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Chapter1
March 1817
Viscount Ashford stood before his Mayfair town house and stared at the front door for almost a full minute.Dread settled over him at the thought of what awaited him on the other side of that door.
His mother.
She’d sent him a note last week to inform him she was coming to town for the season and that she intended to stay with him.He could only hope she didn’t expect him to escort her to all the various entertainments.
The house had remained empty after his father’s death several years ago, and he’d taken up residence last summer after returning to England following his time in the army.His mother normally stayed with one of his sisters when she was in town, but both Jane and Helen were now married and had households of their own.
He squared his shoulders and took a deep, calming breath.He’d faced his share of foes across the battlefield.Surely he could handle having his petite mother in residence for a few months.
The butler opened the door as soon as Ashford reached it.If Hastings had seen him hesitating outside the house, he gave no indication.
It was early evening, and he assumed his mother would be resting before dinner as was her custom.“Is Lady Ashford in her chambers?”
Hastings inclined his head.“Yes, my lord.Lady Benington is also here.She’s waiting for you in the library.”
Of course she was.Jane wouldn’t miss the spectacle that was about to take place.At least his youngest sister, Helen, wasn’t in town this spring.He was only slightly outnumbered.
He thanked the man and headed down the hallway to the library.He was delaying what he knew would be an uncomfortable meeting with his mother, but his sister would always be the lesser of two evils.
When he reached the room, Jane was standing near the window, looking out onto the back garden.
She turned as he entered, and one corner of her mouth quirked up in amusement.“I half feared you’d quit London.I’m happy to see Mother hasn’t succeeded in driving you away.Not yet at any rate.”
He fought to hold back a scowl as he waited for her to settle into a chair and then sank into the seat opposite her.As always, his sister was exquisitely dressed, and he didn’t even have to ask if she’d be joining them for dinner.She wore a deep blue formal dress, and her light brown hair had been styled into ringlets around her face.Small blue jewels were sprinkled throughout the mass, which was swept up in an artful manner.If she planned to cajole him into accompanying her to a ball or rout that evening, she would be disappointed.
“Please tell me you’re here to convince Mother to spend the next few months with you.”
Jane let out a light laugh.“I’m already wed and have given her two grandchildren.Mother doesn’t care what I do with my time.She’s more interested in you and your pursuits.”
He frowned.“If she’s hoping one of those pursuits will be a wife, she’s doomed to disappointment.”It wasn’t that he never wanted to wed, but it wasn’t something he planned to do in the near future.When he married, it would be when he decided it was time.
“I don’t know about that.Mother can be quite determined when she puts her mind to something.”
He’d seen a hint of that strength the previous year when he’d visited her after resigning his commission and returning to England.Still, she couldn’t have changed that much.The woman he’d known when he was a youth had deferred to her husband in all things.
“If she becomes unbearable, I’ll find somewhere else to stay.”He could just imagine the look on Lowenbrock’s or Cranston’s face if he turned up at one of their houses and asked them for shelter.He’d never hear the end of it, but they’d never abandon him in his hour of need.
“That won’t dissuade our mother from carrying out her mission.”
He let out a soft chuckle at the thought.“Are we talking about the same woman who used to cower whenever our father walked into a room?That woman never asserted herself a day in her life.”
Jane’s brows drew together at the memory.“Father was a tyrant, but I’ve come to see another side of our mother since his passing.She was very happy when you returned home and didn’t want to press the matter when you visited her in Suffolk, but I fear her patience is at an end.She’s set her mind on seeing you settled in the very near future.”
“She can’t force me to wed.”
“She can try.She’ll want you to be happily situated, of course, but be prepared to be subjected to a parade of England’s most eligible young women over the next few months.”
“Taking up residence elsewhere is looking more attractive.”Or he could leave London altogether.He dismissed that idea almost as soon as it occurred to him.Cranston was in town, as was Lowenbrock and his new wife.He’d been looking forward to spending more time with the men who’d been his closest friends during the past few years of their fight against Napoleon.Certain he could manage his mother’s attempts to marry him off, he wouldn’t quit the battlefield so soon.
Jane lowered her voice and leaned forward in her chair.“You really don’t want to leave Mother here all by herself.”
Her words brought forth a pang of guilt that he did his best to ignore.“I know this is her first time staying in the house since Father passed, but I’m sure she’ll be fine.”
She arched a brow.“So you won’t mind when she selects your future wife without any input from you and invites her to stay here?I’m sure she’ll love telling everyone you’ve moved out of the town house to allow her time to get to know her future daughter-in-law.”
