To Marry an Earl by Karen Thornell

Author:Karen Thornell
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Regency;LDS;Clean romance;Romance;London;husband;Earl;Duke;Staff;compelling;fiction;London;engagement;reconnect;heart;love;conquer all;True love;faithful;Highest bidder;daughter;betrothed;Childhood friend;Mormon;fiction
Publisher: Covenant Communications, Inc.
Published: 2021-06-15T05:06:37+00:00

Chapter 15

The second of the banns were read on Sunday, and this time, Kate received far fewer congratulations, much to her relief. She and James were still the recipients of many waves and many expressions of “good day,” but they managed to withdraw to the Bowcott carriage much sooner than the previous week.

Despite their earlier departure, the rest of the party had already left, leaving Kate and James alone in the carriage once again.

Though if his mischievous grin meant anything, he had planned it that way. Or, at the very least, he did not mind it. She did not hide her responding lifted lips.

The frequent rains of the past week had softened the ground and brightened the colors of the remaining autumn foliage. It was vibrant and peaceful and lent a sense of tranquility as the carriage lurched forward. But it was not only the setting that caused her to feel so at ease. It was the man who sat across from her.

Why was that? How had he managed to lend her this elusive comfort that she had not had in years? And why did the knowledge of her lowering walls cause a large portion of that peace to flee in favor of the much-more-secure feeling of wariness? She did not want to remain wary. Did she? Perhaps she did. When one was trained one’s whole life to be without confidantes, without tenderness from even one’s own parents, it was hard to overcome that in such a short time. She had trusted James before, and he had let her down. She wasn’t strong enough to do it again.

Even so, he had proved himself kind and helpful, as always. Over the past two days, he had made inquiries regarding the note Kate had received but had come up with no information. The servants had been given strict instructions not to deliver anything to Kate that did not indicate the sender, and though he tried to act as though it were nothing, Kate was grateful to him for his concern. She had teased him, though, that this meant his notes would not be sent to her room.

His next note had been postmarked “Lord Bowcott’s Chambers, second floor, Newark Park.” She had laughed out loud when it arrived.

Now as he recounted a story of him, Lord Berkeley, and Sir Henry, which involved a foolish desire to scale Lord Berkeley’s childhood estate’s outer wall, she felt that same laughter bubble up.

“Did you honestly expect that to succeed?”

“Well, we tied an awful lot of bedsheets together to accomplish the task. But apparently our knots were not especially well executed. Henry was the bravest and went first, only to fall atop Lucas and I when a sheet gave way half a story up.” James’s laughter mingled with hers as they traveled to Newark Park. “He’s not very large, but all those limbs flailing about gave us a fair number of bruises.”

“I can well imagine you and Henry doing such a thing, but Lord Berkeley does not seem the type.

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