Passionately Yours (Hellions of High Street 3)

“Oh, my. You all seem so knowledgeable about these things, while I…” Isobel blew out a sigh. “I confess, I—I have several questions to ask about… love.”

Caro put her arm around her sister-to-be and gave her a hug. “I’m not sure there are any easy answers, but we shall be happy to share our thoughts.”

“Indeed,” said Olivia. “But as that will likely take quite some time, I suggest we wait until later. It’s almost suppertime, so we ought to go down and join the others.” A rumble of male

laughter suddenly made its way up from the drawing room. “It sounds like the celebration in progress will put us in just the right mood for talk of Cupid and his arrows.”

The festivities soon turned even merrier. Champagne corks popped, punctuating friendly jests and flowery toasts to the impending nuptials. Wrexham was just finishing his speech when a thumping and bustling in the entrance hall drew everyone’s attention.

“Who could that be?” wondered Caro.

“I expect it will be Mama,” explained Olivia. “When Alec’s note arrived here, I sent word that she ought to hurry and join us if she didn’t want to miss a momentous announcement. After all she has been through with three headstrong daughters, it seemed only right that she be here to savor the fruits of her labor.”

The drawing room door flew open with a thump, and the baroness marched in. “What is this about an engagement?”

Caro opened her mouth to speak, but Anna and Olivia were even quicker to elaborate on the happy event.

“Hmmph.” Lady Trumbull pursed her mouth and huffed a few rapidfire breaths as she mulled over the news. “I must say—”

Olivia intervened before she could go on. “Mama, surely this is cause for great celebration. Just think—your travails are over. You will soon have all three daughters married.”

The baroness sighed, as Wrexham hastened to present her with a glass of champagne. And then, to Caro’s great surprise, she broke into a broad smile.

“I will, won’t I?” She took a moment to survey her children, then slowly moved her eyes around the circle. “A marquess… an earl… and a baron.”

Her gaze lingered on Alec. “I was hoping for…”

“Yes, yes, I know—a prince,” said Caro. “Princes may sound oh-so grand in fairy tales, Mama. But my sisters and I have found something infinitely more wonderful than paper and ink royals.” She leaned against Alec’s shoulder and curled her fingers around his big, warm hand. “We have found flesh and blood heroes.”

For a moment there was silence as the baroness signaled to Wrexham for more champagne. She then cleared her throat.

“So you have, my dears.” With that, Lady Trumbull raised her glass and drained it in one gulp, much to the hilarity of all.

“So we have,” chorused Caro and her sisters. Their three glasses came together in a flutter of cut-crystal sunlight and a resounding clink.

“To heroes!”

“Well, I, for one, am quite content to let our eloquent ladies have the last word,” murmured Alec.

As Wrexham and Davenport laughed, he caught Caro’s eye and smiled. “With their passions and their pens, they have shown that they have an unerring knack for creating a happily ever after.”

“Actually, that was only the second to last word—I have one more toast to make,” announced Caro, lifting her glass yet again.

The pale gold wine seemed to shimmer and sparkle with an inner fire.

“To love. Which is, at heart, the only word that really matters.”

About the Author

Cara Elliott started writing Western novels at the age of five. However, she traded in her cowboy boots for Regency high-top Hessians after reading Pride and Prejudice in junior high school and hasn’t looked back. She graduated from Yale University, and she now lives and works in New York City.

You can learn more at:

CaraElliott.com

Twitter, @CaraElliott

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/cara.elliott.71