by Laura Beers
“It is different with Lord Charles.”
Kate opened her mouth to say something but closed it when the man in question walked into the room. He bowed stiffly before greeting them. “It is a pleasure to see you lovely ladies again.”
Hannah gestured towards an upholstered armchair. “Would you care to take a seat, Lord Charles?”
“I would,” he replied as he stepped over to the chair. “Thank you for receiving me.”
“It is our pleasure,” Hannah acknowledged.
Lord Charles’s eyes roamed the drawing room. “It is lovely in here,” he shared. “My mother has overdecorated the drawing room at our townhouse.”
“Is that so?” Hannah asked.
He nodded. “She loves to collect trinkets from all over the world.”
“She must have a remarkable collection,” Kate said.
“I suppose so,” Lord Charles replied. “I’m afraid I don’t see the allure of the trinkets, but she started collecting them when my father was still alive. He would bring one home to her whenever he traveled.”
“That was rather sweet of him,” Hannah remarked.
“It was,” Lord Charles agreed. “I was most fortunate to grow up in a home filled with love and laughter.”
“We grew up in a similar fashion,” Kate admitted.
Lord Charles’s eyes grew reflective. “My father defied my grandfather by running off to Gretna Green with my mother.”
“What were their reservations?” Hannah inquired.
“My mother came from landed gentry,” he explained, “and my grandfather didn’t believe she was worthy of his son.”
“That is most unfortunate,” Kate murmured.
“Sadly, it took years before my grandfather accepted my mother,” Lord Charles explained. “He always seemed to blame her for the rift in the family.”
“How did your mother handle it?” Hannah asked.
Lord Charles smiled. “Brilliantly,” he replied. “She turned the other cheek and focused on her own family’s wellbeing.”
Kate bobbed her head. “I have always admired Lady Bideford,” she said. “I’ve found her to be a remarkable woman.”
“She can be rather assertive when it comes to Emma, but she only wants what is best for her,” Lord Charles shared.
Hannah gestured towards the teapot. “Would you care for some tea, my lord?”
Lord Charles shook his head. “Thank you for the kind offer, but I’m afraid I must decline.”
“How long has it been since your father passed away?” Kate asked.
“It has been about two years,” Lord Charles revealed.
Kate offered him a sad smile. “My condolences for your loss.”
“It has been a difficult journey, but it is one that we must all travel at some point,” Lord Charles remarked.
“The loss of a parent is never easy to deal with,” Kate said.
Lord Charles nodded. “All that I am, I owe to my father.” He grew silent for a long moment. “I apologize for the serious turn of this conversation.”
“You have no need to apologize,” Hannah assured him.
“Perhaps it might be best if I departed,” Lord Charles said.
“Must you?” Hannah asked.
Lord Charles rose from his chair. “I fear that I have taken too much of your time already. I would never want to outstay my welcome.”
“You have done no such thing,” Hannah asserted, rising.
“I hope this is not too presumptuous,” Lord Charles started, “but I hope to be able to call upon you tomorrow.”
Hannah gave him an encouraging smile. “I shall be looking forward to it.”
Lord Charles let out a sigh of relief. “You have no idea how happy you have made me by saying that.” He walked over to the open door and stopped. “Until tomorrow, Miss Blackmore.”
After Lord Charles departed from the room, Hannah sat back down and reached for her needlework. She started to pull the needle through the fabric when she noticed her sister eyeing her with concern.
“Whatever is the matter?” she asked.
Kate leaned back in her seat and said, “That was a rather interesting exchange between you and Lord Charles.”
“In what way?” Hannah asked.
“I have no doubt that Lord Charles is smitten with you, but I am unsure of your feelings towards him.”
“I already told you—”
“—that he is charming,” Kate said, finishing her sentence. “But that doesn’t answer my question.”
“I am not sure what you are asking of me.”
“Do you believe you could fall in love with Lord Charles?”
Hannah lowered her needlework to her lap, delaying her response. “In due time, I think there is a real possibility of that.”
“You don’t sound very convincing,” Kate pressed.
“I do not have to justify myself to you,” Hannah declared, rising.
“You are correct, but I just want to ensure you marry for love.”
“Why else would I marry?”
Kate rose and stood in front of her. “You must promise me that you will listen to your heart when the time comes for you to make a decision.”
“My heart has been wrong before,” Hannah admitted. “I am not sure I can trust it to make the right choice.”
Kate reached out and embraced her. “Don’t give up yet,” she murmured against Hannah’s hair. “Everything will work out the way it’s intended to.”
“I wish I could believe that.”
Leaning back, Kate met her gaze and remarked, “You must fight for what you truly want out of life.”
“If only it was that easy,” Hannah replied.
“Anything worth having in life takes hard work.”
Hannah stepped out of her sister’s arms. “You have always been the exceptionally wise sister,” she teased.
Kate laughed. “I won’t tell Amelia that you said that.”
Dressed in his black jacket and matching trousers, Martin descended the stairs and stepped into the entry hall.
