Page 20

Harley House, Mayfair London

Two Days later

A unt Theo, as she now insisted upon being called by Regina, was the only redeeming factor in her pending nuptials. She was a sharp-tongued old woman to be sure, with a peculiar sense of humor, but for all her acerbic wit, there was true kindness that Regina had found to be rare among the ton.

The congratulatory tea party she’d elected to throw was meant to show members of the ton that Regina had her backing as a prospective baroness and as the newest member of the family.

So far it seemed to have done the trick.

An enormous tea service had been set up in the sitting room with tables and chairs put out on the stone terrace spilling out into the back garden allowing the guests to enjoy the beautiful sunshine and scent of flowers.

She’d even hired a string quartet and set them up on the terrace.

It was so wonderful. Regina could almost ignore the fact that her mother-in-law was present.

Her fiancé had elected to skip this event, deeming a tea party with ‘a flock of hens’ to be beneath him.

Regina’s mother had decided that between her father, her mother-in-law and Aunt Theo, Regina would be appropriately chaperoned and hemmed in.

Regina would have agreed except for one detail.

Mr. Kingston was here.

She wasn’t sure why he was in attendance.

He didn’t have any social cache to lend her.

He wasn’t related to the family. In fact, he was barely civil with most of them.

He hadn’t even drunk any tea. He’d paid his respects and walked out into the garden.

That had been two hours ago and all she could think about was him.

Less than ten minutes in the room and her thoughts had been consumed entirely by his presence.

The only thing keeping her anchored in the room was Elodia’s arm in hers.

She had never been so grateful for her friend’s presence in her life.

“How are you doing, my dear?” Aunt Theo asked her quietly.

Regina turned towards her with wide eyes. “I am well, aunt.”

“We were asking you if you had hammered out any details on your upcoming wedding.” Elodia reiterated, watching her carefully.

“It will be upon you faster than you can blink,” Lady Sterling commented.

“What color dress would you like to have, Gigi?” Elodia asked.

“I…” She couldn’t think of an answer. She’d been trying not to think about her upcoming wedding all things told.

“White of course,” Mrs. Harrison interjected, walking into the room and selecting a few sandwiches before seating herself in a chair.

Aunt Theo rolled her eyes. “Alyssia, the girl may not want white.”

“What color are wedding dresses in India, Miss Mason?” Lady Sterling asked.

“It depends on the region,” Regina began, “but—”

“She’s not partaking in some heathen practice. This is a Christian wedding in England,” Mrs. Harrison interjected. “Her gown will be white in keeping with tradition.”

“It’s hardly a long standing tradition,” Elodia commented.

“If it is good enough for the queen then it will be good enough for the Baroness Starkley.”

“I have no objection to a white gown,” Regina said, wanting only for the dreaded topic to come to an end. “I haven’t really thought about it much.”

“I find that very hard to believe,” Mrs. Harrison scoffed.

“Hard to believe a girl hasn’t thought about her wedding?” Elodia asked pointedly.

“That this one hasn’t thought about her wedding considering the machinations of her parents.”

Regina’s hands fisted in her lap as she fought not to roll her eyes.

There was no reason to argue the point when it was for the most part true.

It was the implication of avarice on her parents’ part that she objected to the most. Elodia’s warm hand closed around Regina’s fist in a quiet show of support.

“When it comes to machinations, we are all guilty of that in some way are we not?” Lady Sterling said with a nervous laugh. “What parent doesn’t aim to provide the best life possible for their children?”

What parent indeed? Even if that life came at an increasingly high cost.

“Have the banns been posted, Mrs. Harrison?” Elodia asked.

“Oh, yes. Everything is well in hand. In a short month for good or ill, Miss Mason will be the Baroness Starkley.”

A month.

Thirty days.

Thirty days and she would be given away to that man for good.

In the eyes of the law, she would cease to exist, and he would have complete control of her body and her fate.

It was the terrifying truth she’d been struggling against her entire life and now it was right before her.

God she could hardly breathe. She ripped her hand from Elodia’s and rose to her feet.

“Are you well, Miss Mason?” Aunt Theo asked.

“Yes, I…” Regina took a breath and pressed her hand to her stomach, in a desperate bid to quell the queasiness. “I only need some air. I think I will take the time to peruse the beautiful grounds you have here.”

