Stealing a Lady's Heart: A Regency Fairytale (Fairfield Fairytales Book 1) (16 page)

Graham kissed his wife again. Her eyes drifted up to him with a sleepy expression. A coy smile spread across her lips. “For a locksmith who prided himself on honor, thieving has really worked out for you.”

A breeze blew in from outdoors, swirling around the couple.

“What are you talking about?” He held his wife tighter.

“You stole my heart.” She laid her cheek on his shoulder.

Graham laughed as the wind whipped around them, congratulating them on their new child.

“And you mine.” The wind swirled one more time and then softly closed the doors allowing the new family to fall asleep.

The Marquess of Huntly had never really stood a chance.  For all his power and his magic, he was still only a man.  How can one man fight the wind and the trees and the forces of fate that can’t be touched and always side with good?

THE FOUR CLEVER BROTHERS

TOLD BY THE BROTHERS GRIMM

Once upon a time, a beautiful princess was kidnapped by a powerful and fierce dragon. The King, her father, begged every knight in the land to rescue his daughter, but none would.

Finally, four brothers stepped forward. They were not knights, but simple tradesman. The first was a huntsman, the second a tailor, the third a stargazer, and the last a thief.

The stargazer used the night sky to navigate them to the dragon’s island home. The thief stole her back from the dragon, pulling her right out from under the beast’s sleeping body.

As they sailed home, the great dragon attacked. The huntsman killed him with a single arrow, but his massive tail laid waste to their ship. The tailor sewed their boat back together, sailing them safely home.

The king was so thrilled to have his daughter returned that he awarded each brother a great fortune, land, and titles.

NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR

While this story is far less known than many fairy tales, I could not resist the action, adventure, and potential for romance that this story held. While a Regency romance could not have a dragon, it was perfect for a fierce villain with a hint of magic. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thank you so much for sharing this experience with me.

EXCERPT

TAMING A DUKE’S RECKLESS HEART

May 1854, Boston, MA

Piper sat on
the couch in Senator Asher Grey’s drawing room and surveyed the crowd of men who sat around her. She could have yawned with boredom because it was like every other party she attended recently. Every eligible man was at her feet. After a while, a girl wants a challenge.

Her mother told her if she didn’t want their attention, she should stop making a spectacle of herself. She supposed her mother had a point, but desperate times called for desperate measures. And so, Piper would let the beautiful trill of her laugh wash over the room. She would flutter her lashes and fan her cheeks. She would let her gaze linger on a man a moment too long, and he would fall into her trap.

Therein lied the problem. Once a suitor was properly snared, Piper became thoroughly bored. It was all too easy. She really should just pick one of them and marry him. It would solve a great many problems, but she couldn’t seem to make herself do it.

Perhaps it was a family curse. Her cousin, Sybil, also needed to marry but had yet to choose a suitor. A sigh escaped her lips to think of her cousin. Beautiful and titled, she supposed most women would be jealous of Sybil, but Piper knew the truth. After the death of her parents, Sybil seemed weighed down with responsibility. She was having difficulty running the estate. Piper’s brow furrowed with worry. She wasn’t sure how to help this beautiful woman who had been so like a sister.

One of the more astute men, Peter Long, picked up on the sigh. “Dear Miss Baker. What could be so wrong that you would look so?”

The exaggerated manner of his speaking grated her senses. Piper resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Instead, she smiled angelically. “It’s silly, but I find myself missing my cousin, Sybil.”

The men shifted around her, and Piper perceived a slight change in their attention. Another suitor responded quietly, “I don’t know why Lady Fairfield had to go to New York. She could have easily found a suitor for herself here.”

A few other men nodded and Piper sat forward in her chair. Her eyebrows arched. This was actually getting interesting. “I will be sure to share that with her if New York is not a success.”

Piper stood, eager to slip out while her suitors were distracted by talk of her cousin. She couldn’t fault them for their fickle interest; her titled cousin was the better catch by far. Though Piper was in a desperate situation of her own, she would happily hand over one of her own suitors if it meant her cousin’s happiness.

“If you will excuse me gentlemen, the hour grows late.” She gave them a parting nod but the men seemed to realize they had allowed their focus to wander, and they now wanted to shift it back to the woman in front of them.

“Oh, it isn’t late. Stay. Don’t leave yet,” they seemed to all say of one voice.

“Forgive me gentlemen, but I too am travelling to New York tomorrow, and a lady must prepare. I will return before you know it. I beg you, wait for me till then.”

She gave the smallest of waves with just the tips of her fingers and signaled to her mother she was ready to leave. Exhaustion swept over her as she headed for the doors. She wished she had made some sort of connection with one of these men.

