Chapter Sixteen

Samuel frowned, walking through the crowd of guests, his heart longing to once more be in Lady Florentina’s company. He had seen her dancing with Lord Finneston only a few moments ago but since then, had lost her entirely and that troubled him. Her mother and sister were nearby where he stood so where might she have gone?

“Dartmoor.” Lord Crawley’s voice caught Samuel’s attention and he turned, a little surprised to see the gentleman approaching him.

“Yes, Lord Crawley?” Samuel’s heart lifted in the faint hope that his friend might have come to tell him that all was well now between them, that he believed everything Samuel had said and was glad of it. “Is something amiss?”

Lord Crawley’s chin jutted forward. “I thought it best to inform you that I have spoken to Lady Florentina.”

The hope in Samuel’s heart shattered in an instant. “I beg your pardon?”

“I have told her of your dark intentions as regarded Lord Allington and now, once more, with Lord Finneston.”

Samuel blinked furiously, panic beginning to rise in his chest. “Lord Finneston?”

“Yes.” Lord Crawley frowned. “You need not pretend with me, Dartmoor. I recognise what you are doing there.”

“I am not doing anything. I am not even acquainted with Lord Finneston.” Samuel stepped closer to his friend; his throat tight. “What did you do, Crawley? What did you say?”

A flicker of doubt crossed Lord Crawley’s face. “I—I told her of what you had done as regarded Lord Allington,” he said again. “And I told her that I believed your intentions with Lord Finneston were the very same.”

Letting out a groan, Samuel rubbed one hand over his face before throwing his head back and looking up towards the ceiling. He did not know what to do, understanding why Lord Crawley believed such a thing but at the same time, fearful of what damage had been done by the speaking of what was, in fact, a mistruth.

“What did she say?”

“She said very little.” Lord Crawley was now frowning heavily. “She said something about discovering the truth, so I do not think that she instantly believed what I had to say.”

Awash with relief, Samuel shut his eyes tightly for just a few moments, before letting out a breath. Looking squarely at his friend, he held out his hands on either side before letting them fall. “I had nothing to do with Lord Finneston.”

Lord Crawley swallowed, visibly.

“Though I can well understand why you might think it,” Samuel continued, not in the least bit upset with his friend, knowing precisely why Lord Crawley had thought such a thing. “I do not know why Lord Finneston has appeared and drawn so close to Lady Florentina, but I am in no way involved with him.” He rubbed one hand over his face. “Though, again, I do not expect you to believe me.”

“I—I do not know what to say.” Lord Crawley shook his head and looked away. “I thought… that is to say, I was sure that—”

“As I have said, I can understand it,” Samuel repeated, turning his head away. “But I have come to care for Lady Florentina, all the same. It is something that has come upon me most unexpectedly and yet, I cannot deny it. The strength of my affection has grown to the point that my whole being seems to reverberate with it every time I see the lady. It is true what you said, Crawley, she is a treasure that I did not ever see… not until recently and, the truth is, I now think her the most wonderful young lady of my acquaintance. I value her so very highly that I cannot go a day, not even an hour, without thinking of her, without marvelling at just what I have been given in taking her as my wife.” His heart squeezed painfully. “And now I must go and speak with her, to beg her to forgive me for Allington and my plan there, and also to protest my innocence as regards Lord Finneston. Though whether she will believe me there also is something that I can only hope for.”

“ I believe you.”

Samuel blinked in surprise as Lord Crawley held out one hand to Samuel, clearly eager for him to shake his hand.

“I apologise for what I said. I should have spoken to you first, I think, rather than seeing her directly. The truth is, Dartmoor, I have noticed a change in your character but I was uncertain as to whether or not it was genuine. I do, however, sincerely apologise for my mistake. If you wish, I can come to speak with Lady Florentina with you.”

Utterly astonished by his friend’s change of heart, Samuel grasped Lord Crawley’s hand and shook it, firmly. “As I have said, there is no upset or anger on my part. I have given you every reason to suspect that I am as cruel, selfish and inconsiderate as I ever was.”

“You have begun to change.”

“And that is solely because of her.” Releasing Lord Crawley’s hand, Samuel set his shoulders. “And now I must go and find her in the hope of salvaging our connection.” Pain tore through him as he thought of what she might say when he found her. “I must pray that she will not sever our engagement entirely, that somehow, she will be able to forgive me.”

***

“There.”

Samuel frowned. “Where?”

“I saw her walking from the ballroom, into the hallway. Mayhap she is thirsty after her dance and now wishes to take the air for a while.”

