To Walk in the Sun (Wiggons' School for Elegant Young Ladies - Book 1) (30 page)

Mrs. Zobard entered the room, followed by two
other servants. All of them wheeled in carts loaded with cups, pots
and cakes. “Since everyone is still up, I thought some chocolate
would be a fitting end to the evening,” she announced.

The girls looked expectantly at Mrs.
Wiggons.

She smiled indulgently at them. “Just one cup
and one slice of cake, and then it is off to bed with all of
you.”

The girls rushed to the servants and waited
patiently for their treat. Tess settled back into her chair by the
fire. They were all so innocent. They had no idea the danger
surrounding them. She remembered being that way, when she, Claudia
and Natalie had attended the school. So young and with so many
dreams. They were all going to marry tall, handsome men. They would
have estates of their own, visit each other regularly and raise
their children together. Of course, if they had daughters, which
they were certain they would, the daughters would attend the same
school as they, and become the best of friends.

None of those dreams had come to fruition and
each of the former students were forced, beyond circumstances out
of their control, to return to the place they first met. While
their dreams faded, their friendship had grown stronger and Tess
could not be unhappy about that aspect of her life. Still, she
hoped the young girls before her did attain their dreams.

“Is something on your mind, Miss
Crawford?”

Atwood’s voice intruded on her thoughts and
Tess turned to find Vincent studying her. “I was simply
woolgathering, that is all.” She didn’t dare admit her true
thoughts.

“You seemed far away.” His voice was low so
that no one else could hear him.

Tess did not have the energy to try and make
something up. Besides, Atwood already knew the worst of her sins.
“I was simply remembering when Claudia, Natalie and I were that
age.”

A smile pulled at his lips. “For some reason
I imagine you three were no different than those three.” He pointed
to Eliza, Rosemary and Sophia.

“Mrs. Wiggons has said the same,” Tess
chuckled. “Though I do believe she is exaggerating.”

“Remind me to ask her what mischief the three
of you caused and I will make that determination myself.”

Tess looked up into his warm, dark eyes. It
would be so easy to fall in love with the man beside her.
Especially on an evening such as this, when he was pleasant and
kind, even if he teased her. How could anyone in this town think
the man before her was a monster?

Two older girls sat not far away, and were
talking about their future debut in society next spring. Each
described the perfect man, a title they wished to hold, but how
they were determined to hold out for love.

Tess knew Atwood could hear them as well, but
he was polite not to look in their direction. If they knew he could
hear, she could just imagine the mortification they would feel. A
smile pulled at her lips.

“Did you and your friends have similar
discussions,” Vincent asked quietly.

“Yes. It all seems so silly now.”

“Why?” The smile fell from his lips as if
saddened.

“One does not know the future.”

“But one can dream,” he insisted. “Did you
dream of a perfect season, perfect husband?”

Tess grew uncomfortable under his censure.
“That was long ago, but yes, I did.”

“It is not too late.” His dark pools bore
into hers.

“I am far past the age to be presented to
society, or have a season,” Tess argued.

“If you insist,” Vincent chuckled. “However,
a husband, home, companionship and title are still within
reach.”

Tess turned away. Was he still offering to
marry her? They barely knew one another. Besides, he never
mentioned love.

“Girls,” Mrs. Wiggons announced and clapped
her hands. “Now that you are finished, you must turn in.” Tess
sighed with relief and stood, glad to end this particular
conversation with Vincent.

A few of the girls groaned and stood. It had
been a very pleasant evening and a nice change. But the hour did
grow late and there were still classes tomorrow.

Eliza made a great show of stretching and
announcing to the entire room how tired she was. Rosemary followed
suit. Those two were up to something, especially since Sophia
looked sheepish and kept her head lowered. She would have to keep
an eye on them until they were asleep.

“Stay, Tess,” Claudia insisted as she bore
down on her carrying two cups. “Neither you or Lord Atwood have
drunk any chocolate. We will see that the girls are settled.”

Tess looked at her friend. There was a
mischievous gleam in her eye.

