The Book of Love (Books 1-3): A Regency Romance Collection

by Meara Platt

  She folded it and opened another one. “Dear Thaddius, I hope you are well.” She glanced up at him and laughed softly. “I was rather a dull writer.”

  He cast her a heartbreakingly tender smile. “No, lass. Ye were perfect.”

  “Oh, this is another early one.” She continued to read. “Mother says I should not have stolen your clothes. She says I must apologize to you and this time mean it sincerely. I told her you deserved it. She sent me up to my room without supper. Cook sent up some raisin scones for me. I saved them for you instead. Do you still eat like a wolf starved through winter? Your friend, Penelope Sherbourne (Nathaniel’s sister).”

  She wiped away a tear that had fallen onto her cheek. “Goodness, I never realized my letters were so silly.”

  His gaze remained achingly tender. “They weren’t silly. They were beautiful.”

  She opened one of the later letters, one sent to him after he, Nathaniel, and Beast had gone off to war. “Dear Thaddius, I hope you are well.” She snorted. “Oh, goodness. I am the worst writer in creation!”

  “No, ye’re not. Read on.”

  “Olivia, Poppy, and I pray for you every day. We pray for Nathaniel and Beast as well. Father won’t talk to me about the war and perhaps it is for the best. He isn’t in good health, but we are doing our best to make him comfortable. Thinking of perils the three of you face daily makes us all very sad. I wish I could do something for you. I don’t like being home and unable to do anything to help. So I had Cook teach me how to bake. I taught Poppy and Olivia. The three of us make cakes and biscuits, but I also always make raisin scones for the regiments that pass through Wellesford. Somehow, it brings me closer to you. The soldiers seem to appreciate the gesture. It is such a small thing. I think of you often and worry that you’re starving. Please keep yourself safe and come back to us. We are your family (your English family) and we love you as our own. If you are not yet sick of raisin scones, I will bake as many as you like upon your return. But don’t tell Father or Aunt Lavinia. They say it isn’t seemly for a gently bred young woman to have her hands covered in flour up to her elbows, and that no young man will marry me if he finds out I’ve been working in the kitchen. I may have responded rudely to the notion. They sent me up to my room without supper. Cook sent up some raisin scones. I wanted to send them to you. I cried because I didn’t know where you were or if you were still alive. Please be alive, Thad. I’ll lose a big piece of my heart forever if you’re not. Your friend, Penelope Sherbourne (Nathaniel’s sister).”

  She was crying in earnest now. “I knew you were still alive. I felt it in my heart.”

  He put his arms around her. “Do you still doubt that I love ye, Loopy? What those letters did for me…to know someone cared. To know you cared. I thought of you every day. I looked forward to receiving your letters.”

  “I wrote like a simpleton. Always mentioning raisin scones, and apparently, I was often sent up to my room without supper. But I continued to sign my letters the way I had when I was a little girl. It was a jest to be shared just between us.”

  He laughed softly. “I know, and it brought a smile to my lips with each letter, knowing it was something you would do. I wouldn’t change who you are. And I like that ye speak yer mind, always blazing yer own trail.”

  His expression sobered. “I know you always prayed for me, but I did the same for you. Especially at the start of each battle. I didn’t know if I would survive, so I worried about who was going to look after ye if I didn’t make it back to England. Not that ye really needed looking after. My concern was for yer happiness. Ye deserve to be loved by someone who understands ye and loves ye for yer stubbornness, yer tenderness. Yer passion and yer smart mouth.”

  He kissed her softly on the mouth. “It’s a beautiful mouth.”

  “Oh, Thad.”

  “I told myself the first thing I was going to do once the blasted war was over was ride to Sherbourne Manor to taste one of yer raisin scones. I like the scones, of course. But what I really wanted was to see the girl who had written me these letters. I may be a Caithness, and now it seems I’m to be a Hume, but I’ve always thought of Wellesford as my home because of you.”

