by Regina Scott
“Wonderful news, dear!” she told Samantha. “What did he say about the dress—wide or narrow hoops?”
“Narrow, I think.” Samantha frowned as if trying to recall.
“How many feathers?”
“Feathers?” Richard asked with a frown to match his cousin’s. “On a dress?”
“In her hair,” Claire explained.
“I don’t remember,” Samantha admitted. “I’m afraid I didn’t pay much attention after reading that I was to be presented.”
“That means the College of Heralds must have approved your lineage,” Richard said, brow clearing. “That’s a relief, though we’ll likely have a visit from Mr. Caruthers shortly over the matter.”
“Another gate behind us,” Vaughn agreed.
“More importantly,” Claire said to Samantha, “it means we must go shopping, first thing in the morning.”
Richard groaned.
Samantha sobered. “Is it that bad? Do you think I’m not ready?”
Vaughn tapped her on her nose. “You’ll do fine, infant.”
That raised her head. “Infant! Well, I like that! A moment ago, you were proposing!”
“A moment ago, I thought young Toby was about to steal a march on me,” Vaughn countered, with a narrow-eyed look at the youth. As Samantha frowned and Toby grinned cheekily at him, he turned to Richard and Claire. “But that doesn’t mean there isn’t danger. You said you had news.”
“We do,” Richard said. “Mr. Giles, I must ask you to excuse us. Everard family business. You’re welcome to stay in London with us as long as you like.”
“I may take you up on that offer,” Toby said, with a nod to Vaughn. Then he boldly kissed Samantha on the cheek and strolled from the room. As Samantha rubbed her cheek in wonder, Vaughn glared after him.
“Perhaps we could all be seated,” Claire suggested, and Richard escorted her to a chair near the fire. The others drew up chairs around her. Firelight played on faces growing relaxed at last after the dramas of the day. Yet Claire knew it was only the calm before the storm. Neither Samantha nor Vaughn would be pleased with the story Richard must tell them.
When they were all settled, Richard went on to explain what they’d learned from Chevalier and about the scrap of paper they’d found in Cumberland that told of revolution. By the time he’d finished, Vaughn’s glare seemed permanently affixed to his face.
“Widmore,” he growled, as if the name had become poisonous. “Then he betrayed Uncle’s friendship.”
Claire glanced at Richard and knew by his frown that he was also concerned about his cousin’s need for vengeance.
Samantha must have been just as concerned, for she immediately protested. “We don’t know he betrayed anyone. He was Papa’s dearest friend. Perhaps he only sent those warnings through Monsieur Chevalier to protect me.”
“Protect you from what?” Claire felt compelled to put in. “And don’t forget the shots Chevalier fired at you. Those could hardly have come from a good motive. I also can’t believe the marquess would have truck with revolution. I still say our dance master is lying.”
Vaughn pursed his lips. “Todd the footman nearly killed Jerome, and he also claimed to have worked for the marquess.”
“Which the marquess denies,” Richard reminded him.
“And the Widmore family has never had the least scandal attached to its name,” Claire added. “Lord Widmore has always been kindness itself to me.”
“Me, too,” Samantha agreed.
Still Vaughn looked unconvinced, head cocked as if studying the problem from all angles. “Uncle’s dead, his valet’s dead, the footman hired to rob us is dead. And you say Chevalier feared for his life. We need to know why.”
Richard kept himself still, a calm sea against his cousin’s stormy passions.
“We may know more when Chevalier goes to trial,” he said, bracing his hands on his thighs. “In the meantime, I suggest we give the marquess wide berth.”
Vaughn’s eyes narrowed. “I disagree. I think we should seek him out, demand answers.”
“No.” Claire had never seen Richard so formidable. He rose from the chair and looked down his long nose. Even the light in his eyes commanded obedience. “We do nothing,” he said, each word sharp, as if to embed it in his cousin’s mind, “until Samantha has been presented to the queen. She doesn’t need a scandal attending her.”
Vaughn gazed at him. “Jerome may think otherwise.”
“Then he can take it up with me. He’s still the leader of this family. I’ll accept his orders.”
Vaughn’s defiance was palpable. But Claire reached up and squeezed Richard’s hand. “I can hardly wait. It will be a delight to see you take orders for a change, my dear.”
He grinned down at her.
Samantha popped to her feet. “It’s settled, then. Come along, Cousin Vaughn. Let’s see what Toby’s gotten up to.”
“In a moment,” Vaughn said, rising slowly, as if intent on making his case to Richard.
Samantha winked at Claire before sashaying toward the door. “Very well. I’ll just go find him on my own, then. I wonder if he’ll be so bold as to kiss me again?”
Vaughn bowed his regrets to Richard and Claire and hurried after her.
“She will be a handful,” Richard said, with a shake of his head. “Are you certain you want to sponsor her?”
