Chapter 4

Chapter 4

As luck would have it—at least in the case of Beatrice Wentworth and Sebastian Fairchild—both families had already agreed to attend a ball held at the Grant estate the very next day, and where Beatrice sat in her bedchamber, in front of her vanity, excitement radiated from her.

Dressed in a deep purple gown, she knew she looked quite beautiful though her face fell when Caroline entered, the bright blue of her gown looking lovely against her skin.

"Oh, you're wearing the blue," Beatrice announced, almost sounding disappointed, and Caroline lifted a brow at her sister. Beatrice forced herself to smile as she looked at her sister, and she sighed.

"I apologize if I sounded petulant. It's just that… I was hoping that Sebastian and I would announce our engagement tonight, but… I feel as though I pale next to you when you wear that."

Caroline shook her head with a laugh and leaned closer, giving her sister a quick hug. "Oh, Beatrice," she admonished. "Don't be silly. You look lovely in the purple—like a princess."

Beatrice grinned brightly at this. "That is what I was going for," she admitted. "I wanted to exude royalty."

"Well," Caroline affirmed with a smile, "You most certainly do. Now come. I believe that the carriage is ready."

Beatrice flashed her sister an excited smile before the two made their way down to the carriage where their parents were already waiting. William Wentworth looked at his daughters proudly—as proud as only a man with two gorgeous daughters could be.

"The both of you look lovely," he announced immediately, and their mother nodded quickly. "You do indeed look beautiful," she said to her daughters, a smile playing around her lips. "I will not be surprised if both of you draw the attention of the gentlemen at the ball tonight."

Beatrice laughed giddily at this, but Caroline remained quiet—merely flashing her mother a stiff smile before climbing into the carriage.

"Oh, I do hope today is the day that Sebastian and I will announce our engagement," Beatrice said quickly and she flashed her father an eager smile. William looked at his daughter proudly and nodded. "I believe the announcement will be made soon," he affirmed. "Though you should not be too hasty. I am certain everyone at the ball will see you together and they will know that he is courting you."

Beatrice flashed her father a dazzling grin at this, and a sigh escaped her lips. "Oh, it is going to be lovely," she announced dreamily. Caroline flashed her sister a smile before looking out of the window.

"Oh, Caroline, is Edward attending the ball?" Beatrice's voice interrupted Caroline's thoughts, and the latter hesitated. She suppressed the urge to sigh, and a stiff smile appeared on her lips.

"Oh, yes," she said at last. "I do believe he is attending—we'd spoken about it some days ago and he was quite excited about it."

If Beatrice noticed that her sister was not as eager about the prospect of the ball as she was, she did not let it on in the slightest. Instead, she continued chattering excitedly.

"Will it not be lovely?" she went on. "You, me, Edward and Sebastian—oh, and what if you got married right after us? Oh, Caroline, can you imagine?"

Caroline could indeed imagine, but she supposed that it would not make her sister happy if she admitted that the vision was not nearly as lovely as Beatrice thought it would be. Edward, she had to admit, took a rather distant second place when she compared him to Sebastian—even though she knew that it was an unfair comparison.

"I can imagine," she said simply and to her relief, she was saved from more probing questions when the carriage came to a sudden halt in front of the Grant estate.

Of course, as Beatrice had hoped, Sebastian was waiting at the entrance when the Wentworth carriage arrived and Beatrice made her way out of the carriage delicately, though her face lit up when she saw her future husband.

Caroline too, allowed her gaze to drift over his tall, muscular frame appreciatively, her eyes lingering on the way his well-tailored clothing hinted at the powerful body beneath.

For a treacherous moment, she allowed herself to wonder what it might feel like to have those strong arms around her, to be pressed against that firm chest… before catching herself with a start, shocked at the improper direction of her thoughts.

"Lady Beatrice," Sebastian greeted kindly when Beatrice approached, and she gathered her skirts, bowing her head kindly when she stopped in front of him.

