The Unexpected Heiress

by Kaitlin O’Riley

  Katherine pressed herself against him, as the silken ties to her scarlet dressing gown came undone, revealing her lush breasts. One of her hands moved lower and began to caress him through his trousers, before trying to unfasten the buttons.

  It was then Phillip abruptly pulled away, pushing her arms from him. He’d had enough. This wasn’t what he wanted at all, and, suddenly, he had to get out of her house. He needed to be away from her.

  Katherine gasped in surprise, her eyes wide with confusion. “Phillip?”

  He adjusted his jacket, smoothed his hair with his hand, and simply stared at her.

  “What’s wrong, darling?”

  As she placed her hand on her hip, she took the scarlet satin robe with it, revealing her naked body to him in all its glory.

  Phillip knew exactly what she was doing, enticing him to stay. Normally, he would enjoy a romp in her bed. He didn’t know what was wrong with him today. He simply knew that he didn’t want to sleep with her after all. He had to get out of there as soon as possible.

  “I’m so sorry, Kitty,” he managed to mumble, feeling like a great cad. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have stopped by for I really can’t stay.”

  “Will I still see you later this evening at Lady Abbott’s ball?” She looked more than a bit put out.

  “Of course,” he said, trying to sound normal and calm. “I’ll see you there.”

  To the surprise of them both, he hastily kissed her on the cheek and strode from the room.

  For the first time, in a long time, Phillip looked forward to going home.

  14

  A Word to the Wise

  “You wasted the entire day at that ridiculous bookshop!”

  Aunt Delilah was irate about Meredith coming home late and hadn’t stopped making comments about it, in spite of the fact that Meredith was dressed and ready before the Duke of Havenfield arrived to escort them to Lady Abbott’s ball.

  Meredith had apologized profusely and promised her aunt that it would never happen again.

  “You cannot squander this opportunity, Meredith,” Aunt Delilah had gone on. “This man is a duke, and I know that being American, you may not understand the magnitude of that title. But believe me, it is quite important. Now, he has shown particular interest in you, and so you must show more interest in him. He wouldn’t be wasting his time with you if his intentions weren’t serious. You must cajole him into proposing soon. And for the love of God, do not tell him that you want to write books! That would definitely be a mistake. You must appear to be in love with him. Compliment him. Puff up his vanity a little. Play the game, Meredith.”

  Meredith nodded obediently, as she was primped and prodded by Aunt Lavinia’s lady’s maid, Smith. But she wasn’t interested in “playing the game” with the duke because she wasn’t interested in marrying him. At all.

  * * *

  Now attired in a shimmering gown of iridescent blue silk, she stood beside the Duke of Havenfield in Lady Abbott’s grand ballroom. They had just finished a dance together, and she was enjoying a glass of punch. She wondered why he was even interested in her, for she truly hadn’t done anything to encourage him except be polite.

  “May I get you anything else, Miss Remington?” he asked solicitously.

  He looked quite fine in his well-cut evening attire, with his beard neatly trimmed, and his slightly gray hair slicked back. His appearance seemed even more commanding than usual. He was a very nice man, and she wished she felt more for him than she did. It would certainly make her life easier if she actually wished to be his wife.

  “Thank you, but I’m fine, Your Grace.”

  “Miss Remington, I must say that you are the most stunning woman in the ballroom. Or in London, for that matter,” the duke said to her.

  “Your compliments overwhelm me, Your Grace. Thank you.” She gave him a warm smile and then continued scanning the room.

  She had not yet seen Phillip Sinclair or his family. The thought of seeing him again made her stomach do a little somersault. She could still feel his lips on hers, and her lips felt a bit bruised and puffy. After their kiss earlier that day, she didn’t know how she would face him.

  He’d made such sincere apologies for kissing her, and then left so abruptly, that she wasn’t sure how to react when she saw him again. He seemed genuinely troubled by their kiss, whereas she had enjoyed it immensely.

  So much so that she had wanted to continue kissing him.

