Gentleman's Guide 01 - His Impetuous Debutante (34 page)

His assurances offered little comfort
to Taylor, who finally poured himself a drink at two in the
afternoon, deciding eleven hours was long enough for a man to have
to wait in suspense with nothing to calm him.

The hours wore on and he could hear
her agonizing screams. Only Noah was able to keep him from climbing
the stairs. Lady Victoria joined them downstairs as her daughter
grew louder. “This is completely normal,” she assured Taylor.
“While a little early perhaps, trust me, she will forget all about
the pain once she holds the child.”

Taylor tried to find comfort in her
words, but his wife screamed again. Taylor doubted it. Even if by
chance his wife did forget, he knew he never would.

Silence came to the house as supper
was being set out. That empty sound was more torturous then her
screams.

Holly appeared, beaming. “The doctor
says you can come up now.”

Taylor didn’t need to be told twice
and he bolted past her. Everything had to be all right or surely
Holly wouldn’t have been smiling. He barged into the room and was
brought up short. Phoebe lay against pillows, looking more radiant
than he had ever seen her. However, that is not what shocked him.
It was the two bundles in her arms.

The doctor came up beside him. “That,”
he gestured to the two, “is the reason for the early arrival. It
almost always happens with twins.”

Taylor was speechless. He walked to
the bed and leaned over to look into the faces of his two, yes two,
children. Nothing could have ever prepared him for this.

“
I can’t tell them apart.
How will we ever be able to tell the difference at this age?” They
looked identical to him. “Which is older? By how long?” The
questions kept coming, not allowing time for answers.

The doctor chuckled and opened the
door. “I’ll let you explain the difference, Lady Sandlin. Send word
if you need me.”

Taylor ignored the doctor’s leaving
and waited for his wife to answer his questions. “You can tell them
apart?”

She laughed. “It is a little difficult
when their faces are all you see. But there are some very obvious
differences.”

“
Where? Does one have a
birthmark? I haven’t even asked. Phoebe, aren’t they the most
amazing and beautiful children you have ever seen?” Taylor turned
his attention back to the children.

“
Yes, they are,” Phoebe
answered, laughing. “In answer to your other question, you have one
of each. That alone should answer your question on how to tell them
apart.”

He raised his face to hers in
amazement. “You have given me both a son and a daughter.” Tears
filled his eyes. “I have to be the most blessed man upon this
earth. First, I am given you. Now, a son and a daughter. Could
anyone ask for anything more?”

Phoebe smiled at her husband. “I could
ask for only one thing at the moment.”

“
Anything. It is
yours.”

“
I am very sleepy,” she
confessed as her eyes became heavy.

“
Then rest it shall be.
May I take them? Your mother is anxious, as you can only
expect.”

Her eyes had drifted shut and she was
barely audible. “Of course. They belong to you as well.”

*

He was in the garden again. No, it
couldn’t be a warning. Not his children. Not Phoebe. Anxiously he
searched for her.

“
You have nothing to fear,
Taylor. I only came to congratulate you.”

He sank onto the bench beside her.
“You knew all along. Even when you said my son would be healthy and
safe.”

She smiled and winked. “I had to hold
something back.”

Taylor felt a little sadness envelop
his heart. Heather had wanted children more than any woman he had
ever met. It wasn’t fair to her to be so happy. “Heather, I am
sorry. I know how much…”

“
Stop.” She put her
fingers to his lips. It felt like a cool breeze. “I am in the most
wonderful place. I could never long for anything; I have everything
I would ever need.”

He always believed she had been sent
from above.

“
Besides, there are two
very special children that will have my attention for years to
come.”

“
Thank you, Heather,” he
said, as she disappeared.

Taylor came awake as soon as she was
gone, smiling. Phoebe was looking down at him, an odd expression on
her face. Had he talked in his sleep?

“
Don’t you think there is
something improper about a husband dreaming of another woman when
his current wife has just given him two perfect
children?”

The smile fell away from his face.
They couldn’t go back to the doubting again. Especially not now
when everything was so perfect.

Phoebe smiled. “That is the second
time you have spoken to her in your sleep. Tell me.”

This was the one aspect of his life he
had not wanted to share with her. What would she think? Taylor
remained silent, trying to think of something to say.

“
Does she come to you in
your dreams?”

She knew, he couldn’t deny it. “Yes,
but it isn’t what I am afraid you may think. I have only dreamed of
Heather a few times.”

“
What does she
say?”

“
The other times, before
this, was to warn me of the danger, though she couldn’t give me the
answers.”

Phoebe remained silent and
waited.

“
Did you ever wonder why I
appeared, that day at the wall, when I needed to be
there?”

“
No. I just assumed it was
fate.”

“
Heather came to me that
night and told me to leave for here immediately. Before it was too
late. Had she not sent me, I would have been sitting in my London
Townhouse when Boris arrived.”

Phoebe relaxed back against the
pillows.

“
Why did she visit
now?”

“
To tell me goodbye. She
also said she would be watching over the children for years to
come. I believe we have our own guardian angel.”

“
She was very special to
you, wasn’t she?”

Taylor thought for a minute. “Yes, she
was. It doesn’t bother you, does it? It shouldn’t.”

“
No. She must have loved
you very much, as well, to see that your dreams come
true.”

“
As I said before, she was
my best friend then.”

“
Possibly still is,”
Phoebe offered with a loving smile.

