Fate Is A Stranger: Regency Romance (11 page)

Violet enjoyed the chirping of the birds busily skipping from branch to branch. She exclaimed in delight as a cardinal landed on a bush beside them, made a few mad pecks on the plant and dashed off again, to land on the branch of a laurel. She followed the bird’s path as he continued to chat and nod at its stick legs.

She glanced back and gazed at the castle that rose above the dissipating mist. It seemed like the castle one would see in a book of fairy tales. She breathed deeply of the blossoms and sighed in contentment. How wonderful it would be if she could enjoy her week in this enchanted place without the undercurrents.

"Well, there they are, waiting for us." Her mother’s voice sounded brittle. Violet didn’t look forward to the meeting, either.

Violet glanced at the pair who waited for them by the fountain.

After their greetings, Lady de Compte suggested they should continue on their leisurely walk down the garden paths. She laced her arm to Sadie's and got behind Lord Souten. This left Violet no choice but to walk beside him.

This business will take only a few minutes and then she would be free to go to the little wood or
le bijou
—, as she had named it in her mind, and be completely alone, without any people who were always after something from her.

"You are very quiet, Miss Durbin," said Lord Souten.

Violet glanced briefly at him. "I was admiring this beautiful garden."

"The garden, poor thing, cannot compete with you, Miss Durbin."

If the man thought to endear himself to her with such comments he was in for a big surprise, thought Violet, annoyed. She ignored his comment and instead pointed at two bluebirds that seemed to be having a playful scuffle on the branch of a tree. "Those two are enjoying the morning," she said, and asked, "Were you able to get your carriage repaired?”

"It took several hours, Miss Durbin, and that is why I am indebted to you and your parents for allowing Lady de Compte to travel to the castle with you."

"We were happy to be of help."

"It’s looking to be quite an occasion. With my step-mother, the Marchioness of Deckworth, as the hostess it will be of unparalleled elegance and taste."

"Your step-mother is kind to help the Duke of Hawkinston with the ball."

"Yes, Mama is a very helpful woman. She was kindness itself to me throughout my life and showed me nothing but love and warmth. I could not have asked for a better step-mother."

Violet had trouble reconciling her image of the cold marchioness with this new version of her and instead asked Lord Souten if he had known Lady de Compte a long time.

"Yes, we have been acquainted for some time. She is a kind lady. I hope you will become friends, Miss Durbin, for she holds you in high esteem."

"And why is that, my lord? I hardly know her."

"She considers your heroic efforts that resulted in saving Lady Arandale from a dire fate to be of the most admirable. She is anxious to further her acquaintance with you."

"She has been spending some time with my mother. I believe they enjoy each other's company," said Violet, not committing herself to any friendship by proxy.

"I would also like to become better acquainted with you, Miss Durbin. May I have the privilege of calling you a friend?"

"I believe the word 'friend' is bandied about in a too careless manner these days. I do not believe that an acquaintance of a few minutes on several separate occasions can call for friendship.

"To me, friendship is a mutually earned privilege and not to be taken lightly. I do not believe friends should be made easily for then they can just as easily be discarded. I cannot call friend one who is only an acquaintance."

"I believe it to be so too, Miss Durbin," agreed Souten quickly, "and I admire you for your candid comments. Let me then rephrase my desire. I hope that I may someday earn the right to be your friend."

CHAPTER 11

"How well do you know the Duke of Hawkinston ?" asked Violet, eager to change the subject.

"Not as well as you might think, Miss Durbin," replied Lord Souten, "considering his sister is my step-mother. But then sometimes characters clash. On my part, at least, I don’t approve of his grace's style of living.

"I have noticed his interest in you, Miss Durbin, and it’s quite obvious to everybody that this sojourn was made in your honor. I must warn you, for the duke has a very bad reputation. His intentions toward you are anything but honorable."

Violet forced herself not to shake her head at such self-serving words. Whatever problems Lord Souten had with the duke were no concern of hers. She did not know Lord Souten well enough that she could consider or give weight to his opinion of the duke so instead she disregarded it. She
didn't
want to hear anything disparaging about the duke, particularly coming from this strange man who had an unhealthy interest in her himself.

It was not his place to warn her against the duke. He had but the slightest acquaintance with her, and not enough to be an adviser.

"I believe the Duke of Hawkinston to be an honorable man, my lord, and I don’t wish to discuss him. Neither I, nor my family will listen to any disparaging remarks about him.”

"Very well, Miss Durbin, if you desire it," said Souten, his face grim.

Violet could tell he was struggling to control the rage that her defense of the duke had caused in him and saw how he forced his face into a more pleasing countenance. The result was a half grimace half smile.

"I do desire it," Violet insisted.

