A Rival Heir (26 page)

"Oh, Hugh." She turned her face up to him, her lips trembling, and suddenly he was kissing her--right there in front of the Queen Square house! Her body leaned toward him, as though he were the sun and source of her very survival.

"Will you marry me?"

"Oh, Hugh, you know I cannot!"

"Will you marry me if you do not have to break your promise?"

Her eyes blinked in confusion. "Oh, Hugh, I love you. Of course I would marry you if I didn't have to break my promise."

He smiled ruefully. "Very well. She can't live forever, the wicked woman. I dare say we can avoid her now and again. Longstreet Manor is a large house."

"But... You cannot mean to..."

"Yes, my adorable Nell. If living at the manor is the only way I can have you as my bride, then live there I shall. She does intend to leave it to me, you know. I might as well reacquaint myself with the place."

"But... but what if she should accept Lord Westwick?"

"The place will be a little crowded, to be sure, but we'll manage. And I cannot think she would object to your accompanying me to Fallings from time to time, then. In fact, I shall insist upon it, even if she doesn't marry the earl."

Nell burst into tears. Hugh had never seen her cry before, and only realized after a few moments of dabbing at the moisture with his handkerchief that they were tears of happiness.

"Come, my sweet. There is nothing to cry about. We'll tell Emily first. She's been planning to make you her sister-in-law, and will be delighted to hear that she has once again been successful in one of her schemes."

* * * *

Rosemarie was nonplussed. She looked from Nell to Sir Hugh and said bluntly, "He can't live at Longstreet Manor."

"Of course he can," Nell retorted. "There's plenty of room, and if I'm going to marry him, he'll
have
to live there."

"You aren't going to marry him. You promised to stay with me as long as I live."

"And so I shall, aunt. I didn't promise not to marry; I promised only to stay with you, and I intend to do precisely that. Sir Hugh is your heir and it makes sense that he should spend time at Longstreet Manor, in any case."

"I can change my will," her aunt stated flatly. "I can leave my estate to someone else."

"Yes, but you have
promised
, have you not?" Nell asked innocently. "As I have. I think—in fact I am quite certain—that if you decided not to honor your promise to Sir Hugh, I would feel released from my promise to my grandfather."

"I think she has you there, ma'am," Sir Hugh said with a grin. "Your niece is a very honorable young woman, but she expects her conviction to be met with a similar commitment."

"You can't tell me you won't be haring off to Fallings all the time," his godmother suggested slyly. "
Then
what will missy do? Take off with you, or I miss my bet."

"Sometimes she will, sometimes she won't," Sir Hugh said. "She isn't indentured to you, Miss Longstreet. Her promise to stay with you does not--to my mind, at least--trap her at Longstreet Manor for every day of your life. Nell will reside there, but make trips whenever she pleases--to Fallings, to Bath, to London--just as any young lady might."

"He's marrying you for your money!" Rosemarie snapped to her niece.

But Nell only laughed. "Poor fellow. Some men would not think there was enough money in the entire world to offset having to live away from their own homes."

And she realized as she said it that it was what Lord Westwick had done, as well. For the love of his life he had given up his family estate and established himself in Bath with his countess. Not quite the same as living with a cantankerous lady like Aunt Longstreet, but just as much proof of his love.

Nell twined her arm with Sir Hugh's and asked gently, "Won't you wish us happy, Aunt Longstreet?"

"If I decide to accept Westwick, I won't have you two living at Longstreet Manor and underfoot all the time. Is that clear?"

"Yes, ma'am," they both said together.

"But you can visit, now and again. That would be all right."

"Yes, ma'am."

"That's
if
I accept him."

Nell and Sir Hugh said nothing.

"It's not a sure thing that I will."

"No, ma'am." But we can hope, Nell thought, and Sir Hugh squeezed her arm.

"And don't go trying to influence me."

"No, ma'am."

Rosemarie’s gaze dropped slightly before Nell’s determined look. “And I do wish you happy,” she said grudgingly.

“Thank you.”

There was a knock at the front door. Nell knew it would be Lord Westwick, come for his reluctant bride's decision. She watched as her aunt, most uncharacteristically, patted her hair into place and tossed the shawl off her knees.

"Run along now, you two. I've seen enough of this April and May. I want a word in private with Westwick."

Nell, her eyes sparkling, led her intended from the room. When the earl had greeted them and moved on to face his dragon in the parlor, Nell urged Hugh down the hall to the study. "She's going to accept him!" she whispered as he closed the door behind them.

"Thank heaven!" he replied, pulling her into his arms and capturing her lips with his.

Copyright © 2002 by Elizabeth Rotter

Originally published by Signet (0451205278)

Electronically published in 2007 by Belgrave House/Regency Reads

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

No portion of this book may be reprinted in whole or in part, by printing, faxing, E-mail, copying electronically or by any other means without permission of the publisher. For more information, contact Belgrave House, 190 Belgrave Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94117-4228

     www.RegencyReads.com

     Electronic sales: [email protected]

This is a work of fiction. All names in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to any person living or dead is coincidental.