Always Forever (Emerson Book 5) Read online

  Table of Contents

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  EPILOGUE ONE (THERE ARE TWO)

  EPILOGUE TWO

  ALSO BY MAUREEN DRISCOLL

  THE EMERSON SERIES

  ALWAYS BELIEVE IN LOVE (BOOK 4, NICK)

  ALWAYS HAVE HOPE (BOOK 3, WINIFRED)

  ALWAYS TRUE TO HER (BOOK 2, JAMES)

  ALWAYS COME HOME (BOOK 1, COLIN)

  THE KELLINGTON SERIES

  NEVER TURN AWAY (BOOK 6, JOSEPH)

  NEVER DENY YOUR HEART (BOOK 5, LIAM)

  NEVER RUN FROM LOVE (BOOK 4, HAL)

  NEVER WAGER AGAINST LOVE (BOOK 3, ARTHUR)

  NEVER MISS A CHANCE (BOOK 2, LIZZIE)

  NEVER A MISTRESS, NO LONGER A MAID (BOOK 1, NED)

  THE POLITICAL SATIRE

  DATING GEORGE CLOONEY

  ALWAYS FOREVER

  By

  Maureen Driscoll

  To my amazing mom.

  Love, Always Forever

  CHAPTER ONE

  On the road to Wiltshire, May 1823

  “When will we leave this blighted country?” Edmund Babcock, not a patient man in even the easiest of circumstances, had most assuredly had enough of England. And he’d certainly had enough of the interminable coach ride which was taking him, his wife Mabel and their three children, Nora, Richard and Myra, from the snobs of London back to the rural purgatory of Wiltshire.

  The wealthy Boston industrialist had brought his family to England six months earlier hoping to find a title for his eldest daughter, while advancing his own business interests abroad. But it had been a disappointing venture all around. Nora, a beauty at three and twenty, had somehow failed to attract a husband, despite her dowry. And Englishmen were shockingly loathe to discuss business matters, which was quite unfortunate since it was the only subject Edmund was truly interested in.

  Twenty-year-old Richard had spent too much time in the gaming hells and brothels of London, while nineteen-year-old Myra had fared as poorly as her sister in attracting a husband. Of course that was to be expected, since she didn’t have her sister’s looks and had developed an unfortunate reading habit while in the capital. As if intelligence would make her any more of a catch.

  Edmund had wanted to pack it all in and immediately return to his factories and mistress in Boston. But Mabel had been determined to give this enterprise one final attempt.

  “Mr. Babcock,” she said, as the bedamned carriage met with yet another hole in the road, “you can imagine my delight when I learned there was an available marquess in the very county we decamped from. I am quite certain he will make Nora an excellent husband.”

  “And I am quite certain he’ll be good for nothing but draining our coffers, while speaking of nothing of interest,” replied Mr. Babcock. “These aristocrats have no knowledge of how commerce works. It is no wonder most are on the verge of insolvency.”

  “Come now, Father,” said Myra. “Were we not hoping they would all be poor? How else would Nora get a husband?”

  The elder Babcock daughter turned ice cold blue eyes on her sister. “I would not have married any of the men we met in London. And it is not like you had any proposals. At least I came away with seven of them.”

  Myra returned her sister’s glare. “Yes, and how happy you would have been to be the wife of, if I recall correctly, three second sons of earls, a viscount’s cousin, a marquess’s bastard son…”

  “He was, at least, a good kisser,” said Nora.

  “Nora!” said her mother. “Why were you kissing an illegitimate son?”

  “Probably because she didn’t have enough time to do more with him,” said Myra. “And Nora’s last proposal came from a baronet of two and fifty.”

  “If only he’d been at least a viscount,” said their mother, wistfully.

  “Or either much younger or on death’s door,” said Richard. “I can definitely see Nora as a wealthy widow, though I do not think she would have wished to wait around forever. No, I believe she ruined her absolute best shot of being a peeress when she let the Earl of Ridgeway escape her clutches.”

  “I do not have clutches!” said Nora, her voice rising precipitously. “The Earl of Ridgeway, while being passably handsome, was saddled with horrid relations. And I just know he would have insisted on spending Father’s money on them. He wasn’t even fully related to all of them. There was his eight-year-old half-sister, Leticia, with the horrid red hair. Apparently the girl was the result of an affair between the earl’s mother and some other peer. And do not get me started on his savage of a niece. She was the result of a relationship between the earl’s brother James and an Indian woman in America. Can you imagine such a thing? That girl, Anna, has actually been welcomed into the family.”

  “He should have left the girl when he returned to England,” said Richard. “For all I know, I have any number of offspring in America. And it is as good a place as any for them.”

  “Children!” said Mrs. Babcock. “This is hardly appropriate subject matter for proper young ladies.”

  “Are we within earshot of any?” asked Richard. “Neither of my sisters can truly be called ladies and while Myra has retained some of the bloom of youth, Nora is downright ancient.”

