“Go and rest, dear Anna. Restore yourself. I will call on you tomorrow. Let it be the first day that we meet, unclouded by any pretence.”
“Yes. I would like that.”
He bowed, elegant as always, and gathered up the box. She watched as he left the room, her mind still reeling from the events of the day. Then, shaking herself out of her woolgathering, she took herself up to her rooms, and rang for Nell. First, a bath, and then sleep, in a blessedly soft bed.
~~~~~
Cecil went through the gathering dusk, straight to the Prince Regent. Miraculously, the Prince Regent was still in his small audience chamber, and willing to see him.
“Your Highness.”
Cecil bowed deeply.
“Setford. I must assume that there is very good reason for you to seek audience at such an inconvenient time. You make me keep a lady waiting – a lady whose favours I enjoy.”
“Your Highness, I deeply apologise for keeping you from your chosen lady’s charms. But this is a matter of great significance. You will remember that matter which we spoke of, some months back, when you enjoindered me to efficiency?”
“I do. It would be hard to forget a matter that touches on my own continuing survival so closely.”
“That matter has, Your Highness, been resolved. At least in that those who conspired towards your end are in custody, and await the pleasure of Crown and Court. It will, however, cause some ongoing annoyance. For the majority of those who conspired towards your end are titled, and their disgrace will cause much damage to many noble families. Whether any of them are redeemable in any way, or worth saving, if pointedly encouraging them to spend the rest of their lives in a distant part of the world can be regarded as ‘saving’, I leave to your infinite mercy. The full evidence is in this box,” he indicated the box he had placed on the table immediately after entering the room, “and the simple list of those involved is here.”
Cecil passed a single sheet of paper to the Prince Regent, and watched as he read it, his frown deepening as he went. Finally, the Prince Regent looked up.
“Thorough as always. And yes, this is distressing. I will have to consider most carefully how far my mercy may extend.”
“I would not presume to suggest your actions, Your Highness, but I can tell you that the ringleader was Partmann, driven, I fear, by his displeasure with the fact that you found his wife appealing. And the worst of the others was Charteris, for they both considered killing Lady Farnsworth, when she became aware of their plans.”
“I see.” The Prince Regent met Cecil’s eyes and paused, considering. “Aware of their plans, eh? Because she was working for you? Do I perceive that you find the threat to Lady Farnsworth to be a somewhat personal insult, Setford?”
Cecil held himself still, and chose his words carefully.
“It could be described that way, Your Highness. I do find myself with a somewhat distinct… interest… in the Lady.”
The Prince Regent laughed, a full bodied, honest expression of amusement.
“So, it’s finally happened, my ice bound spymaster has discovered the joys of love! This will be most entertaining, most. What do you intend?”
“I think, Your Highness, that I will marry her, if she’ll have me.”
“Indeed. She is, from my observation, one of the few women of the ton with the wit and the spirit, and the bluntness, to match you. Do make certain to invite me to the wedding. Now, off with you, and leave me to consider how best I can clean up this steaming pile of excrement that your efficiency has gifted me.”
“As you wish, Your Highness.”
Setford bowed, and departed.
An odd smile played about his lips as he settled into his carriage. Now he had done it. If he had any doubts, they would need to be dealt with fast – for the Prince Regent now expected a wedding to attend.
~~~~~
Anna sat at her mirror the following morning, considering her reflection. Everything felt different. She felt different. But she wasn’t. The same face looked back at her, the same streaks of grey ran through her hair. How could it be real? Surely, she had imagined it. What would a man like Lord Setford want with a woman like her, in reality? Yet he had said that he loved her…
It confused her. She discovered that, even though it had been nearly five years since she was widowed, she still did not truly understand herself, did not understand what she wanted from life – beyond far more than she had experienced to date. That had become abundantly clear, when he had held her, had kissed her. It had been so different – from her experience, from what she had imagined. Part of her liked this giddy excited feeling, part of her was disgusted with the girly vapourish weakness of it all.
Did she want love, if it stole her strength and independence? ‘Yes’, whispered the small voice in her thoughts, ‘but why should it steal my strength?’ A very good question. Perhaps she simply needed to find a new way to see it – she had never been one for being entirely conventional – at least, not when she could get away with being different. So why should she be ‘in love’ the same way that others were?
But what if he wanted her to be like that?
That thought gave her pause. How could she discover what he wanted? He had always been such a private man. Well, all she could do, she supposed, was take things as they came, talk to him, and discover her own feelings in the process.
She paused, her fingers twirling a hair pin idly. It was a strange thought – to see him, and not to be talking about the investigation. That was done now. A shudder ran through her. Where might new conversation take them? From that perspective, perhaps this was an adventure – one in which she might hope for a miraculous happy ending, even if she found it hard to believe in. She rose, and rang for Nell, suddenly more than ready to dress, and begin her day.
