ROMANCE: SHAPESHIFTER ROMANCE: Dragon Baller's Bride (Dragon Shifter Alpha Male Romance) (Paranormal Romantic Suspense) (85 page)

A
fter four years apart
, Sarah and her step-brother Stephen are finally reunited when he comes back home from war with France. He thinks he knows what is going on in her life based on letters she sent every few weeks, only growing concerned when the letters suddenly stop. Only upon returning he finds out that Sarah is now called ‘Cinderella’ and is working as a maid in her own home. He wants to help her find a better life but can he go against his own family’s wishes on the subject? Can he stand up to them? Through it all, Stephen and Sarah fall in love, a kind of love that inevitably leads to them wanting to get married. Can these step-siblings be together, or will the world keep them apart because of convention? It all comes together after a shopping spree fit for a fairy godmother and a masquerade ball fit for a princess.

F
our Years Ago
…

“
B
ut why do
you have to leave?” Sarah asked, tears streaking down her little face. She was only twelve to his fifteen but she was always so intuitive. Sarah always seemed to understand what was happening; even when his sisters couldn’t comprehend what was going on, though they were close to her in age being eleven and thirteen. They saw the war as a dashing opportunity, a nice way to establish himself. He would come home showered in the glory of victory against the French. They couldn’t imagine that he would actually have to be on the battle field. Sarah was his favourite in the family. For the past three years, since his mother had married her father, she had been a steadfast companion. She was always following him about, trying to be a part of his world. She understood him better than his mother or sisters ever could.  

“I have to Sarah, it’s my duty,” Stephen, reached forward and brushed the tears off his stepsister’s cheek, feeling a twinge in his chest at the sight.

“But you’re all I have left,” she cried out, suddenly grabbing one of his legs and holding on tight.

“Enough now,” he said, not unkindly. “You have my mother and sisters. The four of you will be strong together.” Stephen gently pried her off his legs, trying to hold back tears of his own. He turned about face and walked out of the room, ready for his next step in life but unsure of what he was leaving behind.

1
813-Present Day
…

Stephen folded up the letter, tucking it back into his shirt pocket. That was over six months ago, the last letter he had received from Sarah. Her letters were always a bit vague in the actual happenings of her life, filled instead with thoughts of her future, regret over his absence, insightful comments on the status of the war and society at home. He missed her; he had missed them all so much over the past four years. They had been four long and bloody years.

As he looked up to the brick house where he was raised, he wondered what had happened. Six months, when he usually received a letter every few weeks. Stephen dismounted from his horse, handing the reins over to the head groom before making his way quickly up the steps to his family. Knocking, he waited for the door, looking at the windows to see if he could get a glimpse at the adorable face of Sarah. He had to remind himself that she was grown now. Stephen couldn’t wait to see the beauty that she had grown to be. He knew she would be beautiful, her mother had been a great beauty and her cherub face had hinted at that same beauty, even as a child.

The doorman opened the door, immediately stepping back before uttering, “Master Stephen, so wonderful to see you.”

“Dobbins, nice to see you well. Is everyone home?”

“No just Sarah, your mother and sisters went to the shops but should be back soon.”

“Oh, Sarah, where can I find her,” He said, ready to rush through the house and pull her into his arms.

“Sir, she’s in the parlour, but you should know…” Dobbin’s face had changed, embarrassment shaded his features.  But Stephen was already rushing through the house and into the parlour, shouting Sarah’s name on the way in.

A small woman dressed in rags jumped at the sound. Before whipping around she carefully put back the silverware she seemed to be polishing.

“Stephen!” the slender woman bounded forward, jumping into his arms. He pulled back to look at her face in disbelief and affront. Who was this? Stephen looked at her closely, she certainly looked like she could be his Sarah, all grown up. But how could she be? It was though, he knew it was truly her.

Sarah was so beautiful she could make a man weep. He could just make out her shining hair, tucked under a cloth to keep it out of her face. She had high cheekbones, that were made prominent by her slim face, but it did not make her look over sharp or shrew like. Stephen looked into the eyes that he knew so well and saw they were alight with excitement and happiness. He caught himself as his eyes drifted to her lips and stepped back, holding her almost at arm’s length.

“Let me look at you properly,” he said. She stepped back and smiled shyly. She carried herself with a confidence but had a hesitant air about her, like she was ready to bolt off at any moment. It was the same alertness he associated with the elite scouts of his regiment. Always ready, always watching for what might spring out next.

