His Wayward Ward - A Regency Novella (Risque Regency) (6 page)

Even so late in the Season, she proved to be something of a hit. She was a modest heiress with a pretty face, which would have made her acceptable even if it weren’t for the fact that she was Lord Carlton’s ward.

Eliza suspected that her guardian’s reputation and his elusive nature generated more good will from Society’s hostesses than their desire to welcome a green girl from Bath. Carlton might not be the most scandalous rake around, but he was interesting enough to provide hours of speculation for the social gossips. In the past he had rarely put in an appearance at Almacks, but his sudden willingness to squire his young wards around – particularly the pretty Miss. Percival – set tongues a wagging and the invitations poured in.

Truthfully, Eliza had never been so busy. But busy as she was, she never could quite shake the tangle of emotions that one man continued to rouse within her.

Not that she could blame Carlton for her ongoing confusion, not really. The man had done his best to ensure his two wards enjoyed a smooth integration into Society. Not only had he taken her to a dizzying number of social events but he had also arranged for her brother to be outfitted by Weston, which had promoted his lordship to the status of demigod in Edward Percival’s eyes. Edward was delighted to be spending time in the capital and had managed to find himself likeminded friends, who took him off to all manner of absurd pursuits on a regular basis.

‘He should be here squiring you about,’ Aunt Flora had sniffed upon hearing that her nephew had disappeared for three days with friends, ‘not going off with boys that have no more sense than he does.’

Aunt Flora had frowned. ‘No; and that I find
most
peculiar!’

Peculiar or not, Carlton seemed determined to be obliging, offering his household and his services without reservation. And Eliza was forced to admit that, no matter what the occasion, he managed to look perfectly at home, elegant and charming with a slightly amused aura that frequently made her feel like hitting him. Increasingly, she found herself wanting to ruffle those perfect feathers just to see if she could.

There had been no hint of anything inappropriate in his behavior towards her since the night of the cotillion. Naturally, Eliza had been relieved. His lordship maintained a remoteness that only disappeared when they were engaged in one of their frequent heated interchanges.

Occasionally, she caught him looking at her with an expression on his face Eliza could not interpret, but it was always gone so quickly that she was left wondering if she had imagined it.

After nearly three weeks in London, she was just preparing to go Covent Gardens on an outing with some friends when a maid knocked on the door.

‘Excuse me, Miss, a visitor has come to call.’ The girl held out a card.

Eliza took it and her heart fluttered when she read the name engraved there. Grayson was here! A pang of guilt closely followed the flutter, for, while she had naturally written to him on a regular basis, in the past week she had barely spared him a thought.

‘Tell him I’ll be right down, Polly.’

Crossing to the bed, she seized a light half cape and her gloves and then hurried downstairs. Grayson was in the green drawing room, standing before the window overlooking the street below, but he turned at the sound of the door and she paused, regarding him with a renewed sense of wonder. The light behind him turned his hair into a corona of spun gold, while his face looked as if it had been etched from alabaster. Could she have really forgotten for a moment what a fine looking man he was? Throwing her cloak and gloves onto a chair, Eliza hurried forward, hands outstretched.

‘Grayson! How wonderful!’

The slightly sulky set to his mouth lifted a little at this and he took her hands in his, kissing each one in turn. ‘Eliza! I was so hoping to find you home.’

‘I’m supposed to be going out, but it is no matter. Oh, Grayson, this is wonderful! How long are you staying?’

He smiled. ‘The remainder of the Season if necessary. A friend of mine in Gilbert Street has taken me in.’ He moved a little closer, arms slipping around her. ‘Are you truly happy to see me, my love? I thought, with all of the gaieties you must have been indulging in, you might have forgotten me.’

Another pang pierced Eliza, making her return his embrace with extra fervor. ‘Of
course
I’ve missed you! It’s been dreadful.’ A white lie but she could almost believe it wholeheartedly while Grayson’s arms were around her. Bending his head, he kissed her with an urgency that was flattering, if just a little stifling. She and Grayson had been affectionate with each other before and she had always enjoyed his caresses, but she still felt a little uncomfortable with his ardor.

