ONE
Berkshire,
England, November, 1814
Rosalind Valentine jerked her head
up at the slam of the door. Goodness, who would do such a thing? From her place
on the floor at the far side of the room, she glanced over to her employer,
Lady Sandlin, who frowned and shifted toward the entrance. Heavy, booted feet
pounded toward their sitting room, and Lady Sandlin stood. Rosalind returned
her attention to her two charges; the soon-to-be four-year-old twins were
completely undisturbed by the unusual interruption.
Where were the servants, and why
hadn’t they announced the new arrival? Had the intruder barged into the manor
without knocking and waiting for the door to be answered?
“Phoebe, where are you?”
Rosalind sucked in a breath. That
wasn’t Lord Sandlin’s voice. What gentleman would dare storm into the Sandlin
household in such a manner yelling for Lady Sandlin by her given name? Rosalind
placed a doll in Heather’s arms and a soldier into Campbell’s pudgy hand and
prepared to sweep the children up and out of the room if necessary. Whoever was
stomping toward this room was angry by his tone, and it was her duty to protect
her charges.
“I’m in here, Noah,” Lady Sandlin
called, and Rosalind’s heart ceased for a moment before it began pounding anew.
Noah? As in Marques Felding? Lady Sandlin’s older brother? Rosalind hadn’t seen
him in since last Christmas when he attended services with his family at her
uncle’s church.
Rosalind looked for a way to escape
the room to shield her presence from him, but Lord Felding charged into the
room thrusting a piece of parchment out in front of him. “What exactly is the
meaning of this?” he demanded.
He was still the most handsome gentleman
Rosalind had ever encountered. His sandy blonde hair was windblown, probably
because he had ridden over instead of taking a carriage such a distance, and
his light brown eyes were darker than normal. Was it from anger? Odd, she had
never known him to show anything but kindness and often, when with her
brothers, laughter. In those situations, his eyes were always a rich brown and
warmed her to her toes. Not that he ever noticed her. She had dreamt about him
for years. He was the one who played center role in her pretend world of what if I was a lady? It was silly of
course because she wasn’t a lady and had no hopes, or any real desire, to
become one. Though, if Lord Felding were to happen to take notice of her,
Rosalind would not mind in the least.
Lady Sandlin smiled innocently. “I
assumed it was self-explanatory. What do you not understand?”
“Why you cannot attend the house
party and hunt that Lord and Lady Meadows are hosting.”
Phoebe stood back and held out her
arms. “Is my reason more clear now?”
Felding’s eyes grew round and his
jaw dropped. He looked his sister over from head to toe. “Are you having twins again?”
Lady Sandlin laughed and braced a
hand on the arm of the chair before slowly lowering herself into the seat. “I
don’t believe so.” She glanced down at her protruding belly. “Though, one does
have to wonder. The babe isn’t to arrive until sometime in February.”
Rosalind should leave the room so
the brother and sister could visit in private, but she didn’t want to draw
attention to herself. The only way out was through the door Lord Felding just
entered. So far, Lord Felding hadn’t even looked in her direction, and as much
as she may wish he would notice her, in truth, she did not. It was easier to
pretend that he might one day look upon her with more interest than that of the
sister of a friend than to face him and receive only a nod in greeting.
“Who is going to keep an eye on
Penelope if you are not there?”
Penelope was their younger, second
sister and only twenty. She was closer to Rosalind’s younger sisters than to
her, though as children, they often played together.
“Is that what this is about?” Lady
Sandlin scoffed. “Penny has had two full Seasons without incident. She no
longer needs someone watching over her like a mother hen.”
Felding crossed his arms over his
chest and tilted his head. “She certainly showed more sense than you.”
Lady Sandlin straightened. “I
wasn’t as bad as you imply.” A small smile formed on her lips. “Besides, if I
had been less impetuous, I might not be married to Taylor now.”
Felding snorted and Rosalind bit
her lip to keep from laughing. She had heard a number of rumors of how Lady
Sandlin conducted herself during her one and only Season and a few more stories
the lady herself had repeated. With distance, they were rather entertaining. At
the time, Lady Sandlin could have been ruined beyond repair on more than one
occasion.
“Normally, it wouldn’t matter. I
would easily be able to keep track of Penelope, but this house party is
different.”
