Authors: Julia Quinn
Splendid
Julia Quinn
S
PLENDID
For my mother,
who let me drag her to all those bookstores.
And for Paul, even though he insisted that
the title ought to be
Splendid in the Grass
.
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I
remember well when I began
Splendid,
my debut novel. It was the summer after I'd graduated college; I'd already read everything by my favorite romance authors and was craving more. I found myself daydreaming as my subway train shuttled back and forth between Cambridge and Boston. What if an American came to London, and what if she met a duke? And what would happen if he thought she was a servant? What would happen when he discovered her true identity? Would he be angry? (Well,
yeah,
of course he would, but he'd kiss her anyway, wouldn't he?)
I stopped going to the movies and watching TV. I even stopped reading! All I could do was sit in front of my computer and bang at the keys until Emma and Alex and all of their meddling relatives came to life, and, of course, fell in love. All I had to work with was a sheer love of storytelling and a determination to one day see my words printed on the pages of a book that would actually be purchased by someone other than my mother.
Splendid
is, perhaps, not as polished as what I publish today, but there is something very special interwoven in the wordsâa sense of joy and exuberance that I think one can only find in debut novels. I loved every minute that I spent writing this book.
I hope that
Splendid
brings you as much joy as it did me...
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Best wishes,
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Contents
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“You're sending me away?”
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“You realize, of course, that there will be hell to pay â¦
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Emma heard voices before she opened her eyes.
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Alex stood in front of the Blydon mansion staring at theâ¦
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“Ashbourne! This is a surprise.
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For one blessed second, Emma thought she was hallucinating.
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Emma breathed a sigh of relief as soon as sheâ¦
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“I am so glad you decided to let me go with you,
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During the next few weeks, Emma's life settledâ¦
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Emma slunk along the side of the Lindworthys' home,
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Seated in the plush carriage, Emma began to replay theâ¦
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Emma immediately noticed the predatory gleam in Alex's eyeâ¦
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Mesmerized, Emma could not tear her eyes offâ¦
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For all of Emma's determination to put her feminineâ¦
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The next morning Emma found that love had anotherâ¦
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Oh Lord, what was she thinking?
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The lonely walk home gave Emma ample time to scrutinize herâ¦
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“How do I look?”
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Emma's mouth fell open.
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A few hours later, Emma's eyelids fluttered open, and sheâ¦
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Emma bit her lip and did her best to stand up straight.
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Before Emma could catch her breath, she found herself atâ¦
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The next few weeks of Emma's life were among theâ¦
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The skies had cleared considerably since the previousâ¦
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Emma strode down the hall and barged into Shiptonâ¦
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Alex had just enough presence of mind to stop and get Dunfordâ¦
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Emma decided to put her plans for the buildingâ¦
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Boston, Massachusetts
February 1816
“Y
ou're sending me away?”
Emma Dunster's violet eyes were wide open with shock and dismay.
“Don't be so dramatic,” her father replied. “Of course I'm not sending you away. You're just going to spend a year in London with your cousins.”
Emma's mouth fell open. “But...why?”
John Dunster shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “I just think that you ought to see a little more of the world, that's all.”
“But I've been to London. Twice.”
“Yes, well, you're older now.” He cleared his throat a few times and sat back.
“Butâ”
“I don't see why this is such a hardship. Henry and Caroline love you like their own, and you told me yourself that you like Belle and Ned better than any of your friends in Boston.”
“But they've been visiting for two months. It's not as if I haven't seen them recently.”
John crossed his arms. “You're sailing back with them tomorrow, and that's final. Go to London, Emma. Have some fun.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Are you trying to marry me off?”
“Of course not! I just think that a change of scenery will do you good.”
“I disagree. There are a thousand reasons why I simply cannot leave Boston at the present time.”
“Really?”
“Yes. There is this household, for example. Who will manage it while I'm gone?”
