Page 16 of The Storybook Hero (Intrepid Heroines #2)

Sixteen

T he cries of the circling gulls mingled with the snap of the riggings and oaths of the stevedores as the elegant barouche approached the bustling wharves. Alex shifted against the soft leather squabs of his brother’s carriage, feeling his stomach take a decidedly seasick lurch at the prospect of the coming meeting.

Unlike the male members of the family, his sisters-in-law had not been fooled in the least by his prevarications. His halting explanation of wishing to find a suitable position for Octavia had been met with raised brows and the withering scorn it deserved. He was naught but a craven coward, they had exclaimed in short order. Not for any lack of physical courage, but for being afraid to admit what was patently obvious to any observer with a grain of common sense.

He was clearly in love with the lady, they had announced, And added that he would be the biggest idiot between the Thames and the Volga if he didn’t acknowledge it and do whatever it took to win her heart.

Begging and groveling were among the first suggestions.

For some reason that eluded him, they seemed to think he had a chance of success.

In the face of such formidable forces, his defenses had quickly crumbled. But rather than engendering any sense of defeat, the admission of his feeling had been more liberating than he had ever imagined. Freed from the shackles of the past, he dared hope

for the future.

Hope, however, seemed a dim prospect when he considered the obstacles in his path. With a sigh, he had said as much.

From there, his family had sprung into action with dizzying efficiency. The earl had used his considerable influence with the government to learn on which vessel Octavia and Emma had set sail, while his brothers had pulled all manner of strings to help him deal with a number of important matters in Town. In the meantime, the ladies had passed the days preparing Wright House for additional guests, as well as spending considerable time behind closed doors making arrangements they refused to discuss with the gentlemen.

Frequent updates from the Admiralty on the progress of the ships and their naval escort kept them alerted as to when the convoy was expected to tie up at the Greenwich wharves. Even now, as Alex craned his neck to peer out of the paned window, he could see a billow of white canvas ghosting in with the current. Swallowing a gulp, he turned to the other occupant of the carriage and forced a show of nonchalance. “Well, Nicholas, it looks as though they will soon be here.”

The boy’s nose pressed up against the glass too, his nervous anticipation not nearly as well hidden. “Oh!” he exclaimed. “I can hardly wait to … to find out what will happen to Emily and Valancourt.”

Alex gave a low chuckle in spite of his own overwrought nerves. “I should have thought you would have finished that book long ago.”

Nicholas squirmed in his seat, causing the corner of a much worn leather binding of the book to peek out from the folds of his coat. “I—I did not think it right to go on without Emma,” he replied in a hesitant voice. “Perhaps you think me—how do the English say it—less of a man for caring about the opinion of a mere girl, but….”

He reached over to ruffle the boy’s hair. “On the contrary, lad. Loyalty to one’s friends is one of the most important qualities of a true gentleman. And Emma has shown herself to be more than worthy of your esteem, regardless of her skirts and braids.”

A sudden jolt of the wheels indicated that the horses had pulled to a halt. Sucking in a deep breath, his hand groped for the door latch. “I think it best if you wait here to greet Emma while I have a few words in private with Miss Hadley. There are, er, a number of things that the two of us need to discuss regarding … plans.”

Nicholas regarded him with owlish intensity, then gave a solemn nod.

Offering a silent prayer to the heavens, Alex turned up the collar of his coat, stepped down to the muddy cobblestones and pushed his way through a bevy of swearing sailors trying to wrestle a load of salt beef off of a nearby wagon. It took some time before the heavy hull of the merchant ship was maneuvered into place alongside the barnacled pilings and the thick hawsers snugged around the iron stanchions.

His pacing grew more impatient as it seemed to take an age for the gangplanks to be set in place. Finally, after a line of officers had descended from the quarterdeck, he spotted two females, half hidden by the tarred shrouds, their familiar profiles silhouetted against the scudding grey clouds.

