The Seymour Siblings (Fiona Miers' Regency boxsets Book 2)

by Fiona Miers

  “Thank you,” Lizzie said wryly.

  “Do not be so serious, sister. Nothing bad happened. No one even noticed the wine bottles were missing. There is no need to fret over it. Carson would also not allow you to do something outlandish and irresponsible. He feels—”

  The duchess cleared her throat, interrupting the duke and he pursed his lips briefly.

  “He cares for your safety and your well-being too much to allow anything to happen to you,” the duke corrected himself.

  “Indeed. He has been my saving grace for a long time, last evening included, and I feel it is only proper to thank him for that,” Lizzie agreed.

  Kitty smiled at her. “You are truly lucky to have a friend such as Carson. I spoke with him earlier last evening before you vanished and reappeared shortly before dawn at the estate. He is a charming and wonderful young man.”

  “Careful,” the duke warned his wife playfully. “I may start to feel envious of Carson if you continue to speak so fondly of him, my love.”

  The duchess rolled her eyes and chuckled at the duke’s remark. “Fear not, my dearest. You are the only man for me.”

  Lizzie pursed her lips and raised a brow.

  The duchess winked at the duke before turning back to Lizzie. “He also spoke very fondly and kindly of you, my sister.”

  “He is a wonderful man, and I am truly grateful to have him in my life,” Lizzie said with sincerity. “Even if he was the one who suggested taking the two bottles of wine.”

  “I do not believe that. I am well aware of your fondness for wine,” the duke smirked.

  “Honestly, James. You make me sound as though I am permanently intoxicated.” Lizzie groaned with exasperation.

  “More often than not, I would say.” The duke chuckled and glanced at the duchess.

  “Now, now. It is not proper to make fun of your sister in such a manner,” the duchess interjected.

  “Thank you, Your Grace,” Lizzie told Kitty and glanced at her brother. “Listen to your wife. At least she does not tease me.”

  “It is my right to tease you. As your older brother, of course,” the duke proclaimed. “I am merely worried that we will not be able to marry you off because of your love for wine.”

  “Your teasing is starting to turn rather insulting, Drew,” Lizzie muttered, and her eyes narrowed. “I am leaving now.”

  “Before you leave, sister,” the duke called as Lizzie was about to turn away.

  “Yes?” Lizzie asked with a sigh.

  “We would like to share something with you,” the duchess said slowly.

  Lizzie noticed the expression on the duchess’ face change slightly and her eyes instantly widened. “Is something the matter?”

  “No, we simply wish to discuss something with you.”

  “Very well.”

  “Lizzie, you know that you are always welcome here at the estate and—”

  “Do you wish me to leave?” Lizzie stared at her brother and new sister, dumbfounded. They couldn’t possibly…

  “No, we simply…”

  “Simply what? You no longer want me here because I did something that you both know of, but will not tell me? What did I do last evening?” Lizzie asked, her voice breaking as her eyes filled with tears.

  Kitty shook her head and smiled kindly. “You didn’t do a thing wrong. James and I have been discussing this for a while now, and we simply think that you should consider acting more…”

  “More appropriately, as it would please the masses. Is that what you both think of me?” Lizzie demanded of her family.

  “Sister, you know that we love you.”

  “Do you? Yet you wish me to act unlike myself.” Love was meant to be unconditional.

  James tapped a finger to his chin before saying, “Lizzie, please, do not be upset with us. We do love you, and accept you for who you are, but don’t you wish to marry? And start a family of your own?”

  Lizzie glanced down at the duchess’ hand cradling her swollen belly and pursed her lips. She understood what the duchess and the duke spoke about, and why they urged her to marry. They didn’t want her to negatively impact their child.

  She would be known as the foxed aunt who could not find a husband as she was too scandalous to marry. No man wished to have a woman such as her, at least not long-term.

  Lizzie blinked and a tear ran down her cheek. She hastily wiped it away and glanced at the duchess. “You do not need to worry about me being a bad influence on your child, Kitty.”

