The Melody of A Lady's Heart: A Historical Regency Romance Book

by Aria Norton

  Beatrix finally looked up. “Oh, I did not come here to quarrel, Lady Barclay. I've come to ask for your forgiveness for everything I've done, and perhaps explain my actions.”

  Helena raised her eyebrows. “Will you try to justify yourself?”

  “No, not at all,” the woman assured. “I only wish to explain myself.”

  “Very well. I've always been fair, so you might as well sit and tell me your story.”

  “Thank you.”

  Beatrix sat on a nearby stool and proceeded to tell Helena her life story. As Helena listened, Beatrix became less the villain and more a desperate woman.

  "My father was not as good as he should have been to my mother. She suffered greatly at his hands. He always treated me well, but I hated how he treated my mother. As a young girl, I decided to only marry a good, responsible and respectful man so I would never go through what my mother did. When I met Nathaniel and saw all the qualities I was looking for, I wanted to marry him at all cost. I became obsessed with becoming his wife and made terrible decisions for which I am truly sorry. I was so focused on Nathaniel that I did not see the man who truly loved me. Stephen, a good man, has asked for my hand in marriage and I have accepted. He is the one who encouraged me to come and see you." The woman smiled. "He is quite wise."

  “Congratulations,” said Helena.

  “Thank you. I know that you most likely hate me,” Beatrix continued. “Which you rightly should, but if you can one day find it in your heart to forgive me, I would be much obliged.”

  Helena could see a significant change in Beatrix's demeanour and knew the woman was genuinely sorry.

  “I have forgiven you, Beatrix.”

  “Truly?”

  “Yes,” Helena nodded. “To show you that no bad blood exists between us, I would like to invite you to my wedding.”

  Beatrix shook her head, smiling. "Your forgiveness is good enough for me, my lady. I cannot ask for anything more than that. Besides, it wouldn't be right that the very woman who tried to keep you and Nathaniel apart is part of your wedding. I think it best I leave," she said, getting to her feet. "But I wish you all the happiness in the world."

  “I wish the same for you as well.”

  Beatrix thanked Helena once again and left. Rose entered the room soon after, followed by Helena's mother, Sophie, and Candace. After a few more touches to her hair, and dress, Helena was ready to head downstairs and marry the love of her life.

  Nathaniel couldn't stop pacing. Thoughts of Helena calling off the wedding plagued his mind, although he was confident she would do no such thing.

  “It's my nerves getting the best of me. I simply need to calm down.”

  Fortunately, his happiness exceeded his nerves, or he might have succumbed to a fainting spell. Nathaniel could hardly believe he would finally marry Helena. It was just a matter of time before she became his.

  “Mon fils?” his mother called.

  “I'm here, Maman,” he said.

  His mother walked into the parlour where Nathaniel had spent the last hour waiting for Lord Pembroke to call him for the wedding ceremony.

  "You look handsome but nervous," his mother smiled. "I thought I'd come to see you before the ceremony starts."

  “You know I always welcome your company,” he said. “Please, take a seat.”

  His mother did, arranging her skirts about her. When she focused her eyes on him again, they were misty.

  “You do not know how happy you have made me today,” she said. “Not only will you marry the woman you love, but you defied society and did not run away at the first sign of trouble. Society did not dictate your life as it did mine.”

  There had been times when Nathaniel had wondered if being with Helena was worth all the slander and ridicule, but he always arrived at the same answer. He loved Helena and would never leave her side.

  “Do you recall what I said about finding your true love at the opera?”

  Nathaniel had actually forgotten about that. “I didn't think it true, but it clearly was which I'm glad for.”

  “You should always trust your mother, mon fils. We know best.”

  “I'll keep that in mind,” he laughed.

  The continued to chat for some time until Lord Pembroke came to call him. It was time for the wedding.

  Nathaniel watched Helena walk towards him, unable to keep himself from shedding a few tears. Oh, just let the people see how happy I am! Tears of happiness were nothing to be ashamed of. Nathaniel knew this wedding might have never happened if society had had their way.

  Helena could have married anyone, but she chose to brave all the negative comments to be with him. Was it any wonder he loved her until he felt his heart could burst?

  Not wanting to wait any longer, he met Helena halfway, taking her from her father and walking the rest of the way to the reverend.

  “Impatient?” Helena whispered.

  “Gravely so,” he whispered back. “I love you far too much to spend a second more away from you.”

  “And I love you. Are you ready for forever? You cannot turn back once you utter your vows,” she joked.

  Nathaniel didn't have to think about his answer. “No one could keep me away from you,” he said with much feeling. “You're mine forever.”

