Friendship…Loyalty…and Honor above all.
Theodora
Lady Archer’s Creed (Book One)
Christina McKnight
Genre: Historical Romance, Regency
Release Date: January 17, 2017
Friendship…
Lady
Theodora Montgomery departed Miss Emmeline’s School of Education and Decorum
for Ladies of Outstanding Quality to attend her first London Season—her three
dearest friends by her side. With her sharp wit and skill on the archery field,
Theo is far more interested in winning a large purse prize than securing a
husband. But when she is unmasked on the tourney grounds, her face exposed to
all, she fears her identity and days spent gallivanting around London will
cause not only her undoing, but the downfall of her friends as well.
Loyalty…
Mr.
Alistair Price, heir to the elderly Viscount Melton, arrived in London with his
eight younger siblings in tow. He is charged with keeping his family name above
reproach until the Season starts and his sister, Miss Adeline Price, is
presented to society—though that proves far more difficult than Alistair ever
expected when he discovers his rebellious sister climbing down the side of
their townhouse and scurrying off to Whitechapel for an archery tournament. His
focus remains on saving his family from the certain ruin and disgrace Adeline’s
actions invites—until Alistair catches sight of another female archer, her
arrow connecting with far more than the center of her target.
And honor
above all…
With Theodora’s future—and that of her friends—in
jeopardy, will she agree to a marriage devoid of affection, or risk everything
for the man who won her heart?
Chapter One
London, England
October 1825
Alistair
Alexander Price entered his father’s townhouse—for all intents and purposes, his townhouse since his father had taken
ill the year before and was unable to travel. Alistair was responsible for the
care and well-being of his siblings—he was to tend the account ledgers, he was
answerable to all his father’s tenants—and it seemed, Alistair was also solely
accountable for the funds needed to fulfill all of those obligations.
“Your coat, Mr.
Price?” Donavon, the family butler, held his arm out, prepared to take his over
garment.
Alistair
shrugged, allowing the coat to fall from his shoulders and into his butler’s
waiting arms. “Thank you. I will be in my study, please make sure I am not
disturbed.”
“Of course, Mr.
Price.” The servant gave him a faint smile.
Alistair was
fairly certain the staff was delighted to have the Melton horde in residence—and
agreeable to Alistair filling his father’s vacant shoes, though he had not
inherited the Melton Viscountship as yet.
With a nod,
Alistair continued on to his father’s study. He shook his head. His study. It was highly unlikely his
father would ever journey to London again.
Alistair needed a
quiet place to think, and if it took drinking himself into a stupor to figure
out his family’s problems, then so be it. With eight younger siblings in
residence, a quiet room was hard to come by; however, he knew his three
brothers were at their fencing lessons, and the female part of his household
avoided his study as much as possible—unless summoned. Alistair had made a
point of using the room when doling out lectures on inappropriate behavior, as
well as when imparting bad news.
Anyone who
invaded his private space was subject to one or the other—and on many
occasions, both.
His footsteps
sounded as he walked down the corridor, past his sisters’ receiving room—not
that the five Melton females were used to receiving guests beyond family—and
beyond to the study.
The day had not
gone as planned, to say the least. His father’s longtime solicitor, Mr. Adams,
had shared with Alistair the dire conditions of the many Melton estates. Since
the viscount had begun his downward spiral and his illnesses finally took his
ability to walk, not a single tenant issue had been addressed, no roofs had
been mended beyond what the villagers could do themselves, and no upkeep to the
estate gardens had been done. And their family coffers were continually drained
from the expenses of supporting nine children and a full-time physician to care
for the aging viscount.
Alistair’s father
had once been a very hands-on viscount, not trusting estate business and tenant
concerns to anyone. That left Alistair to fumble his way through things once
his father was unable to leave his sickbed—and his mother unwilling to leave
her husband’s side.
Alistair rounded
his desk and fell heavily into his chair—the chair he’d seen his father occupy
for all of Alistair’s twenty-five years. It had remained vacant for nearly two
years before Alistair and his mother made the decision to remove the children
to London to avoid them witnessing the viscount’s worsening condition. His
mother was to join them before his sister, Adeline, was presented to society.
