Breaking the Rules

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  “I was hoping you’d be willing to help,” Emilia replied, seeming relieved she wouldn’t have to do it all alone.

  The door of the drawing room opened, and Lilly glanced over in time to see Roger. He held up his hand to apologize for interrupting them and started to close the door.

  “We’re done talking,” Emilia called out. “Kitty and I want to do some shopping. We were just here for a quick visit.”

  Lilly set her teacup down and jumped to her feet so she could see her friends to the door.

  “We’ll talk more about this later,” Lilly whispered to Emilia. “I’m going to do everything I can to help you.”

  Roger waited until her friends were gone before giving her an apologetic smile. “I didn’t realize you had visitors.”

  “It’s all right.” Lilly kissed his cheek. “We said everything that was on our minds. Did you have a good time at White’s?”

  “I did,” Roger replied. “But I missed you so I had to come home.” He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a lingering kiss. “Did you miss me?”

  “Every second you were gone.”

  His smile widened. “Good. I hope you’ll always miss me when I’m gone.” Then he brought his mouth back to hers and gave her a reason to look forward to welcoming him home.

  Epilogue

  July 1814

  “Are you sure you don’t mind visiting my sister and her husband for a couple of weeks?” Lilly asked Roger as they rode in the carriage.

  He chuckled and pointed to the manor they were quickly approaching. “We’re already at their estate. What good would it do to turn around and go back to London now?”

  “I’m willing to do that if it’s what you want,” Lilly replied. “I haven’t told them we’re married yet. This might be awkward for you.”

  “It won’t be awkward because we’re going to be with your family. Also, I like Nate and Claire. I liked them even before I married you. If I didn’t want to go, I would have said so.” He put his arm around her shoulders. “It’s wonderful you’re so considerate about making me happy, but it does no good to worry. I’m not one of those gentlemen who changes his mind on a whim. Besides, I’m not sure if worrying is good for the child.” He patted her belly that was still a small mound since she was six months into her pregnancy.

  The baby kicked in response.

  “Apparently, our child agrees with you,” she said.

  “Our child is intelligent.” He winked.

  Amused, she rubbed her belly and was rewarded with another kick. One of the reasons she was looking forward to visiting her sister and brother-in-law was because she wanted to see their baby. It was exciting to get the opportunity to hold her nephew and get an idea of what she could expect in three months.

  The carriage slowed, and she turned her attention back to the window. She picked up the hat resting next to her then slipped it on her head. Noting the tree branches swaying in the breeze, she used the ribbons to tie a bow under her chin.

  “How do I look?” she asked Roger. “Is my hat straight?”

  “It’s perfect. You are the very image of propriety.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I doubt the Ton would agree with you. Lord and Lady Cadwalader still haven’t forgiven me for what I did.” She was just glad most of the gentlemen who associated with Roger hadn’t turned their backs on him.

  “You mustn’t let them bother you. I might not be friends with Lord Edon or Mr. Robinson, but I agree with them when they say the Ton’s rules are nonsense. Most of the influential people don’t even like each other. They only pretend to because it makes them look good. There’s very little sincerity among them. A person is better off knowing their friends really do care for them.”

  “I’m very fortunate that way.” On impulse, she squeezed his hand. “As you said, as long as we’re together, everything’s all right.”

  “Precisely.”

  The carriage came to a stop, and Lilly straightened up in excitement. She hadn’t seen Claire in so long. She and Nate had left for this estate in October, and all she’d received was one missive in all that time. Claire had written that she was expecting a child and that she and Nate had decided to stay at his estate until the child was a few months old.

  Roger had confided to Lilly that this had caused Christopher a lot of disappointment since he had hoped to do something to frighten Nate. Lilly was sure Christopher would find another time to follow through on the scheme, though she doubted he could accomplish such a feat. Nate had a way of seeming intimidating. She had understood Claire’s reluctance to go to his townhouse right after they married.

  Thankfully, things with Claire and Nate had worked out. There was no denying how happy Claire had seemed when she wrote to Lilly. Lilly had written back to her sister but didn’t say anything about marrying Roger. She would much rather tell her the good news in person. And to make sure Claire didn’t know, she’d sworn their parents to secrecy. Now the wait was over, and she was excited to surprise her.

  The footman opened the door of the carriage, and Lilly saw her sister running her way. Lilly barely had time to get out of the carriage before her sister wrapped her in a warm embrace. Grinning, Lilly returned the hug. It’d been so long since she’d seen her sister. She’d forgotten how much she enjoyed being around her.

  “I’m so glad you came,” Claire said as she pulled away from Lilly. She looked at Lilly’s stomach, her eyes wide. “When will you give birth?”

  “In October.”

  “I’m so excited for you!”

  “I am, too, and so is my husband.” Lilly turned to Roger and smiled at him. “He’ll be a wonderful father.”

  Claire looked from one to the other in shock as she tried to figure out how to respond. This made Lilly grin all the more. She knew her sister would be surprised, and better yet, it was a good surprise since her sister had wanted Lilly to marry him even before he proposed.

