Read Online A Lady by Chance (Historical Regency Romance) by Cheryl Bolen - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Cheryl Bolen
Tags: Regency Romance
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not seduced by the nearness to his tall, golden-skinned body.
He took her hand and brought it to his lips. "Sit by me, Anna."
She obliged.
"It is so very good to be home. I will be fine now," he said. "It occurred to me today that I should like to possess a miniature of you so that I might look at it when I am away."
"I am greatly flattered," Anna said, hoping her voice did not reveal the leaping excitement in her pulse. She squeezed his hand and shot him a concerned glance. "Now tell me what is it you work yourself so hard for?"
He ran his large hands through his hair and sighed. "When my father died, I learned that he had foolishly lost most of the family's fortune. Since that day, I have contrived to restore the money as well as the Haverstock good name – neither of which have I been particularly successful."
"Oh, Charles, I would so very much rather you take my money and not work so hard. Your companionship, I find, far preferable to this house full of females." She had felt so alienated and lonely at Haverstock House without Charles. Though one day was no gauge of how well she would get along with his family, this first day brought bitter disappointment. Her mother-in-law had not come out of her chamber all day. Anna longed to get away from this house, to go to Haymore. "Could you and I not go to Haymore?" she suggested.
"Nothing would give me greater pleasure, my dear, but I cannot consider it at this time for I have far too much work."
The butler entered the room with a tea tray and set it on a table in front of the settee.
"Thank you, Davis," Anna said as he bowed and departed.
Haverstock watched Anna as she poured tea into a gilded cup. "It distresses me that you are so unhappy here, Anna. Has my family not made you welcome?"
"It is not that," she said, handing him is tea. "It is just that they kept to their rooms most of the day, except for Lydia, who has been quite wonderful. She gave me a tour of the house and explained the various family portraits and even showed me the butler's pantry."
"How do you like Lydia?"
"She is the most wonderful of sisters. I count myself very fortunate." Anna poured herself a cup of steaming tea from the silver pot. "She tells me she does not like town life. Perhaps that is what has me longing to go to the country. She described the green hills and country lanes. She's quite enamored of horses, isn't she?"
He laughed. "Yes, it's an enthusiasm not shared by my other sisters. Lydia very much enjoys the outdoors. When we were reduced to just one gardener at Haymore, Lydia actually took to working side by side with Benton trying to restore the park there to what it had once been – another futile effort, I'm afraid."
"I should love to see Haymore."
He took her hand in his and warmly pressed it. "And so you shall. I promise as soon as the war – I mean, as soon as I'm finished with my work, I shall take you there. It can be a honeymoon."
"You are so very good to honor your marriage vows when marrying me must have been extremely distasteful to you."
"Oh, yes," he said mischievously, "it is such a burden to be shackled to such an ugly woman." He cupped her breast. "I have to force myself to make love to the old dragon." His other hand began to unfasten the buttons on the back of her dress. "Such dreadful unpleasantness."
She ran a hand along the rigid planes of his face."Don't force yourself, my lord."
"In truth, I'm powerless to deny myself when I'm with you, Anna," he said in a low, husky voice.
Sated by his wife's compliant body and feeling her smooth warmth against him, Haverstock held her close long after they made love. Her touch had the power to free him from the discomfort of the day's long hours of writing down all the maneuvers Monsieur Herbert had painstakingly written in French.
Haverstock wanted nothing more than to trust Anna and felt guilty that he had not been honest with her about his duties. A marriage should be built upon truth and trust, and he
He took her hand and brought it to his lips. "Sit by me, Anna."
She obliged.
"It is so very good to be home. I will be fine now," he said. "It occurred to me today that I should like to possess a miniature of you so that I might look at it when I am away."
"I am greatly flattered," Anna said, hoping her voice did not reveal the leaping excitement in her pulse. She squeezed his hand and shot him a concerned glance. "Now tell me what is it you work yourself so hard for?"
He ran his large hands through his hair and sighed. "When my father died, I learned that he had foolishly lost most of the family's fortune. Since that day, I have contrived to restore the money as well as the Haverstock good name – neither of which have I been particularly successful."
"Oh, Charles, I would so very much rather you take my money and not work so hard. Your companionship, I find, far preferable to this house full of females." She had felt so alienated and lonely at Haverstock House without Charles. Though one day was no gauge of how well she would get along with his family, this first day brought bitter disappointment. Her mother-in-law had not come out of her chamber all day. Anna longed to get away from this house, to go to Haymore. "Could you and I not go to Haymore?" she suggested.
"Nothing would give me greater pleasure, my dear, but I cannot consider it at this time for I have far too much work."
The butler entered the room with a tea tray and set it on a table in front of the settee.
"Thank you, Davis," Anna said as he bowed and departed.
Haverstock watched Anna as she poured tea into a gilded cup. "It distresses me that you are so unhappy here, Anna. Has my family not made you welcome?"
"It is not that," she said, handing him is tea. "It is just that they kept to their rooms most of the day, except for Lydia, who has been quite wonderful. She gave me a tour of the house and explained the various family portraits and even showed me the butler's pantry."
"How do you like Lydia?"
"She is the most wonderful of sisters. I count myself very fortunate." Anna poured herself a cup of steaming tea from the silver pot. "She tells me she does not like town life. Perhaps that is what has me longing to go to the country. She described the green hills and country lanes. She's quite enamored of horses, isn't she?"
He laughed. "Yes, it's an enthusiasm not shared by my other sisters. Lydia very much enjoys the outdoors. When we were reduced to just one gardener at Haymore, Lydia actually took to working side by side with Benton trying to restore the park there to what it had once been – another futile effort, I'm afraid."
"I should love to see Haymore."
He took her hand in his and warmly pressed it. "And so you shall. I promise as soon as the war – I mean, as soon as I'm finished with my work, I shall take you there. It can be a honeymoon."
"You are so very good to honor your marriage vows when marrying me must have been extremely distasteful to you."
"Oh, yes," he said mischievously, "it is such a burden to be shackled to such an ugly woman." He cupped her breast. "I have to force myself to make love to the old dragon." His other hand began to unfasten the buttons on the back of her dress. "Such dreadful unpleasantness."
She ran a hand along the rigid planes of his face."Don't force yourself, my lord."
"In truth, I'm powerless to deny myself when I'm with you, Anna," he said in a low, husky voice.
Sated by his wife's compliant body and feeling her smooth warmth against him, Haverstock held her close long after they made love. Her touch had the power to free him from the discomfort of the day's long hours of writing down all the maneuvers Monsieur Herbert had painstakingly written in French.
Haverstock wanted nothing more than to trust Anna and felt guilty that he had not been honest with her about his duties. A marriage should be built upon truth and trust, and he
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