A captivating compromise, p.1
A Captivating Compromise, page 1
Copyright © 2021 Tabetha Waite
Cover Design by Mandy Koehler Designs
This title is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to similarly named places or to persons living or deceased is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever, including but no limited to photocopy, digital, auditory, and/or in print, without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations for a review.
Also by Tabetha Waite
Ways of Love Historical Romance Series
How it All Began for the Baron (Christmas prequel novella)
Why the Earl is After the Girl (Book 1)
Where the Viscount Met His Match (Book 2)
When a Duke Pursues a Lady (Book 3)
Who the Marquess Dares to Desire (Book 4)
What a Gentleman Does for Love (Book 5)
Season of the Spinster Series
Triana’s Spring Seduction (Book 1)
Isabella’s Secret Summer (Book 2)
The Spinster’s Alluring Season (Book 2.5)
Alyssa’s Autumn Affair (Book 3)
Korina’s Wild Winter (Book 4)
Novellas
Twelve Gifts by Christmas
Lord Castleford’s Fortunate Folly (Fortunes of Fate #1)
A Lady’s Guide to Marriage
A Promise Beneath the Kissing Bough
Miss Pageant’s Christmas Proposal
The Scot’s Bairn
Bedeviling Lord Coxford
The Brunette Who Stole His Heart (A Tale of Two Brunettes – Book 1)
In Love with a Charming Brunette (A Tale of Two Brunettes – Book 2)
The Harlot’s Hero
Frozen Fancy
Novels
Behind a Moonlit Veil
The Secrets of Shadows
The Piper’s Paramour
Kiernan Fantasy Series
The Kingdoms of Kiernan (Kiernan – Book 1)
Wanton Wastrels
The Rapscallion’s Romance
Anthologies
Heyer Society (non-fiction essays)
Christmas on Scandal Lane (Historical)
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Epilogue
Dedication
For the actors and actresses of the Young and the Restless, who have made an elderly lady very happy throughout the years.
Chapter One
London, England
May 1787
It was that horrible, sick feeling in the pit of the stomach. The one that told a body something was dreadfully wrong, the intuition that couldn’t be ignored and caused tears of frustration to well in one’s eyes, no matter how much that person might try to fight against it.
That was exactly how Miss Garnett Younghusband felt as she alighted from the hired hackney near the entrance to the opulent Vauxhall Gardens. Countless carriages surrounded the area, for tonight was an extra special event, a jubilee of epic proportions that would very likely even draw out the royal family.
She drew her simple shawl more snugly about her shoulders and paid her shilling at the gate. Beyond that, the grassy area was brightly lit with hundreds of lamps that seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see. Acrobats and various performers entertained the assemblage, while the noise of the enormous crowd was nearly deafening. Tiers of boxes were set up where people could enjoy the crowd in comfort, and perhaps even a fine meal. It was one of the few places in London where the well-to-do lords and ladies could mingle with the common folk, and since it was the height of the Season, and a mild English evening with a clear sky overhead, many people were taking advantage.
She could certainly see how her errant, younger twin brothers could find themselves caught up in the allure of such a magical evening. If she wasn’t so worried about their family business being at risk, she might have decided to linger a bit as well.
Instead, while their father lay asleep in their apartments near the chandlery on Piccadilly, Garnett was out searching for Xander and Xavier. Irritation at the sixteen-year- old pair made her huff an irritated breath. They knew that one whiff of scandal and all of the hard work that her father had put into becoming the principle soap maker in London could vanish, sending it across the street to Fortnum Mason, who were eager to take over that particular honor. They already had a long-standing reputation in London and were quite a substantial business. Garnett knew it wouldn’t take much before they persuaded the Crown that her father wasn’t fit to serve England, let alone the royal family.
The reason they had survived as long as they had was because Garnett’s late mother had been the daughter of a baronet and she had been friends with Princess Charlotte before her passing. The Younghusband name was also without blemish, but if her brothers had anything to do about it, that perfect character might be rather short lived.
Intent on her search for two dark heads in such a congested crush, Garnett didn’t see the gentleman until she bumped into him. She stumbled backward a few steps, but he was quick to steady her. “Aye, what’d we ’ave ’ere?”
Between the cockney accent and the overwhelming scent of liquor on his breath, she wasn’t eager to engage with him. “Pardon me,” she murmured and attempted to move past him, but he grabbed her arm.
“Don’t be in such a rush.” His bleary gaze traveled down the length of her lavender gown. “Ye’re a pretty thing. Why don’t we find somewhere quiet t’ talk?”
“No, thank you,” she said, ripping her arm from his grasp. She lifted her skirts and quickened her steps, grateful when the man didn’t follow.
However, in her haste, she realized that she’d lost her shawl. She gritted her teeth, for it had been one of her favorites, but it was a small loss compared to what currently hung in the balance if she didn’t find her brothers.
