London Temptations: Historical Regency Romance Collection

by Joyce Alec

  The sound of Lord Brunswick laughing loudly as he stood in the doorway of the drawing room had sent Felix into a mild panic. Hearing the door being closed and knowing full well that Lady Prudence was, most likely, somewhere behind him, he had done the only thing he could think of. He had taken her into his arms and had kissed her with all the urgency and desperation that had welled up within him.

  Why he had done so, Felix still did not know. Perhaps, if he had even given himself an extra moment to consider, he might have been able to pull Lady Prudence into another room—although he might well have been discovered by Lord Brunswick there anyway and would have had to do as he had done regardless. It had been very strange indeed to find himself oddly glad that he had kissed her, finding his heart suddenly thrilled with delight at her embrace, at her willingness to return his affections. And thus, knowing that Lord Brunswick was in the shadows, most likely watching and listening to what was going on in front of him, Felix had done the only thing possible and had pretended that he had only just asked Lady Prudence to wed him and that she had accepted.

  Thankfully, Lady Prudence had gone along with the plan, her eyes wide and her voice a breathy whisper—and Felix knew that he could not go back on his word. Lord Brunswick would expect an engagement announcement very soon, which meant that Felix was now tied to Lady Prudence in a way that he had never expected.

  Much to his astonishment, it was not a feeling of irritation that came to his mind as he considered this, but rather a sense of satisfaction and contentment. No matter what happened next, no matter what they discovered in those papers, it seemed that he was to have Lady Prudence as his wife and that, surprisingly, was rather pleasing to him.

  Those papers, he thought to himself as his valet finished. I cannot imagine what they contain. He had not had much sleep the previous night, for there had been plenty on his mind. First, he had wondered about what Lady Prudence had thought of what had occurred, and then he had reflected on his own feelings. Thereafter, he had considered how relieved he had been that Lord Brunswick seemed to have taken what he had seen to be absolutely genuine—for the gentleman had appeared suddenly once Lady Prudence had returned to the drawing room and had spent a good few minutes congratulating him—and then had found himself wondering what could possibly be within those papers and why they were of such great importance. All in all, it had not been a particularly restful night, but surprisingly, Felix did not feel overly tired. In fact, he was filled with a sense of anticipation, knowing that in speaking to Lord Devonshire this afternoon, he would be making a rather permanent arrangement for his future. Lady Prudence would be his bride and that, he considered, was a truly wonderful thought.

  “I must confess, Lord Stoneleigh, I am both a little taken aback and truly delighted to hear of your intention.”

  Felix smiled at Lord Devonshire, relieved at the gentleman’s reaction. “I have been in your daughter’s company for some time now, Lord Devonshire, and I find myself quite taken with her,” he said, knowing that each word he spoke was entirely honest. “I will admit to having spoken to her of my intentions already and she has, I am glad to state, been content to accept—but of course, this is entirely dependent on what you yourself think. Forgive my eagerness in speaking to your daughter first.”

  Thankfully, Lord Devonshire did not appear to be in the least bit put out by this revelation. Instead, he chuckled, rose from his chair, and reached to shake Felix’s hand.

  “I would be very glad to give you my consent, Lord Stoneleigh,” he said with a broad, beaming smile. “It is wonderful to hear, truly. My daughter is a lady with her own mind in many respects and we have allowed her some time to make her own choice in such matters—and thus, she has done so. This has brought me a good deal of satisfaction and I am certain that Lady Devonshire shall be very pleased also.”

  “Wonderful,” Felix said, letting out a breath of relief as he shook Lord Devonshire’s hand. “I am very thankful, Lord Devonshire. I can assure you that I will treat your daughter with the greatest of respect. Throughout our marriage, I shall never do anything that will cause her harm or hurt. I care for Lady Prudence and I am certain such feelings will only grow.”

  Lord Devonshire let go of Felix’s hand and smiled. “I am certain you will make her very happy indeed,” he said, gesturing toward the door. “Now, I am sure that my daughter will be waiting to hear from you, so you need not hesitate any longer. Please, allow her to know of the good news.”

