Chapter 18
Why had she told him that story?
Her mother’s words echoing round her mind, Scarlett had begun to dress this evening determined to put some distance between her and Hunter — not to freeze him out entirely, but to put up some form of protection.
Instead, she had shared some of her innermost thoughts with him, making herself even more vulnerable, giving him more power over her.
“Scarlett,” he said again, softly, “are you afraid I will do the same to you?”
She wiped at her eyes, dashing the tears away.
“I don’t know,” she mumbled. “At first, yes. Now … I am not so sure.”
“I wouldn’t hurt you like that,” he said, his lips tightly pursed. “I could never do that to a woman I love.”
“My father told my mother he loved her.”
“I’m not sure how to convince you that I am not the same man as your father,” he said gently, bringing his index finger and thumb to her chin, tilting her head up to look at him.
His blue-green eyes bore into her, as though he were trying to emphasize his point.
“But I’m not. Nor am I the same man as my own father.
We come from parents who did not set the greatest examples of love for us. But can we not at least try, Scarlett?”
She gave a quick nod. She wanted to try, truly she did.
But this had simply been a moment in time, when they were together without the rest of the world’s intrusion.
What would it be like if she did return to the city with him?
She had been in London for only short periods of time over the past ten years.
Could she spend months within its confines, as she longed for the freedom the countryside offered her?
Her thoughts continued to plague her as she stepped into the sleigh with her mother and Hunter for the short ride to Lavinia’s.
This was home now, she thought while they slid away, as she looked up at the impressive brick building, its wings stretching backward to the gardens beyond.
She knew nearly every foot of the estate, was familiar with the servants, the tenants. How could she leave all of that behind?
When she turned her face from the view beside her, she saw Hunter looking at her with some concern, and she managed a small smile for both him and her mother.
When they reached the home of the Lavinia and Baxter Shaw, Hunter squeezed her hand as he helped both Scarlett and her mother out of the sleigh. Lavinia was, as always, extremely pleased to see them.
“Oh, and Lady Halifax, how lovely to have you with us!” she said as she led them through the foyer and down the corridor.
Scarlett noted that all of Lavinia’s servants were still in attendance.
Was she in the minority of those who celebrated Boxing Day?
Surely not. It must simply be Hunter and his sister.
“We are a small party this evening. In addition to the four of us, Lord and Lady Raymond are here tonight instead of last night, as they were unable to travel on the roads.”
She swung open the door of the drawing room, to reveal Baxter lounging in his usual chair, a mahogany and leather library chair that was completely out of place within the delicate room.
Scarlett knew it was rather well worn in the middle — she sometimes wondered if the piece of furniture was part of him.
He had a glass of amber liquid in one hand, an unlit cheroot dangling from his lips.
She didn’t understand what Lavinia saw in the man, but she actually seemed to enjoy his company, so Scarlett didn’t question it.
As long as Nia was happy, who was Scarlett to judge?
Across from him sat a couple on the chesterfield, a tall, thin man with an easy smile, and a blonde curvaceous woman in a beautiful pink gown.
Scarlett had met them at the church in the village before, but had never taken the time to come to know them better.
Hunter, apparently, was already on much more familiar terms.
“Madeline!” he exclaimed as the woman rushed toward him, flinging her arms around him. Scarlett felt her heart flip in her chest, as jealousy unlike any she had ever felt before beginning to seep through her veins.
“Oh, Hunter, it is so wonderful to see you!” Lady Raymond said. “It has been ages. Why, I don’t think we have had occasion to see one another since shortly after your wedding!”
Which was more recent than the last time Scarlett herself had seen her husband. She caught her mother’s pointed stare and raised eyebrow, and she turned her head quickly, doing what she could to prevent her from getting into her head.
“Lady Raymond, Lord Raymond,” she said, inclining her head as she swallowed the envy and attempted to be polite. “How lovely to see you again. This is my mother, Lady Halifax.”
“Oh, wonderful to meet you!” said Madeline, releasing Hunter and coming over to the pair of them. “And Lady Oxford, how delightful you look tonight, as you always do.”
“And you as well,” Scarlett replied, allowing Lord Raymond to take her hand and bow low over it. “Happy Christmas.”
“Happy Christmas to all,” said Lavinia, sweeping into the room. “This will be such fun, will it not?”
Scarlett wasn’t so sure.
Dinner seemed interminably long. Somehow, Scarlett found herself seated at nearly the opposite end of the table from Hunter. It wasn’t an overly large table, to be sure, with just the seven of them, but even so, Lady Raymond was seated right next to him, looking particularly thrilled about it.
Scarlett knew she was being ridiculous. The woman was nothing but pleasant and charming, and was simply excited to see an old friend again.
“Oh, and then,” Lady Raymond said, continuing the story she was telling about one dance or another that had taken place in a London ballroom, “Hunter brought me a glass of lemonade, but purposely tripped and spilled it all over the vile Lord Vale! How fortunate I was that he was there to free me from the man’s clutches.
I couldn’t have borne one more moment with him breathing all over my face! ”
Scarlett tried to force a laugh along with the rest of them, but it was becoming more difficult the more Lady Raymond spoke.
The worst part of it all was that she knew she might actually like the woman, were not all of her stories of Hunter.
