Prescott’s heart began to pound as charged silence hung over the room. He knew, without doubt, that if they tried to hang him, Sir Lee would step in and try to use his influence to help. So odds of execution would be slim. What was it to be, then? The whip? He could survive that. Just so long as he had Edwina waiting for him, he could survive just about anything.
“I have no choice”—The Earl of Wootton-Barrett jutted out his chin and tugged at his neckcloth as if it was too tight—“but to stand aside. Remove all objections to him, and to your association.”
Prescott blinked, wondering if he’d heard right.
“What did you say?” Janelle barked, much too loudly.
Coughing into his hand, Wootton-Barrett looked pained. “I said, I withdraw all objections to her association with Mr. Devane.”
“Oh, Father!” Edwina rushed to him, throwing her arms around his burly chest. “Thank you, Father! Thank you!”
“Ahh…that’s not necessary…” The earl awkwardly raised his arms, not knowing quite what to do with his impassioned daughter. “Really…Edwina…get ahold of yourself…” Something slipped from his coat and fluttered to the floor.
Prescott quickly stepped over and scooped it up, coiling it into his palm. Rising, he grasped the earl’s hand in his, the fox-colored ribbon, one just like Ginny’s, pressed between their palms.
Wootton-Barrett stiffened and when his eyes met Prescott’s, fear and defiance flashed within them. So the Earl of Wooten-Barrett had been one of the blackmailer’s victims as well. That added a new shade of color to his visit to the Kendrick manor. And gave Prescott a fresh understanding of the earl’s abrupt change of heart.
If Sir Lee was, as Prescott strongly suspected, the man who’d nailed the blackmailer and recovered any incriminating evidence, then he’d be sure to use his “influence” to guarantee that the earl didn’t harm Prescott. Moreover, Sir Lee would do his utmost to ensure that the earl didn’t make the same mistakes Sir Lee had made with his own daughter’s marriage. His grandfather was turning out to be quite the puppeteer. Prescott didn’t mind, so long as the man didn’t let it go to his head.
Prescott squeezed the earl’s hand, pressing the ribbon into the earl’s palm. “Just so we understand each other, your lordship. I want none of your money, don’t need your connections and don’t want a damn thing from you other than your daughter. She’s the only thing that matters to me.”
Wootton-Barrett’s bushy brows lifted.
“And since her happiness is paramount to my own, I will do everything in my power to ensure that she is not distressed by anyone or anything.” Carefully, Prescott removed his hand, leaving the earl with the fox-colored ribbon. “That includes you…and any affront to her good name and that of her family’s.”
Wootton-Barrett’s face relaxed. “I see. That’s very…reassuring to know.” Disengaging from his daughter, the earl slipped the ribbon into his coat pocket. “But it brings us to the crux of the problem then.”
“What problem?” Edwina was breathless, her face exultant as she stepped into Prescott’s embrace. “If you make no issue of our association, then what problem could there be?”
“There’s the problem of your good name.”
“Sir Lee has pledged to recognize Prescott,” Janelle argued.
Ginny crossed her arms. “He’s a nobleman’s grandson—”
Wootton-Barrett shook his head, adamant. “But still, there is a matter of Edwina’s reputation—”
“But Father!”
Janelle wagged a finger. “Of all the outdated, ridiculous—”
“How can you say that?” Ginny huffed. “There’s nothing wrong—”
“Stop!” Prescott cried, holding up his hand. “Lord Wootton-Barrett is right!”
The three ladies started, shocked as their heads all turned to him. “What?”
“Edwina’s father is correct.” Lowering his hand, Prescott faced Edwina. “Your name is too good to be coiled in an affair with me.”
Edwina blinked, looking crestfallen. “But…but…”
“I love you, Edwina, too much to see you entangled in a casual dalliance. You deserve, much, much more.”
Dropping down onto one knee, Prescott grasped her hand and held it to his heart. “I don’t have a lot to offer you, Edwina. But I finally have a name—”
“You have much more to offer than that, son.” Sir Lee swaggered into the room, swinging his gold-topped cane. “You have my money. Every last shilling of it.”
Prescott’s eyes widened, overwhelmed. “That’s very generous of you, sir—”
“And don’t worry.” Sir Lee waved a hand. “No matter what I said before, I’m quite well-off. I wasn’t about to advertise my fortune when I wasn’t sure who you were or what you were about. But what’s mine is now yours.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“There’s no need to thank me.” Sir Lee beamed. “There’s no one else I’d rather see have it. Besides, I’m simply protecting my interests.”
