📖First Chapter: On This Christmas, I Thee Wed by Virginia Barlow #FirstChapter

Title: On This Christmas, I Thee Wed
Author: Virginia Barlow
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Publication Date: December 18, 2024
Pages: 280
Genre: Historical Holiday Romance

Bartered to Viscount Hudson Becker by her father, Lady Lavinia Holbrook escapes her arranged marriage and travels to her Godmother, the Duchess of Chauncy to seek asylum. Determined to put men and marriage behind her, she is unprepared for the duke’s interest or his heated kisses.

The Duke of Chauncy believes love is a weakness and refuses to take a bride despite his mother’s scheming. When the duchess makes a wager he will marry by Christmas, he considers the matter a lark. Until Lavinia gets under his skin, and he rethinks his position on love and happy ever afters.

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 First Chapter:

Sheffield, England

November 1, 1784

Only one person alive could save her now.

“Thank goodness you’re here.” Lady Lavinia Holbrook flung open the heavy oak door of the cathedral antechamber and kicked the train of her satin wedding gown aside so her friend could enter. “Your timing could not be better. Margret just left.”

“That old dragon. She has a nose for mischief and spoiled many a grand lark.” Victoria Beaumont’s strawberry mouth tilted down at the corners before her humor returned. “Good morning, Lavinia. You are looking very…pre-wed.” She strolled inside with one eyebrow quirked as she took in her friend’s ivory dress, stocking feet, and bare head.

“Good morning,” Lavinia returned as emotion welled in her eyes. “How I’ve missed you.”

Emerald eyes met hers in an assessing glance before Victoria drew her in for a much-needed hug.

Although months went by since they last spoke, it felt as if no time had passed at all. Hope fluttered in Lavinia’s chest for the first time in weeks. Together, they would find a solution like they always did.

“Your mother will have a fit of apoplexy if she discovers me here. She is convinced I led your brother astray and holds me responsible for his death. I must confess your cryptic note inviting me to your antechamber before the wedding ceremony surprised me, and I came straight away. A loose chignon is all the time I allowed for my hair, and I walked out the door of my chamber as my maid tied the back of my gown. No doubt, Matilda will give me a tongue-lashing when I return.” Her friend’s dancing eyes said the maid’s irritation amused her. Tilting her head, she sobered. “I must say, you are too pale by half. The Lavinia I remember had mischievous eyes and a ready smile. What brought about the change? Am I summoned here as your knight in shining armor, I wonder? Had I known, I would have worn my plumed hat.”

Lavinia pictured her slender friend in a metal suit holding a drawn sword while her flaming red hair fanned out behind her in the breeze and smiled. “I had no one else to turn to. I spent the entire night contemplating my options, and your face kept popping up as the answer.”

“I should hope so. No one else has my experience getting you out of trouble.” Victoria untied the ribbons of her cape and nudged her chin toward the tea trolley.

“Do we have time for tea before the battle? Or should I ready my steed?”

Before Lavinia could reply, heavy footsteps approached with a determined ring.

“Quick, in here.” With a cry of terror, she shoved Victoria behind the changing screen and turned to face her executioner.

The heavy inner door to the chapel swung open with a bang, and the Earl of Holbrook stepped inside her sanctuary. Her father’s wide smile and sparkling eyes disappeared the second he closed the door.

A rock formed in her belly.

His gaze swept over her and darkened with anger.

“Your future husband grows impatient. We cannot delay the ceremony longer.” His lips thinned, and his gray eyes narrowed as he inspected her from the top of her bare head piled high with curls to the bottom of her stocking feet, peeking from beneath the hem of her white gown.

“Where the hell are your veil and shoes? And where is Margret? Really, Lavinia. You try my patience past my ability to endure. I commanded you to be ready at ten thirty. The time is now a quarter past, and you are not prepared. I will not allow you to insult the viscount further.” Tall and handsome with peppered black hair, her father wore his finest black linen suit, which consisted of satin breeches, a matching velvet overcoat trimmed with gold embroidery, a pristine white shirt beneath an intricately folded neckcloth, and high-heeled buckle shoes that caught the morning light. Despite being dressed in the height of fashion, his foul disposition ruined the effect.

