At the Duke's Wedding (A romance anthology) by Linden Caroline & Ashe Katharine & Neville Miranda & Rodale Maya

Author:Linden, Caroline & Ashe, Katharine & Neville, Miranda & Rodale, Maya [Linden, Caroline]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: romance anthology, Regency romance, time travel romance, historical romance
Publisher: The Lady Authors
Published: 2013-12-16T13:00:00+00:00

Chapter Five

The guests began to arrive the next day. The house came alive with trills of female voices, and the jangle of harnesses was almost constant. Cleo had marveled at the size of the castle when they arrived, but after a while she began to wonder where all these guests would stay. Surely even Kingstag Castle couldn’t hold them all.

Helen, of course, had to greet everyone, welcoming them at the duchess’s side. Cleo joined her, losing herself in the excitement of meeting new people, none of whom seemed to recoil at the sight of her, common merchant though she was. Perhaps that was because she said nothing at all about herself, speaking only of her sister and the wedding and how lovely the castle was.

“I’m starting to sound like Mama,” she whispered to her sister after a while. “All I can speak of is Kingstag!”

Helen sighed. “There is a great deal to say about it.”

“Well, it truly is magnificent.” Cleo craned her neck to admire the vaulted ceiling of the hall, which put her in mind of a cathedral. The house was full of modern improvements—there was indeed piping for water inside the house—but it retained much of its ancient air as well. “To think, you’ll be mistress of this in a few days! Do you remember when we used to dream of living in a castle?”

Her sister smiled. “Yes. But even then I never dreamt of one this enormous.”

“All the more to explore!” Cleo grinned, but finally realized how pale her sister had become. “Helen, are you well?” she asked in concern. “You should sit down.”

There was a distant rattle of wheels on gravel. Helen turned toward the open door. “I can’t. Someone else is arriving.”

“Let Her Grace greet them. Come,” she urged. “I’m sure the duke wouldn’t want his guests to first see you passed out on the floor.”

“No, indeed,” said a male voice behind them.

Cleo jerked around. The Duke of Wessex stood there, watching in his intent way. His wasn’t a merry, fond countenance, but she had the feeling that he paid closer attention than most people. Even in this trifling circumstance, she felt the force of his regard in every fiber of her being. No wonder he was such a powerful man. She could barely drag her eyes away from his.

“Your Grace.” Helen dipped a graceful curtsey. “We did not expect you.”

“I had some pressing business to attend to this morning; my apologies.” He barely glanced at her. “What makes you think your sister is about to faint, Mrs. Barrows?”

Cleo wet her lips and darted a wary glance at her sister. Helen might have been a statue, from all the emotion or energy she conveyed. “She looks pale to me, Your Grace, but perhaps I’m imagining things.”

“I would never discount the keen eye of a loving sister.” He turned the blast of his regard upon Helen, who seemed to waver on her feet under it. “I agree with Mrs. Barrows, my dear. You must sit down.”

“As you wish, Your Grace.

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