The Heir's Proposal

by Maggi Andersen

  The door opened.

  “May I have a cup? I called in at the house and they told me you were living here,” Bryce said.

  She stared open-mouthed. “Bryce!” she squealed. Had she fallen asleep? Was she dreaming? She pushed back her chair and darted around the table. Addie wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest, breathing him in.

  “Hey.” His hands stroked her hair.

  She stepped back to look up at him, to reassure herself that he was all right.

  He ran his hands up her arms and smiled at her. “This is the reception I hoped for.”

  His face was thinner, his cheekbones more defined, his mouth firmer. The humorous, light-hearted expression gone from his blue eyes. Her hands framed his face. “Oh, Bryce.” She frowned. “This was not a diplomatic mission, surely! The war office would tell me nothing.”

  “Soirees are not what they once were.”

  “I don’t care. You’re here, my love.”

  He drew her to him, and his mouth came down on hers. A deep kiss which said so much. Why had she doubted their passion? When her body pressed against his she gasped. He was skin and bone. She didn’t want to let him go.

  “Have you eaten?”

  “I’m only hungry for you.” He stroked a gentle finger down her cheek.

  Addie trembled. Blood pounded through her veins and warmed her nether regions. She released a breath and took his hand, holding it against her heart. “Are you tired?”

  He raised his eyebrows, amusement sparking in his eyes. “No.”

  “Then take me to bed.”

  “Oh, Addie,” he breathed. He clasped her hand in his and led her from the room. “Which is yours?”

  She paused in the space they mockingly called a hall. “This one. The other is Fran’s.”

  He pulled her to him in the doorway and kissed her again, his breath heavy. She could feel his heart beating fast like hers.

  “I’ve wanted this so much, Addie. But I wasn’t sure if you wanted me. I thought it might be Monty.”

  “It was never Monty. Always you.” She faltered, nervous, but now sure of him. “I was afraid you would marry me to please my father.”

  “While I was always happy to please your father, Addie. I prefer to please myself. We’ve wasted a lot of time, my love.” She grinned provocatively. “Let’s not waste another minute.”

  They scattered their clothes in a rush to disrobe, laughing and gasping. Addie almost fell kicking off her sensible shoes. “I am not very glamorous,” she said ruefully. Her underwear had been washed so many times it was threadbare.

  “You’re perfect.” He cupped her bottom and pulled her against him, and she realized with a thrill how much he desired her. She trembled and the base of her stomach tightened with desire.

  Naked, he was perfect, just as she had imagined. She ran a hand over his wide chest, sprinkled with dark hair, and felt each of his ribs. “I shall have to fatten you up.”

  “Plenty of time for that.” He scooped her up and laid her on the bed. His eyes became shadowed. “Addie, I’m struggling to believe I’m here with you.”

  “I want you, Bryce.” She held her arms up to him. “Make love to me.”

  His mouth sought hers, his tongue seeking the cavern of her mouth. He nibbled and tasted her, driving her mad. Addie aimed kisses at any smooth skin she could reach, his neck, his shoulder, her hands roaming his back, feeling sinews, muscles and bones.

  She moaned and drew her fingers through his soft hair when he bent to kiss her breasts, taking the tip into his mouth.

  And when he drew her legs apart and finally entered her, it felt so right. This was why she had never wanted another man. It had always been Bryce. Then her thoughts scattered as strange sensations carried her away.

  He was hers in the most delicious way possible, she thought afterward, sleepy and sated as they lay quietly together.

  “I am so proud of you, what you’ve achieved here, Addie,” Bryce said, a hand stroking over her stomach. “Your father would be too.”

  “You don’t mind leaving Langley for a time? It will become yours again when the war ends.”

  “Ours,” he corrected. “I couldn’t be more pleased. But when the war is over, we can’t expect to go back as things were. Nothing will be the same.”

  “I know.”

  “We must think about what to do with Langley then.”

  “I thought a school, or a hotel.”

  He gently lifted a lock of her hair and tucked it behind her ear. “You’d agree to leave here?”

  “Yes. I believe I would. As you say, we can never go back to the old life. We should look to the future. I will go wherever you want.”

  “I hope to stay with the government. Which would mean a house in London. Something bigger than my pied-à-terre.”

  “I’ve been thinking of the publishing house. I might start it up again and continue Diana’s work. Maybe the old staff would join me. Diana left me money in her will. I know she would want me to continue her work.”

  He smiled. “That was Diana, always so determined. I miss her.”

  “I do too.”

  “I think it’s a great idea.”

  “Do you? I’m so pleased.”

  “Did you think I wouldn’t?”

  “You weren’t so encouraging before.”

  “Not true!” He looked adoringly shamefaced. “I didn’t like you alone in London. I was jealous of every man who looked at you.” He drew her closer and kissed her neck.

  She smiled. “Like Monty?”

  “Exactly like Monty.”

  “Have you heard anything about him?”

  “He’s back in England.”

  “I wonder where he’s been.”

  “No chance of finding that out.”

  She stroked the small cleft in his chin. “No more than learning where you were.”

  “Saw so sign of the army when I arrived,” he said, changing the subject. That part of his life she would never be privy to.

  “They’ve all moved out now. But the gardens and the home farm continue to provide food for the forces. You must come down later and see. I’ve engaged more workers. It’s quite a large enterprise. Bryce, Lionel Stewart died of cancer a few weeks ago.”

  He propped his head up in his hand. “Rough. Poor old Lionel. How is Grace?”

  “She is managing well. Fran goes often to see her.”

  “And how is Fran?”

  “I’m fine,” a voice came through the door.

