Chapter 10
“Must you be so agitated, Nora?”
Nora glanced back at her mother as the carriage made its way to Hyde Park for the fashionable hour. “Forgive me, Mama. I did not realize that I was fidgeting.”
Her mother sighed but then smiled, waving a vague hand in Nora’s direction.
“It is quite all right. I am sure you are anticipating all the delights this afternoon will bring. Hyde Park can be too much of a crush for someone such as I, but you and your sister will be able to step out and enjoy the company of whomever you wish!”
Nora glanced towards Louisa, who had her head turned towards the window. “I might wonder if Lord Hawkley will be present,” she said, as Louisa’s head shot towards her, making Nora chuckle.
“You are interested in his company, yes?”
“He is a kind and generous fellow,” Louisa replied, her voice steady but her eyes slightly narrowed as if she was fully aware of what Nora was suggesting. “I think well of him, yes.”
“And you must think him very handsome also,” Nora replied, as Louisa’s cheeks began to flush red. “I have noticed him paying you some particular attentions of late, Louisa. He has come to call at least three times this last fortnight and – ”
“It means nothing unless he asks to court me,” Louisa interrupted, waving her hand as if Nora were discussing a disagreeable subject. “I might hope that such a thing will occur, but as yet, it has not.”
Lady Somerset smiled gently. “Do not rush him, Louisa. It will come, I am sure. He is, as Nora has suggested, very interested in your company, and perhaps he is considering what is to come next. You might even find yourself engaged within a month, for once a gentleman decides to wed, he is very rarely turned from it.”
This made Louisa beam, her eyes shining whilst Nora’s heart crumpled. Her engagement had ended before it had even begun, for Lord Hampshire had been one of the rare few who had turned away from it.
Although that was not his doing, she reminded herself, her heart slowly began to pull away from the pain that had been so quickly inflicted upon it. He loves me still, as I love him.
“Are you going to step out?” Lady Somerset reached to tap Nora on the knee, startling her out of her thoughts. “Are you already imagining who it is you will speak with this afternoon?”
Nora smiled back at her mother, a trifle embarrassed at having been found so distracted. “Forgive me, Mama, I was quite lost in thought. You say that you do not want to join us?”
Lady Somerset shook her head. “I am quite content to sit in the carriage and have my acquaintances come to speak with me here. If you and Louisa step out, I will be well able to see you both so long as you stay nearby.” Her eyes warmed.
“Besides, you will be able to have all manner of private conversation without me, which I am quite sure you are eager for.”
Louisa laughed and pressed her mother’s hand. “You know us very well, it seems,” she responded, before rising to make her way out of the carriage. “Come, Nora.”
Following at once, Nora stepped out into the sunshine, glad that her bonnet hid her face from the rays.
It took a few moments for her eyes to adjust, only to see a familiar figure striding towards her.
Lord Hampshire’s gaze was fixed on her, and Nora’s breath swept into her chest and held there, unable to take a single step forward.
Was he truly coming to speak with her in such an obvious fashion?
And for what purpose? Were they not meant to be staying away from one another?
“Lady Nora.” Lord Hampshire bowed quickly, then came closer as his eyes searched hers.
“I must know, did you say that the gentleman who spoke to Frederica was short in his stature?”
Her throat worked, and then she nodded. “Yes, that is so. He was stocky, with brown hair. That is all that I remember.”
Lord Hampshire pressed out a breath between his teeth, his hands going to his waist for a moment as he looked away, his brow furrowing. “It is most improper to ask you such a thing, Lady Nora, especially when you have no apparent chaperone, but might you be able to walk with me for a few minutes?”
Nora’s eyes flared, a rush of heat rising to her throat as longing swept through her like a wave crashing onto the shore. “Walk with you, Lord Hampshire?”
“I believe that the man in question is present, and I must know for certain if it is the same man,” he said, urgently. “Frederica will say nothing to me. She has refused to speak of it, telling me that there is nothing for me to be uneasy over.”