“Yes, stay and join me, Miss Crawford,”
Vincent insisted. He took the offered cup.

“Very well,” she said at last and took the
other chocolate.

“Good night, and sleep well,” Claudia called
over her over shoulder as she ushered the remaining girls out the
room. She and Lord Atwood were now virtually alone. Why was she
uncomfortable? It wasn’t as if she hadn’t shared an evening alone
with him before.

* * *

Vincent gestured toward the abandoned couch
in front of the fire. He would have to thank Miss Morris at a later
date for suggesting Tess remain. He had seen the way Miss Morris
looked at them and wondered if she weren’t playing matchmaker. He
hoped that was the case because it wouldn’t hurt to have one of
Miss Crawford’s best friends on his side.

Ever since he first proposed, the desire to
make Tess his wife had grown stronger by the moment. She was
correct, however, it made no sense. They barely knew one another.
But, each moment he spent alone with her, such as now, allowed them
to learn more.

Tess sat on the couch beside him, but as far
away as she could without sitting on the arm. Her back rigid, eyes
on the fire before her and she held the cup of chocolate in her
hands.

“Relax, I am not going to bite.”

She gave him an impatient look. “That is
hardly funny considering what everyone thinks of you.” She brought
the cup to her lips and Vincent watched, wishing he were the
rim.

“Don’t look at me in that manner.”

He brought his eyes back to hers and grinned.
“What manner?”

“As if . . . well. . .” Her face grew
hot.

“As if I wish to devour you?” His smile
grew.

She turned away. “Yes, I suppose that is what
I meant.” Her hands shook as she placed the cup back in the
saucer.

“But what if I do? Any vampire in his right
mind would.”

“Oh, do stop,” she admonished and looked at
him again. “I will not carry on in such an immoral manner with
you.”

“Ah, but if we were married, it would be
perfectly moral, normal and expected.” He brought his face close to
hers, intending to place his lips against hers.

Tess reared back and stood. “Lord Atwood, you
must cease making such ill-advised proposals.” She picked her cup
up off the table and drained the contents.

Vincent stood and took the empty cup from her
hand. “I don’t consider it ill-advised, but rather well thought
out.”

She looked up at him with her large grey,
charcoal-lashed eyes. Vincent snaked an arm around her waist and
brought her flush against his body as his lips lowered. After a
fraction of a moment she melted into him and sighed. Her fingers
laced through his hair and she participated in the kiss as much as
he. It took all his control not to scoop her up in his arms and
carry Tess to his chamber. If he seduced her, she would have to
marry him. But he didn’t want to enter into the union on such
negative terms. No, he would woo her until she capitulated. Then,
he would seduce her.

Tess pushed against his chest and took a step
back. “You must
never
do that again.”

He adored the lovely pink hue to her face and
her plump, kiss-swollen lips. As he refused to agree to her demand,
he simply smiled.

“You are impossible. I shall not allow myself
to be alone with you again.” Tess turned and strode from the
room.

Vincent chuckled and reached down for his cup
of chocolate. He wondered if she would insist on a chaperone next
time she attended her secretarial duties.

* * *

“Less than an hour,” Eliza announced.

Sophia looked at her two friends. They were
dressed in their warmest clothes, but had also doused themselves in
flour, as had she.

“We look just like ghosts. You are so
ingenious, Eliza,” Rosemary gushed.

“We look like fools and how are we ever going
to get this flour out of our hair without making a sticky mess in
the tub?”

“Now, all we have to do is wait.” Eliza
ignored the question and grinned.

The fear of offending her beyond forgiveness
and his anxiety to appease

he soon dried up his tears; and he again
abandoned himself

to his fatal passion, until approaching
destruction at length

awakened him from delusion.

Wake Not the Dead

Johann Ludwig Tieck

Chapter 25

Tess groaned and sat up in bed. She forgot to
check on the girls. She pulled on her robe and stuck her head out
the door. Vincent approached from the stairs.

“I need to make sure the girls have retired.”
She tightened the tie on her robe.

