Regency Romance: The Earl’s Unexpected Journey Of Love (The Fairbanks Series - Love & Hearts) (Historical Romance Fiction)

by Jessie Bennett

  Juliette nodded and fell quiet. She had not thought before about how people would feel if someone from an outside world came and made her do something she did not want to do, all under the guise of helping. “I understand, my lord. I will speak of it no more.”

  After all, she had not been too sorry to escape the strictures of society. Why would she wish to impose them on others? Smiling broadly, she walked on beside Joshua towards the hut.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  HOME

  HOME

  It was not until the ship pulled into the harbor just outside of Fairbanks that Juliette allowed herself to relax. Betts was even more tense than she was. The woman had been frantic to get home and had asked Juliette for permission never to go on such an adventure again. Juliette had agreed. She would return to the ocean and cross it to Africa as she had intended. However, she would not take Betts as a companion. If it was not Joshua himself, and only him, it would be a different maidservant.

  She did not hear him when Joshua came up behind her.

  Approaching Juliette from behind, Joshua felt his breath catch. He looked at her from behind, admiring the way her dress looked, her hair piled up on top of her head, long earrings dangling down, touching her neck softly when she moved her head. She had been loaned new clothing by the captain, whose wife and daughter sailed with them, and she looked every bit as elegant as she had when first he saw her in England, only with a slight sun-browning on her skin, and a tracery of freckles which, to him, made her even more lovely, bringing out the liveliness of her face, though he knew she was shy of them.

  “We are home,” Joshua said quietly in her ear, making her jump slightly. She looked up at him, nodding. Her eyes sparkled so much, he felt his heart pulling toward her, as if it would evict his chest to meet up with hers. He smiled at the thought.

  “Yes. We are home.”

  Juliette wondered what he was thinking. The look on his face told her that he was content being with her, but she wanted more than that. She wanted to be his bride. She wanted to be beside him until she was taking her last breath, whether that was in a dangerous place or safe in her home at a ripe old age. The only thing that mattered to her was whether or not she was with him.

  “I know you are glad to be back in Fairbanks. Your father will be happy to see that you are safe and sound.”

  “I am sure he had no doubts that you would keep me safe, my lord,” she whispered, moving closer to him. She was dreading the point when they would leave each other. Returning home was joyous, but she hated the thought that the end of their voyage meant that she would part from the earl. She did not want to spend any time by herself. She wanted to be with him at all times.

  She smiled, thinking of how her impression of him had changed. He was a quiet man, yes, just as she had thought, but a gentleman on all counts. He was the image of everything she admired most in a person. She could not imagine spending her life with anyone else. At that point, however, she was not sure if he felt as strongly as she was. She hoped that her father would have some luck once she asked him to talk to Joshua and Cain about it.

  “I have a question for you, my lady, if you do not mind.”

  She looked up at him again, her smile wide and warm. “Yes?”

  Joshua licked his lips. For a moment, he did not want to proceed with his question, too shy to risk it.

  She tilted her head to the side and gave him a curious look. “What is it, my lord?”

  After another moment of hesitation, Joshua decided to jump in. “There is a contract my father made before he passed. Much of the fortune I am to inherit will come to me on my twenty-fifth birthday.”

  Juliette nodded, a small frown on her brow. “Yes, my lord?” she said. “Why do you tell me this?”

  “I will not inherit if I do not marry by that time.”

  “When is your birthday?” She asked after a moment

  “In four months.”

  Juliette was quiet as she watched the ship move toward the port. “You must marry in four months?”

  “Yes.”

  She thought about how she had desired marriage by her twenty-first birthday, to please her father. She looked at Joshua again. “Have you found a lady you wish to marry? Did you leave her behind in Fairbanks?” her throat ached. If he answered “yes”, she did not wish to know. Yet she must ask.

  Joshua gave her a cocky grin. “Yes, I have and no, I did not. I did not leave her in Fairbanks. I took her with me. That is, I went along with her. And we had a perilous adventure together. In addition, I believe that we will have many more. If she is willing.”

  Juliette continued with the verbal play. “Have you asked her if she is willing?”

  He leaned close to her so that she could feel his breath on her ear. It sent chills up her spine and made her legs weak. If she had not been holding on to the outer railing, she might have fallen to her knees. “I believe that is what I just did.”

  “I am willing to go on adventures with you, my lord. Quite willing.”

  He took her by the arms and turned her toward him so that he could look directly in her eyes. “Lady Juliette, will you be my bride and go on many adventures with me?”

  “I will, my Lord Hershey.”

  He pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her tightly. She could hear his heartbeat and remembered being on the lifeboat just as the ship they were sailing on sank into the ocean. She’d heard his heartbeat then, too. She wanted to hear his heartbeat for a long time to come.

  EPILOGUE

  BRINGING UP THE BABY

  BRINGING UP THE BABY

  The rain beat down on their heads as they ran toward the shelter, away from the kicked-up dust behind them. Juliette could barely hear over the sound of the wind. Joshua grabbed her hand and pulled her along with him.

