Chapter Fifteen

Fortune? This has only ever been about my fortune?

The way Lady Violet had spoken to him told Stephen that she was telling the truth. Even though he wanted nothing more than to disbelieve it, even though his mind screamed at him to forget what she had said and to push her to the back of his mind as he had been trying to do for such a long time, he simply could not. The look in her eyes, the begging beseeching way that she had looked back at him had dug hard into his heart and Stephen could do nothing other than trust her every word.

She was telling him the truth. She had not wanted to end their engagement. She had been forced to do so. It had not been her desire.

Closing his eyes, Stephen let out a long, slow breath and then shook his head. Opening them, he continued to make his way through the crowd of guests, barely seeing any face in front of him. If that was the truth, if she truly had been forced into this course of action, then that meant that everything she had told him before their wedding day, the love they had confessed to each other and the promises they had made had all been true. She had meant every word and there had not been a single word of guile on her lips.

I spent so long believing that she was nothing but cruel and deceitful, Stephen thought to himself, his heart beginning to pound furiously. I wrapped myself in darkness and shadow, believing that she was the sole cause of my sadness. And yet now I find out that she was just as broken as I, that her hand was forced and that she even tried to escape from her father’s demands.

A sudden vision of her attempting to escape from her father’s house so that she might make her way to the church in order to marry him forced Stephen to catch his breath. He could almost see the pain in her expression, could almost hear the sadness in her voice as she begged her father to reconsider.

And I only added to her torment by my silence.

Another wave of pain hit him but this time, it did not come from his own upset. It was from realizing just what he had done to Lady Violet. She must have been in a great torment, even more so because she had not understood why she had been forced into such a course of action, and instead of writing to her, instead of begging to understand, he had hidden himself away and chosen to do all he could to forget her.

We might have eloped.

Stephen pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling regret building and building within his heart.

We could have found happiness still, if only I had found a way to write to her, to discover the reason behind her actions. If I had known that she still wanted to be wed, that she still cared for me, then I would have done anything to bring us back together again.

“Your Grace?”

Stephen dropped his hand and looked into the face of a rather surprised looking young lady, only to then realize it was none other than Lady Marianne, accompanied by her father, Lord Craighall.

His gut twisted and he scowled darkly.

“How wonderful to see you this evening!” Lord Craighall exclaimed, bowing quickly though Stephen did not return the gesture. “I do hope that you will be dancing this evening?” His gaze slid towards Marianne but Stephen’s scowl remained fixed in place as he kept his own eyes trained on Lord Craighall. The gentleman soon appeared to realize that Stephen was not in the least bit pleased to be his company again, for his smile faded and he began to look a little anxious, his gaze darting from place to place rather than looking back at Stephen.

“I do not think we have spoken this Season, Lord Craighall.” After everything that Lady Violet had told him, Stephen found himself growing angry with Lord Craighall, his hands itching to grab the gentleman by the lapels and shake him, hard. “However, I do not find myself particularly inclined towards your company, which I am certain you can understand.”

The gentleman chuckled, albeit rather nervously as he rubbed his hands together. “Yes, I am sorry about what took place,” he said, shrugging. “Alas, despite my encouragements, Violet was most insistent that she could not marry you.”

“Is that so.” It was a statement rather than a question and Stephen’s lip curled, his dislike of the gentleman growing ever stronger.

“Yes, I am afraid so.” Lord Craighall sighed heavily and then shook his head in what appeared to be a sorrowful expression. “Violet told me that she could not marry you, not when she was not truly devoted to you as you were to her. I did try to convince her – as did her sister – but she could not be persuaded.” He sniffed and then sent a hard look towards his daughter. “Is that not so, Marianne?”

Had it not been for the momentary pause and the slightly widened eyes that Lady Marianne expressed, Stephen might have been taken in by Lord Craighall’s sincere words. Lady Marianne hesitated for just a second before she began to nod but Stephen’s lip curled and inwardly, he began to already detach himself from them both.

“I see.” With a slight nod, he turned away. “Do excuse me.”

“You are not dancing this evening, then?”

The way that Lord Craighall stopped him made Stephen’s irritation only grow. “Dance?” he stated, turning back to face the gentleman who, despite Stephen’s irate expression, nodded fervently. “Why should you ask me such a thing as that, Lord Craighall?”

Again, Lord Craighall’s gaze slid towards his daughter and Stephen’s stomach twisted.

Did the gentleman have no scruples? It was clear to Stephen that all Lord Craighall cared about was Stephen’s new title, his new rank and, no doubt, the vast fortune that he presumed Stephen had. That was why he was suggesting that Stephen step out with Lady Marianne, in the hope that there might form a connection there.

The very idea turned Stephen’s stomach.

“I am to dance, yes,” he said, when Lord Craighall said nothing, “but only with one or two ladies, Lord Craighall. I confess that I am very particular as to who it is that I step out with. I am sure that you can understand. After such a great injury, I must be very cautious indeed as to who I keep company with.”

Lord Craighall’s eyes flared and he instantly threw up his hands, his eyes growing a little wider than usual. “But of course! I should not have presumed.” He clasped his hands in front of him. “I must say again how very sorry I am for all that has taken place, Your Grace. I did not want to cause you such an injury but my daughter, for all that she can be rather quiet at times, was most insistent.” He sighed heavily again and clicked his tongue in obvious disappointment. “It seems that she did not care for you in the way that she stated, Your Grace, given how willing she was to injure you though I am very well aware of just how much she regrets such an action now.”

Stephen flinched and then turned away directly, unwilling to say even a single word more to either gentleman or lady for fear that his anger would erupt and he would lose his temper completely, right in the middle of the ballroom. What was it that Lord Craighall was attempting to do? If it was to injure Stephen still further by saying such things, then he was doing exactly that!

But I do not believe him, he told himself, silently. After what I saw there, I know now that Lord Craighall’s words cannot be trusted.

The waltz was then announced and much to Stephen’s surprise, his heart leapt with a great deal of excitement. It was the first time he had felt such a thing in many a month – if not in years – and it gave him pause. He was excited to dance with Lady Violet? Could it be that his feelings had changed so quickly after only a few minutes of explanation?

His shoulders dropped and he rubbed one hand over his face. He could not permit himself to be so foolish. They might have reconciled a little but it did not mean anything significant.

Does that mean I will not dance with her as I promised?

No, Stephen told himself, he would not step back from her and leave her standing, wondering where he was and if she was to be forgotten. That would not be fair on her, would it? His own feelings were tumultuous and confusing but it did not mean that he ought to use that as a reason to reject her. With a sigh, he lifted his head and went in search of her, aware that his heart was beating a good deal more quickly than before.

It did not take him long to find her. Caroline was standing beside her still, looking rather anxious until she spotted him. She smiled brightly, then touched Lady Violet’s arm who, thereafter, turned to look in his direction.

The smile which spread across her face was so bright, so beautiful and so filled with relief, it stole Stephen’s breath away. He paused for a moment and then, making sure that there was nothing in his expression which betrayed his inner emotions, Stephen came towards her.

“The waltz, Lady Violet.” He cleared his throat and then offered her his arm, aware of the tingling which shot through him as she took it. “Are you quite ready?”

She nodded but said nothing and with a glance towards Caroline, Stephen took her towards the dance floor. The way that his heart pounded as he bowed towards her before taking her into his arms told Stephen that he was beginning to be caught up with her in ways that he did not want.

And he felt himself powerless to stop it.