Trusting Lord Crawley’s eyes, Samuel hurried towards the door, pushing it open and stepping into the hallway, looking all over for Lady Florentina. He had seen her dancing with Lord Finneston—his stomach twisting at the sight—only to see her then step away from him entirely, making her way through the crowd. Struggling to catch her given the sheer number of guests, he now feared he had lost her again and, to his mind, every moment of their separation could only be a bad thing.

“I do not know where she has gone.” Samuel ran a hand over his chin, his heart beating quickly now. “I am sure—” He stopped short, certain he had heard something, only to frown and shake his head.

“Wait a moment.” Lord Crawley touched his arm and Samuel turned his head, looking in the very same direction as his friend. “Is that not Lady Dinah?”

“It is.” Samuel watched her as she hurried towards another door, frowning as she then stepped into it and shut the door again behind her. “Why would she be making her way into the private parlour? Surely that is most unwise for a young lady such as herself?”

Lord Crawley nodded. “Yes, it is. Shall we take a look inside?”

“You think Lady Florentina might be within?” Making for the door, Samuel took a breath as his hand went to the handle. He paused, hearing Lady Dinah’s voice and, after a moment, pushed his way inside.

His heart pounded as he took in the scene. Lady Dinah was standing very close to Lady Florentina, whose face was quite white with either fear or shock. To his horror, Lord Finneston was there also, again standing very close to Lady Florentina and with his hand tight on her arm.

He dropped it the moment Samuel’s gaze went to him and then stepped back, both hands lifting.

“It was Lady Dinah’s plan, not my own!” he exclaimed, as Lady Dinah gasped and then stepped back from Lady Florentina who began to rub at her arm, her gaze darting all around. “I only did as she asked.”

“And what was it you intended, Lady Dinah?” Closing the door, Samuel advanced towards the two ladies, though Lady Florentina did not move towards him. “What did you think to do?”

Lady Florentina closed her eyes and let out a shuddering breath, her whole body visibly trembling. “I believe, Dartmoor, that Lady Dinah became aware of our connection and decided to do whatever was required in order to end it.” Opening her eyes, she looked at Lord Finneston. “Lord Finneston was a willing participant, though quite what Lady Dinah had offered him by way of reward, I cannot say.”

The realization of what she was saying hit Samuel right between the eyes and he snatched in a breath, staring at Lord Finneston for a long moment. “You… you thought to place Lady Florentina in a less than suitable situation against her will, I have no doubt in the hope that she would then be discovered and disgraced?”

“And that you would then end our betrothal.” Lady Florentina wobbled just a little and, in an instant, Samuel was beside her, catching her around the waist. Much to his relief, she did not push him away nor beg for him to take his leave. Instead, she leaned against him, clearly needing the support he offered. “Lady Dinah has just informed me that you are to be her husband, rather than mine.”

Does this mean that you still wish to wed me? The question ran around Samuel’s mind, but he did not speak it, looking to Lady Dinah now and seeing how she shrank from him. “Lady Dinah, is this true?”

Lady Dinah began to sniff, tears glistening in her eyes now. “You do not understand, Your Grace. I have a great love for you that I have been unable to express! It grows in my heart at every moment and, with that, has come hope. Hope that I will be able to have your heart in exchange for my own, that we might share an affection and, thereafter, a connection.”

“Except you made a very grave mistake,” Samuel replied, shaking his head. “You did not give any consideration to the fact that I might have an affection for another. Evidently, that is not something that you even imagined might be.”

Lady Dinah stamped her foot. “I am better than Lady Florentina! My family standing is greater, my title is greater, my dowry, I am sure, will be greater and my character is all the sweeter, I know that for certain!”

Samuel closed his eyes, biting back the harsh reply upon his lips. “You are mistaken, Lady Dinah, if you think that there is any other young lady aside from Lady Florentina that I would consider. I can assure you that, to my mind, she is a lady far more worthy than any other of my acquaintances. She, who knows me better than any other aside from Lord Crawley, has seen my selfish heart and inconsiderate actions and has decided, all the same, to stand by my side. She has done it out of a love for her family, putting their needs above her own and showing a devotion that I can only admire. It is through this, through the strength of her character and the purity of her heart, that I have come to see her true beauty—beauty that surpasses anything I could have imagined. And that, Lady Dinah, is something no other young lady could ever hope to rival. For as long as I live, Lady Florentina will remain the one I cherish above all others.”

