Historical Romance – The Best Of The Year. Кэрол Мортимер

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       Chapter Ten

      Somehow Madeline managed to control the tumult of her feelings as she allowed Hal to take her back into the ballroom. She declined supper, excusing herself by saying that she needed to tidy her gown, smiled, touched his hand, and then went upstairs to her bedchamber.

      What was she going to do? Her mind was tumbling with doubts and anxiety. The marquis was a spiteful man and would delight in taking his revenge on them. Lethbridge had promised to give Madeline to him and he’d been thwarted not once but twice, perhaps even three times if it was his men who had tried to abduct her—and she did not believe that he would be satisfied with spreading malicious lies.

      She could scarcely believe that Lethbridge had lost so much money to the marquis. Madeline had always believed her husband to be a rich man—but twenty-five thousand pounds...could the estate in Hampshire and the London house together be worth so much? She did not know for sure, but she suspected that there might be a mortgage on the country estate for she’d once heard a few words of it when Lethbridge was speaking to his lawyer.

      Of course there was also the strongbox that Thomas had smuggled out of the house and brought here to her. Nothing that remained in the box meant anything to her. She would give the jewels to the marquis gladly in part settlement, yet somehow she did not believe that even if she could pay every penny of the debt he would leave them in peace.

      Having splashed her face in cool water and tidied her gown, she looked at herself in the elegant dressing mirror. She was very pale, but her face showed no sign of the tears she’d shed as she prepared to go down again. A knock at the door made her start and freeze with fear, but then Jenny’s voice asked if she were all right.

      ‘Yes, I am just coming down,’ she said and opened the door.

      Jenny looked at her in concern.

      ‘Are you well? I was anxious because Hal said it had upset you seeing the Marquis of Rochdale here. I wanted to tell you that he has gone. You may come down now without fear of being forced to speak to him.’

      ‘Thank you,’ Madeline said. ‘I am sorry to have cast a shadow over your dance, Jenny.’

      ‘You have not done so. I can see very well why you distrust that man. I should have liked to refuse to receive him, but could not. However, he left before supper and I was relieved to see him go. Are you sure you wish to come down, dearest?’

      ‘Yes, I shall come,’ Madeline said and smiled at her. ‘Please, do not be anxious for my sake. This is your dance and you should enjoy it.’

      ‘Well, I shall now that that awful man is not here to distress you.’

      Madeline linked arms with her and they went back down to the ballroom. Jenny stayed with her for a few minutes and then Adam claimed her for a dance. Madeline decided to circulate the rooms and spent an hour and a half talking to the other guests as if she had not a care in the world, but when the company began to disperse, she said goodnight to Jenny and Lord Ravenscar, then went in search of Hal. Both he and Adam had left the ballroom half an hour earlier and she wanted to say goodnight.

      She decided to investigate the library, which was one of their favourite haunts. Approaching, she saw that the door was partially open and, as she hesitated, she heard their voices.

      ‘What else can I do?’ Hal was asking. ‘Madeline is in danger, Adam. I must take her somewhere she will be safe. If that means going abroad, then so be it.’

      ‘You will give up everything—your family and friends—for her? She is beautiful, and Jenny likes her, but she seems cold to me. Have you forgot that she broke your heart by marrying Lethbridge? I have never once seen her look at you with love, Hal. Are you certain this marriage is what you want?’

      ‘Yes, of course. I love her. I always have. Damn it, Adam, I don’t want to leave England, but I do not see that I have a choice.’

      Madeline backed away, feeling sick. Hal was ready to give up everything for her, but Adam thought he was wrong. He did not wish to see his friend sacrifice his life for her sake, and who could blame him?

      He was right that she had never allowed her feelings for Hal to show. Indeed, until he kissed her in the garden after their dance, she’d not been sure that she could bear to wed him, even though she loved him. His kiss had been so sweet and gentle that her fears had fled and she’d wanted him to go on and on kissing her. In that moment she would have given herself to him—and then the marquis had destroyed the spell that held them.

      Tears stung her eyes as she fled back the way she had come, nearly tripping over the stairs as she ran up them, hardly able to hold back the sobs until she was inside her room. Sally was waiting for her. She looked at her as the tears cascaded down her cheeks.

      ‘What is wrong, my lady?’ she asked. ‘Is it that man?’

      Madeline shook her head, brushing her tears away with the back of her hand. ‘It is mere foolishness on my part,’ she said. ‘Please unfasten my gown and then leave me.’

      ‘Will you not tell me what has so distressed you?’

      ‘It is nothing, a mere irritation of the nerves. I have a headache,’ Madeline lied as Sally unfastened the hooks at the back of her bodice. ‘I wish to sleep.’

      ‘I shall bring you a tisane. It will help you,’ Sally said.

      ‘Thank you,’ Madeline said, ‘but I think I shall sleep if I am left alone in peace.’

      She saw the hurt in her maid’s eyes, but all she wanted was to be alone so that she could weep as her heart broke into tiny pieces. How could she let Hal give up everything that he cared for to marry her? She was not worthy of him. Lethbridge had soiled her, made her unfit to be the wife of a decent man.