“But you are, all the same,” Nora replied, as he nodded, fervour burning hot in his eyes. “You fear that because she will not speak to you of it, there is, in fact, something of concern there?”
“Indeed.”
“Then I will find a way to walk with you,” Nora replied, aware that there was not only a desire to be of aid to Lord Hampshire and Miss Longleat, but also the strong desire to be alone with Lord Hampshire for even a short while.
“Let me speak with my mother.” Hurrying towards the carriage, praying desperately that her mother would be willing to let her step away for a short while, Nora looked up at her.
“Mama, I have been asked to accompany Lord Hampshire for a short walk through the park. I will not be more than a few minutes. Might I go? I am sure Louisa would stay with me.”
A look of delight had begun to spread over Lady Somerset’s face, only for it to fade away at the mention of Lord Hampshire. “But he is already engaged, Nora. Why would you wish to walk with him?”
Nora licked her lips. “Because I wish to.”
Her mother sighed and lifted her shoulders. “If your sister will go with you and you will not be overly long, then yes, I suppose that you may attend,” she said, wearily. “Do return quickly, my dear. Spending time with Lord Hampshire is somewhat worthless, given that he is already engaged.”
With a word of thanks, Nora hurried away, grasping Louisa’s arm and quickly explaining to her what Lord Hampshire had asked.
Willing, Louisa came with her at once, and Nora returned to Lord Hampshire’s side, putting a light smile on her face.
“I am permitted to walk with you, Lord Hampshire. Louisa will join us.”
Lord Hampshire nodded but did not smile, his expression grave. “I thank you. Let us go with all haste. I cannot be sure that he is still present.”
As Nora fell into step beside him, she glanced up at him, taking in his stern expression, the way his brow furrowed, and eyebrows dropped low.
His jaw was tight, his eyes fixed to the path ahead with a determined resolve in every step.
She did not think she had ever seen him like this.
He was more severe in his demeanor than she had ever known.
“You say that Frederica will say nothing about this man?” she asked, praying that her tone did not sound in any way accusatory. “She says all is well?”
Lord Hampshire glanced at her. “Yes, that is so. The reason I ask for you to confirm this gentleman’s identity is that I am certain I know who he is.”
Nora almost stopped walking, her steps faltering. “You are already aware of his name?”
“No, strangely enough, I am not. That sounds contradictory, I know, but what I mean by that is, I am sure I have seen him already. He came to Frederica’s townhouse to call on her but found only me present instead.
” He grimaced. “Now that I think back to it, the conversation was short and clipped, but he did not ever once give me his name, as a fellow might do. Nor did Frederica.”
“And have you not asked her?”
His jaw flexed. “If I find out that this man is the very same one who threatened her in the park, then yes, I shall demand to know his name at once,” he declared. “There is something unusual here in all of this, Nora. I am sure of it.”
Before Nora could respond, Lord Hampshire halted his steps and then turned his whole body to face her, swinging around so that they stood face to face.
Nora’s breath hitched, her eyes catching his.
She forgot all about Miss Longleat and the strange gentleman, forgot about her sister near to them and the others all about. All she could see was him.
“Can you see him? He should be behind me, on my right.”
Lord Hampshire’s voice was soft, whispering towards her and forcing her back to the present situation.
Swallowing hard, Nora centred her attention on the man in question, seeing a broad-shouldered man speaking earnestly to another.
Her eyes fixed on him, seeing the brown hair that swept across his forehead, the stockiness of his build, and the tight pull of his lips.
A chill curled itself about her spine. “Yes, that is the very same,” she murmured, as Lord Hampshire’s eyebrows lifted. “I am quite certain of it.”
He let out a hard exhale, his eyes closing briefly.
“Then it is the very same man who came to call upon Frederica,” he said, quietly.
“She told me that he was her father’s solicitor; that is all I know of him.
” Setting his jaw tight, his hazel eyes grew dark as he looked back at her.
