The Last Eligible Bachelor: A Regency Romance (Seasons of Change Book 3) Read online

  The Last Eligible Bachelor

  Ashtyn Newbold

  Copyright © 2020 by Ashtyn Newbold

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Names, characters, and places are products of the author’s imagination.

  Edited by Jenny Proctor

  Three Leaf Publishing, LLC

  www.ashtynnewbold.com

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

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  About the Author

  Chapter 1

  The duty of a lady’s maid was, first and foremost, to offer a listening ear to her mistress. She was to be smart, informed, and sophisticated when it came to current fashions, as well as have a proficient knowledge of her mistress’s complexion and which colors best suited it. Her arsenal was to include creams, combs, a sewing kit, and a touch of rose salve.

  But with a mistress like Miss Sophia Sedgwick, I was required to keep more than just her complexion in perfect condition. I was required to keep her secrets.

  “My mother refused my trip to Hampden Park again.” Sophia slumped into the chair in front of me, letting out a long sigh. “She says I must go to Bibury instead. An invitation has come from some distant relative of mine, but I have no wish to meet her or endure her intentions for my visit.” Sophia met my eyes in the mirror. “This old woman claims she has a handsome young gentleman to match me with, should I like to have the opportunity. There are four other ladies coming to meet him.” She cast her gaze upward. “I don’t care to beg and compete for attention from a gentleman who is likely not even handsome or rich. At any rate, I have no wish to be married yet, so why should I be forced to go?”

  Sophia had already spent much of the day arguing with her mother over her expected trip to Bibury. Mrs. Sedgwick had not been willing to concede, and Sophia was expected to leave in less than a week. If she did happen to marry this mysterious gentleman, I could only hope she would take me with her as her lady’s maid in her new household. She was quite fond of me when I listened silently to her prattle. Although, keeping Sophia unmarried would allow me to stay in the same household as my mother, who currently served as Mrs. Sedgwick’s maid.

  I began running my comb through her blonde hair. I opened my mouth to speak, but she raised her hand to shush me. “Oh, I do not care what you think. You are only a maid. How pathetic and sad that you are the only female I have to converse with.” Her upper lip curled with disgust and she leaned closer to the mirror. She traced her cheek with her finger, sitting back with a scowl. Had she found something wrong? As I saw it, Sophia’s appearance was as perfect as a lady could ever wish for. Porcelain skin, blue eyes, long, curved lashes, a natural flush to her cheeks…not a blemish in sight.

  “If I went to Hampden Park for the spring instead, I could be with my dearest friend, Anne,” Sophia continued. “I have been dreaming of seeing her grand home for years. Mama has never allowed me to go because she despises Anne’s mother. She married the man Mama intended to wed, and their friendship has been shattered ever since.”

  If I were a gossip, I would have loads of secrets to spread below stairs. But I was raised a lady, and so would behave like one. There was also the unsettling fact that I could be released from my position in an instant if I was found gossiping. There had been a time Sophia had listened to me, but that was before I became her maid. All she cared now was that I conducted myself in a manner befitting my new station. So I continued combing in silence, a task which took several minutes, what with the length and thickness of her hair. My ears remained peeled, should she like to deposit any more secrets within them.

  “But that does not mean I cannot be friends with Anne!” Sophia continued in a whine. “Perhaps in visiting Hampden Park, I might aid in reconciling our mothers. If I go to this matchmaking woman now, I will surely be pursued by the gentleman and have no choice but to accept his offer. I will have no opportunity for adventure again.” She gave an anguished sigh. “How will I bear it?” True to form, she didn’t really expect an answer. Her blue eyes caught on her reflection again. “I ought not to frown so much. I will have wrinkles like yours.”

  I examined my reflection. What wrinkles I had were not caused by aging. I was just three days over two and twenty, after all. Regardless, their origin was not a mystery. I could think of the many times in my life I had chosen to frown when I might have smiled. If I had known to cherish what I once had, I might not have acquired such creases in my face, faint as they were. But Sophia missed nothing, especially when it came to the flaws of others.

  “I should like a warm bath drawn in the morning.”

  I nodded, making a mental note.

  “I have tea with my mother and Lady Dinah in the afternoon. Which dress do you suggest for my present complexion?” Sophia framed her face with her hands, looking up at me expectantly.

  “I would suggest blue, perhaps the silk gown you purchased two weeks ago. Lady Dinah hasn’t yet seen that one.”

  Sophia pursed her lips. “I will consider it.” She turned back to face the mirror, and I quickly worked her hair into a braid for sleep before tightening the rags around her face.

  She released a long yawn, pulling her night jacket over her chemise. “You may go now, Sherbrooke.” She stood and climbed into bed. I curtsied before blowing out the candles around the room, taking the last one with me, the small light guiding me to the door and out into the dark hall of Sedgwick Manor.

