Lady Disguised (Tenacious Trents Novella) (Tenacous Trents) (10 page)

Hélène waited for the others,
dressed for travel and sipping a cup of warm chocolate.  Servants were loading
trunks, and it was barely light out. Bentley and Eleanor would arrive soon, and
they would all pile into coaches and begin their journey to Yorkshire.

A weight of loneliness settled
around Hélène. She ached and wanted someone of her own.  Her brothers and
sisters were happy with their chosen spouses. Hélène envied the loving looks
that passed between couples, eyes lit with love when a spouse walked in a room,
discreet touches at the small of a back or arm, grasping of a hand, and
sometimes an embrace. 

She hadn’t noticed so much before
she had met Stanwick. Had he not kissed and held her, she might not notice now.
Unfortunately, Hélène was all too aware that the small actions she witnessed
evidenced a deeper intimacy. Not only what was strictly physical, but emotional
as well.

Would she find love?

That wasn’t the correct question.
Would she find love again? She was already half in love with Stanwick and knew
any further time in his presence would only make her love him more. How could
she feel so strongly about a man she had known so short a time? Yet it was
certainly the case.

There were enough plays that
spoke of no rules governing the heart. She had thought the words were simply
romantic fiction. She knew the truth now. Unless she gave up the theatre, she
would never see him again. 

Hélène straightened. Could she do
that for him? Was it worth the risk? Would she be miserable in the end, waiting
for him to come home late at night, waiting for him to wake after sleeping half
of the day? Would she be less lonely than she is now?

Her heart pounded and pulse
raced. Was it worth the risk?

Stanwick bolted up in bed and
glanced around. The sun was barely up. What if Hélène didn’t come back to
London? What if she sailed to Milan from a port further north? She could sail
from anywhere. 

He jumped out of bed, not
bothering to ring for his valet, and set to dressing for the day. He had to see
her before she left. Bentley said they were getting an early start. How early?
What if they had gone already?

He shoved his feet into his
boots, pulled the jacket over this waistcoat and stopped before the mirror.
Dark stubble shadowed his jaw, but he didn’t have time to shave—not if he was
to get to Hélène in time. Hastily he brushed through his hair and then rushed
from his chamber, running down the stairs, taking them two at a time. He paused
when he reached the street. The only people out this early were servants. He
hurried back towards the mews to have his horse saddled.

A bleary eyed lad with rumpled
hair readied his horse. Stanwick tossed him an extra quid for disturbing the
lad’s sleep. Thankfully, there weren’t many hackneys or carriages out. Stanwick
was able to navigate the streets quickly. As he rounded the corner to the
street where Hélène lived, he blew out a breath. Two coaches waited before her
house. She hadn’t left him yet.

As he neared, he jumped from the
mount, tossed the reins to a footman, and raced up the stairs. The door opened
as he reached it, and he stopped. Inside the foyer stood Acker, his wife,
Bentley and his wife, and Hélène. Everyone else disappeared when his eyes lit
on her. His pulse calmed and his erratic heart returned to a normal rhythm. He
could breathe again.

She glanced up, and a smile lit
her face.

What was Stanwick doing here?
Hélène thought to never see him again. Just the sight of him answered the
questions that had plagued her earlier. She would give up her desire to act if
given the chance to be his wife.

Why had she foolishly insisted
she continue to act? 

Because it was familiar, or was
it simply stubbornness because Bentley told her she couldn’t? What would being
an actress achieve in the end? She would still be alone and most likely grow
old as a spinster. Besides, it wasn’t as if she had to be part of Society
either. Stanwick wasn’t, and even when he inherited the title, Hélène doubted
he would change. She admired that about him. He did as he pleased, thumbing his
nose at Society. How could she not respect him? How could she not love him?

Stanwick stepped inside the foyer
and bowed. “Lady Hélène, might I have a word with you?”

She glanced at Bentley and the
others. They said nothing. Her heart hammered in her chest. Was he here to
propose again? She hadn’t seen him in two days, and this was certainly not a
proper time to call. Not that she cared. All that mattered was that Stanwick
was here and wished to speak with her. “This way.” She turned and entered the
small parlor off the foyer. The room was only used for greeting guests or for
short visits.

Stanwick followed and started to
close the door behind him. A hand grasped the edge holding it open. 

“We will allow you privacy, but
the door remains open,” Bentley said.

Stanwick grumbled something under
this breath that Hélène didn’t quite hear, but he did walk further in to the
room, stopping before her. 

At first he said nothing, simply
stared down at her. Hélène took a deep, shaky breath and waited. 

Should she speak first? But what
if he hadn’t come here about marriage but something else entirely? Not that she
could imagine what it would be.

She blinked up at him and waited,
trying to remember to breathe.

Stanwick cleared his throat and
took her hands in his. “I’ve been a bloody fool.”

Hélène couldn’t help herself and
smiled. He was so serious and the least foolish person she knew.

“There are many reasons I did not
wish to marry, most of which I have shared with you.”  He cleared his throat
again. “Another was because of fear.”

