Inheriting Trouble: A Sweet Regency Romance (The Bequest Series Book 1)

by Wendy May Andrews

  “I beg to differ.”

  Georgia must have realized there were many ears attentive to their conversation. She glanced around at the gathered servants, and even her friend was dawdling on the staircase.

  Rolling her eyes and laughing a little, she gestured toward the front room. “Very well, my lord. You can have five minutes to say whatever you think might be important.”

  Crispin smiled over her long-suffering air. “Your siblings must adore you,” he commented.

  “Only some of the time,” she answered with a smile, catching his joke.

  She didn’t completely close the door to allow for some propriety, but Crispin figured their voices would be muffled sufficiently as she steered him toward the settee at the far side of the room.

  As she took her seat she prompted, “Very well, my lord, what did you have to say?”

  Crispin cleared his throat, suddenly nervous as he was finally faced with declaring himself. “I was hoping you could explain why you left in such a way last night.”

  She stared at him as though he were suddenly speaking gibberish. “Truly, my lord?”

  “Crispin,” he said. “Could you not call me by my name?”

  “No, I could not,” she retorted. She continued to stare at him, not answering his first question. Not that he had phrased it as a question, he realized.

  He cleared his throat again. “Were you offended by what I said?” he asked gently, nervous that she would say yes.

  “Offended? Not precisely, my lord. I would like to think you meant well, but I do not think you need to pay penance for the rest of your life for one mistaken episode of gossip.”

  She looked so uncomfortable that Crispin was hard pressed not to pull her into his arms. But under the circumstances, that might not be well received. He cleared his throat again and fought the urge to loosen his cravat.

  “It would not be penance, my dear. It would be an honour for me to take you as my wife.”

  She had avoided looking at him for the last minute, but she again brought her gaze back to focus on his face. He was beginning to think the colour in her cheeks was brought by anger if the spark in her eye was anything to go by.

  “Really, my lord? You think I will believe that? You think it would be an honour to have me as your wife? You don’t even like women very much, let alone trust them. How could you possibly consider having a wife to be an honour?”

  Crispin was surprised she had read his feelings so well. He had thought he had hidden them better than that. But then again, he had discussed Christopher’s mother with her, so it had probably leaked through.

  “I have enough intelligence to be able to discern that you are different from most women. That is one of the things I like most about you.” He heard how stiff his voice sounded, but his words were sincere.

  Her stare turned pointed as her left eyebrow inched upward. “I don’t feel as though you know me at all, my lord. How could you possibly think you have overcome your aversion to marriage sufficiently in such a short amount of time? To me, it seems like the means to make both of us miserable for the rest of our days.”

  “Do you really think you would find more happiness with whichever shopkeeper you choose from your village to marry?” Crispin’s arrogance got the best of him, and he allowed his pique to show.

  “I most certainly do. I will bring much of value to such a marriage, my lord. I would feel like a true partner. I know ten pounds means next to nothing to someone like you, but to me and anyone from the village, it is a great deal. With it, my partner and I will be able to build a solid life that will provide for us and my siblings and any other family we might be blessed with.”

  Her dignity and pride brought a choked feeling to Crispin as he recognized he might not be able to convince her to have him, but in that moment, he realized he would have to persuade her.

  “But I could do so much more for your family,” he exclaimed.

  Her eyes welled with tears. “Monetarily, perhaps, but you forget that I’ve had the misfortune of witnessing how you treat those in your care. Do you really think I would commit my brothers and sisters to the same fate as Christopher?”

  Heat rose in Crispin’s face, but he would not allow her words to make him defensive. “That is why I need you to show me the way,” he said softly. “You want to be an equal partner in your marriage? You wouldn’t get that from me, I’m afraid. You are so much better than me. All I have to offer is my money and title. But you can show me how to live. Me and Christopher. I swear to you, I want to do better by the boy, but I haven’t a clue where to even start. Except with you. You already showed me the need to start.” Crispin tried to explain it to her.

  “I spent an hour with him today before coming here. It was awkward at first, but we’re finding our way. I told him a little bit about my other holdings. He has only seen Crossley and our London house, but there are others he will need to learn about.”

  This seemed to catch her attention, and he noticed she was softening her stance toward him. “I told him I would get him a pony. I’m a little cross that his governess hasn’t had him riding yet, but I can see that it ought to have been me. You wouldn’t believe how excited he was when I promised to teach him to ride.”

  “Of course, I would believe it. I have two brothers, remember? Even my sisters would probably be excited over a promise like that.”

  “I could teach them, too, if you’d like.”

  This brought resistance back into her face, so Crispin continued. “You’ve showed me how to make a start with Christopher, but I beg of you, show me the rest.”

  One hot tear spilled over and slid down her cheek. Crispin couldn’t bear it. He reached out and wiped it away. She pulled back only slightly. “You needn’t marry me for that, my lord. I’d be happy to help you with him. He is a dear boy.”

