Sara remained silent as her uncle’s quite reasonable words sunk in. Could it be that simple? If Alexander agreed to marry her knowing she hadn’t a penny to her name, her parents couldn’t object to him. And of course he would still want to marry her!
“But I’ve already written to him, asking him to come to London.”
“Then send him another letter, informing him of your parents’ plans to disinherit you. Let’s see if he still comes for you.”
“Oh, he’ll come for me. He loves me, not my money. He’s a lawyer and will be successful in his own right one day. He told me so.”
“Then you have nothing to worry about,” he said with ease.
“And when he comes to London, you’ll help me explain to my parents? You’ll be on my side, Uncle Jeffrey?” she pleaded with him.
“Of course, I will. As long as I see that he is a man of character and worthy of a wonderful woman such as yourself, you have my word.”
Flooded with relief by his rational solution to this silent stalemate with her parents, Sara was about to question what he meant by “man of character” when he continued speaking.
“In the meantime, while you’re waiting for him to arrive, you may as well enjoy yourself in London.” He grinned mischievously.
“What do you mean?” she asked, a bit puzzled by his remark.
“My dear girl, no one in London knows that you are a wealthy heiress. So why not have some fun while you’re here?”
“Uncle Jeffrey!” Sara was a little shocked at his suggestion.
“Meet some young men and see what it’s like to live life unburdened by a fortune. You will certainly see who your friends are. You can be plain Miss Sara Fleming, our poor little American cousin.” He paused for a second. “Can I tell you a secret?”
She nodded almost breathlessly, this conversation with her uncle becoming more fascinating by the minute.
“Before I was the Duke of Rathmore, I was believed to be his illegitimate son.”
Sara gasped. Boots opened sleepy eyes and glared at her for startling him awake. She continued to pet him.
“It’s true. Most people wanted nothing to do with me. They turned up their noses at me. Boys taunted and made fun of me at school, calling me all sorts of sordid names and generally making my life miserable, as young boys are wont to do. That’s when I met your uncle Lucien and he became my friend, in spite of my circumstances.”
Sara hated to think of her handsome uncle as a little boy, being teased and cast out by everyone. It was difficult to get her head around it, especially imagining Uncle Lucien and Uncle Jeffrey as young boys.
“When I was older, there were no women trying to snare me into matrimony, because I had no prospects. And that is exactly why I loved all your aunts so much. They didn’t care that I was illegitimate. Those sweet, wonderful Hamilton sisters accepted me as I was and loved me for my charming self and made me feel as a part of their family when they had nothing to gain by associating with the likes of me. When it was discovered that I was not illegitimate after all and stood to inherit my father’s dukedom . . .” He paused for dramatic effect. “Well, you can only imagine how my drastic change in circumstance altered my social standing.”
“Why, Uncle Jeffrey! I hadn’t the faintest idea about any of this!” Sara was stunned. How had her mother and father never told her this story about Aunt Yvette’s husband?
“Of course you didn’t know. But the reason why I’m telling you all of this is so you will look at your time here in London as a little gift. No one will suspect that you are an heiress and you can discover that you are liked for yourself and not your money.”
Mulling over his plan, she had to admit it had its merits. Everyone in New York society knew her father had millions and that she was the sole heir to the Fleming fortune. She had always been popular and sought after, but within the wealthy circle of her friends, they were no different from her. She had taken her position in life for granted. Now she wondered if all the gentlemen she’d ever met looked at her and merely saw dollar signs. She supposed some of them had. Thinking on it now, it would be fun to learn how she would be received if people thought she had nothing to offer in the way of a dowry.
“But Uncle Jeffrey,” she pointed out. “I was with Phillip and Simon two nights ago at Lady Abbott’s ball and was introduced to dozens of people. Surely they already know about my fortune?”
“Oh, I can easily squelch any of those rumors and start different ones. As the Duke of Rathmore I can casually mention to the right people that at one time your father had money, but through mismanagement or bad investments, he lost it all quite recently. I can even add that you’re in rather desperate straits and are seeking a rich husband!”