When the moment had grown too long, he pushed himself to speak, “My god, look how you’ve grown.” Sarah smiled widely, stepped in and hugged him tightly. Automatically, Stephen’s body reacted, wrapping his arms about her. He was a little unsettled by how much he enjoyed holding her. He pushed that thought away and focused on what had originally caused him concern. He was baffled, why his dear sweet Sarah would be dressed in rags and polishing silver, like some kind of scullery maid. For laughs? And what would make her so cautious and wary? It didn’t fit at all with the precocious and confident child he had known. What had happened to his Sarah?

Sarah held on tight, tears of relief streaking down her face, “Oh Stephen, I have missed you so much.”

“Sarah,” he said carefully. “What exactly are you doing?”

Sarah pulled back, worried that she had done something wrong and looked up into his face. No longer boyishly handsome, Stephen was all man. He had filled out from his years in the army. His face, which had once been round, had thinned out; showing off his prominent jaw. He had become the kind of ruggedly handsome she only read about in her books. They had been her life-line, the only possession Christina had allowed her to keep, not believing they were worth anything and so not seeing the point in taking this one luxury away from Sarah.

“What do you mean Stephen?” she looked down and saw the smudge she had gotten on him, automatically assuming that was what he meant. She reached to brush off what she could. “Oh, I’m sorry, I will get that washed out as soon as you change. I can’t believe I didn’t think to be more careful.”

“Sarah, I don’t care about the smudges. What are you doing cleaning?”

“My job,” she said, thinking this should be obvious, shouldn’t his mother have told him?

“You are the daughter of a viscount, you should not be cleaning,” Stephen practically shouted at her, causing her to shrink back. “Sarah, whatever made you think you needed to work?” he continued, his voice gentler.

“Christina said that since she was in charge of my trust, if I wanted to go away to school or have a debut I needed to take care of the house so they could save for it.”

“Sarah the family has more money than you could ever spend, you have more than enough money to get whatever you want. I’ll talk to my mother.”

“No, please don’t.” Sarah said fearfully. “Christina is still my guardian and as such I must do what she says, just like she must do what she thinks is best for me. I need to grow up and go to school, like my mother so that I can find someone who will want to marry me. Then I can have a home of my own.”

Just then the door opened and someone breezed in, “Cinderella! There is dirt in the hall, clean it up, don’t make me ask you again.”

“Coming Christina,” Sarah said executing a perfect curtsy and making her way to the front hall.

“Mother,” Stephen said, strolling into the hall with his fisted hands behind his back.

“Stephen,” Christina, squealed. She greeted him with open arms, approaching him before placing one air kiss on each cheek. “We did not know that you would be home today, your letter told us not to look for you for at least a week. I would have had the cook make you something special.”

“The cook is fantastic at everything she makes, I’m sure whatever is the fare tonight will be delicious.” Stephen answered distractedly. Both of his sisters had sidled up and were fawning over him, demanding kisses and hugs. He greeted them each and then followed them as they bustled into the sitting room. Sarah trailed behind, picking up the debris as the whirlwind of her family moved from the hall.

“Oh, but I am exhausted from all that sun,” Pamela said, throwing herself onto the couch.

Sarah was sure that for Pamela, shopping was quite taxing. Not exactly the slimmest of figures, Pamela resembled a sow more than a woman of seven and ten. Sarah was not surprised: she had always been known to eat vigorously, combined with a fondness for cakes and a dislike for exertion.

“Don’t complain, you got four new dresses! All I got was a new riding habit and two poke bonnets,” Daphne snapped at her sister. While Pamela was more of the swine variety, Daphne was that of a shrewd bird. With no natural curves to speak of, Daphne had to use fashion to give her the womanly body that men craved. Sarah was the one who had to tie her corset, she knew just how tight it was worn and how much padding was needed to fill it. There was nothing to be done about the neck however. It was too long for her body and made her head seem impossibly small.

Sarah thought all this as she struggled to grab the bags from their shopping trip, before cleaning up the hall floor. They were petty thoughts that she normally wouldn’t have. From her disappointment over Stephen seeing her after four years looking like scullery maid, she was a little disgruntled.

