by Rose Pearson
Jessica nodded and tried to smile. “I am well aware of that, Harmonia. It is just that I do not wish to marry!”
“Not at all?” Jacintha exclaimed, sounding quite astonished at the idea. “Goodness, Jessica! You have been delighted with all the attentions of late, I had thought. You practically threw yourself into the dancing at the last ball we attended.”
Jessica bit her lip, not quite sure how to respond. Jacintha could, mayhap, not quite understand where she was coming from, given that it was not yet her turn to find a suitor. “I do enjoy the dancing and conversation,” she said, slowly. “But it seems to take on a different tone when one must find a husband.”
Jacintha was still frowning, although Harmonia looked a little more sympathetic. “I had thought to marry cousin Luke,” Harmonia replied, with a quiet laugh. “It was simply so that I did not have to put myself through all the conversation and courtship that comes with finding a partner. What if they are not whom they appear? Or what if they proclaim affection yet, when one marries, it dries up?” Her eyes filled with worry. “I had thought that, with cousin Luke, I would, at least, be assured of his character. It seemed so simple, yet Amelia has persuaded me not to agree to wed him so now it appears that I must do just as you are, Jessica, albeit not for a few months yet.”
Pressing Harmonia’s hand, Jessica paused for a moment, caught up by the anxiety in Harmonia’s eyes. It was clear that her youngest sister knew a little of what she was experiencing, whilst Jacintha evidently did not.
“I am quite sure we will all be happily married very soon and in a few years’ time, be laughing at all this together,” Jacintha interrupted, as Harmonia stepped away to finish putting on her gloves. “Now, will you please hurry, Jessica? I can already hear the music and I do not wish to be late!”
Trying to calm her anxious mind, Jessica took her gloves from Jacintha and pulled them on, smoothing the fabric carefully. Glancing at herself in the mirror, she saw that her usual happy expression was dimmed somewhat, the light gone from her dark green eyes. Her blonde hair was piled up on her head, with small tendrils escaping from it to soften her appearance, and small pearls had been added to her coiffure. And yet, despite the loveliness of her gown, there was a sadness playing about in her expression that could not be entirely hidden.
“Come,” she heard Harmonia say, taking her arm. “Let us go. We do not want to keep Amelia waiting.”
The moment the sisters stepped into the ballroom, they were caught up in the usual whirlwind of guests, music, and laughter. Amelia was there to greet them, her husband standing right beside her with a broad smile on his face. How glad Jessica was that Lord Northfell had proved to be such a kind man who clearly adored her sister! He had been most welcoming in the three days they had already spent here, and his young daughter was a complete delight. Jessica had seen the warmth in Amelia’s eyes when she’d played with the child and knew she would be a wonderful mother, not only her own baby but also to her stepdaughter.
“You look beautiful!” Amelia exclaimed, grasping Jessica’s hand. “I do hope you enjoy yourself this evening, Jessica. None of that anxiety now.” Her eyes searched Jessica’s face, to the point that Jessica felt as though her inmost feelings were laid bare for Amelia to see. “Do not worry about what father said,” Amelia continued, more quietly. “Enjoy yourself this evening. Dance and smile and make new acquaintances. There are a great many of them to be had!” Something sparked in Amelia’s eyes, the smallest of smiles touching her lips, and Jessica frowned.
“Do you have a specific acquaintance in mind?” she asked, quietly, wondering if Amelia had intentions for her to meet someone in particular.
“No, of course not! Amelia replied, sounding a little offended. “All I am saying is that some of the military are here this evening and I thought, given what I’d said to you before, that you might be interested to meet some of them.”
Jessica blinked twice, something curling up in her belly. “The military?” she croaked, turning her head to look out across the sea of guests. “You invited the military?”
“Not all of them, of course,” Amelia replied, calmly. “Those of higher rank mostly, although there are a couple of other acquaintances that Northfell has known previously who are not of the same standing.” She lifted one shoulder, giving Jessica a half smile. “Not that it matters all too much, given that this is to be nothing more than an enjoyment for you.”
