Dating Two Dragons (63 page)

              Cynthia could feel William watching her but she studiously avoided his gaze and tried to remain as silent and as invisible as possible, a difficult feat considering the dress she had on.

“William darling,” Lady Jameson’s voice cut through the chatter, as she gestured to the magnificent grand piano settled in one neat corner of the room. “Why don’t you play us something?”

Cynthia looked up at William with a start. “You’re a pianist?”

William smiled. “Do you play?”

“I sing,” Cynthia said without thinking.

“How wonderful,” William looked truly delightful. “Why don’t you accompany me?”

“Oh no,” Cynthia said shaking her head adamantly. “I’d really rather not.”

“Please Cynthia,” William insisted. “I’d love to hear you sing.”

              Cynthia made the mistake of looking into his soft blue eyes and she knew she couldn’t deny him. With a resigned nod she moved towards the piano with William at her back. “I don’t know many songs,” Cynthia whispered to William lamely.

“Look through the book here,” William suggested. “And pick anyone you recognize.”

              Funnily enough, Cynthia recognized two of the songs in the book. She picked the more romantic one and William seated himself in front of the grand piano as Cynthia positioned herself just behind him. She noticed the livid expression on Lady Jameson’s face. She had obviously not intended for William and Cynthia to find yet another common thread to bond them. Strangely, Cynthia felt her confidence burgeon and she started singing without overthinking.

              The moment the first few words were out of her mouth, everything else blurred away and it was just another room and another audience that she had to sing in front of. The only things that were real to her were the music and the man playing it. As the last few notes of the song faded away, applause rang out through the room, bringing Cynthia back to reality. William stood; his face was split into a huge smile.

“Cynthia… you’ve been hiding your great gift from me.”

“What gift?” Cynthia asked in confusion.

“Your voice,” William said as though it were obvious. “You’re voice is breathtaking.”

“You really think so?”

“I really do,” William nodded emphatically.

              Before they could talk further, Lady Jameson was standing between them once again and she had Lady Elenor with her. “You have a lovely voice Lady Cynthia,” Elenor said demurely and Cynthia thanked her for the compliment.

              “William,” Lady Jameson said, inserting herself into the conversation. “Elenor was just telling me about a travelling circus that is coming into the country in a few days. It would be so wonderful if you would accompany her, don’t you think?”

William looked between his mother and Elenor and smiled politely. “Well of course, if Elenor would like that.”

“Oh it would be nice,” Elenor nodded.

“Then of course I shall accompany you,” William said with a nod. “But only if Cynthia will join us as well. I’m sure she is as excited about the idea of a travelling circus.”

Cynthia ignored the infuriated expression on Lady Jameson’s face. “Why of course,” she said with a smile. “What young lady wouldn’t be?”

Chapter Six

              Cynthia turned one corner of the library and found William sitting there between the shelves, staring out the window at the lands he owned.

“William?” Cynthia said quietly.

If he was startled he hid it well. “Hello,” he said, his eyes were far away. “I thought you would be getting ready for the circus.”

“I will in a moment,” Cynthia nodded. “I just wanted to put this book back first. Are you all right? You seem a little… pensive.”

“Musgrave and Company have increased their offer,” William told her. “Mother is pressuring me to say yes and there are so many positives to accepting it.”

“Then why are you so conflicted?” Cynthia asked as she came forward.

William sighed. “I can’t get rid of the guilt,” he admitted. “I can’t just forget about the tenants.”

“What does your mother think?”

“She thinks I’m making it too personal,” William replied. “She thinks that business and sentimentality should not go hand in hand.”

“I see,” Cynthia nodded. “And what do you think?”

              “I think that… our tenants need their homes,” William said. “But even if I keep the land and allow them to stay on it… half of them can’t afford to keep paying their rent in the first place and I have to be practical. I’m not running a charity.”

“What if they were self-sufficient?” Cynthia asked, the idea coming to her suddenly.

“What do you mean?” William asked.

“What if you allowed them to work the land?” Cynthia asked. “What if they farmed it? Then they would really make use of the land and they would be able to pay you rent as well.”

“Farming…” William said thoughtfully. “I hadn’t thought of it.”

“To be honest, I didn’t come up with it all on my own,” Cynthia, admitted thinking of Mrs. Murray. “But I think it might be a good idea.”

William nodded thoughtfully. “It is an exception idea. Cynthia… this feels right to me.”

“Then that’s a good sign,” Cynthia nodded happily, but then the smile slid off her face. “Your mother is not going to be happy about this.”

“My mother has to learn that I am capable of making my own decisions,” William said with strength in his voice. “She can’t expect me to do as she pleases and marry who she chooses for me.”

Cynthia glanced up at him. “She wants you to marry Elenor doesn’t she?

              “Yes,” William nodded. “But little does she know that Elenor is in love with someone else and has been for a long time. He is a man who her parents heartily disapprove of,” William explained. “Which is why she is not yet married.”

“Really?”

“Yes,” William nodded. “Elenor has never wanted to marry me and to be honest… even if she did, it wouldn’t matter.”

“It wouldn’t?”

William smiled. “I believe I’m falling in love with another woman.”

Cynthia held her breath as his blue eyes locked on hers. “William…”

              She didn’t get a chance to finish her sentence because William leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips. Cynthia stood frozen in place for a few seconds before she found herself melting into his embrace as their kiss deepened. When they finally broke apart, Cynthia knew she was in way over her head, but William was looking at her as though all his plans had just fallen into place.