Sebastian glanced around at the bystanders before offering Beatrice his arm. Caroline smiled brightly when she noticed a bright grin lit up her sister's face.

Beatrice glanced at Caroline over her shoulder and her brow furrowed in a pleading frown, one Caroline understood at once.

‘Please, Caroline,' the furrow said silently. ‘Join us.'

With a sigh, Caroline joined the couple and quite soon it was her voice drowning out the chatter that followed them. Beatrice was not unaware of the chatter and her grin brightened as the whispers drifted towards her.

"... suppose they are courting…"

"... soon we will have a Fairchild and Wentworth wedding…"

"... oh, Lady Beatrice will be a lovely bride…"

She took in the whispers with pride and a lifted chin, while Caroline glanced at Sebastian with an impish grin. He looked positively dour and she laughed softly as she glanced up at him.

"You look positively miserable, My Lord," she whispered as she moved forward and Sebastian lifted a brow, looking down at her.

"I wouldn't say miserable," he said softly too, "though I must admit that I do not enjoy being the talk of town."

Caroline laughed with a shake of her head. "Oh, what is not to enjoy?"

Before Sebastian could answer, however, a hand reached out and took hold of Caroline's gloved wrist. She swung round, her face falling when she met the eager brown eyes of Edward Pembroke.

"Lady Caroline," Edward said eagerly. "I hear a waltz is about to start. May I have this dance?"

Caroline flashed Edward a stiff smile and nodded, though she could not deny that there was a part of her that was rather curious about Sebastian's retort to her latest comment.

"Of course," she answered dutifully, following Edward onto the dance floor. She forced a small smile onto her lips as they took up position on the dance floor and the waltz began. Almost instantly they fell into step, their bodies moving in perfect synchrony to the music.

Edward's hand rested firmly on her waist, his fingers pressing into the delicate fabric of her gown. Caroline glanced up at him, though she quickly averted her gaze upon noting the intensity in his gaze as he pulled her closer, their chests nearly touching.

"Caroline, you look absolutely lovely tonight," Edward murmured softly, his breath tickling her ear.

Though the intimacy of the moment filled her with unease, she allowed herself to laugh, the sound sounding quite foreign to her ears. "You flatter me, Edward," she said as they swayed across the floor. "And may I just reiterate how much I do enjoy our friendship. It truly means the world to me."

Edward's brow furrowed slightly at this, but he quickly masked it with a smile. "Yes, friendship is important," he agreed, then spun her out before drawing her back into his arms. "But… certainly you must know that my feelings for you run far deeper than mere friendship."

Caroline's brow furrowed at this, her heart sinking at his words. "You… are kind," she sputtered, searching her mind desperately for any way of redirecting his misguided affections. She glanced around the room desperately, her entire being longing to join the lively conversations and laughter of the other guests. Edward, though, would not allow it, his grip tightening around her waist.

There was something different about him, Caroline thought, finding herself growing increasingly uncomfortable at his touch. Edward's hand seemed to drift lower on her back, his fingers grazing the edge of propriety. She tried to subtly shift away, but Edward merely held her closer, his eyes boring into hers with an intensity that had her shuddering. "I want more than what we have," Edward whispered, his breath hot on her ear. "I want you to be mine, Caroline."

It was terribly improper, and Caroline pushed him away slightly.

"Edward," she managed to get out at last, her voice strained. "Would you mind terribly if we took a break? I'd love to catch up with some of the other guests."

Edward, however, merely shook his head—a possessive glint appearing in his eyes. "Nonsense, Caroline," he insisted. "I've been looking forward to this dance since I was invited to this ball. Certainly you can spare a few more moments for your dearest friend?"

Caroline forced a smile, her cheeks aching from the effort. She nodded then, resigned to her fate as Edward led her through the rest of the waltz. His presence, which she had so often enjoyed, suddenly felt suffocating and inescapable.

Relief coursed through Caroline as the final notes of the music faded away. She curtsied quickly, before yanking her grip from his.