Sara laughed aloud. “Uncle Jeffrey, you’re terrible!” But he was wonderful, really. Talking to him made her feel hopeful about everything again. It was all going to work out perfectly. She would prove to her parents that Alexander Drake loved her for herself and not her money.
“What do you say, Sara?” he asked, with a wicked grin. “Are you game?”
“Oh, yes!” she said, nodding and thinking it might be fun. She always enjoyed parties and social gatherings, and she had nothing else to do while she waited for Alexander to arrive. Suddenly the image of Christopher Townsend flashed into her mind.
Why had she confided in him the other night? It was rather reckless of her to tell him about Alexander, but there was something about Lord Bridgeton. He had sought to comfort her. For some inexplicable reason, she felt she could trust him, almost as if he was a kindred spirit. He understood what she was feeling, because he felt the same way. She wondered what it was that worried him, for something clearly troubled him as well. The allusion he made to them possessing only outward happiness struck her deeply.
The drawing room door opened and Captain Harrison Fleming strode in, causing Boots to suddenly jump from her lap and race across the room, yipping in indignation at being disturbed.
“Hello, Papa.” Rising from her seat, Sara went to give Uncle Jeffrey a hug. “Thank you for everything,” she whispered to him.
“My pleasure,” Jeffrey said, pinching her cheek. Then he turned to one of his oldest friends. “Harrison has appeared so it must be time for supper.”
“Juliette and I just arrived and she’s chatting with Yvette now. What, may I ask, is this?” Sara’s father glared at the little dog that wagged its tiny tail excitedly at his feet.
Sara exchanged a mischievous glance with Uncle Jeffrey. “Oh, that’s Boots,” she said with a casual tone, then added, “Papa, Uncle Jeffrey just made you a pauper.”
Harrison look confused while trying not to step on the excited puppy. “What on earth are you talking about? And when did you acquire a dog?”
“Just today,” Sara answered, feeling somewhat amused that for once she had the upper hand over her father. “Papa, Uncle Jeffrey and I decided that while I’m in London, it might be best to keep the fact of your millions a secret.”
Nodding in agreement, Harrison lifted Boots from the floor and held the squirming little puppy in one hand. “I think I see the wisdom in that. You’ll brook no argument from me.”
Sara smiled and Jeffrey gave her a quick wink. She felt as if they were coconspirators and it felt good to have someone on her side. An ally, so to speak.
“Why in blazes do you have this drowned rat of a dog, Eddington?” Harrison questioned, clearly puzzled by the tiny ball of fur. “You can’t even really call this a proper dog.” Boots licked his face and her father laughed.
“Boots is my dog, Father,” Sara stated with a satisfied smile. “Uncle Jeffrey just gave him to me.”
“Uncle Jeffrey just gave him to you . . . ?” Harrison echoed in disbelief. Slowly he turned to Jeffrey. “Juliette will lose her mind.”
“Oh, I know!” Jeffrey laughed with glee. “I’m counting on it!”
7
Currents
The little silver bells over the door of the H
amilton Sisters’ Book Shoppe jingled as Sara Fleming entered. She beamed with pride as she glanced around the beautiful bookstore her mother and her aunts owned. Clean, airy, and filled with light, the artfully arranged shelves of books were the shop’s signature selling points. Most bookshops were dark and dusty places, but not Hamilton’s. Attractive and comfortable seating areas invited shoppers to peruse books at their leisure. The bookstore was adorned with gorgeous paintings and even boasted a light refreshment area, where fragrant teas and freshly baked scones and tiny cakes were served.
Sara could still recall the day this particular shop opened. She and her parents had just arrived from New York for the grand opening and she was so happy to be off the ship and excited to play with Phillip and Simon. She was about four years old at the time and the brand-new store was a magical place to her. It was also the day she first met Mara. Yes, this shop held fond memories, indeed.
Striding with purpose, Sara held Boots carefully in her arms, as the tiny puppy looked about with inquisitive eyes. She had promised to meet Mara and Aunt Paulette here today and to help out in the shop for a while. Apparently, it was considered enriching for her to become familiar with the family business. So to please her parents and play the obedient daughter, she agreed to spend the afternoon with Aunt Paulette and learn how the bookshop was run.
