love.”
“I don’t believe love at first sight to be a common occurrence. Love matches are certainly not common amongst the ton . But that does not mean a woman cannot fall in love with her husband after marriage and enjoy a happy and contented life.”
“Did you and Edward fall in love at first glance?”
“Edward is a handsome Brandreth.” Honor gave a playful smile. “I was attracted naturally. Who would not be? But love…how can one feel love for someone they scarcely know? Their natures are yet to be discovered. I could never love a man I did not respect. Who did not respect me.”
Faith drew up her knees and wrapped her arms around them. “I believe I could.” She could love instantly, blindly, and forever. Even if the man was less than perfect. She frowned. What she must not do was let an impossible love ruin her life.
“I do believe attraction to be necessary.” Honor smoothed the bedclothes with a frown. “But a husband does not have to be brilliant or terribly exciting to be wonderful. You’re tired, dearest.” Honor kissed her cheek. “We have a long trip home tomorrow. Edward and I plan to leave early.”
“Shall I see you before you go?”
“But of course. Sleep well.”
Faith stared at the closed door. Honor and Edward were so perfect for each other. She wanted what they had so dreadfully it made her gasp with longing. Could she find that kind of love with Stephen Sefton? She kneaded her pillow, blew out the candle, and hoped for sleep.
“ Fire! ”
Faith heard a crash somewhere below. She foggily rose to the surface from a deep sleep, wondering if she’d had a nightmare.
“ Fire! ”
“Heavens!” She smelt smoke as she leapt out of bed and raced to fling open the door.
Without pausing for her dressing gown, she darted out into the dimly lit corridor, where candles gutted in their sconces, and ran straight into a hard body.
“Faith!” Vaughn’s hands reached out and touched her, alighting on a breast, then dropped away.
“Is there a fire? Mama, Father, I must go to them.”
“Your father has taken your mother outside, and Edward and Honor have gone too. I’ve been entrusted to escort you.” He grabbed her hand and began to run with her toward the stairs. Smoke rose up the grand staircase from the hall below.
“We’ll try the servants’ stairs.”
She hesitated. “I must go back for my dressing gown.”
“Not a good idea.” Vaughn stripped off his banyan and held it out to her. “Here.”
While she slipped it on, she eyed him in his trousers and shirt, which was open at the neck displaying a vee of dark hair on his chest. She took a deep breath as her stomach coiled into knots. Were they about the die together? She reefed the material up in her hands. “It’s much too long.”
“Come on. I’ll carry you.”
“No.” Faith reddened, aware she wore no undergarments. She gathered up the banyan and attempted to run. The silken folds slipped through her fingers, and she caught her foot in the material and stumbled.
“You’d prefer to burn to death than have me carry you without your corset?” Vaughn said with a lift of his eyebrows.
She firmed her lips. “Yes.”
“You must endure, Lady Faith.” With a laugh, he swung her up into his arms.
She gasped. “Put me down!”
“When we get out of this dashed house.”
They covered the long corridor in no time, and Vaughn leapt down the steps as if she weighed no more than a new-born chick.
“Put me down at the bottom of the stairs,” she said, aware of a big hand warming her rib cage alarmingly close to her breast.
Vaughn reached the deserted kitchen and carried her out into the cold. His hands slid over her derrière as he placed her on her feet. “I’m sorry to have to put you down,” he said. “You’re a cuddly armful.”
“And you are a disgrace.” Faith looked at him suspiciously then turned her head away to hide her smile.
“Ungrateful,” he said as Faith gathered his thin
“I don’t believe love at first sight to be a common occurrence. Love matches are certainly not common amongst the ton . But that does not mean a woman cannot fall in love with her husband after marriage and enjoy a happy and contented life.”
“Did you and Edward fall in love at first glance?”
“Edward is a handsome Brandreth.” Honor gave a playful smile. “I was attracted naturally. Who would not be? But love…how can one feel love for someone they scarcely know? Their natures are yet to be discovered. I could never love a man I did not respect. Who did not respect me.”
Faith drew up her knees and wrapped her arms around them. “I believe I could.” She could love instantly, blindly, and forever. Even if the man was less than perfect. She frowned. What she must not do was let an impossible love ruin her life.
“I do believe attraction to be necessary.” Honor smoothed the bedclothes with a frown. “But a husband does not have to be brilliant or terribly exciting to be wonderful. You’re tired, dearest.” Honor kissed her cheek. “We have a long trip home tomorrow. Edward and I plan to leave early.”
“Shall I see you before you go?”
“But of course. Sleep well.”
Faith stared at the closed door. Honor and Edward were so perfect for each other. She wanted what they had so dreadfully it made her gasp with longing. Could she find that kind of love with Stephen Sefton? She kneaded her pillow, blew out the candle, and hoped for sleep.
“ Fire! ”
Faith heard a crash somewhere below. She foggily rose to the surface from a deep sleep, wondering if she’d had a nightmare.
“ Fire! ”
“Heavens!” She smelt smoke as she leapt out of bed and raced to fling open the door.
Without pausing for her dressing gown, she darted out into the dimly lit corridor, where candles gutted in their sconces, and ran straight into a hard body.
“Faith!” Vaughn’s hands reached out and touched her, alighting on a breast, then dropped away.
“Is there a fire? Mama, Father, I must go to them.”
“Your father has taken your mother outside, and Edward and Honor have gone too. I’ve been entrusted to escort you.” He grabbed her hand and began to run with her toward the stairs. Smoke rose up the grand staircase from the hall below.
“We’ll try the servants’ stairs.”
She hesitated. “I must go back for my dressing gown.”
“Not a good idea.” Vaughn stripped off his banyan and held it out to her. “Here.”
While she slipped it on, she eyed him in his trousers and shirt, which was open at the neck displaying a vee of dark hair on his chest. She took a deep breath as her stomach coiled into knots. Were they about the die together? She reefed the material up in her hands. “It’s much too long.”
“Come on. I’ll carry you.”
“No.” Faith reddened, aware she wore no undergarments. She gathered up the banyan and attempted to run. The silken folds slipped through her fingers, and she caught her foot in the material and stumbled.
“You’d prefer to burn to death than have me carry you without your corset?” Vaughn said with a lift of his eyebrows.
She firmed her lips. “Yes.”
“You must endure, Lady Faith.” With a laugh, he swung her up into his arms.
She gasped. “Put me down!”
“When we get out of this dashed house.”
They covered the long corridor in no time, and Vaughn leapt down the steps as if she weighed no more than a new-born chick.
“Put me down at the bottom of the stairs,” she said, aware of a big hand warming her rib cage alarmingly close to her breast.
Vaughn reached the deserted kitchen and carried her out into the cold. His hands slid over her derrière as he placed her on her feet. “I’m sorry to have to put you down,” he said. “You’re a cuddly armful.”
“And you are a disgrace.” Faith looked at him suspiciously then turned her head away to hide her smile.
“Ungrateful,” he said as Faith gathered his thin
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