Authors: Samantha Forest
BBW ROMANCE: BWWM Romance: A Cowboy’s Southern Comfort (Military Cowboy Pregnancy Romance) (Interracial Army Contemporary Fantasy Romance Short Stories) (14 page)
Mother Superior then asked Tara to leave while Sister Josephine remained behind to make phone calls. The next few hours were a blur that she spent curled up alone on her cot bed, trying to understand what she had done and what had been done to her. Her woollen habit was creased and scratchy, but she appreciated the warmth. She felt cocooned within it, as if she might never again have to face the outside world. Eventually, she fell asleep, and dreamt of Stephen, Mother Superior and Sister Josephine. She dreamt of herself alone and confused.
When she awoke, it was still dark. All the other girls could still be heard breathing gently as they slept in their own sheet-surrounded cots. It was Sister Josephine, her face tight with fear and lit up in sharp planes by the moonlight. She was wearing normal clothes, a simple blazer and skirt that looked old fashioned and well-worn. Her hair was wrapped into a tight chignon.
“Tara, if you want to go with me, then you have to go now,” she whispered urgently. “They're going to send you to another convent. I'll never find you again. My friend has somewhere we can both stay. Her car is outside.”
Tara was sleepy and confused. Hadn't Mother Superior said she had great promise and could continue? Surely Sister Josephine couldn't be leaving in the dead of night like this.
“They told me in my last convent I could stay there, and I woke up one morning with my bags packed and my ticket for the ferry booked,” she said. “We have to go if we want to be together. Put on your shoes.”
Tara trusted the fear and urgency in her voice. She pulled on her black oxfords and threw on her thickest wool dress over her nightgown. She followed Sister Josephine out of the house, trying her best not to make any noise. Sister Josephine's friend was waiting by the back exit of the convent with her cloak. She was a tall, older woman wearing jeans and a shirt. The car outside was still running, its little red lights casting a shadowy glow through the mist. It was only as they got outside that Tara realized she was crying, her tears ice cold in the night air. As the car door slammed shut behind them, it was all she could do not to start sobbing loudly. Sister Josephine's hand was laced tightly into hers. Tara had no idea where they were going, but they were together and they were free to be themselves.
*****
THE END
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Steali
ng the Duke’s Heart
By Samantha Forest
Chapter One
Almost the entire court was there. William Ransfield, the Duke of Carrington, tensed when he entered the castle gates. It wasn’t uncommon to be summoned to the private meetings of the king. He was one of the royal favorites, but as he sauntered unhurried through the crowd, he noticed that everyone was looking at him.
The women were sorrowful and almost worried. He winked at a few of his favorites. Lady Donna Bells had warmed his bed just three nights ago, and she had lived up to her reputation. The beautiful Duchess of Bastine had spent an entire three weeks with him. At the time, her husband had been on a hunting trip in the country. And then there was Lady Vitterdale winking at him. William inwardly shuddered. That woman had almost been his death several months ago. Her tastes were certainly out of the ordinary.
It wasn’t necessarily the women’s actions that worried him. It was the men. The husbands normally glared at him. The bachelors slapped him on the back and joked with him. But now the husbands looked almost satisfied, and the bachelors were studying the floor and avoiding his gaze. Whatever this meeting was about, it was for him.
And he had a sinking feeling that he wasn’t going to like it.
“William Ransfield, Duke of Carrington,” the skinny little man at the side of the throne announced loudly. William winced. It was always the skinniest men that were the loudest.
“Your Highness,” William bowed deeply to his king. The older man on the throne had his complete love and respect. He was an honorable and fair king, and William, who had served no other, hoped to never serve another.
“William,” the king said in a tired voice. “I have called you here because of several complaints of the court. I am giving you a chance to address these issues before I settle the matter.”
“And what matters would those be?” William asked mildly. He was diligent about his property lines, and he took adequate care of those that lived on his lands. He wasn’t the richest in the courts, but he certainly wasn’t the poorest either.
The king rolled his eyes. “That would be the matter of your nightly activities. Several married men have complained that you have enjoyed the attentions of their women. What do you say to that?”
William had to be careful here. For him, he had committed no crime, but for the women, affairs were hanging offenses. “I would say that if the men were more concerned about where their women were spending their time, perhaps they should pay more attention to their wives,” he said dryly.
An immediately outcry rose from the court, and the king’s mouth twitched. It was the queen, however, that raised her hand. The court was immediately silenced. “He has a fair point, your Highness,” she said softly. “Women who are properly cared for do not stray.”
The king sighed. It was rumored that his wedding to the queen was an affair of the heart rather than a business matter, and she had an almost equal voice in his meetings. Much of the court did not approve.
“We are not here to mediate their marital problems, William. We are simply seeking to find a solution to your provocative nature. It concerned me that you are in your thirties and have provided no heir. I know you have a slew of nephews that could retain the title, but I wish for a Ransfield to rule over Carrington. I have given you time to find yourself a wife on your own, and I’ve made several suggestions in the past. They have not worked out.”
It was all William could do not to shudder. The past wives that the king had chosen for him were often the unwed elder daughters of poorer aristocracy. And while William had no need for money, the women were hardly a vision of beauty, and they’d been raised to believe that intelligence was a sign of weakness.
“Your majesty,” William said tentatively. He was about to argue that he needed no heir, and he certainly didn’t need a wife for an heir, but the king held up his hand.
