Page 4 of A Perfect Engagement
Charlotte and her friends emerged from the store, and none of them could hold back their excitement at finding such a treasure.
“A real love letter!”
“What were the letters doing hidden in a book, I wonder?”
Charlotte took charge of the situation. “Here, let’s sit down in the square and finish reading the one we started.” She led the way down the street to the town square. The green space held lovely garden beds rioting with early spring flowers. Cheerful tulips and sunny daffodils waved in the breeze and added color to the gloomy day. They chose an iron bench and sat together with Charlotte in the middle. She pulled out the letter and began to read aloud from where they left off. Susanna and Ellie leaned in; their excitement palpable.
“Our time together this summer haunts my dreams, filling them with images of you. Your face turned up to the sun, the tall seagrass, and the blue sky framing your beauty. Your laughter as I regaled you with stories. Your eyes alight with fire just for me as we lay in bed. I wish I had any talent for drawing. For if I did, I would have sketched a thousand pictures of you. I would wallpaper my bedroom with your likeness. But alas, all I have are my words. Please know my dearest, I love you with a passion which cannot be doused by time or distance. Keep hope that we can be together sometime soon.
Always, J
Chapter Two
Daniel Weston leanedback into the comfortable leather chair and propped his boots on the edge of his brother’s desk. He took a sip of his drink and assessed Miles as he sat reading a document in front of him. His brother’s brow furrowed in concentration.
“You know, as much as I love visiting you brother, it would be nice if we could have one conversation without you burrowing into some political matter or another.” Daniel sighed when all he got in response to his jibe was a long-suffering look from his twin.
Miles was identical in appearance but certainly not in personality. His brother tackled everything in life with a single-minded purpose. Daniel preferred to sit, observe, and see where life led him. Older by eight minutes, Miles had inherited the title of Marquess of Hawksridge when their father passed away two years ago. He had taken on the title with a serious heart. He worked all the time. Managing the numerous estates, he did not allow his land managers a moment of peace. In addition, he had thrown himself into the political fray by becoming an active member of the House of Lords.
Not that Daniel begrudged his brother the title. He didn’t want all the responsibility it demanded. Daniel lived his life exactly as he pleased, no entanglements to tie him down, no responsibilities except for himself. At least he had lived this way until recently. Now, instead of a freewheeling bachelor living in London, he had become a country gentleman. Daniel had made his peace with this new bend in the road. His old run-down estate in Hertfordshire had provided him a challenge, a purpose he hadn’t felt in years.
He frowned at Miles’s bent head as his brother scribbled across his parchment. Perhaps the responsibilities of the title had been wearing too heavy on Miles as of late. But anytime he broached the subject, Miles brushed him off. As twins, they often knew what each other were thinking and feeling. But in the last year, it had become harder to know what was going on in his brother’s head.
He tried again, “Miles, you asked me to come today. I left work behind at Brooksdale because your message sounded like you needed my help.”
Miles finally looked up from his missive. A grin spread across his familiar face. “Ah yes, the exciting life of a gentleman farmer. How will your sheep get on without you?”
Daniel frowned. His brother was a traditionalist when it came to estate management. He didn’t understand Daniel’s interest in the science behind new husbandry practices. Miles was forever teasing him about his involvement in the farms on his estate. Well, bugger him, he hadn’t traveled half a day to sit around and be needled by his twin. He got up to leave. Why had he even bothered to think Miles needed him. He stood and grabbed his coat from the back of the chair.
“Daniel, don’t get in a huff. I was just teasing. Really don’t go. I’m sorry, I do need to speak with you.”
Pausing, Daniel assessed his brother. He looked thinner, and his eyes had dark circles under them. He clearly wasn’t taking care of himself. Sighing, he sat back down. “What’s going on, Miles?”
His brother tidied the papers on his desk, placing them neatly in a wooden box. He lined up the inkpot, the seal, and his quills. He was definitely stalling.
Miles raised his gaze to Daniel. “So, I have some news.” He cleared his throat. “I am engaged to be married.”
Daniel jerked forward, his hands gripping the arms of the chair. “What? When did this happen? To whom?”
“To Miss Charlotte Grisham. She is the daughter of Baron Markham.”
“All right.” He tried to process what his brother was telling him. “When did you meet this lady? I had no idea you were thinking about marrying.”
Miles got up and moved over to the liquor cabinet. He pulled the bottle of wine out and refilled Daniel’s glass. “Yes, well, Aunt Diana has been pushing me to consider taking a wife. She thinks it time for me to settle down and beget myself an heir. And Miss Grisham is attractive, comes from a good family. It seems she is in her fourth season, and her father is eager to get her married off.” He shrugged as he turned to replace the decanter.
“That sounds very…um, transactional.” Daniel took a bracing sip of wine. Miles frowned at his comment.
“It’s not like that. She is very nice. A bit quiet but intelligent, not at all like those empty-headed twits which flood the marriage mart every year. And there is nothing wrong with approaching marriage with a sensible attitude. It is essentially a business transaction. I am getting a wife and heir, someone to round out my image as a proper peer of the realm. And her father is marrying off his daughter to a marquess. He receives the extra social standing and connections it entails.”
“And the girl? What does she receive out of all of this?”
“Me, of course.” A devilish grin, reminiscent of the old Miles, spread across his face.
Daniel rolled his eyes at his twin’s arrogance. “So how did you meet this girl?” he asked.
A red flush crept up his brother’s cheeks, and he inspected his drink. He mumbled so low Daniel couldn’t make out what he said.
“What?”
