Regina Scott (21 page)

Reward indeed. He’d searched for it, just for her. Did he know how much that meant to her?

“It isn’t perfect,” he murmured, bending closer. “You can see it’s rough along the edges. But then, so am I.”

Meredee ran a finger along the curve of the shell. “It seems perfect to me.”

“Make no mistake, Meredee. No one can live up to expectations of perfection.” He strode away from her, pacing the room with quick steps. She was reminded of her stepbrother. But Chase’s black coat was far less dashing than Algernon’s, his cravat tied far more simply. And as for his boots…

Why, they were coated in mud.

Meredee rose. “Chase! You muddied your boots!”

He shrugged, but his smile spoke volumes. “It seemed a small price to pay to please you. I do love you, you know.”

Meredee stood there, heart too full to allow her to speak.
Oh, Lord, thank You! This was the biggest prayer of all, and You honored it.
Tears started, but this time they were only the overflow of the joy that bubbled up inside her. Was this the true reason her father loved his shells, why he’d left them to her, of all people? They weren’t just scientific specimens, but the cups of memory, reminding him of places he’d been, people he’d loved. This shell wasn’t for her father; it was for her and Chase. She laid it tenderly back into the box with trembling fingers.

Chase strode back to her side and took her hands, cradling them close. “Please don’t cry. I never meant to hurt you. I told you I’m not much for poetry, but perhaps I can find a better way to show you how much you’ve come to mean to me.”

“Nonsense,” she said, smiling through her tears. “I think you said that brilliantly. I only wish I had some way of showing you how very much I love you in return.”

“Oh, Meredee.” He gathered her close, resting his head against her hair. “You say it every day, in every smile, every encouraging word, every act of kindness. I’m sorry it took me so long to see that. I may be a bit of a bully, but with you beside me, I know I’m a better man. Marry me, Meredee. I’ll do all I can to make you happy.”

She closed her eyes, leaned into his strength. “Oh, Chase, yes!”

His lips brushed hers in a solemn promise. Nestled against him, she knew she was right where God wanted her, right where she’d dreamed of being, right where she was meant to stay.

“E
veryone must want to see you.” Phoebe’s whisper bounced off the golden stone arches inside St.

Mary’s Church as the girl stood beside Meredee at the back of the chapel. “There must be at least a hundred people here.”

Meredee knew. She could hear the rustle of lustring, the whisper of muslin and the occasional murmur; catch glimpses of tall hats and ribboned bonnets around the stone pillars that held the arches. So many of Scarborough’s inhabitants had taken Chase up on his offer to come to their wedding that she was once again a seven-day wonder.

“Let them look,” she murmured to Phoebe. “Today I am so happy nothing can trouble me.”

On Meredee’s other side, Algernon, in a coat of a muted blue she was sure would offend his sensibilities any other day, grinned. “I think when we marry,”
he teased Phoebe, “we’ll have to try for Westminster. Half of London will want to attend!”

Meredee wasn’t so sure of that, but a lot could happen in a year. Look at what had happened since Chase had proposed a month ago. They’d planned a wedding and a future and were ready to start both with God’s blessing.

Oh, they’d had a few bumps. Mrs. Price had vacillated between tears and squeals of joy when Meredee had told her about Chase’s proposal.

“A countess!” she’d enthused, daubing at her eyes with a handkerchief. “You will live in a fine house. I’m sure he’ll want to gown you properly. You must ask Algernon if he knows any good seamstresses.” She’d paused to gaze at Meredee, lips trembling. “Oh, but how shall I get on without you?”

It was Chase who found the solution. “She is welcome to live with us, but I think she would vastly prefer being independent,” he’d said when Meredee had broached the subject the next day. “We’ll find her a suitable companion and install her in my London house. If we need to go to town, we can always rent rooms.”

Both Meredee and Mrs. Price were pleased with the arrangement. “Though, mind you, I don’t imagine any companion can take your place,” Mrs. Price said to Meredee when she broached the matter with her stepmother. She patted Meredee’s cheek and sighed.
“There’s no one who can soothe my headaches as you do.”

