Tempting Miss Allender (Regency Rakes 3) by Wendy Vella

would hear. “If your reservation is due to me, Patience—”
    “No, of course not,” she said quickly, much to his relief.
    “I shall send you a note, Charlie,” Louis said as the young boy climbed into the carriage, followed by Lucy.
    Mathew held his hand out to Patience, and she accepted it reluctantly.
    “I shall see you again, Patience,” he said, and by the twitch of her fingers, he realized that she heard the determination behind his words. He then stepped back from the coach to watch it roll away.
    “I like the Allender family, Uncle,” Louis said as they walked back into the house. “And I hope that Charlie will accompany me to the velocipede exhibition.”
    He let his nephew chatter as they returned to the family. When they arrived, Claire and his mother were discussing the Allenders.
    “They have changed so much,” Claire said.
    Mathew sat and reached for his tea as he listened to what his sister was saying.
    Claire had grown up closer to Anthony than Mathew because he had come into his title soon after the death of his father and did not have a lot of time for a little sister. When their brother died they had both been devastated, and she had turned to their mother for comfort because Mathew had become cold and emotionless, his way of dealing with Anthony’s death. Louis had been the catalyst to change that, and even though Mathew still had what Patience had accurately diagnosed as unresolved grief for his brother, he and his sister were now very close.
    “I have to say, Brother, that Patience was quite happy until you walked into the room,” Claire said.
    “I treated her badly during her debut, and although she says she is not angry with me, I believe she still is,” he said, looking around the room.
    Simon’s eyes narrowed, as did Claire’s, and his mother’s cheeks flushed with color. All reactions from the people who loved him unconditionally and found it hard to accept that another person did not.
    “I had not realized that had occurred, Mathew. What did you do to her?”
    “More what didn’t I do, Mother,” Mathew sighed. “I barely spoke to her, never danced with her, and it was probably when she needed my friendship the most.”
    Lady Belmont looked sad. “I never wrote to Emma, even though she wrote to me constantly to see how I was faring after Anthony’s death, and asking if she could visit. My grief was so consuming I pushed everything else aside.”
    “Grief for my father?” Louis moved to his grandmother’s side and she gave Mathew a concerned look. His family knew that he did not like to speak about Anthony.
    “To heal, one must first accept Anthony’s passing, and acceptance does not come by removing all traces of that person from your life, Mathew.”
    Was Patience right? Was it time to bring Anthony back into their lives?
    “Shall we play chess, Louis? And this time I will not let you beat me,” Claire said quickly, and Mathew felt relieved. No, now was not the time. Perhaps it never would be, Mathew thought, rubbing his chest.
    “Yes, playing Simon is no challenge, as he is far too reckless.”
    “Charming,” Simon said. “Remember who taught you, brat.”
    Mathew watched as the game began. He couldn’t stop the feeling that something inside him had been opened slightly, and emotions were leaking out while he struggled to force it closed.
    “Damn you, Patience Allender,” he muttered. Damn you for making me think again.

CHAPTER FOUR
     
     
    “Mr. Stanhope, may I introduce you to my sister, Miss Allender.”
    Lucy’s eyes sparkled as she made the introductions, telling Patience that her sister was quite taken with Mr. Stanhope. He was a few inches taller than Lucy, with blond hair and brown eyes and a boyishly sweet smile. However, Patience knew people could hide a great deal behind just such a smile.
    “Mr. Stanhope,” she said, acknowledging the man with a curtsey.
    “Your sister has told me a great deal about you, Miss Allender. It is a pleasure