The smile slipped. Was Stanwick
afraid of a broken heart? 

“My mother, as you know, died
because she was not strong enough to continue without my father.”

She nodded.

“And earlier this month, I
attended a funeral of a friend.”

Sadness clouded his eyes. Hélène
raised a hand to his cheek. She had not put on her traveling gloves, and the
stubble was sharp and coarse against the palm of her hand. 

“His wife had gone mad and killed
him with a fire iron.”

“Goodness.”

“I thought it was because he had
kept a mistress.” He brought his hand up to cradle hers against his cheek. “I
thought if a husband did not properly take care of his wife, shield her from
the difficulties of the world, she would either go mad, suffer from hysteria,
or simply give up.”

Hélène lifted an eyebrow and
studied him. Perhaps he was a bit foolish after all.

“You’ve made me realize it is the
opposite.”

He placed his hands at either
side of her face, leaned in, and kissed her. It was one more of affection and
unlike the others he had given her. How many ways were there to kiss?

“I understand now.” He smiled,
and her heart skipped a beat. “I don’t want to take your passion away from you
any more than I would have allowed my uncle to dictate my future.” He kissed
her again. “I would be honored if you would become my wife, and I promise to
see you perform as often as I can.”

Tears sprang to her eyes, and
Hélène grinned up at him.

“I don’t know how it happened,
Hélène, but I am in love with you, and will do everything in my power to make
you happy.”

Tears slid down her cheeks, but
Hélène didn’t swipe them away. “I love you, too,” she whispered.

“You’ll marry me?”

“Yes.”

Their noses were nearly touching,
both laughing when Stanwick pulled her close and lowered his mouth to hers. It
was a kiss of love, and she never wanted it to end.

“Am I to assume there’ll be a
wedding?”

They pulled away from each other
to find Bentley, Acker, and their wives standing just inside the door. How long
had they been there?

“Yes,” Hélène and Stanwick
answered at the same time.

“Then we shall see that it is
done,” Bentley smiled. “We will wait while you prepare for the trip, Stanwick,
but do make it quick.”

“Trip?” He looked to Hélène and
back to Bentley.

“You’ll be coming with us so you
can be married right away.”

It was happening too fast. Hélène
didn’t want Stanwick to be rushed. As much as she didn’t want to wait, she
would understand if he did.

“I don’t have a license and wish
to have my brother at my side.”

“I doubt there will be difficulty
in obtaining the license since we will be visiting the Duke of Danby,” Bentley
assured him. “Fetch your brother.”

Hélène glanced up at Stanwick.
Would he balk at the orders? She didn’t want him to feel rushed. 

Slowly, he grinned. “Allow me an
hour.”

Hélène breathed a sigh of relief.

“I’ll give you two.”

Stanwick turned to Hélène and
took her hands in his. “This is better than I had anticipated.” He kissed the
tip of her nose. “You will be mine before Christmas,” he whispered. “I can’t
think of a more perfect present.”

ALSO
AVAILABLE…

A Gentlemen’s Pact
and
A
Pact Between Gentlemen

Regency
Christmas Pact Collection

AND
ALSO INDIVIDUALLY

In Ava Stone’s
A Bit
of Mistletoe
, Everett Casemore, the very serious Marquess of Berkswell,
returns home for Christmas, slightly shaken by the death of an old friend.
Determined not to suffer the same sort of fate at the hands of a woman, Berks
resolves himself to eternal bachelorhood. Unfortunately, both his resolve and
his peace of mind are threatened by the arrival of a beautiful, thoughtful, but
mostly unsuitable lady. * Miss Theresa Birkin knows better than most that an
error in judgment can lead one down an unfortunate path. If only she'd been
wiser when she was younger. If only she hadn't followed her foolish heart. If
only she'd met Lord Berkswell long before now.
 

In Catherine Gayle’s
Thick
as Thieves
, David Hounslow, the Marquess of Preston, will not stand aside
while those he loves are hurt. When it becomes clear his brother-in-law’s guest
is up to no good, Preston determines to scrutinize every move of the would-be
thief. Not that he minds such a task—Lady Frederica is as beautiful and
intelligent as she is enigmatic. Considering her close relation to a wastrel
brother and her current proclivity for the less-than-savory, Preston never
expected to be won over to the lady’s charms. Yet she just might steal his
heart. * Desperation has become Lady Frederica Bexley-Smythe’s constant
companion due to her brother’s recent affinity for gambling and carousing. With
the fate of both her mother and sister resting upon her shoulders, perhaps the
time has arrived for Freddie to bend the rules. How else can she secure their
future? Unfortunately, Lord Preston’s scrutiny is complicating her task. Far
more perplexing than his perusal is his caring nature, which is distracting her
from the treasures she intends to steal. But desperate times call for desperate
measures…

In Jerrica Knight-Catania's
All He Wants for
Christmas
, Rowan Findley can't imagine a fate worse than what his friend
suffered at the hands of his mad wife, so he's made the decision to remain a
bachelor for all eternity. That is, until Olivia walks into his cousin's
drawing room for a Christmas party. Her fiery red hair and sweet demeanor
remind him of a night so many years ago that he would never forget.  * Olivia
Edwards can't quite believe her eyes when Rowan Findley waltzes back into her
life, as handsome and charming as ever. It's been almost seven years since
she's seen him, and the secret she's been harboring all that time has her on
edge whenever he's about. Yet she can't deny that she's still drawn to him, nor
can she deny the desire she's kept hidden in her heart these many years.

