Persuading Miss Mary, page 16
“That is wise thinking,” Richard commended her. “Langley, take a seat away from Miss Bennet so that we might sort this out.” The words were spoken as one might expect a seasoned colonel to bark out orders. “Lydia, see to Kitty.”
“It is well in hand,” Wes whispered, attempting to draw Mary toward the door. He would rather be kissing his wife than listening to Langley being lectured for kissing her sister.
“He is your friend,” Mary whispered.
“Yes, but I do not control his actions.”
“You might wish to save him from the actions of the other men in this room,” Mary replied with a pointed look.
Wes scowled. “I am not so certain that I actually wish that.”
“Did you see what they did to Wickham?”
Wes nodded. “I see your point. To have him arrive in the ballroom in such a state would cause some suspicion.”
“Indeed,” she said flatly.
“Well, Langley,” Wes said, pushing his way to the forefront. “It appears we shall be brothers.”
“Oh, I am not marrying him,” Kitty said.
“I think the way you were allowing him to kiss you says otherwise,” Lydia stepped up beside Wes, who looked at her in surprise. Perhaps she did share some traits with Mary, for she seemed to be very good at scolding.
“No one knows,” Kitty said. “It was a mistake that will not happen again.”
Wes watched Langley’s jaw tighten. The kiss which had been interrupted was not a mistake to his friend.
“Oh, there you are,” Lady Matlock joined them. “We have already had one set of dances.” She stopped and looked from face to face, stopping when she saw Kitty. “Mr. Langley?” Her tone was stern. “Have you been kissing Miss Bennet?’
“He most certainly was when I opened the door,” Lydia answered.
“Mr. Langley?” Lady Matlock said once again.
“Yes, my lady, I was.”
“And have you presented your offer?”
“Kitty says she will not marry him,” Lydia whispered.
“She gave up her right to decline when she allowed him to make such a mess of her hair.” She turned to Miss Bennet. “I do hope it was only kissing which you allowed.”
Kitty’s eyes were wide as she nodded. Wes did not blame her. His mother was terrifying when she was put out.
“The only question is when the wedding should take place, but I think that would be best discussed tomorrow.” She patted Darcy’s arm. “Or the following day. For now, Miss Lydia, please see to restoring your sister to her previous well-coiffured state, and Mr. Langley, you may take yourself downstairs.”
Wes caught Langley by the arm. “What were you thinking?”
Langley nodded to the hall, and Wes followed him.
“I was thinking she welcomed my addresses and would be receptive of an offer at some point.” Langley ran a hand through his hair. “I will leave. Call on me when you are able.”
Wes knew the look of confusion Langley wore. He had felt it himself when first confronted by Mary. Logic warred with emotion. “Do not give up too easily,” Wes cautioned.
Langley lifted a hand in a wave of acknowledgement as he made his way down the hall.
“He is not a bad fellow,” Wes said to Mary as she slipped an arm around his waist. “In fact, he is much better behaved than I ever was…” He looked down at her. “…Until recently, that is.”
“Kitty has seemed welcoming whenever she met him,” Mary said. “She even allowed him more than one dance on two occasions.”
“And that is significant,” Wes teased, earning him a huff.
“It is.”
“I do not disagree,” he turned and wrapped her in his arms. “He looks like he has lost his heart to her.”
“But she says she will not have him.”
Wes nodded. “Darcy and Mother will sort it out. All will be well.”
“No one outside of our family saw them. They would not have to marry.”
Wes shook his head. “Oh, no, my dear. It is far too late for that.”
“It is not.”
“I saw Langley’s face. It is most certainly too late. He can no more walk away from her than I could have walked away from you.” He kissed her softly. “I love you Lady Westonbury.”
She smiled brilliantly just as he had expected she would.
“And I love you.”
And that was a very good thing, for Wes would be lost and wandering in a fog, much like Langley was at present, if Mary did not love him. He had been there, but he was not there any longer.
He lowered his lips to hers and kissed her deeply, longingly, as if she was the very air he needed to breathe, for she was. And as she sighed with contentment, Wes could only wish for his friend to find the same good fortune that had found him. For there was no greater joy than knowing that the woman in his arms and returning his kisses was his and his alone. And tonight, when the last dance had been danced, and the last toast had been made, she would be going home with him, to their house and their bed. His future was just beginning and a gloriously bright one it was and all because he had been granted success in persuading Miss Mary to be his.
Before You Go
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Turn the page to read an excerpt of another one of Leenie’s books
Cherishing Kitty Excerpt
Would you like to know what happened at that meeting Lorcan is required to attend the day after Wes and Mary’s wedding? The prologue to Cherishing Kitty, Marrying Elizabeth (book 5) begins there.
Prologue
Every dreadful step Lorcan Langley took down the corridor behind Matlock House’s butler reverberated through him. His heart beat a steady and rapid rhythm while his lungs fought to fill themselves with air.
The interview which awaited him would not be an easy one, but not for the reason which everyone gathered in that small green drawing room would naturally expect. He had spent a restless night contemplating what needed to be done, and he had prepared himself as best he could to see that it was carried out
“Good morning, Mr. Langley.” Mr. Bennet was the first to greet him when Lorcan entered the room. Mr. Darcy, as well as Lord and Lady Matlock, sat silently by, allowing the father of the lady he had compromised to begin the interview.
Langley pulled his eyes from the beautiful daughter seated next to her father and bowed his greeting.
“Please, be seated,” Lord Matlock offered.
Langley considered refusing for what he had to say would not take long, but then, he thought better of it and sat. There was no reason to displease the gathered throng before he had to do so.
“I have heard your particulars from Lord and Lady Matlock,” Mr. Bennet began. “You are well-established and would make a fine choice for that reason. However, I cannot say that I am pleased to have to consider you for the reason I must.”
