His By Opening Day

By Kat Sterling

A wallflower desperate to avoid an engagement…

 

All Rosie Fontaine wants is to study her butterflies in peace. But as family pressure mounts to accept an unwanted marriage proposal by opening day of the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, Rosie must convince everyone she's not a social pariah. So when the real estate magnate she has stealthily scrutinized for years agrees to a fake relationship, she is thrilled. But how is she supposed to protect her heart and keep her hands off Seattle's most desirable bachelor?

 

A gentleman destined to change her mind…

 

Theodore Townsend is far too busy to help his cousin's best friend…until he realizes it's the brainy blonde that has always threatened to distract him from his goals. A few innocent outings should appease his curiosity, except the more time he spends with the captivating scientist, the more he craves her. Before long, he's caught entirely in her net, consumed with one heart-stopping thought: what if she was his by opening day instead?

 

His by Opening Day is a steamy, turn-of-the-century historical romance perfect for fans of female scientists, letter writing, and a world's fair setting.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kat Sterling
• Release date: Aug 14, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223675754

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

April 29, 1909

33 days until opening day

Miss Rosie Fontaine stared into the still, black eyes of the butterfly mounted in a shadowbox and heaved a sigh.

Apparently, age twenty-six is the year being an unmarried lepidopterist becomes a blight on the family name, she told it. "Is it really so terrible I would rather be alone with you than marry the irksome, patronizing Mr. Barrows?"

Euphydryas editha taylori did not respond, but Rosie was undeterred. Someone needed to hear her woes, and since her best friend was battling a lingering illness and had yet to answer her letter, the butterfly collection in the family garage-turned-laboratory would have to suffice.

"I’m still in shock he proposed, especially since I’ve resorted to such ridiculous tactics to deter him. Developing the hiccups every time he steps near hasn’t worked, nor has mispronouncing common words, nor my ear-scratching violin performances. He still wants to whisk me off to San Francisco to reign over his doorknob empire! Can you imagine anything worse? She grimaced at the silent butterfly. I suppose you can."

She paced the small building crammed with the tools of her profession: boxes filled with annotated zoology texts, half-assembled wood and glass shadowboxes, and meticulously arranged instruments, including her beloved microscope. Normally, the laboratory was her safe haven, but today she was tempted to throw everything to the floor in hopeless rage.

She had accepted her spinsterhood years ago, so why couldn’t her family? Despite being somewhat attractive and part of the illustrious Fountaine family—a pillar of Seattle society—men tended to scatter like cockroaches when she engaged them in conversation. Over time, she had recognized it as a blessing in disguise: she had never been forced to mold herself into someone she wasn’t.

Unfortunately, her father had decided she was at risk of dying alone.

"Father is positively obsessed with announcing my engagement at our banquet on opening day of the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition. That’s in one month, so short of running away—which I won’t do because I could never leave you behind—what am I supposed to do?"

There was a knock at the garage door and Rosie snapped her mouth shut. Her family already thought her eccentric; found talking to her butterflies would not improve their opinion. Luckily, it was a maid who peeked her head in.

Miss Rosie? A letter arrived for you.

Saints be praised. She took the letter and waited for the maid to leave before eagerly tearing open the envelope.

Dearest Rosie,

Buck up! Resist! Hope is not yet lost.

Lying in bed all day has given me time to concoct a brilliant plan. You, my sweet friend, need a mysterious man to sweep into your life and convince your family that you are indeed desirable. Your father will compare your suitors, find Mr. Barrows sorely lacking, and realize you are capable of finding a husband on your own schedule. Of course, what you do with said mysterious man afterward is up to you. And before you start to panic, you’ll be relieved to know I have decided to enlist my cousin Theo.

Have fun!

Your loving friend,

Cecelia.

Oh no, oh no, oh nooo. Rosie collapsed onto her work bench. What had Cecelia done? She tore through her piles of paper until she found a blank piece of stationery and scrawled a reply.

Dearest Cecelia,

Do not, I repeat, DO NOT enlist your cousin’s aid. How can we possibly convince my father, well, anyone, we are in love? Theodore Townsend is far too handsome and successful for an odd goose such as me. No one in their right mind would believe it.

As ever your dear (but bleak) friend,

Rosie.

She was folding the stationery when a mortifying possibility occurred to her. Leaning over the paper once more, she added a postscript.

How did you convince Cousin Theo? You didn’t tell him I used to dream about him, did you?

And then she ran toward the house, shouting for the butler.

CHAPTER 2

Theodore Townsend, Inc.,

People’s Bank Building, 2nd and Pike,

April 30, 1909.

Dear Cecelia,

Please do not embroil me in your unfortunate friend’s plans. I feel for her plight, but I am much too busy to consider such an involved scheme. A bogus beau…really?

Since you are undoubtedly rolling your eyes, let me elucidate: First, my firm is in the middle of securing land for the Union Pacific Railroad, so I am needed at the office. Second, have you somehow forgotten the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition starts in a mere month? You know, only the largest event in Seattle’s history? That means I am at the beck and call of The Exposition Company until further notice.

To soften the blow (and avoid a hex), I’ve sent along a chocolate cake from Henrie’s Patisserie.

Your loving (but frustrated) cousin,

Theo.

Queen Anne Hill,

April 30, 1909.

Dear cousin Theo,

Seventeen years ago, I saved you from drowning in Lake Union. You owe me.

Affectionately yours,

Cecelia.

P.S. Thank you for the cake.

Theodore Townsend, Inc.,

People’s Bank Building, 2nd and Pike,

May 1, 1909.

Dear Cecelia,

If I’d known that day would constitute a lifetime of blackmail, I might have been tempted to give up the ghost. Fine, I will do it, but let it be known I am only agreeing to this because you cannot leave the house and do it yourself.

I will meet your friend to discuss the terms at whatever public meeting place you choose. Then, and only then, will I make my decision. And since you have yet to inform me who I am meeting, I shall make it easy for her to identify me: I will be wearing a black armband in silent mourning of my peace and quiet.

Your loving (and resigned) cousin,

Theo.

May 4, 1909

28 days until opening day

Rosie fidgeted on the stone bench in front of Science Hall at the University of Washington and checked the plain gold watch pinned to her jacket for the dozenth time.

Mr. Theodore Townsend, her supposed savior, was late.

She would give him a few more minutes, and then she would return to her work. Her former Zoology professors didn’t open the laboratory for just anyone, and she treasured her weekly afternoon visits to