Season For Surrender (A Danby Family Novella Book 2)

Author:Julie Johnstone [Johnstone, Julie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Night Shift Publishing
Published: 2014-05-06T14:00:00+00:00

Lillian stared into the cracked looking glass resting against the wall in her bedroom and fought back tears of joy. Or was it fear? With a trembling hand, she touched the sheer overlay of her pale green wedding gown that had arrived just in time for her to get dressed before Nick’s coachman arrived to pick her up for the wedding. The silken material of the gown slid against her skin and made her sigh.

She’d never owned anything so fine nor had anyone ever given her a gift, before Nick had bought her this gown. Her heart swelled with a desire she’d long thought dead. What would it be like to be loved by him? The fact that she was considering such a thing terrified her. She squeezed her eyes shut.

“Miss, Lillian, did you hear me?”

Beatrice’s soft, concerned voice made Lillian jerk. She blinked, focusing her gaze on her friend and pushed away her burgeoning panic. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”

Beatrice motioned to the door. “I said you have a visitor.”

“Now?” Lillian whirled towards the door, a small gasp of surprise escaping her. She took in her very pregnant friend’s appearance. Even close to giving birth, Charlotte looked every inch the stunning actress-turned-countess. “Charlotte, what on earth are you doing here?”

A mischievous glint filled Charlotte’s eyes. “Nick asked me to come, and I forced my husband to allow it.”

Lillian frowned. “Why would Nick ask you to come here?”

A dazzling smile came to Charlotte’s lips. “I’ll tell you in a moment. First, come give me a hug. It’s been far too long since we’ve seen each other and knowing Drew, I’ll not glimpse daylight again until the babe is born.” Charlotte glanced over her shoulder into the hallway.

Lillian looked in the same direction. Was that a lurking form? Knowing what she did about Charlotte’s husband, Lord Hardwick, she suspected he was hovering to make sure Charlotte took care. She raised a questioning eyebrow. “Lord Hardwick, I presume.”

Charlotte wobbled towards her and threw her arms around Lillian, or she attempted to anyway. Her enormous pregnant belly made it rather difficult. With a grunt, she pecked Lillian on the cheek and whispered, “I wanted to come alone but Lord Overprotective wouldn’t let me.”

Lillian stifled a giggle. “Beatrice, will you give us a moment alone?”

Beatrice nodded and hurried out of the room. Lillian smiled at Charlotte. It was good to know after the months of not seeing her friend she’d not changed a whit. She grasped Charlotte’s hands and led her to the frayed, once blue―yet now more gray―settee that was pushed up against the foot of her bed. She tried not to feel embarrassed. It wasn’t as if Charlotte hadn’t been in this tiny room that served as both sitting room and bedroom a thousand times. Her friend did not judge her by the fact that she lived in a room over the theatre, yet Lillian couldn’t help feeling a bit self-conscious. She eyed the room, wishing she’d tidied up.

“Stop it.” Charlotte’s voice held a firm note of reproach.

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