Marianne stepped out of the drawing room and perused the length of him. “Did I miss the dinner bell?” she asked.
“No, I am having supper at Lord and Lady Berkshire’s,” he replied.
A small pout came to Marianne’s lips. “You are leaving me all alone to face our parents over dinner?”
“I do apologize, but it would have been rude to refuse Lord and Lady Berkshire’s invitation to dine with them.”
“That may be true, but I tire of Father and Mother’s criticism of me.”
“Some of it is of your own making,” he said, giving her a knowing look. “You need to stop goading Mother.”
Marianne frowned. “It is nearly impossible to live up to the expectations she has set in place for me.”
“I doubt that to be true.”
“You are the firstborn, the precious heir,” she mocked. “I have no purpose in this family other than to honor our family’s legacy by marrying well.”
“That is not true.”
She arched an eyebrow. “Did you not forget that Father intends to marry me off once I am out of mourning?” she asked. “He even doubts my ability to find a worthy suitor.”
“Do not give up hope yet,” he said. “I still intend to speak to Father about that.”
“It won’t do much good. We both know he can be rather stubborn at times.”
“Father did relent on me,” Martin remarked. “He gave me a month to find a bride of my choosing.”
“That is because you are their favorite.”
“Mother and Father do not have a favorite child.”
Marianne huffed as she tossed her hands into the air. “That is precisely what the favorite child would say.”
Martin grinned. “Perhaps you should put that in your book.”
“Oh, believe me, I will,” Marianne said. “I find that my life has more than enough material to fill a manuscript.”
“Pa
rdon me if I do not find that to be true.”
“The life of a neglected lady,” Marianne sighed dramatically.
“You are far from being neglected.”
“Wouldn’t that be grand if I was?” she asked with a wry smile. “I could come and go as I please, and Mother wouldn’t expect me to spend hours practicing the pianoforte.”
“Some people enjoy playing the pianoforte.”
“Mother has managed to take all the fun out of it and has left me with a desire to throw it out a window.”
“I daresay it is much too heavy for you to even attempt to lift it.”
“I know,” she replied. “That is the only reason I haven’t done it yet.”
“You are being much too hard on Mother, especially since she has raised you to be an accomplished lady.”
Moreland stepped into the room and announced, “The coach is waiting out front, milord.”
“Thank you, Moreland,” Martin acknowledged before turning back towards his sister. “Do try and behave over dinner this evening.”
“I shall, but only because I do not feel like being lectured by Mother or Father,” Marianne said.
Martin kissed her on the cheek. “One day, you will learn that life is much more tolerable if you keep the peace.”
“But where is the fun in that?” Marianne questioned.
Martin chuckled. “I fear that you are past hope, dear sister.”
“Give my regards to Hannah.”
“I shall.”
Martin exited the townhouse and stepped into the awaiting coach. As it jerked forward, he found himself smiling at his sister’s antics. She was a force to be reckoned with, and he knew she would not take kindly to Father arranging a marriage for her, no matter how advantageous it was.
It wasn’t long before the coach came to a stop in front of Lord and Lady Berkshire’s townhouse. A footman opened the door for him, and he stepped onto the ground. The door to the townhouse opened, and Cooper greeted him with a cheery smile.
“Good evening, milord,” he said, ushering him in. “Please do come inside.”
Martin stepped into the entry hall. “Thank you,” he acknowledged.
“Allow me to escort you to the drawing room.”
“I hope that I am not the last to arrive.”
Cooper shook his head. “No one has come down, since I have yet to ring the dinner bell,” he informed him as he started walking across the entry hall. He stopped outside of the drawing room and gestured for Martin to enter.
Once he stepped into the drawing room, he walked over to the mantel over the fireplace and picked up a small, ornately decorated vase.
The dinner bell sounded, and Hannah’s voice came from the doorway. “Careful,” she said. “That vase belonged to my mother.”
Martin returned the vase to its original position before he turned towards her. “You must think me terribly clumsy if you fear I will drop it.”
“I do recall the time when you were responsible for bringing back the clay pot from the ruins and dropped it right outside your house.”
Martin chuckled. “That was one example,” he said. “I think you would be hard pressed to come up with another one.”
Hannah had an amused look on her face. “What about when you fell out of a tree when we were racing to the top?”
“The branches were slippery from the sudden downpour earlier that day.”
“I did not have the same issue,” Hannah remarked smugly.
Martin grinned. “No, you did not,” he acknowledged. “But I would like to point out that I beat you on many other occasions.”
“I’m afraid my recollection of that is rather vague.”
“That is mighty convenient,” he joked.
Hannah stepped further into the room, and he took a moment to admire her. She was dressed in a pale blue gown with white net overlay. Her hair was piled high atop her head and small curls framed her face. Did she know how enticing she looked?
“You are looking lovely this evening,” he praised.
Hannah came to a stop next to an upholstered armchair. “You are most kind,” she said, but her response was lackluster.
