Page 31 of A Lady's Passion Knows No Distance
When she made it back to her bedchamber, Caroline didn’t even bother with changing. She crawled into the bed with her day gown still on and let her head lay softly on the feather-filled pillow. She felt at ease alone in the room and was convinced that a good rest would help improve her mood. But as Lord Canton’s words danced around in her mind, she found it very hard to relax.
“Tomorrow night will reveal much,” Caroline said to herself. She wondered how Lord Canton would react and giggled to herself at the thought of him fainting like she had done. It would do her good to see the Earl in such a vulnerable position. Perhaps then he could be tossed out and left to recover on his own.
The idea of giving herself to him freely caused Caroline’s stomach to recoil. But she also didn’t want to feel the pain of him forcing himself upon her. Either way, Caroline reasoned, she would not enjoy being in Lord Canton’s arms.
Instead, she remembered what it felt like to be with William—the way he would kiss her gently, or the times when his kisses would be filled with passion. His arms had always felt strong and supportive of her body, and his firm grip on her had always left her wanting more of him.
With her impending marriage looming just right around the corner, she wondered if William would fulfil his promise by allowing her to experience a night of true love before being forced to marry a man she didn’t want. Just the thought brought a deep blush to her cheeks.
A light knocking sounded on her bedchamber door. She turned towards the door and called to whom ever had done the knocking. Gwendolen opened the door then and peered inside, a small smile on her face. Caroline beckoned her friend in with her finger and Gwendolen eagerly entered, shutting the door behind her and even laying upon the bed beside Caroline.
“I must confess that I stood beside the open door to the drawing room and listened to the entire conversation,” Gwendolen whispered as though someone might hear her. “Please forgive me.”
Caroline reached forward and took her friend’s hand in hers, squeezing it gently. “There’s no need to ask for forgiveness. I’m only sorry that you heard such words. Now you may also know how beastly of a man Lord Canton is,” Caroline said in the same tone of voice.
“How can you agree to marry such a man?” Gwendoline asked with pleading eyes, as though she was about to shed tears.
“It is a rather complicated situation, my dear. Lord Canton has worked hard to discourage any other man from proposing to me. Any interest in the past either came from men who were later blackmailed into leaving me alone or who simply wanted my company in bed.”
“But what if there was a man who actually loved you and was willing to stand up to Lord Canton?”
Caroline smiled at her friend, thinking that it would truly take a brave man to do such a thing. “I don’t know if such a man exists,” she admitted.
“Then what about Sir Roberts? The stories circulating his name peg him to be a very brave man, even heroic. ‘Tis the reason the King granted him such a title and fortune. Surely he could be the man you need in your life.”
Caroline thought about William and how he had left her before. “I think only discovering Sir Roberts’ true nature would be able to tell me such a thing about the man. But for now, I hope no hope for my future.”
Gwendoline moved closer to her then and embraced her. Caroline tried not to cry, but eventually the tears did come. And as she sobbed, her dear friend held her close and whispered kind words into her ears, trying to comfort her and help bear the pain that seemed to always be inside of Caroline. She felt certain that her fate had been sealed that dreadful day and no one would be able to rescue her from Lord Canton.
Chapter 17
William was thoroughly looking forward to his evening with Caroline. He’d invited five other families from the community, all of which were rather prestigious in their own reputations and seemed eager to spend time with the Bon Ton’s most talked about gentleman.
It was all a show to cover up the fact that he simply wanted to spend time with Caroline. He had so much to tell her, and after receiving her letter the evening before, he was certain she had plenty of questions of her own to ask him.
William had begun to pace back and forth in the sitting room as he waited for his guests. His father was in a chair by the empty fireplace, reading the paper by the light of the multiple candles around the room. It was a relief to William that he could afford to have new candles delivered to the house each day for their use, and for this special occasion, he’d really taken the time to decorate the townhouse.
Thankfully, Grendel had a good eye for décor and had helped him with all the artistic pieces. She now sat with some needlework in her hands. When he introduced her, it would be as his grandmother on his mother’s side, which seemed to please Grendel to no end.
“Come and sit, my boy. You’ll exhaust yourself from all the pacing you are doing,” his father said as he folded and set the paper aside. “I understand that you are excited, but you won’t make it very far with all your worry.”
“These types of things are so new to me, Father, that I hardly know what to do,” William admitted as he took to the chair across from the older man. New furniture had been bought for this special occasion since the sitting room had only contained a few pieces beforehand. Everything looked rather charming and was simple in design.
“You’ve helped a household prepare for dinner parties many times before. You understand more than you give yourself credit for. They are just a means to socialize and gain better connections with respectful gentlemen in town. Think of it as a business arrangement,” his father said as a way to counsel him.
“I was very thoughtful when it came to who I had invited for the evening, but really my main focus is on Caroline. I wish to truly speak with her tonight,” William explained.
“It will be hard to get her alone with so many present. I hope you have a good diversion in place,” his father said with a smirk. “Perhaps they’d like to hear me tell old hunting stories?”
William chuckled as he said, “I’m sure they will only want to hear about my stories of being out at sea and how I became knighted. Or what it was like to spend time with the King for a few days. That seems all anyone is curious about.”
“Then perhaps some of the young ladies present would like to entertain the party with their singing and playing of the pianoforte. We certainly don’t use the instrument.”
“I shall encourage the young ladies to sing for me,” Grendel spoke up. “I find that the young people are quick to listen to their elders.” They all laughed at the thought, knowing that Grendel was really becoming used to her new position in society. William was just pleased to see the older woman so happy.
The chiming of the doorbell sounded throughout the house, signalling that his dinner guests had started to arrive. William stood, ready to greet and accept his guests with a happy smile and disposition. His heart raced as he waited for the butler to see in the first guests and he dearly hoped that it would be the Murphys with Caroline in tow.
The first family to arrive was Lord Vincent and his wife and their three older children. The youngest was a young lady who flashed her eyelashes at him upon introduction. William knew that with his new fame would come the attention of many young ladies. But the only young lady he was interested in was Caroline.
