“Yes,” he said grimly. “I am.”
Holding her protectively in his arms until they were inside the carriage, he set her down on the seat but kept her tucked in against him as though he were afraid to part from her, even for an instant. The carriage started to move, and with a trembling sigh Lynette rested her head against her husband’s shoulder.
The nightmare was over. Once again, Nathaniel had rescued her. How could she have ever doubted that she was her knight in shining armor?
Nathaniel may not have been perfect. His armor was a little rusty in spots, and he wasn’t adept at sharing his emotions. But in his own way, he loved her. He may have been incapable of saying the words, but his actions tonight had proven it. Not only had he come for her, but he had saved her life at the expense of harming his brother. He’d done so without any hint of uncertainty or even a moment’s hesitation. If that wasn’t the definition of love, then Lynette did not know what love was.
No, her husband was not perfect.
But then again, neither was she and maybe…just maybe... that was the point.
“Thank you,” she whispered as she burrowed into his side and inhaled his familiar scent. Seeking out his hand in the darkness of the carriage, she entwined their fingers together.
“You have nothing to thank me for.” He tensed and, to her dismay, slowly pulled his hand away.
“Nathaniel, you saved my life. I have everything to thank you for.”
As the carriage made its way out of the city and into an open field a glimmer of moonlight shimmered through the window, catching on Nathaniel’s dark scowl. “It is my fault your life was in danger to begin with. He is my brother, Lynette. My blood. And he nearly…he nearly…” When his voice caught, Lynette realized he was the closest to losing control of his emotions as she’d ever seen him.
“Adam may be your brother,” she said gently, “but he is not your responsibility.”
“But you are.” Green eyes burned into hers with such a fierce intensity Lynette felt the heat of it as if she were standing before an open flame. “You are my responsibility, and I let you go. More than that, I chased you away.”
“No. No,” she repeated firmly when his mouth settled into a stubborn line she recognized only too well. You did not chase me, Nathaniel. I ran, as far and as fast as I could, and for that I am sorry. I was upset and hurt-”
“Because I hurt you.”
“Yes,” she said honestly. “Yes you did. But you also came for me when it mattered-”
“I love you.”
“Oh Nathaniel,” she whispered as her heart lifted and an enormous smile spread across her entire face. “I love you as well.”
Looking rather embarrassed by the clumsily spoken admission, he glanced to the side as he muttered, “I should have said it sooner, but I – I am not always very good at saying the right things at the right time.”
That, Lynette thought with amusement, is quite the understatement.
“But I think I fell in love with you from the first second I saw you,” he continued. “You were all wet and bruised and mad as a hornet, but there was something about you that captivated me from the beginning. To be honest, I still do not know what it was. I probably should, and if I were a poet I might even be able to put it into words, but the best way I can think to explain it is to say that there has always been a piece of me missing.” He drew a deep breath. “And that piece was you.”
His admission, so heart wrenchingly spoken, brought tears to Lynette’s eyes. Gently clasping his strong jaw, she turned his head until their gazes aligned. “I wanted you to tell me how much you loved me so badly that I forgot to tell you the same. From now on, I want us to try to tell each other how we feel, even when it is hard to do so. I no longer want a marriage of convenience, Nathaniel. I want one of inconvenience.”
He lifted a brow. “What is that supposed to mean?”
She smiled. “Oh, I think you should be able to figure it out.”
“Does this mean you want me to act as though we are actually married?”
“Heavens no,” she said with a grimace. “I want you to act as though you’re hopelessly and madly in love with me.”
“Well that should be easy,” he said as he leaned in to kiss her.
“And why is that?”
“Because,” he murmured against her lips, “I am.”
EPILOGUE
“Is this to be our new home, then?” Her eyes wide as two saucers, Delilah turned in a slow circle, captivated by the painted mural on the foyer’s vaulted ceiling. “It is enormous!”