Her breath caught, for she thought she caught sight of Xavier’s profile as he disappeared around a hedge. While it was down a path that was more dimly lit, she had no choice but to rush after him, praying that she had guessed correctly.
“Miss!”
Garnett heard the call from behind her, but considering the altercation she’d just had with her overzealous admirer, she ignored it and walked faster.
“Miss!”
As someone touched her arm, she reacted purely on instinct. She turned around and swung with all of her might. A man ducked as her fist was abruptly caught in a strong grip. “Whoa, there!” The sound of his placating voice, as if he was speaking to a horse only infuriated her further. This time she lifted her knee and aimed for the one place she knew would make a difference.
Again, he easily deflected her blow and with a muttered curse, he grabbed hold of her wrists with one hand and wrenched them behind her back, pressing her body against his tall, hard length.
For a moment, Garnett was in shock, amazed at how fast he’d taken her power from her, but as awareness of his muscular body began to take over, she started to feel a sensation rather different from anger begin to steal through her limbs.
When she glanced up, prepared to give the stranger a set down, she was stunned to find herself staring into the face of an Adonis. The man was absolutely handsome! With dark blond hair, penetrating green eyes, a strong jawline and an aquiline nose and full lips, she wasn’t sure she’d seen anyone quite so…intriguing before.
“Forgive me for treating you in such a brutish manner, my lady.” She blinked. Now that she allowed herself a moment to truly listen to his even baritone, she found it was quite soothing. “But I just wanted to return this to you.”
With that, he lifted his free hand to display the bit of material that was dangling from his fingertips. Her shawl.
Her mouth fell open as he slowly released her. Suddenly feeling rather sheepish, Garnett accepted the garment. “Thank you,” she murmured, and considering she owed him something of an apology, she swallowed her pride and said, “I’m sorry for lashing out at you. I thought you were the gentleman who accosted me.”
He smiled and, as cliché as it might have seemed, her knees literally went weak. “No harm done.” He winked at her then. “I daresay you have a rather mean right hook. If I didn’t spend so much time in the boxing ring, you might have caught me unaware.”
Her gaze drifted over him once again, for such sport would certainly explain why he was so muscular. Her face instantly flamed when she realized she was staring, so she cleared her throat and said, “I should be going…”
“There you are!” A pair of gentlemen walked over to her companion and Garnett watched as one slapped him on the back. They were both attractive in their own right, but they reminded her too much of her brothers, eager to find mischief. “We wondered where you’d wandered off to, Pinehurst!” he said exuberantly, and then shifted his gaze over to where she stood. “Ah, I see what has captured your attention now.”
“Indeed,” the other man purred as he started to draw closer. “What a fine treasure you’ve uncovered.”
“Leave her alone, Beckett,” her companion warned in sharp rebuke.
The other man stopped and instantly lifted his hands. “Of course. I wouldn’t dare think of encroaching on your territory, Pinehurst.” He winked, but it looked like more of a silent challenge than actual remorse.
With his jaw clenched, Pinehurst said, “You should get him out of here, Lennox.”
The other man, seeing as how a row might soon ensue, grabbed Beckett by the arm and started to drag him away, but not without calling back, “We’ll be floating down the Thames when you’re finished with your lovely companion!”
When they were gone, Garnett glanced at the man, who blew out a heavy breath. “You’ll have to forgive my… er, friends. They have a tendency to be rather arrogant, especially when it comes to an attractive female.”
“I can see that,” she muttered, while trying to ignore the way her pulse fluttered at his nearness. But remembering that she was here for a purpose, which was not to flirt with random strangers, no matter how handsome they might be, she started to turn away. “Good evening, Mr. Pinehurst.” She held up the end of her shawl. “And thank you again.”
***
Rafe realized that he was rather reluctant for the lady to leave. He hadn’t even wanted to go to Vauxhall that night, and likely wouldn’t if it hadn’t been for the continual urging of Lennox and Beckett. It was either leave the sanctity of his bachelor lodgings on Pall Mall and spend a quiet night at his townhouse, or have to suffer the pleading of his fellow university comrades who generally managed to drag him to some sort of event or another. Whether it was a carriage race or boxing match, he was continually subject to their wild natures.
In truth, a bit of solitude with a glass of brandy and a good novel was more to his standards, and yet, he always managed to end up crawling into bed around dawn, whereas he regretted his decisions once he’d sobered up enough to even remember what had happened.
Tonight, he vowed that they weren’t going to take advantage of his reluctance. He’d been doing very well keeping a low profile too—until he’d saw the dark-haired lady get accosted by a common drunkard. He’d immediately rushed over to offer his aid, but she had already departed.
Rafe had picked up her shawl and scanned the expanse for her, his senses alerting when he saw her start to head down one of the ‘dark walks,’ a scandalous place for a lady on her own. It hadn’t taken him long to locate her, nor to find out that she wasn’t quite as helpless as he might have imagined.
