Saving Lady Abigail: A Historical Regency Romance Book Read online

  When she and the duke had married, she was joyful to find that she was welcomed with open arms into not just his heart, but the whole of his household and family.

  “Perhaps we should plan our own event,” Lady Abigail said, after a time. “We could invite Lord and Lady Gilchrist, as well as our aunt and uncle. I think we would all get on as such a happy party.”

  “I think that would be a splendid idea,” the duchess agreed.

  “It seems to me,” interjected the duke, who, for the most part, had kept to observing the scenery as they went along the road, “that it might be a lot of work for someone who promised to take it easy.”

  The duchess waved him off as a silly man.

  “It will give me something to occupy my mind with.”

  For the next three days, as the trio traveled from the estate up north to the prestigious house in London, Lady Abigail and the duchess were hard at work making plans for a beautiful dinner party.

  Arriving, finally, at their destination, both women could honestly say they would be happy never to sit in another carriage again. They made their way into the home already opened and prepared for their arrival, ready for a peaceful day of relaxation and recuperation.

  “Perhaps both you ladies should retire early for the night,” the duke said as the carriage arrived at the house at dusk.

  “I promised Louisa I would send her a note as soon as I got here.”

  The duke didn’t like his wife’s answer to his suggestion, but allowed it nonetheless. He therefore had some tea brought into the evening sitting room so she could write her letter and regain some energy from the refreshments.

  “I thought I might call on my aunt tomorrow,” Lady Abigail said between sips of tea. “I'm sure she would be happy to see you, Christian, and meet you, Isabella, if you’re feeling up to it.”

  “Well, I think after talking about them for three days, I can’t bear to go much longer without meeting them,” Isabella said as she finished her letter and folded it for a servant to deliver.

  Normally Isabella would have just waited to put it with the post, but since Lady Louisa seemed most anxious to know that Isabella was safely in London, she thought it best to have it taken to the Frasier household right away.

  “And perhaps we could take a walk around the park, too,” Lady Abigail added.

  “Perhaps it’s best to stick to one event at a time,” the duke admonished.

  “You’re a ball of fun,” his sister retorted back in a teasing fashion.

  “Yes, well you know how much your brother loves to spend the season in town,” the duchess added to the jeering.

  “Well, I would guess that you just want to catch the next gig race,” the duke retorted to his sister with a raised red brow. “I am not at all certain that it’s a very good idea for you.”

  “Why, because ladies should be abashed by such behavior?” Lady Abigail retorted.

  “No, because I fear you might climb into one and show them all up. Then I would have to write to Mother and explain why her daughter is now a pariah.”

  “You wouldn’t do that, would you?” the duchess asked Lady Abigail.

  It was not at all shocking to hear that Lady Abigail wanted to attend a race, but to be a part of one seemed like an even more drastic line to cross than she could imagine for her sister-in-law.

  “I may have done it, once before. But that was at Fortuna’s house and in a basket, not a gig,” Lady Abigail corrected her brother.

  “Yes, well, things are different when you are in London. You are also a very prestigious member of the town, whether you want it or not, and that comes with more judgmental appraisals.”

  “This is not my first time, Christian. I am well aware of the conduct I must follow.”

  “ I don’t think you do fully understand,” the duke retorted. He should have uttered it in a reprimanding tone, but instead, he wore a smirk of pride.

  The duke detested the time in town because, unlike his sister who still had a bit of leeway to enjoy herself, he had to act exactly as expected of someone of his social status.

  “Do try not to make too big a spectacle of yourself this year, Abigail,” the duke finally sighed.

  “Of course not, dear brother. Plus, Isabella will keep me in line, won't you?”

  It was right that, of the trio, the duchess was the one most keen to sensibility and propriety. She sincerely hoped that she could instill some of those values in Lady Abigail without disrupting her free spirit too much.

  Chapter 3

  Lady Abigail couldn’t have been more excited to see her cousin. Though it had scarcely been a year since seeing Lady Fortuna Rosh last, it still seemed too long to Lady Abigail.

  The two cousins had grown up as close friends since childhood. There was not much that happened to one that the other did not know about.

  The Duchess of Wintercrest was a little nervous to meet the family she had heard such great praise about, from both Lady Abigail and her husband.

  “Oh, Abigail, I’ve missed you so,” Lady Huntington said as she hugged her niece. “And Christian, look at you," she added, raising a hand to a plump, rosy cheek at the appearance of her nephew. “You have grown into quite a man. How long has it been?”

  The duke happily took his aunt's hand and kissed it lovingly. Lady Huntington blushed an even more profound crimson as the small ringlets encircling her face shook with her giggles.

  “And Your Grace, of course, it is lovely to finally make your acquaintance,” Lady Huntington said as the duke introduced his wife.

  “I must confess, poor Isabella must feel as if she knows you already, dear aunt,” Lady Abigail said as they all entered the home and came to sit in the morning room. “I about chewed her ear off the whole way from Wintercrest.”

  “Where is Fortuna?” Lady Abigail asked when her cousin did not greet her or appear in the sitting room.

