The Earl's Erstwhile Bride by Fenella J Miller

Author:Fenella J Miller [Miller, Fenella J]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-03-29T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Having retired so early Harry was up with the lark and was unsurprised to find that Jenny was still sleeping peacefully on her little bed at the far side of the room. She crept about finding the necessary undergarments, her riding habit, boots and gloves.

If she got dressed in her bedchamber then she would wake Jenny and that didn’t seem fair. Then she stopped, arms full of clothes, and reconsidered. She was no longer an unmarried girl but Mrs Prescott, the wife of a wealthy ex-soldier, and her new husband would be horrified to think she was prepared to behave like this.

She dropped the things on the end of her bed. ‘Jenny, I’m sorry to wake you but I wish to get dressed.’

The girl sat up immediately, yawning and rubbing her eyes. ‘I’ll not be a minute, ma’am, then I’ll be off downstairs to fetch your hot water.’ Then she saw the discarded clothes. ‘You should have left that to me, it’s my job to look after you and if the major thought I wasn’t doing my job he’d soon dismiss me.’

Jenny rushed across and picked up Harry’s robe and helped her into it. ‘Why don’t you wait in the sitting room, ma’am? I promise I’ll be back in no time with what you need.’

Harry unbolted the door and the first thing she saw was the discarded box that she hadn’t bothered to open. A flash of guilt made her hurry towards it, flick back the little gold hook, and open it.

Inside were two further boxes – one of tooled leather with a gold embossed design and another made entirely of silver filigree and lined with purple silk. She opened the leather one and removed the gold band inside. The fit was perfect and she decided at once that this was the one that she would keep. Then it took her several minutes to discover how to open the second box. Inside was the most exquisite betrothal ring, the central stone a perfectly cut emerald. This too fitted as if made for her although it was obviously of ancient construction.

She was admiring them in the early morning sunlight that filtered through the half-open curtains when there was a tap on the door. Assuming it was the maid with her hot water she called out that whoever it was should come in.

‘Good morning, sweetheart, I too was unable to sleep.’

So shocked was she by Alexander’s sudden appearance that all she could think of was to hold out her hand displaying the rings for him to see. ‘I love them both and there’s no need to have anything made especially.’ His look of pure joy at her words made her smile in return.

‘Let me see.’ He took her hand to examine them more closely. ‘I can’t believe how well they fit and that the stone is an exact match for your eyes. I bought that ring because it was an emerald and knew it would suit you better than a diamond.’

He didn’t release her hand.

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