A Lady’s Key to Passion (Preview)

Chapter One

Seaborne, Sussex England, 1812

The sun was high and bright in a clear blue sky as the three ladies strolled the length of the pier. A faint hissing sound, where the waves lapped the beach, permeated the air. Lady Jane Metcalfe sighed before inhaling the familiar scent of salt, letting it fill her lungs. The smell of the ocean was the only thing she enjoyed about promenading.

“Jane! It is not at all ladylike to take such deep breaths, you know,” said the petite lady by her side, disdain evident in her cerulean blue eyes.

Jane just managed to stop herself rolling her own eyes at her cousin Lucy’s reproach. Lucy irritated her beyond measure and always had since they were children. Her cousin constantly found fault in everything she did. Lucy prided herself on being a proper young lady in all ways. In fact, it was all that occupied her mind. That, and making a good matrimonial match. It was Lucy’s life ambition to marry very well indeed.

Jane turned to the lady on Lucy’s left side, catching her eye. Her older sister Marianne stifled a smile. Marianne seemed to tolerate Lucy much better than Jane did, but then, Marianne didn’t see their cousin as much as Jane was forced to. Her older sister lived in Brighton, thirty miles away, whereas Lucy was only ten miles from Seaborne. Their fathers were brothers, and Jane’s Uncle Ralph took advantage of her father’s hospitality, in Jane’s opinion, sending Lucy to stay with them in Seaborne quite a lot.

Jane’s eyes softened as she gazed at her older sister. Marianne was her closest friend in the world as well as being her sister. She missed her so much since she had married her husband Henry, Viscount Aldridge, a year ago and moved to Brighton. But at least she had her sister back for most of the summer. Jane was staying with them while Henry was in Scotland on business. It would have been perfect, except that Lucy had descended upon them for a few weeks, as well. Jane turned back to her younger cousin, her eyes narrowing. Lucy was the fly in the ointment. As always.

“I will try to breathe more sedately just for you, dear Cousin,” said Jane, her voice filled with sarcasm.

Marianne stifled a giggle, but Lucy simply blinked. Sarcasm was lost on Lucy, as were all other forms of wit. Lucy might be conventionally beautiful, with her lustrous strawberry blonde corkscrew curls and wide blue eyes, but she had never been known for her wit or intelligence.

“Could you?” Lucy smiled slightly, showing her small, perfectly white teeth. “What a dear you are, Jane.” She twirled her parasol. “I hope you do not mind how many gentlemen callers I had this morning, Cousin. I thought perhaps at least one of them might be for you.”

“Take all of them with my blessing, Cousin,” said Jane, her mouth twitching. “They were all blockheads and dullards in my opinion.”

Lucy’s face fell.

“Jane,” said Marianne reproachfully, lightly swatting her arm. “That is not polite. Why, there were many quite respectable callers for Lucy this morning!”

Lucy scowled at Jane. “At least I have gentlemen callers, Jane. You never have any!” Her perfect rosebud lips formed a moue of distaste. “Are you still resolved to become a spinster?”

Jane nodded. “I am, Cousin. I truly am.”

Lucy shook her head incredulously, her curls swinging from side to side. “How can you admit such a thing? How can you even speak of it? Why, no one resolves to become a spinster! How odd you are, Cousin.”

“I am most definitely odd,” said Jane, raising her chin defiantly. “And I admit it quite easily. I find it better to be forthright about it. Then no gentlemen can have any doubts about how serious I am on the subject. Why play the game when I have no intention of ever claiming the supposed prize?”

There was an awkward silence. Lucy looked truly bewildered as if Jane were speaking in a strange language, even though this wasn’t the first time she had heard Jane utter these words. Marianne patted Jane’s arm reassuringly before she leaned over, turning her around so that their backs were to Lucy, whispering in her sister’s ear.

“Do not tease her, dearest,” she whispered. “We know how earnest Lucy is on the subject of matrimony.”

Jane turned her sister away, so that Lucy couldn’t hear them. “I am not teasing, Sister. You know how earnest I am on the subject, as well. It is just that our dear cousin and I have wildly differing ideas about it.”

Marianne smiled, a little sadly. They had discussed this subject many times, as well. Marianne knew very well how determined Jane was to remain unmarried. 

