Despite her protests, Will and Edgar agreed that Hattie’s personal effects were to be moved to number thirty- seven Newport Street that very day. There was a slight tussle over where Brutus would reside, but Edgar insisted that the cat was part of the chattels of the house and therefore covered under the lease. Brutus would be staying at number forty-three.

Hattie stifled a laugh when she saw Will holding his feline nemesis as she walked out the front door of her family home. She knew Will well enough to know he would be mighty peeved at being left with Brutus and her two sets of silk tearing claws.

Miranda Wright embraced Hattie’s return with gusto and within days of Hattie’s arrival had arranged an entirely new wardrobe of clothes for her sister in law. She would have happily thrown out Hattie’s other plain clothes but Hattie insisted she needed them for her work at St. John’s.

Hattie was left humbled when Miranda accepted her heartfelt apology with good grace.

“You are family. Edgar and I never stopped loving you,” said Miranda.

Hattie kept her side of the agreement with Edgar. She stayed away from Plumtree Street. Little Annie Mayford came by the church every few days and picked up some fresh fruit for Baylee which Hattie had specially set aside.

Hattie quickly slipped into a comfortable routine. In the morning she would make her way to St. John’s to help Father Brown, in the afternoon she would come home and spend time with Miranda and baby Sebastian.

She had just returned home late one afternoon when Miranda caught her at the front door.

“Quickly my dear, head upstairs and change. That coffee colored gown with the dark blue stripes will be perfect. I have had your maid lay it out on the bed,” said Miranda.

Hattie frowned. She had been working at the church since just after dawn, and her feet hurt. She had no wish to go out and spend another afternoon shopping with Miranda.

“Mr. William Saunders is here to pay you a visit. Your maid is waiting in your room to fix your hair. Hurry.”

Miranda gave Hattie a gentle push toward the staircase.

Hattie headed upstairs. Will had given her a few days peace, but she knew he would be impatient to move things along.

When she entered the formal drawing room a short while later Will rose from his seat and greeted her with a formal bow. He was dressed in a dark blue jacket with matching striped trousers. The subtle charcoal grey of his waistcoat was stylishly offset by the pure white linen of his shirt and cravat. Not a hair on his head was out of place.

Her heart skipped a beat. Mrs. Little had been wrong in her estimations of Will, he was more than handsome. The very sight of him stirred something deep within. She knew it to be longing.

“Hattie, it is a pleasure to see you again. You look lovely.”

She looked to Miranda who was seated on a nearby chair sporting a social smile. Her sister in law would be thrilled with Will’s visit. Hattie suspected she already had a wedding guest list hidden somewhere in the desk of her private sitting room. The moment Hattie accepted Will’s suit the wedding invitations would be out.

The whole scene was a tad farcical knowing what had already occurred between her and Will, but she had given Edgar her word and knew she had to go along.

“Mr. Saunders has offered to take you to the pleasure gardens at Vauxhall. Isn’t that wonderful?” said Miranda.

Hattie took a seat next to Miranda, who took hold of her hand and gave it a gentle pat.

“Oh. Thank you,” replied Hattie.

She wondered how much Miranda had revealed to Will of Hattie’s old life. Will would no doubt have been gently pressing her for clues of how he could gain Hattie’s favor.

The pleasure gardens had once been her favorite place to visit. The trip across the river by boat to the south bank of London was a summer highlight of her younger years. Miranda would know full well how much a visit to the gardens would mean to Hattie.

“Yes, my sisters and brother will make up the rest of the party. They are especially keen to meet you. I think you may remember my sister Eve from your debut,” said Will.

“You need to get out, socialize with some people of your own age and have some fun” added Miranda.

A little bubble of excitement started in Hattie’s stomach. She could not remember the last time she had gone out in search of entertainment, let alone fun.

It was later in the year than she was used to attending the gardens, but if she wore warm clothes the journey across the river and to the gardens could be enjoyable. An evening out with Will and his family would be interesting at least. She vaguely remembered Evelyn Saunders, but did not know either of Will’s other two siblings.

“Thank you. I would love to join you,” she replied.

* * *

“Oh, do come on Hattie!” Edgar called impatiently from the bottom of the stairs.

He shook his head in disbelief.

Hattie appeared at the top of the stairs, her cloak tucked over her arm. She had been ready for quite some time, but Miranda insisted that she make Will wait.

“Never appear too eager to please, even after you are married. Keep to the rule that making them wait creates a certain tension. A flustered man is far easier to bend to your will than one whom you hurry after.”

The more time Hattie spent with Miranda, the greater understanding she had of why her brother so loved his wife.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs Hattie handed her cloak to Edgar, who promptly handed it to Will standing beside him.

