The Marquess Move Read online

  Only moments later, before he had a chance to react, let alone make the kiss good, she pushed away from him, gathered up her skirts and continued her flight up the stairs. “Good-bye, Mr. Whitland,” she called, waving a gloved arm at him as if he were a sailor about to ship off. “It was nice to meet you. I do hope you have a lovely life.”

  Chapter Seven

  Maddie rushed up to the tiny bedchamber she shared with Anna and scurried inside, shutting the door firmly behind her. Her breath came in harsh pants while her heart raced so quickly it hurt. She closed her eyes and recited a brief prayer. She hadn’t been seen, thank heavens. A miracle. It had been madness, dashing through the house and rushing up the staircase, only to be stopped by the man she had been trying to find.

  All these months, she’d been unable to forget her dance with Mr. Whitland. The dance had been magical. But it was also fanciful to keep thinking about it. She’d tried to put the entire episode behind her. But late at night, as she fell to sleep on her small cot, she closed her eyes and dreamed of waltzing with him, his strong arms locked around her, his dark eyes shining down on her, the quirk of a smile on his firmly molded lips. The smell of sandalwood and the hint of music in the air. She’d sigh and fall into a sated slumber.

  But each morning she’d wake to the reality that she would never save enough money to bring her sister to town. The bit of money Maddie made was paid monthly and while she’d saved nearly every shilling, it would take her more than a lifetime to buy Molly gowns, let alone all the other things she would need to make her debut. She’d asked Lady Henrietta if she might take some of her old, discarded things, but the lady had refused, insisting the rubbish heap was a better place for the clothing than giving them to Maddie. It had physically hurt not to take the precious garments, but Maddie was no thief. She may have borrowed Lady Henrietta’s clothing, shoes, and earbobs tonight, but she had every intention of giving them back in the same condition.

  Maddie still cringed when she thought of the circumstances that had brought her and Molly to this fate. She’d been reckless. That had always been her problem. She followed her heart when she should have followed good sense. But she had spent the last year doing her best to concentrate on being an excellent maid to Lady Henrietta. Maddie had stopped doing whimsical things like trying to dance at parties. Over and over these last months, she’d reminded herself how selfish she’d been putting her sister’s future at risk for a silly dance. But as the Twelfth Night Ball approached again this year, she thought about him more and more. She couldn’t stop herself from wondering if he would return.

  She also had made the mistake of mentioning the subject to Anna one too many times. Anna was adamant that she should dress up again—just once more—and go back to the drawing room to see if he came to find her.

  “It will be so romantic,” Anna had insisted, clasping her hands together near her ear. “Just imagine. What if he’s been thinking about you all year too?”

  Of course, Maddie had scoffed at such a notion. She’d never take such a risk again. Why in the world would a gentleman as handsome as Mr. Whitland give their inconsequential dance a second thought? She was certain he had not. But as the night of the ball drew near, she’d been unable to stop thinking about it. What if? Those two words haunted her day and night. What if he was there? What if he did come looking for her? What if they danced again? Would it really be so horrible to check? She could be down and back in minutes, and if he wasn’t there, well, then he’d never know she’d come looking for him, would he?

  She’d made the final decision just this morning. She would do it. Just once more. She’d go into Lady Henrietta’s rooms, pick out a gown, some slippers, and even a bit of jewelry this time, and go to the drawing room. Nowhere else. Not the ballroom. She’d never risk attracting that kind of attention again. It would be much less risky than what she’d done last year, showing her face in the ballroom, and nearly being seen by Lord Hazelton.

  She’d done it. She’d picked out the lovely pink gown, one that Lady Henrietta detested, but Maddie thought was gorgeous. She’d slipped on a pair of too-large satin slippers, and she’d borrowed a pair of diamond earbobs that were no doubt worth a small fortune. One last night of pretend and she would be satisfied forever.

  Only, it hadn’t gone at all the way she’d planned. When she’d reached the drawing room, she’d peered in from the corridor, at first delighted to see her Mr. Whitland, only to realize he wasn’t alone. He was surrounded by three beautiful young women. Of course, he was surrounded by beautiful young women.