  Sherbrooke. I missed being called Tillie or Matilda. I would have even liked Miss Sherbrooke. Pinching my shoulder blades together, I corrected my thoughts. My life would never be what it once was. The Sedgwick family had been exceedingly kind in taking me on as Sophia’s maid after the ruination my father brought upon my mother and me. I should be grateful. Content. Relieved. The words pounded into my skull as I made my way downstairs, trying to stir up real emotions inside me. Perhaps soon I would feel them.

  My bed was a welcome sight, and I curled atop the blanket for a moment before readying myself for sleep. Tucking my chin onto my arm, I waited for my eyes to fully adjust to the dimness before reaching for the letter I kept under my pillow.

  My dearest Tillie, it began. That first line was my favorite.

  Papa’s gruff and gentle voice floated up through the letter, entering my comprehension through my thoughts rather than my ears like I wished it would. It had been too long since I had heard him speak. Tears stung my eyes as I folded the letter closed again, each fold delicate and slow. I bit back my emotion, fighting the longin
g in my heart.

  My life had changed. That was all. It had changed, but it was not over. There was always some good to be seen in every circumstance. My life was far more comfortable than Papa’s life at the moment. I closed my eyes against the image of what he might be enduring now, after spending the last three months imprisoned in Canterbury Gaol.

  And I was helpless, entirely helpless to save him.

  I studied the letter again, my heavy exhales causing my candle flame to flicker in and out. The words had begun to fade on the creases, and soon the paper would tear. But I still couldn’t stop myself from reading it every night. It was a wasteful thing to do, for I had already memorized each word.

  My head pounded as I slipped the worn paper under my pillow, my body aching from the events of the day. Without bothering to change, I blew out the candle and my eyes drifted closed. It seemed I had only slept for a few hours before a thick hand grasped my upper arm.

  My eyes shot open, heart pounding. Had I slept too long? I had accustomed myself to the new schedule, but the unforgiving face of the housekeeper, Mrs. Brisbane, stared down at me. Her square jaw and wide-set eyes looked rather masculine in the dimness.

  “Mistress Sophia ‘as taken ill,” she said.

  I rubbed my eyes, staggering to my feet. A sharp pain drove into my skull, and I blinked hard in an attempt to clear it. I chided myself for feeling disappointed in the sleep I would lose. Sophia’s health was a much greater priority.

  “With what?” I pulled my loose hairs together into a knot at the base of my neck, covering it once again with my ruffled cap. “Has the physician already been called for?”

  “No. She claims it be a mild ailment.”

  I hurried past Mrs. Brisbane and made my way to Sophia’s room. There were times when her ‘ailments’ were less illness and more nightmare related. The dark corridors had formed a map in my head over the last year, especially the path from my room below stairs to Sophia’s grand bedchamber. When I opened the door, Sophia bolted upright in her bed, her blonde hair sticking out at strange angles where it had escaped the braid. More unsettling, however, was the eager smile on her face.

  “Sherbrooke, I could not sleep.” She bounced in her covers. “I have had the most clever idea.”

  I walked closer, doing all I could to maintain an even expression. She had pulled me out of bed to tell me her idea? Could she not have waited until morning? I took in her appearance, searching for any sign of illness. Aside from the strange smile on her face, she seemed to be perfectly ordinary. “I was told you were ill.”

  Her eyes rounded. “Not ill. I am unwell. There is a difference, you know. I am unwell because I cannot sleep for fear of forgetting my clever idea.”

  “I see.” I held in my sigh as I approached, hands clasped behind my back. I did not need to encourage her to share the idea—she appeared to be near to bursting for withholding it as long as she already had.

  She brought her knees to her chest, resting her chin atop them with a broad smile. “As you know, I have no wish to go to Bibury, and my parents intend to force me into it.”

  I nodded.

  “Hampden Park is on the way to Bibury.”

  “Indeed.”

  “As I have never met this strange, matchmaking woman before, she would be none the wiser as to what my appearance and conduct are like.” She brushed an errant strand of hair away from her face. “If I were to somehow convince Papa not to accompany me to Bibury and to allow you to be my sole chaperone on the trip, then my idea will be quite plausible indeed.” She seemed to be thinking aloud now, tapping her knee with her fingertips. “Yes, it could certainly be as clever as I think it is.”

  As her maid, I was expected to keep quiet and patient and simply listen, but I was tempted to ask for further explanation. I still had at least an hour before dawn, and if Sophia wasn’t truly ill, then I could go back to sleep.

  Her eyes lit up as she studied me up and down. “I suppose you have not been a maid for long. Surely you have not forgotten all of your social graces yet. With a little training you could be taught to remember them, and behave as I, or any lady of high breeding, would.”

