Dare to Love a Lord: A Historical Regency Romance Book

by Abigail Agar

  Annis did not want to tell her sister what she truly thought of her mindless chatter and thereby putting a damper on their trip. Although doing so would give me some time to sleep! Goodness! How she talks on and on! She stifled another yawn, rubbing her eyes as she prepared her answer. Just what part of that hubble bubble was she meant to answer? Something about Uncle Denis, I think. Or was it about Aunt Corisande? Oh, dear, I fear that part of my brain has fallen asleep. Lucilla leaned forward, waving her hand in her face. Annis lightly slapped her sister’s hand away.

  “I have not suddenly become blind, Lucilla.”

  Shaking her head, Lucilla sat back. “Dear me, Annis. I have never known you to take so much time to answer a simple question. And why are you constantly yawning? Did you not get much sleep? I, on the other hand, feel quite refreshed! Although this air does seem different from the countryside. Seems more cloying almost, or perhaps I am imagining it.”

  At the rate her sister was talking, Annis would not get a word in. Not that I am particularly concerned. This journey had become far more tedious than what she had expected. I want to get off this carriage and onto a comfortable bed.

  “Oh, when shall we reach London?” Annis muttered.

  She had never been more welcoming of the fact that London lay a few miles ahead of them. I hope that Aunt Corisande will allow me to rest just a while before dinner. Annis needed a fully awake brain before she could take on the role of escort to her sister and shoved into balls and parties. She could already see that it would be a challenging position as her sister’s enthusiasm had increased tenfold, seldom leaving a moment’s peace. Annis could hardly keep up with her mumble jumble, and neither did she wish to.

  A few seconds ticked by before she realised that something was missing. Wait a moment, I do not hear her speaking. She glanced at her sister, seeing her watching the outside world. Annis looked up to the heavens, offering her thanks. Yes! She has grown silent at last. I had best catch my much needed forty winks before Lucilla realises that our carriage is quiet and thinks to fill it with chatter. Annis slid a little lower in her seat, adjusted the throw on her legs, and slightly turned her head to lean her cheek against the velvety upholstery. Oh, how heavenly. I shall never take my sleep for granted again.

  “Annis!” her sister shouted out.

  Annis came to with a jerk, looking wildly about the enclosed space. “What is it? What has happened?”

  Expecting their carriage to be overturned, or perhaps another carriage near them to have hit them, her brow creased when she could see nothing of the sort amiss. Has a wheel come off? No, they were still rolling along at the same speed, and everything seemed as it were before she had dozed off. Confused, Annis looked at her sister, seeing the young woman’s dancing eyes and a hand covering her mouth. Pursing her lips, Annis narrowed her eyes. My heart has nearly escaped my chest, but she appears to find something amusing about it all.

  “Lucilla, why did you call me like that? And pray, tell, what is so amusing?”

  Her sister lowered her hand, a wide grin on her face. “My, what a fright you look, Annis! I wish that you could see yourself!”

  At that, Lucilla burst out laughing, bending at the waist. Annis was not impressed, not at all.

  “How on earth do you expect me to react when you have screamed my name at the top of your lungs in such an enclosed space? Have you lost your mind?”

  Lucilla bit her lip, but it did not do much to stop the giggling. “I am sorry, Annis. I became so excited when I saw a board written London that I called your name for you to see it.”

  Annis took in a sharp breath, her body growing still. “London?”

  “Yes! I can hardly wait, Annis!”

  I certainly can. “All right, but do not call me in that manner again, particularly when I am asleep.”

  “Oh, I am sorry, Annis. I did not mean to frighten you, but you must admit that if you were to see yourself, you would also laugh.”

  “See myself?”

  “Your hair is sticking up because you slept near the open window; your cheeks are quite flushed, and I daresay that you drooled on the seat!”

  Annis quickly looked to where she had rested her head, seeing a tiny damp spot. Colouring, she attempted to smooth out her hair, not meeting her sister’s eyes.

  “How many miles until we reach London?”

  Lucilla was still smiling, but she was wise enough not to harp on about the drool.

  “I did not take notice, I was only interested in the fact that we were close to London.”

  Whether it was their nearness to the city or her annoyance at being awakened in such a disturbing fashion, Annis could not help the bite in her words.

  “So much drama for such a little thing! Do let me sleep, Lucilla, and when you venture to wake me up, do not scream my name. Better yet, do not attempt to wake me up; I shall do so myself when I feel the pace of the carriage slow down.”

  She turned away from her sister, shutting her eyes tightly, but she was unable to sleep. Unwanted memories were replaying in her head over and over again, building up the tension she felt within her. One particular thought had her reaching for her fingers to gnaw on her nails. What if I were to see him again?

