by Rose Pearson
A Love Unbroken: A Regency Romance
Landon House (Book 3)
Rose Pearson
Contents
A Love Unbroken: A Regency Romance
A Love Unbroken: A Regency Romance
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
A Sneak Peak of A New Beginning
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
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A Love Unbroken: A Regency Romance
Landon House
(Book 3)
By
Rose Pearson
© Copyright 2020 by Rose Pearson - All rights reserved.
In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document by 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.
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A Love Unbroken: A Regency Romance
Chapter One
Lady Selina Forrest sucked in a breath as she looked across the ballroom. She felt exposed and unprotected. Cold. This was not what she had expected to feel during the very first ball of the Season, but yet she could not remove such feelings. There was not even a glimmer of happiness within her, nor contentment or even interest! For whatever reason, she wanted nothing more than to turn around and make her way back to the carriage.
“Lady Selina?”
She started in surprise, then turned to Lady Hayward with a forced smile on her lips.
“Yes, Lady Hayward?”
There was no pretending when it came to Lady Hayward, however. The sharp look in her eye and the concern that was beginning to spread across her face told Selina that her chaperone was fully aware of what she was feeling.
“You are uncomfortable this evening?”
Selina closed her eyes for a moment and let out a long breath.
“Forgive me, Lady Hayward,” she said, awkwardly. “I know that I am meant to feel excitement and all manner of happiness at being present this evening but, for whatever reason, I find myself pulling back from it.”
Lady Hayward nodded, as though she had expected to hear such a thing from Selina.
“But that is understandable,” she suggested as Selina frowned. “Surely you can see why? You must not berate yourself, my dear. It will just take a little time.”
Not at all certain as to what Lady Hayward meant, Selina’s frown deepened.
“It is not my first Season, Lady Hayward,” she said, as if the lady needed to be reminded of it. “Last Season, I managed very well, did I not?”
Lady Hayward smiled and grasped Selina’s hand.
“Forgive me, that is not what I meant to imply,” she said, kindly. “What I meant to state, Lady Selina, is that this Season, you are present alone. You do not have your sister with you. It will take some time to adjust to such a circumstance, of course, but it is to be expected.”
Selina hesitated, then nodded slowly, finally realizing what Lady Hayward meant. Swallowing hard, she looked all about her again, taking in the ball, the guests, the music, and the laughter which buzzed all around her. Last Season, she had found no difficulty in being present here but, then again, she had been standing with her twin sister, Lady Anna. In addition, Selina knew that Anna had a little more boldness than she, stepping forward whilst Selina herself lingered behind. Now, there was no Anna for her to remain behind, no shadow that she could hide herself in. Was that why she now felt as she did? Because she had no sister to hide behind?
“I did not mean to upset you,” Lady Hayward said quietly, perhaps aware of the emotions that now ran amok in Selina’s mind. “But only to encourage you not to believe that you are, somehow, expected to be something – or indeed, someone - you are not.”
Selina took in a deep breath and tried to nod, understanding what Lady Hayward was saying but yet still feeling as though she ought to be thrilled with all that was going on rather than struggling to even remain in the ballroom! Looking about her, she took in another steadying breath and found her fingers curling tightly into fists as she tried her utmost to push away every last modicum of what she now knew to be fear. There was no reason to feel so, she told herself. She was with Lady Hayward, the lady who had guided both her twin sister and her older sister into happy marriages. Why then should she expect anything different for herself?
Because you lack the confidence your sister has.
Closing her eyes for a moment, Selina felt a tremor run through her. That was the truth and she could not deny it. Her twin sister Anna had always been the one to speak first, to smile first and to generally take the attention of whomever they had been conversing with. The confidence and assurance that Lady Anna always displayed was something that Selina herself was a little jealous of, given that she could not do the same. For whatever reason, however, she had never given her lack of self-assurance a great deal of consideration. It was only now, at this very moment as she stood in the ballroom, that she realized just how much she lacked.
“Lady Hayward, good evening!”
“Good evening, Lady Thurleigh,” came the swift reply, as Selina turned quickly, ready to greet the lady in question. “And how do you fare this evening?”
Lady Thurleigh laughed, her eyes twinkling as she shook her head.
“You know how it is, Lady Hayward! I have spent almost every Season attempting to find a suitable match for my daughters, and now, finally, I find myself at the very last of them! I grow weary of it all, truth be told.” Her gaze turned towards Selina, an enquiring look in her eyes. “And this must be your charge?” She glanced back to Lady Hayward. “I had heard that you had made some arrangement with the Duke of Landon, but I had not believed it!”
Lady Hayward smiled and introduced Selina, who quickly curtsied and kept her eyes low to the floor, finding herself a little embarrassed. Yes, it was true that Lady Hayward had made an arrangement with her father but for it to be spoken of so boldly and without any hesitation brought a touch of color to Selina’s cheeks.
