Papa’s Joy: Little Ladies of Talcott House, Book 3

by Lyndon, Sue

  “Yes, I am,” he said after a pause. He smiled ruefully. “That is the first time I have ever acknowledged her as my child.” The drink seemed to revive his lordship and suddenly he stood. “She is alive you say? And you have married her?”

  “That is correct.” Edward stood as well.

  “I must go to her.” He charged toward the door at an ungentlemanly pace and suddenly halted when he reached the hall. “Will she see me? After all that has transpired?” He stared into Edward’s face and for the first time ever, Edward saw genuine fear in Lord Hamilton.

  Edward clapped him on the back. “Yes, she is most eager to see you.”

  * * *

  Daisy peeked through the curtains of the drawing room for what was probably the one hundredth time since Papa’s departure. He had insisted it was the proper thing to do and she had reluctantly agreed. Daisy had never been one to let a sleeping dog lie, but in this instance, where her past would be brought front and center and her suspicions about her parentage would be either confirmed or denied, she had a hard time believing it would not have been better to leave well enough alone.

  But she had vowed never to have secrets. Though the vow had been to Papa, she had determined not to live a lie any longer. No more hiding. With Papa by her side, she could face anything. Even Lady Hamilton.

  Mrs. Daniels came in to ask a question and when Daisy looked up after the housekeeper left the room, there he was. Her father, Lord Hamilton. She had envisioned this moment countless times over the years, but now that it was upon her, she could only stare. Lord Hamilton had aged since she last saw him. Worry lines etched his face, but his eyes held the same kind gaze she remembered. She could not control the smile that burst across her face and she stepped toward him.

  Apparently that was all the encouragement he needed as he crossed the room and engulfed her in an embrace filled with love and sadness and regret. All the emotions they had both experienced during their separation. She looked past Lord Hamilton’s shoulder to her husband and reached her hand out to him.

  Her heart was full. Her life complete.

  ~THE END~

  Also available:

  Papa’s Rules (Little Ladies of Talcott House, Book 1)

  Every girl needs a papa.

  Orphaned and living on the streets of London, life held little hope for Cammie. That is, until Miss Wickersham took her to Talcott House, where the unfortunate are given everything they need...and then some...to become proper little ladies for the papas selected for them by Miss Wickersham.

  Ever since her arrival at Talcott House, Cammie has dreamed of the day she would belong to a papa of her very own. A husband to love and protect her for the rest of her days.

  Lord Alexander Cavendish has longed for a little girl to spoil and cherish. When Miss Wickersham introduces him to nineteen-year-old Cammie, it's love at first sight. However, he is not one to spare the rod and when Cammie disobeys, he does not hesitate to bare her bottom and impose proper punishment.

  In Papa's arms...and bed...Cammie finally experiences the love and safety she has craved. And when Papa takes his bride over his knee for well-deserved discipline, Cammie's body responds in a most unladylike manner.

  Despite his words of devotion, Cammie wonders if a high-born man such as Lord Cavendish can truly be happy with a girl from the streets.

  In order to secure his love, she is determined to follow Papa's Rules.

  Publisher's Note: Papa's Rules is the first book in the Little Ladies of Talcott House series, however like all the books in this series, it can be enjoyed as a standalone title. This historical age play romance novel includes spankings, sexual scenes, and other delightful naughtiness. If such material offends you, please don't buy this book.

  Papa’s Rules is available on Amazon – click here!

  Excerpt from Papa’s Rules (Little Ladies of Talcott House, Book 1):

  “Cammie,” Lord Cavendish said, turning toward her, his face quite serious, “I am glad we have some time alone to talk before we get married. There are some important matters for us to discuss.”

  “Oh?” was all Cammie could come up with to say. What more could there be? Had not he and Miss Wickersham already covered all of the details? Surely if they had unfinished business, her teacher wouldn’t have departed to collect the vicar.

  “As your papa, I have certain expectations.” His deep tone was mostly kind, but held a hint of scolding that had her lady bits tingling and heating.

