Never Fall for Your Fiancee
- Автор: Heath Virginia
- Год: 2021
- Язык: английский
- Год: St. Martin's Publishing Group
- Жанр: Исторические любовные романы
Электронная книга - «Never Fall for Your Fiancee». Краткое содержание книги:
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Virginia Heath's fun characters and situations will have you laughing out loud! Don't miss this wonderful read! - Sabrina Jeffries, *New York Times* bestselling author**
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The first in a new historical rom-com series, a handsome earl hires a fake fiancée to keep his matchmaking mother at bay, but hilarity ensues when love threatens to complicate everything.**
“And now?”
“Now…” Minerva allowed her gaze to settle on Hugh, allowed several painfully loaded seconds to tick by as she smiled at him. “Now, I know with absolute certainty my initial assumption was”—she threaded her arm around his and stared up at him with adoration, secure in the knowledge the forty glorious pounds were now hers—“absolutely correct.”
His hand came up to cover hers where it rested in the crook of his elbow, and he squeezed his thanks. She wanted to snatch it away and stamp on his foot, but she didn’t. “I take it you have already met my family, my lady? I am devastated I couldn’t be there to facilitate the proper introductions.”
“We managed well enough without you, dear. What a charming bunch they are. And your sisters—so like you. I see that now. You must all get your height and distinctive coloring from your father.”
Annoyed by the way his touch still had the power to lay siege to her nerve endings, Minerva untangled herself from Lord Selfish and took his mother’s arm instead as they started toward the drawing room.
“Indeed we do, ma’am. He was tall like Hugh.” The truth. “And we all have his eyes.”
While Vee was a tad wooden throughout most of the tea, she was performing admirably. Even when their effusive fake mother went on and on about the loss of their father, Vee endured it all stoically, giving Minerva a smug sense of satisfaction. Although in fairness to Lucretia, she dominated so much of the conversation with her impassioned monologues, the rest of them were spared. Even Diana was behaving—or almost behaving. But thankfully, as most of her pithy interjections were directed at Lord Bellingham, who more than held his own, their dialogue was more entertaining than jarring, and Hugh’s mother and her delightful husband, Mr. Peabody, laughed and seemed vastly relieved throughout.
Minerva repeatedly felt Hugh’s eyes on her but ignored them, knowing if she didn’t, hers would only shoot daggers at him and make his mother suspicious. There would be plenty of time to allow those daggers to fly later, and she would let him feel the full force of each and every blade. He deserved nothing less. But for now, she was being the perfect Minerva he was paying for. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of questioning either her effort or his dratted value for money.
It wasn’t only the weight of Hugh’s stare she could feel across the room. His mother was doing her fair share of staring, too. Understandably, she supposed, as Miss Minerva Landridge had been an enigma for the past eighteen months, and if she were in the other woman’s shoes, she would have plenty of questions.
“Are you looking forward to being mistress of Standish House, Minerva?” His mother stared over the rim of her teacup.
“More daunted at the moment, my lady.” She reasoned the more she stuck to the truth, the better. “I am not used to anywhere near so grand or so vast. In the absence of a map, I still have to rely heavily on the servants to navigate myself around it.”
“I felt the same way when I came here as a young bride. It took about a year, as I recall, before I felt I knew the whole house and the grounds sufficiently to not get lost. Although getting lost in the gardens was no chore. I’ve always loved them.”
“They are lovely.” After living in a grotty corner of London, all of Hampshire seemed beautiful. “I have made a start of exploring the grounds on my afternoon walks.” The only time she could snatch for herself during the busy lesson-packed days, thanks to the lord and master. “I found the folly yesterday quite by accident because I had taken the wrong path.”
“Have you seen the cave yet?”
“You have a cave?”
“We do indeed—but alas, the hermit who used to live in it is gone. Gruff Godfrey … Do you remember him, Hugh?”
“I do. He had a pointed hat and the longest beard I’ve ever seen.” She could sense him daring her to look at him and was only too happy to ignore the plea. It was about time Hugh learned the world didn’t revolve around him.
“I never understood why he was called ‘gruff.’ I rather liked him and always found him very pleasant. But alas…” Hugh’s mother sighed, her face a picture of regret. “Lord Tiverton, the wretch, pilfered him in the summer of ’96.”
“He was stolen?” What sort of monster stole another human being? “That’s dreadful.”
“She means he was lured away, Minerva. Lord Tiverton doubled his wages.” Hugh smiled kindly when she had no other choice but to look at him or appear horrendously rude. “Having a hermit in your garden was all the rage back then.” She realized then and there she would never understand the aristocracy. Her world and theirs were just too different.
“It was hardly a passing fad, darling. I’ll have you know some of my friends still have their hermits to this day and wouldn’t be without them. But Hugh’s father thought having a hermitage was an unnecessary extravagance, as does his son, so now it is just a cave—although a very pretty place to wander to when you need a little fresh air. Do you walk every afternoon, Minerva?”
“I confess I am not very good at resting after luncheon and I do so enjoy the fresh air.”
“A rest sounds wonderful, doesn’t it, Mother? You and Jeremiah must be exhausted after your long journey. A good nap and perhaps a nice long bath is exactly what you need. I am sure Payne will have your rooms ready by now. We’ll serve dinner late.”
“That does sound good.” Mr. Peabody’s American accent was like nothing she had ever heard, but Minerva liked it immensely. His mouth seemed to draw out the vowels and soften the consonants. “Nearly three hours in that carriage has certainly rattled these old bones.” He couldn’t be much more than fifty and was still a handsome man, very much in his prime.
“Then I’ll have Payne draw your baths immediately.” Hugh gestured to the butler. “Two hot baths. Quick sharp.”
“If I didn’t know better, I would say you are trying to get rid of us, Hugh darling.” His mother made a point of leaning forward and pouring herself more tea before settling back in her chair. “Why don’t you tell me about the day you first met my son, Minerva? Hugh said for him it was love at first sight.”
“Well, I am ashamed to confess, it wasn’t for me.” She might as well have a bit of fun at his expense. It would make suffering his presence until this charade was over much more bearable, and Hugh wasn’t the only one who could embellish. Minerva was an artist—albeit in a very tenuous way—and embellishment was an artist’s stock-in-trade. “It took a little while for Hugh to grow on me.”
“Really?”
“Really.” She did her best to look troubled. “I read the papers, you see, and as I am sure you are only too aware, my lady, they hinted at such a … dubious reputation.”
“Dubious? What a wonderfully polite way of putting it, Minerva. You do not need to sugar the lemon for me, my dear. Let us always be honest with each other and call foul where necessary.” Hugh’s mother rolled her eyes before skewering her son with her stare. “I am well aware of what they printed and am only relieved they didn’t print the half of it. He was a complete scandal, Minerva. A complete scandal … although not as bad as Giles, of course.”
“I should think not.” Lord Bellingham took mock offense at the suggestion. “Nobody is more of a scandal than me. I am the dictionary definition of the word ‘scandal.’ Just ask my father…” He winked at Hugh’s mother, who couldn’t completely hide her smile. “Could somebody pass me the biscuits? If Minerva is about to launch into the gripping story of the day they met, I shall need sustenance to survive it.”
“I love this story, too.” Like Lord Bellingham, Diana was enjoying herself far too much. She smiled at her partner in crime and helped herself to one of the biscuits on the plate he now cradled. “It is so romantic.” Minerva was going to strangle the Judas as soon as she got her alone.