Regency Romance: An Intriguing Invitation (Historical Billionaire Military Romance) (19th Century Victorian Romance)

by Sarah Thorn

  Lilly closed the door behind her and hurried into her friend’s bedroom, where it appeared Angelica was going through her clothes to see what she wanted and what she didn’t. She’d been given all of her sisters clothes that had not burned in the fire but where kept in a separate building. These were all clothes meant for the wintertime, and they were of very fine quality.

  “These are beautiful!” Lilly said. “What do you plan to do with them?”

  “I am giving them to some of the women in town who have very little.”

  “But you should sell them. You don’t have to give them away. You need money.”

  “I do not want to sell them, amica mia. I want the women to have them. I do not want the money they have.”

  Lilly understood. These were women who made their money with the men in town, and they never seemed to have enough money. Angelica didn’t want to take what little they had, nor did she want the money they made that way.

  “I want to talk to you, Angelica.” Lilly dropped herself on the bed and reached out for Angelica’s hand. Angelica took it, pulled herself from her sitting position on the floor and joined Lilly sitting on the bed.

  “What is it?”

  “I think…I know we need to make a change in our lives. Do you agree with that?”

  “Si.”

  “Yes.”

  “Yes.”

  “I have done something, and I want to tell you what I’ve done, but I don’t want you to be angry with me for it.”

  Angelica immediately felt a sense of anxiety flow through her. She swallowed and looked at her friend closely. “What have you done?”

  “I answered an ad from a man in the West requesting a bride.”

  Angelica’s eyes opened wide, and she found herself short of breath. “What? You are leaving me? What will I do? Where…”

  “No, no.” Lilly cut her off, patting her hand. “I answered it…for you…as you. Do you understand?”

  Angelica looked terribly confused. “No.”

  Lilly pulled in a deep breath and wrestled with her anxiety. “I…answered it from you, like I was you. I signed it with your name, but I gave you a more American last name so…you’d have more chance of being chosen if others responded to it.”

  “What….what did you say? I am confusa.”

  “Confused. I am sorry, Angelica. I know you will understand if I just have the right words to help you. We need to make a change. I wanted to make sure that you would be able to travel with me if the ad was answered. I didn’t want to leave you behind. So I answered the ad to make sure you would be chosen, and I will pay for my own way to wherever you go. I will go with you, and when you get there, I’ll be nearby, and I will make my own way.”

  Angelica understood what Lilly had done and felt amazed, excited and worried all at the same time. “You…will make your own way?”

  “I’ll be nearby. I can get a job housekeeping like I always do. And I have some money saved, more than I’ll need for the ticket, so I should be able to get by for a little while.”

  “I am worried for you.”

  “Don’t be. We’ll make it, you and me.”

  “May I read the letter?”

  “Oh!” Lilly felt silly for forgetting the letter. She pulled it from her skirt pocket and gave it to Angelica. “Do you think you’ll understand it?”

  Angelica smiled wide. “I have been working hard on my English. I am better able to read than speak.”

  “You are doing really well, Angel. You really are.”

  Lilly already felt a sense of relief. Perhaps it was truly what God wanted. She prayed that she had made the right choice for both of them.

  They were packed and ready when the carriage arrived to take them to the station. They were grateful to Miss Bess, who had provided her private driver and carriage for the girls to get to the station. They were nervously holding hands the entire way to the station. Both were tense and quiet, thinking about the fact that they were traveling to an unknown place to meet strangers who may or may not accept them the way they were.

  Lilly was praying hard, sometimes with Angelica, that the man they would meet would understand their situation and not judge them harshly. Lilly had sent a telegraph that Angela would be arriving but made no mention of herself.

  That fact weighed heavily on them both as they boarded the train and settled themselves in one of the cabins. What if they were both sent back? Or simply sent away? What if the man was not accommodating and wouldn’t accept them at the train station?

  Fear and anxiety gave them both headaches. They sat silently as the train made its way across the country. They went to get food once and did so without a word. Other passengers watched them curiously. Lilly wondered if they made such a strange pair that people would feel the need to stare at them in such a way.

  When they were back in their seats, Angelica whispered, “Lilly, let me see the letter again, please.”

  Lilly handed it to her without a word. She’d kept it tucked in her pocket and often would touch it to make sure it was there. She wanted to have it to prove Angelica was the one he had sent for. She had already decided to let Angelica go to him alone and that she would go immediately into the building to retrieve a newspaper. She would need to find a boarding house right away.

  She watched Angelica read through the letter again, her eyes focusing on the name at the beginning, “Angela.” It was only a different version of her own name and she felt she would be able to get used to it. She had worked hard on her English, harder than she ever had before, just in the last four days. She wanted to make a good impression.

  Please, God, help me be what he wants. She prayed, folding the letter and clutching it tightly in her hand. “I will give him the letter, Lilly,” she said.

  Lilly pulled in a deep breath and pressed her lips together. She felt shaky and faint. Every mile took her closer to being more alone than ever before. She did not regret letting Angelica take the place of the bride for the man. But she hadn’t really thought about how alone it would leave her. Alone 4000 miles from anywhere she’d ever known.

