The Smithfield Market Romances: A Sweet Regency Romance Boxset

by Rose Pearson

  Laura laughed and shook her head, hardly able to believe it.

  “It seems you have thought of everything, Royston,” she breathed, her world suddenly filled with light and color. “The girls will be so glad to be with their own cook. She knows just what to feed them and does marvelously well with so little food….although I doubt that will be the case with you, given your generous heart.”

  His finger trailed down her cheek, making her blush. “You have such a trust in me, my dear lady. Yes, they will be like my own children. I have always longed for a house full of children, even though that is not something that many Dukes wish for, by all accounts!” Tilting his head just a little, he let his smile linger. “Be that as it may, I will have what I desire most of all – a life filled with love, where you are by my side.”

  Swallowing her tears, Laura threw her arms around his neck yet again, only to be caught by a sudden thought.

  “But what of Mary Sanders?” she asked, leaning back out of his embrace. “If the girls leave the orphanage, then she will simply have to find more to come and fill it. I cannot allow her to treat them in the way she has treated these girls.”

  “Always so tender-hearted,” he murmured, gently. “You are quite right to be concerned, my dear, for Mary Sanders is not the kind of lady who should be running any orphanage.” His expression grew a little darker as he grimaced. “The love of money is all that she cares about. It consumes her, in fact, for it is all that she thinks of. That is why she forced those girls to live in such a way. Therefore, I have informed her that I have bought the orphanage outright, giving her a fair sum in the process.”

  Her mind scrambled to accept what this meant.

  “She will have no need to run an orphanage anywhere, my love,” the Duke finished, gently. “She will have enough to live modestly until the end of her days which, I believe, she fully intends to do. I will not pretend that giving such a greedy, conniving woman additional funds was something I was particularly pleased about, but I preferred it to allowing her to set up another establishment such as this.”

  “I could not agree more,” Laura replied, hoarsely. “Oh, Royston, is this really true?”

  He pressed a kiss to her cheek. “It is,” he murmured. “I could not be without you, my love, and this idea seemed to bring all the pieces of my life together again.” Holding her again for another moment, he drew in a breath and let it out again before smiling broadly.

  “Now,” he said, a little more briskly. “You are to come with myself and Elouise as we return to Lady Alice’s townhouse for dinner. You are also to reside with us overnight before we return to Royston manor in the morning.”

  Laura felt her heart flutter with excitement. “And the girls?”

  He chuckled. “I have purloined a few of my sister’s maids to assist them in their preparations for tomorrow, and have had to hire additional carriages, horses and tigers with which to drive them all back to the manor!” Gently, he brushed his fingers along her cheek. “You need not worry, my dear, they will all be quite safe and ready to leave with us tomorrow. Mary Sanders is to quit the house and the grounds by this evening and my steward, Mr. Franks, will be here to oversee things. You see? It will all come together, just as it should.”

  Her heart was beating with such overwhelming joy that for a moment, she was entirely robbed of speech. Her love for Royston was burning with such a strong, passionate fire that she could feel it searing through her veins, filling every part of her with joy.

  “Shall you come with me, my love?”

  Without hesitating, she took his offered arm and clung to him, her eyes fixed to his. “Of course I will, Royston,” she whispered, happily. “I do love you so very much.”

  His lips brushed her gently. “And I love you, my dear Laura. I am already looking forward to taking you home.”

  18

  “John!”

  Turning, John chuckled as he saw his sister hurry into the drawing room, clearly delighted to see him.

  “Alice,” he smiled, feeling happier than he’s ever thought possible. “Everything has gone wonderfully.”

  She clapped her hands together before embracing him. “Oh, John. I am so happy for you. I always knew she would say yes.”

  He cleared his throat, feeling a little awkward all of a sudden. “Actually,” he said, his eyes darting from place to place. “I did not quite ask her.”

  Alice’s mouth dropped open, her smile fading. “John! What on earth were you thinking?”

  “I fully intend to do so,” he protested, raising his hands. “She was just so astonished that I thought should I say any more, she might collapse in a faint!”

  “You cannot simply bring her back to the Royston’s estate without at the very least being betrothed,” Alice said, firmly. “I will not allow it, John.”

  Laughing at her insistence, John sat down in a seat and encouraged his sister to sit with him. “Alice, I have every intention of marrying her, have no doubt. It was such a surprise to her when I asked if she would return to the estate with all of the girls that I thought she would be overcome.” Recalling how she had looked up at him – first with confusion and then with overwhelming joy, John felt his lips tug into a wide smile. “She is the most amazing young lady I have ever had the opportunity to meet, Alice. I know she will be the most wonderful wife.”

  Alice lifted one eyebrow. “And you shall have a brood of thirteen adopted daughters with you!”

  That did make John catch his breath, but only for a moment. “I have everything in place. There are three governesses, the cook from the orphanage, a new host of maids and even a nurse to ensure that the youngest are well cared for.”

  A small, rather contented sigh escaped from Alice. “And you shall finally make use of all of those spare bedrooms in the east part of the estate, John.” She smiled at him, her eyes sparkling. “All in all, my dear brother, I think you have done very well. You are a very different man from the man I returned to almost a year ago.”

