Stolen Heart: Historical Regency Romance (Heirs of London Book 2) Page 2

  Colin hesitated, then murmured to his butler that there was nothing further at present and that he was not to be disturbed. Waiting until the servant left, he turned back to face Lord Castleton, fully aware of the questions that were beginning to appear in the gentleman’s eyes.

  “Lord Castleton,” he began as the gentleman took a sip of his brandy. “Last evening was my first outing into society, which I am sure that not only you but many others were aware of.” His lips pulled into a small scowl as he recalled the many whispers that had followed his entrance. Had he made such a fool of himself that the ton would now be doing nothing other than speaking of it? “You were, I am glad to say, pointed out to me as an excellent gentleman and one who might be able to help me.”

  Lord Castleton’s brow lifted. “Indeed?” he remarked, looking rather pleased. “I am glad to hear that my reputation is based on character rather than wealth.”

  Colin nodded, choosing not to mention that he had been forced to demand such suggestions from his butler, who had, with great reluctance, managed to do so without too much difficulty. Colin had been given the names of three gentlemen whom the butler considered to be those within society who might be willing to assist Colin in all that he intended to do. Knowing none within society whatsoever, Colin had been forced to introduce himself to Lord Castleton as well as to one or two others, even though he knew by now that such a thing was considered to be very rude indeed.

  “I had hoped,” Colin continued, a little reluctantly, “that you might be willing to assist me, Lord Castleton.”

  The gentleman sat forward in his chair, a look of interest growing in his eyes. “Assist you, Lord Lindale?” he asked, sounding both intrigued and pleased. “I should be glad to do whatever I can to help the Marquess of Lindale.”

  “That is precisely the problem,” Colin answered, before he could help himself. “I am uncertain as to how much you are aware of, Lord Castleton, but I am not long in this position.”

  Lord Castleton tilted his head just a little. “You have been six months as the new marquess,” he said as Colin nodded. “That is all that I know.”

  Dragging in air, Colin forced himself to speak honestly. He knew that he was taking a great risk in doing this, since he would have to tell Lord Castleton the truth about his background, his astonishment at becoming marquess, and the six months of difficulty he had borne in order to prepare himself for becoming a gentleman of the ton. But what other choice did he have? He had no one else in London to turn to, no one else that he might ask for aid. He had taken the word of his butler and now hoped that he would not fail because of it.

  “I have been told that you are trustworthy, Lord Castleton,” he began slowly. “That what I am about to say to you will not be passed on to anyone else.”

  Lord Castleton frowned, the smile fading from his lips. “I do hope that this is nothing…untoward,” he said hesitantly, and Colin shook his head fervently. “We are not very well acquainted as yet, Lord Lindale. Are you quite certain—?”

  “It is because we are not very well acquainted that I have to speak to you about this,” Colin replied hastily. “I have no other friends or acquaintances here in London.”

  This seemed to surprise the gentleman greatly for he lifted his brows in great astonishment as he looked back at Colin.

  “You are, of course, wondering how such a thing could be,” Colin continued with a small, wry smile. “If you will let me, I would be glad to explain.”

  It took a moment but eventually, Lord Castleton nodded and sat back a little more in his seat, watching Colin carefully.

  “My father was the third son of the Marquess of Lindale,” Colin began. “But for reasons I will not go into, he was disinherited. He moved to Scotland with his wife and set up home there.” Spreading his hands, Colin’s lips tipped in a rueful smile. “I did not know that I had two uncles on my father’s side, nor that my grandfather was a marquess until some months ago.”

  Lord Castleton caught his breath, his eyes widening. “Indeed?”

  “It is as I have said,” Colin continued, quickly explaining the rest of the story. Lord Castleton continued to sit in evident astonishment, his eyes growing rounder still as Colin related how he had been forced to give up his farm, and, along with his brother, make his way to his new life as the Marquess of Lindale.