“Let me help you with those,” Stephen said, relieving her of her parcels while ignoring his families protest. He marched up the stairs to their rooms, Sarah heard him stomping down the hall and knew she would have to straighten out which bags belonged to who before her sisters went upstairs tonight. It could wait until they were sitting down to dinner though. For now Sarah stood from where she had been gathering bags and made her way to the cleaning cupboard for the mop and bucket before retrieving some water.

S
tephen’s blood was boiling
. What was his mother thinking? He tried to calm down, going over what Sarah had said to him. She was right though, Sarah’s father had left Sarah in the care of his wife, Stephen’s mother, when he died. His mother was her guardian and she could treat her as she pleased until Sarah left her household. The late viscount had left all he possessed to his new wife when he died, believing that she would care for the girl as one of her own. Stephen didn’t want to think that his mother was so cold. He knew that his mother could be a difficult woman but never would have believed her capable of something like this. Stephen thought hard as he walked back down the stairs. He couldn’t argue with what Sarah had said, his mother was her guardian and as such she could make life much harder on her. Stephen’s power was limited, he had no true power over his mother, since she had her own estates and money. The question was how to appease his mother and sisters while giving Sarah what she had been working toward.

Sarah was already sixteen, about the age she should make her debut and she should already have attended finishing school. The best thing for her would be to get her into society and married to the best suitor he could find. But how to get her there? As he entered the hall he spied an invitation on the table by the door. Pocketing it, he moved back into the room his family was still occupying.

“So why are we calling Sarah ‘Cinderella’ these days,” he asked as casually as possible.

“She always has soot all over her for whatever reason,” Pamela said.

“Because she sleep in front of the fireplace every night,” Daphne responded.

“She has sleeping quarters in the attic and yet she insists on sleeping by the fire like some commoner,” Christina scoffed.

Maybe she was cold? Stephen kept that thought to himself, already annoyed with their insolence. The sooner he found Sarah a suitor the sooner she could leave here. That thought alone was more depressing than any sleeping arrangement. “What happened to her old room?” He asked already pretty sure of the answer.

“I changed that into a music room soon after you left. You know, with Daphne’s brilliant voice and Pamela’s skill at the piano forte they are sure to gain suitors on those skills alone, but they need a space to practice.”

“I’m going to get settled into my room before dinner,” Stephen responded coolly, having heard enough. With that he turned and stalked out of the room toward the same bedroom he had always had. He was gone for four years and kept the same spot in the viscount’s home and yet Sarah was forced to cuddle by the fire for warmth. The unfairness of it all!

Arriving at his room, Stephen pulled out the invitation from his pocket.

A
masquerade ball
, how perfect! Sarah can attend, find a suitor, and his mother and sisters won’t even recognize her. Especially, Stephen thought, if he found her a perfect enough costume. What must he get? He had no idea what ladies needed. He supposed he could put in an order from Madame Delassio’s modiste. Madame Delassio was the seamstress and dress designer that his mother had relied upon when trying to impress the viscount, back when she was trying to become the next Lady Castlegate.

He needed to find out what story his mother and sisters had concocted to cover up, Sarah’s disappearance from society. What lies had they been peddling to keep her hidden for all these years. The daughter of a viscount would still be expected at some events, whether she had come out or not. For that he needed one of his most gossiping friends, Cooper. He should be at White’s now. Slipping on the jacket that he just took off, Stephen marched out of the room and headed out into the city.

“I don’t know what to tell you,” Cooper said, only half paying attention while reading. “According to everyone, Lady Sarah Thorton was thrown from a horse at twelve and has been bedridden ever since. No-one has seen her, not even her former best friend, the very lovely Lady Emily Cramer. Shame though, she was a beauty at that age. Imagine what she looks like now.”

Only Stephen didn’t need to imagine, just the thought of the young beauty made him flush and grow warm, causing a stirring in his gut that spread rapidly. Stephen tugged at his collar and fidgeted uncomfortably in his seat. He pushed the thought of Sarah’s full lips out of his head and focused on his friend.

“Well what you’ve heard is untrue, Sarah was never injured and has just been forced to stay isolated,” Stephen said, knowing he could trust his friend with this sensitive information.

Cooper finally looked up from his book in apparent astonishment. “Then why haven’t we seen her? Why would your mother put that story out there if it wasn’t true?”

Stephen hesitated before responding with, “It’s complicated, but the most important thing is that I am escorting Sarah to the New Castle masquerade this Saturday, but she has nothing nice to wear.” And he didn’t know a dress from a frock, or the difference between evening gloves and the ones women wore during the day.