  That made him smile, aware of just how much his sister had done for him. “You always had the very best intentions for me, did you not? And if you had not persisted in trying to help me, then I would still be struggling in the dark. You were the one who came to London and found Laura and Elouise in the first place. There is so much that I need to thank you for that I do not quite know where to begin or how to say it.”

  Alice reached over and pressed his hand. “You do not need to thank me, John. Seeing your happiness, seeing Elouise and Laura so wonderfully content is more than enough for me. Finally, I can think of my own future without any great concern for yours.”

  John regarded her curiously, his grin spreading across his face. “Does this mean, my dear sister, that you have finally chosen which gentleman’s suit you will accept?”

  Lifting one shoulder, Alice laughed and shook her head. “I’m afraid not, John, for they are both very charming. But fear not, the moment I do decide, you will be the very first to know.” Her eyes brightened. “And you will be able to look into them for as long as you wish and as thoroughly as you wish before I accept their suit.”

  “I shall do just that,” John replied, getting to his feet and bowing towards her, making her laugh. “And now, if you will excuse me, I think I hear a carriage approaching.”

  The moment Laura stepped into the hallway, John felt himself practically glow with happiness. She looked so delightfully happy, although her eyes were searching all over the place until, finally, she spotted him standing on the stairs.

  “Royston,” she breathed, holding her hands out to him. “Oh, Royston, I can hardly believe this! Here I am, finally, with all of my worldly things in the carriage….” She shook her head as he took her hands, her eyes still filled with astonishment as though she still could not take it in. “Is Elouise here?”

  He nodded. “She is resting, I believe. She is quite worn out after all of her happiness with her friends.”

  “She was glad to see them,” Laura m
urmured, not taking her eyes from him. “Just as I was glad to see her. I cannot believe that we are going to be together, all together, for the rest of our days.”

  John was about to say something more, but the butler appeared to take Laura’s bonnet and gloves, asking if he could bring tea and refreshments for the lady. John, a little frustrated at the interruption said that they would be in the drawing room and led Laura away quickly, turning his head to catch the butler’s eye and give him a stern shake of the head. He hoped the fellow understood that he was not to be disturbed for at least half an hour. He could not wait any longer before telling Laura everything he wanted in his future.

  “Where is Lady Alice?” Laura asked as they entered the quiet room. “I thought she would be here.”

  Relieved that his sister had left the room – most likely to give him the time and the space required to speak to Laura with what was on his heart – he held Laura’s delicate hand in his own, marveling at how soft and warm it was. There was so much he wanted to say to her, so much that he wanted to express and yet it was hard to find the words. His throat grew dry, his tongue sticking to the roof of his mouth as he took in her beautiful blue eyes, looking trustingly up at him as he turned to face her.

  “Laura,” he said, softly. “There is so much that I want to say to you and yet I find it difficult to put my thoughts into words. When I look back on the life I was living, lost in my grief and sorrow, I can barely recognize myself. Alice brought you and Elouise into my life – by force, I will admit,” he said, with a quiet laugh, “but regardless it was your sharp words and refusal to allow me to treat you with disdain that forced me to reconsider things. That was the first shard of light into my life, I think.”

  Laura laughed softly, looking up at him. “I still remember how you came storming out of your quarters in such a furious rage at nothing more than a game of ‘hide and go-seek’,” she smiled, shaking her head at the memory. “You frightened me, although I may not have shown you that.”

  “You impressed me with your courage, your fortitude, and your strength,” he murmured, gently stroking back an escaped tendril of hair. “And with your ability to beat me in chess – which I confess I still cannot believe!”

  Her laughter lit up the room. “You could not believe it, as I recall.”

  “I still cannot believe it,” he said, gently, lifting her chin with his finger. “My dear love, I cannot return to Royston manor without you by my side – as my betrothed.”

  Her smile faded from her face, her eyes widening and for a moment, John thought she might faint. Catching her deftly around the waist, he felt her step back slightly, but recovered herself, her fingers now wrapped tightly around his upper arms.

  “What is it that you are asking me, Royston?” she whispered, her lips trembling as her face paled. “Are you….”

  “I want you to be my wife, Laura,” he replied, gently. “Say that you will be by my side every day of my life. Say that you will raise our thirteen daughters together,” he laughed, as her cheeks brightened with color. “Say that you will bear our children and watch them grow, that you will spend your life with me at Royston manor, until the day we grow old.”

  Holding her tightly, John waited quietly for a moment as Laura drew in a deep breath, no longer looking as astonished as before. Instead, her lips curved into a smile, her eyes fixing on his.

  “Oh, Royston,” she replied, her voice hoarse and filled with emotion. “It is more than I ever dreamed of. Of course, yes, I will marry you. I will be your wife.”

  Slumping a little with relief, he held her close for a moment before seeking her lips, kissing her gently. She responded to him with more passion than he had ever experienced before, buoyed by the promise of a life together with him.

  “Goodness!”

  She stumbled back all of a sudden, one hand pressed to her mouth. For a horrible moment, John thought she meant to refuse him, thought that she meant to say she could not wed him – only to see her lips quirking from behind her hand.

