Romancing an Alluring Lady: A Historical Regency Romance Book Page 6

  “You seem unaffected by all the attention I am receiving,” Kitty said softly to him at one point in their walk when they weren’t too terribly close to anyone. “Not many people seem eager to speak to you.”

  Hugh smiled kindly down at her as he said, “I’m just pleased to see you so happy, Kitty. I know that not many people want to speak to me after the mess I made last night, or many of my past experiences.”

  “Have you thought about what you’re going to do for the Marquess?” Kitty asked with a giggle. “Forgive me, Hugh. Never before have I ever heard of someone making such a large mess at a ball.” Hugh laughed with her as he shook his head.

  “The moment I tried to be better for you was the moment I tripped over myself … literally,” Hugh said through his laughter. It felt good for Kitty to laugh so openly with her old friend, and she could say the same for Hugh that it was nice to see him happy once more.

  “I guess you’ll just need some more practice,” Kitty offered. “What other plans do you have for improving yourself?” Hugh smiled as they walked together, seeming more confident in himself.

  “This morning I visited the orphanage and gave them a hefty donation,” Hugh said, his voice laced with pride. “It was a joy to see the matron’s happy face and to spend some time with the littles ones. I think I’d like to visit them again.”

  “I’ve gone and visited once to sing to the children. I understand your meaning of what it feels like to be around them and bring them that certain feeling of hope and joy,” Kitty related. She was pleased to hear that Hugh had gone out of his way to do an act of kindness but hoped that he hadn’t done it just to impress her.

  “I’ve taken to heart what you’ve said about my character,” Hugh said, his voice lowering. “And even if I don’t win your heart, Kitty, I think it’s important that I start becoming the man my father would expect me to be.” Kitty was so pleased to hear this and hoped that Hugh had really had a serious change of heart. She had fond memories of the late Lord Blackmore and knew that his father had been attentive to Hugh. Having lost her own parents, she could understand the pain Hugh must have been feeling all the years. Perhaps she should have reached out to him sooner.

  Putting that out of her mind, she simply returned to enjoying the fresh air with Hugh. It was nice to spend time again with her oldest friend and remember their younger years together. Their walk through the park had to be the most relaxing thing she’d done in a while. She was always so eager to attend another social function that she’d stopped doing things that were simple and pleasant to enjoy.

  After they’d walked the whole of the park, they returned to the carriage and once again came back to Kitty’s townhouse. She was very thoughtful as she ascended the stairs with Hugh, looking forward to having dinner with him. As they entered the townhouse, the butler explained that Aunt Matilda had gone up to her room to rest.

  “Do you mind waiting for us in the sitting room?” Kitty asked Hugh. “I’ll have a tea tray brought in. I should freshen up as well for dinner.”

  “I’d be happy to wait for you,” Hugh said as he took her hand and kissed her knuckles, a quick wave of pleasure washing over her. Their eyes locked, and for a moment, it felt like all time had stopped. She wondered if she could live in this moment forever. “Take your time.”

  Kitty only nodded her head as she withdrew her hand slowly from his and then turned her attention to climbing up the stairs. She felt so overcome by his gentle kiss that it took some time to clear the fog from her mind. Kitty had been kissed before on the hand, but none of those previous kisses had ever affected Kitty quite like Hugh’s had.

  In her bedchamber, she had her lady-in-waiting let the housekeeper know to bring Hugh a tea tray while he waited, and then she set her focus on readying for dinner. She had a desire to dress up for the occasion and picked a dazzling blue silk gown to wear for the night. Even though this challenge was all about Hugh winning over her affections, a part of her wanted to win over his as well.

  ~*~

  Hugh felt like he was finally making headway with Kitty as he went to relax in the sitting room till the women of the house joined him for the evening meal. He’d enjoyed his time with Kitty at the park and felt like he’d made a certain impression on her during their conversation in the carriage. He couldn’t deny that Kitty must think something terrible of him after all she’d heard from the gossipers in town. So, he knew that he needed to try his best with Kitty to show her that he wasn’t what people often said of him.

  He’d just sat down on a chair near the window so he could view the gardens outside the townhouse when the butler came hurrying into the room. He bowed quickly and then handed Hugh a note before leaving once more. Concerned, Hugh opened the note to see Portlock’s familiar handwriting.

  I’m terribly sorry, Your Grace, to disturb your evening but you are requested immediately back at the townhouse. I’ve just received terrible news about Ormondene.

  Fear clenched Hugh’s heart as he read and reread the note. His mind was racing about the possible situations that were awaiting him back at the townhouse. And he knew that Portlock would not have summoned him if it wasn’t terribly important. With a heavy heart, Hugh made his way to the front of the house to address the butler.