They disappeared among the jostling of the other passengers seeking to disembark, then were visible again just as they stepped onto dry land. Alex hung back, waiting for them to move away from the milling crowd. Even at that distance, he could recognize the tilt of Octavia’s chin and the determined set of her slender shoulders. He even imagined he could see the exact shade of her eyes, and how they were alight with….

In that instant Octavia turned toward him. She froze, her whole frame going rigid as an icicle. Then taking firm hold of Emma’s hand, she continued on, her gaze locked on the small cluster of hansom cabs gathered near the end of the wharves.

Hell’s teeth. How was he ever going to melt the coldness he had glimpsed in her eyes?

There was no ice in Emma’s reaction. Catching sight of Alex, she tore free from Octavia’s grasp and ran at him with a shriek of delight. “Alex, Alex! I knew you would not forget us!”

He swung her up into his arms. “There hasn’t been a day that I haven’t thought about you, sweeting,” he murmured, a fierce constriction in his chest making him realize just how true his words were. Oh, how he had missed her thin arms wound around his neck and her soft cheek pressed up against his.

The girl’s companion made to march straight past him, but he turned to block her way. “Octavia,” he began, placing Emma back down on her feet. “Please wait?—”

“What for?” she countered, falling back a step to elude the hand reaching out for hers. “You made it abundantly clear how quickly you wished to submerge the memory of your sojourn—and the company you were forced to endure—in Russia. Well, I, too, wish to forget that unfortunate interlude.”

Her jaw was set in the stubborn tilt he had come to recognize all too well. “Please move out of my way now. There is nothing more we need say to each other, Mr. Leigh.“ There was a fraction of a pause. “Or is it really ‘Lord Alexander?’ It is hard to keep track of all your lies.”

“I never lied to you, “ he said quietly. “And actually I have a great deal I wish to say to you, if only you will listen for a moment.”

Octavia’s gaze seemed to waver for an instant before regaining its martial light. “Why should I? Indeed, a better question is why did you even bother to show up here? Now that you are back in London, I am sure you have more interesting things to occupy your thoughts than an aging governess and an orphaned girl.”

A slight quiver of her voice showed she was not quite as composed as she wished to appear. The realization seemed to make her scowl grow even blacker than before. “No doubt you are back to your usual revelries—drinking and … and gaming … and visiting your latest mistress.”

Emma’s eyes went very wide. “Alex has a mistress?”

“Of course I don’t!” he said through gritted teeth. “Damnation, Octavia, please?—”

“Don’t swear. Have you forgotten there is a child present?” she scolded.

“How can I!” he exclaimed with mounting frustration, “They have rarely been out of our company, making it deucedly hard for me to tell you how much I—” His words cut off with a harried sigh. “Emma, you see that black and yellow carriage standing over there? Hurry along and climb inside it.”

The girl pulled a face. “Why do adults always send us away just when the conversation is getting interesting.”

“NOW!”

“Oh, very well.”

“There is someone inside who is anxious to see you,” he added as she started to stalk off with deliberate slowness.

A radiant smile replaced the petulant pout, and the girl broke into an exuberant dash.

“At least the children seem happy at the prospect of being reunited,” he murmured, searching Octavia’s face for the least glimmer of welcoming warmth.

She looked away, just enough to throw her features into shadow. “Well? Make it quick, Mr. Leigh. I have a great many arrangements to make this afternoon.”

“You aren’t going to make this easy for me, are you?” he whispered, half to himself. “Not that I deserve any quarter.” Despite the obvious lack of encouragement, he forced himself. “Let me begin by addressing the accusations you have just raised?—”

Alex got no further. Octavia’s eyes suddenly narrowed and two hot spots of color appeared on her cheeks. “Speaking of high flyers,” she said with a barely concealed sneer. ”There are two very fancy ladybirds waving handkerchiefs and blowing kisses in our direction. As they are complete strangers to me, they must be friends of yours. Quite intimate friends, by the look of it.”

He looked around quickly, and couldn’t help from swearing under his breath at the unfortunate timing.

“Aren’t you going to wave back?” Her tone couldn’t have been more scathing.

