Princess Charming (Legendary Lovers 1)

“You are right, Priscilla,” Maura agreed with effort, refraining from pointing out that this house used to be her roof before Pris had worked her wiles on Noah Collyer. “But you needn’t fear that I will disgrace you again in the immediate future. I am returning home to Suffolk this very afternoon.”

Her announcement clearly caught Pris by surprise.

“You are leaving London?”

“Yes, I would not want to inconvenience you any longer,” murmured Maura, unable to repress an edge of sarcasm in her voice. “I only came to London to try and retrieve my horse, and that has proved impossible.”

Priscilla lowered her gaze, looking almost contrite. She understood perfectly well that she had wronged Maura by delivering Emperor to the viscount for so many pieces of gold. “I am sorry you lost your pet, my dear,” she said in a softer tone, “but I had no other choice if I hoped to provide Seasons for my daughters to improve their chances of marrying.”

It was an apology of sorts, one that Priscilla had offered several times before, but Maura was unwilling to accept that excuse.

“As I told you,” she rejoined, “if you had only waited three months, I could have sold the spring foals to raise the funds you needed.”

“But I could not wait,” Priscilla argued. “Too much time has already been wasted waiting for our period of mourning to be over. It will be difficult enough to find husbands for Hannah and Lucy when they are still young, and the case will be hopeless once they reach spinsterhood as you have. And surely even you can see Lord Deering’s patronage is vital to their acceptance by the ton. Without his support, their matrimonial prospects are doomed.”

“No, I do not see that at all.”

Refusing to be drawn further into the familiar, futile dispute, Maura spun on her heel and left the parlor without another word. She went straight up to her bedchamber to pack, her emotions simmering.

She was aware that losing her beloved horse had dredged up old childhood resentments against Priscilla for taking away her father and sending her away from home. But just then Maura couldn’t repress the painful reminders.

A half hour later, however, when her stepsisters burst into her room, she had to clamp down on her memories while trying to console them, for they were visibly upset at hearing the news of her impending departure.

“Mama says you are leaving, Maura. Please, won’t you stay?” Hannah begged. “How are we to manage without you?”

“I wish I could remain for your sakes,” she answered honestly before shading the truth with her next comment. “Gandy needs me at home, with so many foals and yearlings to care for. And there is no point in my remaining in London any longer. Emperor is lost to me.”

“It is so unfair that Mama sold Emperor,” Hannah said sadly.

“Yes,” Lucy seconded her elder sister. “We wish we could help you get him back.”

“You know we would do anything for you, Maura,” Hannah added. “You have always been so good to us.”

Maura was touched by their offer of help. The girls had attended the same academy for young ladies that she had, although not until a year after she had left. But she’d visited them regularly and sent them frequent packages from home to make their lives more bearable. She had also encouraged them to make friends. She hadn’t wanted them to suffer the loneliness that she had known before she’d found Katharine and Skye to share her sorrows and hopes and dreams with.

“But what about Lord Beaufort?” Lucy asked unexpectedly.

Maura looked up from the valise she was packing. “What about him?”

“He seems very interested in courting you.”

She felt a blush stain her cheeks. “You are mistaken, Lucy. He only called this morning because Katharine thought he could advise me on how to deal with Viscount Deering. But I fear I sabotaged any hope when I lost my temper in the park this morning. Now, if you don’t mind, my dears, I need to pack my belongings and write several notes of farewell before I can leave.…”

At her strong hint, Hannah and Lucy hugged her earnestly and then trailed out of her bedchamber wearing long faces.

Maura resumed her packing in solitude, but found her thoughts dwelling much too intently on Lord Beaufort and her deplorable weakness for him. She was exceedingly glad to be leaving London just now. If she remained, she would very likely surrender to his wicked allure. She had never met a more irresistible man, Maura admitted. His sensual charm, the laughter in his eyes, his heart-stealing smile, his boldness, his wit, all worked to devastate her defenses.

Which was the height of foolishness.

She knew better than to let herself be dazed by someone’s charm and good looks. Her father had been seduced by a pretty face—Priscilla’s—so Maura was doubly determined she would never fall into that particular trap. The fact that Noah Collyer had seemed content in his second marriage did not excuse Priscilla’s actions either.

Trying to dismiss both her stepmother and the marquis from her mind, Maura spent the rest of the morning carefully preparing, then went to the kitchens to gather supplies and fill a pair of saddlebags.

Her last order of business was to compose a farewell note for Katharine. She wanted to express her thanks and also to return the exquisite ball gown she had borrowed. However, Maura decided, she would wait until the next morning to have both the note and gown delivered. She knew better than to face Katharine directly, for she would have to lie about her intentions, and her bosom friend always knew when she was prevaricating.

This was a secret she couldn’t share with anyone, though. And she had to act entirely alone, for what she was planning could be a hanging offense.

Maura was particularly glad that Gandy was safely in Suffolk, so he could deny all knowledge of her scheme. Gandy had helped her devise a contingency plan for rescuing Emperor and they had worked out every minute detail, but she didn’t want him implicated in any way.