In the beginning, when Jane had first voiced her intention, her sister had laughed it off, saying she would change her mind. But now Marianne knew how very serious she was. They had even worked out a plan for Jane’s life once Papa was gone. Jane was going to live with Marianne and Henry in their Brighton townhouse. The spinster sister. She would grow old beside the one who meant the most to her in the world and who would let her be free to pursue her interests.

I am five and twenty now, In a few blessed years, I shall officially be deemed on the shelf, and no gentleman will ever bother me. Ever.

“Be nice,” whispered Marianne. “That is all I am asking.”

Jane rolled her eyes. “I shall try. She is just so vexing, Marianne! I have never met a more vacuous young lady than our dear cousin.” Her nostrils flared. “Why does she always have to stay with us?”

“You know why,” said Marianne in a patient voice. “Because our dear uncle and aunt believe Lucy has better prospects in Seaborne than the tiny village in which they live.”

“Why do you not invite her to Brighton from time to time and take your share of the burden?” said Jane in a furious whisper. “Brighton is much larger than Seaborne. Our cousin will surely find a wonderful match there.”

“Maybe I shall,” said Marianne, frowning. “But in the meantime, Lucy is your guest, and you are being quite rude. Now, we shall turn back to her, and I want you to be on your best behaviour.”

Jane scowled. “Oh, very well.” She turned back, plastering a wide smile upon her face, expecting Lucy to be miffed because she had not been included in the conversation. But her cousin was not even looking at them. Her blue eyes had grown even wider, staring at something in the other direction.

“What is it, Lucy?” asked Marianne, gazing in the same direction, shielding her eyes from the glare of the sun.

“Over there,” breathed Lucy, her eyes gleaming with excitement. “Is that not the mysterious earl who is staying in Seaborne that all the ton are talking about?”

Marianne smiled widely. “Well, so it is! Lord Carlisle. Henry and I are rather friendly with him in Brighton….”

Lucy whipped around, staring at Marianne as if she was a vision of the Blessed Virgin. “You know him? You are acquainted with him?”

“Yes, I do,” said Marianne, sounding amused. “Lord Carlisle lives in Brighton, most of the time. He has a grand townhouse in London as well, but he prefers the sea air of Sussex. Or so he claims.”

Lucy let out an excited squeak. “Will you introduce me, Cousin? Please?”

Jane grew bored as she watched Lucy squirm at the thought of being introduced to this earl, whoever he was. It was so typical of her cousin to be starstruck by an earl, even though she didn’t know the man from Adam. Lucy was such a terrible snob. All she cared about was the man’s exalted title.

Jane sighed dramatically, casting her eyes towards the object of Lucy’s excitement. A tall gentleman with broad shoulders and a rather solid physique. She discerned light brown hair beneath his hat, curling on the nape of his neck. A dapper dresser, by the look of it, in his green velvet coat and tight white breeches. Was he a dandy? He looked rather out of place in such attire in Seaborne. But of course, he was used to the more glittering promenades of Brighton and Hyde Park than this medium-sized seaside town.

She kept watching him, in an idle fashion. He gazed out at the sea, before carefully peeling off his jacket, and folding it over his arm. Jane suppressed a grin. His very fashionable jacket was rather too hot for a day of strolling in this weather. 

“Can we return to the house now?” she said, turning to her companions, growing bored with the sight of the dandy earl. “We have been promenading for half an hour. It is tedious.”

“I think not,” said Marianne, her eyes alight. “I think I shall introduce you both to the Earl of Carlisle. It would be rude of me not to say hello.”

“Thank you, Cousin,” breathed Lucy, sounding as if Marianne had just offered her the Holy Grail.

Jane sighed again. “Marianne, must you? Can I not just return to the house by myself?”

“Do not be such a spoilsport, Jane,” said her sister in a firm voice. “It is good for you to socialise. You spend rather too much time with your head buried in a book, and even when you are out, you never dance or mingle.” She paused. “We shall not be long.”

“Oh, all right,” said Jane in a long-suffering voice.

Lucy took Marianne’s arm firmly. They headed off towards the Earl, who was still mesmerised by the sea. Jane trailed after them, a mutinous expression on her face. 

