Julia Quinn - The Lady Most Likely...: A Novel in Three Parts

Julia
QUINN
Eloisa
JAMES
Connie
BROCKWAY

The Lady
Most
Likely

A Novel
in Three Parts

This book is dedicated to all the
wonderfully funny, cheerful people who visit
Connies, Eloisas and Julias Facebook Fan pages.
We have so much fun with you
we hope you have fun reading this book!

August 20, 1817
The London town house of
the Marquess of Finchley
14 Cavendish Square

A fter years of inducing giggles, squawks, and outright bellows of laughter, Hugh Theodore Dunne, Earl of Briarly, understood perfectly well that an older brother exists primarily for the amusement of his younger sisters. After all, his parents had endowed him with four such sisters. They had the heir; they needed a spare; all they had managed to produce were girls who turned poking fun at their brother into an art form.

A list! his oldest sister Carolyn was saying, practically hooting between words, she was laughing so hard. Georgie, did you hear what Hugh just said?

Perhaps he shouldnt have issued his demand in front of his sisters best friend, since Lady Georgina Sorrell was practically convulsed with laughter.

Whats so damned funny about it? he demanded, starting to feel irritated. Its not as if you havent warned me a thousand times that I have to get married unless I want Slinky Simon to inherit my title. Here I am, bending over to put my head in the parsons noose, and youre falling all over yourself because its so hilarious.

I do think you should get married, Carolyn replied. Im sure I have said so a thousand times. But now that youve finally decided to do it, you want me to pick you a wife? Laughter bubbled out of her again. You want me to make you a list?

Im sorry, Georgina said, gasping a little. I certainly dont mean to poke fun. I should allow the two of you to speak in private. Ill leave.

Hugh couldnt help grinning as giggles burst from behind her fingers. Hed always liked Georgie, even back when she was in pinafores, and she didnt smile enough these days.

Be serious, he commanded the two of them. I dont have the time for fiddling around in a ballroom and doing this sort of thing myself. Youre always running around those places; you know the cattle; just point out a woman with good bloodlines and good teeth.

Hes in the market for a Hereford, Georgina said to Carolyn.

Not a cow, Carolyn said. A horse. You know Hugh; the only thing he thinks about is horseflesh day and night.

Im sitting right here in front of you, Hugh pointed out. Scoff all you like, but Im still waiting for a list.

Hugh, Carolyn said.

He raised an eyebrow.

Youre serious?

It was a mystery to him why his sister would think he wasnt serious. I dont have time for wife-hunting, he pointed out. Im breaking in a new stallion, Caro. Hes a

Wait a minute, Georgina broke in. What happened to make you decide to marry? All the laughter was gone from her voice as if it had never existed.

What happened is that hes finally growing up, Carolyn said blithely. And at twenty-eight, it isnt a moment too soon.

Georgina waved her hand impatiently. Something brought him here, Caro. She turned to Hugh. She had a delicate jaw, but damned if it didnt take on a bulldoggish look. What happened?

Hugh stared at her. Hed known Georgina since she was five years old. Their mothers were close friends, so they spent their summers together. Not that hed seen her much in the past five years in fact, he hadnt had a proper conversation with her since her husbands funeral. And that was, what, two years ago?

Hugh? Carolyn asked, the mockery gone from her voice as well.

Theres no need to make a production of it, he said, wondering exactly when Georginas eyes had grown so grave. She had spent her childhood falling about laughing, yet now she was so clearly a matron. A widow, even though she couldnt be older than twenty-five since she was the same age as Carolyn.

She was sitting bolt upright, her eyes focused on his.

Richelieu threw me, he admitted.

Carolyn gasped. But you get thrown all the time.

The corner of his mouth twitched. It goes with the territory. You cant break in a horse, let alone the particular horses I fancy, without cracking a bone now and then.

But obviously this was different, Georgina stated. What happened?

Ive been out, he admitted reluctantly.

Out? Carolyn echoed. Out of what?

Out of my mind. Flat out. In a coma, or so they call it.

For days? Georgina put in. Her voice was steady, calm. Of course, she had watched her husband die. And it took the man months even a year.

A week, he said, resigned. I was out a week.

Why didnt I know? Carolyn cried. Her big blue eyes were filling with tears, which was precisely why he hadnt meant to tell her at all.

Peckering has explicit instructions what to do in case of an event like this. And he followed them.

There was a moment of silence in the room.

Peckering is your groomsman? Georgina asked.

Valet, he said. Id trust him with my life.

Did he even call for a doctor? Was that in the plan?

Of course. There was nothing they could do. You know that. After a kick in the head, you either wake up, or you dont.

And if you do wake up, you might well be injured for life, Georgina said. She was very white in the face, so white that her freckles stood out. Shed always had pale skin. It went with all that fiery red hair.

Im not injured, he said shortly. Im fully compos mentis, as you can see. Not that he hadnt feared just that, particularly when his vision didnt come back at first. It was during the day, when he lay in the dark after waking, that he realized the time had come to produce an heir. That or stop training horses. A wife was infinitely preferable.

Oh, Hugh, Carolyn said with a wail. I cant bear it!

He went over and picked her up as if she were still a little girl, then sat down with her in his lap. Im fine, Caro, he said, patting her back. You know that training horses can be risky. Youve seen me fall off a hundred times.

I dont understand why you cant just hire someone to do the dangerous part, she said, leaning against his shoulder. Other people hire stable masters. He had a sudden memory of holding his sister like this when she was much smaller, and she used to suck her thumb. That would be after their mother died, he guessed, when he was nine, and she was only five or six.

Working with horses is my life, he said simply. I do have a stable master. Hell, I have three of them because of the stables in Scotland and Kent. But when a horse like Richelieu comes along, Im the only one to touch him.

Why cant you work with normal horses, then? she cried. Why must it be these terrible Arabians? So violent and uncontrolled?

They arent violent by nature, he said, picturing the gorgeous animals he spent his life with. Richelieu is high-spirited, and its a game for him to try to best me. If I kill his spirit, I kill his ability to win.

I dont know a single other earl who spends his days in such a dangerous manner, Carolyn said, starting to scold, which meant that she was feeling better.

He stood up, put her on her feet, and grinned down at her. Theres my shrewish little sister back.

It serves you right if Im a shrew. You drive me to distraction, Hugh. I hardly ever see you, and then you nearly die without even telling me, andI