Chapter Eleven

CHAPTER ELEVEN

LATER THAT EVENING ~ LATHAM MANOR

O h Lord , what have I gotten myself into?

Lucy sighed as she beheld Rowan standing in the hallway outside her room. He smiled at her with that crooked smile, flashing that dimple. She had to keep herself from swooning at the sight of him in a black suit and crisp white shirt. His jacket and breeches molded to his muscular shoulders and legs like a second skin. He was not a typical ton gentleman in the way he dressed. But his clothes were beautifully made and suited him perfectly.

“ You look stunning,” he said in that deep, rough way that made her shiver. “ Are you cold, Lucy ?” He asked the question in an almost overly solicitous way, but Lucy knew better. He knows I’m not cold. He knows I’m just reacting to how gorgeous he is, the scoundrel.

Truth be told, she did feel beautiful.

Mary had sighed in delight as she had put the finishing touches on Lucy’s hairstyle. Her talented maid had swept up Lucy’s dark curls, allowing a couple to loosely frame her face. “ Your gown is so lovely, milady. It makes your eyes look a deep purple.” Lucy had chuckled at that but strangely enough, her eyes did seem to match the dark purple color of her gown.”

But even if she and Rowan looked the part of the happy couple, Lucy knew the truth of it. This house party had gone completely topsy-turvy. She thought she’d be spending a few days among friends, relaxing, singing Christmas carols, playing cards, and indulging in a few sweet treats. Never did she dream that she’d be embroiled in yet another potential scandal and find herself betrothed to one of the most handsome and richest men in England . Surely , no one could call her Unlucky Lucy . And yet, she didn’t feel particularly lucky.

She could feel the heat of his touch, even through her gloves. Whenever he glanced at her, she couldn’t help but remember his kisses. Once they’d started kissing, they couldn’t seem to stop. She’d lost count of the number. But what did that matter now? Even if he had enjoyed kissing her, perhaps he’d just been carried away by the love letters, the moment, the intimacy of it all. In any event, Rowan had had no choice but to propose. And Lucy had had no choice but to accept.

Perhaps if they had returned to Latham’s on their own, they might not have been forced into this impromptu engagement party. But then, she reminded herself, everyone would say she had been compromised. The result would have been the same.

As usual, Frankie had outdone herself with the arrangements, even managing a small orchestra—who would provide music so that the guests could dance. It really was an engagement ball.

“ There they are,” Frankie said as she and Latham walked up to greet them. She leaned in and kissed Lucy on the cheek. Katie and Paula did the same, as Slice and Nelson both gave them warm congratulations. “ We are so happy for you, darling,” Katie said.

“ Would you prefer the announcement to be made before dinner or afterward?” Latham asked.

“ Perhaps it would be better to go ahead and make it now,” Rowan said, pulling Lucy closer to him. “ Lucy ?”

“ I agree,” Lucy said, looking up into his beautiful blue eyes with a grateful smile. “ Then , I can relax.” A strained laugh escaped her lips, leaving an awkward silence in its wake. She hated being the center of attention.

“ It appears everyone is here,” Frankie said.

Latham nodded as he signaled for the orchestra to begin. “ Once the orchestra finishes this first song, Frankie and I will interrupt and call you both up front to make your announcement. Is that fine with you?”

Rowan looked at Lucy , who gave a slight nod. “ That’s fine,” he said, squeezing Lucy’s hand.

Lucy was thankful for Rowan’s strength. The announcement itself was straight to the point and without any unnecessary details, but it nevertheless triggered a buzz of excitement throughout the ballroom.

Each guest took turns congratulating them, and Lucy detected only sincerity. Several women gushed over Lucy’s good luck to have won over the handsome Earl of Scarborough , whose reputation as a fierce and fearless agent of the Crown and a known rake had made many a woman across Britain swoon. Strangely , their well wishes contained no animosity. Lucy much preferred this side of the ton to the side she had normally experienced. She assumed it was because everyone present was a friend or relative of Frankie and Latham . She doubted the rest of Society would react the same way. Well , it didn’t matter. She’d have to deal with it as she had with everything else in her past.

Once the announcement was over, she took a relaxing breath and turned to Frankie and Latham . “ Thank you both so much. It was so considerate of you to do this for us.”

“ There’s more, my dear. Our cook has insisted on making you both a special meal, followed by a beautiful engagement cake,” Frankie said with a twinkling smile.

Just the mention of a cake made Lucy’s stomach growl. Supper couldn’t come soon enough. The little fox had been such a good boy she needed to reward him. Charlie , the stable boy, had taken Ashe into the tack room at the back of the stable and promised to watch over him for the duration of the party. She checked her pocket and found the handkerchief she had placed inside. She would wrap up a few goodies and take them to Ashe and Charlie .