“Of course,” Claire said. “She is a clever girl. She isn’t even out, and she’s well on her way to achieving one of the stipulations in the will.”
When Richard frowned, she laughed. “She’s already received offers of marriage from two eminently suitable gentlemen. Only one more to go.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Two weeks later, at half past one in the afternoon, the Everard carriage arrived at St. James’s Palace and made its way to the appointed entrance.
“I can’t do this,” Samantha fretted, fussing with the lace edging her velvet overskirt. Her gown was white satin, crossing at the high waist, and hemmed with the same lace. Her mother’s pearl bobs dangled at her ears, exposed by curls piled high on her head, and pearls, a gift from Richard, graced her neck. “What if I fall?”
“Then you will pick yourself up like the lady you are and carry on,” Claire replied. She was thankful she still fit in her court presentation gown, and it was still in fashion. The pale blue skirt with the white satin overskirt went well with Samantha’s. Claire took a moment to adjust one of her ostrich plumes. Four for this drawing room, and wide hoops. What was Her Majesty thinking?
“I wish I could go with you,” Richard said, watching them from the interior of the coach. “But I’ll be waiting outside to hear all about your triumph.”
Claire smiled at him. In the last fortnight they had only grown closer, and her doubts had faded more with each passing day. Though they had decided to wait to wed until after Samantha navigated her Season, Claire was satisfied she’d made the right choice this time.
The long gallery before the presence chamber was crowded as they entered. Young ladies and their mothers in finery as sweeping as Claire’s and Samantha’s, new brides of titled gentlemen with their doting husbands. Some had been waiting a while, if the wilting of their ostrich plumes was any indication.
A lord-in-waiting in a black coat with tails to his knees and a powdered wig on his head read their names one by one, and the lady and her sponsor disappeared through the doors indicated, letting in a burst of conversation from the other side.
Samantha tugged up her creamy, long gloves. “What if she hates me on sight?”
Claire smoothed a wrinkle in the girl’s sleeve. “No one could hate you on sight, Samantha. Whatever happens, remem
ber who you are, who God made you to be. Be true to that vision, and you need have no regrets.”
Samantha nodded and visibly swallowed, catching her train up over her arm.
“Samantha, Lady Everard,” the lord intoned.
Claire dropped her hand with a smile and went ahead of her through the door.
Inside, the queen and her attendants waited in their sumptuous gowns under a canopy of crimson satin. As Samantha came through the door, she allowed her train to swing free. Several lords-in-waiting spread it behind her with long wooden wands. She glided across the marble floor, and Claire’s heart swelled.
Another lord leaned toward the queen. “Samantha, Lady Everard,” he read from the card in his gloved hand.
Claire held her breath. The queen’s soft face was wreathed in sadness, as if she knew the burden this young lady had inherited. Samantha curtsied, deep, low, until her knee must have almost touched the floor. The hoops bowed with her, and she tilted her face up to Her Majesty.
“My dear,” the queen said, bending to kiss her forehead. “Welcome to London. I look forward to hearing many wonderful things about your time here.”
Samantha’s lips twitched as she rose, and Claire thought she was fighting a grin. “Thank you, Your Majesty,” she murmured. Slowly, elegantly, she backed from the queen’s presence.
Claire waited to cheer until they were safely in the corridor outside. “You were brilliant!”
Samantha grinned at last. “I was, wasn’t I? Let’s go tell Cousin Richard!”
* * *
And so it began, Claire couldn’t help thinking as they returned to Everard House. Samantha’s Season had started, along with her quest to accomplish all her father had wanted for her and his nephews. Claire could only marvel at the girl’s determination. She gladly shouldered the role that had been given her, and Claire thought she had a bright future.
She was still glad to shed her court finery and put on the apricot day dress she’d ordered before going north. Mercier hummed to herself as she cared for the beautiful clothes. Claire hoped she’d never have to wear black again as long as she lived.
She found Richard in the study, finishing some orders for the new captain who would be taking the Siren’s Gold to Jamaica. Seeing her, he rose from the desk and came to take her in his arms. She nestled against him, glorying in the strength of him, a strength she knew she could borrow as well as lend to as the days went past. They were together, and nothing, she felt, could pull them apart again.
“Two marriage proposals down and the queen conquered,” she murmured. “Now we make sure she’s welcomed everywhere.”
He sighed. “That will take some doing, given her father’s antics.”
“It might. But my opinion still carries some weight in Society. I’ll do all I can to see she is treated well.”
“Still thinking of others, I see.”
“Did you not praise that trait when you proposed to me?”
Richard’s arms tightened as if to prove his admiration. “I did. But my concern remains for you. You deserve a glorious wedding, Claire, whatever you like.”
She lifted her head to smile at him. “Whatever I like? Wedding gowns are not fripperies, my love.”
He grimaced, then chuckled as she cuddled closer once more. “Choose whatever gown you like. If it pleases you, it will no doubt please me. I trust your judgment in all things.”
