Chapter 1
The sun was bright and warm, a welcome change from the gloom and rain that had been London’s norm as of late. Edward Harford smiled up at the clear blue sky with a small smile.
The fair weather reflected his mood perfectly. It seemed as though everything in his life was falling into place. Having finished his studies at Oxford, he had returned home and gone about the business of finding himself a wife, an expectation as the son and heir to the Duke of Stoneham that he did not take lightly.
When he first laid eyes on Miss Cressida Hutches, he knew she was the lady he wished to one day be his duchess. The most beautiful young miss of the season, she had been highly sought after by all the single gentlemen of the Ton, but Edward was the one who had won her in the end.
She walked beside him as they made their way through the garden behind her family’s townhome, looking lovely in her pink dress with its white lace trim. Her blonde hair was arranged on the back of her head in an elegant chignon, and she held herself with a grace and poise that never failed to impress him.
Her delicate brow was furrowed, and she looked preoccupied. He wondered what could be distracting her so and stealing her attention away from him.
“Miss Cressida?” he said in a gentle voice. “Is everything all right? You do not seem to be enjoying yourself as much as you usually do on our walks together.”
She glanced up at him and gave him a small smile that did not reach her bright blue eyes. Her gaze was rather cool, in fact, and it caught him off guard.
“Miss Cressida?” he prompted when she did not answer him for several long moments.
She came to a sudden stop and faced him. Edward stumbled slightly as he turned toward her. He glanced back at the maid who had been trailing behind them throughout their walk. She also stopped walking, maintaining her distance to avoid intruding on their conversation.
Lifting her chin, Miss Cressida said, “My lord, I am afraid I have something rather unpleasant that I must tell you.”
Edward blinked. “Indeed? What might that be? You know you can tell me anything, Miss Cressida. I am your servant, after all.”
Her expression did not warm as she continued to gaze up at him. “I am afraid that I must bring our courtship to an end.”
Edward stared at her, unable to reply and not even certain he had heard her correctly.
“I…I beg your pardon,” he muttered. “What do you mean by that? I thought we were both in agreement that we wished to be married. We were going to make the engagement official by the end of the Season….”
She nodded and coolly said, “Yes, I know, and I am sorry, my lord. Unfortunately, I cannot continue pursuing a relationship with you as I have feelings for someone else.”
“What?” he exclaimed, taking a step back as though she had struck him. “What are you talking about? Who have you fallen for? You and I have been spending so much time together. Have you been courting someone else without telling me?”
Miss Cressida released a sigh as though she were irritated with him. What in the world? Edward simply could not fathom what was happening.
“My lord, I will not lie to you,” she said. “I am in love with Lord Gillies.”
Edward felt as though his heart had stopped. He stared down at her in utter astonishment.
“Andrew?” he finally managed to choke out. “You are in love with Andrew?”
Andrew, the newly appointed Earl of Gillies, was one of Edward’s friends. Or, at least, he thought he was his friend.
“Have you and Andre…Lord Gillies been courting?” he asked. He realized he had raised his voice and took a moment to bring himself under control.
Miss Cressida glanced away from him as she answered, “We are not formally courting. What sort of lady do you take me for? However, we are acquaintances, and my feelings for him have grown with every encounter.”
Edward furrowed his brow, confused. She kept saying that she was in love with Andrew, but how was that possible if they only spent time together sparingly? A thought entered his mind. A rather depressing, disappointing, and gut-wrenching thought.
“Miss Cressida…you are not choosing Gillies because he has already inherited his title, are you?” He watched her expression carefully, looking for any sign that he had landed on the truth. “I did not think such things really mattered to you….”
He trailed off when she continued to keep her gaze turned away from him. She did not reply, and Edward realized he had his answer in her silence.
Swallowing, he stepped back from her and murmured, “I see. Well, I suppose there is nothing left for me to do but to take my leave of you. Good day, Miss Cressida.”
“Good day, my lord.”
She still did not look at him, but he felt he was seeing her for the first time. He had thought her sweet and charming, but beneath that warm exterior lay a woman as obsessed with title and privilege as any other lady of the Ton. How could he have been so blind?
