by Fiona Hill
Lord Inlowe stood and tripped over to his new friend. “The violet drawing-room, I expect. Follow me.” He gestured vaguely and led Lord Seabury through the intricate passageways of Two Towers. “There she is,” he said, jerking his chin towards Caroline, who sat just inside the open doors of the room he had named. “Go to, go to!”
Lord Seabury stumbled forward and arrived, a short time afterwards, at Lady Caroline’s chair. “Come with me, please,” he said sternly, extending an arm for her. Caro knew at once something was amiss with him, but it was not in her power to refuse his invitation. With a puzzled glance at the others, she rose and took his arm. “Outside,” he murmured, beginning to move towards the door.
She turned to Windle, who nodded vigorously, and then to Lady Beatrice, who gestured as if to push her through the door. “Very well,” she answered at length, looking in surprise at Humphrey, who still stood on the threshold. He smiled approvingly as the pair passed him. “Good man,” he repeated in a low voice. Lord Seabury made for a set of French windows he had noticed, and opened them for Caroline.
“Where are we going?” she inquired, stepping through.
“Let me show you.”
“There is nothing out here but the kitchen-gardens,” she told him.
“Never mind, my dear. I know what I am about.”
“You are drunk, are you not my lord?”
“Absolutely. Best time,” he said, leading her along a row of cabbages.
“Best time for what?” asked she.
“Best time. None better,” he repeated, finally stopping to lean up against the stone wall of the garden.
“Yes, but for what?” she insisted, mistrustfully allowing him to take possession of her hands.
“Kiss you,” said the poor man. “Ask you to marry me. Caroline, please, will you marry me?”
“Good heavens,” was her answer, while the viscount gathered her up to take the kiss he had promised himself in any case.
“Very good. Very good,” said he, pulling away from her a little to gaze into her green eyes with his extraordinary blue ones. “Now, will you marry me? Please say yes,” he entreated hoarsely. “One hundred pounds says you will not.”
“Well I will,” she heard herself answer. “Who wins the hundred pounds?”
“Your brother.” He closed his arms round her again and kissed her forehead, then her cheek, then her mouth. “Never was so happy to lose a wager. Devil of a fine fellow, your brother.”
“He feels the same way about you,” she murmured, feeling rather as if she were floating than standing upon the ground.
“Well I feel the same way about him,” said he unnecessarily. “And I love you, Caroline. Very much.”
And Caroline, gently kissing each of his fine blue eyes, said she loved him very much too.
More from Fiona Hill
The Country Gentleman
At twenty-eight, Anne Guilfoyle is happily established as a spinster and a bluestocking, delighting her London friends with witticisms and intelligent observations on the political goings-on of the day. But when she is suddenly bereft of her fortune, she is forced to take up residence at Fevermere, the Cheshire farmhouse willed her by her great uncle. Isolated from London society and surrounded by farmland, with only her friend Maria for companionship, Anne finds her intelligence put to the test. She rapidly overcomes the shock brought about by the move and sets herself the task of learning everything she can about farming. Evenings prove rather dull, however, and Anne is obliged to invite some of her neighbors to dine—the most notable guest being Mr. Henry Highet, who Anne quickly decides is a thick-witted country type, though admittedly rather handsome. But Anne's estimations of both country life and Henry Highet are about to undergo a dramatic change...
The Love Child
The lovely Lotta Chilton was fine company at dinner—as delightful a lady as one could wish to have for a walk in the garden, and sufficiently charming and clever to have secured a position as companion to the Dowager Duchess of Karr. But she was emphatically not the type of female with whom an attractive, unattached peer of the realm should fall in love, much less seek to marry. But from Timothy, Duke of Karr's first glimpse of Lotta at his mother's gala winter festivities, he had followed the girl around the splendid halls of Grasmere Castle like a lovesick puppy. Unshaken by his mother's dire warnings about Lotta's parentage and unfazed by the whispering of the other guests, the Duke vows to claim the adorable nobody—despite the protestations of propriety on the part of almost everyone, including Lotta herself.
Love in a Major Key
When Daphne left her family’s country estate at Verchamp Park for a season in London, it was certainly with no expectation of romance. She soon discovers, however, that she has no difficulty in finding suitors—only in choosing among them.
All of them are quite acceptable, with the sole exception of Christian Livingston, the handsome and sensuous pianofortist employed by Lady Brede. Surely, little good could come of any attachment she might form for him. And yet, could propriety stand in Daphne’s way once her heart has been ensnared?
The Practical Heart
Miss Gillian Spencer is faced with an impossible challenge—to rescue the Viscount Sherbourne's standing. To do so, she’ll have to find wealthy husbands for his two charming and beautiful daughters. Without a farthing at the Viscount's command and his London house in ruins, Miss Spencer’s matchmaking work is certainly cut out for her. At the advanced age of twenty-seven, Gillian had dismissed the possibility of marriage for herself, of course—but who can predict where her talent for romantic intrigue on others’ behalf might lead her?
The Stanbroke Girls
The eligible but aloof Lord Marchmont seems as determined to remain single as his sister, Lady Emilia, is to see him wed. They are surrounded by a glimmering cast of characters, from the unreliable but dashing rake Jeffery de Guere to the lovely and shy Miss Amy Lewis. And, of course, the Stanbroke girls: Lady Isabella, romantic and dreamy, yet surprisingly practical, and Lady Elizabeth, her older sister, a heroine of great sense and wit as well as beauty.
As these characters dance, court, conspire, love, and chase their way through some of the most fashionable spots of England and the continent, we join their elegant circle for the sparkling, sophisticated romp. As always, Fiona Hill brings a fresh and engaging liveliness to the world of Regency manners, making The Stanbroke Girls a triumphant delight to read.
Sweet's Folly
To sweet Honoria Newcombe, the news that she was a burden to her maiden aunts came as a shock, and she resolved at once to relieve her beloved aunts of the financial strain she had unwittingly become. Honoria confers with her friend Emily Blackwood, who realizes Honoria's only hope is marriage. And so Honoria enters into a marriage of convenience with Alexander, Emily's own brother. This begins a comedy of errors so involved that nearly a year is required to unravel its tangled intricacies. Our heroine starts her life at Sweet's Folly, the Blackwood family home, and must learn to deal with the machinations of her spurned suitor, Claude Kemp, and the hilarious antics of her aunts. And, when a stroke of great good fortune sends Emily, Alexander, and Honoria to London, there is also a most extraordinary transformation to be reckoned with: shy, scholarly Alexander has become a perfect devil with the ladies!
The Trellised Lane
Living the charmed life seems easy for Julia. Edgely Hall is a lovely estate, after all, but Julia wants to see beyond its gardens, to venture out and see the world for herself. She wants a life full of adventure! And so she induces her brother Fitz to accompany her on an extended visit to London, where she might discover her heart’s destiny. But romance turns out to be a complicated matter, and Julia finds herself the center of a circle of suitors, duelists, and intrigue!
The Wedding Portrait
Lady Laura consents to give her hand to Thaddeus Grey, a man she has known all of her life. Perhaps there is some romantic ingredient missing from their relationship, but Thad is still an attract
ive man and a dear friend…
As the wedding festivities were set to begin at Harkness Abbey the wedding gifts came pouring in, and the Baron Nathaniel Lowland, an old friend of Laura’s father, sent the most surprising gift of all—his son Ashley. A painter of exquisite talent, Ashley has been sent to paint Lady Laura’s portrait. It could hardly be expected that he would come to capture her heart as well.
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