A Bluestocking for a Baron : Book 3: Rose: Clean Regency Romance (A Duke's Daughters - The Elbury Bouquet)

by Arietta Richmond

  He took her hand, and Rose gripped his fingers tightly, reliving the fearful moments in the ice house, when she had known that falling was inevitable.

  “You are safe now. The weakness, and the sleepiness was, I suspect, as much a result of the ether as of the cold, for I believe that he used far too much ether… I feared that you might not wake, for a short while there. It made me realise what I should have done, back in London. Lady Rose, will you marry me?”

  Rose felt her heart expand with joy.

  “Yes. Yes. I will marry you. I have hoped to hear those words for so long now… but… how long did I sleep? How did you find me? What has happened since? I want to rush downstairs and share our joyful news, but I suspect that my legs would fail me. Tell me what happened, and with a little time, and the tea and cakes,” she smiled as the door opened, and Millie rushed in, followed by a maid bearing an enormous tray, “I will gather my strength to rise and go downstairs. Millie, please set out some clothes for me, and I will call you when I am ready to dress.”

  As she spoke, she realised that here she was, alone in her bedchamber with a gentleman, whilst she was clad only in a nightrail. Her cheeks heated. Then she pushed that thought aside. She didn’t care one whit about propriety, she only cared that she was here, and that Lord Wrenton had asked her to marry him!

  Chapter Fifteen

  “And that is how we trapped him. He is, even now, on his way to the nearest port, under the guard of four of my strongest men. They will put him aboard a ship, hand him the money that I have paid for his business, and make sure that the ship’s captain has been paid well enough to ensure that the first place Farquhar leaves the ship is the Americas. A far tidier solution than putting him before the magistrates, and dealing with all of the associated process. And better for his family – he has a sister, happily married – I made sure that he sent her a letter, explaining that he had sold the business, and gone to try his luck in the Americas. There will be no scandal, my business has been expanded, and he is gone, so that he cannot threaten you, or anyone else, again.”

  Rose swallowed the last of the cake, and took a sip of her tea, astounded at how much had happened whilst she had been trapped in the ice house, and then asleep, recovering. So much drama, all for the hope of commercial gain from research. It seemed amazing, the lengths to which Farquhar had gone.

  “I am shocked by how much happened, whilst I was insensible! And I am beyond grateful that you worked out where he had hidden me. When I woke in the darkness, I feared…”

  “When I found your crushed bonnet in the snow, I too feared… but that is behind us now. We have the rest of our lives to care for each other.”

  Rose set her tea cup down, smiling.

  “We do – and now I must ask you to step out of the room for a little, so that Millie might dress me. Then we can go down, and tell everyone our news.”

  He lifted her hand, and brought it to his lips, turning it over and pressing a lingering kiss to her palm. Rose shivered with the pleasure of the sensation. He smiled at her, then released her hand and stood, bowing.

  “As you wish, my Lady.”

  He left the room, and Rose called for Millie, who rushed in from the dressing room, fussing about Rose as she pushed cautiously to her feet. She felt a little unsteady, but not drastically so.

  “Now, stop fussing Millie – let us get me dressed. Lord Wrenton has asked me to marry him, and I have said yes – we must go down and tell everyone the news.”

  “Oh, my Lady! That is wonderful! I am glad that I laid out one of your prettiest dresses.”

  By the time she was dressed, and her hair brushed and piled up on her head, Rose felt almost normal. The unsteadiness had eased, the more she moved about, although she suspected that she would ache in odd places for some days yet.

  She went to the door, and opened it, to find Lord Wrenton waiting outside, leaning casually against the wall. He looked so handsome that she could barely believe that he would be hers. He turned to her, and held out his hand, his face lit with a devastating smile.

  “Shall we go and tell them all now?”

  She placed her hand in his, and they turned towards the stairs.

  “Yes. Are you quite prepared for the chaos that will result? My family can be rather overwhelming when being enthusiastic about something… and Mother will instantly start planning the wedding…”

  “I believe that I can deal with their enthusiasm. In truth, nothing matters but the fact that I love you, and that you love me, that we will spend the rest of our lives together. After what you have endured the past few days, surely I can manage to endure something so mild as enthusiasm….”

  “I am not sure that I would call my family’s enthusiasm mild… but we shall see.”

  They reached the bottom of the stairs, and turned towards the parlour. For all the lightness of her words, Rose found herself suddenly filled with nervousness. How would they all react? Would they be as happy as she was? And then it came to her… she had met Hyacinth’s challenge, all without quite intending to. The six months was not yet past, for Christmastide was two days hence, and the end of Hyacinth and Kevin’s mourning three weeks past that, yet here she was, betrothed, against all her expectations, and to a man she genuinely adored. Now, she could tease Thorne.

  A footman opened the parlour door, and they paused on the threshold – the scene within was almost an echo of that day in the parlour at Elbury House, when Hyacinth’s challenge had been issued – well, with the addition of Charles and Maria, the Dowager Lady Chester, and Mr Shoreham, Lord Wrenton’s brother. All eyes turned to them, and Rose felt a flush rise in her cheeks. Lord Wrenton led her forward, and stopped, a short distance into the room.