Hopefully, it would only take a few moments, she thought. She didn’t have to say or do anything. She could just stand there while Marianne chatted with her friend, or Lucy did. Her cousin was gregarious and liked to be the centre of attention. She was also beautiful, in the way of a porcelain doll. Most gentlemen acted as if they were bewitched by Lucy right from the start. This gentleman would be no different. Jane could stand back and melt into the background, which was just the way she liked it.

Jane knew she had a reputation in the district as a wallflower. It was said in a derogatory way, of course, but she didn’t care. She liked being a wallflower. As a wallflower, she didn’t have to dance with every clumsy oaf at every ball, nor did she have to suffer their tedious conversation. She could melt and blend into the background, biding her time. One day, when she was officially declared on the shelf, she wouldn’t have to endure it at all. She was patient. She could wait.

She knew most people thought her an oddball, treating her warily, as if her wayward attitude were contagious. She didn’t care a whit about that, either. She didn’t want to get married. Ever. It was as simple as that. 

This earl, this friend of Marianne’s from Brighton, would find out she wasn’t a regular lady fairly quickly. He might encourage her to join the conversation at first, out of politeness, but few bothered after they hit her impenetrable wall of silence. And with Lucy there, in all her dazzling glory, Jane very much doubted he would even bother.

She glanced at Marianne’s back, as Lucy dragged her along. Her sister had tried to get her to socialise and lead the conventional life of a young lady for years. But she knew Marianne accepted her resolve now. As did their father. Dear Papa never pressured her anymore. He declared he would be content if she remained a spinster. He said he liked having her at home, that it would be like living in a mausoleum if she left. It was only the two of them rattling around the house most of the time these days. Except for when Lucy stayed, of course.

Jane’s heart twisted as she thought of her mother in her grave these past five years. It was because of Mama that she had chosen this path. But memories of her mother always made her sad, so she pushed them firmly aside. She had learnt to live without her mother. She had learnt to live without her sister, who didn’t live close any longer. Dear Papa would one day be gone, as well.

In the end, Jane knew the only person she could ever rely upon was herself. So that was exactly what she intended to do.

Chapter Two

Percy Dashwood, the Earl of Carlisle, gazed out at the ocean, squinting a little. Something had caught his eye ,and he was curious as to what it was. A sea creature, jumping out of the water in a frolicking, almost frenzied way. He spied a long grey snout and then the high flip of a tail, sending an arch of water into the air. He suppressed his excitement.

By Jove’s beard, it is a dolphin. I am almost certain of it.

He was so engrossed in the creature that he didn’t notice that anyone was approaching him until he heard a slight, feminine cough. He spun around, squinting. Three ladies, all with parasols aloft, their faces and figures in shadow. Percy felt at a loss. Who were they? Who on earth would he even know in this sleepy seaside town? He had only been here a few days and hadn’t socialised much yet. He was still getting his bearings.

He shifted to the left, so that he might see their faces, but they remained maddeningly obscured by the sun. It was a brighter day than he had been expecting. All he could make out were two tall, willowy women on either side of a petite-figured one.

“Percy,” laughed one of the tall ladies. “Do you not recognise me? It has not been that long since we last dined in Brighton.”

A smile spread across his face. He recognised that voice. It belonged to one Lady Marianne Aldridge, the wife of Viscount Aldridge. The couple had become his firm friends recently. He, Marianne, and Henry often dined together.

“Marianne!” he said. “I do apologise. This dratted sun! I cannot see a thing. Could we move to another spot?”

Marianne laughed. “Of course. There is some shade further along the pier.”

They all moved to the spot Marianne indicated. Now Percy could see the ladies clearly. He gazed at the other two, carefully assessing them.

The petite lady was indeed small, with the figure of a doll. She also had the looks of one. A heart-shaped porcelain complexion, ruby lips, and big blue eyes. He saw strawberry gold curls framing her face beneath her bonnet. She smiled at him prettily.

He turned to the other lady. She was as tall and willowy as Marianne and looked quite like her. The same high cheekbones and cat-like green eyes. But whereas Marianne had dark brown hair, this lady was golden. Not red gold like the petite lady, but hair the colour of dark honey. She didn’t smile at him. In fact, she was looking distinctly bored, her gaze resting just beyond his shoulder. He couldn’t help feeling a bit miffed.

