Engaging Love: A Historical Regency Romance Novel

by Abby Ayles

  “In that case,” Lord Ridgecleff said, “Miss Natalie Hartfield, I hope that you shall do me the honor of accepting my proposal and give me your hand in marriage.”

  “Yes,” Natalie said.

  She could not help the giddy smile that overtook her features. She was to be married! She would be safe. Few would dare whisper about the wife of the heir to an earldom. And those who did would never do so to her face or to her husband’s face.

  They were all safe from the impending storm. It felt like nothing short of a miracle.

  “I’m afraid I have no token on me,” Lord Ridgecleff said. “Perhaps we can do one another the privilege of taking off our masks?”

  Natalie laughed. “It seems only appropriate that a wife should know what her husband looks like at some point before the vows are said.”

  She undid her mask, and Lord Ridgecleff undid his.

  Oh, he was even more handsome once it was off. She could take in his fine cheekbones and the shape around his eyes. Before, with his mask on, she could only see him in parts. Now those parts all flowed together to make a cohesive whole.

  He seemed to like her looks as well, from the way his jaw went a little slack and his eyes widened ever so slightly.

  Then he seemed to remember himself. He drew himself up and cleared his throat. “I see that reports of you were not exaggerated.”

  Natalie smiled, pleased as always with praise. “I’m afraid I have not heard any prior reports about yourself, but I’m sure they do not exaggerate either.”

  Lord Ridgecleff smiled. There was still relief tinging that smile, but Natalie could also sense anticipation. “I shall quite look forward to getting to know you, I think. Mountbank has plenty to entertain a person.”

  Natalie was already calculating the kind of balls that an earl might throw when Lord Ridgecleff went on.

  “There is quite an extensive library. I myself have spent many hours there. There are more than enough books to hold the attention of anyone.

  “And the grounds are quite lovely. I look forward to showing them to you—we might go walking often although I will often be busy with getting used to running the estate.”

  Natalie felt like lead had seeped into her lungs, cold and hard, weighing them down. Walks? A library? Busy with running the estate?

  “I suspect it will take me a bit of time to get used to being in charge,” Lord Ridgecleff continued. “You shall have to amuse yourself a bit. But with the surrounding grounds and the library I am certain you will not feel a moment’s boredom.

  “My younger sister will be there as well, Emma. She will be happy to have another woman about with whom she can converse.”

  Natalie’s throat felt tight. She quite suddenly wished to scream. Amuse herself? With no one but one young girl for companionship?

  It seemed that she had greatly miscalculated Lord Ridgecleff. All his talk of the Continent and all that he had seen and done there and he was just the same as the others!

  What on earth was she going to do? She was his salvation and he was hers. She could not simply walk away now.

  Even if she had not been in dire need of a husband, to walk away from a man who so clearly needed her help would have been the lowest.

  And she did need him. She needed him to save her from scandal and life as an old maid.

  Natalie swallowed down the hurt and frustration. She had been nothing short of ecstatic a moment ago. Now that was all fading.

  But you are engaged, she told herself. You are engaged, and safe. Nothing can take that away from you. If nothing else, she was now equal to her sisters.

  “We must inform Bridget,” she said, desperate for something to say. “She will want to know.”

  “Yes, that is only fair. She seemed most anxious for all of you.” Lord Ridgecleff placed his mask back on. Natalie did the same.

  He offered his arm to her. That would start people talking if nothing else. Natalie did not mind for she was certain that Bridget would want the engagement known as soon as possible. She would probably take pains to make sure people knew at this very ball that night.

  Engagements had to be properly announced in the papers. The ‘banns’, that is, the announcement of the wedding, had to be read in the local church for a certain number of weeks before the marriage. But it was not uncommon for another official but verbal announcement to be made at a large gathering.

  A large and prestigious masquerade ball such as this would be the perfect time for an engagement to be announced. Or, rather, given the size of the crowd it could not be announced, for there were too many people. Rather it would be made known.