  Maddie’s heart had sunk. She’d realized her mistake immediately and rushed away, only to be utterly shocked when Mr. Whitland himself followed her. And when he'd admitted that he had thought of her all year, she had been overcome with emotion. Enough to kiss him of all reckless things!

  Maddie’s throat closed as she stared off into the darkness outside the small window between the beds. A memory came floating back to her. A memory of a night when she’d made the most reckless decision of her life.

  The day Mr. Leopold Herbert came to town had been the worst day of Maddie’s life. It was funny, actually, how the worst day of one’s life could resemble so many of the days before it, without a hint that one’s entire world was about to change forever.

  As they had every morning since Papa had passed away, Maddie and Molly had awoken, dressed in their shabby yet serviceable dresses, and gone about making the best of their circumstances.

  Apparently, Papa hadn’t made arrangements regarding where the sisters should live. He’d been counting on the fact that his cousin Harry would come and take care of both Maddie and Molly.

  Only, a letter written to Cousin Harry’s address had been returned with some awful news. Seemed Cousin Harry had died a few months earlier in a carriage accident. Word had never got to Papa apparently, or if it had, he’d already been too far gone with consumption to do anything about it. A distant cousin named Leopold Herbert would inherit all Papa had, including the estate and the title of Baron Atwood. Mr. Herbert would be coming from Carlisle in Cumbria, where he’d worked as a farmer for the last thirty years.

  Maddie and Molly had never heard of Cousin Leopold. Papa had certainly never spoken of him. They had waited patiently for months before the man graced them with his presence. He barged into the house that afternoon, slamming the door open so forcefully it cracked the plaster on the wall behind it.

  Maddie had been startled from her work in the basement where she was washing the laundry for their tiny household. There had been no money since Papa’s death because it had all been entailed to Cousin Leopold.

  Maddie had gone rushing up the stairs into the foyer to see what was the matter, only to find a large, dirty man striding about the rooms of her beloved home as if he owned the place. It wasn’t long before Maddie realized he did own the place.

  “Who are you?” she’d asked, raising her chin and eyeing him with distaste.

  “I am the owner of this household. Who are ye?” he had replied in a smug tone. He was girthy and brash and wore clothing that looked as if it had not been washed in weeks, which contributed greatly to the smell that was following him from room to room. He looked to be at least fifty years of age.

  “No, you’re not,” Maddie snapped back. “My father is…” But she’d stopped short, her breath catching in her throat. Oh, no. No. No. No. No. No. This couldn’t be. Was this? Could this be…Cousin Leopold?

  “What is your name, sir?” she asked instead of completing her sentence, while horror and denial filled her mind.

  “What is yer name, washer woman?” Leopold had replied. “I don’t owe ye mine.”

  Maddie had sucked in her breath. Washer woman, indeed.

  She lifted her chin and proudly announced. “My name is Madeline Mary Eloise Atwood.”

  Leopold’s bushy brows had shot straight up and a smile spread across his grimy face, revealing rotting teeth. “Are ye now?”

  She’d lifted her chin even higher, not liking how his eyes wandered over her. “Yes,” she managed to choke out.

  “Where’s yer sister?” he asked next, and it took everything in Maddie to keep from refusing to tell him.

  “Molly is upstairs.”

  “But yer the eldest, ye said?” he continued, rubbing his chin and narrowing his eyes on her.

  “Yes. I’m eighteen years old.”

  “That’ll do.”

  Maddie fought her shudder. “What do you mean, ‘that’ll do’?”

  He scratched his dirty head. “I mean, ye’re the one o’ age…so yer the one I plan ta marry.”

  Maddie had been forced to cup her hand over her mouth to keep from retching. “Marry?”

  “Yes, indeed. Yer lucky I ain’t been married afore.”

  Lucky? She fought her revulsion.

  “I don’t even know you,” she said, casting about for a better argument but finding none that wouldn’t be outright insulting to the odious man.

