Portrait of a Forbidden Love--A Sexy Regency Romance

by Bronwyn Scott

  ‘That’s a relief. Still, a countess...’ He shook his head. ‘You have to admit, it sounds pretty unbelievable and not just about Anna, but my mother, too. How is it possible that after twenty-five years of being disowned by her family, she’s gone to live with her mother, my so-called grandmother? A dowager duchess, of all people?’

  ‘I don’t know, but she has, at your uncle’s house, Feversham Hall in Yorkshire. Anna says they’re all very happy together. As is she.’

  ‘Well, damn it all.’ He winced. ‘Pardon me, Miss Gardiner.’

  ‘That’s all right.’ She gave him an arch look. ‘It’s really nothing compared to the things you said earlier.’

  ‘Ah...you mean when the door hit me? Sorry about that, although, to be honest, I’ve forgotten what it was exactly. Nothing too shocking, I hope?’

  ‘That would probably depend on how easily a person is shocked, but I’ve chosen to regard it as educational. I never realised that my vocabulary was so lacking before.’ One corner of her mouth curved upwards, revealing a dimple in her left cheek. ‘But you’re forgiven. All of this must have come as quite a shock.’

  ‘That’s an understatement.’ He tipped his chair on to its back legs. ‘You know, as pleasant as tea is, I believe that the situation might call for something stronger.’

  ‘You mean to drink?’ The dimple disappeared as two spots of colour blazed across her cheekbones. ‘I’m afraid we don’t have anything like that.’

  ‘Not even some port? There always used to be a bottle tucked away on the top shelf in the pantry.’

  ‘Ye-es.’ Her gaze flickered to one side. ‘There was a bottle, only I took it down a few months ago. I believe I might have poured it away.’

  ‘You poured it away?’ He dropped his chair back to the floor in surprise. She was looking curiously guilty, too, although, considering her healthy complexion, he found it difficult to believe that she was a hardened port-drinker or anything-drinker. Probably the opposite was true and she disapproved of alcohol entirely, which given his current desire for a drink was more than a little unfortunate. Still, since it couldn’t be helped... ‘Never mind. I can see that you’ve made quite a few changes.’

  ‘Yes. Anna said that I could do whatever I liked and I thought that the dresser—’

  ‘It wasn’t a criticism, Miss Gardiner,’ he interrupted as her spine stiffened defensively. ‘Just an observation. Now that I look at it, I wonder why my mother never thought to put the dresser over there herself. It makes the whole kitchen look bigger.’

  ‘That’s what I thought.’ She looked pleased, the vivid red of her cheeks fading to a dusky and extremely fetching shade of pink. ‘And with the table here, we can see through to the shop when we’re baking.’

  ‘We? You have an assistant, I presume.’

  ‘Nancy, yes. She was a kitchen maid, but the Earl’s grandmother sent her to help with the baking for a while and she liked the work so much that she stayed. Now she lives here, too.’

  ‘She’s a deep sleeper, I take it?’

  ‘Very.’ The dimple made a fresh appearance. ‘And she hates to be disturbed. That’s why I didn’t wake her tonight. I thought perhaps I was just imagining noises down here.’

  ‘I’m relieved that you didn’t wake her.’ He lifted a finger to his nose and pushed it tentatively from side to side. ‘You’re quite ferocious enough on your own.’

  ‘Oh, dear. Do you really think that it’s broken?’

  ‘Probably.’ He felt a twinge of guilt at her contrite expression. ‘But not to worry. It’s not the first time and I doubt it will be the last. I actually forget how my face looked originally. For all we know, this might be an improvement.’

  She gave a low, throaty laugh and then leaned across the table suddenly, her eyes alight with curiosity. ‘Did you break it before in the navy? Anna said that you were a lieutenant.’

  ‘Only acting lieutenant, I’m afraid. I was promoted by my captain, not the Admiralty, and I never got an opportunity to sit any exams. Now, thanks to Trafalgar, the navy has a surplus of officers so I’ve been discharged from duty. Not that I’m complaining about our victory, but it might have been easier to swallow if I’d actually been there instead of...’ He bit his tongue. ‘In any case, I’m back.’

  ‘So you’re not going back to sea?’

  He lifted his shoulders in a shrug. It was a good question. He’d finally come home to help Anna run Belles, but apparently that ship had sailed, too. He wasn’t needed here any more than he was in the navy. Which was ironic considering how guilty he’d felt about being away over the past few years. Now it appeared he was a completely free man. Free from family obligations, naval orders and commitments. It was a strange, somewhat exuberant feeling. He could do anything he wanted, go anywhere he wanted. He was still only in his early twenties, young enough to find another career. He could...

  ‘Mr Fortini?’

  He started. ‘Forgive me, I was just thinking. To be honest, I’ve no idea what I’ll do yet. Maybe I’ll just enjoy my freedom for a while.’

