His Not So Sensible Miss (A Gentleman's Guide to Once Upon a Time - Book 3) (32 page)

“
They are finally here,”
Meadows muttered and pulled his wife away to go greet Lady Phoebe.
Taylor looked up the stairs to see his friend and his breath
caught.
That
was
Felding’s younger sister? He couldn’t take his eyes away from the
dark-haired, porcelain skinned, petite beauty as she made her way
down the wide staircase into the ballroom.

Felding led her to Martin
and Janine, who waited at the foot of the stairs. At the greeting,
Lady Phoebe smiled brightly, warm and welcoming. An unusual
expression amongst the
ton
. Meadows made a grand show of
bending with a flourish over Lady Phoebe’s hand before releasing
her to his wife.

A smile pulled at Taylor’s mouth as he
watched Felding watch his sister. If she were his sister, Taylor
wasn’t so sure he would let her roam too far away. Not in a venue
full of gentlemen who would first note her beauty and consider her
connections and worth later. Felding remained in his spot a moment
longer before he and Martin turned in his direction.

“
I daresay, Felding, you had
best have a drink.” Sir Richard Lavins handed Noah a glass of
champagne when he reached their group.

Felding tossed it back, practically
swallowed the contents in one gulp before he glanced at their group
of friends, Lavins, Dillon Chambers, Marius Parker and Taylor. They
had known each other since Eaton and attended Oxford together.
There were few secrets between them and Taylor knew Felding counted
on these very friends to protect his sister.

“
Thank you,” Felding grunted
and turned to study the occupants in the room. Taylor followed his
line of vision and soon began observing as well. As he anticipated,
several men, young and old alike, had taken interest in the new
arrival. The young woman in question appeared oblivious to it all,
for not once did she show favoritism when introduced or even seem
to notice the many pairs of eyes watching her proceed around the
perimeter of the ballroom.

“
You could have warned us,
you know,” Parker offered, barely keeping his chuckle
hidden.

“
I told you gentlemen may
find her attractive,” Felding retorted, not bothering to look at
his friends.

“
Exactly,” Dillon Chambers
agreed. “You just didn’t explain how attractive.”

Felding turned sharp eyes on him.
“Exactly what are you saying?”

“
Your sister might be one of
the loveliest young ladies yet to be presented. I fear your
brotherly affection makes it impossible for you to see her for the
beauty she is.”

“
Am I going to have to worry
about you as well as the others?” Felding asked, without any
humor.

“
Not at all.” Dillon threw
up his hands and took a step back. “I have no wish to become leg
shackled. I was merely pointing out a fact that you appear to be
unaware of.”

Taylor watched the exchange. While
Dillon may not wish to be married, it was a requirement for Taylor.
He returned his attention to the ladies crowded into the ballroom
once again and wondered which one he would make his Countess at the
end of the Season. He had no choice in his fate, only who would
share it with him.

The orchestra tuned their instruments,
prompting the gentlemen to begin their hunt. Taylor lifted a glass
off the servant’s tray closest to him and moved to his designated
section of the room – the doors leading to the back gardens. At one
point in his life Taylor had wished for siblings. Now, after
witnessing Noah’s tense stance and clenched jaw, he was rather glad
he was an only child. Noah’s usual good humor disappeared in the
face of the many gentlemen who asked for an introduction to Lady
Phoebe.

A country dance began and a young man
led Phoebe to the dance floor. Taylor leaned back against a marble
column and checked on the actions of his friends, and noted they
had all moved to separate doorways or alcoves as ordered. Each of
them had been assigned an area to watch, in the event Lady Phoebe
found herself innocently led into a dangerous situation or at least
ruinous to her reputation.

Those actions had not gone unnoticed
either. Several of the matrons conversed behind fans but Taylor
didn’t have to be a mind reader to know the topic of discussion.
They either nodded or pointed to Lady Phoebe, Felding or one of
their friends, Taylor included. When Lady Pratt looked directly at
him, Taylor merely smiled and inclined his head. The biddy’s nose
rose in the air and she returned to her gossiping
friends.

He still thought this was a bit much.
Lady Phoebe was a lovely young debutant and would gain the
attention of several gentlemen. Those same gentlemen would
honorably pay a call on her at the appropriate time, not try to
whisk her away to ruin her. After a few balls he was sure Felding
would relax so he and his friends could return to their own
entertainments, such as dancing or seeking a wife, and guarding
Lady Phoebe would be a slight memory of the Season.

* * *

Overheated, Phoebe refused another
dance and stood with Noah. She had been here for two hours and had
never been so hot in her life. Sweat trickled down her back and she
wished to lean against the corner of the wall to relieve herself of
the itch. The drips would probably not disappear until she was away
from these people and this room.

She placed an empty glass on a table
against the wall and fished a handkerchief out of her reticule.
Very delicately she dabbed the moisture from her upper lip. If it
would not ruin her, she would wipe her entire perspiring face.
There had to be a way to escape the oppressiveness of this
room.

Phoebe clutched the handkerchief,
straightened and looked around. People were everywhere. She wasn’t
even sure if it was possible to make it to the other side of the
ballroom and into the hall, let alone the retiring room. Good thing
she did not have that need because if she did, the feat would be
near impossible.

Phoebe was about to ask Noah if he had
any suggestions and stopped, intrigued for a moment. Across from
them a voluptuous, beautiful redhead watched her brother with
poorly hidden humor. Phoebe turned and was about to ask who she
was, but found her brother in deep conversation with an older
couple. Turning the other direction, she realized that Janine and
Martin had taken to the dance floor. She shrugged. She would find
out later.

