Bronwyn Scott's Sexy Regency Bundle (275 page)

220

The Viscount Claims His Bride

In part, he was relieved by her decision. He feared the nightmare. He'd not dreamed it since Philippa's arrival. But all the

of the past at dinner and seeing

the S tefanov children again had brought those concerns to the fore. Before he could propose to he had

to tell her about the night in Negush. It would only be a matter of time before Lilya confided in Philippa. He wanted no secrets between himself and when

they wed.

he told himself. He would find

a way to tell

tomorrow.

Philippa's maid woke her at nine o'clock the next morning, under Philippa's strict instructions. She'd been in the habit of oversleeping lately and was determined not to laze the morning away. In Philippa's opinion, nine o'clock was late enough. She'd prefer getting up at seven or eight.

note, and a yellow

rosebud tinted with pink at the edges, waited for her on the small table near the window.

'What's this?'

asked, crossing the room

to look at the envelope.

The maid giggled. 'It's from his lordship. He had me bring it in so you'd have it when you woke up.'

smiled and opened the envelope. 'He wants me to join him for breakfast on the back terrace.'

'It's a beautiful morning for it,' the maid said, throwing back the curtains to reveal the sun. 'Shall I lay out the jonquil muslin?'

'Perfect.

sunny dress for a sunny day.'

Philippa's pulse raced at the prospect of a breakfast with Valerian. Something was afoot, she could sense it.

Scott

She arrived on the back terrace thirty minutes later almost breathless from her flight down the stairs. She stopped to gather herself at the French doors. The sight that met her gaze almost undid her, so moved was she by it.

white-clothed table set with breakfast china and crystal glass sat under the Chusan palm, looking something out of an Italian painting. But what held her abject attention was the man standing beside it, his back to her as he surveyed the lawns.

She'd thought Valerian handsome as a youth, but none of that compared to the manly beauty he exuded now. This morning, his hair was brushed forward on to his forehead in raven-black waves, the way she liked it best. He'd been for a ride and was still dressed in his tall boots and riding jacket, looking like a prince of the world.

went to him, wrapping her arms about

his lean waist and laying her head against the broad strength of his back. 'Good morning, Val. This is lovely.'

Valerian turned and

her gently. 'Good

morning-did you sleep well?'

'Yes. I feel much recovered.'

smiled

easily and sat in the chair he held out for her. 'And you, did you sleep well?'

'As well as a man can when he has so many things on his mind,' Valerian confessed.

Indeed, he looked slightly ragged about the edges, thought after a good look at his face. His jaw was smooth, evidence that his valet had been up early this morning, but there were the beginnings of tired

222

The Viscount Claims His Bride

circles beneath his eyes. 'You should have come to me.'

'I needed time alone to think.' Valerian shook his head. 'I needed time to think about us.' He passed her a basket of warm toast covered with a cloth napkin.

'You've been at

for nearly two months.

I can't imagine this place without you. You've been generous with your time. I know Cambourne is a large estate. But I can't accept the idea of you leaving here.'

lifted the

and reached for a slice

of toast. She furrowed her brow. There was a small box of sorts beneath the piece she'd taken. 'What's this?' She took the square box out.

'Something I should have given you years ago. I had it with me the night of the Rutherfords' ball,'

Valerian said quietly, motioning for her to open it.

She flipped the lid up to reveal a ring set with a tiny band of diamonds surrounding an emerald. 'It's beautiful.' She shot him a questioning look. 'What does this mean, Val?'

'It means I want to marry you. But there is something I need to tell you

so that you can make a

fully informed decision about whether or not you want to marry me.'

The last bit took some sparkle off the proposal. It made her think of Lucien's letter. Was he going to confess to something terrible or was there a logical explanation behind it? Perhaps Lucien was just grasping at straws because he felt he'd been jilted.

set down her toast and folded her hands.

'More secrets, Val?' she tried to tease.

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'Something like that.' Valerian looked pained as he took a moment to collect himself. Philippa's heart lurched. She wanted to comfort him and she
feared the worst.

Valerian drew a deep breath and began.

father, Dimitri, was part of a rebel force that tried to throw off Turkish rule. They were successful at the start. The rebels were organised and the district of Negush was liberated from the Ottomans in 1822.

That victory was followed by another in the Voden district, but the Ottoman army was too large for the rebels to stand against for long.

'The Turkish army sent delegates to speak to the rebels. The rebels were offered terms of surrender and a peaceful return to Ottoman rule. I was with the delegation that went to meet Dimitri's group. I had two years' experience in the field by then and was considered more than a junior aide. After the first few months in Vienna, my experience had been beyond the ballrooms, in the little villages where the real living took place. I was selected to go because I knew those men. I spoke their language. For their sakes and their families, I hoped they would be guided by my influence. They were not.