Page 7 of A Suitable New Year’s Revenge (Ladies’ Wagering Whist Society #42)

Helena couldn’t bear to face any of the Teviots that evening. She sent her apologies and requested a tray in her room. It arrived soon after, but she could barely swallow a morsel. She was trying to force herself to eat when there was a rather firm knock on her door. Both fearing and hoping it was Pine to speak with her about that morning, she smoothed down her hair before opening the door. Oddly, a footman was standing there.

“I beg your pardon, Miss Lawson, but this just arrived for you. I was told it was urgent.” He held out a small square of paper.

Helena took it with trembling fingers. “Thank you.”

She stared at the note for a moment after she had closed the door. The handwriting wasn’t familiar, but that didn’t tell her anything. She didn’t know Pine’s handwriting. With a huge breath in she opened it.

M iss Lawson,

Please come quickly. Your father is declining rapidly.

In sympathy,

Colburne

With a sob, which she did her best to contain, she ran down to the dining room, where she was certain the family would be.

At a glance, she noticed that both Pine and Lord Hazelton were missing.

“I... I beg your—” she started, barely able to get the words out.

Lady Hazelton stood. “It’s your father, isn’t it?”

Helena could only nod.

“John informed us of the messenger’s arrival. The man will stay the night and escort you back to London tomorrow.”

“But—”

“It’s too dark to set out now,” Ash said gently.

“I will lend you my coach,” Lady Hazelton continued.

“But can a coach get through, Mama? It’s been snowing quite a bit,” Marigold pointed out.

“I can ride,” Helena said, “if you’ve a horse I can borrow.”

Her ladyship didn’t look happy with this, but eventually nodded. “Of course.”

Helena nodded. “Thank you, my lady. I will leave at first light.” Helena gave her a small curtsy and then went up to her room to pack and wait for the sun to rise. She certainly wasn’t going to get a moment of sleep that night.

Helena was grateful to be on horseback the following morning. Marigold had been right, a coach would have had trouble traversing the snow-covered smaller roads. The mount she had been lent, however, was able to manage, if not with great speed, at least as quickly as was safe.

She reached just after four as the late December sky was beginning to darken. She found Lady Colburne in the drawing room stitching. The lady started to rise at Helena’s entrance, but it was easy to see that she was having some difficulty due to her pregnancy.

“No, my lady, don’t get up,” Helena said quickly.

She sat back with some relief, giving Helena an apologetic smile. “I’m glad you made it so quickly. Get changed. My husband is with him.”

Helena nodded and briefly considered going straight in to see her father. But her riding habit was soaked from the snow and slush kicked up by the horse’s hooves. She was filthy and cold.

She didn’t think she had ever changed her gown and washed so quickly. Ten minutes later, she was quietly entering her father’s bedchamber.

Dr. Colburne was sitting in a chair by her father’s bed holding his wrist—most likely feeling her papa’s pulse. He looked up, nodded to her, and gently placed Papa’s hand on his stomach.

“You made excellent time, Miss Lawson.” He spoke barely above a whisper.

She nodded. “I rode and only stopped briefly for a change of horses.” She looked toward the bed. “How is he?”

“Not well, I’m afraid. I’ll leave you to speak with him.” He slipped out of the room before she could even offer her thanks.

She looked briefly at the chair Dr. Colburne had been sitting in, then sat on the edge of the bed instead. She took the hand resting on his stomach and held in up to her cheek. “Oh, Papa,” she breathed.

His eyes fluttered open. “Helena? Is that you?” he croaked, sounding out of breath.

“Yes, Papa. I’m here.” She held his hand to her body as his eyes closed again.

“Helena,” he breathed. His face relaxed, and she paused, holding her breath while listening for his. Thank God it was still there. Shallow and rasping, but there.

She breathed again.

For a few minutes she did nothing but listen to his slow and steady breathing, watching his chest rise and fall.

She was certain he was asleep.

With a sigh, she dropped her chin to her chest and finally allowed her tears to slip slowly down her cheeks.

“Oh, Papa. I think I made a mess of things. I fell in love with a man who doesn’t love me in return. I lashed out at him and said some awful things I shouldn’t have, but I was hurt and angry. What am I going to do?”

“Love him,” her father said quietly, making Helena startle. She hadn’t realized he’d actually been listening.

She swallowed hard. “But he doesn’t love me.”

Her father’s eyes opened, and he looked up at her, “He will. When he truly knows you, he will love you.” His lips quirked up into a little smile for just a moment and then his eyes closed again. “I love you,” he whispered.

Helena caught a sob but could do nothing about her tears. “I love you too, Papa.”

“She’s what?” Pine couldn’t believe what his mother had just told him.

“A messenger came last night regarding her father,” Lady Hazelton explained. “She left first thing this morning. I gave her Starlight to ride.”

“She rode? All the way to London?” Pine dropped down onto the chair across from his mother in the drawing room.

“She and Marigold didn’t think a coach would have been able to get through considering all the snow we’ve been having.” She paused and then added, “She took a groom as well as the messenger. I expect we’ll see the groom back in a day or two with the horse.”