In her quest to escape, Phoebe returned
to her search, turned to look behind her and sighed. There were
lovely doors open with a garden just beyond. It wasn’t that the
doors were any lovelier than others, but these special doors
offered a heavenly relief. And better yet, there was no one
crowding around them. She could stand there or walk out onto the
terrace and catch a cooling breeze.

She looked up at Noah to ask him for an
escort but he was still involved in a conversation. Phoebe waited a
few more moments, tapping the toe of her foot, hoping he would
notice, but he never glanced her way. He was completely oblivious.
A wet trickle ran down the side of her neck and Phoebe decided she
would not remain in this room a moment longer. If Noah was going to
ignore her then she would step outside on her own. Besides, what
harm could there be in getting a bit of fresh air?

HIS CONTRARY BRIDE

(A Gentleman’s Guide to Once Upon a
Time – Book 2)

Chapter 1

County Surrey,
England

Fall, 1811

Sabrina Chester grimaced and closed the
door on the voices. “Cinderella, indeed,” she muttered to herself.
It wasn’t particularly humorous four years ago and it was even less
so today. It was a cruel lesson for the young and privileged
Sabrina to learn that friendship extended so long as the wealth and
connections endured. Sabrina’s change in status quickly reduced her
from a pampered young lady attending Davies’ Academy for Young
Women to a servant in that same school.

She glanced in the mirror as the
giggles faded down the hall. She looked no different than she had
that day. Dark smudges brushed her cheeks and nose, and cobwebs
bedecked her hair. The only real difference? She was four years
older, four years wiser and, four years stronger, and determined
not to let the other girls bother her.

“
Well if I am Cinderella,
where is my prince?” She reached for the wash cloth and
soap.

Before the damage could be repaired
however, Lady Millicent, with her golden curls and clear blue eyes,
returned. “Cinderella, the prince is here and Lady Davies requests
your presence at once.”

Sabrina rolled her eyes, ignored the
girl and turned back to the mirror. She dipped the cloth into the
cool water.

“
I am serious. Madam Davies
insisted you attend her at once.”

Sighing and setting the cloth aside,
Sabrina wondered what her employer could possibly want
now.

A number of gentlemen stood in the
foyer thanking Lady Davies for her hospitality. Sabrina brought
herself up short and stepped into the shadows. In the middle of the
group stood none other than Prince George himself. She pasted a
smile on her lips and glided down the hall. Sabrina refused to
behave any less the lady she had been raised, despite her reduced
circumstances. This aggravated Lady Davies and the young women of
privilege to no end, which gave Sabrina no small amount of
pleasure.

Though she would have liked to forget
her current appearance, Sabrina could not and held back, waiting
until Lady Davies summoned her forward. From her spot by the
stairs, Sabrina studied the group of gentlemen. The Prince Regent
was the oldest. Had he not been married, and so old, she would have
wondered if being given the ridiculous nickname, her own happy
ending hadn’t been assured. She bit her lip to keep from laughing
at the bizarre thought.

A few of the gentlemen were of a
similar age to the prince. The rest were younger, close to her
cousin, Ramsey’s age of twenty-eight. It was obvious they had been
out riding, given their clothing, windblown hair, and ruddy cheeks.
Sabrina couldn’t imagine what brought about their visit to the
academy, let alone the borough they resided in. They were almost
full day’s ride from London.

Goodness, she hoped they weren’t
staying. The household was understaffed as it was. She could just
image how demanding the prince would be, let alone the accompanying
gentlemen. She wouldn’t get a wink of rest.

There were ten gentlemen in all, but
one caught and held her attention, though she couldn’t imagine why.
He stood to the side, talking with three others of similar age. He
was taller than the older men in the foyer and his brown eyes held
a warm humor, full lips quirked in an easy smile at something one
of his companions said. His forehead was high and his brown hair
had been clipped neatly, barely touching the collar of his jacket.
His nose was similar to those she had seen on Greek statues in her
youth, though his had a slight bump on the top center and she idly
wondered how it had been broken. The gentleman’s cheekbones were
just as strong and high.

Clearly an aristocrat.

Though there were flaws, such as the
small scar underneath his left ear, the previously broken nose, and
the receding hairline, Sabrina found him to be the most intriguing
man she had ever seen.

It wasn’t so much his face, though that
was pleasant in itself. It was the warmth in his eyes, the free
affection of slapping his friend on the shoulder, easy laughter
that revealed straight white teeth, and something else, she
couldn’t name, that held her mesmerized.

She shook the silly thoughts from her
head, forced her eyes away from the gentlemen and searched for Lady
Davies. It would serve no purpose to wish for the impossible. At
one time, the idea of attracting a lord was a probability, if not
expected. Another expectation brought to an end by her reduced
circumstances.

Millicent approached Lady Davies,
curtsying to those surrounding her and sank deeply before the
prince before she addressed the mistress. Sabrina noticed the
mischievous twinkle in Millicent’s eyes, gritted her teeth and
waited.

“
I have summoned Cinderella,
Lady Davis.”

Sabrina watched as Millicent slowly
walked past the gentlemen who had held her own attention earlier,
smiling sweetly at them. Within a month Millicent would be leaving
the academy, returning to her own home in preparations for her
first season the following spring. The gentlemen in the corner, and
others like them, would soon be paying court to the young woman and
Sabrina had to fight the anger and jealousy that welled up within.
In the past years a number of young ladies had left the household
for the same purpose and most had married. It had never bothered
Sabrina before, so why did it bother her today?

Lady Davies nodded her head and Sabrina
approached her employer. Sabrina, too, fell into a deep curtsey
before Prince George, then a less dramatic curtsey to those
standing with him, before she turned her attention to her
mistress.

Lady Davies looked down her nose,
clearly displeased with Sabrina’s appearance and sniffed. “His
Regent’s horse has suffered a minor injury. The horse will stay
here while Thompson sees to the poor thing.”