Langley: A Regency Romance

Reginald

The storm had passed, but the storm inside me hadn’t calmed. The weight of Josephine’s confession still pressed heavily on my chest. I love you, Reginald.

I hadn’t been prepared for it. The way she looked at me, her eyes wide and full of truth, the way her voice trembled as she said those words—it had felt like a dream, something I had never dared to hope for. For so long, I had convinced myself that my feelings for her were a burden I had to bear alone. I had resigned myself to loving her in silence, protecting her from the world without ever revealing the depths of my own heart.

But now, there was no going back. She had said it. She loved me.

The realization was almost too much to take in. I watched her now, lying beside me, her face softened by sleep, her body curled gently against the sheets. The storm outside had been fierce, but inside this room, it felt like a different kind of storm was brewing. A storm of emotion that I wasn’t sure how to navigate.

Could I truly be the man she needed me to be?

I had spent so long believing that my love for her was something dangerous—something that could ruin her, drag her down with me into the shadows of scandal. And now, I wasn’t sure how to reconcile the joy of her confession with the fear of what it would mean for her life.

My father’s voice rang in my ears again. “You don’t marry for love, Reginald. Love is for the weak. Duty, responsibility—these are what matter.” Those words had shaped me for so long, teaching me to believe that love was a fool’s errand. Yet here I was, a fool in love with the most extraordinary woman I had ever known. How could I have ever believed that I wasn’t meant for this?

But then there was Mrs. Lonsdale. Mrs. Lonsdale, with her sharp eyes and sharper tongue. She had been at the center of every scandal that rocked society in the last decade, always lurking in the shadows, ready to strike with a single whispered rumor. The thought of her knowing about Josephine and me made my blood run cold.

I remembered the last time I had encountered her at a ball—she had been watching us closely, her eyes narrowing as Josephine and I exchanged a glance. I had dismissed it at the time, convincing myself that it was nothing more than idle curiosity. But now I knew better. Now, I knew that Mrs. Lonsdale had a keen sense for scandal, and she had probably pieced together more than I wanted to admit.

The thought of her spreading rumors about Josephine made me want to storm into her home and demand that she stop. But I knew it wouldn’t be that easy. Mrs. Lonsdale thrived on gossip, and any confrontation would only fuel the fire. How could I protect Josephine from this?

I rose from the bed and crossed to the window, the cool night air hitting my face as I pushed it open. The storm had cleared, but the sky was still heavy with clouds, the moon struggling to break through. I leaned against the frame, my thoughts racing. What was I going to do?

I could feel Josephine stirring behind me, her soft voice breaking the silence. “Reginald?”

I turned to see her sitting up, her eyes bleary with sleep but filled with concern. “What’s wrong?” she asked, her voice a quiet whisper in the stillness of the room.

For a moment, I didn’t know what to say. How could I explain the fear that had gripped me since her confession? How could I tell her that as much as I loved her, I was terrified of what would happen next?

“Nothing,” I lied, forcing a smile. “Go back to sleep.”

But Josephine wasn’t fooled. She slipped out of bed and came to stand beside me at the window, her hand reaching for mine. The touch of her fingers against my skin sent a jolt of warmth through me, grounding me in the moment. “Talk to me,” she said, her voice gentle but insistent.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “It’s Mrs. Lonsdale,” I admitted, my voice low. “I think she knows about us. Or at least, she suspects.”

Josephine’s brow furrowed. “Mrs. Lonsdale?” she repeated, her voice tinged with disbelief. “Why would she care?”

“She cares about everyone’s business,” I replied grimly. “She thrives on scandal. If she gets wind of this...”

I didn’t finish the sentence. I didn’t need to. Josephine knew as well as I did what it would mean if someone like Mrs. Lonsdale started spreading rumors. Her reputation, her standing in society—it could all be destroyed with a single whisper.

But instead of fear, I saw something else in Josephine’s eyes. Resolve. “Let her try,” she said, her voice steady. “Let her spread her rumors. I don’t care what society thinks of me, Reginald. I care about us.”

Her words stunned me. How could she be so calm? So certain? I had spent so long worrying about what society would do to her if they found out about us, and here she was, ready to face it head-on without a second thought.

“I’ve never cared what they think,” Josephine continued, her hand tightening around mine. “All I’ve ever cared about is being with you. We’ll find a way through this. We always do.”

Her confidence should have reassured me, but instead, it only deepened my fear. How could she be so sure? How could she not see the danger we were facing? Mrs. Lonsdale wasn’t just any gossip—she was a force of destruction, and once she set her sights on something, she wouldn’t stop until she had torn it apart.

“I’m not afraid of her,” Josephine said, as if reading my thoughts. “I’m not afraid of anything, Reginald. Not as long as we’re together.”

I pulled her into my arms, holding her close as the weight of her words sank in. She was stronger than I had ever realized, stronger than I had given her credit for. And I knew in that moment that I couldn’t let my fear stand in the way of what we had. I couldn’t let it poison the love that had finally been spoken between us.

“We’ll face it together,” I whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “Whatever comes next, we’ll face it together.”

Josephine smiled against my chest, her arms wrapping around me. “Together,” she echoed, her voice soft but resolute.

As the dawn began to break, we sat together by the window, watching the first rays of light creep over the horizon. The world outside was still, the chaos of the night before finally giving way to a quiet calm. But inside me, a new storm was brewing—not one of fear, but one of determination.

I wasn’t going to let anyone take this from us. Not Mrs. Lonsdale, not society, not anyone. Josephine was right. We had faced countless challenges before, and we had always found a way through. This would be no different. We would find a way to protect what we had built, no matter the cost.

“We need to be smart,” I said, my voice breaking the silence. “Mrs. Lonsdale is dangerous. We can’t let her have any ammunition to use against us.”

Josephine nodded, her expression thoughtful. “Then we’ll have to be careful,” she agreed. “We’ll keep our distance in public, make sure there’s nothing she can use to fuel the rumors.”

“But what about the others?” I asked, my mind racing. “There are people in my family... people who would want to see me fall. They’ll use this, Josephine. They’ll use it to destroy us.”

“Then we’ll fight them,” she said simply, her eyes blazing with determination. “We’ll fight them with everything we have.”