Wishing For Rainbows (Historical Romance) (2 page)

He was the very epitome of everything she could ever want in a husband. As the third son of the local Lord, Trenton was gentry. He was now Viscount Atherbury, and had his own modest estate twenty miles away. Although he was now four and thirty, to Ursula, he would always be the handsome young man whose affable good humour was charm personified. Even though she had only spent short periods of time in his company, she knew, she just knew that if he got to know her he too would feel the attraction between them she found impossible to ignore.

“You are wishing for rainbows, Ursula. It’s time to get over him,” she whispered quietly as she turned away from the window.

“What’s that?” Edwina asked absently as she hurried to the dresser for another armful of clothing.

Ursula sighed and threw one last look at Hoghampton. She knew her pipe dreams had been nothing but girlish fantasies. The stark reality was that someone as debonair, wealthy, and handsome as Trenton, wouldn’t look twice at a mousy country miss like Ursula. Besides, she had heard he was engaged to a beautiful young woman called Barbarella somebody or other in London. According to the locals, the wedding was scheduled to take place at Christmas at Hoghampton.

“Maybe Adelaide’s is a good idea after all,” she mused thoughtfully as she studied the half-packed trunks. Christmas was only a few weeks away. With Adelaide’s support, she could hopefully remain in London until the New Year, and wouldn’t be around to have to watch Trenton marry someone else right on her own doorstep.

“Do you want to go?” Edwina asked cautiously.

Ursula looked at her and thought about that for a moment. Maybe it was a good idea to get away from the area for a while. If she didn’t have to see Hoghampton then she didn’t have to think about Trenton, or his forthcoming marriage. She could get on with her life and decide what she wanted to do with it.

One thing was for certain;
her
life would never include marriage.

“Would you like me to pack these, Miss Ursula?”  Edwina asked as she tucked a handful of undergarments into a trunk and held up two of Ursula’s newest shawls.

“Yes. Let’s pack all of it,” Ursula replied making a spur of the moment decision. She ignored Edwina’s surprised start and hurried over to the bedside table to fetch her reading book and sewing. “I am not sure what I will need while I am there, so I will take it all. That way, I won’t have to buy as much while I am there.”

She watched Edwina shrug and smiled to herself as she helped pack her belongings into the trunks. 

Two weeks later

Ursula struggled not to squirm in her seat. Her back ached from sitting in the hard and uncomfortable chairs for the last two hours and now, to cap it all, she had a headache. It was expected, she supposed, given the hideous cacophony Mildred Simpson was plodding out on the piano. If it wasn’t for the fact that Lady Moldover was one of Aunt Adelaide’s best friends, Ursula would have made her excuses and left by now.

When Aunt Adelaide’s head touched her shoulder again, Ursula coughed and nudged it back up. Her lips quirked when Adelaide blinked sleepily at her; then groaned when she realised where she was. Their eyes met and held for a moment. Ursula couldn’t withhold her smile when her aunt winced and swore in a rather unladylike fashion when the music increased in volume as it reached its climactic end.

An awkward silence settled over the room once the smattering of applause faded. Nobody moved or spoke, merely watched with a sense of inevitability as Mildred immediately flicked through the pages of the music book. Before anybody could move, she began to bash away at another piece of music.

“How much longer?” Adelaide whispered out of the corner of her mouth.

“It was your idea to come,” Ursula chided her without taking her eyes off Mildred. She winced when several wrong notes were played, but the young girl plodded on regardless.

“I must have a word with her mother about sending her for more lessons,” Adelaide grumbled as she studied the bored guests seated around them. She nodded to one or two of them and shared knowing looks with a couple more. “Any idea of how long we have been here?” she whispered.

“About three weeks, I think,” Ursula replied. “Any idea of how we can take our leave without having to climb out of the window, pretend to faint, or actually crawl out under the seats?”

Adelaide considered that for a moment then nodded firmly. “I have a perfect way,” Adelaide replied with an air of secretive confidence.

Ursula lifted her brows and watched Adelaide nod surreptitiously at a woman seated on the opposite side of the room. The idea of two octogenarians plotting the downfall of the young pianist made her want to laugh, and so Ursula sat back to see what her somewhat wayward aunt had in store. Unfortunately, while she waited for the music to finish, her mind began to wander.

Since her arrival in London she had been thrust into a heady whirl of social engagements that left her struggling to cope with the constant round of new names and faces, none of whom she had any hope of remembering. Although she had tried hard not to pay him any attention, she had learned relatively early on that Trenton Calderhill had returned home to Yorkshire, apparently to deal with pressing estate matters. Thankfully, he wasn’t expected back for some time, which assisted her on her quest to forget about him.

Secure in the knowledge that she wouldn’t stumble across him at any of the engagements, she had actively thrown herself into the heady social whirl of London. Unfortunately, those social engagements, most of which were just as boring as this one, would have tried the patience of Job. The only highlight of this evening was seeing how Adelaide was going to get them out of Lady Moldover’s music room without actually clubbing Mildred over the head.

“Get a hold of yourself,” she whispered to herself, aware that once again, her thoughts had turned toward Trenton, in spite of her best efforts to relegate him to the past where he belonged.

“Eh? What’s that?” Adelaide murmured.

“Nothing.”

Settling back in her seat, she waited to see how Adelaide would get them out of the recital before dawn. She didn’t have to wait long.

When the pianist finished the current piece with a flurry of hands, Adelaide and the lady across the aisle clapped but, rather than stopping, they continued to clap as they stood. In doing so they forced all the men in the room to stand as well. Sensing escape, people clapped louder for several moments and hurriedly made their way out of the room.

“I must have a drink before we go,” Adelaide murmured as they entered the room across the hallway that had been set aside for refreshments.

