The Wedding Runaway (13 page)

A wave of longing so strong it nearly made her sing out her gender shook her knees.

He turned and looked at her and smiled.
"
Never knew you
'
d prove so modest
,
cub. What do you think of this shade of blue?
"

Lydia wanted to dissolve at his feet.
"
Everyone back home gets measured in the fitting room
,"
she said and attempted to look puzzled that she
'
d done anything out of the ordinary. She turned and gestured toward the wall.
"
I thought that was what those hooks were for.
"

She moved closer as if drawn by an invisible force. He gathered the material from the counter and held it up against her chest. With every inch of resolve she possessed
,
she held her ground. Wave after wave of yearning spilled through her. His hand so casually pressing against her bound breast made sensations riot in her body. Then the urge to pull away melted into an urge to push closer. She stared into his dark eyes.

"
Does bring out the color of his eyes
,
doesn
'
t it?
"
said the assistant.

Victor shoved the material back on the counter and stared down at it. His voice sounded strained as he said
,
"
Yes
,
the ladies will all be wanting him for a pet.
"

Lydia tried to catch her breath
,
which she had no earthly reason to have lost.

"
We
'
ll do quilted waistcoats. That
'
ll add a bit of bulk on the top
,"
said the tailor.
"
Not everyone has a fine manly figure like your lordship. Never have to work to disguise any flaws with you. And where shall I send the bills?
"

"
My direction
,"
said Victor.

"
No
,"
corrected Lydia and she gave her address to the tailor
,
making sure he wrote it down.

"
Have the clothes delivered there
,"
said Victor.
"
Quickly
,
if you please.
"

"
And the bills
,"
said Lydia
,
but she suspected the tailor wouldn
'
t listen to her, knowing there was a man in the room.

"
Come
,
cub. We
'
re on to the cobbler's for shoes and then we
'
ll go to Gunther
'
s for an ice.
"

The rest of the afternoon passed in easy camaraderie. They went to the cobbler where shoes for evening wear were ordered
,
and Victor didn
'
t seem to pay much mind to the cobbler
'
s complaint that her feet were smallish and her heels were too narrow. As long as Victor didn
'
t realize those were feminine traits
,
she was safe. Or was she?

The longer she spent with him
,
the more she wanted to spend time with him. The more she wanted him to learn she was female. She really should end this odd friendship. She should say something so cruel or insulting he washed his hands of her. But the thought broke her heart.

~*~

Lady Helena Bosworth pulled back the last of the Holland cloths covering the furniture in her family
'
s London drawing room. Her orange-marmalade-colored kitten sneezed with a vehemence that made his little legs wobble.

Helena scooped up the kitten.
"
Yes
,
I know
,
Sparks. As soon as Mama arrives with the maids we shall have quite a dust-up.
"

A stern lecture more than a fight
,
most like. Her mother
'
s censure had ridden on Helena for days. There had been months of discussion about whether or not they would even come to town for the season this year. Not that anyone had asked her opinion.

Helena rubbed her nose with the little tabby
'
s.
"
All this uproar for me
,
and I should much rather have stayed away. Yes
,
I
'
m sure you think I
'
m silly. I should love the chance to dance and make merry.
"

The reason behind it all just blue-deviled her.

Helena heard a commotion down in the front entryway. She looked out a window over the street. Yes
,
her parents
'
crested carriage and the two baggage carts behind
,
trailed by the plainer coach that contained several of the staff, had arrived. Everyone piled out
,
and the street swarmed with servants removing band boxes and trunks.
"
I shall shut you in my room
,
so you are not stepped upon
,
all right
,
Sparks?
"

The kitten mewed as if to protest. He had already been cooped up ignobly in a sack for over an hour as Helena rode ahead on horseback with several of the grooms to have the house open when the main entourage arrived. She wanted to be sure her father could sit and put up his gouty leg
,
without delay.

The house was oddly quiet
,
all empty. In years past her twin sisters had been here too. But both of them were married now. Only Helena remained unattached.

Her father had been healthier too
,
and normally they all arrived together. But the carriage had to be driven at a snail
'
s crawl to avoid jarring her father overmuch
,
and Helena had grown impatient with the torturous pace.

"
Helena!
"
Her mother called.

Helena closed the door of her room on her mewing kitten and hurried down the stairs. Two footmen assisted her father up the stairs and into the drawing room.

"
I have the covers all off. And there will be hot water for tea in just a spot
,
Papa
,"
she said as she passed the doorway.

In spite of the lines of pain etched in his face
,
he smiled and said
,
"
Ah there
'
s a treat. Whatever would I do without you
,
Helena?
"

"
Come into the morning room.
"
Her mother pulled off her coat and gloves. Permanent worry lines made her mother
'
s face appear harsh and haughty and much older than her forty-four years
,
although not as old as her father
'
s sixty-six years.
"
We have to talk.
"

"
Shouldn
'
t we help the servants get everything situated?
"
Helena hoped to delay the lecture.

