Montgomery Family 01 - Lost Pleasures Found by Vikki Vaught Read Free Book Online

deal with it all.”
    Nelson pulled back on the reins of his horse so that they could talk. “I’m doing all right. I just haven’t been feeling well lately. I’m sure that I’ll feel better soon. It’s good to have you back home again. I know that you would have been here when I lost Nora, if it were possible. How long are you going to stay?”
    As they allowed their horses to meander along, he said, “I’ll be home for about a month, but then, I need to go to Lincolnshire. I’ve met someone. Her name is Melody, and … I’m in love with her. Nelson, I’m going to ask her to marry me.”
    When Nelson heard this, he stopped his horse altogether, looked at Henry with astonishment on his face and said, “Henry, am I hearing you correctly? Did you just say you were getting married? I thought you always said that you would not marry until you were at least thirty and maybe not even then. She must truly be a special lady for you to change your mind about marriage. This is astonishing news. How long have you known her?”
    As Henry stopped his horse, he said, “Sometimes things just happen when you least expect them to, and Melody and I are just meant to be. She’s so beautiful and sweet. I knew from the first moment that I had met someone very special. I met her shortly after I got back from the continent. I think I need someone now that I’ve returned from the war. I’m ready to settle down, and Melody is the one for me.” Henry smiled as he thought about how much he loved his sweet Melody. The more he thought about her, the stronger his conviction became that he was doing the right thing by asking her to marry him.
    “I’m happy for you, Henry. Are you going to tell Mother and Father about your plans?” he asked. “You know that they’ll probably not be happy about you getting married. Father still wants you to marry Lady Penelope. He’s definitely not going to be happy that you’re leaving so soon. Father was planning on you helping out around here for a while, and then he wants you to take over the Doncaster Stables in Yorkshire.”
    Henry knew that Nelson was probably right about his parents, but they would just have to accept his decision in regards to his marriage. “I’m going to do that, but I just need to make sure that I get my life settled before I take up the management of Doncaster Stables. It’s going to be at least six months before I can do that anyway, because I need to get my men settled first. I want to make Melody my wife, and I need to do this soon, before someone else comes along and tries to take her away from me. I’m not going to tell them I’m getting married. I’m going to just do it and then tell them. That way they can’t try to do anything to sabotage my marriage, before it even gets started. You’ll keep my plans to yourself, won’t you, Nelson?”
    “I won’t say anything, but you know that they’re not going to be happy about this. It’s going to be very difficult for them to accept her, because they always planned on you coming home and marrying Lady Penelope. You know that they want to join our lands together, and since she’s her father’s only heir, she’ll inherit everything.”
    Henry was so tired of hearing about Lady Penelope. He kept telling his father he was not interested, but he just did not want to believe him. He knew Nelson did not feel that he should marry Lady Penelope and that he was only pointing out how his father would feel, but he was beginning to get a little angry so he said, “The ducal holdings are already immense. They will survive without that property. I love Melody, and I’m going to marry her. I don’t care about what she can bring to the marriage, and I don’t need a dowry since our grandmother left me her estate. I deserve to have peace and contentment now that I’ve come back from the war. For God’s sake, I’m giving up the military career that I love! He needs to just be happy about that! Melody will make me happy. I