Love is in the Heir by Kathryn Caskie

Author:Kathryn Caskie
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2011-11-09T02:51:08+00:00

***

Dressed in her favorite blue cambric frock, her hair twisted, pinned, and magnificently coiffed in the most time-consuming, intricate style Annie could manage,

Hannah slid her hand along the balustrade rail and walked, as if to her death, down the two flights of stairs to the entry way hall.

Her kid slippers were silent on the floor as she approached the drawing room.

She paused before reaching the door, out of sight to grant her a moment or two more in which to gather her courage before facing the earl.

Hannah didn't know why the earl intimidated her so. Very few people in this world did. And she shouldn't allow him to affect her so.

She stood at least a head taller than the squat, physically inconsequential gentleman.

He did not strike her as overly intelligent or skilled in any worthwhile pursuit. In fact, when she considered the qualities to recommend him, she realized, to her shame, that she had allowed his lofty position within the realm to overwhelm her sensibilities. Nothing more.

No longer though. Not after this morn.

Peerage, or lack thereof, had nothing to do with their issue of contention. She was completely in the right when it came to this matter, and she had every reason to decline Mr. St. Albans's offer of marriage.

Hannah raised her chin, and was just about to charge into the room and tell the gentleman so, when she overheard the earl mention her name in a most angry tone.

Her foot froze midstride, and she slowly lowered her slipper to the floor and cowered by the wall in the passage.

Wouldn't do to enter ill prepared, now would it? she told herself. No indeed. Stealthily, she edged along the wall, stopping as close to the open doorway as she dared. She strained to listen.

"The gel must see the advantage in such a match," the earl was explaining to the Featherton sisters. "She'd be a countess. She'd have standing and influence within society, something, as a mere miss, she does not possess now except... by her association with the two of you."

The Feathertons clucked at that.

The earl paused for a moment and lowered his voice, forcing Hannah to draw closer to the door.

"But my dear ladies, what you do not know—and I tell you this only because I know I can trust you implicitly and you will not share what I am about to say with anyone .. . anyone—is that the entire future of the Devonsfield earldom rests on the immediate union of Mr. St. Albans and ... a woman of quality."

The two ladies gasped loudly with surprise at this revelation—as would have Hannah had she not cupped her hand over her mouth.

"His choice, for reasons he does not wish to expound upon," the earl continued, "is your charge, Miss Chillton."

"Um... exactly what do you mean by that, my lord?" Lady Letitia asked. "I fear your statement was too oblique for my tea-deprived mind fully to understand this morning."

The earl sighed and dropped his tone to little more than a heavy whisper.

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