When One Door Closes by Regina Puckett

Author:Regina Puckett
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Regency Romance, Historical Romance, Duke, Lady, Clean Romance
Publisher: Regina Puckett
Published: 2019-02-27T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty

“Is that all you could find?” Patrick directed at his gangly head footman, the man now pulling at his collar as though searching for an acceptable excuse. Patrick waved him away. “Never mind. Instruct Clive to have my carriage made ready and ring for Sophia to request Lady Bright joins me.”

As soon as John had hurried from the room, Patrick turned his attention back to the vases of daises that now covered every inch of the tabletop in the parlour. Would they be enough to impress Ann? He had never given flowers to any woman before. No one had ever drawn his interest until he’d met Ann, but she deserved more than these few, insipid offerings.

“Oh, my.”

Patrick turned to find Ann in the doorway, smiling.

He breathed in a sigh of relief at the evident pleasure lighting her face. Perhaps his offering wasn’t as insipid as he’d at first thought. “Too much, or too little?”

She laughed and swiftly joined him by the table. “They’re lovely, so very lovely.”

Ann pulled a flower from its vase and into which she buried her nose.

Her eyes sparkled with joy when they finally met his again. “Thank you. I can’t imagine where you found so many so early in the year.”

Patrick almost confessed that he had had little to do with their arrival here in their parlour, except for having commanded it, but instead, simply grinned.

Ann carefully slid the daisy back into its vase. “I can’t wait to see how many confections you intend buying me. I may need to have Mrs. Stokes move dinner to midnight instead of eight.”

He laced his fingers about her elbow and whispered, “If you work your charms just right, Lady Bright, I may even buy you a pork pie.”

Ann patted his arm. “If you work your charms just right, Lord Bright, I may let you,” at which he grinned before escorting her to the front entrance.

“Duly noted, Lady Bright.”

The footman opened the door ahead of them, but before they could step through, Ann’s mother and sisters burst in. Ann disengaged herself from him and welcomed her mother with a hug.

“I see you’re dressed to go out,” Lady Worthington noted. “I hope that means you’ve decided to join our shopping sortie,” but then she eyed Ann’s clothes. “You could stand to order a few new outfits yourself, my Dear,” and she rubbed at the cuff of Ann’s jacket as she bit her bottom lip. “This jacket has certainly seen better days.”

Ann had often done that very same thing with her own bottom lip on the many occasions when she had clearly wanted to tell him something. Maybe she would find it easier if he made it clear she should feel free to tell him anything. Now, though, she was saying to her mother, “My husband has invited me out for a carriage ride and an afternoon of eating confections. Phoebe has already agreed to bring me back some swatches of material and fashion plates for me to look through. In good time, I promise not to embarrass our family overly much.

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