by Dawn Brower
Epilogue
Four months later…
It was a hot, sunny summer day, and Teddy wanted to find a dark hole and hide in it. Not because she wasn’t happy, she was blissfully so; however, the heat caused her to be so irritable she disliked herself immensely. She didn’t want to force anyone to spend any time in her company it was that bad. Part of her mood was because of Ezra’s absence. He’d had to go to the country to help Sheffield with some matter. Teddy couldn’t recall what. She’d been half listening to him and had only tuned into the conversation when she realized he was leaving her. She’d pouted plenty but he hadn’t been dissuaded. She missed him terribly and hoped he returned soon. He’d already been gone a sennight.
Teddy strolled into the sitting room at Carrolton House, and stopped short when she realized it was already occupied. Amelia sat on the settee gazing out the window that overlooked the garden. She seemed preoccupied with something. Should she interrupt her thoughts? Amelia’s first season hadn’t ended with an engagement. They still attended the occasional tea party or soiree, but for the most part they stayed in. A lot of the ton had retired to their country estate. They had considered doing something similar, but Ezra’s mother was there and none of them wanted to spend any time in the dowager countesses company. Ezra was having the dower house remodeled so he could make his mother live there, but it would take some time for it to be completed. It might even take the entire summer…
Amelia turned her head and met Teddy’s gaze. “You’re not leaving are you?”
Teddy smiled. “I didn’t wish to disturb you.”
“You’re not,” Amelia reassured her. “I was just lost in thought. I wouldn’t mind some company. Should I order tea?”
It was a good time of the day for it, but Teddy didn’t have much of an appetite. “That would be lovely.”
Amelia and Teddy had become fast friends. She was a friendly woman once she opened up to those around her. She’d had one offer of marriage but Ezra had turned the man away. He was a fortune hunter and the worst sort of scoundrel. Amelia was lucky her brother looked out for her and wasn’t the type to marry her off to the first gentleman that expressed an interest.
Amelia pulled the bell to call for a servant. A maid came in a few moments later. She curtsied. “My ladies,” she greeted them. “What may I assist you with?”
“Tea and cakes,” Amelia told her. She patted her stomach. “I’m a bit famished.”
The maid smiled at her. “I’ll see to it right away.” She turned and left the room once again leaving Amelia and Teddy alone.
Teddy sat on the settee next to Amelia. Her light golden brown hair gleamed in the sunlight shining through the window. “Do you wish to go for a stroll later.”
“Perhaps,” Amelia said noncommittally. “If it cools down a little bit. It’s quite hot today.”
“Blisteringly so,” Teddy agreed. She lifted her fan and waved it over her face. “But I’ve heard that walking helps. I personally cannot fathom how…”
Amelia’s lips twitched. “I find I agree with you there. On a hot day I don’t feel like stirring from this room myself.” She lifted her shoulders slightly. “Truthfully, I don’t like socializing.”
Teddy’s heart ached for her. “I understand. It has never been my favorite pastime either.” How could she encourage Amelia to do something she herself hated? “I was determined to have one season and then never attend a ball again.”
“What changed?” Amelia asked. “Never mind. I think I know the answer to that.”
Teddy chuckled. “You probably guessed correctly too.” She sighed. “Ezra changed everything for me. I didn’t really believe I was loveable until he noticed me.” He hadn’t before that one fateful night, and once he had, her life took a turn she wouldn’t have been able to foresee. “You never really know what might happen. Secluding yourself certainly won’t help.”
Amelia glanced away. “Socializing hasn’t either.” She turned toward her. “You needn’t worry about me. I do not plan on withdrawing from the ton. There are a few individuals I am fond of and I would miss them if I kept to myself.”
“Is there any gentleman you’re fond of?” Was there something that Ezra had missed?
She shook her head slowly, but there was sadness in her eyes. “No,” she said softly. “Any gentleman worth noticing didn’t bother to pay me any attention.”
The maid pushed in the tea cart preventing Teddy from responding. “Would you like me to pour?” the maid asked.
“No,” Teddy told her. “I’ll see to it.” She busied herself with pouring tea in cups, and then passed one to Amelia. “Would you like a cake too?”
“Not yet,” Amelia replied. After she took a sip of tea she turned her attention to Teddy. “How do you know if a gentleman is interested in you?” She stared at her teacup as she spoke.
“It probably helps if they at least speak to you,” Teddy offered. “But honestly…I’m not certain I’m the one you should ask. I can be quite oblivious at times.” Teddy was uncertain every second of her whirlwind courtship with Ezra. If he hadn’t been so persistent she might never have realized he had any sort of feelings for her. “If I can offer one suggestion…”
Amelia glanced up. “What?”
“Don’t worry about what a gentleman thinks of you. Start doing what you like and in time, if the eligible men in this town are smart enough, the right one will cross your path. In the end you need to be happy with your life. Don’t force something that you might come to regret later.”
Amelia didn’t answer right away. “I never considered that. I would like to be happy above all.” She blew out a breath. “It would just be nice to have someone love me as much as my brother loves you.”
