Read Online A Regency Christmas Pact Collection by Ava Stone, Catherine Gayle, Jerrica Knight-Catania, Julie Johnstone, Jane Charles, Aileen Fish - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Ava Stone, Catherine Gayle, Jerrica Knight-Catania, Julie Johnstone, Jane Charles, Aileen Fish
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yanked a skate from one foot and let it fall to the snowy ground as she started in on the other one.
“Don’t leave,” he said, hating the desperation he heard in his own voice.
“You convinced me to stay yesterday, but…” She shook her head as she dropped the second skate to the ground.
Damn it to hell! He meant don’t leave the pond . He hadn’t even considered the possibility that she meant to leave Wellesborne Park! Berks felt as though a fire iron had pierced his heart. Somehow he’d made a complete mess of everything, but he wasn’t even sure how he’d done it. “Please, Miss Birkin,” he began.
She lifted her gaze to meet his, and when he saw her blue-green eyes shimmer with unshed tears, he felt like the worst sort of cad. “I know I’m not deserving of a second chance at a respectable life, my lord,” she began with a slight quiver to her voice, “but I mean to have one anyway.” She pushed back to her feet. “Excuse me,” she said, trying to brush past him.
But Berks caught her arm and drew her back to him. She refused to meet his eyes, however; her gaze fixed on his throat and didn’t lift an inch higher. “I am truly sorry. I—I don’t even know what to say.”
“There’s nothing to say,” she said softly. “Please let me go.”
But if he did, he’d never see her again, he was certain. “Just tell me why. Why him ?” he asked the question that had plagued him since the day before. “I can’t envision you having anything to do with a man like him.”
She scoffed slightly. “Because I was a fool. Because I loved him and thought he loved me, not that I owe you any sort of explanation.”
Of course she didn’t. Truly, it was none of his concern. She had every right to tell him to go hang. “He’s the fool, Miss Birkin,” he said before he could stop himself. But it was true, nonetheless. Actually, fool was the nicest thing he could call the degenerate. How could that blackguard toss away a girl as lovely, as charming as Theresa Birkin without a second thought? How could he ruin her so completely and leave her to pick up the pieces by herself?
“Do excuse me,” she said, retrieving her arm from his grasp. Without a look back, she started for the manor house, leaving Berks to just stare after her departing form.
That was it! Tessie ground her teeth together, as close to seething as she’d ever been. She stepped back inside Wellesborne Park and headed quickly towards her chambers, nearly ripping the buttons from her redingote as she yanked at the fastenings. She was well and through with Warwickshire in general, Wellesborne Park in particular, and Lord Berkswell most specifically! Just as soon as she could have her things packed, she’d leave this place and never look back. Forgetting might be more difficult, however. Blast him for making her belly flutter and her heart race.
That insufferable man! How dare he! How dare he suggest such a thing to her, and all the while looking as noble and dignified as the most pious lord who’d ever lived?
No one but the two of us ever has to know anything that occurs between us.
Hardly an honorable suggestion. Tessie swiped at a traitorous tear that began to stream down her cheek. Was this the treatment she could expect in London during the upcoming Season? One improper suggestion after another from men who pretended to be respectable? Of course she had no one to blame but herself for her past choices, but it still didn’t make the situation any easier to accept.
Uncle Martin’s laughter from a nearby parlor halted Tessie in her tracks. She winced. Blast it! She’d have to tell him why she wanted to leave. He wouldn’t just pack up and depart Wellesborne right alongside her for no reason. But she didn’t have a choice. She couldn’t stay here. She couldn’t bear to ever see the Marquess of Berkswell again. Not for as long as she lived.
Tessie started towards the parlor and stopped in the threshold. Uncle Martin and Miss
“Don’t leave,” he said, hating the desperation he heard in his own voice.
“You convinced me to stay yesterday, but…” She shook her head as she dropped the second skate to the ground.
Damn it to hell! He meant don’t leave the pond . He hadn’t even considered the possibility that she meant to leave Wellesborne Park! Berks felt as though a fire iron had pierced his heart. Somehow he’d made a complete mess of everything, but he wasn’t even sure how he’d done it. “Please, Miss Birkin,” he began.
She lifted her gaze to meet his, and when he saw her blue-green eyes shimmer with unshed tears, he felt like the worst sort of cad. “I know I’m not deserving of a second chance at a respectable life, my lord,” she began with a slight quiver to her voice, “but I mean to have one anyway.” She pushed back to her feet. “Excuse me,” she said, trying to brush past him.
But Berks caught her arm and drew her back to him. She refused to meet his eyes, however; her gaze fixed on his throat and didn’t lift an inch higher. “I am truly sorry. I—I don’t even know what to say.”
“There’s nothing to say,” she said softly. “Please let me go.”
But if he did, he’d never see her again, he was certain. “Just tell me why. Why him ?” he asked the question that had plagued him since the day before. “I can’t envision you having anything to do with a man like him.”
She scoffed slightly. “Because I was a fool. Because I loved him and thought he loved me, not that I owe you any sort of explanation.”
Of course she didn’t. Truly, it was none of his concern. She had every right to tell him to go hang. “He’s the fool, Miss Birkin,” he said before he could stop himself. But it was true, nonetheless. Actually, fool was the nicest thing he could call the degenerate. How could that blackguard toss away a girl as lovely, as charming as Theresa Birkin without a second thought? How could he ruin her so completely and leave her to pick up the pieces by herself?
“Do excuse me,” she said, retrieving her arm from his grasp. Without a look back, she started for the manor house, leaving Berks to just stare after her departing form.
That was it! Tessie ground her teeth together, as close to seething as she’d ever been. She stepped back inside Wellesborne Park and headed quickly towards her chambers, nearly ripping the buttons from her redingote as she yanked at the fastenings. She was well and through with Warwickshire in general, Wellesborne Park in particular, and Lord Berkswell most specifically! Just as soon as she could have her things packed, she’d leave this place and never look back. Forgetting might be more difficult, however. Blast him for making her belly flutter and her heart race.
That insufferable man! How dare he! How dare he suggest such a thing to her, and all the while looking as noble and dignified as the most pious lord who’d ever lived?
No one but the two of us ever has to know anything that occurs between us.
Hardly an honorable suggestion. Tessie swiped at a traitorous tear that began to stream down her cheek. Was this the treatment she could expect in London during the upcoming Season? One improper suggestion after another from men who pretended to be respectable? Of course she had no one to blame but herself for her past choices, but it still didn’t make the situation any easier to accept.
Uncle Martin’s laughter from a nearby parlor halted Tessie in her tracks. She winced. Blast it! She’d have to tell him why she wanted to leave. He wouldn’t just pack up and depart Wellesborne right alongside her for no reason. But she didn’t have a choice. She couldn’t stay here. She couldn’t bear to ever see the Marquess of Berkswell again. Not for as long as she lived.
Tessie started towards the parlor and stopped in the threshold. Uncle Martin and Miss
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