  “Come on!” he shouted loudly, over the roar of the rain. “We have to get to the shelter before the dust overtakes us.”

  “We should not have let the horses go,” Juliette called out. “How will we reach the village in time? We will be lost here in the desert!”

  “We had to let those horses go, my love!” Joshua’s voice was loud in her ear. “They will go back to the village. When Uncle Cain sees them, he will send out a search party.”

  “He will be among them, I am sure.”

  They reached the small shelter. Joshua threw open the door, let Juliette enter and followed directly behind her, slamming the door shut. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, holding her head against his chest with one strong hand. Juliette closed her eyes, concentrating on the sound of his heart rather than the wind and sand beating against the outer walls of the small shelter.

  There was fresh water behind them in a large barrel, but she did not want to unclasp her arms from the man she held. She was parched, her mouth as dry as it had ever been, but she did not wish to part from the man, and clung to him.

  “I will keep you safe, Countess,” he whispered in her ear, lowering his head so that he could breathe in the sweet scent of the berries Juliette used to wash her hair.

  “I am glad you insisted that your uncle accompany us, my love.” Juliette pulled away just enough to look up into his eyes. He nodded.

  “I have noticed that he often comes in handy.”

  They both laughed.

  “He is a brilliant navigator and a strong force to be reckoned with,” she laughed.

  “I agree with you. Over the years, he has saved my life numerous times.”

  “I am sure you did the same for him.”

  Joshua laughed. “You would think so, would you not? But no. I have never been the force to be reckoned with. That is all my uncle.”

  “It is a good thing he is here to save us. We have more than just ourselves to worry about.” Juliette continued to gaze up into his eyes.

  “Yes,” Joshua agreed, nodding. “The village is much safer when we are there. We should not have left to go gallivanting about in the desert, searching for ancient histo
ry.”

  “You are the one searching for history, my dear, while I am trying to teach some children about the civilized world.”

  “My little teacher. You are wonderful with those children, do you know that?”

  Juliette grinned. “I try to be. And we will need to concentrate more on children. I was not speaking about the village when I said it was not just us we needed to worry about.”

  “I hope you are not concerned about Uncle Cain. He can take care of himself.”

  Juliette laughed. “I am fully aware. No. I was thinking about something else. Something much smaller than your uncle. Smaller than you or me. Something we will have to take care of ourselves.”

  Joshua swallowed, staring at her beautiful face. “I think you are saying that we are going to have a baby. Am I correct?”

  Juliette just smiled. “I will need to take a holiday from traveling for a time, my love.”

  Joshua grabbed her and held her close to him. He had never felt so in love with anyone in his life. “My lady, my love! Sweet countess. I am so happy.” He whispered the words into her ear so that she would hear him despite the noises going on around them. “I will love you until the day I die.”

  “And I you, Joshua. You are my only love.”

  They stayed that way for a long time, held close in each others arms, the wind whipping against the shelter but never touching them, the dust swirling around the small building but never entering through the cracks. They were safe, warm and together. There was nothing else in the world they could have wanted.

  THANK YOU

  for reading my book and

  I hope you have enjoyed this story as well.

  “Duke’s Forbidden Love” is a standalone novel with at least 250 pages.

  If you have enjoyed reading this book so far, I believe you will be interested in checking out “Duke’s Forbidden Love”.

  This book will be focusing on the younger Duke Bryan and older widow Mrs Anna Vanessa Maddy.

  A beautiful widow. A daring younger man. A society-threatening age gap. Keep it a secret or risk the wrath of the ton? Will there be any happily ever after for them?

  Mrs. Anna Vanessa Maddy is a beautiful widow, now in her early 40s, although she’s always told that she looks much younger.

  Duke Bryan Michael Watson has never minded a challenge, especially when society would not approve of the match.

  The duke knows that if he hurts the pretty widow, regardless of her age, the members of his peerage—and all generations surrounding—will never forgive him. She’s a beautiful lady on the inside and out, and well loved by all those who know her. However, he’s immediately attracted to her, despite an age gap of more than twenty years.

  Anna is lonely, despite the attempts of her teenage son and father to distract her from the sadness caused by her husband’s untimely death a few years earlier. At a grand ball, she meets a handsome young man who draws her into his aura, creating a magnetism that neither of them can deny.

  Her father does not approve of the match, mostly due to the age difference, and they couple fears that society will never accept them for this reason. Without her father’s blessing, Anna cannot wed her handsome love, regardless of how she feels, and even if it means ignoring the fact that she already loves him more than she ever loved her husband.

  Will Anna be forced to marry the much older Duke Doughtery, her father’s friend, instead of the love of her life?

  Can Lord Bryan convince her father that his age is truly not a factor, and that his business savvy and maturity should be considered first—along with his love for Anna and her son?

  I have enclosed a preview of “Duke’s Forbidden Love”.

  Check it out below…

  It is currently at $0.99 (around 250 pages).

