The Wedding Night's Secret

taircase. Of course she had heard of the engagement; she probably had her ear t

ear anymore about the Earl of Valthems,

He was fit. He was even good looking, in fact, his brown eyes still gleaming with boyish charm, the shade of which

r, rumors such as gambling, drinking excessively or frequenting brothels. In fact, she had not heard anything about him at all, except that

choice. Some would even call him a prized ca

cause she hated being forced to do things.

ulled out a drawer. Beneath the dainty lace handkerchiefs lay a beautiful

ying outside of their mansion in the countryside. Crushed and terrified that h

her birth, Blair had sat under a tree and cried

him her plight, he offered to help her, and they spent the whole afternoon looking until

horses and read books together. If it had been

n and so they were free to spend as much time with each other as they liked, sometime

son of the stable groom, but she did not care. At least, she h

brook, eating scones, Lyndon had told her that he would oneday like to marry her. She had laughed at first, thinking he was either jesting or teasing her, and when

uld give it. It was foolish, she knew. She wasn't even sure she'd recognize him, and for all she knew he could have forgotten

past that she now wished she hadn't said

his aft

of London would know about it. No doubt they would have a feast of it. Tomorrow, she would no longer be among the eli

r bed, buried her face

fe was