“Oh?” Lady Sandlin asked with a
raised eyebrow.
Rosalind tilted her head to study
him hoping Lord Felding would explain his comment.
“A lady will be present that I may
be interested in courting.”
A knife through her heart would
have been less painful, and Rosalind quickly looked away and tried to busy
herself with the twins. She should have left the moment he entered; then her
world wouldn’t be tumbling down like the stack of blocks Heather just knocked
over. The twins laughed, and Rosalind forced a smile. She was a nursemaid to
four-year-old twins. It was her lot in life, and she was happy for it. Had
Vicar Grant and his wife not taken her and her siblings in her life would not
be nearly this pleasant, and she should not wish for things that were above her
reach.
Besides, it wasn’t her actual world
that crashed . . . just the one she liked to escape to.
“Who has finally caught your
attention?” The excitement in Lady Sandlin’s tone drew Rosalind’s attention.
Just last week, when Lady Sandlin’s three sisters visited, they had sat in this
very room ruminating about the fact that their older brother had not yet taken
a bride when most of his friends were already married, and he was two and
thirty.
“Lady Jillian Simpson.”
“The Duke of Eldridge’s daughter?”
Did she hear disappointment in Lady
Sandlin’s tone?
“Yes,” Felding confirmed.
Lady Sandlin settled further back
in her chair and rested her hands on her protruding belly. “I am sure your presence will discourage any
unwanted attention, and Penelope isn’t the type to run off.” Lady Sandlin insisted. “And it is the Meadows
household, and I am confident they have not invited anyone with whom you would
object to.”
Felding stared at his sister as if
dumbfounded. “Have you forgotten that it was at a Meadows house party that
nearly saw you ruined.”
Lady Sandlin simply shrugged and
grinned.
Felding shook his head and turned
away to pace. “I don’t want the distraction,” he argued. “I suggested she
remain home, but Penny refused.”
“Of course she did!”
“So what am I to do?” He pushed his
fingers through his hair and paced at the end of the room. “I must have someone
who can watch over Penny and not be distracted.”
Lady Sandlin lifted and eyebrow in
humor. “A companion? We no longer have a governess at our disposal.”
He stopped and stared at her with
hope in his eyes. “Do you think we might hire one?”
“For a simple house party?” Lady
Sandlin laughed.
“Then what do you suppose I do?”
“Nothing. It is a simple house
party. Penelope will have a grand time, and you will be able to court Lady
Jillian.”
“It is not that simple,” Lord
Felding ground out and began pacing anew. “I will not be able to give attention
to the matter as I wish if I have to worry about what Penny is up to, or who
may wish to pursue her.”
Lady Phoebe leaned forward with
interest. Her eyes narrowed and she tilted her head. “Why the sudden hurry to
court Lady Jillian?” Lady Sandlin asked with curiosity? “Are you in love with
her?”
Felding shook his head but said
nothing.
“If not love, then why the rush,
unless you hope to make a Christmas Match?” Lady Sandlin chuckled and relaxed
back in her seat. “I had no idea you were so romantic.”
“I would like the matter for my
future settled,” Felding grumbled. “The quicker that is done the better, and I
don’t want to endure another Season without a betrothal or marriage.”
“You sound like a miss facing her
third Season with no prospect of a husband in sight.” Lady Sandlin laughed.
“Are you going to help me or not?”
Lord Felding demanded.
Rosalind bit her bottom lip to keep
from laughing. The two of them reminded Rosalind much of her and brothers on
the rare occasions they were together. She missed the teasing and bickering siblings
shared.
“I still don’t think it is
necessary that you have someone attend Penelope,” Lady Sandlin insisted.
Lord Felding turned and stared at
his sister. “House parties can be very dangerous, as you well know.”
Rosalind looked away again, heat
infused her cheeks. Nobody needed to tell her how dangerous they were. It was
the reason she was no longer with her last employer. A simple mistake, gossip,
and innuendo had ruined her. Thankfully, Lady Sandlin didn’t put stock in what
she heard, and believed Rosalind’s version of the events involving her and Mr.
David Thorn. Shortly after the incident, Lady Sandlin offered her a position
within this household despite the rumors.
