by Vikki Vaught
Melody smiled as she replied, “Yes, Henry Elliston Magnus Montgomery has a distinguished sound, don’t you think? I know my father would be proud of his namesake, and I’m sure our son will be a marvelous Marquess, because he’ll have you to teach him to be an honorable man.”
The next morning, after Melody had had a chance to sleep, Henry brought the children in to see their new brother. Mary Elizabeth looked up at Henry and said, “Papa, I’m a big guwl now. Aftew all, I’m almoth five yeaws old … so I want to howd my new baby bwothew.” Her parents looked at each other, smiled, and with love shining in their eyes, agreed with their precious daughter.
They knew … that their love would always … see them through whatever life … sent their way.
The End
Love Sneaked In
coming soon …
CHAPTER 1
Spring 1820
As Helen took her morning ride, and looked out over Sanderford Park, she felt an inner peace come over her. Every morning she would ride her dappled gray mare, Ginny to the lake and it recalled to mind all the wonderful summers that she had spent there with her brothers. Sanderford Park was such a wonderful place and she enjoyed spending time here because it was always so peaceful and serene. However, even though she loved her home, she was looking forward to the upcoming season. Helen had been afraid she was not going to get to go to London, because her brother, Henry, the Duke of Sanderford and his wife, Melody were expecting a child in May. Fortunately, Melody’s aunt, Lady Helton was willing to sponsor her and her sister Kathryn for the season. Helen had missed several seasons over the past five years. Her first season in 1815, was cut short in June of that year, because her brother Henry was reported to have died at the Battle of Waterloo. She missed the follow season because she was in mourning for him. Of course, her brother had not died after all. He had had amnesia because of a head injury and it took almost three years before his memory came back. That was in 1818, which was the year she lost her father and elder brother Nelson, so again she missed another season. Even though Helen would be turning three and twenty in June, she had only had two full seasons.
Last year was the best season she had had so far, because she had met Hanford Preston, the Duke of Somerset and he had paid serious court to her at the end of last year. Hanford was so handsome and debonair. He was in his late thirties, so he was more mature than most of the men she had been interested in, in the past. She thought he was so attractive with his dark sable brown hair with touches of gray at his temples. There was a dimple in the center of his strong chin and he had pale gray eyes, which she had seen darken with emotion on several occasions. Hanford was medium height, but very well built. You could tell he was a physically active man, because he was very muscular with broad shoulders, and a trim waist. Each time she had spent time with Hanford, she admired how well dressed he was and he was always impeccably groomed. She was hoping he would continue to pay court to her this coming season. Well, enough woolgathering, she needed to get back to the house, because it was time for tea.
Once she returned to the house she changed into an afternoon gown and went downstairs to tea. When she entered the drawing room, her sister Kathryn and Melody, her sister-in-law were already there, along with her other sister-in-law Mary, her brother Nelson’s widow. Soon after, Henry entered hurrying as usual. Henry always seemed to be in a hurry these days. Helen knew he had huge responsibilities and took them very seriously. Melody served tea and passed the plate of sandwiches around. Henry ate several as usual.
Henry turned to Helen and asked, “Did you enjoy your ride? At least the weather has warmed up.
As Helen sipped her tea, she replied, “I had a lovely ride today so many of the flowers are starting to bloom that I get excited because I know spring is definitely on its way.
“Are you getting excited about your upcoming season?” Henry asked. “It’s so nice of Melody’s aunt to sponsor you and Kathryn this year. Oh by the way, I’ve set up an account for you and Kathryn to draw on, while you’re in London, so you don’t have to worry about using any of your allowance for new clothes and such.”
“Oh thank you Henry, we’re very fortunate you’re such a generous brother. I can think of quite a few things that I need this season and my allowance would not have covered everything,” she said. “I’m definitely looking forward to this season and as much as I’ll miss you, Melody and the children, I can’t wait to go to London. I know you aren’t able to come for the season, but I’ll miss both of you dreadfully. Please promise to send word immediately when the baby comes. We’ll come home right away because we’ll want to see the baby and make sure Melody’s all right.”