  She felt terribly that he regretted kissing her, and that he assumed that she regretted it, too, which couldn’t be further from the truth. She would never regret sharing that splendid kiss with Lord Waverly. Not ever.

  “Good evening, Miss Remington.”

  Every nerve in Meredith’s body lit up at the sound of his voice, and her heart pounded wildly. Phillip was there! She took a deep breath and turned to face him. Disappointment flooded her, for it was Simon Sinclair. Forcing a sudden smile, she marveled at how much he sounded like his brother.

  “Good evening, Lord Sinclair,” she said.

  “May I have the honor of the next dance with you, Miss Remington?”

  “Yes, thank you. That would be delightful,” she answered.

  She handed her punch glass to a passing footman and gave a little nod to the duke before moving to the dance floor with Simon.

  “You look lovely this evening,” he said. “That color blue sets off the blue of your eyes.”

  “Thank you yet again, Lord Sinclair.”

  There was something so genuine about him. She felt very comfortable with him. Perhaps it was simply because he reminded her of Phillip. Or perhaps it was because both brothers were caring and charismatic men.

  “How goes the great husband search?” Simon asked with a smile. “I’m guessing the Duke of Havenfield over there is interested.”

  Meredith gave a slight smile. “He seems to be.”

  “You know, Miss Remington, most young ladies would be wild with excitement that a duke was paying them such special attention. Yet, you don’t seem very thrilled by the prospect.”

  Simon was quite astute. She had to give him credit for noticing what she was trying so hard to conceal. “I’m not that thrilled.”

  “Why is that?”

  She shrugged her shoulders lightly, giving him a noncommittal answer.

  “You are a young and beautiful oil heiress,” he said with a smile that evoked the memory of his brother. “Any man would be considered lucky to have you, and you have your pick of them all. You can marry whomever you want.”

  “It certainly doesn’t feel that way,” she said.

  I can’t marry whomever I want. And I’m not an oil heiress! How she longed to scream those words. How she longed to tell the truth. I’m a penniless imposter from New York who is only in London to snare a rich husband. Instead, Meredith bit her tongue and kept her mouth closed.

  “Is that because you feel that your aunt is choosing for you?” he asked, with sympathetic eyes.

  She nodded her head as they continued to move in time to the music. He was an excellent dance partner, yet she did not feel quite the same connection with him as she did with his brother. She wondered where Phillip was, for he said he would see her there.

  “It’s difficult when you must follow the decisions and rules made by others, isn’t it?” he asked quietly.

  She looked in his eyes, which were a clear blue in contrast to Phillip’s deep green eyes. Simon had the uncanny ability to read into a situation and understand how she felt, without Meredith having to say much at all. It was very comforting.

  “It’s easier for men,” she said. “Men get to make their own decisions. Men are allowed to marry whomever they wish, and no one bats an eye.”

  “Not always,” he said. “We don’t always get to choose who we want to marry either.”

  There was a note of wistfulness in his voice, and Meredith recalled seeing him embrace that gentleman in the park. Her heart went out to Simon.

  “Is th
ere someone you are especially interested in?” she asked.

  “Yes, there is, but such an alliance would be frowned upon.”

  Such an alliance would be frowned upon. She filed away his answer to ponder in more depth later.

  “Perhaps it won’t always be that way,” she offered.

  “I seriously doubt it. Not in the way you think anyway.” He then changed the subject and smiled knowingly. “How about you, Miss Remington? Is there someone in particular you are interested in? Someone who is not the Duke of Havenfield?”

  She took his cue and said, “I’m not quite sure at the moment, but I think there is someone. However, he is not interested in marrying yet.”

  “It wouldn’t happen to be my brother you’re interested in, now would it?” Simon raised an eyebrow in question.

  The stunned look on her face must have given her away.

  “Don’t worry,” he said with a kind smile. “Your secret is safe with me.”

  “How did you know?” Her cheeks grew quite warm at the thought that others had noted something between her and the Earl of Waverly. “I’m not even sure myself.”