Either way, he could tell by her manner of speech that while she might not be nobility, she was most certainly well bred.
And moving away.
“Might I get your name?”
She paused and looked back over her shoulder, her expressive brown eyes making him fully aware of her allure. “What purpose would that serve?”
Bold and intelligent. Was there any woman of his acquaintance who didn’t fall at his feet or flutter her lashes in an effort to gain his attention? Rafe had never been conceited, but more than one lady had complimented his outward appearance. In truth, he found the flirtatious giggles to be rather annoying. While he had noticed the same admiration in this lady’s eyes, he also knew that she wouldn’t fall at his feet.
“Perhaps I might call upon you.”
She frowned slightly, and he found the action rather endearing. “Why?”
He found his own brow furrowing, for surely she had to know what a lovely woman she was? “To get to know each other better?” he suggested.
She studied him closely, and then must have made a decision, for her expression relaxed slightly. “Miss Garnett Younghusband. You can find me at my father’s chandlery in Piccadilly.”
Rafe couldn’t stop himself from grinning. “There. That wasn’t so difficult, was it?”
Her lips twitched and he could tell she was trying to hold back a smile of her own. “Not in the least, Mr. Pinehurst.”
This time when they parted, Rafe let her go, watching until she disappeared around the corner.
He was heading back to join his comrades with a bit of a lighter step when he heard a muffled cry. He instantly sprang into action; rushing back the way Miss Younghusband had gone, fearing that something had befallen her yet again.
He turned a corner and abruptly crashed into a rather soft, feminine body. He reached out to steady her and together, they teetered off balance and fell to the ground with his backside taking most of the upset.
He groaned, but when he opened his eyes to see Miss Younghusband’s wide brown eyes staring into his face, he found that the pain had subsided quite a bit. “Are you… all right?” he managed to get out.
“I am,” she said rather breathlessly. “Thankfully, you managed to startle the fearsome squirrel away.”
The laugh started in his chest, and then rumbled throughout the rest of his body. She quickly joined in and their merriment melded together until it suddenly subsided and shifted into something else entirely.
His hand crept up her spine until he’d clutched the back of her neck. He waited to see what she would do, but when her lips parted slightly, it was enough of an invitation for him.
He lifted his head and kissed her.
Chapter Two
The sizzle of awareness that Garnett had felt when she’d first encountered Mr. Pinehurst quickly turned into something that burned brighter, hotter. As she allowed his mouth to connect with hers, all she could think of was how out of character this was for her. For goodness sake, she’d just met this man! She didn’t even know his first name, and yet, she was allowing this madness to take place.
But, oh, what bliss there was in ignorance! He certainly knew how to kiss, although her experience with such things was rather limited. A stolen peck from a childhood admirer or two was as far as it had ever gone for her.
This was entirely different. She didn’t even know how to explain it other than it was rather delicious and quite…wicked and most definitely scandalous.
Garnett abruptly snapped to her senses at that thought—at nearly the exact same time a shocked gasp came from behind her.
She instantly scrambled to her feet and brushed at her skirts, praying that her encounter with Mr. Pinehurst might not appear as damning as she feared, but one look at the pinched expression from the two older matrons staring at her and she knew her fate was sealed. Not only were the ladies regular customers at her father’s store, but the spinster sisters with their extravagant powdered wigs, were also two of the biggest gossips to be found in London. Anyone who knew Lady Genevieve and Lady Gwendolyn, were familiar with their afternoon tea, which was quite notorious for devastating more than one debutante’s reputation. They were probably strolling the “dark walks” now for just that purpose, and she’d fallen right into their trap.
Garnett was quite sure all the blood drained from her body, for here she’d set out that night to keep her brothers from ruining the family name, yet she was the one who had been caught in a compromising position.
“Well,” Lady Gwendolyn tsked. “I suppose the younger generation doesn’t understand the meaning of propriety.”
“Indeed.” Genevieve shook her head and then leaned slightly closer, peering into Garnett’s flushed face. “I think I know you,” she murmured. She turned to her sister. “Doesn’t she look familiar, Gwen?”
The lady removed a monocle from her reticule and held it to her right eye. “Oh, yes. I believe it’s Harry Younghusband’s gel. You know, the one who makes our soap.”
Instantly, Lady Genevieve’s eyes lit up with particular interest. If Garnett wasn’t mistaking it, there was a bit of deviltry there as well. “Yes, of course.” She shook her head. “He would be much aggrieved to learn of his daughter’s perfidy.”
Garnett could stay silent no longer. “Please, this is all just a misunderstanding! The gentleman came to offer his assistance, believing that I was being attacked. He rushed around the corner and we collided—”
“With your mouths?” Lady Gwendolyn smirked. “We saw, dear.” She gave a mock sigh and turned to her sister. “It’s truly a pity that we must do our civic duty by warning others of such shameful behavior—”