  ‘Anna and your mother will be thrilled to see you again. They’ve been so worried. The Earl even went to the Admiralty to ask about your ship.’

  ‘Really?’ Sebastian had to make a conscious effort not to clench his jaw at the words. If that were the case, then it was possible his new brother-in-law already knew what had happened to the Menelaus. The question was whether or not he would have told Anna. He hoped not, and fortunately Miss Gardiner seemed to have no idea...

  ‘I’m afraid there was no way for me to send word any earlier.’ He shifted forward in his chair, splaying both of his hands out on the table in what he hoped was a masterful way of steering the conversation. ‘But I’m here now. Only it appears that I’ve come to the wrong place.’

  ‘Not wrong. It’s still your family’s shop. They’re just...’

  ‘Not here?’

  ‘No.’ She smiled apologetically. ‘I’m afraid not.’

  Their gazes locked across the table and he found himself instinctively smiling back. Her eyes were a luminous and vibrant blue, he noticed, as clear and enticing as the tropical seas he’d seen on the other side of the world, like warm pools he might willingly dive into. Something about them made him completely forget what they were talking about. If he hadn’t known better, he would actually have thought they had some kind of hypnotising effect... He couldn’t take his own off them.

  ‘More tea?’ She broke the spell, reaching for the teapot. ‘I think there’s a little left.’

  ‘No, thank you.’ He stood up, suddenly aware of the impropriety of their situation and wondering if her eyes weren’t perhaps a little too enticing for their own good. ‘I ought to be on my way.’

  ‘You’re leaving?’ She looked startled. ‘But it’s the middle of the night!’

  ‘True, but under the circumstances I can hardly stay here. It wouldn’t be proper, or so my mother would tell me anyway.’

  ‘No, I suppose not.’ A series of expressions passed over her face before settling into one of resolve. ‘But I can’t possibly throw you out into the cold. Belles belongs to your family, which makes it your home even more than it is mine.’

  ‘Miss Gardiner...’

  ‘I admit that the circumstances aren’t ideal...’ she spoke over him ‘...but it’s not as if Nancy and I are ladies. Nobody cares what we do. There’s really only the shop’s reputation to think about, but as long as we smuggle you out discreetly in the morning, then who’s to know you were ever here?’

  ‘I still don’t think...’

  ‘But I insist.’ Her chin jutted upwards mutinously. ‘Most decent establishments will be closed at this time of night and, even if they aren’t, it’s likely to be freezing outside. Improper or not, I’d never be able to look Anna in the face again if anything happened to you. No, Mr Fortini, I simply cannot allow y
ou to leave, not when there’s a perfectly serviceable sofa in the parlour.’

  ‘The green one? I remember.’

  ‘Good. Because I’m putting my foot down.’

  ‘So I see.’ He rubbed a hand over his chin, recalling his earlier glimpse of ankle and feeling rather impressed by her speech. It seemed a shame to gainsay her after all that—besides, who was he to argue when a beautiful woman insisted that he stay for the night? Even if it wasn’t quite in the way he might have preferred. An image of lithe female limbs wrapped around his own floated into his mind... He didn’t want to think about how long it had been since that had last happened...or since he’d done anything with a woman for that matter. No wonder he was fantasising about ankles!

  ‘Well then...’ He cleared his throat huskily. ‘I appreciate your hospitality, Miss Gardiner.’

  ‘You do?’ She looked vaguely surprised by her own success. ‘I mean, good. I’ll go and fetch some blankets and meet you in the parlour in a few minutes.’

  ‘I’ll see you there.’

  Sebastian watched her go, dropping back into his chair to take stock of the events of the night. His nose was possibly broken, there were going to be bruises on sensitive areas of his body, he was no closer to being reunited with his family and he was about to sleep on a sofa that, if memory served, was a good foot too short to be comfortable. He ought to be wishing he’d stayed in Plymouth. Instead, he felt quite unexpectedly happy.

  It must be the shop, he reasoned in bewilderment. Only that could explain this powerful, strangely profound sense of being home.

  Copyright © 2020 by Jenni Fletcher

  Love Harlequin romance?

  DISCOVER.

  Be the first to find out about promotions, news and exclusive content!

  Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks

  Twitter.com/HarlequinBooks

  Instagram.com/HarlequinBooks

  Pinterest.com/HarlequinBooks

  ReaderService.com

  EXPLORE.

  Sign up for the Harlequin e-newsletter and download a free book from any series at

  TryHarlequin.com

  CONNECT.

  Join our Harlequin community to share your thoughts and connect with other romance readers!

  Facebook.com/groups/HarlequinConnection

  ISBN-13: 9781488071621

  Portrait of a Forbidden Love

  Copyright © 2020 by Nikki Poppen

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

  For questions and comments about the quality of this book, please contact us at CustomerService@Harlequin.com.

  Harlequin Enterprises ULC

  22 Adelaide St. West, 40th Floor

  Toronto, Ontario M5H 4E3, Canada

  www.Harlequin.com