A Lady's Taste For Temptation (Historical Regency Romance)

by Emily Honeyfield

  Because Myles was a logical person, he started to think about what would happen if he didn’t survive.

  There wasn’t another male heir. There wasn’t another solution to inheriting the money and the mansion, as well as the title. He hadn’t concerned himself with it until now, remembering Konrad and Horrow’s words about his legacy. Suddenly, surviving long enough to sign that paperwork mattered to him. He wanted to survive, in order to fulfil the legacy that his family had started.

  Myles knew that he would have to climb the cliff. He had no idea how to climb a cliff, but he was going to have to figure it out.

  He tried to move his arm and cried out in pain. It was practically useless, which put him at a severe disadvantage.

  He could use his legs, of course, but without a grip, he wouldn't be able to get up properly

  Myles frantically looked around for another way. At the top of the cliff, there was some grass, and some trees, which meant it was possible someone was up there.

  He sucked all the air into his lungs that he could and belted out a cry.

  “HELP!” he cried. His voice echoed off the cliff, but then there was nothing.

  Myles decided that perhaps he wasn’t loud enough and swam a bit closer.

  “HELP!” he tried again. It was his only chance. He could try to climb the cliff, and maybe shimmy over to the side, where there was a bit of a landing platform, but if he could get someone to help him, that would be better. “HELP!”

  His voice was already going hoarse and he was shivering. He needed to get up there, and he needed to survive. For the first time in his life, Myles was on his own.

  Chapter 3

  “My lady?” Lady Emily knew that she couldn’t avoid going inside any longer when Hannah came out to find her. “Your father has said that…”

  “Yes, yes, I am coming inside,” Lady Emily said, with a sigh. She had hoped they could take one more turn around the garden, but that was not the case.

  “Who is here?” Catherine asked, as they walked.

  “Baron and Baroness Yarwood were the first to arrive,” Hannah said, and Lady Emily tried not to roll her eyes. The two of them were more her father’s friends than hers, and she was not particularly eager to greet them. While they likely had good hearts, buried somewhere deep within their expensive clothes, she found them not only snobby but nosey.

  They were constantly asking questions about things that weren’t any of their business. When she had been ill last winter with a cold, they constantly asked her father whether he had a plan if she were not to pull through. They seemed to be genuinely worried about her, but Lady Emily didn’t think they were aware of how to ask the right questions in life.

  “Anyone else?” Catherine asked, knowing Lady Emily’s feelings on the matter.

  “Edward Covington is also here,” Hannah replied, and Lady Emily breathed a sigh of relief. She had known Edward since she was a child, and unlike most people in her life, she had always got along with him. Edward was more a brother to her than an acquaintance, and she spoke to him as freely as she spoke to Catherine. She and Catherine and Edward often went on walks of their own, discussing all things under the sun.

  “Well, at least we’ll have some good conversation,” she said to Catherine, as they returned to the house. “I think I would perish if it was just the baron and baroness”

  “Has Lord Reginald arrived?” Catherine asked, eager to meet this suitor of Lady Emily’s.

  “Not yet,” Hannah replied. ‘But his lordship is expecting him very soon.”

  Hannah left them at the back door of the house and went around to the servant’s entrance Lady Emily took a deep breath and turned to Catherine.

  “Are you ready?” she asked, and Catherine chuckled

  “It seems as if you are preparing for battle,” she said, and Lady Emily smiled.

  “Perhaps I am,” she said. “You are aware that this is not the first suitor that Father has brought me. Sometimes he is not so obvious about it, but there have been so many others.”

  “I wish my parents would do the same,” Catherine said, with a sad sigh.

  “No, you don’t,” Lady Emily replied. “It’s dreadful.”

  “But I don’t want to be –” Catherine said, and Lady Emily cut her off.

  “Come,” she said. “We shall at least put on a brave face inside.”

  Catherine abandoned her thought as the pair headed inside.

  “Ah, there is my darling daughter,” Sir Preston said, as Lady Emily approached. “Where have you been?”

  “Catherine and I have been walking in the garden,” Lady Emily replied. “We thought that we’d go out before the weather turned nasty”

  “Yes, I thought it was going to rain,” Edward put in. “But it appears that it just missed us.”

  “I heard thunder,” Lady Emily said. “How are you, Edward?”