“Interests?” Janelle raised a brow.
“Those of my grandson, and of my great-grandchildren, of course.” Sir Lee motioned to the earl with his cane. “Wootton-Barrett’s grandchildren.”
Prescott’s heart thrilled. Children. With Edwina.
Clearing his throat, the earl shifted restlessly, his face flushed a familiar shade of cherry. “Yes, ah…which brings me to the matter of a dowry.”
Edwina’s eyes met Prescott’s and the stupefaction in hers could only be matched by the utter shock reflected in his.
“Dowry?”
“Well, I’m certainly not having my grandchildren rely on the meager earnings of an employee from the Foreign Office.”
Instead of being affronted, Sir Lee’s smile only widened.
Wootton-Barrett waved a hand. “So I’ve decided to settle a substantial dowry on my daughter to ensure that she and her children, my grandchildren, are well taken care of.”
“How wonderful!” Ginny beamed, clapping her hands.
Janelle nodded approvingly. “That’s quite magnanimous of you, your lordship.”
“I am most appreciative of all of your support,” Prescott declared, still kneeling on the floor. “But I’m trying to propose here!”
“Well, you’re certainly taking your time about it,” the earl complained. “There’s not much to it. Just ask and be done with it.”
“There were certain matters to be clarified.” Sir Lee raised his bushy gray brows meaningfully at Wootton-Barrett.
Prescott’s eyes narrowed; he was definitely going to have to have a little chat with his grandfather.
“And you only just got to the subject of the dowry,” Janelle interjected.
“Oh, how I love a happy ending!” Ginny wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. “So much celebrating, so much joy!”
Edwina smiled down at Prescott, her face radiant, her eyes bright with happiness. “Family. Do you think we’ll be able to endure it?”
“Oh, I think we’ll survive. I know just how to handle them.”
Rising, Prescott approached Ginny and Janelle. “Ladies, if you will please inform our hostess that we will have something to celebrate over dinner?”
“Dinner!” Wootton-Barrett started. “I promised Lady Kendrick I’d escort her!” Motioning to Sir Lee, he remarked, “We’ll talk more later.” Then he rushed from the room.
“Ladies.” Sir Lee offered Janelle one arm and then Ginny the other. “I believe our presence is no longer required.”
“I know when I’m not wanted,” Janelle huffed, but her eyes were twinkling as she accepted his arm.
Ginny leaned forward whispering, “Pray, don’t be too long, Prescott. I want to toast to your happiness. You will let me, of course?”
“Of course. And we’ll need yours and Janelle’s assistance with the wedding arrangements.”
“I get to help plan another wedding? Glorious!”
“I envision doves,” Janelle pronounced as th
e three of them headed out of the chamber. “And we must have that famous pastry cook, ‘Little Tom,’ make the cakes. He’s simply the best.”
Prescott slammed the door closed behind them, then turned to face the most beautiful woman he’d ever known, the woman of his heart. “Where were we?”
Licking her lips, Edwina motioned to the floor.
“Oh, yes. The proposal.” Striding toward her, Prescott swept Edwina into his arms and kissed her soundly. “I love you, Edwina. With every inch of my being. I want to marry you. As soon as possible. Will you have me?”
“Yes! A thousand times yes!”
He hugged her close. “I don’t know what I’ve ever done to deserve you—”
“Shhh.” Edwina pressed her finger to his lips. “Let me show you what you deserve, Prescott Devane.”
Epilogue
Edwina and Prescott were married in the chapel at Andersen Hall Orphanage later that month. It was an unconventional affair, being in an orphanage, with the Earl of Wootton-Barrett giving away the bride, Dr. Winner serving as best man and Janelle, Ginny and Sir Lee standing up as witnesses.
From her seat, Fanny Figbottom waved proudly to her fiancé as he executed his duties as best man, and she winked when, not caring that anyone saw, he blew her a kiss from the pulpit.
Sitting next to her, Mrs. Nagel commented to Miss Figbottom that there had been an awkward moment when Lady Ross had first been introduced to Catherine Dunn, but that the two ladies had soon been comparing notes about their nuptials and were now dear friends.
Only one guest, Lord Kendrick, was heard to remark on the irregularity of having a scarred child be part of the bridal party. But Mrs. Nagel gave him a resounding thwack on his knuckles with her fan as Little Evie happily tossed rose petals down the aisle for the procession, and the man never said another word.