“Thank you, Nora. You must excuse me now, I think.”
She put out one hand, catching his arm for only a moment. “Where are you going?”
“To speak with him,” he said, determinedly.
“To demand to know what it was he was doing in frightening Frederica so. Thereafter, I intend to make my way to the solicitors to speak about these affairs. Whatever matters this fellow has to speak with Frederica about, he can now speak to me with them as well. I will not let him frighten her any longer.”
The way he spoke of Frederica, the resolve in his voice and eyes, and the clenching of his fists — something in Nora snapped.
“Do not,” she said, and the word came out sharper than she had intended, sharp enough to make him turn.
“Do not speak to me of protecting Frederica as though I cannot see what you are doing. You will stride off to confront this man, you will throw yourself into danger for a woman you do not love, and you will not even think to tell me before you go.” Her voice was low, fierce, trembling with something that was not tears but was very close to it.
“You broke my heart with a letter, Hampshire. Four lines. You could not even face me. And now you would leave me again without a word?”
He stared at her. The astonishment in his expression might have been gratifying if she had not been so furious, so suddenly and completely furious that her hands were shaking with it.
“I am sorry,” he said, and the words were not the automatic, courteous apology she had come to expect from him. They were rough and raw and inadequate, and he knew it — she could see him knowing it. “You are right. I should have —”
“You should have done many things.” She exhaled.
The anger was already subsiding, leaving behind something that ached more deeply — not less — than the fury had.
“But you can start by telling me the truth now. All of it. Whatever you find from this man, from the solicitors, from Frederica — you will tell me. You will not decide what I can and cannot bear.”
A long silence. Then, quietly: “I will tell you everything.”
“Swear it.”
“I swear it.”
She held his gaze for another moment, searching for the lie, finding none. Then she nodded once and released his arm.
“Thank you, Nora.” Lord Hampshire’s eyes settled on her again, and warmth spread through her at the gentleness in his gaze, a gentleness which had only just appeared. “Might I come to call on you tomorrow? Or mayhap we could meet in the park for a turn about the grounds?”
Her eyes flared, hope spilling into her again. “A walk?”
“I want to tell you what I have discovered,” he said, plainly.
“Nora, you told me that I should search everything, look for any path, any possibility that might free me from this engagement and allow both myself and Frederica to make our own choice. You were quite right to say and suggest such a thing, for I did not ever think to test and compare and search in such a way. I thought my fate was settled, but now – especially now that there is some confusion with the fellow behind me – I am beginning to wonder if there is more to the situation than I have known. I will find out more this afternoon, but then, Nora, I should very much like to share with you.” His eyes searched hers.
“By tomorrow, I might know if there is any hope whatsoever.”
“I would take even the smallest sliver,” she whispered, tears of relief beginning to press into the corners of her eyes. “Yes, of course, Hampshire. I will walk with you tomorrow.”
The smile that flashed across his face was there for a moment and then gone the very next second as he glanced back over his shoulder. “Then pray that I find something out from this man, whoever he is,” he said, grimly. “Excuse me, Nora.”
She watched as he spun on his heel and strode forward with swiftness, making his path towards the man and the gentleman clear. Her hands clasped in front of her, ignoring her sister’s gentle question as to what Lord Hampshire was doing, praying that he would soon be given the answers he required.
The stocky, brown-haired man shifted, his eyes going to Lord Hampshire. Nora watched as he smiled tightly, looking back at the gentleman he spoke with. He said something hurried, rushing the words as he began to step back.
“No,” she breathed, her hands clasping in front of her as Lord Hampshire’s quarry turned himself and faded into the crowd.
She watched Lord Hampshire begin to hurry, not running for fear of drawing attention from the ton but with longer strides than before.
Her fingers tightened as he followed after the man, soon himself disappearing into the crowd and being quite lost from her sight.
I pray you find him, Nora whispered inwardly, casting a prayer to heaven. I pray that it will lead you back towards freedom – and to our future.