Duke for Midwinter: A Victorian Christmas Novella by Lawson Anthea

Author:Lawson, Anthea [Lawson, Anthea]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: victorian romance, regency romance, Christmas love tradition, sweet romance
Publisher: Fiddlehead Press
Published: 2015-08-26T04:00:00+00:00

~*~

The snow beside the road was nearly gone, reduced to muddy lumps by the time they reached the outskirts of London. Jared rode beside Miss Banning’s coach until the buildings hemmed in the road and he was forced to follow behind.

He noticed how often she glanced out the coach windows, and how often her gaze met his. Of course, he was watching her as much as she looked for him. Even more, perhaps—his eyes tracing that firm profile, memorizing the line of her nose, the curve of her lips.

“You will escort us back to London?” Selene had echoed his pronouncement at breakfast, her lovely brown eyes wide with surprise. “But… hadn’t you just left Town?”

“Yes—but the roads will be muddy, and you’ll need an extra shoulder to help free the coach when it gets stuck. Besides, I want to see that you arrive safely. No use in rescuing you from a blizzard only to abandon you partway along your journey.”

She’d blushed and dropped her gaze to her plate of eggs, a smile playing about her lips.

“That’s very kind of you, sir,” Hetty had said, giving him a knowing look. “I’m sure we’re both delighted by your offer.”

“Indeed!” Selene said. “Of course we are. Thank you. I’m so glad to hear that the coach was able to be repaired.”

She didn’t need to know how much he’d paid the servants to go out at dawn and retrieve the coach, or the town carpenter to mend the axle, or the innkeeper for re-provisioning the basket of supplies and providing dry blankets and warm bricks as foot-warmers for the interior of the vehicle.

It might be a miserable, mud-filled day for him, but he was strangely content at the thought that Selene would be comfortable.

Of course, being Selene, she’d insisted on leaving the coach and helping push the two times they’d gotten badly stuck. Heedless of the condition of her skirts and boots, she’d added her small weight to their efforts. Both times—to his surprise—the combination of her lightening the coach by not being inside and the extra force of her efforts had been enough to dislodge the vehicle from the muddy ruts.

Selene Banning’s determination blazed as brightly as her intelligence, and he could not help but be drawn to that light. Here was a woman unafraid of whatever life might bring her. Faced with adversity, she would roll up her sleeves and, regardless of her station in life, do what she could to fix matters.

As they passed Hyde Park and entered Mayfair, Jared pulled his hat low and dipped his face into his muffler. The last thing he wanted was to be recognized and hailed by name.

When they were a few blocks from the Banning’s townhouse, he spurred his mount up to the coach and motioned for Selene to lower the window.

“Jared—Sir Kendrick,” she said, resting her gloved fingertips upon the sill and giving him an open smile. “I’ve been thinking. We’ll arrive soon, and you must come in and meet my family. In

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