  “That is not what we said, Lizzie,” James pointed out.

  “You didn’t need to. Your faces reveal it all. I understand your concern, as the needs of your child come first. It is what comes naturally to a parent. I don’t wish to get in the way of that, so I will be out of your hair soon enough,” Lizzie answered, her heart breaking. This was her home. She didn’t want to leave.

  “Lizzie…”

  “It is all right, James, Kitty. You don’t need to flatter me with flowery words. I am aware of the rumours about me. Everyone is. I know they’re not true, and I will carry on living in the manner I see fit, because I know the truth. I alone get to decide what I do with my life.” Lizzie sighed and glanced at her brother. “James, you of all people should be aware of how I feel about marriage. I do not feel the need to change myself for a man who will not love me for the person I am. I don’t care whether I am not what men want in a wife. If I am destined to be a spinster and grow old alone, then so be it. But I will not change for anyone.”

  Lizzie didn’t wait for a response from either the duke or the duchess. She swiftly turned away and left the parlour. She didn’t care to hear what they had to say, as nothing they could possibly say would change her mind or make her feel differently. She hurried through the hallway that led to the terrace. Hot tears stung her eyes, blurring her vision, but she would not allow it to consume her.

  Never again.

  4

  A grin formed on Carson’s lips as he recalled the evening he had spent with Lizzie.

  He glanced at himself in the mirror as he dressed for breakfast with his sister, Miss Adrienne. They didn’t often spend time together, as Adrienne spent most of her time volunteering at a hospital in Somerset, something her father had encouraged her to do from a very young age. Her heart had always been devoted to helping people, and caring for them.

  There was nothing she wouldn’t do in order to help someone. Carson had great admiration for his older sister, as she had found her one and true passion.

  Carson flattened his waistcoat against his shirt and stepped away from the mirror. The memories of last evening flashed before his eyes, and he could practically taste the wine he and Lizzie had shared in the stable. Although he cringed at the thought, he could not have asked for a better evening.

  They had spoken of so many things, as if they were still young children without any troubles, or woes, sharing laughter and giggles. They’d consumed the wine until Lizzie had started to hiccough and giggle, their shared amusement even more intoxicating than the wine.

  Of course, Lizzie had been more foxed than Carson – rightfully so, considering her diminutive size and inexperience. But she had been utterly delightful, childlike and innocent in her fun. Her words of truth still resonated in his mind.

  Carson recalled ushering her to his coach, his arm around her waist in order to keep her upright and stop her from tipping over. She giggled as she spoke muddled words that amused her to no end, but he’d still been mesmerized with her.

  He closed his eyes for a moment, recalling her beauty and how difficult it had been not to kiss her. Her long brown tresses had loosely tumbled down her narrow shoulders, her lips stained red from the wine.

  The coach journey was even more entertaining than the stable, as they had reminisced even more about their childhood, bringing forth even more chuckles and laughter. There had been countless moments where Carson had to fight the urge not to kiss Lizzie, but he was well aware that it would have been w
rong.

  He could not possibly live with himself if he had taken advantage of her in such a vulnerable state. Also, he was certain that Lizzie would not have remembered anything, making it much worse.

  Despite spending the entire night with Lizzie, he hadn’t been able to disclose his feelings for her. He was rather upset and disappointed in himself for not being forthcoming. Had he not tortured himself long enough by keeping his feelings inside?

  Carson drew in a breath as he left his bedchamber and made his way down the large stairwell to the downstairs parlour. His sister adored that space, and it was where she often requested breakfast to be served.

  The room was bright as he entered and the table in the centre of the room was already packed to the brim with delicious-looking breakfast fare. A small platoon could be fed with the amount of food on the table, but he expected no less from his sister.

  The scent of fresh roses suddenly filled the air and he heard footsteps behind him. Adrienne stood in the doorway, holding a vase with the beautiful flowers and smiling brightly at Carson.