"Let us talk of the ball then," he said, "If the subject of the duke bothers you. I am particularly anxious to have the honor of two dances with you. May I be permitted the supper dance and the first waltz of the second set?"

"I’m afraid the supper dance is already taken, but the first waltz of the second set is available."

"And may I know who is to be the fortunate man to have secured the supper dance?"

"I don't understand why it’s important for you to secure a dance so far in advance of the ball," said Violet, avoiding his question.

"I would ask for four or five in advance if I had the slightest chance that you would grant them to me. May I perhaps have the first waltz of the last set, also, Miss Durbin?"

For a moment Violet was silent. She felt like she was the object at an auction. Yet she was afraid Lord Souten would cajole her until she agreed, so, sighing she complied. "Very well, the first waltz of the second and last sets."

"And may I escort you and your mother to the ball, Miss Durbin?"

"The castle, though vast, is not a village through which we need escort," answered Violet, laughing. She wondered what Souten would say when he discovered that she had assigned the supper dance to the duke.

* * *

Souten gazed at Violet as she walked back to the castle with her mother. He stayed behind and felt his blood boil with rage. He was certain Violet had granted the supper dance to the duke.

She was falling in love with the Duke of Hawkinston, when it was with him, Souten, that she should be smitten. The thought that she was falling in love with Hawkinston sent Souten into such a frenzy of jealously that he shook, visibly. It was a good thing he was alone in the garden path, for he looked unwell, and he would have aroused curiosity.

Souten remembered the first time he had seen Violet, a few weeks before. It had been at the park.

He had been with his stepmother, the Marchioness of Deckworth, at the fashionable, crowded hour and Violet had been strolling down the side lane with another girl and an older woman. He had almost run into another carriage as he stared transfixed at Violet.

"Cade!" Lady Deckworth yelled out, and Souten barely reined in his horses in time to prevent a crash into the carriage in front.

Souten had then led the bays to the side and halted them, hardly aware of what he was doing.

He yelled to the tiger to take the reins.

"What on earth are you doing, Cade?" The marchioness was visibly upset.

"I must leave you, Mama,” he said hurriedly. “I just recalled I have a pressing engagement I forgot about. Jenks will take you back, or if you prefer, he will take you around to complete your afternoon round."

"He will do nothing of the kind," exclaimed the marchioness, alarmed. "I cannot stroll 'round like a lunatic, by myself, Cade. There would be no end to the wagging tongues. This is highly unusual and ill-mannered of you. What on earth has possessed you?"

The marchioness' bad eye trembled alarmingly so that she had to press her forefinger to it to stop the tremor. A branch swinging back to her face in her youth had caused this in her eye.

"I
must
go!"

"This is the kind of deportment that arouses Deckworth's disapproval of you, Cade. I implore you to sit down and stop this nonsense; people are staring at us…"

"I’m sorry. I cannot stay, Mother."

With that, Souten walked quickly away, anxiously looking at the throng to find the girl in the lavender dress and the lady in emerald and black.

After a few minutes he saw their forms from the distance and quickened his pace through the crowd. He recognized the other girl with them as Lady Jessica Blayne, whom he knew, and he went up to her and greeted her.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?" he asked, trying to control the breathlessness in his voice.

Souten realized that the older woman was Lady Kelly. He remembered having heard some years ago that Lord Kelly had married his mistress and publicly recognized and acknowledged his bastard daughter. So
this
was that girl! Souten could hardly keep on breathing as he stared transfixed at Violet.

An earthquake was going on in his body, making him shake from head to foot and this girl was the cause of it. For the first time in his life he had fallen in love. And it had been instantly and breathlessly. He would have told the other two to leave and let him be alone with Violet if he had not been certain he would have been branded as a lunatic and been forbidden access to Violet from then on.

Instead, Souten had assumed a subdued manner that belied the agitation Violet had caused in his life and asked if he could stroll with them.

He placed himself between the two girls and endeavored to appear sane and gentlemanly although he was feeling everything the opposite. His head was reeling and his pulse was rioting. His mind was chaotic with plans to get Violet alone with him and he hardly listened when Lady Jessica addressed him. She had to repeat her question.

"How long have you been in the park?"

"In the park? Not for long. In fact, I just got here, this very moment."

"I thought I saw you with the marchioness, my lord" said Sadie, "just as her carriage entered the park."

She was looking curiously at him. He tried to calm himself. It would not do for him to appear frantic.

"Ah—yes," he admitted. “My step-mother was not feeling well so she is returning home."

"And you did not accompany her home?" asked Sadie. He turned to her, for he could tell she did not like the way he had stared at Violet.

"She—she insisted I stay," he said, "Wouldn't hear of me returning with her. She said she would rather not be crowded in the carriage on her return—that I, uh—would take up all the air in the carriage."

He was silent as he strolled with them, trying in vain to catch his breath. Finally, after a few minutes Lady Jessica spoke.