They had all grown up together, it seemed, their families having been close both in their relationship as well as proximity.
Lavinia and Lady Raymond had been the best of friends since they were girls. But there was something about the way that Lady Raymond looked at Hunter….
“I do hope you will be returning to London as well this Season, Lady Oxford?”
It took a moment for Scarlett to realize that Lord Raymond was speaking to her. She had been so engrossed in the conversation at the other end of the table that she had neglected her own dinner companions, and guilt washed over her.
“I haven’t yet decided,” Scarlett responded. “Perhaps for a brief time.”
“I do hope you will,” he said meaningfully, and Scarlett’s heart began to beat rather rapidly. Was he trying to tell her something, or was she simply being foolish?
“Lady Oxford hates London,” Baxter drawled, his first words throughout the entire meal, and his wife backed up his words with a nod.
“Oh yes, London is not for our Scarlett,” she said with a smile of affection for her sister-in-law.
“Though I have been encouraging her mightily to return with us come February. Baxter and I choose to remain in the country until well after New Year’s, but of course, Hunter is so busy with his work that he will be returning shortly.
In fact, we are fortunate he is here with us at all — we have to thank the weather for that , if nothing else! ”
“Oh yes!” said Lady Raymond, placing a hand on Hunter’s shoulder. “Your work is so admirable, Hunter, truly. Tell me more of it?”
“There’s, ah, nothing to tell, really,” Hunter said, discomfort crossing his face as he frowned slightly.
Was he dismissing Lady Raymond, or was he simply annoyed that she was so openly flirting with him in front of the rest of them?
At least, Scarlett felt she was. Perhaps she was reading too much into it.
But from the look her mother sent toward her from across the table, Scarlett knew that she was also picking up the same sort of intention, though her mother, of course, was always overly suspicious.
Relief descended upon Scarlett when the ladies finally retired to the drawing room.
As she rounded the table, eyeing Hunter beginning to light his cheroot, he reached out a hand to take hers, giving it a gentle squeeze and bestowing upon her a small smile before she continued on her way.
It was so quick she wasn’t sure anyone else noticed, but warmth began to spread through her chest at the fact that he had taken a moment to show her that he did appreciate her — that he was thinking of her, despite Lady Raymond’s attempts at stealing all of his attention.
She couldn’t help her returned smile, though she felt her mother’s hand on her back, urging her into the next room.
Scarlett chose a seat on the rose-patterned upholstery of the settee but had to stifle a groan when Lady Raymond settled in beside her, her pink skirts floating prettily around her ankles.
“Oh, heavens, I ate far too much,” the woman said with a laugh. “I keep telling myself I must stop, or I will soon be much too round, but then dinner is set in front of me and I just can’t help myself! How I long for a figure like yours, Lady Oxford.”
Lady Raymond smiled at her and shame began to work its way into Scarlett’s stomach, as she wondered if perhaps she had read too much into Lady Raymond’s former actions.
The woman had been nothing but kind to her and perhaps she was just being friendly with Hunter, catching up with an old acquaintance.
Scarlett was simply being the jealous wife, schooled from years of her mother’s own doubts and suspicions.
“And I would love to have curves such as yours,” Scarlett responded truthfully as she regarded her own average height, average size, slightly too-small breasts.
Lady Raymond smiled at her conspiratorially.
“You are a lucky woman, Lady Oxford,” she said, her voice just above a whisper.
“Oh?”
“Your husband is the most wonderful man I know,” she said with a wistful sigh, and then giggled at Scarlett’s raised eyebrows.
“Oh, I know I shouldn’t say such things.
Jeremy is a nice enough man to be sure, but when we were younger, I had always hoped that Hunter would see me as more than the friend of his little sister.
I took a long time for me to grow into a woman, you see.
It wasn’t until after I was married to Jeremy that I convinced myself it was time that I show Hunter just how womanly I could be, if you know what I am saying.
You don’t mind me telling you these things, I hope?
It’s just that from your own disregard for your husband and your preference to spend most of your time apart, I am under the assumption that yours was more of an …
arrangement. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. ”
Lady Raymond leaned back, the smile still on her face, her eyes crinkling in the corners as though they were young girls sharing secrets.
Only that wasn’t the case at all. This woman was speaking of Scarlett’s husband as though he were nothing more than a toy to be shared, to be preferred by one woman over another.
How dare she? Anger grew in Scarlett’s belly, burning so hot that when she tried to speak it came out as a sputter.
“I— Lady Raymond, I think— that is not?—”
“Oh, I’ve shocked you. I’m so sorry. I know that I should be better. Jeremy is always telling me that I need to watch my words. I do, but it’s just the two of us now and we understand one another, I believe.”
“We do not understand one another,” Scarlett hissed. “You are speaking of my husband , Lady Raymond, and I will not be part of this conversation one moment longer. You have insulted me and my marriage, and I will not have it. Please keep your distance from the two of us.”
“Scarlett?” Lavinia came wandering over to the two of them, a look of concern on her face. “Is anything the matter?”
“Nothing to be concerned of, Nia,” she said, not wanting to embroil Hunter’s sister in a conflict that involved her friend. Scarlett stood and sat down at the pianoforte instead. She wasn’t proficient, but she would do anything to get away from Lady Raymond and her vile words. “Nothing at all.”