Chapter Nine

November 14, 1817

Loverly House

London, England

“Oh, dear. Why am I so nervous?” Annabelle frowned at the people milling about the corridor while she tightened her fingers on her brother’s arm, for he was her escort tonight. With her other hand, she drew her gloved forefinger along a few of the stones in the opal and moonstone necklace around her neck. “I have attended balls before.” Albeit not hosted by a duke.

“Calm yourself, sister dear. There is no reason to find yourself intimidated. The Duke of Broadmoor is quite a lovely fellow, and the fact that he let his aunt throw a ball is telling.”

“Why?” She knew next to nothing about his friends in the Rogue’s Arcade, but now that Andrew was in her life, she suddenly wished to learn everything to provide context.

“When his aunt hosted a ball last November, it was nearly a travesty but as a result, he met the woman who would become his wife there, so I expect nothing less than another piece of news that will set tongues wagging.” When Cornelius peered down at her, admiration twinkled in his eyes. “He is a recluse, you see, for his mind was warped during the war and he is oftentimes afraid to go out in public. And you will do well tonight, I think. That saffron color is quite striking and will be guaranteed to make people notice you.”

As curious as she was about the duke’s romance and story, her mind refused to concentrate on that. Instead, there was only one man she wanted to see tonight, but as of yet, the Earl of Hazelton hadn’t arrived. When he’d sent a note ‘round the day before asking her to meet him at the ball—since Cornelius already had an invitation—she’d been reluctant to accept. After the scandal they’d indulged in the other day while in his carriage, she rather thought his intentions toward her were muddied, but that event had been a turning point for her, and she couldn’t wait to see him again.

“Thank you. I didn’t know if I would have occasion to wear the gown.”

“Whose fault is that, little sister? You have refused so many invitations since coming to London all on your own.” The teasing note in Cornelius’s voice made her smile. “Could it be there is a special gentleman you’ll meet tonight who has put that flush in your cheeks and stars in your eyes?”

Warmth invaded her cheeks as he guided her into the ballroom. Everywhere, decorations in a harvest theme lay tucked away in corners, on windowsills, above the windows, and anywhere gourds, pumpkins, apples, collections of colorful leaves, and candles could rest. “I won’t lie and say there isn’t, for you would discover the truth sooner or later, but yes. I am hoping to see the Earl of Hazelton tonight. I, uh, happened to run into him the day before yesterday at the lending library where we caught up on a few things.”

He snorted. “I’ll wager you did,” he said beneath his breath, but she wasn’t certain she’d heard him correctly.

“I’m telling the truth.” The heat intensified, for she would never forget that day or what he did to her in that carriage, how that bond they’d enjoyed after their initial meeting had only strengthened. “I know you don’t wish for me to tarry with a Rogue’s Arcade member, but there is something about the earl I cannot ignore.” A dreamy sigh escaped her. “Certainly, he is one of a kind, and it matters not that he might be broken.”

Where was he? Surely, he hadn’t changed his mind about seeing her?

“Belle, listen to me.” Cornelius tugged her over to one side of the room so they would be out of the way from the crush of people in the room. He rested a hand on her shoulder and sought her gaze with his. “I spoke with Hazelton last night at the club.”

“Oh?” The muscles of her belly clenched with apprehension. Had he warned the earl away from her out of a misguided attempt at protection?

His grin was genuine. “If you wish to pursue a relationship with him, you have my blessing.”

“What?” Shock ricocheted through her insides. “You said he was a risk, that I shouldn’t set my life up for heartache.” What exactly had the men discussed last night?

“The two of us had a long conversation, which was overdue anyway. Though he doesn’t remember the life he led before, he is the most genuine that I’ve ever seen him, and he is making great strides into embracing his new life and all the responsibilities therein.”

A bit of cold disappointment snaked through her gut. “Is that all he mentioned?”

“No, but I’d imagine he will tell you that himself.” His grin was quite cheeky and mysterious. “Whatever you choose to do with your life, I hope happiness and contentment comes along with it. You deserve that.”

Unexpected tears welled in her eyes. Annabelle blinked them away as she nodded. “I have always strived for that. Sometimes I find it, sometimes I don’t, but I don’t regret any of my decisions along the way.” Again, she brushed her gloved fingertips over the necklace. “Yet…”

“Hmm?” One of her brother’s eyebrows rose in question.

“What if I fail? At marriage, at potentially being a mother, at being the society lady I suspect I will need to be if things move forward?” The glimmering future she’d seen earlier was still exciting, but it was also slightly terrifying.

“Life is a series of ups and downs, but you have such determination and spirit, I rather doubt you will fail in this.” He gave her shoulder an encouraging pat. “And with the right man at your side? I fear that London will never be the same.” Something beyond her left shoulder caught his attention and he nodded. “Hazelton is coming this way, and from all accounts, it seems he is equally determined, so I will check on you later.” Quickly, he bussed her cheek, gave her a wink, and then melted into the crowds filling the room while avoiding the country reel that was currently in progress.

