As Miss Priscilla Farnham looked up into the face that had haunted her dreams, she was no longer afraid. The villain had shed his disguise; before her was a prince amongst men. Taking a deep breath, she said the words that would change her life.
"I do," she said.
Her new husband bent to kiss her, and her heart sang with joy and the certainty that she'd found her own happily ever after at last.
Gavin headed up to the deck. Several sleepy-eyed sailors, employees of Fines & Co., bowed respectfully as he passed. He nodded back; as the newly joined partner of the company, he wanted to start things off on the right foot.
He went to stand by the railing, the cool wind ruffling his hair. Dawn had not yet broken. When once the vast darkness of ocean meeting sky might have triggered feelings of fear and loneliness, now he felt only peace. Much had changed. He'd sold his club last month to Black's new son-in-law; though Percy had protested about his giving up his life's work, he himself had experienced no regret. As he'd told her, handing over the keys to The Underworld had brought a feeling of freedom. Hope. With love as his compass, he knew his life was headed in the right direction.
"Why didn't you wake me?" Percy's voice reached him from behind, making his lips curl. "We're supposed to watch the first sunrise together."
He pulled her close. "You were sleeping so soundly, love. I didn't want to wake you. Not to worry—you haven't missed a thing."
"That's good because I want to get every detail down. A romantic view of daybreak over the ocean is just what I need for my next novel," she said.
"Greedy chit," he teased. "Isn't it enough that The Perils of Priscilla is flying off the shelves? Already onto the next book, are you?"
"I can't help it," she said ruefully. "I have so much inspiration these days that the words seem to write themselves. It seems that though Priscilla is Miss Farnham no more, she has plenty of adventure to come." She gave him a flirtatious look from her beneath her lashes. "'Tis one of the benefits of being the wife of a scoundrel."
He chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind, buttercup."
"Speaking of adventures," she said, fiddling with a button on his jacket, "I think we're due for another one soon."
"I hope Greece lives up to your expectations," he said. They'd postponed their wedding trip until after the sale of his club and the publication of Percy's novel. Now they would finally have six uninterrupted weeks together … alone. Unable to help himself, he leaned down and kissed her ear.
"I'm sure our vacation will be lovely. But that's not the adventure I'm referring to." She wriggled away to look at him. "When we get back to London, we'll be having a visitor."
"Your Mama? Not to worry," he said confidently. "She's getting used to me."
"Mama adores you, and you know it. Ever since you recruited her to help with your school for foundlings, she practically sings your praises. She's got her sewing circle working on the uniforms already."
With the club gone, he'd had to decide what to do with the urchins. Training them in a trade had seemed the best investment. Construction would soon be completed on the large property he'd purchased just outside Covent Garden. Within those walls, children of the rookery would find a safe haven, a place to learn and to flourish.
"Mama says you're a steadying influence on me," Percy continued, and he hid a grin at the way she wrinkled her nose. "But she's not the visitor I'm referring to."
Unable to resist, he kissed his wife's pert little appendage. "Who, then?" God Almighty, she smelled fine. He figured that after the sunrise, he would steer her back to their cabin …
"Well, I can't be sure. Other than to say he or she will be arriving in ... seven months, give or take?"
It took a moment for her words to sink in. He stared at her blushing cheeks, the vivid sparkle in her eyes. "You mean … you and I … we're going to …?"
She nodded. When he continued to gawk at her, speechless, she said a bit nervously, "Are you alright? I know there's already a lot of change ahead, what with you selling the club and coming aboard with Nick and—"
"Love, I'm more than alright." Gazing down at her, he felt emotion clog his throat. "You've already brought me more happiness than any man has a right to. Because of you, I'm no longer alone. And now this, to share more together …" He cupped her precious face in his palms. "Don't you know, Percy? You are my everything."
"And you're my hero, Gavin. The adventure I've waited for all my life," his wife said with glowing eyes. "Every moment with you is my happy ending."
They missed the sunrise. Dazzled by love's glorious rays, they didn't even notice.
THE END
Sign up for my newsletter: http://www.gracecallaway.com/newsletter-signup/
OTHER BOOKS BY GRACE CALLAWAY
To purchase Her Husband’s Harlot (Mayhem in Mayfair #1) please click here.
To purchase Abigail Jones (Chronicles of Abigail Jones #1) please click here.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Grace Callaway writes steamy historical romances set in the Regency and Victorian eras. Her debut manuscript, Her Husband’s Harlot, was a 2010 Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® Finalist and a #1 National Regency Bestseller.
Outside of writing, she holds a doctorate from the University of Michigan and practices clinical psychology in a medical setting. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family and enjoys hiking, cooking, ... and reading romance, of course!
For more about Grace:
http://www.facebook.com/GraceCallawayAuthor
http://www.gracecallaway.com
Twitter: @Grace_Callaway
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
As ever, I owe a debt of gratitude to all of you who have encouraged and supported my work. Tina, I couldn't have done this without you—and even if I could, it wouldn't have been half as fun. You rock, girl. Virna, thank you for sharing your keen writer's mind and generous spirit. It's fabulous to have companionship in the trenches. Diane, you continue to amaze me with your astuteness and wisdom; both my writing and I have gained so much from knowing you.
To my family, who shows unbelievable grace in living with a writer. Thanks for not only putting up with me, but cheering me on. To my guys: Brendan, buddy, you make me so proud each and every day. Brian, your love is my inspiration. Without you, there'd be no happy ending—and a lot of typos, since you do double duty as husband and editor par excellence.
And to my readers: your support has made all the difference. Writing can be a lonely journey unless it is shared. Thank you for being part of my adventure.
COPYRIGHT
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.
License Notes
This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.
* * * * *
Table of Contents
PROLOGUE
ONE
TWO
THREE
FOUR
FIVE
SIX
SEVEN
EIGHT
NINE
TEN
ELEVEN
TWELVE
THIRTEEN
FOURTEEN
FIFTEEN
SIXTEEN
SEVENTEEN
EIGHTEEN
NINET
EEN
TWENTY
TWENTY-ONE
TWENTY-TWO
TWENTY-THREE
TWENTY-FOUR
TWENTY-FIVE
TWENTY-SIX
TWENTY-SEVEN
TWENTY-EIGHT
TWENTY-NINE
THIRTY
THIRTY-ONE
THIRTY-TWO
THIRTY-THREE
THIRTY-FOUR
THIRTY-FIVE
THIRTY-SIX
THIRTY-SEVEN
THIRTY-EIGHT
THIRTY-NINE
FORTY
EPILOGUE
OTHER BOOKS BY GRACE CALLAWAY
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
COPYRIGHT
Table of Contents
PROLOGUE
ONE
TWO
THREE
FOUR
FIVE
SIX
SEVEN
EIGHT
NINE
TEN
ELEVEN
TWELVE
THIRTEEN
FOURTEEN
FIFTEEN
SIXTEEN
SEVENTEEN
EIGHTEEN
NINETEEN
TWENTY
TWENTY-ONE
TWENTY-TWO
TWENTY-THREE
TWENTY-FOUR
TWENTY-FIVE
TWENTY-SIX
TWENTY-SEVEN
TWENTY-EIGHT
TWENTY-NINE
THIRTY
THIRTY-ONE
THIRTY-TWO
THIRTY-THREE
THIRTY-FOUR
THIRTY-FIVE
THIRTY-SIX
THIRTY-SEVEN
THIRTY-EIGHT
THIRTY-NINE
FORTY
EPILOGUE
OTHER BOOKS BY GRACE CALLAWAY
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
COPYRIGHT
Her Wanton Wager Page 32