Searching Hearts Box Set: Books 1-5

by St. Clair, Ellie

“It will save me from my detestable cousin and ensure that you can continue doing as you please,” Lady Christina said, as though they were conducting a business transaction. “I realize that you are still in love with another woman, despite the fact she is gone from us,” she continued softly. “I do not intend to compete with her, though I do ask that, perhaps, we can be friends with one another. I should not like to be completely alone.”

  He frowned, wondering at this. “I will eventually remove to the country, and I have much with which to occupy my time.”

  She gave a slight shrug. “I have lived in the country at my father’s estate for a long time, Lord Ravenhall. I find more than enough to do without growing desperate for his continuous company.”

  He arched one eyebrow as he stared back at her, becoming aware of what she was saying. She did not need him to be happy and content, even though — to his surprise — he began to realize that he wouldn’t mind so much if she preferred to spend more time with him. Perhaps some company might be nice for a change.

  “Very well,” he agreed, slowly, shocked that his heart was filled with a sudden, unexpected hope that, perhaps, this marriage would not be as difficult as he had once thought. “We shall, of course, have to consummate the marriage. My father is correct in stating that I will need to produce the heir.”

  Lady Christina did not flinch nor look away, but her cheeks turned such a warm red that Daniel was almost inclined to laugh. His amusement died, however, as he realized just how lovely she appeared to be in that moment, even though her coloring was vastly different from that of Laura’s.

  But you can barely remember what Laura looked like.

  The small voice in his head threw guilt directly in his face, making him suck in a breath as Lady Christina cleared her throat quietly. This could not happen. He had to stop thinking of Lady Christina, had to stop remembering how he’d kissed her last evening and just how much he’d enjoyed it. He had to keep her close enough to ensure they were married, and then he would put as much distance between them as possible.

  “Perhaps we should tell our parents the good news at this evening’s dinner,” he suggested after clearing his throat, and he gestured for Hudson to come back into the carriage. “The first banns can be called a week on Sunday.”

  Lady Christina nodded, her hands tightening in her lap as she looked away from him. “Thank you, Lord Ravenhall. This marriage shall be good for both of us, I am sure.”

  “I certainly hope so, Lady Christina,” Daniel murmured, as Hudson climbed back inside, a hopeful look on his face. “Well, Hudson, it appears as though I am to be a married man after all.”

  “Then may I be the first to offer you my congratulations,” Lord Hudson exclaimed, clapping his hands as he beamed at them both. “Wonderful news.”

  “Thank you, Lord Hudson,” Lady Christina murmured. “You are very kind.”

  He chuckled, as Daniel’s gaze drifted out of the window. He no longer felt the tingle of jealousy, not when he knew now that Lady Christina was to be his.

  “Not at all, Lady Christina,” Hudson continued, and Daniel reminded himself that charm was simply part of who Hudson was. “I just hope there is an engagement ball so that I might have my own opportunity to meet an eligible young lady! Perhaps matrimony is in my future after all.”

  “Perhaps it is,” Daniel agreed, folding his arms across his chest and opening the carriage door to help Lady Christina down to return her home. “Who knows, Hudson? Mayhap it will sneak up on you, just as it has done on me.” Shooting a glance toward Lady Christina, he took note of her frown as she looked out the door, not turning her head back toward him. He remembered he must keep her happy. “But, then again, perhaps that is not altogether a bad thing.”

  Lady Christina smiled.

  10

  Christina was not entirely sure who was happier about their marriage agreement — her father or Lord Ravenhall’s parents. While Christina questioned Lord Ravenhall’s motives, she now had no doubts that the Duke and Duchess of Ware simply wanted him to be happy — and to begin to produce heirs. The month between their announced betrothal and the wedding flew by. While Christina’s father had primarily been concerned about the engagement actually occurring, the Duchess of Ware was more than pleased to step in and help make all of the arrangements.