John smiled indulgently at his daughter. “Emma, we live in a twelve-room house. It doesn't require much managing. And I'm sure that the little that is necessary can be most ably performed by Mrs. Mullins.”
“What about all of my friends? I shall miss them all dreadfully. And Stephen Ramsay will be most disappointed if I leave so suddenly. I think he's on the verge of proposing.”
“For God's sake, Emma! You don't care two figs for young Ramsay. You shouldn't raise the poor boy's hopes just because you don't want to go to London.”
“But I thought you wanted us to marry. His father is your best friend.”
John sighed. “When you were ten I might have entertained thoughts of a future match between the two of you. But it was obvious even then that you would never suit. You would drive him crazy within a week.”
“Your concern for your only child is touching,” Emma muttered.
“And he would bore you senseless,” John finished gently. “I only wish Stephen would realize the fruitlessness of it. It's all the more reason for you to leave town. If you're an ocean away, he might finally look elsewhere for a bride.”
“But I really prefer Boston.”
“You adore England,” John countered, his voice bordering on exasperation. “You couldn't stop talking about how much you loved it last time we went.”
Emma swallowed and caught her lower lip nervously between her teeth. “What about the company?” she said softly.
John sighed and sat back. At last, the real reason why Emma didn't want to leave Boston. “Emma, Dunster Shipping will still be here when you get back.”
“But there is still so much more for me to know! How am I going to take over eventually if I don't learn all I can now?”
“Emma, you and I both know that there is no one I would rather leave the company to than you. I built Dunster Shipping up from nothing, and Lord knows I want to pass it on to my own flesh and blood. But we have to face facts. Most of our clients will be reluctant to do business with a woman. And the workers aren't going to want to take orders from you. Even if your last name is Dunster.”
Emma closed her eyes, knowing it was true and nearly ready to cry over the unfairness of it all.
“I know that there is no one better suited to run Dunster Shipping,” her father said gently. “But that doesn't mean that anyone else will agree with me. Much as it angers me, I have to accept the fact that the company will falter with you at the helm. We'd lose all of our contracts.”
“For no other reason besides my gender,” she said sullenly.
“I'm afraid so.”
“I'm going to run this company some day.” Emma's violet eyes were clear and deadly serious.
“Good Lord, girl. You don't give up, do you?”
Emma caught her lower lip between her teeth and stood her ground.
John sighed. “Did I ever tell you about the time you had influenza?”
Emma shook her head, confused by the sudden change of subject.
“It was right after the disease took your mother. You were four, I think. Such a tiny little thing.” He looked up at his only child, warmth and affection shining in his eyes. “You were very small as a childâyou're still small as an adult, but when you were youngâoh, you were so, so tiny I didn't think it possible that you'd have the strength to fight the illness.”
Emma sat down, deeply moved by her father's choked words.
“But you pulled through,” he said suddenly. “And then I realized what saved you. You were simply too stubborn to die.”
Emma wasn't able to suppress a tiny smile.
“And I,” her father continued, “I was too stubborn to let you.” He straightened his shoulders as if banishing the sentimentality of the moment. “In fact, I may be the only person on this earth who is more stubborn than you are, daughter, so you may as well accept your fate.”
Emma groaned. It was time to face itâthere was no way to avoid going to England. Not that a trip abroad could be considered punishment. She adored her cousins. Belle and Ned were the sister and brother she'd never had. But still, one had to think of the serious things, and Emma didn't want to neglect her self-imposed commitment to Dunster Shipping. She glanced back over at her father. He was sitting behind his desk, arms crossed, looking implacable. Emma sighed, resigning herself to a temporary setback. “Oh, all right.” She got up to leaveâto pack, she supposed, since she'd be leaving the next day on one of her father's ships. “But I'll be back.”
“I'm sure you will. Oh, and Emma?”
She turned around.
“Don't forget to have a little fun while you're there, all right?”
Emma flashed her father her most mischievous smile. “Really, Papa, you don't think I would deny myself a good time in London just because I didn't want to be there?”