  “Oh, Royston, I shall be a duchess!” she exclaimed, having clearly only just recognized such a thing. “An orphaned girl to a duchess! How shall I ever fulfill everything that is expected of me?”

  He reached for her and caught her hand, thinking to himself that she would make the most wonderful duchess.

  “My love,” he replied, gently. “You will be a wonderful duchess and a wonderful mother to your girls – and to our own children, should we be blessed with them. You may know that I am not the most…..proper Duke, given my desire to have a house full of children and a complete disregard for what any of my neighbors and friends might think of my behavior – which is why I am quite sure that you will be a truly remarkable duchess. You are just the same as I. You care little for what people think and focus entirely on caring for those around you. You give more and more of yourself for the good of others and it is this that matters the most to me, Laura. Your generous nature, your kind heart, and gentle spirit are a treasure. Etiquette and expectation mean nothing, my love. You are already more than enough.”

  A single tear dropped to her cheek and he brushed it away with a gentle kiss, looking deeply into her eyes as she smiled up at him, clearly reassured.

  “I want to give you the life you deserve, my love,” he finished gently. “For you have already given me back my own.”

  “Then I will be your duchess, Royston,” came her quiet whisper. “And you will have my heart for the rest of my days.”

  He made to kiss her, only for the door to fly open and Alice to burst inside, with Elouise by her side.

  “Oh, we heard it all!” Alice exclaimed as Elouise threw her arms around Laura. “I am so very glad, so very glad!”

  John laughed aloud as she embraced him, seeing Elouise looking up at Laura with shining eyes.

  “You are to be my mother, then?” Elouise said, as Laura held her hands. “Truly?”

  “Truly,” Laura whispered, looking down at Elouise with sheer joy in her expression. “I shall be your mother, and Betty’s mother, and Mary’s mother, and Sarah’s mother – in fact, mother to all of our dear girls. You shall be sisters, all of you, and we shall live happily together in Royston manor, as one family bound together with love, affection, and happiness.”

  Elouise sighed contentedly. “That sounds truly wonderful,” she said, glancing back at John, her face a picture of happiness.

  “Yes,” he agreed, his heart full to the brim as he took in the scene before him. “And I think that is just what it will be.”

  19

  Laura looked up at John’s smiling face as the carriages rolled up the gravel drive. They had already been at Royston manor for a day, having made exceptionally good time on their return journey, which had allowed them some time to ensure everything was in place for the girls. Sometimes, Laura had been forced to stop and pause in whatever task she’d been doing, hardly believing that this was truly to be her life. It felt like a dream at times, a dream she might wake up from at any minute and find herself back in Mary Sander’s orphanage, doing her best to keep the girls fed, educated and happy. But now, finally, she was to have both her own dreams fulfilled, and that of the girls. They had what each of them had longed for – a home of their own, a home where they would be loved and cared for without any fear of being thrown aside – and she to live her life with the man she had come to love, the man who had become more to her than any other.

  The Duke of Royston.

  Even now, looking up at him, she could hardly believe that she was to be his wife and a duchess at that! When the realization had first hit her, she had been flabbergasted, thinking to herself that she would never be able to fulfil all that was expected of a duchess, but Royston had, in his own quiet and gentle way, put her mind at ease. The etiquette, the conversation, the manners and the expectations of a duchess would not be put on her shoulders. All he wanted from her was her love and her devotion, to both him and to the girls who she could now think of as her daughter
s. Love and devotion were the very things she wanted to give.

  “Here they are,” he said, reaching for her hand and holding it tightly as the girls waved at them from their carriages, broad smiles of excitement on every single face. “Our girls, my dear. Finally, they have come home.”

  The moment the carriages stopped, the girls practically fell from the doors, running towards Laura as fast as they could. She embraced them each in turn, hearing them all talking at once and laughing aloud at the joy that filled her. She could barely make out what anyone was saying and ended up picking Mary up, holding her on her hip as the child put her arms around her neck and held her tightly.

  “You are quite safe, my darling girl,” Laura breathed into her blonde hair. “Quite safe, I promise. You have done remarkably well.”

  “She did very well, miss,” said one of the maids who had been accompanying the girls in the carriage. “Didn’t fuss but the once, even though the drive was a long one.”

  Laura smiled and hugged Mary close. “Thank you. I think the girls will all need to rest for a while before dinner. Come along, girls. Let me show you to your rooms.”

  Betty, the eldest stared at her for a moment, her eyes wide with astonishment.

  “Whatever is the matter?” Laura asked, reaching for her hand. “Betty, are you quite all right?”

  Betty’s mouth open and shut and then opened again. “Do you mean, Miss Laura,” she breathed, surprise written across her face. “Do you mean that we have our own bedrooms?”

  Laura, realizing her surprise, smiled gently and pressed her hand tighter. “Oh, Betty. Your life is changing in so many ways. Yes, you have your own bedchamber, my dear, with a connecting door to Judith’s room. The youngest will share a bedchamber and they have a nurse to take care of them. You shall have a life like you have never known before, my dear, and all because of the Duke’s kindness to us all.”