  “We’re ta marry in the mornin’ and that’s me last word on the subject,” Cousin Leopold insisted.

  In addition to his being rude and slovenly, Madeline did not take kindly to his orders. There was no way she would marry this man. “I shall not marry you,” Madeline had countered, raising her chin, and hoping the fear making her entire body shake wasn’t apparent in her voice.

  “Ye ain’t got no choice,” Cousin Leopold replied. “Wit yer pa dead, ye and yer sister are my wards. If ye refuse to marry me, ye can both find somewhere else ta live. I’m offering ye the chance ta keep yer family name and house, ya daft girl. Ye should be on yer knees thanking me.”

  “I thank you for nothing,” Madeline had snapped, her chin wavering. “And if the choice is marrying you or leaving, we shall leave immediately.”

  She’d turned on her heel and made her way up to her bedchamber in her childhood home before her knees buckled and she slid to the floor near the wall. Molly had come rushing in to hug her. Her sister’s slight thirteen-year-old body shaking with tears. “I heard,” Molly said. “Do you truly think it’s best if we leave?”

  “I won’t marry him,” Madeline had insisted. “Go, pack your bag.”

  Tears streaming down her face, Molly had complied and within the hour, they were both wearing last year’s cloaks and standing near the front door. Madeline turned to take one final look at the only home she’d ever known, realizing with an aching throat that she might never see it again.

  “Let’s go,” she’d said to Molly, taking her hand and doing her best to seem brave and confident while her knees were knocking together beneath her skirts.

  They’d slept in the barn that night, snuggled together in the hay. But the anger that had filled her chest the moment Cousin Leopold had ordered her to marry him kept Maddie warm. She would do anything for her sister, anything but marry a man she didn’t love.

  The next day, the sisters had gone to their former housekeeper in the nearby village. Mrs. Halifax took them in out of love, but Madeline knew the poor woman and her elderly husband needed money. “I’ll go to London and find work,” Madeline had promised. “I’ll send every farthing back here.”

  The next day, she’d left for London using money Mrs. Halifax had loaned her to purchase a ticket into town on the mail coach. Molly had tried not to cry but had to wipe away tears as she said good-bye.

  “Don’t worry, Molly. I’ll be back for you. I’ll be back and when it’s time you’ll have the future you deserve.”

  Molly had solemnly nodded and done her best to wipe away her tears with the handkerchief Maddie had given her.

  “Be brave,” she’d told her sister. “Listen to Mrs. Halifax and help her around the house. I’ll write you every sennight, I promise.”

  It had nearly broken Maddie to leave her sister, her bright blue eyes red from crying as she’d trudged away in the snow toward the mail coach.

  And just last month, Maddie had received the letter she’d been dreading all these years. “Your cousin Leopold has offered for Molly,” Mrs. Halifax wrote. “It would be a fine step up in the world for the girl to become a baroness.”

  The worst part was…Mrs. Halifax was right. Maddie had left four years ago, thinking she would make her fortune in London. And now, here she was, barely able to scrape by and making careless mistakes. Perhaps she should have married Cousin Leopold all those years ago. At least she’d be the one saddled with him now and not her poor dear Molly. It made Maddie’s stomach churn to think of it. If she’d only sacrificed herself when she’d had the chance, Molly would be safe now and able to pick a husband of her choosing. Molly wasn’t like Maddie. Molly craved stability and was easily frightened. She would marry him, Maddie knew, unless she found a way to get her sister out of there. But there was little chance she would ever be able to afford to give her sister everything she deserved.

  Maddie shuddered again as she glanced around the small, bare room she shared with Anna. She’d failed her sister. Her wages weren’t enough to buy a Season’s worth of fine clothing. She could barely pay for Molly’s room and board at Mrs. Halifax’s house.

  Maddie clenched her jaw. Her own selfishness and recklessness had caused all of this. And she’d been selfish and reckless again tonight, risking her position in the Hazeltons’ house by sneaking downstairs one more time.

  She was struggling to reach the buttons on the back of the pilfered gown when Anna came rushing into the room.

