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Chapter One: A Handsoer
Wales, 1794
“I don’t think this is a good idea” Her cousin Tilda tucked a bit of ebony hair beneath Gwen’s weathered bonnet “If your father sees you sneaking out in these dreadful clothes, he’ll lock you in your room”
“They’re not dreadful clothes They’re riding clothes, my most comfortable ones” Gitched at her faded skirts “And Papa can’t lock me in my roo Effie for one last ride around the village”
“And hoill you get ho keels over dead?”
“Don’t say such things, not when I’ll miss her so You promised you’d come feed her apples at least twice a week”
Her cousin’s eyes softened “I will, I promise”
“Even when you aren’t sweet on Drustan anymore?” Tilda’s love interest looked after the horses on Gwen’s father’s estate
“Even when Dru and I are rin “I swear to you, old Effie shall have all the apples she desires”
Gwen pulled at her gown’s ill-fitting bodice Since her betrothal to the Duke of Arlington, all Papa’sand court finery, and she dared not wear those sorts of clothes while she rode along dusty paths “Thanks for helping e to solish aristocrat I’ve never laid eyes on, I would like one last afternoon all to ht a er will befriend me and fall deeply in love with me, and secret me to his hilltop castle so I needn’t marry the duke after all”
Tilda giggled “You and your romantic dreams” She turned Gwen around to adjust her stays “You’d better not run off with any strangers, or Uncle Alill haveyou I wish you’d take at least one other person along Drustan will escort you if you ask”
“Drustan would rather stay behind with you”
Her buxoot that glazed, enamored look
“Why, the two of you intend to steal away for the afternoon,” Gwen accused “And here you’ve been scoldingout to ride”
“Drustan’s officially courting ether”
Gas so jealous of her cousin Drustan was a kind, brawny h When he looked at Tilda, anyone could see that he adored her “Does he kiss you when you’re together?” Gwen asked shyly
“You’re a silly girl”
“Silly girl? I’m older than you”
“And far more innocent As you should be, since you’re a fine lady, and I’m only a cooing to marry a duke in two days How can you stand the anticipation? What shall you do until it’s time?”
“I’ to ride Effie to some pretty meadow and smell the flowers, and enjoy hastly duke will expect hastly duchess in a ghastly ruffled gown”
Tilda, who loved ghastly ruffled gowns, sighed and hugged herself “Becoh, isn’t it?”
“Would you like to do it? Marry soo with him to London where it’s crowded and dirty, and everyone speaks with a funny accent?” A wave of nerves fluttered in Gwen’s stomach “Papa says I ”
“A duke is practically a king,” said Tilda “And you’ll be married to him I wonder what he’ll be like”
“I’ly He’ll have crooked teeth and a big belly pouring over the front of his trousers All those old aristocrats do”
“Not all, Gwennie None of your brothers look like that”
“They aren’t that old” Elrick was the eldest of the seven, and he had no belly at all “Maybe the duke won’t have a belly I don’t know But so with hi boots “Otherwise he could have taken soree”
“It’s because of your father,” Tilda re to”
To order so her pride, that it had coe to be ed to attract any acceptable candidates Not one suitor had asked for her hand
And the Duke of Arlington hadn’t either
“He’s probably no more excited to marry me,” she said “What a disaster for everyone”
She walked with Tilda toward the stables, wondering why she was so repellent to ly so She had a bit of a temper, but she mostly kept it in check She did not whine, or wilt, or put on airs like sohters Perhaps it was her unusual green eyes that unsettled them But she’d inherited those pale eyes froreat beauty before the fever took her
If only Mahter to be er “I’reatest fear”
Her cousin took her hand “I’m sure he’s a very kind rand adventure, experiencing all sorts of s”
Gwen and Tilda parted as Drustan sauntered over to greet his beloved Gwen bid them farewell and climbed onto Effie’s swayed back It was a beautiful October day, warht, with barely a chill in the air Gwen skirted around the village, leading Effie through the open field beyond the e, brown, and gold, and rustled underfoot as they plodded along the path They cut through a copse of trees and around an overgrown hedge, and followed a cru The nag took up her usual spot in the shade, and i
Gwen climbed down froh If this wasn’t theplace in the world, she’d like to see its better She couldn’t remember when she’d first found this place She’d stus and been struck at once by its beauty It was private and fragrant ildflowers, bordered by a shady spot of lake There was a peaceful feeling here, like one was in a dream or fairy tale
I’ve coht Just as Ielse
She pulled off her bonnet and turned her face to the sun Her hair tu in the breeze She’da couple days’ journey east She’d be leaving her entire life, her father and brothers and sisters-in-law, and nieces and nephews and cousins
Gwen had alished to be ht to be happy, but she hadn’t expected to be ued for some ti her as a pawn, but in the end, it was her father’s choice It was her father’s war heroics that had earned this opportunity fron the contracts which sealed her fate