  “Good morning, brother,” she greeted cheerfully, walking past him and placing the vase on the mantel. “I do hope you’re hungry.”

  “Hungry?” Carson muttered. “With this much food, I ought to be famished.”

  “It is not every day that I can enjoy a breakfast with my dear brother,” Adrienne shrugged and glanced at him.

  Carson narrowed his eyes, knowing his sister well enough to see that there was a hidden agenda behind her perfectly poised smile. “What is the matter?”

  “Nothing is the matter. Can I not simply enjoy a meal with you?” Adrienne asked as she sat at the table. “Now, sit.”

  Carson reluctantly sat at the table as well, his gaze lingering on his sister. What sort of scheming was on her mind? But instead of attacking the problem head on, he chose his sister’s favourite topic.

  “Are you still enjoying yourself at the hospital, Adrienne?”

  As expected, Adrienne’s eyes sparkled at the mention of the beloved hospital and she nodded with great enthusiasm. “Indeed, Carson. If there is one place that brings me constant joy, it is the hospital. It is truly life-changing once a person finds their passion and a vocation for which they were meant. I simply cannot tire of expressing my love for what I do every day.”

  Carson grinned. He admired the passion Adrienne felt from helping people at the hospital and wondered whether he’d ever have the opportunity to speak so passionately of something he loved.

  As Adrienne continued to share amusing tales of the patients since the last time he had seen her, he quietly listened to her while his thoughts wandered.

  How would Lizzie be feeling this morning? And would she recall all the details of the previous evening? Despite the night being long, he remembered every single moment of it. There was no better way to spend a tedious ball than with Lizzie, whether she was foxed on wine or not.

  Would she be feeling under the weather? Hopefully she would not blame him, since she had been the one who had suggested taking two bottles of wine from the ballroom instead of one.

  “Are you even listening to me, Carson?”

  Adrienne’s voice echoed through the room and Carson glanced at her with a furrowed brow.

  “Where did you disappear to, brother?” Adrienne demanded after he made no attempt to respond.

  “My apologies, sister. I am rather distracted this morning.”

  “I can certainly see that,” She answered and lowered her gaze. “Your excursion at Lord and Lady Wealing’s was, without a doubt, exhausting.”

  Carson glared at his sister and cocked his head. “I beg your pardon?”

  “Do not act the fool, brother. I am well aware of the company you kept last evening,” Adrienne stated. “Do you think it is wise to be in the vicinity of that woman?”

  “And what, precisely, do you mean by that?” Carson asked, though his gut tightened with a premonition that this conversation had just taken a turn for the worse.

  “I am not foolish, nor am I oblivious to the happenings in town, Carson. People talk and the things I have heard with regards to Lizzie and her antics with Lord Dorset… not even to mention her scandalous behaviour last evening. I simply can’t believe that you were involved as well. Pilfering wine from the ballroom.” Adrienne clucked her tongue and shook her head. “You should not be in the company of such a woman. You are not aware of what her intentions with you are, Carson?”

  To laugh and talk, and drink with me?

  “You are certainly a fool for believing those Banbury stories, Adrienne.” Carson loudly placed his spoon on the saucer. “Furthermore, Lizzie did nothing to earn such disrespect from you, nor me. You are worried about the wrong person. I have known Lizzie for a long while, and she is not how Somerset describes her. They do not know her as I do. And nor do you, by the sound of it.”

  Adrienne lifted her nose. “I am merely saying that it might hurt your reputation if you continue to keep company with her. You will be associated with her, and I would not wish for that to happen, Carson. Father would roll over in his grave if he found out you were placing the integrity of our family at risk,” Miss Adrienne stated flatly.

  After what Mother did? Impossible.

  “What nonsense you speak, Adrienne,” Carson growled. “Lizzie has more integrity than any of those ladies in attendance last evening.”

  “Why do you defend her?” she demanded.

