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Authors: Laurie Paige
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“Our quiet Megan and the Earl of Silvershire are having an affair.”
“No!” Megan denied. “It was only the one ni—” She clamped a hand over her mouth.
“Ah,” said Meredith in satisfaction.
“Oh,” said Anastasia in shock.
“One night,” Meredith concluded. “And now hehas followed you to Penwyck. Does Mother know? Is that why she speaks to him in private?”
“Has he come to ask for your hand?” asked Anastasia, ever the romantic.
Megan slumped onto the sofa, refusing to answer.
Meredith looked pleased. “When are you thinking to marry?”
“I’m not!” Megan said sharply, then briefly laid a hand on her sister’s arm in apology. “That is, I haven’t made up my mind to it.”
“Why ever not?” Anastasia asked. “He is handsome and exciting. All the palace maids are talking about him. Oh, you do not love him,” she said as if just realizing this possibility. She shook her head at Megan. “You’d be foolish to turn down his offer.”
“Our brothers will have no choice, and I, as the eldest daughter, may have to marry for duty,” Meredith declared loftily, “but Megan needn’t. She must follow her heart.”
Megan sat in miserable silence while her sisters discussed the situation. The three princesses had spoken of their future marriages many times and speculated on which of the world’s noble families might supply their future mates.
All three had vowed to marry only for love.
Reality, Megan was discovering, could be entirely another thing. If Jean-Paul offered and herfather insisted, then she, too, would marry where told.
Would it be without love?
Her heart set up a terrible pounding so that she had to press a hand against her chest to ease its ache. If not for love, why had she allowed that night with Jean-Paul? She had no answer. Another question came to her: Why had he let her aboard his sailing retreat? He was a man of the world. Why had he succumbed to that mad passion?
“Tell us all,” Meredith commanded with a queenly air.
“There is nothing to tell,” Megan told her sisters. “Not yet, at any rate.” She held up a hand in promise. “I will tell you as soon as there is.”
Anastasia spoke to Meredith. “There is something.”
“I told you,” Meredith said, nodding wisely.
Megan laughed, overcome by the absurdity of it all. “I promise you will be among the first to know.”
“Has he asked you to marry him?” Anastasia asked, stars in her eyes.
“Marriage has been mentioned,” Megan admitted.
“Do you want the marriage?” Queen Marissa asked, studying the young man who had taken her daughter’s innocence…and her love?
“It would have certain advantages.”
She stifled impatience with the diplomatic answer. “Do you love her?”
The blunt question took him by surprise, bringing his gaze to her. She saw the quickly masked anger at her impertinent question.
“I would be a considerate husband,” he assured her.
Sighing, she gazed out the window at the sea. “I would have romance and enchantment for my children. Perhaps that is impossible, a mother’s foolish wish.”
A smile briefly touched his handsome face. “There was magic,” he said softly.
Her heart clenched, and she was filled with longing for the early days of her marriage to Morgan and the magic she’d found with him. Glancing at the large tome lying on the table, she shivered delicately as she recalled the pressed rose it held and how its petals had raked gently over her skin. At that moment, her husband of thirty years had seemed a different man.
“I would not have her hurt,” she said.
“Neither would I.” It was a promise.
Marissa nodded and offered her hand, dismissing the young man so that she could consider her daughter’s future and pursue her own thoughts in private.
Chapter Five
J ean-Paul was escorted into the office of Admiral Harrison Monteque precisely at three. After the morning discussion with Megan and the one after lunch with the queen,
“No!” Megan denied. “It was only the one ni—” She clamped a hand over her mouth.
“Ah,” said Meredith in satisfaction.
“Oh,” said Anastasia in shock.
“One night,” Meredith concluded. “And now hehas followed you to Penwyck. Does Mother know? Is that why she speaks to him in private?”
“Has he come to ask for your hand?” asked Anastasia, ever the romantic.
Megan slumped onto the sofa, refusing to answer.
Meredith looked pleased. “When are you thinking to marry?”
“I’m not!” Megan said sharply, then briefly laid a hand on her sister’s arm in apology. “That is, I haven’t made up my mind to it.”
“Why ever not?” Anastasia asked. “He is handsome and exciting. All the palace maids are talking about him. Oh, you do not love him,” she said as if just realizing this possibility. She shook her head at Megan. “You’d be foolish to turn down his offer.”
“Our brothers will have no choice, and I, as the eldest daughter, may have to marry for duty,” Meredith declared loftily, “but Megan needn’t. She must follow her heart.”
Megan sat in miserable silence while her sisters discussed the situation. The three princesses had spoken of their future marriages many times and speculated on which of the world’s noble families might supply their future mates.
All three had vowed to marry only for love.
Reality, Megan was discovering, could be entirely another thing. If Jean-Paul offered and herfather insisted, then she, too, would marry where told.
Would it be without love?
Her heart set up a terrible pounding so that she had to press a hand against her chest to ease its ache. If not for love, why had she allowed that night with Jean-Paul? She had no answer. Another question came to her: Why had he let her aboard his sailing retreat? He was a man of the world. Why had he succumbed to that mad passion?
“Tell us all,” Meredith commanded with a queenly air.
“There is nothing to tell,” Megan told her sisters. “Not yet, at any rate.” She held up a hand in promise. “I will tell you as soon as there is.”
Anastasia spoke to Meredith. “There is something.”
“I told you,” Meredith said, nodding wisely.
Megan laughed, overcome by the absurdity of it all. “I promise you will be among the first to know.”
“Has he asked you to marry him?” Anastasia asked, stars in her eyes.
“Marriage has been mentioned,” Megan admitted.
“Do you want the marriage?” Queen Marissa asked, studying the young man who had taken her daughter’s innocence…and her love?
“It would have certain advantages.”
She stifled impatience with the diplomatic answer. “Do you love her?”
The blunt question took him by surprise, bringing his gaze to her. She saw the quickly masked anger at her impertinent question.
“I would be a considerate husband,” he assured her.
Sighing, she gazed out the window at the sea. “I would have romance and enchantment for my children. Perhaps that is impossible, a mother’s foolish wish.”
A smile briefly touched his handsome face. “There was magic,” he said softly.
Her heart clenched, and she was filled with longing for the early days of her marriage to Morgan and the magic she’d found with him. Glancing at the large tome lying on the table, she shivered delicately as she recalled the pressed rose it held and how its petals had raked gently over her skin. At that moment, her husband of thirty years had seemed a different man.
“I would not have her hurt,” she said.
“Neither would I.” It was a promise.
Marissa nodded and offered her hand, dismissing the young man so that she could consider her daughter’s future and pursue her own thoughts in private.
Chapter Five
J ean-Paul was escorted into the office of Admiral Harrison Monteque precisely at three. After the morning discussion with Megan and the one after lunch with the queen,
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