  “Please let Lady Winthrop and Miss Worthington know that I was called home for an urgent matter and that I’ll send a note as soon as I’ve discovered the situation,” Hugh told the butler.

  The man bowed and opened the door for him as he said, “Absolutely, Your Grace.” Hugh didn’t hesitate as he quickly left the townhouse and called to his driver.

  “Straight home, Luther,” Hugh called up to the driver as he opened the carriage door and stepped up into it quickly before shutting the door. He knocked hard on the side of the carriage, signalling for them to be off. The sound of the reins cracking filled the air, and the carriage was off at a fast pace.

  Hugh wrung his hands together as he tried to imagine what could have possibly gone wrong. The earlier interview had been splendid that he couldn’t imagine the papers having printed anything till the morning. Even if the writer had written a negative article based on him, he knew that it wouldn’t be seen by society till at least tomorrow, if not a few days from now.

  Hugh was filled with uneasy nerves as the carriage made its way through town. And the worst part was that he was now missing dinner with Kitty. He was even more worried about her impression of him now that he’d fled from her home so quickly.

  The moment the carriage came to a stop, Hugh flung open the carriage door himself and jogged up the walkway. He pushed open the front door and was quickly met by Portlock, his face pale with fright.

  “Thank goodness you’re here, Your Grace,” Portlock said as he placed his hands on his shoulders. The look in his eyes made Hugh very worried. “I’ve just received Thompson for Ormondene. The stable boy reports of a fire in the countryseat.”

  “A fire?” Hugh asked, his childhood home rising in his mind. “How bad is the damage? Does it still stand?”

  “It’s very grave, Your Grace,” Portlock said with tears in his eyes. “The house is still there, but many things were burned completely. The family portraits, the furnishings, and your family’s things in the attic.” Hugh felt like someone had punched him right in the stomach. The idea of anything happening to his parents’ things caused him to feel sick to his stomach as he stumbled away from Portlock and made straight way for his study. There, he poured himself a large glass of brandy and quickly made work of downing half of it.

  “I must pack for Ormondene right away,” Hugh announced. “I must assess the damage and see what remains. I will need to comfort the villagers and assure them that I won’t raise any of the taxes because of this mess.”

  “Your Grace, don’t make any hasty decisions. You have to keep Miss Worthington in your thoughts. You’ve made a promise to her that you can not break,” Portlock insisted. As Hugh turned to the man, a part of him wondered if Portlock was ho
ping to see him and Kitty wed.

  “I know I’ve made a promise, Portlock, but I want to see the damage,” Hugh exclaimed. “I want to see that my father’s things still exist.” Tears came to Hugh’s eyes as he tried to fathom how any of this could happen. He hadn’t been to his countryseat since his parents passed away. And though he staffed servants to take care of the manor, he was worried about why this fire had started and what it could all mean.

  “I know, Your Grace, I know,” Portlock said as he came near Hugh and placed a hand on his shoulder. “But it won’t matter if you start out tonight or go in a few days. The journey is three-days’ time, and you are needed here more.”

  “Oh, Portlock. What ever am I going to do?” Hugh said, completely defeated.

  “You’re going to eat something and then you’re going to go to bed early,” Portlock advised. He allowed the butler to guide him from the study and towards the dining room. “I’ll have Cook make you something extra special.”

  “And I’ll need a sheet of writing paper. I want to tell Kitty what has happened,” Hugh said, clutching his glass of brandy.

  “Of course, Your Grace,” Portlock replied. He eased Hugh down into a chair at the head of the table and then left right away to gather the things Hugh would need to construct his letter. As Hugh sat there, alone in the large room, he thought about all the good he’d done that day only to receive this terrible news. He wondered if it was God’s way of punishing him for sinning for so many years. Hugh sipped the rest of his brandy, wanting to feel numb instead of having all this worry and pain in his chest.

  When Portlock returned with his needed items, Hugh set about writing Kitty a detailed letter, hoping to convey his deepest feelings in each word.

  My dearest Kitty,

  Please forgive me for leaving your home so quickly. I hated the idea of having to leave and miss dinner with you and Aunt Matilda, but I wouldn’t have done it if Portlock hadn’t been so insistent. Upon returning to my townhouse, he shared the dreadful news with me that the Ormondene estate had caught fire. Though the stable boy that had rushed to Town all on his own did explain that the house still stood, it appears that many of my most precious family items have all burned.

  At this time, I don’t know if I should rush home or stay in Town. I hope you’ll visit me tomorrow so that I might gain your opinion from my only dear friend. I know this letter will pain you as much as it does me to write it since we both have fond memories of that house. It pains me to even think of my childhood home in such disarray, but I must move forward with the hopes of returning it to its former glory.