  Nobody would know that she and Lord Ridgecleff had only just met. Both of them were well acquainted with Lord and Lady Morrison. It was quite feasible that they had been meeting in smaller settings through them before now.

  As they exited the room, to Natalie’s surprise, Louisa was not there.

  “That is odd,” she said aloud.

  She craned her head about to try and find her.

  “Where has your sister got to?” Lord Ridgecleff wondered.

  “That is what I am wondering. She is not distracted easily and she knew what was at stake.” Natalie could not see Louisa anywhere.

  Then she stopped and listened to what the people around her were saying.

  “Yes, they met in London.”

  “I should not have let a sister of mine get to know such a man.”

  “You know not of what you are saying. He is rich to be sure, and have you not seen Whitefern? It is a splendid estate.”

  “I must admit I would not have thought the youngest to be engaged so soon. If only because she has never said but two words together.”

  “She goes and hides during balls, of course only in London would she find a husband.”

  “He is just as withdrawn as she is. Quite little is known about him. He all but disappeared for a few years, you know?”

  “Rebuilding his family’s fortune overseas is what I heard.”

  Natalie tried to puzzle it out. Of whom were they speaking? Had someone else gotten engaged and was announcing it tonight? It made sense. This was a large gathering, perhaps overlarge according to some.

  Elizabeth had been going about telling everyone and anyone who would listen about her engagement. Natalie supposed that someone else was doing the same.

  “Natalie!”

  She turned just in time to see none other than Elizabeth, clad in her daring red dress, hurrying towards her. Elizabeth was one of the few redheads that Natalie knew who could actually pull off a red dress.

  “Have you heard? Where have you been? Everyone is aflutter!” Elizabeth all but skidded to a stop in front of her.

  “Heard what?” Natalie asked.

  “It seems that some exciting news has broken while we were making some news of our own,” Lord Ridgecleff observed.

  “It’s Regina!” Elizabeth burst out. “Natalie, she’s engaged! She met a man in London—you won’t believe who—the Duke of Whitefern! You remember him, I thought he had feelings for Bridget, but it turns out he is quite head over heels for Regina!”

  Regina? Engaged? To a duke?

  Natalie’s chest felt far too tight and it had nothing to do with her corset. Her youngest sister had just outpaced them all.

  Quiet, shy, stuttering Regina. Regina who either said nothing or blurted out the wrong thing.

  Engaged to a duke!

  “He proposed tonight,” Elizabeth went on. “But they have been courting all while she was in London. And she told Bridget very little of it!

  “Bridget is interrogating him as we speak. I thought it might be out of pity or something, but he seems to truly be in love with her. You ought to see the way he looks at her, Natalie. And she simply adores him, you can tell.”

  Natalie wanted to throw up. “Oh but of course, she is interrogating him. Nothing is good enough for precious Regina.”

  Her bitterness must have shown in her tone, for Elizabeth dr
ew herself back a little in surprise. “Oh. I—well, yes. She is very protective of her. But is this not astonishing? And very good news. Now we shall all be engaged.”

  Elizabeth paused, realizing what she had said. “That is, I am certain that you shall soon be, as well.”

  “As a matter of fact, I am,” Natalie retorted. She indicated Lord Ridgecleff. “Elizabeth, if I may introduce my fiancé, Lord Ridgecleff, heir to the earldom of Mountbank.”

  It no longer mattered in that moment whether or not she would be bored to tears at Mountbank. It was no longer a concern that she would be unhappy in this marriage. All that mattered was that she would not be the only Hartfield sister without a husband.

  She would not be outdone. She, the most beautiful and vivacious, the one that all the men praised! She would not be shown up by, of all people, her awkward baby sister.

  “Oh.” Elizabeth quickly curtsied. “It is a pleasure to meet you, my lord.”

  “I hear congratulations are in order,” Lord Ridgecleff said. He either did not notice or was choosing to ignore the almost-spat that the two sisters had gotten into. “For I believe you are engaged?”

