Regency Romance: Each Other

By Amelia Fernside

“I fear for your safety!” the Duke thundered. But he might as well have been barking at the moon. Isabella, his beautiful but supremely arrogant niece, scoffed at the notion.
Yes, Isabella’s father, also a Duke, was fighting in the Peninsular War, and yes, there were reports that men of ill repute were known to capture and hold for ransom the sons and daughters of the aristocracy.
Isabella, however, was far above that. She was too busy holding parties and trying desperately to gain the attention of the handsome Lord Balton.
That is, until a man dressed in black pointed a gun at Isabella and threatened to kidnap her.
This time, Isabella’s uncle would not take no for answer.
And the Duke engineered one of the cleverest and most bizarre switches in regency romance history.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Amelia Fernside
• Release date: Nov 29, 2016
• ISBN: 9781370274208

Amelia Fernside

Amelia Fernside, who lives in Washington state, fell in love with the U.K. a few years ago during a long hike on Cumbria Way in England’s Lake District. That experience led to a love affair with the novels of Jane Austen and other British writers. That, in turn, led Amelia, a journalist by profession, to write her own regency romances. Amelia is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism. She is married and has four sons, three dogs and a crazy cat named Louie. Amelia loves writing Regency romances and hopes to continue writing them forever.

Book preview

Regency Romance: Each Other is a short story by Amelia Fernside.

***

I fear for your safety! the Duke thundered. But he might as well have been barking at the moon. Isabella, his beautiful but supremely arrogant niece, scoffed at the notion. That is, until a man dressed in black pointed a gun at Isabella. Now what? You’ll soon find out, dear reader.

Contents

Chapter 1: A Dire Warning

Chapter 2: The Golden Gown

Chapter 3: Trading Places

Chapter 4: Up Is Down; Down Is Up

Chapter 5: Goodbye, My Lady

Chapter 6: The Blackguards

Chapter 7: Each Other

About the Author

More Books by Amelia Fernside

Regency Romance:

Each Other

by

Amelia Fernside

Published by Amelia Fernside at Smashwords

Copyright 2016 Amelia Fernside

Chapter 1

A Dire Warning

Miss Olivia! Hurry up! The cock has crowed three times this morning, and still you are not at your station! cried Mrs. Mason, the housekeeper, whose voice was as shrill and irate as the fowl of which she spoke. Goodness knows what you are doing out there! she came again. You’ll cause a scandal before your very first day has begun!

Olivia winced, but did not dash inside. Instead, she held the hands of Mr. Ashburn, whom she called Thomas, having known him since their toddler years, and squeezed them for luck.

I wish you well in your enterprise, he said, his solid brown eyes deep and soothing to her, like a forest in a summer’s evening. Don’t be afraid of the Mistress. For the whole time I have been here, I have never even seen her up close. I’m sure you’ll do splendidly.

"Miss Oliviaaaa!" thundered Mrs. Mason.

Dear Thomas, did you get me this job as a blessing or a curse? she tittered.

Twill be a curse, if you upset Mother Hen this early. She has not even had her morning tea!

Good lord! Olivia shouted sarcastically. That cannot be tolerated! I am off!

She turned and bustled into the house. Thomas called after her. Remember, if you need me, I’ll be right on the grounds. Don’t worry, Olivia.

She caught sight of him waving, and then she was through the door.

Are you out with the gardener again, you silly thing? scolded Mrs. Mason as Olivia emerged into the smoking and crowded kitchen. Sending a polite smile to a pair of scullery maids as she dodged past them, she at last presented herself to Mrs. Mason. A tall, broad, imposing woman, with the vocals and stature of a bullfrog, she was universally feared, respected, and, when out of earshot, grumbled about by all the household staff. Yet, from what Olivia had heard, she kept her ship in tight working order and could not help but be admired for her handiwork.

You know, child, she said, plucking a leaf from Olivia’s skirt, "already people are beginning to talk. Gossip grows like weeds in a house like this, and not even your dear Mr. Ashburn will be able to keep it at bay."

Gossip? said Olivia, astonished. You mean between Thomas and myself? Mrs. Mason, I can assure you, he and I are like siblings. You see, we grew up in the same –

Frankly, child, Mrs. Mason interrupted, I do not care what you do, so long as you attend to your duties as you are expected. But I will warn you; you have his baby and you’re out of a job.

Olivia stared at her. How exactly does a polite woman reply to such a statement? How would a rude woman? Mrs. Mason, unperturbed by Olivia’s hesitation, ploughed on.

Now, your task this morning is the guest rooms. All the linens must be changed, the mattresses turned, the floors scrubbed, etcetera. My goodness, some of the guests Her Ladyship has at this place …

Are they quite deplorable? Olivia inquired, flouncing behind the housekeeper as they strode up the stairs. The woman stopped so abruptly that Olivia rammed into her.

"Don’t you ever let me hear you speak in such ways about the honoured guests of my Lady! she snapped. You would be blessed to even have them sneeze upon you, wretched child!"

And she stomped onward.

Olivia sighed. She knew better than to point out that Mrs. Mason had just been insulting the guests. She had worked under too many housekeepers to try, women who scraped their master’s glory onto themselves, like hungry scullery maids picking leftovers off a gentleman’s abandoned plate.

Start there, Mrs.