The way he’s looking at me right now—
She shuddered slightly. Gone was the rascally Harry who liked to joke and laugh. The man who stood before her now was eyeing her as though she were a venomous snake, and he wanted to prove his bravery by reaching forward and stroking one finger down her head, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. She didn’t like the look of repulsion on his face, and so she turned away but answered him bluntly, nevertheless. “Richard and I are not getting married.”
Harry heaved a sigh of relief, and his demeanor changed immediately. He took a step toward her and caught her in a tight embrace. “That’s what I wanted to hear. Please try not to worry me like that in the future, will you?
She allowed her cousin to hug her, but Leticia felt strange in his arms. She couldn’t forget the way he had looked at her just a moment before, and now, with his arms wrapped around her, she felt almost as if he were trying to put her in a cage.
“I have no intention of interrupting any of our other friends’ wedding ceremonies, if that’s what you’re asking of me,” Leticia murmured. His chin was pressed tightly to her cousin’s shoulder, but she felt it when he relaxed a bit, letting the joke ease the tension that had existed a moment before.
“That’s good, Letty. I’d hate for people to begin disinviting us to events because you decided you wished to steal the show at all of them.”
“Hey,” Leticia said, pretending to be wounded by his words. “I didn’t want to take center stage. I just wanted—”
“I know,” Harry said soothingly. “You get it. You just wanted to do what was right by Richard.”
Aunt Amelia and Uncle Sebastian walked forward then. Sebastian laid a hand on Harry’s shoulder, and as he did, Harry slackened the grip he had on Leticia. “Well,” Aunt Amelia said as her shoulders heaved with the immensity of her next question. “What do we do now? How will this family ever survive being the brunt of theton’s jokes? Surely, the gossip papers will know everything by tomorrow morning, and this story, or something like it, will be on everyone’s lips.”
“Let them talk,” Harry replied as his old, familiar, and confident persona reemerged. “We are the Hudson family. We will handle this together.”
Aunt Amelia reached out and laid a hand on top of Leticia’s. “We have been through a great deal together in the past, but this…this affair… isn’t going to just go away. While your family might be satisfied with your answers and even your decisions right now…we might not be able to protect you from others who demand to know more.”
Leticia shook her head. “I confess…had I thought through the ramifications, I might not have acted as I did earlier today.” Then, she paused and evaluated her words. “No…I knew what I was doing full well, and I think, even if had known the consequences, I would still have wanted to help Richard.”
Aunt Amelia rolled her eyes and lifted her hand, so she could smooth back a strand of Leticia’s hair that had fallen onto her forehead. “That’s our determined girl. Stick by your decisions.”
“And we’ll stand by you,” Harry assured Leticia. “If you and Richard need any assistance telling others that you have decided to end your entanglement, we’ll help you the best we can.” He held his arms out to her now, giving her the choice to enter his embrace, something he had not afforded her a few minutes ago. Timidly, she stepped toward him, and he pulled her close. “Don’t worry, Letty,” he whispered in her ear. “Everything is going to be all right.I…I mean—wewon’t let anything happen to you.”
CHAPTERNINETEEN
“Leticia…I’d like to ask you to be my—”
No…I’m not really asking for her hand in marriage, so I can’t start that way.
“Lady Leticia Hudson, it would be my great honor if you would—”
Ah…too formal…she’s likely to laugh in my face. Oh, I don’t know how this is ever going to work.
Early that morning, Richard had awakened to find his valet, Mr. Withers, already bustling about his chamber. He’d flung the curtains wide open, and even when Richard grumbled that it was early, much too early, as the sun was just beginning its ascent in the sky, the servant had persisted with his duty.
“Her Grace ordered me to get you up and ready so that you might embark upon yourspecial errandthis morning,” Mr. Withers said as one of his eyebrows lifted faintly. Richard imagined all the servants had been gossiping about his situation. His wedding had turned into a debacle, and the discussion he had with his mother following the disastrous ceremony should have been a private one, but he knew the servants had their ways of overhearing even the most closeted conversations.
As Richard didn’t really feel it was appropriate to argue the matter with his valet, and he’d already lost the battle with his mother, he rolled out of bed, got dressed, and broke his fast. While he ate, Mr. Withers entered with a handwritten note from Richard’s mother, and it said very little:Number 25, Grosvenor Square.
He had taken that to mean he could find Leticia there and so had set out shortly thereafter. He’d chosen to ride Hermia into town, mostly because he took comfort in being with his old, familiar horse. He could have taken one of the faster steeds, but that seemed nonsensical as he didn’t need to find Leticia immediately. No, right now, he needed to figure out what to say to her when he finally did reach the house where she and the rest of her family members were staying.
While he’d visited friends who lived on Grosvenor Square many times in the past, he had never been here before. All of the townhouses were fashioned in a similar style though with reddish-orange brick facades and windows stacked neatly on top of each other. Outside of this particular residence, there was an iron anchor that had been propped up near the front door. Richard took that to mean the Hudson’s were currently staying with one of Lord Pearl’s navy comrades, perhaps Admiral Shelling. As he approached the entrance, he glanced upward at the tall, rectangular windows that seemed to sparkle in the morning light.
I wonder if they already know I’m here.
He adjusted the front of his jacket and slicked a hand through the top of his dark hair. Then, he took a deep breath.
Richard was admitted to the house by a butler he did not know or recognize. Almost at once, he was hurried to the drawing room, giving credence to his notion that at least one person in the house had been watching his arrival through the gleaming windowpanes.
“Morning, old friend,” Harry said cheerfully as Richard was escorted into the drawing room. Richard was struck by the fact that this drawing room was very unlike others he had visited in his time. A nautical theme reigned throughout as the curtains were made of an airy fabric that was almost a sheer opalescent color. Harry stood near those curtains, and as a morning breeze drifted in through the windows, the drapes billowed softly, reminding Richard of the sail on a boat.
“Good morning,” Richard replied, nodding respectfully at his friend.
“Wasn’t sure we’d get a glimpse of you today,” Harry continued as he pushed away from the window frame and strode forward. He leaned forward and in a mock whisper, he said, “I thought you might hide away at Braxton Manor for a few days.”