Matilda's Escape... (Brunswick Family 3)

By Heather Mar-Gerrison

Breathing like a rampaging bull, Lord Brunswick caught sight of his only daughter across the ballroom. She was laughing and chattering with the best man, Toby Winterbourne, and his first instinct was to remove her from the man before she got any silly ideas in her head about romance.
Romance led to marriage and marriage led inevitably to children - and he could never allow that to happen to Matilda.
Lord Brunswick, having lost his beloved wife in childbirth when Matilda was born, vowed that he would always keep his daughter out of harm's way, in order that she need never suffer the same fate. His methods however, are somewhat questionable and it could be argued that Matilda was more of a prisoner at Brunswick Manor than being safe...
In spite of her father's best efforts, however, Matilda has ideas of her own. So, when she meets and falls in love with Toby Winterbourne, the best man at her brother's wedding, nothing Lord Brunswick can say or do is going to deter her from her quest of marrying her man!
This is the third and final book in the Brunswick Family series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Heather Mar-Gerrison
• Release date: May 8, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005269661

Heather Mar-Gerrison

I love to write M/M romance and as a sucker for a HEA, you're guaranteed one in my books. #happyheatherafters

Book preview

Matilda’s Escape

Heather Mar-Gerrison

Smashwords Edition

Heather Mar-Gerrison Copyright 2021

Front Cover Courtesy of Shutterstock Designs

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronically or mechanically, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except where permitted by law. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead is purely coincidental. The Author holds exclusive rights to this work.

~Prologue~

Born wise...

Breathing like a rampaging bull, Lord Brunswick caught sight of his only daughter across the ballroom. She was laughing and chattering with the best man, Toby Winterbourne. As nice a young fellow as he appears, thought Lord Brunswick, She’d better not be encouraging him in any way…

The longer Matilda stayed at Toby’s side, the angrier Lord Brunswick got. He could feel the red mist descending and was about to go charging across the dance floor when a hand caught his sleeve, effectively stopping him in his tracks.

Furious that someone was apprehending him, he turned with a growl already escaping him.

Leave her alone, said Ephraim calmly, his gaze steady as he regarded his rather less than calm and steady father.

Lord Brunswick stared back at his eldest son, his fury mounting with each second, "I will not allow it!" He hissed.

Ephraim shook his head and sighed. His father was quite impossible, But you have to, he said firmly, "this is Philip’s wedding. The best man and the bridesmaids traditionally dance together. Everyone knows that, everyone expects that, and you will make a scene that, quite frankly, Father – none of us needs."

Lord Brunswick snorted irritably but his colour was fading from purple back to his more usual shade of puce, I don’t like it! He spat.

Ephraim shrugged, You don’t have to like it, he reminded him calmly, But Philip will never forgive you for making a scene at his wedding.

Lord Brunswick knew when he was beaten. He nodded. When did you get all wise? he asked with a frown.

I was born wise, Father. Ephraim flashed a rare grin at his father and then replied with a rather lofty air.

Feeling the tension ebbing away, as reason washed over him temporarily, Lord Brunswick chuckled, I’m beginning to suspect that you were. He agreed drily.

~Chapter 1~

Bored...

Matilda Brunswick was bored.

Throwing herself dramatically on her bed she let out a very long, very loud, sigh. "Bored, bored, bored, She muttered, unbearably bored," she added for good measure.

Matilda was seventeen years old and had long since stopped playing with dolls. One doll, however, had always been a firm favourite of hers and she had felt unable to part with her. The doll in question was also, coincidentally, called Matilda.

Matilda, she addressed said doll, who stared back with a bit of a fixed smile, Do you think Father will ever let me get married?

Matilda continued to stare blankly straight ahead and of course did not utter a word.

Thought not, Matilda sighed and flopped back against her pillows with a little less drama, And it’s just ridiculous! She went on. "Ephraim’s married now – and Philip, too. It’s high time someone showed an interest in me." She pouted prettily.

Dotty, her long-suffering personal maid, peered around the doorway. Are you talking to yourself, or can anyone join in? She asked with a wide grin. Dotty adored Matilda, really. She was a persistent chatterer, but all the staff at Brunswick Manor universally adored her.

Matilda looked up and grinned back at her. Hello, Dotty, she said brightly, of course you can join in, I was just having one of my moaning fits!

Dotty shook her head, "What on Earth