“Those two very fancy ladybirds are my sisters-in-law.” He was somewhat gratified to see that his explanation caused her mouth to scrunch in embarrassment, but before he could go on, his relatives had swept down upon them.

Octavia was having a hard time regaining her equilibrium—it was as if there were still a lurching deck beneath her feet rather than terra firma. The mere sight of Alex had set her heart to turning somersaults, and on seeing the wistful tenderness that shaded his expression when he took up Emma, she had to restrain the urge to throw herself into his arms as well.

Drat the plaguey man! If such emotions were not bad enough, she had also been thrown off balance by the fierce stab of jealousy that had knifed through her breast on seeing the two elegant ladies seeking to attract his attention. Though why she should feel the least?—

“You must be Miss Hadley.” Augusta flashed a brilliant smile as she reached for Octavia’s hand.

“Allow me to introduce Lady Wright,” began Alex in a slightly dazed murmur.

“Oh, you must call me Augusta. And I hope we may call you Octavia. We have heard so much about you from Nicholas that I feel we are already … friends.”

“From Alex as well.” Olivia’s eyes held a mischievous twinkle. “I am Olivia. Knowing how exhausted you must be from the arduous sea journey, we decided to come fetch you ourselves.”

Octavia bit at her lip, too overwhelmed for the moment to reply.

“But I had planned—” Alex made another attempt to speak, only to be silenced yet again by Augusta.

“And no doubt overlooked any number of practical details. Men haven’t a clue about such things,” She gave an airy wave of her hand. “Run along with the children, Alex. We will bring our guest back to Wright House after we have made several stops in Bond Street.”

“Yes,” chimed in her sister-in-law. “I imagine Octavia could do with a few new gowns and sundries after all she has been through. We have already made a number of purchases. There are just a few final fittings to be done.”

“G-guest … g-gowns?” Somehow Octavia managed to recover her wits enough to stammer a reply. “S-surely you can’t mean for me to stay with you. Or to incur such extravagant expenses on my behalf. After all, I am a complete stranger, naught but a country parson’s?—”

“Nonsense! As far as we are concerned …” Augusta stole a sly look at Alex. “… you are part of the family.”

“You journeyed through the wilds of Russia with two cold, tired children and Alex, all the while braving wolves, kidnappers and Bonaparte’s army?” added Olivia, her lips taking on a humorous twitch. “My dear, you deserve more than a few gowns—you deserve a medal.” A pause. “On second thought, you deserve a whole row of them.”

Octavia’s gaze darted from the two smiling faces to Alex’s countenance. His wore a more enigmatic expression. What were his feelings about the prospect of being together under the same roof, if only for a short while? There was, she admitted to herself, little question as to her own emotions. While she had managed to feign an outward indifference to his presence, the thought of a reunion, however temporary, had her insides sliding around like jellied aspic.

Her jaw tightened. But only a naive gudgeon would fail to see that real life rarely provided a storybook ending. There was no point in starting another chapter, one that would only result in more … disappointment.

“It is a most generous offer, but I am afraid I cannot possibly accept it.”

Neither of the ladies batted an eye at her refusal.

“Of course you can,” replied Augusta firmly. “Both you and Emma would be much more comfortable with us Wright House rather than in some hotel surrounded by strangers.”

As there was no credible argument to that, she stared down at the tips of her half boots, hoping to hide the flicker of longing that lit in her face for just an instant.

“Besides, Nicky would be quite devastated. The stack of books he has picked out for his young friend reaches nearly to the ceiling of the schoolroom.”

“But—”

“No more ‘buts’ about it.” Octavia suddenly found herself between the two ladies, being whisked toward the waiting carriage. “Come along. We must hurry. One of the first little rules you must learn here in Town is not to be late for an appointment with Madame Celeste.”

Hell’s teeth!

Alex listened in glum silence as his sisters-in-law regaled their guest with yet another pithy bit of gossip about Prinny and the Carlton set. If they were trying to help improve his standing with Octavia, he groused to himself, they were certainly going about it in a deucedly peculiar fashion!