  “My brother, Arthur, also inherited a great deal of money and land, and has chosen to stay in his estate for this summer,” he finished. “He has a pretty little wife already, although they did not marry until a few months ago.” A small smile lifted his lips as he thought of Marianne, who had followed Arthur from Scotland in order to take her place as his wife. “She was engaged to a farmer, only to find herself now a wife of a gentleman.”

  “Good gracious,” Lord Castleton murmured, one hand at his chin as he stared back at Colin, clearly almost too overwhelmed with surprise to comment further. “That is…”

  “The most ridiculous story, yes,” Colin replied with a shake of his head. “I have no friends here in London, Lord Castleton. I am still trying to understand the ton and my place in it. The most pressing thing that has been set on my shoulders lately, by my solicitors and my advisor—the Mr. Grey I spoke of—is that I should establish myself in the midst of the beau monde and look to take a wife.”

  “So that you can quickly establish a family line,” Lord Castleton remarked, nodding. “That is understandable.”

  Colin sighed inwardly. Yes, it might be understandable but it felt, yet again, as though he were throwing himself headlong into a whirlpool. He had no desire to marry, not when he was only just becoming used to the fact that he was a marquess rather than just a farmer. But over and over, he had been reminded of the fact that he was yet unmarried and needed to establish himself completely by finding a wife and producing an heir—something that apparently seemed to be very simple indeed for those in the nobility, whereas Colin himself preferred to choose a bride with great care and consideration.

  “I will confess myself very much surprised by what you have said, Lord Lindale,” Lord Castleton remarked after a few moments. “And you have told me all of this for a purpose, I suppose?”

  Nodding, Colin cleared his throat, feeling a sense of embarrassment settle over him. “As I have said, Lord Castleton, I know no one here in London. Given that my father was disinherited, I have not spent time in the upper echelons of society.” He chuckled wryly. “Six months ago, I was nothing other than a simple farmer, only to find my world entirely altered in less than a few minutes.”

  “And you need assistance to help guide you through the beau monde and its tempestuous sea?” Lord Castleton asked, one eyebrow lifting.

  “I need…” Colin hesitated for a moment, trying to work out the best way to say what he required without sounding foolish. “I need a friend, Lord Castleton. Someone who will be able to understand my situation but will not speak to others of it. Someone who will be able to assist my steps as I fumble about here in London.” One shoulder lifted in a half-shrug. “It is a lot of responsibility, I know, and I am sure I must have surprised you in not only inviting you here but then expressing all of this without so much as a—”

  “I am greatly honored!” Lord Castleton interrupted, his eyes bright as he smiled back at Colin. “I should thank whoever recommended me also, for their consideration of my character is something I very much appreciate.”

  It was as though a great weight rolled from Colin’s shoulders as he looked back at Lord Castleton and saw the contentment in his expression, the evident delight in being asked to do such a thing. “You are speaking truthfully, Lord Castleton?” he asked carefully, wanting to make certain that the gentleman was not being forced into an agreement whilst praying inwardly that he could trust the man. If he appeared in society this evening only to have everyone know of his background, of his hurried entrance into nobility, then he would know that he had failed in attempting to find a suitable acquaintance. Lord Castleton would not be the gentleman
the butler had believed him to be.

  Lord Castleton settled one hand over his heart, a look of seriousness coming into his eyes. “Lord Lindale, I confess that I am not only deeply gratified to hear that my character has been considered in such a good light, but also that I am very pleased indeed to be asked such a thing,” he declared as Colin nodded slowly, doing all he could to believe him. “Your story is quite remarkable! Little wonder that you were forced to introduce yourself last evening.”

  Spreading his hands, Colin shrugged. “I have no acquaintances here,” he said ruefully. “But I certainly do not want everyone to know why that is.”

  “Of course not, of course not,” Lord Castleton nodded, agreeing quickly with what Colin had said. “I quite understand. You need not worry. You have taken a risk in speaking so to me, I understand, but it will not prove to be your downfall. I swear to you that I shall not breathe a word of what you have said to me.”