Slowly, Annabelle turned. Her gaze immediately fell on Andrew. Oh, dear! Flutters filled her belly, for the earl was quite dashing in his evening attire. The tailcoat on his tall form highlighted the breadth of his shoulders while at the same time tugged her notice to the nip of his waist. A waistcoat of maroon, moss green, and gold brocade invited her gaze down to his flat abdomen, and then heat slapped at her cheeks once more, for could so easily imagine him sans clothing with desire in his eyes.

More than that, she saw him in her mind’s eye as the decorated war hero, hosting social events by her side, fighting the good fight, and speaking in the House of Lords where he gave voice to those in England who had none.

Suddenly, she wanted that life above everything else.

“Good evening, Miss Harding,” he said in greeting, and the low, baritone of his voice sent waves of awareness sailing over her skin. “You are quite ravishing in that color. My eyes were immediately drawn to you.”

“Thank you.” Never the one to simper and flutter eyelashes at a man, Annabelle couldn’t hold back her smile. “You are quite handsome tonight. I especially like your waistcoat and its autumnal colors.” Not even the bruising on his face could detract from that.

A grin flirted with his sensual lips, and she couldn’t wait to kiss him again for the sheer pleasure of such an act. “I selected it in the hopes you might notice.” Then his gaze dropped to her décolletage, and the grin vanished beneath a frown. “I remember that necklace.”

“You’d given it to me for safe keeping. I found it with you in Hyde Park that night.” Barely aware of the revelry happening in the ballroom, she held the earl’s gaze. “In a hidden pocket.”

“I know all of that, but I wasn’t referring to that night.” He came forward a few steps so that only a couple of feet separated them. “A few times as a youth, I watched my mother sitting at her vanity in the evenings when doing her toilette to attend some society function or another with my father. That necklace was always the last thing she put on. I remember how it glowed and gleamed in the candlelight those nights, how she looked like an angel or a ghost with those gems around her neck, how my father was always so pleased when he saw them on her.”

“Oh!” She sucked in a breath, for he’d never told her that before. “How did that happen, then, that you remembered such things?”

He shrugged and looked as shocked as she felt. “I’m not certain. As soon as I saw the necklace on you tonight with that gown under the candles in the chandelier, the memory was just… there.”

“That’s encouraging. Perhaps the remainder of your memories will come back as well.” Though, would he be the same man she knew right now? If he reverted to the earl he was before, would he wish to remain a bachelor and change his mind about her?

The country reel came to a close and soon the dance floor cleared of couples.

“I can almost hear you thinking.” With concern etching his brow, Andrew extended a hand. “Even if I remember who I was before, I promise that I will never forget you.”

“How can you know that?” Confusion knotted in her belly. This was exactly why she’d never given away her heart, for the process of falling in love was acutely painful. “You might find that you have a woman somewhere waiting for you, not understanding what happened to you. I refuse to pull you from a relationship.”

“Stop.” When she didn’t slip her fingers into his hand, he took it anyway, rubbed the pad of his gloved thumb along her knuckles. “No one has come forward to claim a relationship. Even the men at the club have remained adamant I wasn’t attached.” Nothing but honesty shone in his eyes. “What you and I share, that inexplicable connection, is too strong to break.” Gently, he pulled her toward the dance floor where couples were settling into place, preparing for a waltz. “That is worth everything to me.”

That was, perhaps, the most romantic thing anyone had ever said to her. “How lovely,” she breathed, and she tightened her fingers on his. “You should write such musings down, for that prose would be wildly popular with the masses.”

One corner of his mouth quirked with a grin. “I am not concerned with impressing the masses, Annabelle. Only you.”

The sound of her name in his whispered voice had tingles crashing down her spine. “If you are trying to make me melt, then I’m about to become a puddle at your feet.”

Nothing else was said, for the string quartet struck up the first notes of the waltz, and Andrew set them into motion.

As luck would have it, the dance was a Continental waltz instead of the more popular Viennese, which meant they wouldn’t need to exchange partners, and neither were the steps as complicated. Thank goodness she’d learned the dance while in exile at her brother’s country estate to stave off boredom. Even more wonderful was the strong, steady feel of Andrew’s hand at the small of her back and the lithe way he moved.

With every turn and twirl, he pulled her a bit closer until her body brushed against his with each movement. Her skirting swirled and twisted about her legs and his. The earl’s presence was big and powerful, such that he compelled her to lift her gaze to his. Delight and something else she didn’t dare guess at lay reflected in his gorgeous whiskey-hued eyes, and it would be so easy to let herself drown in those warm depths.

The longer the waltz continued, the more the people around her on the dance floor disappeared. The lively, haunting sounds of the music became a distant tinkle in her ears while the crisp clean scent of the earl teased her nose, encouraged her ever closer to the edge of a steep hill that she was nearly tumbling down, secure in the knowledge that he would catch her.

That he always would, no matter what. The life he represented, that she was coming to want more and more was both hopeful and frightening, but he would be there, greeting her with that slightly crooked grin and that specific gleam in his eyes that made her heart flutter.

Was he coming to feel the same? Or was she simply a ninny, for it was too soon after they’d just met?