“I’m sorry, William. But I see that this problem is not going to go away unless I make it go away. I made a deal with Parson’s before his death. I will honor that deal now.” He gestured with his hands, and the crowd parted as a woman slowly made her way through. “This is Charlotte Parson. You will wed her in early spring.”
A feeling of doom settled over William as he accepted the words of his king. Turning, he surveyed his new bride.
As far as looks went, she was certainly a beauty. She had long shiny blonde locks and a perfect porcelain complexion. Her body was well formed beneath her dress with a tiny waist and nice curves. She curtsied low before the throne to show that she was well mannered. “Your Highness. Your grace,” she said demurely.
When she lifted her head to look at William, his heart stopped. There was a sliver of ice in her light blue eyes and coldness in the smile of her perfectly red lips. Everything about her was practiced. “I look forward to spending time to get to know you.”
She should have been perfect. There was intelligence in her eyes, and she was easy on the eyes, but there was something just a little off about her.
“Lady Parsons,” he said stiffly as he took her hand and brushed it along his lips. Normally his presence was enough to affect the ladies around him, but she hardly seemed moved. As she withdrew her hand, she simply studied him emotionlessly. Whatever she wanted, it wasn’t him.
He had a feeling that he was just a small piece in whatever game she was playing.
Chapter Two
Charlotte watched her coldly as Lena read the letter with a hopeful smile. “You don’t actually think I’m going to let you wed the man, do you?” she snapped. “He’s certainly not courting you because you’re pretty. I’ve already turned him down, and he knows that you’re his second best option. He’s not rich enough for me, but he’s too good for you, Lena. Please. My little sister, married to the aristocracy? We’d be the laughing stock of the whole country. You will write your refusal immediately.”
Lena felt her heart sink. She was seventeen, and she knew that marriage was the only way that she could get away from Charlotte. “This a good opportunity for me, Charlotte,” she pleaded with her old sister softly.
“Yes, it is. But we both know that you don’t deserve a good opportunity.”
The winter had brought a cold and blustery wind to the countryside. As the carriage pulled up to the Duke’s keep, Lena Parsons wrapped her cloak tighter around her and shuddered. Packed all around her were the things that Charlotte wanted moved to her new room. This was something she should have done for herself, but then, Charlotte never did anything for herself.
“We’re here, ma’am,” the footman announced over the howl of the wind. Lena sighed and opened the door. Immediately, the cold surrounded her and seeped into her bones. Several men came rushing out of the keep to help her.
“Welcome to the home of Lord Carrington, Lady Charlotte,” one man said as he bowed his head.
“Lady Charlotte couldn’t make this trip,” Lena said as she let one of the men help her out of the carriage. It was odd to have help. “She’ll be traveling when the weather warms.”
“Of course. Are these your things?”
Her things? Hardly. Everything Lena owned could fit into one travel bag. “These are for Lady Charlotte. I’m here to help prepare her room.”
The men nodded their heads and began grabbing the things. Lena took several bags in her arms and began carrying them into the safety of the shelter. As soon as she stepped inside, a large and imposing figure stepped out of the shadows. “My lady, why are you carrying these bags? I have enough men to help you.”
Lena straightened as she surveyed the Duke of Carrington. To her dismay, her heart began to beat faster. The rumors about his good looks were certainly true. His muscular form towered over her, and there was a strange intensity in his dark eyes as they raked over her. “Your Grace,” she said with a nod of her head. “Your men did offer, and they are helping, but I have two capable arms, and it’s no hardship for me to carry some bags as I make my way in.”
“Is the Lady Charlotte behind you?”
Of course Charlotte had not written the duke of the change of plans. Why would her sister consider doing anything to make things easier on her? “I’m afraid my sister could not make this trip. She thought it would be better for wait for the weather to warm. I’m here to ready the room and the keep for her arrival.”
“Sister?” the duke asked with a lifted eyebrow.
“I’m Lena Parson. I’m Charlotte’s younger sister.”
The duke leaned down to press her hand to his lips, and she was angry to find that her cheeks reddened with embarrassment. It was only proper for the duke to greet her like this, but Charlotte had always greeted their male visitors, and she wasn’t used to a man’s touch. “I wasn’t aware that Charlotte had a sibling. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you around.”
He hadn’t seen her around. Charlotte rare let Lena out of the house, but that wasn’t something she needed to bring up now. After Charlotte married, the duke would be her new guardian, and it was her best chance at trying to start her life again. “If you would direct me to Charlotte’s room, I’ll start getting it settled. From there, I will speak to your housekeeper and cook. Charlotte would like the transition to go as seamlessly as possible.”
The duke stepped forward to take the bags, and when he did so, his body brushed up against hers. She breathed in sharply as a thrill raced through her. Lena had read quite a few romance books that discussed the changes in a woman’s body around men, but she’d thought it was hogwash. Another delusion to help sell dirty romances to the lonely women, but here her body was betraying her. And it was all from the slightest touch.
“I apologize,” the duke said with a knowing smile. Lena narrowed her eyes. The cad knew exactly what he was doing to her. Well, she’d heard Charlotte rant of the man’s reputation. He was only being roped into marriage because the king was tired of hearing the men’s complaints that he was stealing their women. Charlotte swore that the duke would never look at another woman again once she got her hands on him.
From the mischievous twinkle in his eye, it was clear that Charlotte would have her work cut out for her.
It seemed best to stop any scandalous desires the duke might have about her before they ripened. “Your Grace,” she said as she straightened her shoulders.
“It’s William. If we’re going to be family, I won’t have you running around here calling me by my title. William will do just fine.”