Chapter Fourteen

Samuel pressed his lips flat as he paced up and down the room, wondering what he ought to do. He was a little frustrated with Lord Crawley’s manner towards him of late given that Samuel himself felt as though he had altered a good deal. He had tried to speak with Lord Crawley in the park some three days ago now, but Lord Crawley had not been willing to speak with Samuel and he had made that quite clear, given the way he had poured every bit of attention into Lady Christina and practically ignored Samuel.

But I should like him to be beside me when I wed, Samuel thought to himself, a little wry smile on his lips. Despite the fact that he has rejected our friendship—though I cannot blame him for it—I would like to hope that there might be something worth restoring.

With a sigh, Samuel pushed one hand through his hair and then shook his head to himself. He had thought that, after his sincere apology to Lord Crawley, there had been something of an improvement between them but for whatever reason, Lord Crawley had been entirely unwilling to engage in even the smallest conversation with him during their walk in the park with Lady Christina and Lady Florentina.

“Then mayhap I shall have to simply make my way to his townhouse, demand to see him and thereafter, ask him if he believes my apology genuine.” With a nod, he made his way to the door, only for a knock to come to it. Frowning, he called for the butler to enter though, as he did, another figure sailed in behind him, a bright smile upon her face.

“Lady Dinah, Your Grace.” The butler offered Samuel a slightly apologetic look, but Samuel only nodded, fully aware that his servant would have done his best to keep Lady Dinah simply from striding into the room, though he would have been powerless to prevent it.

“Lady Dinah, good morning.” He glanced at the clock, aware that it was rather early for anyone to be calling upon him. “Might I ask why you are here and, thereafter, who else is with you?”

Lady Dinah only laughed and then sat down, waving one hand vaguely behind her. “I have my maid, as you can see.”

“All the same,” Samuel replied, choosing not to sit down, “I would be happier if you had a chaperone with you, Lady Dinah. It is only that—”

With a wave of her hand towards him— something which astonished Samuel all the more—Lady Dinah rose to her feet and then came towards him, something else in her hand.

“My mother knows that I am here. She bade me deliver our reply to your invitation. You see?” She smiled and tilted her head as Samuel plucked the reply from her, frowning as he wondered why the lady had chosen to come on her own rather than send a servant. “We wanted to ensure that you knew how grateful we are for the invitation to your ball, Your Grace. It is sure to be a wonderful evening.”

“I see.” Samuel did not so much as even open the letter, setting it down and then folding his arms over his chest. “I thank you for your quick reply and your kind words, Lady Dinah. Now, if you will excuse me, I have some of my own business to attend to.”

Lady Dinah’s smile slipped though, much to Samuel’s relief, she did not return to her seat again. “You are to hurry me from your company?”

“Alas, it must be done.” Samuel gestured to the door. “I was just about to take my leave of the house myself.”

“To see Lady Florentina, mayhap?”

The question was not lacking in boldness and Samuel’s eyebrows lifted. “No, not to see Lady Florentina,” he replied, speaking slowly as he wondered why the lady might say such a thing to him. “My business is my own, as I am sure you can understand.”

Lady Dinah took a step closer to him, her eyes searching his. “Your Grace, I came with two purposes to your door. One was to deliver that letter and the other, to ask you to be cautious when it comes to your connection with Lady Florentina.”

This made Samuel’s heart squeeze with a sudden confusion, though warnings quickly began to ring around his mind. “I beg your pardon?”

A sigh broke from Lady Dinah’s lips and she turned her head away, seemingly sorrowful. “I do not like to speak ill of other young ladies but there is something about Lady Florentina that troubles me—something that I think you ought to be aware of. You see, I have seen her in the company of many a gentleman, and she is always seeking them out. She always smiles, teases, and twinkles at the gentlemen of society, eager to have her dance card filled with the names of the very best in all of England . And I am sure that she told you she was only just introduced to Lord Finneston, and that he said the same, but Lord Finneston himself told me that she practically begged him to say such a thing!”

Something cold washed over Samuel, though it was not from any sort of belief over what Lady Dinah had said. Rather, it came from the fear of the lady, over her purposes and reasons in what she was saying for he knew, in his very heart, that she was speaking nothing but lies.

“I can see that you are often in her company, and it is only out of concern for you that I say such a thing.”

“I see.” The truth was, Samuel had very little idea of what it was he wanted to say in response, though Lady Dinah continued to look at him calmly, perhaps thinking that the steadiness of her gaze would make him all the more inclined to believe her. The coldness within him began to grow into something else, a heat which burned in his heart and made his anger begin to grow. Why was Lady Dinah saying such things? What was it about Lady Florentina that made her believe she had the right to speak as she did? It was not as though they were very closely acquainted, not that she had any true concern for him born of a long and continued friendship!

Then she speaks out of jealousy.

That made Samuel recoil inwardly. It was not as though he wanted to think himself a great gentleman, nor that he wanted to believe that his character had somehow drawn Lady Dinah to him but all the same, he had to recognise that his title, standing and wealth were reason enough for young ladies—such as she—to be drawn to him. She had already stated that she had noticed his attentions towards Lady Florentina. Was that enough for her to push herself forward, to try and cast Lady Florentina aside in any way she could?

“You do not know what to say.” Lady Dinah sighed heavily. “I am sorry for that. I did not realise you thought of her so fondly.”

