“I love you,” said Claude, taking the crown, stepping forward and tossing it over the edge of the cliff and into the sea. “There,” he said, taking her hand. “Now we can celebrate with our loved ones and start our new life without anything holding us back.”
They ran happily down the hill and didn’t stop until they met with the others.
“Claude,” said his father, John, coming up to him with a look of concern on his face. “What were you throwing into the sea?”
“Don’t worry, Father, I was just getting rid of some things I didn’t need any longer.”
“Aye, and nature did that for your father, getting rid of that big ol’ castle that he used to brag about all the time,” said Lord Nicholas Vaughn with a chuckle.
“Easy, Nicholas,” John warned him. “If you keep that up I am going to have to remind everyone that you still are living in a manor house while I have a new castle just about built in Winchelsea.”
“Don’t worry, Nicholas, I’ll lend you one of my castles if you need it,” said Lord Conlin.
“Conlin, our second castle is in Scotland,” said Isobel. “Nicholas and Muriel and their children are happy in New Romney.”
“That’s right,” said Nicholas’ wife, Muriel, who used to be a spinster. “Evelina, my brother and I made this for your first baby.” She handed her a beautiful woven blanket.
“I love it,” said Evelina, taking it from her and running her fingers over the soft wool.
“Muriel and her brother, Isaac, once had their own shop and are skilled at spinning and weaving,” Claude told her.
“I was the merchant’s daughter,” said Muriel, holding the hand of her three-year-old son, Glen. The rest of her four children ran around chasing Isobel’s three boys as well as Claude’s sister, Charlotte.
“Lord Nicholas married you, yet you weren’t a noble?” she asked in astonishment.
“He did,” said Muriel. “Sometimes love is stronger that status.”
“I wanted to marry you even when I thought you were only a handmaid,” Claude reminded Evelina.
“And I would have married you if you were naught but a commoner,” Evelina told him in return.
Evelina’s father cleared his throat. “So, Montague, where will you be living with my daughter? In England or France?”
“Yes, Claude,” said John. “If you are ready to leave France behind, I have plenty of room for you and Evelina and any children you might have in my new castle. I would love to spend more time with you, Son.”
“Where will we live, Claude?” asked Evelina, looking up in question.
Claude felt torn. Now that Evelina was his wife, her family resided in France. He was lord of Stonebury Castle in France, yet he wanted to spend more time getting to know his father in England. Plus, his mother and younger sister resided in England as well. A body of water separated his family.
He looked up to the ruins of Castle Hastings, breathing in a deep breath of fresh, sea air. Even from the ashes, one can rise again, he realized. There was no need to choose between his past and future because he could have it all living in the present.
“We will live in both places,” he told Evelina.
“How can we do that?” she wondered.
“We will spend most of our time in France, but several months out of the year we will live in Winchelsea with my parents and sister.”
“Oh, I would like that,” said Claude’s mother, always wanting to be close to him.
“That’s a wise choice, Son,” said John. “I am looking forward to it.”
Claude’s squire, Felix, ran over and interrupted the conversation. “Lady Rose is still feeling weak and can’t leave the wagon. She wants to congratulate both of you. So does Lord Toft.”
“Aye, I’d like to see the baby again,” said Evelina, holding on to the blanket and taking Claude’s hand as they strolled over to the wagon to talk to Rose and Toft.
“I am very happy for you,” said Rose, sitting in the wagon, holding her baby to her chest. The baby started to cry. Toft took it from her, making silly faces and noises, trying to make it stop fussing.
“How are you feeling?” asked Evelina.
“I am still weak, but I will be fine thanks to both of you. So will Daniela. I can’t thank you enough for being my friends.”
“We’ll always be your friends.” Claude reached up and hugged Rose and kissed her on the cheek.
“Claude, you are married now and shouldn’t be kissing other women,” Rose told him.
“It’s all right,” said Evelina. “Claude and I know that our love is real and nothing can come between us.”
“That’s right,” said Claude, gathering Evelina into his arms and kissing her passionately. “I hope to start raising a family soon because I can’t wait to be a father.” He dipped Evelina and bent over and kissed her again. She laughed as they both ended up falling on the ground.
“Save that for the bedchamber, Son,” John called out. “After all, you need to learn what you can and cannot do in public.”
“Nay, Father, you are wrong,” Claude called back with a huge smile on his face. He looked deeply into Evelina’s eyes when he said the next words. “With our love, there are no bounds, and nothing at all is Forbidden.”
From Elizabeth Rose:
I hope you enjoyed Claude’s story, as he finally now has his happily-ever-after with Evelina. If you would like to leave a review for me, it would be appreciated.
Most marriages of the medieval times were solely for purposes of alliances. However, it wouldn’t be a romance if I couldn’t tweak situations to make them more romantic and the way we would like to see them.
Writing this story wasn’t that easy because of the fact Claude was still in love with Rose from many years earlier. When we first met him, he was just a scrawny boy with long hair and his own father, who didn’t know him, thought he was a girl. Claude has come a long way since then and shows his heroic side and love for Evelina when he steps up to the plate and faces off against her betrothed to protect her.
