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Authors: Hazel Statham
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discreet and no breath of scandal attached itself to her name. Eventually I could stand it no longer and took a commission under Roth’s command and so into Spain, but once more, the gods were against me and after only a twelve month I was wounded. I returned to England to find my wife two months with child.”
“Then Julia ….” Caroline expostulated sitting erect.
“ Exactly , my dear! Julia is not my child, though she will never know it. I neither know nor care who her sire may be. I may not have fathered her, but she remains mine. I will have it no other way. When Elizabeth was confined, it was supposed by those in attendance that the babe came early, but of course, she did not. She was only a frail little thing, which added strength to the ruse, and I saw no reason to contradict their thinking. You said you wished you could lay claim to her as your own child—she is no more mine than yours, but she will remain our child.”
He was becoming slightly calmer now, his passion spent, and once more he took her hand. “When I entered Elizabeth’s room this morning, the years rolled back. I saw her sitting in that chair as she so often did and it came as a tremendous shock. In that instant, all the old feelings I had fought so long to repress flooded over me. I hope you will forgive my reaction. It was inexcusable. Perhaps now you will understand why I am unable to offer love. She has driven all such emotions from me. I cannot lay myself open to such sentiments again. I dare not. It would have been better should I have explained all to you before I asked you to marry me but, fool that I am, I did not think it necessary, I did not think the matter would arise. However, I was not aware of just how raw my emotions are —how she could still, even now, reach out and taint my life. Such was my stupidity.”
Considerably shocked by his revelations, Caroline was unable to give any answer, only trying to reassure by returning the pressure of his fingers, having the desire to try to remove the cloud that marred his brow.
Hearing no censure from her lips, he smiled hesitantly. “I do believe that given time, we will do very well. We should put all this behind us and return to London for the remainder of the season. Start afresh. No shadows now. What say you, Caro? Victoria said there were too many years between us. Am I too old for you? Would you wish a younger man? A man free of his past?”
“I feel not the years,” she replied, smiling. “You suit me exactly and I have no wish for a younger man. Your past we will face together, it will dim in time, and now that it’s out in the open, we need not fear it.”
“You give me greater understanding than I deserve,” he said taking her fingers momentarily to his lips. “Tomorrow we will make the necessary arrangements to return to London. The east wing will be refurbished and all signs of Elizabeth will be removed from the house ready for our return. I have great hope for the future.”
Chapter Five
Upon the conclusion of the play’s first act at the Drury Lane Theatre, Gerald Dent stood on the balcony overlooking the entrance hall, idly watching the latecomers. Two of the new arrivals caught his attention and he raised his quizzing glass the better to observe the couple’s progress through the crowd.
“I do believe my cousin appears well pleased with his new bride,” he exclaimed turning toward his companion.
“The chit is too naive for my liking,” Lord Massey replied. “Although I believe it is the mode to admire her at the moment, it will not last. She falls short of my idea of beauty—I know not where the attraction lies.”
Dent made a grimace. “You’re not alone in your dislike of her, or your dislike of my cousin.”
“So it would seem. There is certainly no love lost between us, and if I can entrust you with a confidence, he has also damned himself in Christina’s eyes. Now that she no longer enjoys his patronage, her
“Then Julia ….” Caroline expostulated sitting erect.
“ Exactly , my dear! Julia is not my child, though she will never know it. I neither know nor care who her sire may be. I may not have fathered her, but she remains mine. I will have it no other way. When Elizabeth was confined, it was supposed by those in attendance that the babe came early, but of course, she did not. She was only a frail little thing, which added strength to the ruse, and I saw no reason to contradict their thinking. You said you wished you could lay claim to her as your own child—she is no more mine than yours, but she will remain our child.”
He was becoming slightly calmer now, his passion spent, and once more he took her hand. “When I entered Elizabeth’s room this morning, the years rolled back. I saw her sitting in that chair as she so often did and it came as a tremendous shock. In that instant, all the old feelings I had fought so long to repress flooded over me. I hope you will forgive my reaction. It was inexcusable. Perhaps now you will understand why I am unable to offer love. She has driven all such emotions from me. I cannot lay myself open to such sentiments again. I dare not. It would have been better should I have explained all to you before I asked you to marry me but, fool that I am, I did not think it necessary, I did not think the matter would arise. However, I was not aware of just how raw my emotions are —how she could still, even now, reach out and taint my life. Such was my stupidity.”
Considerably shocked by his revelations, Caroline was unable to give any answer, only trying to reassure by returning the pressure of his fingers, having the desire to try to remove the cloud that marred his brow.
Hearing no censure from her lips, he smiled hesitantly. “I do believe that given time, we will do very well. We should put all this behind us and return to London for the remainder of the season. Start afresh. No shadows now. What say you, Caro? Victoria said there were too many years between us. Am I too old for you? Would you wish a younger man? A man free of his past?”
“I feel not the years,” she replied, smiling. “You suit me exactly and I have no wish for a younger man. Your past we will face together, it will dim in time, and now that it’s out in the open, we need not fear it.”
“You give me greater understanding than I deserve,” he said taking her fingers momentarily to his lips. “Tomorrow we will make the necessary arrangements to return to London. The east wing will be refurbished and all signs of Elizabeth will be removed from the house ready for our return. I have great hope for the future.”
Chapter Five
Upon the conclusion of the play’s first act at the Drury Lane Theatre, Gerald Dent stood on the balcony overlooking the entrance hall, idly watching the latecomers. Two of the new arrivals caught his attention and he raised his quizzing glass the better to observe the couple’s progress through the crowd.
“I do believe my cousin appears well pleased with his new bride,” he exclaimed turning toward his companion.
“The chit is too naive for my liking,” Lord Massey replied. “Although I believe it is the mode to admire her at the moment, it will not last. She falls short of my idea of beauty—I know not where the attraction lies.”
Dent made a grimace. “You’re not alone in your dislike of her, or your dislike of my cousin.”
“So it would seem. There is certainly no love lost between us, and if I can entrust you with a confidence, he has also damned himself in Christina’s eyes. Now that she no longer enjoys his patronage, her
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