An Icy Christmas Engagement (Christmas Matches of Worth #1)

Chapter Ten

Elizabeth was sleeping in again. Caroline had to thank God for the small mercy.

Because of that, she dragged herself out of bed despite having gone to sleep at dawn. Even though she was still utterly exhausted, she was thrumming with motivation, mind whizzing with thoughts of everything that had occurred the previous night.

She sipped her tea, gazing out the window of the drawing room as her thoughts inevitably turned to the Earl of Colenhurst. Truth was, she could understand why he’d gained such a reputation. Looking at him from afar, he seemed cold and unapproachable. She’d heard more than one mother and marriageable lady alike comment on the fact that they would love to seek an introduction had it not been for the near certainty that they would be turned away. Or ignored.

Which begged the question: why did he seek her out?

Caroline knew she was not the most beautiful lady in the room. Yes, she may have her charm and may be deemed likable once one got to know her, but the earl did not know her. Was that the reason he sought her out? Simply because, at the time, he had not known her name?

Caroline frowned a little, not sure whether she liked that possibility. A part of her would relish in the thought that the earl was simply drawn to her, like the magnetizing energy that existed between her hero and heroine, but she knew better than to assume such things.

“What’s on your mind, Caroline?”

Caroline jumped, eyes darting to Louisa. “When did you get here?” she breathed.

Louisa frowned at her as if she’d said something outrageous. “I have been sitting here for the past five minutes. Did you not hear when I came in?”

Caroline slowly shook her head.

“Nor when I said good morning?”

“I did not,” she admitted, sipping her tea .

“Hm,” Louisa hummed, stirring her spoon in her teacup. “Well then I shan’t chastise you for not returning the greeting, since it is evident that something is bothering you. Is it your mother?”

Caroline sighed, setting her cup down and folding her hands in her lap. “Surprisingly, she is the furthest thing from my mind right now. Someone else occupies my thoughts.”

“May I hazard a guess?”

“Go right ahead.”

Louisa tilted her head to the side in thought. “Judging from the frown on your face, I could only assume it either has something to do with last night or your book.”

“That is not fair, Louisa,” Caroline said with a laugh. “You know as well as I that I rarely think about anything else but my novel. And considering the events of last night, it is quite likely that I would be deliberating on it in the morning.”

Louisa only sipped her tea. “Am I right then?”

“You are right,” Caroline confirmed. “Most specifically, I was thinking about the Earl of Colenhurst.”

Louisa gasped. “Oh, yes, I have been intending to inquire about that! I didn’t get the chance to last night because you raced up to your room the moment we returned home. I saw you dancing the waltz with the earl and I must say, you two did look rather scandalous.”

“Scandalous?” Caroline gasped, eyes wide. Goodness, she had been so focused on the earl and their conversation that she hadn’t thought about how they would be perceived.

“Scandalous,” Louisa repeated with a mischievous grin. “Anyone looking on would think that you two were absolutely smitten with each other.”

Caroline relaxed, turning her eyes outside in the hopes that it would make the heat on her cheeks less visible. “You know that is not true.”

“Yes, I know that. But does the rest of the ton? I should get a copy of today’s scandal sheets to see if you two are mentioned.” She spread her hands before her. “I can just imagine the title now. The Widowed Viscountess and Ice Earl’s Scandalous Affair .”

“I would hardly consider a dance scandalous. ”

“A dance where you two could hardly look away from each other? Decidedly scandalous.”

Caroline couldn’t help avoiding Louisa’s eyes. She understood that her friend was jesting, perhaps embellishing the tale merely to heighten her amusement. But all it did was stir up memories of her dance with the earl—and with it a tremble of excitement that she’d only ever written about but never experienced.

“So,” Louisa leaned forward, resting her chin in her hand, “tell me all about it.”

Caroline hesitated. What could she say? That she’d felt more alive in those few minutes with the earl than she had her entire life? That was insane. Completely irrational and yet…

She opened her mouth, ready to tell Louisa everything she had been feeling since last night, but was interrupted by the knock and entrance of the butler.