He hadn’t had the chance to exchange a private word with her since her arrival at Wright House four days ago. If truth be told, he had scarcely set eyes on her, what with the flurry of sightseeing activities and shopping expeditions that his relatives has organized for her and the children.

At the moment, however, his eyes were riveted on the lady in question. From his seat at the far end of the breakfast table, he had a clear view of the stylish new sprigged muslin day dress she was wearing. Despite its modest cut, it still exposed a good deal more of her creamy flesh than he was used to seeing. The design also emphasized the natural curves of her figure instead of shrouding them in a billow of sack-like folds. The sight was rather … mesmerizing.

“…. isn’t that right, Alex?” Augusta turned, one brow rising in pointed question.

He ceased cutting the piece of bacon on his plate into mincemeat. “Er, yes,” he mumbled, although he had absolutely no idea what had just be asked. “Of course.”

“You see!” She looked back to Octavia with a triumphant smile. “There is no need to put off the planned drive through Hyde Park just because Olivia and I must call upon poor Lady Crenshaw, seeing as her gout has taken a turn for the worse. I told you Alex would be delighted to serve as escort to you and the children.”

The thought of the four of them together, just like old times, caused his throat to constrict for a moment. It was not exactly the private moment he had been hoping for, but given the swirl of Leighs that had surrounded her of late, it was, at least, a step in the right direction.

Octavia must have caught the tightening of his expression, for her own face became a bit pinched. “Perhaps Lord Alexander has other plans?—”

“Of course Alex has no other plans. And if he did, he would simply have to change them.” Olivia took a bite of her toast. “It is a perfect morning for such an outing. Nothing like a bit of bright sunshine and fresh air to clear the head and invigorate the spirit. Now run along, both of you, before any grey clouds blow in to spoil the opportunity.”

As Alex rose, he could have sworn that both of his relatives gave him a surreptitious wink.

The carriage was brought around without delay and the little party was soon tooling through the gates at Park Lane. Olivia’s pronouncement was indeed correct—the day was mild for so late in autumn, the sun a large, buttery orb whose radiance took all the chill from the brisk breeze. Alex found himself wishing his mood might feel nearly as bright, for while the children kept up a steady patter of exuberant comments, Octavia had yet to utter so much as a word.

Perhaps his sisters-in-law had better regroup and come up with a different strategy….

“Oh look!” Emma leaned out of the open landau to get a better view of the ducks paddling about the serpentine.

Nicholas took out a sack of breadcrumbs from his coat pocket. “Would you like to stop and feed them? Aunt Olivia says they will come eat right from your hand.”

Her hands clapped together in delight. “Really?” she asked, her eyes going wide as saucers. “May we, Alex?”

“Of course we may.”

No sooner had the coachman drawn the team to a halt by the graveled path than the two children scrambled down from their perch and lit out for the water’s edge.

For a moment, the two adults sat in awkward silence. Alex tugged at a corner of his scarf, cursing himself for a coward. Daunted by her refusal to meet his gaze, he hesitated, but knew he would despise himself forever if he didn’t make some sort of move to thaw the coolness between them. “Er, would you care to take a stroll? I imagine they will be occupied for some time.”

Octavia considered the suggestion for what seemed to be an age before giving a frosty nod.

Repressing a sigh, he handed her down from the carriage and offered his arm. They walked on for a bit, the only sound between them the brittle crunch of their steps on the stones. A sideways glance at her rigid profile caused his shoulders to sag just a touch. It might be an easier task to chip through the frozen Neva River than to melt her chill reserve.

However, after another few steps, it was Octavia who finally broke the ice. “Your family have been quite wonderful, what with the kindness they have shown to a total stranger. I am extraordinarily grateful to them for all their thoughtfulness.”

“Yes.” A faint half smile played on his lips. “So am I.”

The enigmatic comment sparked an odd flash of emotion in her eyes. Then she blinked, and it was gone, leaving him to wonder whether he had only imagined a spark of their former rapport.