  Again, please accept my deepest apologies for missing dinner with you and Aunt Matilda. Please reassure your aunt that I will dine again with thee soon,

  Hugh

  By the time Hugh finished writing his letter, he felt completely exhausted. He sealed the letter and handed it to Portlock when the butler returned with his meal. Hugh wasn’t very hungry, but he knew he needed to eat something. He ate almost mindlessly, just needing something to be in his stomach so he could continue drinking without worrying about being sick.

  When he was done, Hugh rose from the table with his glass and went over to the side table to fill it once more. But when he tried to take the glass to bed, Portlock plucked it out of his fingers before he could get out of the dining room.

  “You’ve had enough for a lifetime, Your Grace,” Portlock said in a strict voice. “You need to learn to cope with tragedy without needing this to help you.” Hugh stared at his butler for a few moments, and not wanting to argue, he continued on his way to his bedchamber.

  All sorts of worrisome thoughts crashed through his mind as Hugh was readied for bed. He thought of all the things his father had left him, and he dearly hoped that they hadn’t been destroyed in the fire.

  He tried to remember what his childhood home had looked like when he’d seen it last, and any memory that came to mind was soon replaced with his imagination of it burnt by fire. He wondered if the fire had been set on purpose or if it was some sort of accident. There were so many unknowns about this situation that it plagued him with nervousness.

  Even as he got into bed, hoping sleep would come quickly, all he could do was worry. The only thing that seemed to calm his mind was when he thought of his afternoon stroll with Kitty. He’d been so happy walking beside her in a public place that it was hard to think he was so miserable now. He wished he could return time to that moment and stay there forever. He didn’t like the idea of trying to face the thoughts of his beloved home now ruined.

  As Hugh tossed and turned that night, desperate to simply sleep, he did his best to focus only on the thought of Kitty and one day becoming the man worthy to be her husband.

  Chapter 6

  When Kitty had returned downstairs after freshening up and changing into an elegant gown, she had been very concerned when the butler had explained that Hugh had left urgently for home to receive some terrible news. Kitty was concerned about Hugh and wondered if she should pay him a visit. She’d waited for Aunt Matilda to join her in the sitting room to tell her what had happened and to gain her opinion on the matter.

  “It’s best to give the man a moment, Kitty. I’m sure Hugh will let you know what has happened the moment he can,” Aunt Matilda said with concern in her own voice. Kitty then had tried to be patient for the rest of the evening. After dinner, she’d returned to her task of writing response letters to all the invitations she’d received. It was almost ten o’clock at night when an errand boy came to the house to deliver Hugh’s letter.

  When the butler came into the sitting room to deliver the letter, Kitty was beside herself with nerves. And as she read the letter, her heart seemed to drop into her stomach. She covered her mouth with her hand as it hung open, her eyes large from shock. And then she began to tear up at the thought of any damage coming to the Ormondene estate.

  “Come child, what is it?” Aunt Matilda spoke up, breaking Kitty from her thoughts.

  “Hugh had been called away to receive the news that Ormondene estate had caught fire,” Kitty explained as she folded back up the letter. Aunt Matilda gasped with surprise. “He wrote that the structure still stands, though many valuables have been lost in the fire.”

  “My goodness, what terrible news,” Aunt Matilda exclaimed. “Is he leaving for once for his countryseat?”

  Kitty shook her head. “No, Aunty. He’s asked that I pay him a visit in the morning.”

  “No doubt to seek some sort of comfort,” Aunt Matilda reasoned. “Oh my, the thought of that house ruined hurts my heart.”

  “I will speak with Hugh tomorrow, Aunt Matilda,” Kitty promised. “But for now, let us retire for the night.”

  “Yes, I suppose there is no reason to stay up any longer,” Aunt Matilda said as she allowed Kitty to guide her to her feet. Together, they left the sitting room and made the slow journey to the upstairs. There, Kitty bid her aunt goodnight before venturing to her own bedchamber. A part of her wanted to visit Hugh tonight to console him, but the hour was late, and she hoped that Hugh would be resting this time of night as well.

  But as Kitty readied for bed, all she could think of was how ill-timed all of this was.

  ~*~

  By the time the appropriate hour in the morning came to call upon another person, Kitty was out the door with a promise to her Aunt Matilda to convey all her well wishes to Hugh. She was eager to see him and to witness what kind of state he was in. The Hugh the rumours described would be a drunken man who didn’t wake to the late hours of the day. She was determined to see for herself just how he’d handled this situation.

  In a simple day gown, Kitty left her townhouse and stepped up into the waiting carriage with the help of the footman. As soon as the door was closed and Kitty was settled, the carriage was off, and she was making her way through town. It was still early in the morning, and there was a light fog over Town. It looked eerie and mysterious, and she wondered if this was some sort of omen for what h
er future held for her.