  What did she mean? I squinted against the ache in my head, blinking hard to bring moisture to my dry, stinging eyes.

  “I’m afraid I’m a bit confused, miss.” I raised my eyebrows subtly.

  Sophia let out a quiet laugh, one that slowly progressed into a shrill giggle. “Now, if I am to confide in you, you mustn’t tell anyone of my plan. But of course, I have no choice but to confide in you because you are such an integral part of the whole of it. Do you promise me your absolute confidence?”

  “As always, miss.” An unsettling feeling entered my stomach, and my curiosity heightened. What could I possibly have to do with this strange idea that had caused her to summon me in the middle of the night?

  She giggled again, hiding her face in her blankets before regarding me seriously. “I will not be going to Bibury to meet this mysterious gentleman, Sherbrooke. You will.”

  Chapter 2

  “Pardon me?” I raised both eyebrows at her, my stomach plummeting.

  Sophia simply continued her staring, her smile growing ever more mischievous. “I spoke quite plainly. You will be going to Bibury in my place.”

  I took a step closer. She must have actually been ill to have suggested such a thing. “I—”

  Sophia held up a hand, rotating on her bed until she faced me. “If I can manage to convince my father to allow you to come as my only chaperone, then we will stop at Hampden Park on the way to Bibury, where I will stay for the entirety of the trip. You will assume my identity in Bibury and fulfill the demands of my parents.”

  My head spun with a sudden lightness. She could not be serious.

  “The woman there has never met me,” Sophia continued. “She will not know the difference. You already know more about me than anyone else, so it should not be difficult for you to answer any questions about my life that may be directed at you. I know you were raised a lady, and I have heard you even had a season in London, so I have no doubt you are capable of behaving properly, even if you have adopted unladylike habits.” Her eyes took me in with a hint of disdain. “It is the perfect plan, really. You could never draw the attention of any gentleman even if you threw yourself at his feet. In this case, you must do all you can to avoid his notice and return home with me at the end of the spring, at which time we will inform my parents that the noted gentleman simply selected a different lady from among the party.”

  I shook my head, hardly aware of the small movement. My feet were rooted to the floor, my heart hammering. With a hard swallow, I found my voice. “I am employed by your parents, miss. Please understand that I cannot do something so defiant as that, even with your guidance.”

  Sophia’s face colored, her nostrils flaring. “You are my maid. You must be loyal to me and obey all of my wishes.”

  I took a step closer, lifting my hands in front of me in an attempt to calm her. “The consequences would be dire for both of us if the scheme was discovered. Even if it was not, you shouldn’t trust that my behavior will reflect well on your name. I—I am not a lady any longer.” I tried to keep my voice even, but it did not seem to be working to dissuade her. My courage slipped a little faster at the frustration that overtook her expression with new force.

  “Our plan will not be discovered.” She leveled me with her gaze. “You are entirely capable of acting the part of a proper lady. I knew you before. I watched you. I am confident you will have no problem at all once you are dressed in something less dull and have a proper hair arrangement.”

  When had it become our plan? And when had Sophia shown any confidence in me before? She was three years younger than me, and we had lived in the same neighborhood our entire lives, but I had never known her to notice anything I said or did until I became her maid. I took a deep breath. “I still don’t think it’s wise, miss.”

  Her eyes flashed. I had spoken too f
rankly. I bit my lip, wringing my hands together behind my back. “It is a clever idea, indeed, but—but it is not possible to execute without mishap.”

  Sophia’s face shifted, a calmness washing over her features that only unnerved me further. “My parents trust me entirely. They will trust when I say I am staying with this matchmaking woman in Bibury, and they will trust when I say I did not attract the gentleman’s eye. They would also trust if I told them that you had spread rumors about me below stairs, or that you had stolen some of my possessions and sold them in town.” Her eyebrows lowered. “Do you value your position at Sedgwick Manor?”

  My jaw hung slack for a moment, and my heart sickened with dread. “Yes.” My voice was a strangled whisper, not nearly as confident as I had wanted it to be.

  “Then you will do as I say.” Sophia had never demonstrated such manipulation before. She had always been rather rude and condescending, but I had wondered if that was simply my new perspective, speaking to a lady as her maid rather than her equal, that had given me that opinion. But there was no questioning the threat that gleamed in her eyes. “I will train you over the next week to ensure you are up to the task. You will go to Bibury and fill my place until I am expected at home. I will enjoy my long-awaited visit to Hampden Park, and Mama and Papa will be none the wiser. Nor will this matchmaker, and nor will Mr. Hill.”

  My face blanched—my pulse thrumming against my ears. “Mr. Hill?”

  “Indeed.” Sophia scowled.

  “Do you know anything about this Mr. Hill?”