  “She went out already this morning. It was a little early if you ask me, but she insisted on going with Josie to pick out the fabric.”

  “Fabric for what?” Lady Abigail asked as she took a seat on a mint-colored couch.

  The whole room was decorated in a soft green color with gold accents all around. Between that and the excellent light coming in through the window, it gave the room an air of freshness that would brighten even the saddest of moods.

  “I will have to let her tell you. She is quite excited about it,” Lady Huntington said before beginning to pour the tea set before them.

  Lady Abigail enjoyed the company of her aunt as she drank her delicate morning tea and ate moist muffins. The whole party, including her brother, seemed utterly at ease as they shared stories of memories from the past.

  Lady Abigail was just picking at a loose thread coming off the embroidered cuff of her morning dress and wondering where her cousin could be when Lady Fortuna finally returned home.

  Immediately, Lady Abigail rose to greet her cousin, forgetting all about the rose-colored cuff. It also didn’t escape her eye that behind Lady Fortuna’s entrance into the party was a maid heavily weighed down with a massive amount of fabric.

  “Now, before you do anything,” Lady Abigail said after new introductions were made between the duchess and Lady Fortuna, “you must enlighten me on your mysterious morning endeavors.”

  Lady Fortuna, who sat perfectly next to her mother, looked more akin to a china doll than lady. She seemed far too fragile to be traveling about in early morning dew.

  She was always one to think things through before speaking, so instead of starting right in, as Lady Abigail might have done, she instead smoothed the folds of her cream morning dress as she collected her thoughts.

  As Lady Abigail waited, she wondered over the color of her cousin's dress. It somewhat made her look more pale and fragile. She thought to perhaps tell Lady Fortuna that cream was not a preferable color for her. Certainly, a soft blue would do better to bring out the little color in her cheeks and azure color of her cousin's eyes.


  “Well, upon arriving in London last week, I was determined to find a good use of my time. While at home, I have been very fortunate to have a large amount of work for myself, under the request of Reverend Brown, attending to the needs of our local girls' school.”

  She took a deep breath of air. Lady Abigail couldn’t help but wonder why her cousin always looked about to faint from weariness when she knew Lady Fortuna to be a lady of many talents and busy hands.

  “He recommended, before our leaving for town, that I get in touch with a very good friend of his, a Mr. Thomas Bloomsbury. Mr. Bloomsbury is a rector at the Foundling Hospital here in London.”

  Lady Abigail was familiar with the Foundling Hospital. It was a place for children whose parents had, unfortunately, had to surrender them. The hospice was used to care for the children, as well as give them a good education and means for apprenticeship when they came of age.

  It had already been around for several decades and had received not only high praise for its work but had also been replicated a few times in different areas of the country since.

  “Mr. Brown informed me that his friend was concerned about the constant need at the hospital. They have more children than required funds for the necessary provisions.”

  Lady Abigail knew that helping less fortunate children was very dear to her cousin's heart. She had been given the Christian name Fortuna because she had been a miracle in her parents lives. For many years they had tried unsuccessfully to have children, and then when they were finally able, their plans seemed destined for heartache and pain.

  They buried four of Lady Fortuna’s siblings before she was born. With her sickly demeanor, they had expected her to go the way of all her predecessors. Lady Fortuna had grown and thrived, however. Her parents instilled in her the deep gratitude of her survival.

  For Lady Fortuna, this gratitude showed in her constant willingness to help all other children as much as she could. She felt that if she were able to help one sick child get better, or perhaps give one impoverished child a better start in life, she would be doing the work that God had preserved her for.

  “I wrote to Mr. Bloomsbury and asked to help in any way they needed. I met with him and toured the hospital. He explained to me that, more often than not, the funds they receive go to clothing and bedding, making it difficult for them to buy supplies for educational purposes. He wondered if I might be willing to donate clothing and the like so that their funds could be used for a better cause.”

  “Which explains the need to go to the fabric store so early in the morning and to burden your maid so heavily,” the duke said with a teasing smile.

  “I thought perhaps I could start with making nightgowns, uniforms, pinafores, and bonnets for the children. They are also in need of proper bedding and winter garments.”

  “That is quite a tall order for just beginning,” Lady Abigail said. She often feared her cousin took on more than she was able to adequately cope with.

  “Well, I rather hoped to start a sewing group. This is where I was hoping you could help me, Abigail,” Lady Fortuna continued. “You are so good at making friends. I hoped you would help me organize a group of ladies to meet a few times a week.”

  “Well, I have your first candidate right here,” Lady Abigail said, pointing to the duchess. “I have never seen anyone embroider as finely as Isabella.”

  “I would love to join if you would have me. The idea sounds wonderful,” Isabella agreed.

  “Oh, Your Grace, I would appreciate that very much if you would be willing.”

  “I also might suggest another addition if you would let me,” the duchess continued.

  Lady Fortuna nodded in encouragement.

  “My friend Lady Louisa Frasier is a very talented seamstress. I am sure she too would be happy to join your worthy cause.”