“Let’s head to the fair shall we?” William said.

              “Yes,” Cynthia nodded, but in the back of her mind she was wondering what on earth she was doing letting herself get entangled with a man she couldn’t possibly stay with.

Chapter Seven

              The fair was vibrant, chaotic and filled with different forms of entertainment. There were stands set up everywhere, all manner of shows taking place and activities that the local folk could participate in. William and Cynthia had arrived with Elenor but she had left them to spend a few hours alone with her beau, allowing them a few hours alone as well.

              As they walked through the carnival, William spotted a large secretive looking tent that had been set up. Outside it hung a sign that read ‘Madam Victoire: Professional soothsayer and oracle palm reader’. “We must go in,” William said.

              Enjoying the atmosphere of the night and the way William smiled every time he looked her way, Cynthia nodded willingly and they moved towards the tent.

“You seem excited,” Cynthia pointed out.

“I love this kind of thing,” William admitted. “I’ve been to one other circus carnival like this as a boy and I visited a soothsayer just like this one.”

              The line was short but they were told they would have to go in separately, so Cynthia went on first. It was like being in a dark room that was illuminated only be candlelight. There was a round table with a crystal ball in its center and a woman sat behind it. She was dressed in flowing robes and her golden hair hung long and loose about her. Her eyes looked purple in the misty brightness of candlelight.

“Hello Cynthia,” Madam Victoire said as though she were greeting an old friend.

Cynthia froze immediately. “How do you know my name?”

“Because I have seen you in my crystal ball,” Madam Victoire said mysteriously as she gestured for Cynthia to sit down.

“So then… you know that… I don’t belong here?” Cynthia said almost desperately as she sat down. 

“Indeed,” Madam Victoire nodded.

“Do you know what will happen next?” Cynthia asked.

“Give me your palms.”

Cynthia presented her hands to the soothsayer and she looked over them carefully. “Hmm… this is very interesting…”

“What is it?” Cynthia asked urgently as she leaned in.

“You are from another time,” Madame Victoire said softly.

“Yes.”

“And I see that you will return soon.”

Cynthia felt her heart drop. “When?”

“That I cannot say for sure,” Madam Victoire replied. “It could be a week, a month or a year.”

“And… will I ever return?” Cynthia asked. “Return back to this time?”

Madam Victoire looked back down at her palms. “Your future is open child. It all depends on you.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Then wait for understanding to come,” Madam Victoire advised. “And make your decision then.”

              Cynthia left the tent in a haze of confusion. William seemed to notice her preoccupation because he led her away from the crowd to a secluded little nook behind some trees. “Cynthia?” he said gently. “Are you alright?”

“I… I’m not sure,” Cynthia replied honestly.

“What did she tell you?” William asked.

“I… nothing definite,” Cynthia replied. “She was very vague.”

“It was the same with me,” William nodded.

“What?” Cynthia asked, jerking her eyes up to meet his.

“When I visited the soothsayer at the fair, she told me some things too. They were vague to me at the time but I have since come to understand what she meant,” William explained.

“What did she tell you?”

“She told me that I would spend my life in confusion, until one day a mysterious woman would appear and when she did my confusion would clear.”

“Really?” Cynthia asked.

William nodded. “I was only thirteen at the time but I never forgot her words. They didn’t make sense to me… until the day you turned up.”

“Oh,” was all Cynthia could think of to say.

              “She was right Cynthia,” William nodded. “My confusion is gone and my path forward is clear.” He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a box. “I want you to have this,” he said as he opened it to reveal a beautiful emerald green ring, the same emerald green ring that had transported Cynthia back to this time in the first place.

“Oh my God,” Cynthia breathed.

“It’s been in my family for generations,” William said. “I want you to have it.”

“Why?”

“Because I want you to marry me Cynthia,” William said fervently. “I want you to be my wife.”

“William…”

“You and I both know we’re perfect for one another…”

“But you’re mother,” Cynthia said.

“I told my mother of my decision… in regards to the land and to you just before we left.”

“She must be furious.”

“She knows I cannot be swayed,” William said. “She has decided that once we are married… she will move to the city on her own.”

“I see,” Cynthia nodded.

“Presuming of course… that you say yes to marrying me,” William said with a shy smile.

“William…”

“Yes?”

“I may have to leave soon,” Cynthia said sadly.

William looked puzzled, a thousand questions burned in his eyes. “Is that what the soothsayer told you?” he asked.

“Yes,” Cynthia nodded.

William put his hand beneath Cynthia’s chin and lifted her face up to meet his gaze. “Then perhaps we should enjoy whatever time we have left together… until we meet again.”

              Cynthia stared at the burning hope etched across his face. It gave her both faith and confidence. “Until we meet again,” she nodded as they leaned towards each other for a kiss.

DESTINED TO THE DUKE

Chapter 1

Jill Darling was beyond excited as she heard the box truck pull up outside of her cottage.  She had bought the home a few months before as a place to live when she was not traveling for work.  Though she was only 25, Jill was one of the most in demand concert pianists in the country, spending most of the year touring concert venues.  She had come across the little stone cottage while on vacation in the area.  When she had a few days off in her scheduled, she often got away by herself to relax and reboot.