“I promise to let you know as soon as the baby comes.” Henry looked over at Kathryn and said, “Kathryn, I know you’re excited about attending the Art Institute, but I do hope you’ll participate in the season. I want you to have some fun this year.”
“I’m sure I’ll find time to enjoy the season. I only go to classes in the daytime, so my evenings will be free. I look forward to all the other entertainments that London has to offer. I love the ballet and the opera and I’m sure we’ll be attending both this season.” Turning away from Henry, Kathryn gazed fondly over at Melody and asked, “Melody, how are you feeling today?”
“I’m having a very good day. Thank you for asking. I spent most of the afternoon with Mary Elizabeth and Brandon. They were playing knight and damsel in distress and it was so cute.” Melody shifted in her seat, trying to find a more comfortable position, and then she added, “Brandon kept taking his little wooden sword and slaying the dragon so he could save his sister. I just love to watch the children play. They’re going to miss both of you when you go to London.” As Helen watched Melody, she realized that since Melody was such a tiny woman; she was already getting uncomfortable from her pregnancy, even though she still had more than two months before the baby would be born.
After tea, Helen and Kathryn went upstairs to visit their nieces and nephews. Helen loved all four children equally, even though her nephews were not blood related. Helen and Kathryn played with them until it was time to get ready for dinner.
After dinner that night, Mary played the pianoforte, which everyone enjoyed tremendously, since Mary was an extremely gifted pianist. Helen had a pleasant evening and retired to bed at ten o’clock.
As each day passed, Helen grew more excited about the upcoming season and looked forward to it with great anticipation. Thankfully, the next fortnight went by quickly and soon they were on their way to London. It was raining so the trip took longer than usual, but Helen used the time to read her new Minerva Press novel. Helen and her sister arrived at Lady Helton’s, at three o’clock on the afternoon, of March 15. When they arrived at Lady Helton’s house, Bradford, Lady Helton’s butler was there to direct them to their rooms. Helen was impressed with she saw her room. The walls were a lovely soft blue with cream crown molding adorning the ceiling. She found the entire room restful and knew she would enjoy her time here. The counterpane on the bed was soft yellow with pale blue piping around the edge and there were mounds of lovely soft pillows. She could just imagine lying on the bed reading a good book. After she freshened up, she went back downstairs to the drawing room.
As she entered the room, Lady Helton came over to her, gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek, and said, “I’m so pleased you could stay with me for the season. We’re going to have a wonderful time. I have a great many activities planned for us. How is my dear Melody?”
Helen returned Lady Helton’s hug then sat down on the sofa and said, “Melody sends her regards and she’s doing well. Both Melody and Henry are so excited about the baby and they’re impatient for its arrival. You would think it’s their first child. Of course, in some ways it is for Henry, since he missed Mary Elizabeth’s birth.”
Lady Helton sat down next to Helen, smoothing down the skirt of her pale pink day dress, she replied, “I’m so happy for both of them. They’ve gone through so m
uch and now deserve to have some happiness in their lives. Oh by the way, I’ve made an appointment for us at Madame Devy’s tomorrow, so we can all freshen up our wardrobes for the season. I do hope Kathryn can find time to participate in the season this year. I know how important her art is to her, but she still needs to have fun! Ah, here she is now.” Lady Helton went over, embraced Kathryn, gave her a kiss and said, “Hello my dear, don’t you look lovely. Are you all settled? I hope your room suits you?”
Kathryn shyly returned her hug and kiss, then quietly replied, “Oh yes, Lady Helton my room is lovely and I know I’ll be very comfortable here. I hope I didn’t keep you waiting long?”
“Oh no my dear, we were just chatting as you came in. I’ll just call for our tea.” Lady Helton rang the bell and Bradford came in with the tea tray. Then Lady Helton continued, “As I just explained to Helen, I’ve made an appointment for us tomorrow with Madame Devy so we can add to our wardrobes for the season. When do you start your classes at the Art Institute?” she asked. “I do hope you’ll be able to join us. After all, you’ll still need to freshen up your wardrobe, even if most of your time is spent at the Institute.”