“Ask Emily, she would be all too happy to help, they still correspond often and if she knows it will help out her friend she’ll be happy to help you. Plus she knows all the latest fashions.”

“You said Emily Cramer, where does she live?”

“Over on Highgate, she should be able to help with this and would love to see Sarah. Like I said, Sarah was a lovely girl,” Cooper’s eyes got far away and a slight smile turned up the corner of his lips, “she must be a beautiful and self contained woman.”

“From what I can see she is that.” Stephen glared at his friend. Even though Cooper hadn’t joined the the army they had run into each other often over the years. Stephen knew him for a skirt chaser and a terrible flirt. He vowed to keep Sarah quite away from him. Stephen took his leave and made his way toward Highgate to pay call on Lady Emily.

“Wait a moment Lord Knight. We’ll see if Lady Emily is ready to see you,” the maid said, bowing her way out of the room. Stephen paced around the simple yet elegant entryway, waiting to see Lady Cramer.

“Lady Emily will see you now, Lord Knight. If you would please follow me.” The maid returned to the room and beckoned him in. Stephen strode over and was led to the parlor where Emily and her mother, Lady Cramer were poised on two elegantly appointed sofas. Lady Emily nodded at a seat across from her which Stephen sat in, after bowing and making his entrance.

“I am so glad you could make the time to see me, I hope I won’t take up too much of your time.”

“Is this about Lady Thorton, Lord Knight? Is she okay?” Lady Emily blurted out quickly, sounding slightly panicked.

“Sarah is fine, in fact that is why I’m here,” Stephen shifted in his seat unsure where to start and how much to say.

Lady Cramer, looked at him sharply, “Please continue, My Lord” she insisted.  Stephen looked at the two women. If he remembered correctly, Lady Cramer had been a great friend of the first Lady Castlegate.

Stephen, decided to trust them with the truth. “I hope that I am right Lady Cramer, in thinking that you are a friend to Lady Sarah and I think that what I have to say might not shock you too much.” Stephen watched as Lady Cramer and her daughter shared a look.  He continued, “Sarah was never injured and is in fact quite healthy. She has been forced, rather abhorrently, to remain isolated from society by my mother.”

Stephen looked up to gauge both of their reactions. Lady Emily bit her lip and looked ready to break the teacup she held. Lady Cramer was calmer, but the stiff way she sat told him she was most distressed by his words.

“I plan to change this situation. I will be escorting her to Lord and Lady New Castle’s masquerade ball on Saturday and was wondering if…”

“If I could help get her ready? Absolutely! “Lady Emily jumped up so fast, Stephen had to lean back into the sofa to avoid getting hit by her outstretched hand. She placed her teacup on a side table and began to pace, “Is there a budget, does she have anything for underthings, does she have shoes..?” Lady Emily trailed off and sat down abruptly, tear wetting her eyes. “Oh my poor Sarah, I don’t even know if she has proper things.” Her mother reached over, taking her hand in her own and patting it comfortingly. “Now dear, stop that, she would have found a way to tell you if things were as bad as that.” Lady Cramer turned to Stephen, “We’ve known for sometime that her letters were less than truthful. Once in a while she is able to slip in something and we knew she was… not happy.”

Stephen looked between the two and nodded. “Let’s just assume she needs everything and there is no budget unless you intend to make me utterly bankrupt, we just need the basics for now. Perhaps, three types of outfits and one evening dress, just to get her started.  Afterwards, if she finds a suitor we will have to get more things.” Ignoring Lady Cramer’s raised eyebrow at his last sentence, Stephen stood and started to pace around the small room. “Now about meeting up, do you mind if you meet at the ice cream parlor near the house this time? I just don’t want my mother and sister’s to figure out what I am up to, at least not yet. Which brings me to the last condition, I don’t wish you to tell anyone. Not until I am able to neutralize the issues that created this mess in the first place.”

Lady Emily snorted and Lady Cramer chided her gently. Lady Emily composed her features and turned to Stephen, “That’s fine, shall we say tomorrow at ten at Charlie’s? My mother and I will be there. Can you see yourself out?”

Walking back Stephen tried to find the expected guilt. It wasn’t there. He had never been overly fond of his mother or sisters as they never were particularly warm or loving towards him. In fact, he felt a rather justified righteousness, he’d finally beat them at their own game of social scheming and manipulation.