But Meredee was more concerned about Chase’s headaches. As the days went by, he only grew stronger, and she saw no signs of the illness returning. Just to be sure, they’d journeyed with Phoebe to Edinburgh for a few days’ consultation with a prominent physician there. The man had given Chase a clean bill of health.

“Keep your windows closed at night and mind yourself when travelling on the moors,” he’d advised. “There is growing evidence that this fever is caused by the bite of an insect. Keep your skin covered.”

“Or wear my father’s insect repellent,” Meredee had teased Chase after they left, then laughed at the face Chase made.

The one dark spot on her happiness was the future of Victor Delacorte. Chase and Sir Trevor agreed that the man was a danger, to others and perhaps to himself, but, contrary to Sir Trevor’s recommendation, Chase had decided not to press charges. Sir Trevor had remanded Delacorte into the custody of the man’s parents, who promised to have him watched at one of their estates in the country. Meredee could only hope the quieter life would help return the fellow to his senses in time.

Now Phoebe stiffened and arranged her rose satin skirts. The vicar had taken his place on the altar, his long face warmed by his smile. The sounds of the
crowd hushed, stilled, until Meredee was certain the loudest noise in the lofty chapel was the sound of her heart beating.

She was getting married.

The vicar glanced first to the right and then down the center aisle, his smile widening as his gaze lit on Meredee. She smoothed down the ivory satin of her gown, tugged at the lace edging her long sleeves. It was time to take her place as well, at Chase’s side.

“Here we go!” Phoebe whispered, then started out. Meredee accepted Algernon’s arm to follow, moving from shadow to golden light. Murmurs rose again, and she knew people were craning their necks for a glimpse of her. Her gown whispered along the stone floor behind her.

As they approached the altar, the space opened, and she caught sight of Chase, waiting for her. He towered over the vicar, broad shoulders encased in blue, legs wrapped in dove-gray breeches. She swore she could feel his confidence even from here.

She ought to be nervous, with so many eyes on her, with his gaze so open, so admiring. She ought to tremble, to hesitate. Yet every step felt right, every moment an end to the life she had known, every breath an opportunity to thank God for making her dreams—even those she’d been afraid to offer Him—come true.

She met Chase before the altar, the stone arches sweeping away on either side. With an irresistible
smile that was all for her, he took her hand, and they turned to the vicar to become what they already were in their hearts.

Husband and wife.

Dear Reader,

Thank you for choosing
The Irresistible Earl.
I hope you enjoyed the story of two people so determined to help others that they very nearly missed their chance at love.

God’s certainly helped the town of Scarborough over the years. The spa waters were first discovered in the 1600s by a local widow. Damage from storms and sea surges in 1808 and 1836 required the main spa building to be completely rebuilt. The spa was expanded and made more grand in 1839 and 1858, only to be destroyed by fire in 1876. Town officials rebuilt again in 1879 and opened the current historic buildings in 1880. The town still welcomes visitors intent on playing on the beach and indulging in the waters of the spa.

I welcome visitors to my website too. Please feel free to contact me via www.reginascott.com, where you can also read about my upcoming books.

Blessings!

Regina Scott

1. Meredee’s stepbrother, Algernon, asks her to spy on the Earl of Allyndale for him. Has anyone in your family ever put you in a difficult position? How did you handle it?
   
2. Meredee feels her life is trapped in a pattern she is powerless to break. Have you or someone you know felt this way? What did you do about it?
   
3. God calls us to serve one another. Is there ever a point where you can serve too much?
   
4. What do you think Chase and Meredee learned about helping others by the end of the book?
   
5. Lady Phoebe hides her true character behind a giggle. Is it ever right to conceal our true nature?
   
6. Chase feels called to protect his sister. When does such care become overprotection?
   
7. Mrs. Price equates financial security with emotional security. What is the proper place of financial concerns in our lives?
   
8. Meredee first sees her father’s shells as the handiwork of God. Where do you most often see the Father’s hand?
   
9. Later, Meredee comes to realize that the shells hold memories of places she’s been and people she loves. What other objects do we use to collect memories?
   
10. Meredee and Chase both have doubts about Phoebe and Algernon’s ability to forge a happy marriage. What does it take to create a solid marriage? Do you think Chase and Meredee will have that kind of marriage? What about Phoebe and Algernon?