A Return Engagement Read online

  Her answer came without a heartbeat’s hesitation. “I’ve always loved you. Only you.”

  “And as I love you in the same, all-consuming fashion, then it’s time, don’t you think, that we married?” He drew a breath, and it was tight. “And that’s the answer to your question—why I seduced you. Because, my darling Nell, you may draw back, fluster and bluster all you like, but this time, I’m not letting you go.”

  Nell stared at him, then a laugh bubbled up—a happy, joyous laugh—and she had to let it out.

  He smiled in return.

  Then before she gathered her wits, he went down on one knee and looked up at her, draped in his coverlet with one shoulder bare and her hair cascading in a tousled mane, and said, “Marry me, Nell, and make me the happiest of mortals.”

  She dropped onto her knees, too, pressing into arms that closed around her, steadying her and holding her, and smiled into his eyes. “My heart is yours, Robert Knightley. I’ll marry you and gladly, and I trust that you’ll hold me to this vow—to be your wife and stand by your side forevermore.” Then she leaned in and kissed him.

  And he kissed her back.

  Minutes later, he rose, lifting her in his arms, and carried her back to the bed.

  The wedding of Hereditary Prince Frederick of Lautenberg to Frances Daughtry, daughter of the Duke of Pemberton, went off without a hitch.

  Until he’d seen the evidence with his own eyes, Robert had privately questioned the assumption that the Vayne curse would vanish with the day’s dawn, but from the first—when he’d glimpsed her going into the private family breakfast—Frances had glowed, happiness and joy and delighted expectation rendering her nothing short of radiant.

  Nell, gowned in deep violet satin of a shade that matched her eyes, followed Frances into the room, smiling and laughing at something Frances had said; she transfixed Robert’s eyes and attention effortlessly. Even walking in Frances’s train, to him, Nell was beyond compare.

  Throughout the long day, he and she consulted frequently, working through an extensive list of items to be tweaked and last-minute matters to confirm.

  As in any major diplomatic event, adjustments had to be made due to unforeseen happenings—like the elderly Grand Duchess of Bavaria, being unable to stand and so unable to see from her allotted perch in the gallery, having to be accommodated nearer the altar—but between them he and Nell rose to the challenge, and not a single disturbance marred the day.

  Frederick and Frances made a perfect royal couple, the glow in their eyes and investing their expressions whenever they looked on each other clear for all to see. The populace of Lautenberg, many of whom had crowded into the streets of Kremunz, roared their approval.

  The wedding breakfast passed off without incident, and then it was time for the newlyweds to depart on the royal barge on the first night of a romantic wedding cruise.

  All those who could followed the royal couple and their attendant families to the docks, where the barge, suitably bedecked, bobbed on a gentle swell.

  Half an hour of laughter, cheers, and a short thank-you speech from Frederick to his assembled countrymen, and the ropes were cast off and the barge eased into the river.

  Robert watched the gap widen between the dock and the deck, and finally felt the pressure of the day slide from his shoulders.

  Nell, standing beside him, sent one last wave toward her sister and her new husband, then linked her arm in Robert’s and heaved a heartfelt sigh. “It’s done.”

  “Indeed.” Standing in front of Robert, Valeria turned and considered him and her daughter. “And what about you?”

  As ever, her question was ambiguous, but, unruffled, Robert smiled and answered it as his future mama-in-law had intended. “As it happens, Your Grace, I’ll be returning to England with your party.” Raising his gaze, he included the duke, who had come to stand beside Valeria. “I intend to return to London, at least long enough to marry Nell.”

  The duke smiled. “Excellent!” He clasped Robert’s hand and shook it heartily. “About time.” The duke beamed at his daughter.

  Valeria looked at Nell expectantly, as did Robert. She was staring at them all, apparently struck dumb. Valeria arched her fine brows. “If she’ll have you, I suspect you meant to say.”

  “No, Your Grace.” Meeting Nell’s stunned eyes, Robert placed his hand over hers on his sleeve. “Regardless of what she says from now until then, I will meet her before the altar at St. George’s. I have no intention of drawing back. Again. I love her, and I know she loves me, and”—raising her hand, he pressed a kiss to her fingers—“once I finally get my ring on her finger, I look forward to a long and happy life side by side.”

