2:39 in the morning...
Phoebe tried—and failed—to hide yet another yawn behind her hand. Her eyes crinkled as the gesture melted into a sheepish smile.
Though the conservatory was mostly dark, enough candles were lit to form a soft glow around the two couples who kept vigil around a round table in the center of the room.
“You must excuse my lady wife,” Malcolm said, casting a fond look at her. “It’s been many months since we’ve kept Town hours. Phoebe and Updike like to be out in the fields before sunrise, if you can imagine that.”
“Because a flower is at its most beautiful when it first greets the sun,” Phoebe defended. “Am I not right, Juliette?” She looked to her friend for support.
Juliette nodded. “Most assuredly.” Her arm swept toward the shadowy forms lining the east wall of the glass room. “All of my flowering plants and bushes are placed so they can bask in the morning rays.”
Sebastian clapped Malcolm on the shoulder. “You’re not the only one who must sacrifice his slumber if he wishes to see his wife at her happiest, my friend.” The men shared a wry grin. Since their respective marriages, Juliette and Pheobe’s friendship had bloomed more than ever, and their husbands often found themselves in each other’s company
“Yes, well, I suppose I haven’t minded overmuch,” Malcolm drawled, lifting one shoulder in a shrug.
Phoebe snorted. “Minded? You’re the first out of bed, just itching to explore the next horizon.”
“What can I say? I enjoy gallivanting.” Malcolm reached out and took Phoebe’s hand in his, resting their entwined fingers on the table. “With you.”
The look that passed between them made their friends turn their eyes discreetly in other directions.
Another yawn sounded. This time, Juliette ducked her chin behind her hand.
Sebastian rose to his feet, going immediately to her side. “Are you well? Is there anything I can get for you?”
Mildly alarmed at Sebastian’s sudden attentiveness, Phoebe and Malcolm turned to Juliette, concern etching their features.
Pink dusted Juliette’s cheeks, visible even in the low light. “I’m perfectly fine,” she assured her husband. She noticed their friends’ regard, and her color deepened. “Truly. I am just easily exhausted these days. I am told this part of it will pass soon...”
She smiled widely as realization dawned on her guests.
“Oh!” Phoebe jumped to her feet and came around the table. Juliette stood and the two friends embraced.
Malcolm, too, rose and shook Sebastian’s hand, offering his congratulations.
When all were once again seated, Juliette spoke. “You’re the first to know. I was going to write Georgiana with the news, but as she’ll be here next week, I’ll wait to tell her in person.”
“Georgiana is coming? I’m sorry I’ll miss her,” Phoebe said. Her voice turned tentative. “Is she coming on her own?”
Sebastian pressed his lips together. “No. Juliette’s family will be making their first visit to our home.”
Phoebe nodded. She and Malcolm were among the very few who knew what part Juliette’s uncle had played in last year’s scandal. “The relationship is healing, then?”
“Slowly, but yes,” Juliette said. “What Uncle Gregory did was awful, but what has grown from it... Well, let’s just say that neither of us truly understood what we could be to each other until we almost lost the chance.” The look she gave Sebastian shone with joy.
Phoebe retook Malcolm’s hand in hers, and he squeezed back. That was a sentiment they, too, understood.
“Uncle Gregory will be sorely unhappy to have missed this, however.” Juliette dipped her head to indicate the event that had brought them all together at this ungodly hour.
Phoebe’s Queen of the Night stood centerpiece, three reddish buds full and swollen, near bursting as they teetered on the brink of blooming.
“I’m only glad we made it in time,” Phoebe said. Haverstan’s messenger had reached them in the far reaches of Devonshire, where they’d been exploring with Updike. They’d arrived here just this afternoon. “Thank you for caring for her so diligently while Malcolm and I are away.”
Juliette smiled. “She’s the pride of my small conservatory,” she said. “I was hoping you’d allow me to take a few cuttings, so that I might grow one of my own.”