“If it is that important to you,”
Lady Sandlin began, “why don’t you ask Rosalind to watch over Penelope? I can
assure you that Penny would prefer Rosalind over an old, strict matron you are
likely to employ.”
Rosalind’s head jerked up. Surely,
Lady Sandlin did not mean her. There must be another Rosalind she didn’t know
about.
“Rosalind Valentine?” Lord Felding
asked.
At least he thought of her first
when the name was mentioned which warmed her heart. Though, she could very well
be the only Rosalind of his acquaintance.
“Yes,” Lady Sandlin brightened.
Lord Felding pushed his fingers through
his hair and blew out a breath. Perhaps she should make her presence known
before he said something she did not want to hear.
“She would be perfect,” he said a
moment later nodding his head and settled on the seat beside his sister. “She
knows very well the dangers a house party can offer.”
Inwardly, Rosalind cringed. Surely,
Lord Felding didn’t believe those horrible rumors; the very ones that saw to
her ruination so that she could never show her face in society again. Not that
she had been part of society only a governess in a lord’s household. Not only
was her reputation ruined because of that one night, but all employment
possibilities as well. Thank goodness Lady Sandlin believed her.
“The rumors are not true,” Lady
Sandlin said.
Lord Felding’s head jerked up. “Of
course not.” He seemed almost offended that Lady Sandlin might think he
actually believed the gossip.
Rosalind blew out a sigh of relief.
She would hate for him to think she had succumbed to a rake’s seduction.
“Thorn was bloody drunk but not so
drunk he didn’t remember the night. He tried his best to deflate the gossip but
it did no good.”
A small smile pulled at Rosalind’s
lips. Thorn had told the truth over and over but those at the party were more
interested in potential scandal than the truth.
“I’ll call on Valentine House when
I return home. I assume Rosalind has returned to live with Vicar Grant and his
wife.”
“She is right there, Noah.” Lady
Sandlin gestured in Rosalind’s direction.
Rosalind’s face flooded with heat
when Lord Felding came to his feet. Clearly, he had not noticed she was in the
room. Drat, she should have somehow alerted him to her presence before now.
What would he think of her sitting quietly as they discussed Lady Penelope and
Rosalind’s debacle of last spring before the Season had even begun?
She slid the toys from her lap and
came to her feet and offered a quick curtsey. “Good afternoon, Lord Felding.”
***
Why was Miss Rosalind Valentine
sitting on the floor in the back of the room playing with the twins?
Noah hadn’t seen Miss Valentine
since last winter during Christmas Eve services to be exact. Even then, he only
glimpsed her in the front pews with the rest of her family. They hadn’t spoken.
A few days later he learned from her older brother that she had left for
Cheshire to be a governess to the daughters of Lord and Lady Filpott.
Thank goodness he had not said
anything else about what happened to her last spring. Not that he ever believed
she would allow Thorn to seduce her or that she had set about to trap Thorn
into marriage as Thorn’s aunt, Lady Filpott, had insisted. If Noah had been at
that house party, he would have seen to it that all rumor, gossip, and innuendo
were stifled.
“Miss Valentine, I did not realize
you were visiting Phoebe.”
The blush on her rounded cheeks
grew darker. “I am not visiting, Lord Sandlin. I am the nursery maid.”
So his sister had given her a
position when nobody else in society would dare. Good for Phoebe.
“I apologize. I hadn’t realized you
were in the room, or I would have greeted you.” He barely noticed the young
maid, head bent down and sitting with the children when he entered. He was too
angry at Phoebe’s letter to let the presence of a servant bother him, and then
he completely forgot anyone else was in the room.
“I should have announced my
presence, but I did not wish to interrupt.”
“I’ve known you since you were a
child,” Noah reminded her though she was far different than the skinny,
red-haired girl that had once teased her brothers. “You have no reason to stand
on ceremony especially in my sister’s home.”
Before him stood a remarkable young
woman. Her once red hair was closer to a warm auburn. Why hadn’t he ever
noticed her eyes were a deep blue? Miss Valentine was a beautiful young woman.
She should not be hidden away in the country as a nursemaid. If he remembered
correctly, she would be five and twenty now. Why hadn’t she married?
