“He has the Langevin forehead.” Lady Farlow kissed the baby on that same forehead and handed him back to Thérèse, who nestled him in her arms, marveling at how strange and familiar at once this was—she had no experience whatsoever with infants, but this baby had been made for her arms. This was her family now, the life she’d chosen. They’d faced many challenges, and the path before them wasn’t wholly smooth, but she wouldn’t dream of trading it for any life that didn’t place her at Henry’s side holding the child they would bring up together.
On that day a little over seven months ago when Henry had caught up with her at the pawnshop, they’d gone inside and redeemed the jewels. From there, they’d gone straight to Colonel Dryhurst’s house, summoned the clergyman Henry had chosen and quickly finished their wedding.
Lady Farlow had been all abject apologies when they’d arrived back at Farlow House. At first Thérèse hadn’t trusted her sincerity, but she’d accepted for the sake of the family. Gradually they had developed, if not precisely a love for each other, then an appreciation of their shared love for Henry and a corresponding respect. And, to give her mother-in-law due credit, once she had decided to accept Thérèse and Jeannette into the family, she had become their staunchest ally and defender.
Edward, however, had resigned as vicar of Saint Mungo’s and had accepted a post at the embassy in Paris. He sent dutiful letters home, to which Henry dictated cordial replies. Thérèse hated the thought that she’d driven a wedge between the brothers, but Lady Farlow disabused her of that notion. “I didn’t want to see it at first,” she’d said, “but he needed to go away, at least for a time, after thinking he had inherited the title and then seeing Henry return. Besides, Charles was the peacemaker. Henry and Edward are closer in age, so they always quarreled. They must find their balance in their own way.”
Jeannette was thriving under the guidance of a no-nonsense governess who’d taught in a girls’ school for years and who took pleasure in having just one very clever pupil whose early education had been spotty and neglected. Henry contrived to purchase sundry anatomical and medical texts that the governess and Lady Farlow thought terribly unsuitable, but he had mastered the art of putting his foot down in the most lordly of manners when he was determined on a particular course.
They’d wintered at Farlow Hall, where Thérèse had wondered—and shivered—at the cold and snow but soon learned to love the rugged beauty of the mountains and the stone splendor of the ancient family home. She still wasn’t accustomed to her role as lady of the manor, but she had met all the tenants and begun to apply herself to such good works as finding a new teacher for the village school and contriving with Jeannette to ensure that all who were ill or injured received personal care and attention from the great house.
Henry had determined to take his seat in the Lords once Parliament opened in February, and since Thérèse’s pregnancy had settled into a model of healthy normality once she recovered from the first few months’ queasiness, she’d followed in March. With her mother-in-law’s assistance, Thérèse had hosted a dinner party for a few of Henry’s colleagues among the Whig lords and some of his officer friends who’d taken up residence in London. Halfway through the meal, he’d stood up and made a speech that had briefly been the talk of the town, as he’d admitted to both his own struggles with reading and—with Thérèse’s agreement and encouragement—her mixed ancestry. He’d closed by saying that he’d understand perfectly if anyone chose to walk away, but no one had. They’d chosen their first audience with care.
The rest of society wasn’t so uniformly accepting, needless to say. The number of invitations the family received to balls, dinners and musical evenings had fallen by about half, with a corresponding diminution in the number of young gentlemen who called upon Felicity. And while the girl stoutly maintained she didn’t want any suitors who’d spurn her for such a bigoted cause, Thérèse couldn’t help but wonder if she grieved in private. Surely anyone as pretty and charming as Felicity should’ve had half a dozen marriage offers by now.
And then there had been that scurrilous cartoon that Henry had tried to prevent her from seeing. She’d been portrayed as a blowsy temptress with exaggeratedly African features, seducing a leering, buffoonish parody of Henry with the sly suggestion that abolition would only mean more such pairings to turn white England brown. A few in society who’d cut them in the immediate aftermath of their revelations had apologized after that image appeared, however. There was such a thing as going too far.
They’d yet to face anything they couldn’t survive, however, and Thérèse was coming to share Henry’s philosophical view that it was useful to know who their true friends were. She was also developing a certain patience and willingness to forgive those—her mother-in-law among them—who welcomed her and Jeannette at last rather than at first.
