Alexandra (49 page)

JAMES TREVOR,
the young Earl of Stafford, hadn’t been to a ball in ages. And he hadn’t particularly wanted to attend this one, either.

However, being a good-natured sort of fellow, he’d chosen to regard tonight as an opportunity for renewing a number of neglected acquaintances. Among these was Griffin Chase, now the Marquess of Cainewood.

But his old schoolmate was looking rather sullen. James approached with caution.

“At whom are you glaring, Cainewood?”

“My sister.” Cainewood’s frown deepened. “She’s not dancing.”

James’s gaze followed his across the ballroom. He lifted his quizzing glass and squinted through it. “The little blond one?”

“The girl in yellow, yes. That would be Juliana, wasting precious time.”

“She appears to be agreeably engaged.“

“With our sister. But Juliana is
supposed
to be meeting gentlemen. I despair of ever finding her a husband.”

James chuckled at that. Lowering the quizzing glass to dangle on its long silver chain, he refocused on Cainewood. He hadn’t seen his old friend since their time at Oxford, and he’d never met his family, but still he sensed an easy familiarity between them. He felt well within his rights to laugh at the fellow’s consternation.

“Juliana is seventeen,” Cainewood added as though that explained everything.

“That doesn’t sound particularly old.”

“No, but I’ll still have Corinna to settle after her.” He gestured toward his other sister, a pretty brown-haired girl. “I’d hoped to get them both married off this season, but Juliana is overparticular. And unfortunately, I believe she’s already met everyone here…” His green gaze narrowed on James. “Except, perhaps, you.”

“Me?”

“You. Won’t you at least suffer an introduction? You’re an earl now, are you not?” He grinned crookedly. “An earl in need of a wife.”

An earl in need of a wife—the exact same words James’s mother had used to describe him earlier this evening as she’d all but dragged him from the carriage into this house.

But although James had inherited the title more than two years ago, he still had a hard time thinking of himself as an earl, let alone
an earl in need of a wife
.

His older brother was supposed to have been the Earl of Stafford.

Straight out of Oxford, James had been perfectly content with his parents’ plan for him to be a captain in the Cavalry. Good-natured as he was, contentment was his natural state, and, in fact, he’d been pleased when his father bought him the commission. Unfortunately, less than a week into active duty, a wound ended his laughably short stint in the army.

He shifted and flexed his left knee, which always ached in this type of cold, wet weather. On days of this sort he still walked with a slight limp, which made him feel conspicuous and much older than twenty-five. But he was profoundly grateful the army surgeons had managed to save his leg rather than amputating it. So grateful that, needing a new occupation after his recovery, he’d decided to become a physician.

He hadn’t been long in medical school before he’d realized he’d found his calling. For the first time in his memory, James had been more than just content with his life—he’d been truly happy. Especially after he fell in love.

Then everything fell apart.

His brother had died first, leaving James shaken by grief and the realization that he’d someday inherit. He didn’t
want
to be an earl—he
liked
being a physician. He liked helping people, and he liked feeling that he made a difference. Every day was surprising and challenging, and there were always successes to balance the disappointments. Managing an earldom seemed tedious and superficial in comparison.

Then, while he was still reeling from the loss of his brother, his father’s heart had stopped, and suddenly James
was
the earl.

After that came a dark, miserable blur. It was some time—he knew not how long—before the cloud began to dissipate. He simply found himself awakened one morning, not by the paralysis of grief or the weight of obligation, but by the sun. Gradually he began to feel that his despair was subsiding—by, say, a thimbleful per day—and he was growing used to his new role. His work
was
making a difference in the lives of his tenants and in the stodgy House of Lords. And his lovely new bride, whose resilience had kept him afloat, showed him that he didn’t have to do as society expected—he could be an earl
and
a physician.

Harnessing the vast Stafford fortune, James had opened a facility in London where those who were too poor to afford doctors could get smallpox vaccinations, an endeavor dear to his heart. At last, he saw true happiness peeking over the horizon. Life was looking good again.

Then Anne died in childbirth, and their baby, born too early, died along with her.

No physician, himself included, had been able to make a shred of difference. And James was certain he’d never be truly happy again.

A year later, he’d regained some measure of his old contentment. But his mother was pressuring him to take a new wife, and, while the idea pained him, he knew it was an earl’s duty to sire heirs. Though he couldn’t love another girl, he might as well at least consider making his mother happy. So he’d allowed her to drag him to this ball, and, by the same token, he would allow Cainewood to introduce him to his sister.

“Yes, I’d be delighted to meet Lady Juliana.”

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LaurenandDevonRoyal.com
.

LAUREN ROYAL decided to become a writer in the third grade, after winning a “Why My Mother is the Greatest” essay contest. Now she’s a
New York Times
and
USA Today
bestselling author of humorous historical romance novels. Lauren lives in Southern California with her family and their constantly shedding cat. She still thinks her mother is the greatest.

DEVON ROYAL is the daughter of romance novelist Lauren Royal. After attending film school, she wrote an award-winning TV comedy pilot and spent several years working in digital video production before turning her focus to fiction writing. Devon lives in Southern California with her fiancé. She also thinks her mother is the greatest.

Our heartfelt thanks:

To Lauren’s BFF and fellow historical author Glynnis Campbell, for calling around Napa Valley to find the elusive grape-growing information we needed (thank goodness Lauren has such a good friend, since both of us would rather text than call anyone).

To Sara Rodger, librarian at Arundel Castle, for tracking down and sending nineteenth-century floor plans (twice…thanks to a less-than-reliable postal system).

To our teenage family members Alex and Bella Royal, for graciously hosting our
Lauren & Devon page
on Facebook.

To our
Chase Family Readers’ Group
, for their enthusiastic support.

And to all of our readers, whose wonderful letters, kind words, Facebook posts, Instagram posts, and tweets make us want to sit down every day and write.

Thank you, one and all!

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ALEXANDRA by Lauren Royal & Devon Royal

Published by Novelty Books, a division of Novelty Publishers, LLC, 848 N. Rainbow Blvd, Suite 4390, Las Vegas NV 89107

COPYRIGHT © Lauren Royal 2005, 2012; Lauren Royal & Devon Royal 2015

ISBN 978-1-63469-006-5

1st Edition, June 2015

Cover by Kimberly Killion

Book Design by
Typesetter For Mac

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be used or reproduced or transmitted in any manner whatsoever, electronically, in print, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Lauren Royal, Devon Royal, and Novelty Books, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.