Love by Deception (Age of Innocence) (5 page)

“It’s
not that. Isabel and I do not mind sharing one room. It will give us comfort to
be together, especially since being in London is new to us.”

“If
that is what you prefer, Mrs. Smithfield will see to it. Please tell Rachel
that they will be staying in the corner bedroom.”

Mrs.
Smithfield nodded and left the room to take care of the details.

***

Iris
took a sip of her tea and peered at the young women seated across from her.
Georgette was a delicate beauty with golden-brown hair, high cheekbones and
hazel eyes, and looked very much like her father, but it was Isabel with her
dark-brown, almost black hair and intense violet eyes who was the most stunning
young lady she’d seen in a long time. There was no doubt that she would turn
heads everywhere she went. “Well, you’re both finally here. I’m so very
pleased.”

“I’ve
never been to London before. Are there always this many folks walking about?”
Isabel asked.

Iris
couldn’t help but chuckle. “My dear Isabel, wait until you see London in the
full noon hour. Sometimes there are so many folks crowding around the shops,
one has to stop and let them pass before you can resume your journey.”

“That
must make running errands a long, drawn out affair.”

“Indeed
it does, but you shall see for yourself tomorrow.”

That
got Georgette’s attention. “Tomorrow?”

“Yes,
I have made an appointment with the modiste. The sooner she can take your
measurements and start on your wardrobe, the better. May I ask if you brought
any dresses suitable for evening?”

“I’m
afraid not,” Georgette said. “There was little need for them back in Essex.”

“No
matter,” Iris said. “We shall order some tomorrow.”

“That
is very kind of you. Thank you.”

“You
both must stop thanking me with every other sentence out of your mouths. Trust
me when I say that I’ve looked forward to this visit since I received your
letter. I’m quite sure you’ll like Mrs. Phillips. She’s the best dressmaker in
town and will have your wardrobe completed in no time.”

Georgette
stood and put her teacup on the tray. “If I may be excused, Mrs. Quinn? The
journey was more tiring than I thought, and I would very much like to lay down
for a bit.”

“Of
course, my dear.” Iris picked up the little silver bell from the table beside
the sofa. It took mere moments for Mrs. Smithfield to appear.

“Yes,
ma’am? Do you require something?”

“Please
show Miss Condiff to her bedchamber.”

“Perhaps
I should go with her and get her settled,” Isabel said. “That is, if you don’t
mind, Mrs. Quinn.”

“No,
not at all. Dinner will be served in the dining room at 7:00.”

Isabel
nodded and linked arms with Georgette. Her sister was about to fall asleep on
her feet. It would be best to get her into bed as quickly as possible. The last
thing she wanted was for Georgette to catch a chill on their first day in
London. “Thank you. I shall join you at dinner.”

“I’m
afraid I must give my regrets for dinner. It’s been a very long day and would
prefer not to embarrass myself by falling asleep in my soup. Good evening, Mrs.
Quinn,” Georgette said as she leaned on her sister and left the parlor.

“Such
a delicate one,” Iris murmured as she took another sip of tea.

London, England

It
was 5:30 in the evening when Colby bounded down the stairs and walked into the
parlor of their London family home. His mother, Lady Mary Tisbury, was hosting
a small dinner party this evening, and he was looking forward to seeing his
cousin Ethan and his lovely bride Emily again. He hadn’t seen them in months
and it would be good to catch up with them.

“Good
evening, Mother. May I say you look as lovely as ever,” he said placing a kiss
on her cheek.

Mary
smiled. “Thank you, Colby. Always the flatterer, no wonder the ladies love you.
By the way, I’ve asked the Hunts to join us for dinner.”

Colby
walked to the sideboard and poured himself a brandy. “Oh?”

“Yes,
they’re back in London for the Season. From what I understand, Dalton will be
searching for a bride.”

He
picked up his drink and walked back to the chair opposite his mother and sat
down. “Really? I remember the shy young man who could barely look you in the
eye when he was spoken to. Of course, I haven’t seen him for a number of
years.”

“He
was twenty and one this past winter. His parents think that he’ll need a few
Seasons before he finds the right young lady for him.”

Colby
raised his glass in salute. “Then here’s to Dalton finding the perfect woman.
Frankly, I don’t think she exists.”

Mary’s
mouth thinned. “Colby, how can you say such things? There have been several
suitable young ladies presented in the past few years. It seems you are being
quite particular in your search and are not giving anyone a chance to get to
know you properly. Kathryn Larkinson is especially lovely. I heard that she did
not enter into a marriage contract last year. I’m sure she’ll be in London for
the Season.”