“I don’t start my instruction until next Monday, so I’ll be happy to go with you.” As Kathryn took her seat, she straightened the skirt of her pale lilac tea gown and added, “I do need a few new dresses and various other accessories so I look forward to it. I just love Madame Devy’s designs.”
Once they finished their tea, they went to their rooms to rest before dinner. Dinner was quite enjoyable that evening and Lady Helton shared with them all the latest gossip. Helen had never been much of a gossip, but it was nice to hear about what was going on in town. The season was just getting started, so they had not missed any of the balls or parties.
The next morning they went to Bond Street to do their shopping. Helen ordered quite a few new dresses and evening gowns and so did Kathryn. Helen picked out a particularly fetching silvery blue silk evening gown. As she held the fabric up to her creamy white complexion, she knew it complimented her brilliant blue eyes and would look marvelous when it was finished. Once they were through with their shopping, they went to Gunter’s to have their famous shaved ham sandwiches and ices. Gunter’s was an extremely popular place to go. Many members of the ton went there on a regular basis during the season, and of course, their ices were superb. If you wanted to see who had already arrived for the season, Gunter’s was the place to go. After they had lunch, they took a drive through Hyde Park and again saw several people they knew. After their drive, they returned to the house to get ready for the evening’s entertainment. Lady Helton was taking them to a play in Drury Lane. The play they were to see was As You like It, which was one of Helen’s favorite Shakespeare plays.
This season was particularly important to Helen because she just knew she was going to bring Hanford, the Duke of Somerset up to scratch. She had been dreaming of him ever since the end of last season. If she were able to get him to propose, it would be amazing, because he had never shown any signs of being interested in marriage in past seasons. While she had never wanted for beaus, Hanford was the first man that had ever truly interested her. Helen was also looking forward to seeing her friends again. She was very popular with all the other young people because she was such a friendly, fun loving young woman.
The next morning, Helen was up early; she hastily completed her morning ablutions and went down to breakfast. As she enjoyed her morning meal, she thought about the upcoming evening with anticipation. They were going to Lady Crawford’s Ball and she was excited about seeing Hanford again. She could not wait to dance with him because he danced so divinely. Helen wondered if he had missed her and if he would try to kiss her again. They had kissed at the end of last season and she had found it to be quite titillating. Oh, she needed to stop woolgathering, because she had quite a few things planned for the day, and she wanted to give herself plenty of time to get ready for the ball. This was so unlike her, but of course, she had never felt this way about someone before. Oh, she hoped Hanford would be there tonight.
Lady Crawford’s Ball was one of the first of the season. Most of the ton must have decided to attend because the ballroom was extremely crowded. Lady Crawford should be pleased, because her ball was definitely a crush. Helen surreptitiously glanced around the ballroom looking for Hanford. At first she did not see him, but then she saw him dancing, with of all people, Lady Penelope. They appeared to be in a deep conversation and she wondered what they could be talking about so intently. Lady Penelope was the daughter of the Earl of Stanton and she was supposed to have married Henry at one time, because their estates bordered each other and Helen’s father had greatly desired the match. Of course, Henry had fallen in love with Melody, so the match never happened. Lady Penelope was a witch and Helen had never cared for her at all. She wondered how well Hanford knew her.
She turned to Kathryn and asked, “Do you see his grace dancing with Lady Penelope? I didn’t know they even knew each other. I wonder how well they know each other. Oh, I hope he sees me and he asks me to dance. I’m just dying to dance with him again, because he’s such a wonderful dancer.”
After the Duke of Somerset finished dancing with Lady Penelope, he came over to her and said, “Good evening Lady Helen. It’s a pleasure to see you again. How was your time in the country this past winter?”