Lady Dinah did not react in the way that Samuel had expected. He thought she might sink into herself, drop her head, and apologise quietly for what she had done, acknowledging the foolishness of her actions. Instead, she stamped her foot and let out a sharp scream that made Samuel jump. “There is no one better than I!” Coming closer to him, her face screwed up and her cheeks scarlet red, she glared at him as though, somehow, he had become her enemy. “Why are you so blind? Why can you not see that I am the one you ought to be standing with?”

“I will admit that I was blind for a long time,” Samuel answered, pulling Lady Florentina just a little closer to him. “But now, finally, I can see quite clearly and, in that, I can see only Lady Florentina. There is no one else, Lady Dinah. I have wronged her—greatly, to be truthful—and I admit that I am utterly unworthy of her. Your efforts would have been in vain, even if they had succeeded, for as I have said, I already recognise just how little I have to offer her. I would not have blamed her for a moment, had she been pulled towards another, for I know the darkness of my own character. No matter what you would have tried, Lady Dinah, you would have failed completely. I am entirely devoted to Lady Florentina and fully intend to wed her still.”

Lady Florentina’s frame shook as he spoke but Samuel did not dare look at her, fearful of what she might say to him when the time came for them to speak about Lord Allington and what he had done. Lady Dinah, however, let out another scream and then rushed to the door which, after a moment, Lord Crawley held open for her. Lord Finneston, too, rushed out of the room and, the moment they were both gone, Lady Florentina let out a long sigh and leaned against Samuel all the more.

“You should sit down.” Leading her to a chair, Samuel set her down into it as Lord Crawley, giving Samuel a nod, went to the door.

“A moment, my friend?”

Samuel smiled, grateful that Lord Crawley, in all his goodness, had forgiven him so quickly and was now willing to support him as he sought to make amends with Lady Florentina. “I thank you.” Once the door had closed, Samuel turned to Lady Florentina, sitting down in the chair just next to her though he did not reach out to take her hands. Taking her in, he pressed his lips tight together, seeing how she had closed her eyes, her lips a little open as she breathed out long, slow breaths. Clearly, this had been a most distressing occurrence.

“Florentina?” When she opened her eyes to look at him, Samuel’s heart lurched. Was that sadness in her eyes? “ I am deeply sorry for what has just transpired—but more than that.” Pressing his lips tightly for a moment, he shook his head. “I know I should not have behaved as I did with Lord Allington. Looking back, it was selfishness that drove me, for I wanted not only to be free of you but also to claim the house. I sought to end my foolishness, to turn from it, and instead, take what I believed now belonged to me.” A wry smile touched the corners of his mouth. “I did not expect the gentleman to fall in love with you, but I see now that he had every reason to do so. You are truly wonderful, Florentina, and I speak from my heart when I tell you how deeply sorry I am for what I tried to do.”

Lady Florentina held his gaze steadily, her eyes glistening with tears that tore at Samuel’s heart. He had upset her greatly, he could see, had broken her spirit and, mayhap, even shattered the small amount of trust she had built in her heart for him. Lowering his gaze, he hung his head and then, after a moment, looked up again.

“I want to marry you still, Florentina,” he said, softly, knowing now what he wanted to say but finding the words difficult to speak. “I want to marry you because I have come to not only care for you but also, I think, to fall in love with you, just as Lord Allington did.”

Lady Florentina’s eyebrows lifted a little but still, she remained silent. Samuel’s hands itched to reach out and take her hands in his but he resisted, knowing that he had to wait for her to decide for herself whether or not she would draw close to him in that regard.

“I know that I have failed you in many ways but I confess to you that it is solely because of your beauty—of character and of face—that I find myself so eager to change, so determined to become a better gentleman in every respect.”

“I do believe you.” It was the first time she had spoken to him since Lord Crawley had closed the door, and Samuel’s heart leapt, though he quickly quelled the sensation. That did not mean that she still wished to wed him.

“I am most grateful for that—more grateful than you can imagine.”

Lady Florentina let out another breath, her eyes fluttering closed as a tear dropped to her cheek. “I will not pretend that it has not brought sorrow and pain to hear of what you did in hoping that Lord Allington would pull me toward him. To know that he might have succeeded, that I might have found myself half in love with him only to have then found myself with a broken heart and, in addition, to have let down my family by breaking our engagement and losing our home… ”

Another tear dripped to her cheek and Samuel, his heart rending, reached out and caught her hand, unable to help himself. The urge to show her that his heart was truly as he said it, was just as he told her was so great, that he snatched in a breath, realising what he had to do.