“Of course,” Phoebe agreed.
“May I make the same offer to Uncle Gregory when he’s here?” Juliette ventured.
“That’s quite an olive branch,” Sebastian said lightly, though hints of tension lingered in his tone. Perhaps not all had been completely forgiven yet. “Still,” he said, putting an arm around his wife, “you gave me a chance to redeem myself in your eyes. I suppose your uncle and I are both profoundly lucky.”
Juliette rested her head against his shoulder, a contented smile gracing her lips, even as her hand went to her middle.
A peaceful quiet settled over the conservatory as the couples went back to their bloom watch.
Nearly twenty minutes later, the first of the buds split. The room’s occupants held their collective breath as a spiked petal of white emerged, then another. The group watched in fascination as the reddish green skin peeled back and a bright white flower unfurled before their eyes. A sweet, heavy fragrance permeated the air.
“It’s as if there are three distinct types of petals,” Sebastian said.
“The outer ones look like fringe,” Juliette pointed out, “surrounded by these long, angular ones. But this central blossom...look how wide and round these petals are. They shine like opals.”
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Malcolm whispered reverently.
Phoebe said nothing, too busy sketching the blooms, trying to capture them while she could.
“It’s the second most beautiful thing I’ve ever laid eyes upon,” Sebastian said. His gaze had moved to his wife, and stayed there.
She blushed. “You should be watching the flower.”
“Yes. You may never see its like again,” Phoebe warned, looking up from her drawing. “There’s no guarantee it will bloom next year, or even in years to come.”
Malcolm had taken his eyes from the flower, as well, choosing to look upon Phoebe instead. “Oh, I think Haverstan and I are well aware just how rare and precious what we see here is.”
“Indeed.” Sebastian agreed, his eyes steady upon Juliette. “And we shall never take it for granted.”
And they never did.
A note from Heather Snow:
Thank you for reading Loving Lady Dervish. I do hope you enjoyed it!
Loving Lady Dervish is a prequel novella to the critically acclaimed Veiled Seduction series, featuring three unconventional heroines, three unfolding mysteries and three unforgettable love stories...
The first full length novel, Sweet Enemy, is available now, followed by Sweet Deception (coming December 15) and Sweet Madness (coming January 12). Both are currently available for pre-order for a special low price of $2.99, which will go up to regular price after release day.
If you’d like to know when I have a new book out, you can sign up for my e-mail newsletter list at www.HeatherSnowBooks.com, follow me on Twitter at @HeatherSnowRW, or like my Facebook page at http://facebook.com/authorheathersnow .
And now, a quick look at Sweet Enemy...
Beakers and ball gowns don’t mix.
So when lady chemist and avowed spinster, Miss Liliana Claremont, receives a coveted invitation to the Earl of Stratford’s house party, no one expects her to accept. After all, it’s well known that Lord Geoffrey Wentworth, a rising political star, is in need of a suitable bride, and it’s assumed he will choose one from the select group of attendees.
Yet Liliana has no desire to lure the rich and powerful earl into marriage. She’s come to Somerton Park for one reason—to uncover what the Wentworths had to do with the murder of her father. She intends to find justice, even if she has to ruin Stratford to do it.
To get the evidence she needs, Liliana intends to keep her enemy close, though romance is not part of her formula. But it only takes one kiss to start a reaction she can’t control...
Winner of the Golden Quill for best published Regency romance
“Historical intrigue and heart-pounding passion make Sweet Enemy a great read. Romance fans will love it.” ~ #1 NYT Bestselling Author JULIE GARWOOD
“Heather Snow combines sizzling tension, witty dialogue, and achingly raw emotions for a passionate love story you’ll remember long after the last page.” ~ Kathryn Smith, USA Today Bestselling Author
“This is a debut novel that should be talked about, re-read and remembered for some time...welcome to my keeper shelf, Heather Snow.” ~ Romantic Crush Junkies
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