JORDAN Nicole

To bed a beauty

By Nicole Jordan

Epilogue

How grateful we are for your help, dearest Fanny. Your plan for Arden’s seduction worked to perfection. Indeed, we are agreed that our marriage will be the most passionate love match ever made. And we want you to dance at our wedding, just as you did at Arabella’s.

—Roslyn to Fanny

I am vastly relieved, dearest Roslyn. I feared I would run out of tricks for you to try. Now there is only Lily left…although I am not certain her happiness lies in marriage as yours and Arabella’s plainly does.

—Fanny to Roslyn

Danvers Hall, July 1817

“I am utterly amazed,” Arabella said to the company at large, “that so much happened during our absence. We were away for barely a month.”

Arabella and Marcus had arrived home an hour ago from their wedding journey and promptly settled in the drawing room with refreshments while Drew and Roslyn detailed their latest marriage plans and recounted the story of hunting Winifred’s thief and finding Sir Rupert’s second family.

Heath had joined them during the recitation, since Roslyn and Drew had arranged a small dinner this evening to welcome the newlyweds home and to celebrate their own renewed betrothal.

Sitting across from Roslyn, Drew was content to watch her as she laughed and chatted with her sister. She looked supremely happy, which warmed his heart profoundly.

Arabella looked just as blissful, he noted. And Marcus was watching his wife with that same heart-smitten look that Drew knew was written on his own face.

“But Winifred has no regrets about taking in Constance and the children?” Arabella asked her sister.

“None thus far,” Roslyn answered. “The little girls are a delight. And Winifred and Benjamin are beginning to come to terms. He is understandably reluctant to relinquish responsibility for his mother and sisters, even though he’s merely a boy himself and should never have had to shoulder such a burden. Moreover, while he is glad to no longer be in service, Benjamin thinks he should earn his own way and prickles at having to suffer Winifred’s ‘charity,’ as he calls it.”

With an impish glance at her new husband, Arabella smiled. “I can certainly sympathize, since I was adamant about refusing Marcus’s largesse.”

Marcus’s answering smile was amused. “But you won our wager fairly, my love, so when I was compelled to grant your financial independence, you couldn’t consider it charity.”

“Fortunately,” Roslyn said, continuing her story, “Benjamin no longer requires charity, thanks to Drew.” She flashed him a fond look. “He compelled that corrupt solicitor, Farnaby, to return the funds he stole from Constance.”

“So their futures are assured,” Arabella said approvingly.

“Yes, and it is already arranged that the girls will attend our academy when they are old enough. It is only fitting, considering that Winifred’s fortune funded the endeavor. Meanwhile I have started tutoring Sarah and Daisy in sums and reading and supervising Benjamin’s studies until Winifred can employ a proper governess and tutor for them.”

“That is kind of you, Roslyn,” her sister commented. “But you have always put great store in the fundamentals of education.”

Roslyn wrinkled her nose. “They are woefully behind, I’m afraid. Working such grueling hours in the milliner’s shop, Constance had little time to teach her children much other than their manners, which are frankly exquisite. It doesn’t help, however, that Benjamin has a highly stubborn streak. He thinks being a footman was far easier than applying himself to his school lessons, and that at his age he is past the point of needing an education. He and Winifred spar regularly about it, but she seems to relish their disputes.”

Drew had to agree on that point, and believed their lively quarrels set a beneficial example for Roslyn. Witnessing good-natured arguments without bitterness and antagonism would only help her deal with any future tiffs they had in their marriage.

He also knew that Winifred was far happier now that she had her late husband’s children to care for.

“Will Constance be joining us for dinner this evening?” Arabella asked.

“No,” Drew replied. “She’s making excellent progress, but she is still too weak to sit up for more than a half hour at a time. My physician expects her to make a full recovery, though.”

“So it will be just us and Winifred this evening?”

“Yes,” Roslyn replied. “Tess is in London and cannot get away.”