“Please pardon the intrusion,” he began politely. “Lady Winterbourne, a visitor has come for you.”

Caroline blinked. “For me?”

“Lord James Sotheby,” the butler supplied.

Caroline’s heart sank. She could only imagine how her mother would have responded if she were here. And judging by the time, she could be arriving any minute now. If Caroline wanted to get rid of Lord Sotheby, she would have to do so quickly.

But she did recall agreeing to accept his call last night, against her better judgment. And if Elizabeth found out that she had turned him away without seeing him, her mother was sure to make her regret it.

Sighing inwardly, Caroline said, “Show him in.”

The butler nodded and left the room. Caroline let the sigh out.

“You cannot say you did not expect this to happen,” Louisa commented. “The earl was not the only gentleman smitten with you last night.”

“The earl is not smitten with me,” Caroline protested quickly.

“If you say so,” Louisa sang, hiding her grin behind the rim of her teacup .

Caroline didn’t bother arguing further. She took the few precious seconds before Lord Sotheby’s arrival to prepare herself, forcing a smile onto her face.

He arrived far too quickly than she would have liked, bearing a bouquet of lilies. Caroline and Louisa stood, her heart sinking at the sight. She’d always wanted to receive flowers. From someone she actually liked, that was.

“My lady,” Lord Sotheby greeted with a smile. “Thank you for agreeing to see me. These are for you.”

She accepted them with a grateful smile. “They are lovely, my lord. I shall have them put by my bed.”

Caroline set them on an end table nearby, feeling a little guilty about the lie. She would have them in her room at least. There was no reason the flowers had to suffer because she did not return Lord Sotheby’s interest.

“Good morning, Miss Tilbury,” Lord Sotheby said with a polite bow. “I hope I am not disturbing your breakfast.”

“Not at all, my lord,” Louisa said. “If anything, I think your presence has made it much more interesting.”

Caroline tried not to roll her eyes. She knew exactly what Louisa was insinuating.

But Lord Sotheby still kept that bland and polite smile. “Then it is with apologies that I must ask Lady Winterbourne to accompany me on a walk through Hyde Park.”

“If you must apologise for it, my lord, then is it a suggestion worth making?”

Lord Sotheby blinked, clearly taken aback by Louisa’s pointed question. Caroline nearly grinned. It would make her job that much easier if Louisa was the one who chased him away, and not her.

“I only jest, my lord,” Louisa said with a laugh. “I think it is a splendid idea. But it is an idea you should say to Caroline and not I.”

“Ah, that is correct.” Lord Sotheby looked grateful to turn his attention back to Caroline. “My lady, would you do me the honours of accompanying me on a morning stroll?”

“I would love to, my lord,” Caroline told him, hesitantly. “But it is not quite the fashionable hour for a walk, is it? ”

“All the better, my lady. We will be free from the eyes of the ton, for the most part.”

She couldn’t deny that. So she tried another route. “It is quite chilly at this time of the day.”

“Then it would be best to dress warmly.”

Honestly, she didn’t know why she thought that would work.

Caroline looked at Louisa for help. But her friend only smiled at her, nodding encouragingly. She even said, “I shall let Lady York know where you are once she arrives for breakfast.”

Caroline couldn’t think of a single way out of it. Looking at Lord Sotheby’s hopeful face made it difficult to deny him outright.

With underlying reluctance, she nodded and said, “Pray, allow me a moment to retrieve my coat and boots.”

“Of course, my lady.”

Caroline felt a twinge of guilt at the look of happiness on his face, shooting Louisa a scathing glare as she headed out of the room. She trudged up to her room and donned her coat, gloves, and boots, knowing that the extra layer of warmth would help make this outing a little less miserable for her.

It felt like she was dragging herself back down to the drawing room where she found Louisa pestering Lord Sotheby with mundane questions like what weather he preferred and if he enjoyed drinking warm milk. One look at the discomfort on his face told Caroline all she needed to know about her friend’s motivations. And one look at Louisa’s tiny mirthful smile confirmed her suspicions.

“Shall we, my lady?” Lord Sotheby asked the moment he saw Caroline, shooting to his feet. He offered his arm far too eagerly than he needed to.