  “If I might have your attention…” He paused, and she wondered if he felt nervous too. Then he smiled, and went on, his voice clear and ringing in the silence of the room. “Lady Rose has just done me the honour of agreeing to become my wife. I ask that you all join us in celebrating.”

  If he had intended to say more, that chance was taken from him, as voices erupted into congratulations, and discussion. Rose managed to find a way through her family, and dropped onto a couch, Lord Wrenton beside her. Her parents settled back onto the couch opposite them, and her mother fixed her with a considering gaze.

  “Rose dear, this means that we must begin planning immediately.” Her focus shifted to Lord Wrenton. “My Lord, do you have anything specific in mind for the wedding?”

  Rose watched his face, and almost laughed – she could tell that he was contemplating just how much licence to grant to the Duchess, and what he might be required to deal with, as a result. After a moment he tightened his fingers on her hand, and spoke.

  “Beyond that it occur here, nothing, Your Grace.”

  What could only be described as glee lit her mother’s face.

  “Excellent – that will make things easier. I will begin planning at once!”

  Outside, the last of the day’s light faded from the sky as they spoke, and sipped at the wine which the Duke had sent for, in celebration. When dinner was called, Rose found that she actually had an appetite, and gladly went, with everyone else, towards the dining room. As she reached the door of the parlour, she found herself next to Hyacinth. Softly, she tapped her sister’s arm. Hyacinth turned to her, eyebrow raised in query.

  “Challenge met, sister.”

  “Indeed – I never doubted you!”

  Beside her, Lord Wrenton looked somewhat confused by this exchange, and Rose promised herself that she would explain it to him at the earliest opportunity. They stepped into the hall and nothing more was said until they were all seated at the dinner table. Thorne was placed directly opposite Rose, and she smiled at her brother, filled with joy. Next to him, Hyacinth accepted a plate from the footman serving, then turned her eyes to her brother.

  “So, Thorne, Rose has met my challenge. What will you do?”

  Mischief sparked within Rose and she smiled her sweetest smile
at Thorne before speaking.

  “What will he do? Why I do believe that it would be reasonable of me to expect that he never tease me again.”

  “Never! That was not part of the agreement! How can you ask such a thing…?”

  Rose fixed him with an expression which she hoped was an echo of her father at his sternest.

  “I can ask it because I do believe that you were foolish enough not to even consider that I might meet the challenge, and hence set no condition on what you would do if I did. So… that should give me the right to decide for you…”

  Hyacinth gave a snort of laughter at Rose’s words, and Thorne glanced at her, doing his best to look mortally offended. Hyacinth shook her head.

  “Rose is right, brother dear, you let that completely slip by you. But still, now that Rose will be married, even if you cannot tease her, you can always turn your teasing to Camellia… for you have agreed to nothing there.”

  A short way down the table, Camellia turned towards them, upon hearing her name.

  “Hyacinth! Don’t encourage him!”

  “Too late, sister. Now that Hyacinth has pointed it out, I realise that I must turn my… encouraging words… towards you. Because you will be, within a few short weeks, officially the bearer of the crown of ‘spinster of the family’.”

  Camellia glared at him, shaking her head, but said nothing more. Rose thought that wise of her – anything she might have said would simply have encouraged Thorne to more teasing. Beside Rose, Lord Wrenton… Evan… she savoured the thought of using his given name… looked at her with a question clear in his expression. Rose leant against him, and spoke softly into his ear.

  “I will explain it all later. My family are… interesting…”

  He gave a small nod, and they all turned their attention to the food, allowing the conversation to lapse.

  Epilogue

  Christmas Day was peaceful, spent in good company and with good food and drink. Rose went out with Lord Wrenton, and his brother, to deliver gifts of food to all of his tenant farmers, who greeted her most warmly when informed that she was his betrothed.

  It was so very different in some ways, from all her previous Christmases, and yet it was imbued with the same sense of joy. That day, in the small church in the village closest to Wrenton Hall, the banns were read for the first time. Hearing it spoken before the congregation made it seem more real somehow – more a promise of a happy future, after the nightmare of the last week.

  Rose doubted that she would be comfortable going into the ice house for some time – but she was determined to do so, with Evan at her side. She would not allow one man’s mad schemes to taint her view of it for life. There was too much fascinating research to continue, too much possibility in Evan’s business, for her to allow Farquhar’s actions to stop her.

  But dealing with those fears could wait. Christmas was for simply being happy, and the next few weeks for planning. Her mother had informed her that there would be a trip back to London, to have a suitable wedding dress made, and to arrange everything with the people closest to them there.

  Rose did not wish to be away from Evan, but he had kissed her, and assured her that he could bear a few weeks apart, if it was in aid of getting to spend the rest of his life with her. Put that way, she could do nothing but agree.

