CHAPTER ONE #2
“You know, Lady Emily, forgive my forwardness, but tonight, when I saw you, I knew I couldn’t let this evening pass without a dance.
From the moment I set my gaze on you, I was quite bewitched, body and soul, with your charm and beauty,” Lord Hartley confessed, his eyes softening.
He averted them for a moment before returning them to her.
“I must admit, I have seen you on a few occasions before, often from a distance, and each time, I found myself captivated by your grace. But tonight, being near you, it feels as if the world has fallen away, leaving only us in this moment.”
Emily’s heart swelled with a mixture of joy and surprise. She hadn’t expected him to admit his affection tonight.
“You flatter me, my lord.”
Lord Hartley smiled. “If only this was flattery, Lady Emily, then I’d know that my mind was playing tricks on me. I know we’ve only just met, but I find myself in the most unusual position.”
Emily’s forehead creased slightly. “How so, my lord?”
“These few moments we’ve spent together, you’ve captured my heart in a way I didn’t know possible. I must admit that I shall cherish these moments for the rest of my life. It is my hope that I may have the privilege of sharing more moments with you.”
Words seemed to have died on Emily’s tongue.
How could they not? She had been worried about tonight, as had her father been.
In the last couple of weeks leading up to the Season’s start, she had been consumed by the prospect of finding true love and an honourable match.
But what were the odds that she had gotten lucky with a man like Viscount Hartley?
Perhaps she had nothing to worry about. Her heart thudded with joy at the possibility of her happily ever after starting sooner rather than later.
She might have masked it well, but inside, the butterflies in her stomach wouldn’t stay still.
“I understand this is sudden,” Lord Hartley continued, looking down as if to compose himself.
“And I do not expect you to agree right away. I am aware that this may seem hubris to you. But I would very much like to court you, Lady Emily. That is, of course, if you are interested. Shall I call upon you sometime? Perhaps after we’ve taken some time to think over this. ”
Emily’s features softened, and she smiled gracefully. “I would be honoured, Lord Hartley.”
A look of relief washed over Lord Hartley’s face, and he grinned. “Wonderful.”
That evening, filled with so much potential, had Emily in high hopes. Hopes that she had no idea were soon to be crushed.
Merely weeks later, Emily’s joy had been snuffed away.
She had been seated in her family’s drawing room when her father and brother found her.
Sunlight streaked through the windows, offering its glow and warmth to the room, but it wasn’t enough to mask the heaviness that filled the room as soon as her father and brother stepped in. There was a deep sadness in their eyes though she couldn’t fathom its cause. Until her father told her.
“No, father. This must be a mistake,” she groaned, standing to her feet. Fear and grief gripped her at the same time, and disbelief washed over her.
Her father sighed. “I’m afraid it isn’t, my dearest,” he told her, unease resting in his throat. “Lord Hartley unfortunately passed away yesterday.”
“What happened to him? I was expecting him to call on me yesterday.”
Her father exchanged a cautious glance with her brother.
“Tragic riding accident,” her brother replied, his voice cracking slightly.
Emily’s shoulders dropped. She let their words sink in, and the weight of what it meant rested on her.
She had felt something off this morning when she awoke, and now, realizing she had dressed in black, she felt her clothes were fitting for the situation.
Her father’s and brother’s words echoed in her ears, and with each echo, her hopes and dreams of a happy future as Viscountess Hartley shattered.
Slowly, she lowered herself onto the settee, sitting rigidly.
Tears fell from her eyes, and soon she was a tearful mess.
Her father and brother did their best to console her as she sobbed, but how could she be consoled?
Her world as she knew it was disintegrating while her heart ached over her loss.
She and Lord Hartley were to be married in a couple of months, and now, in an unexpected turn of events, she was mourning him.
Life, indeed, didn’t play fair.
***
It was a fair day in London. The sun shone brightly above, and the scent of roses filled the glorious summer air. Emily, however, couldn’t appreciate their beauty.