  He leaned forward and kissed her once more. “When I returned a few months ago and saw ye all grown up, my heart soared. I hadn’t seen ye in a few years. I thought ye’d turn out pretty, but I wasn’t prepared for how beautiful ye’d become. Ye were an angel. Ye stole my breath away then and there. Ye still do.”

  He glanced at The Book of Love. “The three of ye were so intent on figuring out how to make a man fall in love. Mo cridhe, I was already wildly in love with ye. Only I never would have let ye know. Ye deserved someone as grand as Wycke.”

  “I never cared about rank or title.”

  “But I did. Oh, not for myself. For you, lass.” He shook his head and groaned. “Ironic that Hume, the very man who disowned my mother and never once cared whether I lived or died, should be the one who brought about this miracle for me. I’m his heir. Heir to an earl.” He shook his head and laughed. “I was with Hume and Caithness at Castlereagh’s home when I first learned of this windfall. All I could think of was you, and how I could now offer for yer hand in marriage with my head held high.”

  He gathered the letters and tucked them back in his saddlebag, then bent on one knee before Penelope. He took her trembling hand in his. “Let me ask ye proper this time. Will ye marry me?”

  She was about to accept him, but her response was interrupted as they both turned toward the house, startled by a sudden commotion. They heard shouts and loud, yipping barks mingled with female cries of alarm. “Oh, Thad! It’s Periwinkle. He’s run out of the house.”

  “He’s coming this way. I’ll get him.” He rose to intercept the little spaniel who wasn’t much bigger than the average squirrel.

  Penelope was up on her feet now. “I’ll help.”

  But Periwinkle had other plans. He darted past both of them and leaped into the pond to chase the ducks who were paddling in the water. They quacked in panic and disappeared into the rushes. At the same moment, Periwinkle realized he was in deep water and did not know how to swim.

  Apparently, he did not realize dogs were supposed to know how to paddle with their paws. “Oh, Thad. He’s going under!”

  Penelope jumped into the water, her heart leaping frantically as his little head disappeared below the surface.

  “Loopy, no! Yer gown!”

  As it began to tangle in her legs, she realized she couldn’t kick herself upward, not only because of the tangled fabric, but from the weight of her gown that was also tugging her downward. She felt herself sinking, and felt a growing sense of alarm as she held her breath and followed Periwinkle in disappearing beneath the surface.

  But she managed to grab hold of the frightened dog and was about to push him toward the shore and worry about breathing afterward, when she felt herself suddenly lifted upward.

  She took a deep, gasping breath the moment her head broke above the surface.

  Thad had her.

  She clutched his big body, held on tight as with two quick strokes, he swam them all to shore beside the copse of trees. She wanted to thank him and tell him that she loved him, but was coughing too hard to speak.

  Periwinkle began to bark and squirm in her arms. He was unharmed and back to his demanding self, but she dared not let him go.

  When she blinked open her eyes, she saw Nathaniel and Pip running toward them. In the next moment, Nathaniel took the wayward dog into his arms. “Nice work, Loopy. I’ll take him back to the house. Lavinia’s still shrieking. Poppy’s trying to calm her.”

  Penelope hadn’t found her voice yet, so she merely nodded.

  “Are ye all right, lass?” Thad asked once Nathaniel and Pip had left them to return to the house. He still held her in his arms and was stroking her wet hair. All of her was soaked. So was he, and he looked magnificent.

  She nodded.

  Oh, how she wanted to tell him th
at she loved him!

  She tried, but got no more out than “Thad” before she coughed again.

  But he had to know, for his gaze turned tender and his smile reached all the way into his eyes. “Lass, ye’re wet again.”

  She laughed. “And we’re in the copse again.” Her voice was raspy, but it was clearing.

  His gaze remained on her. “Och, ye gave me a scare.”

  Now groaning and laughing, he swallowed her in his embrace. Then he was kissing her on the mouth, on her forehead. On her closed eyes. On her mouth again in a long and lingering kiss that curled her toes and had her clutching the front of his wet shirt. “Will ye marry me, Penelope?”

  She loved him, too. In truth, it scared her how much she loved him.