Taylor turned at her odd words.
“Perhaps.” That was all he would say. It was something he would
have to consider.

He pulled his wife into his arms and
held her as she slept. He had the greatest blessings on earth and
one was in his arms. Additionally, he had been blessed with an
angel from above. One who would watch over his children, and
probably any other children his beautiful wife brought
forth.

“
I love you, Phoebe.
Beyond even my wildest imagination.”

“
I love you too, Taylor,”
she replied in a sleepy voice.

The family had gathered in the
library. Today was the day. Taylor was thirty and had seen to his
duty as outlined. Now was the time to discover the remainder of the
will. Phoebe sat at his side and the twins were in the nursery
upstairs, both cranky and cutting teeth. Shortly after their birth,
it had been Taylor who had gone through the clothing, having all
the white items dyed. Their son wore only greens and blues. Their
daughter, pinks and yellows. That way, from a glance he knew which
was which. Their son had been christened Campbell, after his
father, Campbell Qualls. Their daughter, Heather Olivia. There had
been a few raised eyebrows, but without those two remarkable women,
the babes may never have been born.

Kendrick and Herbert sat
uncomfortably, waiting. They had been released from Martin’s estate
shortly after the children arrived and had led a much different
life than they had before. They actually showed promise of becoming
respectable citizens. The female cousins were also present and
Taylor had to practically drag Matilda away from the twins to keep
the appointment.

The solicitor cleared his throat and
began to read, “In the event my grandson, Taylor Qualls, has not
married and produced a legitimate heir, the following should apply.
First, if he has shown due diligence in trying to meet the
obligation I set forth, then everything shall remain his. Only my
solicitor can make that determination, having been instructed to
follow Lord Sandlin’s ventures.” The solicitor paused and looked at
Taylor. “Sir, I had decided before you married the current Lady
Sandlin that you had done everything in your power to meet your
obligation.” He glanced back down at the document and continued to
read. “In the event he has failed to meet the requirements, nor
tried, then my entire, unentailed estate and wealth shall be
delivered directly into the hands of my granddaughter, Matilda. I
know this may come as a shock to all listening at this moment and I
feel I owe you an explanation.”

The solicitor paused and sipped from
his cup of tea. “Of my remaining three grandsons, they have done
nothing to endear themselves to me and I have no doubt my estates
would be run into the ground in a very short time. Lady Matilda has
always shown extreme wisdom, especially for a female. I was further
impressed with the husband she chose for herself, a man who would
see that the estates flourish until they were handed over to
Taylor’s son, should he ever have one.”

Taylor allowed a smile. His
grandfather made a very wise decision. Had he known this, perhaps
the need to marry and produce an heir would not have been like a
sword hanging over his head.

“
You may wonder why I
decreed the deadline of Taylor reaching thirty. His father and
uncles married late in life. Not one of them took a bride until
they were forty and unfortunately, my sons preceded me in death.
Further, I married late as well. After witnessing the characters of
my grandsons, I knew I could not risk allowing the eldest, and most
responsible, to shirk his duty as his father almost had, for fear
one of others would inherit the title and estates. Thus, if my
holdings could not be protected by the current Lord Sandlin, I was
determined that they be delivered into another set of responsible
hands.”

The solicitor set the papers on the
desk and raised his head. “That is all there is.”

Later that night, alone in their room,
Phoebe asked. “Taylor, if you had known the remainder of the will,
do you think we would have married?”

“
I don’t recall being
given much of a choice,” he teased her back.

“
If that wouldn’t have
happened either. Do you suppose we would have eventually
married?”

“
I don’t recall being
given much of a choice,” he answered again and pulled her
close.

“
It was only that night in
the cabin that forced your hand,” she pushed away and argued
back.

“
Oh, dearest Phoebe. I had
fallen in love with you long before for that night. I wasn’t given
a choice where my heart led. Yes, we would have married regardless
and I remember picturing you as my wife even that first
night.”

Her face lit. “I certainly wish I
would have known. We could have saved a great deal of
time.”

About Jane

Jane Charles has lived in the Midwest
her entire life. As a child she would more likely be found outside
with a baseball than a book in her hand. In fact, Jane hated
reading until she was sixteen. Out of boredom on a long road trip
she borrowed her older sister’s historical romance and fell in love
with reading. She long ago lost count of how many fiction novels
she has read over the years and her love for them never died. Along
with romance she has a passion for history and the two soon
combined when she penned her first historical romance. What turned
into a hobby became a passion, which has been fully supported by
her husband, three children and three cats.

Jane can be contacted at:
[email protected]

http://www.JaneACharles.blogspot.com
or

http://www.LadyScribes.blogspot.com

His Contrary
Bride

Sabrina Chester has been a
servant at
Lady Davies Academy for
Young Ladies
for the
past four years. Until her father’s death, which left her
destitute, she had been one of the affluent students. Sabrina is
rescued from her plight by Marius Parker, who finds himself
stranded in the last place he wishes to ever be. Upon learning her
identity, Marius is convinced treachery is afoot. He is acquainted
with the uncle and cousin of Lady Sabrina and both are wealthy,
affluent gentlemen of society. Marius couldn’t begin to understand
why they had left Sabrina in this state of servitude. When he
discovers that her father hadn’t been a victim of war, but a victim
of murder, Marius determines the only way he can keep Sabrina safe
is to marry her. Unfortunately, Sabrina doesn’t necessarily agree
that this is the best option.

His Not So Sensible
Miss