If you would like to read the story where Claude is first introduced in the series, you will want to pick up The Baron’s Destiny – Book 3 of the Barons of the Cinque Ports Series. You will also find the backstory of Claude’s parents and their romance and the trials and troubles they went through, including the devastation of John losing his castle in the end. That book was inspired by a real-life event back in the late 1200s. A horrible storm came through and silted-up the harbor of Hastings which was one of the biggest ports of trade at the time. Hastings Castle really did break off with part of it falling into the sea.
The other books of the Cinque Ports series that have the stories of Lord Nicholas Vaughn and Lord Conlin de Braose are The Baron’s Quest – Book 1, and The Baron’s Bounty – Book 2.
Since a lot of my readers have been asking to know about the families of my main characters after the books end, I am adding a list of the three barons and their families long after their stories end. The ages of their children are at the time of the book, Forbidden.
From The Baron’s Quest:
Baron Nicholas Vaughn – Lord of New Romney
Muriel Draper – his wife (Once a spinster – spun wool, has brother, Isaac)
Their children: Twins, Nicholas and Nelda 8, Holly – 7, Heather – 5, Glen – 3
From The Baron’s Bounty:
Baron Conlin de Braose – Lord of Sandwich (lost wife and 5 children through the years)
Isobel MacEwen – Conlin’s wife. (Scottish - Once a proxy for her cousin, Catherine)
Their children: Rose - 21 (from Conlin’s first marriage)
Torrence – 8, Dunmor – 6, Harry – 4
Rose and Sir Toft (Once Conlin’s squire) married with baby Daniela (Lost 2 babies)
From The Baron’s Destiny:
Baron John Montague – Lord of Hastings
Celestine de Bar – his French wife
Their children: Claude Jean – 23, Charlotte – 8<
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Claude and Evelina de Pont (French) marry
Watch for more stories of secondary characters from any of my series in my Second in Command Series. Pirate in the Mist – Book 1, is the story of Rowen the Restless’ first mate from the Legendary Bastards of the Crown Series.
Remember, that to find your future happiness, you need to stop living in the past and concentrate on the precious present.
Elizabeth Rose
About Elizabeth Rose
Elizabeth Rose is the bestselling author of over 80 books. She writes medieval, historical, contemporary, paranormal, and western romance. She is an amazon all-star, and a multi-time award finalist. Her books appear as ebooks, print, and some audiobooks as well.
Her favorite characters in her works include dark, dangerous and tortured heroes, and feisty, independent heroines who know how to wield a sword. She loves writing 14th century medievals, and is known for her medieval series.
Elizabeth started out over twenty years ago as a traditionally published author. But life takes it twists and turns and after losing her day job she decided to try her hand at Indie publishing.
She started self-publishing, creating her own covers and her own booktrailers on a dare from her two sons. She loves anything paranormal and is inspired by spending time in nature. Elizabeth has a secret garden that serves as her outdoor office where she writes in the summer. This same secret garden inspired her series, Secrets of the Heart, and is the setting of these books.
Series by Elizabeth Rose:
Secrets of the Heart
Seasons of Fortitude
Legendary Bastards of the Crown
Second in Command
Holiday Knights
Tangled Tales
Barons of the Cinque Ports
Legacy of the Blade
Daughters of the Dagger
MadMan MacKeefe
Elemental Series
Greek Myth Fantasy
Tarnished Saints
Cowboys of the Old West
Once Upon a Rhyme
Sweet Nothings
A Look Behind the Series
You can find out more about Elizabeth’s books and read excerpts by visiting her website. Be sure to also sign up to receive her newsletter.
Elizabeth invites you to join her private readers’ group, and follow her on social media at Twitter, Goodreads, Bookbub, Facebook, and Amazon.
The Duke She Wished For
Happily Ever After Book 1
Ellie St. Clair
Copyright
© Copyright 2017 by Ellie St Clair - All rights reserved.
In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved.
Respective authors own all copyrights not held by the publisher.
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Chapter 1
The creak of the shop’s front door opening floated through the heavy curtains that separated Tabitha’s workshop from the sales floor. She tensed over the silk ribbon she was attempting to fashion into a flower shape and waited for the sound of her stepsister Frances to greet whoever had just walked into the Blackmore Milliner shop.
She paused, waiting a little bit longer before pushing out a frustrated breath and standing. These velvet ribbon flowers she had learned to fashion were part of the reason Blackmore hats sat atop some of the finest female heads in polite society — she had a knack for creating new ways to adorn the same old bonnet or beaver hat styles so that a woman of a certain class stood out among her peers.
This ability was both a blessing and a curse, it turned out. Her creativity meant Tabitha brought customers through the front door, to the shop she and her father had built after her mother died when she was seven years old. It had brought Tabitha and her father, the baronet Elias Blackmore, closer together in their time of immeasurable grief, and the shop had flourished.