Lucy and Rowan managed to dance twice—one was a quadrille, and the other a waltz—a dance that would always be imprinted in her memory. As he’d waltzed her around the ballroom, Lucy had almost felt like they were truly engaged in every sense of the word. The way Rowan had looked into her eyes as they danced had nearly taken her breath away. Perhaps he was just as caught up in the moment as she was. But how long would that last? How could a man like Rowan be happy tied down for the rest of his life in a marriage that had been foisted upon him?

“ A penny for your thoughts,” she said as they sipped champagne just outside the ballroom. It was stuffy, and she’d needed some air.

“ I was just thinking about all the changes in my life these past two months. I’ve gone from working for the Crown to leaving the army and settling into a titled life as an earl…and now, a pending wedding.”

She studied his face, looking for something else. Something she thought she’d seen when they were at his manor house. They had spent a little more than two days in the most intimate of circumstances—completely alone, making dinner, sharing stories, and enjoying each other’s company. They even revealed their deepest feelings as they read through his great-aunt and great-uncle’s letters. The time they had shared, sheltered from the snowstorm, seemed so far away now. Like it had almost been a dream.

But now, everything was real. Rowan seemed more like the man who had discovered her outside the groundskeeper’s shed about to steal a fox. He was more serious. His face was stoic. Was this all about duty for him? Of course, it was. How could it not be? He felt a duty to marry her. Suddenly , she felt sick. It was happening again. She was being forced to marry someone who didn’t love her. She couldn’t do this again. She could not marry for any reason other than love.

“ I … I don’t feel very well,” she whispered.

“ Is it the champagne?” he asked.

“ I’m not going to be sick if that’s your concern,” she said.

“ I didn’t mean it that way.”

“ It doesn’t matter,” she said, trying to keep her lips from trembling. Trying to keep the tears at bay, at least until she got back to her room. “ Perhaps it might be best for me to make it an early night. This has been a day full of excitement and change.”

“ Are you certain?” he asked. “ Can I get you some lemonade? Perhaps you might feel better.” His voice resonated with worry.

“ No . I think I’ve overdone it today with all that has happened. I should go to bed. Tomorrow , I will feel like much more the thing,” she said.

“ Then , I will walk you to your room.”

“ No , no. You stay here and enjoy your friends,” Lucy said. “ I will see you in the morning.” With that, she turned and hurried away, not looking back. Because she knew she’d see the relief on his face. And she couldn’t bear that.

As she approached the stairs, Paula and Katie met her. “ Where are you going? The evening is still young.”

She turned to face them, her eyes brimming with tears. “ He doesn’t love me.”

“ How do you know this?” Paula asked her as the two women escorted her up the stairs.

“ He’s only marrying me to save my reputation,” she said, swiping at the tears as they rounded the banister and walked down the hall to her room.

Lucy walked to the window in her bedchamber and gazed at the night sky. The grounds were blanketed with heavy snow. The twinkling stars made the snow glitter like diamonds.

“ Lucy , a lot has happened today, and it can seem overwhelming,” Katie said as she followed Lucy to the window. “ But everyone at the party is so happy for you both. I know you’re worried about the ton , but I don’t think you should be.”

“ We’ve seen the way Lord Scarborough looks at you,” Paula said, sitting on Lucy’s bed.

“ How does he look at me?” Lucy asked over her shoulder.

“ Like he’s a starving man, and you’re a juicy Christmas goose.”

Lucy rolled her eyes. “ You’re just saying that because you’re my friend.”

“ Are you blind?” Paula almost shouted.

“ Stop arguing, you two,” Katie scolded. “ Lord Scarborough is a noble and good man. He’s been friends with Thomas , Nelson , and Sebastian for years. No one could have forced him to do anything. You must mean a lot to him for him to propose. Sebastian said he never wavered.”

“ He’s marrying me out of duty,” Lucy insisted. Her voice trembled with sadness as she spoke.

“ Do you love him?” Paula asked.

“ I do,” she breathed. “ But I won’t put myself in another loveless marriage.”

“ Have you spoken to him? Have you told him how you feel?” Paula persisted.

“ Paula , stop being so bossy,” Katie admonished. She held Lucy’s hands in hers.

“ Lucy , you’re over tired. It’s been a trying few days. Please get some rest. We’ll speak more about this tomorrow morning.”

“ You’ll be able to think more clearly in the morning after a good night’s rest,” Paula added, hugging Lucy .

“ Everything will be clearer in the morning,” Katie said.

“ Perhaps you are right,” Lucy agreed. She said good night to her friends and rang for Mary . She would tell Mary about Ashe , and then retrieve him from the stable and bring him to her room. Everything would be all too clear in the morning. That’s what worried her, and that was why she needed to make the right decision.