“Every bride in the Ton arrives five minutes late as is fashionable. The ceremony is not scheduled until the eleventh hour.” Her chin rose in defiance as she stared at her father. “Even the condemned are executed on the stroke of the clock and not a moment before. I deserve no less and have given the viscount no insult.” Not yet, she amended. “’Twas not me parading my lover for all and sundry to see.”

The earl shot her a furious gaze. “Mind your tongue, girl.” His words cracked like a whip, and for a fleeting moment, she feared he would strike her. A heavy silence hung between them before his fists relaxed at his sides, and a cold mask of indifference settled over his face. “I have had enough of this nonsense. Your husband’s actions and who he associates with are none of your affair. Know your place, or you will learn it the hard way. Hudson is not a man to trifle with.”

Withdrawing a watch from the pocket of his gold silk vest, he checked the time, and his lips tightened.

“You are lucky the viscount favors you at all, such as you are. For reasons known to him alone, he wants you. This extravagant spectacle, with all its unnecessary pomp, was his idea. As for me, I would see you wed on the street in rags in exchange for the title to the hundred acres my wastrel uncle gambled away.” Snapping his watch closed, he replaced the article in his vest pocket. “I dare say I am getting the superior bargain.”

His icy words hit her like a runaway carriage. They were meant to hurt and found their target with remarkable accuracy.

“I want no more excuses. You have ten minutes before I drag you into the church barefoot and bareheaded if I must. Find your worthless maid and finish your preparations. I want this done. My patience is at an end. Do not anger me further, or you will rue the moment you were born.”

The door clicked with the solid thud of a cell door in Newgate prison, and Lavinia rushed forward to slide the bolt behind him with shaky fingers. I would see you wed on the street in rags…Damn them all to hell.

She refused to be treated like a worthless beast whose purpose in life was to procreate and pander to the whims of some man. Her heart surged with defiance as she took a swipe at her cheeks. She had worth, dammit.

She could speak five languages, do sums in her head, and run a household of sixty servants. Despite what society believed, women deserved respect, and their voices should be heard and valued.

“Out of curiosity, are we whisking you away to an undisclosed location, burying Hudson so deep no one will ever find him, or shooting your father between his cold, black eyes?” Her friend’s dry tone lightened the tension. “You have yet to tell me the reason for my summons, but from what I witnessed a moment ago, I can guess.”

Lavinia met the deviltry in Victoria’s eyes with a weak smile as her friend stepped from her hiding place.

She grimaced. “We are whisking me away. I refuse to live the life my mother and sisters lead. It dawned on me last night that unless I take action, my fate will be the same as theirs. Quick. Unlace me.” Turning, she presented her back to her friend. She could not wait to be rid of the lot of them.

Victoria stepped closer and tugged on her laces.

“Leaving the most eligible viscount in England at the altar will be an unparalleled scandal. Even bigger than mine.”

“Indeed, but nothing short of death or a bolt of lightning will sway Papa’s resolve. Or Hudson’s, either. And you’re well aware of society’s views on women. Papa has been obsessed with reclaiming the land between Holbrook Manor and Waterdown Castle for years. And after the duke stripped Hudson of his funding, you can imagine how reluctant the viscount will be to relinquish my hundred-thousand-pound dowry when his debauchery is at stake.” She shook her head. “Even if I were to have a sudden attack of smallpox, they would both prop my body up before the priest and carry on with the ceremony.” She sighed, shaking her head again. “No.

To put an end to this, I must leave. Margret will return soon with my things, and I must not be here when she does.”

Victoria sighed while she worked on the laces. “You left precious little time to make your escape. Why did you wait until now to run away? You could have escaped in the night weeks ago.”

