Ivy breathed out quietly, hardly daring to believe him. “Truly?”
He smiled and shook his head again. “Truly. Ivy Carlisle, I love you more than anything, and as I am here on bended knee, the time is opportune. Will you please, for the love of heaven, marry me?”
She sniffled and then smiled through the abysmal tears that she became convinced would never dry up. “Oh, Jack. Yes.” She had hardly uttered the phrase when he captured her lips with his and kissed her until she couldn’t breathe.
Pulling her close, his hand cradling her head to his chest, she heard him rumble, “Thank goodness. I thought I was going to have to dance another blasted quadrille with that girl whose eyes are too big for her face before you would come to your senses.”
Chapter 30
People are the most amazing of God’s creatures; none
are to ever be discounted, for we may find ourselves
surprised at the value lying beneath the surface.
Mistress Manners’ Tips for Every-day Etiquette
Ivy strolled through the art gallery, her arm in Jack’s, looking at Mary’s pieces that were hung proudly on display. Nana had sponsored the exhibit, and the crowd was impressive; Ivy was gratified to note that all but one piece had sold, and the showing had been under way for less than an hour.
“Not that she needs it now to put food on the table, but your mother could afford to dine on caviar and wine for the rest of her days, if she chose. And this is but her first event.” Ivy smiled up at Jack and noted a fine sheen of moisture in his eyes that he blinked back.
“I am so very proud of her.” He placed his hand over Ivy’s as they continued to walk down the long hallway. “And of you,” he added as he squeezed her fingers.
Ivy blushed. Her advice column was in the editing stages of becoming a book that was set to be printed within a couple of months. The unveiling of Mistress Manners’ identity had come about unintentionally, but a correspondent at the magazine had let Ivy’s name slip when turning in an interview he’d conducted with Ivy and Sophia regarding the progress of the girls’ home. Word had spread like wildfire, of course, and Ivy had been relieved that rather than becoming the subject of scorn or condemnation, she was now regarded as something of an Original—Lady Olivia Knightley Carlisle’s granddaughter, who taught the world how to behave and tamed a sailor in the process.
The banns had been posted, and Ivy and Jack were set to marry in two months’ time. Her parents were thrilled, of course, and Sophia had the groom’s family’s responsibilities well in hand. She would be Ivy’s maid of honor and had shed a tear or two when Ivy asked it of her.
“After the wedding,” Jack said as they turned a corner and he steered her toward a door leading to a back garden, “I would like to leave London for a bit.”
Ivy nodded. “Of course—I had assumed we’d go directly to the country estate after our trip to the continent.”
“I am not looking to rush our trip, of course, but there is much to be done for the tenants, and furthermore,” he said as he opened the door and followed her through it, “I find I do not want to share you with any more people than necessary.”
Ivy blushed as he swept her into his arms and spun her to the corner of the building behind a large rosebush. He cut off anything she might have said as he leaned down with a grin and closed his lips over hers, and she wondered if there would ever come a day when she tired of that breathless feeling, the one that made her spine melt and her knees go weak.
When he finally let her up for air, trailing kisses along her jaw, she smiled. “And I find that I do not mind the thought of spending time with one handsome sailor.”
“Or how about an earl?”
She laughed as he pulled her closer still. “Even better.”
Chapter 31
A wedding is a time of celebration,
where loved ones gather with the couple to show support
and hearty felicitations. Cherish every moment.
Mistress Manners’ Tips for Every-day Etiquette
Clarence Fuddleston watched the proceedings from a bird’s-eye view. He stood between Lord Stansworth’s other two groomsmen, Lord Anthony Blake and Master Pug Smith. The young boy occasionally stuck a finger inside his shirt collar and tugged a bit, but otherwise held up well in the new clothing Lady Ivy had insisted he be fitted for. The lady herself was resplendent in a gown made of material Fuddleston had no name for, and to her left stood Miss Sophia Elliot, looking equally resplendent in equally unnamable fabric.
The event was the rage of the Season, and everybody who was anybody was in attendance. If anybody thought it odd that the son of a disinherited earl would eventually inherit and then marry so well, he wisely kept it to himself. The Carlisles had closed ranks around Mrs. Mary Elliot, who sat in the congregation next to Lady Carlisle and looked markedly better in appearance than the first time Fuddleston had met her. She had put on some much-needed weight, and the coloring in her cheeks was becoming. He wouldn’t be surprised to see her sought after by some nice elderly gentleman, but these days she was far too busy with her oils and canvases to take notice.
Fuddleston fought a ridiculous stinging in his eye at the sound of his employer’s—his friend’s—deep, resonating voice as he promised to love, honor, and cherish his bride. Fuddleston had never had a true friend in his life, and to now have one in the form of the kind, unconventional new earl was astounding and certainly nothing he had ever thought to experience.
As much as he’d thought the old earl a miserable, mean old man, and especially cruel to manipulate his grandson the way he had, Fuddleston was so grateful that he had found the courage that fateful night to enter Tilly’s Tavern and seek out the rugged sailor, seated in the back and beating a man handily at cards.
It was the bravest and best thing Clarence Fuddleston had ever done.
Acknowledgments
I wasn’t sure this book would ever see the light of day, and I have many people to thank for the fact that it’s now a reality.
To my agent, Pam van Hylckama Vlieg, you’re a rock star.
To Lisa Mangum, Heidi Taylor, Chris Schoebinger, and Shadow Mountain as a whole, my heartfelt thanks for believing in me.
Thanks, as always, to the Bear Lake Monsters and the Goldenpens for the camaraderie and invaluable feedback.
And for their undying love and support, my gratitude goes to my family and in-laws. And to my husband, Mark, and for Nina, Levi, Anna, and Gunder. And Thor.
Discussion Questions
1. My Fair Gentleman is a twist on My Fair Lady, but instead of a flower girl being transformed into a lady, Jack is a sailor being transformed into a gentleman. In both stories, love plays a prominent role in the transformation. How has love transformed you?
2. Men and women played very different roles in Regency-era London. Discuss the gender roles and responsibilities of the era and how the story supports or subverts those roles. How have gender roles changed in our current society?
3. Olivia Knightly Carlisle is regarded as an “Original” by her family and society, which gives her an unusual measure of freedom for the era. What makes you an “Original”?
4. Society knows Ivy as a lady of society, but few know she is also the author of the Mistress Manners column. What dual roles do you play in your life? Do you have talents that you have kept secret from others?
5. Jack sets aside his personal ambition for the sake of his mother and sister, while Percival and Clista Elliot harbor much different ambitions for their family. Is ambition a positive or a negative character trait? How does society perceive personal ambition? What are some of your personal ambitions?
6. Ivy’s sister, Caroline, runs off with a man to whom she isn’t married. Discuss how each member of Ivy’s family reacts to Caroline’s behavior. How does Caroline’s actions affect Ivy’s character development? How have the actions—good or bad—of a family member affected your own personal growth?
7. Select one of Mistress Man
ners’ Tips for Every-day Etiquette and discuss if the advice still applies to today.
About the Author
Nancy Campbell Allen is the author of eleven published novels, which span genres from contemporary romantic suspense to historical fiction. In 2005, her work won the Utah Best of State award. She has presented at numerous writing conferences and events since her first book was released in 1999. Nancy received a BS in Elementary Education from Weber State University. She loves to read, write, travel and research, and enjoys spending time laughing with family and friends. She is married and the mother of three children.
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