  Annis climbed down from the carriage first, politely declining the footman’s assistance. She looked up at the townhouse, noticing the new paintwork. Other than that, everything looked much the same as her last visit here. Only, there was no excitement and joy, but dread and worry. Her sister came to stand beside her, oohing and aahing over the building.

  “Oh, isn’t it lovely?” Lucilla exclaimed.

  Lovely was not the word she would have used, but perhaps that was her jaded view due to her prior London influence. Their aunt and uncle’s townhouse sat nestled between two other houses that were positioned in the middle of a gently curving crescent. It’s long and narrow design was efficient, a must for a crowded city like London.

  The exterior boasted a smoothly finished, cream coloured stucco laid over the brick to hide its unattractiveness. The same was artfully lined to imitate the look of large marble blocks that the higher ranking nobility would likely have on their own buildings. There was clear uniformity with each house along the crescent, but this house sported a striking blue door, flower boxes along each window, and pilasters on either side of the entrance. In true fashion of her aunt and uncle’s hospitality, a sphinx motif sat beside the front door and a large pot of flowers on the opposite side. This was by far the most colourful townhouse, a testament to her aunt’s personality.

  Well, perhaps it is lovely, after all. Annis took a step forward, already imagining her aunt and uncle sitting in the backroom, sipping tea. From what she could remember, the room was treated as a personal parlour and book room and was not used for entertaining purposes. Thinking to take another step forward, she retreated when the front door was flung open, and a buxom woman of mature years flew towards them.

  “Oh, my darlings!” Aunt Corisande cried.

  Annis was enveloped in what she could only term a bear-ish embrace, her aunt’s ample bosom crushing her cheeks while rounded arms squeezed. Goodness! Death by embrace! Still, she smiled.

  “Aunt Corisande, you grow lovelier whenever I see you.”

  The woman pulled away, her hands still on Annis’ arms. “Oh, phooey! Look at you! What a masterpiece you are, Annis! I did not think that you could grow any more beautiful, my dear. And is this Lucilla?” she asked, looking behind Annis.

  “’Tis I, Aunt Corisande,” Lucilla said happily.

  “Come here, love, let me get a good look at you.” Aunt Corisande kept one hand on Annis and pulled Lucilla in for an embrace. “Oh, my dear, how happy I am that you are here. You and your sister both. The minute your mother sent me that letter, I have been in high hopes of seeing my beautiful nieces again. Tell me, dear, are you excited about your Season? Oh! Of course, you are! Come, come inside the both of you, I have much to tell you. Your uncle is most eager as well, you know, he ha
s not ceased to ask me what time you were to arrive.”

  Annis and her sister were bustled inside, their aunt close behind them. They bypassed the receiving room and went up a flight of stairs to where the entertaining rooms were kept. Three storeys made up the townhouse, and each floor had four rooms, not counting the ground floor that was used for the semi-detached kitchen at the back of the house, and receiving room out in the front solely for calling visitors before they were ushered upstairs to the next floor.

  “I see that you have made some changes, Aunt Corisande,” Annis commented. “I cannot see some of Uncle Denis’ prized paintings, but I do see a few new landscapes.”

  “How good of you to still remember our humble abode, dear. Your uncle has moved them to the book room to accommodate these new paintings. The artist is relatively unknown, but your uncle has taken a liking to him. You will find a few of the artist’s work in your room as well, dear. I have given you the room you had the last time, and Lucilla shall have the room beside you. I hope that you both shall like how I have decorated your rooms. ’Tis been too long since we have had young ones in our company.”

  Her aunt and uncle did not have any children of their own as they had married late. Aunt Corisande had been married once before to a Viscount and had even had a child. However, she lost both her husband and infant to a savage fever some years later. Uncle Denis had never married, living his life as a confirmed bachelor until he had fallen in love at the age of five and forty.

  Aunt Corisande had been forty then, living off the little bit of money her husband had provided for her in his will. However, most of his estate had fallen to the next heir, a distant relative who had mercilessly evicted Aunt Corisande out of the family home and likely onto the streets had it not been for the bit of money she had had.

  They soon entered the book room, a smile tugging at Annis’ lips when she saw her uncle’s grey head bowed over a large atlas, his looking glass in hand.

  “Denis, my love, do look and see who has come to bring life into this house.”

  Her uncle looked up, his mouth not moving, but his eyes lighting up when they fell on Annis.

  “Took you long enough, my dear.” His eyes moved to Lucilla. “How you have grown, Lucilla. I almost fell off my seat when your aunt informed me that you would be attending your first Season. It does not seem too long ago when you were a young girl running about the house with your governess chasing after you.”

  Lucilla laughed. “’Twas not me, Uncle, but Annis. She would always run away from her lessons!”