The Countess of Caine rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"
Everything is labeled. The servants should be able to manage under Meeks
'
s supervision.
"

Her mother wasted no time in getting to the heart of the matter.
"
This is to be your last season. You must find yourself a husband by the end of it. We cannot have any more of your dilly-dallying.
"

Helena nodded.
"
Well
,
I shall do my best
,
and I shall quite understand if we stay in the country next season.
"

"
It won
'
t be just next season
,
and since I never produced a son to inherit the estate
,
I
'
m afraid we must see you comfortably settled in an appropriate marriage. Your father is not well
,
Helena
,
and the social season is very dear.
"

"
Yes
,
well
,
we could do without a box at the opera
,
could we not?
"
They surely could practice a few economies. While it was understood that the bulk of her father
'
s estate was entailed and would pass to his cousin on his death
,
they didn
'
t need to bury her father
,
just yet.

Her mother shuddered.
"
We must keep up appearances. Your father is an earl
,
and we must comport ourselves in a manner worthy of his station.
"

Helena clasped her arms behind her back. That meant a box at the opera
,
a box at the theatre
,
a subscription to Almack's
,
hosting at least two balls
,
a dozen other assorted routs
,
breakfasts and get-togethers. Helena would have to go through myriad fittings for morning dresses
,
day dresses
,
riding habits
,
evening gowns
,
and a dozen new ball gowns. Although she had acquired enough ball gowns in the last five years to stuff a whole room. Frankly
,
Helena would be content reading a good book with Sparks on her lap.

"
Your father has had to offer the Coventry estate for sale. We shall have to let out the townhouse next season to hope to recover some of the monies spent on launching you girls in the last few years.
"

Wait. The Coventry estate was to be hers. Either as her dowry or a place to live in her old maid dotage. She
'
d half-pictured herself growing old there with a cat or two for companionship. She blinked.

"
Helena
,
you are a beautiful girl." Her mother continued. "Surely you can offer enough encouragement to a gentleman worthy of you to receive an offer.
"

Ah
,
there was the rub. She
'
d only ever offered encouragement to a gentleman not worthy of her. Some would have said he did not deserve the appellation
gentleman
,
that he was only a man. He would have surely been shown the door if he bothered to ask for her hand in marriage. The only trouble was he hadn
'
t bothered.

It was the nearest she
'
d ever come to experiencing passion
,
and
,
all in all
,
it was a very puny nearness. For the depth of feeling most certainly was all on her side.

"
So you see it is time to stop waiting for love or whatever nonsense that has you dragging your feet. You must concentrate on offering encouragement and bring a gentleman up to scratch. Helena
,
are you listening to me?
"

"
Yes
,
ma
'
am.
"
She wanted to be a dutiful daughter
,
she really did. She was just so afraid she would have to settle for a man more than twice her age or worse. Was it too much to ask to fall in love?

"
Well
,
there is Lord Algany. He needs a wife.
"

"
Yes
,
well
,
I believe he has decided to look for a
rich
wife.
"

Her mother bit her lip.
"
Lord Brumly might be available still. He certainly doesn
'
t need a rich wife
,
although your children would have little hope of a decent legacy.
"

"
Is he still alive?
"

"
You could do worse
,"
said her mother sternly.
"
At least he has a respectable title.
"

"
Perhaps
,
I could consider a viscount or mayhap a baron.
"
Since all the others named held the rank of earl. In years past, she
'
d been pointed at foreign princes and royal dukes. Then she been aimed at just plain dukes and marquises. As the oldest daughter and supposedly the most attractive, she was predestined to make the best match
,
above her father
'
s position if possible.
"
What if I were to look among commoners?
"

Her mother gave her a hard look.
"
The Earl of Wedmont was just made widower.
"

"
Yes
,
and there are already rumors that he murdered his wife.
"

Lady Caine closed her eyes and pressed her fingertips to her forehead.
"
Well
,
she was not good enough for him
,
and it is a good thing there wasn
'
t any issue. He will need to remarry. You cannot say he is too old or ugly.
"

"
No
,
I cannot say that. I shall toss my handkerchief in his direction
,
then. Although I cannot say how he will find it among all the others.
"
Being thought a murderer would likely only increase his attractiveness. While Helena craved passion
,
an excess of it—such as might be found in a man who murdered his wife—might be a little much for her.

Then again
,
she might have been hoping for something that was beyond her. Passion and love and all those intense emotions might be reserved for people who were a bit more excitable than she was. In spite of her red hair and green eyes
,
she seemed to have a quite moderate nature.