  “I am very grateful,” Colin answered, only just realizing that his heart had been beating very quickly. “Very grateful indeed, Lord Castleton.”

  “And you will need me to introduce you to both gentlemen and ladies,” Lord Castleton continued with a broad smile. “Something I shall be very happy to do. No doubt you will find your invitations to balls and soireés and the like greatly increasing.”

  A chuckle escaped from Colin’s lips before he could prevent it. “Indeed, Lord Castleton, I have found myself overwhelmed with invitations so far,” he said as Lord Castleton grinned. “The ball was one of the first I accepted, based solely on the advice of Mr. Grey, who has returned to London to continue with his work here. Since then, I haven’t—have not,” he corrected, a little embarrassed, “I have not accepted any other. I do not know which is best to accept and which to ignore.”

  Lord Castleton nodded. “You do not ignore invitations but write that you send your regrets,” he said as Colin listened eagerly, feeling not as though he were being taught by a stern teacher but rather as though he were being given very sage advice which he wanted eagerly to remember. “If you wish, you might have the invitations brought here and I can assist you with which to accept?”

  “An excellent idea,” Colin replied gratefully. Getting to his feet, he was about to make his way to the door so that he might fetch the stack of invitations himself from his study, only to veer to his right and tug at the bell pull.

  “It is not something I am used to as yet,” he said, coming to sit back down and seeing Lord Castleton’s bemused glance. “I thought I would go and fetch the invitations myself, but…”

  Lord Castleton chuckled. “But then you remembered that your butler would be most upset if you did so,” he replied as Colin grinned. “You must have found these last few months rather trying.”

  Colin made to answer, but then a scratch at the door alerted him to the presence of the butler. Quickly calling him in, he explained what he wanted and the butler disappeared again.

  “It has been very tiring,” he found himself saying as Lord Castleton listened with interest. “To be truthful, I did not want to give up my farm. I had spent so many years there with my brother, doing all we could to build it up, to make it profitable.” He shook his head, his heart aching for the little Scottish home he had built for himself, knowing that he would never be able to return to that way of life. “I had to sell it.”

  “That must have been difficult for you.”

  “My brother did not seem as sorrowful as I,” Colin replied, remembering how Arthur had practically danced around the room as he had taken in the news that he was, in fact, a wealthy landowner from an aristocratic family. “He was more than glad to make his way to my estate. We traveled there together and he stayed with me for the first month. We had to deal with a lot of papers and to gain an understanding of our holdings and what was expected of us.” A small laugh pulled from his lips. “Although being a farmer and being a marquess both bring similar responsibilities in one way.”

  Lord Castleton lifted a brow. “Oh?”

  “When I was a farmer, I worked the land with the other men we hired each day to work for us,” Colin explained. “As a marquess, I am still to manage and oversee the land, I am just not supposed to ever become as involved as I would like.”

  Lord Castleton grinned. “You cannot put your hands in the soil,” he remarked as Colin nodded. “Although I am sure your knowledge of farming will be a great benefit to your estate.”

  “I am very blessed that it is already so profitable,” Colin replied truthfully. “My brother’s estate is also doing very well. Arthur writes that he has enjoyed taking on these new responsibilities, although he has the additional benefit of his wife now with him.”

  “Something that you are yet to find,” Lord Castleton chuckled as Colin smiled ruefully. “Have no fear, Lord Lindale, you will find many a gentleman in your position. Not all the ladies of London are as beautiful as they seem.” His smile faded as he held Colin’s gaze steadily for a moment. “There will be an increasing amount of interest in you. As the new Marquess of Lindale, and a marquess yet unmarried, the many young ladies of the ton will be eager to establish themselves as your wife.”

  Colin’s mouth dropped open and Lord Castleton chuckled loudly.

  “But they do not know me,” he spluttered as the butler came back into the room. “They only know my title and nothing more.”