“I understand, sir. I acted inappropriately, and there is no excuse for my behaviour.” He barely refrained from rubbing his sweaty hands on his breeches. Having been Lord Westonbury’s friend for so many years had given him ample amount of practice with facing authority figures who were displeased, but all of those meetings with headmasters or his own father were child’s play compared to facing the father of the lady whom he had been caught kissing.
He swallowed. He had not cried while being reprimanded since he was ten, but at present, he felt a tremendous urge to shed more than a few tears.
“I respect your willingness to take responsibility for your actions, young man,” Mr. Bennet continued.
“To a point.” Lorcan exhaled slowly as the words he had forced out settled on the others in the room. “What happened yesterday will not happen again. However…” He winced. The next part of what he had to say would be the hardest. “The incident was only witnessed by members of Miss Bennet’s family; therefore, as long as none of her family share the story, there is no need to force a marriage where…” He closed his eyes so that he could not see Kitty’s look of surprise. “There is no desire for one.” He opened his eyes but kept them diverted from looking at Kitty by studying the floral pattern on the rug beneath his feet.
“On either side?” Mr. Darcy asked in surprise.
Langley lifted his eyes to the man. “Yes.” And with that lie, he stood. “I have been called home; therefore, I will not be in town to cause any further unease to anyone.”
“I trust all is well at home.” Lady Matlock sounded skeptical.
“Yes. All is well. I am not leaving for an emergency.” He was leaving because he could not be here and see Kitty, the lady who held his heart, being courted by other gentlemen.
“And what if there are rumors. We had several guests at Matlock House yesterday for Westonbury’s wedding breakfast. Servants are known to carry tales.”
“Not your servants, my lady.” He held her fearfully intent gaze.
“I should hope that you are correct, but one never knows. From what I have been told the embrace which was witnessed was particularly passionate.”
Oh, she was not wrong. It had indeed been passionate, and not just on his part. He could likely still feel Miss Bennet’s fingers lacing through his hair and holding him to her as she pressed herself against him — if he were to allow himself the freedom to remember the interlude, that is.
He had not intended for the kiss he stole to become so ardent, but one touch of her lips to his had driven all rational thought from his mind. She was intoxicating in all the best ways. Unfortunately, just as many a foxed fellow does, he had, in his inebriated-by-desire state, stumbled and caught himself by placing his hand on the piano before which he and Kitty stood. That crash of keys had been the alarm which had brought his world tumbling down, in jagged pieces, around his ears and was why he was here now, staring down Lady Matlock.
“Such a tale might be too tempting to keep secret,” she added.
“You know where to send for me if I am needed. I assure you, my lady, that I am not shirking my duty.”
“Are you certain this is what you want?”
Langley turned away from Lady Matlock to find Mr. Bennet observing him with great interest and a hint of compassion. He allowed himself to glance at Kitty. Her cheeks were flushed, and her jaw was firmly set. She did not look at all pleased with how things had progressed this morning. However, he did not know why she should look so stricken. This was what she wanted. She had made it perfectly clear yesterday that she had no intention of marrying him. One would have to be excessively stupid to misconstrue “I am not marrying him” to mean anything other than the lady had no desire to be his wife.
He nodded as he turned back to her father. “It is.” This lie did not fall any easier from his lips than any of the others had so far today.
“Well, then, Mr. Langley, if things can be kept quiet, I will absolve you of any duty to my daughter. However, if you change your mind…”
Langley clamped his teeth together tightly and gave a sharp nod of his head before looking at Miss Bennet one final time and leaving the room and any hope for a happy future behind him.
Acknowledgments
There are many who have had a part in the creation of this story. Some have read and commented on it. Some have proofread for grammatical errors and plot holes. Others have not even read the story and a few, I know, will never read it. However, their encouragement and belief in my ability, as well as their patience when I became cranky or when supper was late or the groceries ran low, was invaluable.
And so, I would like to say thank you to Zoe, Rose, Kristine, Ben, and Kyle, as well as my patrons on Patreon and the readers who faithfully read all those Thursday posts on my blog. I feel blessed by your help, support, and understanding.
I have not listed my dear husband in the above group because, to me, he deserves his own special thank you, for, without his somewhat pushy insistence that I start sharing my writing, none of my writing goals and dreams would have been met.
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For those who might be interested in some of the visual inspiration I used while writing this book — I have a Pinterest board for that.
Other Leenie B Books
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where you can explore the collections below
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Other Pens, Mansfield Park
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Touches of Austen Collection
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Dash of Darcy and Companions Collection
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Marrying Elizabeth Series
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Willow Hall Romances
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The Choices Series
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Darcy Family Holidays
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Darcy and… An Austen-Inspired Collection
About the Author
Leenie Brown has always been a girl with an active imagination, which, while growing up, was both an asset, providing many hours of fun as she played out stories, and a liability, when her older sister and aunt would tell her frightening tales. At one time, they had her convinced Dracula lived in the trunk at the end of the bed she slept in when visiting her grandparents!
Although it has been years since she cowered in her bed in her grandparents’ basement, she still has an imagination which occasionally runs away with her, and she feeds it now as she did then ─ by reading!
Her heroes, when growing up, were authors, and the worlds they painted with words were (and still are) her favourite playgrounds! Now, as an adult, she spends much of her time in the Regency world, playing with the characters from her favourite Jane Austen novels and those of her own creation.
When she is not traipsing down a trail in an attempt to keep up with her imagination, Leenie resides in the beautiful province of Nova Scotia with her two sons and her very own Mr. Brown (a wonderful mix of all the best of Darcy, Bingley, and Edmund with a healthy dose of the teasing Mr. Tilney and just a dash of the scolding Mr. Knightley).
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Leenie Brown, Persuading Miss Mary