“The earl has been most generous in his assistance with Emma’s situation. He thinks it may soon be resolved,” she continued softly. “And your sister-in laws have told me not to worry about my own future, as they are in the process of arranging a new position for me.”

He stopped in his tracks. “Position?”

“Why, y—yes. Something more … permanent, they said. There is no guarantee that Emma’s new guardian will want to retain me as her governess.” From a distance came a peal of laughter from the children and she turned to watch them scatter crumbs across the placid water. “I shall miss our two young charges a great deal—even the pouts and squabbles.” Her mouth quirked upward. “Indeed, I shall even miss those hours spent listening to Mrs. Radcliffe’s prose, despite its penchant for waxing melodramatic.”

A lock of hair had blown free of her bonnet as she spoke. Alex reached out to tuck it back in place, then let his hand linger on the curve of her cheek. In that instant, he decided to throw caution to the wind. “Octavia, please—will you consent to listen to a few fumbling words of mine? Lord knows when I shall have another chance to speak to you alone. And while my command of the English language will no doubt pale in comparison to that of the children’s favorite novelist, there are things I must say to you, no matter how awkwardly they are phrased.”

Octavia felt a flash of heat run through her as his fingers grazed her skin. How she had missed the warmth of his company! Not just his physical presence, but his quirky humor, his gentle kindness, his fierce compassion … Even his all too human weaknesses, for he had the courage to face them, despite his efforts to appear the unrepentant rake.

She finally looked up, and the sight of the sensuous lips, lean jaw and dark, ruffled locks caused the breath to catch in her throat. On second thought, she had to admit that his physical presence had a great deal to do with the fact that her knees were in danger of folding like an overcooked souffle!

He seemed to take her inability to speak as a sign to continue.

“I never lied to you, Octavia. At first it seemed prudent to keep my family connection a secret from everyone. Then, when I knew I might trust you with our lives, I remained silent out of concern that the knowledge might put you and Emma into danger if we were apprehended by Nicholas’s pursuers.”

“I … suppose that makes some sense,” she allowed.

“And to be totally truthful,” he went on in a near whisper. “I also feared breaking the camaraderie I felt had developed between us. I thought you might like me less were you to know I was from a prominent family, rather than someone dependent on wits and pluck to survive in the world, like yourself.”

Her brows arched in utter surprise. This was not at all what she had expected to hear. “You cared whether I … liked you?”

Alex could no longer attempt a measured, rational explanation. His words spilled out in a flood of emotion. “Why do you think I sought to drown myself in a sea of vodka at the end? You had frightened me half to death by charging into danger with no thought for your own safety. And then the thought of being parted, of never seeing you again …”

He averted his gaze. “Like a cravenly coward, I ran from the idea, sinking myself so low in your eyes that?—”

“You are no coward, Alex,” she interrupted softly. “Far from it.”

“Oh, not in any physical sense, I suppose,” he replied with a bittersweet smile. “But I lacked the courage to tell you my true feelings and therefore deserve to have you despise me. I have no doubt you would have rejected me out of hand, but at least I might have retained a shred of your respect had I told you then that … I love you.”

“L-love,” stammered Octavia, feeling her face turn as white as a Russian snowfall, and then red as a fiery ember. He was speaking so softly that she knew she must not have heard him correctly. “Surely you didn’t say love . That’s impossible! Why, you think me shrewish, stubborn, opinionated, meddlesome?—”

“Wrong, my obstinate darling. I think you compassionate, caring, principled and entirely too brave for your own good.”

Onlookers were beginning to show a decided interest in their conversation, some of them staring quite openly. “P-perhaps we should continue this conversation in the privacy of your carriage.” Feeling none too brave at the moment, she sought some delaying tactic to regroup her defenses. “Let us call to Nicholas and Emma?—”

“Privacy? Hah! There is not a snowflake’s chance in Hell that I am going into that carriage with you, not until I have finished saying all I wish to say without the children comparing on my every word to that of some damn storybook hero.”

A tentative smile. “With my luck, they would probably be reading the passage where Valancourt, bumbling idiot that he is, manages to win his lady’s heart with some eloquent speech, making me feel even more of a stuttering fool than I already do.”

