by Aston, Alexa
To Save a Love
Soldiers & Soulmates
Book 4
Alexa Aston
© Copyright 2020 by Alexa Aston
Text by Alexa Aston
Cover by Wicked Smart Designs
Dragonblade Publishing, Inc. is an imprint of Kathryn Le Veque Novels, Inc.
P.O. Box 7968
La Verne CA 91750
[email protected]
Produced in the United States of America
First Edition May 2020
Kindle Edition
Reproduction of any kind except where it pertains to short quotes in relation to advertising or promotion is strictly prohibited.
All Rights Reserved.
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
License Notes:
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Additional Dragonblade books by Author Alexa Aston
King’s Cousins Series
The Pawn
The Heir
The Bastard
Knights of Honor Series
Word of Honor
Marked by Honor
Code of Honor
Journey to Honor
Heart of Honor
Bold in Honor
Love and Honor
Gift of Honor
Path to Honor
Return to Honor
The St. Clairs Series
Devoted to the Duke
Midnight with the Marquess
Embracing the Earl
Defending the Duke
Suddenly a St. Clair
Soldiers & Soulmates Series
To Heal an Earl
To Tame a Rogue
To Trust a Duke
To Save a Love
The Lyon’s Den Connected World
The Lyon’s Lady Love
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Publisher’s Note
Additional Dragonblade books by Author Alexa Aston
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Epilogue
About the Author
Chapter One
London—May 1798
Desmond Bretton bounded out of the coach the moment it came to a halt in front of his father’s London townhouse. His legs needing to stretch after the long carriage ride from Eton. School was behind him, at least for a little while. He would take the summer off and then enter university next term. After that, as a second son, he was destined for the army, while his older brother, Ham, would eventually become the Earl of Torrington upon their father’s death.
For now he intended to relax. Spend time with his sister, Dalinda—if she could make room on her calendar for him. His twin was in the midst of her come-out and she’d written to him of the busy swirl of social events. For a moment, his thoughts turned to Anna, who would also be making her come-out with Dalinda. Anna Browning lived on the country estate adjoining theirs.
And Dez had been in love with her ever since they were children.
The three of them had been inseparable from childhood. Riding. Walking. Sharing confidences. His favorite times were when they picnicked at the lake that straddled their fathers’ estates. It was at that lake that he had finally kissed Anna last summer. Dalinda had taken Jessa, Anna’s much younger sister, on a walk, leaving Dez and Anna alone. He couldn’t remember what he’d said. Only the feel of Anna’s lips beneath his. The taste of strawberries on her tongue. The soft curve of her hips.
They had kissed several times after that. In the gardens of Torville Manor. In the drawing room of Shelton Park, hanging back as others left the room for dinner. In an empty stall before riding. Dez had known it was forbidden but he couldn’t resist the irresistible urge that drew him toward the girl he had always loved. When he left for his final year at Eton, they had both known by the time he returned that Anna would be in the midst of her come-out. They spoke briefly about how they knew they had no future and that they would both make the best of what was to come. For Anna, it would be as the wife of some peer. For Dez, he hoped to ascend to the highest ranks of His Majesty’s Army.
Billy, his favorite footman who was close to Dez’s age, came out to greet him.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Bretton,” the servant said cheerily. “Finally done with school, are you?”
“For a bit, Billy. Where is my father?”
“The earl and Viscount Bowling are both at their club, Mr. Bretton,” the footman informed him, sending a ripple of relief through Dez, knowing he could avoid both his father and brother for short while.
He had never gotten along with his father. Not that the Earl of Torrington spent any time with Dez. Or Dalinda, for that matter. Torrington had no use for females and had been put out when his countess died giving birth to the twins. As a second son, Dez wasn’t lavished with attention as Ham, the heir apparent, was. Ham was five years older and had spent his entire life being cruel to Dez and Dalinda. Their brother blamed the twins for the loss of his mother, so he said. Dez simply thought Ham had a vicious streak that ran deeply through him, one Ham had obviously inherited from their father.
“Is Lady Dalinda home?” he asked.
“That she is, Sir. In the drawing with her friend, Miss Browning. They’re having tea.”
“Very good. I will join them. See my trunk brought upstairs, Billy.”
“Shall I unpack it for you, Mr. Bretton?”
“Yes, thank you.”