  “I am quite well,” he replied. “And yourself? And Catherine, I am so delighted to see you here.”

  “Of course,” Catherine replied. “I could not turn down Emmie’s invitation, especially when she detailed what we would be doing.”

  “Does the hunt excite you?” Edward asked and Catherine blushed.

  “Oh, no, I think I might ride in the carriage,” Catherine said. “But we have other activities planned.

  “Catherine, what a lovely dress,” Baroness Yarwood called out to her, and Catherine went over to speak to her. Lady Emily knew that it was unlikely the baroness was giving her an actual compliment, but she knew that Catherine could likely fend for herself. She turned to Edward as her father drifted over to the Yarwoods as well.

  “Should I...ride in the carriage with her?” Edward asked Lady Emily, in a low voice. Lady Emily knew that Edward fancied Catherine, but he never seemed to be able to get her attention.

  “If you like,” she said. “But it’s not as fun as the hunt.”

  “Well, I want to hunt too,” Edward replied. “I suppose I can’t do both.”

  “No,” Lady Emily replied, with a smirk. “Catherine will be staying for a few months.”

  “I meant to ask you about that,” he said, with a raised eyebrow. “I noticed her stay coincides with Lord Reginald’s stay.”

  “Did you?” Lady Emily said. “What a coincidence”

  “Emmie,” he said. “You have to get married one day.”

  “I am aware of that,” she said. “But that doesn’t mean it has to be him.”

  “That is true,” Edward said, as he watched Catherine. “And I suppose that I am not the person to give you the advice, given the situation.”

  “Oh,” she said. “I am sure she will notice you some time.”

  “Some time would preferably be better sooner,” he said. “I don’t have forever.”

  Where are you going?” she asked him, and he sighed.

  “You know the pressure your father puts on you?” he said. “Both my parents put an equal amount of pressure on me.”

  “Perhaps I could speak to her about it,” Lady Emily said, as she watched Catherine.

  “No,” Edward said quickly. “I would rather it come about...naturally. That is, if she has any feelings for me at all.”

  “I’m not sure,” Lady Emily said. “We have been focused on my issues of late.”

  “Of course,” Edward said. “Yours is a bit more pressing.”

  There was a knock at the door and then there were footsteps. Lady Emily straightened up and watched the door as their footman announced Lord Reginald.

  He was older than she thought he would be, which was the first thing that disappointed her. Lady Emily had held out hope that he would change her mind, because it would make her father happy.

  She loved Sir Preston, but she wasn't sure she could love Lord Reginald. It wasn't anything specific. He was well-dressed, he was dignified, and he did have a kind smile. However, Lady Emily knew that she was already unimpressed with his lifestyle, and she didn’t want to spend any amount of time with him.


  “And this,” Sir Preston said, “is my daughter.”

  “Lady Emily,” Lord Reginald held out his hand to take hers. “I am so delighted to meet you.”

  “I hope your journey was peaceful,” Lady Emily said. “I know we are out in the country.”

  “It was a peaceful journey,” he said. “In the city, there is always noise or something to distract you. As soon as I entered the countryside, I thought it seemed like paradise.”

  “Mm,” Lady Emily said. She had heard many people compliment the mansion before, and she didn’t particularly feel like listening to more empty compliments. She knew that some of it was simply him trying to find common ground with her.

  “I do not believe that we have met,” Lord Reginald said, and turned to Edward, who introduced himself.

  “Edward is my closest friend,” Lady Emily said, after the two men had shook hands “We are often together here.”

  “Oh.” Lord Reginald looked to Edward suspiciously. “I had no idea.”

  “It is true,” Edward said. “I have known Lady Emily since she was a child.”

  “So, you are like siblings?” Lord Reginald asked hopefully.

  “Lord Reginald, what a delight to meet you,” Baron Yarwood came around his other side, and Lord Reginald was distracted by shaking his hand. While they spoke, Edward leaned over to Lady Emily.

  “Why did you do that?” he asked her.

  “I did not want him getting any ideas,” she said.

  “Emmie,” Edward hissed back “He is here to get ideas.”

  “I know,” she said. “But if something as easy as that puts him off, then I certainly don’t want him.”

  “Haven’t you already decided that you didn’t want him?” Edward whispered, and Emily smiled.

  “Yes,” she said. “But this is just an extra security measure.”

