A Season For Romance (The Seldon Park Christmas Novella Book 5)

by Bethany Sefchick

“Very good, my lady.” The maid left the room and once again, Dinah marveled at the woman’s ability to see her way around with so little vision. It was just another quirk of this place that she would miss when the time came.

  Returning to the dressing table, Dinah sat down and slowly opened the box. There, nestled in a pile of velvet, was a ruby and diamond necklace, and it was the most exquisite creation she had ever seen in her life.

  Carefully, Dinah removed the jewels from their velvet nest and turned them over in her hands, her heart thumping wildly in her chest. What did this mean? What could it mean? For there were so many possible options.

  One afternoon the previous week after a rather enthusiastic bout of lovemaking, Beau had fingered the ruby earbobs Dinah now wore almost constantly and lamented that there was no matching necklace. His mother had never ordered one. Dinah had remarked that truly was a shame, for the stones in the earbobs were of rather remarkable clarity. However, she had also commented that if one could find such a necklace or even have one made, it would likely cost a small fortune. Beau had joked that coin mattered little to his mother. In return, Dinah had snorted and said that after suffering for her father’s sins, she found it difficult to be frivolous and that a gift, such as a matching necklace, would not be a purchase to be undertaken lightly.

  Dinah believed she and Beau had left the conversation at that, but had they? Or had Beau gone looking for a necklace after all?

  Had he found the matching necklace somewhere within Grayfield, unaware that one had been made after all? Or had he sent to London for this one? Was it a gift? If the necklace was, then it was also an extremely expensive gift, for the clarity of the stones matched those of the earbobs perfectly. Was it a gift meant to tell her something? If so, then what did it signify?

  Well, she would not receive the answers to her questions sitting around here in her chambers like a ninnyhammer. It was time to seek the answers from Beau himself, she supposed, whatever the consequences.

  Carefully, Dinah fastened the lovely necklace around her neck. She had no idea what the answers to any of those questions were, but she was now more determined than ever to find out.

  Beau was worried. Very worried. Cecily had delivered his Christmas gift to Dinah nearly a quarter of an hour ago and the object of his now-crystal-clear love had yet to appear. Did she not like the jewels? Did she think he was attempting to buy her affections? Or did she simply not care for him as deeply as he cared for her?

  Or had he missed her somehow? Had she come to the top of the stairs and taken a good look at what was probably an overly done romantic setting and simply retreated to her chambers?

  Looking around, Beau tried to view the hall from her perspective. Candles glowed softly from every corner of the room, splashing light everywhere. He wasn’t hiding in the shadows any longer. He was embracing the truth of what he was – a flawed man in love with a beautiful woman he did not deserve. But had he gone too far somehow?

  The tree they had decorated together a few days ago also sparkled with candlelight, the soft glow reflecting off of the glass decorations, including the new ones Beau had sent to London for when he had dispatched Harris to buy the ruby and diamond necklace. Just as Beau had requested, Harris had returned with angels. All angels. Lots of them.

  For Dinah was Beau’s angel.

  He also wanted her to be his wife.

  She had to know that. Didn’t she? Or did she think he was trying to tempt her into becoming his mistress, just as Ryfell had?

  For that idea was so very far from the truth. Beau was actually attempting to ask Dinah to marry him and doing a rather horrible job at it thus far, he was afraid.

  A sennight ago as Dinah lay sleeping in his arms, Beau had come to the conclusion that he could not let her go, no matter what. And no matter how terrified he was of her rejection, he had to take the brave step and ask her to be his wife.

  For a man like him, a man whose own mother had been unable to truly love him, Beau harbored no illusions that Dinah loved him either. However she seemed to like and respect him well enough, and that was something. It wasn’t perfect nor all that he wished for either, but it was a start.

  “Good evening, Beau. And happy Christmas.”