"Thank you, Edward, for the dance," she mumbled and then she breathed a sigh of relief when she noticed the vibrant red hair of her best friend, Martha White. "Oh, I see Martha, do excuse me," she muttered before rushing off and grabbing her friend's arm.

"Please, Martha," Caroline pleaded even before greeting her friend. "Would you be a dear and keep Edward company for a bit? I do find myself quite in need of some fresh air."

Martha, seemingly understanding her friend's distress, nodded at once and Caroline rushed away after a quick squeeze of her friend's hand.

She sighed deeply once she got into the garden, closing her eyes and enjoying the silence—and the freedom from Edward's odd behavior.

The silence, of course, did not last long and she smiled politely when she recognized the approaching figure of Sebastian Fairchild.

"Lady Caroline," Sebastian greeted, flashing her a smile, and Caroline returned the grin with a nod of her head.

"Lord Casterbridge."

Though they were alone—something entirely improper, especially as he was her sister's fiancé—Caroline could not see the harm in staying outside just a minute longer.

"What brings you outside?" Sebastian asked and he shifted to stand next to her, gazing out on the lovely gardens.

Caroline sighed. "I… merely needed some fresh air."

Sebastian sniggered at this and she turned her gaze, catching his eye. There was a knowing glint in the green depths and her cheeks turned a deep shade of crimson.

"I saw you… dancing," Sebastian said simply, and Caroline shook her head, mortified that anyone had noticed her obvious discomfort. Sebastian, however, kept his good-natured smile.

"It seems Lord Pembroke will not give anyone else a second of your time," Sebastian teased, and Caroline shook her head with a groan.

"He is not always like that," she explained, then shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know what has gotten into him."

"Perhaps he is feeling romantic," Sebastian teased, and Caroline groaned. "Is that what romance is? Because I promise you, it felt as though I was caught in the grip of a squid."

She pressed her hands to her cheeks guiltily immediately after the words escaped her lips and shook her head.

"I apologize," she said immediately. "I shouldn't speak like that. He is a good friend."

"Don't fret," Sebastian said quickly, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "I do believe that the comparison is quite apt—at least today. But I do suppose we have to return to our captivity."

Though a frown quickly flashed across her brow at his words, Caroline carefully chose not to question it—instead, nodding and following the man back to the ballroom.

It happened suddenly, as they made their way back inside. Caroline herself was not quite sure how exactly it happened: one moment she was still walking easily and the next, she tumbled forward, nearly falling to her face.

A strong pair of arms suddenly encircled her waist ,and Caroline could feel her hands pressing against a muscled chest. The heat of his strong body seeped through her gown, making her acutely aware of every hard plane pressed against her softer curves. His masculine scent—a mix of spice, leather and something uniquely him—filled her senses, making her head spin with a sudden, unfamiliar ache of yearning. The curve of her breasts pressed against his chest, sending a jolt of electricity through her.

She tried in vain to get back to her feet, but merely managed to stumble once more—grateful for the strong hands steadying her.

"My heel," she explained needlessly. "It's stuck on my dress, I…"

Her body pressed rather intimately against his as she bent down to yank at her dress in a desperate attempt to free her heel from the material. As Sebastian's arms tightened around her waist to steady her, Caroline could feel a flutter low in her belly, her skin tingling where his fingers flex possessively against her hip through the thin silk of her dress. For a moment she felt boneless, melting into his solid frame, before she came back to herself with a start.

A gasp from the side caught her attention just as she managed to free her heel, losing her balance as she did so—falling even closer to the brick-like chest in front of her. Caroline pressed her hands against the strong chest. She could feel the thud of his heartbeat beneath her palm, and the coiled strength of his muscles. Warmth pooled in her core at the unfamiliar sensations, a blush staining her cheeks at her body's traitorous response to his nearness. Her face flushed, she turned her gaze to look at the crowd beside them:

A crowd that was staring at the pair in what looked like an incredibly close embrace.