“And risk the servants’ betrayal and weeks of Papa’s cruel punishments? I think not.” Lavinia declared, holding her breath to aid Victoria’s efforts. “Besides, Papa has locked me in my room every night since the moment Hudson returned with the coveted title and they finalized the marriage contract.”

“The earl will have an episode when he discovers your absence,” Victoria remarked, loosening the strings down Lavinia’s back.

“I couldn’t care less. Papa put me in this predicament, and neither he nor my mother care a fig how I feel.” Lavinia’s bodice slipped down her shoulders and over her slim hips. She stepped out of the white satin gown bearing hundreds of seed pearls, a tight-fitting bodice, long-fitted sleeves, and a small, elegant train.

She flung it across one of the brocade settees with a careless gesture. “Now, my skirts.”

Victoria untied them with practiced fingers, ignoring Lavinia’s frantic attempts to help. “So where are we going? You know I enjoy a good adventure. When we were in school, you were much more organized.”

Lavinia shook her head. “Back then, we were concerned about Sister Fran, and things were simpler.”

She stepped out of her underskirts with a shudder as if they were infected with the Black Death and left them in a pile on the gray flagstone floor. Darting over to the corner, she retrieved a valise from beneath her cloak. “I prepared a dark gown and a change of clothes. I packed them after Margret retired last night and stashed them in the boot of the carriage this morning after she collected my breakfast tray.”

Victoria chuckled. “You must have been quite a sight in your bedrail and dressing gown. What if someone saw you?”

Lavinia shrugged. “I have been sneaking out of the castle since I learned to walk. I know where all the secret passages are.”

“How did you get the valise into the antechamber? You must have slipped it into the church like a thief carrying the Crown Jewels to escape Margret’s notice.”

Lavinia laughed as she drew a navy walking gown over her head and turned for Victoria to lace her up. “She does have an uncanny talent for such things. I suspect that’s why Papa assigned her to me.”

“I have no doubt you’re right.” Her friend’s voice grew thoughtful. “You did not answer my question. Where we are going.”

“To my godmother’s near Falstone. My parents will go to Miryam’s first and then to Anabel’s. Both of my sisters will tease our parents to stay. When they do not discover me with either sister, they will travel to my grandparents to search for me. I calculate in pleasant weather, I have until the middle of December before they find me. With any luck, there will be a snowstorm, and I’ll be safe until the New Year.” In any ordinary situation, her older sister, Miryam, would be her first destination. But in this dire circumstance, she could not trust her sister to support her. Miryam had been married off to a man twice her age during her first season and grew fat with his child.

“Falstone? We shall travel close to a fortnight to get there.” Victoria finished lacing her into the gown and tied the strings.

“I am aware,” Lavinia murmured. “The further away, the better.”

“How long before Margret returns?” Victoria walked around to face her. “I left my wedding slippers and veil at home on purpose so she would have to fetch them. I calculate the time she takes to gather them, and return will be sufficient to set my plan into action.”

Her friend chuckled, and then she sobered. “It is doubtful your father or the viscount will ever forgive you. Your mother and sisters will follow the earl’s lead.”

Lavinia nodded. “What they think is not important.”

She lied, and they both knew it. “I plan to move on with my life like you did.”

Neither one mentioned the scandal Lady Victoria had been involved in a year ago. Much of the Ton refused to acknowledge her to this very day because of the uproar. Yet, Lavinia remained steadfast in their friendship as if nothing of import occurred.

“Shall we go?” Victoria turned toward the door.

Lavinia lifted her valise and broached a delicate subject. “You do not have to accompany me, Victoria. I will pay for the use of your carriage. I could not take Papa’s because the servants will inform him of my whereabouts. That’s why I requested yours. At the same time, I do not wish to bring further condemnation upon your head.”

Victoria gripped her shoulders and gazed into her eyes. “I have known you since we were four years old, and I recognize the look in your eye. Did you plan to leave me behind all along?”