  “That will be more than enough,” Lord Lindale replied, and Colin shook his head, raking one hand through his hair as his heart began to quicken all the more. “To know that you are titled, wealthy, and unattached will mean that the ladies of the beau monde will begin to press themselves into your acquaintance. Mothers will be eager to introduce their daughters. Widows will seek you out. It is important, therefore, that you treat all alike without making any preference—true or otherwise—obvious to anyone. Some you might establish a basic acquaintance with, whereas others you should only be introduced to but then greet as infrequently as you can.”

  Letting out a long breath, Colin gestured for his butler to leave them again, only to stop him and ask for their brandy glasses to be refreshed. After he had done so, the butler quit the room again, leaving Colin to stare down at the large stack of invitations that had been brought in on a silver tray. His head began to swim with heavy thoughts as he considered each one. He did not know whom to accept, and whom to write to with his regrets. And if he could not know such a thing as that, then how was he to be aware of which young ladies he ought to entertain in conversation and which he ought to turn from as soon as he could?

  “You need not look so worried,” he heard Lord Castleton say. He forced his gaze up from the letters and saw the gentleman grinning broadly, as though he found Colin’s confusion entertaining. “You will do very well indeed; I am sure of it.”

  “You will help me?” Colin croaked, and Lord Castleton nodded, his grin still fixed in place as he reached for the first of the invitations.

  “Gladly,” came the reply. “Now, let us look at these and decide what you are to attend next.” He gestured for Colin to pick one up also, his eyes then roving over the invitation he himself held. “This one you can send regrets to. Lord McKinley may be a Scottish baron but he is not to be considered good company for a marquess such as yourself.” His nose wrinkled. “He imbibes far too much and his soireés are always very poor indeed.” Setting the invitation aside, he gestured to the one Colin held. “And you?”

  “A Lady Forsythe,” Colin answered as Lord Castleton’s eyes lit up. “To an evening soireé?” His eyes flicked over the date. “Goodness, it is tonight!”

  “And not too late to reply and accept,” Lord Castleton replied swiftly. “I am to be in attendance also and therefore, I think it would be an excellent occasion for you.”

  Colin nodded, glad that Mr. Grey had already made certain that all of his new clothes had been purchased in advance of him arriving in London. “Very well,” he agreed, aware of a knot of tension that settled in his stomach. “I w
ill write to her immediately.”

  “Good,” Lord Castleton replied, looking quite satisfied. “And now to go through the rest.”

  Colin grimaced but reached for the next one anyway. Sighing, he resigned himself to an afternoon of going through his invitations and responding to them appropriately. He would not think about this evening for fear that it would make him all the more anxious. He was sure that, with Lord Castleton to help him, he would soon be able to make his way through society without too much difficulty.

  2

  “Will you please sit still, my lady!”

  Ellen twisted her lips as her maid tugged at her hair for another moment before deftly pushing in another pin. It had been a rather painful procedure to have her hair set in such a delicate style, but Ellen knew that she had to make the best of impressions this evening. Her father, of course, would not be attending.

  “I apologize if I spoke out of turn, my lady,” the maid murmured, pushing in the final pin and then stepping back to examine Ellen’s hair. “It is only that the master was quite specific about your appearance this evening.”

  “I am sure he was,” Ellen replied, a little tightly. “My father is very eager that I should appear quite at my ease this evening.” She grimaced and immediately, her reflection took on a most improper expression. No, that would not do. This evening, she could only nod and smile, regardless of what was said or what might be whispered about her.

  “There,” the maid replied, stepping a little further back still. “I believe you are quite ready, my lady.”

  Ellen looked at her reflection for a little longer, taking in the way her lady’s maid had made certain to show off her red curls to their very best advantage. There were a few brushing her temples, with the rest pulled back to the top of her head in gentle twists. The curls ran freely from where they had been captured, moving gently as Ellen turned her head this way and that. A few seed pearls had been placed here and there and Ellen was certain she saw a glimpse of green also.