Mistakes Not to Make When Avoiding a Rake (The Gardner Girls, #1) by Edgewood Fenna

Author:Edgewood, Fenna
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: regency, historical, enemies to lovers, wealthy, humor
Publisher: Fenna Edgewood
Published: 2021-04-21T16:00:00+00:00

Claire walked home alone slowly. Gracie had begged for one more hour at Stoneybrook and Claire had not thought her mother would object. Mrs. Mowbray had gladly given her assent.

Seeing Thomas Campbell had thrown Claire into a whirlwind of confusion.

She was not used to being wrong. Especially not this wrong.

She felt she had made a grave error in judgement.

It was tempting to lay all of the blame for this at Harriet Morton’s feet.

But the truth was that it was entirely her own fault for being so ready to believe that her first impression of Thomas had been the correct one. He had wounded her pride and given her offense. To be told by Harriet that he was their moral inferior had been all too easy to believe.

But she had been led by pride, not virtue.

She should have known better than to trust anything a Morton said, especially after her last two encounters with them.

When it came to a single, handsome men with adequate fortunes, Harriet had probably been hoping to eliminate any feminine competition that lay between the Gardner girls and the Campbells.

Two mistresses! To think she had thrown the accusation in his face. Claire felt like such a fool now. How he must have laughed at her expense afterwards.

Claire had brought along a book to read while she walked, but now she was nearly at Orchard Hill and it rested untouched in one of the deep pockets she had sewn for just such a purpose.

As she walked up the slope and through the orchard, where a few uncollected apples still littered the grass, she saw a petite figure coming towards her with hands outstretched.

“Fanny!”

Her friend appeared the picture of perfect good health.

Fanny’s face was an image of pure happiness, the emotion lending a radiance to her features and elevating them from pretty to beautiful.

“Whatever has happened to make you smile so?”

Fanny blushed. “It is merely the consequence of an enjoyable two weeks in good company.”

Claire looked at her curiously.

“Few would call convalescing in bed ‘enjoyable.’ The company must have been excellent indeed. I take it you refer to one of the Campbell brothers—unless they have an exceptionally charming housekeeper who visited you with stories and sweets?” Claire’s eyes danced.

The blush deepened. The smile widened.

“It was not the housekeeper. William... Mr. Campbell, I mean, was kind enough to visit me from time to time.”

Claire deduced the visits had been frequent.

“He really is a charming man, Claire. We read aloud together, played chess. Conversed on many topics. Walked in the garden as I became stronger.”

“You must have been sorry to leave Northwood after such good company.”

Claire was exceedingly pleased by what she was hearing. These new developments seemed so opposite from what she had experienced since she and Fanny separated. Her friend’s interactions with the older Mr. Campbell seemed everything that was fitting and agreeable.

“I would have been very sorry... if Mr. Campbell had not told me more than once that he hoped to call upon Papa and I when I returned home.

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