  “Oh, this is so exciting,” Lady Fortuna said, clapping her hands with delight. “To already have so many potential ladies, I do not doubt that we will make a wonderful improvement to the Foundling Hospital and its residents.”

  “Well, just two besides yourself,” the duke said with a little laugh.

  “Three you mean, dear cousin,” Lady Fortuna countered. “There is your lovely wife, possibly her friend, and Abigail, of course.”

  The duke struggled to hold back his laughter.

  “Oh, Fortuna, I would be happy to rally to your cause, but you know I have no ability when it comes to sewing. I am dreadful at it, in fact.”

  “I know it isn’t your strong suit,” Lady Fortuna said, always trying to see the light through the clouds. “I thought perhaps we could just start you on something very simple like the bedding or pinafores.”

  “Oh, yes, Abigail. That would be easy enough,” the duchess added encouragingly. “You could make the pinafores; it’s just a simple stitch. Then when you are done, I could embellish them just a little to give each girl her own special pattern.”

  “Maybe you should have Abigail start with a handkerchief instead. That way if it goes wrong, at least it will spend most of its time in a pocket or up a sleeve,” the duke said with a hearty laugh.

  Lady Abigail gave her teasing brother a pointed look. She knew Christian meant his words all in good fun. To be completely honest with herself, she partly agreed with him. But Lady Abigail also was not one to shy away from a challenge.

  So often, Lady Abigail found sewing and embroidery too dull to catch her attention for very long. She would much rather be out and about exploring the beautiful earth.

  She was sure the image of children wearing comfortable, warm clothes and having the tools necessary for their education would be more than sufficient inspiration to put her whole focus to the task.

  “I would be more than happy to help,” Lady Abigail said, wrinkling her freckled nose at her brother.

  Chapter 4

  As decided earlier, on the way home from their aunt’s house, the party paused to take a ride around the very popular Hyde Park. It didn’t escape the duke’s attention that his sister’s whole intent behind this diversion was not to be seen as most fine ladies wished, but instead to peek her own glance at the notorious activity.

  “Come now, let your sister have some enjoyment,” Isabella said to her husband when he seemed to be steering their open carriage completely clear of the route.

  What had once been the King's private road was now more commonly used by daring gentlemen in gigs with fast horses.

  “It is not as if she is asking to witness dueling. You, yourself, told me that on occasion you drove your witnessed races along that course. Do not deprive her of a small amount of fun.”

  The duke seemed to roll this over in his mind, before finally turning down the desired path. With any luck, no one would be there. It was, after all, just starting to be the fashionable time for turns around the park. More often, races occurred toward the end of night.

  Much to the duke’s disappointment, and his sister’s excitement, there was, in fact, a group of gentlemen preparing for a friendly race.

  Lady Abigail sat up immediately in her spot to scan the crowd for familiar faces. She was acquainted with several of the ladies who stood off to the side as the gentlemen prepared their steeds.

  Lady Abigail was happy to see that the race at that moment would be between three men on horseback. She found this to be far more exciting than gig races.

  Without hesitation, she hopped down from the carriage and made her way over to some familiar ladies.

  “This seems like it will be quite the exciting event,” Miss Mary Johansson said after Lady Abigail made her introductions and inquiries to friends since last they met.

  Miss Mary was the daughter of a Baron who had not much more than the title to his name. She was, however, a beauty in the extreme and Lady Abigail did not doubt that she would marry up in life.

  Though they were not entirely close friends, they were, however, acquaintances that often frequented the same groups and less than desirable events for ladies such as
this.

  Lady Abigail looked over the riders. Two she knew well. They were usual contestants here on the King's private road. Though they had long since outgrown the age of young pups, they still seemed to wish to prove themselves.

  The third rider was a man she had never seen before. She couldn’t help but let her eyes linger on him as he checked his saddle and the condition of his horse.

  He was dressed very finely in a velvet riding jacket and matching brown trousers. His high boots looked to be of excellent black leather, and the crop in his hand was held with an air of confidence.

  “Who is that gentleman in the middle? I don’t think I have ever made his acquaintance.”

  “Why, that is Lord Franklin Stuartson, Earl of Heshing, Lady Abigail,” Miss Mary instructed, happy to have a bit of information to dole out.

  “Heshing,” Lady Abigail thought the name over. It did have a bit of familiarity to it.

  “I believe this is one of his first seasons in town. He has just taken his father’s seat in the House of Lords this year.”

  Lady Abigail figured the name was only familiar to her by way of passing word from her father or brother. She took a mental note to perhaps ask the duke about the gentleman when he was slightly less of a vexing older brother.

  The riders mounted their steeds and prepared for the long stretch of road ahead of them. The small crowd clapped in excitement.

  “Have you placed a bet?” Miss Mary asked, motioning to Lord Fenton, who was the usual orchestrator of such events.

  Lady Abigail looked over at her brother. He had just finished helping Isabella down from the carriage and together they were making their way over. Had she been here without him, she would have happily placed a sixpence on Lord Heshing.

  It was not at all proper for ladies to witness such events, let alone bet on them. She decided it was best, with her brother present, not to do so.