He
took a gulp of brandy, not liking the turn in the conversation. His parents
were quite clear in their plans for him this Season, and he knew they were
running out of patience. As the heir to the Tisbury fortune, it was his duty to
marry and produce an heir of his own, but he had not met anyone who interested
him enough to propose -- certainly not Kathryn Larkinson. He didn’t know what
it was about her, but he could not see himself sharing a life with her. There
had to be a more suitable candidate for his wife.

Find
a wife.

It
seemed as if every other conversation was about him selecting a young lady to
marry. It made his head swim, but he could understand his mother’s motivations.
Both his friend Connor Preston and his cousin Ethan had married last year. He
was the only bachelor left in his circle of friends.

A
long sigh escaped his lips. He did not want to marry for duty alone. Was it too
much to ask for him to marry someone who was his choice and not his parent’s
choice?

“Colby,
are you well?” Mary asked.

“Yes,
Mother. Quite well, no need to worry.” Colby knew his mother still worried
about him ever since he’d been shot last fall and came close to dying. He was
her only child, and he understood that, but it didn’t make it any easier when
she hovered over him. He often wondered why he was an only child, but it was
not something you asked about in polite company, and his father would never
speak about such a personal matter with him. He would have liked very much to
have a brother or even a sister growing up, and especially now, anything to
take the spotlight off of him. It was difficult to live up to your parent’s expectations
when you were their sole focus. It was why their subtle hints about finding a
bride grated on him.

He
also knew that he might not have much of a choice with young ladies this Season
in light of his scandalous behavior last year. Even though they had tried to
contain the details, word of his duel and the reason for it leaked out and
spread like wild fire through the
ton.
He
could imagine the whisperings.

He’s an out of control gambler.

He gambled away the Tisbury fortune.

He’s reckless.

No
father wanted his daughter to marry a gambler. What would happen to her and any
children they had if he returned to his gambling ways? Many fortunes had been
lost at the card table. He was determined not let that happen, but knew it
might be difficult to convince people that he had changed his ways.

“Where
is Father?”

“I
believe he’s in his study. I heard him come down the stairs not too long ago.”

Colby
drank the last of his brandy and put the glass on the table. “If you’ll excuse
me, Mother. I would like to discuss a matter with him.”

“Of
course, dear, but don’t get too caught up with business. Our guests will be
arriving shortly.”

He
nodded and strode out of the room.

***

Emily
Richardson reached over and grasped her husband’s hand. She loved the feel of
his warm skin against hers, and couldn’t be happier with the way her marriage
had turned out. To think she almost gave up on such a wonderful man before she
even gave him a chance. It was her greatest embarrassment. Her actions last
year on their wedding night still shamed her, and she’d done everything in her
power to make it up to him. It was hard to believe that dreadful night was
nearly ten months ago. “Ethan, are you well, my darling? You seem quiet this
evening.”

Ethan
brought her hand to his lips for a soft kiss. “I’m fine. No need to worry.”

Emily’s
brow furrowed. “When you say that, that’s exactly when I start to worry. What’s
on your mind?”

“I
guess I’m worried about Colby being back in London. I don’t want him to be
tempted by the gambling parlors again.”

“Do
you think he might be even after what happened last year?”

“I
fear for his resolve. It may be too difficult for him to resist.”

“Getting
shot is no small thing to brush aside. It was a daunting lesson to learn.”

“You’re
right, of course. With the passage of time, even the most horrendous
experiences tend to fade.”

Ethan’s
words stabbed at Emily and she inhaled sharply. Was he only talking about
Colby, or did he mean to include her as well? “Yes, I agree, but I hope you
realize that I’ve tried very hard to be a good wife to you and erase that
horrible memory from your mind. I cannot begin to tell you how shamed I am
about it even after all this time.”

Ethan
turned to face her.
 
“What? You’re
shamed about Colby?”

Emily
shook her head. “No, not Colby.”

“What
are you talking about?”

“Our
wedding night.”

He
saw the hurt on her face and pulled his wife into his arms. “My darling Emily,
you must know I didn’t mean you when I spoke earlier. Forget your shame. That
is over and done with and not for you to worry about ever again. You are my
dearest wife, my love, my Bright Star. I love you with every fiber of my being.
Please don’t ever forget that.”

Emily
snuggled into Ethan’s embrace and breathed in his musky scent. Whenever she was
near him, she craved his loving hands on her body. She couldn’t get enough of
him and her love had grown for him until she thought she’d burst with
happiness. “I’m so glad, because you mean the world to me. I wanted to wait a
little longer before I told you, but I think this is the perfect time.”

Ethan
let go of his wife. “Tell me what? Are you getting involved in more charity
work? My dearest, you do so much already. I don’t know how you’ll find enough
time in the day to take on another project.”

Emily
smiled at the man she loved with all her heart. “No, my darling, it’s not that,
but I do believe I’ll have to curtail my activities this summer.”