  “I shall, at once,” Felix answered, hurriedly making his way out the door and then toward the drawing room, where he knew Lady Prudence and her mother would be waiting.

  A swirl of anticipation and a touch of nervousness flooded him as he stepped inside, his eyes immediately finding Lady Prudence as she immediately rose to her feet, her eyes holding concern.

  “Lady Prudence, Lady Devonshire,” Felix murmured, bowing low. “Good afternoon.”

  “Good afternoon, Lord Stoneleigh,” Lady Devonshire murmured, her eyes aglow as she looked at him steadily, sitting back down in her chair. “I take it you have spoken to my husband?”

  Felix smiled. “I have,” he replied with a slight bow. “Might I speak to Lady Prudence alone for a few minutes, Lady Devonshire? I know it is a little presumptive but—”

  Lady Devonshire was up from her chair in a moment, her skirts rustling as she hurried past him. “But of course, Lord Stoneleigh,” she said, barely hesitating as she passed him. “A few minutes, of course.”

  Felix blinked in surprise at Lady Devonshire’s hasty exit, before turning slowly toward Lady Prudence, who was still staring at him with wide eyes.

  “Lady Prudence,” he said gently. “How do you fare this morning?”

  Lady Prudence hesitated, then answered him in a soft voice. “I am a little overwhelmed, Lord Stoneleigh.”

  “I am not at all surprised,” he answered, coming to sit down beside her. “There were a good deal of…unexpected surprises last evening, Lady Prudence.” He smiled at her. “I did not expect to find myself in a situation such as this, but I confess that I am very pleased.”

  This seemed to astonish Lady Prudence greatly, for she looked at him with evident shock written all over her face.

  “You are surprised?” he said gently, and Lady Prudence turned her head away. Looking at her profile carefully, Felix did not allow himself to say anything more, studying her with great deliberateness and wishing that he knew what she was feeling at this present moment.

  “I am astonished, Lord Stoneleigh,” Lady Prudence said eventually. “I did not think that you would have any pleasure in having to submit yourself to a marriage such as this.”

  “Then you are mistaken,” he said, rather concerned to see her eyes glistening with tears as she looked back at him. “I am truly very glad indeed, Lady Prudence. I have a great respect for you. I think very highly of you and your dedication to facing and resolving the troubles you have faced.” Reaching across, he settled his hand over hers and looked deeply into her eyes. “You are a beautiful young lady, with charm and elegance and great kindness within you. How could I not feel an affection for you? I look forward to our wedding, for it will be a fulfillment of a great hope that has been rising up within me for some time. A hope that I shall marry a lady that I care for, and who, I must hope, cares for me also.”

  Lady Prudence smiled, but as she did so, a tear trickled down her cheek. Frowning, Felix leaned forward and made to say something more, but Lady Prudence shook her head and smiled at him again.

  “I have a great affection for you, Lord Stoneleigh,” she said, her voice tremulous. “I have not been certain of my own feelings, however, for I have been rather afraid that they would come to naught.” Another tear fell from her eye, but she made no attempt to wipe it away. “I thought you considered me nothing more than an acquaintance—a close acquaintance, mayhap—but to know now that you…that you…” She could not say anything more, looking at him with such beauty in her green eyes that Felix wanted
to clasp her close to him and hold her until no tears remained.

  “I speak the truth,” he told her tenderly. “I have an affection for you of my own, that I hope will grow into something all the more profound, the longer we are settled together.”

  Lady Prudence smiled and it lit up her features entirely. Her other hand lifted to settle on his and Felix felt his heart begin to race. All he had to do was lean a little closer and he would be able once more to press his lips to hers. The urge to kiss her was so overwhelming that he found himself leaning toward her without even having a moment of consideration.

  Thankfully, it appeared as though Lady Prudence had been expecting him to do so, had been ready for him to do so, for she met him with great eagerness, her hands going about his neck and her fingers twining into his hair. Felix felt a curl of heat begin to swirl through him and he forced himself to move backward, breaking their kiss. Lady Prudence took a moment to open her eyes, and when she did so, the happiness in her expression cheered him immensely.

