Lord Greyton's Fall From Grace (Lords of Avalon Novella Series)

Co
pyright © 2012 by K. R. Richards

This book is dedicated to my dear friend, Wanda Cadle. Wanda has helped me edit the Lords of Avalon Series and has supported me every single st
ep of the way on this journey.

I look forward to our periodic caffeine and Cheesecake sessions while I’m working on a book and our Margarita and Mexican Food Celebration Nights up
on the completion of each book!

I am specifically dedicating
Lord Greyton’
s Fall f
rom Grace
to Wanda because she was the very first one to tell me that she wanted to know more about Owen and Grace after she read
Lords of Honor
. So here it is Wanda!

Chapte
r
O
ne

Chapt
e
r Two

Chapt
e
r Three

Chapter Four

Chapte
r
Five

Chapter Six

Chapter
S
even

Chapter Eight

Excerpt from Bo
o
k 2 of the Lords of Avalon Series,

Lords of
Honor

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

About the
A
uthor

Hartland, Devon
, June
1830

Grace Brackenridge saw Owen Darrington, Viscount Greyton
,
the moment he stepped into the ballro
om
.
Her heart soared
.
She
hoped he would attend
!
Lord and Lady Middlebrook
’
s Summer Ball was
certainly
the l
argest
and most anticipated
social event of the year
in the Hartland peninsula
area
.
Lord Greyton escorted his sister
, Lady Elizabeth,
and
his
aunt. Charles Inwood, Viscount Silverley
,
entered behind Owen and his family
.
He escorted his mother
, Lady Stanbridge,
and
his
two younger sisters
, Lady Tuesday and Lady Wednesday
.
Matthias Halfknight, Viscount Sinclair
,
completed
their party
.

Grace hadn’t had the chance to
see or
speak to Lord Greyton since
her return
from London
two weeks before
.
She had spent the
last year in London at
her Aunt’s home
.
Grace hadn’t met a man
in all of London
who intrigued her more than Owen
Darrington, Lord Greyton
.
They had known
one
an
other since childhood
.
F
or as long as she could remember, Owen Darrington was the man of her dreams
.
Her father
hoped
she would find a husband in London, but she did not wish to marry any of the men she met t
here
.
She wanted to marry Owen.
Grace
had
n
o
t seen or
spoken
to him in over a year.
She was determined to speak to him tonight
.

Owen and his party
congregated
near
to
where her father
spoke t
o
one of his cronies from Bideford,
Lord Marston
.
She w
as tempted to
join her father
,
however, she knew Lord Marston would ask her to dance and she did not wish to dance with him
.

Instead, Grace stayed with her friend, Meg, in a circle of Mrs. Bell
’s
friends
.
She could not continue to glance in Owen’s direction, so she remained
where she
was
and tried to
participate in the conversation w
ith
Meg’s mother’s
acqua
i
ntances
.

After a time, Mrs. Bell turned
from the circle to greet the gentlemen who
were approaching
them
.
“Lord Silverl
e
y, Lord Greyton and Lord Sinclair,
we’re happy
to see you
gentlemen
this evening
!
” Mrs. Bell added with less enthusiasm, “
How nice, y
ou’
ve brought your lovely sisters
along.
”

Grace turned
a
round to greet the newest additions to their party
and nearly bumped into Owen
he
stood
so
close
to her
.

“Miss Brackenridge,
I am happy
to see you again
.
You’ve been away from Devon for a long time,” Owen greeted the beauty who
m
he was always fond of
.
The moment he set eyes on her he knew he must speak to her.
The year had been kind to Grace, indeed, though he
knew her to be three and twenty;
she was even more beaut
iful than he remembered
.
He
t
hought of Grace often during
the long months
of her absence
. He would think at times per
haps he should have courted her;
for he realized once she
left Devon for London
, how very attracted to her
he was
.
He feared at times she would return to Devon either engaged or as another man’s wife
.

He was very pleased to find she
returned to
Hartland
unmarried
.
She looked
particularly
lovely in a well-fitting gown
of
icy pink silk
.
Her golden-brown hair gleamed in the well-lit ballroom and her large, dark-brown eyes captivated him as always
.

“My Lord.”
Grace gave a quick
curtsy
to
Owen and the
newcomers and smiled.
She greeted
the other gentlemen and
Lady Elizabeth, Lady Tuesday and Lady Wednesday.
The
young ladies
, all long time friends,
chatte
d
happily
.

A couple came to join the
ir growing circle
.

Grace smiled when she recognized her girlhood friend
.
“Lady Burrow
!
How wonderful to see you again
.
I did not know you were in Devon.” Grace extended her hand to greet her dear friend
.

The two women kissed one another’s cheeks and smiled
.

Her husband, the Marquess of
Burrow
,
spoke with the gentlemen
who moved to the side
of the ladies
’ circle
.

“Lady Elizabeth, how are you dear?” Lady Burrow
, her chestnut colored hair arranged in an ornate coiffure
befitting a Marchioness
,
greeted Lord Greyton’s younger sister in the same manner
.
She moved on to greet Charlie’s sisters.

“My dear friends, I miss you all so much
!
You all look so happy.” Catherine, Lady Burrow
,
smiled
genuinely
at her girlhood friends
.

“What brings you from Bath, Lady Burrow?” Lady Tuesday Inwood, who had the same sandy hair and blue eyes as her brother
,
Charlie
,
asked sweetly.

“Come now, Tuesday, I refuse to be formal amongst such dear friends
.
My mother is ill, and I felt I must come
to spend
some
time with her
.
Lord Burrow was kind enough to set aside his business
for the next week and join me.”

Grace thought for
the briefest moment
she saw sadness in her
friend Catherine’s eyes
.
Seconds later,
Catherine smiled a particularly brilliant smile
.
Grace forgot about the moment as the ladies eagerly proceeded to catch up on one another’s lives
.

A
fter a time, Owen came to
stand by
her side. Grace
felt his presence
as well as
his gaze upon her
.
She
looked up into
familiar
dark blue eyes
which
resembled
sapphires
.
D
ressed impeccably in black trousers and
a finely cut
coat
, his sable hair was well-trimmed and neatly combed
.
His
waistcoat was a fine, dark green
silk
brocade
.
He wore a winking ruby pin in his cravat. “I
hope I have not arrived too late
, Miss Bra
ckenridge
.
Please tell me there are
dances remaining on your
card for me.
”

“
I have several dances remaining
, and they are yours if you wish, Lord Greyton
.”

“The next is a waltz
.
I am hoping it is not taken.” Owen smiled
down
at her.

Grace did not know what it was about Owen’s smile that affected her so
.
It started with a warm
feeling
that began
in her belly
that
soon spread through
out
her limbs
.
“It is taken by you, Lord Greyton.” Grace smiled
up
at him.
Owen seemed particularly interested in her tonight, and she would in no way discourage his interest
.
Her father wanted her married
.
Grace had
long dreamed of marrying Owen.

“Lord Silverley, my husband has deserted me
.
No doubt he has found the card room
.
I insist you dance with me, for I love a waltz.”
The Marchioness of Burrow turned to Charlie.

Grace noted Charlie looked
somewhat
surprised, possibly even
irritated
.
Perhaps he inte
nded to dance with someone else
? 
Yet he nodded and offered his arm to Catherine
.
Grace wondered at his reaction
.
She remembered Charlie and Catherine always getting along before
she married
The Marquess of Burrow
.