Convenient Bride for the Soldier & the Major Meets His Match & Secret Lessons With the Rake (9781488021718)
Page 68
He wouldn’t harangue her any more.
Today.
‘Very well, if that is your final answer, I won’t take up any more of your time. Goodbye, Ellie.’
Tears came to her eyes again as she nodded quickly. She raised her head to fasten her gaze on his face, looking so hungry, desperate and despairing, he had to fight again not to embrace her. ‘Goodbye, Christopher,’ she whispered.
Discouraged, but by no means defeated, Christopher left her. As he’d learned in Parliament, when heated emotions preclude any chance for compromise, there is no point in berating the opposition further. Better to retreat, find another approach, and try again later.
But if Ellie thought he’d given up at the first check, she didn’t know anything about the man who’d battled Tory recalcitrants for the last ten years.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Despairingly certain she had done her work well, and that Christopher was lost to her for ever, a listless Ellie reclined on the sofa in Maggie’s sitting room the following morning, attempting to read the paper. She’d scanned the same article three times when, after a knock, Dawkins entered.
Scolding herself for the hope that had flared within, she was trying to compose herself when the man, a rare smile on his lips, walked over to her. ‘This came for you, Miss Parmenter,’ he said, holding out a wrapped package.
A package with a single hothouse white rose tied on top. Opening it, Ellie found a volume of Shakespeare’s love poems, bound in beautiful leather with gilt lettering that would have excited Artis’s envy. Inside was a note—from Christopher, addressed to ‘My dear Miss Wanstead’, telling her he intended to call upon her later.
A white rose—symbol of beauty and purity. A classic book, with devotion its theme. Perfectly acceptable gifts, laden with double meanings, for a gentleman intent on wooing a respectable maiden.
Amusement warred with anguish. It appeared he hadn’t taken her refusal as final. Though it must be. Even if it were true that marrying her would not ruin his political career, such a union would hardly be as advantageous for him as wedding a respectable maiden with a large dowry and important family contacts.
Still, she wasn’t sure how well she’d be able to maintain a façade of disinterest, were he to continue to press her—when she wanted him and loved him so desperately.
If he did call, she would tell Dawkins not to admit him.
Decision made, she leaned forward in her chair, cradling the soft leather volume in her lap as she inhaled the sweet scent of the rose—sweet as the love that filled her, and as soon to be lost for ever.
* * *
Morning turned to afternoon with no interruption, Giles being away from home at a meeting, Maggie feeling unwell and keeping to her bed. After taking a light nuncheon on a tray in the sitting room, Ellie walked to the library and browsed the shelves, looking for something to take her mind off the constant wonder over whether Christopher would in fact seek her out.
Dawkins already knew to deny her, if he did appear. Would that refusal be enough to discourage him for good?
She hoped so, for with every new entreaty, her resolve to resist him weakened. Even now, she had to shut her mind to the insidious voices murmuring that he knew the political world better than she did, and if he felt marrying her wouldn’t ruin his political future, she should believe him. Smash down the euphoria that kept trying to rise up at the notion that he did in fact think her good enough to become his wife. For if she truly believed marrying him would not cause him harm…
But he was a politician, and would present the argument most likely to convince the opposition, she argued back, pushing away the temptation to capitulate.
Were Maggie not so ill, she might have asked her opinion. But after the maid told her Maggie could scarcely lift her head without being overcome by nausea, she didn’t want to intrude.
With an exasperated sigh, she grabbed a volume at random and turned to take it back to the sitting room. Then gasped, to find Christopher standing on the library’s threshold.
‘I…I told Dawkins to send you away.’
‘He tried to. I ignored him. And since I have about ten stone and twenty years on him, he eventually gave way.’
Not asking her permission, he advanced into the room. Attired, she couldn’t help notice, in immaculate day wear, as if he’d just stepped from the pages of a gentleman’s magazine, that thick gold hair she longed to run her fingers through carefully brushed back, and those eyes—ah, those eyes that always sent a ripple of longing through her focused on her with such yearning, she could hardly breathe.
Without noticing how she got there, she found herself seated. ‘Though I appreciate the gifts, they were really unnecessary. You don’t need any more practice. As I said in my note, you’ve quite mastered the art of courtship.’
‘Quite obviously I haven’t, if the maiden I wish to court refused to receive me. I need a good deal more practice to win the heart of the lady I love above all else. Above career, if it came to that—but it won’t. Above friends and family, should it come to that—but it won’t. For they already love you, almost as much as I do. And they would rejoice, if you would do me the honour of accepting my hand.’
Finding it harder and harder to resist, she said, ‘You can’t know your friends would accept it.’
‘But I can. I told Giles and Maggie last night that I intended to marry you. They were both delighted. Maggie even kissed me. And if Giles approves, as focused as he is on getting our Reform Bill through the Lords, you can be assured he doesn’t think marrying you will impair my effectiveness in Parliament.’