  Addie blushed and put her hands to her face. “We’ll be right out, Fran. Whatever will she think?” Addie whispered.

  “I could make a good guess.” Bryce laughed and threw back the blankets. “You could say I’ve been fixing your lamp, but I don’t think she’ll believe it.”

  In the small parlor, Fran was busy making a fresh pot of tea. “Bryce! How good to see you,” she said coming to give him a hug.

  “You too, Fran. You’re doing a sterling job, I hear.”

  “I think it’s wonderful that you two are together at last. I always thought you should be.” She turned back to measure tea leaves into the teapot. “I have news too.”

  “What Fran?” Addie asked, taking out plates to put together some lunch for Bryce.

  “Herbert Baker and I are getting married.”

  “Well, that’s wonderful news. Felicitations, Fran,” Bryce said kissing her cheek.

  “I noticed you getting on well with the war correspondent,” Addie said with a pleased smile. “He’ll go home in a few weeks, won’t he?”

  “Yes. Herb’s being discharged from the army. His leg hasn’t healed well.”

  “How will the two of you manage?”

  “Herb plans to work for a newspaper. We will live with his parents in Barnes until we can find a place of our own.” She poured the tea into cups. “I hope to continue writing myself, but first I must find work at one of the London hospitals.”

  “Matron will g
ive you an excellent reference.”

  Fran sat down with them at the table. “I will stay with Grace until then.”

  “No need for that, Fran,” Bryce said. “You stay here. I must go to London.”

  She smiled. “I’m so thrilled for you two.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  After a night with little sleep, Bryce was sitting with Addie at the table enjoying the first good English breakfast he’d had in months.

  A sharp rap came at the door.

  “Come in,” Addie called, tying her dressing gown belt tighter.

  Monty walked through the door.

  “Monty!” Addie jumped up to hug him. “How good to see you!”

  “Eh, not so much of that,” Bryce said in a jocular tone, noting how much Monty enjoyed it.

  “Don’t be such a spoil sport, Bryce,” Monty said grinning. “I can see you two have sorted out your differences.”

  A teasing smile on her lips, Addie gazed at Bryce. “We had no differences to sort out.”

  Bryce thought Monty looked a better color after a week’s stay in hospital. “Sit down, mate. Have breakfast. I’ll cook some eggs.”

  “Eggs? Won’t knock that back,” Monty said taking a chair.

  “I’ll leave you two to catch up,” Addie said. “I must change. I have to go to work.”

  She went into her room and closed the door.

  “It surprised me to find Langley turned into a convalescent hospital. And you two have wasted no time, I see,” Monty said, as Bryce stood stirring eggs at the small kerosene stove. “I won’t say the best man won. You merely stole a march on me.”

  “Sure.” Bryce grinned and placed the plate of eggs in front of Monty.

  He looked down at the plate but made no move to pick up his knife and fork. “You saved my life, mate.”

  “Rubbish. You did the serious stuff. You think I could have pulled that off without you?”

  “I’ll always be grateful to you for staying with me while missing the boat home. It was hairy there for a while, with Devoss trying to find another boat to return us to England. Especially after word got out about Hirsch and the Germans came sniffing around. We could both have died.”

  “But we didn’t. Eat up while it’s hot.” He poured Monty a cup of tea.

  “Thanks to Devoss.”

  Bryce nodded. “Marvelous fellow, Devoss.”

  “We had talked a lot. He made good sense I thought,” Monty acknowledged, picking up his fork and tucking in.

  Had Devoss helped him come to terms with having to take a life? Bryce sat back and watched him. “What will you do now?”

  “My father visited me in hospital. Invited me to be part of their new company. Think I’ll give it a go. Airplane engines sound mighty interesting. It’s the future.”

  Addie appeared, her lovely chestnut hair swept up in a bun, her blue dress covered with a white apron. She looked so gorgeous he wanted to carry her back to the bedroom. Dashed Monty, always in the way! “Is that a uniform you’re wearing, Addie? I find women in uniform very fetching.”

  “No.” She brushed back his hair with her hand. “Will I have to watch you around the pretty nurses here?”

  “No, my love.” He rose to give her a kiss. “We’ll leave them to Monty.”

  “Too right,” Monty said, smiling over the top of his cup.

  “Shall we walk down and see Poppy and Major later?” Addie asked.

  “Are those two old horses still here?”

  Bryce was absurdly pleased when she smiled and nodded.

  The End.

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  This is a work of fiction. While I have woven historical facts into this novel, it is not intended to be an accurate recounting of England during the First World War.

  My inspiration for Langley and the Sherringham family came from the Golden Age, the Edwardian era between the Boar war and the Great War in England. The wealthy Edwardians invested their money in land and gold and built enormous country mansions. The conventions of class still in place, the large staff below stairs enabled them to entertain lavishly.

  The silver staircase at Manderston, which took three men, three days to dismantle, polish and put back, is symbolic of an era soon to disappear with the onset of the tragic Great War.

  I hope you enjoy THE HEIR’S PROPOSAL. If so, please take a moment to put up a brief Amazon review. Authors toil over their stories then send them out into the world. We love to hear that our stories are appreciated.

  Blessings,

  Maggi Andersen

  About The Author

  Maggi Andersen

  Maggi Andersen is a USA Today bestselling author. Her Regency romances are International bestsellers. With a BA in English and an MA in Creative Writing, she has over 45 novels and novellas published, some nominated for awards. Maggi writes in several genres: Regency romance, Victorian Gothic mysteries, and contemporary romantic suspense. Some of her books have been translated into Portuguese.