Charlotte repressed a quick grin. Dear Sarah, with her sturdy Lancashire sense of loyalty.
"So then I went to the stables," Jeffrey continued, "where I learned you'd ordered your carriage in midafternoon and had gone off in the company of a tatterdemalion child. You'd been gone for so many hours, the grooms were worried that you'd had an accident. So I ordered my curricle and came out to look for you." He paused, glancing at the Reeves cottage. When he resumed speaking, the anxiety in his voice had changed to anger. "Have you forgotten our engagement ball? Or am I to understand that you prefer to spend your time visiting the villagers?"
Before Charlotte could reply, Jeffrey shot a look at the attentive coachman and another look at his equally attentive tiger, and said curtly, "We can't talk out here. I'll ride back to the house with you. My tiger can drive my curricle."
As the carriage rolled along toward Cortona, Charlotte told Jeffrey about Jessie's frantic request for help and described
the nerve-racking wait in Banbury for the doctor to return to his surgery and the long hours she'd spent at the cottage trying to comfort Jessie during Mrs. Reeves's difficult delivery.
She finished by saying, "I'm sorry if I've embarrassed you, Jeffrey. Truly, I didn't forget the Christmas Eve ball, or not exactly, anyway, but — "
"But you'd do the same thing all over again tomorrow, wouldn't you?"
In the gloom of the carriage, Charlotte stared at him in amazement. She couldn't see his. face clearly, but she could hear the ripple of amusement in his voice.
"You're not angry with me?" she faltered.
"How can I be angry with the kindest, most loving woman I've ever met in my life?" Suddenly Jeffrey slipped his arm around her shoulders and kissed her. His lips fluttering against her mouth, he murmured, "I'm a little jealous, that's all. I want you to love me, too."
Charlotte gasped. Then she blurted, "Oh, Jeffrey, you idiot, I adore you." She locked her arms around his neck and returned his kiss with a passion that left them both breathless. Afterwards, she leaned back against his arm, looking up at him with dazed eyes. "You really mean it, you do love me?"
"From the first moment we met."
"But-why didn't you tell me?"
He bent his head, brushing her lips with his. "Because, my dear pea goose, you were so cold, so collected. You held me off every time I tried to get close to you."
"I didn't want to give myself away. I thought you were only marrying me for my money."
"I forgot all about your money five minutes after I met you." Charlotte turned her face away, and Jeffrey said anxiously, "My darling, what is it?"
"Oh, Jeffrey, you can't possibly love me the way you loved Cicely. She was so beautiful, so —so perfect in every way."
He was silent for a long moment. Then he said, "I've never told this to anyone. Cicely was beautiful and sweet and devoted. But after she died, I admitted to myself what I'd never allowed myself to think while she was alive, that she'd bored
me to tears." Jeffrey's arms tightened around Charlotte. "You'll never bore me, my love. You'll go on, to the end of my life, irritating me and calling me to account and making me realize my responsibilities."
"And loving you."
"That, too. The most important thing of all."
ELEGANCE AND CHARM WITH ZEBRA'S REGENCY ROMANCES
A LOGICAL LADY (3277, $3.95)
by Janice Bennett
When Mr. Frederick Ashfield arrived at Halliford Castle after two years on the continent, Elizabeth could not keep her heart from fluttering uncontrollably. But things were in a dreadful state. Frederick had come straight from the Grange, his ancestral home, where he argued with his cousin, Viscount St. Vincent. After his sudden departure, the Viscount had been found murdered.
After an attempt on his life Frederick knew what must be done: he must risk his very life, and Lizzie's dearest hopes, to trap a deadly killer!
AN UNQUESTIONABLE LADY (3151, $3.95)
by Rosina Pyatt
Too proud to apply for financial assistance, Miss Claudia Tallon was desperate enough to answer the advertisement. But why would any man of wealth, and position need to advertise for a wife? Then she saw his name and understood why. Giles Veryland. No decent lady would dream of associating with such a rake.
This was to be a marriage of convenience—Giles convenience. Claudia was hardly in a position to expect a love match, and Giles could not be bothered. The two were thus eminently suited to one another, if only they could stop arguing long enough to find out! FOREVER IN TIME (3129, $3.95)
by Janice Bennett
Erika Von Hamel had been living on a tiny British island for two years when the stranger Gilbert Randall was up on her shore after a boating accident. Erika had little patience for his game of pretending that the year was 1812 and he was somehow lost in time. But she found him examining in detail her models of the Napoleonic battles, and she wanted to believe that he really was from Regency England — a romantic hero that she thought only existed in romance books . . .
Gilbert Randall was quite sure the outcome of the war depended on information he was carrying—but he was no longer there to deliver it. He must get back to his own time to insure that history would not be irrevocably altered. And that meant he must take Erika with him, although he shuddered to think of the havoc she would cause in Regency England—and in his own heart!
Available wherever paperbacks are sold, or order direct from the Publisher Send cover price plus 50€ per copy for mailing and handling to Zebra Books, Dept. 3583, 475 Park Avenue South, New York, N. Y 10016, Residents of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania must include sales tax. DO NOT SEND CASH.
JO BEVERLEY, named the Best Nev Regency Author for 1990 by Romantic Times, is the author of numerous acclaimed Regencies including Zebra's An Arranged Marriage and Lord Wraybourne's Betrothed. Hailed as. an "extraordinary talent" Ms. Beverley lives with her family in Ottawa. Canada. Look for her next Zebra Regency, An I nu tiling Bride, in February 1992.
SARA BLAYNE, the author of the popular bestsell-ing Zebra Regency romances Fhssidn's Lad). Duel of
the Heart, and A Nobleman's Bride, is a former teacher. She is now involved in farming and ranching in Pbr-tales. New Mexico, with her husband and two children. Ms. Blayne also writes Zebra Heartfire historical romances.
ANTHEA MALCOLM is the pseudonym lor a
mother-daughter writing team who lives neai Francisco. Writing together under the Anthea Malcolm name, they have authored a number of popular Zebra Regencies including: -1 Touch of Scandal; The (Counterfeit Heart. The Widows (i ambit; The Courting of Philippa; and Frivolous Pretence.
ELIZABETH MORGAN is the newest bright star in the Zebra Regency list. Look for her sparkling Zebra Regency Amanda's Folly in December 1991. DAWN ALDRIDGE POORE is an award-winning
Regency author. A mother of three daughters, she lives in North Carolina, where she teaches high
school English and helps her husband run their Christinas Tree farm near die ( resl ol (hi Appalachian Mountains Ms. Poorc has also written under the name Susan Michaels. Her delightfully fun Zebra Regencies include Bath Bramblt and 5
LOIS STEWART now calls Wilmington, Delaware
home, but for main years she and her six children accompanied her Marine Corps husband all over the U.S.A.! Her Zebra Regencies include Romantu Masqueradi and An Independent Lad) and hei sus-penseful Zebra Gothics are Dark Rei ous at Dungarif) and The Lost Bridt oj Kildrummond 1 .<><>k foi hei next Zebra Regency h f nscrupulous /hide, in January 1992 Ms Stewart also writes as Diana 1 )elmore.
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