One of the women who worked in the shop, wearing the signature dark green Hamilton apron, smiled and told her that her aunt was waiting for her upstairs. It was one of the things that made Hamilton’s so special. Her aunts only hired women to work in the shop. Sara made her way toward the staircase that led to the private offices on the second story.
“Oh, you have a puppy!” Mara exclaimed with delight as she descended the steps just as Sara was about to go up.
“Isn’t he darling?” Sara cried, feeling more than a bit proud of her adorable pet. She had grown inordinately fond of him in a short amount of time. “He’s the sweetest thing and so good too. Uncle Jeffrey just gave him to me yesterday!”
“He is just the sweetest little thing I’ve ever seen!” Mara eagerly took the small puppy into her arms, while he happily licked her face. “What do you call him?”
“Vivienne named him Boots and—” Sara stopped, surprised by the sight in front of her. Then she couldn’t help but smile. “Oh, good afternoon, Lord Bridgeton!”
She’d forgotten how tall the man was. He looked quite handsome in his dress coat, and his top hat made him appear even taller. He seemed genuinely pleased to see her as well. Sara was suddenly glad she was wearing her favorite periwinkle blue-and-white striped walking dress, which she knew favored her eyes and showed off her slim waist. On her head was a darling periwinkle bonnet with white ribbons.
“Good afternoon, Miss Fleming. Lady Mara.” Christopher Townsend grinned happily at them. “It’s wonderful to see you both. Please let me introduce you to my two sisters, Lady Evelyn Townsend and Lady Gwyneth Townsend.”
It was then that Sara noticed the two young women standing with him. Lord Bridgeton had sisters. That was quite interesting.
Both girls seemed very quiet, not very fashionable, and definitely younger than Sara was. The older one looked rather pale and nervous and the younger sister, who had to be about fourteen or fifteen, appeared a little overwhelmed by the entire situation. Yet the family resemblance was clear, the dark hair and fair skin. However, there was something fragile and a bit sad about them, but Sara couldn’t pinpoint what it was.
As greetings were exchanged and more exclamations were made over the cuteness of her little dog by the Townsend girls, Sara was unable to keep her gaze from drifting back to Lord Bridgeton. He really was quite handsome.
“My sisters are visiting London for a few days and I thought they would enjoy some new books,” he explained.
“Well, you have definitely brought your sisters to the proper place to remedy that,” Sara said brightly. She then turned her attention to the girls. Something about them made her feel a little protective of them. “Lady Evelyn and Lady Gwyneth, it’s so wonderful to meet you both. I’m sure we can find books to suit you with no trouble at all.”
“Thank you. You’re very kind, Miss Fleming. This bookshop is so lovely,” Lady Evelyn murmured softly.
“I’d be happy to show you around,” Mara offered, taking the lead in the situation. She had spent more time in the bookshop than Sara ever had and therefore was more familiar with where everything was. “Do you mind if I take your sisters with me, Lord Bridgeton?” she asked.
“They’d be delighted to go with you, Lady Mara,” he responded, with a nod of approval to his sisters.
Mara guided the two girls to the fiction area, leaving Sara alone with Christopher Townsend near the staircase.
“Well, this is a most pleasant surprise,” Lord Bridgeton said. “I wasn’t expecting to see you here this afternoon, Miss Fleming.”
“Well, I wasn’t expecting you either, Lord Bridgeton,” Sara added.
“You look much happier today,” he observed with a wink of his eye.
“As do you, Lord Bridgeton,” she replied, flashing a smile.
“Is it because you’ve gained a new friend?” he asked. Lord Bridgeton eyed Boots with amusement as the puppy recovered from the excitement of being fawned over by the girls and lay contentedly in Sara’s arms.
“It is very likely that this little fellow has raised my spirits, but it also has to do with a new outlook on things. How about you?” she asked. “Are you faring better?”
He slowly nodded his head, but he did not reply.