"Did you come for the Season last year, my lord?"

"I did partake of the Season last year, my lady, but only the latter half, as that was when I came into my uncle's property and title."

Souten then stole a glance at Violet's profile and felt his breath rush hotly, searing him down his throat. He wondered if he would ever be able to control himself in her presence.

"Are you ladies going to the ball at Lord Galwell's house in St. James?" he asked, putting his trembling hands behind him.

"We have decided not to go," said Lady Jessica quickly, with a sidelong glance at Sadie. "We are fagged out from so much sight-seeing."

Souten deduced that Lady Jessica was trying to save her friends from an embarrassing moment. He was certain that although Lady Jessica and her family had been invited to Lord Galwell's house, Lord Kelly and his family were not invited.

"I'm sorry to hear that you're not going to the ball," said Souten, "I had hoped to see you ladies there."

"Well, it will have to be on another occasion," said Sadie, and added, "Come girls, we have arrived at our carriage. A pleasure, Lord Souten.”

"Madam," said Souten to Sadie, "May I be permitted to call on you ladies tomorrow?"

"Certainly, you may, my lord," said Sadie, noticing that Souten's hand trembled, visibly.

* * *

Back in their room Sadie thought back at their meeting with Lady de Compte and Lord Souten. She had not observed Souten before but since Violet had disclosed that the strange man was obsessively in love with her Sadie had made a point of looking at him more closely. Although she would have wanted Violet to decline dancing with him, Violet did not have a valid reason to do so and it would have been considered a social breach to refuse to dance with him.

She shivered when she remembered Souten’s glassy eyes as he stared at Violet.

What on earth did that man want?

Sadie was used to young men falling head over heels in love with Violet. Yet she had not had such foreboding of doom since that day when Shackel, Sadie’s lover of many years ago had announced to her that he was taking her daughter Violet, as his mistress, instead. And Violet not yet fourteen years old!

Although it had happened years ago the sinking, helpless feeling rushed to her and shook her being as if it had happened yesterday. And she realized with dismay that the same look had been in Shackel's eyes when he gazed at Violet that she had seen in Lord Souten’s eyes yesterday.

The same possessive look
.

Sadie shivered visibly, so that Violet, sipping her tea close to her on the bed, turned to look at her.

"Mama, are you all right? You look pale."

"Just the feeling, as they say, of someone walking over my grave."

"Don't say that, please."

"I’m sorry.”

"Lord Souten is an unusual man, Vi," she added. “I remember when we met him in the park some weeks past. He acted strangely that time, staring at you so. How well does Jessica know him? I recall it was she who introduced him to us."

"She hardly knows him. He went to school with Jessica's brother, Edgar. That's the extent of her acquaintance with him and as her brother is four years older than she, Jessie had little contact with Lord Souten."

"He seems extremely taken with you," said Sadie, "and stares at you in an unhealthy way. I don’t like it one bit, Vi."

"Nor do I, Mama. But don't worry so much over him. We’re at the castle and when this house party is over and we return to London, I shall make a point to avoid him."

"I wish you could avoid him
here
, Vi. I believe he has an obsession with you that began when we first met him, at the park.

"Promise me you will never be alone with that man," said Sadie, almost frantic. "I’m sorry I allowed Lady de Compte to convince me to a meeting with her and that awful man in the garden. Had I remembered him as the strange man we met at the park I would not have agreed to it."

"I shall be glad to comply with that request, Mama," Violet said with an uneasy laugh.

"This is serious, Vi, I don't think he's trustworthy. In fact, he may even be dangerous.”

"I agree with you, Mama. He has a look of someone who would be lurking behind dark stairwells.

"However, Jessica tells me that since he inherited the title and estate from his late uncle, his credit among the debutantes has gone up. He is considered to be one of the catches of the season, albeit not of the first tier. They are willing to overlook his chalky complexion and strange eyes it seems, to be mistress of his estate.

"But don’t fret overly about him, Mama, for I always make certain I am not in a situation where I am alone with a man. I must make certain I do not give cause for gossip."

Although, she mused, she had allowed herself to be alone with the duke. She had been able to stop herself in time but she might not be so lucky a second time. And Violet knew very well that it was not Hawkinston that she had to fear, but rather, herself, Just the thought that she would soon be dancing with him sent a thrill throughout her body.

"Well," said Sadie, "You better start getting ready for the ball, Vi. I shall take a little nap while Maribel does your hair. She takes such a long time."

Perhaps she was worrying needlessly, thought Sadie as she pulled the covers over herself and closed her eyes. Certainly their situation was vastly different now. They were not alone and helpless as when Shackel had forced Violet with threats and had struck Sadie in front of Violet, across the face, leaving a large welt on her cheek that had taken weeks to heal.