To Woo a Widow

by Christi Caldwell

  “I never needed sonnets and poems,” she said achingly.

  “But you deserved them, anyway,” he rasped, stuffing the special license in his jacket front. “If you reject my offer because you do not love me, I can accept that with the hope you will find a man deserving of you, who earns the gift of your heart.”

  A sound of protest stuck in her throat. How could he not know that he was the only man her heart would ever beat for? “I love you,” she whispered. “And that is why I cannot marry you.” A tear slipped down her cheek. Followed by another. And another. He caught them with the pad of his thumb, dusting away the remnants of her sadness. “There will come a time when you require your heir, Miles—”

  “My mother had no right speaking to you about what I required.” Oh, God. He knew that. “I do not require an heir,” he bit out. “My brother can carry on the blasted bloodline.”

  “Then want one,” she amended. “You will want one.” For isn’t that what all gentlemen ultimately wanted?

  “Oh, Philippa,” he said, his words husky. He cupped her cheeks in his hands. “Do you truly believe I would ever think an heir more important than your life?” He passed his strident gaze over her face. “There do not have to be babes. There are precautions I will take. I would neither want nor ask you to risk your life for that. You are all I want. You, Violet, and Faith.”

  A shuddery sob spilled past her lips. Oh, God. How was it possible to love him any more than she already did? And yet…in this moment, she fell in love with him all over again. Tears flooded her eyes. She wanted to be selfish and she wanted to take what he offered, and spit in the face of his mother, and all Societal conventions. But she could not. “You deserve more.”

  He pressed his forehead against hers and released a painful laugh. “Do not decide for me what I need or deserve. You are more. You are everything. I want you. I love you. And I will love your daughters as if they are mine and you three will be all I ever need.”

  Her shoulders shook with the force of her silent tears. For so many years she’d been taught to believe she served one purpose so that she’d come to believe it—until now. Now, with Miles promising her his heart and forever, putting her before all, he gave her the one gift she’d thought to never know. But the doubts lingered…she wet her lips. “You are certain? You—?”

  Miles took her mouth under his in an aching kiss and then drew back. “I love you,” he whispered, his breath fanning her lips. “Marry me?” he asked, once more. “Let me spend the rest of our lives showing you the happiness you have been so robbed of.”

  As the years’ worth of self-doubt and purposelessness lifted, she was filled with a buoyant light. Philippa touched the necklace at her throat. “There is something I must do,” she said softly.

  His arms fell uselessly at his side. The muscles of his throat moved.

  She smiled slowly. “I must inform my family that we cannot leave yet.” He went still. “Not until at least after our wedding.” And as Miles took her lips under his once more, warmth suffused every corner of her person.

  After years of having given up on happiness for herself, it seemed she’d been wrong—happily-ever-afters did exist.

  Epilogue

  Sussex, England

  One month later

  “What is it? Pleeease, tell me,” Faith pleaded, as she walked between Philippa and Miles through the gardens of their Sussex estate.

  Miles set aside the picnic basket and snapped open a white sheet. It fluttered in the early summer breeze and then he laid it down on the ground. “Soon,” he promised.

  “Soon. Soon.” Violet parroted back and, squealing, all but leapt from Philippa’s embrace into Miles’.

  As he took the small girl in his arms and tossed her into the air laughing, easily catching her, Philippa stared on. Warmth swelled in her breast. And just as she’d fallen in love with Miles Brookfield, the Marquess of Guilford, that day in Hyde Park just over one month earlier, she fell in love with him all over again in the gardens of their country estate.

  Faith turned to Philippa and pleaded with her eyes. “What is the present, Mama?”

  Over the top of Violet’s head, Miles held Philippa’s gaze. He flashed her a secretive smile that caused a familiar fluttering in her belly. I love you, he mouthed. She touched quivering fingers to her breast. I love you, she returned.

  “Mama?” Faith tugged at her skirts again.

  “I am afraid I do not know what surprise Miles has for us.” And she didn’t. She knew nothing more than his calls for a picnic outside in the gardens where he would give Philippa, Faith, and Violet a very special gift.

