Love Lost in Time (Victorian Time-Travel) (12 page)

Her throat jumped as if she’d swallowed hard
, and she licked her lips. “I don’t know which man spoke,” she began, “because I didn’t see their faces until later, but I’ll tell you what I remember.”

He nodded.

“If I recall, the first man was talking about how unfair it was that some gentlemen came from wealthy families while others had to work for their money. That is when the name
Harrington
came into the conversation.”

She nibbled on her bottom lip again as her gaze moved toward the stream. He enjoyed the raspberry color on her lip and her deep expression as she concentrated on her words.

“The other man,” she continued, “said he’d heard the Duke of Harrington was hoarding some family secrets—mainly jewels—that dated back hundreds of years.” She met his eyes again. “That’s when the men started planning. They commented on how they knew some low-life miscreants for hire that would break into your family’s home and steal the jewels.”

Andrew scowled. “They actually said they were going to break into our home?”

“Well, if I remember correctly, the word they used was
attack
your home.”

“Do you remember any more?”

“When I heard one of them say they would kill anyone who got in their way, I knew it was time to leave—and fast.” She touched his arm. “All that was going through my mind was trying to find you and warn your family. I couldn’t think of anything else as I left the party, took my cousin’s buggy, and came here.”

Her words were most unsettling, yet the warmth from her touch soothed his frazzled nerves a little. All through his turbulent thoughts, a sense of peace calmed him…and heaven help him, he could stare into her lovely kind, green eyes forever. Even now he was drowning quickly but didn’t care.

“Would you be able to recognize these men if you saw them again?”

“I believe so, yes.”

“Splendid. Tonight my family has been invited to Lord and Lady Clarkston’s ball. I wasn’t planning on going, but I will ask them if you can come with us. Together, you and I will search for these men together.”

Her face brightened with excitement and she grinned. “I would love that, my lord.”

He glanced over her again, from the dress she wore that belonged to his sister—yet Georgi had never looked so pretty as Miss Chapman did—before meeting her gaze once more. “I’m certain Georgi can find you a gown to wear. I will inform her to have you ready by eight o’clock promptly.”

“Will
your sister come with us as well?”

“
No. She has not yet had her coming out. Why do you ask?”

“Because it would be nice to have another woman to talk to who is close to my age.”

“I’m certain she would have enjoyed that. Hopefully, my mother will make good company for you.”

“I
’m sure she will. I promise to be ready by eight o’clock.”

For some reason, he couldn’t remove his stare. What kind of enchanting power did she have over him? And why did he enjoy the way his heart
beat so fiercely and his breath came in ragged gasps?

“I suppose I should be getting back to the house,” he said, finally breaking the silence as he stood.

She quickly followed, keeping her eyes on him. “I think I should probably go in as well. I just couldn’t resist coming out to the stream and getting my feet wet. I’m glad I did. It was most refreshing.”

Chuckling, he pointed to the stream. “Yes, I saw you splashing yourself earlier.” His gaze dropped to her neck where she’d been splashing her bosom. Good heavens, the buttons were still undone! He really needed to leave now before temptation got the better of him
or he’d be jumping in the cold water just to cool off.

“Well, if you ever need me and can’t find me, I’ll be right here
by the stream.” Closing her eyes, she tilted her head back and basked in the breeze flowing through the trees. “Ahhh, this is wonderful and so peaceful.”

She looked so lovely…and so desirable. Andrew had the sudden urge to take her in his arms, drop his face to her neck and smother her with kisses.
What’s wrong with me?
He shook the indecent thought away and took a step away from her. Being too close to this woman was bad for his health.

“Um…yes, I agree.” He cleared this suddenly dry throat. “I’ll be off now. I shall see you tonight.”

Kind eyes met his again and she smiled sweetly. “Indeed you will. I’m looking forward to it.”

“As am I.” He bowed then quickly left. With every step back to the manor, he wondered what he’d done by asking her to go with hi
s family to the ball tonight. Being with her was
not
a good thing at all. Hopefully, he’d be able to keep things on the up and up, and not want to gaze at her with these strange dreams in his head, and he especially hoped he didn’t want to hold her or kiss her neck. Being that intimate with her was out of the question!

C
hapter Eleven

Eight o’clock couldn’t get here soon enough!

Halle had floated through the afternoon and into the evening as if on a dream cloud. Earlier today with Andrew had been wonderful. She hadn’t wanted it to end. Only a few t
imes had she felt uncomfortable, and it was when he’d asked her about the story she’d concocted in order to gain their trust. She hated to lie, especially to someone she cared about, but in this case, she knew it was necessary. Other than that, she couldn’t stop gazing into his eyes—and noticing he couldn’t stop looking into hers. His heated gaze had wandered over her a lot. Several times his expression relaxed and his eyes softened to a lighter blue. She liked that too much.

Halle had waited patiently…well, okay, maybe not so patiently, but she’d endured her visit with
the duchess and Georgiana. Actually, being with them wasn’t so bad, but when Lord Edward interrupted their socializing, Halle could have screamed. He watched her with wary eyes, and even a few times desire had coated his gaze. She couldn’t figure out what she did to make him this way, and as she’d squirmed in her chair, she prayed he’d leave quickly.

