Chapter 18
The Hammond’s ball was a grand squeeze. It seemed as if everyone was in town for Christmas rather than on their country estates as they usually were. Perhaps the terrible weather over the summer had driven more people to seek solace in the town this winter. Things had not yet settled down yet.
Kathleen had arrived with her mother and her sister and she had soon sought out Christina to talk to.
“Gabriel is in the card room with Myles.”
“They’re betting?”
“Not proper money. There are a few high stakes tables but Gabriel and Myles are not stupid enough to gamble fortunes on games of chance. Credit them with some sense, Kathleen.”
Godfrey came over at that point smiling at them. Kathleen was pleased to note he was wearing silk evening breeches and not inexpressibles.
“Ladies, I wondered if I might trouble you each for a dance.”
“The next set. It is a set of country dances?” suggested Kathleen.
“That sounds fine. Thank you.”
“You can put your name down on my card for the set after that then, brother dearest.”
“Thank you, Christina. I am much obliged.”
Christina smiled at him as he scrawled his name on her card. As he sauntered off the ladies moved closer together.
“He’s not a bad old stick really, is he?” said Christina.
“No. Do you think he will tell anyone that Gabriel was here? He is bound to notice.”
“I doubt it. When Cedric was not bullying Gabriel, he was bullying Godfrey. Perhaps we can find him a nice wallflower with a handsome dowry who does not mind that his family are all fit for Bedlam.”
Kathleen chuckled. “That would be nice.”
At that moment she felt a hand on the small of her back and looked up into sparkling brown eyes.
“What would be nice?”
“To dance with you,” Kathleen said quickly.
“Since when did ladies ask gentlemen to dance?”
“It is an American tradition,” she lied.
“Balderdash. However, it would be my pleasure to dance the waltz with you.” He took her card and raised an eyebrow. “Mr G Onslow.”
“He is harmless.”
Gabriel smiled. “I am not disputing it.” He wrote a C on her card next to the waltz.
“What does C stand for?”
“Well people will assume it stands for Cedric, but you shall know it stands for Cindermaine,” he said in a low tone that only she could hear. “We need to talk, however. We are approaching Christmas rapidly and I wish to make sure we have a plan prepared for Christmas night.”
“I agree.”
“There is a small parlour on the first floor. The second room on the right. Meet me there after you have danced with Godfrey. It gives us half an hour before your dance with me.”
“I shall.”
Kathleen enjoyed the Hammond’s ball. Christina was good company and when it came time to dance with Godfrey, he was solicitous and charming. He discussed topics which were banal but acceptable when the figures of the dance allowed them to converse. Kathleen liked it that way. Given the situation they were in, it was better to err on the side of caution.
When Godfrey returned her to Christina then bowed to his half-sister, Christina offered that they walk her back to her mother.
“I am fine. I shall go and find the ladies retiring room. I feel rather flushed.”
“Are you sure? You should not be unaccompanied.”
“I doubt I can come to any harm in the squeeze,” she pointed out. Christina pursed her lips and looked unconvinced. “Go. The music is starting for the next set.”
Kathleen turned her back on her friend and hurried out of the ballroom and towards the stairs and her rendezvous with Gabriel.
She arrived at the top of the stairs, slightly breathless and feeling terribly scandalous. Meeting a gentleman in a parlour at a ball. Indeed. Even though she knew he was her husband, no one else did. She opened the door of the parlour a crack to check that no couples were having a secret tryst in there. The last thing she wanted to do was interrupt young lovers having carnal relations on a love seat. But the room was quiet and apart from a fire burning in the grate, there was no light or sound. She slipped inside and stood next to the fire.
When the door opened a moment later, she smiled.
“I saw you slip in here, you naughty wench,” he said in Cedric’s voice.
She laughed. “Please. Do not pretend when we are alone.”
“Pretend what? God, I cannot wait to marry you on St Stephen’s Day. Perhaps it would be wise to pre-empt our vows now, you saucy little minx. Is that not why you came in here. You saw me arrive at the ball and you wanted me to follow.”
Kathleen felt like casting up her accounts. How on earth had she thought this was Gabriel? He did not even smell like Gabriel. His hands covered her breasts and squeezed. Not the gentle kneading she was used to from her husband but a rough bruising grab which she instinctively tried to wriggle out from.
“No Cedric. Please.”
“Come, Kathy. We can get the pain of breaching your maidenhead out of the way now and then you shall enjoy your wedding night so much more. I know I shall because I can pump you so many more times.”
“Cedric, let me go. I shall not marry you. Get your hands off me.”
She was angry now, much more than she was frightened. How dare he manhandle her? She was still wriggling in his hold when a shaft of light fell over them and a roar that sounded vaguely like Cedric’s name being shouted.
“Let her go or I shall kill you.”
She recognised Gabriel’s voice and then she was stumbling backwards as Cedric let her go. She landed in a heap on her bottom but did not take time to assess if she was injured. She jumped to her feet to see Gabriel land a punch on Cedric’s jaw. When Gabriel lifted his fist for the next blow, however, Cedric blocked it.
“I shall tell Father about this,” whined Cedric.
“Tell who you damned well please,” growled Gabriel. “Kathleen is my wife and we’re leaving.”
