The vast estates of the Talmage and Warfield families adjoin each other in Kent, where there is a long history of enmity between the Earls of Sherbourne and the Barons of the Warfield families. When Nicholas Talmage unexpectedly inherits the family estate, he returns to Regency London and then Kent from a stint on the Continent. It is there he surprisingly falls in love with Tess Warfield, though he has no idea at first that this is who the young lady is. Tess Warfield is victim of a frightening accident as she tries to escape the clutches of the greedy cousin who inherited her father's estate. Together, Tess and Nicholas discover passion, romance . . . and answers to the mysterious series of events that initially pitted their families against one another.
Chapter One
"Did you see that gown? And to wear it to Lady
Oakhurst's charity bazaar of all places! It was a shock, I can tell you,
when I first laid eyes on it -- cut so low, I didn't know where to look!
And the color! As close to orange as I ever hope to see! You'd think at
her age -- why, she must be at
least five years older than
I, and I am not considered a green girl any longer -- that she'd know
better." Hester Mandeville, her lively face full of outrage, barely
paused for breath before she went on in heated accents, "Her brother,
Randal, not dead a year and Athena is already flaunting herself in a
garment that I would not hesitate to stigmatize as fast!"
It was a summation that would have done a woman twice her age proud, but
Hester's comment lost much of its moralizing impact by being uttered
with a note of such open envy that her niece, Tess, had to choke back a
gurgle of laughter. While Tess had been startled to see Lady Athena, the
earl of Sherbourne's older sister, wearing "colors" before the year of
mourning was up, the gown hadn't been quite that bad. It had been cut
rather daringly, it was true, but the shade had been more of a rich
antique gold than orange!
Sending her pretty aunt, normally the most tolerant of creatures, a look
of affectionate amusement, Tess murmured, "But aren't we also beginning
to wear some color again? You can't have forgotten," Tess went on with a
sudden catch in her throat, "that Sidney died just eleven days after
Lord Sherbourne."
Moral outrage over Athena Talmage's clothes was instantly suspended as
both women were assailed by a wave of grief. Each dabbed at the corner
of her eye with a handkerchief. Hester said fiercely, "Those wretched
Talmages! There was no excuse for that wicked, wicked duel! It was done
out of spite! Randal knew that Sidney was no swordsman..." A tight,
unhappy smile curved Hester's soft mouth. "It must," she added in a
husky voice, "have come as a most unwelcome shock to the great earl of
Sherbourne that my brother was not quite the novice with the blade that
he had supposed." She took a shaky breath and blurted out, "I'm glad
Sidney was able to kill him first. And I don't care if I am being
uncharitable!"
For several seconds there was silence in the well-sprung coach as it
bowled smoothly along the road toward Mandeville Manor, the home of the
two ladies. Ordinarily it was a pleasant, if longish, ride from the
small town of Hythe, on the coast of Kent, to the gracious welcome of
Mandeville Manor, some twenty miles inland. Ordinarily, too, the women
would have enjoyed the lovely October day -- the sky was a brilliant
blue with only a few clouds on the horizon, the sun still warm, the
leaves of the oaks and beeches barely revealing a hint of the brilliant
color they would display in another month. But neither lady was aware of
the passing countryside -- each was remembering the terrible tragedy
that had shaken the very foundations of their comfortable life some ten
months
ago.
Staring blindly out the coach window, Tess felt the tears filling her
eyes and she took a deep steadying breath, willing herself not to cry.
Oh, but it was hard! She had adored her uncle. Sidney, the fifth Baron
Mandeville, had been a highspirited, sunny-faced individual, a handsome
man with a merry charm.
The daughter of a career naval officer, Shirlee Busbee was born in California and attended high school in Morocco. She now lives in California with her husband.