  A sense of dread covered her.

  They were 20 minutes from the train station and gathering their things together. They no longer needed the coats they had started out wearing and had stripped off the gloves and bonnets, as well. It was cool but not nearly enough for the extra clothing. The sun was dropping behind the horizon when they stepped off the train.

  They were not given time to separate.

  They were the only ones departing the train at that station, and a man was standing there waiting for Angela. He was the only one there and watched them both get off the train, talking in low tones.

  They stopped and stared at him.

  He blinked and then approached, removing the cowboy hat from his head.

  “Angela?”

  He looked from one to the other.

  “Uh…” Lilly looked at Angelica. “This is Angela,” she said instinctively.

  Angelica nodded. “Hello, yes, I am Angela.”

  Lilly just realized how thick her Italian accent was. They both stared at Adam, and he stared back at them, his eyes moving from one to the other. The first thing he noticed was that they were both beautiful women. The second was that there were two of them and the one saying she was Angela was definitely not an American.

  “I’m sorry. I don’t understand what’s going on,” Adam stated in a low voice.

  Lilly looked at Angelica with worried eyes. She didn’t want to speak up when it was Angelica who was supposed to be the one here for him. She tried to send telepathic messages to her friend by thinking very hard, talk to him, talk to him!

  “I…” Angelica started. She reached down and picked up her two bags, which surprised both Lilly and Adam. Adam took a step back, and Angelica took a step forward. “I am ready. I do say sorry for confusing you. I travel with Lilly very often. She is my friend and companion. I do hope you do not mind.”

  Adam wasn’t sure.
He didn’t exactly mind one way or the other. But he’d been expecting one woman, not two. He couldn’t possibly marry two women. He looked at Lilly. Which one of these women was he supposed to be with? It was obvious Lilly had written the response letter for Angela.

  “I sent for one woman to marry. What is your intention here?”

  Lilly followed Angelica’s lead and picked up her bags. “As Angeli… Angela says, I have been her traveling companion for some time. I would like to stay nearby, perhaps in a boarding house and continue my friendship with her. Also, I have been helping her learn English. As you can see, she is still working on it.”

  Adam shook his head. “I have rooms at my farm. You may use one of them. But I am unhappy that I was not told of this from the beginning.”

  Lilly felt regret wash through her. “I am sorry, sir. It was not my intention to anger you. I was just trying to do something for my friend.”

  “By deceiving others. This is not what God has in mind.”

  “I am sorry.” Lilly’s face dropped at his mention of God. She didn’t want to anger God, either. “I did pray about this and it just…I just thought I should…”

  “Come with me,” Adam said abruptly, cutting her off. “We will go back to the farm and discuss this.”

  Chapter Four

  The uncomfortable silence on the ride to Adam’s farm made Angelica feel a little sick to her stomach. She had been working hard to learn the language and act like an American. She was naturally shy and didn’t try to draw attention to herself. Her first impression of the man they had met was a good one. She liked his dark eyes and dark wavy hair. He was built strong and solid and had nice hands.

  She could see that he was unhappy and perhaps a little angry at the deception. She didn’t hold Lilly at fault, though. Her friend had been looking out for her since they met in New York, where they had met at a boarding house they were both working for. Lilly had never been dishonest with her and had never tried to hurt her.

  She felt as though God was making something good from the deception. He must have a plan, or they wouldn’t be there, riding in the wagon going toward a new home and a new life.

  Angelica took Lilly’s hand and squeezed it. Lilly looked worried and afraid. It seemed strange that she was feeling so confident when Lilly was usually the one in that position. Lilly looked at her. A feeling of peace filled her when she looked in her friend’s eyes.

  Perhaps things would be all right once they reached the farm.

  Adam was staring straight forward, stewing in his mind. He hadn’t asked for an additional burden. What was God doing? He instinctively shook his head at his own thoughts. Two foreign women had deceived him and now he felt obligated and responsible for them. He didn’t see how this could turn out well. He didn’t like the feeling of uncertainty he had.

  By the time they reached the farm, it was dark. The lanterns on the outside of the house were lit, and the flames brightened the steps so they could see as they went up. Adam tied the reins to a hitch and followed the women up to the door.

  It opened, and Cody stood there, staring at the three of them.

  The women stopped and stared back at him.

  His curious eyes settled on Adam. “Adam?” he asked and didn’t finish the question.

  Adam nodded. “Ladies, this is Cody. Cody, this is Angela and Lilly.” He gestured to each of them when he said their names. They nodded at Cody.

  “Hello,” Cody said, his voice and face still filled with confusion.

  “Let’s go inside, shall we?” Adam said in a gruff tone. Cody stepped aside hurriedly and let them in. “Follow me.” Adam led them into the sitting room, directing them to set their bags down in the hallway to take to their rooms later. “Please sit. We will need to talk.”

  The ladies both sat next to each other on the couch, and the men took seats nearby. Adam sat forward, his face stern. “I feel I have been deceived. I don’t want to scold you ladies, as you are not children. But this is not a good way to start a relationship. I had set values I wanted in the woman I brought here, and I am unsure that those values can be found in you seeing as how this was done.”