The hope she’d been ferociously squelching rebounded, fighting her attempt to control it. ‘You…you are sure?’
‘I am. Now it just remains to convince the lady that I cannot live without her.’ Before she could think what to reply, he paced over, pulled her up into his arms, and kissed her.
There was nothing tender or tentative in it, but an all-out assault on her senses intended to beguile, ravish and reduce her to complete surrender. Helpless before it and the onslaught of her own desire, she opened to him, welcoming the sweep of his tongue as he claimed her mouth, kissing her deeply, intensely, in a way that said she belonged to him alone. She revelled in it, kissing back just as fervently, already aching for his touch in every part of her body.
When finally they broke the kiss, they were both dizzy and breathless. His arm about her, he eased her down on the sofa and sat beside her, then kissed her again. This time, his touch was so gentle and cherishing, she almost wept with tenderness of it.
‘You see,’ he whispered, ‘there is only one Virtuous Virgin for me. But as a former rake, I will need a great deal of practice to learn to properly cherish her. A lifetime’s work, probably. I know you care about me, despite what you claimed. Will you give me that lifetime to earn your love, my sweet?’
‘Oh, Christopher, I’ve loved you since the night you found me at that masquerade ball. Much as I’ve tried to fight against it, everything we’ve shared since has only deepened the emotion. Besides, I did promise to teach you everything,’ she added, still having trouble comprehending the marvellous truth that they would be able to share their love openly after all. Such happiness began filling her, she felt one body could not contain it all. ‘You know I never go back on my promises.’
‘I’ll take that as a yes,’ he said, and claimed her mouth again.
EPILOGUE
On a fine August morning four months later, Christopher and his new wife joined the other Hadley’s Hellions in the reception room at Giles and Maggie’s town house, the friends bearing gifts to honour the christening of the Lyndlingtons’ new daughter.
‘How lovely she is,’ Ellie murmured, looking over to where the proud papa stood by the hearth, cradling the baby on his shoulder.
C
hristopher put a hand protectively over Ellie’s stomach, its slightly rounded form concealed beneath the full skirt of her gown. ‘As beautiful as our child will be, my heart,’ he whispered, kissing her ear. ‘As beautiful as you’ve made my life. Why did I resist marriage for so long?’
‘You were waiting for me,’ she replied with a smile. ‘But let’s not announce our happy news yet. This day is for Giles, Maggie, and Liliana.’
‘Isn’t she perfect?’ the proud papa declared, as they walked over to join the others. ‘As beautiful as her mama.’
‘And twice as loud,’ Maggie said, slipping her hand in her husband’s arm.
David Tanner Smith, his arm around his petite wife Faith, raised a glass of champagne. ‘Can you believe it was almost eleven years ago to this day when, soon after Giles invited me to join your group at Oxford, we embraced the name “Hellions” and vowed to reform Parliament?’
‘Indeed it was!’ Ben Tawny said, his wife Alyssa at his side. ‘So now the cycle is complete. The Reform Bill has passed through the Lords, even reprobate Christopher has found fulfilment in marriage with his lovely Ellie, and we have a new generation to carry on our work.’
‘Giles has a daughter, Ben,’ Christopher reminded.
‘Which just means your work is not yet done,’ Alyssa said. ‘Until Maggie’s daughter—’
‘And her mother and all her aunties,’ Maggie inserted.
‘Win the right to aid in determining her country’s future, just as the men of England now can,’ Alyssa finished.
‘Who could argue with that assessment?’ Ellie asked, giving her husband a pointed look.
Laughing, Christopher held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. ‘Certainly not me! Let us toast then, gentleman. To the Hellions—eleven years of friendship and achievement. To our wives, who have made us complete and our work worth accomplishing. And to the next generation of Hellion sons and daughters, who will carry on the work we’ve begun.’
‘To the Hellions,’ they said, raising their glasses.
‘And to the best prize of all, my precious wife,’ Christopher murmured, bending down to give Ellie a kiss.
* * * * *
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ISBN-13: 9781488021695
Secret Lessons with the Rake
Copyright © 2017 by Janet Justiss
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
® and ™ are trademarks of the publisher. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office and in other countries.
www.Harlequin.com
We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Historical.
You dream of wicked rakes, gorgeous Highlanders, muscled Viking warriors and rugged Wild West cowboys from another era. Harlequin Historical has them all! Emotionally intense stories set across many time periods.
Enjoy six new stories from Harlequin Historical every month!
Connect with us on Harlequin.com for info on our new releases, access to exclusive offers, free online reads and much more!
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ISBN-13: 9781488021718
Copyright © 2017 Harlequin Books S.A.
The publisher acknowledges the copyright holders of the individual works as follows:
A Convenient Bride for the Soldier
Copyright © 2017 by Harlequin Books S.A.
The Major Meets His Match
Copyright © 2017 by Annie Burrows
Secret Lessons with the Rake
Copyright © 2017 by Janet Justiss
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All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
® and ™ are trademarks of the publisher. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.
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