He already knew the answer and
didn’t really need to ask. Those in Valentine House had secrets. Some he had been
speculated on, and the Valentine brothers had let slip on occasion. Because of those very secrets, he doubted any
of the sisters would ever marry or allow themselves to be in a position to
marry.
Phoebe cleared her throat, bringing
Noah out of his thoughts. Goodness, he was staring at Miss Valentine and not
saying a word. When had he become so rude and inconsiderate? Miss Valentine’s
complexion took on a deeper hue of pink. He should not have embarrassed her,
but he certainly couldn’t voice his thoughts.
“Would you act as Penelope’s
companion at the house party being hosted by Lord and Lady Meadows?”
Miss Valentine worried her bottom
lip and blinked at him. “I should remain with my charges.” She gestured to the
children still playing quietly on the floor beside her feet.
Lady Sandlin shifted in her seat.
“The children will get by without you for the week or two,” she insisted. “This
will give you the opportunity to see to a young woman and not need to wipe a
nose every few moments.” Lady Sandlin grinned. “I assure you, Penelope can
attend her own nose if necessary.”
A small smile graced Miss
Valentine’s full lips. “It is kind of you to think of me, but my duty is to
you.”
“And I am insisting you attend my
sister.” Lady Sandlin pushed herself up off of the settee. “If I know my brother, he will not give Penny
a moment’s peace and be with her constantly.” She came forward and grasped
Rosalind’s hands. “I am sure she would be grateful for your presence.”
Though Noah didn’t appreciate how
Phoebe viewed him, he didn’t argue. He needed Miss Valentine to chaperone
Penelope so he was free to purse Lady Jillian.
“I don’t have the proper wardrobe,
and I am not sure exactly what a companion does,” Miss Valentine said to both
Noah and Phoebe.
“I am sure your clothing is
perfectly acceptable,” Noah insisted. His friends weren’t such high sticklers
that they would deny her entrance because Miss Valentine wasn’t in the height
of fashion. Besides, this was to be a casual house party with much of the time
spent hunting.
Sadness clouded Miss Valentine’s
eyes. “What would others think if I was chaperoning a young woman?”
She didn’t have to add after what
occurred last spring, but Noah assumed that was what she was thinking. “There
will be a different set of guests than those you encountered earlier in the
year,” he assured. “Besides, if anyone were to say anything to you, I would
make my displeasure known.”
“It is not your place to defend me,
Lord Felding, but I thank you just the same.”
He smiled gently down at her. Miss
Rosalind Valentine was always a sweet, good-natured girl with a bit of
mischief. “As I said earlier, I’ve known you since you and your siblings came
to live at Valentine House. I do feel it is my duty to defend you if one of
your brothers isn’t present.” He glanced over at Phoebe who was smiling sadly
at Miss Valentine before he looked back at the young woman. “And, I can assure
you that your brothers would do the same for my sisters if it was necessary.”
A memory tickled in his brain of
seeing the guest list and Noah brightened. “As a matter of fact, I believe two
of your brothers are invited guests.”
Miss Valentine blinked in surprise.
Perhaps this would convince her to attend as Penelope’s chaperone. She could
even be considered a guest as long as she knew her first duty was to see to
Penelope though he didn’t suspect Miss Valentine ever shirked a duty in her
life.
“Demetrius and Benedick are both
invited,” he added.
Her brow furrowed. “Will they be
attending?”
Noah rubbed his chin trying to
recall if Meadows had received a response from the brothers. “Demetrius will certainly be there. I am not
sure of Benedick.”
She bit her lip again and looked
over at Phoebe. Was Miss Valentine finally considering the possibility? This
would be a perfect opportunity for her. She would be able to visit with those
who were friends with her brothers, make new acquaintances, and hopefully put
the rumors of the past to rest. Noah also knew that she would remain by
Penelope’s side during their entire visit freeing him to pursue Lady Jillian.
“Please?” he asked.
Her shoulders lifted and dropped
with a sigh. “If Lady Sandlin believes I should . . .”
A smile burst on Phoebe’s lips. “Of
course I think you should. You will have a wonderful time.”
Miss Valentine tilted her head and
narrowed her eyes. “I will be attending Miss Penelope not attending a party,”
she reminded them.
“And my brother will make his
Christmas match,” Lady Sandlin teased Felding with a laugh.
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