“Oh?”

“Yes,
it’s what most women do when they are with child.”

She
watched her husband’s face—first the disbelief, then the absolute joy
shining in his eyes.

“Are
you sure?”

Emily
nodded. “Quite sure, my love. I longed to tell you earlier, but I was afraid to
be too happy in case I lost the child.”

Ethan
cupped her beautiful face in his hands. “My darling Bright Star, you’ve made me
the happiest man in the world. I love you more with each passing day.” He
leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers, lightly at first before it
deepened into everything he’d wanted to say and then some.

When
they broke apart, Emily couldn’t stop smiling. “Isn’t it wonderful? By winter
we shall be holding our own child.”

“It’s
hard to comprehend that we are so blessed. I must tell you, that’s the last
thing I expected you to tell me tonight.” He kissed her again.

“I
didn’t want to say anything until I was sure. I talked with my mother about it
when we arrived in London last week. I hope you don’t mind that I consulted
her, but I wanted to be sure of my happy news.”

Ethan
picked up Emily’s hand and brought it to his lips. “No, my darling, I don’t
mind at all. I would like nothing better than to shout this happy news from the
rooftops.”

Emily
giggled at the image Ethan had planted in her mind. “I hardly think that’s the
proper way to announce it. I’m so excited to tell Mia tomorrow. It’s been too
long since we’ve seen each other, but she’s been busy with little Lucas. It
will be such a pleasure to hold the little one in my arms, knowing that soon
I’ll be holding our own child.”

“Getting
in a little practice?” Ethan chuckled.

“Yes,
as a matter of fact I am. What do you have to say to that, Mr. Richardson?”
Emily asked in a teasing tone.

He
leaned over and kissed her again. “I’d say that’s wonderful. Do you want to
tell Aunt Mary this evening?”

“No,
not yet, but we’ll tell everyone soon. Is that agreeable?”

“Of
course, my darling. Whatever you prefer is fine with me, but only if you kiss
me again.”

Emily
chuckled before she obliged her husband with a sensual kiss of her own.

“Perhaps,
we should not celebrate any more or else we will not be going to Aunt Mary’s
for dinner,” Ethan said.

“Your
aunt would be so disappointed, but are you saying you don’t wish to kiss me
anymore?”

Now
it was Ethan’s turn to chuckle. “I always want to kiss you, my darling wife.”

“Then
kiss me once more before we reach Aunt Mary’s.”

“Gladly.”

***

Lady
Charlotte Hunt looked at her reflection in the vanity mirror. Her long-time
maid, Mayson, had done a beautiful job with her hair this evening. Dark curls
cascaded down the nape of her neck. Even in her fortieth year, Charlotte was
blessed with lustrous black hair with only a few strands of white peeking
through.

“Would
you prefer the pearls or sapphires this evening?” Mayson asked.

“Sapphires,
please. They will go nicely with this dress, don’t you think?”

“Yes,
ma’am. That’s the most beautiful navy silk I’ve ever seen. Did Mrs. Phillips
order that specially for you?”

“No,
but as soon as she saw it, she wrote to me. Once I saw it, there was no doubt
in my mind that it would make the most extraordinary dress. The fabric shimmers
and appears to change color when it moves.”

Mayson
pulled out the sapphire necklace and matching earrings from the jewelry box.
“This necklace will look stunning with that dress. Lord Hunt has outdone
himself with these pieces. The vibrant colors of the stones are so beautiful.”

“Come
now, Mayson. There’s no need to pretend with me. We’re both aware he only gave
them to me to keep up appearances, nothing more.”

Mayson
didn’t say anything. She slipped the necklace around Charlotte’s neck and
fastened the clasp before stepping back. “There you go, my lady. You look
stunning this evening.”

Charlotte
finished off the look by dressing her ears with the sapphires. “Thank you,
Mayson. As usual, it’s your expertise that has helped me look presentable
tonight.”

“You
need no help from me or anyone else, my lady. You’re a beautiful woman, and
don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

Charlotte
chuckled at Mayson’s over-protectiveness. She’d been her maid for close to
twenty years and had seen her through the ups and downs of her marriage although
it had been mostly downs for as long as she could remember. The moment she gave
birth to Dalton, Gilbert had withdrawn from her. She had learned soon enough
the only reason why he married her was to get an heir. Once that bit of
business was done with, Gilbert had no further need of her. He didn’t even want
a second child as insurance that something might befall the first one. It was
hard to accept, at least at first.

She’d
been a fool to be taken in with his sweet courtship. She thought him kind and
considerate, and overlooked his awkwardness around her. Her parents approved of
the union, and they were married within three months. She had been looking
forward to being the mistress of her own home. With Gilbert by her side, she
thought they would enjoy a happy and fulfilling life filled with love and
children.