Prologue
The sunlight shone dreamily through the windows of the parlor at Westmore House. The warmth of it shone onto the silk wallpaper and flowed like liquid onto the patch of parquet where Hestony stood beside Hal Ellington.
“That hairstyle looks very well on you,” he whispered.
Hestony blushed at the compliment. She felt her cheeks lift in a smile and her heart skipped as she fluffed her blonde curls coquettishly with her fingertips. She had known Hal for months now, since her cousin Emilia fortuitously married his cousin, Luke Preston, the Earl of Westmore. When Hestony met Hal, she would never have imagined it was possible to feel this way about anyone.
“Thank you, Mr. Ellington,” she murmured.
“Hal,” he said at once. “Please, use my name. We have known each other too long for formalities. It has been months, now!”
Hestony swallowed hard. “Very well, then, Hal.”
Saying his name made her cheeks flare hot, despite the long duration of their acquaintance. She had never used his name before – not to his face, anyhow. In her mind, she’d always thought of him as Hal, but had never dreamed she’d have a chance to use it. She looked away from his arrestingly-lovely blue eyes and across to the window open onto the garden.
Hal smiled. “Well, then, Lady Hestony.”
“Hestony,” she said swiftly. She arced a brow at him, making it a challenge.
He grinned, his lips pulling back in a handsome smile. “Well, yes. Hestony.”
She felt her whole body warm up, hearing her name on his lips. Her heart thudded. She didn’t know what to say, so she stepped a little away, heading to the fireside.
“You will go riding, later?” she asked. “Luke said he was going, and…”
“I will go if you are,” Hal interrupted swiftly.
Hestony nodded. “Well, I had thought Remington needed some exercise, and…” She twisted her fingers in the white muslin skirts of her gown. His eyes were on her and the way he was looking with such admiration made her heart thump even harder.
“Well, then,” Hal said. He’d crossed the room to stand a few inches away from her. “That’s settled. We’ll go riding together.”
Hestony smiled as she looked into his eyes. She felt self-conscious, but also more beautiful than she’d ever felt, when he looked at her like that. She wondered if she should change into her blue riding dress – blue brought out the color of her sky-blue eyes.
“Luke said he’d go down at five of the clock,” she said, wondering why her voice was suddenly so tense. Hal had stepped closer, and she could smell the scent of the spicy unguent he used on his hair; mixing with the musky scent of his skin it was subtle and exciting.
“Well, then,” Hal murmured. “I reckon we have plenty of time.”
“Yes.”
Hestony felt strange, being so close to Hal, and yet, at the same time, she didn’t want to move away. She wanted to stand close to him like this – or even closer. Hal seemed to feel the same way, for he had moved so that he was now an inch away. She tilted her head and looked up into his eyes.
“Hal,” she whispered.
He bent forward and suddenly her body felt something that she never felt before, an overwhelming desire to lean up, and a little forward, and press her mouth to his.
Hal moved forward and it seemed he felt the same way, for his lips touched hers. She gasped.
He tensed, but he didn’t move his mouth away from hers, and she felt, as she remained there, his hand descending onto her shoulder. She sighed and reached up, stroking the back of his head. His hair was soft, cropped close to the back of his neck with military severity. She felt him tense and wondered if she should take her hand away, but then he pressed his body against hers and the kiss deepened, his tongue probing in between her lips.
She sighed, closing her eyes. It felt so remarkable, so sweet, that she wanted to stay here, in his arms, with his lips on hers, forever.
A sound of footsteps made Hal jump. He stepped back and Hestony looked up into his eyes, feeling suddenly nervous. He stiffened, waiting for the sound to die down. Whoever it was walked straight past down the hallway. Hal relaxed, and a tentative grin blossomed on his face.
Hestony felt a smile blossom on her own lips. She felt so wonderful inside; a beautiful sweetness suffusing her, spreading from her heart right through her from toes to head.
“Hestony?” he said. His voice was husky. “I’ll see you outside?”
She swallowed hard, nodding. Her heart was thumping like a drum against the stays she wore beneath her gown. She nodded.
“Yes, Hal.”
He bowed with smooth grace and hurried down the stairs.
When he had gone, she leaned against the wall, her arms around herself, a soft smile on her face as she stared into the distance, recalling the moment endlessly.
She smiled dreamily, even as a small flare of worry fired off in the back of her mind. What exactly had she just done? Was it something she shouldn’t have done? She had a strong sense that kissing a gentleman whom she’d only recently met was something her mother wouldn’t countenance, but she wasn’t particularly concerned. She was here with Cousin Emilia, her best friend as well as her closest relation, and if anybody knew anything about the rudiments of kissing, Emilia would know. Still smiling, she drifted off to go and find her.
“Emilia?”
She peered inside of the drawing-room, but it was empty. The pianoforte stood unused, though a book of sheet-music on the top showed that Emilia had recently been here.
“Emilia?” she called again.
The long windows looked out over the front lawn, the height of the house causing the view to extend across the valley and all the way to the distant hills. Hestony looked out briefly, and then tensed.
A horseman was riding away from the gate. She thought at first it might be Luke, Emilia’s husband and the owner of Westmore House, and so she watched him riding, surprised Luke had gone out earlier than he’d meant to. But it couldn’t be Luke, for his horse was a biscuit-brown thoroughbred, and this was a night-black horse. Hestony shivered as she watched him ride at speed towards the hills, thinking that, whoever that was, he was not there for anything good.
Chapter One
A Ball in the Countryside
The downstairs parlor was larger than the upstairs one, and Hestony felt cozier there, so it was where she headed, still feeling shaken by the sight of the unknown rider. She paused in the hallway, spotting Emilia seated in the parlor on the big upholstered chaise-lounge. With her were Raphaella and Canmure – friends of Luke’s – and two other people Hestony didn’t recognize. She held back in the hallway, feeling a little hesitant to interrupt the gathering.