“Have a wonderful time,” said Edgar, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

A chill went up Hattie's spine as Will lay his hands on her shoulders and draped the cloak around her. It was the closest they had been since the night he had last kissed her. Her body ached for his touch.

The scent of his cologne filled her senses, reminding her of how good it had felt to be in his arms. To know the pleasure of his body loving hers. His sexual presence was tattooed on her mind.

As they left the house and stepped out into the early evening chill, Hattie did not feel the cold. The singular touch of Will’s hands had her blood heated with desire.

A footman opened the carriage door and Will helped Hattie to climb aboard. He climbed in after her.

She was met with the sight of three smiling, welcoming faces. A tall young man, with a shock of white hair called out her name as she sat down.

“Hattie, finally we meet!”

He reached across and offered his hand.

“I’m Francis. This is Caroline,” he said pointing to the young woman seated beside him. Will chuckled, as his younger brother shamelessly stole his thunder.

Caroline was a stunningly beautiful young woman. She was graced with pale blonde hair and porcelain skin so flawless it would make an artist weep. When she smiled her deep green eyes drew Hattie in.

“Hello Hattie, lovely to meet you,” she said.

“Oh, and I think you know Eve from your first season,” said Francis.

Hattie took a moment as memories of her half-finished coming out season two years earlier resurfaced in her mind.

“Now I remember you Eve. You had a pale purple gown at the first of the balls and I was desperate to find out where you got the fabric from. I had never seen anything like it before, and I must confess to having been jealous” said Hattie.

Eve smiled.

“My mother had the fabric smuggled in from France. It was terribly wicked of her and papa was furious. I remember the row they had when he found out. Still mama was adamant that the dressmaker was going to use it.”

Hattie looked at Will, but he did not react to his sister’s words. Will it appeared had decided that he was going to adopt a social face when he was in public with Hattie. She suspected that his siblings had been told very little about her, other than that their brother saw her as a potential bride. He was playing the courting game by the rulebook.

Eve and Caroline both seemed lovely girls. Any other young woman would be pleased to have them as sister in laws. From the way they had greeted her, she knew they would be disappointed when they discovered that she would not be marrying their brother.

Her own disappointment came with the discovery that instead of taking a boat across to Vauxhall as her parents had liked to do, the Saunders carriage crossed over the Thames at Westminster Bridge. Will to his nature read her mind.

“I did enquire about taking a boat across, but the river is icy up this far and none of the small pleasure boats are making the trip across at this time of the year. My apologies to you all,” he said.

A short while later they reached the pleasure gardens which were situated not far from the South bank of the Thames. A crush of carriages and people made finding a place to alight a difficult prospect. Finally, a frustrated Francis opened the door and made a clearing in the road for the others to step down.

At the entrance to the gardens, Will paid the entry fee and Hattie took his offered arm.

“Ah there he is,” exclaimed Eve.

Picking up her skirts, she raced ahead of the group and threw herself into the arms of a young man who was standing to one side of the entrance path. They then proceeded to indulge in an all too passionate kiss for such a public place.

“Steady on girl, your brothers are watching,” said the young man, finally releasing Eve. His words noted protest, but the smug look on his face said otherwise.

Hattie felt Will’s grip on her arm tighten. She was sure he cursed under his breath.

Eve took a firm hold of her male friend’s hand and brought him over to the group.

“Sorry, I forgot to mention that Freddie was going to join us tonight. I am sure it is alright with you all,” she announced.

From the way Will was grinding his jaw, Hattie knew Will was far from pleased.

“Oh, and who is this?” said Freddie, rudely pointing at Hattie.

She had been away from polite society for some time, but Hattie knew well enough that both Eve and Freddie were behaving poorly in public. From the look of disgust on both Francis and Caroline’s faces they were not impressed with such common behavior.

Will stepped in.

“Miss Harriet Wright, may I introduce the Honorable Frederick Rosemount. Frederick is the second son of Viscount Rosemount.”

Suddenly reminded of social expectations Freddie dipped into an elegant bow.

“At your service Miss Wright. You may call me Freddie. All my friends do.”

He was immaculately dressed, his coat cut to fit snuggly against his shoulders and chest. His bright red waistcoat which was finished with gold buttons screamed for everyone’s attention. As she observed him Hattie noticed he kept shifting his stance. It was clear he was trying to find the best pose with which to impress the other members of the party. The only person who seemed to think he was anything but a pompous ass was Eve, who inexplicably hung on his every word.

He was a tad too polished and smooth for Hattie’s liking. If he wasn’t the son of a viscount, she would have picked him for a conman.

The group walked on through the crowded park. Everywhere she looked there were different forms of entertainment to entice and delight.