Lady Florentina wiped her eyes with her other hand and then looked away, her lips trembling. “As I have said, I do believe that you wish to be reformed, Dartmoor. It is only that my trust in you, such as it was, has been shattered and in truth, I cannot tell you how long that will take to be restored again.”

“Which I well understand.” The desire in him to speak words that he could not take back grew again and Samuel closed his eyes, fighting against such a desire. It would take her from him, if he dared say it but at the same time, did he not love her enough to give her the opportunity to do as she pleased? “Florentina, I will not force you to wed me. We have not announced the betrothal as yet and, if you desire it, then I shall not do so.”

Her eyes widened, a faint hint of colour in her cheeks. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that, just as it is,” he answered, gripping her hand a little more tightly and then, realising what he was doing, releasing it. “The house—the Haddington house—shall remain your brother’s, Florentina. Whether we wed or not, it will be given back to you all without delay. Indeed, I shall make certain the matter is dealt with in its entirety upon the morrow.”

Hearing this, one hand lifted to her mouth, her eyes rounding now.

“I wish to marry you, I wish to make you my bride because I care for you so very much,” Samuel continued, a catch in his voice now, his heart painful and yet filled with a joy that he was able to do this. “My affection for you is growing with every moment that we share and yet, I know all too well that I do not deserve you. It is just as I said to Lady Dinah and that, I promise you, is the truth of how I feel. But I shall release you from our agreement, if that is what you wish, Florentina, with no consequences to the ending of our connection. I should like you to marry me because you wish to, not because you have to.”

He could say nothing more, his throat aching as he searched her face, wondering what it was that she would say. Fear tried to take a hold of him, tried to tell him that he was soon to lose her and that she would be glad beyond belief to be free of him but, despite that, a tiny light of hope flared and Samuel clung to it desperately.

“Are you being entirely honest with me in this?” Lady Florentina leaned closer to him, the colour in her cheeks heightening. “You would do such a thing as that?”

Samuel nodded. “I would.” His voice rasped as he spoke, but he did not look away from her. “It would cause me great pain, but I would do it, Florentina, because my only desire is for you to be happy in this life. And if you cannot be happy with me as your husband, then I shall step back from you, no matter what pain it would cause me.”

Lady Florentina blinked rapidly as Samuel swallowed thickly, waiting for her answer. What would she do? What would she say to him? The silence seemed to drag on, causing tension to rake up and down his spine until, finally, Lady Florentina let out a quiet laugh, shaking her head as a smile lit her face.

Whatever does this mean? Samuel did not know what to think, the hope in his chest beginning to fade. Was she joyous over the ending of her connection to him? Glad now of her freedom?

Or did it come from something else entirely?

“And it is in this that you have proven yourself to me, Dartmoor.” The smile still gracing her lips, Lady Florentina leaned close to him again, a lightness in her expression that had not been there before. “You prove yourself to me by offering me freedom without exception, with being willing to step back from me and release the house at the very same time. You want nothing for yourself, you care only for me and for my family.”

“I—I do not want anything but your happiness,” Samuel said, aware he was repeating himself but still a little stunned by her reaction. “What are you saying, Florentina? I do not quite understand.”

Her smile grew. “I am saying that we shall be more than happy together, Dartmoor. I am saying that yes, I shall still marry you because I believe now, wholeheartedly, that you are a gentleman who is eager to change from the very core of his being. And because of that, I can absolutely trust that your heart is just as you have proclaimed.”

Samuel let out a whoosh of breath, his breathing now ragged as he took her hands in his. He could not speak, could not even think of what to say as he looked back into her eyes and saw the joy shining there.

“I will still marry you, Dartmoor,” she said softly, lifting one hand to press against his cheek, tenderness in her gaze now. “Not because I must, not because of some foolish agreement between us but because I want to. Because it is in my heart to do so, because I cannot step away from the affection—the love—for you that is there also. Yes, I will marry you and yes, I will be glad to stand up beside you and make my vows to become your wife. I believe all that you have said, I believe that every word of your apology is real and that you will do all that you can to build the trust between us.”

“I shall,” Samuel swore, fervently. “I shall, Florentina, I swear it.”

“Then kiss me,” she whispered, her eyes melding to his, “and then let us go and make the announcement to the ton that we are soon to be wed.”

His heart swelled with overwhelming joy, and, cupping her face gently in his hands, Samuel leaned in, sealing his promise with a kiss that spoke of all the love and devotion he had harbored for her, with a depth he had never known.