Will she realize he has met his match?
Lady Anna Ravencroft shines brightly as
a much-admired organizer and hostess. In her mind it is the one thing at which
she succeeds. Inwardly she is shy, retiring… a wallflower. With two failed
seasons that ended in disaster she has accepted marriage might not be in her
future.
Lord Fraser Castleton, a London
barrister is shocked when he inherits a title and estate from his father’s
great uncle and becomes the 8th Duke of Willbury. He returns to
Sommer-by-the-Sea to take up permanent residence. He crosses paths with his
longtime friend, Lady Anna. He confides that he is the target of every mother
with an unmarried daughter. She commiserates with him. Every eligible gentleman
sees the Ravencroft purse rather than her. Together they decide to find a mate
for each other. Anna presents him with a list of several eligible women. Castleton
is receptive, but not enthusiastic. He gives her the same reaction with the
subsequent two lists. Will she realize he has already found his match?
Richard Younge who doesn’t always play by the rules wants to be the next Member of Parliament for his borough. His political backer will support him if Younge can finance the campaign himself. He suggests Younge find a wealthy wife to support his political plans. Marrying a Ravencroft would all but guarantee not only his backer’s continued support but provide the steady stream of money needed to claim his place amongst the gentry. He calls on Lady Anna for assistance with a campaign event and has an ulterior motive.
The Lady and the Barrister is Book 1 in The Return of the Ladies of Sommer-by-the-Sea series
Prologue
The
last time Lady Marianna Ravencroft sat with Captain Fraser Castleton, Retd, for
any length of time, was the summer of 1809, five years ago when he joined her
for tea. They sat in her garden at Raven Hall and talked for hours.
Well,
he talked. She listened. They knew each other growing up and enjoyed each
other’s company. It didn’t take long before they once again teased each other,
sliding back into that comfortable place.
Anna,
a soft smile on her lips, couldn’t keep from looking at him. Not to stare, but
to make sure he was really there. His natural open presence was welcoming. There
was still a hint of his wild warrior ways. Life’s design had taught him to harness
that energy to transform him into a secure, confident, compassionate man. He
was ruggedly handsome. Perhaps that was the lasting effect of his wild days.
She chuckled to herself.
She
took a deeper look and relented. He was physically handsome with his dark wavy
hair just a bit too long, his well-trimmed beard, his blue green eyes just a bit
too bright, and a devastating smile that always curled her toes. She let out a
breath and tried to relax said toes.
Their
time together was more than pleasant, although she did notice there was one
part of his life he would not divulge. He skirted around the horrors he
experienced during his five years in the service until finally he seemed to run
out of words. The only ones left were about the war. About his brother, Lucian.
The
silence went on for several agonizing minutes. Mrs. Cutler, Ravencroft’s
housekeeper, brought a plate of tarts and ginger biscuits along with a pot of
tea. Still, he said nothing. Anna poured his tea and fortified it with a splash
of her father’s brandy. His chest heaved, and he let the air out slowly. His
face turned into a mask of pain, hurt, anger, and acceptance all rolled into
one.
“I’ve
buried Lucian’s death deep. Every time I think I can talk about it…” He stared
at his shaking hands then at her.
“When
you want to talk, I’m here to listen.” Anna covered his hands with her own, a
surprising warmth spread through her.
His
breathing was ragged as he struggled for control.
“You
have no idea. Imagine the worst thing you can think of. That is not half as bad
as what I observed.” He paused. “What I had to do. Things I want to tell you
but cannot.” His voice was barely a whisper.
Oh,
but she did have some insight. He wasn’t aware that she and her friend Lady
Harriet Manning had helped soldiers who returned from the war. Hattie was a
beautiful person inside and out. On the outside, she had a trim frame, fine
features, and expressive amber eyes. Her hair, when not neatly gathered in a
knot at the base of her neck, was long and thick. It was the most interesting
shade of a reddish brown, the color of fine burgundy.
On
the inside, Hattie was a compassionate caregiver. Medically trained by her
father, the Earl of Manning and a renowned physician, Hattie in turn taught
Anna what to do. Together, they nursed men physically and mentally. Each man
was a survivor, a hero, not a victim of Napoleon and his war.
For
now, she remained quiet. Castleton needed to talk.
“The
brutality. What one man is capable of doing to another. A man you never met. A
man just as scared as you.” Castleton said nothing for a few minutes. “That was
four years ago, and to me, it was yesterday.”
What
went on in his head? From his grimace, she suspected he continued to fight an
internal battle. She wanted to put her arms around him and give him her
strength, but that would do more harm than good. Instead, she waited and
listened.
“Lucian
and I served together. We were never far from each other. Barrington sent us to
assist Vice-Admiral Nelson.” He closed his eyes.
Anna
schooled herself not to react, but dear God, he was back in the thick of it
all, on the HMS Victory.
“Captain
Hardy, Lucian, and I were on Victory’s deck with the Vice-Admiral as he paced
the quarterdeck with the battle waging around us. A multitude of ordnance
exploded in quick succession, creating an echo so painful it felt as if your
head was about to burst.
“With
each explosion came the sound of splintering wood, the crash of debris into the
water or onto the deck. But worse were the screams and groans of the wounded
men. We strained to hear our orders over the din.”
Anna
sat numb. For her, he painted vivid, terrible pictures. They were more
horrendous for Castleton. Now, months later, he was back in the middle of it,
seeing the explosions, smelling the gunpowder, and hearing the screams.
Reliving it again, as if once wasn’t enough.
“In
the tumult, no one heard the blast of a single rifle, but a single shot it was.