  Looking up, Dinah stood at the top of the stairs in a flowing silver gown, the ruby necklace sparking around her neck. She looked like his most heated dream come true, more than an angel and certainly with a bit of devil mixed in. And tonight? He would do his best to make her his own. Forever. Tomorrow, in front of the vicar and the residents of the small village he called home when they all arrived for church services, if all went to plan.

  “Dinah. Sweeting. Happy Christmas,” Beau breathed as he watched her descend the steps, the candlelight catching the stones around her throat and throwing visual sparks about the room. The reflections were so bright he thought perhaps even Cecily could see them. “You look exquisite.”

  She blushed. That told him nothing, unfortunately, for she did that frequently. “Thank you.” She fingered the necklace nervously. “I received your gift. I adore it.”

  “You do?” He was relieved to hear that.

  “You gave it to me, so how could I not?”

  She looked up at him with those trusting, beautiful eyes. Beau swore that he could see love in their depths and suddenly, he could not wait a moment longer. He needed to ask for her hand now. Before his courage failed him.

  “Dinah, I…”

  Before he could finish, the door was thrown open and a cold gust of wind swept inside the previously cozy hallway. Beau had ordered all of the hearths that supplied heat to the pipes stoked high tonight. He had not wanted Dinah to be chilled for even a moment.

  “Get away from my mistress, you beast! I paid good money for her and I will not allow you to defile her!”

  The rough, gravely voice could only belong to one person – the Duke of Ryfell.

  Stiffening, Beau turned towards the intruder, aware that the bang of the front door had brought the rest of his staff running. He could see them all gathering out of the corner of his eye. Including Nathaniel, who was likely armed. The man never went anywhere without a weapon.

  “I would thank you not to speak to my future marchioness in that manner, your grace.” Beau made certain to place himself between the duke and Dinah. “I will also thank you to get out of my home immediately. It is Christmas Eve and I would like to celebrate the occasion with my betrothed. Alone.” He heard the murmurs of the staff behind him, but paid them no mind. He had to think about defending Dinah now. Without ruining her reputation.

  “You meant my bought and paid for whore, didn’t you?” Ryfell looked behind Beau with a malicious glare. “Or didn’t you know, precious, what you were getting yourself into when you answered my advertisement? My solicitor said you did not have any inkling, but I could not believe any chit to be that stupid.”

  Beau didn’t care for it when Dinah took a step out from behind him, her shoulders squared and ready for battle. “Apparently I am that stupid, your grace, for that is exactly what I believed.”

  “Then why are you here of all places?” the duke asked, clearly perplexed. “This man is a beast! He has no children for you to tutor!”

  “Lord Kingsford saved my life when your rattletrap carriage overturned on the marsh road by the river.” Beau could hear the anger in Dinah’s voice. “I would have died out there, swept away to the sea, if not for the marquess’ quick assistance.”

  The duke waved a hand in the air as if already bored with the entire conversation. Beau knew the man had a short attention span. “Yes, yes, I know. My driver died if you will recall.”

  “I do recall,” Dinah snapped icily. “Quite clearly.”

  The duke gestured impatiently toward the door. “Well, then let us be on our way, shall we? You acknowledge you were paid to become a whore and honestly, it seems as if you don’t care a great deal whose whore you are. And your contract is with me, so let’s be about it then, for I am eager t
o have your innocence for my own. I can fuck you in the carriage on the trip back to the inn if that is your concern. That way you are not an innocent when we arrive at my home and you needn’t feel missish about the matter.”

  Enraged, Beau sprang at the duke and, using his rather deceptive strength, pushed the man back against the wall, Beau’s hands at the duke’s throat. “She is the woman I love. The woman I will take to wife very soon. I would die for her and the heir of mine she likely already carries. So silence your tongue. Utter another word, however, and I will put my resolve to not truly become a beast to the test.”

  Ryfell shoved away from Beau, sending the marquess sprawling backward until Nathaniel caught him and helped him upright.

  “Heir?” the duke spat in obvious disgust at Dinah. “You went so far as to lie with this…this…cursed creature? Why? You should have known that I would come for you!”