So did she, and the confidence that feeling inspired settled over her like a warm blanket. “Then you’ve truly put our past behind you.”
“The dark parts,” he assured her. “We both grew into the people we are today, so I cannot completely wish that time away. And there’s so much I want to share with you now.” His hand touched her hair, softly, sweetly. “For our wedding trip, I’d like to take one last sail, anywhere you wish to go.”
Claire’s smile only grew. “Anywhere?”
He chuckled again. “Anywhere. I want all of London, all of the world to know that this time the captain’s courtship was successful.”
“You were successful the first time, too, my love,” Claire said. “I just never had the opportunity to show you.”
And they spent the rest of their lives delighting in proving it to each other.
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt of A Baby Between Them by Winnie Griggs!
Dear Reader,
Thank you for choosing The Captain’s Courtship, the second book in the Everard Legacy miniseries. The first book, The Rogue’s Reform (February 2012), introduced the Everard family and the legacy left by Lord Arthur Everard’s life and will. I hope you enjoyed the story of how Richard Everard and Claire Winthrop found their way back to each other. The third book, about Vaughn’s vengeance, will follow.
I loved writing about a sea captain. I’m fascinated with tall ships, the masted sailing ships from the nineteenth century or earlier. I’ve been fortunate enough to sail on our state’s tall ship, the Lady Washington, as well as its sister ship, the Hawaiian Chieftain. It wasn’t hard to imagine Richard standing on the quarterdeck, sun warm on his face, wind ruffling his russet hair, issuing commands.
You can learn more about tall ships on my website, www.reginascott.com, where you’ll also find information on upcoming releases.
Blessings!
Regina Scott
Questions for Discussion
Claire questions the choices she made when she was younger. Have you ever made a choice and thought better of it afterward? What did you do about it?
Claire also fears for her ability to enter into another marriage because of the abuses of her first husband. How can we help women in abused situations move forward with their lives?
Richard has tried to forgive Claire for breaking her promise to marry him, but he struggles with forgetting the hurt. How easy is it for you to forgive? How can we forget past hurts?
After captaining a sailing ship for years, Richard is used to issuing commands and having them obeyed instantly. Where are you an authority figure in your life? What kind of obedience should you expect? What do we owe our heavenly Father?
Vaughn Everard longs to answer the questions surrounding his beloved uncle’s death, but vengeance lurks in the back of his mind. When should we take matters into our own hands, and when should we wait for God to act?
Samantha struggles to understand how she will know the man she’s supposed to marry. How can we know a person’s character?
Both Samantha and Claire begin to learn that God has answers to many of our questions. Why do we often wait to ask His guidance? What happens when His guidance seems contrary to what we desire?
Chevalier spies on Englishmen to sell their secrets. When does watchful care become spying? What’s the difference between spying and reporting?
Mrs. Dallsten Walcott gathers things to fill the loss of family. When do possessions reach a point that they possess us? What can we do to avoid this?
Reputation was an important part of knowing who to trust in the Regency period. What does reputation mean today? How can we cultivate a good reputation?
For a young lady like Samantha, presentation to the queen marked her entrance into adulthood and society. What rites of passage did you go through as you were growing up?
Sometimes Samantha seems wise and other times a naive girl. When do we truly gain wisdom? What can we do to reach that point in our lives?
We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Love Ins
pired Historical title.
You find illumination in days gone by. Love Inspired Historical stories lift the spirit as heroines tackle the challenges of life in another era with hope, faith and a focus on family.
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Chapter One
Faith Glen, Massachusetts, August 1850
Nora Murphy looked at her two younger sisters across the room and tamped down the pinprick of jealousy that tried to intrude on her joy at their good fortune.
After all, this was her sister Bridget’s wedding day to Will Black, a good and honorable man who loved her dearly. Everyone in town was gathered to celebrate here at Will’s home—Bridget’s home now, too. It was a joyous occasion and it would be selfish to put her own feelings above her sister’s.
So what if just a scant month ago Maeve, the youngest, had also married a wonderful man? No matter how it felt, Nora assured herself, it wasn’t truly pitiable to be the oldest and the only one still single and with no marriage prospects. After all, at twenty-five she had a few years left to her before she’d have to don her spinster cap.
Strange how in just a little over two months—a seeming eyeblink of time—her whole world had changed. Back then they’d lived in Ireland amidst the terrible burdens of the potato famine and the sickness that had taken so many of their friends and neighbors, and finally their beloved da. Suddenly orphaned and facing eviction, they’d been left all but destitute and desperate. The startling discovery of a possible inheritance across the ocean in America from an old suitor of their mother’s had been an answered prayer. She, Bridget and Maeve had left their homeland, headed for the land of promise with only their faith and the hope of finding a new home in the small town of Faith Glen, Massachusetts, to keep their spirits up.