  “Just a hunch,” he said with a laugh. “I watched you dance together that night, and I thought I saw a spark between you. Besides, I caught my brother mooning over you that same night while you danced with all your prospective suitors. And then there was the day you came for tea at Devon House. The two of you were practically giddy when you saw each other. I thought Phillip was going to kiss you right then and there!”

  Meredith’s cheeks grew warm.

  “Oh heavens,” she cried as the dance came to an end. “Do you think your parents noticed too?”

  “Of course they did. It’s all the three of us talked about afterward. We’ve never seen Phillip act that way before.”

  As Simon Sinclair walked her from the dance floor, Meredith wished she could simply melt into the ground and disappear for the evening. Describing herself as utterly mortified was an understatement of how she felt. How would she ever face Phillip’s parents again after how she behaved with their son? What must they think of her?

  It was then she looked up and saw where Simon was leading her.

  Lucien and Colette Sinclair, the Marquis and Marchioness of Stancliff, were gathered with another couple in a corner near the far end of the ballroom.

  She glanced at Simon in complete panic.

  He said in an understanding tone, “Don’t worry. It will be fine. I promise.” He patted her arm comfortingly as they neared his parents.

  The Marquis and Marchioness of Stancliff were a striking couple. Colette wore a silk gown of a deep claret color and looked quite beautiful, and Lucien was undeniably attractive in his evening attire. Meredith couldn’t help but see the remarkable resemblance between the Sinclair men. Phillip looked so much like his father.

  “Good evening, Miss Remington,” the Marquis of Stancliff said in greeting.

  Colette smiled happily. “Meredith! How lovely you look! Come, I’d like you to meet my youngest sister, Yvette Eddington, the Duchess of Rathmore, and her husband, the Duke of Rathmore.”

  Before Meredith could say a word, Colette took her by the arm and presented her to her sister and brother-in-law.

  “Jeffrey, Yvette . . . this is Miss Remington, the young and talented writer from New York I was telling you about.”

  As Meredith was introduced to the handsome couple, she noticed the uncanny similarity between Colette and her sister. Yvette seemed to be a blond version of Colette, and looked a great deal like Paulette, too, but she could still detect the young girl’s face depicted in the oil painting of the five Hamilton sisters. Meredith had now met three of the five and was struck by how much she liked them all.

  After the pleasantries were exchanged, Colette and Yvette pulled Meredith aside to speak privately, away from the men.

  “Meredith, is it true you came here tonight escorted by the Duke of Havenfield?” Colette asked in a whisper.

  Meredith nodded woodenly. Each time someone asked her about the Duke of Havenfield, a little knot in her stomach tightened.

  “Well, that is quite the coup, young lady!” Yvette Eddington said excitedly. She was very fashionable and sumptuously dressed in a gown of deep emerald green. “You’ve only been in London a few weeks, and you’ve managed to snare a duke. Well done!”

  They seemed so pleased for her, but Meredith was filled with unease at the thought of the Duke of Havenfield. “I’m not exactly sure that he is the one for me though.”

  “Oh, thank heavens,” Colette said in a rushed murmur, her face a mask of relief. She gave Meredith’s hand a light squeeze.

  “A duke would be difficult to turn down if he were to ask for your hand in marriage,” Yvette added in a low voice. “You’d have to be very sure about it.”

  “I’m not sure about anything, quite honestly,” Meredith confided to them. “And I don’t know quite what to do about it.”

  Even though she knew deep in her heart that she did not want to marry the Duke of Havenfield, she didn’t know if she had the courage to turn him down if he asked. Aunt Delilah would be devastated, and Aunt Lavinia would be beside herself. If she had to marry anyone, Meredith wanted to marry Phillip Sinclair.

  It was true.

  She had done nothing but think about him and their incredible kiss earlier today. He was the one she wanted to be with. But he didn’t want to be with her, apparently.

  Colette was about to say something when suddenly her sister caught her attention by tapping her arm.

  “Look,” Yvette whispered heatedly. “He brought her.”

  All three women glanced toward the entrance of the ballroom.