“Yes, that’s why I asked for both of your carriages. One to whisk me away and the other for you to return home with.” Her confession came out with a sigh. “Using your carriage will get you in enough trouble. If you come, you will be involved in another scandal, and I cannot risk it.”

Her friend fixed her with a long, penetrating stare. “I suspected as much. That’s why I rode in my old carriage and left a driver with instructions in the second one. If someone asks, they will assume I am in the newer one since I never go anywhere in the old one anymore.”

Victoria’s gaze narrowed in defiance. “I’m coming. Like it or nay. You cannot go alone and unchaperoned.”

Lavinia wanted to weep. “I will not add to your misery.” She searched her friend’s face. “I have considered the danger and packed a pistol in my valise. I will be careful.”

Victoria gave a snort. “The gun will do you no good if it’s tucked away in your valise when trouble arises. Nay. We will take my carriage and travel together. I had the foresight to pack a trunk. So you cannot use my lack of clothing against me. Your brother left me with enough coin to travel in style despite your father’s attempts to stop the funds, and I insist we make use of it. My outriders will see to our protection.”

“Are you certain?” Lavinia stared hard into Victoria’s green eyes. “I do not wish to tarnish your reputation further.”

“We shall argue on the way. If you’re certain you’re running away, I am just as certain I am coming with you.

So we ride for Falstone and Chauncy Castle.” Biting her lip, she shot an assessing glance toward the oak doors. “I hear organ music.”

They exchanged a quick glance and hastened toward the exit.

Lavinia clutched her valise against her chest and stepped out the side door with Victoria right behind her.

They tugged their hoods forward, moving toward the waiting carriage with the same nonchalant stride they used to escape drawing attention in their youth.

The nuns at the convent used to call them the terrible duo because of their antics, and none of the good women would be surprised to see their charges’ current activities.

Victoria’s footmen assisted them into her carriage, and they took their seats.

The door closed, and the carriage surged into motion.

Leaning forward, Victoria gave her a small smile. “We’ll rendezvous with my men at arms and my lady’s maid at the fork in the road.”

Lavinia’s lips twisted. “Am I so transparent? You knew I intended to run away before you arrived at the cathedral.”

“Lavinia, you requested me and my two carriages. Most brides plan to leave their wedding with their new husband. I didn’t need to be a genius to figure out you had no such plans.”

No. She didn’t, and she came anyway. Gratitude filled Lavinia’s heart as she studied her friend.

Victoria stood an inch shorter than Lavinia’s stately five-foot-seven stature, possessed long red hair and wicked green eyes that caught men off guard, and then filled them with delight. Her curvaceous figure and infectious smile had her admirers tripping over their polished boots to make her acquaintance.

Lavinia’s brother had been no different. But where others failed, he succeeded.

Victoria crossed her long, elegant legs, adjusted the skirt of her emerald green day gown, and removed her gloves. “Thank goodness Cook packed a hamper so we wouldn’t have to stop.” Leaning forward, she inspected the basket of food sitting beside her. “How delightful. Finger sandwiches and lemon cake. It’s not the most substantial breakfast, but it will suffice. I will never let Adeline go. She knows what I like and packed plenty. Are you hungry? I am. I haven’t had a single morsel to eat yet this morning.”

Lavinia smiled as her best friend prepared food on two plates. “Yes, but one sandwich will do. I haven’t been able to keep much food down these last few days.”

“You cannot run if you do not eat.” Handing her a plate, Victoria leaned back. “I do not mean to make light of the situation, but things tend to look better after a meal. You will see. Let’s talk while we eat. I want to hear every tiny detail.”

Lavinia stared out the window. “You have not asked me why I wish to run or what I hope to accomplish. And I love you for your support. The truth is simple. I refuse to wed Viscount Becker despite Mama’s insistence he is the best catch of the season.” She swallowed hard. “You may think me silly or fanciful, but I can’t abide a loveless marriage.” She took a tiny bite of her sandwich. “I thought I could fulfill my family’s expectations, wed as they demand and produce the obligatory heir. But after last eve, I no longer believe Hudson will treat me with anything but indifference.” Licking her dry lips, she tightened her grip on the porcelain plate on her lap.

