My cheeks flamed with embarrassment and the lingering warmth of Gregory’s lips. “Father, I. . . .” There was nothing to say, no excuse to make. Except that I couldn’t be sorry.
Gregory relaxed his grip, one of his hands sliding down my arm to my hand. “Mr. Brinton, I have asked your daughter to marry me. She has consented.”
My father murmured something that sounded suspiciously like, “Finally.”
“Father!”
He chuckled, then stretched out his hand to shake Gregory’s. “I offer you my congratulations.”
“Thank you, sir,” Gregory replied, a wide smile on his face.
“Shall we return inside?” my father asked. “I believe the company is about ready for supper.”
I glanced up at Gregory, who smiled down at me. “Yes.”
He brought my hand up to his lips and kissed it again, then wrapped it around his arm. We paused just outside the door and he assisted me with Alice’s ribbon. As he tied the bow, he leaned toward me and whispered, “It appears I need to teach you the waltz in private, to ensure we are not interrupted again.” He moved back to my side and again placed my hand on his arm, his smile curving suggestively.
Excitement shivered through me. “I believe that is a very good idea.”
Forty-Five
18 Months Later
“Are you ready?”
The warmth of Gregory’s whisper brushed my ear, sending chills of pleasure down my back.
I glanced behind us to where the back of Gregory’s house—our house—stood like the backdrop to a play. The morning sun threw most of the garden in shadows, but the parts of the river that showed through the trees sparkled like mirrors reflecting the light.
Turning back, I took in the lake stretching before us, the white of the stone gazebo on the tiny island at its center barely visible through the light mist rising from the water. Low black clouds threatened in the distance, plunging the land beneath them into darkness.
He had built it for me. My family had come for the ground-breaking, including Louisa, who was now at home for her lying-in. Alice, fully recovered in health but not quite in spirit, had stayed to watch the progress. We were all hoping that a change of scenery would bring back the excitement and easy laughter that had disappeared with her illness. She would join us for the formal ceremonies celebrating the completion of the lake this afternoon—if it didn’t rain.
But this morning it was just me and Gregory.
“I’m ready.”
He stepped into the boat, took my hand, and helped me in. I settled on the seat across from him as he untied the rope.
The boat jerked when he pushed off the dock, then eased into a slow, rocking movement. I leaned back to admire the way his coat bulged as he strained at the oars.
“It’s going to rain,” I said.
He looked over my head into the distance. “The storm is some way off yet.”
Tilting my face to the rising sun, I closed my eyes.
“You’re going to end up with freckles,” he said.
I opened one eye and squinted at him. A breeze ruffled his hair. His tanned skin made his blue eyes even more stunning than normal, and his smile revealed a small crease—not quite a dimple—in his cheek. My heart began to race.
I shrugged, knowing it would do nothing to hide the way he affected me but hoping to convey indifference all the same. “I’ve already caught a man. He’s bound to me, freckles or no.”
Gregory frowned. “Poor chap.”
Dipping my hand in the water, I brought it up quickly and splashed him.
“That wasn’t very wise, Margaret, considering I’m the one with the oars.”
I lifted a brow, straining for unconcern even as a smile tugged at my lips. Dipping my hand in the water again with the intent of getting him really wet, I was thrown off balance when the boat lurched to the side. Gregory yanked my hand out of the water and flicked it so the water landed on me.
“Gregory!” But I was laughing too hard to resist him.
“Looks like I’ll have to distract you until we arrive at the island.”
I smiled when his lips found mine.
By the time Gregory’s rowing sent the boat butting against the small dock near the gazebo, the clouds were overhead, blocking the sun. I held on to the dock while Gregory secured the boat.
We made it only two steps up the hill when the clouds let loose. The warm spring rain streamed down, soaking us in seconds. I grabbed Gregory’s hand and we raced toward the gazebo.
Once out of the rain, he stood behind me and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. I leaned into him, the rise and fall of his chest at my back warming me better than any blanket as we watched the confusion of ripples dancing across the water.
“I told you it would rain,” I murmured.
“Are you worried about getting back?”
I shook my head. With his arms around me, his chin resting on my head, and the rain plinking on the roof above us, I felt more safe and comfortable than I ever had before.
On an impulse, I slipped from his arms and walked into the downpour.
“Margaret, what are you doing?”
I tossed him a smile, lifted my head to the sky, stretched out my arms, and welcomed the rain.
Acknowledgments
Creating a book full of characters and conflict and love involves a weird combination of daydreams, hard work, and a slew of good people. My thanks go out to so many for their support of my writing and for their guiding hands in the creation of me as a writer: Sabrina, Erin, Julie, Heidi, and Allison, for reading romance when it wasn’t their thing. To Lisa Davis, for telling me I’d written a good book; Lisa Hyde, who introduced me to the world of Jane Austen fandom; and Stephanie and Julie, who unknowingly started me down this path. To my readers Kristy, Stephanie, Ellisa, Tristan, Chris, Tiffany, Jennifer, Melanie, and countless others for the invaluable feedback and cheerleading. To my Coco Ladies, for the years of support; you can finally read it, hooray. To Samantha, for the professional thumbs-up and for answering so many publishing questions, and to Jennifer, Josi, and Sarah, for the time spent mentoring me.
So many thanks go to my agent Sharon Pelletier, for taking me on and working tirelessly on the contract; to Shadow Mountain, for accepting this book that I wrote specifically for them; to Lisa Mangum, Heidi Gordon, and Tracy Keck for their help.
And, for those who not only help me write but help me to live, a special thanks. To Deb and Natalee, for the daily writing chatter and life encouragement—you two ladies kept me writing and keep me sane; thank you. To my family, Matt, Hillary, Courtney, Tijan, Craig, and my Garriott in-laws—no matter the distance, families have a special bond, and I’m grateful I share it with you. To my mother Kathryn and my grandmother Ruth, for our numerous conversations about books and for always having stacks of the best literature at hand—thank you for your examples, for who you are and who you help me to be. To my husband David, who managed while I spent hours chasing this dream and who has willingly been inducted into the world of romance—I love you. To my kids, William, Joshua, and Elizabeth, who keep asking to read my books and keep trying to write their own—ninjas and blood are coming, I promise; dragons may be a little more difficult to work in. And to my God, for accompanying me down paths I willingly traveled and paths I traveled more reluctantly—thank you for your guidance.
About the Author
Though she earned degrees in math and statistics, Leah Garriott lives for a good love story. She has resided in Hawaii and Italy, has walked the countryside of England, and owns every mainstream movie version of Pride and Prejudice. She’s currently living her own happily ever after in Utah with her husband and three kids. Leah is represented by Sharon Pelletier at Dystel, Goderich, and Bourret. You can visit Leah at www.leahgarriott.com.
Table of Contents
One
&nbs
p; Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
Sixteen
Seventeen
Eighteen
Nineteen
Twenty
Twenty-One
Twenty-Two
Twenty-Three
Twenty-Four
Twenty-Five
Twenty-Six
Twenty-Seven
Twenty-Eight
Twenty-Nine
Thirty
Thirty-One
Thirty-Two
Thirty-Three
Thirty-Four
Thirty-Five
Thirty-Six
Thirty-Seven
Thirty-Eight
Thirty-Nine
Forty
Forty-One
Forty-Two
Forty-Three
Forty-Four
Forty-Five
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Landmarks
Cover
Promised Page 29