Billionaire Games Boxed Set 1-3 (67 page)
Read Billionaire Games Boxed Set 1-3 Online
Authors: Sandra Edwards
Tags: #Literature & Fiction, #Women's Fiction, #Domestic Life, #Romance, #Contemporary, #Genre Fiction, #Family Life, #Contemporary Romance
Nesmith nodded. “Put your mind at ease, Emily. You’ve done more than most and it’s time to turn your mind to other things. Have you thought about which dress you’ll wear tonight?”
That brought a smile to Emily’s face. “Yes. I’m looking forward to it. It should be a wonderful night.”
***
“Papa, where are you?” Emily asked, a little too loudly. She was standing at the bottom of the stairs gazing up to the second floor as if her plea would induce her father to come down any more quickly.
“Hush, Emily. He’ll be here when he’s ready, and not a moment sooner,” Catherine Stanton scolded her.
“But Mama, we’ll be late for the ball.” Emily smoothed down her ice blue silk dress for the hundredth time, and adjusted the choker of pearls around her neck. The modiste had outdone herself and the dress fit Emily perfectly with just the swell of her breasts peeking out of the lace and ribbon bodice. Matching gloves and a small, drawstring reticule rounded out her outfit for the evening.
“Let’s wait in the parlor,” Catherine said. “Come, dear. Staring up the stairs will not make your father come down any sooner.”
Emily followed her mother into the parlor to wait, but she couldn’t stop thinking about the ball. She was so excited. The April ball was being thrown by Lord and Lady Tisbury, and was the most anticipated event of the season for the
ton
in London. Everyone who was anyone would be there. It promised be a grand festive affair if past attendance was any indication. She’d been counting down the days waiting for the big night to arrive and it seemed that the days grew longer and longer the closer she watched and waited for the big day. She loved the balls and longed to be part of the sea of shimmering silk swirling around the dance floor.
As if that wasn’t enough reason, she was even more excited because it had been the best week of her life. Two days ago, she had turned eighteen—the age when the hunt for a husband begins in earnest for every young lady. Lady Tisbury had been very kind and promised to introduce her to a number of young men from well-regarded families and Emily shivered in anticipation. She hoped her dance card would quickly fill with the names of every eligible bachelor in the county. She had attended balls in the past; however, tonight she would not be regarded as a child tagging along with her parents, but as an eligible young lady to be courted. She could hardly wait.
She reached up and pushed the flower back into her golden brown hair. Nesmith, had outdone herself creating a crown of cascading curls adorned with little white flowers and pearls for this evening’s festivities. She had watched in amazement while Nesmith worked her magic with the pins. Sitting still for more than an hour had certainly been worth the results.
Emily paced the floor before suddenly turning around. “Mama, do you like my dress?”
Catherine smiled. “Emily, you look radiant. I’ve always loved that color on you. It compliments your eyes so wonderfully well.”
“Thank you, Mama.”
“Now stop fidgeting, dear and come sit down. You must learn patience. It’s a woman’s place to wait quietly. You’ll have to do these things someday with your own husband, so let’s practice it now. Have you forgotten all of my lessons of being a proper lady?”
“Sorry, Mama. I remember your lessons well and will remember them tonight. You needn’t worry,” she said and took a seat beside her look-alike mother. Both had light golden brown hair, but Catherine had green eyes, as sparkling and vibrant as Emily’s blue. Catherine was still a stunning beauty and turned heads wherever she went.
“How was your visit with Mrs. Cardill?”
“It was good, but I will miss them when they leave.”
“Oh, they’re leaving London?”
“She’s moving north to be with her sister. I hope she fares well. You should have seen Little Sophia. She loved the ribbons and I sewed the pink ones on her little bonnet before we left.”
“That’s nice, dear.”
***
Upstairs Riley Stanton had heard his daughter’s plea while he finished dressing for the ball. He eased into his perfectly fitted jacket, which in his opinion was an absolute must for every gentleman. His London tailor had outdone himself with this new wool one. Even in his mid-forties, Riley cut a handsome figure. His dark-brown hair had started to show a few steaks of white, but those gave him a more distinguished air. His strong jaw line and ready smile made him a favorite of the ladies. The Stanton family may not be as wealthy as some of the families in London for the Season, but one thing he had always insisted upon was properly fitted clothes.
Riley’s thoughts floated back to Emily. His sweet daughter would more than likely become a young man’s wife within a year and maybe even this Season.
Wife.
Could it be so? He could swear that only yesterday she was still the little girl holding tight to his hand while they walked around London. Time marched on and waited for no man. His child was now a young woman of marriageable age and it was time to accept it.