“I don’t care about the horse,” Pine said, waving her words away as if they were a fly.

“Then what is bothering you?” she asked, feigning ignorance.

“You know very well. She, she didn’t even say good bye.”

“She did to me, and even spoke a word of thanks to your father for allowing her to stay.”

“Then why didn’t she—”

“Pine, my love, you walked—no—stormed out of here yesterday. I’m not entirely surprised she didn’t seek you out.”

“Well, she made me angry,” he said defending himself. “She said I was just like Father! And that marriage to me would be distasteful! Of course I stormed out.”

His mother tilted her head in acquiescence. “Both terrible misunderstandings. She thought you were agreeing with your father regarding her studies and actually thought it was you who would find marriage distasteful.”

“Me? But I love her! Why—”

“Have you told her this?” his mother asked, cutting him off.

“Well, no, but...”

She smiled at him sadly. “Then how can you believe she knows this? I doubt very much she can read your mind.”

He was not going to acknowledge such a ridiculous statement. He may not have told her in so many words, but he’d kissed her. Surely she would realize... He hated it when his mother was right. “She still should have at least said goodbye.” And with that he stormed from the room once more.

It was too early in the day to drink, so instead he snapped at everybody who dared come within ten feet of him. He sent both of his sisters scowling away, refused to say a word to his father, and Ash got an earful when he attempted to coax Pine into a game of chess.

Pine was still in a foul mood the following evening when he joined his family for dinner. None of his siblings nor his father looked happy to see him.

“Oh, you’re still here?” Ash asked as Pine took his seat at the table.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Pine nearly growled.

“I’d hoped you’d left,” Ash answered as soup was placed before them along with a warm, crusty bread.

“We haven’t seen you all day,” Marigold elaborated. “It’s been really nice.” Her voice was innocent and sweet. It took Pine a second to hear the insult.

He narrowed his eyes at his sister.

“Yes, Pine, where have you been all day,” his mother asked. She, at least, had a small smile for him as she looked to him for an answer.

“I’ve been out riding,” he said. “And then I went to the Hare and Hound for lunch. True to their name, they served rabbit. Unfortunately, it was tough and rather tasteless.”

“Mrs. Winderling has never been a very good cook,” Marigold said.

“Never eat there if I can help it,” their father agreed.

“You are all just spoiled by Cook’s excellent food,” Lady Hazelton said, before spooning up the last of her soup.

A platter of roast beef with beautifully browned potatoes was placed on the table as John removed their soup bowls. A few bowls of various vegetables joined them, and everyone reached to help themselves. The footman refilled Pine’s wine glass for which he was grateful. He contemplated drinking himself into oblivion that evening. Sadly, he’d never been one to over-imbibe. It was clearly a failing of his. He supposed it wasn’t too late to rectify it.

He was pulled from his musings by his mother who was saying something—the beginning of which he’d completely missed.

“... should arrive by dinnertime.”

“Why?” Ash asked.

“Why what?” Pine looked toward his mother to see what he’d missed.

“While you were glowering at your wine, Mama said she is going to London tomorrow,” Daisy told him helpfully.

“Oh, yes, why?” Pine asked, giving his brother a brief nod.

“Not just I, my dear,” Lady Hazelton told Daisy. “Your father and, I hope, Pine will be going as well. We have been invited to Lady Wickford’s New Year’s Eve ball.”

Pine’s father opened his mouth to say something, but Pine cut him off before he could utter a word. “How do you know Lady Wickford? You haven’t been in town for the past two years.”

She smiled at him as she finished chewing.

“Actually, I don’t. I am, however, friends with Lady Blakemore and Lady Ayres, and they both recommended Lady Wickford invite us. I received the invitation only a few days ago with a lovely little note apologizing for its tardiness,” Lady Hazelton answered.

“I am not going!” Lord Hazelton objected.

“Yes, you are. Considering your behavior as of late, you will most certainly attend, and you will do so with a smile on your face, my lord.”

“My behavior? You speak to me as if I were a child,” he protested loudly.

Pine’s mother just looked at him but said nothing.

“May I go, Mama?” Marigold asked after a minute.

“No, my love, you have not been presented yet. You will attend a great many parties in the spring, but not this one. Ash will be here to keep you company,” she told her eldest daughter.

“I will?” Pine’s brother said around a mouthful of food.

“Yes, you will. And please don’t speak with food in your mouth. Honestly, you should know better by now.”

Ash chewed, scowled at their mother, but said nothing.

“So, you and Father are going?” Pine clarified.

She nodded. “You were included on the invitation. I thought you might want to join us.”

Pine didn’t even need a minute to consider it. Helena was in London. He rather doubted she would be attending a party with her father on his deathbed, but perhaps he could pay her a call. “Of course, I would be very happy to go.” Just the thought of seeing Helena again lifted a weight off his chest.

He shared a smile with his mother, marveling at how he’d been so lucky to have such a clever parent.