Chapter 3
The night deepened, and Lavinia continued to stare at the ceiling, debating whether her decision to stay in her room and avoid dinner was the right thing to do. Her stomach had not stopped grumbling when mealtime came and passed.
And great lies certainly do lead to huge consequences.
Now she was famished.
She attempted to sleep off her ravenous appetite, as she did not want to wander around and bump into any of her parents’ guests on her way to the kitchen, but she could not stand the hunger gnawing at her.
Before leaving her chamber, she pressed one ear and then the other against the oak door. The still night whispered the soft echoes of the blowing wind. Once she was sure that there was no one behind her heavy door, she carefully cracked it open.
Her light footsteps met the plush carpet that lined the long hallway. She lifted her feet very carefully to avoid waking up the other guests who were staying in the same wing.
The long, winding stairs were her greatest enemy. It was hard enough to keep her footsteps silent, but it was even more difficult to balance herself on the stone steps.
“There is so much to unravel in the shadows of the night, don’t you agree?” Lord Birnwood’s baritone echoed through the empty hall by the entrance.
The unforeseen presence of someone surprised Lavinia. She quickly found a pillar to hide behind.
Soon, the Earl of Birnwood’s companion responded, “Indeed, My Lord. Many secrets and mysteries transpire under the cover of night.
Lavinia was astonished to hear the feminine voice. She could not immediately identify the speaker, but was surprised by the lady’s bold response just the same.
What are they still doing out at this hour?
She tiptoed further down the staircase.
At least Lady St. Vincent will rejoice. Not even a full day has passed, and we are already on our way to finding a couple thrusting themselves into scandal. Our very first engagement may be announced tomorrow morning.
She crept to the bottom of the staircase and then, led by curiosity, turned to look at the pair.
Silently, she watched as Lord Birnwood and a lady she did not recognize went out the front door and disappeared from view.
Lavinia let out a loud sigh.
Why must gentlemen and ladies behave in such a fashion? Could that couple not have had their tryst in London and left this week to my parents?
Agitated as she was, Lavinia stepped further down to the hall, then stopped when she heard footsteps.
The clip-clop of boot heels made the blood run cold in her veins.
Who else could be sneaking around at this time of night? Is it Charles?
She knew well enough that her brother rarely slept well. Since infancy, he had been plagued with awful nightmares and would often wake up and wander the grounds.
I cannot let Charles find me out here! He will ask questions I do not wish to answer, and will know that I was fibbing about feeling sick.
Lavinia vacillated over what to do next.
She could always return to her chambers, but then her stomach would keep aching with hunger until she could break her fast with the others the following morning.
But if she went ahead and darted to the kitchen, there was a chance she would be caught out of bed.
Hmm…
She had just decided that the cost of being caught out of bed was too great when her stomach rumbled loudly.
Well, that decision was taken right out of my hands.
She spun around and started toward the kitchen when she ran smack into Lord Windham. His slight form rocked when they collided. He grabbed her forearms to steady himself, and they stood locked there for a long moment.
“Miss Fitzroy…” His eyes went so wide that even in the darkness, she could see how startled he was at finding her here. “What… what are you doing out of bed?”
Lavinia was slightly affronted. “This is my house, My Lord,” she huffed. “I am permitted to wander around whenever I feel the need.”
“Yes…” He hastily dropped her arms and backed away. “Of course. I should never have questioned you.” He bowed his head. “Please forgive me.”
Lavinia nodded, mollified by his apology. “Thank you, My Lord. But now, if you will excuse me, I will just—”
“But where are you going?” Lord Windham asked.
He lifted a hand and clapped it over his mouth a second too late.
When Lavinia snorted, he peeled his fingers from his lips and whispered, “I know I have no right to ask, but I simply could not stop myself. Where are you going? Might I be of service in some way?”
Lavinia considered his offer.
He could go to the kitchen with me. That would not cause any problem.
But then she thought of what would happen if her brother found her in the kitchen with his friend.
We would be married by morning.
It was an exaggeration, of course, but Lavinia could see how the sequence of events would play out in their entirety.