Hundreds of lamps which hung from trees and poles lit the way. The soft light they threw out gave the entire gardens an almost fairy land appearance. Hattie was enchanted.

“This reminds me of when we visited St. Michael’s cave. It is like another world,” she whispered to Will.

He looked up into the trees and then looking down at her smiled.

“Yes. Let us hope there are no monkeys.”

They stopped for a few minutes and watched a juggler who managed to have five supposedly loaded pistols in the air at the one time. As the juggler caught the last of the pistols, he fired it into the air. The crowd gasped and then loudly applauded.

“Do not try that at home Francis,” said Will.

Francis caught his brother’s jest and laughed.

“Lord no. Far too dangerous. I shall only use three pistols.”

They walked on following the flowing crowd as it moved along the main path. Finally, they reached a large grassy clearing. Dotted around the edges of the clearing were a series of private boxes. Will retrieved a ticket out of his pocket and led them to the private box he had booked.

The women retired to a soft overstuffed couch and got settled. Will meanwhile, beckoned to a nearby waiter. After a short conversation, the waiter headed off. He returned a few minutes later carrying a tray filled with glasses of champagne which he set down in front of the group.

Will picked up a glass and handed it to Hattie. Their fingers touched as she took a hold of the glass. The sensation of touching his skin reminded her as to why Will had invited her this evening. He had plans for them to be forever touching skin.

Hattie blushed when she saw Will lick his bottom lip. She remembered all the wicked things that tongue and lips had done to her body.

As she took her first sip of the champagne, she smiled. Miranda was right, it had been too long since she had had any fun. No matter how things eventually ended with Will, tonight she would make every effort to enjoy herself. It would be a night for making pleasant memories.

Eve downed two glasses of champagne in quick succession, earning herself a brotherly rebuke from Francis. Freddie, Hattie noted, stood to one side, and let her do as she pleased. When she called for a third drink, Will reached over and took her glass out of her hand.

“I think you should take it a little slower Eve, the night is still young,” he cautioned.

Hattie was surprised to see a pout appear on Eve’s lips. She seemed determined to take her brother to task over some unknown slight.

“Don’t think that just because you have come back to London that you have any right to tell me what to do Will. I am a grown woman. I shall decide if I want another glass of champagne, not you,” replied Eve.

To Hattie’s surprise, Freddie stepped in at this point and attempted to calm things down.

“Now Will my good chap, how about I take Eve for a turn around the gardens. The fresh air might return her to good humor. Rest assured we shall remain in full public sight on the main paths.”

Hattie knew the look on Will’s face all too well. It was his, “I would love to punch you in the throat, but society won’t let me” look. They all knew he was being played, but Eve and Freddie were masters of getting their own way.

“Fifteen minutes no longer, or Francis and I shall come looking for you,” Will ground out.

Eve’s demeanor immediately changed and she took hold of Freddie’s arm, half dragging him out of the supper box and toward the nearest path.

Hattie knew enough about Vauxhall to know that there were other paths that lovers could take which took them off the main walk. Those paths were not well lit and all manner of scandalous behavior was known to take place in the bushes which were dotted along them.

“So, Hattie, where did you first meet Will?” asked Caroline.

Will came and sat beside Hattie.

“At St. Paul’s, she was there with her brother,” he said.

Hattie took another sip of her champagne, as she quietly absorbed Will’s lie of how they had met.

It was quite some time before Eve and Freddie finally returned to the group. As they approached, Hattie caught the look of frustrated anger that Francis and Will exchanged.

“We got lost, must have taken a wrong turn,” explained Freddie, unconvincingly.

Releasing Eve’s hand, he stepped away. A grinning Eve came and sat next to Hattie and Caroline.

The look Will gave Freddie would have melted the sun, but he said nothing. Freddie was no doubt relying on the fact that they were in the company of others to save his skin.

At some point before the evening was over, she suspected Freddie and Will would be having a private, but unpleasant conversation.

“You need to be more careful,” whispered Caroline.

Caroline pulled a leaf off the back of her sister’s cloak, and another one from out of her hair. She flicked the leaf away, but not before Hattie and Eve had both caught sight of it.

“Oh,” Eve murmured, blushing.

Caroline made a quick, but not too obvious inspection of the rest of Eve's hair and clothing. Whatever had taken place between Eve and Freddie during their walk, it was clear things were progressing toward an inevitable wedding.

Hattie was surprised at her own reaction to Eve's indiscretion. The Hattie of a few months ago would have frowned upon such behavior. She would have viewed Eve as a lush to permit a young man such liberties with her person.

Now that she knew the raw pleasure that came from being with a man she viewed things very differently. The heat which flared within her body, revealed her own longing to be touched and possessed.