“I thought you were tired,” Ursula mused ruefully as she followed her.

“I feel quite refreshed now,” Aunt Adelaide declared with a rather pleased smile.

She should be refreshed seeing as she spent most of the recital fast asleep on my shoulder
, Ursula mused with a rueful shake of her head.

“It is getting late, Aunt Adelaide. We have an appointment with the modiste tomorrow. It is already well past midnight.”

“Nonsense. We have time for a Ratafia, don’t we dear?” Adelaide didn’t bother to wait to see if her niece agreed before she waved to a footman carrying a tray of drinks.

As she usually did whenever she accompanied her aunt to such social engagements; Ursula seated her aunt, handed her a drink, and then stood to one side while Adelaide chatted to her friends and acquaintances.

“Oh, there you are. I was wondering if you would come and see us,” Adelaide suddenly gushed, her wrinkled face wreathed in a delighted smile. “How is your father?”

“He is in good health thank you, Adelaide. You appear to be so too. You look delightful this evening.”

Ursula felt her stomach dip. As soon as he spoke, she knew who it was, and looked up with her heart in her eyes. Something deep within her jolted when she realised he was smiling directly at her. Not just smiling, but looking at her in a rather knowing way that gave her the impression he knew something she didn’t.

Don’t be a fool, Ursula. How could he?
She thought somewhat shakily. Mindful of the people watching, she dipped into a curtsey as Adelaide introduced them.

“I believe you know my niece, Ursula,” Adelaide declared in a voice that was laden with pride.

“I do,” Trenton murmured politely. “How are you this evening, Miss Proctor?”

“I am very well, thank you,” she replied.

“Did you enjoy the music?”

She coughed and fought the urge to roll her eyes. “It was an education,” she replied politely.

“Indeed, it was. If there is one thing I should aspire to achieve in my life from this moment forth it is to never hear such a hideous racket again,” he murmured in a tone that was soft and gentle, and far too intimate for her feminine sensibilities to cope with.

A shiver of awareness slithered down her spine. The intimate tone in his voice elicited a flurry of awareness deep in the pit of her stomach that she wasn’t sure how to deal with. His eyes met and held hers for several long moments as a somewhat uncomfortable silence settled between them. It took several rather embarrassing moments before she realised he was waiting for her to speak. When she did, she jumped guiltily and scrambled frantically to find something to say.

“I didn’t realise you were in London,” she said. It was the only thing she could think of.

Right now, she would much prefer him to be back in Yorkshire, where she didn’t have to be reminded of just how handsome he was.

The years had, if possible, made him even more charming than she could remember. His grey eyes still twinkled mischievously, but now there was an air of masculine sophistication about him that appealed to her. She knew she shouldn’t stare at him; it was the height of bad manners, but her eyes were drawn repeatedly to his broad shoulders, awkwardly aware that in comparison to most of the men present, he was tall and powerfully built. As far as she was concerned there was nobody else quite like him. If only she knew what to do about the shimmering awareness that swept through her, maybe she could get her mind to work properly whenever he was around.

“I concluded my business early and, given that London has more to offer than the wilds of the Yorkshire moors, I returned as quickly as I could. How do you like it here?”

He struggled to tear his gaze away from her, but she looked so stunning bathed in the gentle glow of the candle-light that his eyes just feasted. She was taller than he could remember. The top of her raven hair only touched his shoulder, but that only emphasised her feminine allure. There was a maturity about her now that when combined with delightfully rounded feminine curves, and that secretive smile, made her an intriguing bundle of femininity he wanted to unravel. As far as he was concerned, she was as close to perfection as anyone he had ever met and the quicker he could further his acquaintance with her, the better.

He glanced at Adelaide and mentally thanked the Lord that she was now deep in conversation with her friends, and had seemingly forgotten all about them. It allowed him a few precious moments to converse with the woman who had captured his youthful imagination a long time ago, and had refused to let go. Now, having seen her again, he realised that maturity had only added to her beauty, and emphasised the stunning features God had graced her with.

“It’s good to see you again,” he assured her huskily. “I was expecting you to be in Yorkshire. I called by your house to see your father a few days ago. He told me you were here and sends his regards. He said to ask you if you had progressed with your project yet. He is still waiting for your letter, and that you should choose wisely.”

He lifted his brows as he waited for her to explain. To his consternation, he watched the joy fade rapidly from her eyes. It wasn’t just the sudden evaporation of her happiness that bothered him. It was the incredible sadness that replaced it that unnerved him the most. He knew the truth about why she was in London, and had been horrified when her father had told him. However, he couldn’t fathom why such a prospect should make her so dejected. Did she not wish to marry?

“I hope I haven’t said anything to upset you,” he murmured quietly when she looked as if she was about to cry.

The thought of someone like Ursula being thrown to the wolves in London; quite literally, in search of a husband, had him racing after her as though hounds from Hell were nipping at his heels. He didn’t stop to think of the possible questions his sudden departure from Hoghampton might raise. Nothing had unnerved him more than the thought of Ursula being betrothed to some lecherous rogue whose interests were less than pure. Although he had only ever met her on a handful of occasions at local functions, she had long since captured his interest even though he had never been given the opportunity to get to know her better. Now though, things were different and he wasn’t going to waste a single moment in furthering his cause.

“I hope I haven’t just imparted bad news?” he prompted when she didn’t seem inclined to speak.

Ursula looked up at him and offered him a half-hearted smile. “No, not really,” she replied quietly. “I am sorry. I just remembered that I forgot to let him know I have arrived safety.”

Trenton knew she had just lied to him but was prepared to forget that as long as she would smile at him again. He studied her carefully while he tried to find something witty to say that would bring that happy sparkle back.