Prolougue

introducing you to the characters some of their past and how they feel :D

Prologue                

Once upon a time there was a girl, a young lady really, taught the politeness of society by her lady’s maid, how to be sensible and enjoy herself by her father, also that there was a time and a place for both. But what she was never taught was how to find and catch true love, she did know what love was but it was a mother’s job to teach her the art behind it and a mother was the one thing she didn’t have. She had everything else she thought she wanted except for that vital woman and then she lost the vital man, her father, as well. And after that she wasn’t sure what she had at all.

The smell of dust and damp made her think of knowledge; it was the smell of her father’s private library, the smell of her father. Sally, the household maid had neglected to open the curtains in the library today, but Juliana didn’t mind, she would sit behind the curtain anyway. Juliana remembered playing hide and seek with her father in this house just a few years ago. Behind the curtain in the library was his favourite place to hide; not too far from his books. Now it was her favourite place to sit and read, in the window seat there. She hated wearing black; it was so hot and stuffy, at least after 4 months though Olivia, her lady’s maid, had allowed her to tie back her hair with her favourite wide green velvet ribbon today. It was not that Olivia was strict with her, in fact in the 5 years she had been with Juliana, since her twelfth birthday, she had become the closest friend she had ever had, but it was the fact that she cared for Juliana that made her stop her from scandalizing herself by wearing clothes or colours inappropriate to mourning.

Juliana sat in the window reading all morning until the gong rang for tea.

As she sat nibbling at her biscuit, Juliana watched with interest as the butler handed Olivia a gilt edged card and she read it, able to tell that she did not like the name she saw there, but gestured for them to be sent in anyway.

“Who is it from Olivia?” She asked anxiously.

“It’s from your guardian, Miss Juliana, your father left you in the care of the late Lord Anthony Carlyle, 6^th Earl of Hunstanton but unfortunately he died about a month after your father, so now you are under the guardianship of his son Lord Francis Carlyle, now the 7^th Earl of Hunstanton. Now he has come to see his charge.”

“Why wasn’t this explained to me before. I knew that I was to have a guardian but why wasn’t I told who he was before and that he would be visiting?”

“We didn’t know he would be. I had written to my old mistress Lady Ludlow and asked about him and she replied that he was ‘a young rake who spends all his time in his London home sweeping from party to party wooing poor innocent young girls and then abandoning them abruptly,” her very words. He is only 23 yet she writes of numerous conquests.”

“Olivia!” Juliana objected blushing a becoming peach although secretly intrigued. The door opened as Juliana voiced this objection and both of them turned to face this almost fabled guardian of hers. He smiled at them charmingly, dark curls arranged into the wild windswept style so popular in London, shirt points crisply starched, though not as high as most men’s Juliana noted and cravat a waterfall of soft white lace, before bowing slightly.

“Am I interrupting something ladies?” he asked, sounding as if he had known they were talking about him, making Juliana blush even more deeply. Gathering her wits Juliana replied softly,

“No not at all Lord Carlyle, please sit down and join us for tea. How may we help you?” He could hear the faint forcefulness in her voice when she asked this and realised quickly that she obviously did not want anything to change. He debated this question for a while and then decided that it would be best for her to have what she wanted for now.

“I just wanted to meet my charge and see how she was fairing alone. Do you need any assistance to carry on your life here?”

“Thank you for your concern my Lord. It would suit me very well to carry on living here although we would appreciate financial advice and assistance.”

“I would be happy to assist in any way you need, I trust however that it can be provided by corresponding with me in London?”

“That will be perfectly acceptable, my Lord. Feel free to visit us whenever you wish as well.”

“I would enjoy that, thank you for the offer. Now then Miss Lucas would you care for a turn around the rose garden, the weather is lovely out today.”

“That would be very pleasant thank you.” Juliana replied civilly, standing up to leave with him. He nodded to Olivia and swept from the room, not even waiting for Juliana to follow. She heaved an exasperated sigh shooting a glance at Olivia, who motioned for her to follow him. Juliana hurried after him unwillingly, only to run directly into him in the hallway where he stood waiting for her to catch up. Colliding into his firm chest she found herself steadied by strong hands and gazing up into cutting ice blue eyes. He brought a hand up and brushed a tangled auburn curl from her forehead gently. For the second time that day he had managed to make her blush and she hated the fact that she allowed herself to be affected so. Lord Carlyle found he enjoyed watching her blush, but even he had to admit that she was too young for him, and smiled broadly at her.

“I’m sorry I surprised you Miss Lucas but I don’t know my way to the rose garden.”

“Of course my Lord it’s this way.”

“You know Miss Lucas you have the most beautiful hair I have ever seen.” He said surprising himself as much as he surprised her.

“My Lord! Surely such a comment is inappropriate after such a short acquaintance, perhaps,” she suggested remembering Olivia's instruction in the conversation of polite society, “We should converse about the lovely weather.”

He chuckled at her quietly and Juliana stopped walking and looked at him pointedly.

“Did I say something wrong?”

He chuckled some more. “No not at all, in fact you have been nothing but proper it’s very endearing… I think I will always find you endearing especially your beautiful hair, enchanting even.” Juliana blushed brightly yet again, and turned away from his piercing gaze, relieved to hear the hurrying of feet towards them.

“My Lord, my Lord you are needed urgently in London. A messenger from Lord Devonshire said he wishes to see you about taking over your father’s parliamentary position before the week is out.”

“Thank you Mitchell, I’ll be with you in a moment, I need to say good bye to my hostess first and please bring Reagan around to the front I take it he’s fresh.”

“Of course my Lord he is as fresh as always.”

“My apologises, Miss Lucas but as you have just heard I am needed in London, until we meet again and never, ever hide your hair, my dear.”

“Yes until we met again my Lord.” Juliana replied quietly blushing even more brightly than before as he kissed her hand and left silently.

~

That night as she sat there brushing her hair she thought over the events of the day and what Olivia had told her about Francis Carlyle before she had met him. Her sharp seventeen year old mind debated the facts of what she knew about him and although she did not doubt his charm and appeal to women she could not help but like him despite his womanising ways. He had told her he loved her hair only her papa had ever said that and something in his manner appealed to her, as if he had showed her a soft and caring side he never showed to anyone else.

Lighting an extra candle and opening her writing box, Juliana began to write to her father as was her tradition. It might seem odd to some but pretending to write to her father kept her mind clear with a fresh perspective on things.

Dear Papa, today I met my guardian and I fell in love...

It surprised her even as she wrote it but she couldn’t bring herself to cross it out because she couldn’t deny it as it was true she loved him, even after under an hour’s acquaintance. And she realised with a smile why he was so effective at wooing young women and breaking their hearts, but she would not be so easy to break.  

Reviews

[MNeilsen]

This has all the markings of a great historical romance. This story is as luring as any of the many in my library. So far I have read only the prologue and chapter one (in deciding the True Romance Contest), but now I am hooked. My heart breaks for Frank's loss and rejoices at his freedom to now look to Juliana for love. Congrats on winning the contest!

[Jules]

lmao! lol he's not a man w***e really he's just a bit of a ladies man. but yes she does have to be careful. he improves with age honest :D and yes its a period piece regency era im english you see and still waiting for my mr darcy! :D

[Bachman]

Oo man w****s are the worse. She's gonna get her heart broken isn't she? You have to be careful around man w****s! It's very well written, very well. I'm guessing it's a period piece. I'm going to continue onward in my readings!