“I’m lucky to have Ezra,” Teddy said a little whimsically. She couldn’t ask for a better husband.
“Did I hear my name?” Ezra said as he entered the sitting room.
“It’s about time you returned home,” Amelia chastised him. “You shouldn’t abandon your wife for days on end. What kind of husband are you?” Her eyes twinkled with mischief. “What if she decided she no longer loves you and ran away with some lucky gentleman who would spend the rest of his days cherishing her.”
“I’d have to chase after her and remind her no one loves her as much as I do,” Ezra said. “Then I’d have to take my pistol and shoot the man who dared to try to take my wife from me.” He winked at Teddy. “We made promises to each other. Teddy would never leave me.” He strolled over to her side and pressed his lips to hers lightly. “I’m sorry I was gone so long.”
“It wasn’t that long,” she told him, but her heart nearly burst with happiness at the sight of him. She’d missed him so much. “But I’m glad you are home.”
“Did I interrupt anything?” he asked.
“Nothing of importance,” Amelia said. “We were just having tea. I’ve finished with mine though. I do believe I’ll retrieve a book from the library to entertain myself with.” She stood. “I’m glad you are home too,” she told Ezra. “You were missed.” With those words she left Ezra and Teddy alone.
“Is she all right?” he asked Teddy.
“I believe so,” Teddy answered. She hoped she was right about that. Amelia did seem sad. She would just have to pay attention to her new sister and ensure she didn’t do anything reckless. “The heat has been terrible and I’m afraid it is making all of us a bit disagreeable.”
“As long as I do not need to worry about her.” He sat on the settee next to her, then pulled her into his arms. “I am not going to complain about her abrupt departure. I rather like having you all to myself.” He settled Teddy on his lap. “Kiss me and tell me you love me.”
“You’re so demanding,” she complained, but she was inwardly thrilled. “What if I don’t want to kiss you.”
He lifted a brow. “Did you have something else in mind.”
“Hmmm…” Teddy tapped her finger on her cheek. “I could take a nap.”
“That’s a bri
lliant suggestion.” He set her down on the settee, stood, then lifted her into his arms. “No need to walk. I’ll make sure you arrive in our bedchambers in all due haste.”
“Stop,” she said through laugher she couldn’t control.
“I’m afraid that is impossible now.” He was carrying her up the stairs. Her laughter echoed around them. “You require some time in bed, and I cannot wait to join you there. It’s been a very long sennight.”
That it has… That it has… She wrapped her arms around his neck as they entered their room. He kicked the door closed with his foot. “I love you,” she said and pressed her lips to his. Teddy wouldn’t deny Ezra anything, and he’d never refuse her anything either. She was happy. He loved her and it was more than she ever hoped for.
“I love you too,” he whispered against her ear. “I don’t ever want to be separated from you again.”
“I can agree to that,” she said.
Happiness could be found in the most unexpected ways. Teddy had once declared she’d never fall in love. Thank heavens she had been wrong. Ezra kissed her again and the world around her disappeared. It was just the two of them for a good long while after that…
Afterword
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Excerpt: Never Dare a Hellion
Neverhartts Book Three
Prologue
A warm summer breeze tousled Lady Christiana Neverhartt’s loose, pale blonde curls. Not that she cared. Her maid would have a fit when she had to disentangle them later, but for now, it was worth every second she spent outdoors. She hated being cooped up inside. Most days, her parents didn’t pay her any attention. They were too embroiled in their own affairs, and that suited Chris fine.
“Where are we going?” Carolina asked. Her twin sister’s blonde curls were plaited, and no strands dared come undone. Chris and Carly were identical in appearance, but Chris tended to be more unruly in personality and form. “Shouldn’t we go inside?”
“Carly I am disappointed in you.” Chris wrinkled her nose. “There are more adventurous things than burying your nose in a book.”
“I could say I’m equally disappointed in you. A well-educated mind will help you far more in life than all these schemes you devise.” Carly lifted her chin. “Besides, some adventures can only truly be discovered inside the pages of a book. Ladies are not given the same choices as men.”
“Well, I don’t care,” she told her sister. “I’m going to do whatever I choose, and all the gentlemen who stand in my way will rue the day they tried to stop me.”
Carly chuckled. “Somehow, I think you’ll do it too.” She shook her head. “I’m not as brave as you are.”
“But you’re much smarter,” Chris told her. “We have to use the gifts given to us if we hope to have any say in our lives.” She hugged her sister, then stepped back. “Don’t worry. I’ll be brave enough for the both of us.”
She fully intended to. Their older sisters, Billie and Teddy, tried to look out for them, but there was only so much they could do. It was the way things were. Chris and Carly were barely five and ten. Teddy was two years older, and Billie three. Their parents hadn’t been the best and often neglected them. Chris feared what would happen if their father managed to bankrupt them completely.
“I don’t need you to be brave for me,” Carly said, bringing Chris out of her own thoughts. “I need you to be a little more considerate of the consequences to your actions.”
“I can’t make any promises,” Chris said solemnly. “I’ll break them, and you know it.”
Carly sighed. “Fine. Let’s do something less risky today, and then I can return to my book.”