  Dinah stepped forward and Beau didn’t know whether his heart would break soon or take flight. It all depended upon her next words.

  “Because I love him,” she said simply, her chin held high in clear defiance of the duke and his orders. “I love Beau McCandless. That is why I chose to lie with him and for no other reason, no matter what he might believe. I fell in love with him the night he rescued me, and I have loved him ever since. And even when I doubted his feelings for me, I knew mine well. So yes, I allowed him to bed me. Many, many times. Sometimes, we did not even require a bed. The staff here will vouch for me on that.”

  “Like rabbits, your grace,” Cecily offered a bit too cheerfully.

  However Beau didn’t hear the maid. Nor did he hear the duke’s roar of anger when he learned that his innocent, virgin plaything was no longer quite so innocent. And possibly carrying another man’s child.

  He also didn’t hear Nathaniel and the rest of his staff remove the duke and his minions from the front hall. In fact, he didn’t hear anything except Dinah’s words of love still ringing in his ears.

  “You love me?” Beau asked Dinah when they were alone, the staff trooping off to watch Nathaniel toss a duke off a marquess’ property on his arse. “Truly?”

  “Truly,” she nodded. “As I said, I think I fell in love with you that first night. I wasn’t lying. I couldn’t see you, Beau, but I could feel you. I felt something in your arms that I cannot explain, but whatever it was, it worked its way deep into my soul until there was you and only you.” She bit her lip. “There were so many times I wished to tell you, but I couldn’t. I didn’t know how to say the words. Nor did I know for certain that you loved me in return. Or that you wished to hear such from me.”

  Taking Dinah’s face in his hands, Beau kissed her deeply before bringing his forehead to rest against hers. “I think I have loved you from the very same moment. It was as if you were an angel sent into my life. But I didn’t dare hope that you felt the same, even though everyone around me was telling me this was the season for romance and that I should simply trust in my heart. That I should trust in you.”

  She stroked his face tenderly. “But you are telling me now and that is enough. I love you, Beau. More than there are words to say.” Dinah paused, biting her lip as she had when she first arrived at Grayfield. “But did you truly mean the other part?”

  “You mean about marrying you?” Beau laughed, pulling her close. “When I sent to London for that necklace, I had Harris bring back a special license. I had hoped to wed you tomorrow morning. In fact, I had planned to ask for your hand tonight. Before we were interrupted.”

  Smiling now, Dinah pressed herself closer until she could feel Beau’s erection pressing into her again. “And if I had said no?”

  “Then I would have continued to ask until you said yes. And while I was not attempting to trap you by my side by getting you with child, had I been desperate enough, I might have done just that.” Beau hugged her tightly against him. “I love you, Dinah. I could not bear the thought of losing you.”

  “I would have said yes,” Dinah confessed. “Even before tonight. I would have married you after that first night we spent together. Child or not. I love you, Beau. And later? When we are alone? I hope you will allow me to show you just how much.”

  With a cry of delight, Beau swept Dinah up into his arms and began carrying her up the stairs.

  “Beau!” she cried. “The others will be back soon! And there is dinner to be served.”

  “Then let them begin without us,” he replied without a hint of hesitation. “For I suddenly have a burning desire to make love to my wife.”

  “I am not your wife yet,” Dinah replied, nuzzling his neck.

  “By tomorrow at this time, you will be.” He caressed her breast through the thin lace of her gown. “And after what we have already done? Another few hours of anticipating our vows will not make the least bit of difference.”

  Then, without another word, Beau carried Dinah down the hall and into his bedchamber where he was fully prepared to spend the whole of Christmas Eve with the woman he loved. The woman who, on the ‘morrow, would become his wife.

  So he did just that. He also did not hear a peep of complaint from Dinah, not that he expected to either. He did, however, hear quite a few moans and sighs and with that, he was well pleased.

  Epilogue

  Early August 1821

  Seldon Park

  Sussex

  “It is so good to be out of Grayfield. Even for a brief period of time.”

