Regency Romp - Happy Christmas Mr Jones (Regency Romps) Read Online Free PDF Page B

‘Never mind, Jane, perhaps tonight there will be a handsome and very rich lord who will sweep one of us off our feet and solve all our problems…’
                  ‘Yes, perhaps,’ Jane agreed and laughed.  ‘If he asks you to marry him, my dear sister, you may say yes – and then you can introduce me into society after your honeymoon. And if I marry Major Johns I might do the same for you.’
                  ‘Oh yes,’ Lydia said and giggled, slipping her arm through her sister’s.  ‘I promise you that when I am rich I shall give you a season, my dearest one – and I’ll nag my poor husband into giving you a dowry of ten thousand pounds.’
                  Jane laughed and shook her head.  ‘I think he will have to be very much in love with you,’ she said.  ‘No more fantasising, Lydia.  We must go and find our cousins…’
                  Lydia nodded but was thoughtful.  She did not wish Jane to sacrifice herself for her sake.  If she married Major Johns she would be very unhappy.  Somehow, Lydia must steer her away from making that mistake – even if she had to flirt with the major all evening herself.
                  A plan was forming in her head.  If she could make the major fall a little in love – or possibly lust – with her instead of Jane, she would receive his proposal and refuse him.  At least then Jane would not be trapped into a marriage her sister knew she would hate.
     
     
    The sisters stood with their cousins and aunt until more than half of the guests had arrived, including Major Johns.  Lydia had smiled at him when it was her turn to welcome him, fluttering her long lashes.  He looked surprised, as he might well do considering she had never glanced his way before, but she saw him smile as he walked away.
                  So far so good!  Jane was a little quiet as they stood in the line to greet their guests and Lydia wondered why, until she saw Sir Justin Bentley arrive with his family.  Immediately, she could sense both relief and tension in her sister, and then she understood what had caused Jane’s sighs of late.  Sir Justin had an estate of moderate size but unfortunately, as his neighbours knew, he had made some poor investments in the past year or two.  He was not precisely ruined, for he still owned his house and land, but he was in debt and his son Michael was expected to marry a girl of some wealth to restore the family fortunes.
                  Seeing Jane glance shyly at Michael and the look that passed between them, Lydia understood that her sister was suffering the pangs of an impossible love.  Her heart wrenched for her and she was more than ever determined to foil her plans to accept a proposal from Major Johns.
                  Even when she saw that Captain Milliband was with Michael Bentley her courage did not fail her.  Captain Milliband made her heart race but she did not imagine that he would be interested in a girl like her; a man who looked as he did might have his choice of young ladies – a rich heiress or a duke’s daughter would not be beyond him.
                  Once she entered the ballroom, gentlemen she had known all her life, immediately surrounded Lydia, begging for the favour of a dance.  She laughed and handed them her dance card.  It was passed from one to another and when returned to her there were only three empty spaces.  Lydia could not help but be flattered, though she would have liked more free dances in case…but of course he would not…
                  ‘Miss Lydia, may I beg the favour of a dance?’
                  Lydia smiled at Major Johns, giving him another dose of the fluttering lashes that had seemed to please him earlier.  ‘I should be delighted, sir,’ she said and handed him her card.
                  ‘Thank you.  I shall secure the dance before supper