“Quite,” Jessica heard herself say, a little hoarsely. “I suppose I should join my sisters.”
“I will be along shortly,” Amelia replied, letting go of Jessica’s hand. “You already know Miss Thornley, I believe, and a few others. They will introduce you to others, should you require it.”
Jessica smiled and moved towards the small staircase that led into the ballroom, glad that they had already met a few of the guests already in their short time at the Northfell estate. It meant that there would not be any particular difficulty in finding themselves either dance partners or someone to talk to.
“Goodness!” she heard Harmonia murmur, under her breath. “There are a great number of uniforms here.”
“The military,” Jacintha breathed, clutching at Jessica’s arm. “Goodness, just look at them all!”
What is next for Jessica? Could she find a military man to wed suitable for a Duke’s daughter? Find out the rest of the story on the Kindle store. My Restless Earl
Rescued by an Earl
Prologue
Jacintha turned to face him, her heart suddenly pounding wildly in her chest. She did not know what had come over her, feeling her blood almost burning with heat as it raced through her veins.
He had only ever been her friend, an acquaintance of the family. She had known him for some time and had never experienced anything like this before. Had he always been this handsome? Had his lazy smile always made her breath catch?
Of their own accord, her hands touched his shoulders and, as they did so, she caught the same surprise in his own eyes. He had not been expecting this, just as she had not. They were both standing together, wrapped in breathtaking astonishment, as if discovering each other for the very first time.
His hands wrapped lightly around her waist, his fingers seeming to burn a hole through her dress and onto her skin. Jacintha could feel a flush rising up from her very core, her cheeks burning with a sudden, fierce heat.
The wind blew lightly around them, tugging gently at his hair. He was moving closer now, just a fraction, until their bodies were almost fully pressed together. She could not move, could not think, utterly overcome by what she was feeling.
Jacintha had never been in love before, nor felt any kind of particular affection for anyone and yet, standing in the gardens of her home in the arms of a young man she called a friend, she wondered if this was what love felt like. She was so caught up with all that she felt that her very thoughts were in disarray. There was no concern over impropriety, no worry about what her sisters might think should they catch her in such a situation. All she saw was him.
His head lowered and, instinctively, Jacintha closed her eyes. A strong desire filled her, forcing her to tilt her head back just a little, her slippered feet pushing her upwards towards him.
“Jacintha? Where are you?”
He sprang back, his hands torn from her waist, her fingers losing their grip around his neck. Clearing his throat, he gave her a half smile, looking rather abashed, as one of Jacintha’s sisters called her name again.
The moment was gone. Whatever might have occurred was gone, blown to the wind by the presence of another. Jacintha tried to calm her frantically beating heart, following him through the gardens towards the rest of her sisters. He was already laughing and smiling but she could not be so flippant. The enormity of what had almost passed between them still settled on her. She could not see him the same way any longer. Not now. Not when he had almost kissed her, not when they had almost started down an entirely new path together.
He looked b
ack at her, his gaze warm. It settled on her for a moment and Jacintha held it, aware of what passed between them. There was almost a hunger there, a desire to rush back into another secluded part of the gardens to see if they could bring it to fruition this time. She knew he was going away, knew that it might be some time before she saw him again, and yet how desperately she wanted to be alone with him, even just for one minute more.
But it was not to be.
As the months and years passed, what had almost occurred continued to linger in Jacintha’s memory. What could have happened, had they not been interrupted? And why could she never quite forget that moment in the garden?
Chapter One
The ball at Almacks was just as much of a crush as Jacintha remembered. The crowd of guests was almost overwhelming, and it was rather difficult to find anyone she knew particularly well, even though she greeted a great many people.
“How we are meant to find suitable gentlemen here, I shall never know,” Harmonia murmured, as they made their way to a quieter corner of the room. “I am quite sure I shall forget every gentleman’s name on my dance card by the time the dance is through!”
