The Secret Life of Lady Lucinda (34 page)

Snow was falling heavier than it had done earlier in the day, and while she still felt the cold, chilling her to the bone, she had to admit that there was no place she’d rather be at that very moment than wrapped in William’s arms as they rolled steadily toward Moorland Manor. William had assured her that they would be home before dark, but the clouds overhead had already blocked out most of the sun, and they had stopped only a couple of miles back to light the lanterns that hung from the sides of the carriage.

“Do you suppose that your brother and sister might be there with their families when we arrive?” Lucy asked, turning her head slightly so she could gaze up into William’s blue eyes. The plan had been for Lord Trenton to fetch Alexandra and their two children, while Ryan, after informing their father about their arrival, was supposed to fetch Mary and baby Vanessa.

“Considering the weather, not to mention the time it will take for them to prepare for a two-week absence from their homes, I don’t believe that we will see any of them before tomorrow at the earliest.”

But as they pulled up to Moorland Manor, they spotted another newly arrived carriage. “Quick, open the door, William.” Lucy hadn’t felt this excited about anything in a long time. She was part of a family again, and she was suddenly very eager to see her sister-in-law who was presently waiting for her to alight with a big grin upon her face.

“Lucy! It’s so good to see you again,” Alexandra exclaimed, handing baby Claire over to her husband so she could wrap her arms around her in a very sisterly hug. “Michael told me about your ordeal. Thank heavens you’re all right. Come, let’s go inside and warm ourselves by the fire.”

“Don’t worry about us,” Lucy heard William call out as she and Alexandra started up the front stairs. “Trenton and I will be right behind you.” She could hear the laughter in his voice and couldn’t help but smile in response to it.

They were barely through the front door when the sound of voices shouting and footsteps scurrying along reached their ears. A moment later, Constance came into view, almost toppling Lucy to the ground in her excitement. “Thank God you’re safe,” she whispered, hugging her so fiercely against her that Lucy felt her lungs constrict. “I’ve been so terribly worried—you cannot possibly imagine. But now you’re home, and that’s all that matters. Come, let’s get both of you inside so you can get some color back in your cheeks.”

“I wouldn’t mind a cup of tea,” Alexandra said as she took the lead and headed toward the parlor.

“Oh, I can do so much better than that,” Constance remarked. “I asked Cook to prepare a large pot of mulled wine for when you arrived. I’ll have it brought in straight away.”

“I hadn’t expected to see you so soon,” Lucy said as she and Constance followed Alexandra. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

Constance served her a secretive smile. “Me too, Lucy. There’s something that I must tell you…”

“Lucy!” A loud voice boomed the instant they set foot inside the parlor. Lucy immediately recognized the voice as belonging to Lord Moorland. He came toward her with a wide smile upon his face, reached for her hand, and placed a gentle kiss upon her knuckles. “It’s good to have you home with us again.”

“Thank you, my lord. It’s a great relief to be back.”

He nodded, and as he smiled, Lucy sensed that it was almost as if he knew precisely how she felt. She wondered how many times he must have gone off to war, fearing that he might not return, and being as relieved as she was now whenever he did. He turned to Alexandra who was standing by Lucy’s side. “It’s good to see you too, Alex. But where are my grandchildren? You didn’t forget to bring them did you?”

“They’re right here,” Trenton said with a chuckle as he and William came into the room. He strode across to his father-in-law and handed baby Claire over to him while Richard ran to hide behind Alexandra’s skirts.

“Please,” Constance swept her arm toward the sofas and armchairs, “won’t you have a seat? We still have so many questions about everything that happened to you, Lucy. You must tell us everything.”

Lucy drew a deep sigh and then turned a pleading gaze on William who stepped forward to claim her arm and escort her toward one of the sofas. “So much has happened, Lady Ridgewood, and it’s been a terrible strain on all of us. Would you mind overly much if we simply enjoy each other’s company for the remainder of the day? I’ll be more than happy to fill you in later.”

“No, of course not,” Constance said, looking quite sorry that she’d broached the topic at all.

Lucy quickly offered her a smile that she hoped would calm away her worries. “Perhaps we could talk about how to celebrate the holidays instead. I imagine that you must have some traditions, and I’d really love to hear about them.”

“What a splendid idea,” Lord Moorland remarked as he gently tickled baby Claire under her chin. The infant responded with a delightful squeal that brought an instant cheer to the room.

“I was thinking that we could fell an evergreen tomorrow. We’ll use the trunk for our Yule Log and the branches to fashion some boughs and wreaths,” William said as a maid entered carrying a tray with cups and a large pot of mulled wine, the cloves and cinnamon filling the air with their rich aromas.

Setting down the tray, the maid proceeded to pour, handing each of them a cup before departing again with a curtsy.

“We usually decorate and light the log on Christmas Eve,” Alexandra said, blowing on her wine before taking a hesitant sip, “and then on Christmas Day, we’ll go to church in the morning and return home for a lovely dinner complete with roast pig and plum pudding.”

“It sounds wonderful,” Lucy said, already eager to set off in search of the evergreen.

“I hope we didn’t miss too much,” came a voice from the doorway. Turning her head, Lucy spotted Ryan and then Mary, who was carrying baby Vanessa in her arms. They both welcomed Lucy back with as much enthusiasm as everyone else had done before taking their seats on one of the sofas next to Constance and Lord Moorland.

“I must admit that I’m mighty relieved that you’ve finally arrived, Ryan,” Lord Moorland said, handing Claire back to her mother. “I wasn’t sure how much longer I would be able to keep this bit of news bottled up inside me.”

“What news?” William asked, setting his cup down on the table and placing his elbows upon his knees as he leaned forward.