  Phillip Sinclair, the Earl of Waverly, walked toward them with a tall blonde on his arm. Wearing a stunning gown of golden silk that left nothing to the imagination, the woman was quite beautiful. With her blond hair, fair skin, and draped in shimmering gold, she looked like a Greek goddess come to life. She walked with the grace of a dancer, and there was a satisfied smile on her face as they approached.

  Meredith stared in awe.

  Phillip’s mother was none too thrilled by the woman’s presence. That much was clear.

  And there was Phillip, in his finely tailored evening clothes, freshly shaven, with his dark hair slicked back, appearing every inch the pompous lord. But perhaps not so pompous now that she knew him to be kind and thoughtful. However, she could not deny that he was breathtakingly handsome. Seeing him again and thinking of their kiss made her knees shake.

  Was it only a few hours ago that they were talking together easily? That he’d brought her beautiful gifts and read her manuscript? That he had kissed her passionately?

  It was hard to imagine that now, for he looked so far away and untouchable somehow. She did note, with her writer’s eye, that he did not seem pleased. He most certainly did not look happy, even with that beautiful blond woman by his side.

  “He’s bringing her over here, isn’t he?” Colette said with a touch of horror in her voice.

  “He wouldn’t dare!” Yvette cried.

  “But he is! How could he bring her over here and force an introduction in public,” Colette whispered angrily. “He knows how I feel about that woman!”

  “I suppose he feels backed into a corner now.”

  “Well, I just thought that he . . . well . . .” Colette seemed a bit frantic. “I thought that he had changed his mind about her after meeting you-know-who.”

  “It seems you were wrong,” Yvette responded hotly. “Be nice to her, Colette. It’s the only way.”

  “Who is she?” Meredith whispered to Colette and her sister, as the couple in question moved closer to them. She’d seen Phillip with that woman before, the first night Meredith had danced with him at the Braithwaites’ ball.

  “That is Lady Katherine Vickers. She’s a notorious widow,” Yvette explained, unable to disguise the disapproval in her tone. “And she is detestable.”

  Clearly,
Phillip’s family didn’t approve of this woman, and Meredith had to agree with them. Well, she didn’t have to. But she wanted to. Instinctively, she felt that Lady Katherine Vickers was her rival.

  It was impossible not to wonder if Phillip had kissed that woman the way he had kissed her this afternoon. She didn’t want to think that he did, but somehow, she knew that he had. Her heart hurt at the thought.

  As Phillip and Lady Katherine Vickers came closer to their little group, the tension in the air thickened. Lucien moved to stand beside Colette, putting his hand on her arm, as if in attempt to calm her. The Duke of Rathmore also took up a place near his wife, Yvette. And Meredith did not imagine that Simon stepped closer to her in a protective stance.

  The family was definitely closing ranks whether they realized it or not, and Meredith felt honored to be included as one of them.

  “Good evening, Mother,” Phillip said coolly as he stood before them. He nodded to the group in general. “Everyone, may I introduce Lady Katherine Vickers. Katherine, this is my family. My parents, Lord and Lady Stancliff. My aunt and uncle, the Duke and Duchess of Rathmore. And you know my brother, Simon, of course. And this is Miss Meredith Remington of New York.”

  As Phillip introduced Meredith, he did not look at her.

  “Good evening,” Lady Katherine said with a brittle smile. “It is a pleasure to meet all of you.”

  “It’s nice to finally meet you too,” Colette said sweetly and quite convincingly. “We’ve never formally met, but I knew your husband, Lord Vickers.”

  Meredith was impressed by how gracious Colette Hamilton Sinclair was. It was a testament to her self-control. With her dark hair swept elegantly atop her head and wearing her claret-colored gown, she looked the epitome of a great lady.

  “Phillip has told me so much about your family,” Lady Katherine said.

  “I’m sure he has,” Colette said through clenched teeth.

  “He says such wonderful things about each of you,” Lady Katherine added.

  “I said nice things about everyone but you, Simon,” Phillip quipped to his brother in a teasing manner, in an attempt to break the tension.