Charles would find them snacking on cheese and fruit, and then he would insist that Lord Windham ask for her hand.
The faint-hearted Lord Windham would obey the command, and as soon as the banns were read, he would make her his wife.
No, thank you.
“No, My Lord,” Lavinia said as she nodded at the nearest door. She knew it led to a guest room that was intentionally left unoccupied this weekend.
Three weeks ago, a bit of wallpaper in the corner of the room had started peeling, and her parents refused to let anyone stay there.
They swore that their peers would ridicule them if they knew that Crawford Hall was falling into a state of disrepair and, therefore, had told her and Charles more than a half dozen times to keep that door closed.
“I only slipped downstairs for a moment. I need to collect a book I left in this room, you see, and…” She let her words trail away on the night breeze that was filtering through the halls. It did not seem necessary to say more.
“Ah.” Lord Windham stepped aside. “Do not let me detain you, Miss Fitzroy. I shall never have it said that I interrupted your reading.”
It was an odd thing to say, but Lavinia brushed it off. She had come to expect Lord Windham to be a bit unusual and decided that he struggled so much because he aimed to be pleasing and attentive, but was so shy and reserved that the proper words never sprang to his mind with ease.
“Good night, My Lord.” Lavinia bobbed a quick curtsy.
“Good night, Miss Fitzroy.”
Then, with the intention of only waiting in the room for a matter of moments until she was certain the hall was clear once more, Lavinia twisted the doorknob and let herself into the unoccupied guest chamber.
“Who are you to enter my chambers?”
Her heart stuttered when she heard an unfamiliar voice.
She had never felt such embarrassment before. In all her years of being prim and careful, never once had she found herself in such a mortifying situation.
She cast a quick glance around the room, but she could barely see in the dark. Whoever was speaking to her had snuffed the candle long ago and pulled the drapes to block out the moonlight.
What am I going to do?
Tremulously, she took a step backward. Her shoulder blades pressed against the wooden door.
“Tell me, who are you?” The voice was deep and coarse, and her body suddenly turned cold.
She squinted and peered into the darkness, but there was no use. Her eyes were taking too long to adjust, and with each passing second, she was becoming more flustered.
Gathering all her courage, she inhaled deeply and stepped away from the door. She would apologize, most wholeheartedly, for disturbing this gentleman’s peace. Then, she would take her leave.
But before she could speak, a candle blazed and provided a small bit of light.
Lavinia was momentarily disoriented. Her eyes had been giving her enough trouble already, but when the flame sparked to life, she had to blink rapidly to avoid seeing stars and black spots.
She took another step forward, and this time, when she looked up, she caught sight of the person who carried the candleholder.
The gentleman had a chin that looked like it had been chiseled by a sculptor.
His nose was just as finely shaped, and his cheekbones were also well-defined.
Because he was scowling at her, she could not see his teeth or the shape of his lips, but she did notice that his lower lip was fuller than the top one.
He had a thick mane of blond hair. She imagined that at some point during the day, he had tied the locks back with a ribbon because there was a long, extended ripple in his tresses that went all the way around his head.
When her eyes met his, Lavinia forgot what she’d meant to say.
Her apology fell away completely. She had never seen eyes quite like his.
They were light brown and intriguing. Caramel and gold flecks showed themselves in the candlelight, and when she leaned closer to him, she could detect a hint of honey tones in those glowing orbs.
And that was when she lost all sense in her body, except for the flutter in her stomach. It was foreign but euphoric.
“For the last time, who are you, and what are you doing here?” the man demanded. The tension in his voice filled the room.
Lavinia’s chest felt heavy upon hearing the timbre of his voice. She swallowed past a lump in her throat before putting all her force into an answer.
“I apologize, sir. It was not my intention to intrude…”
All of a sudden, her eyes fell on his torso. And just like that, she lost the ability to speak. She could have sworn that if perfection existed, this was where she would find it.
He was tall, much taller than her, and his shoulders were as wide as boulders. He wore nothing but a pair of breeches, so she could see the tightly coiled muscles in his chest. Her eyes trailed down from his broad shoulders to his wide chest to his perfectly chiseled stomach.