  Those letters.

  So silly, and yet he’d treasured them.

  “Yes, I’ll marry you. I love you, Thad. To the depths of my soul.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Loopy was smiling at him as they made their way back to the house. Thad had the letters safely tucked back in his leather pouch that was tossed over his good shoulder. The beauty beside him had The Book of Love tucked under her arm.

  “What do ye think, lass? Will we surprise everyone? Or will we get a hearty round of we knew it all along?”

  She shook her head and laughed, holding the book up to him. “This will now take on mythical proportions. Olivia won her duke. Poppy won her earl. And I won the best of all, a Highlander.”

  He took her hand in his as they continued walking. “Your big, dumb Scot.”

  She groaned. “Thad, no. The man of my dreams. You’ve always been that, only I was too scared to admit it because I didn’t think you liked me.”

  He entwined his fingers in hers and gave them a light squeeze. “We were as wrong about each other as two people can possibly be.” He glanced at the book and grinned. “I think we’re going to have to listen to each other better. Stop working at cross purposes.”

  “Where’s the fun in that?”

  He tossed back his head and laughed. “Right, lass. No fun at all. I rather liked that love-crazed Harpy who somehow fell into my arms yesterday.”

  “Thad,” she said quietly, now serious, “Speaking of that…I know we’ll bicker from time to time.”

  He snorted.

  “But I don’t ever want us to go to bed angry with each other.”

  “Och, Loopy. I’m a simple, low-brained male. Once ye’re in my bed, I won’t be thinking of the fight we had that day. I won’t be thinking, period. I’ll be taking ye into my arms and hoping ye’ll allow me to explore that sweet body of yours.” He paused in his stride as they neared the entry to the manor house. “If I could marry ye today, I would.”

  She nodded. “I suppose there’s the business end to take care of now that you’ve become an important person.”

  “Yer brother’s going to enjoy negotiating the betrothal contract. I’m sure Beast will join in that discussion. They’ll have great sport at my expense. Hume and Caithness will sit in as well to make certain I don’t give away my entire inheritance.”

  “No chance of that. My brother can’t wait to be rid of me. I think he’d pay you a king’s ransom to take me off his hands.” She furrowed her brow and began to nibble her lip. “Thad, I’ll have to speak to Lord Wycke. I think it’s only fair that I tell him before we spread the news to our friends and family. He’ll be disappointed, but I don’t think he’ll be terribly hurt.”

  “Aye, lass. Do ye want me to tell him with ye?”

  “No, that would only be rubbing salt in the wound. Although he won’t really be distressed. Nor is he likely to do anything mad, such as attempt to abduct me.” She looked up into his eyes as though searching for something in his expression. “What would you have done if the situation had been reversed and I’d chosen Wycke?”

  “Nothing, lass, if I thought ye loved him. But anything short of love?” He arched an eyebrow and grinned. “I would have ridden into the church on Thor, swept ye up in my arms, and galloped off with ye. But it would not have come to that. Ye’ve too much passion in ye to marry for anything less than love.”

  “Passion? That’s a nice way of describing my nature. My brother thinks I’m obstinate and impossibly thickheaded.”

  “Ye are that, too. We’ve already agreed upon that. But so am I. Our coupling will be no tame affair. I doubt the bed will remain in one piece by the time we’re through.”

  She blushed fiercely, her innocence surging to the fore. It amazed him that she could be so spirited and brash, yet so shy in this way. He liked this about her. “I’m jesting, lass. Ye need have no fear of our wedding night. Ye’re no mere vessel into which I’ll spill my seed. If ye don’t want me to touch ye, I won’t.”

  They were standing together, soaking wet. She looked so achingly beautiful, he couldn’t bear it. Little beads of water still dripped from her hair onto her cheeks and down her neck. Her gown, now ruined, was pasted to her luscious body, outlining every curve. Indeed, he’d better get her upstairs before the men in the house, from footmen to earls, got too close a look. “Ye’d better change out of that gown before ye go talking to anybody.”