“And is Lily still there with Fann—”

“Actually, Arabella, I must speak to you about that,” Roslyn interrupted quickly.

Drew noted that Heath was now frowning at the mention of the youngest Loring sister’s name, but before they could discuss Lily further, Arabella nodded. “Roslyn, why don’t we go abovestairs so that I may wash off my travel dust? And I am certain Marcus would like some time alone with his friends.”

“An excellent idea,” Roslyn said with a smile.

The gentlemen all rose when the ladies did. When Arabella gave her husband a light kiss on the cheek, Marcus brought her fingers to his lips and held them there for much longer than was proper. The searingly tender look he shared with his bride would have made Drew envious but for his own romance with Roslyn.

But clearly the first flush of love hadnot worn off for the newlyweds. Arabella was positively glowing.

“Matrimony obviously agrees with you, my lady,” Drew observed as he gave her a brief bow.

She laughed. “It does indeed. It is beyond wonderful—which I hope you discover for yourself, your grace. I am still amazed that you and my sister are betrothed.”

Drew shot Roslyn a tender glance. “I am amazed that I had the remarkable good sense to fall in love with her.”

At the warm, radiant smile Roslyn sent him in response, his heartbeat accelerated and he found himself staring at her, immobilized by the profound affection flowing through him. The emotion he felt for her stole his breath and left him feeling ridiculously weak and powerful at the same time.

When she had left the drawing room with her sister, Drew stood shaking his head in silent amusement. This was what love did to a man…made him a witless, drooling hound panting at the feet of his loved one in his eagerness to win her smile.

“More ale, Drew?” Marcus asked, interrupting his wayward thoughts.

“Please,” Drew replied, turning back to his friends.

Marcus refilled their mugs from a pitcher as the three of them resumed their seats.

“So, old chap,” he said to Drew. “Less than three weeks of freedom left.”

“Just so.” The banns had been called the previous Sunday for the first time, so it was not long before the wedding. Yet Drew could scarcely wait until the day he could make Roslyn his wife.

“I’m eager to be done with it,” he admitted. “I can now understand, Marcus, why you were so impatient to marry Arabella.”

Marcus eyed him with good-humored skepticism. “I must say you made an amazing transformation in a very short time. Barely a month ago you were offering me condolences on the demise of my bachelorhood.”

“Yes, my fine fellow,” Heath prodded jovially, “whatever happened to your vow that you would never be ensnared by any female?”

“I fell in love,” Drew replied simply.

“But you don’t even believe in love.”

“I suppose I will have to eat my words. I am well and truly caught now and wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Both his friends looked vastly amused that he had succumbed so easily when he’d been so adamantly set against matrimony.

“You will recall,” Marcus remarked with a smug grin, “that I predicted your cynicism would vanish if you were fortunate enough to meet the right woman. Funny thing about love—it changes everything.”

Drew nodded. “Turns a man inside out. It’s brought out feelings in me I didn’t even know I could have.”

He drank a long swallow of ale, marveling at the change in himself. He could scarcely believe that one woman could make such a profound difference in his life. Roslyn had shattered his legendary dispassion and left him longing to be with her for the rest of his days.

He’d never expected to feel anything so powerful, so deep, for anyone. But he had no doubts that his feelings for Roslyn would last a lifetime. The love inside him was painfully strong; hunger and desire a sweet ache.

“So, Heath, now it is your turn,” Marcus commented. “If we must suffer the slings and arrows of matrimony, we should insist on your esteemed company.”

“I can’t deny the thought has crossed my mind,” Heath responded casually.

Both his friends raised sharp eyebrows, but it was Marcus who spoke first. “Do you have a particular target in mind?”

Heath gave a shrug. “There is one woman who intrigues me, but she clearly has no desire for my company.”

