Chapter One
Hardinge Manor, England
Lady Annette Saxton swung her legs hanging over the edge of the large, four-poster bed in Clara’s bedroom.
Two long years she had waited for John to come around and change his mind about their relationship.
Two years! No matter how much she tried to put herself in his path, he had completely ignored her.
Of course, the months had been mandatory following his father’s funereal. But afterward? She had barely been given even the slightest acknowledgment whenever she came to Hardinge Manor or seen him at a ball in London. He was being completely stubborn.
He always came to the balls alone. On rare occasions, he would enter these events with his friends the Duke and Duchess of Stonehaven.
And if he did decide to dance with one of the ladies in attendance, Annette had been wracked with jealousy.
But there had also been a few times when she couldn’t help but notice him across the room, staring at her.
She’d sworn she had seen the briefest glimpses of affection in his gaze before he turned away. It had given her hope.
She wasn’t without her own partners, however.
Her dance card was always filled, but she’d had the notion this was more of a courtesy than anything that might develop into a relationship.
Not that she wanted anything to form with any of these men.
All of the ton had known of her past arrangement with the new Duke of Sommer and the gentlemen of society seemed to perform a politeness that was beginning to get on her nerves.
Even if she had wanted to find a suitable match, it was as though she had been labeled off limits and belonging to the duke.
No amount of time was going to change anyone’s opinion.
Including her own. It was completely frustrating.
Annette had been in love with John from the very beginning, or at least when she had become old enough to be aware of him as a young man and not a child in breeches.
That he would inherit a lofty title hadn’t mattered to her nor did the idea of one day becoming his duchess.
The rare occasions when she had cajoled out of him a laugh or smile at something were the happiest of days.
The opposite also held true when he would sit for their appointed hour together.
Then the silence had been deafening. Those days had been the worst and she recalled crying for hours with his own sister trying to calm her fears of losing him.
That is… if he had ever really belonged to her in the first place.
As an adult, she could now remember how their past meetings together had not exactly gone as she had recalled and envisioned them in her youth.
Then, she had seen them in almost a rosy glow, fueled by the thought of romance and fairy tales.
Now as an adult, she realized, John had always been reluctant about the relationship that had been thrust upon them.
She had imagined that he returned her love. Foolish girl.
She flopped back on the bed to stare at the fabric above her head only to remember the last time she had seen John. It had been after his father’s funeral. He had been riddled with grief and the responsibilities he now held as the new duke.
In her heart, she knew he had acted rashly due to the circumstances thrust upon him and she was certain that if given enough time, she could win his affection.
She just needed to capture his attention and remind him of their friendship, one which could possibly bloom into something more if he would just realize they were meant to be together. Foolish man.
“My plan will work, Annie,” Clara commented so brightly that for a moment a glimpse of hope filled Annette’s heart but still… so much could go so wrong.
She grudgingly pulled herself up enough that she lounged on her elbows to stare at her best friend sitting in front of a vanity.
The oval mirror reflected her image and was so reminiscent of John that Annette gulped hard.
Clara had the same black hair and brown eyes as her brother, who would forever live in her heart.
She shook her head to see that Clara was staring at her from the mirror waiting for some kind of a response. She gave a huff of annoyance. “Throwing a month-long house party should make him run for town instead of coming to the country.”
Clara shrugged, before she continued to place a diamond studded necklace around her neck. “He’ll be here.”
“He could change his mind at the last minute,” she answered before sitting back up on the edge of the bed. “He’s done it before and by doing so upended all our carefully laid plans.”
“Not this time. Besides… he promised me.”
“Pfft. Promises can be broken. I’m a prime example of how fragile life can be when lifetime vows are rejected,” Annette said, with another huff.
“The Duke and Duchess of Stonehaven, along with most of society, have both accepted the invitation so you know if they will be here, then John will be too. Besides, the ruse of the party is to possibly find me a husband. Considering how much John’s been hounding me to find a man who might one day hold my affection, he’ll be in attendance.
If he doesn’t show up, he’ll never hear the end if it from me,” Clara answered confidently.
“How many times have I heard that from you over the years? Just how long am I supposed to wait for him to come around before I’m considered on the shelf?” Annette pointed out in dismay. At the age of six and twenty, she might need to resign herself to the fact that she was considered a spinster.
Clara stood and came across the room to take hold of Annette’s hands pulling her to her feet. She then proceeded to give her a reassuring hug. “You just need to wait a little longer.”
Annette pulled out of her best friend’s embrace. “I’ve been waiting for the duke for two long years, Clara. Maybe I need to come to the realization that he’s just not amiable to holding true to our original agreement.”
A grunt of annoyance left Clara’s lips before she made an attempt to put a smile on her face. “John will come around by the end of this party, Annie. Trust me when I tell you, that he’ll more than remember how honor-bound he is, especially when he sees what a lovely woman you’ve become.”
“I’ve heard you say that before, too.” Annette repeated her earlier words. “I’m not entirely certain his honor can be restored as much as you and I might wish it, Clara.”
“My plan will work and I’ve asked a friend to help with the illusion that another is interested in you,” Clara said while her face flushed red.
“You didn’t tell me anything about involving someone else in this plan of yours to continuously put John and me together,” Annette replied, frowning. “What else aren’t you telling me, Clara?”
“Can’t you just trust me? This will work. Why, John will so pea green with jealousy, that he’ll be begging you to take him back in no time,” Clara answered, although her voice didn’t convey that bit of confidence Annette had heard earlier.
“This is John of whom you’re speaking. He’s never begged for anything in his life, and I highly doubt he will now, especially if it’s involving me.
Do you know nothing about your older brother at all?
” she questioned honestly. Good heavens, she must have been a fool to go along with anything Clara had come up with to try and help.
She wasn’t sure how much more heartbreak she could stand.
“The Marquess of Beaumont is a friend of the family, Annie, and was more than willing to help us. Just go along with the plan, dearest.”
“But you just thrust another person into this scheme of yours, one on whom I hadn’t planned!”
“Trust me,” Clara responded, just as a knock came at her door.
Her maid entered by poking her head in the cracked open doorway. “His Grace has arrived, my lady,” she whispered, but there was an expression of concern on her face that there was more she wasn’t telling them.
“And what else Millicent?” Clara prompted the young girl.
“He’s brought someone with him. You best come see for yourself,” she answered before leaving quickly.
“Oh, no!” Annette cried out softly. “This can’t be good.”
Clara came and linked her arm with Annette’s. “Whatever is happening downstairs, we’ll deal with it just like we always do. Are you ready?”
Annette shook her head. “Not in the least.”
The two women walked together down the hallway and reached the grand staircase lined with portraits of Fawsley family members.
But as Annette stood hovering on the first step, John came into view.
He’d never looked more handsome at the age of one and thirty.
Their eyes locked and for an instant the connection that Annette had always felt zinged through her entire body.
But it was short lived when another came into her view: Lady Jemima Torshell.
She walked right up to Annette’s duke and placed her hand in the crook of his arm. The lady then smiled up into his face. Annette consoled herself with the fact that John didn’t see such adoration because his attention was still on Annette.
She lifted her chin and, with Clara at her side, began her descent.
He had brought another woman with him to the party! Her confidence in Clara’s plan faltered but she wouldn’t let him see how upset she was. How was she to ever manage to get through the next month when his attention would be on another lady?