When the waltz came to an end, she nearly cried, for it had been all too magical and she didn’t want to leave the security of his arms. But she couldn’t very well remain standing there while the floor emptied of couples, so she put a hand on his arm, let him lead her over to the side of the room while her heart still floated somewhere about their heads.

“Thank you for the lovely dance.” Would he ask another woman to go out with him on the floor? After all, he was an earl of some significance.

“I would delight in sharing the next set with you.”

“Oh?” Mad little tremors went through her heart. That was paramount to announcing to the world that he had specific intentions toward her. “I would like that very much.”

Before he could answer her, another man sauntered over to them. Perhaps a few years older than the earl, there was silver at his temples, and it ran through his black hair to gleam in the candlelight. Since she’d been away from London for far too long, Annabelle hadn’t a clue who he was within the beau monde , but power exuded from him. Annoyance snapped in his dark eyes.

“Actually, Hazelton, I would like the opportunity to take Miss Harding out on the floor tonight in this set.” There was nothing threatening in his voice, but the tone had the hairs on her nape prickling with warning.

“Oh, I—”

Andrew frowned at the man with confusion in his expression. Did he know the man? “I beg your pardon, Churchfield, but the lady has already promised me the rest of her dances for the night, and if fortune remains smiling upon me, I hope to make an announcement by the end of the ball.”

Excitement buzzed at the base of her spine. Tremors of need went through her core, so intense that she shivered. Surely, he didn’t mean…?

“No matter.” The other peer refused to back down. His gaze dipped to the necklace Annabelle wore. “I shall gain her attention at some point this evening.”

Andrew’s jaw tightened. A muscle ticced in his cheek, a clear indication his teeth were clenched. “What part of my refusal did you not understand, man?” One of his brown eyebrows went up in challenge. “The lady is off limits. She is mine.”

Oh, dear. The possession in his tone had heightened awareness sailing over her skin. It was rather lovely. No one had ever staked a claim over her before. Her pulse accelerated, and oh goodness did she want to kiss the earl!

For long moments, Churchfield glared at the earl while Andrew glared back. Finally, he nodded. “Very well, but I don’t give up that easily.” At last, he walked away, melting easily into the crowd.

Then the mood shifted again, and all the anger faded from the earl’s countenance. “I rather believe we need some fresh air.” Expectation lined his face. “Would you accompany me outside for a few minutes. Perhaps we could talk privately while there.”

“All right. Did you know that man?”

“I remembered his title, but not why he is familiar to me. Perhaps that will come as the evening wears on.”

“He doesn’t seem like the type of man you would keep company with.” So then who was he? Perhaps it didn’t matter, for her pulse tripped through her veins as she followed him from the room. It was quite scandalous to do so, for tongues would wag if any of the society matrons caught sight of them leaving together, but she didn’t care. In all honesty, she would follow him to the ends of the earth.

Once outside, he went down the short walk and through the gate at the front of the house to stand on the pavement. Though there was an autumnal chill in the air, she relished the coolness on her overheated skin. “Look how pretty the stars are tonight!” In fact, it was as if a thousand diamonds had been spilled over a black velvet canvas.

“While you admire the stars, I must admit that the whole of my attention is taken up with something equally as moving,” he said in a low voice filled with emotion. Before she could respond, he pulled her into a loose embrace despite being in public and in full view of the windows where anyone could see them. “I feel as if I’m the most fortunate of men tonight.”

Her heart squeezed and she laid a palm on his chest. “Oh, Andrew, this week has been such a wild ride that I’ve scarcely had time to catch my breath let alone think, and all the while, I’ve been so worried about you.”

“Understandable.” The golden illumination from the windows reflected in his eyes as he bent his head and gently kissed her.

All too soon, Annabelle was lost on a sea of sensation, for kissing this man was much like finding herself in a storm yet at the same time it felt as if she’d drawn the softest blanket about herself for warmth and comfort. No sooner had she looped her arms about his shoulders and pressed her body into his than she was wrenched violently away from him and out of his hold.

A pair of rough hands went about her waist while at the same time, a man dressed in black threw a punch that caught Andrew on the chin. When she screamed and fought against her own assailant, she was roughly handled by a man in clothing as black as the first. She managed to turn about and rained blows to his face and chest, even went so far as to kick his shins, but the satin, thin-soled slippers had no effect in that regard. “Unhand me this instant!”

Another punch sent Andrew reeling backward. He staggered but couldn’t keep his footing. Ultimately, he tumbled to the pavement where his attacker kicked at his ribs, laughing when the earl groaned.

Annabelle tried to yank herself from her own assailant. Indeed, she’d almost succeeded, but then he struck out. Horrible pain went through the side of her head and cheek. Darkness flirted with her vision. No amount of blinking could keep it at bay. She teetered, not able to maintain her balance, and as she felt herself falling, she screamed again.

“Andrew!” Then that pair of rough hands were once again at her waist, pulling her along the pavement, dragging her toward a carriage, but then the effort of staving off the darkness proved too much, and she slipped inside its waiting maw with naught but a whimper.

The last thing she heard was the earl calling out her name.