When Grayson raised his head, his face was flushed. ‘Come away with me, sweetheart,’ he murmured, ‘I’ve missed you so much. Bath is empty without you. Let us end this torture.’

‘That’s exactly what I’m suggesting.’ He held both her hands in his own, blue eyes fixed on her face imploringly. ‘Truly, we are destined to be together and we will have such a wonderful life. I will take care of you my darling, you know I will.’

‘Yes but… but I will be back home again in five weeks and then we can… we can post the bans and get married in the usual way.’

‘I do not want to wait!’ Grayson pulled her against him. ‘Please, my love. There is no guarantee that Carlton will say yes when you return. He does not like me. I know it. I can sense it. Only come away with me and we can be man and wife within the week.’

He was talking about Gretna Green, of course. It lay a good three days ride away at the Scottish border. Despite the fact that Eliza herself had considered this option only a few short weeks before, she was strangely reluctant to agree to the suggestion now. And surely he was exaggerating? Carlton had never suggested that he might not give his consent to their marriage.

‘Then prove it. Come away with me. Pack up a valise now and we will leave immediately. Or tonight, if you prefer it. Only say that you will come with me -’

‘Do you think it quite the thing for a young gentleman to be holding an unmarried female’s hand in her guardian’s house? And all without the presence of a chaperone?’ The lazy voice behind them brought them apart in a flash. They turned, flushed with guilt, to find Carlton leaning against the door jam, his expression bland. He looked the picture of nonchalance, but Eliza was not deceived; she had come to recognize the subtle nuances that made up this man’s body language.

My Lord Carlton was not amused.

‘Sir!’ Grayson stepped forward immediately. ‘I apologize, but I was so eager to see Miss. Percival that I forgot myself.’

‘Yes. You did, didn’t you?’ Carlton straightened and walked into the room. His eyes flickered to Eliza’s face before returning to regard Grayson Henry. ‘To what do we owe the pleasure, Mr. Henry?’

Eliza’s thoughts were racing. How much had he heard? She felt mortified at being discovered like this, but she had not realized her guardian was home.

‘I have just arrived in town, Sir. I know I should have left a card and then called back -’

‘I’m relieved to hear it.’

‘ – but I was anxious to see Eliza. It has been three weeks. I am sure you can understand the natural inclinations of a man who… who holds someone in such high regard.’

‘Generally, men who hold women in high regard observe the social niceties. But I’m willing to allow that you might not know what they are, so I’m prepared to let you try again. Leave your card in the hall on the way out.’

This was so clearly a dismissal that Grayson had no option but to leave. He turned to Eliza, his expression speaking volumes. ‘My apologies, Miss. Percival. I look forward to our next meeting.’

And he walked stiffly from the room.

There was a small silence after he had gone, then Eliza took a deep, steadying breath. ‘Must you have been so… so horrid? You’ve made poor Grayson feel dreadful.’

‘So he should.’ Eliza was not used to that hard note in her guardian’s voice. Somehow, he had shed his habitual air of lazy indifference and she wasn’t at all sure that she cared for the man who was standing before her. ‘The young fool needs to learn some manners.’

‘That’s ridiculous and you know it. I have often entertained Grayson unsupervised at my aunt’s house.’ It was an exaggeration, of course. She had seen Grayson alone, but they had not been left that way for long.

‘Then your aunt is more of a fool than I took her to be,’ he replied tersely. ‘Good God, Eliza, do you not realize how easily it is for a woman to be ruined? One wrong word, one ill-advised meeting and her credibility is gone.’

‘Nonsense.’ She felt her anger rising, incensed that he had chosen to adopt such an attitude. Him, of all people! ‘Besides, Grayson and I are to be married. Surely under such circumstances those rules do not apply.’

