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The Daring
Exploits of a Runaway Heiress
Millworth Manor # 5
Millworth Manor # 5
By: Victoria Alexander
Releasing April 28th, 2015
Zebra
To Do:
Swim naked in the moonlight
Play in a high stakes card game
Ride an elephant
Be painted sans clothing.
Take a lover…
Lucy Merryweather has inherited a fortune—and her
great-aunt’s list of unfulfilled wishes. What better way to honor her memory
than by accomplishing as many of them as possible? And with Lucy’s family an
ocean away in New York, nothing stands in her way—if one ignores the private
investigator hired to spy on her.
Yet Cameron Effington is infuriatingly difficult to
ignore…
As a reporter, Cameron is always looking for a good
story. An American heiress running rampant between Millworth Manor and Mayfair
is the perfect subject. Not to mention captivating. And extremely kissable. And
if Lucy believes he’s a detective? Well, the truth should never get in the way
of a good story—or hinder delicious, impetuous passion…
“I am well aware that I am under no
obligation to Great-aunt Lucinda, at least not legally, but I feel a, well, a
moral obligation if you will. I was quite moved by the letter she left for me
and by her regrets, but there was nothing I could do about it when you and I
had our lives planned out for us. Now, everything has changed.” She shook her
head. “I do not want to reach the end of my life and have a list of those
things I wanted to do but failed to so much as try. The very idea terrifies me.
I don’t want regrets of my own.” She met his gaze directly. “And if I don’t do
this for her—for me— I know I will.”
“Perhaps . . .” He settled back in his
chair and chose his words carefully. A deceptively casual note sounded in his
voice. “You should do those things you’ve always wanted rather than those
someone else wished to do.”
“Excellent, Jackson.” She fixed him with
a firm look. “And just what do you suggest those might be?”
He shrugged. “I have no idea.”
“Unfortunately, neither do I.” She
crossed her arms over her chest and drew her brows together. “Every bit of my
life has been planned and expected up until now. I’ve never veered from the
course set out for me. Why, I never even questioned whether you and I should
marry. At least not aloud.”
“Nor did I,” Jackson said under his
breath.
“But as I am no longer expected to marry
you, I’m not sure what I want to do.”
“Surely you wish to marry someone
someday?”
“Oh, probably someday, but at the moment
. . .” She shook her head. “I feel very much like a bird who has at long last
been released from its cage.”
“Thank you,” he said wryly.
“Come now, you know what I mean.” She
waved off his comment. “Now that I am free, I have no idea what I want to do
with my freedom. Until I determine that, it seems the best course is to do
those things my great-aunt never had the opportunity to do.”
“I’m not sure that is indeed the best
course. Still . . .” He studied her for a moment. “You haven’t told me what
these regrets of your aunt’s are. I’m assuming the worst, you know. That they
are all improper or scandalous or dangerous.” “Not all of them.” She had no
intention of telling him everything on Lucinda’s long list, but she could tell
him one or two items. “Some of them are a little silly and some are really
rather sweet. For one thing, she always wanted to have a dog but was never able
to have one as dogs made Great-uncle Charles sneeze. There are quite a few that
are as innocent as that.”
His eyes narrowed. “But not all of them?”
“Well, some are a bit more daring.” She
cast him an innocent smile. “But not substantially so.”
“I don’t believe you for a moment.” He
shook his head. “I don’t think this is the least bit advisable, Lucy.”
“Why not? You’re going off to do exactly
what you want. Aside from the notion of following in your father’s adventurous
footsteps, your plans are even less definitive than mine. Why shouldn’t I do what
I want?”
“For
one thing, you’re female,” he said in a distinctly patronizing manner. She did
so hate it when he was patronizing. It was the banker in him, no doubt. And
even though he was now forgoing his life as a banker in favor of something far
more exciting, it was obviously easier to take the man out of the bank than the
bank out of the man. “For another, you have no practical experience at being on
your own. Although I could hire someone to make certain of your safety, I
suppose. A bodyguard or some sort of private investigator—”
“You most certainly will not! I do not
need a nursemaid or a watchdog.”