  His bushy eyebrows moved up. “Ah, so it was. Looking at her now, you would never think that such a serious young lady could have been as boisterous as she was. I would always tell your father that Annis should have been a son, her temperament was much like that of a boy.”

  “Oh, hush, Denis,” her aunt admonished. “Do not embarrass the girl with tales of her childhood. Come, dears, sit down. I’ll have a servant bring a fresh pot of tea and a bit of nuncheon. You are famished, yes? I daresay you would be after such a long ride. Speak with your uncle while I organise refreshments.”

  Aunt Corisande left the room, her dress flying behind her. She was quite graceful and light on her feet for a woman her size, both marks of a wonderful dancer which she was.

  “Do as your aunt said, and take a seat,” said her uncle. “You know that she will not stop fussing until you are off your feet with a cup in hand.”

  “Yes, of course, Uncle Denis,” Lucilla answered.

  Annis took the seat closest to him, startled when her uncle’s hand closed over her own, patting it in a fatherly manner.

  “’Tis all right, dear,” he said.

  Bringing her brows together, she thought to ask him what he meant, but her aunt chose that moment to return to the room. Uncle Denis removed his hand after one last pat, picking up his teacup as his wife plonked herself into her chair.

  “All sorted, my dears! Now, I wish to hear everything concerning your plans this Season. Do not leave a thing out!”

  Lucilla was only too happy to do so as the topic was seldom far from her lips. Annis was happier to fade into the background, only speaking when needed. She was content to sip on her tea, and let others do the talking, but she noticed that her uncle repeatedly sent worried looks her way. Was his concern for her? It would appear so. He must be thinking about the terrible outcome of my own Season. I hope he does not question me about it for I do not know if I shall be able to answer him.

  ***

  An hour or so later, Annis felt decidedly up to speed with the antics of the ton. They have most certainly been a busy lot! Perhaps Mother was right in her prediction. Judging by the many scandals retold by her aunt, it would seem that the focus of most would surely not be on Annis and her unfortunate past.

  “Annis,” her uncle called. “Come; let me show you a book that might interest you.”

  “A book, Uncle Denis? Have you purchased more for your collection? I remember that Aunt said that there was no more space to fit your books.”

  Her aunt must have overheard them because she leaned into the conversation, her eyebrows raised.

  “Yes, I did say that there would be no more space, but you know your uncle, dear. He is terribly bookish, just as you are, However, no one would think it by looking at you, you know. You are far too beautiful to be seen as bookish.” Her aunt turned to Lucilla. “Your sister was amongst the great beauties of her Season, if not the most beautiful. She was able to disarm the most uptight of men with a little laugh and had many suitors dangling after her. Of course, only one of those suitors would do for her, it was just rather unfortunate that it did not have the happy ending we had all hoped for.” Aunt Corisande grew quiet, looking into the distance while she shook her head. Eventually, she spoke. “Nothing happens without reason, you know. I have come to realise that. We endure many tragedies, but they never last, and you emerge stronger for them. You know, my mother always said that nothing for you will pass by you, and I stand by those words. Mark my words, dears, something good will come of this Season. Go, Denis, show Annis your book.”

  Her aunt shooed them away, turning her focus back on Lucilla with talk of being introduced at the Queen’s drawing-rooms, before doing a tour of London during their stay. Her uncle stood up, holding out his arm to her.

  “Come, dear,” he said. “It is near the far end of the room.”

  “Yes, Uncle.”

  She took his arm, letting him lead her to the far right end of the room. Lucilla sounded to be in enraptures as her voice had risen, filling the room with the cries of an overly excited female.

  “I cannot wait, Aunt Corisande!” she said. “Almack’s, you say? Oh, and how I shall love taking a leisurely stroll through Hyde Park!”

  I once enjoyed walking through Hyde Park, witnessing the fireworks of Vauxhall Gardens, attending the Drury Lane Theatre, and walking through Bond Street to use my nip money. I shall have to do it all over again, but with none of the happiness I had before. However, I shall not spoil Lucilla’s wonder, I shall let her have the opportunity to experience all the good that London has to offer, and hopefully avoid the bad.

  Annis and her uncle came to a table laden with books, and an equally filled shelf that definitely could not take another book. It certainly is fuller than my last stay.

  “How are you, Annis?” her uncle asked.

  Considering the fact that the niceties had already been done with, Annis knew that he was not asking after her health. This is the very thing I did not wish to discuss.

  “Well, Uncle. Lucilla is bursting with unconstrained joy, and I am happy for her.”

  He shook his head, smiling. “No dear, you know that is not what I am asking of you. I wish to know how you feel about escorting your sister. Will you be able to take on this role after all that has happened?”