Love Tales Of Charming Ladies: A Regency Historical Romance Collection 1-3 Books Read online

  LOVE TALES OF CHARMING LADIES

  A HISTORICAL REGENCY ROMANCE COLLECTION

  Sally Forbes

  Copyright © 2020 by Sally Forbes

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  FALLING FOR THE GUARDED DUKE

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Epilogue

  TRAPPED IN THE MARQUESS’ HEART

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Epilogue

  Extended Epilogue

  THE DUKE’S LAST DANCE

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Epilogue

  Extended Epilogue

  Romancing the Emotional Duke

  PROLOGUE

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  FALLING FOR THE GUARDED DUKE

  A HISTORICAL REGENCY ROMANCE NOVEL

  Prologue

  Shalestone Manor, 1808

  After many days of planning and anticipation, the duke and duchess of Shalestone were hosting a ball for the end of the Season. Olivia Heywood had been so excited as they went about the preparations. She had been with her mother for a fortnight preceding the ball, helping pick out the flowers and selecting the color of velvet they would use to decorate the expansive corridor. Her mother even allowed her to taste the food that would be served at the event. But she would not get to attend the ball itself, because she was not old enough. Her debut ball would be in two years, and she could hardly wait. Every time her mother found Olivia daydreaming of the occasion, she assured her that her ball would be the most extravagant ball in all of London.

  Olivia also looked forward to her fifteenth birthday. Her mother had promised to throw her a lavish party in celebration of the occasion. According to her mother, fifteen would be her last birthday celebration as a child. At sixteen, she would have her debut ball, which would present her as a young lady to all of London, and suitors would fall in line.

  Olivia and her sister, Jane, were sent to their bedchambers for the evening. However, Olivia longed to watch the dance. So, she begged her nursemaid to dress her to see the ball. After much pleading, Eloise reluctantly did as Olivia asked, but only on the condition that the girl not leave her side.

  As Olivia followed Eloise downstairs, she was astonished at how busy the entire house was. The hallway was filled with servants carrying trays of refreshments and bustling to and from the ballroom.

  "Where is my mother?" Olivia asked, glancing at her nursemaid.

  Eloise sighed, opening the door.

  "In the ballroom, milady," she said.

  Olivia headed inside, her excitement growing with each step. She walked past the servers roaming the hallway, moving slowly to not draw their attention. Her eyes widened at the sight of the chandelier that hung at the entrance. Clear crystals and threaded pearls glistened in the light of softly burning candles. The ballroom was glorious. The brilliant colors and beautiful sounds astonished young Olivia. She watched the ladies elegantly drift around the room. So many lovely dresses, she thought.

  Her eyes widened when she saw that the waltz had begun. She began to make her way into the hall when someone blocked her path. It was Charleston, the head butler. He bowed and spoke evenly.

  "I'm afraid the duchess has asked that you wait for her here," he said, looking at her sternly.

  Before Olivia could protest, she saw her mother making her way across the room, her eyes locked on her young daughter. The duchess looked dashing in a gold satin ballgown with beautiful lace all along its hem. Her blonde hair fell across her shoulders in soft curls. Despite her embarrassment at having been caught, she could not help thinking how beautiful
her mother was.

  "Darling," the duchess said, gazing at her daughter.

  Olivia embraced her mother. "Mama. I want to watch the dance," she pleaded.

  "You can't be here, dear," the duchess said, whispering softly to her daughter. To Olivia’s surprise, her mother’s smile was warm, and her eyes were glossy.

  "But I just want to watch the waltz. I promise I will leave after that," Olivia said, clasping her hands together in a pleading gesture. Of all the modern dances practiced at balls, Olivia’s favorite was the waltz. It fascinated her how ladies moved in strange patterns under the weight of their gowns, and how the men could anticipate every step and move in synchronized rhythm. In her opinion, the waltz was less of a dance than an art.

  The duchess’s smiled widened as took Olivia's hand in hers, and she winked at her daughter.

  "Then let us watch the waltz together," she said.

  "I cannot wait for my debut, Mother," Olivia said, her voice dreamy.

  "I know, darling," the duchess murmured. "It will be grand, indeed. And I will get to watch you waltz, right there." She smiled proudly, looking toward the center of the grand ballroom.

  Olivia followed her mother’s gaze to the lady she had seen from her window. Her green dress shimmered as she moved with admirable grace across the middle of the dance floor. Olivia bubbled with excitement as she watched. More than ever, she could not wait until she could be where the lovely woman now danced. And, best of all, her mother would be right by her side. In that moment, Olivia felt sure that her life would always be perfect. She could not have known how wrong she was.

  A few weeks after Olivia's fifteenth birthday, which had been as lavish as her mother had promised, the duchess fell gravely ill. All Shalestone Manor fretted for months, until she started to show improvement. The duchess’s strength was returning quickly, and the entire family rejoiced when she was able to get out of bed and roam the halls once again. But their joy was short-lived. A few weeks later, Lady Shalestone relapsed, and the illness progressed to a far worse state than it had the first time. One year after the ball at which Olivia had waltzed with her mother, the duchess died, shattering Olivia’s world, and her heart. The world stopped making sense to Olivia that day, and everything that had thrilled her just months prior was suddenly irrelevant and meaningless.

  As Olivia grew without her mother's presence, she began to feel lost, withdrawing from everyone. She no longer wanted the things that other girls her age wanted. Olivia only wanted her mother back. And, since she knew that could never be, she decided that she would spend the rest of her life shut away from the world.

  *****

  Bembridge Estate, 1808

  Alexander Sedgewick stood alone, regretting his decision to attend the ball at Almack House. He had accomplished nothing other than making an utter fool of himself. His dancing was nothing more than a sequence of stumbles, his feet always missing their proper marks. He was mortified, especially when his clumsiness began deterring potential dance partners. He supposed he could not blame them. No one wanted to dance with a blind man. Or, at least, that was what he spent most of the night believing.