“Oh, do not think that I believe your words simply because you have spoken them.” Samuel lifted his chin, seeing how Lady Dinah’s expression instantly changed to one of shock, her eyes widening as she took a small step back. “Rather, I must consider a good many things. Indeed, I shall have to go to speak with Lord Finneston himself, to make certain that he has said such a thing to you.”

“But… but you can trust me,” Lady Dinah stammered, a forced smile on her face, though her chin wobbled just a little as she spoke. “You must know that!”

Samuel shrugged. “All the same, if something has been said to me about a lady—something which could, quite frankly, ruin her reputation, then I must now consider what to do with such information. I do appreciate you coming to speak with me, Lady Dinah, but I must now ask you to take your leave. As I have said, I have business elsewhere this morning and this new information has only added to my considerations. Thank you again for your desire to call upon me and share such a thing. It has given me a good deal to think upon.”

Without hesitating, he gestured to the door and Lady Dinah, still stammering somewhat, had no other choice but to follow his lead. Relieved when she finally quit the room, Samuel closed the door behind her and then turned to lean back against it.

His heart ached.

I must go to Florentina. I must warn her.

The urgency with which those thoughts came was so great that he found himself moving before he had even decided to do so. He was in the hallway, then, calling for his carriage, when he saw a startled Lady Dinah in the doorway that led outside, but he didn’t spare her a glance. All he could think of was Lady Florentina and suddenly, in her company was the only place he wanted to be.

***

“I confess, I did not initially understand why she would come to say such a thing.” Samuel took Lady Florentina’s hand, pressing it lightly. “But then I realised that my title and standing might be a good reason for a lady to pursue me.” Wincing, he looked away. “I do not mean to speak highly of myself, you understand. I do not want to suggest that I am in any way desirable in and of myself. I know that my character is severely lacking but for Lady Dinah, mayhap that does not matter.”

Lady Florentina let out a small sigh and then smiled, though it was a little wry. “You speak a little too poorly of yourself, Dartmoor. You have altered your character of late, I think. You have a kindness, a tenderness about you which was not there before. You seemed to think of only your own interests and considerations, rather than anyone else’s. However, these last few weeks, I have seen a desire to change entirely and that is an excellent thing to see.” Her lips quirked. “It may be that you are more desirable than you think.”

This compliment sent a flush right up into Samuel’s cheeks, making him cough with a small sense of embarrassment as he looked away. Lady Florentina laughed softly and Samuel could not help but grin, making the seriousness of the moment evaporate into something else entirely.

“I am glad that you told me. That in itself speaks of your consideration.” Lady Florentina set her other hand atop their joined ones and Samuel’s heart filled with delight over her nearness to him. “You have changed, Dartmoor and I am glad of it.”

Samuel licked his lips, aware that, while he had been granted a few moments alone in the townhouse garden with her, it was under the belief that he only wished to speak. But that was far from his true desire. No, he wanted to press his lips to hers, to pull her close, and prove that his feelings had changed. There was no longer any frustration, doubt, or confusion. Instead, he felt a growing and extraordinary affection for her, as if he had only just realised what others had seen all along. She was a treasure, the most wonderful woman Samuel had ever known. And now, to know that she would be his wife… it was so overwhelming, his breath caught in his throat.

“What is it?” Hearing that catch of breath, Lady Florentina’s eyes widened and Samuel looked away quickly, not quite sure what it was he could say. “Is there something more that you need to tell me?”

Samuel turned his head and looked back at her, taking her in. She was searching his eyes with her own, a delicate pink in her cheeks and such a beauty about her, he could barely breathe.

Tell her of your heart, said a whisper within him. Do not hold back. Tell her the truth.

Reaching up with his free hand, Samuel let his fingers trace lightly down her cheek, aware of the effect such a simple touch had on his own heart. “Yes, there is something more that I need to tell you,” he said honestly. “It is this: my heart holds affection for you, Florentina. It is not something that I ever expected to feel, but it is there within me, nonetheless. My friends—or my former friends—have told me just how wonderful you are and how little I valued you. I always pushed their remarks aside… until now.”

Lady Florentina’s fingers tightened on his.

“I do think that you are the most wonderful, the most remarkable and the most admirable young lady I have ever met.” Smiling, Samuel let his hand drop back to his lap, his fingers still burned from the touch. “That is the truth, Florentina, though whether you believe it or not is entirely up to you. But I am glad to speak of it, for it brings my heart great joy to do so.”

Lady Florentina was blinking furiously, though quite why she was doing so, Samuel did not know. It was only when she pulled one hand away and dashed it across her eyes that he realised she was crying.

His stomach dropped. “Forgive me, perhaps I ought not to have spoken as openly as I did. I do not want to cause you any pain and—”

“And you have not.” Lady Florentina smiled, interrupting him with a smile as she spoke. “My eyes are filled with joyous tears, Dartmoor, because I can hardly believe that you are speaking so!”

“Then… then you believe me?”

She nodded, the smile on her face brighter and more beautiful than he had ever seen before. Samuel closed his eyes, relief flooding him as the urge to pull her into his arms grew all the stronger. He let out a slow breath, then opened his eyes—only to see her leaning closer, the very same desire flickering in her gaze.

They had shared a kiss once before, but it had only been a moment, a breath and nothing more. This time, Samuel did not hesitate, did not pull back from her as he had thought to do before. When their lips met, he lingered, one hand now on the back of her head, the other on her shoulder, then running down her arm to take her hand. Lady Florentina sighed into the kiss, softening under his embrace and leaning into him, letting him know that she was just as eager for this moment as he was.

And what a wonderful, healing, and joyous moment their kiss was.