The news had
arrived yesterday—two short weeks before Adeline’s first ball—that Viscountess
Melton would not be joining her children in London. At least, not this season.
Certainly,
Alistair could handle depositing Adeline at her dress fittings, consulting with
her on which invitations to accept, and accompanying her on outings to Hyde
Park, but he did not enjoy any of those things, and as a rule, strictly avoided
any excursion that would result in meeting marriage-minded females. There was
an overabundance of those to contend with in his own home without seeking them
out about town.
And Alistair
hadn’t the time or the patience for any of it.
Thankfully, he
only need present one sibling to the ton
this season, Adeline—next season would be Adelaide and Amelia, and after them,
Arabella the following year. Lastly, Ainsley. It was all too much to wrap one’s
mind around. The viscount’s coffers would be empty long before Alistair
inherited the title. And what to do about his brothers: Abel, Alfred, and
Adrian? They were remarkably unconcerned with their future paths. None of the
three wanted their father to purchase them a commission to serve their
country—though Alfred and Adrian were much too young to be burdened with such
thoughts as yet. Not a one had an interest in any trade, but Abel did enjoy
spending his spare time assisting at the British Museum, without pay, of
course; however, at the age of twenty and one, he should be focusing on
something more suitable to support a family.
Alistair would
see his duty through: ensuring that all of his siblings were wed and taken care
of. And then, if there were still time for him and he hadn’t been beaten down
by the strain of it all, he would think about his own future.
There were many
years ahead of him before he had the luxury of pondering what he wanted for his
life. Little Ainsley was only ten, after all, and with eight years until her
introduction, Alistair would have no rest until then.
What had his
parents been thinking? Nine children with his father already close to fifty
when the first was born. It was irresponsible, to say the least. At this point,
Alistair would be close to the same age when he had the time to focus on
finding his own wife. Never would he burden anyone with supporting his
offspring.
As he stared
toward the open door, a flash of green flew past, catching his attention. He
had glimpsed a trail of blonde curls before the girl was out of sight, her
slippered feet making no sound.
He was out of his
chair and following, a lecture on the inappropriateness of running indoors on
the tip of his tongue. It was necessary for him to hurry to the entryway as his
siblings were fast to disappear, especially if they suspected he was in pursuit.
Adeline stood,
ready to enter the receiving room when he called her name, his displeasure
clear in his voice.
Her hand paused
on the door handle but did not turn it.
“Adeline,” he
chastised. “What have I said about running in the house?”
“It is only necessary
to run faster than the person chasing you?”
“Do not play
feebleminded with me,” he sighed, knowing he had, indeed, said those exact
words many times, but that was before he and his sister had reached
adulthood—and he’d been forced to take his unofficial place as head of the
Melton clan. “What did I say about running in the house yesterday?”
“That it is
highly inappropriate for women who’ve left the schoolroom and expect to be
accepted in ballrooms,” she mimicked. “Women who have turned their cotton pinafores
in for silk gowns should refrain from such uncouth behavior.”
“And…” Alistair
prodded. He shouldn’t have to lecture Adeline on her decorum. Hadn’t he spent
enough coin on her tutelage? For a woman of eight and ten, she could use a
healthy dose of maturity.
“If such young
women do not agree, then they are free to pack their trunk and return to the
country.”
He smiled with
pride at her ability to recite his lecture from the day before. “Very good. Miss
Emmeline’s School of Education and Decorum for Ladies of Outstanding Quality
has at least taught you one valuable skill. Now if only you could follow the
sound advice you memorized.”
Adeline
stuck her tongue out at him as she turned toward the door once again.
“Adeline!”
Again her hand froze on the knob—knowing her luck would only get her so far
with her eldest brother. “You must put your childish ways behind you if you
favor a successful season.”
“Of
course, my dearest, most loving, and wise brother.” Her talent for charming
others—all the while mocking them—was a gift all of his siblings shared, though
her sweet words never fooled him. “Now, if you do not mind, it is discourteous
to keep guests waiting.”
