Masked Love (A Christmas Regency Novella) Read Online Free PDF Page B

lady sounded so despondent Isabelle sympathized with her. She knew exactly what her lady was going through, although her own plight seemed even more hopeless than Lady Theodosia’s.
    Lady Helen giggled. A slight woman with golden curls and a wide smile, she looked far younger than her fifteen years. She bit into an apple. Her dainty bites had hardly caused a dent in the fruit yet. “Did you tell him anything about you?”
    “I … I wanted to.”
    “So that’s a no. Now what are you going to do?” Lady Pamela asked.
    “There’s nothing I can do! Lord Adrian seems nice enough, and he is handsome too, wait until you see him, but something’s missing.”
    Lady Helen patted Lady Theodosia’s hand. “I know what you are going through. I went through it too. Is it not preposterous that both your parents and mine actually arranged marriages for us? Pamela is so lucky she has a say in who she weds.”
    “Not that that will be any time soon.” Lady Pamela brought her hand to her forehead. “Laura has to marry first, and Sophie too. Who knows if there will be money left for a dowry for me?”
    “I have an idea!” Lady Theodosia clapped her hands. She held up her tea cup.
    Isabelle rushed forward and lifted the teapot. Only a drop poured out. “I’ll fetch more.” She gripped the handle so tightly her knuckles turned white. With small steps, she inched to the door, hoping to hear Lady Theodosia’s idea, but her lady was silent.
    Nothing she could do but open the door and latch it behind her. Her small ears strained to hear the hushed whispers the ladies shared amongst each other, but their words were too soft and did not carry.
    A lump formed in her throat. She must stop this nonsense. Lord Adrian was not hers. She had no claim on him.
    Before she took a step, one voice reached her loud and clear: “I do love watching a fox hunt. Maybe I could tempt him away.”
    Isabelle’s body shook. The notion of Lord Adrian being with Lady Theodosia was unbearable, yet tolerable. But for him to be with Lady Pamela, that was inconceivable. Lady Pamela was spoiled and pampered and treated her maids so poorly, none lasted more than a few months at a time.
    Her legs like tree logs, she slowly made her way to the kitchen to fetch more tea. Never once did she hum. She had no more songs inside her.

 
     
     
     

     
    The paperwork was more than Adrian had expected, and he rubbed his temples.
    “It’s a lot to take in. Marriage is a big step,” Lord Haywood said.
    Adrian agreed. Especially when forced into it. When his father had first reminded him of the old promise, Adrian had laughed, thinking it a joke. No one other than royals had arranged marriages. But no, his father had been quite serious. And Adrian had been quite adamant that he would not agree to it. His mother had wailed and huge tears gushed from her eyes, and his father had shouted and thrown plates. It wasn’t until his father had threatened to cut him off without a penny to his name that Adrian relented.
    But now, after reading the contract and knowing how much money was involved with marrying another gentry, Adrian’s rebellious side wanted to rear its ugly head again.
    Not that he could easily walk away from Lady Theodosia. Now that he knew her, he couldn’t tarnish her reputation like that, especially not on Christmas Eve.
    Lord Haywood held out a quill pen, and Adrian could ignore it no longer. His arm slowly rose, and his fingers brushed against the soft feather.
    Before he could remove it from the lord’s grasp, a knock sounded at the door.
    Relief flooded through him, and he turned to see Lady Theodosia there, two ladies beside her.
    “Father, might we steal Lord Adrian away? We want to celebrate Christmas Eve.”
    Adrian held up his hands as if to say “I’m sorry but I must go,” and did his best not to run to her side, although he rushed over with greater speed than he probably should have.
    “What do you lovely ladies have in mind?” he asked,