“There are going to be six of us living here,” Lynette pointed out with a wry twist of her lips. Glancing behind her as two servants carried a heavy trunk through the front door, she directed them into the dining room where Lady Townsend was deciding what belongings to keep, what to put into storage, and what to donate to those less fortunate.
It seemed impossible that only three and a half months ago she had been one of the less fortunate, and now she was living – along with Nathaniel, her two sisters, sister-in-law, and Nathaniel’s parents – in one of the grandest manors in Grosvenor Square.
Surprisingly, it had been Nathaniel’s idea that they all move in together under one roof. Knowing how important family was to his beautiful wife, he’d suggested it one night while they lay curled in each other’s arms, their skin still damp from making love.
“Are you certain?” she’d asked, sitting up on an elbow.
“Certain that it is a good idea or certain that it will make you happy?” he’d countered, his green eyes bright with affection as he lowered his head and nipped her shoulder. “Annabel and Delilah are thick as thieves, and my mother has taken Temperance under her wing as though she were a second daughter. The first ball of the Season is in less than a week, and we cannot remain at Dunhill forever. If we have to return to London, it only makes sense to return together. There is a house in Grosvenor Square that I have had my eye on for quite some time. It should accommodate all of us and then some. There is even room for Mr. Humphrey.” He’d skimmed his hand through her tousled hair. “It will be a new start, my love. For all of us.”
Resting her head on his warm chest, Lynette had sighed as she reluctantly accepted their time in the peaceful, quiet countryside was rapidly coming to an end. “That sounds wonderful…”
“But?” he’d said, sensing there was something more she wasn’t telling him.
“I am afraid,” she had confessed in a whisper.
“Of Adam?” he’d asked, his body tensing.
“No,” she’d said quickly, shaking her head. “After the thrashing you gave him I very much doubt your brother will bother any of us again. But there will still be rumors swirling about. People will talk about how quickly we married and-”
“Let them,” he had said simply.
“Let them?”
“Let them,” he had confirmed before gathering her close. “I do not want you to ever worry about what others say about you ever again, my lovely little wife. Let them talk and speculate all they want, but we know the truth and that is all that matters.”
“And what truth is that?” she’d asked, picking herself up off his chest to peer down at him.
“Do you really need me to say it again?” he’d complained even as he caressed her spine with soft, absent strokes. Since the morning in the carriage where they’d both finally admitted their feelings, Nathaniel had been unable to keep his hands to himself…both in and out of the bedroom. Whenever they were together he insisted on touching her, so much so that she’d begun to playfully push his hands away for fear of creating a scandal all over again. He never listened, of course, and Lynette was satisfied in the knowledge that she was the most loved woman in all of England.
“And again,” she had said, biting back a smile. “I shall never get tired of hearing it.”
“Very well.” Cupping her face, he’d said with mock sternness, “Lady Lynette Blackbourne, I love you. I will love y
ou until the sun sets-”
“Until the sun sets?” she’d interrupted, one brow rising. “That is not very long.”
“And rises and sets again and…rises again?”
“Three days,” she had admonished even as she choked back a laugh. “You will love me for three days.” A poet with his words her husband certainly was not, but she loved him all the more for trying.
“Eternity,” he’d vowed. “I will love you into eternity. Is that long enough for you?”
“Well, I suppose if that’s the best you can do…” she’d said mischievously, earning herself a light slap on her bare derriere for her impertinence. With a loud growl he’d rolled her beneath him, and any worries Lynette may have had about her reception back into Society faded away as he began to kiss his way down her body…
“You are blushing again,” Temperance said, bumping Lynette’s shoulder as she sailed past, her arms filled with rambunctious, wiggling puppy.
“Mr. Humphrey!” Delilah cried with delight. Hearing his name, the puppy – who was rapidly on his way to turning into a very large, very hairy dog – began to bark and Temperance quickly set him down before he could jump out of her grasp in his eagerness to be with Delilah.