“Not
many are informed we are in London. Who is calling on you?”
And
why hadn’t he been informed there was a visitor in his home? It was not only
his aging parents but also his servants who’d taken a liking to his younger
siblings, often doing their bidding without realizing it.
“It
is only Theo, Alistair.” She said the name as if it should be familiar to him. Only Theo?
He
wanted to demand she tell him who the bloody hell Theo was and what the man was
doing calling on his sister without properly introducing himself to Adeline’s
eldest brother before requesting an audience with her. True, their parents were
still responsible for the lot of them; however, as the eldest male in good
health, it fell on Alistair to keep his siblings safe.
And
he could not do that if unfamiliar men were coming and going right under his
nose.
Instead
of ripping the door off its hinges and confronting the man who dared enter his
home without an invitation, Alistair took a deep breath. Far different from the
deep breath he’d taken earlier in his study as he’d allowed the pressure of his
responsibility to settle. No, this deep breath was giving him time to gather
his words to use as his weapon instead of his fists.
Many—especially
his female siblings—called him domineering and imperious when it came to his
family. But his father had trusted him to lead well in the viscount’s stead, and
no matter the difficulty of the task, Alistair would do exactly that.
Adeline
looked at him as if he’d grown a second head with five eyes. “Are you
experiencing a decrease in memory, dear brother?”
His
temper rose at Adeline’s reference to their father’s diminished mental
capacity, and his sister knew she’d gotten to him. She was most successful at
finding every little thing that irritated him and drawing his annoyance out.
And since her return from boarding school, he’d realized she hadn’t changed. Not
even the smallest bit.
The viscountess,
Lady Melton, had hoped that separating the two siblings would ease their
lifelong discontent and competitiveness with one another, but while Alistair
had been made to mature far quicker than most, his sister was still the hellion
she’d been since birth.
“I assure you, I
am in full capacity of my senses, Miss Adeline,” he spoke the words slowly,
pronouncing each as if she were the one who was struggling to grasp his
meaning. “Why do you not introduce me to your friend, Theo?”
Maybe he was the
boon Alistair had been praying for—a man to take his wayward sibling off his
hands before the season had even begun. Alistair’s only regret was that he’d
paid the modiste’s note the day before. He need push this Theo to announce his courtship quickly and have the betrothal
papers drafted as soon as the man hinted at the possibility—before he
discovered that Adeline was not the demure miss he assumed her to be, but a
sharp-tongued, quick-witted, infuriating debutante who knew exactly how
alluring her blonde hair, fair skin, and pale blue eyes were.
Adeline made no
move to join her guest, most likely suspecting her brother had some plan
contrived—and she would be correct.
“Come, dear
sister,” he hissed. “Let us not keep our
visitor waiting.”
“But—“
“Do you not want
me to greet our guest?” he asked. This Theo gentleman must be highly unsuitable
if Adeline were working this hard to keep Alistair from entering the room.
Again, he searched his memory for any mention of a Theo—or, more likely,
Theodore—who’d made his acquaintance. There was that elderly earl, Lord Bays.
His given name was Theodore if Alistair weren’t mistaken, but he was far too
old for his sister’s liking and, he gulped, wedded going on three decades.
Certainly, Adeline hadn’t lowered herself to consorting with men who were
spoken for. “Allow me to open the door.”
Adeline
scrutinized him before shrugging. “Very well, let us greet our guest. Do not embarrass me before my friend.”
“Embarrass you?”
Alistair asked, stunned. “Why ever would you think I would do something so
juvenile?”
“You have been
known to make me look awful and think it is comical.” She released the knob and
crossed her arms. “Or need I remind you of how cruel you and Abel have been to
me?”
“Must I remind you what a nuisance you were as a
child?” he retorted. This was the way of things for them: bickering, bantering,
and arguing—with no end in sight. “You would follow Abel and me around
constantly. It was improper for a young girl of quality.”
“You lost me in
the woods!” she shrieked. “I was only ten, and the sun was setting.”
“But you never
followed us outdoors again, did you?”
“Humpf.” She tapped her foot, waiting for
him to agree that he would not mortify her. When he made no move to agree to
her request, she continued, “And the pie?”