  THE END

  Can't get enough of Helena and Nathaniel? Then make sure to check out the Extended Epilogue to find out…

  What surprising and exciting dream of Helena’s will come true after years of planning and hard work?

  Who will reappear in Nathaniel’s life after so many years, and how will he and Helena react?

  What will Christopher and Nathaniel compete over, much to Helena’s amusement?

  Click the link or enter it into your browser

  http://arianorton.com/helena

  (After reading the Extended Epilogue, turn the page to read the first chapters from “A Lord's Whimsical Governess”, my Amazon Best-Selling novel!)

  A Lord's Whimsical Governess

  Introduction

  Elisabeth Steele is in desperate need of a paying position to help her family after her father’s untimely death. When she sees an advertisement for a governess position at Hensol Manor, it feels like a miracle. While her fun and imaginative way of teaching quickly wins over her two young pupils, her employer is definitely not as easy to crack. The lord of the manor may be handsome, but he has firm ideas about his younger brothers’ education. Forced to walk a fine line between practicing her unusual but effective methods and doing as she’s instructed, she can’t help but be affected by the Earl’s mesmerising gaze. When an intense attraction to this stubborn man is added to the equation, will her growing feelings affect Elisabeth’s decision to defy him?

  Charles Talbot, Earl of Hensol, is reeling after the sudden death of his mother, which leaves him in charge of his two younger brothers. In the following months, as they chase off successive governesses with their mean tricks, he finds himself at his wit’s end. Out of sheer desperation, he hires a local girl with no references, hoping for the best. With her unconventional teaching methods, it becomes clear that the beautiful young woman is not at all what he expected in a governess and he’s entranced. Already courting a woman approved by his mother before her passing, how will he handle the startling realisation he’s rapidly falling in love with the red-haired beauty that is Elisabeth?

  As Elisabeth and Charles clash over the boys’ lessons, their feelings deepen and become harder to ignore. Torn between the wishes of a man she’s losing her heart to and her wish to help his two grief stricken brothers, Elisabeth’s position becomes increasingly precarious. Will her continued defiance lead to her being turned out of the house in disgrace or will Charles bend, seeing his brothers’ happiness and discovering his own too? Will their inevitable conflict tear them apart forever or will their hearts find the path to each other by following the calling of true love?

  Chapter 1

  Charles Talbot, Earl of Hensol, waited outside the d
oor of his mother's bedchamber. His two young brothers, William and Matthew, sat by his side. Matthew kicked his feet back and forth, dangling inches above the floor while William sat in stony silence. A pang of grief shot through Charles' heart.

  Their mother was dying. William and Matthew, seven and five years old, would have precious few memories of her, just as they had none of their father. He had died only four years earlier, shortly after Matthew had been born.

  Since then, Charles had taken on the weighty responsibility of running the estate and making sure his brothers were cared for. When his mother had fallen ill at the beginning of the year, Charles felt the burden pressing down on him even more. What was he going to do without his mother? She had been his rock while he had learned to run the estate. Now, he would be alone, the man of the house, and a substitute parent to his brothers.

  "My Lord?" The doctor eased his head out the door. "You and your brothers may come in now."

  Charles ushered William and Matthew into the room but kept the doctor for a moment. "How is she?"

  The doctor shook his head. "I'm afraid t'will not be long. Her lungs are filling with fluid. There is nothing more to be done."

  Charles nodded, his heart breaking. "Thank you for trying to make her comfortable."

  "Of course. I'll wait just over here." The doctor trudged to the hearth on the room’s far side, sitting down in a chair to rest. Charles had been with his mother all night and into this morning and knew how exhausted the doctor must be as well.

  Charles rang for the housekeeper, and she soon appeared. "Please bring the doctor some tea."

  "Yes, My Lord."

  Charles then turned to the bedside. His brothers waited a few feet away, afraid to go any closer. Their mother's condition had worsened over the last few weeks. William had become increasingly difficult to deal with as he tried to navigate his grief. Nightmares had plagued Matthew, his mind fighting against the thought of losing his mother.

  She held her hand out to her boys, trying to smile. She had grown so thin, her cheeks sunken, her skin deathly white. "Come here, my angels," she said to William and Matthew. They approached the bedside tentatively. Matthew reached out and took her hand. William merely stood there, looking down at the shell of a woman who had always been a constant in his life. Now that was about to be gone.

  "Hello, Mother," Matthew said. "I caught a butterfly today."

  That made her smile. "Did you? That is wonderful, Matty. What colour is it?"