  “I like you better when you are insensible with opium,” said Nora, with a hard kick to her brother’s shins. “Ridgeway’s real sisters are hardly any better. His sister Winifred was on trial for killing her husband, if you can imagine. I heard she only escaped the gallows by trading favors of a personal nature with the Crown’s barrister. But the jest is on her, since she ended up marrying him. Ridgeway’s sister Rosemary is a complete dowd, who hasn’t even had her come-out even though she is almost nineteen years old. She also sews her own clothes.”

  “There is something to be said for industriousness,” said Mr. Babcock.

  “And for a comely chit who would warm the sheets nicely,” said Richard. “Or didn’t you notice that part, Father?”

  “I do not begin to know what you mean,” said Mr. Babcock.

  Mrs. Babcock narrowed her eyes at both her husband and son. “Ridgeway got what he deserved for marrying that governess after toying with my lovely Nora’s feelings.”

  “Nora does not have feelings,” said Myra. “And Ridgeway’s brother James did well enough for himself, despite the half-breed daughter. He married a viscount’s daughter, after all.”

  “And her family promptly disowned her, as was only fitting,” said Mrs. Babcock with a great deal of satisfaction. “I was sorry to hear that Ridgeway’s illegitimate half-brother, the Earl of Layton, got hims
elf married, though one wouldn’t want to be a countess to someone who is not truly an earl.”

  “Actually, I believe I would have done quite well with it,” said Nora. “But had I married the Earl of Layton…”

  “Not that there was any chance of that happening,” supplied Myra.

  “Quiet, hag!” said Nora. “Had I married Layton, I would have missed out on being a future duchess.”

  “And that would have been a crime!” said Mrs. Babcock. “When I heard the Marquess of Grayson – heir to the Duke of Bancroft – was in residence in Wiltshire I simply knew we had to return to Ridgeway Manor post haste.”

  “We have every right to do so since we paid a dear enough price,” said Mr. Babcock. “I cannot believe they refused to refund our money when we decided to move to London.”

  “Well, Father, you did take the place for six months,” said Myra. “Lady Rosemary told you the fee would not be returned when you signed the lease.”

  “But that was when we thought your sister would be marrying the Earl of Ridgeway. It was quite devious of the chit to hold us to the terms of the lease when we left. Of course, this Rosemary does have a business sense I find to my liking. With Ridgeway as impoverished as he is, she has probably had to resort to unconventional means to keep the family afloat.”

  “That is a most interesting thought,” said Richard.

  Now it was Mr. Babcock’s turn to glower at an offspring, no doubt disliking the idea of competition for Rosemary’s illicit affections.

  “Might I remind everyone we are talking about me and my future life as a duchess?” demanded Nora. “With this Nathaniel Gage fellow languishing in Wiltshire, surrounded by nothing but country misses who could be mistaken for the cows that so freely roam the county, I am quite certain it will not take long before he realizes the answer to his fervent prayers has arrived.”

  “How do you know what his fervent prayers are?” asked Myra.

  “Every man longs for a beautiful wife,” said Nora. “And you are such a dullard not to know that. Fear not. I am certain he must have a desperate, impoverished distant relation in Scotland in need of a wife to bear his children, keep his hearth clean and shear his sheep.”

  “Every peer in England has a score of impoverished relations,” said Mr. Babcock. “But God forbid any of them should seek employment. Indeed, they make sport of those of us who have worked to make something of ourselves.”

  “Actually, Father,” said Richard with a yawn, “I rather like the English idea of inherited wealth and leisure time. It is one idea worth taking back to America.”

  “Yes, I rather thought you would think that,” said Myra.

  “There will be no more talk of anyone going back to America until I have my marquess!” proclaimed Nora.

  “I could not have said it better myself, Daughter,” said Mrs. Babcock. “Richard, Myra, I will not tolerate any behavior from either of you that would ruin your sister’s chances with this Nathaniel Grayson person.”

  “Mother!” said Nora. “His name is Nathaniel Gage. He is currently the Marquess of Grayson but will one day be the Duke of Bancroft.”

  “I hear he’s a drunkard,” said Mr. Babcock.

  “The duke?” asked his wife.

  “The son. The marquess you seem to think is such a marital prize.”

  “All men drink,” said Mrs. Babcock with some asperity. “I would think you of all people would know that.”

  Mr. Babcock shrugged his shoulders. It was not the first time his wife had mentioned his drinking. Nor would it be the last. “Just make sure he doesn’t have a mountain of gaming debts before he marries Nora. This escapade has already cost me more than I cared to spend.”

  “Yet, Nora still doesn’t have a husband,” said Myra, before settling back to take a nap.

  “I am certain the crown jewels would not be sufficient to buy you one,” said Nora, as she also lay back to get some beauty rest.

  “Let’s just hope our trip to Wiltshire is more fruitful this time than the last,” said Mr. Babcock.