  “Yes,” Cammie said, a blush covering her face. “Nurse Lister explained to me about...about...how babies are made.” Her voice trailed off into a nearly imperceptible whisper as she finished her sentence, such an embarrassing topic for their first private conversation.

  Lord Cavendish chuckled and some of the seriousness left his face. “I am happy to hear that, Cammie. I ought to have been more clear in what I was saying.” He cleared his throat. “Let me start again. I expect obedience in all things, and that includes my wife.” His gaze held Cammie’s and she felt her heart drop to her toes. “Do you understand?”

  “I-I believe so, sir.”

  “I also expect honesty and truthfulness, and you can rely on me to give the same in return.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “I also believe in punishing those who disobey me.”

  Cammie sat up straighter and felt the muscles of her bottom clench up. “Punish?”

  “Yes, I expect obedience from you and if it is not given, there will be punishment. I want you to understand all of this before we agree to be married. If it is not acceptable to you, or you are unwilling to trust me to provide guidance and discipline when needed, then I believe, much as I hate to say it, it would be best for us to part ways.”

  Cammie gasped and stared at him. His face was no longer stern, but seemed to have a cast of sadness about it, the same sadness she felt at the prospect of losing him as her papa.

  “No,” she said. “I do not want us to part ways. I-I understand your expectations and I agree. I need a papa who will take good care of me and make sure I behave properly. I...” she trailed off and stared at her hands again before looking him directly in the eye and saying, “I want you to be my papa, and I want to be your bride, more than I have ever wanted anything in my whole life.”

  She held her breath, feeling as though her entire world might come crashing down in an instant depending on how he responded. Her vision clouded and her eyes burned, and she blinked hard a few times in an effort to keep herself from crying. The prospect of having to return to Talcott House and never again see the very man she’d believed would be her forever papa filled her with so much sadness, it took all her willpower to keep from bursting into tears.

  Lord Cavendish smiled down at her, and his kind expression helped her relax and blink away the burn in her eyes. As he continued smiling, her heart danced around in her chest.

  “Thank you, Cammie. I am pleased to hear that.” He paused for a moment, as if carefully considering his next words. “Now,” he finally continued, his manner becoming stern again, “can you explain to me why I saw you outside my window just a few minutes ago after Miss Wickersham clearly told you not to move from your place on this very sofa?”

  Cammie felt the color drain from her face. It was on the tip of her tongue to deny his statement, but his words about truth and honesty rung in her ears and she wisely chose to acknowledge her misdeeds.

  Wringing her hands together, she spoke. “I-I was nervous and I felt lonely and a little bit scared and when I looked outside, I saw a flower that reminded me of my best friend, Hyacinth, and so I went outside...just for a minute...to smell it and touch it. It made me feel much better and I only meant to be outside for a minute, but then a big cat came by and walked right past the door and it closed and locked before I could get to it.” She paused and snuck a glance up at him. His face gave no hint of what he was thinking. “So, you see, I had to get back in the house and that is why I was outside your window. I am very, very sorry. P
lease do not send me back with Miss Wickersham. I promise to be a good girl always.”

  “Cammie,” he said, gathering her hands in his, “I am not going to send you back with Miss Wickersham simply because you were naughty. I do, however, intend to impress upon you the importance of wifely obedience. I regret that I must punish you on the day we are to be married, but I will not allow you to get away with any misbehaviors. As your husband and your papa, it is my responsibility not only to care for you, but to correct you when you’ve done wrong.” He tipped her chin up, forcing her to stare into his dark, stern gaze. “Do you understand, little Cammie?”

  “I-I understand, sir.” She swallowed past the sudden dryness in her mouth. Her heart raced faster and faster. Despite her current predicament, a quick, heated spasm afflicted the area between her legs.

  She squirmed in place under the scolding look her papa had leveled upon her. Would he spank her? Or would he make her stand in a corner to contemplate her misdeeds? If he hadn’t been holding her gaze, she would have spared a glance around the room for something that resembled a naughty chair. She knew only one thing for certain.