“Percy,” said Marianne. “May I introduce my dear sister, Lady Jane Metcalfe.” She indicated the tall lady. “And my dear cousin, Lady Lucy Metcalfe. Ladies, this is Lord Carlisle.”

Both ladies curtseyed. The smaller one made a great show of it, almost scraping the ground. The taller one’s curtsey was perfunctory at best. He suppressed a smile.

“Ladies,” he said, doing his level best to be as charming as possible. “Do you both live in Seaborne?”

“I do not, my lord,” said Lady Lucy, fixing him with her bright blue eyes. “I live in an outlying village. But I come to Seaborne often and am currently staying with my dear uncle and cousins for several weeks.” She blinked rapidly, almost batting her eyelashes at him. “So many balls and events!”

“Indeed,” said Percy politely. “I hope to attend quite a few of them myself.”

“Are you staying here long, my lord?” breathed Lady Lucy, staring at him avidly. 

He nodded. “A few weeks at least, my lady. I am here with a good friend, staying in a lodging house. But the aim of my stay is to purchase a house where I might reside for most of my summers.” He paused. “I like the beach, you see. But Brighton is getting busier by the year.”

“It is, indeed,” laughed Marianne. “Why, it is being veritably overrun by the ton from London! They flock there in droves. Henry and I were both saying just the other day that it is becoming quite mad. Promenading in Brighton is like promenading in Hyde Park these days.”

“Exactly,” said Percy, rolling his eyes. “Which is why I want an escape to somewhere a bit quieter. I am hoping there will be quite a few good houses here to choose from.”

His eyes flickered towards Marianne’s sister, Lady Jane. She was still gazing out at the sea, not attending the conversation at all. It was the height of bad manners, but she didn’t seem the least concerned. She was in a world of her own entirely.

“I am so pleased you are going to join the district, my lord,” said Lady Lucy, giving him another dazzling smile. “We are honoured….”

“There is a pod of dolphins!” exclaimed Lady Jane, interrupting her cousin, pointing excitedly towards the sea. “Look!”

“Jane, we do not care,” hissed Lady Lucy, fixing her with an almost malevolent glare. 

“I thought I saw one just before,” said Percy, standing close to the suddenly animated lady, staring out to where she was pointing. “I just saw the one. But he was devilishly quick. I caught sight of a tail and a snout. But this is a whole pod.”

“How majestic they are,” said Lady Jane, utterly absorbed. “And how dextrous. It is as if they are dancing upon the waves, or a group of acrobats, synchronising their act just for our enjoyment.”

“I would pay to watch them,” said Percy, smiling at the lady and her obvious joy in seeing the sea creatures. “I would pay quite good coin for such a sight.”

Lady Jane pursed her lips. “No. They are wild creatures and should never be tamed for our amusement. Half the joy is in the thrill of discovering them in their natural realm.”

Percy turned to her, staring at her with new interest. She sounded quietly intelligent and very passionate about her subject. He saw the fervour in her eyes, which were as green and clear as a river on a summer’s day. 

“Jane, no one shares your strange interest in sea creatures,” said Lady Lucy, looking decidedly put out. 

“I do,” said Percy. “I love the sea and discovering the creatures within it. And I must say, I am growing keener by the minute to find a house here, if there are pods of dolphins about in the area.”

Lady Jane turned to him, looking at him carefully. “There are dolphins. And sometimes whales. I have spotted an assortment of jellyfish as well.”

“Jane sketches the sea and her creatures,” said Marianne, looking at her sister fondly. “She is very talented. Her eye for detail is superb.”

Lady Jane looked a bit embarrassed by her sister’s praise. “It is just a hobby. I am not so talented, Marianne.”

Percy gazed with interest at the blushing lady. Intelligent, talented, and modest. She was also beautiful, in an understated way, just like her sister. There was no showiness to her looks—she was simply, even plainly dressed. Not like her cousin, whose gown was overladen with embroidery and bows, and whose bonnet was strewn with a veritable cornucopia of silk flowers.

Lady Lucy, clearly bored by the direction the conversation had veered in, turned to him. “My lord, are you attending Lord Kensington’s ball tomorrow night? For I would encourage you to do so. It is always a splendid event. One of the highlights of the calendar in Seaborne.”

Percy smiled slightly. Freddie, the friend he was staying with at the bed and breakfast, had mentioned the ball. He was an old friend of Kensington. 