He remembered the day that Emily had pushed her way into the world. Her lusty cry told her parents that she was a fighter, but it was also the day she’d tore-up up her mother’s insides beyond repair. When the doctor shared the devastating news, he and Catherine did not believe it. They would keep trying for another child, but as the years flew by without another pregnancy, they resigned themselves to the fact that Emily would be their sole child. He and his beloved Catherine had mourned the loss of ever having any more children, but Emily had turned out to be such a delightful child, that it took away a bit of the sting of never having a son.
He had spared no expense when it came to his daughter and had hired the best governess to teach her the finer things in life—reading, writing, drawing, and, of course, piano and singing lessons. His money had not been wasted. Emily was an accomplished young lady who would make any man proud to call her his wife.
He sighed. He was not looking forward to this Season as it marked the end of Emily’s childhood. She was a young woman now and he had no doubt there would be a line of suitors eager to court her. Time to get on with it. There was no use in stalling any longer. He pulled open the door to his bedchamber and headed down the stairs.
The moment Riley entered the parlor. Emily jumped up. “Oh, Papa, thank heavens you’re here,” she squealed with delight.
“Emily, dear, must you shout? I’m standing next to you.”
She stood on her tiptoes, and kissed her father’s cheek. “Sorry, Papa, but you know I’ve been waiting to attend the Tisbury’s ball all week. You must have heard us come down the stairs near to thirty minutes ago. What took you so long?”
Riley let a sly smile touch his lips. “I must have lost track of time.” He winked at Catherine. “No matter, I’m here now. Are my ladies ready?”
“Yes, we are indeed!” Emily replied.
Right on cue, Nesmith entered the parlor and helped Emily and Mrs. Stanton into their Spencer evening coats.
“Thank you, Nesmith. I’ll tell you all about the ball later,” Emily said. With a flounce of her skirt, she led the way out to the family coach.
“I look forward to it,” Nesmith said. “Have a good time.”
Riley held out his arm for his wife. “Are you ready for this, Mrs. Stanton?”
Catherine nodded. “Do we have a choice, Mr. Stanton? We cannot treat Emily like a little girl anymore. The real question is, are you ready for the hordes of young men that will come to court her?”
Riley chuckled. His wife knew him well and would have guessed that he was struggling with this very thing while he dressed. “I guess I will have to be. What other choice do I have?”
Catherine patted her husband’s arm. “Indeed, Mr. Stanton. Indeed.”
The housekeeper held open the door, and the Stanton family departed into the cool night air. Riley helped the women inside their waiting carriage and sat in the rear-facing seat while Catherine sat next to her daughter.
The driver grabbed the reins and the coach lurched forward before the horses found their rhythm.
“It’s all so exciting, isn’t it?” Emily asked as she settled her skirts. “I hope Mia is there when we arrive.”
Catherine clasped her daughter’s hand. “I’m sure she will be, dear.”
Emily nodded and glanced out the window. The sky was filled with twinkling stars like beautiful jewels sparkling bright for her pleasure alone. It was a perfect evening and she could hardly wait for the festivities to begin.
*I hope you enjoyed this preview of
Love by Secrets
. If you’d like to read the book in its entirety, it’s available on
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Books by Sandra Edwards
Crazy For You
Incredible Dreams
Secondary Targets
Forgotten Soul (Soul Searchers: Book 1)
Vegas, Baby (Soul Searchers: Book 2)
Staked (Time Brokers: Book 1)
Saving Katya
The Memory Bouquet (A prequel to The Lonely Hearts Club)
Trading Up
The Marriage Bargain (Billionaire Games: Book 1)
The Marriage Caper (Billionaire Games: Book 2)
The Marriage Fix (Billionaire Games: Book 3)
California Girl (West Coast Girlz: Book 1)
Glamour Girl (West Coast Girlz: Book 2)
Party Girl (West Coast Girlz: Book 3)
Coming Soon
The Lonely Hearts Club
Sara’s Song (A Crazy For You Novella)
About Sandra Edwards
Sandra is an award-winning author of romance. She has eclectic tastes, penning tales in a variety of genres such as paranormal (mostly time travel and reincarnation), contemporary and suspense. Sandra’s books often push the envelope and step outside the boundaries of conventional romance. She lives in the U.S. (west coast) with her husband, two kids, four dogs and one very temperamental feline. For more info on Sandra’s books, check out her website at
www.SandraWrites.com
or visit her fan page on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/SandraEdwards.Author).
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