“No, it was fate. It was no miracle that brought us together behind that ridiculous orange tree. We were fated to meet, and that’s a fact. And now I am fated to have a beautiful daughter to spoil and worry over.”
“And what about the heir?”
“He is most definitely a miracle.” Nat reached into the second of two cribs and lifted his son to his shoulder. “When your mother brought out Charlotte and placed her in my arms, I thought there could be no greater happiness. I did not care that she was not a son. It was love at first sight. Then my damned fool brother, who’d come solely to welcome the Dearne heir, began stomping about the room and grumbling about the curse of girls on our family.”
“He does have five daughters, Nat.”
“And my mother had seven.”
“It is no wonder he thought there was a curse.”
“No healthy child is a curse. If I hadn’t had the babe in my arms, I’d have broken his nose again. But then the miracle happened. The doctor came out with a second bundle, and told me I had a son. Andrew.” He held out a finger and the baby grabbed it and held tight. “My clever Philippa had given us twins.”
“At least I made your brother happy.”
“To hell with Dearne. You made me ecstatic. And always will.”
At that moment, his son made a face and Nat realized his arm was damp. Never good in these situations, he called for the nurse, who gently took baby Andrew from his arms and laid him in his crib. “Best give me the other little mite too,” she said. “She’ll likely need a bit of cleanup as well.”
Once Philippa was satisfied that both babies were in good hands, she and Nat strolled out onto the terrace. The sun was just going down, and the spring air was crisp. Nat wrapped an arm around his wife to keep her warm as they looked out over the brilliant green meadows and clay vales of Oxfordshire, crisscrossed with hedgerows and streams.
After long moments of contented silence, Nat said, “Thank you, my love.”
“For what?
“For everything. You. The twins. Peace. You changed my life, Philippa. Not by giving me children, but by giving me back myself.”
She leaned her head on his shoulder. “Quid pro quo, Captain. Although you have given me a self I’d never known, one who could dance and ride like the wind. And have babies.”
“We were fated to be together, it seems, to change each other’s lives.”
“Fate again? Or a miracle?”
“A bit of both, I think.” He turned her in his arms and smiled. “And I have a surprise for you, my love. For the christening party.”
“Allowing the party is surprise enough, considering your aversion to social gatherings. What else have you planned?”
“It is a wonderful thing, is it not, that two misfits produced two such beautiful children? I have decided we need something special to celebrate this miraculous, fateful event.”
“And what is that?”
“I have ordered a fireworks display.”
Philippa stared at him in astonishment. One more demon laid to rest. She threw back her head and laughed with pure joy.
About the Authors
New York Times bestselling author STEPHANIE LAURENS began writing as an escape from the dry world of professional science, a hobby that quickly became a career. Her novels set in Regency England have captivated readers around the globe, making her one of the romance world’s most beloved and popular authors. Readers can contact Stephanie via e-mail at [email protected]. For information on all of Stephanie’s books, including updates on novels yet to come, visit Stephanie’s website at www.stephanielaurens.com.
New York Times bestselling, multi-award-winning author MARY BALOGH grew up in Wales, land of sea and mountains, song and legend. She brought music and a vivid imagination with her when she came to Canada to teach. There she began a second career as a writer of books that always end happily and always celebrate the power of love.
Growing up on Long Island, New York, JACQUIE D’ALESSANDRO fell in love with romance at an early age. She dreamed of being swept away by a dashing rogue riding a spirited stallion. When her hero finally showed up, he was dressed in jeans and drove a Volkswagen, but she recognized him anyway. They married after both graduating from Hofstra University and are now living their happily-ever-afters in Atlanta, Georgia. They have one grown son, who is a dashing rogue in the making. The author of more than thirty historical and contemporary romances, Jacquie loves to hear from readers and can be contacted through her website at www.JacquieD.com.
CANDICE HERN is the award-winning author of historical romances set during the English Regency, a period she knows well through years of collecting antiques and fashion prints of the era. She travels to England regularly, always in search of more historical and local color to help bring her books to life. To learn more about the period, visit The Regency World at her website, www.candicehern.com.
Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.
Upcoming Books
By Stephanie Laurens
In Pursuit of Miss Eliza Cynster
By Mary Balogh
A Secret Affair
By Jacquie D’Alessandro
Summer at Seaside Cove
By Candice Hern
Lady Be Bad
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.
“The Seduction of Sebastian Trantor” copyright © 2011 by Savdek Management Proprietary Ltd. “Only Love” copyright © 2011 by Mary Balogh. “Hope Springs Eternal” copyright © 2011 by Jacquie D’Alessandro. “Fate Strikes a Bargain” copyright © 2011 by Candice Hern. 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 HarperCollins e-books.
EPub Edition April 2011 ISBN: 9780062078254
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
About the Publisher
Australia
HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty. Ltd.
25 Ryde Road (P.O. Box 321)
Pymble, NSW 2073, Australia
http://www.harpercollinsebooks.com.au
Canada
HarperCollins Canada
2 Bloor Street East - 20th Floor
Toronto, ON, M4W, 1A8, Canada
http://www.harpercollinsebooks.ca
New Zealand
HarperCollins Publishers (New Zealand) Limited
P.O. Box 1
Auckland, New Zealand
http://www.harpercollinsebooks.co.nz
United Kingdom
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
77-85 Fulham Palace Road
London, W6 8JB, UK
http://www.harpercollinsebooks.co.uk
United States
HarperCollins Publishers Inc.
10 East 53rd Street
New York, NY 10022
http://www.harpercollinsebooks.com
Table of Contents
Cover
A Letter From the Authors
Title Page
Dedication
Contents
The Seduction of Sebastian Trantor
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Only Love
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
> Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Epilogue
Hope Springs Eternal
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Epilogue
Fate Strikes a Bargain
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Epilogue
About the Authors
Also by Authors
Copyright
About the Publisher
It Happened One Season Page 40