  CLICK HERE TO GET IT NOW

  CHAPTER ONE

  YOUNG DUKE WATSON IS IN LOVE

  The delicious scent of fresh baking bread wafted through the air. Duke Bryan Michael Watson lifted his head, sticking his nose up further so he could breathe it in deep. “Ahhh.” He let out a long sigh and swung his legs over the side of the bed, stretching his arms up above his head. It was going to be a good day. He could feel it.

  It wasn’t that the day was filled with exciting, action-packed adventure. In fact, it was supposed to be another boring day of business meetings and constant mundane responsibilities. But he didn’t care. He was glad to be alive. He hadn’t felt like this in a long time. In his few years on earth, the daily routine of living had started to wear on him. He longed for adventure and excitement.

  He thought about the day before, certain that it had been the events of the evening that had left him in such a good mood. A feeling that had apparently lasted all night. He didn’t remember his dreams, but he would bet they were good ones.

  He smiled. It was all because of Anna. He could see her pretty face in his mind. Dark red hair piled up on her head, flashing green eyes, a quick, bright smile. She reminded him of a popping fire, always on the move, always thinking, always doing.

  Anna was the daughter of a prominent banker, Frank Duprey, who had worked for the Watson’s furniture manufacturing company for as long as Bryan could remember. He met Anna at the ball the night before and couldn’t have been more impressed. He hadn’t stopped thinking about her since. She came in with a song and a dance, it seemed, whisking through the crowd, smiling at everyone. Her conversation was intelligent and always uplifting. She caught his attention immediately.

  There was a problem with his immediate infatuation with Anna, however.

  He snorted. There was more than just one problem. He listed them off in his mind, as if ticking them on his fingers. One, she was so vibrant, she caught everyone’s eye, not just his. He was positive there were many more suitable bachelors just waiting to take her hand in marriage. Second, there was a vast age difference that might not sit well with others of the ton.

  Anna was significantly older than the young Duke. He could foresee a lot of anguish in his future, should he choose to pursue this line of action.

  He found himself unable to stop thinking about her. He sat at the breakfast table, lost in thought, not hearing his step-mother and brothers around him, discussing what the day would bring. He remembered everything that had happened the night before and reviewed it in his mind.

  He’d been sitting at a table with several of his friends when he’d first caught sight of her. The moment she entered the room, he could tell everyone was paying attention to her. She moved through the people as if they made up a body of water and she was a boat making her way through them all. Her smile was large and genuine. She laughed more than any woman he’d ever seen.

  He leaned over to Matthew and tapped his cousin on the arm. “Who’s that?” He flicked one finger in Anna’s direction.

  Matthew Tudor was an odd character and Bryan liked him tremendously. He was always good for a quick laugh, especially when the room was filled with people their own age. He could pick up on the slightest characteristic of any individual in the room and run with it, making his friends laugh until tears flowed from their eyes. Bryan thought the best thing about Matthew, was that his friend was truthful and honest. Even if the words he spoke were blunt and to the point. They were never false.

  Matthew stuck his head out and peered into the crowd to see who Bryan was mentioning. “You mean her?” He pointed.

  Bryan rolled his blue eyes. “Yes, you don’t have to point, cousin. Who is she?”

  “That’s Drake’s mom. Anna Vanessa Maddy. She’s the daughter of that banker, what’s his name? Oh, I can’t remember.”

  Bryan looked at him. Matthew was shaking his head, his eyes on the floor as he tried to remember Anna’s father’s name. “I think his name is Frank. Frank Duprey.”

  Bryan lifted his eyebrows. “Oh? I didn’t know Frank had a daughter.”

  “You know him?”

  “He’s one of the bankers that works with Watson Furniture.”

  M
atthew nodded. “Oh, I see.”

  “His daughter is a beautiful woman.”

  Matthew lifted his eyebrows, looking back into the crowd to Anna. “Yes, she is. I have always thought so.”

  “Is she married?”

  Matthew narrowed his eyes at Bryan. “She’s a widow. What are you thinking, Bryan? I see that look on your face. She’s not going to be interested in a young buck such as yourself. She’s a woman.”

  Bryan crossed his arms in front of his chest and raised his eyebrows. “Are you saying I don’t merit having a woman by my side? What, am I only destined for girls?”

  Matthew shook his head. “No, that’s not what I’m saying and you know it. I just think you might want to reconsider what you’re thinking of before you take action.”

  “And how do you know what I’m considering?”

  “I see that look, I told you. I know you. I’ve known you since you were a baby.”

  “You’re not that much older than me, Cousin.”

  “No, I’m not.”

  “You would consider dancing with her, admit it.”

  Matthew pressed his lips together and shook his head. Bryan laughed.

  “You can’t even deny it out loud, my friend. You know you would dance with her. She is a stunningly beautiful woman.”

  Matthew sighed. “All right, she is a beautiful woman. Fine, I concede that point. But still, she is on a level you and I are not at. She is untouchable.”