  <<<>>>

  The weeks passed in a blur of activity, and Rose could hardly countenance the fact that her wedding day had arrived. They had stayed the night before at Chester Park, and now, as the sun lifted above the horizon, the carriage bore her towards her future. They passed the turn for Wrenton Hall itself, then swung into the side road which led to the village.

  The space outside the small church was crowded with carriages, and the morning sun drew soft pink hues from the weathered stone of the steeple as she stepped down from the carriage. Matting had been laid across the mushy snow from where the carriage stopped, all the way to the church door. Her father led her across it, and her mind filled with happiness.

  Soon, she would be Evan’s wife. Soon her life would be utterly changed. She could hardly wait.

  They reached the door, and she paused in the entry, looking at the scene inside. At that very moment, the sun rose high enough to cast its light past the trees, and to shine through the round stained-glass window above the church door.

  The resulting beam of multicoloured light cast a rainbow pool about Evan, where he waited for her, as if God was reminding her why she was there. Her eyes met his, and she moved again, down between those gathered to see her wed, until she stepped into that magical light, to stand beside the man she loved.

  Her father slipped away to the side, and the Vicar began to speak. She barely heard the words – all she was truly aware of as the man at her side. Still, she managed to speak when required, and to say the correct words, until it was done, and they were solemnly declared man and wife.

  They went out into the light, the world sparkling brightly as the sun caught glittering notes from the snow and the ice on the trees, and she lifted her face to the sky, smiling, her hand held tight in Evan’s. The day could not have been more beautiful.

  People surrounded them, wishing them well, and it took the efforts of all of her family to clear them a path to the carriage which would take them to Wrenton Hall for the wedding breakfast. Rose smiled again, seeing Hyacinth wearing a spectacular sapphire blue dress – it looked so much more like her sister than the woman in mourning colours had these last six months.

  She stepped up into the carriage with a sigh, glad to be away from the press of people, and alone with Evan. For the next few hours, she would have to deal with people again, for the wedding breakfast would likely last all day, but for this interlude, they were alone.

  The carriage door shut, and as they moved off, Evan pulled her into his arms, bringing his lips to hers.

  She melted against him, returning the kiss with passion equal to his, allowing herself to explore the shape of him with her hands, as his explored her. Heat filled her, to her very core, and she forgot everything but sensation, everything but the delight of being held, and kissed. After some time, they drew apart a little, and she felt that separation acutely.

  He pressed another gentle kiss to her forehead.

  “Darling Rose, there will be time enough for us to explore each other tonight. I fear that if we continue now, I will not wish to stop – and we have guests to deal with.”

  “We do. Much as I love my family, and those we have invited, part of me wishes that we could simply leave them to the food and drink, and sneak away…”

  “I am inclined to agree – but… where would we hide – Wrenton Hall is not exactly full of hiding places…”

  Rose drew back further, and fixed him with a firm gaze.

  “Wherever we might hide, if we do, the one place that it will, most definitely NOT be, is the ice house….”

  The End

  I hope that you enjoyed

  ‘A Bluestocking for a Baron’

  You’ll find a preview of the next book in the series

  ‘A Diamond for a Duke’

  Just after the ‘About the Author’ section

  About the Author

  Arietta Richmond has been a compulsive reader and writer all her life. Whilst her reading has covered an enormous range of topics, history has always fascinated her, and historical novels have been amongst her favourite reading.

  She has written a wide range of work, from business articles and other non-fiction works (published under a pen name) but fiction has always been a major part of her life. Now, her Regency Historical Romance books are finally being released. The Derbyshire Set is comprised of 11 novels (9 released so far). The ‘His Majesty’s Hounds’ series is comprised of 17 novels, with the seventeenth having recently been released.

  She also has a standalone longer novel shortly to be released, and two other series of novels in development.

  She lives in Australia, and when not reading or writing, likes
to travel, and to see in person the places where history happened.

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  ‘A Gift of Love’, which is a prequel to the Derbyshire Set series, and ends on the day that ‘The Earl’s Unexpected Bride’ begins, and ‘Madame’s Christmas Marquis’ which is an additional story in the His Majesty’s Hounds series

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  Here is your preview of

  A Diamond for a Duke

  A Duke’s Daughters –

  The Elbury Bouquet - Book 4

  Clean Regency Romance

  Arietta Richmond

  Chapter One

  “Your Grace.”

  “Curse you! How many times, Dobson, have I told you never to interrupt my practice?”

  Damien Falton, Duke of Blackwater, spun to a halt in the middle of the bare floor, the swords casting sharp lines of reflected light about the room as they dropped to his side. His butler took a steadying breath, then replied.

  “Many times, Your Grace, but… I have been standing here, hoping that you might pause, for nigh on half an hour…”

  Damien sighed, then turned, walked to the side wall, and carefully replaced the swords on their appointed racks. He supposed the man had a point, no matter how annoying the interruption was.

  “And? What matter is so important that you’ve stood there waiting, rather than just going about your business, and coming back in a few hours’ time?”

  “There is a gentleman here, Your Grace. A Mr Swithin. He insisted on waiting. He is a man of business, I believe.”