  She’d been a wayward little girl, and her new papa, the handsome but no-nonsense Lord Cavendish, was about to punish her for the very first time.

  Papa’s Rules is available on Amazon – click here!

  (FREE with Kindle Unlimited)

  * * *

  Papa’s Desires (Little Ladies of Talcott House, Book 2)

  Be a good girl for papa.

  Twenty-two year old Hyacinth is finally getting married. She eagerly looks forward to life with a papa who will love and care for her. She hopes he will be a patient teacher, since no one will tell her what actually happens between married people. Fortunately, her friend Cammie has sent a letter with some explanations in it. However, Hyacinth can’t help but wonder if Cammie is making up tales.

  Men have what? And they put it where?

  A chance encounter with the exceedingly tall and handsome Lord Grayson gives Cynny a funny feeling in her lady parts and she starts to wonder if there’s some truth in her friend’s rather explicit letter. But, why is Cynny thinking about Lord Grayson in that way, instead of her betrothed, Lord Kensington?

  When a twist of fate results in Cynny marrying Lord Grayson instead of Lord Kensington, she is both nervous and overjoyed. Her new papa gently introduces her to the secrets of the marital bed and awakens desires she never expected. He’s as loving as she imagined a papa should be, but he’s also strict and won’t hesitate to redden her bottom cheeks when she’s been a naughty little girl, among other intimate punishments that leave her both blushing with shame and craving his touch. As time goes on, she cannot help but think that she has been truly blessed and a lifetime of love and happiness awaits her.

  But what will happen when Papa discovers his little bride has been keeping secrets?

  Publisher's Note: Papa's Desires is the second book in the Little Ladies of Talcott House series, however like all the books in this series, it can be enjoyed as a standalone title. This historical age play romance novel includes spankings, sexual scenes, and other delightful naughtiness. If such material offends you, please don't buy this book.

  Papa’s Desires is available on Amazon – click here!

  Excerpt from Papa’s Desires (Little Ladies of Talcott House, Book 2):

  Perhaps she was dreaming.

  Cynny almost pinched herself, because she could scarce believe the events of the past few hours. In fact, she wondered if her heart would ever cease its frantic pounding in her chest, or if the nerves in her stomach would eventually calm enough to allow her to fully appreciate and enjoy her abrupt change in circumstances.

  She cast a shy glance at Lord Grayson seated next to her in the carriage and felt herself flush hotly when his dark gaze collided with hers.

  Her husband. He was her husband now, and her papa, too.

  Through an incredible series of events, her day was turning out vastly different than she’d anticipated when she awoke this morning, after spending a night tossing and turning.

  In a rather short period of time, she’d gone from thinking she was about to marry Lord Kensington, to fearing she was about to be arrested and jailed for her thievery of the pocket watch that had been intended as a wedding gift for Lord Kensington, no less...to finding herself suddenly married to the handsome Lord Grayson, owner of said pocket watch and a constant fixture in her thoughts ever since the day he’d approached her in the gardens.

  Oh, heavens. Why had she stolen the watch? If she hadn’t done that, everything might be absolutely perfect on this day. Guilt and fear filled her heart suddenly, because she’d trespassed against her new husband, her new papa, and now she dreaded him finding out the truth.

  What would happen if he learned she’d stolen from him? Would he still think her eyes were like the morning sky?

  She felt faint with increasing worry. What if he regretted fighting for her and promptly returned her to Miss Wickersham? The very possibility left her heartbroken. And such a fall wouldn’t only affect Cynny. If she was found out, her grave blunder would forever tarnish the reputation of Talcott House as well. She made a mental note to stealthily place the pocket watch in a random part of his house at the first opportunity, where no doubt it would be found by happenstance and he would simply assume he’d misplaced it.