“When I saw the viscount and his mistress together, it struck me. I will live the same miserable life my mother and sisters do unless I do something drastic. I am not made of the same malleable fabric as they and shall never submit to any man’s tyranny. My instinct tells me to escape while I can. There is something…unsettling about Hudson that I cannot explain.” She cast her friend a pleading glance. “Do you remember when we ran away from the convent and got lost in the woods?”

Lady Beaumont nodded as she placed another sandwich on her plate. “We heard wolves and climbed the nearest tree, afraid to let go of each other for fear we’d fall and get eaten.”

“Yes, and when morning came, we discovered the fearful black shapes beneath us were just berry bushes and not ferocious predators hoping for an easy meal.” A small smile graced Lavinia’s lips before the weight of her current situation returned. “To me, Hudson is a wolf disguised as a berry bush. He is the opposite of what everyone perceives. The Ton worships him for his impeccable bloodlines and does not see the evil lurking in his eyes.” She took a deep breath and lifted her chin.

“But I do.”

Victoria set her plate on the linen covering her knees and pinned Lavinia in place with a ferocious frown. “Has he hurt you?” Her narrowed eyes said she would slice him from nose to ankle if he dared.

A sigh escaped, and Lavinia’s chin dropped. “Not hurt, exactly. And therein lies the problem. I ceased to believe in love long ago, but I did expect to receive respect as befitting my station. First as an earl’s daughter and second as the viscount’s wife. Yet, he humiliated me in front of the entire village mere hours before the ceremony. If he does this now, what will he be like later when I am his legal wife, and no one can say nay against him? There is a darkness about our future together that terrifies me. But no one will heed my protests. My heart tells me to run, but my duty is to wed. I have wrestled with my conscience and find self-preservation wins. I refuse to be a sacrificial lamb for the family’s honor. But in rejecting the viscount, not only do I incur my parents’ wrath but society’s haughty judgment as well.”

Victoria grimaced and gave a delicate shudder.

Lavinia nodded. “Just so. I knew you would understand, given everything you’ve endured. Papa thinks I’ve gone daft, and when I confided in Mama, she dismissed my concerns as premarital jitter.” Dropping her chin, she stared at the delicate cucumber sandwich on her plate with unseeing eyes. “But ’tis more. The knot in my stomach is the same as the one I had that night in the woods. As if a predator lurks in the shadows, waiting to devour me.” Her chin lifted. “I must be true to my own inner guidance, and my parents leave me no choice but to take the matter in hand.” She cast another gaze at the rolling countryside. “And so, here I am.”

About the Author:

Virginia Barlow has been a dreamer her whole life. She loves reading, traveling, and roses. She will dive headfirst into any romance she can get her hands on in any genre. Although her first love is Regency Romance and always will be.  Something about the era calls to her soul like a siren’s song rising from the depths.

She loves to write steamy romances whether fantasy, historical, or contemporary, all are liberally spiced with adventure and sensual, seductive heroes. Her heroines are just as compelling with equal parts intelligence, sass, and backbone. They give as good as they get whether saving their man’s life or responding to his heated kisses, they’re all in.

The most important thing in Virginia’s life is her family, and spending time with them. When she is not bouncing a grandbaby in her arms or handing out popsicles, she is writing and dreaming up her next love story.  Virginia has published fifteen romance novels with another two on the way and has half a dozen more circling around inside her head eager to make their debut.

Website & Social Media:

Website ➜  https://www.virginia-barlow.com/ 

X ➜  https://x.com/Virgini35142126 

Facebook ➜ https://www.facebook.com/groups/3046288755596817 

Goodreads ➜ https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19838312.Virginia_Barlow 

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