Marriage to a Mister (A Daughters of Regency #1) Read Online Free PDF

nothing is the matter with me, my dear, it's just your father is an old fool," he said as his eyes darted around. "Where is Julia? I haven't seen her all morning."
    "She's in her room readying herself for an outing with Prudence. Why? Are you hiding from her?" She asked, a smile slowly forming on her face.
    "Hiding? I'm doing nothing of the sort. I was merely inquiring."
    "Of course, Papa," she agreed, much too readily.
      Julian cleared his throat and took Fleur's hand in his own, leading her down into the chair next to him. He did not let go. "Fleur, I must speak with you about a matter quite serious. You see the earl and I ... that is to say ... we were hoping that you might feel inclined ..."  
    He trailed off, and Fleur worried, for she had never seen her father so uncertain. "Papa, whatever it is you have to say it can't be so unpleasant as all that," she said, her smile gentle. "Now, what is it?"
    "Tell me, my dear, what are your feelings for Lord Blackburn's son?"  
    Fleur stiffened and held her breath — her heart came to an abrupt stop before it thumped in her chest again, reminding her of the need for air. She took a slow, steadying breath.
    "Which son, Papa? Lord Blackburn has two, if you recall."
    Julian grimaced. "Of course I meant the elder boy, Edward."
    Fleur tried to calm her racing suspicions, though she had an inkling of where the conversation was headed. "How I feel about the viscount?"  
    Julian nodded and rubbed her hand. "Yes, my dear, go on."
    "I don't know that I can rightly say. We don't move in the same circles, as you know."
    "Just in general then," Julian waved his hand around. "We spent nearly every summer and Christmas at Blackburn Hall until you were sixteen. You must have some sense of your feelings."  
    "I ... of course I remember him from when we were children, but he would always sit away from the rest of us while we played together, watching over us. He was so much older — practically a man even then. We must have seemed awfully silly to him while we played our childish games."  
    Fleur remembered thinking how lonely she felt when she would see him, sitting off all by himself, usually with his nose stuck in a book, removed but always observing them from afar, making sure they didn't breed too much mischief. The only time he would join them was when he would read aloud to them, or when Evan would beg him to be the bowler in a game of cricket. He doted on his younger brother terribly and nearly always gave into him, the same as she did with Julia.
    "I've seen him on several occasions but we never converse." Fleur couldn't help but think that he still looked like that quiet little boy when she saw him at parties. "He seems almost ... unaltered," she stated, uncertain. "I haven't spoken to him properly in years, Papa."
    Julian nodded, agreeing with her appraisal. "Lord Ravenbrook is a bit bookish and he takes his responsibilities as Ravenbrook very seriously, but he is not grim, not like ... well, that is neither here nor there."
    Fleur knew to whom he was comparing Edward. She remembered the younger brother – she always would. Evan had been there her entire life, until one day he was just ... gone, his comforting and constant presence in her life unexpectedly ripped away from her.
    Fleur shook her head, determined to clear the painful thoughts away. That was the past, and Evan was no longer a part of her life.
    Julian reached up slowly and gently tapped her on the forehead. "Fleur, you're frowning."
    She looked into her father's dark eyes, brow furrowed as much as her own. "Perhaps you should tell me what this is about."
    Julian cleared his throat. "Last night ... no, I should go further back. For so long Charles and I have dreamed of intimately connecting our families. We had hope that you and Edward would come to care for one another, come to an understanding."
    Fleur nodded. She had always known — she'd have been a fool not to — she just had expectations of her own.