She stood in the garden of her family’s estate. Lord Timothy Thornhill paced about before her, muttering some things she couldn’t hear. Dread had settled in her stomach the second she saw him and the look of discomfort that covered his face.
“My lord, if there is something that troubles you, you can share it with me,” she told him.
Lord Thornhill glanced at her, a pitiful look in his eyes.
The suspense was snuffing the life out of Emily.
It was the summer after she’d received the tragic news of Lord Hartley’s demise. His passing had broken her heart to pieces, and she struggled for a while. His demise had made her the target of whispered sympathies, and she hated the pitiful looks people gave her.
Months after his passing, she met Lord Timothy Thornhill at a ball. He was from a noble family and had been there for her to support her through her loss. What started out as friendship soon turned into a proposal for courtship.
Emily had doubts about opening her heart again to someone, but with encouragement from friends and family, she agreed to court Lord Thornhill.
“My dear, I do not know how…how to say this,” Lord Thornhill spoke, his voice faltering. He swallowed nervously before going to sit on the closest bench. His hand patted the empty spot next to him, gesturing for Emily to sit next to him.
Reluctantly, she took a seat.
“What troubles you, my lord?”
Lord Thornhill drew out a sigh. He was unable to meet her gaze.
“You…no…my family.”
Emily tensed at his response.
“My family,” he repeated. “It would appear that some news got to them…a-about y-your father.”
“My father?” she questioned, a slight frown appearing on her face.
“It would seem he…he is having some financial troubles, I believe,” Lord Thornhill said.
Emily didn’t respond. She had recently found this out herself but even now failed to understand how that affected anything. Everyone had financial issues from time to time. It was probably just a minor issue that her father was no doubt working to resolve.
“I am certain that this matter shall soon be resolved, my lord. Such occurrences are not uncommon.”
Lord Thornhill shook his head. “You wouldn’t understand, Lady Emily.” He paused, and tension filled the air. “I’m afraid I can no longer continue to see you, Lady Emily.”
Emily’s head turned towards him with such swiftness that it seemed her neck might protest. Her brows arched in astonishment, a look of incredulity gracing her countenance.
“What?” Her voice came out in a whisper.
Lord Thornhill turned to face her, taking her hands in his.
His expression was a mix of nervousness and displeasure.
“Pray forgive me. You must understand the tight position I’m in.
My family is putting me under pressure to do what is best for us and I have a duty to do so.
They are very troubled by your family’s unfortunate situation financially.
I am truly sorry for this outcome, but it is beyond me, my lady.
I…I know that…this must be hard…for y-you…
as it is for me.” He sighed again. “I earnestly hope that you might find it within your heart to forgive me.”
Emily couldn’t help the familiar pang in her chest. The pain she felt intensified, and tears pricked her eyes as Lord Thornhill stood to his feet and took a slight bow.
A dull ache settled in her chest as she watched him stride further away from her, taking her second chance at happiness along with him.
It was a most ironic circumstance. Here she sat, with tears poised to spill and her lips quivering—surrounded by a profusion of blooming flowers. Yet, instead of offering solace, they seemed to taunt her misfortune.
How could she possibly be unlucky twice? Words failed her, and soon the tears took over.
She had undoubtedly been dealt the most unjust of fortunes.
***
Present day…
“Emily!”
The familiar sound of an excited voice broke through Emily’s quiet contemplation. She turned to the direction of the voice and began to drift towards it. Her cousin, Miss Charlotte Clifton, stood in front of another tall mirror, a beaming smile on her face.
“What do you think?” Charlotte asked, twisting one way and then the other so Emily could see the come-out gown the modiste fitted for her. It was a pink gown with intricate flower patterns that Emily admired.
She smiled proudly. “That gown becomes you exceedingly well, Charlotte.”
Charlotte’s eyes grew with excitement. “You think so?”