  Valeria looked from him to Nell, then smiled delightedly. “Amen.”

  JULY 7, 1826

  THE DECK OF THE MARY AND HENRY,

  BOUND FOR THE RHINE, CROSSING THE ENGLISH CHANNEL

  The wind blew fair and the schooner leapt through the waves. Clutching the rail a little short of the bow, Nell stood with Robert, a comforting shield at her back, and watched the coast of Holland take shape on the horizon.

  They were returning to Lautenberg, to what would be their home for the foreseeable future, possibly for the rest of their lives. Robert’s masters at the Foreign Office had been beyond delighted to learn of his proposed alliance with the Daughtrys; the reassurance of having a sister to support Frances in her role, and the benefits of having a noble lady of Nell’s caliber to assist Robert in the delicate diplomacy predicted to be necessary to keep peace in the region, were considered unparalleled boons. As for Robert’s family, they, too, were in alt; he was the last of his brothers to wed, and the family had all but given up hope—a hard thing in a family steeped in diplomatic ways.

  Her hair whipped by the wind, the tang of sea spray unrelenting, Nell glanced down at the shiny gold band on her ring finger. The last two weeks had been frenetic, hectic, and filled to the brim, but perhaps because their recent brief engagement was effectively the second time for her, she’d fallen prey to no more than several short bouts of frantic dithering, and they’d been married yesterday in St. George’s in a relatively small, family wedding; after Frances’s recent extravaganza, that had suited them both.

  And now, soon, they would reach the mouth of the Rhine, and transfer to the barge that would be waiting to ferry them along the river and then up the Mosel to Kremunz and its fairy-tale castle.

  “A penny for your thoughts.”

  She smiled and leaned back, nestling her head against Robert’s shoulder, crossing her arms over his as they circled her waist and held her securely. “I was just thinking . . . this is very much my dream come true, but I never thought beyond this point.” She glanced up and caught his eye. “Beyond the wedding. And now we’re here, on the threshold of beyond, and I feel . . . so excited, so enthusiastic about what lies ahead.”

  “About making a life together?”

  She nodded. “That, and the challenges of managing whatever comes.”

  His chin against her head, he was silent for a moment, then he murmured, “Just as long as we’re together, as long as I can hold you in my arms, I don’t care what fate flings at us.”

  “Just as long as we’re together, we can triumph over anything.”

  “And as we’ll always and forever be together, the future, my love, is finally ours.”

  THE END

  Don’t miss Stephanie’s

  most recent additions to the Cynster family novels

  And Then She Fell

  and

  The Taming of Ryder Cavanaugh

  Available now in print and e-book from Avon Books.

  Read on for more information!

  AND THEN SHE FELL

  #1 New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens has returned to another utterly irresistible branch on her beloved Cynster family tree. . .

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  The only thing more troublesome than a Cynster man . . .

  . . . is a
Cynster lady who believes love is not her destiny. Famously known in London society as “The Matchbreaker,” Henrietta Cynster’s uncanny skill lies in preventing ill-fated nuptials—not in falling victim to Cupid’s spell.

  But then she disrupts one match too many and feels honor-bound to assist dashing James Glossup in finding a suitable bride for a marriage-of-convenience.

  A task infernally complicated by the undeniable, unquenchable attraction that flares between James and Henrietta, who continues to believe she will never fall . . .

  THE TAMING OF RYDER CAVANAUGH

  #1 New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens is back with the next in her Cynster Sisters series . . .

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  The Honorable Miss Mary Cynster always gets what she wants. As the last unwed Cynster of her generation, she is determined to remain in charge of her life and of the man she will marry. At the very bottom of her list of potential husbands is Ryder Cavanaugh, the daring and devastating Marquess of Raventhorne, an overwhelming and utterly unmanageable lion of the ton. But destiny has a different plan.

