Westbury
A
Traditional Regency Romance
Arabella
Sheen
Can Miss Georgina Morton surrender her independence and accept the
Duke’s love?
Miss Georgina Morton,
at the age of four-and-twenty, with a modest annual income of four hundred
pounds, believes she has no need of a husband and can manage quite nicely
without one. Yet within a matter of weeks, she’s betrothed to Giles
Glentworth, the Sixth Duke of Westbury, and bound for Regency London.
Set in rural Wiltshire and elegant, fast-paced London...a
runaway ward, a shooting at midnight, and a visit to fashionable Almack’s, are
only a few of the adventures Georgina enjoys while falling for the Corinthian
charms of the Duke.
Chapter
Two Excerpt 5 continued…
March 1814 – An Exchange of Confidences
Avebury, Wiltshire, England
After spending more than a se’nnight in one another’s company, Georgina began winning
Abigail’s trust, and a friendship developed between the two young ladies. They
often went into the village on some pretext to collect items such as fresh ink
and parchment for Mr Morton. And they
were frequently to be seen in the book shop, browsing through the latest
editions of novels sent over from Marlborough.
It was during one of these visits
that Georgina was questioned by Mrs
Blagden about Abigail. Mrs Blagden was
the village gossip, and took great
delight in knowing everyone’s business.
“Good morning, Georgina,” Mrs Blagden nodded her head in greeting. “So
nice to see you.”
Georgina curtsied, and Abigail
followed suit.
“And it’s lovely to see you too, Mrs Blagden. We thought we would take advantage
of the fine weather and enjoy a stroll.”
"Yes, it is always pleasant to call at the vicarage, is
it not?” Mrs Blagden replied with a smile. “The vicar’s wife offers a delicious
tea. Wonderful cakes and sweetmeats. But who is ‘we’, Georgina? You must
introduce me to your pretty new friend, for I’m sure we have not met before.”
Abigail did indeed look extremely attractive today.
Pettit and elegant, she wore one of Georgina’s dresses, and
her curly hair, the shade of light-coloured corn, framed her face charmingly
beneath a straw bonnet.
In her hasty flight from her cousin’s abode, Abigail had left
Bath with only two carpet bags as luggage―neither of which, in Georgina’s opinion,
had contained clothing suited for country life in rural Avebury.
Three evening dresses had been packed. One was adorned with
black pearl droplets and a delicate cream lace frill. There was also a ball
gown, edged with a sparkling glass bead trim, and several pairs of matching
dance slippers; all of which Abigail had considered essential until London was
reached and a decent dressmaker could be found.
However, Georgina, realising none of these items could be
worn with any great comfort about the house or on walks into the village, had
offered Abigail the use of several dresses she no longer wore.
Mrs Blagden was still patiently waiting for an introduction
and there was an awkward moment of silence as Georgina realised she had yet to
discover Abigail’s full name.
And she couldn’t make the introductions without knowing it.
Could she?
Georgina decided to keep things
simple. The less she told Mrs. Blagden, the less likelihood something would be
revealed that ought not to be.
Catching a look of fear in
Abigail’s eyes, Georgina realised Abigail was also worried her identity would
be discovered.
Linking arms with her new friend,
Georgina smiled confidently. “Abigail has been staying with us for some time.
I’m surprised you have not met before. Dear Papa says she is just the thing for
me. A tonic. And she has brightened my spirits
enormously. I was feeling quite low and out of sorts until Abigail came to
Avebury. The winter months are so confining, do you not think so, Mrs Blagden?
But now that spring is almost here, it’s as if a weight has been lifted. I do
so love the sunshine―do you not?”
Mrs Blagden
was led off on a tangent. And after the merits of the weather and the seasons
were discussed at length, Georgina and Abigail politely took their leave as
soon as they could, without causing offence.
Throughout this encounter, the
secret of Abigail’s identity had been maintained.
“Thank you, Georgina,” said
Abigail with immense relief. They were out of earshot of Mrs Blagden, and the anxiety of the moment was
over. “Now I know I can trust you. You are indeed a true friend, and I’m
grateful beyond words for everything you have done for me. You could so easily
have told Mrs. Blagden you had no idea who I am, and that we have only just
become acquainted. Not many people would lie for
me and keep my secret.”
Georgina shook her head and said,
“But I did not lie. I just never told Mrs. Blagden the whole truth, because
it’s a fact…I don’t know your real identity.”
When the two of them realised
just how incredulous this sounded, they burst into a fit of girlish giggles.
“Oh, Georgina, you have been so
good and kind to me. You have truly become my dearest of friends.”
“And I believe you too have
indeed become a friend of mine. One that I shall value when this is all over
and you have at last told me who you really are.”
“One day I promise it will
happen. But for now, would you mind terribly if I stayed at Rose Hill a little
longer? Just until it’s safe for me to contact my Great Aunt Wilhelmina and
tell her what has happened. I’m sure she would be willing to collect me when
the time is right. It’s just that I fear, if I try to reach her now,
someone...someone who I do not wish to name, might find me and take me back to
Bath. And that is something I do not desire, at all.”
Georgina realised Abigail was
just a young person finding her way in life, and
knowing this, she was willing to help, and if need be, offer what little
guidance she could.
“Of course, you can stay with us.” Georgina said. “We love having you
here. It makes a change to have someone to talk to about things other than
books and politics, which is generally all my father will discuss with me. So,
yes, I would love for you to be at Rose Hill until you need to leave. But I
hope you realise your leaving must happen sometime.”
“I know I need to leave at some
point but hopefully not yet.”
Disclaimer, Copyrights
and Publishing
Any
names or characters have no existence outside the imagination of the
author
or are used fictitiously, and actual events are purely coincidental.
No
part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, copied,
stored
in a retrieval system known or hereinafter invented, without
written
permission of the publisher.
Copyright
© 2019 by – Arabella Sheen
Published
by priceplacebooks
All
rights reserved.
ISBN
978-0-9575698-4-3
About
Arabella Sheen
 |
| Arabella Sheen |
Arabella Sheen is a British author of contemporary romance and likes
nothing more than the challenge of starting a new novel with fresh ideas and
inspiring characters.
One of the many things Arabella loves
to do is to read. And when she’s not researching or writing about romance, she
is either on her allotment sowing and planting with the seasons or she is
curled on the sofa with a book, while pandering to the demands of her
attention-seeking cat.
Having lived and worked in the
Netherlands as a theatre nurse for nearly twenty years, she now lives in the
south-west of England with her family.
Arabella hopes her readers have
as much pleasure from her romance stories as she has in writing them.
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