Page 32 of Murder at Madame Chambon's
“I don’t care about your parents,” he assured her quickly.“It’s you I’m interested in.You that I love.And yes,” he added, his conviction now cemented, “I know that I love you, Evelina, and that I want to be with you every minute of every hour.But these are early days and I don’t want my family to claim that I am acting in haste.Just know that is the reason for any delay in declarations, my darling Evelina.”
Her joy echoed his—he could feel it—as he kissed her again.To everyone else, this was the first ball they’d both attended, at which they’d apparently met.No one would suspect the depth of their feelings for one another, nor would they understand the extraordinary circumstances of their meeting.Evelina didn’t want to talk about the train derailment, and he understood the trauma caused by confronting difficult memories.
But they had proved to each other the depths of their feelings and desire for a shared future.And that was all that was important.
Finally, conscious of the time they’d spent away from the ballroom and Lady Perry, William reluctantly put her away from him.The dark little cupboard would open onto the corridor where an injudicious exit might have grave repercussions for Evelina’s reputation.
It didn’t matter that from the moment this brave, bold, yet shy, young woman had burst into his life, he’d known she was the one for him.There was still her good name to protect, and now he felt remorseful.
Though not when he thought of how these few moments together had made clear that she felt as he did.
“What is it, William?”
He loved that she used his given name, as he had hers.As if it was foolish to pretend they were not on a Christian name basis after all that had happened.
“I’m going to slip into the passage and lurk there until someone trustworthy can escort you back to the ballroom,” he replied.“It was rash of me to whisk you here.Please forgive me.”
“Oh William, there’s nothing to forgive,” she said with a laugh as he carefully closed the door behind him and then, within barely seconds, encountered Lady Clara laughing as she tripped along the corridor with an equally jolly female companion.
“Oh, Bellingham!”cried Clara.“How lovely to see you.Let me introduce you to my friend, Lady Elizabeth Craddock.What are you doing here?Are you surprised to see me?Victoria relented when Elizabeth asked particularly persuasively if I could accompany her family to Lady Glenroy’s ball tonight, since Lady Glenroy is my godmother and also Lizzie’s.”
Divine intervention, thought William as he matched his jovial tone to young Clara’s, detaining them further when it appeared they were about to continue to the ballroom.
“I gather you’ve just been to the—”
“Ladies’ mending room,” supplied Lady Elizabeth, smiling brightly at him.The two girls were of a similar age.Perhaps only seventeen or eighteen, and clearly only just ‘out’ though William knew that Lady Victoria considered her younger sister still too young.
But if Clara acted younger than her years, she was also of just the right temperament to happily accede to a request such as the one William now put to them.The girl answered that she’d be happy to escort William’s friend back to the ballroom.
Whisking Evelina out of the tiny cupboard and into the corridor, William felt enormously and suddenly unburdened by his duty towards Evelina, and Lady Clara had just uttered, “Why, it’s Miss Tarot!What a surprise!”when her older sister rounded the corner and William had the sudden sense that he’d miscalculated.
“Lady Victoria, I’m so sorry for your loss,” he managed, taking in her half mourning and not quite sure how to continue, for it would be clear to her—as perhaps it had not to the younger girls—that William had been consorting with Evelina without a chaperone.
With a quick glance at Evelina, Lady Victoria turned back to William, saying, “Dunstable’s death was a terrible blow, of course, and we are agitating for a speedy conviction.I am here on sufferance and because, despite everything, Lady Glenroy insisted that Clara be allowed to witness the dancing until ten o’ clock, after which she and her friend, Lady Elizabeth, will return home.To be truthful, I couldn’t abide the idea of remaining at home like a dormouse because, here, I may learn more about the fateful night through an unwitting remark by one of the guests.I find it extraordinary how people think a female does not pay attention to what others may unwittingly divulge.Having neither the beauty of Miss Tarot or Elizabeth, nor the girlish charm of my sister, Clara, people are remarkably careless around me, and I have gleaned a few facts which certainly have not found their way into the newspapers, and which may have been overlooked by the police.”
“You are quite the sleuth, Lady Victoria.”William wasn’t sure whether to be admiring or rattled.“Maybe you will be the one to crack the case of who was responsible for poor Dunstable’s death.”
“I’m more interested in why Dunstable was murdered.”Lady Victoria’s nostrils quivered.“Now, let me take pretty Miss Tarot under my wing as we return to the ballroom.You may count on my discretion, Lord Bellingham.I shall look after her as if she were my own dear cousin.”
William remained in the passage, smiling as Evelina looked over her shoulder to nod a farewell.She was beautiful and innocent, and he wanted her for his bride.The faint misgivings regarding her potential suitability he’d experienced earlier were nothing.
What did it matter that her parents might not be from the upper ten thousand?The upper four hundred?That she might not be the ‘perfect’ wife for a man of his standing on the brink of a political career where being supported by the ‘right’ hostess counted for so much.His mama had drummed that into his enough times.But William was twenty-seven years old and would make his own decisions.
Evelina was being sponsored by Lady Perry, and she had the backing of a large fortune.Sensibilities had progressed a great deal in the past decade.Money now spoke louder than respectability.Lord, he’d not even asked her about her father’s situation.Yet if Mr.Tarot had made his fortune selling chestnut conkers, what would it matter?Evelina was an heiress and there were many penniless peers who’d make no distinctions when it came to how a man acquired his fortune.Just so long as he provided his daughter with a handsome dowry to sweeten the marriage contract.
When she reached the doorway into the ballroom, she turned to look at him once more, causing his whole body to riot with want and need.
Miss Evelina Tarot was going to be his wife.
No one else would do, and nothing was going to stop him from forging ahead with this union.
Miss Evelina’s parents might not pass muster with his exacting mama, but what did that matter?
It was hardly as if he’d chosen for his wife a brothel-keeper’s daughter.
Chapter15
Lily glanced up at a knock on her office door.She’d not intended to come to Hamish’s editorial offices today, but the baby was sleeping so peacefully at home and the nursemaid was in full control.It had been a spur-of-the-moment decision to leave their leafy house in the suburbs in order to enjoy the hustle and bustle of London.
