Chapter Six

 

Annabel thought of Lord Lockwood’s story of his mother and her close friend of forty years as she walked beside Caroline Thrup. It had been two days since Lord Lockwood had called on Annabel, and Caroline had invited Annabel to spend the day with her and returned to Scarlett Hall the following morning.

They had taken a carriage into Rumsbury, and Annabel pretended to listen as they walked down the busy footpath. She could not imagine she and Caroline being friends for so many years. It was not that Annabel disliked her, but Caroline had a propensity for carrying on with stories, just as she did now, and they were nowhere near as exciting as those Juliet told.

“Father had several friends stay at our home,” Caroline was saying about the party. “I caught his friend, Lord Melshim, watching me several times that night.”

Annabel stopped and stared at the woman, the white skirts of her dress swaying around her. “You are not telling me a tale, are you?”

Caroline gave her an indignant look and pulled at the top of one of her white gloves. “I am doing no such thing. The man was drunk, but not only did he make clear his wishes, he whispered them to me directly.” She leaned forward and added, “He let it be known that his wife is away at her mother’s for two months and that he has money to spend on fine gifts for a woman willing to accept them.”

Annabel clicked her tongue. “The man is married and a baron. Surely he did not say such a thing!”

Caroline went to respond but then gasped. “Look!”

Annabel had not realized where they had stopped. “The cobbler’s,” she whispered, peering through the now dark window of the shop. No one had taken over after what had happened, many whispering that it was now cursed.

“To think that the man touched my leg as he did,” Caroline said with a sniff. “And then what he did to Juliet. I am glad he is now in prison.”

“As am I,” Annabel replied, remembering the times she and Juliet came to visit the man. It seemed many years ago, and yet it had only been a few months. Robert Mullens, the cobbler, had sent Juliet on an errand, and while her cousin was gone, the man had threatened Annabel in order to steal a kiss from her. When Juliet learned of this terrible deed, she had seen that the rogue got what he deserved.

However, the cost had been too great, for Juliet was forced to leave Scarlett Hall. At least she was happy in her marriage to Daniel. It was strange imagining Juliet, who had spent countless hours obsessed with her aristocratic lineage to now be married to a stable boy.

Caroline touched her arm, and Annabel nearly jumped out of her skin. “Are you all right? I did not mean to upset you by mentioning this place.”

“No, I am fine.” Although the woman was a gossip and a teller of tales, Annabel could not stop the sense of guilt from washing over her. Caroline had warned them of the cobbler, and they had dismissed her story outright. “When you told Juliet and me about what the man did to you, I must admit I did not believe you. I realize now you were telling the truth, and I ask that you forgive me.”

Caroline gave her a sad look. “When I called you plain, I did so because I was jealous of you. My words were cruel, and I do not ever wish to hurt you again. You have always been a good friend, and I know I have not reciprocated that friendship very well.”

Annabel stared at the woman in shock, but when Caroline threw her arms around her, Annabel could not help but wonder if the Apocalypse was upon them.

Juliet will never believe this! Despite her shock, she whispered, “I feel as if we have just become better friends.”

“I was thinking the same,” Caroline said. “I will trust you with my secrets, and you may trust me with yours.”

Annabel nodded, but she knew there were some secrets that even those closest to her could never know. “I would like that. Shall we go to the millinery? I would like to be away from this place.”

Caroline nodded. “Yes, I do not like it here, either. Nor do I wish to lay eyes upon it again.”

“Neither do I,” Annabel admitted, although she knew they would pass by it many more times before someone else took over the shop. “It is a place of the past, and I have made the decision to look only to the future.”

***

They spent nearly an hour in the millinery looking through various catalogs until they each found a new hat without which they could not live. They would be delivered to their homes the following week, and Annabel could not wait to wear it. She had chosen one that would match her blue pelisse coat quite well, and she had the perfect ribbons to add to it to match her gloves.

As they left the shop, Annabel smiled as the rays of the sun warmed her.

“Annabel, look!” Caroline said in a hurried whisper. “It is the marquess. I cannot believe how handsome he is; far more handsome than Reuben could ever hope to be.”

Annabel nodded as she watched the man walk down the footpath on the opposite side of the street. He once again wore his red sash over his coat, but he did not seem to notice that everyone else was watching him. Then, much to her joy, the man turned and smiled when he saw her.

As he crossed the street, Annabel asked, “Caroline! My dress, my hair? How do I look?”

Caroline nodded. “You look fine.”

The marquess walked up to them and bowed. “Miss Lambert, Miss Thrup, a pleasant day made brighter when I laid eyes upon you both.”

Caroline giggled, and Annabel felt even her ears burn.

“It is a wonderful day, Lord…or rather Don…my apologies. How do I address you?” Annabel was surprised her voice did not break.