“It is rather busy,” Jacintha admitted, worming her way through the crowd of guests. “Ah, here is a quieter spot.”
She and Harmonia stood quietly to one side of the room, feeling as though they were able to breathe properly for the first time since entering the ballroom.
“Oh, look!” Harmonia exclaimed. “There is Claudia!”
Claudia came hurrying towards them, her eyes bright with happiness. “How wonderful to see you again!” she exclaimed, pressing each of their hands in turn. “Have you only just returned to town?”
“Yes, only just,” Jacintha replied, trying to push all questions about Henry from her mind. “Jessica is here too with Lord Warwick. It was she who found us tickets to Almacks.”
“Not that you would have been refused, being the daughter of a Duke,” Claudia smiled. “Now, have you heard my news?”
Jacintha nodded. “Yes, we heard from Jessica that your brother is in town.”
The smile faded from Claudia’s face. “Yes, he is, but that is not the news I was speaking of.”
Jacintha flushed, a little embarrassed. “I do apologize.”
Claudia waved a hand. “Think nothing of it. It is only to tell you that I have accepted an engagement from one Lord Barker.” Her eyes filled with delight, her cheeks dusting pink. “We are to be married before the Season’s end.”
Harmonia exclaimed in delight and pressed Claudia’s hand at once, clearly thrilled for her. “How wonderful!”
“My father is delighted,” Claudia said, as Jacintha embraced her. “It takes away some of the shame that my brother brings to us!”
Something caught in Jacintha’s throat. “Henry?”
“Who else?” Claudia replied, her expression growing sad. “Father gave him his own small estate as a bequest, since he is now of age, and so he has been spending his time between there and London, although more in London since the Season began.”
“We have not yet seen him,” Harmonia said, throwing a glance towards Jacintha. “It was Jessica who met him at a recital. She said he was very kind.”
Claudia rolled her eyes. “Yes, he plays the part of a respectable gentleman very well but I am sorry to say he has become something of a rogue. Much to my father’s disappointment of course, for he expected Henry to be a respectable gentleman.” She shrugged and gestured towards the rest of the crowd. “But, as he is of age, he is able to do as he pleases. He is here somewhere, so I am quite sure he will introduce himself to you at some point. However, I feel it only fair to warn you that he is not the gentleman you once knew.”
“How very disappointing,” Jacintha heard herself say, her heart sinking into her shoes. “Thank you for telling us, Claudia. I do hope that does not detract from your own happiness.”
Claudia’s smile was immediate. “No, it does not. Lord Barker is quite wonderful, and I am sure he will be everything I have hoped for in a husband. You must look for an invitation to our wedding, for I will be sending them very soon.”
“Thank you, we will,” Jacintha replied, only for a crowd of gentlemen to approach them – some of whom she knew – and begin to request the pleasure of dancing with her.
Very soon, her dance card was almost full and the first gentleman came to claim her hand for the dance. He was pleasant enough and soon, Jacintha forgot all about Henry. She was much too busy considering each and every gentleman she danced with, wondering whether he might be a suitable match. Trying her best to remember their names, she found herself caught up in all that was going on, glad to see that Harmonia was enjoying herself in much the same way as she.
“You have chosen not to seek Henry out, then?”
Jacintha shook her head as she sat with Harmonia, glad for a few minutes of respite. “I think it best not to.”
“I have seen him and only had a brief moment to speak to him,” Harmonia replied, softly. “When you went out to dance with the first gentleman on your card, I remained with Claudia and she was able to point him out to me. He came over for a minute or so, not long.”
“Oh?”
Harmonia shrugged, her mouth a little sad. “I do not ever remember being particularly close with him, but there did appear to be more of a rakish attitude coming from him. When I first saw him, before he approached, he was talking to three ladies at once, and I am quite sure I saw him wink at one of them, right in front of everyone else. Of course, the lady in question had her fan and simply hid her expression behind it, although the other two ladies were both laughing and simpering.” She shook her head, her eyes on Jacintha’s. “I do not think he is the man we remember.”