***

Later that evening, Piper looked at the dresses she had arranged on the bed to take on the journey to New York. A small frown creased her brow. Many of them were from last season and had been reworked. While the men would hardly mind, the ladies of New York would notice. They might deny her invitations she desperately needed. There was nothing, however, she could do about it now. She had to hope Sybil’s influence and her charm would allow her to enter New York society.

“Why are you packing now? Our ship does not leave until tomorrow evening. You could do this in the morning.” Her mother’s voice sounded tired as she sat in the corner of Piper’s room.

“Go to bed if you do not wish to stay up. I am going to pack now and then sleep tomorrow during the day so I can stay awake on the ship.” Piper bit her lip as she turned away from her mother. The older woman had been tired a great deal of late.

“No, you are right. It is a good plan. I am sorry we have to leave port on the later tide. It’s just Mr. Abbot was able to secure an excellent price at that time…” Mrs. Baker began rambling an explanation.

Piper soothed her mother. “It doesn’t matter. It will be good training for the New York season to stay up late. I must stay till the end if I am going to meet the best gentlemen.”

“Piper, we’ve discussed your tactics before. Having every man at your feet simply isn’t working. I already told you, you should stop looking for a man. That is how the right one is going to land at your side. If you keep attracting every man on the East Coast, you will simply breed animosity.”

“Hush, Mother. I will find a husband, and he will take care of both of us. You ought to reconsider your engagement. I know you think you will solve our problems by marrying Mr. Abbott, but don’t you want to enjoy your later years?” And not spend them with a man who was cheap and silly? He was also constantly eyeing Piper like a hungry dog looking at a plate of meat.

“I am the mother here. Your future husband shouldn’t have to look out for me, too. I want you to take your time and find the right man.” Her mother began coughing and Piper rushed to her side.

“You have always taken wonderful care of me. Now, I want to take care of you. Off to bed with you. You need your rest.” No, her mother would not marry Mr. Abbott. Piper would find a suitable gentleman and take care of her mother this time.

***

Piper’s opinion of Mr. Abbott did not improve as their carriage headed to the docks. First, this ship was in a rather questionable area of the city. Second, he had last minute business and had left the two women to find their own way. He said he would join them on the boat.

It was admirable her mother wanted to spare her from a rushed marriage. No one knew better than her mother that Piper had yet to fall in love.

She grew so bored with all the fawning and drooling men always seemed to do around her. Her mother knew it would be difficult for Piper to survive in a marriage like that.

But her mother was British aristocracy, even if she had left that life behind to marry an American for love. She could not let her mother now marry a total buffoon. Piper was nineteen and many of her friends had married already. Her mother had given her so much. It was Piper’s turn to give to her mother. This year, she would find a husband.

Now she just had to figure out how to get rid of the annoying Mr. Abbott.

She was so lost in her thoughts, she paid little attention when the carriage ground to a halt. She assumed they were at their dock and started to adjust her skirts, but the driver’s voice made her stop cold.

“Out of the way you!” He sounded nervous. Piper sat up straighter. The sound of flesh hitting flesh filled the carriage as the driver gave a sharp cry.

“Get ‘em out right fast and get any jewels off of ‘em. Don’t you move a muscle or you’re the first one dead,” a rough voice called from just by the door. The driver did not respond.

As if on cue, her mother began to cough. Piper turned to her, eyes bulging out, begging her silently to be quiet.

The door flung open and a rough looking man climbed into the carriage. His clothes were worn and filthy. His hat was stained. He leered at her, showing several missing teeth. “Aren’t you a sweet treat.”

His dirty hand grabbed her arm and wrenched her out of the carriage. She tried to stay standing, but he was pulling her too fast. She lost her footing on the steps out, and she toppled to the ground.

He managed to keep her in his grip and yanked her back up to standing. For a split second, Piper registered three other men standing nearby before his revolting lips came down on hers.

She had never kissed a man before and tears sprung to her eyes that this was her first experience. His breath stank and disgusting hands pawed at her. She had never felt dirtier in her life. She twisted her body to try and get out of his grasp

The man stopped suddenly and Piper opened her eyes, hoping to be rescued. But another, even more revolting man, had his hand on the first man’s arm. “You gotta share,” his voice accused.

“Wait your turn. I got her first,” her attacker replied.

Fear welled up in Piper as the second man grabbed her other arm. A scream rose in her chest as the two men pushed each other with her in between.

Suddenly a horse’s hooves rose over the sound of the scuffle, and Piper turned her head to see a rider bearing down on them. Was he another attacker?

He looked gigantic riding on an even larger horse. His cape billowed off his broad shoulders. Piper’s breath caught in her throat at the sight of him.

Without a word, he rode into the middle of the group and knocked one of the assailants up the side of the head with a baton. The man fell to the ground like a sack of bricks.