“Of course, dear girl. Go on.”

“Shall I come with you, Gigi?” Elodia asked, concern etched on her face.

“No, thank you, Ellie. I just need a moment alone.”

“Stay near,” Lady Sterling instructed and with a nod, Regina quit the room, making her way down the stairs and onto the grounds with slow steady steps.

The further away she got, the easier it was for her to breathe.

She headed towards the small pond on the grounds.

If she had chosen a green dress, she would have sat down and put her feet in the water.

As it was… she closed her eyes as a cool breeze drifted over the water and tilted her head back.

“Miss Mason.”

She froze. Her eyes flew wide open as she turned to see none other than Leo Kingston holding his jacket in his hand, his shirtsleeves rolled up to reveal his muscled forearms, watching her a few feet down from where she stood. Oh blast.

*

He felt a little guilty interrupting her peaceful moment.

She had been in her own world when she approached the lake, her face drawn and anxious.

No doubt the preparations were wearing on her.

It had taken ten minutes in that room to know that he wouldn’t be able to stand there and pretend like she wasn’t going to spend the rest of her life with a monster.

Not with his chest tight with unresolved emotions he would likely never get a chance to express.

He’d needed time to clear his mind and think about how on earth he could go about finding out what he needed to know without compromising her. Then she’d appeared like a frazzled vision stomping through the grass in a turquoise blue dress as if summoned by his thoughts.

But now she was looking at him with those wide doe eyes and he couldn’t think what to do.

“Hello again,” she said with a tight smile.

“We seem to keep meeting.”

“Yes, it’s almost suspicious.”

It could seem that way. Of course, he knew the only reason he was here was by the machinations of The Harridan. “Is it?”

“Almost.” She smiled, before looking around her. “I was seeking a moment for myself.”

“I didn’t mean to intrude.”

“It’s alright, I…” she paused and looked down, her small brown hands knotting together before she met his eyes again. “I wouldn’t mind your company.”

He should have turned her down. He should have made an excuse and left her where she stood. “We will walk then.”

She smiled again, but this time it seemed more natural. “Yes.”

He waited for her to come to him and then he fell into step beside her as they made their way around the outer edge of the garden.

“So, you managed to escape your mother for a day, eh?” he commented.

“Yes, your Mrs. Burghley-Harrison proved to be an effective chaperone from her perspective.”

He shook his head in annoyance at the mention of that woman. His Mrs. Burghley-Harrison indeed. He glanced at Regina and saw the corners of her mouth twitching. Cheeky little brat.

He still found Mrs. Burghley-Harrison meddlesome and presumptuous, but he couldn’t deny the old bat was growing on him.

Like mold. Whether he enjoyed her methods or not, the plain fact was that the opportunity he now had to be with Regina was only possible because of her meddling.

Now that he knew there was a chance to be with her, he couldn’t help but be grateful for the knowledge.

If he could thank her for this moment alone with Regina, he was willing to name a child after her and all. “How curious.”

“Mother finds her just strict enough to be trusted with my behavior.”

“How are your parents?” he asked. It was the done thing, wasn’t it? Social politesse demanded an inquiry into the family health before anything of substance could be addressed. Her father was too excitable by half, but he was a good sort.

“In good health,” she replied.

“And your sister?” he asked suddenly remembering she had a younger sibling.

“Eager to be a flower girl.”

He wondered if the next question was too personal to ask. “And how are you?”

She sighed deeply, her eyes fixed on the path ahead of her. “Eager for it to be over with one way or another.”

He loved watching her. Especially when she was thinking. “That makes sense.”

“My fiancé, Mr. Harrison…”

“Yes.”

She glanced up at him. “You do not like him, do you?”

No. “What makes you say that?”

She raised one, skeptical eyebrow. “The expression on your face when he was mentioned at that dinner implied he was well known but not well liked.”

“There are those who enjoy his company well enough.” There were always men who would enjoy the company of a man like Harrison.

He was charming and outgoing with an edge of cruelty that made it easy for him to command the obedience of some and the admiration of others.

If one possessed no scruples whatsoever.

“But not you.”

“You are asking very pointed questions today.” The politesse she seemed to desire earlier was dispensed with entirely.