“I was in York that summer. I had several dalliances.”
“Why am I not shocked to hear it?”Phillip said. “Would you like me to find her for you?”
“No, you should find her for you—and for Fanny and Helen and Harriet. They’ll want to be certain she’s all right.”
“Yes, they will.” Phillip downed the last of his drink and stood to go. “I’ll make some inquiries. I’ll let you know what I discover.”
“Thank you.”
“Jean Pierre and Sarah will be in London next month. Harriet is hosting a supper for them. Will you come?”
“Perhaps. Or perhaps not.”
“It wouldn’t kill you.”
Charles smiled. “It might.”
Phillip departed, and Charles remained in his seat, listening as the butler escorted Phillip down the hall, as the butler helped him with his coat. The door shut behind him, and an annoying silence settled.
He went to the window and watched Phillip mount his horse, watched him ride away. Long after he’d vanished from sight, Charles continued to stare at the spot where he’d been.
Phillip was a devoted son and a good friend. And there might be a new daughter to join them. Mary. It was a pretty name he’d always liked.
He walked to the sideboard and poured himself another brandy. He swallowed it down as he contemplated his children in their various homes around the city.
Briefly, he debated whether to have the carriage prepared so he could go visiting. He’d intentionally missed Fanny’s party, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t stop by now. He could take baby gifts for Helen and Harriet.
If Harriet opened her door and found him on her stoop, what would she think? The notion humored him immensely, but he couldn’t imagine doing it.
Sometimes, he yearned to be closer to all of them. But on further reflection, it seemed too difficult to pull it off with any aplomb. Was it worth the bother of trying? Maybe not.
He returned to his desk and sat. The shadows lengthened and the evening faded away. The house was very quiet, and he was all alone. As he’d always been. As he probably always would be.
THE END
Praise for New York Times Bestselling Author
CHERYL HOLT
“Best storyteller of the year…”
Romantic Times Magazine
“A master writer…”
Fallen Angel Reviews
“The Queen of Erotic Romance…”
Book Cover Reviews
“Cheryl Holt is magnificent…”
Reader to Reader Reviews
“From cover to cover, I was spellbound. Truly outstanding…”
Romance Junkies
Fresh Fiction
“This is a masterpiece of storytelling. A sensual delight scattered with rose petals that are divinely arousing. Oh my, yes indeedy!”
Reader to Reader Reviews
Praise for Cheryl Holt’s “Lord Trent”trilogy
“A true guilty pleasure!”
Novels Alive TV
“LOVE’S PROMISE can’t take the number one spot as my favorite by Ms. Holt—that belongs to her book NICHOLAS—but it’s currently running a close second.”
Manic Readers
“The book was brilliant…can’t wait for Book #2.”
Harlie’s Book Reviews
“I guarantee you won’t want to put this one down. Holt’s fast-paced dialogue, paired with the emotional turmoil, will keep you turning the pages all the way to the end.”
Susana’s Parlour
“…A great love story populated with many flawed characters. Highly recommend it.”
Bookworm 2 Bookworm Reviews
BOOKS BY CHERYL HOLT
LOVE’S PERIL
LOVE’S PRICE
LOVE’S PROMISE
SWEET SURRENDER
MUD CREEK
MARRY ME
LOVE ME
KISS ME
SEDUCE ME
KNIGHT OF SEDUCTION
NICHOLAS
DREAMS OF DESIRE
TASTE OF TEMPTATION
PROMISE OF PLEASURE
DOUBLE FANTASY
FORBIDDEN FANTASY
SECRET FANTASY
TOO WICKED TO WED
TOO TEMPTING TO TOUCH
TOO HOT TO HANDLE
THE WEDDING NIGHT
FURTHER THAN PASSION
DEEPER THAN DESIRE
MORE THAN SEDUCTION
COMPLETE ABANDON
ABSOLUTE PLEASURE
TOTAL SURRENDER
LOVE LESSONS
MOUNTAIN DREAMS
MY TRUE LOVE
MY ONLY LOVE
MEG’S SECRET ADMIRER
WAY OF THE HEART
CHERYL HOLT is a New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon bestselling author of over thirty novels.
She’s also a lawyer and mom, and at age forty, with two babies at home, she started a new career as a commercial fiction writer.She’d hoped to be a suspense novelist, but couldn’t sell any of her manuscripts, so she ended up taking a detour into romance where she was stunned to discover that she has a knack for writing some of the world’s greatest love stories.
Her books have been released to wide acclaim, and she has won or been nominated for many national awards. She is particularly proud to have been named “Best Storyteller of the Year”by the trade magazine Romantic Times BOOK Reviews.
She lives and writes in Hollywood, California, and she loves to hear from fans. Visit her website at www.cherylholt.com.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Epilogue