“Yes, I was thinking about it,” he said. “It is about time I became social here.”

Lady Lucy looked very pleased. She actually clapped her hands together in delight. “Oh, that is wonderful news, my lord!” She smiled archly. “Will you promise me at least one dance?”

Percy laughed to hide his embarrassment. The lady was bold and very flirtatious. He had met her type before. Too many times. But it would be rude to refuse her when she had asked him point-blank like this, with others witnessing it. 

“I would be honoured, my lady,” he said, bowing slightly. 

Lady Lucy looked triumphant. Lady Jane sighed in an irritated way. Marianne took her sister’s arm, turning to him.

“We should not take up any more of your time, Percy,” she said. “Please enjoy your walk, and we shall see you at the ball tomorrow evening.”

The ladies curtseyed and continued on. He gazed after them thoughtfully. 

The petite, blue-eyed one glanced back at him, giving him a jaunty wave. He waved back. Marianne and her sister didn’t turn around. He kept watching them until they were out of sight, before turning back to gaze out at the sea.

He knew he should be considering the beautiful Lady Lucy. She was clearly interested in him. Ambitious. She wanted to make a good matrimonial match, and he was an earl, after all. It probably wouldn’t be hard to convince her to marry him, and that was the other reason he was here, after all. To find a wife.

But he had met so many ladies who were just like Lucy. Beautiful, but with not much going on behind their blue eyes and pretty smiles. They bored him to tears if he was being honest with himself. And their naked ambition was a little off-putting, as well. Still, Lady Lucy would probably make a good wife and a fine countess. She would be decorative, run a household well, and know all the duties required for the role.

But the other one, Marianne’s sister, intrigued him more. She definitely wasn’t flirtatious. And he didn’t think she was ambitious, either. She hadn’t seemed interested in him at all; in fact, she hadn’t wanted to even speak to him. She was quiet and liked to fade into the background, but he had seen her intelligence.

Lady Jane might be a better candidate. He could imagine it would be a much simpler life living alongside a woman like that. She would do her own thing, and he could do his. Whereas the Lady Lucy’s of this world always demanded attention and often acted like spoilt toddlers if they did not get it. It would be a headache living with a lady like that.

Percy took one last look at the sea, before walking away, heading back to Mrs Holloway’s lodgings, just off the main street. He whistled to himself. He was looking forward to this ball tomorrow evening now. He was sure that Lady Jane would be there as well. He would ask her to dance and start the process towards matrimony.

He knew what Freddie would say if he told him he had set his sights upon the lady. His friend would laugh and gently remind him that there were many ladies to choose from, and he really shouldn’t limit himself to the first one he stumbled across along the beach.

But Percy couldn’t be bothered with all that. He just wanted to find a wife as quickly and as painlessly as possible, and Lady Jane fitted his bill. 

What was wrong with that?

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“A Lady’s Key to Passion” is an Amazon Best-Selling novel, check it out here!

As enthralling as Lady Jane Metcalfe may be, she is content to be a wallflower and resolved to her life as a spinster. No man has ever weakened that resolve, until a tempting Earl comes to stay in the small seaside town, where she lives, and sets his sights on her… Proposing to her almost straight away, the fiery Jane spurns him, even though she is sinfully drawn to him, just like she spurns all other suitors.

Little did she know that sometimes making the wrong decision turns out to be the right way to passionately fall in love…

Percy, the seductive Earl of Carlisle, knows what he wants and is nοt afraid to pursue it. While he has come to stay in Seabornehe, he is in search of two things: a seaside home and a wife. When he meets the ravishing Lady Jane, he thinks she would make the perfect countess. Being used to conquest, he is determined to win her heart. Yet, what will happen when the captivating Lady rejects his proposal?

As determined as the wicked Earl may be, he will have to go through locked doors and secret vows to fulfil his desires…

As Jane and Percy grow closer against all odds, however, outside forces intend to force them apart forever. Their fight to resist their flaming passion for each other is not the only fight they must endure. While all Percy wants is a marriage of convenience and Jane is avoiding that kind of life at all costs, will they ever lay down their weapons and surrender to their lustful passion? Or will they lose everything in an attempt to maintain their past promises?

“A Lady’s Key to Passion” is a historical romance novel of approximately 80,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

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