Behind him, Louisa laughed. “You enjoy yourselves,” she sang as they left the room.

Caroline could have throttled her. She made a mental note to do that the moment she returned. But for now, she would have to maneuver this outing without hurting Lord Sotheby’s feelings.

They said nothing as they climbed into his carriage and set off down the street. Caroline was grateful for the quiet. She stared out the window, observing the lovely townhouses as they went by. A maid had come along as a chaperone and that was a comfort for Caroline.

“Is Lady York well, my lady?”

Caroline looked at him, surprised. “Why do you ask?”

“I did not see her,” he said. “And Miss Tilbury made mention of the fact that she had not yet come down for breakfast. So I had only wondered.”

“Oh, you needn’t worry, my lord. My mother is well. She simply takes great pleasure in indulging in a leisurely slumber.”

“Oh, I see.”

Caroline looked out the window again, letting the silence settle between them once more.

“I do enjoy sleeping in as well,” Lord Sotheby spoke up as well. “But I rarely get the chance to do it, you see.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, yes, I am quite busy during the day, so at night, I go to bed quite early.” Lord Sotheby chuckled at some joke she was not privy to. “Some of my peers say I am far too dull for a gentleman of my age but I simply value the importance of rest.”

“Rest surely is important, my lord,” she responded with a fleeting smile.

“Yes, yes. Quite important.”

Caroline didn’t bother responding again. She hoped he would not bother with any more small talk and was granted that wish up until they made it to the park.

As the carriage came to a rolling halt, Lord Sotheby said, “You look beautiful this morning, my lady.”

She blinked at him, taken aback. “Thank you, my lord.”

“You’re welcome.” He smiled warmly at her. Caroline could only stare. It was a kind smile. He was a kind and gentle man who clearly liked her. And yet, she felt nothing.

Thankfully, they were interrupted by the door opening by the coachman. Lord Sotheby indicated that he went first only so that he could offer his hand to her as she alighted. Caroline would have appreciated the chivalrous gesture if she didn’t already feel so bothered by everything.

On the bright side, it wasn’t nearly as chilly a morning as she’d expected it to be. Still, much of the snow from a few days ago had not yet melted, most of it weighing down the trees lining the paths. Just as Lord Sotheby had predicted, there were not many going for a morning stroll, which meant they were mostly by themselves.

They set off down a path in silence, the only sound being the crunch of ice and stone under their boots. It was a picturesque view, Caroline decided. Perhaps it was not such a bad idea to come out here. Sceneries such as this one often served as inspiration for writing, so perhaps she would be able to apply it to the scenes she was already planning in her head.

She could see it already. Her heroine making her way down the snow-lined path with her lady’s maid by her side, talking about what she should wear to the upcoming ball. Mundane and frivolous topics that only underscored her heroine’s natural femininity.

“The trees are lovely, aren’t they?”

Her train of thought came to an abrupt halt at Lord Sotheby’s voice.

She nodded politely. “Yes, quite lovely.”

“They remind me of the trees at my ancestral home in the countryside. My favourite pastime is gazing upon those trees while I have a steaming cup of coffee in my hand. You never know peace until you have experienced that.”

“Perhaps one day I would be given the honour,” Caroline said politely.

She didn’t realize the error of her words until they were already out her mouth.

“Perhaps you could,” Lord Sotheby said with what could only be described as childlike excitement. “We could visit there, if you wish.”

Caroline hastily racked her mind for an excuse to get herself out of the hole she’d just dug. “Well, I do not know how possible that could be, my lord, considering the fact that my mother is here to visit and I have already made previous arrangements to volunteer at an orphanage. So I will be rather busy in the coming weeks.”

“Ah, I see.” His excitement visibly deflated. “Then perhaps when you are no longer so busy. Like after Christmas, perhaps. ”

“I will be visiting family in the countryside,” she said quickly, neglecting to mention that that family was her mother. She didn’t want to risk him asking Elizabeth for permission for Caroline to visit him, since she knew her mother would not hesitate to accept.