“You may address me as Don Ricardo,” the marquess said. “It is much easier than Don Sánchez Ramírez.”

Annabel smiled. “Yes, I suppose it is. Are you in town on business?”

“I am.”

An older couple walked past them, and the woman turned to glance back at the marquess before her husband clicked his tongue and hurried her away.

The marquess did not seem to notice. “Are you familiar with The House of Mercy Charitable Home?”

“I am,” Caroline replied in a high-pitched voice, clearly more nervous than even Annabel. “Mother makes a contribution every year. It is a home for orphaned children I believe.”

Don Ricardo smiled. “That is correct, Miss Thrup. Every year, I donate five percent of my business earnings to charity. When I learned of the place, I decided they would be the recipient of the funds this year—and for however long I remain in Rumsbury.”

Annabel sighed. The man was perfect! He was kind, did not attempt to dominate the conversation, and he donated to charity! Tomorrow, he would call on her, the woman he mistook for a princess.

Without warning, her mind drifted to imagining herself as such. She was in a meadow, a tiara fit for a princess atop her head, and Don Ricardo rode toward her on a white stallion. Speaking words of love, he placed his hands around her waist and pulled her into the saddle, and she sat back with her head resting on his broad chest. They would ride through the rolling hills of green, surrounded by flowers as he whispered words of love in her ear, his strong arms wrapped around her keeping her safely in the saddle.

“Annabel,” Caroline hissed, causing her daydream to wink out. “He asked you a question.”

Annabel widened her eyes. “My apologies. Will you please repeat what you asked?”

The marquess chuckled, a light sound that had not a note of mocking to it. “Of course. But before I do, may we walk together?”

She glanced around them. Walking with a man in public could be taken as a sign of courting, and although she enjoyed entertaining the thought, she did not want to be presumptuous. Yet, the man was a marquess, and perhaps walking with a gentleman did not mean the same thing in Spain.

“Yes, I would like that,” she replied.

Caroline gasped, but Annabel ignored her.

Don Ricardo offered his arm, and Annabel placed a hand on it. Then it occurred to her that rumors concerning her and this man would be far better than any that included her and Lord Agar.

“One of the many things I enjoy is to gaze at the stars at night. And you? Do you enjoy the stars?”

“Why, yes,” Annabel replied before Caroline attempted to commandeer the conversation. “I do so quite often, in fact. Many times from my bedroom window.”

“For some reason, my heart told me you enjoyed it.”

Annabel thought her breath would be forever lost when he turned his smile on her once more. What man spoke of his heart as this man did?

“This Sunday will host the most rarest of sights.”

“Oh?” Annabel asked. “What will happen?”

“The moon will turn a blood red, which in turn will allow a secret constellation to appear.”

This piqued her curiosity, for she had heard of a blood red moon but never any a hidden constellation. “Which constellation is that?” she inquired.

He stopped and turned to her, his dark eyes pools in which she could become lost. “It is called the Star of Lovers,” he replied in a husky tone that sent shivers down her spine. Then he closed his eyes. “My apologies. I forget that in this country, such words and talk is forbidden unless one is engaged to be married. I have embarrassed you once again and will never bother you again.”

He released her hand and turned to walk away.

Annabel’s heart clenched. She could not stand never seeing him again! Somehow, just the thought brought about a sadness she could never have imagined possible.

“Ricardo,” she called. The man stopped and turned around, and she knew her face had to be six shades of red. “I mean, Don Ricardo.” How could she have spoken to him in such a familiar manner? “You did not offend me. It sounds like a beautiful sight.”

“It will be, for it appears only once every hundred years. A rare sight can only be shared with a woman of rare beauty, and that is why I wish to share it with you. However, it appears at the midnight hour, so I am uncertain…”

“Midnight?” Annabel asked as a sadness fell over her. “I will never be allowed to go outside with a man at that late an hour even with a chaperon in attendance.” It pained her to say so, although she wanted desperately for it to happen.

He sighed. “I understand. I must stop at the church to help with a collection for the poor, but I do hope to see you soon.” He raised her hand to his lips and smiled. “To the woman so beautiful many think she is a princess, know this humble man wishes that Saturday comes quickly.”

As he walked away, Annabel placed a hand to her breast, unable to breathe let alone speak.

Caroline stood beside her with widened eyes. “The man is enamored with you,” she said in awe. And perhaps with a bit of jealousy. “The praises he gives concerning your beauty? He is handsome and charitable and…”

“Everything I have ever wished for,” Annabel whispered as joy came to her heart. She then turned to her friend. “Do you not see? My hopes and dreams have been answered. Not only by a gentleman of nobility, but one from Spain! I cannot even express how exciting that is!”