  Roger broke the silence. “I hear you had a son.”

  Glad he mentioned their nephew, Lilly’s gaze went expectantly to Claire. Claire, in turn, glanced up the steps of the front entrance, and that was when Lilly noticed Nate bouncing a happy baby in his arms. Lilly could see both Nate and Claire in the child. He had Nate’s nose and cheekbones and Claire’s chin. Perhaps her own child would have features that would remind her of her and Roger.

  “Yes,” Claire said as her shock wore off. “We named him Perry after my husband’s friend.” Claire waved for Nate to join them. “Don’t be shy, my lord.”

  “I’m not shy,” Nate said as he walked down the steps. “I just didn’t want to interfere with two sisters hugging and laughing. It’s good to see you, Mr. Morris.”

  “It’s an honor. This is a fine estate, Lord Roderick,” Roger replied with a bow.

  Nate returned the gesture. “Thank you. Do you play chess?”

  Lilly resisted the urge to laugh. Did Roger love to play chess? If he didn’t get a chance to play with Aaron every day, he asked her to play with him. Fortunately, she enjoyed the game enough to look forward to it, and she had to admit playing as much as she did these days had improved her skill.

  “Every chance I get,” Roger said.

  “Then you won’t mind playing a few games?” Nate asked.

  “I’d be delighted,” Roger said.

  Claire accepted her son from Nate who instructed the butler to take in their luggage.

  “My housekeeper will show you to your rooms, and then I’ll see how good you are at chess,” Nate told Roger. He glanced at Claire and Lilly. “Will you be coming inside?”

  “We’ll take a walk first,” Claire replied. “We haven’t seen each other for a while, and it’ll be nice to find out everything that’s happening in London.” By the way Claire glanced at Lilly, Lilly knew her sister was mostly interested in how Lilly ended up marrying Roger, but her sister was too polite to say it.

  As the two gentlemen went to the entrance of the manor, Lilly accepted a reticule from the footman th
en returned to her sister. “I want to give you something that I hope will remind you of me. We haven’t been able to see each other as much as we used to, but that doesn’t mean I don’t think of you.”

  To her surprise, Claire hugged her again. “I’ve missed you.”

  Touched, Lilly’s face warmed in pleasure. “I’ve missed you, too, but we both married well, didn’t we? Mother and Father are so proud.” And, thankfully, they didn’t hold the scandal against her.

  “Yes,” Claire began, “I suppose they are, but…”

  “But what?”

  “Did you marry Roger because you wanted to or did you feel you had no other choice?”

  Ah, so her sister had finally pushed aside her inhibitions and asked about the marriage. She thought she was going to have to introduce the topic, so it was nice to see that her sister was more assertive these days. Being with Nate had helped her overcome her terrible shyness.

  Lilly put her arm around Claire’s and led her down the path that would take them to the gazebo. Once they were out of earshot of anyone who might overhear them, she said, “I wanted to marry him. After that night we spied on Lord Hedwrett, I realized how much Lord Roderick loves you, and I decided I wanted the same kind of marriage you have. There was only one gentleman who loved me enough to stand up for me the way Lord Roderick stood up for you.” She shrugged and smiled. “So I convinced Mr. Morris to marry me.”

  “Convinced him?”

  She offered her sister a sly grin. “It’s a long story, but suffice it to say it took him a while to believe I’d be happy with him even though he didn’t have a title.” She opened her reticule and took out a cameo. “I had this engraved with my name, and I’m wearing a matching one with your name on it.”

  They stopped walking and Claire inspected the pretty profile of the young lady on the cameo. “It’s lovely.”

  “This way, we can be with each other all the time.”

  “I like that.” The baby fussed in her arms so Claire kissed his forehead. “I think he’s getting tired.”

  “Oh, let me hold him!” Lilly held her arms out, eager to finally get a chance to hold him now that she’d given her sister the present. As soon as he was in her arms, she kissed his cheek and rubbed his back. “He looks a lot like his father.”

  Claire giggled. “He’s probably going to be a lot like his father, too. I caught Nate reading one of his boring books to him.”

  Lilly cringed as she recalled Claire writing about how much Nate loved politics. “One of his political books?”

  “Yes.”

  “My poor nephew.” She rocked him in her arms and sighed. “Thank goodness you have me. I’ll make sure you get books that won’t bore you.” She looked up from her nephew and added, “We’re lucky to have our husbands, don’t you think?”

  “Yes, we are lucky.”

  “And, of course, they’re lucky to have us.”

  Chuckling, Claire took her sister by the arm and nodded. “Yes, that’s true, too.” She gave her a pointed look. “I insist you tell me how you married Mr. Morris. You can’t just say you convinced him to marry you. I need details.”

  “All right, I suppose I made you wait long enough.” And from there, she proceeded to tell Claire the whole story.

  Emilia and Lord Valentine’s romance is coming next!

  Nobody’s Fool (Marriage by Design Series: Book 2)

  Miss Emilia Stewart's life faces immediate ruin. Her friend made a little slip of the tongue, and now Lord Valentine thinks Emilia's in love with him.