At long last,
Georgi went with Halle to her room to dress for ball. Georgi let Halle borrow a lovely powder blue gown with a wide scooped neck and puffy sleeves. The flounces cascading down the back of the gown were looped with a large white ribbon, making the creation look even more like the dress of a princess. Halle could have done without all the slips and hoops underneath, but then that would have caused a scandal, and the Duchess of Harrington certainly wouldn’t allow Halle to go into public that way.

She hated to admit, but it was rather nice to have a mother-figure looking out for her welfare and caring how she appeared in public. Halle certainly missed that
in her own parent.

Finished with her toilette, Halle stood back and stared at herself in the full-length mirror…and grinned like an idiot. A very happy and satisfied idiot! She softly patted her hair. The sides had been pulled away from her face with pearl-studded combs, and thick ringlets styled the mass of her hair as it hung down her neck and back. Dang, she wished she could look this pretty every day…and feel like a giddy schoolgirl with butterflies swirling in her tummy as her hands were moist with nervousness
. All because of a man.

From the other side of the room,
Georgi frowned as her gaze skimmed over Halle. “Why did I never look as lovely as you in that gown?”

Smiling, Halle moved to the younger girl and patted her arm. “I thank you for
the compliment, but I’m quite certain this gown is stunning on you as well. Believe it or not, all women believe the worst about themselves.”

Georgi
’s face beamed. “Indeed? I’m not the only one who thinks such thoughts?”

“I can assure you, you’re not.” Halle winked as she hooked her arm around
Georgi’s. “I suppose we should go downstairs to see if your parents approve.”

The younger woman nodded so fast her ringlets bounced. “How could they not? You are so lovely.”

She and Georgi left the room and took graceful steps down the grand stairs. The duke and duchess had just exited the sitting room. Both pair of eyes looked at Halle and their eyes twinkled as their smiles widened.

“Oh, Miss Chapman,”
the duchess said. “You are very lovely this evening.”

“Indeed you are.”
The Duke of Harrington nodded. “I’m quite certain many available men will be asking about you tonight.”

All Halle could do was grin, only because she couldn’t think of anything to say. Right now her mind was on seeing Andrew again and wondering if he would dance with her or want to be by her side tonight. She didn’t care one iota about all the available men. Just Andrew.

“I wish I could go,” Georgi pouted.

“In due time, my dear.”
The duchess patted her daughter’s cheeks lovingly.

The duke
clapped his hands. “Shall we be off now?”

Halle’s throat tightened.
Where is Andrew?
Wasn’t he supposed to escort her to the ball? This was a date wasn’t it?

She pushed the thought aside. Of course this wasn’t a date. First off, men didn’t
date,
they
courted,
and only if they were interested in marriage. In this case, all Andrew was interested in was going to the ball to help her search for those men she was supposed to have seen. Inwardly, she groaned. What a mess she’d made of her time in the nineteenth century already.

Stepping toward the front door, she followed behind the
duke and duchess but kept peeking over her shoulder toward the stairs, waiting for Andrew to show himself. The butler handed out fur-lined wraps and cloaks, which they all took a moment to cover themselves for the cool night air before walking outside. A coach waited for them as a footman stood next to the vehicle with his hand on the opened door. One by one, he helped the ladies in before assisting the duke.

Halle adjusted herself on the seat, not able to stop the frown from claiming her expression. Andrew
had
to come to the ball. He
must
be there…and with her!

The vehicle door closed and within seconds, the coach jerked into action. Back in her time, she had been in carriage rides and imagined being back in this era, but never once had she realized how jarring these old-style vehicles
actually were. How the women of this time could get from one destination to another without their backside being bruised, Halle didn’t know. And to think, the women were still required to dance tonight. Oh, the horror of it all!

Suddenly, the vehicle came to a halt, and had Halle nearly sliding off her seat. She braced her hand on the coach’s wall to keep upright. The others had curious expressions as well.

Through the brief silence came a man’s deep voice.
Andrew!

The Duke of
Harrington grasped the coach’s door handle, pushed open the door, and looked out. “Andrew, what is the meaning of this?”

Andrew sprinted up to the vehicle and stopped. “Father,” he said breathless, “why did you not wait for me?”

“You are coming to the ball?” his mother asked slowly as if she was trying to mentally grasp the concept.

“But of cour
se.” Andrew grinned as his gaze moved over her before moving to Halle. “I would be a fool not to take advantage of being with such enchanting company.”

The duchess chuckled.
“Oh, Andrew. You are such a charmer.”

He bowed slightly toward his
mother and tipped his hat.

“That’s fine,”
the duke said. “Climb inside.”

Halle’s heart flipped crazily against her ribs
as he got into the vehicle and sat beside her. Andrew looked so gall-darned handsome in the shadows, and she couldn’t wait to see him in the light. Her palms moistened with anticipation of being in his arms dancing to her heart’s content.