Jacintha lifted her chin and set her shoulders, trying not to show any kind of emotion, even though disappointment raced all through her. “Well, then I am glad I chose not to seek him out.”
“Claudia tells me that she hoped a certain Lady Leticia Hereford might sort him out. Apparently, they have a close acquaintance, and the lady has shown rather a preference for him.”
“Has she?” Jacintha murmured, ignoring the way her heart wrenched for a moment. “Then I hope she succeeds in winning him. After all, it must be rather trying for Claudia and for the Earl.”
Harmonia glanced over at her. “You are not particularly upset to find out he is so changed, then?”
Jacintha shook her head, her eyes roving over the dancing couples that twirled around the floor. “No, I think not. There are a great many acquaintances here and many more guests that we have yet to be introduced to, so I will not waste my time trying to find only one singular acquaintance, particularly when he does not display a good character. You know as well as I that rogues and the like are to be avoided, and, if Henry – I mean, Lord Musgrove, has become such a gentleman, then neither of us should have any urgency to reacquaint ourselves with him.”
Her sister smiled, evidently a little relieved. “I am glad to hear you say that, Jacintha. I was a little worried.”
Jacintha laughed, trying to push away the disappointment she felt in hearing about Henry’s behavior. “You need not worry about me, Harmonia. I am quite content, I promise you. Besides, my dance card is very nearly full, and I shall be dancing for the rest of the evening, as I’m sure you will be too.”
Harmonia nodded and made to speak, only for two gentlemen to draw near to them both, bowing as they stopped in front of them.
“Lady Harmonia, may I introduce my friend, Lord Slate,” the first gentleman said. “And, if you are ready, might I have this dance with you?”
Glancing down at her dance card, Harmonia gave him a bright smile. “Lord Westford, is it not?”
“It is,” he replied, beaming at her. “Shall we?”
Feeling a little forgotten, Jacintha watched her sister take Lord Westford’s arm and go on out to the dance floor, leaving her behind with Lord Slate.
“That was rather abrupt, was i
t not?”
Jacintha turned her attention to the man as he bowed again, his brown eyes alight with good humor. She smiled and got to her feet, thinking it rude to remain sitting.
“Please, do not worry yourself. I was simply commenting on how we have both been forgotten by our friends.”
“Sister,” Jacintha corrected, smiling. “She is Lady Harmonia, I am Lady Jacintha. Our father is the Duke of Westbrook.”
He took her hand and bowed over it, looking rather apologetic. “I know this is a most unusual way of introducing oneself, I do hope you can forgive me. Alexander, Earl of Slate.”
“Lord Slate,” Jacintha replied at once, with a curtsy of her own. “How very good to meet you. Are you in town for long?”
“For the Season,” he declared, with a broad smile as his fair hair flopped over his forehead just a little. “And you?”
“For a few weeks at least,” Jacintha replied, carefully. “My father’s health is not what it once was but he insisted we come.”
Lord Slate nodded. “I quite understand,” he replied, as the orchestra began to play. “Now, might I request the pleasure of your company for this dance? Although I will admit to being a little surprised you have not already found yourself a partner!”
Jacintha blushed despite herself, growing rather aware of just how handsome the man was. “It seems you are in luck,” she replied, with a warm smile. “I would be glad to dance with you, Lord Slate.”
“Capital,” he said at once, offering her his arm. “Then shall we go?”
Jacintha stepped out with him and joined a set, seeing Harmonia a little further away. As the music began, she fell into step at once, finding enjoyment in both the dance and in her partner’s company. Lord Slate was handsome and clearly from a good family with such a title as he had. Could he be a potential match?
Turning her head, Jacintha froze as she saw none other than Henry dancing across from her, his countenance recognizable in a moment. He did not see her and, as she swiftly turned her gaze back to her partner, Jacintha felt her heart clench just a little, as though recalling all that they had shared – and mourning for what they would no longer have.