The relationship between father and daughter remained strong, and when she was twelve years of age, he approached her and told her he wanted to marry a baroness from the North Country. The baroness had a daughter about her own age, he’d added. Tabitha had been happy for her father and excited at the prospect of having a sister. She had welcomed her new family with an open heart and open arms.
What a silly little fool she’d been, Tabitha thought with derisive snort as she pushed herself to her feet and through the brocade curtains to greet the newcomer. Lord only knew where Frances had gone off to. Likely shopping with her mother, Ellora.
Upon the untimely death of Sir Elias Blackmore three years after the marriage, Tabitha had been utterly devastated. Lady Blackmore, however, hadn’t wasted much time in putting Tabitha in her place. No longer the family’s most cherished daughter, Tabitha had been shoved into the workroom and largely ignored, but for her skills as a milliner — they kept just enough of her stepmother’s attention on her.
The more she stood up to Ellora, the more her stepmother threatened to throw her out on the street. Knowing it was within Ellora’s nature to follow through on her threat, Tabitha did her best to ignore and avoid her stepmother, focusing instead on her work and her ambitions.
It was better, Tabitha supposed, than staying in their townhome all day long worrying about social calls that never came or invitations that would never arrive. The family name had suffered greatly under Lady Blackmore and Miss Frances Denner, her daughter from a previous marriage.
In truth, Tabitha was little more than a servant with no money to speak of, no family to lean on, and no real prospects other than her creations on which to pin her hopes of ever escaping the lot she’d been given after her father died.
In the showroom, Tabitha scanned the floor in search of the new arrival. It took a moment, but her eyes finally landed on a small, older man in a fine suit. He had a slip of paper in his hand, and he approached Tabitha with the air of someone who didn’t waste time.
“Good afternoon, Miss,” the man began with perfect, practiced speech. “My name is Mr. McEwan. I serve as the steward in the house of Her Grace the Duchess of Stowe. I have a receipt for a series of hats I believe she had ordered, and she is requesting that they be delivered tomorrow afternoon.”
Tabitha felt her stomach sink. If this was the order she was thinking of, the one currently on her worktable, there was no way under the stars that the three hats would be ready by tomorrow. She was only one flower (out of seven) into the first bonnet, and it was a slow process to convince the requested velvet ribbon to behave.
“I am sorry, sir,” she began, trying to get his eyes off the wilder ostrich-plumed hats next to her and back on her. “That is almost four days before we agreed upon. I’m certain there is no feasible way the work can be done, and done well, by tomorrow.”
That got the older man’s attention. He huffed, turned a bit pink around the cheeks, and sputtered.
“There is simply no choice, my dear,” he said abruptly but not unkindly. “His Grace is arriving home from his trip to France early and therefore the parties his mother has planned for him will be adjusted accordingly. And so, her wardrobe must be ready — she said so herself. She is willing to pay handsomely for your ability to expedite the process.”
Tabitha drew in a breath at that and considered. She was having such a difficult time scrimping a small savings together to buy herself a seat at the Paris School of Millinery that this “bonus” money might perhaps get her there that much quicker. Assuming, of course, that Ellora didn’t catch wind of the extra earnings. She was quick to snatch up all but the barest pennies.
Tabitha closed her eyes for a moment
and drew a steadying breath. If she worked through the night and her needle and thread held true, there was a slight chance that she could finish in time. She said so to Mr. McEwan, who beamed brightly at her.
“I knew it,” he said with a laugh. “I have faith you Miss — er, I apologize, I did not hear your name?”
Tabitha sighed.
“Tabitha Blackmore,” she said, noticing how quickly he’d changed the subject on her. “I did not exactly say that I would be able to—”
She was cut off again by Mr. McEwan, who gave her a slight bow and provided directions to the home of the Dowager Duchess of Stowe on the other side of the city.
“I shall see you tomorrow, then, my dear,” he said with a quick grin. “Be sure to pack a bag to stay at least one evening, maybe two. I am certain Her Grace’s attendants will need proper coaching on how best to pair the hats. You will be paid, of course!”
With that the short man with wisps of white hair on his head that stood up like smoke was gone, disappearing into the streets of Cheapside.
Tabitha leaned back against the counter behind her and blew out a breath, a little overwhelmed at the entire encounter.
On the one hand, she had found a way to increase her savings and take a step closer to the education her father had wanted for her. On the other, getting through the night in one piece was not guaranteed. She would have to return to the shop after dinner and do so without rousing Lady Blackmore’s suspicions, which would not be easy.
Tabitha kicked at a crushed crepe ribbon flower that hadn’t been tossed out properly. Another evening down the back drainpipe it was, then.
“Time away from the witch, I suppose,” she muttered as she returned to her worktable, a new fire of inspiration lit beneath her.
* * *
Dinner was more complicated than usual, thanks to the fact that Ellora, Tabitha’s stepmother, was having one of her moods. They could be brought on by anything — the weather (too foul or too pleasant), the noisy street they lived on, memories of her life when she was the daughter of an earl and had endless opportunities for money and titles, or even an egg that had too much salt.
Super Summer Set of Historical Shorts Page 72