“And when will you be returning?”

“Likely not until spring,” she answered arbitrarily.

“At springtime then!”

“Perhaps,” she hummed noncommittally.

“In the meantime, I would love to tell you all about Hanson Abbey. It dates back as far as the thirteenth century, but there have been a number of changes over time. Both to the infrastructure and the families that owned it. But it has been the ancestral seat of my family for the past five generations, which I inherited when I assumed the viscountcy.”

Caroline tried her best to listen. The truth was, Lord Sotheby was a nice gentleman. The kind of gentleman that any lady would deem herself lucky to marry. Wealthy, kind, gentle, and not at all hard to look at.

But she simply did not want to be married. She did not want to attach herself to another gentleman all over again. She wanted to be free.

“Would you like to visit Gunters, my lady?” Lord Sotheby asked suddenly.

Caroline raised her brows in surprise. “You wish to have ice in this cold weather?”

“Is it not the best time to?” he asked with what she assumed was a cheeky smile.

Caroline didn’t bother to point out that he was most certainly wrong about that fact and instead, nodded. It was far too early to return home and her mother was sure to be up and about by now. Caroline couldn’t handle her pestering if she didn’t spend a considerable amount of time with Lord Sotheby.

“Let us then,” she conceded, turning on her heels to head back to the carriage. The sooner they got to Gunter’s, the quicker they would be able to leave.

And then she could get back to her writing desk. Or her bed for a nice sleep. Either way, she wanted to go back home.

** *

“This is a mess. A big, undefeatable mess.”

Cedric didn’t look up at Harrison’s dramatic exclamation, only because it was not as dramatic as he would have liked. The ledgers they had been poring over for the past three hours was truly a mess. Every breakthrough they had only showcased the insurmountable loss they would incur.

He reached for this fourth glass of whiskey and leaned back in his chair, putting his spectacles aside to rub his eyes. The whiskey wasn’t calming him the way he’d hoped.

Harrison drained his fifth glass and said, “I don’t know about you but I am willing to give up on this. I would have done so an hour ago if it weren’t for the fact that the missing shipment would do nothing but haunt me instead.”

“Giving up on this is not an option,” Cedric told him. He got to his feet and went for another bottle of whiskey at his office’s sideboard. “Though I do fear we are no closer to figuring this out than when we first started.”

Harrison spied the bottle he was bringing back over to the desk and groaned aloud. “I do not want to drink another drop of that stuff.”

Cedric paused, raising his brows.

“Yes, yes, I know how surprising it is to hear me of all people say such a thing,” Harrison sighed. “Trust me. I am not ill.”

Cedric ignored him as he put a hand to his forehead in demonstration and reclaimed his chair instead. Harrison might not need another drink but Cedric was desperately hoping this last drink would be what finally took the edge of his thoughts.

Because for the life of him, he could not stop thinking about Lady Winterbourne.

Honestly, it was embarrassing at this point. He had something far more pressing at hand and yet his mind constantly strayed away from that matter and to the ball last night—and the waltz he shared with the Winterbourne widow.

He couldn’t get her out of his head. As he returned home last night, as he slept, as he made his way to his office this morning, and in these crucial moments when he and Harrison were putting their heads together to sort through the mess, she was all he thought about. It was embarrassing.

He filled his glass a little more than the standard amount and took a large gulp, aware of the fact that Harrison was silently watching his every move. His friend wouldn’t think that he was so bothered by a lady, however.

“Have you heard anything from Mr. Thatcher?” Cedric asked him.

Harrison shook his head. “I have not, but it has only been a few days. I say we give him a few weeks before we ask him for an update, if he does not come to us first.”

“We do not have time for that. Who knows how many shipments can go missing in that time? We will never recover from another one disappearing.”

“We’ll just have to keep that from happening.”

“Hardly a feasible feat considering we don’t even know how it’s happening or who is behind it.”

Harrison waved a dismissive hand. “I have faith that we will eventually learn the former if we do not get to the bottom of the latter in time. But for right now, I am liable to throw myself out the nearest window if I have to look at these ledgers a moment longer.”