  “Because she is my friend and I care for her very much.”

  Adrienne cocked her head once more and momentarily narrowed her eyes. “You are in love with her.”

  Carson straightened his spine. “I am not. I simply wish for her to be treated as the wonderful woman she is. She is a good person and she does not deserve to be shunned by the very women who had been her friends mere months before.”

  Adrienne blinked a few times but did not speak. Carson could see in her eyes that she was mildly offended by his words, but neither of the siblings uttered another sound for a few moments.

  Finally, his sister went on, “Regardless of what I think, or whether I believe the tales that have been making their rounds in town, I merely wish for you to think of what is best for you—”

  “You mean for the family name.”

  “Carson, we were raised by the same father, with the same morals and the same rules. You are well aware of what Father would say if he were here today,” Adrienne said softly and drew in a deep breath. “Which is why I have taken it upon myself to arrange a meeting with a lovely young woman I met while—”

  “No.” There was no way he was being set up for some sort of arranged marriage. The only woman he wanted in his home, his life, and his bed, was Lizzie Seymour.

  “Would you please allow me to finish?” Adrienne asked and shifted her cup of tea closer.

  “I am not meeting with a woman I do not know, Adrienne.”

  His sister smiled brightly. “She is lovely, Carson. Her name is Miss Violet Saunders. She is a very intelligent young woman, the daughter of the chief magistrate in the neighbouring county.”

  “No, Adrienne.”

  “She is soft-spoken and has a beautiful mane of golden hair. She plays the violin and the piano—”

  Sounds boring. “Adrienne, please stop.”

  “Why? Because she is precisely the kind of woman who would be perfectly suited to you.”

  How would his sister know what suited him? “You are well aware of my feelings in regard to marriage.”

  “Not all marriages end like Mother and Father’s, Carson. It is rather unfair to compare all marriages to one that failed,” Adrienne argued.

  “At that moment in time, it was the only one that mattered!” Carson stood from the table with anger tightening his gut and glared at Adrienne. “My answer is no.”

  “That is a pity,” Adrienne shrugged and glanced at the grandfather clock in the corner of the parlour, “as she is expected to arrive shortly before dinner this evening.” />
  Carson glared at his sister and his jaw clenched. “You are a manipulative and self-righteous woman who does not care about anyone else’s opinions or feelings other than your own.”

  “Father would be proud of me,” Adrienne answered nonchalantly as she sipped her tea.

  Well, I’m not. Carson stepped away from the table and drew in a breath as he turned away.

  “Where are you going?”

  “I need some air,” Carson answered with a grumble.

  “Please do ensure that you are back in time for Miss Violet’s arrival,” Adrienne answered with a smile, which made Carson even angrier.

  He stormed out of the parlour, slamming the door behind him. The sound still echoed through the hallway as he retreated to the main entrance.

  5

  The fresh air and the delectable scent of the flowers in a porcelain vase perched in the centre of the table soothed the pounding inside Lizzie’s head. She was seated quietly on the terrace, immersed in a daze. Her memories of last evening were still rather unclear and it seemed as though the harder she tried to retrieve them, the quicker they evaporated into the light.

  A cool breeze softly brushed her cheeks, providing much-needed relief from the heat that filled her body at regular intervals. A crystal glass with cold water stood on the table in front of her. The droplets on the outside of the glass sparkled like rainbow-hued diamonds, then slowly trailed down onto the wooden table.

  She saw movement out of the corner of her eye and turned that way, leaving her hazy dream world. She drew in a breath and her limbs stiffened as she noticed Carson, looking rather dashing – as always – making his way across the lawn towards her. Much to her surprise, her heart pounded in her chest and she was unable to tear her eyes away from him.

  What on earth is happening? But in all honesty, she had known for a very long time.

  Had something occurred last evening that caused all these ancient feelings to rise to the surface once more? Of course, Lizzie was not bold enough to simply ask Carson, was she?