An Unconventional Countess (Regency Belles of Bath 1)

Anna opened her mouth to retort and then sighed. ‘Maybe I was. I do love Samuel, but maybe love isn’t enough.’

‘Your mother thought that it was.’

‘I’m not my mother.’

‘No, you’re not.’ Lady Jarrow’s tone was kindly. ‘To be honest, your mother was a young and foolish girl with romantic notions. She was lucky your father turned out to be the man that he was. Not everyone who follows their heart is so lucky. You have a great deal more common sense, I’m pleased to say, but you do have a similar choice to make. If you follow your heart, then it will mean turning your life upside down, leaving your shop and starting all over again. It will be difficult. A lot of people will say you can’t do it. Some of them will call you names. So tell me, Anna, do you love my grandson enough to stand by him whatever the future brings? Can you be Countess of Staunton?’

Chapter Twenty-Three

Samuel dismounted beneath the familiar white-and-yellow-striped awning of Belles. It was the middle of the afternoon and he was exhausted. No doubt he was covered in dust and looking a mess, too. As a gentleman, he really ought to go and wash and change his clothes before doing anything else, but then Anna didn’t particularly want him to be a gentleman and, as for everyone else...he passed a startled-looking couple on their way out of the shop...well, everyone else could go hang for all he cared.

He reached for the door, then stopped and peered in through the window. In place of the usual arrangement of tins, the display inside was a model of a house complete with roof and windows and turrets, all made entirely of biscuit. He leaned forward to make sure he wasn’t imagining things and bumped his forehead against the glass. If he wasn’t mistaken, it was a perfect model of Staunton.

Feeling slightly dazed, he pushed on the door and went inside.

‘Good afternoon, my lord.’ The assistant bobbed a curtsy when she saw him, her whole face lighting up with a look of excitement. Excitement? ‘We’ve been expecting you.’

‘You have?’ He couldn’t keep the surprise out of his voice.

‘Oh, yes.’ She scurried around the edge of the counter, turned over the sign on the door so that it read closed, and then drew a bolt across the top. ‘If you can just wait here, I’ll fetch Anna.’

‘She’s here?’ He could have kissed her for the words.

‘Yes, although she was starting to worry you weren’t coming. I knew that you would, but I was still afraid you might be too late.’

‘Too late for what? What did Anna—?

’

He caught his breath as the woman in question appeared in the doorway that led to the kitchen. She was dressed in the periwinkle gown that she’d worn to his grandmother’s party, although somehow, impossibly, she looked even more beautiful than she had that evening.

‘Samuel.’ Her brown eyes were warm and welcoming, the very opposite of what he’d expected.

‘Anna.’ He took a few steps towards her as Henrietta made a discreet exit. ‘I’m sorry. The other day in the tavern...it wasn’t what you think.’

‘I know.’ She gave a quick shake of the head. ‘You were in shock and I made things worse. It’s understandable that you felt in need of a drink.’

‘But I wasn’t drunk. I’d barely touched my ale and as for the fight...well, that was a matter of honour. The couple involved are engaged to be married now.’

‘Oh.’ She blinked with a look of confusion.

‘I’ve promised them some land as a wedding present, too. I suppose I should have checked there was some available first, but I’ll find something. What’s the point of inheriting an earldom if you can’t give away a few acres?’

‘I suppose so.’

‘And I would have come after you sooner, but the doctor wouldn’t let me.’ He removed his hat, unveiling a large, purple bruise on his temple.

‘Oh!’ She rushed forward, lifting her fingers to his forehead. ‘Someone hit you?’

‘I’m told it was a chair. In the chair’s defence, it wasn’t meant for me, but I got in the way.’ He rubbed his face against her palm, revelling in the warm caress of her fingers. ‘I sent a note to Staunton, but when I got back, Clarissa said you’d already left.’

‘Yes. Your grandmother says that I panicked and ran away.’

‘Did you?’

‘I think perhaps I did, but it wasn’t what you think, either. There was a reason I couldn’t go with you to Scotland. It’s about your grandfather.’

‘You mean because of his illness?’