A Pledge of Passion by Victoria Vane

Author:Victoria Vane
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: 0
Published: 2016-03-22T01:07:50.958281+00:00

AS WAS HER HABIT, Mariah awoke to the teasing first rays of the sun. She'd always been an early riser and relished the first hours of the morning. One of her few remaining pleasures since her father's illness was a brisk morning walk.

She rose and began her own toilet, choosing to spare the duchess's overworked staff. They already had their hands full with all of the guests to attend. It was her custom at home anyway. She rarely called a maid to assist her unless it was a formal occasion. After performing quick ablutions with cold water, she donned front-lacing stays, a simple linen walking gown, and half boots. She eschewed hoops, dressing purely for comfort, figuring she was unlikely to encounter anyone but servants at this hour. She then pinned her plaited hair into a neat bun that she topped with a lace cap and straw bonnet.

She exited her room with a buoyant step, pausing briefly as she passed by Lydia's chamber. Then she remembered that Lydia was not in her room, but with Lord Marcus. She wondered how her cousin fared this morning. She had seemed ecstatic the night before, and Mariah was happy for her. Lydia's exuberance gave her hope that she could also experience the full joys of marriage with a man that she could both respect and love. Nick's loyalty to Marcus and dedication to his duty had already won her respect, but it was his sense of honor she most admired. Perhaps he didn't bear a noble title, but he had proven he possessed a noble heart, the heart she hoped would be hers alone, just as he had already claimed hers.

Feeling lost in the vast house, she retraced her steps to the same ballroom terrace she had exited the night before. She paused briefly on the steps to breathe in the crisp, moist spring air and then set out briskly with skirts raised to protect her hem from trailing in the dew that glistened on the closely cropped grass. She traversed the length of the parterre gardens that opened onto an expansive green whose wickets identified it as the duke's cricket grounds. She halted abruptly at the sight of a lone man in the distance with a bat in one hand and a basket at his feet. Her breath caught at the realization that it was Nick.

He hadn't seen her. His attention appeared fixed on the basket. He reached into it and retrieved a ball, bouncing it in his hand a few times as if testing its weight. He then produced a long white object that she recognized as a stocking. He placed the ball inside it and tied it off. He was so engrossed he didn't seem to hear her approach. "Nick? What are you doing?"

He looked up in surprise. "Mariah? You are an early riser. After the events of last night, I hardly expected to see you until the afternoon. I doubt the rest of the duke's guests will emerge from their chambers before then.

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