  “Yes, it shall be in the Monday papers,” Elizabeth said. She blushed—actually blushed. Natalie had never seen Elizabeth do that before.

  “He is not the son of an earl, nor a duke, but he is a right and honorable man. And dear to me.”

  It was not a flowery speech by any means. But coming from Elizabeth, who turned to insults far more easily than she did praise, it was as good as a sonnet.

  She must truly love him, Natalie thought. Well, good for Elizabeth. Marrying for love. If only Natalie should be so lucky.

  But she couldn’t back out now. Not when even Regina was engaged. None of them had expected Regina to find a husband in all this debacle.

  There were a few reasons for this. The first was that Regina was the youngest. For the youngest to be married before the oldest was quite concerning.

  The second was that Regina was still young. Too young in the eyes of some men. She could take another season before she had to marry.

  The third was that not even Bridget, Natalie thought, expected Regina to be able to win over a man enough for him to propose marriage to her.

  It seemed that all of them had been mistaken on that count.

  Now Natalie had to salvage her pride somehow. And the ticket to that was the man standing beside her. The heir to an earldom.

  “Come,” Elizabeth said. “If you are engaged, we must tell Bridget at once. She will be quite relieved.”

  “Of course.” Natalie hoped that Regina would be there as well so that she might see that her middle sister was doing quite well for herself too. “Lead on.”

  She squared her shoulders. She was not to be outdone. She would hold her head high in this.

  Chapter 10

  Elizabeth led them through the ballroom and into the library. As they moved through the room, a few people commented to their neighbor on Natalie being on Lord Ridgecleff’s arm.

  Natalie always looked at them directly and said, “Good evening! I don’t suppose you have met my fiancé yet, Lord Ridgecleff?”

  That always startled them and then the whispers would turn into a flurry. Ha. By the time she finished speaking with Bridget the entire assembly would know of Natalie’s engagement.

  Inside the library, Natalie found to her surprise that it was not just Bridget there. All of her sisters were assembled, and some others besides.

  Louisa stood by the piano, obviously being quiet and simply observing.

  Regina was at the opposite end of the piano. Standing by her, his hands on her shoulders, was a very tall and dark man with flashing blue eyes.

  That must have been the Duke of Whitefern, Natalie surmised. He had a face that she could not decipher but his hands on Regina’s shoulders spoke volumes. This woman is mine, they seemed to say, as if daring anyone to object to it.

  Regina for her part seemed quite ready to lean back into him. Natalie had never seen Regina so much as comfortable around a man, never mind as wholly ready to put herself into his hands as she did with this one.

  Lord and Lady Morrison stood off to the side, quiet with serious faces.

  Bridget stood in the center. Just a little behind her was another woman in a black dress. That was a rather daring move, to wear a traditionally mourning color.

  Natalie did not quite recognize the woman, but she felt as though she had seen her before. Perhaps a long time ago?

  It seemed that everyone was in the middle of discussing something. They all looked up as the three of them entered.

  “Bridget,” Elizabeth said, dashing over to their eldest sister at once. “You must hear what Natalie has to say.”

  “I have asked your sister for the honor of her hand,” Lord Ridgecleff said. “She has graciously accepted.”

  “It seems that your sisters were serious in their endeavors,” the Duke of Whitefern murmured. Natalie could hear him, but it seemed as though his words were directed only to Regina. Regina’s lips quirked upwards into a smile.

  “That is marvelous,” Bridget said. She sounded incredibly relieved. “Then all four of you are engaged.”

  “I have made it known to the ballroom,” Natalie said. “But I have not said when the engagement happened. I thought we ought to let everyone assume it had happened some time ago.”

  “Yes, that is wise,” Bridget said. “We can only afford one engagement happening on this evening, at least in the eyes of the public.”

  “I apologize,” Regina blurted out. “We did not mean to steal attention from anyone.”

  “Blame me,” the Duke of Whitefern said. “I’m afraid I am the selfish one. I could not wait another moment.”

