Almost Perfect (28 page)
Authors: Denise Domning
Lucien had paid Roland’s debts, however it had cost her father his freedom to allow Lucien to do so. Their agreement was that Roland would have a monthly allowance that if he exceeded he would lose altogether, and he’d had to release custody of Eliza to his new son-in-law. None of that bothered Roland, or so he said. He insisted he was content to live out what remained of his life even if he was alone, should Eliza find her mate.
Philana replaced him, hugging both of them. Tears clung to her lashes. “I knew I was right,” she said her trembling voice filled with vindication.
“So you were,” Lucien said, putting his arm around Cassie. His fingers slid provocatively against her hip. She bit back a laugh.
Philana’s eyes narrowed. “You will be at Ettrick House in a few moments, won’t you?” she demanded. Philana had insisted on hosting a celebration to lend a little glamour to their hasty exchange of vows.
“But of course,” Lucien lied. Cassie hid her laugh behind her hand.
Lord Ryecroft took Philana’s place, pleasure radiating from him. He embraced his cousin. “Much better choice this time, Hollier,” he said in approval then he took Cassie’s hands.
“There is but one thing certain between us, my lady. I will never play cards with you,” he said, his smile taunting. “Everything else is up to question.”
Lucien huffed. “Find your own interesting woman to marry, Devanney. This one’s mine. Touch her at your peril.” There was nothing but amusement in his tone.
Lord Ryecroft backed away from them, his hands lifted as if to protest his innocence.
After the license was signed and the cake distributed, Lucien and Cassie left the church, stepping out into a glorious September day. It was as if God Himself had wanted to honor their wedding. The breeze, bearing a hint of coolness in its warmth, the promise of winter’s coming, made Cassie’s ribbons flutter. Wood pigeons strutted across the church yard, pecking at the gravel. A corbie cawed from the tall tree beside the church. The horses harnessed to the flower-bedecked phaeton, borrowed from Lord Ryecroft, flicked their tales and stamped.
Their wedding guests followed. Mr. Percy, resplendent in his pink and green striped waistcoat shouted his congratulations. Squire Kerr and his wife threw rice along with Lady Ross and her mate. Maggie and Jamie applauded with all their might.
Ducking her head to avoid the grains, a laughing Cassie let Lucien lead her through their ranks to the phaeton. He helped her into the vehicle, then mounted beside her and took the reins as Eliza bounded up to the vehicle’s side.
“You’ll likely be there ahead of us,” she said, grinning then turned to hurry back to Philana. Except for Lady Waybourne and Lord Ryecroft, the rest of the party meant to walk the short distance back to Ettrick House.
Once more wearing his hat and gloves Lucien flicked the reins and set the phaeton into motion. Then, reaching out, he patted Cassie’s abdomen. “You’re safe now, my son. You’ll have a father and a name,” he said, speaking to the child Cassie believed she carried. According to Philana she had all the signs, although how Philana, who’d never borne a child, would know this was beyond Cassie.
“What if there is no child?” Cassie murmured, fighting her laughter. She already knew what Lucien’s answer would be.
“Then I say it’s well past time that we get to the business of making one,” he said, lifting a brow. Putting his arm around her, he pulled her close to him. She turned her face up to him. His kiss was both filled with awe and desire.
“How can I love you so much?” she asked him.
“It is amazing how much we love each other,” he agreed with a quiet laugh. “Six years married and still newlyweds. Now, if we don’t reach my lodge in the next fifteen minutes, I vow I’ll expire from wanting you.”
With the snap of the reins he urged the horses to their pace.
I'd love to tell you this is my very best book ever. I can't. I really mean it when I say the time frame was just too modern for me. That said, I must admit to really liking these two characters. Even better, they're story takes place in one of the most beautiful and desolate landscape I've ever seen. The border area between Scotland and England has been a place of dissension for eons, probably starting long before the ice bridge between England and the Continent thawed. Why did Hadrian build that wall of his? Because it slows down the inhabitants from either side of the wall as they carry stolen cattle, property and, yes, women, back to their own side of the border. Of course, if we hadn't had the border folk we would have some wonderful words, like blackmail, or games, like rugby. Lucien's lodge, the pele tower, is an actual style of home for the area. The way the hills fold behind his home is referred to as a "beef-tub", which is essentially a hidden place where the denizens who did manage to carry cattle over Hadrian's wall stashed their stolen beef. And, the abbey Devanney's house party goes off to visit is based on the lyrical ruins of Melrose Abbey.
So, for what it's worth I hope you've enjoyed my stab at a Regency Era romance. Thanks for trying it!
As a thank you to all of you out there who turned Rannulf and Rowena into best sellers, I'm offering my novella "An Impetuous Season" FREE on my website.
Click here to download it
In case this is the first book of mine you've read here is the full list. If there are links missing on the books, it's because I haven't quite got them live on Kindle yet. Just check
my website
for the proper links as I bring them up. And thank you!
The Graistan Chronicles (sometimes known as the Seasons Series)
The Lady Series,
although two doesn't quite a series make. There were supposed to be more. Hmm, I wonder... .
The Warrior Series
The Warrior's Wife
(previously The Warrior's Damsel)
The Warrior's Maiden
(previously My Lady's Temptation)
The Warrior's Game
My only Regency era book
. I'm sorry. It was too modern for me. I'm better off back when guys just bashed each other with hunks of steel.
Monica Sarli's Memoir
Men-ipulation
And then there's Monica Sarli's memoir that I co-wrote.
Men-ipulation
is a memoir of addiction and recovery. After fifteen years abusing Cocaine, Crack and (her personal favorite) Heroin, Monica chose on August 4, 1986 to clean up and hasn't looked back-even though cleaning up cost her everything she valued in life. For anyone struggling with addiction or who loves someone suffering with addiction, this is a book you won't want to miss. (And, yes she really talks like that...all the time.)
By the way, I'll note here that I am title defective. For the first five books, my fabulous stepdaughter
Amberly Neese
came up with the original and very clever idea of using the seasons, and the publisher ran with it. Beyond that, well, I count on the kindness of editors and others.
If you want to keep up with me or send me a note, please feel free to email me at
[email protected]
or visit my website at
DeniseDomning.com
where you can read my blog. I'll warn you, the blog has nothing to do with writing. Instead, it's the chronicle of how my husband takes me on a journey into Green Living and Permaculture. I have a feeling this will turn out to be a mangling of "Under the Tuscan Sun" and "Green Acres".
Wish me luck (I'll need it) and happy reading!
