Victoria Alexander - The Lady Travelers Guide to Happily Ever After

Before there was a Lady Travelers Society, there was just one lady traveler...

Some marry for love. Some marry for money. But Violet Hagens quick wedding to irresponsible James Branham, heir to the Earl of Ellsworth, was to avoid scandal.

Though her heart was broken when she learned James never wanted marriage or her, Violet found consolation in traveling the world, at his expensefinding adventure and enjoying an unconventional, independent life. And strenuously avoiding her husband.

But when James inherits the earldom it comes with a catchViolet. To receive his legacy he and Violet must live together as husband and wife, convincing society that they are reconciled. Its a preposterous notion, complicated by the fact that Violet is no longer the quiet, meek woman he married. But then hes not the same man either.

Chasing Violet across Europe to earn her trust and prove his worth, James realizes with each passing day that a marriage begun in haste may be enjoyed at leisure. And that nothing may be as scandalousor as perfectas falling hopelessly in love. Especially with your wife.

More praise for Victoria Alexanders
Lady Travelers Society

The Lady Travelers Guide
to Deception with an Unlikely Earl

Alexander continues her celebration of multigenerational female bravado...leaving the reader happily imagining the couples future adventure beyond the pages of the books finale.

Publishers Weekly , starred review

The Lady Travelers Guide
to Larceny with a Dashing Stranger

Alexander continues to delight in the second installment of the Lady Travelers series.... This is a wonderful continuation of a highly enjoyable series.

Publishers Weekly , starred review

Victoria Alexanders second Lady Travelers Society novel is a sparkling gem filled with witty dialogue, intriguing characters, and a delightful romance that unfolds against the backdrop of some of Europes oldest and most beautiful cities. I didnt want to put it down.

The Romance Dish

The Lady Travelers Guide
to Scoundrels and Other Gentlemen

Alexander celebrates the spirit of adventure and advocates for the yielding of judgment and practicality to hedonism and happiness. Readers will savor every page.

Publishers Weekly , starred review

Readers will immediately find themselves thoroughly disarmed by Alexanders deliciously droll wit and flair for clever characterization, both of which are on full display in this exceptional start to the authors sparkling new Lady Travelers Society series.

Booklist

Also available from
Victoria Alexander

The Lady Travelers Society

The Lady Travelers Guide to Deception
with an Unlikely Earl

The Dance Before Christmas (novella)

The Lady Travelers Guide
to Larceny with a Dashing Stranger

The Rise and Fall of Reginald Everheart (novella)

The Lady Travelers Guide
to Scoundrels and Other Gentlemen

The Proper Way to Stop a Wedding
(in Seven Days or Less) (novella)

Victoria
Alexander

The Lady
Travelers Guide
to Happily Ever After

This book is for all of you who have traveled with me down the roads of my imagination

For my friends, who pushed and pulled and cheered me along the way

For Nancy, who helps me navigate the unexpected turns

For Tory and Alexthe best parts of my journey

And for Chuck, who has held my hand every step of the way

Happily Ever After really is just the beginning

Contents

R ICHARD B RANHAM , THE E ARL OF E LL SWORTH , stood at the window in his library gazing at the back gardens, his hands clasped behind his back. One could tell by the set of his shoulders this was to be one of those discussions. Said discussions usually centered around his nephewshis heirspoor behavior, lack of responsibility and questionable future. Although James Branham thought his future had been rather firmly settled yesterday.

Uncle Richard? James braced himself. You asked to see me?

Uncle Richard turned from the window, the late-morning light emphasizing the lines of aging in his face. But then the man had passed his seventy-fifth year. I thought we should talk.

It seems to me weve done nothing but talk the last few days.

His uncle studied him for a long moment. Im proud of you.

I beg your pardon? Not exactly what James had expected.

You did the right thing. Uncle Richard crossed the room and took his usual seat behind his ancient mahogany desk. It wasnt easy.

James shrugged and sat in the equally old wingback chair in front of the desk. Theyd faced each other countless times across this desk since James had come to live with his uncle at the age of nine when his parents had died. Fifteen years later, Jamess behavior was still a matter that warranted discussion.

There wasnt much of a choice. It seemed to James it came down to his future, or hers. He would survive a scandal. Men with money and titles always did. Violet would have been ruined. And it was entirely his fault.

You saved that girl from scandal and probably a life alone. A young womans fate rests on her reputation.

I am well aware of that. It didnt seem at all fair that Violet should have to suffer for his mistake. What had he been thinking? Or had he been thinking at all? Apparently, there was a great deal of guilt that went along with selfish errors of judgment, even when one ultimately did the right thing.

Public indiscretions, even those we might deem minor, are rarely forgiven by society. Being kissed by a man whose engagement to another woman is about to be announced is not something that is easily forgotten.

She did slap me, James pointed out. Hard.

Yes, I saw that as did everyone else. Uncle Richards lips twitched as if he were holding back a smile. He met his nephews gaze directly. It was a mistake, wasnt it?

Yes, of course. James nodded, perhaps a bit too vehemently. There was no need to change his story now. He had kissed Violet Hagen on a dark terrace at the ball where his engagement to Marie Fredericks was to be announced. Admittedly, in the light of day, one would never confuse Violet with Marie, but then it hadnt been the light of day. And he had possibly drunk more than was wise. And...

And marrying Marie had looked more and more like a fate worse than death. He should have come up with a better way to escape marriage to her but hed tried to convince himself he was simply experiencing the kind of apprehension most men felt when coming face-to-face with an eternity tied to the same woman. Regardless, that night, with his engagement moments from being publicly announced, he could feel a noose tightening around his neck. A wiser man, a better man, would have simply called it off. Only a true idiot would have seen the silly challenge of his friends to kiss his almost-fiance as a chance for escape. Only a stupid assor a cowardwould have allowed the world to think he had mistakenly kissed the wrong woman, knowing full well that very public mistake would lead to calling off any engagement. It had seemed a brilliant idea.

He never for a moment thought it would also lead to a fast marriage with the mistake in question.

Do you like her? Uncle Richard said without warning.

James frowned in confusion. Who?

Your wife? A hard tone sounded in Richards voice. The one you married yesterday?

Ah, Violet. He nodded. Well, yes, certainly. Shes quite pleasant. Quiet, rather shy I would say. But witty under that terribly reserved exterior, as well. And not unattractive. Indeed, as he had been courting Marie hed grown to know Violet. The idea of kissing her had not been an entirely new one. But then that particular idea occurred to him with most of the women he knew.