Read Lord Blackwood's Valentine Ball: An Authentic Regency Romance for Free Online

initiated the discussion about his lordship’s appearance. “I think he must have a gifted tailor because he always looks as if his clothes fit him so perfectly, like a glove, in fact. Compared to him, all the other men look quite rumpled!” She laughed. “The only man with an ounce of style next to his lordship is Captain Lyndon, his friend from military days.” She frowned. “Well, I think it’s from the military days, but I’m not sure.”
    Patience felt a spark of interest. “Do you like the captain?”
    Lorna stopped bathing her temples. “Yes, he’s very amusing and interesting. Not as amusing and interesting as his lordship, but he makes me laugh with droll stories of his campaign adventures.”
    Patience lifted one hand to push away the cloth from her brow. “I think my forehead has cooled down, my dear. Thank you.”
    “Not at all,” said Lorna, jumping up and almost knocking over the bowl of water. She rang for Doris to remove it and ordered weak black tea with lemon to revive her.
    “And don’t forget the almond biscuits.” She turned to Patience. “Now, you continue to lie still with the smelling salts and get better. We’ll have another cup of tea, and you’ll feel as good as new in no time.”
    Patience despised smelling salts and had consumed quite enough tea for one day, but she meekly acquiesced.
    Lorna settled into her chair. “So what do you really think of Lord Blackwood? Do you like him as a person? Do you think he has a noble character? Do you think he will make a good husband?”
    Lorna’s salvo of blunt questions took Patience by surprise. “I…er…well, I don’t know him at all,” she said. “You have spent more time in his company than I have.”
    “You should try to get to know him better,” said Lorna. “It would make me so happy. More than you can imagine.”
    Patience did not dare ask why, and Lorna did not volunteer a reason. The only logical reason must be that Lorna truly loved his lordship. Perhaps not as profoundly as she should, but in her own way. Lorna had specifically mentioned Lord Blackwood as a husband, a clear indication she must be thinking of something deeper than mere flirtation. Perhaps sending his lordship a Valentine card was a way of jolting him into a proposal or drawing subtle attention to the fact that she admired him as a desirable partner and sought more than a chivalrous friendship from him.
    “For I respect your opinion so much, dearest Patience,” Lorna’s mama had confided to her by way of a letter before Lorna’s arrival in London. “You are so sensible about things. If you approve of a young man that Lorna likes, then her papa and I will certainly consider his suit.”
    Lord Blackwood was much older than one would expect the bridegroom of a fresh, young debutante to be. However, many parents were not averse to their daughters marrying older men, more mature and established than some frivolous and spendthrift young coxcomb who would not prove to be as much of a steadying influence on their daughter. A wealthy older man with a title offered a bride the noble weight of historical grandeur behind him, as well as the pinnacle of social achievement any self-respecting mama desired when she announced to her cronies (and the world at large) that Lord Such-and-Such had offered for and been accepted by her darling. If Patience gave her approval to the prospect of Lord Blackwood as a suitor for Lorna, then no doubt Lorna’s parents would look even more kindly upon him.
    Patience did not feel at all sensible when she thought about Lord Blackwood. In fact, too much time devoted to thinking about his lordship could possibly render her insensible in a very short space of time. She felt ridiculous because, of course, he did not give her a second thought after bidding her adieu. Patience vowed to desist from any yearning thoughts about him. However, she owed it to her young friend and her parents to do all she could to encourage Lord Blackwood’s