An Earl for the desperate bride (Regency Romance) (Regency Tales Book 1) Read Free Page A

women who had expired here from the doomed burden of the Savile heir?
    She should not be thinking this way. She’d heard of girls who had fallen into a decline because of fancies which had overtaken them. True, she did not know of any such girls, but novels were filled with them and Eliza was very fond of novels. Although she had spied an elegantly crafted, slim-legged bookcase in one of the rooms, with a metal grill in front of the books, the titles had not been inviting and she suspected that the books had been purchased for their elegant leather covers and not for the contents within. 
    Sleep would not come. The night was too hot and her thoughts too occupied by her fate for her to drift into slumber, although she was weary from the events of the day.
    Her room was located in the back of the house, out of sight from view. She could see the stables from where she sat; no doubt Lord Savile possessed only the finest horseflesh in London. Poor horse, to have to bear a man of his portly status. Eliza giggled despite herself and then, without knowing why, her giggles turned to tears. She was so alone; Stephen had said to trust him, but what could a stable hand, however gentlemanly he comported himself, do to help her?
    “Tears?” asked a familiar voice.
    Eliza sat up, startled. She must have fallen asleep after all. She must be dreaming. With trepidation, she opened the window a bit wider. Perched in front of her, holding onto the ledge with ease, was Stephen, his white teeth showing in a grin against his handsome face, his brown eyes merry.
    “You promised to trust me,” he reproached.
    “How did you get here?” she whispered. She knew that the family members had their rooms on the opposite side of the house. Mrs. Clemens had gone to great pains to make sure that Eliza knew that until she was Lady Sevile, she was merely a guest, and not a guest of note, therefore consigned to the less imposing wing of the manor. It was the side, Mrs. Clemens told her, on the side of the house where the servants were quartered, on the uppermost floor.
    Stephen grinned as if delighted by her question. “As the newest stable hand hired by His Lordship, of course I asked the others about the family members and guests who were residing riding. I learned that Lady Elizabeth Stanton is now in residence. After that it was a simple matter to deduce where you had your rooms. A deduction and an hour spent singing the praises of Mrs. Henderson’s mutton stew—she’s the cook—and I soon learned all that I sought to find out.”
    Eliza looked at her gentleman caller with surprise and relief. He cared, he had not abandoned her. Her heart summersaulted.
    “May I come in?” he asked as if entering a lady’s bedchamber by way of the window was entirely acceptable.
    “I—”
    “No matter. I will stay here. This tree is quite comfortable, and quite concealing. We are very fortunate that Lord Savile went seeking a wife in the summertime. Had this been winter I’d have had a hard time of it trying to hide myself in the branches.”
    She realized that what she was about to do was utterly reckless. If they were discovered, she would be ruined. She was in her nightgown, and ladies did not admit gentlemen to their private quarters in such attire. Actually, they did, but in circumstances quite different, and much less innocent, she realized, from what she intended. But he had come for her. For that alone she would welcome him with open arms.

CHAPTER 4
     
    “Come inside,” she directed, opening the window wider to admit him. “I’ve been so wretchedly fearful since coming here. It’s good to see you, Stephen.”
    His grin widened. “And very good to see you as well, Miss Eliza.” As if this was an everyday occurrence, he sat down on her bed.
    “Stephen—I don’t understand any of what’s happening. I want to go home. I’m not meant to be here. I don’t want to marry him.” The words rushed out unbidden. Eliza wrapped her arms around