She looked at him with skepticism. “That doesn’t seem very convincing.”
“Doesn’t it?” he replied, attempting to sound innocent.
“Not in the least, Lord Bridgeton. Have you tried looking at your situation, whatever it may be, with a new perspective?” she suggested. Her talk with Uncle Jeffrey yesterday had considerably brightened her mood. “I’ve discovered that doing so helps tremendously.”
“Not yet, but under your recommendation, I shall try.”
“It will help. Trust me,” she assured him with a smile. “Your sisters seem lovely,” Sara added, her eyes drifting to where they followed Mara.
She wanted to ask what saddened the girls, for clearly something did, and wondered if it had to do with the same issue that troubled Lord Bridgeton. Was the entire family feeling the weight of some terrible burden?
His eyes darkened somewhat and it seemed as if a shadow passed over his face. “They are lovely girls. But they’ve been very sheltered at Bridgeton Hall and haven’t been to London since they were little girls. I thought it would be nice to show them a bit of the city. They both enjoy reading quite a lot, so when I saw the bookshop, I recalled that Phillip and Simon had mentioned to me that their mother owned this store, and I decided to stop by.”
“Well, they shall certainly find plenty to read in here. My cousin will take good care of them.” Sara paused and glanced up at him, holding his gaze. “You’re rather a wonderful brother to take such an interest in your younger sisters. I always wished I had a brother or a sister.”
“Yes, a brother would have been nice to have as well,” he quipped.
“I think that’s why I adore my cousins so much. They’re the closest I’ve got to having siblings of my own.” Sara slowly rocked the puppy in her arms as if she held a sleeping baby.
“From what I’ve seen you all have a remarkably close relationship.”
“We do. I admit that I still feel a bit of the outsider, since I’m the American and I don’t see the others as often. But I do love them and they all make me feel included when I’m here. It’s also nice that they make a fuss over me when I arrive.”
“You like the special attention?” He looked as if he were highly amused.
“I do. Quite a lot,” she confessed.
“You see, that is where we differ, Miss Fleming. I don’t usually like being made a fuss over.”
Sara scoffed at him. “Oh
, I doubt that very much, Lord Bridgeton. You’re a member of the nobility. A handsome and eligible earl. You wouldn’t know what to do with yourself if a fuss wasn’t made over you.”
“Yes, I can see your point,” he acknowledged. “But simply because others choose to pay attention to me because I’m an earl, it doesn’t mean that I enjoy it.”
She eyed him skeptically. “I’m not sure I believe that. After all, you’re a man. All men love attention being paid to them.”
He arched a brow. “So do women. And I find that to be true for them much more so than men.”
Lord Bridgeton, she was beginning to discover, had a quick wit about him. She liked that in a man. “Perhaps . . . I suppose it depends on the kind of attention one gets. For instance, my cousin Mara detests being the center of attention.”
“As do I,” he admitted once more.
“I simply adore it!”
“So I’ve been told.”
They both laughed that their conversation ended up where they began.
“You know, it’s interesting to me that you and Lady Mara seem so close,” he said. “From what I can see, you both have opposite personalities. She is quiet and reserved, and you are . . .”
“And I am . . . ?” Sara prompted him, curious to know what he thought of her.
“You are fishing for compliments.”
Sara sighed in defeat. “I’m afraid you see me too clearly, Lord Bridgeton.”
“I don’t know if that’s a good thing for me or not.” His laughter was rich. “So tell me, Miss Fleming, will I be seeing you at the ball tomorrow evening?”
Sara nodded. “Yes, I believe that Phillip mentioned something about it this morning at breakfast. Lady Wickham’s, was it? Apparently, Phillip is in charge of my social calendar now.”
“Knowing Waverly, I’m sure he is.” He paused before asking, “Perhaps you could save a dance for me?”
She gave him her most flirtatious smile. “I might be able to arrange something for you.”
He looked at her very intently before saying, “Miss Fleming, I can only imagine there was a long line of men dying of love for you when you left New York.”
The Heiress He's Been Waiting For Page 7