  She accompanied Christina to a dress fitting, as did Lord Ravenhall’s youngest sister, Polly, who was as exuberant as she had been at the theatre. It was somewhat disconcerting to be measured and fitted next to a woman so beautifully shaped, but Polly was so busy describing how perfect Christina’s wedding would be that it didn’t seem she was paying any attention to Christina’s figure — that was, until she saw her in her dress.

  “Oh, my,” she breathed, as she came to stand beside Christina, placing two hands on her arm as she continued to look at her reflection with her eyes open wide. “You are absolutely beautiful, Christina.”

  Christina wasn’t sure about that, but she did know it was the most extravagant dress she had ever worn. The creamy bodice was lacy, the material extending to the puffed cap sleeves with their gathered trim. The belt that wrapped just under her bosom was a band of intricate braids, and flowing from it was a long, straight skirt inlaid with an embroidered floral pattern, which fanned out at the bottom of the dress and extended through the train behind her. Christina was already shaking her head before Polly finished speaking.

  “I cannot wear this,” she said.

  “Why ever not?” the Duchess of Ware asked, coming to stand with them.

  “It is just so … extravagant,” she responded. “I’m not sure where I shall ever be able to wear it again following our wedding, as Lord Ravenhall seems very intent on returning to the country right away. It would be better to have a dress that I can wear for many different occasions.”

  “Oh, come now,” Polly said, waving away her concern. “Are you forgetting that you are to be the wife of a marquess, and one day a duchess? You can spare the expense.”

  “Yes, but—”

  “It is already nearly finished and looks altogether perfect,” the Duchess said, smiling and bringing a hand to her arm. “There is nothing to be done now.”

  So here she stood on her father’s arm at the back of the church, wearing the elegant dress as she looked down the long aisle of St. George’s to where Lord Ravenhall stood waiting for her. The pews were nearly empty, save his rather large and growing family along with Lord Hudson, her father, Lady Aster, her brother and his wife, and Lady Beatrice and her family.

  Christina fixed a smile to her face and clutched the bouquet of peonies — her favorite — and other greenery. Christina wasn’t sure why she needed the flowers in hand, but Polly had insisted. In fact, Polly and her mother had planned nearly the whole thing, declaring that Christina was much too practical to understand how important it was for the wedding to be as romantic as possible. Polly had even sat at Christina’s side as she prepared herself that morning, instructing Christina’s maid on just how to thread the wreath of flowers through her hair.

  Christina set her jaw and began walking toward Daniel. She had hardly seen him in the past weeks, and when she had, there were always family members present so they had never been alone. She didn’t know why she cared, though she realized that a part of her still held out hope that her husband could come to feel something toward her or to want her at the very least.

  Her eyes met his, and she found she couldn’t turn her head away from his crystal blue stare. He looked … resigned, she thought, and her heart seemed to shrink a bit in disappointment while she felt the bitter smile come to her face. He was dressed in black as if attending a funeral. His jacket, so perfectly tailored to his figure, opened to show his equally dark waistcoat over his black knee breeches and stockings. The only brightness to be seen was the white silk cravat tied around his neck. She swallowed and broke her eyes away from his when they neared.

  “I’m proud of you, my girl,” her father whispered to her, to
which she turned her head away. Finally, he was proud of her, and for something that required nothing on her part but obeying. The rest of the ceremony passed in a blur, and it was over so quickly she nearly didn’t realize when it was finished.

  Daniel took her arm without a word, and as he walked her out of the church to the carriage waiting to convey them to his father’s home for the wedding breakfast, all she could think was, what have I done?

  * * *

  She was breathtaking.

  He could never have imagined it before, would never have thought that the plain but pretty, curvy woman could ever be described as beautiful, but when she had stepped into the church, the sun seemed to shine perfectly through the stained glass window reflecting upon the creamy white of her dress. When Daniel had looked back behind him at the painting of Jesus and his disciples staring down at him, somehow he was filled with a sense of peace that he was doing the right thing. When he returned his gaze to her, she seemed somewhat ethereal walking toward him, and he would have thought her an angel were it not for the glimmer of a hesitation in her gray eyes.