  “I stopped by the drawing room,” Anna said, a clearly disappointed look on her face. “It was empty.”

  “No. He was there,” Maddie hastened to tell her. She turned again and motioned for Anna to help her remove the borrowed gown.

  “He was there?” Anna nearly squealed as she quickly unfastened the buttons and helped Maddie step out of the pink gown.

  As she pulled on her simple black maid’s gown that she’d left lying on her bed, Maddie recounted precisely what had happened on the staircase.

  “You kissed him?” Anna’s dark-brown eyes widened to round orbs.

  “Yes.” Maddie nodded happily, unable to squelch her smile at her own boldness. She had plenty to regret, but she’d never regret that moment.

  Anna sighed dreamily and laced her fingers together. “Oh, what was it like?”

  “It was…lovely,” Maddie said wistfully. “And now both of my dreams have come true. First, I danced with a handsome gentleman at a ball and then I kissed him. Now, I’m never taking a chance like that again. As soon as I give back this gown, these slippers, and these earbobs—” She gasped.

  She’d been reaching for the earbobs as she spoke. The left one was missing. Maddie’s heart plummeted to her feet and nausea roiled in her middle.

  “Anna, quickly! We must find the other earbob or I’m certain to be sacked!”

  Chapter Eight

  Justin remained standing on the staircase, blinking. He’d done a thing most unlike himself. He’d chased a lady up a staircase. Why? Why had he followed her? He’d obviously gone mad. He wasn’t one to brag, but usually women chased him. He’d never had to follow one down a back corridor and up a servants’ staircase while asking her to stop before, that was for certain.

  He scrubbed a hand through his hair and cursed under his breath. The other events that had just unfolded were equally nonsensical. He’d asked Madeline for her surname. She’d refused to tell him. Again. Then she’d kissed him. Fully. On the lips. And while the kiss hadn’t been lengthy, and she hadn’t even employed her tongue, he’d felt it to his toes. Which was also rare. It had been years since he’d been affected by a mere kiss. These days, kisses for him were merely a necessary stop on the road to lovemaking, not something that sent a jolt directly to his groin, but here he was, uncomfortably shifting in his breeches, trying to figure out why an innocent peck from a debutante had made his entire body rock-hard.

  He scrunched his eyes shut, then opened them again, shaking his head. He glanced up the stairs, wondering for the second time in two years if the entire encounter with her had merely been a figment of his imagination.

  It was madness. That was all. She’d said, I do hope you have a lovely life. That clearly indicated she never intended to see him again. The kiss notwithstanding.

  The entire thing was simply…confusing. In all his years, he had never had any such encounter with a young lady. Madeline didn’t want him to know her surname. She’d made that abundantly clear. It would drive him to distraction, not knowing. But how would he ever learn it?

  He turned around in a tight, frustrated circle, half wondering if he shouldn’t continue to chase her up the stairs and demand her name. Though he had every reason to believe she wouldn’t give it to him. And he would be an ass to continue to follow a woman who had clearly said good-bye.

  Blowing out a breath, he glanced down. A sparkle caught his eye. He leaned closer. A diamond earbob lay on the edge of the stair just above where he stood. He leaned down to further inspect it. It was one of the diamonds Madeline had been wearing. He was certain of it. It had obviously dropped from her ear during her flight. He leaned over and picked it up.

  A smile spread across his lips. Well, now he had to find out who she was. Didn’t he? Even if he never used the information to contact her, he would have to return this valuable piece of jewelry. A gentleman could not do otherwise. But how would he find her? He couldn’t very well go upstairs and search every room.

  He had to think. What did he know about her? Her name was Madeline. She was a guest. And she’d…gone upstairs. That must mean she was staying here. And given her age, no doubt Lady Henrietta knew precisely who she was. That was it. He’d begin by asking Henrietta Hazelton.

  Chapter Nine

  Justin tucked the earbob in his coat pocket and made his way back into the ballroom. He didn’t have to search long for Lady Henrietta. She had a loud laugh and wore extremely long feathers atop her head. She stood out like a partridge.