“I don’t like leaving you here alone with
no one to watch over you.”
She raised a brow. “Goodness, Jackson, I
had no idea you had such a poor opinion of my abilities and intelligence.”
“I didn’t mean that quite the way it
sounded.” Jackson shook his head. “You’ve simply taken me by surprise. I’ve no
doubt you’re probably extremely capable underneath all that”—his eyes
narrowed—“pleasantry.”
“I am unfailingly pleasant.”
“Yes, I know.” He studied her for a long
moment. “You’re determined, aren’t you?”
“I am.”
“Well, I suppose you’re right.” He heaved
a resigned sigh.
“There’s
no reason why you can’t do what you wish. And I suspect there’s nothing I can
do to stop you.”
She cast him her sweetest smile.
“Therefore, I have no objection—”
“Oh, lucky, lucky me.”
He ignored her. “However, I do have
conditions.”
“Conditions?” She scoffed. “I thought we
had established that it’s no longer your right to have any say whatsoever about
what I may or may not do. I am nearly twenty-four years old, you know.”
“I have the right of a good friend, as
someone who cares about you. But if you would prefer not to agree to my
conditions”—he shrugged—“I might feel compelled to write to your parents, or
better yet, your brothers, and tell them of my concerns.” It was his turn to
smile pleasantly.
Lucy narrowed her gaze. She had no doubt
he would do exactly that if she didn’t give in to his demands. “Very well. What
are your conditions?”
“One, that you restrict your pursuit of
these adventures of your great-aunt’s to England and reside either here at
Millworth or at Channing House in London.” He held up his hand to forestall her
objection. “My parents and aunt and uncle will all be traveling, so you would
be as independent as you plan. Of course, the servants will be here.”
Lucy bit back a satisfied smile. She was
well aware that very nearly everyone in his family would be heading toward
different parts of the world in the coming days. She was only telling Jackson
all this in the first place because she intended to ask if she could stay on in
his family’s residences while they were away. She had already decided to pursue
her quests in England for several reasons. First and foremost, she was here,
delightfully far from home and everyone she knew. Besides, her great-aunt had
always wanted to travel to
England
as her mother, Lucy’s great-grandmother, was born here. Lucy’s visit to England
meant she could already cross one regret off the list. Beyond that, as this
would be Lucy’s first attempt at adventure of any kind, it did seem it might be
easier to have grand adventures if she fully understood the language. While she
had studied French and Italian, languages simply eluded her and she could do
little more than ask for directions to the library or the train station. She
nodded. “I can agree to that.”
“And you will periodically call on my
cousin, Lady Dunwell, so that someone will be assured of your well-being.”
“Your cousin Beryl?”
Jackson nodded. “As everyone else will be
out of the country, Beryl is an excellent choice. Her husband, Lionel, is
expected to be prime minister one day. I doubt that I could leave you in better
hands.”
Apparently Jackson was not aware that,
while Lady Dunwell and her husband were most respectable at the moment, the
gossip about their past was extremely interesting and not the least bit proper.
Lucy couldn’t think of a more perfect watchdog. She forced a resigned note to
her voice. “Very well.”
“And.” His tone hardened. “You will allow
me to hire a companion for you.”
“I don’t need a companion.”
“And I have been lax in my
correspondence.”
She narrowed her eyes. “You do realize
there is a word for what you’re doing?”
“I daresay there are any number of words
for what I’m doing.” The smug note in his voice matched the satisfied look in
his eyes.
“Blackmail and extortion immediately come
to mind.” He cast her a completely unrepentant grin. She could not recall ever
wanting to smack that grin off his face before.
“All right.” She sighed. “A companion it
is then.” Still, she could always discharge any companion Jackson found once he
was out of the country.
Jackson paused. “You do realize once your
parents find out—”
“They shall no doubt send someone to
bodily haul me home.” It was awkward to sail off into the unknown when your
family refused to accept that you were an adult. She wasn’t entirely sure how
she was going to deal with that situation should—when it occurred. She’d always been a perfect
daughter. She’d never done anything unexpected or improper in her life. It was
a pity, really. If she’d had more experience with impropriety she’d probably
know how to handle the repercussions of doing the unexpected. “Yes, I do
realize that, which means I probably don’t have a great deal of time to
accomplish what I want.”