“What do you propose we do then?” Cedric asked as he eyed his unfinished glass of whiskey. He didn’t want the rest. It was clear it would do nothing to rid his mind of the hazel-eyed, freckle-faced beauty.

“We should pay Gunter’s a visit,” Harrison stated, already getting to his feet.

Cedric was already shaking his head. “You see that we are in the middle of a crisis and you want to enjoy confectioneries?”

“What better time to enjoy them than when crises loom overhead?” Harrison rounded the desk, placed his hands on Cedric’s shoulders, and forced Cedric to a stand. Or rather, Cedric let him. “A break is what we need,” Harrison insisted.

“I do not think that is a wise use of our time.”

“I care not for your opinion, for we shall proceed regardless.” Harrison began pushing Cedric towards the door, both hands braced on either shoulder .

Cedric sighed, but let him. Maybe that would be the distraction he needed. God knew that sitting at his desk all day was not going to help his predicament, no matter how much he wished that wasn't the case.

They decided to walk since Gunter’s was not very far from the office, a suggestion made by Cedric. A suggestion he immediately regretted when he began to recall the day he first met Lady Winterbourne. Come to think of it, she had been loitering in his mind since that day, only becoming obnoxiously present after their dance. Cedric gritted his teeth as he made his way past the same spot he’d saved her from nearly getting trampled by a passing carriage.

At last, they made it to Gunter’s. The little bell above the door signaled their entrance and a few of the patrons within glanced curiously at the door.

One of whom was Lady Winterbourne herself.

At first, Cedric thought he might have imagined her. At the rate at which he thought of her, perhaps it would not be so outrageous to assume that he was also seeing her when she was not present.

But no, it was her. His steps slowed the moment their eyes met. Her hand paused midway to her mouth, a tiny spoonful of lemon ice inches away from her lips. For a moment, Cedric forgot where he was and what he had come for. All he saw was her.

But then he noticed Lord Sotheby sitting across from her, trying to get her attention. Cedric felt something dark take root in his chest. He looked away, hating the feeling.

Of course, he shouldn't be surprised that she was being accompanied by a gentleman. She was a beautiful lady, after all, and still quite young. After watching her be approached by gentleman after gentleman at last night’s ball, it should not surprise him to see that the most persistent of them all had called on her the next day.

It certainly shouldn’t bother him either—but he couldn’t deny that the dark feeling spreading through his body felt remarkably close to envy.

** *

Caroline felt him the moment he stepped through the door. Immediately, she forgot about everything else.

Lord Sotheby was still talking of course, telling her what he thought of being in London during the winter months. Caroline had just decided to actually partake in the conversation when the Earl of Colenhurst decided to appear in the flesh. It was as if she had conjured him herself.

How was it possible for him to look even more handsome than last night?

Their eyes met the moment he stepped through the door and Caroline forgot to breathe. Her heart stopped in her chest. And she was vaguely aware that she probably looked like a downright fool staring at him like this, in a room full of people no less. But then again, he was staring at her too. And in a far more intense manner.

Louisa’s words came rushing back to her. Surely the earl wasn’t really smitten with her?

Suddenly he looked away as if she no longer existed. It felt like he’d doused her with a bucket of ice cold water.

Caroline quickly looked away, embarrassed.

“Which do you prefer, my lady?” Lord Sotheby’s voice came floating back in, completely unaware of her wandering mind. “Wintertime or summertime?”

“Summertime,” she answered immediately, focusing far too intently on her lemon ice. “I do not handle the cold very well.”

“Neither do I,” Lord Sotheby remarked, sounding pleased by that similarity. “As it were, I am only in London for business, though I am happy now that I decided to stay a little longer. Otherwise, I would not have met you.”

She managed a smile at that, glancing up. At that moment, the door opened and the handsome couple from that fateful day walked in. Simon and Isabella, if Caroline recalled correctly.

The gentleman wore that placidly false smile that immediately brightened—but did not touch his eyes—the moment he spotted the earl. Caroline didn’t miss the way Isabella pulled herself straighter, brushing an invisible lock of hair away from her face and patting her cheeks. Like she was primping .