  He shook hands with her father, and then stood there, staring at her, but her eyes seemed far away, and he felt an ache within him to convince her to stay here, with him, to more truly agree to the words spoken between them. But alas, it was not to be. For to open himself up again could mean the end of him, and he could never feel that pain again.

  When he took her on his arm to leave the church, he spoke not a word, but led her out the doors, into his carriage, and traveled the short distance to his parents’ home.

  At Christina’s swift intake of breath, he turned to look at her. “Are you all right?” he asked, to which he nodded.

  “Of course,” she replied, never one to allow emotion to overcome her, something he appreciated about her. “I have seen the home of the duke and duchess many times, of course, but never did I think I would be entering — and entering as family.”

  As they exited the carriage, he looked up at the impressive manor and tried to see if from the eyes of someone else for the first time. It wasn’t altogether elaborately built, but it was certainly impressive, the tall brick building with its many well-ordered windows.

  “Come along, then,” he said, and helped her down and through the front doors. In his rush out of the church, they had arrived before many of his family members, although the servants were there to greet him, his own butler at the ready to help where he was needed.

  “My lord,” Woodward said, approaching him and taking his hat. “May I be one of the first to wish you congratulations on your nuptials. I am certain that you and Lady Ravenhall will have a long and splendid future together.”

  “Thank you, Woodward,” he said, turning away from the man and continuing down the hallway, rapidly making his way toward the dining room.

  “Lord Ravenhall,” he heard from behind him, and he turned to see with some surprise that Christina was rushing down the hallway to keep up with him. He slowed his strides slightly so she could catch up. “Lord Ravenhall, the butler seemed rather— my goodness!”

  * * *

  It took entering the family’s home for Christina to finally realize the significance of marrying into the family of a duke.

  She stood, staring wide-eyed at the dining hall. Though it would primarily be their families in attendance, the side table was near to bursting with food — omelets, bacon, sliced ham, haddock, fruits, and bread and rolls with various jams and marmalade spread out before them. In the middle of the table stood one of the largest wedding cakes she had ever seen, though she had to admit she had hardly any occasion to see wedding cake in her past. How many people was it supposed to feed?

  “Who is attending this breakfast?” she asked, looking at Daniel, and he shrugged and laughed slightly. “My family and yours. My mother has … a propensity for the extreme.”

  Before she could respond, the woman in question came sailing into the room, dressed in a beautiful gown of violet, ostrich plumes extending out the back.

  “Welcome, welcome!” she said, coming over and kissing Christina on the cheek, startling her. “Ah, how lovely it will be to have nearly all of our families together. It has been so long, and now, finally, my children have all found someone with whom to share their life. Oh, I do not think I have ever been happier. I can hardly wait until your children arrive.”

  “My children?” Christina asked, confused. Whose children did the duchess mean would be attending?

  “Yes, your children, whenever the time should come for them — hopefully soon,” said the Duchess with a twinkle in her eye, those eyes that were so similar to Daniel’s, and Christina’s cheeks grew hot. Oh. She wasn’t sure she had ever heard a duchess speak of such things, but then, the Harrington family was proving to be somewhat unconventional.

  Soon the room was filled with all of them, and Christina did her very best to remember the names of them all as they were presented to her. They were introduced by title and by given name, and she tried to recall which ones were the couples. The next eldest, Thomas, had arrived with his wife Eleanor and their two daughters. Christina was startled by the darkness of their skin and the blonde of their hair, very clearly kissed by the sun. She was told they lived at sea much of the time, and she was rather confused, but before she could question them any further, she was introduced to Daniel’s elegant sister Violet, her hair a few shades darker than Daniel’s, so in contrast to Polly’s blonde locks. Polly’s husband, Lord Taylor, and Violet’s husband, Lord Greville, seemed to be particularly close friends, and she was briefly introduced to Violet’s infant before he was taken upstairs to a nursery. Finally, Daniel’s youngest brother, Benjamin, arrived with a small, shy woman on his arm who was introduced to her as Sophie. Christina shared a smile with her, sensing that they would forge a bond as newcomers to this large, abundant family.

