Wishing for Rainbows

Trenton nodded. If he was honest, he wasn’t all that surprised she was confused. He didn’t push for any more information right now, mainly because she kept rubbing the growing lump on her temple as though it ached. It looked fierce; and was no doubt as painful as it looked.

“You look fierce,” she said suddenly.

“You have come to mean a great deal to me, Ursula. I don’t like it when the people I care about get hurt,” he said flatly, not taking his eyes off the road.

He daren’t because, right now, his emotions were scattered to the four winds and he would damned well kiss her again, injured or not. As far as he was concerned now, she needed to understand that their relationship had an entirely different future to the one she thought they had.

A tiny thrill of pleasure swept through her at his words, but she had to remind herself that he was just being compassionate. He had been asked by her father to look after her and was only being honourable and living up to his promises. Someone like Trenton would take her attack as a failure in his duties as a nobleman and gentleman. She sighed wistfully at the disquiet that settled over her.

“Someone wants to harm me, don’t they?” She said softly, although it wasn’t a question.

Trenton looked at her but didn’t reply.

Ursula wondered if she should just go back to Yorkshire. After all, the break in last night was something that could be put down to opportunist thieves; burglars if you like. The attack this morning, mere hours after the break-in, was too much of a coincidence to ignore. The two incidents had to be linked. She stared down at the posies in her hand. Someone must have followed them and waited for the right time to attack her.

Why though? What would they want with her? Why her in particular? The attacker hadn’t gone anywhere near Trenton. So far, nothing had happened to him. However, how long that circumstance would last was anyone’s guess. The thought of him being injured because of her made her want to run as far away from him as possible, and keep on running until she reached Yorkshire. Just sitting next to her this morning, being seen out together so publically, put him at risk. She couldn’t bear the thought that something might happen to him just because he was being kind to her. To live knowing that the man who held a large piece of her heart was married to someone else was one thing. To live with the knowledge that she had brought about his demise just because he was being kind was something she just couldn’t even bear to contemplate.

It was selfish of her to continue to allow him to be anywhere near her while so much was wrong with her life. She knew that no matter how much it hurt, she had to let go of him.

“Oh dear. Oh, dearie me,” Adelaide gushed when they reached home and Trenton explained what had happened. “Well, all engagements are cancelled for now so you must rest dear. I do think you should see a doctor though. You have had two frights in two days. You will need a sleeping draught.”

“No, I don’t aunt. I am perfectly fine,” she snapped in a voice that brooked no argument.

She immediately regretted the words when she saw the hurt on Adelaide’s face, and sighed in dismay. She hated being at odds with anyone, especially her aunt given how much she had done for her. However, after this morning she refused to be bullied into anything anymore. It was time for her to take a stand and be a little more forceful in declaring what she wanted for a change. First and foremost, she was definitely not going to see a doctor.

“If you insist,” Adelaide declared dubiously.

“I do,” she replied firmly. Before Adelaide could protest further, Ursula turned toward Trenton. “I apologise for this morning. It is unfair to you to be dragged into my problems. I am sorry to have put a dampener on your morning.”

“Nonsense. You weren’t to blame,” Trenton argued. He hated the stiff formality of her tone, and was at a loss to know where it had come from. Putting it down to the events of the morning, he carefully set aside his concerns for now and hastened to reassure her. “I should like to call upon you later, if I may, just to see that you are alright?”

“I am sure I shall be,” she replied politely. “I wouldn’t want to trouble you further.” Her voice broke at the last and she looked at him, painfully aware that this would be the last time she would be close to him. “Thank you for helping me this morning. It was very kind of you. Now, I have a headache and need to lie down for a while. Please excuse me.”

She dipped into a curtsey when he bowed and quickly left the room.

Once she had gone, Trenton accepted a cup of tea Adelaide offered, and settled down to explain what they had discovered regarding the flower deliveries. It was a relief that Adelaide agreed wholeheartedly to Trenton’s suggestion that he spend as much time with Ursula as possible, and once again invited him to dine with them later that evening.

“I think that Ursula might be better off remaining in bed for the rest of the day,” Trenton replied cautiously. He couldn’t think of anything he would like more than sharing an evening meal with her on a more intimate footing, but that had to come in time. Right now, she needed rest. He could further their acquaintance once she was well again.

Besides, after the events of this morning, he rather needed some time to himself to come to terms with the feelings she had stirred within him. She was by far his most abiding memory of his youth. He rather suspected that she one of the reasons why he was so damned determined not to be caught in the parson’s trap by anyone else, especially Barbarella.

Now, he just had to decide how best to help her while furthering his cause to get her to consider matrimony to him. It was only when he was on his way home that he remembered he had yet to correct her misunderstanding about his engagement to Barbarella.

Unfortunately, speaking to her again proved far harder than he had anticipated. He stood beside the window in the Beldrums’ sitting room, absolutely convinced that Ursula was avoiding him. He had spent the past two weeks chasing her from one social engagement to another around London, and had just about reached the end of his tether.

He had heard the gossip that Ursula was connected to him and, although it didn’t matter one iota to him what anyone thought, several quite estimable people had witnessed him carrying her across London the other week. He had to wonder if she had heard too, and was trying to put some distance between them in an attempt to avoid a scandal.

What she wasn’t aware of was that if she wanted to pretend nothing had happened between them, then he had to make sure she understood it was far too late for her to cut him out of her life.

He glared across the r

oom and took a sip of his brandy, only vaguely aware of their host, Frederick Beldrum, rambling on about the hunting season at his estate. While pretending to be listening to his host, his gaze strayed to Ursula. She still looked as beautiful as ever; and tonight had small ringlets that danced and bobbed against her alabaster cheeks.

“Are you listening to me, Trenton? I say, you seem quite disturbed tonight. Is something wrong old chap?”

“Everything was fine,” Trenton replied with a nod toward the door. “I didn’t know you were consorting with him now.”

Frederick looked toward the doorway and groaned. “I didn’t invite him. The wife is his cousin. I only found out he was coming this afternoon, or I would have ordered the damned woman not to invite him. He is a down and out scoundrel.”