Alex paused long enough to take hold of her arm and pull her behind one of the stately elm trees lining the path. “Flowery sentiments do not flow off my tongue as easily as they do from Mrs. Radcliffe’s pen, my darling. I’m not some perfect hero, but a man with so many faults you have probably ceased counting …”

A strange sound caused him to halt in mid-sentence.

“You …” He peeked under the brim of her bonnet. “Octavia, you aren’t … crying, are you?”

“Of course not. I-It must be the spray from the fountain?—”

She had no chance to finish, for Alex’s lips touched hers. “Lord, you are more intoxicating than any of the spirits I have ever tasted,” he whispered. With a muffled groan, he pulled her closer. “Dare I hope, sweeting? After all, you have not yet felled me with a jerk of your knee.”

Rather than lash out, Octavia allowed the passionate embrace to wash away the last of her resistance. Her lips parted to deepen the kiss and her fingers, which had been poised to deliver a resounding slap, crept up to twine in the silky softness of his unruly locks.

“I imagine I can recite every one of your faults, starting from the time you accosted me with that first drunken kiss,” she said, drawing back from the embrace just enough to fix him with a smile. “They are what make you human, rather than some character with no more depth than a sheet of paper And they are far overshadowed by all your admirable qualities.” She lowered her lashes, which were still wet with tears. “Now it is my turn to be honest—I think you the most wonderful man in the world.”

He wrapped her in a bear hug.

“But Alex,” she managed to squeak, even though he was holding her so tightly she could scarcely breathe. “Things are rather more complicated than our own feelings. There is your family and position in Society to consider. And all the details of seeing that the children are settled with the right family.”

Alex smiled. “I have been busy in Town these last few weeks, but not in the manner that you implied when I met you at the docks. With my brother and my uncle lending their influence, I have managed to convince Emma’s trustees that she would be better off with a guardian that truly cares for her welfare, even if he isn’t a blood relative.”

“ He ?” she repeated.

“Me, actually. She seems to have grown rather fond of Nicholas, and as I also mean to look after the lad, I thought she might prefer being with us to the company of strangers.”

Octavia felt her heart give a lurch. “You wish to give up your life of a carefree gentleman about Town to take on the responsibility for two children?”

“Well, I hoped I might have a little help.” He gave a crooked grin. “You see, one of the reasons Emma’s trustee’s agreed to the arrangement was that I told them I soon hoped to be a respectable married man.”

Her insides were now doing full blown somersaults.

“And as for my previous existence, it no longer holds any appeal for me,” he continued. “William was kind enough to offer me one of the minor Leigh estates in Devon when I told him I wished to serve as guardian for Nicholas. I thought the four of us might enjoy a comfortable country life together, without being attacked by armed ruffians, frozen in raging blizzards or squaring off against Bonaparte’s army.”

“The four of us?” Octavia knew she was sounding rather slow-witted, but the idea was taking a little while to sink in.

“Well, I imagine we will be adding to that number soon enough.” A twinkle came to his eyes. “I have always wanted … a dog.”

She couldn’t repress a burble of laughter. “You are an incorrigible rogue.”

“No. Not anymore.” His face became serious again. “For too long I had been a castaway, lost at sea, adrift in a raging storm. But then I finally saw the bright beacon of a safe harbor in all the darkness, one that has helped guide me back to solid ground.” He pressed a kiss to the palm of her hand. “You are truly the light of my life, Octavia. I should like to spend the rest of my days with you. And Emma and Nicholas and children I hope we may have of our own.”

“I can’t think of anything that I would like more.“ Her cheek came to rest on his shoulder. “For one who claims no talent for words, you have certainly written a storybook ending.”

Alex gave a chuckle. “We really must see that the children take to reading less sensational literature. Something from the Bard, perhaps.” He thought for a moment. “I have it— The Tempest !”

Octavia looked up and brushed a kiss to his cheek. “I was thinking more of All’s Well That Ends Well .”