‘There is no certainty that you will be marrying Grayson Henry,’ his lordship returned coolly. ‘My investigations into his financial state are not complete.’

‘Your investigations… how
dare
you do such a thing! Grayson is the best of men, the
kindest
of men! Do you think he is after my money?’ Eliza glared at him. ‘Grayson loves
me
. He does not care for my money.’

‘Five thousand pounds a year can make a man very romantic.’ Carlton bit back. ‘I am far from sure that Grayson Henry would make you a suitable husband and I have no intention of giving my permission prematurely.’

It was like striking a match to tinder and Eliza blazed up in a fury. ‘What makes you an authority on marriage? A rake who curls his lip at the very union? A man like you could not possibly understand how two people in love must feel and I will
not
stand here and let you suggest such dreadful things about poor Grayson! You are without a doubt the most insufferable, infuriating,
annoying
man…’ Words had failed her. She was so angry that she wanted to cry and she would not do so in front of Carlton, not for the world.

Instead, she fled the room, running upstairs and locking the door before she flung herself onto the bed and succumbed to the tears that would not hold back any longer.

And the worst thing was, as she cried into her pillow, that she did not quite know what she was crying for. Only that something, somewhere, was very, very wrong.

And that Carlton was the man responsible.

It was a cold morning, so she was glad that she had brought a warm cloak. Closing the door quietly behind her, Eliza hurried down the street. Grayson said he would have a vehicle waiting and, sure enough, when she rounded the corner, she saw a shabby brougham waiting at the curb with Grayson standing at the horses’ heads.

When a letter had been delivered to her room during the evening, as Eliza had been too emotionally exhausted to face anybody, she opened it and had immediately recognized the script.

Grayson would be waiting for her just after dawn; if she loved him, she would go away with him. It was as simple as that.

Eliza had spent several hours desperately trying to decide what to do. She was still stinging from Carlton’s uncharacteristic attack and the knowledge that he so distrusted Grayson that he was having his affairs investigated. Did he intend to do that with every suitor who might be interested in her? Or was it just Grayson Henry to whom he had taken such a dislike. It was all so unfair.

Sick of pacing the room and her own indecision, Eliza had packed a valise at ten and tried to get some sleep.

Now she was on her way to becoming Mrs. Grayson Henry and her stomach lurched uneasily. Much as she loved Grayson – and believed her guardian to be wrong – this did not feel right. None the less, she put on a smile when she saw him and he gave her a dazzling one in return.

‘Eliza! Thank God you came!’

She accepted his kiss, shivering with a mixture of the chill air and nerves. ‘Of course I came. How could I not?’

Despite her decision to elope, Eliza could not help but wish he would change his mind, suggest another way that they could be together. Had they really petitioned her guardian enough? Surely if they tried hard enough, they could convince him that Grayson was more than worthy of her hand. Carlton had shown himself to be perfectly reasonable over the past few weeks.

Remembering her guardian’s reaction the day before made her realize how hopeless such thoughts were. As far as Grayson was concerned, his lordship would never change his mind. And Carlton was wrong. Completely and utterly wrong.
He knows nothing about love and even less about commitment
, she thought bitterly and her resolve to go ahead hardened.

Grayson handed her into the brougham, tucking a rug around her solicitously. ‘We will stop at the first respectable inn, my love, so you can partake of some breakfast.’

‘Do you think we should?’ What if they were followed?

‘Of course.’ He squeezed her hand. ‘Everything will be fine, I promise you. Tonight we shall stop in Leicester and tomorrow night in Harrogate. And the night after…’ he raised her hand to his lips, ‘sweet Eliza, we shall finally be man and wife!’

She managed a wan smile, but was almost grateful when he closed the door and climbed up onto the driver’s seat. In an instant, they were off and Eliza had settled back into her seat, wishing that the dull feeling of dread that had settled like a heavy weight inside her would disappear. This was meant to be the beginning of her future and yet she could not shake off the sense that she was behaving like a rash fool. If only there had been another way…