She had a life she never would’ve dreamed of before meeting Henry, but it was the only life she wanted. The two of them weren’t ordinary, but they were themselves, their true selves, and content to be so. Thérèse nestled closer to Henry as she admired their son’s sleeping face.
“To think,” he murmured, “that it was less than a year and a half ago that I first saw you, pointing a pistol at my chest.”
She looked away from little Charles just long enough to cast an arch look at her husband. “And to think of all the happiness I would’ve missed if I’d let Jeannette talk me into firing it.”
He laughed—softly, lest he wake the baby—and kissed her.
* * * * *
Pick up these captivating historical romance reads from Susanna Fraser, available now!
The Sergeant’s Lady
Highborn Anna Arrington has been “following the drum,” obeying the wishes of her cold, controlling cavalry officer husband. When he dies, all she wants is to leave life with Wellington’s army in Spain behind her and go home to her family’s castle in Scotland.
As Anna journeys home with a convoy of wounded soldiers, she forms an unlikely friendship with Sergeant Will Atkins. When the convoy is ambushed and their fellow soldiers captured, they become fugitives—together. The attraction between them is strong—but even if they can escape the threat of death at the hands of the French, is love strong enough to bridge the gap between a viscount’s daughter and an innkeeper’s son?
A Marriage of Inconvenience
Lucy Jones is a nobody. As an orphan she was reluctantly taken in by her wealthy relatives, the Arringtons, on the condition that she be silent and obedient, always. When her lifelong infatuation with her cousin Sebastian is rewarded by a proposal of marriage, she’s happy and grateful, even though the family finds excuses to keep the engagement a secret.
James Wright-Gordon has always had the benefits of money and a high station in society, but he is no snob. He’s very close to his sister, Anna, who quickly falls for the dashing Sebastian when the families are brought together at a wedding party. Meanwhile, James is struck by Lucy’s quiet intelligence, and drawn to her despite their different circumstances in life.
An Infamous Marriage
Northumberland, 1815
At long last, Britain is at peace, and General Jack Armstrong is coming home to the wife he barely knows. Wed for mutual convenience, their union unconsummated, the couple has exchanged only cold, dutiful letters. With no more wars to fight, Jack is ready to attempt a peace treaty of his own.
Elizabeth Armstrong is on the warpath. She never expected fidelity from the husband she knew for only a week, but his scandalous exploits have made her the object of pity for years. Now that he’s back, she has no intention of sharing her bed with him—or providing him with an heir—unless he can earn her forgiveness. No matter what feelings he ignites within her...
A Dream Defiant
Spain, 1813
Elijah Cameron, the son of runaway slaves, has spent his whole life in the British army proving that a black man can be as good a soldier as a white man. After a victory over the French, Elijah promises one of his dying men that he will deliver a scavenged ruby necklace to his wife, Rose, a woman Elijah has admired for years.
Elijah feels bound to protect her and knows a widow with a fortune in jewels will be a target. Rose dreams of using the necklace to return to England, but after a
violent attack, she realizes that she needs Elijah’s help to make the journey safely.
Her appreciation for Elijah’s strength and integrity soon turns into love, but he doubts she could want a life with him, knowing the challenges they’d face. As their relationship grows, she must convince Elijah that she wants him as more than a bodyguard. And she must prove that their love can overcome all obstacles, no matter the color of their skin.
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About the Author
An Alabama native, Susanna Fraser attended the University of Pennsylvania and spent a year working and exploring in England before settling down in Seattle, where she lives with her husband and daughter. By day, she works in research administration, by night and weekend she writes, and with whatever time is left over she enjoys trying new recipes and following Mariners baseball and Auburn football. Please visit her blog at authorsusannafraser.blogspot.com, follow her on Twitter at @susannafraser or on Pinterest at http://pinterest.com/susannafraser/.
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ISBN-13: 9781426899447
Freedom to Love
Copyright © 2015 by Susan Wilbanks
Edited by Melissa Johnson
All rights reserved. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.
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.
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