Catherine had insisted that she and her husband Marcus host a banquet in the garden in the bride and groom’s honor, and all gave thanks that the gods shined favorably upon them, providing the loveliest day they’d had in weeks.
The only people missing from the excitement were Lady Daphne Pomfry who was at that moment trying to charm Warden John Newman into letting her have a second maid in her quarters at Newgate Prison while awaiting trial, and Mr. Todd, also known as Mr. Quince, the man who’d started the whole drama.
At Sir Lee’s urging, Mr. Quince had confessed all, and the only thing that had saved his hide from hanging had been that he hadn’t killed “those two blokes” from the Foreign Office, having instead granted each an expenses paid holiday in the country. Mr. Poppet and Mr. Wiggins hadn’t even been aware that they’d been missed.
Mr. Tristram Wheaton, Sir Lee’s former protégé at the Foreign Office, also interrogated Mr. Quince, and thereafter decided that he had a use for the man on distant shores. So the choice was given: prison or government service under Tristram Wheaton.
Never having been one for cramped places, Mr. Quince was now on his way to Australia, courtesy of the British government. Sick as a dog, he hung over the side of the Mary IV, bemoaning his sins. All he had left for his troubles were a hole-ridden pair of François Millicent shoes.
Author’s Note
I hope you enjoyed Edwina and Prescott’s story. I always knew that What to Wear to a Seduction would be about Prescott Devane. First introduced in More Than a Scandal as Catherine’s best friend, he developed into a man tortured by his parents’ mistakes and in need of the right woman to unlock his heart.
I don’t recall the instant that his story came to me; there was no “aha” moment. It was more of a natural evolution, originating with one of my favorite characters, Sir Lee Devane.
First presented in All Men Are Rogues, Sir Lee was inspired by my cousin Lee. Sir Lee is nothing like my cousin, in temperament, age, physical stature or in his panache for manipulation. My Sir Lee is an old gent burdened with regrets of mistakes past and trying to do better in his sunset years. Nothing remotely like my cousin Lee. But Sir Lee has that bit of prankster, of good-humored sensibility, that had its origins in his namesake. Inspiration is in the eye of the writer, I suppose.
So thank you, Lee, for the seed of a concept that blossomed into Prescott’s story. Edwina and I are both grateful.
Acknowledgments
Special thanks go to my family and friends, who continue to enthusiastically champion my efforts, especially my sister, Nanci (I don’t want to ever write a book without you!) and my mother, who is the best promoter a daughter could have.
I want to acknowledge specifically the following people for their wonderful support: Nancy Yost, Susan Grimshaw, Jan Epstein, Martha Jo Katz, Barbara Kaufman, Esther Levine, Liz Hayes and Carol Nagel, Laurie Ann Goldman, Paloma Llorens, Willa Cline, Barb and everyone at Romance and Friends, Frances Drouin, The Paradies Shops, Becky Rose, Joahnna Barron, Tonda Fuller, and the lovely ladies at A Nose for Clothes.
My heartfelt thanks to the incomparable Avon Books team, including but not limited to: Darlene; the two Brians; Donna, Judy, and the entire Merch Sales Team; Mike, Carla, and the whole Field Sales Team; International Sales; Adrienne and Nicole in Marketing; Pam and Joan in Publicity; Lara and Laurie for Foreign Rights/Sub Rights; Tom, Gayle, and Patricia for my gorgeous covers; Managing Editorial; Carrie, May and most especially, Lyssa!
Finally, I sincerely thank my husband and children for giving me the opportunity to follow my passions and meet my deadlines.
Your support means the world to me.
About the Author
SARI ROBINS was born and raised in New York, married a Southern gentleman, and lives with her family in Georgia. Having spent years working as a tax attorney, she realized that deep inside her beat the heart of an author. Since leaving her law practice behind, she hasn’t looked back and gets to be more creative in her writing than she ever could have been with a legal brief. She loves writing fiction, particularly narratives set in England’s Regency period, the setting for her exciting Andersen Hall series, which began with One Wicked Night and More Than A Scandal. In What To Wear To A Seduction, Sari tells Prescott’s story and how the love of a good woman helps heal his wounded heart.
Stay tuned for the next installment of the Andersen Hall series, out in 2007!
Sari loves to hear from readers. Please visit her at www.sarirobins.com.
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Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
WHAT TO WEAR TO A SEDUCTION. Copyright © 2006 by Sari Earl. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of
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ePub edition February 2007 ISBN 9780061755781
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Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Sari Robins - [Andersen Hall Orphanage] Page 29