Alistair couldn’t
help but chuckle at the reminder. “The pie dropping over the railing from the
landing above the main hall was Abel, and you very well know that. We could not
have known you’d be walking below at that precise moment.”
“My new frock was
ruined from the berry juices.”
“Again, that was
many years ago, Adeline,” he said. “I have grown—matured—as I hope you did as
well during your time away at school. Now, please allow me to escort you to
greet this Theo gentleman.”
A smirk landed on
Adeline’s face, and her brow rose. “Of course, dear brother. Let us join our
guest.”
He set his hand
on her arm to halt her before she entered the room. “Do not think I take kindly
to men calling on my sister without my express permission. This will not go
unmentioned.”
“Oh, I certainly
hope you do reprimand Theo.” Adeline giggled, a sound Alistair hadn’t heard in
many years. Actually, he hadn’t heard it since she’d slipped a dozen pond frogs
into his trunk before he’d left for Eton. The carriage had been made to stop
only two hours’ journey from their country estate to free the trapped
creatures; however, they’d already done the intended damage to his entire
wardrobe, and Alistair had spent an entire week wearing the same set of clothes
until new ones could be sent. “It is only what is deserved.”
Alistair had had
enough of his sister’s irksome banter, so he stepped around her, pushing the
door wide. “After you.” Alistair bowed mockingly as she flipped her hair over
her shoulder and preceded him into the room.
Entering, he
immediately scanned the room looking for the man who dared enter his home with
no regard for proper etiquette, putting his sister’s reputation in question
before her first season was underway.
“I do not
appreciate hearing that someone dares cross the threshold of my home without
suitable cause to do so.” Alistair’s voice thundered through the small
receiving room. He wanted the man to be aware his actions were not agreeable to
Alistair—Adeline’s guardian while in London. “You are certainly fortunate I am
in residence to rectify the situation.”
He paused,
glancing around the room for his intended target, but no man stood by the open
hearth, nor by the windows, their drapes held back with a simple tie to allow
the warm sunlight in.
A small gasp
brought his attention to the delicate sofa his mother favored when in London.
“Lady Theodora
Montgomery,” Adeline said, rushing to stand before the sofa. “I have missed you
ever so much. I am happy to see you have arrived safely in London.”
After bending
down to give the woman a quick hug, Adeline cast a smirk in her brother’s
direction—knowing she’d successfully redirected the embarrassment to him. “I do
apologize for my brother’s abominable greeting.”
The woman’s eyes
were rounded with fright at his callous tirade as she stood abruptly, ready to
flee.
“As you can see,
he is as dreadful as I’ve told you all these years,” Adeline confessed,
squeezing Lady Theodora’s hands before turning to Alistair. “Have you terrified
my dear friend enough for one day, brother?”
The poor woman
was so startled she hadn’t managed a single word in greeting—Alistair regretted
any alarm he’d caused her; however, she must understand Adeline had misled him.
She was certainly a gently bred woman, unlike his hoyden lot of sisters.
“Lady Theodora,”
Alistair started, attempting to mend the dismal situation. “I am Mr. Alistair
Price, Adeline’s eldest brother—and I assure you, I am not the horrid man my
sister claims.”
The woman looked
wholly unconvinced by his proclamation, but offered her own greeting
nonetheless. “It is nice to make your acquaintance, Mr. Price, but please
refrain from dropping a pie on my head while I’m in your home. I fear my mother
would be quite vexed if I ruined my new gown.”
Alistair took a
step back at her brazen comment as his sister doubled over in laughter.
“My dear, Theo,”
Adeline said, a giggle on the fringes of her words, “I have missed you so.”
Why did he feel
as if he’d walked into a trap set up by his most cunning sister?
Christina McKnight is a book
lover turned writer. From a young age, her mother encouraged her to tell her
own stories. She’s been writing ever since.
Christina
enjoys a quiet life in Northern California with her family, her wine, and lots
of coffee. Oh, and her books…don’t forget her books! Most days she can be found
writing, reading, or traveling the great state of California.
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