  The possessive note in his voice stirred up more jealousy in Natalie. What had Regina done to get such a handsome man, and of such means, to desire her so much that he would propose to her and hang the consequences?

  She wanted a man to speak of her in such a fashion. Where had she gone wrong?

  “No, no, my darling, you have no need to apologize,” Bridget said. She smiled warmly at Regina.

  Natalie wanted to strike something.

  Bridget looked at everyone assembled. “We shall have to tell Father, of course,” she said. “And then we shall have to plan out the weddings. Elizabeth, you may have yours first since yours will be technically announced first.”

  “My father will wish for me to have some time learning how to run the estate before marriage anyhow,” Lord Ridgecleff said. “But I do beg that Miss Natalie be allowed to accompany me home. My father must meet her.”

  “Certainly. Louisa can be your escort.” Bridget looked over at Louisa. “If you have no objections.”

  “None. Those of you who are now assembled may be considered as family,” Louisa added, “and so I might tell you that my engagement is to Mr. Fairchild.

  “We cannot marry until his aunt dies, for she has set her sights upon him marrying a lady with a title.” Louisa looked over at Lord Ridgecleff. “If I may impose upon you to invite him, I would be most grateful. We do not get nearly enough time together.”

  Natalie wanted to protest that they just spent a month together at Mr. Denny’s estate while Mr. Denny was courting Elizabeth and Louisa served as the escort. But that would not do.

  And it was true that Louisa and Mr. Fairchild could not so much as speak to one another at balls. They never saw one another in public. And they could rarely meet up at a mutual friend’s for dinner lest people catch wind of it happening too often.

  “Certainly.” Lord Ridgecleff gave her a small bow. “I would welcome the opportunity to get to know one of my future brothers-in-law.”

  “I thank you,” Louisa said, inclining her head.

  “Then preparations may begin for Elizabeth’s wedding,” Bridget said, “while Natalie accompanies Lord Ridgecleff to his estate with Louisa. Regina, perhaps a month after Elizabeth, you can wed?”

&n
bsp; “I care not,” Regina said.

  “Even tomorrow is too long to wait, if you ask me,” the Duke of Whitefern teased. “A month or a day makes no difference to one who is impatient. I have no objections.”

  Regina murmured something quietly to him. Natalie could not hear all of it, but she thought she caught the name ‘Oberon’.

  Oberon was the king of the fairies. What on earth would give Regina cause to mention him?

  Unless, perhaps, it was a pet name. Natalie wanted to scream. Her younger sister and her fiancé were so in love with one another that they had pet names?

  Meanwhile she was marrying a man she had just met and suspected would not suit her? It was horribly unfair.

  “It seems that we are all settled then,” Bridget said. She smiled, tension seeming to leak out of her bit by bit. “Three marriages, each a month apart, no one can fault us for that. And of course, Louisa, you shall have your marriage whenever it becomes possible.”

  “What of yours?” Natalie asked. Only three marriages meant that Bridget was not getting married. What of her husband? She had said she would choose tonight.

  “Natalie, you remember our childhood friend Lady Dunhill?” Bridget asked.

  She indicated the woman in black behind her.

  It seemed to Natalie to be a change of subject but she went along with it. So that was why the woman was so familiar to her.

  “Yes, I remember. But it has been so long, I did not recognize you at first. That is, I knew I must recognize you, but from where I did not know.”

  “That is quite all right,” Lady Dunhill said. “We were all so much younger then.”

  Now that she knew, Natalie could see the more mature and outlined features of the girl who had been Bridget’s dearest friend. The only one besides family who had been there when they had gotten the news of Mother’s death.

  “And please, call me Lady Cora. Or even Miss Cora, if it suits you,” Lady Dunhill continued. “Being called Lady Dunhill reminds me far too much of my mother for my tastes.”

  “Lady Cora has invited me to join her on a trip to the Continent,” Bridget said. “And I have accepted.