  Ryder needs Mary as his wife, not just because she is delightful, fiery, and tempting, but because he values all she could be. When fate and circumstance hand him the chance, he claims Mary as his marchioness . . . only to discover what he truly desires is not just to take her hand in marriage, but to capture her heart.

  In 2014, Stephanie’s next two releases

  will return to the lives of aristocratic sleuth

  Barnaby Adair and his wife, Penelope!

  Read the first in this group of novels,

  WHERE THE HEART LEADS

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  Handsome, enigmatic, and deliciously dangerous, Barnaby Adair has made his name by solving crimes within the ton. When Penelope Ashford appeals for his aid, he is moved by her plight—and captivated by her lush beauty.

  More than a pretty face in a satin gown, Penelope has devoted her will and intelligence to caring for London’s orphans. But now her charges are disappearing. She turns to Adair for help, never dreaming she’ll discover in him a man who matches her appetite for life and passion.

  As Barnaby and Penelope unravel the mystery of the missing children, they uncover a shocking trail that leads to the upper echelons of society, and a ruthless criminal who is ready to destroy all they hold dear, including their newfound understanding of the irresistible intrigues of the heart.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  #1 New York Times bestselling author STEPHANIE LAURENS began writing romances as an escape from the dry world of professional science. Her hobby quickly became a career when her first novel was accepted for publication, and with entirely becoming alacrity, she gave up writing about facts in favor of writing fiction.

  Laurens’s novels are set in the time period of the British Regency, and her settings range from Scotland to India. Laurens has published fifty-two works of historical romance, including twenty-nine New York Times bestsellers. All of her works are continuously available in print and digital formats in English worldwide, and have been translated into many other languages. An international bestseller, among other accolades, Laurens has received the Romance Writers of America prestigious RITA® Award for Best Romance Novella 2008 for “The Fall of Rogue Gerrard.”

  Her continuing novels featuring the Cynster family are widely regarded as classics of the genre. Other series include the Bastion Club Novels and the Black Cobra Quartet.

  For information on upcoming releases and updates on novels yet to come, visit Stephanie’s website at www.stephanielaurens.com or sign up for her monthly e-mail newsletter for up-to-the-minute information on new releases at Stephanie Laurens Newsletter Mailing List.

  Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins authors.

  BY STEPHANIE LAURENS

  The Cynster Novels

  Devil’s Bride

  A Rake’s Vow

  Scandal’s Bride

  A Rogue’s Proposal

  A Secret Love

  All About Love

  All About Passion

  The Promise in a Kiss

  On a Wild Night

  On a Wicked Dawn

  The Perfect Lover

  The Ideal Bride

  The Truth About Love

  What Price Love?

  The Taste of Innocence

  Where the Heart Leads

  Temptation and Surrender

  The Cynster Sisters Trilogy

  Viscount Breckenridge to the Rescue

  In Pursuit of Eliza Cynster

  The Capture of the Earl of Glencrae

  The Cynster Sisters Duo

  And Then She Fell

  The Taming of Ryder Cavanaugh

  The Bastion Club Novels

  Captain Jack’s Woman (prequel)

  The Lady Chosen

  A Gentleman’s Honor

  A Lady of His Own

  A Fine Passion

  To Distraction

  Beyond Seduction

  The Edge of Desire

  Mastered By Love

  The Black Cobra Quartet

  The Untamed Bride

  The Elusive Bride

  The Brazen Bride

  The Reckless Bride

  Other Novels

  The Lady Risks All

  Stephanie Laurens Novellas

  Rose in Bloom

  Scandalous Lord Dere

  Lost and Found

  The Fall of Rogue Gerrard

  The Seduction of Sebastian Trantor

  The Wedding Planner

  A Return Engagement

  COPYRIGHT

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  “A Return Engagement” was originally published in the anthology Royal Bridesmaids in 2012 and 2013 by Avon Impulse and Avon Books, respectively, Imprints of HarperCollins Publishers

  A RETURN ENGAGEMENT. Copyright © 2012 by Savdek Management Proprietary Ltd. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

  EPub Edition SEPTEMBER 2013 ISBN: 9780062291998

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