Page 1 of Once Bitten, Twice Mine

CHAPTER 1

1872

After months of careful planning, Caroline Blythe’s engagement party was perfect, but she felt no satisfaction at the achievement. As she looked around the room, everyone she loved, hated, or was indifferent about was there. Her parents were waltzing on the dance floor, eyes only for one other. Her girlhood rival Sally Perkins fumed by the punch bowl, angry that Caroline was marrying before her. Her best friend, Miss Diya Evans, was holding court for a gaggle of young men already smitten.

All of which should have made her happy, but she felt nothing.

“You should be very proud of your work, my sweet. Our engagement party is a smashing success.”

“Thank you.” Caroline flashed a polite smile to her fiancé, Edgar Andrews. “Everyone does seem to be enjoying themselves.”

The compliment was appreciated, but it didn’t give her the spark of warmth she had once hoped. They had been betrothed for six weeks and courting for almost twelve, but their union was inevitable. Edgar had never been shy about his feelings for her, not even when they were children.

And once she reached four and twenty without being married, the whispers around them got louder until Caroline finally said yes.

“I can only imagine how beautiful our wedding will be. It will be the event of the season.”

“Hopefully it isn’t too much to live up to.”

“Impossible,” Edgar said, lifting the back of her hand to his lips. “I already know it will be perfect.”

It would be. Caroline had the most in-demand modiste in London making her dress. Madame Gavreau was even coming out to Wiltshire for the final dress fitting. It was guaranteed she would have the best wedding dress in the county.

Her dress this evening was spectacular. It was a pale lavender with violet trim, and a matching silk brocade bustle. Her blonde hair was rolled and coiled on her head with intricately carved combs that matched her gold engagement ring.

What was most impressive was that she repaired the crumbling crown molding in the ballroom that morning so none of her guests would notice how worn their grand house had become.

“Do you have a date in mind for the wedding?”

“Not yet, but I’m hoping we won’t have to wait much longer, my sweet. Mr. Hawkins said they would make me a partner in the firm after this next deal and, then we can marry.”

“It will all be worth it in the end,” she said, forcing a smile as her stomach churned.

Edgar smiled back and guilt prickled within her. He wasn’t very tall—neither was she—but he had a full head of hair and all of his teeth. More importantly, his dark brown eyes were kind, and he never raised his voice. He got along with her parents and was genuine when he asked about her day. His smile was pleasant, and he was a Cambridge-educated estate agent.

There were many worse choices, but he had never inspired any strong feelings within her. After she got engaged, her mother sat her down and explained that there may be some urges in her or Edgar when they were alone, but even though they were to be married, she needed to control those urges until their wedding night.

Caroline still had not felt any such urges towards him. She would have asked her mother when the urges would come, but she worried her lack of passion was a failing of hers.

Urges weren’t entirely foreign to her, but it had been a long, long time since anyone had inspired them.

Marriage was her duty. For as long as she could remember, she knew she would one day marry a nice man who lived close by and have an heir or two to continue the family line. Never once had she resented her role, but now that it was here, she wasn’t quite sure.

A sharp pang of jealousy ran through her as she watched her parents dance while her fiancé walked off to speak with some of his work colleagues. They had been married for over twenty-six years, but still looked at one another like they were newlyweds. They were the most aspirational couple in town, if not the entire county.

Ironically, their love story was why her duty was so important. Grace Blythe had been born Grace O’Doyle, a milliner’s assistant, when George Blythe opened the door to the store and to her mother’s heart. He had been there to pick up a repaired hat for his viscountess mother, and over the next month he ordered five additional hats to keep seeing her.

As they told it, it was love at first sight, and they would have moved heaven or Earth to be together. As her grandparents told it, it was a torrid affair that ended with them running off to Gretna Green to get married when her father was supposed to be away at Oxford.

Her Blythe grandparents were furious their son married an Irish peasant, while her O’Doyle grandparents were furious their daughter married an English aristocrat. Even worse, a Protestant. Neither side took it out on Caroline, but the expectation was that she would be the one to marry well to fix the mess her parents made.

“Really, Caro, you would be the one person who threw a perfect party, but didn’t enjoy it for a moment,” Diya chastised as she walked up to her.

“I am enjoying the party.”

Diya snorted. Caroline could lie to almost anyone, but never to Diya. Born only three days apart, they were destined to be best friends since their fathers were also best friends.

“Have you found a husband yet?”