“Oh how I have missed you,” the youngest Swan sister gushed as she knelt down and greeted an ecstatic Mr. Humphrey with open arms.
“You were only apart for an hour,” Temperance said with a long suffering sigh.
“Don’t listen to her,” Delilah told Mr. Humphrey. “She is in a bad mood because she had to leave Mr. Jacobson behind. But do not worry, I will never leave you again.”
“I am not!” Temperance’s countenance pinched in a scowl. “You take that back.”
Scooping Mr. Humphrey up in her arms, Delilah deftly stepped to the side. “How can I, when it is the truth? You know you have been sneaking out to visit him nearly every night.”
“Temperance,” gasped Lynette, her eyes widening. “Is that true?”
“I have been doing nothing of the sort,” Temperance denied even as her bright red face said otherwise. “Do not listen to her,” she said, pointing at Delilah with an accusing finger. “She has no idea what she is talking about!” Crossing her arms, she stormed from the foyer.
“What did I say?” Delilah wondered out loud.
Closing her eyes, Lynette forced herself to count to three. Had they just overcome one scandal only to endure another? If Temperance really had been sneaking out of the house every night for a secret rendezvous with the mysterious Mr. Jacobson… Well, there was no use worrying about it now. When Temperance was ready to speak of it, she would. “Best take Mr. Humphrey outside and show him the yard,” she told Delilah with an encouraging smile as she opened her eyes. “Nathaniel had it completely fenced before our arrival, so you need not worry about him escaping.”
“Brilliant!” Delilah declared. “Come on, Mr. Humphrey. Let’s go explore!” She set her beloved pet down and the puppy’s paws skittered across the marble tile as he chased her down the hall and out of sight.
Left alone – albeit only temporarily as Nathaniel was due to arrive at any moment – Lynette trailed her hand along the bannister as she walked up the stairs and into the master bedroom. Sunlight shone in through the windows, warming the hardwood floor and the bottoms of her feet as she slipped out of her shoes and crossed to the nearest window in her silk stockings.
It was another beautiful, crisp autumn day. A light breeze stirred the red and gold leaves, and as she watched a few spiral slowly down to the ground, Lynette instinctively rested her hands on her belly. It was still flat, but she had a feeling that it wouldn’t be so for much longer. There was life inside of her. She knew it. And soon Nathaniel would too.
Within moments, a gleaming black carriage pulled up outside and Nathaniel stepped onto the curb. Lynette waited for him to walk up the steps, but as if he could sense her presence he suddenly stopped and tipped his head back, shading his eyes against the sun with the flat of his hand as he gazed up at her through the window.
“Hello,” he mouthed as a smile stretched across his face.
“Hello,” she returned, pressing her fingers against the cool glass.
They lingered, unable to take their eyes off of one another until, with a bubbling laugh of delight, Lynette pushed away from the window and hurried out of the bedroom, eager to be in her husband’s arms once again.
SWAN SISTERS
If you enjoyed For the Love of Lynette, read on for a brief excerpt from the next two books in the series: Annabel’s Christmas Rake (a holiday novella featuring Nathaniel’s feisty sister) and Taming Temperance. Both are available wherever e-books are sold! And look for A Duke of Delilah, coming this fall.
For the Love of Lynette (1)
Annabel’s Christmas Rake (2)
Taming Temperance (3)
A Duke for Delilah (4)
ANNABEL’S CHRISTMAS RAKE
Lady Annabel Blackbourne has no interest in any of the gentlemen her mother wants her to marry. They're too polite. Too respectable. Too boring. After all, who would want to marry someone with a button collection? Just as she is beginning to fear she will never meet the dashing man of her dreams, however, fate intervenes...
Lucas O'Brian, notorious gambler and unapologetic womanizer, only has one rule: never seduce an innocent. As a man who avoids romantic entanglements like the plague, it is a rule he is hell-bent on keeping. Until one snowy evening a carriage accident quite literally drops a beautiful blonde straight into his lap...