Caroline realized why a second later.

“Cedric!” Simon greeted loudly, earning the attention of a few patrons seated nearby.

Caroline watched as Lord Colenhurst stiffened. The gentleman he’d entered with also went rigid, looking uncertainly between Simon and the earl.

Slowly, Lord Colenhurst turned to face the newcomers. Despite the distance, Caroline heard him say, “No matter how hard I try to prevent it from happening, I keep seeing you both. What a pity.”

Simon’s smile dipped into what Caroline could only describe a sneer for such a brief moment that she wondered if she had imagined it.

“Don’t be like that, Cedric,” Simon said. “Such remarks should not be made where others can hear.”

“Why not? Do you not want to be reminded of what you did?”

What he did? What did he do?

Lord Sotheby was still talking to her. Caroline knew that. She knew she should listen to him, especially since he was bound to ask her a question sooner or later.

But her attention was focused solely on the tense interaction happening a few feet away from her.

“We should let bygones be bygones, Cedric. It has already been six years.”

“You know I have never been much for forgiveness.”

“Cedric.” Isabella’s voice was so low that Caroline almost couldn’t hear her. There was something about her tone that grated Caroline’s nerves. “Let us be civil. Please?”

Lord Colenhrust turned his attention to her. It was a wonder she didn’t turn to ice on the spot.

“What would be civil is avoiding me when you see me in public,” he stated in a cold tone. “Show me the same courtesy as I show you.”

“It is hardly a courtesy when you give us death glares whenever we are within your line of vision,” Simon pointed out in such an easygoing tone that Caroline immediately feared for his safety .

“That is because you insist on showing yourself before me.”

“I hardly think it fair to watch out for you everywhere I go. Should I have walked right out of here the moment I saw you within?”

“You’re finally beginning to understand.”

Finally, Simon let that smile drop. Caroline didn’t know why he had been keeping up with it in the first place, since it was so obviously fake. At least, to her.

“You do not scare me, Cedric,” he said slowly.

Lord Colenhurst pulled himself to his full height, the dark aura emanating from him sending a chill down Caroline’s spine. “Then you’re more foolish than I first thought.”

“All right, all right.” The gentleman Lord Colenhurst came with stepped in between them. “Any more of this and you two will come to blows. And while I do think it is well overdue, this is neither the time nor the place.”

For a few seconds, Caroline thought that both men were going to ignore him. But then Simon took a step back, brushing a hand down his waistcoat.

“I shall take my leave then,” he announced. “But do not think that it was done for any reason other than to keep the peace.”

Thankfully, Lord Colenhurst said nothing. Before they could leave, Caroline whispered to Lord Sotheby, “Do you know those two?”

Lord Sotheby might have been saying something but he did not seem upset at the fact that she’d clearly been ignoring him. He looked over his shoulder at Simon and Isabella, who were just going out the door. Caroline noticed the way Isabella’s eyes lingered on Lord Colenhurst a moment longer than necessary.

“Lord and Lady Ashworth,” Lord Sotheby supplied. “I am surprised to see that they are still in London.”

“Do you know them well?” Caroline probed. She tried not to look at Lord Colenhurst, who had taken a seat by the window a few paces away. He was facing her, but his scowl was directed at the table.

“Not well,” Lord Sotheby admitted .

“Oh. I see.” Caroline tried to mask her disappointment, but didn’t think she succeeded.

Lord Sotheby must have sensed it. Or perhaps he was simply tired of doing all the talking while she did very little listening because he said, “Perhaps it is time for me to return you home.”

She was all too happy to agree. Something about being in the same small tea shop with Lord Colenhurst, while he acted as if she did not exist, did not sit well with her. She agreed and stood, leaving her barely touched lemon ice. Lord Sotheby assisted her with her coat and placed a hand on her back as he guided her out the shop.

Caroline kept her eyes on the door. She didn’t dare look the earl’s way, no matter how much she wanted. No matter how much it felt as if his gaze was boring into her. She kept her head straight and her breath stale in her lungs, not releasing it until she was safely in the carriage.