She relaxed back in the seat and smiled. Yet, she scolded her thoughts for being so giddy. She hadn’t traveled back in time to fall in love with Andrew. For heaven’s sake, she had a purpose in coming here at this time…to help save the family from being killed, and to find the people responsible before they could form a mob and attack. Of course, if she fell in love with Andrew—and he returned her feelings—that would only be an added bonus.

Her hopes dropped, knowing this would not be the time for love and romance. That only happened in the romance novels she read. In fact, she needed to think of herself as Sherlock Holmes searching for a criminal.

When it had become abnormally quiet in the vehicle, she lifted her gaze to the others in the coach.
All three of them stared at her as if they expected her to say something. Quickly, she scrambled to recall if she’d heard them ask her a question just now, since obviously she hadn’t been paying attention.

“Uh…forgive me, but did you say something?” she asked.

“Yes, dear.” The duchess nodded. “I was just wondering how you have enjoyed your stay thus far.”

Halle smiled.
Much better than expected.
“You have a lovely home, and such a kind family. I have thoroughly enjoyed being with all of you, and I thank you for your generous hospitality.”

“Tell me, Miss Chapman,”
the duchess continued, “have you sent a letter to your family to let them know you are here?”

Halle opened her mouth to reply, but Andrew’s father swiped his hand through the air as his expression hardened. “We
have sent the letter and we are waiting on a reply. Until we hear further, I would appreciate it if we did not speak on the subject.”

Quickly, Halle snapped her mouth closed for fear that the tiniest peep would spark his anger. During the remainder of the ride,
the Duchess of Harrington made small talk with Halle about the weather, the fashions, and what Halle had done in America. More times than not, the vehicle had her bumping into Andrew. He didn’t seem to mind, but it made her nervous. Then again, he was used to this form of transportation.

When they reached their destination, the coach stopped and
within seconds, the door was opened. Andrew hopped out first and assisted his mother down first, and then as Halle prepared to leave, Andrew reached out for her. She followed the strong fingers up the arm to the man’s wide chest, then up to his very handsome face.

Once again, her heart did a silly flip. She slipped her palm across his as she took his hand. Helping her from the vehicle, his gaze locked with hers. Halle became breathless staring into his smoldering eyes, and it was all she could to do keep from sighing with pleasure and falling into his arms.
You are not Cinderella,
she reminded herself. But his hypnotic blue eyes made her want to believe in Prince Charming and fairytale endings.

Once her feet were firmly on the ground, he released her hand and offered her his elbow.

“May I escort you inside?” he asked with a deep voice.

“Certainly.” She nodded, still spellbound from his
nearness.

It was hard not to continue staring into his eyes when they walked into the grand manor, but she forced herself to take in the lovely house and the expensive furniture and decorations.

After handing over their wraps and cloaks to the butler, she and Andrew entered the grand hallway behind the others, and soon their names were announced. Keeping a straight back, she lifted her chin slightly, trying to appear as regal as the rest of them—for being an American. She swept her gaze over the crowd and realized there were many glares being thrown at her from younger women. Halle refrained from laughing, knowing these women were jealous of the attention
she
was getting from the most handsome man in the room.

A few couples approached Andrew, and he politely introduced Halle to them. She nodded and pushed forth her right hand to shake
hands. Immediately, the wide-eyes from the others reminded her that shaking hands wasn’t a greeting England had adopted yet. She dropped her hand and quickly curtsied.

Andrew’s chest shook with a chuckle. “She
is from America.”

The
y smiled with a hint of humor twinkling in their eyes. Apparently, knowing she was an American suddenly made up for everything she did wrong.

After the other couples had left, Andrew stood beside her, glancing out across the ballroom. She had long since released his arm, but now she wished she still held onto it. Unfortunately, that was not proper. It also wasn’t proper to keep watching him, but no matter how hard she tried to look away, her attention returned to his handsome profile.

Finally—after a few awkward minutes—Andrew turned his head and met her waiting stare. A soft smile bracketed his mouth.

“Miss Chapman,” he began softly, “I believe you are here to search for two familiar faces, am I correct?”

“Uh…yes.”

“Then pray tell, why are you not doing that? I assure you that you’re not going to accomplish your goal if you’re looking at me all the time.”

Heat encompassed her face and she wanted to bury her head in a large hole. How silly of her to get lost in her daydreams. It was so hard having the memories they had made together in her time, but he doesn’t know any of them. It was hard to be half in love with him, but to have him think of her as a stranger.

“Forgive me,
my lord. It’s just that…that…”
Oh dear! What do I say now?

“That
what
, Miss Chapman?”

Well, she might as well fess up. “That I have not seen a more handsome man in my life.”

For the first time since knowing him, his face brightened with redness. Thankfully, she wasn’t the only one out of the two of them who could blush.

“Miss Chapman, you are
very forward with your compliments.” His voice was low once again as if he didn’t want others to overhear.

She shrugged. “As you’d mentioned before,
my lord, I am from America. Apparently, that is the excuse for all my mistakes.”