“Astonishing,” Marcus declared in an amused drawl, “since all the ladies love you for your irresistible charm. Fortunately there are any number who would leap at the chance to become your bride.” Marcus grinned. “It would only be fitting if you should wind up falling in love and marrying. We three have been through thick and thin together. Our foray into matrimony shouldn’t be any different.”

Heath’s mouth flickered in an enigmatic smile. “I might have to give it some consideration. You two bleaters are so disgustingly happy, I can scarcely bear to be in your company.”

It was Drew’s turn to grin as he raised his glass in salute. “To your challenge of finding a bride, then.”

Sharing the camaraderie of longtime friends who were as close as brothers, they lifted their glasses to drink.

It was perhaps three-quarters of an hour later when Simpkin appeared with a message for Drew, saying that Miss Roslyn requested his presence in the library. With alacrity, Drew excused himself from his friends. It had been too long since he’d been alone with Roslyn; too long since he had last kissed her and touched her and basked in her nearness.

He found her curled up in the window seat, perusing a thick sheaf of papers in her lap.

Shutting the door firmly behind him, Drew crossed to her. When Roslyn looked up and smiled, the rest of the world faded from his awareness. All his consciousness centered on this one woman. The warmth that flowed through him at just being with her was a reminder of how cold his life had been before coming to love her, how empty his heart.

His heart beat now as if it had finally come alive after a long, lonely sleep. Settling beside her, Drew took her in his arms for a fervent, deeply satisfying kiss.

His passionate embrace left her breathless and sighing in contentment as she rested her head against his shoulder, her forehead nestled beneath his jaw.

“I have missed that far too much,” he admitted.

Roslyn laughed softly. “So have I…which is absurd, considering that it has barely been two hours since we last kissed.”

“But I know we’ll be deprived of any more kisses for the rest of the evening, since we don’t have the Hall to ourselves anymore. It’s a pity we can’t send everyone away, love. I would ravish you right here.”

“I would like that. But besides being scandalous, we don’t have time. Dinner will be announced in a short while.”

“Then promise we will be together tonight, afterward.”

Lifting her head, she glanced up at Drew coquettishly. “What did you have in mind, darling?”

“A stroll on a moonlit summer evening. We’ve never made love by the river in the moonlight.”

Roslyn laughed again. “I think Arabella and Marcus have. Lily and I once caught them sneaking back into the house, looking flushed and disheveled.”

“Fortunately for them, they don’t need to sneak around now to enjoy their pleasures, since they’re married and they have the master’s apartments all to themselves. We, on the other hand, must steal our private moments when we can. So will you accompany me on a moonlit stroll tonight?”

“Yes, gladly.”

“I will be counting the moments,” Drew murmured. “I think we should set about begetting an heir tonight.”

Roslyn’s eyebrow arched uncertainly. “Just an heir, Drew?”

Understanding her query, he shook his head. “Not just an heir. I don’t want a son merely to carry on the dukedom. I want children because they will be a part of you.”

Her enchanting smile returned. “That is a lovely sentiment. And I feel the same way about you. But I hope our children will have happier lives growing up than we did.”

Drew lifted their clasped hands to kiss her fingers. “I guarantee I will give it my utmost effort.” His eyes smiled down into hers before finally he recalled that she had summoned him to the library. “Why did you wish to speak to me, love?”

Roslyn held up the sheaf of papers. “Besides the chance to kiss you? This just arrived from Fanny. It is her manuscript.”

“Manuscript?” he repeated as she handed the pages to him to read.

“Yes. Fanny has written a book on the art of seduction, and she sent it to us to read and suggest improvements.”

“Seduction, hmm?” Drew’s mouth quirked. “What is it, an instruction manual for courtesans?”

“Not for courtesans. For young ladies who want to marry. She has entitled it,Advice to Young Ladies on Capturing a Husband .”

His amusement faltered. “This is for scheming husband-hunters? Is Fanny serious about asking for my help? She expectsme to aid the enemy?”