Well, that had certainly been one way to announce their nuptials, she supposed, especially when she looked at the door and saw a few people crowding around to see what the melee was about.
“Married? Since when?”
“Three days ago. The day Kirkbourne caught you trying to assault her at Lady Arbuthnott’s.”
“I was trying to take what is mine.”
“She is mine.” Gabriel spat out the words individually
“She is affianced to me. I shall have your marriage annulled.”
“Not possible. She married me willingly.”
“You are an imposter.”
“She knows I am Gabriel Marchby, Earl of Cindermaine and that is what I signed on the marriage licence. I am no fool.”
There were gasps from the doorway. It seemed that everyone must have assumed Gabriel was another of the Duke’s bye blows. No one had even considered he might be the Duke’s legitimate son.
“You are not leaving with her.”
“Try to stop us, you snivelling little bastard.”
Cedric’s eyes widened at the word and he threw a punch, but Gabriel was also quick and blocked it.
“Kathleen, head for the front door.” He started to follow but Cedric grabbed his arm. Kathleen’s mouth fell open when Gabriel lifted his foot and kicked him right in the groin. Cedric dropped to the ground with a high-pitched squeal of pain. But as he thudded on to the floor, he grabbed Gabriel’s ankle. It seemed that Gabriel had perhaps even shocked himself at his own action and had taken a moment to react. Now Cedric had a death grip on Gabriel’s foot.
Her husband kicked and pulled but to no avail. He at least managed to move Cedric’s hands down as far as just having a grip on his evening slippers.
“Pull your foot out of your shoe,” Kathleen whispered. Gabriel frowned, but he turned his ankle and eased his foot out of the slipper. And they were off, pushing through the crowds of the ball. They were easily lost among the people, but Kathleen held tight to his hand. In fact, she wondered if the poor man would have any blood left in his fingers when they eventually made the front door.
“Shall I get your cloaks, Sir, Ma’am,” said a footman as they rushed by.
“No, thank you,” called out Kathleen as they pulled open the door and bounced down the steps of the Mayfair mansion.
“Come, we should head to Myles’ house.”
“No. You have been seen with him too often. Sarah offered us refuge at the Kirkbourne’s. Their house is just a few minutes’ walk away. But we should take the back alleys.
“Agreed.”
They hurried down a side lane a couple of houses along from the Hammond’s home and once out of the light of the street lamps, Gabriel stopped her.
“Help me off with my coat.”
“Why?”
“You need to put it on. You shall freeze to death in that thin ball gown.”
“You shall freeze to death in that shirt, my lord.”
“Nonsense. Do you think I have warm blankets in my servants’ quarters? Do not be ridiculous. I am used to the cold. You are not. Now for once in your life, Kathleen, obey my order.”
Kathleen did not want to argue with him and she knew he would be stubborn about this. She sighed and tugged at the sleeve of his coat. When it was off, he wrapped it around her shoulders.
“I fear we shall be in some mess by the time we reach the Kirkbourne house. We shall not be able to see the horse mess in the street and you have only one shoe.”
“I am like Cinderella leaving a ball with only one shoe,” he chuckled.
“I am sure Cinderella did not kick her step-sisters in the nether regions as she left, my lord.”
“Yes, that was instinct. I was so angry at him trying to take liberties with you.”
“Never mind that now. Let us get to Sarah and Nathaniel’s.”
“Since when were you on first name terms with a Duke and Duchess,” he teased.
“I am only on first name terms with Sarah, but it sounded silly calling him the Duke. Do you not think?”
“Perhaps.”
They trudged down the alley groaning each time they stepped into a puddle or worse.
“My slippers shall be utterly ruined.”
“I believe one of my stockings may just end up being buried in the garden to help the roses grow.”
Kathleen giggled.
“I think we are nearly here. We need to go out onto the main street and check there is no-one around who would recognise us.”
When they got to the main road, they peered around the corner. A couple were walking arm in arm towards them.
“Back,” Gabriel hissed then urged her into the shadows and up against a wall where he proceeded to kiss her thoroughly for a few minutes. He did not, however, press his hips against hers and whenever her hands started to roam down to his waist, he caught it and moved it back to his shoulders. Eventually, he pulled away and rested his forehead against hers. “If that couple walking by had seen us, I wanted them only to see a couple of young lovers engaged in a secret tryst. Not two people hiding from them and not a married couple copulating in an alley, much though I’d like nothing more than to lift your skirts and show you how I feel. Now, behave. You are about to enter the home of a Duke and a Duchess.”
“Gabriel?”
“Yes.”
“Before everything gets much worse—I mean in case we’re caught and the Duke of Hartsmere causes problems, I just want to let you know that…” She could not say it. Could she? “I think I might be falling in love with you.”
He smiled and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “That is a shame. You have some catching up to do, Lady Cindermaine. I told your great-aunt today that I love you. Clearly, you were not listening hard enough at the door.” And then he took her hand, checked the street and led her out before she could correct her earlier statement. She did love him. And now he thought she cared less about him than he did about her. Well, that was awful.
Would she get another chance before the evening was out? What a mess their lives were. She hated the Duke of Hartsmere. He was the cause of all their problems.