been able to discover a better solution for now.
“I know I’m rather fortunate, Father. I’ve gained rank and fortune thanks to some high risks and a last-minute business deal. I never knew that joining the Navy would lead me to this moment,” William said with a sigh. “And I just saw the announcement in the paper today.”
“We were going to mention it if you hadn’t seen it,” Grendel spoke up then, her voice soft and old. William smiled at her, knowing that her constant dedication to him and his father was really what saved him in the beginning when he was suffering from the guilt and heartache of leaving Caroline behind.
“What do you plan to do?” his father asked then.
“I plan to make things right, Father. I will seek Caroline out and convince her that I still love her, and I will convince her father that I am a better man than Lord Canton,” William explained as he began to cut into his sausage using a silver fork and knife. There was much about living as an elite that he still needed to grow accustomed to. And using silver to eat with was one of those things.
“Lord Canton has been a rather clever man. If Daniel didn’t look just like you, this plan would have never worked,” his father said then.
“He is not the only one that is rather clever, Father,” William said, a smirk on his lips. “I have been rather busy discovering quite a lot about the Earl. And when the time is right, I shall reveal all.”
“You must be careful, William. If they discover who you really are, things will not go well for you,” Grendel warned, her forehead wrinkling in fear.
“The chances of anyone discovering that I’m not the real Roberts is very unlikely. Only Daniel knows, besides you two. It’s no matter since I already know that Lord Canton has been too busy with his own business to really have time to worry about me.”
“Just be careful, William. That is all we ask,” his father said, his voice heavy.
“I promise to be careful, Father. I have too much at stake not to be.”
After they finished their breakfast, his father went out to the gardens for his morning exercise and Grendel went to rest in the sitting room with her lady’s maid while William returned to his study to focus on his work.
Now that all the puzzle pieces seemed to be fitting into place, all he had to do now was put himself back into Caroline’s life. He had to discover where she was and what she was doing these days. Now was the time to finally take critical action towards reclaiming the love of his life.
As William sat down at his desk, feeling the tight pressure of his new clothes upon his skin, it was just another reminder of all the wealth he’d gained over the years. At first, he’d used the fortune Lord Canton had bribed him with to invest in various business dealings. He was sure that Lord Canton wasn’t expecting him to invest the ten thousand pounds a year, but instead spend it feverously. And when he was given an offer to switch places with Daniel for fame and glory, William knew that taking to the sea was his sure bet to gain the rank he would need to convince Lord Goldman he was the better man.
It all seemed to finally be coming together for William. But now that Caroline was officially engaged, he had other matters to consider. He’d have to not only convince Caroline that he still loved her, but that she was the only woman for him.
Yes, he’d tried to meet other women over the years, wondering if he should move on. But with every young lady that he’d danced with or met at the tavern for a bite to eat, he’d always realized some flaw that caused them to fall short of Caroline. She was, after all, not only beautiful, but the most intelligent woman he’d ever met. And even after all his travels, that statement still held true.
Now, as he opened all sorts of letters of business and invitations to different social gatherings addressed to Sir Roberts, William started to think how he was going to meet Caroline again. Surely, with her recent engagement, she’d make her way to town for the wedding. And when she did, William would be ready to make his move and claim Caroline once and for all.
Chapter 11
Caroline felt exhausted from the three days of travelling she’d just endured with Gwendolen and her parents. They had travelled by coach from the country to town, staying in various inns along the way. Caroline had found the crowded inns so overwhelming, and now that she’d be shown to her room in the Murphys’ townhouse, she felt like she could finally relax. And after having a tub brought up to her room so she could properly bath, Caroline thought she could finally start acting like herself again.
“How does the room suit your fancy?” Gwendolen asked as she came into her room with a bright smile upon her face. Caroline could not reason why Gwendolen was so happy, but she couldn’t contain her own smile as she embraced her friend.
“This is a very lovely room. Once I have had a proper bath, I shall be right as rain once more,” Caroline said.
“And since Lord Canton and your parents are not expected for another week since they have been left behind to plan all the wedding details, you and I shall enjoy this time to the fullest,” Gwendolen said with a wink. She then took Caroline’s hands and said, “Tomorrow is a masquerade ball hosted by Lord and Lady Sussex. Every eligible gentleman still left in town is sure to be there.”
“I’ll be happy to accompany you,” Caroline said as she squeezed her friend’s hands. “How wonderful would it be if you found a husband and we could be married together.”
“Surely, Caroline, you realize that I don’t just do this for myself. I know how you truly feel about marrying Lord Canton,” Gwendolen said, her voice growing soft. Caroline let her hands drop from Gwendolen’s then as she slowly turned away from her friend so that she couldn’t see the grief upon her face.
“My dear, I’ve already told you. My marriage to Lord Canton was inevitable,” Caroline said slowly.
“But you have yet to explain to me way. You both don’t love each other, and he’s already an Earl. There is no reason for this marriage that I can see. And if you only met another man more worthy of your heart, then you could be happily married,” Gwendolen said, her voice sounding desperate for answers that Caroline wasn’t ready to give.
“You are the dearest friend anyone could ask for,” Caroline said with a genuine smile as she turned back to her. “I will enjoy this week with you and the masquerade tomorrow. But we must be quick if we are going to find masks before the event.”
“Then you must hurry with your bath and go visit my favourite seamstress. She would be sure to have what we need. And if we are lucky, tomorrow night we might actually get to meet this Sir Roberts that everyone has been talking about.”