  She felt overwhelmed when she finally sat down but found she merely had to sit quietly and listen, such was the merriment of the siblings upon seeing one another. They talked over one another, despite Marie’s admonishment to be polite and silent, and Christina smiled as she could see what they must have been like as children. Only Daniel sat stoically beside her, saying nothing as he sipped his coffee, though she could see a warmth in his eyes that she hadn’t before.

  “Tell me, Christina, how long will you remain in London?” asked Polly from across the table, to which Christina looked to Daniel, though he simply shrugged.

  “I — I am not entirely sure,” she answered, “though I do love the countryside, so I will be equally happy wherever we go.”

  “I understand your sentiments,” Polly agreed. “I, too, have come to love life outside of London, though we often find ourselves here. Do you ride?”

  “I do,” she responded. “I spent much of my youth at my father’s country home.”

  “It is too bad, then, that Daniel is not much of a horseman,” Polly said with a wink, to which Daniel finally spoke up.

  “I think that is quite enough, Polly,” he said firmly.

  “I was only teasing, Daniel,” she said with a laugh. “Do you remember when I was young and learning to ride? You said you would teach me, but then we came to the fence and we met that young woman. You were so captivated, you completely abandoned me, and instead—”

  “I said enough, Polly!” Daniel exclaimed, bringing his fist down on the table, and the room went silent as all of the faces of their guests and family turned to stare at him.

  “Perhaps we should go,” Christina said quietly, her heart hammering despite the calm outer facade she tried to maintain. Daniel simply nodded, stood, and walked out of the room, practically leaving her behind.

  “Thank you so much, Your Graces,” she said, curtsying to the duke and duchess before hurrying out of the room after the surly, angry man, who she now called her husband.

  11

  “Lord Ravenhall!” Christina called from behind him, but Daniel ignored her as he picked up his hat from Wood
ward, who was waiting for him, ever faithfully, at the door and continued outside. For once he was thankful that his townhouse was but across the street from that of his parents, which meant that he wouldn’t have to walk far amongst the prying eyes of society.

  His foot hit the bottom step when he heard his name once more — only this time, it was not a shout, but rather said in a steady, calm, yet commanding tone that unnerved him.

  “Daniel Harrington, you will stop walking this instant and wait for your wife. I will not race after you like a dog on your heels.”

  He turned to look at her and nearly laughed, he was so shocked at her words. She stood with her fists at her hips, looking down at him over her pert nose held high in the air. She reminded him of a nursemaid chastising a child. He opened his mouth, but, realizing there was nothing he could say to her to properly explain why he was running, he turned back and took a step down the road.

  She sailed down the stairs behind him, however, and when he looked up he saw open-mouthed faces of passersby and realized he had to stop and wait for her, as it seemed she had no issue with causing a scene in the middle of Mayfair. His mother would never forgive him.

  “We can speak out here, or we can go inside and have our discussion in private,” she said low in his ear once she had reached him. “It’s your choice.”

  He looked at her with a glower that had served to keep most away from him over the years, but she simply arched an eyebrow and began striding down the street, until it was he that had to rush to keep up with her.

  “You do realize how you are speaking to the Marquess of Ravenhall, future Duke of Ware?” he asked her wryly as they neared his house, not nearly as impressive as the Ware manor, but striking nonetheless.

  “And you do realize that as of this morning, I am the Marchioness of Ravenhall, future Duchess of Ware?” she retorted, and he nearly smiled in spite of himself. “Do not try to scare me, Daniel. It will never work.”