Martin didn’t know why her response bothered him, but it did. He had meant it as a sincere compliment, but she didn’t take it as one. Why was he having to work so much harder for Hannah’s approval than he once had?
Hannah kept her face expressionless as she asked, “Did you call upon Lady Emma as you intended?”
“I did,” he replied.
“Did it go well?”
Martin nodded. “Lady Emma is delightful.” He couldn’t be certain, but it almost appeared that Hannah stiffened the moment the words left his mouth.
“That is very promising,” she said in a cheery voice.
“I believe so, as well.”
A silence descended over them as Hannah shifted her gaze away from his. He found the quiet to be quite deafening, so he said, “I understand that Lord Charles called on you.”
She looked at him in surprise, so he rushed to explain, “I briefly spoke to him when I arrived at his townhouse, and he informed me of his plans.”
“Yes, Lord Charles did call upon me,” she responded vaguely.
“Did it go well?”
“Oh, yes,” she replied. “He was most attentive, and we had the loveliest chat.”
For some reason, this did not sit well with him, but he wasn’t sure why. “I am pleased to hear that,” he pushed out.
“He asked to call upon me again.”
“What did you say?” he asked.
“I encouraged him to do so.”
He clenched his jaw. “Do you believe that to be wise?”
A line between Hannah’s brow appeared. “Why wouldn’t it be?”
“You are encouraging Lord Charles.”
“That was my intention.”
Martin frowned. “I am just worried that things are progressing too rapidly between you two.”
“Are you not moving at the same pace with Lady Emma?” she challenged.
“I am, but it is entirely different.”
Hannah looked at him expectantly. “Pray tell, in what way is it different?”
He put his hands out in front of him. “I may have misspoken, but I just want you to be careful,” he said. “Picking a suitor is not as simple as picking out your next needlework design.”
Hannah’s mouth dropped open. “Do you think I am so whimsical?”
“Of course not.” He heaved a sigh as he ran his hand through his hair. “I would prefer it if we did not fight.”
“As would I.”
Martin approached and stopped in front of her. “Any gentleman you select as your suitor will be a very lucky person indeed.”
She met his gaze. “Thank you for that.”
“All I have ever wanted for you is to be happy. You must know that.”
“That is kind of you to say,” she said, lowering her gaze to the lapels of his jacket.
He placed his finger under her chin and raised it, forcing her to look at him. “There is nothing kind about it, Hannah,” he replied. “It is merely the truth.”
Her blue eyes searched his for a moment. “I feel the same way about you,” she murmured. His heart started racing at the sincerity in her words.
“Hannah…” he started.
“Yes?” she asked, her eyes full of trust.
Martin couldn’t seem to formulate any words, not when she was looking at him like that. He was so lost in her gaze that he almost failed to acknowledge Kate’s voice drifting in from the entry hall. Almost. He dropped his hand and took a step back.
In the next moment, Kate and Edward walked into the drawing room with smiles on their faces. “We are so pleased that you decided to join us for dinner this evening, Martin,” Kate said.
Martin glanced over at Hannah, but she kept her gaze straight ahead, refusing to look at him. “It is always my pleasure to dine with you and your family,” he replied.
/> “Then shall we adjourn to the dining room?” Kate asked.
9
When Martin offered his arm to her, Hannah wanted to refuse, but she knew she couldn’t be as cold and unfeeling as that. It wasn’t his fault she could hardly stand to be around him without her heart starting to ache. She was trying to be brave, trying to push him out of her mind. However, it was proving to be a much more difficult task than she had imagined, especially since he was always around.
Every time she attempted to pull away, he would find a way to rein her back in. One smile from him, or one touch, and she was back where she started from. She was growing tired of the game. How could she ever forget him if he never left?
Martin led her towards the dining room and held her hand as she lowered herself into the chair.
“Thank you,” she murmured as she slipped her hand out from his.
As he sat down next to her, Kate and Edward claimed their seats.
Hannah tilted to the side as a footman placed a bowl of turtle soup in front of her. After everyone was served, she reached for her spoon and began eating. She found she wasn’t in a talkative mood at the moment.
“This soup is divine,” Martin remarked.
“I will pass on your compliment to our cook,” Kate stated.
“I would appreciate that.”
“May I inquire about the status of your relationship with Lady Emma?” Kate asked, putting her spoon down.
Hannah stifled a groan. This was the last thing she wanted to discuss over the dinner table.
“I called on Lady Emma earlier today, and I must admit that she is a pleasant enough young woman,” Martin shared.
“Do you think you two would suit?” Kate inquired.
Martin put his spoon down and reached for his glass. “I have no doubt that I could grow to care greatly for Lady Emma,” he replied.
Kate clasped her hands together. “That is wonderful news.” She turned her attention towards her sister. “Isn’t it, Hannah?”
“Yes, it is wonderful news,” Hannah repeated, forcing a smile to her lips.
Glancing between them, Kate said, “Might I propose that you two invite Lord Charles and Lady Emma over for a picnic here tomorrow?”