  Crispin sensed victory was no longer so far out of reach. He didn’t want to frighten her, but he pressed his advantage. “How could we properly get your help if you run back to your village shopkeeper? We will need you nearby to show us how to go on.”

  He watched as the walls she had erected to hide her feelings began crumbling. She was not so indifferent to him, but her fears were still holding her back.

  “What about when he’s grown, won’t you grow tired of me and wish you had never made such a commitment? Perhaps you just need to hire me as a governess for a time.”

  “Don’t be daft,” he whispered softly. “It would be highly inappropriate to do this with the governess,” he said as he finally pulled her into his arms. His first brush of her lips was tentative, gauging her reaction. But when she didn’t pull away, he pressed for more.

  He felt her resistance melting but it was momentary. Much to Crispin’s surprise, despite her briefly enthusiastic participation in the kiss, she pulled back. He had to allow her to step out of his arms.

  ~~~

  Georgia crossed her arms to prevent herself from throwing them around him. She had never been so torn in her life. “I have responsibilities, my lord. I cannot so easily allow my head to be turned.”

  “Crossley is a very large estate, Georgia. I would be happy to have your brothers and sisters there with us.”

  She lifted her eyebrows at him, trying to keep a barrier of indifference, but it was nearly impossible. She couldn’t pretend after kissing him that she didn’t care anything for him, but she had to think like a mother, even if she were only a big sister.

  “Do you really expect me to believe that in the space of a day you have gone from denying you have a son to being willing to take five children into your heart? Because children need love, my lord. I would not stand for anything less for them.”

  She refused to be embarrassed by the dawning understanding that seemed to brighten his eyes as he watched her.

  “Are you trying to ask about my feelings, Georgia? My feelings about children? Or my feelings about you?”

  Georgia kept her arms crossed and her chin high, but she could feel ho
t colour splashing her cheeks. She couldn’t answer him, but she watched him carefully.

  “Perhaps we ought to sit,” the earl observed before suiting actions to his words. A lifetime of polite behaviour caused Georgia to sit stiffly beside him.

  “I can understand your reluctance to believe me. I have been quite resistant to the thought of remarrying. Up until yesterday, anyway.” His tone was gentle, as though he were reciting a well-worn story. Georgia found herself fascinated and relaxed slightly. He continued.

  “My wife’s riding accident occurred under uncomfortable circumstances. She had luggage with her, and it is understood she was running away from me. From me and her son, in fact. She was a selfish young woman, and I was left with a distaste for any wellborn woman and absolutely no desire to remarry.”

  Georgia couldn’t really blame him for his feelings, but she couldn’t allow her brothers and sisters to be put into harm’s way despite her urge to try to help him. She had no words so was thankful when he again continued.

  “You have made it unavoidably evident that you are nothing like my first wife. Your loyalty to your friends and your siblings sets you apart from any other young woman I’ve met, but you’re in a different world altogether from the sort of woman my wife was. You have forced me to see that I could have a very different life than the one I have been living. And I owe it to Christopher to try to create a family for him.”

  He grasped her hand and Georgia allowed it. Once more, she felt her resistance melting. Her heart turned over, and she knew it wasn’t just his handsome looks that she found attractive. The fact that he would admit to his feelings made her think there was hope for him. This thought brought a trembling smile to her lips, and she watched hope brightening Crispin’s face once more.

  “I think Christopher could use siblings. If you wouldn’t mind lending him yours, I’d be grateful. And I would be delighted to add some younger siblings to the family as well.”

  Georgia’s face flamed at that.

  “You are uncharacteristically silent, Georgia,” the earl complained, but he had a gentle smile on his face as he did so. “Could you please tell me what you’re thinking? I don’t know how I can bear to face a future without you. You seemed quite enamored with my son, perhaps you could agree to marry me for his sake.”

  Finally, Georgia laughed. “Well maybe for his sake, I could consider it.”

  ~~~

  Crispin pulled her into his arms but didn’t press for more yet. He knew he would frighten her away and needed to be sure of her feelings.

  “I promise I’ll never treat any children harshly ever again. Not yours, not mine, not ours. Of course, I’ll be firm with them if needed, but I swear to you, I’ll try to contain my darker feelings in the future.”

  The expression on her face made his heart soar. Crispin almost shook his head over the ridiculously mawkish thought. The duke would be thrilled, was another irrelevant thought that flitted through his head. He squeezed the young woman in his arms.

  “Say something, I beg of you. I am declaring myself like a mutton head and telling you I love you, and you can’t say anything at all? You normally have more than enough to say.”

  Georgia finally laughed, but her expression turned reproachful. “Expressing your feelings is not mutton headed, Crispin.”

  Cris was thrilled to hear her use his name for the first time but allowed her to continue.

  “But the fact is that you have not told me you love me.”

  “That has been the point of this entire conversation, my darling girl,” he answered.

  “You left that part out,” she said with another laugh. Finally, she told him what he was desperately waiting to hear. “There’s another fact I should add. I’ve been fighting it since I met you, but I rather think I’ve fallen in love with you. I didn’t want to, you know.”

