Page 27 of A Lady's Passion Knows No Distance
“Sounds like someone is rather smitten with Sir Roberts,” she said in a soft voice as they approached the veranda.
“If I wasn’t already engaged, I very well would be. But I don’t see any point in feeling such a way. It would be useless in my situation,” Caroline said as they joined the throng of people once more and made their way towards the dining room to secure a plate of food.
“You know, Caroline, it isn’t very uncommon for a married woman to take a lover,” Gwendolen whispered in her ear. Caroline was surprised by such a suggestion and looked hard at Gwendolen. What was she implying?
“It would be rather scandalous,” Caroline replied.
“But it’s better than living an entire life married to a man you don’t love. Better to warm your bed with a man that you do love. After all, the Earl will get the children he needs and you’ll actually get the opportunity to love your children fully knowing they’ve come from the man you love,” she whispered quickly in her ear. Caroline didn’t respond right away. She was so taken back by the comment that she didn’t know what to think. Was there still hope for her to really love someone if she took a lover?
Caroline turned her mind away from the thought for a moment as they entered the dining room and took their time gathering a plate of food.
There were so many wonderful dishes to choose from that it was hard for Caroline to decide. But once she and Gwendolen were satisfied with their selection, they found her parents and dined with them at a round table with a white tablecloth and a bouquet of roses situated in the middle. At one point, Lord Sergio joined them and Caroline was able to see how taken he and Gwendolen seemed to be with one another.
Throughout the meal, Caroline couldn’t help but glance around the dining room, hoping to catch sight of Sir Roberts. She still had so many questions for him and wondered when the two of them had met. Perhaps then she would understand better why she’d left such an impression on him. There would be two dancing sets after the meal, with an hour and a half left before midnight. It was rather possible that she could run into the man once more to discover the answers she was looking for.
When the meal ended and everyone returned to the dance hall, and Gwendolen accepted to dance with Sir Sergio once more, Caroline went looking for Sir Roberts and could not find him anywhere.
She watched the couples dancing together but did not see him. She searched the gardens and could find no sign of him. And as midnight neared, she returned to Lord and Lady Murphy because it would soon be the time for the revealing and to depart from the dance hall.
“How did you enjoy your evening?” Lady Murphy asked as Caroline re-joined their group.
“It was quite lovely. I found myself fond of the gardens,” Caroline said, not willing to explain her real intention of being gone the entire night.
“Tis a good place for a soon-to-be married woman to be. You’re less likely to fall into temptation that way,” Lady Murphy said, seeming pleased by Caroline’s choices. In return, Caroline took no offense to the comment.
As the sound of clocks ringing the midnight hour filled the air, the musicians having departed, Caroline sighed deeply and began to pull on the fabric keeping her mask in place. As she took it off, she felt a small relief at not having the weight upon her face any longer. She saw Gwendolen struggling with hers a bit, but Lord Sergio was quick to help her. Caroline thought it was a rather nice gesture.
Caroline looked through the crowd as everyone laughed and talked excitedly during the reveal. And amongst the throng of people, she spotted him.
The breath in her lungs stilled as her chest tightened. She saw that he was watching her, and as he raised his hands to remove the mask on his face, Caroline thought she could hear her pulse in her ears. She forced herself to breathe as he dipped his head and pulled off the mask, and when he straightened again, Caroline felt the floor quickly come up to meet her.
Chapter 15
Chaos seemed to swarm all around Caroline. One moment, she was enjoying the ball, with questions swarming through her mind. The next, she found herself laying in the bedchamber she’d been given back at the Murphy’s townhouse. She woke with a start and sat up quickly to find herself still dressed in her ball gown and her lady’s maid in the process of leaving the room.
“What happened?” Caroline stammered before the woman could shut the door. She turned and, seeing that Caroline was awake, gave her a kind smile as she came to her bedside.
“You fainted, my lady. Lord Murphy’s footman gathered you and helped you home with the master and his family. They said you become overwhelmed from the heat and fainted on the spot,” she explained.
Caroline tried to remember what had been happening when she lost consciousness. The reveal had just begun. She had taken off her mask and watched others do so around her. Then, she had seen Sir Roberts. Only, when he had taken off his black leather mask, he had appeared to her as William had the last time she’d seen him. Though his hair was shorter, it was still him.
As the reality of the situation came crashing down on her, Caroline felt herself sway a little. The lady’s maid was quick to steady her with her hands, guiding Caroline back onto the bed.
“You need your rest, my lady. Here, have some cool water to help with your feverish skin. I don’t know if you’re simply exhausted, but you appear to have seen a ghost,” she said as she held a cup to her lips and helped Caroline to drink the full contents. She did feel much better afterwards and thanked the maid.
“Now, if you feel up to it, you can sit on the edge of the bed and I can help you change into a nightgown,” she offered. Caroline nodded as she did so, and after a bit of effort, she was stripped down to her chemise.
“I don’t think I’ll need a gown tonight,” Caroline said as she laid back down on the bed, not even bothering with the covers. “It’s rather warm and I don’t want to exhaust myself with the heat.”
“Wise choice, my lady. Have a lovely evening and I shall wake you in the morning,” she said as she curtsied, taking the only lit candle with her.
As she shut the door, Caroline’s room was plunged into darkness. It was a welcoming sight as she closed her eyes and thought about William. How could he and Sir Roberts be the same person? How did he end up on a royal Navy ship, and whatever happened to his sickly father? She had so many questions about his presence in town and his doings these last few years.
As Caroline thought about William, she tried to discover her feelings towards the man. Tonight, she had felt drawn to him, more than she had any man since she last was with him. She remembered the way he used to kiss her and how warm she would feel in her core every time they touched. But with so many years since they were last together, did she still love him? He’d obviously made a name for himself and was a wealthy man now. But why hadn’t he kept in contact with her over the years? Did he have any feelings for her now?
As she remembered what he had said to her during the ball that night, she wondered if that was the real reason he had come to the social affair. Was he looking to see her? He obviously knew that she had been engaged and would soon marry. Did that mean anything to him? Would he uphold his promises to her, after all?
The very thought caused her to feel even more feverish. She liked the idea of William keeping his promises and even started to think about what Gwendolen had suggested earlier. That she could marry Lord Canton but take a man as her lover. She already had experience sneaking around with William. Surely it couldn’t be that much harder now that they were three years older.