Fired from the mizzen of the French ship Redoubtable. The shot hit
Nelson in his left shoulder. He collapsed at my feet. I went to his aid, but he
wouldn’t let me carry him. Instead, I helped him to his feet and gave him my
shoulder.
“Before
I went below deck, I saw Lucian run to the gunwale with his rifle raised. He
got his shot off. The assassin did as well. I watched the man fall from the
mizzen. Hardy urged me to take Nelson below. I didn’t know the assassin’s shot
had been true, that he shot Lucian in his chest.”
The
pain in his eyes tore at her, but she couldn't do or say anything to comfort
him. Let him talk.
“While
I helped Nelson, my brother, my twin brother lay dying above me.” He stared
into the garden. “I didn’t sit with him. Help him. Ease his way. I didn’t… say
good-bye.” His words trailed off. Silent for several minutes, at last he took a
deep breath. “When I found him, I cradled him in my arms, and I vowed with all
my heart that I would finish his mission and care for those he held dear.” He
stared at her with watery eyes. “And cried.”
Anna
couldn’t sit still a moment longer. She knelt next to his chair, put her arm
around him, and held him close.
They
sat without speaking, her throat knotted and hot with grief. She couldn’t say
anything if she wanted to. And if she did speak, what would she say? She was
sorry for his loss? She understood how he felt? All empty words that held
little meaning and meant less.
Anna
gently placed her hand over his.
Castleton
turned over his hand and intertwined his fingers with hers. After what seemed
like hours, he gazed at her. Raw hurt glittered in his eyes. He gently squeezed
her hand before he released her.
She
went back to her seat.
“What
will you do now?” She might as well finish what she started even though his
answer was not what she wanted to hear. She removed the last tart from the
serving dish and put it on his plate.
Mrs.
Cutler brought in a fresh pot of tea and heated Castleton’s cup.
“Thank
you, Mrs. Cutler.” One corner of his mouth pulled into a smile. “I missed your
tarts.”
“At
least now you’re not pilfering them and running from my kitchen. I’m too old to
run after you with my rolling pin.” The housekeeper shook her head.
There
was a faint gleam of humor in his eyes, and his mouth curved into an
unconscious smile. Anna found his smile catching.
“You’re
a wonderful and generous woman.” Castleton’s sincerity took the woman by
surprise.
“It
was all a hoax. I can tell you now. I made extra tarts for you and your friends.”
“But
you waved your rolling pin—” His voice rose in feigned surprise.
“And
laughed as you grabbed the tarts and ran away. My own lads did the same. I
remember the day one of the boys from the village pushed your brother, and he
dropped his prize into the pond. You gave him yours and metered out justice, making
the unruly boys work off their debt. It was no surprise to me that you became a
barrister.”
“Ah,
that was why a lone tart remained on the cooling rack when I came by the
kitchen. You nodded toward the tart and turned your back.” A faraway, amused
look filled his eyes as he licked his lips.
“I
think that was the most delicious tart I ever ate.”
“I
wouldn’t let you go hungry.” Mrs. Cutler nodded and withdrew. The misty look on
the woman’s face caught Anna by surprise.
"I
understand now. You’re here for Mrs. Cutler’s tarts.” Anna teased him as she
did when they were younger.
“I
missed you too, Anna. Unfortunately, I won’t be here long. I return to London
in the morning. I’ve decided I must pick up where I left off at the Inns of
Court.”
She
settled back in her chair, disappointed.
“We
must write, and you have to plan to visit when you’re in London.”
“If
you are leaving so soon, then I had best give you your present.” Anna nodded to
the footman who stood by the door.
“Present?
What for?” There may have been a trace of denial in his voice, but the
childlike expectation of a gift lit up his face.
A
furry brown and black ball with a splash of white snorted and happily bounded
toward her. The pup made a stop at Castleton’s feet, then sat at attention, her
eyes bright and her tongue out.
“Fraser
Castleton, let me introduce you to Kaiah. She’s from a unique breed of herding dogs.
She can keep you company on your walks, even in London. You will be the talk of
Hyde Park.”
Kaiah
nuzzled his hand.
“I’ve
tried to teach her proper manners, but she shamelessly craves attention.”
He
ruffled Kaiah’s silky coat.
“Does
she play fetch?” He was still stroking her coat.
Anna
nodded to Kaiah. The dog trotted off to the garden and brought back a stick.
She sat in front of Castleton, put down the toy, and eagerly waited.
They
spent the next several minutes with the pup racing in the garden.
Castleton’s
smile set her at ease. If only she could make him smile that way.
“I’ve
decided to devote myself to my profession.” He kept tossing a stick for Kaiah
to retrieve.
“That’s
an admirable goal.”
“Aunt
Adelaide would have me believe that a well-established profession is followed
by a well-established family. I hate to disappoint her, but I see no family in
my future.”
“No
family?” Everyone wanted a family. Family was loving and supporting one
another. She couldn’t imagine life without her family, and she looked forward
to having one of her own. Where was the man who moments ago teased, challenged,
and laughed? She had always known there was something special about him,
something special between them.
“Every
one of us dies. I will never put anyone I love through that hell.” There was a
finality in his words, in his stance, in his face. He silently pleaded with her
to understand.
She
didn’t have an answer for him.
He
stood in the garden playing with Kaiah, but to Anna, he was already gone, and
there was nothing she could do to change his mind or bring him back.
He
and Kaiah departed the next day. He did come back to Sommer-by-the-Sea to see his
Aunt Adelaide, the Duchess of Willbury every so often, but their paths went in
different directions.
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