Lucy couldn’t help but notice a slight blush rise to her father-in-law’s cheeks and immediately wondered if this had something to do with what Constance had been meaning to tell her earlier.

He hesitated a moment, looked to Constance, returned his gaze to each of his children, and finally said, “You know that I will always love your mother with all my heart. Nobody will ever be able to take her place. But I have also grieved for such a very long time, and, as you know, there were many dark moments when I thought I’d never be capable of going on without her.” Lucy found herself holding her breath as he spoke, his eyes appearing to mist over, though he’d probably deny such a thing. “However, the years have dulled the pain, and after meeting Constance…ahem…Lady Ridgewood, I have discovered that it is possible for me to find not only happiness again but also love. I love her, and I have asked her to be my wife.”

There was only a moment’s silence before Alexandra was out of her seat with Claire once again delivered into Trenton’s arms as she leapt to embrace her father. “I wish you so much happiness, Papa,” she said as she wiped at her own tears.

“I was afraid that you might be upset with me for marrying again,” he muttered somewhat bashfully.

“No, Papa,” she whispered as she gave Constance a big smile. “You deserve every happiness in the world. Mama has been gone from us for so long. It will be easier knowing that you’ve found a new kind of joy with Lady Ridgewood at your side.”

“She looks too young to be my stepmama,” Ryan said as he heartily shook his father’s hand before reaching for Constance’s and lifting it to his lips for a kiss.

Constance immediately laughed. “I’ll take that as a compliment, Ryan.”

William stepped forward next to offer his congratulations while Lucy walked over to Constance and put her arm around her waist in a little sideways hug. “I’m so pleased for you,” she said. “I have every confidence that Lord Moorland will be the perfect husband for you.”

“Thank you, Lucy.” Judging from her smile, there was no doubt that Constance thought so too.

“What a lot of weddings this year has had to offer,” Alexandra exclaimed as she took baby Claire back into her arms.

“We’re not married yet,” Lord Moorland muttered, though the gleam in his eyes told everyone that he intended to marry Constance at the first available opportunity.

“No,” Alexandra agreed, “but I was also thinking of my brothers and Michael’s sisters.”

“Lady Caroline and Lady Cassandra?” William asked.

“Quite so,” Lord Trenton remarked, looking rather pleased with himself, “though I still have to meet the men who captured their hearts. I’m not familiar with either one, and from what Alex tells me, Cassandra’s wedding was particularly rushed.”

“Well, Ryan and I attended both weddings with Alexandra,” Mary piped up, “and I must say that both men looked rather…ahem…handsome. Is that not so, Alex?”

“Most assuredly,” Alexandra quickly agreed, “although Cassandra’s wedding did have a bit of an unfortunate incident, so to speak.”

“What?” Lord Trenton asked, his head snapping around to stare at his wife. “You mentioned no such thing before.”

“Forgive me, my love, but everything has been so rushed since your arrival, and besides, it’s nothing for you to worry about now. Rest assured, I’ll tell you all about it later.”

Lord Trenton frowned. He did not look convinced but was afforded with no opportunity to press the matter any further when Ryan suddenly said, “Oh, I almost forgot!” Reaching inside his jacket pocket, he pulled out something green, holding the object high in the air for all to see.

Lord Moorland frowned. “That looks suspiciously like a sprig of mistletoe.”

Ryan’s smile widened to a grin. “So it is, and I say that you and Lady Ridgewood will be the first couple to kiss beneath it.” And without further ado, he held it over their heads, leaving them with very little choice but to comply while everyone else cheered and clapped in support of the newly engaged couple.

“Give me that,” William muttered, snatching the sprig from his brother’s hand. He then reached for Lucy, whose heart had begun that old familiar fluttering beat that it always made right before William kissed her. And then he did, and it was the most marvelous kiss of them all, for she was home now, spending Christmas with her family and with the man not only whom she loved but also whom she knew loved her in return.

A
CKNOWLEDGMENTS

O
f all the books I’ve written so far, this was the most difficult one for me to finish due to plot-related issues, yet when I called my editor virtually in a state of panic, I remember hanging up the phone and thinking, “OK, I can do this.” Thank you so much, Esi, for your help and support—you’re awesome!

Having a husband who’s ready to help me with all aspects of my work, from tips on advertising to ironing out plot issues and willingly forgoing our TV time together whenever I had a deadline looming has added tremendously to the whole experience. Thank you so much for all your encouragement, your support, and for making me feel like a superstar whenever I doubted myself. I love you!

And as always, a BIG thank you to you, dear reader, for allowing me to follow my dreams.

Keep reading for the can’t-miss first
Summersby Tale,

LADY ALEXANDRA’S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE
,

and be sure to read
Ryan Summersby’s story in

THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT LADY MARY,

available now from
Avon Impulse

An Excerpt from

LADY ALEXANDRA’S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE

London

May 15, 1815

S
ir Percy Foxstone took a slow sip of his single malt whiskey, savoring the rich flavor as it warmed his chest before he sank down into one of the deep leather armchairs in his office at Whitehall.

Lazily swirling the caramel-colored liquid, allowing it to lap against the edges of his glass, he regarded his friend with caution. “I’m deeply sorry it had to come to this, old chap,” he told him quietly.

Bryce Summersby, Earl of Moorland, nodded, his forehead furrowed in a thoughtful frown. “Do you see now why I never wanted Alex to get involved?” He shook his head in disbelief.

Bryce’s son William had joined the Foreign Office four years earlier when he was twenty-three years old. He’d had a number of successful missions during that time and had been personally thanked by the Prince Regent for uncovering a French spy who’d managed to infiltrate parliament.

Which is why it was so difficult to now believe that William was handing over valuable information to the French.