  "White with black dots. Can I keep it, Mother?"

  She squeezed his hand and brought it to her lips, kissing it gently. "Of course, you can." She glanced up at Charles, pain filling her eyes. He knew it was not so much the pain of approaching death but the thought of leaving them, especially her two youngest sons. ”You must keep it and think of me every time you look at it."

  William sniffed as he listened to the conversation. She turned her attention to him. He took it dutifully, even though Charles could see he was uncomfortable. Charles knew precisely how he was feeling. Perhaps if he didn't allow her to speak her goodbyes, he could stave off death. The wish of a seven-year-old to keep his mother for a little while longer. If only wishes could work miracles.

  Charles knelt between the boys, wrapping his arms around their shoulders. "They've been very good, Mother. You should be proud." Tears welled in his eyes, mirroring their mother's.

  "Very good. You must all promise to be good ... when I am gone."

  William jerked his hand free of her slight grasp. "No! You cannot leave us! I'll never be good again if you do!"

  Charles took a moment to recover from the shock. Instead of allowing him to reprimand William, Mother held up her hand. "Will, look at me. Look at me, son, please." When William finally met her gaze, she touched his cheek. "I don't want to leave you, son. If it were in my power, you know I would stay. Your brother will take good care of you, so know." She brushed her fingers through his short brown hair, seeming to take in every memory of his face so she could take it with her. "I love you, son."

  William started to cry then, and Matthew followed, even though unable to understand death's finality. They buried their faces in her arm and wept. Charles stood and gave them their moment, blinking back tears of his own. He had to be strong for them.

  "No more tears, now, my angels. Let me speak with Charles for a moment." She drew a ragged breath as the boys stood aside by the housekeeper. Charles sat in a chair next to the bed and took her hand. It felt like ice.

  "I need you to be strong for them. Take care of them and be sure they grow up to be men your father and I would be proud of."

  "I will, Mother. I promise."

  "I know I can count on you. There is one last thing I charge you with." She paused as a fit of coughing seized her. When she was able to speak again, her voice was raspy. "You must find a wife and carry on the family line. Hensol must last to the next generation. Your father worked so hard to keep this estate intact."

  Charles let out a breath. Finding a wife was the last thing on his mind right now. However, to ease her departure from this life, he would promise. "I will find a wife, Mother. She will not be able to live up to you when it comes to being mistress of this great estate, but I will try to find someone worthy."

  She coughed, rising and shifting over on her side. He placed a hand on her back, looking around at the doctor. The man simply shook his head, indicating that this was normal. There was nothing he could do to help her. It took her several seconds to recover.

  Lying back down on the pillows, she closed her eyes and tried to catch her breath. When she spoke again, her voice was gravelly, no louder than a whisper. "Nonsense. There are several ladies who would do the job credibly – Lady Amelia, for example."

  Charles smiled and shook his head with embarrassment. "She would never consider me. I am much too subdued for her type."

  His mother grabbed his hand and squeezed, capturing his gaze in earnest. He did not expect a dying woman to be able to squeeze his hand so hard. "Do not wait too long after I am gone. No one can know what this life will bring. It is your duty to keep this estate going, son. It is your duty ..." Her voice carried all the regret of having to leave them. Charles could tell that she was fading fast.

  "I promise, Mother. I will do my duty; I swear to you." He waved the boys over, knowing that time was short. William was stoic, standing by the bed while trying to maintain a brave front. Matthew, however, threw his arms over their mother's side and wept.

  "Do not leave us, Mama. Please, stay with us."

  Charles felt his own tears welling at the corners of his eyes. He knew exactly how Matthew felt. He had cried at his father's bedside, even though he was a full-grown man. They had been very close, and he supposed that a part of grief was also selfishness. He had not felt ready to take over the running of the estate.

  "I believe in you, son. You will do well," his father had said right before he passed.

  Charles placed a hand on Matthew's back and pulled him into a hug. The boy clung to him as if he were drowning.

  "I love you, my boys. All of you. Try to remember me as I was ..."

  The doctor came over then and whispered to Charles. "You may want to send the boys away, especially Matthew. The last bit of this can be rough."

  "Of course." Charles nodded to the housekeeper, asking her to take the boys to their governess.

  The doctor made to leave, but Charles stopped him. "Please, stay. I don't know if I can do this alone."

  The older man nodded, smiling sadly. "Of course, My Lord."

  Charles sat down and watched the life drain from her face. Her breathing was very loud and crackled. The fluid in her lungs was slowly drowning her. He could not bear to watch but watch he must. No one should be alone as they passed from this life.