In Aileen Fish’s
Chasing Lord Mystery
, Lord
Northcotte is not in the holiday spirit when he joins his sister’s family
shortly after the brutal death of a friend. Discovering a matchmaking scheme is
afoot, he tells them he will never marry Lady Miriam or any other woman. Now if
only his heart would listen. * Lady Miriam’s mother accused her of chasing Lord
Mystery after a noble act by a handsome stranger six years ago became the
measure of all other men. Now he’s staying at the home where she’d hoped to
escape a summons from her grandfather, the Duke of Danby. Terrified Northcotte
will recognize her and reveal the contents of the scandalous letter she wrote
him years ago, she can’t decide which is the bigger threat: the duke armed with
a special license, or Lord Mystery, who carries a secret she’d never live down.

In Julie Johnstone’s
’Tis the
Season for Surrender
, Lillian Lancaster would rather catch the plague than
a husband. Unfortunately, her abusive, recently deceased father’s will
stipulates her inheritance hinges upon her marrying a lord. With time running
out, Lillian proposes to the guilt-ridden, marriage-adverse Lord Edgeworth
after securing his agreement to a marriage in name only. * Edgeworth feels
responsible for his former betrothed’s death and believes he doesn’t deserve
love, which makes Lillian’s proposal oddly perfect. Commanded by his
grandfather to marry by Christmas or become penniless, the obviously perfect
choice is a woman who wants nothing to do with him. * When Lillian displays a
brave and true heart and Edgeworth reveals his honorable, protective side
maintaining a marriage of convenience becomes harder than these two wounded
souls imagined. Now, Lillian and Edgeworth must decide if they are courageous
enough to risk their hearts and surrender to love.

OTHER ANTHOLOGIES
AND COLLECTIONS YOU MIGHT ENJOY

A Summons From Yorkshire

Regency
Christmas Summons Collection 1

©
2011 Ava Stone, Aileen Fish, Julie Johnstone

In AVA STONE’s The Counterfeit Christmas Summons,
Lady Emma Whitton has decided its time to take her future in her own hands. She
has been in love with Viscount Heathfield since she was in leading strings.
Unfortunately, it's been almost that long since she's laid eyes on her
brother's old friend and vice versa. Tired of waiting for him to remember her,
Emma pens a holiday invitation (in her brother's hand) to Heathfield and waits
as patiently as she is able for her one true love to arrive. * Heath isn't
quite certain what to make of the very strange summons he received, but his
curiosity is most definitely piqued. He heads north to Danby Castle, only to
find that his very orderly life is about to be turned upside down.

In AILEEN FISH’s The Viscount’s Sweet Temptation,
Lady Harriet Thornhill knows the summons from her grandfather means he’s
decided whom she must marry. Determined that she’d only marry a man of her
choosing, she stows away in her friend’s father’s carriage, only to find
herself alone with young Archibald Napier,Viscount Morley. * Morley’s plans for
a quiet Christmas vanish when he discovers the sweet young lady hiding under
the blankets in his carriage. As she claims an acquaintance with his sister, he
feels duty-bound to see her safely back to her family.* A broken carriage wheel
leaves them stranded, and Harriet’s reputation is at stake. Morley’s not ready
to take a wife, until he’s told he wouldn’t be a suitable husband for her. With
memories of her sweet, tempting kiss filling his thoughts, he prepares to fight
for the hand of the woman he believes he could love.

In JULIE JOHNSTONE’s Gift of Seduction - The day
Andrew Whitton, Earl of Hardwick chooses his fortune over the woman he loves,
Drew discovers that money makes for a cold bed partner. Now, no matter how far
he runs, the memory of his betrayal haunts him, and there’s not enough liquor
to dull the past or diminish his disgust. * Charlotte Milne trusted in happily
ever after until her knight turned out to be wearing rusty armor. Drew, the
scoundrel, seduced her, though she very much enjoyed the seduction by the man
she’s loved since childhood. Left scandalously ruined, Char flees her home
intent upon forgetting Drew and proving her worth. * Separated by disloyalty
and pain, each struggle to bury the memories of the other until a mandatory
summons from the Duke of Danby sets them on a path of collision to Danby
Castle. With the tides of irrevocable change rising, Drew must find a way to
show Char that even the most selfish of rakes can be redeemed by love before
the woman of his heart becomes the wife of another.

A Summons From the Duke

Regency Christmas
Summons Collection 2

© 2011 Jerrica
Knight-Catania, Lilia Birney, Samantha Grace