  “Is no one ready for a present?” Miles asked. Shifting Violet to the nook of his right arm, he used his spare hand to scratch at his forehead.

  An excited squeal escaped Faith. “I am ready, Miles.”

  He set Violet down and her older sister rushed to claim a spot beside her. Violet bounced up and down, clapping. “Ready.”

  “This is a very special gift,” Miles told them in solemn tones. His tender effort to always present his mouth so Faith could see caused tears to blur Philippa’s vision. She blinked them back and found him studying her. “All my special ladies must be here.” He held his hand up for Philippa.

  She allowed him to help her down to the spot beside him and as he turned his attention to the basket and fished out three small packages, her curiosity piqued. No one had ever given her a gift. Her late husband hadn’t cared enough about her to know her interests. Her family had been so mired down in simply surviving that those whimsical pleasures had escaped them.

  Miles handed a small, wrapped package to each lady.

  They stared expectantly back.

  “Well, open them,” he urged. “They are yours.”

  Faith tore into the soft wrap, as Miles helped Violet through the fine movements in opening hers. Philippa attended her package.

  “Books, Mama,” Faith cried, waving around the small, thin, leather bound book. “He bought us each a book.”

  “The same book,” Miles clarified.

  Faith tipped her head. “The same?”

  A gentle breeze wafted about them, tugging at the edge of the blanket. “Yes. For you see, this is not just any book,” he continued in those hushed tones that always managed to capture even Violet’s fleeting attention. “This is a special fairytale about a princess who was lost in a park.”

  Dropping her attention to the leather book, Philippa opened it and her gaze snagged on the title. Our Story. Her heart started.

  “The princess was lost like me,” Faith piped in.

  “Like you,” he confirmed. “And this princess had a laughing, loving sister.”

  “Violet,” Faith exclaimed.

  Violet tossed her book aside and scrambled onto Miles’ lap.

  Oh, God. Her fingers shaking, Philippa set aside the treasure he’d given them. Just one more beautiful gift. Her heart swelled.

  “And these two princesses had a strong, courageous mother.” His voice hoarsened by emotion, Miles stretched a hand out and, wordlessly, Philippa slid her palm into his. The same heat that always burned at his touch went through her. “This mother was brave and beautiful in every way.”

  Scrambling up onto her knees, Faith rushed over to Miles and clung to his shoulder. “Does the prince become a papa to them, like you are to me and Violet?”

  Philippa buried a little sob in her fist, as he gently brushed a dark curl from Faith’s brow.

  “He does,” he said quietly.

  Faith took Miles’ face between her hands. “It is the perfect gift, Papa.”

  The column of his throat worked.

  Papa. For so long, Philippa had believed a nobleman incapable of seeing a child. She’d believed the tenderness Miles had shown Faith and Violet an elusive dream only recorded in fanciful tales. Until Miles. How much he’d shown her about love and life.

  An orange-winged butterfly floated by and Violet wiggled off Miles’ lap and todd
led over to it. “I touch it. I touch it.” As the little girl ambled over to the fluttering creature, Faith surged to her feet with a laugh and set out in chase.

  Miles scooted over to Philippa’s side so they were shoulder to shoulder, staring out at their girls. “It is our story,” Philippa whispered. “You wrote our story.” A tear slid down her cheek and he turned and caught the drop with his thumb, flicking it away.

  “You once told me that you’d ceased to believe in fairytales.” Gathering her fingers in his, Miles raised her knuckles to his lips and placed a lingering kiss that sent shivers radiating. “I wanted to gift you and our daughters with something to forever remind you of my love. A gift to remind each of you that fairytales are very much real.”

  Another tear slid down her cheek. Followed by another. “Oh, Miles.” She shifted so they faced one another and worked her gaze lovingly over the planes of his face. “How can you not know?”

  He shook his head.

  Philippa rested her brow against his. “Together, you, Violet, and Faith, are the only gifts I ever wanted or needed, Miles. You showed me all those dreams are possible.”