  “Yes, indeed, Mr. Babcock,” said his wife. “I am most assuredly in agreement about that.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  Rose looked out her bedchamber window toward Bancroft Castle. Nate’s ancestral home was on the other side of the village, situated on a slight hill, which meant it was hard to avoid seeing it. Especially when Rose had very purposely sought out this bedchamber which afforded the best view of it when she had moved the family from the manor to the dower house the previous Christmas.

  Much had changed in the intervening months. Her family had been reunited, with Colin coming home to his birthright – bringing his future wife Ava, as well as their butler, Victor Stemple, and the woman he would marry, Maude. James had finally come home from America, bringing his dear six-year-old daughter, Anna. Letty had been in alt to finally have someone her own age to play with and the girls had been inseparable ever since. Nick had recently married Kate, whom he had met while trying to clear his father’s name.

  Colin, James and Nick had married exceedingly well, but what made Rose the happiest was the knowledge that her sister Win was finally safe from her late husband, who had been physically abusive to her. Her new husband Alex had not only helped save her from the gallows, but adored her. Her beloved sister was finally getting the happiness she deserved.

  Now it was Rose’s turn. And there was only one man for her. There had always been only one.

  Nate.

  Whenever Rose thought of him, her breath caught and her stomach clenched. It had been a month since Nick had brought Kate to the house. A month since Nick’s cousin Simon had died in a supposed hunting accident. A month that Nate had stayed at the castle, playing least in sight, only visiting the Emersons twice in that entire time and not receiving her brothers when they’d gone to call on him. And he certainly had not sent word to her.

  “What is the matter, dearest?”

  Rose turned to see Win enter the room. Her sister joined her at the window, then pulled her into an embrace.

  “I love being able to do that,” said Rose. “I missed you so much when you were gone. And if I had only known how terrible things were for you…”

  “Please do not give it another thought, love,” said Win. “Those days are thankfully behind me. I wake up each morning incredibly grateful to have a second chance in life. And I get to live in the same house as my sisters and all but one brother.”

  “I do wish Nick and Kate would move in here.”

  “As do I. But fortunately, they are but an hour’s carriage ride away. And, hopefully, we can convince Kate to bring him here more often. I daresay Colin will not allow Ava to step foot in a carriage now that she’s expecting.”

  “I cannot wait for a nephew or another niece. I am quite certain more will be on the way soon, given the way you and Alex keep looking at each other, as well as James and Irene, and Nick and Kate.”

  “That would be lovely,” admitted Win with a radiant smile. “But, mayhap, it is time for your future to unfold.” She looked out the window. “The castle is lovely when the sun shines on it, is it not?”

  “I do not care about the castle itself, but I am terribly worried about what is happening inside. Have Colin and James heard any news? I am certain they won’t share anything with me.”

  “If they know something, they have not told me, either.”

  “What about Alex? Surely, they would include him in any of their plans.”

  “He also has been frustratingly tight-lipped. He knows you and I weren’t afraid to go into danger when we were in pursuit of Pierce’s killer. But now that I am his wife, he feels I shouldn’t do anything more dangerous than walking up and down the stairs without him on my arm.”

  “Yes, but you do have ways of persuading him to tell you things,” said Rose. “I believe he would tell you everything for just a kiss.”

  “I appreciate your faith in me, but I fear he is determined to keep me safe even if it means missing o
ut on a kiss or two. Though I hope it does not come to that because I enjoy kissing him very much.”

  “Yes, kissing can be quite enjoyable.”

  Win’s brows rose. “Is there something you would like to tell me?”

  Rose sighed. “There is not much to tell, though I hope I get the chance to kiss him again.”

  “Have faith, dearest. Nate will come home to you.”

  * * *

  As a secret operative for the Home Office, Nate knew from experience that waiting was often the most crucial part of any mission. It was also dangerous because the longer you had to maintain a cover, the greater the chance someone or something could expose you. But he currently had little choice.

  Nate had been trying to learn the identity of the man who had been blackmailing peers. Whoever it was had killed to remain anonymous. But the only clue Nate had to unravel the mystery had been a coded ledger which had been stolen from his desk in London. A desk with a series of intricate locks that only two men knew how to decipher: Nate and his father.

  Nate was fairly certain his father knew he suspected him, but they had never spoken of it directly. The two had never got along well, but they were now engaged in a battle of civility. Each went about his life as normally as possible. His father spent a bit more time holed up in his study, but he had made no unexpected trips. He had posted more letters than usual, but any attempts Nate had made to take a look at them had been rebuffed by their butler, Westfield, who seemed to camp outside the duke’s study.

  Nate had kept close to the castle, waiting to see if the duke would leave. He had also left instructions with Westfield that if he had any visitors they were to be told he was not at home. He did not want to involve the Emerson brothers or Alex Lewis. And he didn’t want the Emerson ladies anywhere near the castle.

  Especially Rose.

  No matter how much he tried not to think of her, Rose kept invading his thoughts and dreams. Especially his dreams. He wasn’t sure when she had changed from his childhood friends’ younger sister to the sensuous woman he longed to make love to. But there was no denying the passion he felt for her. And, God help him, the passion she seemed to feel for him.