Compromised Lady: A Regency Romance by Louise Allen

Author:Louise Allen [Allen, Louise]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2014-11-01T04:00:00+00:00

The appointed hour of eight o’clock came and went without sign of Lord Barnard. The entire household, fully prepared and with nothing to do but wait, was in a state of restlessness that fretted Caro’s nerves almost to screaming-point. The travelling carriage was packed with all the necessities for a long journey on a cold winter’s day and the coach with the trunks had left at dawn.

The dank mists of the past fortnight had vanished overnight to be replaced by a sparkling hard frost. Dorking had hot bricks waiting in the bread oven until the last minute before the ladies, well wrapped in fur travelling rugs, stepped into the carriage and he could pack them around their feet.

Harry and the Major had already departed as agreed, Harry driving the curricle gingerly across the icy cobbles. Flora, apparently still in a secret, happy daze from last night’s agreement with her Major, seemed blind to the reality of Caro’s unhappy restlessness.

‘It is only twenty minutes past the hour,’ Flora said placidly from her seat by the fire. ‘There is bound to be some small delay, especially with the weather so icy.’

Jervais was not coming. She must have been mad to think he would after what had passed between them last night. Such bitter words could not easily be unsaid, and they had both uttered accusations which, in the cold light of day, appalled her.

As the minute hand of the clock crept round and Flora continued to sit calmly waiting, Caro steeled herself to tell her aunt the truth, all of it. She could not live with this feeling of guilt for deceiving her and now Jervais was not coming she could pretend no longer. She must persuade Flora that Caro’s mother would never have intended her sister-in-law to sacrifice her own happiness by interpreting her promise so literally, not after Caro had ruined her own chances of marriage so disastrously,

‘Flora...’

The sound of the knocker reached them faintly from the floor below. Caro spun round and craned to see down through the frosted window. But the horse standing by the kerb, its breath making white plumes in the bitter air, was an ordinary hack, not Caesar. As she watched, a groom emerged, mounted the horse and walked it slowly away down the treacherous road.

Dorking entered the salon moments later carrying a silver salver with a note on it. ‘Lord Barnard’s compliments, my lady.’

Caro sank down onto the window-seat. She should have said something sooner to Flora, now the shock of discovering her niece’s behaviour and the consequences for her own alliance with the Major, would be all the greater.

As Caro watched her scan the note, she saw Flora’s brow furrow and she made a soft sound of distress. What can he have said? Caro’s stomach cramped as she imagined the contents.

‘Oh dear, how distressing for Lord Barnard,’ said Flora in a worried tone.

‘Distressing! Is that what you call it? I suppose he has told you all...’ Caro broke off at the sight of the perplexed expression on Flora’s face.

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