  If it had not been for Lady Maria, he would have given up on the ball, and any subsequent ones, altogether. In fact, as he stood there, watching the blurred figures of the dancing couples moving across the dance floor, he began plotting an escape. Then, like a gift from the heavens, came Lady Maria.

  She approached him and asked him for a dance. With his near blindness, Alexander could just make out a cluster of sparkles as she drew near, but he no way of knowing that it was the young woman for whom the ball was being held.

  He was hesitant at first, certain that she only sought to mock him. In fact, he tried to politely decline her invitation. But she had been nothing if not persistent.

  "You are at my debut ball, Lord Lovewell," she said, her voice light and filled with warm jest. "You would not wish to be rude and insult me by denying my request, would you?"

  Not wishing to draw any more attention to himself by arguing with the debutante, he reluctantly agreed. As the dance began, he held his breath, waiting for her taunting laughter and snide remarks. However, she was as kind and patient as she had been determined to get him to dance, guiding him through the steps of the dance, not caring that society would not deem that proper. She even seamlessly compensated for his cane, which he held tightly in his left hand as they danced. He followed her with relative ease, and because of her tender instructions and warm encouragement, he was able to dance. For the first time in as long as he could remember, Alexander felt almost normal.

  Lady Maria spent the rest of the evening with him, either dancing or merely talking and partaking of the refreshments. She politely rejected suitor after suitor, winning another piece of Alexander’s heart each time she did so. It was a well-known fact throughout the ton that Alexander was born almost completely blind, but she never mentioned it once, despite her having to guide him across the dance floor. She spoke to him just as though he was a typical, high society gentleman, which was something that not even his own family did.

  By the end of the evening, he was enthralled by her. To him, there would never be a more perfect woman in all of London. He and Lady Maria said their farewells, with promises to see one another again as soon as possible.

  After the ball, Alexander sat in the drawing room of his family’s manor, smiling to himself. What had started as one of the worst nights of his life had decidedly become the best. He sighed, recalling how wonderful Lady Maria’s lavender perfume had smelled and how sweet her laugh sounded.

  As he reflected on the evening, his thoughts were interrupted by the loud bang of the drawing room door crashing into the wall. Even with his diminished eyesight, he knew who was intruding on his peaceful solitude.

  "You should have seen how many ladies were eager to have a dance with me," Jack said, strutting over to where his older brother sat. "I am quite certain that they all wished to have my attention on only them."

  Alexander looked at his younger brother, not bothering to feign interest.

  “It is happy news that you enjoyed yourself this evening,” he said dismissively.

  Jack clapped Alexander on the shoulder, harder than was necessary. He moved behind his older brother and retrieved a bottle of brandy from the cabinet. As he poured the liquor into a tumbler, Jack chuckled.

  “You should not have attempted to dance at all, Brother,” he said, clicking his tongue. “You caused us all a great deal of embarrassment.”

  Alexander shrugged, unsurprised by Jack's opinion. Jack always went to great lengths to make Alexander feel inferior because of his vision impairment. Typically, Jack’s cruel remarks angered Alexander. But after the wonderful evening he had spent with Lady Maria, Jack’s words had little meaning.

  “God bless Lady Maria,” Jack continued. “If not for her, your night would surely have been nothing more than a disaster. Thank goodness she took pity on you.”

  Alexander knew that Jack was desperate to get a rise out of him, but he would not relent. In fact, with a new sense of confidence, Alexander smiled at his younger brother.

  “You fancy yourself quite the charmer of young ladies,” he said, tilting his head. “But what will you do when those women grow tired of your game and move on to marry suitable husbands?”

  Jack scoffed, but he said nothing. Alexander knew well that his brother thought of women as little more than acquisitions. He measured the success of a ball by how many dance partners he had, not by whether he met someone he might one day marry. Though Alexander could not claim any experience with women, he knew that one day, Jack would find himself regretting his womanizing ideals.

  Jack cleared his throat and slammed down his empty tumbler.

  “You should be sure to give Lady Maria a proper show of gratitude for humoring you this evening,” Jack said, storming toward the door. “Heaven knows she deserves something for ruining her own ball for you.”

  Alexand
er smiled as his younger brother slammed the door behind him. He would never say so in front of Jack, but he had intentions of doing more than simply thanking Lady Maria. He had never met anyone as wonderful or compassionate as she was, and he felt sure he never would. He planned to court her.

  The next day, Alexander sent flowers to Lady Maria, with a message asking her to write to him and tell him when she would be available for him to call on her. She wrote back two days later, inviting him for tea at her family’s home, thus beginning the most wonderful time in Alexander’s life. From that moment on, he saw her almost every day. Their courtship was something out of a storybook, and Alexander felt sure that he would spend the rest of his life with her.

  A few months after their courtship began, Alexander received a letter from Maria. He had not seen or heard from her in a fortnight, so he tore open the envelop with relief and excitement. As he read, however, his heart sank. Maria was ending their courtship, saying she had fallen in love with a duke, and that she was to wed him the following week. He had so many questions, but he lacked the courage to ask them. He supposed that her letter said everything he needed to know. Of course, she would choose a wealthy duke over a blind marquess.

  As her letter fell to the floor, he felt himself break. He did not know how he would cope with losing Maria. One thing he did know, however, was that he would never again put himself in a position to have his heart broken.

  Chapter One

  Sedgewick Manor, 1816

  The room brightened as Alexander felt his way down the stairs with his new cane. His old one had broken from years of use, and his new one was strong and precise. As it well should have been. His father had commissioned the new cane to be made from the finest materials available.