  “I can hardly believe it,” she murmured, looking up at him. “This is truly wonderful.”

  “It is,” he agreed, easing himself back a little more for fear that he would do nothing more than think of kissing Lady Prudence’s sweet lips again. “And whilst I do not wish to drag the conversation from this very pleasant subject, there is something else we must discuss.”

  It took a moment, but Lady Prudence quickly recalled what he meant.

  “I have the papers here,” she said, rising quickly and then carefully extracting them from her gown pocket. “I confess that I have not yet looked at them.”

  Surprised, he looked at her as she set the papers out on the small table in front of them. “You did not open them?” he said, and Lady Prudence shook her head. “Why ever not?”

  A small flush came into Lady Prudence’s cheeks. “I did not because I found my thoughts a little distracted last evening, and again this morning,” she admitted, a little more quietly. “And because I thought you might wish to be present when we did so.”

  Felix smiled at her, a sense of gratitude rising up within him. “That is most considerate of you, Lady Prudence.”

  “Although we shall have to be quick,” she reminded him, glancing at the open door. “My mother might very soon return.”

  Nodding, Felix turned his attention back to the papers. “Then shall we look?” he asked, and Lady Prudence reached forward and began to unfold the paper. There were, Felix realized, two pieces of paper. Lady Prudence spread out the first and then brushed her fingers gently across it in order to straighten it a little more before reaching for the second piece and doing the very same.

  “Good gracious.”

  Felix blinked in surprise as he saw, written there clearly and distinctly, the name of Lord Brunswick and, below it, the name of a lady he did not know.

  “It is a certificate of marriage,” Lady Prudence murmured, looking at the first piece of paper with wide eyes. “But Lord Brunswick is engaged at present, is he not?”

  “He is,” Felix replied, frowning hard. “But it appears he cannot be so, given that he is already wed.”

  “To a Miss Elizabeth Somers,” Lady Prudence read, frowning. “I do not know—” She gasped and sat up, her eyes huge and her hand at her mouth. Felix held his breath, aware of just how loudly his blood was roaring in his ears as he waited for her to speak, seeing that she knew something he did not yet understand.

  “I know who Miss Somers is,” she whispered, dropping her hand from her mouth. “She is Lord Yardley’s sister.”

  Her words hung in the air before Felix could truly take them in. When he did so, the clarity that came with them hit him with such force that it felt as though he had been knocked senseless.

  “Lord Yardley knew that Lord Brunswick was already married,” he said as Lady Prudence nodded, her face now pale. “Therefore, he could not be engaged to Lady Josephine.”

  Lady Prudence drew in a long breath. “Then are we stating that we believe Lord Brunswick arranged for the death of Lord Yardley, so that he would not speak of what he knew to anyone?”

  Felix hesitated, thinking hard. “I do not think we can agree to such a thing as yet. It may be as you say, but we must first attempt to discover where the current Lady Brunswick is at present. Once we have found her, we must…” He trailed off, not quite certain what else to say.

  “Once we have found her, we must ask whether the diamonds belong to her,” Lady Prudence said, picking up the second paper. “Look, Lord Stoneleigh.” Handing him the piece of paper, she waited until he had glanced at it before she spoke again. “It details a transaction between Lord Yardley and Lord Brunswick. There was a great deal of money exchanged, it seems.”

  Frowning, Felix studied the paper. “That is rather surprising, is it not?” he asked, surprised when Lady Prudence shook her head. “Do you mean to say that Lord Yardley was rather wealthy?” He was a little taken aback to hear that, for Lord Yardley had only been a baron and barons were not usually known for their great wealth.

  “Lord Yardley had a vast fortune,” Lady Prudence told him, picking up the papers and folding them away again. “It is rare, yes, but there have been occasions, I have heard, where a gentleman of a lower title has had a good deal more wealth than those who are of a higher title.” She lifted one shoulder as she placed the papers back in her pocket. “Lord Yardley was one of those gentlemen.”

