Chapter Twenty-Three

For the first time in her life, the wind and the waves did nothing to comfort her. Temperance stood on the shoreline, her vision blurring as fresh tears burned in her eyes. Even now, a day after Lord Barlington had made his demands, she still felt the shock and the sting of it just as fiercely as she had done at the time. It burned through her, stealing away her joy, stealing away any sense of happiness for her future and instead, leaving her with nothing but darkness.

But I care for Lord Calverton, she thought to herself, tears dripping to her cheeks. When he asked to court me, it was as though every single moment of pain had been swallowed up and was gone. I had hope. I had happiness. I had… did I have love?

Her eyes closed tightly as tears began to drip to her cheeks. The wind blew at them as though it was seeking to push them from her, to help soften the pain but more came in their place. She wrapped her arms around herself, dropping her head forward, wishing desperately that she could find a solution to what Lord Barlington had forced upon her but nothing came.

If I truly care for Lord Calverton as I do, if there really is the whisper of love within my heart for him, then I will not step back from this. I must protect him, whatever the cost to me.

"Temperance!"

Her name was on the wind and Temperance shuddered, too afraid to look around for fear that it was Lord Barlington coming to haunt her again.

"Temperance, please!"

A hand went to her arm and Temperance flinched, pulling her arm away and stumbling back. "Leave me!"

She turned sharply, ready to strike out at Lord Barlington only to see Lord Calverton looking back at her.

Weakness flooded her. "Calverton."

"Temperance," he said again, his voice softer now, his eyes searching hers as he reached for her hands. "Temperance, please. Tell me what has happened."

She shook her head, wordlessly .

"This is not what you want. I know it. You know it," he told her, as she dropped her head, unable to look into his eyes. "What has happened, Temperance? Why did you accept him?"

His hands pressed hers and tears fell to her cheeks all over again. "I have no choice, Calverton," she whispered, her voice broken with emotion. "Please, do not try to dissuade me. I must accept."

"Why must you?" he begged, coming closer to her. "You accepted me, I know that you wanted to begin our courtship. What did he say to you to force you to accept him? I do not understand."

The urge to tell him everything grew so strong, Temperance had to close her eyes to shut out the sight of his handsome, earnest face. "Please, Calverton."

"I will not leave you until you tell me."

Her eyes flew open, shock racing through her.

"I will not give up. You have become too precious to me, too dear for me to permit you to marry the very gentleman who caused you so much pain. Especially when I know that it is against your will."

Temperance looked back at him, not knowing what she ought to do. Lord Calverton gazed back at her, then dropped one of her hands and for a moment, she thought he was to step away. Then his hand lifted to her cheek, his thumb brushing lightly across her skin as he chased the tears away.

"Tell me the truth, Temperance, please. I beg of you, please be truthful. There is nothing that he can do that will – "

"But there is!"

The words flew out of her mouth before she could prevent them and Temperance clapped one hand to her mouth, only to then try and turn away from him, twisting out of his grip.

"Temperance!" Lord Calverton caught her around the waist as she began to sob, his hands going to frame her face, his eyes searching desperately for the truth. "What was it he said? What has he threatened?"

Temperance closed her eyes again, her breath shuddering out of her. "If I tell you, then what he has threatened will come to pass."

"He will not know you have told me," Lord Calverton promised, as Temperance opened her eyes, only for a sudden fear to clutch at her heart. Again, she spun away from him, her hand pressing against her heart, dread pouring into her veins. Her eyes scanned the cliffs, her breathing ragged as she searched for any sign of Lord Barlington.

"Temperance, come back!" Lord Calverton proved to her that he was not about to be dismissed, rushing after her so that, no matter how many steps she took, he was always there, following after her. "What is it that you are so afraid of?"

"He could be watching!" Temperance cried, her heart pounding. "He could see us and then – "

Lord Calverton caught her hand and then, after a moment, began to pull her towards the edge of the cliffs. "Come here," he encouraged, urgently. "We will stand here in the shadows so we cannot be seen by anyone. And then, you must tell me the truth, Temperance. I cannot leave you in this state."

Temperance went with him, her heart quailing still, her eyes still searching the top of the cliffs. Did she dare be honest with him? Did she dare tell him everything that Lord Barlington had threatened?