  “I know,” he answered, squeezing her tighter.

  “But it couldn’t be helped.” She grinned at him. “Oh, the boys are going to be thrilled about the phaeton. Do you really promise to teach them how to drive?”

  “I’ll teach them everything I know.”

  “Maybe not everything,” she murmured as his head was descending for another toe-curling kiss. He almost stopped to laugh, but now was not the time.

  Epilogue

  It was the match of the Season.

  Rosabel and Hilaria were furious that their little sister’s companion was married before they were, but Vigilia was beside herself as she stood up as witness for her best friend.

  “Now we can always be together,” Vicky sighed with delight.

  There had, of course, been the awkwardness about her supposed inheritance, but Crispin had solved that neatly. “We’ll just explain that we’re tying up your money into dowries for your sisters and any future daughters. I’ve got more money than people even realize, so I’ll set them all up. No one need ever know that there wasn’t much of an inheritance to be concerned about.”

  “But what about my father?”

  “He’s welcome at Crossley, too.”

  “But how will we explain his lack of funds?”

  “Surely you can learn to look down your nose at people and question why they’re asking.”

  Georgia gurgled with laughter, a common occurrence when they were together. It was a delicious state of happiness that kept her nearly giddy with joy. Crispin hadn’t been willing to wait very long to make her his wife. He insisted upon procuring a special license and marrying her at the end of her two weeks as Vicky’s companion.

  “You can have the two weeks you promised her, but then you’re mine,” he had said. “I cannot possibly wait any longer than that. In fact, why don’t you stay here with her, and I’ll go collect your family in the meantime?”

  Georgia had stared at him in shock. “Truly? You plan to have them join your household immediately?”

  “Why not? You aren’t likely to be willing to leave them behind, and I’m not willing to leave you behind.”

  Georgia was reflecting on all that had transpired in the last fortnight as they made their way out of the city. Crispin had promised they would return shortly, but he wanted to start their new lives on his estate. He had also insisted that all the children ride in a separate carriage.

  “I’m eager to learn to share my life with all these children, but riding in a carriage with them is not where I want to start,” he had explained firmly.

  “I can’t believe Lady Sherton was so much help in getting this all organized so quickly,” she mused as she leaned on her new husband in the swaying carriage.

  “She said it was good practice for the five weddings she has in her future.”

  “I’m so glad Rosabel finally accepted one of her proposals. Maybe Vicky won’t have to wait so very long to find her own match.”

  “I don’t think you need to worry about any of them.”

  “No,” Georgia sighed with a smile. “I think we’re all going to live happily ever after.”

  The End

  About the Author

  I’ve been writing pretty much since I learned to read when I was five years old. Of course, those early efforts were basically only something a mother could love :-). I put writing aside after I left school and stuck with reading. I am an avid reader. I love words. I will read anything, even the cereal box, signs, posters, etc. But my true love is novels.

  Almost ten years ago my husband dared me to write a book instead of always reading them. I didn’t think I’d be able to do it, but to my surprise I love writing. Those early efforts eventually became my first published book – Tempting the Earl (published by Avalon Books in 2010). There were some ups and downs in my publishing efforts. My first publisher was sold and I became an “orphan” author, back to the drawing board of trying to find a publishing house. It has been a thrilling adventure as I learned to navigate the world of publishing.

  I believe firmly that everyone deserves a happily ever after. I want my readers to be able to escape from t
he everyday for a little while and feel upbeat and refreshed when they get to the end of my books.

  When not reading or writing, I can be found traipsing around my neighborhood admiring the dogs and greenery or travelling the world with my favorite companion.

  Stay in touch:

  Website Facebook Instagram Twitter

  If you loved this book, check out my two other Regency series:

  Book 1 of The Ladies of Mayfair series

  The Governess' Debut

  The governess must charm both the spoiled child and the haughty earl.

  Orphaned and destitute, gently born Felicia Scott must find a way to keep a roof over her head. No longer able to enter the Marriage Mart, but also not of the servant class, the only option is to find a position as governess.

  After his spoiled, seven year old daughter has sent off three governesses in the 18 months since her mother died, the Earl of Standish doubts the young, inexperienced Miss Scott could possible manage the position. Since he’s desperate and she comes so highly recommended, the earl agrees to give her a chance. Much to everyone’s amazement, the beautiful, young governess succeeds where the others had failed. The entire household benefits from the calm, including the jaded earl.

  How does he overcome his arrogance to see his governess’ true value?

  Available now on Amazon

  If you like Regencies with a touch of adventure, you will love the Mayfair Mayhem series.

  Book 1:

  The Duke Conspiracy

  Anything is possible with a spying debutante, a duke, and a conspiracy.

  Growing up, Rose and Alex were the best of friends until their families became embroiled in a feud. Now, the Season is throwing them into each other’s company. Despite the spark of attraction they might feel for one another, they each want very different things in life, besides needing to support their own family’s side in the dispute.