Estelle's Story by Robin Gideon

Author:Robin Gideon [Gideon, Robin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: romance
ISBN: 9781622420902
Published: 2012-11-05T05:00:00+00:00

* * * *

“We must have the worst luck of any family in all of England,” the widow Faye Smythe said to her sisters, Princess Estelle Moreland and Lady Celeste Fallon. “What have we ever done to deserve lives like ours?”

Estelle patted the back of her sister’s gloved hand, made an effort to smile reassuringly, and said, “Remember that your husband was a good and decent man who loved you dearly. It isn’t your fault that he made you a young widow. And as for Celeste and myself, our husbands’ behavior in no way reflects on our own conduct. Our husbands behave dreadfully, but there isn’t a soul in all of polite London society who holds us responsible.”

Estelle looked around, making sure that only her sisters could hear her. They were attending an afternoon charity event, ostensibly to raise funds for an orphanage, though Estelle suspected the real reason was that the hostess, Lady Sarah James, was looking for a new lover now that her husband had taken up tiger hunting in India. He had been in India for several months already and was showing no sign at all of returning to London anytime soon. And as Estelle had been told, Lady James bored easily.

“How has your husband been behaving of late?” Faye asked Estelle. “I’ve heard unpleasant rumors that make me worry about you.”

Estelle pursed her lips and nodded, though she felt a twinge of remorse at having to deceive her sisters. Yes, it was true that her despicable husband had been consuming more liquor than usual, but his intemperance didn’t bother her nearly as much as it used to. Now that Julian and Alek were a part of her life, Horace’s behavior just didn’t seem to bother her the way it used to. If he wanted to destroy his life and happiness, she couldn’t stop him, but she didn’t have to let his misery destroy her own happiness.

“I must tell you,” Faye said, her eyes narrowing, “that you seem happier. There’s not that gloom-and-doom aura to you that you had last Christmas when we were all together.” She smiled benignly. “What’s the secret of your happiness?”

Estelle felt a rush of embarrassment go through her veins, and she hoped that she was not blushing. The secret of her happiness? The answer to that was both simple and complex. It was also one that she had absolutely no intention in the world of giving to her sisters. What could she say? That gloom-and-doom had been replaced by gentle, passionate loving, though sometimes it was wild, feral fucking? That a gorgeous English prince and a hulkish Austrian count had taught her the true meaning of ecstasy? That the men always made sure that she was satisfied sexually and enriched emotionally?

“Well?” prodded Celeste. “What’s the magic?”

“No magic, really,” Estelle replied, then took a sip of her iced punch. “What I have learned to do is simply detach myself from Horace’s dark ways. By turning a blind eye toward his self-destruction, it might

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