  Yes, that’s just what she would do, and then all would be well and she could have her happily-ever-after with the intriguing Lord Grayson who’d shown up at Talcott House to oh so romantically fight for her hand in marriage. With a large sum of money and a pistol, no less.

  She studied him, admiring how rugged he looked compared to the first time she’d met him in the gardens of Talcott House. His wavy shoulder length hair, dark blond with brown undertones, was swept back over his shoulders but wasn’t as neatly styled as the last time she’d seen him, as if he’d repeatedly run his hands through his disheveled locks in a fit of frustration. His jacket and trousers were a tad wrinkled, but she would not have noticed had he not been so finely dressed during their meeting in the gardens. His eyes were alert and his stature confident as ever, though she occasionally saw flashes of fatigue in his dark depths.

  Well, she supposed his slight ruggedness was a result of his hurried, apparently last minute, trip to the country to try and prevent her wedding to Lord Kensington. Her insides fluttered at the thought of his hasty yet impassioned decision to claim her as his wife. He’d arrived at Talcott House with great urgency, his carriage barreling down the lane, having traveled from London during the late hours of the night.

  The companion who’d come along with him, Lord Caldwell, was apparently returning to London this afternoon in the company of Lord Kensington, for which Cynny was grateful. Lord Caldwell’s presence would have made their post-wedding carriage ride all the more awkward, and perhaps the gun-toting man would be kind enough to make sure the lord to whom she was formerly betrothed wasn’t too upset over her decision to marry Lord Grayson.

  Oh, please don’t let Lord Grayson find out about the watch, she prayed silently. Please let us fall in love and be happy forever and ever. Please let this marriage be the fresh start I’ve so desperately been seeking. I’ll be good and never steal again, I promise.

  She glanced down at her hands and realized they were shaking in her lap, and she quickly folded them tightly together and hoped her new husband hadn’t noticed.

  “You needn’t be afraid of me, Hyacinth,” Lord Grayson said, and his use of her given name rather than calling her Miss Heathrow, spoken in his deep masculine voice, made her insides flutter as a pulsating warmth affected her nether area. But she wasn’t Miss Heathrow anymore, she realized with a start. She was a lady now. Lady Grayson. She almost pinched herself again, for this twist of fate seemed too good to be true. She wondered if she would ever recover from the surprise of today.

  She squirmed delicately in her seat, puzzling over the odd but not unpleasant sensations that
were unfurling within her, then took a deep steadying breath before peering up at her Papa.

  “I am not afraid of you, my lord.” Yes, I am. I’m terrified. You might get rid of me or have me arrested if you find out the truth about me. In this moment, she vowed to let him continue disbelieving the tale she’d told him about belonging to The Weasels. If he questioned her about her past again, she would simplify claim to have once been nothing but a boring, homeless orphan taken in by Miss Wickersham.

  Lord Grayson slid closer to her, until his thigh was touching hers. His nearness overwhelmed her, and her entire body came alive, some parts of her heating and tingling, while other parts of her, like the area between her thighs, began to throb. Her ninnies felt weighted and achy in the confines of her bodice, a garment she wasn’t accustomed to wearing. She almost reached for her bosom, but unfolded her hands and then curled her fingers tight around the skirts of her bridal gown and tried to remain as still as possible, lest she lose control and shame herself in front of Lord Grayson.

  “You’re trembling, little girl.” He reached for her, tilting her chin up and forcing her to gaze directly into his eyes. A shiver ran up her spine and her bottom cheeks clenched. Would he be a strict papa? Given the firm set of his jaw and the serious gleam in his eyes, she got the sense that he wouldn’t kindly abide any amount of naughtiness from her. She wondered if he would really punish her for spying on him in Miss Wickersham’s study. We shall see to your discipline once we are married. His words came back to her now and made her kitty clench up with delicious sensation. But she didn’t know him well enough yet to determine whether he’d been serious or only teasing when he’d said that.

  “I’m not trembling, my lord.” She tried to withdraw from his touch, but he leaned over her, crowding her against the wall of the carriage and leaving her with nowhere to look but him.