“The Duke of Landon has been very generous towards my son,” Lady Hayward answered, quietly. “In addition, he has promised other benefits to the rest of my children, when the time comes, or when they are of age. In return, I am to bring his wonderful daughters into society, and do my utmost to guide them towards a suitable match.” She twinkled up at Selina. “And thus far, I have not found my task to be an arduous one!”
This made Selina smile as Lady Thurleigh passed an assessing glance over her, as though deciding whether or not Lady Hayward would find it very difficult indeed to do the same for Selina.
“I see,” she said, without malice or judgement in her voice but rather only interest. “Then I must wish you every success, Lady Selina – although my daughter must have her success too!” She laughed and Lady Hayward smiled back at Selina encouragingly. “I should introduce you to my daughter, in fact,” Lady Thurleigh continued, as Selina remained standing quietly, finding very little to say. “I am sure she could do with another acquaintance and, given that the ton can be filled with insincere young ladies and the like, it can often be difficult to find a suitable friendship.” Another asse
ssing glance swept over Selina, leaving her feeling quite vulnerable. “I am sure that you are not insincere, however, given that Lady Hayward is your chaperone and guide, Lady Selina. Might you wish to meet Lady Prudence? Ah, look! She is coming now.”
Selina, who had opened her mouth to answer and then closed it again given that Lady Thurleigh was about to introduce her daughter regardless of what Selina said, turned quickly so that she might greet the lady warmly, only to see a gentleman approaching them, a young lady on his arm. Her eyes lifted to the gentleman’s face, finding his piercing blue eyes suddenly resting upon her also. Blushing furiously, she looked away at once, realizing just how handsome the gentleman was and cursing her own foolishness.
“We are returned, Lady Thurleigh!” the gentleman exclaimed, as though Lady Thurleigh had expected otherwise. “I do hope you saw the dance. It was an excellent quadrille, I must say.”
As Selina allowed herself another glance, she saw the gentleman bow over Lady Prudence’s hand, before finally releasing her. A streak of heat ran down her spine as he looked towards her again, but this time, she forced herself not to look away.
“I did not observe you for a great length of time, I am afraid,” Lady Thurleigh replied, with a chuckle. “I saw an old acquaintance of mine and had to come and speak to her almost at once!” Turning to Lady Hayward, she quickly introduced her. “And this is her charge, Lady Selina, daughter to the Duke of Landon.” With a warm smile on her face, Lady Thurleigh gestured to the gentleman. “Lady Selina, this is the Earl of Barrington and, alongside him, my daughter, Lady Prudence.”
Gathering herself, and pulling her gaze away from the gentleman, Selina curtsied quickly.
“Good evening to you both,” she answered, hating that her voice was so very quiet indeed. “I am pleased to make your acquaintance.”
She did not look back at Lord Barrington, quite certain that, should she do so, her face would flush terribly and he would know just how handsome she thought him. Instead, she looked towards Lady Prudence as she rose, smiling at her briefly before placing her hands together in front of her and glancing towards Lady Hayward, who was smiling serenely.
“Lady Selina, I am very glad to have met you,” Lady Prudence said hastily, taking a few steps closer to Selina as though she was truly delighted to have been introduced. “To be truthful, I am the very last daughter of my family to have a Season and, as such, have no family present with me, save for my mother! All my other sisters came with each other, whilst I was left waiting!”
“Is that what you call gratitude?” Lady Thurleigh interrupted, her voice high pitched as she glared at her daughter. “There is nothing but complaint with you!”
“No, mama,” Lady Prudence answered, quickly. “What I really meant to express was…”
Selina did not listen to the girl’s explanation. Instead, she looked once more to Lord Barrington, taking in the way his eyes danced with both good humor and interest as he observed mother and daughter. He had broad shoulders and stood tall and strong, with startling blue eyes and light brown hair which was swept neatly to one side of his forehead. When he smiled at something Lady Prudence said, something curled in Selina’s stomach – and she once more found a flush coming to her cheeks and berated herself silently for it. The ton was filled with handsome gentlemen, and she was expected not only to be introduced to them, but also to converse, dance and entertain them, upon occasion. She could not permit herself to have such a reaction as this simply because a handsome gentleman came into her view!
I have not behaved this way before.
Frowning, Selina recalled how, last Season, she had been able to talk and dance with any gentleman who asked her, without any real difficulty whatsoever. Again, it might well have been because her sister had been present with her and had, therefore, managed most of the conversation and the like. Now, standing here without anyone by her side, without her sister and her overflowing confidence, Selina realized just how weak she truly was.
“Might you care for a dance, Lady Selina?”
It took Selina a moment or two to realize that the conversation between Lady Thurleigh and Lady Prudence had come to an end. Not only that, it took her another few moments to realize that Lord Barrington was now addressing her, looking at her with an enquiring gleam in his eye.