Vincent glanced down the hall in the opposite
direction. “I am sure they are sound asleep by now.” He yawned. “I
plan on doing the same. Get some rest, Tess. Tomorrow is a new day
and we have to be prepared for Percer.”

Tess looked past him and bit her lower lip.
There was no sound coming from that direction. She brought a hand
up to cover her own yawn. Vincent was right. They would be fine
tonight and she was very tired. “Good night, then.”

He stopped before her and Tess looked up. He
bent and placed a chaste peck on her lips. “Sleep well and have
pleasant dreams.” He turned and walked to his own door.

Everything about that man confused her. Tess
closed the door and returned to her own bed.

* * *

“Miss Crawford, wake up, please.”

Pounding and the panicked voice of Rosemary
brought Tess from her sleep. She jumped from the bed and ran to the
door. She gasped at the sight of Rosemary and Eliza partially
covered in flour.

“What is wrong with you two?” she demanded,
hands on her hips.

“She took her and we have to get her back
before it is too late,” Rosemary cried.

“Who took who?” Vincent demanded as he strode
from his room. Tess snatched the girls into her chamber and Vincent
followed. It would do no good to have the entire household in a
panic for nothing. Or at least what she hoped was nothing.

“Honest, I thought it was a dream, I truly
did.”

“What? Slow down and explain everything.”
Tess hoped her voice sounded calm so the girls would follow suit.
Behind them Vincent leaned against the door, his arms folded across
his chest. Oh dear, he wore that robe again, the one that revealed
far too much of his chest. She returned her focus to the students
and tried to put his image from her mind. They had not looked in
his direction and she doubted they knew Vincent followed them into
the room.

Eliza took a deep breath. “Last night was All
Hallows Eve.”

“Yes,” Tess responded and wondered what that
had to do with anything.

Rosemary stepped forward and explained their
plan. Tess glanced up at Vincent and prayed he wasn’t angry,
insulted or hurt by what the girls had just told her. His head was
down and his shoulders shook. Thank goodness he found humor in
their antics.

“We fell asleep before midnight, so we were
not successful,” Rosemary finished in a defeated tone.

“That still does not explain to me what is
wrong now,” Tess reminded them.

“When we were asleep, Lady Atwood took
Sophia,” Eliza announced with irritation, as if she thought Tess
should have understood already.

“That is impossible, girls,” Tess insisted.
“Perhaps Sophia is with her father.”

“No, you don’t understand,” Rosemary cried.
“We saw Lady Atwood come into the room and carry Sophia out.”

“What?” Vincent stiffened and marched toward
the girls. They turned and looked at him. Tess moved around to put
herself between the girls and Atwood. They were scared enough
already without having to face his anger. Gone were any signs of
his earlier humor.

“I thought it was a dream. I woke and saw her
come in. I tried to talk, but couldn’t make my mouth move,”
Rosemary insisted.

“The same thing happened to me. She was there
one moment and gone the next. But I couldn’t make my body do
anything. The next thing I knew it was morning and Sophia was
gone.”

Tess looked up to meet Vincent’s eyes. “It
wasn’t Lady Atwood,” Tess insisted once again.

“But it was,” Eliza argued. “She wore a long
white gown and blond hair flowed down her back.”

Vincent turned and stomped from the room.
Tess could hear him pounding on the door where Lord Hopkins
slept.

Tess followed, as did the girls.

“How can I help you, Atwood?” the man asked.
He too had been asleep.

“Is your daughter with you?” he barked.

Hopkins took a step back. “No,” he answered
after a moment.

Vincent turned and marched down the hall to
the girl’s room. Hopkins hurried after him, hastily tying his robe.
Tess trailed them, with Eliza and Rosemary not far behind.

He stood in the center of the room, a hand
over his eyes to block the bright glare from the sun. Pain was
evident on his face, if his grimace and narrowed eyes were any
indication. Tess moved forward and closed the drapers.

“Thank you,” he muttered, but did not look at
her. He searched the room and came to a stop by the small desk in
the corner. “Who knew of your plans last night?” he asked the
girls.