Three hours later, she sat in her parlour, reading – a book that he had given her – and anxiously listening to the world outside. Listening for carriage wheels, to be specific. She could laugh at herself, for, despite her thoughts earlier, here she was, behaving like a green girl with her first suitor. But she chose to push aside her doubts, to push aside her judgement of herself, and simply let the day happen. The view outside the window might be of autumn leaves on the trees, but she felt more like spring inside.
Finally, she heard a carriage draw up outside, then the front door being opened. Moments later, the parlour door opened, and he was shown in. She rose to greet him, placing the book on the side table. His eyes met hers, and calm filled her, everything else fading away. In those eyes, there was certainty – her doubts of the morning seemed pointless now. He took her hands, and they stood there, saying nothing, drinking each other in. But after a moment, it was too much. She tore her eyes away from his.
“Good Day, Lord Setford.”
“My Lady – I trust that you are recovering well from your unpleasant adventures?”
He lifted her hands, and looked at her wrists, where the rope marks still stood out clearly on her skin.
“Yes – these itch a little, but they no longer hurt.”
“That is good to hear.”
“Come, be seated, and I will send for…”
As she spoke, Jenks opened the door, his expression impassive, but a twinkle in his eye. He carried in a tray with cakes and coffee and set it down upon a table. She gave him a look which was supposed to be stern, then ruined it with a smile.
“Thank you, Jenks.”
They settled, and Anna poured the coffee. The silence persisted, and her doubts crept back in – where to even start with conversation? In the end, he solved that problem for her.
“I know that being reminded of the last few days is probably the very last thing you want, but I also suspect that you will want to know what will happen to the conspirators.”
“That is true. I have no sympathy for Partmann, or for Charteris, but the others – them, I pity, and their families even more.”
“All of the information has been given to the Prince
Regent. It will be his decision, whether he chooses to show mercy to any of them. I do not know what he will choose, for he is rightfully unhappy with the fact that they wanted him dead.”
“But surely – there is no space for mercy, when they have committed treason?”
“Theoretically, no. But he is not, at the core of it, a cruel man. He may find it in him to banish the least among them for life, rather than making their treason public, and destroying their families.”
“For their sake then, I hope that he makes that choice. It is good to know that it is done with. But… what will I fill my days with now? I seem to have become rather used to this spying business!”
He laughed, and lifted her hand to his lips, to press a kiss on her palm. She felt herself flush, and remembered the feel of those lips on hers.
“I am sure that we can find some new puzzles of society’s misbehaviour to unravel, my Lady. But perhaps I can tempt you with something rather different?”
He shifted slightly on the seat, his eyes moving away from hers and back again, almost, she thought, as if he was nervous. Ridiculous – this man was the epitome of calm and control, she was sure that nervous was not in his vocabulary.
“Oh? And what might that be, my Lord?”
“I… ah… that is… my dear Anna… will you… will you marry me? When I spoke yesterday, I meant my words – I love you, more than I have ever loved in my life. Please, have mercy upon me, and say yes?”
Anna stilled, the words rolling through her mind, echoing back and forth. Had he really said…?
Yes, she was sure that he had. Was it possible that she was dreaming?
“Anna?”
His voice was a little hoarse, almost anguished. It was real, she was sure it was real…
“Yes! Oh yes! I also spoke the truth yesterday. I do not know how it is that I have been granted the opportunity for such happiness, but I will not lose the chance. When I knew, yesterday, that I might never see you again, I swore to myself that, if I did, I would not hesitate anymore.”
He pulled her to him, and kissed her with such passion that it left her quite breathless, laughing with sheer joy. When they steadied a little, he smiled at her, his expression more than a little sheepish.
“There is one thing I must confess to you, my love.” Anna raised an enquiring eyebrow, her heart missing a beat – what was he about to say? “I… ah… seem to have allowed the Prince Regent to notice that I intended to marry you. Despite the fact that, at the time, I had not even asked you yet, he has invited himself to the wedding.”
Her mouth fell open and, after a moment, stunned surprise turned to amusement, and outright laughter.
“Oh dear – whatever would you have done if I had said no?”
“Probably asked you every day, until I had persuaded you to change your mind. I am so glad that you said yes!”
He pulled her, still laughing, into his arms again, and stopped her laughter with a kiss.
Epilogue
Four short weeks later, as October was upon them, and the drifts of red and gold leaves were everywhere, what they had planned as a small celebration had become something far greater. As they stepped from the church, now man and wife, the crowd outside cheered them.