Helen gazed at him with delight in her startling blue eyes and replied, “I always enjoy my time at Sanderford Park, but I’m looking forward to having a wonderful time, now that I’m here in London for the season. Since my brother and his wife are expecting a blessed event in May, I’m staying with Lady Helton and she has quite a few entertainments planned for my sister Kathryn and I. Did you enjoy your time in the country?”
“Yes, but it was not as enjoyable as your time was, I am sure. I stayed very busy, what with running all my estates. I spent quite a bit of my time traveling from one holding to another. I will actually find the season relaxing compared to what I have been doing. By the way, you look lovely tonight. Do you have a waltz available for me?”
Helen coyly glanced at him and said, “The supper dance is open would you like that one?”
Hanford looked deeply into her eyes and Helen felt little flutters deep in the pit of her stomach as he replied, “That would be lovely. I would like to take you driving with me tomorrow at four o’clock, would you be available?”
With a questioning, tone in her voice, she said, “Yes, that would be splendid. I noticed you dancing with Lady Penelope. She’s a neighbor of mine and I was wondering … if you have known her for a long time?”
Hanford arrogantly raised his eyebrow and replied, “One of my smaller estates is close to her home and I know her father quite well, so I have known her for years. Well, if you will excuse me I am going to the card room. I look forward to our dance later.”
Helen watched him as he left the ballroom and worried that she may have made a mistake asking him about Lady Penelope. He had cooled slightly after she had asked him about her. Trying to put these thoughts out of her mind, she turned and joined the conversation that Lady Helton was having with her friends.
Helen danced several sets with some of her beaus from last season and was having a pleasant evening. She was impatient for the supper dance, so she could dance with Hanford. She had spoken with Susan, Lady Hastings and they were going to St. Mark’s Orphanage tomorrow morning. She had been volunteering there ever since Melody got her involved with it several years before. In fact, it was due to Melody that she had become such good friends with Susan. Finally, the supper dance arrived and Hanford came to get her.
When Hanford approached her for their dance, she could tell by his expression he was glad to see her, so maybe she had been wrong to think it had bothered him when she asked him about Lady Penelope. The supper dance was the most important one of the evening, not only did you get to dance with your partner: you had supper with him also. As the strains of the waltz conclu
ded, she realized she had enjoyed dancing with him just as much as last year. They went into the supper room where they sat at one of the small white linen draped tables. Hanford returned from the buffet table with plates filled with shaved ham sandwiches, lobster patties and finger sandwiches. After they finished eating, Hanford asked, “Would you like to take a stroll on the terrace? It has grown quite stuffy in here.”
Helen smiled as she said, “Yes, I would enjoy that. It is quite warm this evening.” As they strolled around the terrace, Helen looked up at the sky and said, “It’s a lovely evening tonight and look at all the stars. Don’t they seem to be brighter than usual? I always love the night sky and if I see a shooting star I make a wish.”
Hanford looked directly into Helen’s beautiful blue eyes and said, “I agree; it is a beautiful evening. I was hoping I would see you here tonight. I enjoyed spending time with you last year and hope we can do that again this year. You look so lovely in the moonlight … it illuminates your radiant skin and I just have to touch you.”
Hanford pulled her into his arms, touched her face and then he kissed her. Helen felt her heartbeat accelerate, as he deepened his kiss. She gasped and he slid his tongue into her mouth. No one had ever kissed her like this and her knees grew weak from all the sensations that were running through her. He took his hand and gently cupped her breast, and then squeezed her nipple through the bodice of her gown. She felt as if she would swoon from the excitement of it all. Just as he started to slide his hand into the décolletage of her dress, she heard a noise. She felt him begin to pull back and she was disappointed that he was ending their embrace, but of course, it was just as well that he stopped. Helen would die if she ended up compromised. As much as she wanted to marry Hanford, she would not want it forced on them.
Hanford stepped back and asked, “Did you hear something? We need to return to the ballroom before anyone notices how long we have been gone. Come my dear; let me escort you back to Lady Helton.”