"Now." Lord Calverton, his breathing a little quicker now, turned to face her and captured her hands in his again. "Now, we are safe. We cannot be seen and I assure you, Temperance, I will say nothing to Lord Barlington of what you have told me. Whatever it is, I will find another way to free you from this engagement without telling him that I know of his threats."

Temperance shuddered violently.

"You can trust me," Lord Calverton said softly, coming to stand a little closer to her as the wind continued to whistle around them. "Both your father and your aunt are deeply concerned for you, my dear Temperance, as am I. They know that you are unhappy. They want to know what is wrong and neither of them want to see you marry Lord Barlington."

Temperance closed her eyes in an attempt to steady herself. She took in a deep breath, then let it out again. "If I do not marry Lord Barlington, then everyone I love is in danger of being completely and utterly ruined." Opening her eyes, she looked back at him. "Yourself included."

"Ruined?"

She nodded, the words coming a little more easily now. "He told me about your brother and his untimely passing, as well as the rumours which have pursued you and your family since then. He told me how you would be entirely ruined should he begin to whisper about you to the ton. "

Lord Calverton's jaw tightened.

"And then he has threatened your mother, my dear friend Lady Thurston and even my own sisters! I dare not do anything other than obey him for I care about you too much to let that happen." Tears began to prick the corners of her eyes as Lord Calverton's expression softened. "It is to protect you, to protect everyone that I must do this."

Lord Calverton shook his head. "No, Lady Temperance. It is not your responsibility to protect me."

"But if I do anything other than this, even if I tell anyone about what he has said, then he will begin those threats!" Her voice rising as panic began to flood through her. "I must protect you all. I must – "

Lord Calverton's arms were suddenly around her waist and before she could move, before she could react, his mouth was on hers and she was pulled tight against him.

The fear she felt, the dread, the worry and the concern all faded into nothingness. Instead, she was left with a feeling of relief, of ever growin g happiness. It burst through her like fireworks, sending heat into every part of her being until there was nothing she could do but cling to him.

"I am sorry." Lord Calverton broke their kiss somewhat abruptly, pulling back rather sharply. "I did not mean to – that is to say… "

"Please do not apologise." Temperance let out a small, broken laugh as she closed her eyes for a moment. "I do not think I could bear that."

"Then I shall not." Lord Calverton's voice was gentle, one hand going to her chin as she looked back into his eyes. "Temperance, I care for you. I believe that I am half in love with you already! I do not want you to suffer, I do not want you to bear a burden that is not yours to carry. If you will permit me, I will find a way to break this engagement and to have Lord Barlington's wickedness shown to all who know him."

Temperance could not bring herself to believe it. It seemed too good to be true, too wonderful a prospect. "I do not think you can, Lord Calverton. His threats are too many, his strength too great. "

Lord Calverton shook his head. "No, it is not. I will find a way. I will not be alone in this. Lord Thurston will be of aid to me."

Again, fear clutched at Temperance's heart. "I am afraid that he will find out, that my friend's good name will be ruined!"

"Can you trust me?"

The question quietened her and, as she looked back into Lord Calverton's eyes, Temperance felt her heart begin to piece back together.

"Yes," she breathed, after only a few moments. "Yes, I think that I can."

"My heart is filled with nothing but affection for you, Temperance," he told her, his face only a few inches from her own. "I cannot help but care for you. Even if you did not return my affections, I would do anything I could to prevent you from stepping forward into the unhappiness that you would be sure to get from any future with Lord Barlington."

Tears began to burn in Temperance's eyes, her happiness beginning to flood through her, chasing away the sorrow, the anxiety and the dread which she had carried with her. "But I care for you in return, Calverton. I had never dreamed that such a thing might be, I thought I would be contented to live out my years here, alone with my aunt and uncle, but instead… instead, you have offered me such a happiness that it tore my heart into pieces to think it was now taken from me."

"It has not been taken from you." The fervency with which he spoke made Temperance tremble but this time, it came from sheer joy rather than fright. When he leaned down, she was ready for him, kissing him back with a sweetness which tore through her without hesitation. It made her heart sing, her joy complete as she leaned into him. She trusted him, trusted that he would be able to do as he had promised and, as he wrapped his arms tight around her, Temperance knew she was safe.

Lord Barlington would not succeed. Her future was no longer dark. She had Lord Calverton's word and that was all that she needed.