“What did you have in mind?” Chris lifted a brow. It wouldn’t be as daring as something she’d plan, but Carly could surprise her from time to time.
Her twin tilted her head to the side and tapped her chin with her forefinger. “We haven’t been riding in a while.”
“We only have one horse.” Chris rolled her eyes. For their birthday the previous year, their father had given them a horse to share. It was irritating because they couldn’t go riding together. It was a surprise that he’d given them something so extravagant to begin with. On any other birthday, they’d been lucky he’d remembered it at all. They did adore that horse though.
“We can ride together. It’ll be fun.”
“You don’t think that would be too risky?” She lifted a brow. “We won’t be able to ride properly if we do.”
“Then we won’t,” Carly replied and then shrugged. “We’ll ride like men and have Calliope run at a full gallop.” She leaned close and taunted her, “Unless you’re too afraid.”
“Nothing scares me.” Chris would not admit if she were. She had to act the part even when she was terrified. Sometimes she was scared, but didn’t feel as if she could actually show any weakness. With the constant turmoil they lived in she didn’t believe she could afford to give in, and let her fears rule her. She had to be strong, for herself, and for her family. “Let’s do it.”
They walked side by side toward the stables. It took them a quarter hour to reach them. Most of the horses and carriages had been sold to pay household bills. They had one carriage and matching pair, and Calliope. The mare was a deep chestnut with a black mane and tail. She was beautiful.
“This was a grand idea,” Chris said. “I’m glad you suggested it.”
They walked into the stables and stopped short. Their father was inside by Calliope’s stall. There was a younger gentleman with him. He had dark hair so black it was the color of the night sky. He had a lean build and held himself with a confidence that was almost disconcerting.
“She looks pretty enough,” the man said.
“She’s the best. I promise,” their father told him.
The man stared at Calliope and frowned. “I don’t like this. I’d prefer you pay your debt in another way.”
Their father shook his head. “Unless you want me to give you one of my daughters as payment, the horse is all I have.”
Chris had never been so appalled in her life. Surely he wasn’t serious? Would he really consider selling one of them to pay a debt. Her stomach churned, and she felt as if she might lose the contents within it. She couldn’t let her father do it. That was her horse, and she wanted to keep it. She stomped forward and demanded, “What are you doing?”
“Go inside,” her father ordered. His eyes had widened with surprise when he first caught sight of them, but it had quickly turned to anger. Chris was famililar with this reaction. He was embarrassed he’d been caught doing something his family wouldn’t approve of. Not that he’d apologize. Her father didn’t believe in saying he was sorry for anything. “This has nothing to do with you.”
“It has everything to do with me,” she told him. “That’s my horse.”
“I do not have time for your theatrics. Go. Inside. Now.” Her father’s tone was harsh and unrelenting. Chris knew she shouldn’t push him, but she couldn’t stop once she started.
“No,” she said like a petulant child. “I came here to ride my horse, and I’m going to.”
“Can’t you control your child?” the man drawled. “This is rather unseemly.”
Chris turned to the man and sucked in a breath. Up close, he was devastatingly handsome. His eyes were the color of grass on a bright summer day. The contrast with his dark hair was appealing. His face was, to put it simply, almost pretty. He was the type of man fairytales were written about. A man so gorgeous should not exist. “Perhaps you should be the one to leave if you find my presence so offensive.”
He ignored her and said, “I suppose this is one of the daughters you offered instead of the horse. I’m going to have to decline to accept her. She’s too unruly for my taste. The horse
will have to do.”
How dare he! “It’s a good thing I’m not available for you to take instead. I’d never go anywhere with you.”
The man turned to her then. Having his full attention on her did not help her fascination with him. Why did he have to be so darn attractive? “Love,” he said in a voice so sweet it gave her a toothache. “If I wanted you, trust me, you’d willingly fall at my feet.” He turned to her father and said, “Send the horse to Foxworth Hall. I’ll consider the debt paid.”
“You won’t regret this,” her father said.
The man nodded and walked past her. Carly came to her side and hugged her. It was no surprise her sister had remained silent through the encounter. She didn’t like to cross their father. “Who was that?” Chris asked.
“That, my dear, was the Marquess of Foxworth. You’ll remember that name. He is not a man to cross.”
Chris fully intended to remember his name. Cross him? She’d do more than that. One day, she’d meet him again and she’d make him understand that she was not a lady to trifle with, and damn it all, she’d never fall at his feet.
Chapter 1
Two years later…
Chris stared out the window of Miss Agatha’s School for Young Ladies, the finishing school she’d been exiled to. She had been sent to her chambers as punishment. Not a day had gone by since she’d been sent to the school that she hadn’t been sent into seclusion for a minor indiscretion. She was always finding trouble. Chris liked being naughty. In some ways, it was an integral part of her personality, and she refused to apologize for being herself.
The worst part of her exile…not being near her twin. The Duke of Graystone, her sister’s husband, had decided they would benefit from being separated. Chris had been sent to Scotland, and Carly to Wales. A plain old English school wasn’t good enough for either of them. Graystone had decided they needed as much distance as possible from each other.