BEYOND THE PERISHED WOODS BY TRACY LAUREN – eBook Details Online
- Status: Available for Free Download
- Authors: Tracy Lauren
- Language: English
- Genre: fantasy romance
- Format: PDF / EPUB
- Size: 2 MB
- Price: Free
A maidservant was arranging the tea service as Charlotte Fairfax was
led into the luxurious drawing room at Edenbridge Hall. It had been
many years since Charlotte had visited the grounds of this particular estate,
but at the moment, she was in desperate need of sympathy from the master
of this wealthy house.
Lord Reginald Harrington awaited his guest’s arrival, his back to the
room as he stared contemplatively through expansive French doors. The
room was grand, with rich oak floors, imported rugs, thick, velvety curtains,
and portraits of the Harrington family—most of whom were long since
dead. Lord Reginald was one of the very last Harringtons, and he was
surrounded by the vestiges of a family line that had been wealthy for
generations.
That is not to say Lord Reginald did nothing to secure and
steward the family’s wealth. This was a shrewd man. All the same, he had
no reputation for lacking in generosity. He was a clever businessman and an
even more clever scientist and local politician. These aspects of Lord
Reginald’s interest were perhaps the reasons he had never had an heir nor
wed. Charlotte remembered him as a man whose focus had been consumed
solely by his work.
Today, he looked much as he had for the past 50 years. The clothes he
wore were tidy and well-pressed. They were tailored but not extravagant in
their nature. His hair was inherently a wild tangle of grey, but, as a
gentleman, he took care in its styling. All these things were trifles to him,
unimportant save for the fact that he cared to present himself as a serious
man.
Even now, his thoughts were not on entertaining. He was gazing out
those doors—deep in contemplation about some old novel perhaps, or even
an experiment left simmering in his lab. Had Lord Reginald been attending
to his guest, he’d have seen Charlotte’s practiced composure and grace as
she crossed the room. It was the start of a beautiful performance. Every
aspect of which had been rehearsed a hundred times over—right down to
the costume.
Charlotte’s dress was expensive and well-cut, even if it happened to be
two seasons out of date. Though well into her forties, or perhaps even her
fifties—by some accounts (though not Charlotte’s herself), she was lovely.
Her beauty endured, as did her charm. Her hair was done up in the most
modern style—dark curls elaborately piled and pinned atop her head,
decorated by a gold and emerald comb placed at an artful angle. Her
makeup was applied with the proficiency of a woman who knew that beauty
was one of her greatest assets. Gliding into the drawing room, she was the
picture of society—homage to the most polished class.
Charlotte’s voice sang out, calling Lord Reginald’s attention away from
his view of the outdoors. “Lord Reginald! I was delighted to receive your
reply to my letter! I can’t tell you what joy it brings me to be back at
Edenbridge after all these years.”
Lord Reginald turned, revealing a man well into his 80s. Aged as he
was, Lord Reginald stood tall and strong. He was a pillar of a man,
possessing strength of character and mind.
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