  She nodded. “I will. In truth, I’m shivering. Autumn is upon us and the water was cold.”

  He glanced at the tell-tale signs on her breasts, for he was a shameless hound and couldn’t stop gawking.

  But he was cold and wet, too. On the outside, at least. Inside, he was in flames over this girl. That she had accepted his proposal, that she loved him…he could not begin to explain what he felt. Someone was obviously smiling down on him from heaven.

  He turned her over to her maid and then went in search of Nathaniel.

  He ran into Poppy and Goose first. “Lavinia has finally calmed down,” Poppy assured him. “Thank you for rescuing Periwinkle.”

  He nodded. “Loopy saved him.” Then he’d had to save her, but it wasn’t worth mentioning.

  Goose chuckled. “Whoever would have thought it of that pampered pup? I’m sorry I missed all the excitement. Beast and I ought to have walked over earlier.” She studied Thad. “You jumped in, too. Something more than a mere rescue must have happened. You look different, somehow. What changed, Thad?” Suddenly, she gasped. “You’re in love!”

  Poppy’s big blue eyes widened to saucers. “I knew it! You had to fall in love. You were Penelope’s test frog!”

  He wasn’t going to admit he’d loved her all his life. “Where’s Nathaniel?”

  “In his study with Beast,” Goose said. “Where’s Penelope?”

  “Upstairs, changing into a dry gown.”

  They abandoned him to race upstairs. So much for secrets or for letting Wycke know before they broke the news to everyone. He didn’t mind so much. Those three lasses practically shared one heart. Whatever one felt, the other two always seemed to sense.

  He supposed it was similar for Beast, Nathaniel, and him. Not blood kin, but brothers bound forever in their hearts. He walked into Nathaniel’s study, for the door was ajar and his friends were casually seated across from each other. But they rose when he stepped in and closed the door behind him.

  He tried not to drip too badly on Nathaniel’s expensive carpet. “Nathaniel…”

  “Blister it, Thad,” he said, eyeing him from head to toe, and then chuckling. “You too?”

  Beast burst out laughing. “The Book of Love will now become legend. Our wives will have to keep it under lock and key. Or bury it somewhere deep in the ground, else it will be stolen.”

  Thad nodded. “They’re upstairs together right now, probably discussing who to give it to next. But I can’t pity the man who’ll be the next test frog. There’s nothing wrong with marrying for love.”

  Nathaniel ran a hand raggedly through his hair. “So, you’re sure about this?”

  Thad nodded again. “I loved yer sister from the first moment I saw her. Obviously, a pure, childhood love back then. The miracle wasn’t ever in making me fall in love with
her. I always have and always will. But I had nothing to offer her until a few weeks ago. Now I’m Hume’s heir.” He glanced up toward the ceiling. “A gift from heaven? Or was it the book that brought this about?”

  Nathaniel crossed his arms over his chest and cast him a gloating smile. “You do realize I’m going to roll right over you in the betrothal negotiations. Can you stop mooning over my sister long enough to make this something of a battle?”

  “Och, no. I dinna think I can.”

  *

  “Then we’re agreed,” Penelope whispered later that morning when Poppy and Olivia joined her along the parade route. “Violet’s next?”

  The pair nodded.

  “Thank you,” Poppy said, giving each of them a quick hug. “I want my sister to experience the same happiness as we share with our husbands. Or soon to be husband for you, Penelope. I must admit, Thad’s the smartest out of the three of them. Olivia and I had to beat Nathaniel and Beast about the head with that book before anything penetrated their thick skulls.”

  “Thad loved you in silence all along.” Olivia sighed. “That’s so romantic.”

  Her big Scot romantic?

  Not so much in words, but certainly in deeds.

  Her heart fluttered as she noticed Thad and Pip striding to the outskirts of town, both of them wearing slings on their arm. Pip was gazing up at Thad in adoration, for Thad had insisted Pip march beside him since they were family now. Those slings were almost an afterthought, for neither of them appeared to be in pain despite the freshness of their injuries.