Loretta Chase - Miss Wonderful (Carsington Family Series)

MissWonderful

By

LorettaChase

Contents

Mr.Carsington's sleep was not restful. Mirabel rose and came nearer thebed to study his face. His voice scarcely rose above a murmur, but hewas flailing about. She must stop him, or he'd harm himself. So sheflung herself across his chest.

Heshuddered briefly, then stilled. Mirabel waited, uncertain what todo. Should she let him sleep or wake him? If he slept, he mightreturn to the nightmare.

Everyonesaid it was a miracle Mr. Carsington had survived until he was foundon the battlefield, many hours after the battle. It must have takenunimaginable courage and a will of iron. Not to mention a remarkablystrong and resilient body. It was this thought that brought Mirabelback to the present, to where she was, lying across the famouslyindestructible body. Now she was acutely aware of the hardness andwarmth under her. If only

Cautiously,she lifted her head and looked at him and found him lookingback at her. His eyes were open. Mirabel swallowed. "Bad dream,"she said.

"Youhad a bad dream?" Mr. Carsington asked.

PRAISEFOR THE NOVELS OF

LorettaChase

"Poignant,beautifully written

andscorchingly sensual."

MaryJo Putney

"Excellentcharacterizations."

LibraryJournal

Thisis a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents eitherare the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously,and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businessestablishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

MISSWONDERFUL

ABerkley Sensation Book / published by arrangement with the author

PRINTINGHISTORY

BerkleySensation edition / March 2004

Copyright 2004 by Loretta Chekani. Cover illustration by One By Two.

Coverdesign by George Long. Interior text design by Kristin del Rosario.

Allrights reserved.

ISBN:0-425-19483-3

BERKLEYSENSATION Berkley Sensation Books are published by The BerkleyPublishing Group, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 HudsonStreet, New York, New York 10014.

BERKLEYSENSATION and the "B" design are trademarks belonging toPenguin Group (USA) Inc.

PRINTEDIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Prologue

London,late autumn, 1817

THERight Honorable Edward Junius Carsington, Earl of Hargate, had fivesons, which was three more than he needed. Since Providencewithsome help from his wifehad early blessed him with a robustheir and an equally healthy spare, he'd rather the last three infantshad been daughters.

Thiswas because his lordship, unlike many of his peers, had a morbidaversion to accumulating debt, and everyone knows that sons,especially a nobleman's sons, are beastly expensive.

Themodest schooling aristocratic girls require can be provided wellenough at home, while boys must be sent away to public school, thenuniversity.

Inthe course of growing up, properly looked after girls do not get intoscrapes their father must pay enormous sums to get them out of. Boysdo little else, unless kept in cages, which is impractical.

This,at least, was true of Lord Hargate's boys. Having inherited theirparents' good looks, abundant vitality, and strong will, they tumbledinto trouble with depressing regularity.

Letus also note that a daughter might be married off quite young atrelatively small cost, after which she becomes her husband's problem.

SonsWell, the long and short of it was, their noble father must eitherbuy them placesin government, the church, or the militaryorfind them wealthy wives.

Inthe last five years, Lord Hargate's two eldest had done their duty inthe matrimonial department. This left the earl free to turn histhoughts to that twenty-nine-year-old Baffle to All HumanUnderstanding, the Honorable Al-istair Carsington, his third son.

Thiswas not to say that Alistair was ever far from his father's thoughts.No, indeed, he was present day after day in the form of tradesmen'sbills.

"Forwhat he spends on his tailor, bootmaker, hatter, glovemaker, andassorted haberdashersnot to mention the laundresses, wine andspirit merchants, pastry cooks, etc.I might furnish a navalfleet," his lordship complained to his wife one night as heclimbed into bed beside her.

LadyHargate laid aside the book she'd been reading and gave her fullattention to her husband. The countess was dark-haired andstatuesque, handsome rather than beautiful, with sparkling blackeyes, an intimidating nose, and a strong jaw. Two of her sons hadinherited her looks.

Theson in question had inherited his father's. They were both tall menbuilt along lean lines, the earl not much thicker about the middlenow than he'd been at Alistair's age. They owned the same hawklikeprofile and the same heavy-lidded eyes, though the earl's were morebrown than gold and more deeply lined. Likewise, the father's darkbrown hair bore lines of silver. They had the same deep Carsingtonvoice, which emotionwhether positive or negativeroughenedinto a growl.

LordHargate was growling at present.

"Youmust put a stop to it, Ned," Lady Hargate said.

Heturned his gaze full upon her, his eyebrows aloft.

"Yes,I recollect what I told you last year," she said. "I saidAlistair fusses overmuch about his appearance because he isself-conscious about being lame. I told you we must be patient. Butit is two years and more since he returned from the Continent, andmatters do not improve. He is indifferent to everything, it seems,but his clothes."

LordHargate frowned. "I never thought I'd see the day we'd befretting because he wasn't in trouble with a woman."

"Youmust do something, Ned." "I would, had I the least ideawhat to do." "What nonsense!" she said. "If youcan manage the royal offspringnot to mention those unrulyfellows in the House of Commonsyou most certainly can manageyour son. You will think of something, I have not the smallest doubt.But I urge you to think of it soon, sir."

Aweek later, in response to Lord Hargate's summons, AlistairCarsington stood by a window in the latter's study, perusing alengthy document. It contained a list of what his father titled"Episodes of Stupidity," and their cost in pounds,shillings, and pence.

Thelist of Alistair's indiscretions was short, by some men's standards.The degree of folly and notoriety involved, however, was well abovethe norm, as he was most unhappily aware.

Hedid not need the list to remind him: He fell in love quickly, deeply,and disastrously. For example:

Whenhe was fourteen, it was Clara, the golden-haired, rosy-cheekeddaughter of an Eton caretaker. Alistair followed her about like apuppy and spent all his allowance on offerings of sweets and prettytrinkets. One day a jealous rival, a local youth, made provocativeremarks. The dispute soon escalated from exchanging insults toexchanging blows. The fight drew a crowd. The ensuing brawl between agroup of Alistair's schoolmates and some village boys resulted in twobroken noses, six missing teeth, one minor concussion, andconsiderable property damage. Clara wept over the battered rival andcalled Al-istair a brute. His heart broken, he didn't care that hefaced expulsion as well as charges of assault, disturbing the King'speace, inciting a riot, and destruction of property. Lord Hargate wasobliged to care, and it cost him a pretty penny.