Page 29 of A Lady's Passion Knows No Distance
“A letter has just arrived for you,” Gwendolen said with enthusiasm as she pressed the envelope into Caroline’s hands. She didn’t understand why Gwendolen seemed so excited about the thought, since it was very early in the morning still. Caroline longed to fall back to sleep and simply sleep the day away.
Caroline slowly tugged open the unfamiliar seal and began to read the short note. As she did so, she remembered last night’s events, discovering that the famous Sir Roberts was actually her William. And she soon realized that the letter she held in her hands was also from the same man. He was inviting her and Gwendolen’s family to attend a dinner party at his home. It all seemed so surreal to Caroline that, at first, she didn’t know what to think.
“Who is it from? What does it say?” Gwendolen asked when Caroline didn’t say anything after she’d folded the letter back up.
“It’s from Sir Roberts. He has invited us all to dine with him tomorrow night,” Caroline eventually explained. Gwendolen smirked at her as she folded her arms over her chest, dressed in a day gown of light blue. Her long brown hair hung around her shoulders in waves. And though it was early morning, she already looked eager to enjoy the day.
“So, it was I who was excited to meet this Sir Roberts and in return it was you who made his acquaintance. It seems you also made an impression on him, as well,” she said. Caroline smirked, thinking that if only Gwendolen knew, she would be a lot more eager for the two of them to be together again. After all, William still held a large part of her heart.
“It seems that way,” Caroline said as she looked down at the letter. “He knows that I am engaged.”
“And yet that isn’t stopping him from inviting us all to dinner. My parents will be excited to hear that we’ve been invited to dine with a very recently famous man.”
“I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to accept his invitation.”
“My goodness, it shall be a very exciting affair. The only thing better would be if Lord Sergio was in attendance as well,” Gwendolen said with a giggle.
“Would you like me to reply to Sir Roberts and ask him to also invite the Spaniard?” Caroline offered.
“I would forever be indebted to you if you did. I sure enjoyed his company and would like the opportunity to see him again,” she said, a light blush coming to her cheeks.
“Then I’ll be sure to do so,” Caroline agreed. “Now, let me get ready for the day. Once I’m dressed, I shall write to Sir Roberts and ensure the letter is delivered to him right away.”
“My word, I shall spend the entire day simply planning my attire for tomorrow. I want Lord Sergio to think I am the most gorgeous creature he has ever seen,” Gwendolen said as she rose from the bed and made her way towards the door.
“Trust me, my dear. I’m sure he already things so,” Caroline assured her, causing them both to chuckle. Once Gwendolen left the room, she pulled the servant’s cord next to her to signal that she was awake and ready to be prepared for the day. She got up from bed then and made her way over to the small writing desk, where she sat down and opened the letter once more.
She was still uncertain how she felt about William and all this secrecy surrounding him and his past. So much had happened in the last three years that they had been separated.
The biggest question she had was why he was using a different name and if he had really been a sailor. Was it true what he said about the men he’d served with and lost during the battles against the pirates? He had seemed so sincere that Caroline had quickly believed him. Now, she wasn’t sure what to believe any more.
When her lady’s maid arrived, Caroline put away the letter till she was dressed. She promised the maid she’d be down for breakfast shortly. First, she wanted to pen a reply to William and hope to convey her feelings with every word.
Dear Sir Roberts,
Thank you for your letter and the invitation to dine with you tomorrow evening. As long as Lord and Lady Murphy agree to the outing, I can assure you that I’ll be there. My dear friend, Gwendolen, is excited to attend the dinner party and learn more about the man everyone has been talking about.
She requests that you may consider Lord Sergio, a Spanish merchant, to join your numbers. She has become rather smitten with him and I think the two of them would make the perfect pair.
I have so many questions for you that it leaves me feeling more confused than ever. Though I am well and simply just a bit exhausted, I can’t deny how curious I am of you. I feel angry towards you, yet overjoyed that you are still alive and well. I don’t know what your plans are, but know that I will be married at the end of the summer months. And I know that there is nothing I can do to change that.
Caroline
She looked at the letter and reread it a few times. She wasn’t certain it was very good, but it would have to do for now. There really wasn’t a suitable way to express everything she was feeling, when it came to being close to William again. He had changed so much, after all. There was a good chance that he wasn’t the same person she remembered.
Therefore, Caroline thought it was reasonable enough to tread on the side of caution and simply see where this would all lead her. After all, her engagement was already announced and the likelihood of it being undone was slim. It would surely ruin her reputation if she did. But would marrying for love be worth the scandal?
Caroline honestly didn’t know what to think as she folded the letter and sealed it. After making sure the address was correct for William’s current location, she took the letter and made her way downstairs to enjoy breakfast with the Murphy family. She left her letter by the front door to be sent off with the rest of the morning post and then slowly headed towards the dining room. As she drew near, a familiar voice permeated the air, causing to her stop suddenly.
“After the first few days, I thought I’d be fine without my darling fiancée. But I decided to come early and surprise her. My love for Miss Caroline motivated me to return to her side as quickly as I could,” came Lord Canton’s voice. It caused Caroline to feel an uncontrollable amount of dread. She’d reasoned that she had at least four more days before she would be forced to see the man again. And to think he’d come so early in the morning to visit her made her skin crawl with nerves.
“How charming,” Caroline heard Lady Murphy say. “I’m sure she will be pleased to see you. Would you care to wait for her in the drawing room?”
“Certainly, Lady Murphy.”
Caroline quickly ducked into the study and closed the door just enough that could still hear what was happening. She listened to the sound of footsteps as someone left the dining room and went down the hall. She assumed it had to be Lord Canton, and so she waited a few more moments before leaving the study and quickly making her way to the dining room.
“Ah, Miss Caroline. You’ll never guess who has come to visit with you this morning,” Lady Murphy said happily.