“You will write to them?”
“I already have.” She forced a note of
indignation to her voice. “I would never want to worry them. Besides, your
mother wrote to them as well.” Unfortunately, as Mrs. Channing’s letter had
been placed on a hallway table to be posted, Lucy might possibly have dropped
it into the fire. Accidentally, of course.
“And you did tell them that you are no
longer accompanied by my mother.”
“Goodness, Jackson.” She drew her brows
together. “One would think you didn’t trust me.”
“I didn’t mean—”
“Have I ever in my entire life lied to
you?”
“Not that I know of.”
“And do you consider me to be a liar?
Someone who prevaricates? Who hides the truth?” She pinned him with a firm
look. “Well?”
“Of course not.” Jackson shook his head.
“I am sorry. It’s . . . well . . .” He ran his hand through his hair in an
endearingly familiar manner. For a moment she could see the future they had
both expected. It would have been quite pleasant and it was a tiny bit sad to see
it vanish. But not marrying Jackson would never be one of her regrets. “It’s
been a difficult few days.”
“Not to mention the months preceding it.”
She again resisted the urge to bring up Lady Theodosia.
“Still, you’re right.” He shrugged
apologetically. “I have no reason not to trust you.”
“Thank you, Jackson.” She beamed at him.
Perhaps there was something to be said for having a spotless reputation after
all. And it wasn’t a complete lie. She had written, she simply might not have
mentioned that Jackson’s mother had decided to travel the world with her
estranged husband in the hopes of rekindling what they once had. It was
terribly romantic. And extremely convenient.
Nonetheless, even though Lucy had assured
Jackson’s mother she would write to her family, as indeed she had, Lucy had no
doubt that at some point Elizabeth Channing would again write to her dear
friend Pauline Merryweather. Said letter would surely mention Elizabeth’s
travels with her husband and that Lucy had stayed in England. At which point
Pauline would realize she wasn’t entirely certain exactly where her only
daughter was or what she was doing, and there would be hell to pay. As
frustrating as the slow speed of mail and transport across the Atlantic was, at
the moment, Lucy was grateful. By her calculations, she had a minimum of a
month to do what she wanted to do. If she was lucky, she would have far more.
She was under no illusions that she could
do everything on her great-aunt’s list, but it did seem to her that the worth
was as much in the effort as the success. After that, Lucy had no idea what she
would do, but her future certainly didn’t need to be decided here and now. She
had time and money and freedom.
“You are absolutely certain you want to
do this?” Jackson asked.
“Aside from not marrying you”—Lucy
grinned—“I have never been more certain of anything in my life.”
“Again, thank you.”
She laughed. She would always treasure
Jackson, but they were choosing their own roads to follow. She hadn’t the
slightest doubt that one day he would walk his with Lady Theodosia by his side.
Precisely as it should be.
Lucy’s own road was a bit less clear.
Which should have concerned her but didn’t. It was as exciting as it was
daunting. Besides, when fate offered you a hand, you would be a fool not to
take it. Adventure was where one found it, after all, and opportunities were
not to be squandered.
What Jackson didn’t know, what Lucy had
never revealed to anyone, was that her great-aunt wasn’t the only young girl to
make a list of those silly or improper things she wished to do in her life.
Lucinda Wilhelmina
Merryweather had long had a secret list of adventures of her own.
New
York Times bestselling author Victoria Alexander was an award-winning
television reporter until she discovered fiction was much more fun than real
life. She turned to writing full time and has never looked back. Victoria grew
up traveling the country as an Air Force brat and is now settled in a very old
house in Omaha, Nebraska, with her husband, two allegedly grown children and
two bearded collies. She firmly believes housework is a four-letter word, there
are no calories in anything eaten standing up, procrastination is an art form,
and it's never too soon to panic.
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