All Hearts Come Home for Christmas by Sarah M. Eden

Author:Sarah M. Eden
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Christmas;Regency;Romance;Anthology;Collection;Eden;Stansfield;Hatch;Barker
Publisher: Covenant Communications, Inc.
Published: 2019-07-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Two

“But Mama, I thought you would be pleased I took a liking to him. He’s an earl!” I was sitting next to Mama at the breakfast table and tried but failed to snatch Lord Hawthorne’s card from her hand. Father looked up briefly, then went back to reading his morning newspaper.

Rose’s green eyes were as wide as saucers. “An earl is asking you to ride in Hyde Park?” Rose managed to reach around the breakfast table and grab the card from Mama while her attention was on me. “Lord Hawthorne,” Rose practically squealed. “Even his name sounds handsome. When did you meet him?” Oh dear. Rose was going to like Lord Hawthorne. He was exactly the type of person she would approve of. She would need to be told.

“I met him two days ago at the Greenwoods’ ball. He is handsome and interesting. You would like him, Rose.”

“There isn’t a serious bone in that man’s body.” Mama rose from her seat and stalked toward the fireplace. “He has offended every person of good character I know. And even if those things could be forgiven, all of London knows he isn’t looking for a wife. He had the most perfect opportunity to snatch up the darling of the Season two years ago, and he let the chance slip through his fingers. Not to mention what he said to Mrs. Jepson. He made it very clear that he wasn’t looking for a wife and had no interest in well-bred young ladies like her daughter. He may come from a good family, but the only thing you will gain from him is a damaged reputation. I will not have you wasting time on a man who won’t commit.”

“But an earl, Mama!” Rose’s eyes shone with mischief. “If she could catch him, Elizabeth would do much better than Dorothea. She managed only a knight.”

“Marriage isn’t a competition, Rose,” Mama said.

Rose and I shared a look. In almost every regard Mama made it very clear that marriage was, in fact, a competition.

“Besides, I don’t care if he is the king of Sheba. Elizabeth, you are not riding with him in Hyde Park. You must send your regrets.”

Rose bit her fingers to keep from laughing at, or correcting, Mama. Despite her lack of fortitude, I managed a straight face. At least, I hoped I did.

I put my hand out, and Rose reached across the table to hand me Lord Hawthorne’s card. “He and his sister are arriving in thirty minutes,” I said. “There isn’t time to send him a reply.” A brilliant move on his part.

“Again,” Mama said, “who doesn’t allow time for an answer to an invitation? And Hyde Park at this hour? It is unfashionable, at the very least.”

“At any rate,” I said, standing up, “I won’t receive an earl in my morning dress. I am going upstairs to change.”

Mama looked down at her own dress and apron. And then stood up frantically. “You are right. Even a dastardly earl is an earl.”

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