  “Lady Emily,” Baroness Yarwood came over. “My goodness, what a match your father has found for you.”

  “Oh,” Lady Emily said, in surprise “I…”

  The baroness cut her off right away.

  “He is wonderful,” she said. “He is quite wealthy, from what I hear, and very respectable in London. Will you move up there or will he move here?”

  ‘Nothing has been decided yet,” Lady Emily said, with gritted teeth. “And I don’t expect that anything will be decided.”

  “Emmie,” the baroness said. “You cannot still be mourning over…”

  “This has nothing to do with mourning,” Lady Emily replied. “And everything to do with how I believe I would like my life to be.”

  The baroness gasped.

  “You cannot be suggesting you choose your own husband?” she said and then laughed. “No, of course you aren’t.”

  “What if I was?” Lady Emily raised an eyebrow. “Is that not my right?”

  “Not quite,” the baroness said. “You must listen to your father.”

  “I see,” Lady Emily didn’t particularly feel like getting into an argument then and there, and so she let the conversation drop. However, the more she listened to Lord Reginald speak, the more she was not particularly interested in what he had to say.

  He mostly spoke about work, or what his political views were. The men seemed enchanted by his thoughts and formed a circle around him. Lady Emily was glad for the attention being off her and sat on the sofa with Catherine.

  “What do you think?” Catherine asked, when they had settled down. “He is so handsome.”

  “I don’t think being handsome makes for a happy marriage,” Lady Emily replied. “For that will fade. And from the look of him, it won’t be long before it fades.”

  “But many people marry older husbands,” Catherine said. “I think it would be lovely.”

  “Why, exactly, would that be lovely?” Lady Emily turned to her. “You would have nothing in common.”

  “Did you have much in common with Lord Hambleton?” Catherine asked. “I mean, he was a military man and you were brought up here, in the peaceful countryside.”

  “To tell you the truth,” Lady Emily said. “The only time we found ourselves not having something in common was when we argued about whether he should go to war. He was appalled at the idea of not going, and I told him he did not have to follow the orders of what everyone told him.”

  “I don’t think the military works that way,” Catherine said. “I think he does have to follow orders, unless he wanted to be discharged...or worse.”

  “Well, that was just it,” Lady Emily said. “He could have chosen to be discharged, for a variety of reasons that I came up with. But he went anyway.”

  “Oh Emmie,” Catherine said. “I’m sorry. You really did love him.”

  “I loved...certain things about him,” Lady Emily replied. “And I think I could have been happy with him for the rest of my life.”

  “Do you think that is why your heart is so closed off now?” Catherine asked. “Because you still love him?”

  “I am not closed off,” Lady Emily replied. “I am just looking for the right match. I did not choose Lord Hambleton, and while that was fine, the likelihood of me being happy with someone else is low. It was a piece of luck that we did not argue every day.”

  Catherine wrinkled her nose.

  “I cannot imagine arguing with my husband,” she said. “I would never dare.”

  “If he is wrong, why should you not point it out?” Lady Emily asked.

  “Do you remember your parents ever arguing?” Catherine asked.

  “Yes, of course,” Lady Emily said. “Do your parents not argue?”

  “Never,” Catherine replied. “I have never heard them raise their voices at each other.”

  Lady Emily thought that Catherine’s parents must not speak very much at all, but she did not say that. Instead, she turned her attention to the men, who were still talking.

  “You won’t be able to keep up with us if you ride in the carriage,” she said to Catherine.

  “I know,” Catherine replied. “I shall take the shorter route and make sure lunch is prepared when you make it to the beaches. Which one is it?”

  “The one with the cliff,” Lady Emily said. “It should be spectacular, especially if the wind stays the way it is. The waves should be crashing into each other.”

  Catherine looked afraid at that.

  “You don’t think that there is a storm coming, do you?” she asked.

  “The letter carrier said that there was a storm late last night,” Lady Emily replied. “But it was just on the beaches, and it was headed out to sea. I don’t think we will get inclement weather, although I doubt we will have sun.”

  “That beach always frightens me,” Catherine said, and Lady Emily turned to her.

  “Why?” she asked. “It’s the same as any of the other beaches.”

  “You’ve heard of the shipwrecks off that cliff?” Catherine asked her. “Especially on foggy nights.”