Dez entered the townhouse and too
k the stairs two at a time, eager to see Dalinda and yes, even Anna. He knew it would hurt to listen to her talk about her suitors but he loved her enough to know he wanted the best for her. It wasn’t destined in the stars for them to be together. He was gentleman enough to wish that she find a good man who would take care of her and treat her well. One who would give her the children she so desperately wanted.
The moment he entered the drawing room, though, he knew something was terribly wrong. He saw Dalinda’s arms wrapped around a weeping Anna. His sister sensed her twin’s presence and looked up, revealing the tears streaming down her own cheeks. Quickly, he rushed toward them.
“Dez is here,” Dalinda said softly and released Anna.
Without even looking at him, Anna turned and blindly latched on to him, her sobs breaking his heart. He held her trembling body close, aching for the pain she now experienced. If it was some rake who had broken her heart, Dez would call him out. Her pain was his and he would do whatever it took to soothe her.
He didn’t say a word, just stroked her hair and her back and let her cry. His focus was to bring her comfort and she would tell him whatever was wrong in her own time. Eventually, her sobs ended and she gazed up at him, her clear, sky-blue eyes full of anguish.
“Would you like to sit?” he asked quietly.
Anna nodded and he led her to a settee, sitting beside her, his arm going around her shoulders. She reached for his free hand and pulled it into her lap, both her hands clutching it as if it were a lifeline that could keep her from drowning in sorrow.
Dalinda sat in a chair nearby and she nodded to Anna. “Tell him.”
“What good will it do?” Anna asked, her tone laced with bitterness. Then she sighed and Dez heard the resignation in it.
She began to speak, gazing across the room, her voice a monotone.
“Papa called Mama and me into his study an hour ago. I have had several suitors and thought one of them might have spoken to him about asking for my hand in marriage.”
His gut tightened as he prepared himself to hear the man’s name.
“Papa told us that he knew I was one of the more sought after girls this Season and since so many gentlemen seemed interested in me, it was obvious he didn’t need to waste a dowry upon me.”
Dez frowned. Custom, which the ton clung to, always dictated that a woman bring a dowry into the marriage. It was a huge part of the negotiation of the marriage contracts. If Lord Shelton pulled Anna’s dowry, her chances of marriage would evaporate, despite her beauty and charm.
Her hand tightened around his. “He said I had always been a worthless girl and that Mama was incapable of giving him sons and an heir. That I shouldn’t have to cost him anything to be taken off his hands. That he should be compensated instead.” She swallowed. “He told me he had sold me to the highest bidder. Viscount Needham.”
He looked to Dalinda. Anger sparked in her eyes. Without words, they communicated that Dez, not having been a part of the Season, had no idea who this viscount was.
His twin said, “Lord Needham is at least seventy if not older.”
“What? He sold you to a dried up prune of a man?”
Anna nodded, still averting her gaze from his. “Papa said Lord Needham was taken by my strawberry blond hair and trim figure. That he needs an heir and will get one off me as soon as possible.”
“No,” Dez whispered. “No. This cannot be.”
Finally, she faced him and Dez saw the misery filling her face. “Though Mama begged him not to do so, he is determined. He said he will announce our betrothal at tomorrow night’s ball being held in my honor.”
“You cannot allow this, Anna,” Dalinda said, determination filling her face.
“What can I do? We are mere pawns, Dalinda. Our fathers have total control over our lives. We wed whom they tell us to wed. Sometimes, it is a gentleman of our own choosing but you know as well as I do that oftentimes it is not.”
“It’s so blasted unfair,” Dalinda declared. She looked to Dez, who felt helpless.
Then he said, “You can marry me.”
“What?” both women cried.
He swallowed. “I cannot let you be sold into slavery with this man. You can wed me.”
“How?” Anna demanded. “England’s marriage laws say we must be twenty-one to wed. We can be younger if our parents give us their permission and the banns are read for three weeks. There is absolutely no way your father or mine would allow a match between us.” She shook her head forcefully. “No, it is hopeless, Dez. I will be chained to bony Lord Needham. He will be my jailor and I will live in his prison. There is nothing that can be done.”
“Actually, there is,” Dalinda said, looking at him, knowing Dez’s mind as clearly as her own. “Are you serious about wanting to wed Anna?”
“You know I am.” He looked at Anna. “I have loved you for years,” he said tenderly. “I would go to the ends of the earth for you.”
“It won’t require that,” Dalinda said, a grim smile on her face. “Only Scotland.”