It was, Anna thought, quite as eclectic a mix of people as had been seen at Raphael and Sera’s wedding, and at Bella and Lucian’s. There were people of all walks of life, all social stations, there were men who seemed to be skulking nearby, attempting to look as if they were not there to see the wedding at all. She had to assume that they were men who worked, in one way or another, for Cecil. It was, she thought, rather delightful.
When the carriage reached Carlisle House, and they went inside to prepare for the arrival of all of the guests for the wedding breakfast, Anna looked at Cecil with a frown.
“How on earth will we fit all of the people into this house? This will be the biggest crush of the year!”
“Does it matter? They will all enjoy being part of it, even if they are quite squashed. After all, it has been rumoured that the Prince Regent will attend.”
“Rumours? My, who might have spread such a rumour?”
His piercing grey eyes twinkled at her for a moment.
“Why I can’t imagine, my dear. But, of course, we are prepared – there are suitable men posted in all of the right places.”
“Of course there are – I would expect nothing less.”
Two hours later, when the wedding breakfast had become the predicted crush, and Anna was beginning to feel that she might faint away from lack of air, there was a great murmur of voices near the door. The crowds parted, and the Prince Regent appeared, followed by his usual collection of toadies. Anna gratefully gulped the clearer air, as they went forward to make their obeisance.
“Setford. If this is the crush that you’ve managed for your wedding, I look forward to seeing the first Ball that you hold, next Season. I foresee a future in which you entertain me even more than usual – and probably ask for more favours than ever. I will, I suppose, tolerate your presumption as always.” He turned to address Anna directly, “And you, my dear Lady, I trust are quite prepared for the more… interesting... aspects of Setford’s life? You have the wit and wisdom to manage him, I am sure – just don’t distract him too much, if you please. I have use for him still.”
“Your Highness, I am, as always, at your service.”
Cecil bowed again, and watched Anna, curious.
She was not, as far as he could see, overawed – in fact, she smiled brightly, and spoke.
“Why Your Highness, I cannot imagine that my husband would ever presume – surely he is far too self-effacing for that! But… yes, I believe that I am… adequately prepared… for dealing with certain aspects of his life. Especially those aspects which concern your life, Your Highness. It will be my honour to support him… however may be required.”
The Prince Regent regarded her for a moment, then turned to Cecil again.
“She’ll do, Setford, she’ll do well indeed.”
He clapped Cecil on the shoulder, and settled in to speak with the people who clustered around, as Cecil and Anna slipped smoothly through the press of people, and out onto the balcony. Almost no-one noticed them go.
Cecil took her hand, and they stepped into the alcove at the end of the space, where the potted plants shielded them from view. He pulled her into his arms and stood holding her, his eyes on hers.
“I believe, my dear Anna, that you have a talent for this business.”
“Oh? What business would that be, Cecil?”
“The subtle art of presuming, perhaps, and that of slipping unnoticed through crowds? Or maybe, that skill which is only whispered of… espionage?”
“My darling Cecil, whatever has given you such ideas?”
Carefully she assumed an expression of flustered innocence.
Her lashes fluttered, and her mouth twisted in a little smile. He observed her a moment, then pulled her hard against him, bringing his lips to hers for a passionate kiss. After long minutes, he drew back, observing her again, then nodded.
“Now, my dear, you have that expression exactly right.”
The End
I hope that you enjoyed
‘Attracting the Spymaster’
You’ll find a taste of the next book in the series,
‘Courting a Spinster for Christmas’,
just after the ‘About the Author’ section of this book.
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 10 novels (7 release
d so far). The ‘His Majesty’s Hounds’ series is comprised of 17 novels, with the fifteenth having just 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
Courting a Spinster for Christmas
His Majesty’s Hounds – Book 16
Sweet and Clean Regency Romance
Arietta Richmond
Chapter One
“Oh drat!”
Miss Lydia Millpost lurched sideways, desperately attempting to recapture the antique book which had slipped from her grasp. She succeeded, but her satisfaction was short lived. The tall wheeled ladder upon which she was balanced rocked alarmingly, and her other hand lost its grip on the rungs.
Time seemed to slow, and she hung suspended in the air, looking at the floor below – a hard parquetry floor, which she was inevitably about to contact in a very unpleasant manner. Reflexively, she pulled the book which had caused the situation to her, and clutched it tightly. Her eyes closed, and suddenly everything sped up again. She wondered, as she fell, just how many bones she would break.
Then, there came the moment of impact. A moment in which the floor appeared to have become rather softer than expected, and to have developed a voice.
Attracting the Spymaster: Sweet and Clean Regency Romance (His Majesty's Hounds Book 15) Page 11