  Lady Dinah McCandless, now the Marchioness of Kingsford, rolled over onto her back after making love with her husband yet again. “I never thought I would hear you utter those words, husband of mine,” she teased. “Didn’t you once vow to stay locked away there forever?”

  “That was before you. And our son.” Beau drew a hand down over her still-sensitive breasts. Even though Dinah was no longer nursing, even the slightest touch there could bring about her release. “Now? Perhaps going out into Society from time to time might not be so bad.” He looked around at the spacious accommodations Lord Candlewood had provided him and wife. “Especially with friends like these.”

  Dinah stroked Beau’s cheek gently. “They were your friends before, you know. You simply would not allow them to be.”

  “True. I was a fool to lock myself away. I understand that now.”

  Such an admission warmed Dinah’s heart. It had taken some time since that magical Christmas Eve for Beau to finish healing his long-shattered heart. However, she liked to think that her acceptance of his beautiful marriage proposal had done a good deal to help. Not to mention all of the sexual congress they had shared in the days before – and after, of course.

  “You are fortunate then, that I needed saving that night, were you not?” she teased, reaching out to stroke his bare chest. Dinah loved the feel of his masculine form beneath her fingertips, the inexplicable heat that always seemed to radiate from him somehow. The heat that warmed her from the inside out.

  “It seems, my love, that you are the fortunate one.” Beau stroked her arm. “What if I had not been looking for poachers that night?”

  “Then I would have truly become an angel.” She didn’t like to think about that overmuch.

  “And I would still be stuck inside Grayfield. Alone. Still the beast of a monster I was always accused of being.” At the dark expression on his face, Dinah understood that Beau didn’t like to think about that possibility either.

  Dinah smiled now instead. “Then it is fortunate that we found each other. For I could not imagine my life without you. Or our son.”

  Married on Christmas Day the year before, little Hugh McCandless, Viscount Grayfield, had been born only a scant eight months later to the delight of his uncle Nathaniel and the terrified horror of his parents. Both Dinah and Beau had been certain that their son would die since he had come into the world before his time. However under the watchful eye of Nathaniel, the infant had thrived and was now strong enough to be separated from Dinah for a time.

  Nathaniel had also insisted th
at the trip to Seldon Park would greatly improve Dinah’s health. Though her pregnancy had been a smooth one, the delivery had not been, and after, Dinah and Beau had been forced to seek out a wet nurse for their son. Nathaniel had worried about overtaxing Dinah’s already weakened body through nursing and, though she had protested at first, she had come to see the wisdom of the physician’s directive.

  Even now, Dinah was still a bit weak, but the time away from Hugh – even though she missed him terribly – had helped her recover her strength far more quickly than she had anticipated. Especially since she wished to give her husband another child as soon as she possibly could. Nathaniel, of course, had warned against her becoming with child again so soon, but he also knew that asking Dinah and Beau to keep their hands off of each other was something of a futile effort.

  “Are you certain you wish to try again so soon?” Beau looked down at his wife’s newly rounded hips. She was fuller there than she had been, but Nathaniel had informed Beau that pregnancy would change a woman’s body. Just so he was clear on that point, among many others regarding the changes that were in store for Dinah.

  That had been an awkward conversation but a necessary one when it became clear that Beau’s son meant to make his entrance into the world sooner than anyone had expected. Though Nathaniel had assisted with the delivery and made certain all went as well as could be expected, the physician had also taken the time to make sure that Beau understood that things could possibly go wrong.

  However, for once in his life, Beau had chosen to believe in the old gypsy curse rather than spurn it. While not a beast, he had come to terms with the fact that he was not like other men, at least on the surface. Perhaps beneath it too, for no one could be certain how far this peculiarity of his – Beau didn’t care for the word deformity so much any longer – ran. So that part of the curse was true.

  As was the part about a lady with a truly contrite heart making him human again. Dinah had done that for him. And he would love her forever because of it.