From the moment they meet Lucas and Annabel's sizzling chemistry is undeniable. But Lucas is determined to leave Annabel alone. Almost as determined as she is to seduce him! This holiday season, only one thing is certain: some rules are going to get broken...
CHAPTER ONE
27 Days Before Christmas
“Do you think it is going to snow soon?” Peering out her bedroom window, Lady Annabel Blackbourne frowned up at the wall of clouds stretching across the London sky in one long, endless line of gray. They looked like smoke. Dark, dingy, dirty smoke. Beneath the clouds tree branches waved in the breeze, their skeletal limbs clacking together as the last leaves of autumn spiraled down towards the frozen ground.
“Do you want it to snow?” Draping a heavy blanket around her shoulders, Delilah Swan shivered as she stepped up beside Annabel and looked down at the street below. Her golden hair – several shades darker than Annabel’s pale tresses – trailed down her back in a tangle of curls and her round cheeks were flushed from the cold seeping in through the thin glass. A fire crackled merrily in hearth as it did in every bedroom, but it was all but impossible to keep all of the drafts at bay in such a large, palatial townhouse.
Tucked away in the middle of Grosvenor Square, one of London’s most elite housing districts, the townhouse belonged to Annabel’s brother, Nathaniel Blackbourne, Viscount of Townsend. A handsome rake with a reputation she wasn’t supposed to know anything about, he’d recently married Delilah’s eldest sister Lynette which was how the two families had come to be living under one roof.
Nathaniel and Lynette’s courtship had been rather untraditional and filled with angst, but they had since come to realize their true feelings for one another and Annabel had never seen a couple more in love.
With the exception of her own parents, of course.
“I would like it to snow a little bit,” she admitted as she turned away from the window and flounced over to her queen-sized bed with its fanciful canopy and tall mahogany posts.
Filled with an endless amount of energy, Annabel rarely walked anywhere. She flounced. She bounced. She pranced. When her mother wasn’t looking she even skipped from time to time. To her mind life was far too short to get from one place to another at the pace of a snail. After all, why would God want you to walk if He had given you two perfectly good legs for running?
“I just want summer to return.” Delilah’s nose wrinkled as she perched on the edge of the window sill and drew
her blanket more tightly around her shoulders. “All of this cold is not for me. Why, there icicles hanging off my balcony this morning. Icicles, Annabel! Mr. Humphrey does not like the cold either,” she said, referring to her beloved pet terrier. “He is still buried under my covers. I tried to bribe him out with a bit of sweet sausage, but I think he may stay there all day and I must say, he has the right idea. I cannot fathom why you enjoy winter so much.”
Flopping onto her mattress, Annabel absently combed her fingers through her long, silky hair as she gazed up at the heavy silk fabric draped over the top of her bed. “Because I love sleighing. And sledding. And skating.” She sat up on her elbows. “Have you ever noticed how all the best winter activities begin with an ‘S’?”
Delilah’s wide doe eyes opened and closed in a quick blink. “Now that you mention it, that is quite unusual.”
“And Christmas. I love Christmas.” She loved the joyful sound of carolers. The mouth-watering scent of turkey slowly roasting. The delighted screams of children as they ran through the snow. The jingle of sleigh bells and the smell of evergreen. At the mere thought of it all Annabel’s mouth curved in a contented smile. For as long as she could remember, Christmas had always been her favorite holiday. She adored the tradition of doing the same thing year after year. Lighting the yule log on Christmas Eve. Traipsing to church on Christmas morning and returning home to a massive feast of boar’s head (which was really a pig, as the poor wild boars had gone extinct over five hundred years ago). Watching her mother and father dance across the parlor after they’d indulged in a bit too much wine and poking Nathaniel in the ribs when he fell asleep in front of the fire. Sneaking a few extra pieces of candy up to her bedroom before falling asleep with cheeks that ached from so much laughter and a belly that was filled to the brim.
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