  “And did you know his sister?”

  Lady Prudence frowned and shook her head, a line forming between her brows. “I knew of her but never once met her,” she said slowly, as though trying her best to remember something. “She must have been at Lord Yardley’s wedding to my cousin, Mary, but I do not recall ever setting eyes on her. Lord Yardley mentioned her, of course, but that was all.”

  “Then we have no way of knowing where she might be,” Felix muttered, passing one hand over his eyes as he fought to establish what they ought to do next. “She could be anywhere in the whole of England and—”

  “She would not be at his estate,” Lady Prudence mused, interrupting him. “Else he would not be able to take his new wife there.” Her eyes shot to his. “But Lord Yardley might have known of her whereabouts. After all, perhaps he came to London expecting to see her and, when he heard Lord Brunswick was to marry, went to confront him.”

  “And when he would not relent from his path, did Lord Yardley then take the box with the diamonds and the key, knowing what it contained? Knowing that, should he then find the box, he would be able to prove to others that Lord Brunswick was already wed,” Felix added, feeling his heart grow sorrowful on behalf of Lord Yardley, who must have endured a great deal of pain in discovering that his sister was not present in London and that Lord Brunswick was now engaged to another. He spread his hands. “Perhaps he intended to find the box, perhaps he had every intention of going back to Lord Brunswick’s townhouse and finding the papers, but he was cut down before he could do so.”

  Lady Prudence nodded slowly, her eyes beginning to fill with tears as, no doubt, memories of that fateful afternoon came back to her. “He begged me to take great care of it, speaking to me within the shadow of the doorway, so that he would not be seen. I wonder if he knew he was being pursued.”

  Felix reached for her hand. “No doubt he did,” he answered quietly. “And he hoped to shake his pursuer and then return for the box. He obviously trusted you, Lady Prudence. Of that, you can be certain.”

  Taking in a deep breath, Lady Prudence let it out slowly and then looked back into his eyes, her expression serious. “That is kind of you to say, Lord Stoneleigh. Although I feel an even greater burden now. A burden toward his sister, who must be in deep distress.” Her head tilted just a little. “If Lord Yardley came to London expecting to see his sister, only to discover that she was not present with her husband, then might he have written to her to ensure she was safe?”

  It was an idea, certainly. “I could make my way to Lord Yardley’s home and sp
eak to the butler,” Felix answered, seeing a fresh light in Lady Prudence’s eyes. “Or mayhap, if your mother would permit it, we might go together?”

  Lady Prudence beamed at him. “I am certain she will permit me a short walk with my betrothed,” she said, a blush warming her cheeks. “And I shall encourage her to give me my maid as a chaperone. Will you give me a few minutes, Lord Stoneleigh?”

  His smile was immediate, the thought of being even longer in Lady Prudence’s company a most pleasant one. “I shall indeed,” he told her. “Let us hope that soon, we will be able to do all that Lord Yardley could not.”

  “For his sake, and for that of his sister,” Lady Prudence replied solemnly, before quickly quitting the room.

  11

  It did not take a great deal of convincing for her mother to permit Prudence to take a short walk with Lord Stoneleigh. Nor did she have to beg to be accompanied only by her maid, for it appeared that Lady Devonshire herself was most eager to spread the news of her daughter’s engagement and wanted very much to quickly call upon a very dear friend of hers, who was also a notorious gossip.

  Thus, Prudence found herself walking alongside Lord Stoneleigh, making their way in the direction of Lord Yardley’s townhouse. He had suggested that they might take his carriage there and back again, but Prudence had declined the suggestion. She found herself eager to linger in Lord Stoneleigh’s company, for now that she knew the truth about his affections, she had nothing but happiness in being with him. How quickly things had changed. When he had spoken to her but a few days ago, she had cursed her own foolishness for feeling such an affection for him when he felt none in return, only to realize that she had been quite mistaken. When he had kissed her, she had felt such hope, such wonderful, astonishing hope, that it had filled her heart and not released her until she had spoken to Lord Stoneleigh again.