She chanced a look at Will. He had quietly retracted his claws, returning to the well contained persona he had adopted for the night.

Disappointment flared. There would be no chance of Will dragging her off into the bushes to take liberties with her body. She stifled a snort. Where had that wicked notion come from?

From knowing that you want him.

And there it was. The indisputable fact that she did want Will. That she ached for him to take her in his arms and kiss her senseless. Whatever liberties he demanded of her, she would willingly give.

This was another of those moments when she wished they were back on the ship and lying naked in one another’s arms. Things were simpler then. She knew exactly what she wanted. A brief affair and no ties.

He turned and gave her a smile. It was as if he could read her mind. She smiled back, helpless to resist the lure of his charm.

Ending things with him would shatter her heart into a thousand pieces.

* * *

The mood of the party was strained. Eve and Freddie had selfishly put everyone in an uncomfortable position. If Will had called a halt to the evening at that moment Hattie would not have been the least bit surprised.

Francis to his credit had also read the mood. He clapped his hands loudly together and announced. “Righto, time for some dancing. I am not leaving until my feet hurt. Come on Caro you shall be my partner.”

Caroline wasted no time in getting to her feet and taking her brother’s arm. They headed out toward a nearby space in which a small orchestra was playing. Eve and Freddie followed quickly behind.

Hattie and Will were left alone in the box, the first time they had been alone in over a week.

“Shall we?”

Will offered Hattie his hand. She took it, feeling a tremble throughout her body, as he closed his strong fingers about hers. As he pulled her to her feet, Will slipped his hand around her waist and drew her close.

“Unfortunately, the only movement you and I can do together tonight is that of the socially acceptable type. I just wish we could be somewhere that would allow us to indulge in the dancing we shared on the boat. Of course, if we were married, that would be easily accomplished at the end of this evening.”

Will was keen to press his need for them to marry. She was dreading the moment he asked for permission to speak to Edgar.

“Let’s not. It has been a long time since I danced. The last time was after I had been presented to the Queen. That was over two years ago. Even then my dancing was adequate at best,” she replied.

If Will was disappointed with her reply, he hid it well.

“Well then, how about we take a short stroll instead and see what other entertainment is at hand?”

“But what about the others?” she replied.

“They have made it abundantly clear that they are old enough to take care of themselves. They do not need me to shadow their every move. Besides I am here tonight for you.”

The crowds in the gardens had built to a peak. There were hundreds of people all pushing and jostling to find the best places to watch the entertainment.

Towing Hattie behind him, Will weaved his way through the throng. She held on tight as he cleared a path for them.

Eventually they managed to find an area where the crowd thinned and they could stroll together. A line of small booths selling trinkets was set up along the side of the path. They walked slowly, hand in hand, along the line of booths content just to be in one another’s company.

At one booth Will bought Hattie a small silver pin adorned with a lion’s head. She happily pinned it to the bodice of her gown.

When Hattie yawned a short while later, Will took his cue and led her back to where they had left the rest of the group. They found Eve seated on a chair her head in her hands, while the others milled around.

“I think the champagne has caught up with her, so it might be time for us to take our leave,” announced Francis.

Caroline helped her sister to her feet and the group slowly made its way to the main gate. Hattie walked alongside Will, lost in her own thoughts.

Outside the gate to Vauxhall, beggars crowded the path. The rest of the group ignored the outstretched hands, beggars were aplenty in this part of London. Hattie saw a young woman standing to one side under a tree holding a small child in her arms.

She stepped away from the group and went to the woman’s side. Other beggars followed and soon she was surrounded. She looked back over her shoulder briefly, but Will and the others were lost from sight. She opened her reticule and pulled out a handful of coins, handing them to the woman.

“May you be blessed,” said the woman.

As Hattie leaned in to offer the woman some words of comfort, the child made a grab for Hattie’s lion pin. At the pull on her gown, Hattie moved forward to save the pin from being torn through the fabric.

A concerned Will forced his way into the group.

“Hattie!” he bellowed.

People scattered at the sound of his voice. In the ensuing scramble, someone pushed against Hattie’s back and she fell hard into the woman and child. All three of them tumbled to the ground. The child screamed in pain as her small fingers caught the sharp edge of Hattie’s lion pin.

Will came over and helped Hattie to her feet. Picking up the child he handed her to her mother. The woman took one look at Will in his fine evening clothes and quickly fled.

He attempted to put a comforting arm around Hattie, but she angrily pushed him away.

“Why did you do that?” she said.

She watched as the group of beggars disappeared into the London night. In her reticule sat the rest of the coins she had intended to give to them. Finally, she turned to Will.

“Please take me home.”