  The wind tossed one of his ginger strands over his eye. “Then let us write the rest of our story together.”

  And with their daughters’ laughter ringing in the gardens, Philippa claimed his lips in a kiss, knowing that is just what they would do.

  The End

  Other Books by Christi Caldwell

  “To Woo a Widow”

  Book 10 in the “Heart of a Duke” Series by Christi Caldwell

  They see a brokenhearted widow.

  She’s far from shattered.

  Lady Philippa Winston is never marrying again. After her late husband’s cruelty that she kept so well hidden, she has no desire to search for love.

  Years ago, Miles Brookfield, the Marquess of Guilford, made a frivolous vow he never thought would come to fruition—he promised to marry his mother’s goddaughter if he was unwed by the age of thirty. Now, to his dismay, he’s faced with honoring that pledge. But when he encounters the beautiful and intriguing Lady Philippa, Miles knows his true path in life. It’s up to him to break down every belief Philippa carries about gentlemen, proving that not only is love real, but that he is the man deserving of her sheltered heart.

  Will Philippa let down her guard and allow Miles to woo a widow in desperate need of his love?

  “The Lure of a Rake”

  Book 9 in the “Heart of a Duke” Series by Christi Caldwell

  A Lady Dreaming of Love

  Lady Genevieve Farendale has a scandalous past. Jilted at the altar years earlier and exiled by her family, she’s now returned to London to prove she can be a proper lady. Even though she’s not given up on the hope of marrying for love, she’s wary of trusting again. Then she meets Cedric Falcot, the Marquess of St. Albans whose seductive ways set her heart aflutter. But with her sordid history, Genevieve knows a rake can also easily destroy her.

  An Unlikely Pairing

  What begins as a chance encounter between Cedric and Genevieve becomes something more. As they continue to meet, passions stir. But with Genevieve’s hope for true love, she fears Cedric will be unable to give up his wayward lifestyle. After all, Cedric has spent years protecting his heart, and keeping everyone out. Slowly, she chips away at all the walls he’s built, but when he falters, Genevieve can’t offer him redemption. Now, it’s up to Cedric to prove to Genevieve that the love of a man is far more powerful than the lure of a rake.

  “To Trust a Rogue”

  Book 8 in the “Heart of a Duke” Series by Christi Caldwell

  A rogue

  Marcus, the Viscount Wessex has carefully crafted the image of rogue and charmer for polite Society. Under that façade, however, dwells a man whose dreams were shattered almost eight years earlier by a young lady who captured his heart, pledged her love, and then left him, with nothing more than a curt note.

  A widow

  Eight years earlier, faced with no other choice, Mrs. Eleanor Collins, fled London and the only man she ever loved, Marcus, Viscount Wessex. She has now returned to serve as a companion for her elderly aunt with a daughter in tow. Even though they’re next door neighbors, there is little reason for her to move in the same circles as Marcus, just in case, she vows to avoid him, for he reminds her of all she lost when she left.

  Reunited

  As their paths continue to cross, Marcus finds his desire for Eleanor just as strong, but he learned long ago she’s not to be trusted. He will offer her a place in his bed, but not anything more. Only, Eleanor has no interest in this new, roguish man. The more time they spend together, the protective wall they’ve constructed to keep the other out, begin to break. With all the betrayals and secrets between them, Marcus has to open his heart again. And Eleanor must decide if it’s ever safe to trust a rogue.

  “To Wed His Christmas Lady”

  Book 7 in the “Heart of a Duke” Series by Christi Caldwell

  She’s longing to be loved:

  Lady Cara Falcot has only served one purpose to her loathsome father—to increase his power through a marriage to the future Duke of Billingsley. As such, she’s built protective walls about her heart, and presents an icy facade to the world around her. Journeying home from her finishing school for the Christmas holidays, Cara’s carriage is stranded during a winter storm. She’s forced to tarry at a ramshackle inn, where she immediately antagonizes another patron—William.