“Scotland?” Anna asked. “I don’t understand.”
Dez knew where his twin ventured because he had heard of the practice while at Eton. A friend’s older brother had eloped, much to the dismay of the family, who disowned the couple. If he wed Anna, he would receive no monetary support from his father. The earl would cut Dez off and they would have to somehow earn their own living with no help from others.
“You will need to travel the Great North Road and cross into Scotland,” Dalinda informed her friend. “The first town you come to is called Gretna Green. Scottish marital laws differ from those in England. You can marry there legally without parental consent. I heard about it from some of the girls in the retiring room the other night. You know how I love to eavesdrop.”
“What if you misunderstood, Dalinda?” Anna asked.
“She didn’t,” Dez said. “I know of the practice from school, as well.” He paused and took both Anna’s hands in his. “It would mean giving up everything you know, Anna. Your father—and mine—will denounce the action. They will cut us off. We . . . we would have to make our way in the world somehow.”
For the first time since he had entered the drawing room, he saw hope on her face. She gripped his hands tightly.
“I love you, Desmond Bretton. I always have and always will. Nothing could ever change that. I don’t care if we live in a hovel or a castle. As long as we are together, we can meet any challenge.”
He brought her hands to his lips and pressed a fervent kiss upon them.
“If you are sure, my love.”
Anna’s radiant smiled chased away any doubt Dez felt. “I have never been more certain of anything.” Then she frowned. “But how will we get there?”
“The mail coach,” Dalinda and Dez said at the same time.
“It’s uncomfortable, yes,” he added, “but it’s the cheapest and most efficient way to reach Gretna Green.”
“How long will it take?” Anna asked, her eyes filled with worry.
“Probably four or five days,” he shared.
“What if they come after us? Try to stop us?”
“They’ll have to know where we are headed. No one will,” he assured her, thinking quickly. “I will tell Father tonight that I have been invited to a friend’s country estate just outside of London. He won’t care if I am here or gone. I am no one to him. As for you, do you have an engagement this evening?”
“Yes,” she replied. “A rout.”
“Halfway through, claim a headache and see if you can be taken home.” Dez thought a moment. “Better yet, beg off going in the first place. Say you want to be well-rested for the betrothal announcement at tomorrow night’s ball. That you want to sleep until noon. Leave a note for your maid to discover and take to Lord Shelton. Write that you have had a change of heart and don’t wish to wed Lord Needham. That you have left for Surrey and home and you don’t care about the rest of the Season.”
“So, Papa will
look for me in the opposite direction,” Anna said, a slow smile spreading across her beautiful face. “And your father won’t be looking for you at all.”
“Exactly,” he assured her though nerves now caused him to feel jittery, thinking of crossing both of their fathers and having to earn a living when he had no skills at all. “We need to leave on the earliest mail coach departing London and heading north to give ourselves a fair lead.”
“Who will buy the tickets?” Dalinda asked.
A brief knock sounded at the door. Though his arm was no longer around Anna’s shoulders, he couldn’t bring himself to let go of her hand. She already felt abandoned enough. He couldn’t hurt her more.
Thankfully, it was only Billy, who brought a cup and saucer. He crossed the room and then must have recognized something was amiss. “I . . . I brought . . . an extra cup for Mr. Bretton. I . . . thought he needed one for tea.”
“Thank you, Billy,” Dalinda said graciously, holding out her hand and accepting the extra china from the footman. “We also need you to run an errand for us,” she added, her gaze meeting her twin’s.
Dez acknowledged it and said to the footman, “I need you to purchase two tickets for the mail coach leaving London tomorrow morning for Scotland. The earliest possible.”
Wariness, coupled with understanding, grew in the servant’s eyes as he glanced at Dez and Anna’s joined hands.
He tugged his hand from Anna’s and reached into his coat pocket, removing what coin he had and handing it to Billy.
“Will this be enough?” Dez asked, unsure of how much anything cost. He spent his small allowance freely, where Dalinda always put away whatever pin money she received as a squirrel gathered nuts in preparation for dinner.
The footman thumbed through the bills. “It should be.” Still, he looked as if he needed convincing.
Dalinda spoke up. “There will be a crown in it for you if you bring the tickets back promptly.”
Billy’s eyes went wide. “Yes, my lady. Right away.”
“If anyone stops you, Billy, say you are on an errand for me,” Dez emphasized.