  “Please don’t hold it against us, sir…” Lilly began.

  He cut her off, lifting his hand and shaking his head. “Please call me Adam. I am not your master, and you are not my servant. Go ahead, you were saying?”

  Lilly swallowed her anxiety. “As I said at the station, I have been traveling with Angel and her father for some time. Her father passed away about a month ago, and she was left with no one to care for her. I did not want to see her left behind if I should go. And I knew that I could pay my own way if I bought my own ticket and she was able to come.”

  “But you lied in your letter.”

  “I didn’t lie,” Lilly said in a pleading tone. “She is who I said she is. She’s beautiful and smart and all the things you asked for.”

  “What about believing in the Lord?” Adam asked. “That is very important to me.”

  “I know my deception may not make it seem like it, and I do hope that you forgive me for it. But we are both firm believers in God, and that is not a lie.”

  Adam looked at Angelica. “You are also a believer?” He thought she was brave to stand up to him when she first arrived. He couldn’t tell if she was truly all the things he was looking for or if her beauty was only skin deep. It was true that she had a stunningly beautiful countenance. If he were simply looking for a trophy to ride on his arm and make him look good, Angelica would be it. But he was looking for more than that. His experience with them so far had not shown him that those qualities were there.

  “I am.” Angelica nodded emphatically.

  Adam pressed his lips together and looked at Cody. “I value your opinion, Cody. You have heard what has happened. What are your thoughts?”

  “I’m sure not gonna make a decision for you, boss,” Cody answered, turning his eyes to the women. “But I don’t see why you can’t give them a chance to show you they are good women.”

  “I didn’t ask for two,” Adam grumbled.

  Cody’s response was laughter. “You’d be the first man not to want two beautiful women in your house.”

  Adam kept himself from smiling though he was amused by Cody’s statement. He glanced back at the women and noticed that Lilly was watching Cody, an interesting look in her green eyes. Cody caught the look and smiled at Lilly, who blushed furiously and dropped her eyes.

  It was as if a light turned on in the darkness of Adam’s mind. He hadn’t even thought about it. Cody was also a God-fearing man.

  Perhaps He sent the two women, one for him and one for Cody.

  A double answered prayer? The thought amused Adam.

  They would have to see.

  Over the next week, Lilly and Angelica proved they were, at least, able to keep a house clean. There was often dusting to be done, and the women spent much time going through the garden, cooking and cleaning for both men. Adam spoke to John about the arrangement, asking if the Lord was frowning on their cohabitation, even though he had set up the women in separate bedrooms on the other side of the house while he decided if he would go through with the marriage.

  “I don’t think you should back out now,” John said firmly. “It sounds like you do have good women there and you are correct, you are not obligated to the second one, but you are showing acts of kindness and compassion by taking her in. You need to remember that God judges the heart. He knows your intentions.”

  “He works in strange ways.”

  “He does. I think it’s a good plan to see if Cody is interested in this other young lady. It sounds like they get along well.”

  “She does spend a good deal of time with him.”

  “Tell me something. Have you had the opportunity to speak to Angela alone?”

  “I have.”

  “What is your impression of her?”

  “She is intelligent and friendly. Very soft-spoken.”

  “Can yo
u see yourself loving her?”

  Adam thought about it. Her beauty was a big factor, because it was difficult not to be attracted to her for that and that alone. But he wanted to do right in the eyes of the Lord. “Yes. She is a good woman, I do believe.”

  “Then why are you questioning it? You have prayed about it for so long. Don’t reject the blessings God gave you. It’s true that it wasn’t the best first impression to make, but I do feel they did it with the best intentions. Lilly was trying to protect Angela and Angela did not want to leave Lilly behind. She would probably never have answered the ad on her own.”

  Adam agreed.

  “Go home and make your intentions known to her, Adam. She is probably still as fearful as you are confused.”

  As he rode up to the farm, he saw Lilly and Cody standing by the barn talking. Angelica was nowhere to be seen. They seemed to be having a serious conversation. He didn’t stop at the house but continued on to where they were. They saw him approaching, waved and continued talking. He could hear their conversation as he got closer.

  “It’s the worrying. That’s what’s done it to her.” Lilly said, shaking her head. “I don’t know what will make her feel better, but it’s nothing I can do.”

  “What are you talking about?” Adam didn’t get down from his horse. He sat in the saddle looking down at them with a worried look.

  “Angel is not feeling well. She’s running a temperature and is lying in her bed refusing to get up.”

  “You think she is worried about being sent away?” Adam asked bluntly.

  Lilly hesitated before answering, looking up at Cody for reassurance. He nodded at her.

  “Yes,” she finally answered. “She has tried to be very confident, but she grows more nervous as the days pass and it’s causing her to lose weight and not eat. Have you not noticed?” Lilly’s question was spoken softly and sadly.

  Adam realized that Lilly was right. He hadn’t seen Angela eating much of late though he was used to noticing such things. There had never been a woman around to worry about.

  Suddenly his heart went out to the woman. He pictured her in his mind and without speaking another word, he turned his horse back around and galloped to the house. He tossed the reins over the hitch and took the steps up on to the porch two at a time.