  He’s avoiding his duty in favor of one last adventure:

  William Hargrove, the Marquess of Grafton has wanted only one thing in life—to avoid the future match his parents would have him make to a cold, duke’s daughter. He’s returning home from a blissful eight years of traveling the world to see to his responsibilities. But when a winter storm interrupts his trip and lands him at a falling-down inn, he’s forced to share company with a commanding Lady Cara who initially reminds him exactly of the woman he so desperately wants to avoid.

  A Christmas snowstorm ushers in the spirit of the season:

  At the holiday time, these two people who despise each other due to first perceptions are offered renewed beginnings and fresh starts. As this gruff stranger breaks down the walls she’s built about herself, Cara has to determine whether she can truly open her heart to trusting that any man is capable of good and that she herself is capable of love. And William has to set aside all previous thoughts he’s carried of the polished ladies like Cara, to be the man to show her that love.

  “The Heart of a Scoundrel”

  Book 6 in the “Heart of a Duke” Series by Christi Caldwell

  Ruthless, wicked, and dark, the Marquess of Rutland rouses terror in the breast of ladies and nobleman alike. All Edmund wants in life is power. After he was publically humiliated by his one love Lady Margaret, he vowed vengeance, using Margaret’s niece, as his pawn. Except, he’s thwarted by another, more enticing target—Miss Phoebe Barrett.

  Miss Phoebe Barrett knows precisely the shame she’s been born to. Because her father is a shocking letch she’s learned to form her own opinions on a person’s worth. After a chance meeting with the Marquess of Rutland, she is captivated by the mysterious man. He, too, is a victim of society’s scorn, but the more encounters she has with Edmund, the more she knows there is powerful depth and emotion to the jaded marquess.

  The lady wreaks havoc on Edmund’s plans for revenge and he finds he wants Phoebe, at all costs. As she’s drawn into the darkness of his world, Phoebe risks being destroyed by Edmund’s ruthlessness. And Phoebe who desires love at all costs, has to determine if she can ever truly trust the heart of a scoundrel.

  “To Love a Lord”

  Book 5 in the “Heart of a Duke” Series by Christi Caldwell

  All she wants is security:

  The last place finishing school instructor Mrs. Jane Munroe belongs, is in polite Society. Vowing to never wed, she’s been scuttled around from post to post. Now she finds herself in the Marquess
of Waverly’s household. She’s never met a nobleman she liked, and when she meets the pompous, arrogant marquess, she remembers why. But soon, she discovers Gabriel is unlike any gentleman she’s ever known.

  All he wants is a companion for his sister:

  What Gabriel finds himself with instead, is a fiery spirited, bespectacled woman who entices him at every corner and challenges his age-old vow to never trust his heart to a woman. But…there is something suspicious about his sister’s companion. And he is determined to find out just what it is.

  All they need is each other:

  As Gabriel and Jane confront the truth of their feelings, the lies and secrets between them begin to unravel. And Jane is left to decide whether or not it is ever truly safe to love a lord.

  “Loved By a Duke”

  Book 4 in the “Heart of a Duke” Series by Christi Caldwell

  For ten years, Lady Daisy Meadows has been in love with Auric, the Duke of Crawford. Ever since his gallant rescue years earlier, Daisy knew she was destined to be his Duchess. Unfortunately, Auric sees her as his best friend’s sister and nothing more. But perhaps, if she can manage to find the fabled heart of a duke pendant, she will win over the heart of her duke.

  Auric, the Duke of Crawford enjoys Daisy’s company. The last thing he is interested in however, is pursuing a romance with a woman he’s known since she was in leading strings. This season, Daisy is turning up in the oddest places and he cannot help but notice that she is no longer a girl. But Auric wouldn’t do something as foolhardy as to fall in love with Daisy. He couldn’t. Not with the guilt he carries over his past sins… Not when he has no right to her heart…But perhaps, just perhaps, she can forgive the past and trust that he’d forever cherish her heart—but will she let him?

  “The Love of a Rogue”