  This is Lord Valentine of all gentlemen! Not only is he unfashionable and socially inept, but the mere thought of kissing him makes her shudder. What's worse is that her father has arranged for her to marry him. Being a lady with no say in her future has never been more unfair!

  She, however, is determined to overcome this cruel fate.

  There's still a chance to protect her future, and keep her sanity intact. All she has to do is become the most repulsive and unattractive wife possible. Then Lord Valentine will insist they live separate lives, and she'll be spared the most unpleasant aspect of marriage--actually being in the same room with her husband. All she needs is a little ingenuity and help from her friends to make the plan work.

  This romantic comedy takes a fun look at one wife's dream of discouraging her husband from falling in love with her.

  ***

  Kitty and Aarons’ romance is coming after that!

  A Deceptive Wager (Marriage by Design: Book 3)

  Miss Kitty Farrow is under no illusion that her guardian cares anything about her, but when she finds out he wagered her in a gentleman’s bet. Not only has her choice in picking her own husband been taken away from her, but the earl her guardian is going to have her marry hates the very idea of having a wife at all.

  Aaron Henry, Earl of Northon, doesn’t trust ladies. Any of them. From a young age, his mother taught him that all a lady is good for is an heir. If they’re sweet, it’s only to trick the gentleman into doing what they want, and once they get it, they’re on to the next gentleman. So when he discovers the money he expected to win in a wager turns out to be the dowry of his future bride, he wants nothing to do with his future bride.

  But whether Kitty or Aaron want the marriage or not, it’s going to happen. And heaven help anyone who tries try to make the marriage a love match.

  You can join my email list to be notified as soon as it comes out by going to this link:

  https://ruthannnordinauthorblog.com/sign-up-for-email-list/

  If you want to read Nate and Claire’s romance, it’s The Earl’s Inconvenient Wife. This is in the Marriage by Scandal Series.

  The Earl’s Inconvenient Wife (Book 1):

  When Nathaniel (Nate) Buford’s brother died, the title of Earl of Roderick passed to him, as did the duty to get an heir, a duty he doesn’t want. Now he must find a lady who suits him among the money-grubbing Ton and marry her, but it is not as easy as he would want. Fate is about to play him another unfair hand, as a moment’s kindness to a lady has him trapped by scandal to a family that is reported to desire money above all else.

  Miss Claire Lowell desires marriage to a kind and respectable gentleman who she could love, but one moment might destroy it all. Despite all her protests that the scandalous circumstances were merely an accident, her family forces to accept Lord Roderick’s marriage proposal, and now she is tied to a man who blames her for trapping him into a marriage that neither of them wanted.

  Can she convince him she didn't trick him into marriage or will she be confined to the loveless marriage she fears?

  If interested, here are the other books in the Marriage by Scandal Series:

  A Most Unsuitable Earl (Book 2)

  Ethan Silverton, the Lord of Edon, is very content with his life. He’s carefully sculpted it so that everyone thinks he’s a notorious rake. For years, he’s worked hard to build his reputation to secure his place as the most undesirable bachelor in London. And it’s worked. No decent lady will have him.

  But one simple error in judgment has just sealed his fate. His intention was to dissuade a horrid mother from matching him up with her equally horrid daughter. Seeing no one but Lady Catherine without a dance partner, he tells a lie. He approaches Lady Catherine as if they are betrothed, and the ploy works. The horrid mother and her daughter abandon their pursuit of him.

  Except Ethan’s mother spies his ploy and is so relieved that she’s found a way to marry him to a reputable young lady that she tells everyone of their engagement. To his horror, word spreads and it’s his duty to see the lie through. This is the worst thing that can happen, and no one but his mother is happy about it. Not Lady Catherine. Not her doting father. Not even Ethan. But his mother is sure it’ll all work out…eventually.

  His Reluctant Lady (Book 3):

  Will she choose marriage to avoid a scandal?

  From the moment Mister Christopher Robinson meets Lady Richfield at a ball, he wants to marry her. Bu
t Agatha Lyons has no desire to enslave herself to another cruel husband. She’s very happy as a widow and is determined to stay that way. Unfortunately, she is hiding a secret, a secret so shocking that if it was discovered, it could ruin her reputation.

  When a little slip exposes this secret, Mister Robinson sees his chance and makes her a deal: marry him or risk scandal. Will she keep her independence as a wealthy widow or will she succumb to a second husband who not only threatens to ignite her dormant passions but makes her want to give up her heart as well?

  The Earl’s Scandalous Wife (Book 4)

  Finally, Season after Season of not being able to secure a wife, Lord Clement’s life is changed for the better when a beautiful stranger kisses him. Now he has a wife who has it all: beauty, passion, and excitement. What more could a gentleman want?

  Miss Paula Leighton has to do something before her brother marries her off to a drunk duke who wants nothing more than to use her to get an heir. So when she sees Perry Ambrose, the Lord of Clement, she takes the opportunity to escape, causing a scandal that forces his hand. And the scheme works. She no longer has to marry the duke.