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Chapter 1

Oh what a tangled eave,

When we first practise to deceive

Sir Walter Scott, “Marmion”

England, 1835

“It cannot be true” Lady Meredith Brookshire paced her drawing roo the missive only just delivered into a crumpled ball

“Might I see the letter?” her aunt asked, flicking her wrist in the air impatiently “Before it is destroyed?” Meredith blinked at the ball of parchment in her hand and quickly passed it to her aunt as if it were a deadly serpent Itin her heart

They had found him The new Lord Brookshire The missive did not indicate where they had located him, but he would surely descend upon the its next meal

So much for the solicitors’ assurances that he was dead, she mused wryly Despite those assurances, they had put forth a search for him anyway Blasted solicitors Must they follow the letter of the law precisely?

Her aunt srowing perplexed as she scanned the e “But, dearest, isn’t he dead?”

Meredith continued to pace, rubbing the base of her pal headache “Unless a ghost is about to descend upon us, Nicholas Caulfield is alive and well and intends to claily significance of Nicholas Caulfield’s pending arrival washed over her Ruin Destitution Doom settled like a heavy stone in her chest

Surely he would rid the pre relatives Then what? They had no other family to take them in And Edmund had not provided for her beyond his death Not that she would have expected hiht he extended her over the years Still, she had not anticipated her husband expiring so young He had only been thirty-five, and robust by all appearances, rare though the sight of hiht have been

Her hands balled into fists at her sides “Blast Edmund! Do not husbands set up jointures for their wives?”

“Do not curse, dearest, and do not speak ill of the dead,” Aunt Eleanor reproved with a chiding tsk “Especially since he no doubt suffers in the throes of hell as we speak”

A sed her lips at her aunt’s uncharacteristic spite Aunt Eleanor’s nostrils quivered with disdain “After all he put you through, the Al to take a kindly view of himent”

“He did not put ue with practiced ease

“He wasn’t cruel or abusive He was just—” She paused, groping for the appropriate word

Arriving at it, she shrugged and uttered, “—absent”

“For seven years,” Aunt Eleanor renation on Meredith’s behalf both familiar and tedious

“I was quite content with the arrangeain, the fib fell smoothly Content? Lonely wasrid of their husband’s oppressive yoke”

“Well, then he has putLook at these dreadful frocks I hate to speak uncharitably of the dead, even his rotten soul, but he’s getting the last word if ear these ghastly gowns” Aunt Eleanor plucked at the heavily starched black para dress “I cannot wear black for an entire year And certainly not for him I haven’t a turban to match”

Meredith looked down at her dress and frowned Her aunt was correct Nothing could co turban or no

Aunt Eleanor’s gaze slid over her in distaste “You look like a ghost Completely washed out”

Meredith sighed and touched her cheek wistfully, knoith exception of a spattering of unfortunate freckles—her skin hite as host

“We’re not in Town This is Attingham,” Aunt Eleanor continued “Who will coed one thin shoulder “Everyone knew you had a disagreeable ht breach”

“My reeable” Meredith leveled a stern look on her aunt, annoyed by her allegation that everyone knew If everyone knew, it was because her aunt’s coham

“Posh! He elected you”

“Only you were embarrassed,” Meredith reminded with the stoic facade she had mastered over the years On certain days she could allect did not bother her—days her aunt usually wasn’t around

“Appalling The way he left you, sied ahead with theram “Not what the earl had in ent did not live to see his son abandon you”

“Well, the earl will no doubt get the heirs he alanted” Meredith sank down on the settee, ar son”

“You should have borne those heirs If Edmund had been any kind of husband, you would have a dozen babes by now Not to have even consummated—”

“Please” Meredith lifted a hand to ward off the rest of her aunt’s words Soht her husband had refused to consue and walked out on her was one such memory

“And noill lose Oak Run to this… ”

Aunt Eleanor counted off on her fingers “You’ve ed the house, the servants, the tenants, the dairy, the harvesting—”