“My – my dance card,” Selina murmured, as heat poured into her face. “Yes, yes, of course, Lord Barrington. I – ” Fumbling with the ribbon, she finally managed to release it from her wrist and handed it to him, aware of the small smile on his face as she did so. “You will find it quite empty, Lord Barrington, as we have only just arrived.”
“I am sure it will not be so for long,” came the quick reply, as he bent his head to look it over. Knots began to tie themselves in Selina’s stomach as she waited, aware of just how ridiculous she must have sounded to the gentleman. For her first ball of the Season, she was not managing to behave with any sort of poise or elegance. Rather she was making an utter fool of herself.
“The cotillion?” Lord Barrington asked, looking up at her, one eyebrow raised slightly. “Would that suit you, Lady Selina?”
“Yes, of course,” she managed to say, as Lady Hayward looked on. “Thank you, Lord Barrington.”
He smiled at her.
“But of course.” Handing her back the dance card, he bowed low. “And now I should excuse myself. The scotch reel is soon to be upon us and I am to dance with Miss Arbuckle.”
Selina dropped into a curtsey, relief filling her as the gentleman took his leave. Their conversation, for the moment at least, was entirely at an end.
“Lord Barrington is very handsome, is he not?”
A little startled, Selina looked towards Lady Prudence, who was watching the gentleman leave with a soft smile on her face, as though she were deeply invested in the gentleman’s company and was now sorry to have to lose it for a time.
“I am only glad that he came to ask me to dance before the rest of my dances were taken!” She laughed and looked meaningfully towards Selina, who found herself inwardly recoiling. “He has asked me for two dances, in fact. The second is to be within the hour, although I must say I am not certain what to do with his attentions, should they increase, for I have many other gentlemen eager to dance with me.” Again, her eyes pierced Selina’s. “Did he only choose the one dance with you, Lady Selina? That is unfortunate.” A long sigh left her lips and she shook her head, as though Selina lacked something that she herself had but could not impart. “You must try to make a better impression upon gentlemen, Lady Selina, for perhaps then, they might –”
“As Lady Selina has said, my dear, she has only just arrived,” Lady Thurleigh interrupted hastily, in a clear attempt to prevent her daughter from saying anything more. “But yes, of course, Lord Barrington is very handsome and most eligible too, I might add!”
Lady Hayward put a hand on Selina’s arm. “Perhaps a glass of wine or champagne?” she asked, changing the subject entirely. “Or should you like to make your way through the guests so that we might greet those that we are acquainted with?”
Selina, seeing the glint of steel in Lady Hayward’s eye and knowing full well that she was just as displeased with Lady Prudence’s words as Selina was, smiled at her chaperone.
“Might I suggest we do both?” she asked, as Lady Hayward nodded. “As you say, we should greet those that we are acquainted with, given that it is my first outing into society since we returned to London.” With another swift smile, she bobbed a quick curtsy towards Lady Thurleigh and Lady Prudence. “Pray excuse me.”
Lady Thurleigh’s expression was one of distress, perhaps because she was aware that her daughter had been the one to chase Selina away, given what she had said.
“I am sure we will meet again very soon,” Lady Hayward said kindly, as Lady Thurleigh remained silent, her brow furrowing as she shot a hard glance towards her daughter. “Thank you for your conversation, Lady Thurleigh. It has been very good to see you again.” Lady Ha
yward turned to Lady Prudence, who had gone a little pale, perhaps anticipating the anger that would soon follow from her mother, once Selina had gone. “Good evening, Lady Prudence. I have been glad to make your acquaintance.”
“As have I,” Selina lied, before turning on her heel and beginning to walk away.
Lady Hayward joined her.
“Good gracious!” she exclaimed, the moment they were out of earshot. “I did not think that Lady Prudence would be so rude! To speak with such impropriety is more than a little embarrassing, and I should think that Lady Thurleigh will have sharp words to say to her daughter, once we are gone from their company.” Selina shot a quick glance behind her and saw Lady Thurleigh speaking quickly to her daughter, her shoulders lifted and an anger evident in her expression. Lady Prudence was standing quietly, her head bowed and her shoulders lowered as she accepted her mother’s berating. “Whilst you might believe you need a little more confidence, Lady Selina,” Lady Hayward added, “to be overly so is also a trait that requires… consideration.”
Selina shook her head, letting out a long breath.
“I think Lady Prudence wanted to make certain that I knew just how successful she had been with the gentlemen of the ton,” she said, as Lady Hayward nodded. “I cannot understand why, but –”
“Because you are the daughter of a Duke,” Lady Hayward interrupted, with a small smile. “She is the daughter of an Earl and, whilst that title is not to be ignored, it fades a good deal when placed beside that of a Duke. That is all.”