A Lady’s Secret Courtship (Preview)

Chapter One

Phillip Seymour glared at his older brother.

‘I beg your pardon?’

‘I said,’ Thomas grinned, ‘that if you happened to drop dead before me, I would be happy to inherit your fortune.’

‘Well, that is charming,’ Phillip said as they strode, side-by-side down the pavement in the warm spring sunshine. ‘And here I was thinking I would leave it all to Great Uncle Bernard.’ He winked.

‘You would not dare?’ Thomas feigned a look of disgust. ‘You do not even like the old goat.’

‘True, but I would at least know that my well-earned money was not being spent on drink and women. Lots and lots of women.’

‘And drink,’ Thomas nodded amicably, ‘lots and lots of drink.’

The brothers laughed heartily as they turned the corner and headed towards the Inn of Courts. For today was the day Phillip hoped to have this business wrapped up. It had dragged on long enough already.

With his important papers bound in a leather wallet and tucked firmly under his arm, Phillip spotted his long-time legal advisor and business manager standing outside awaiting his arrival.

The short, rotund older gentleman, who had served his father before him, always appeared jovial, with ruddy jowls hidden beneath long greying whiskers. His loyalty had known no bounds with his father’s dealings; therefore, Phillip had confidently kept him in the family’s employ.

James Booker raised a hand in greeting as the two brothers approached. ‘Good morning gentlemen.’

Both brothers nodded a customary acknowledgement and respectfully returned his greeting.

‘Well Phillip, are you ready for battle?’ The older man smiled good naturedly.

‘Surely James, with the competence of my legal team, it will not be that difficult to finalise these details. This has already taken enough of my time.’

‘And his patience,’ Thomas chirped mockingly.

Phillip attempted to throw his brother a stern look, but failed as the three gentlemen strode in unison beneath the large grey concrete arch of the legal buildings and across the courtyard.

‘I think we can safely assume it will be concluded today, Phillip. Your solicitor and the rest of the group have commenced with all the hard work. We are now nearing the end.’

‘Good. I certainly hope so. This legal jargon bores me.’

‘Indeed, James,’ Thomas added, ‘Phillip is all about the chase and excitement of the win. This legal stuff that keeps his businesses running is simply tiresome.’ His brother’s tone dripped with sarcasm as he added a mocking frown of frustration.

James Booker laughed heartily, for he was well used to the banter between the two brothers, having spent so much time in their home as they grew into men.

‘Really Thomas?’ Phillip threw him a look.

Thomas could do nothing but laugh at his younger brother’s attempt to reprimand him, for though he may be a little annoyed, they were far too close for it to affect him deeply.

Arriving at the main building, the three men walked through the large double doors and entered a huge hallway with wooden floors. Mirrored winding staircases on either side of the large public space led up to the main landing on the second floor.

Avoiding the comings and goings of people scurrying to their destinations, the men made their way to the foot of the staircase on the left.

‘I will catch up to you James. Thomas is not attending.’

‘Very well, good to see you again Thomas.’

‘And you James.’

James nodded and they observed him as he heavily made his way up the steps alone, the echoing tap of his shoes fading as the slow distance between the men grew.

The brothers continued across the hall for a few more steps until, mid pace, they stopped and turned to face each other. Both aware of their now going separate ways, they were about to bid their farewells.

Opening his mouth to speak, Phillip, feeling a sharp jolt in the small of his back, was suddenly propelled a few feet forward. Much to the astonishment of Thomas, who automatically threw out an arm, attempting to halt his brother falling any farther forward.

Spinning around in shock, he realised that the person who had been walking hurriedly behind them had ploughed straight into his back.

‘What on earth…’ he barked, annoyed.

Simultaneously, a female voice echoed through the hall. ‘Oh, my goodness.’

Suddenly, a huge pile of papers toppled haphazardly from a binder that, a moment ago, had evidently been in the woman’s grasp. The papers floated gently in every direction and whilst Phillip had at first been most infuriated that someone could be so clumsy and blind as to barge into him, he suddenly stilled as he realised the disaster.

He had attended enough of these legal meetings to know the importance of having papers in some semblance of order. The distress of the young woman’s flailing arms and sudden attempt to retrieve them as they escaped her reach told him immediately that the current order of documents now spread across the floor were more than likely not the order that they ought to be in.

‘Oh, good heavens, let me help you.’

Bending to retrieve the documents, and more concerned with gathering the papers, Phillip could only see the top of a blonde head of hair beneath a small green bonnet, but even at that, it was obvious she was a petite woman.

Thomas also joined the hunt for the documents, and between the three of them, it took not a moment for them all to be gathered, if not in the way they had been ordered previous to the incident.

‘I do beg your pardon. It was completely my fault.’ The words rushed from her lips. ‘I am in a hurry for an important meeting.’ The woman finally looked up at him.

For a second, Phillip was quite lost for words.

To begin with, the only women he had seen in this place had been older and dowdy, usually with spectacles and ruffled blouses up to their throats. This woman was most definitely not one of those. In fact, he could quite literally say, she was quite the exact opposite.

Her blonde curls framed her pale, now slightly flushed face, her blue eyes, quite striking in the light, near pierced him with her confident stare. Probably a little younger than he, but not by much, she was slender and extremely handsome in her appearance.

‘I doubt our stopping so suddenly helped the situation,’ he conceded.

‘Are you alright?’ Thomas smiled flirtatiously.

‘I am fine, thank you.’

Nodding in gratitude once again, but saying nothing more, the young woman, holding tightly to her binder of dishevelled papers, quickly took to the stairs and ascended to the landing before disappearing out of sight.

‘Well, maybe I ought to come to these things more often.’ Thomas chuckled, dragging Phillip back to the moment. ‘You did not tell me there was talent like that flying about.’

‘Thomas! For goodness sake!’

‘What?’ Thomas frowned knowingly, raising his shoulders in feigned confusion.

‘Could you show a little respect. She is a woman. Not a possession, or something to be conquered or pursued.’

‘Oh, Phillip, will you relax? That, I think, is half of your problem.’

‘And you, no doubt are the other half,’ Phillip quipped.

‘I mean it. You need a woman in your life. You need to live a life. You are so consumed with making your fortune, you do not allow yourself to have any fun.’

‘I have plenty of fun. I just do not see women as conquests, Thomas. Something we will always differ on.’ He huffed, annoyed. ‘I need to go. James will be waiting.’

‘Then go,’ Thomas said, his tone betraying his own annoyance. ‘Do not let me stop you being bored to death in your little meetings.’

‘Fine. I will see you this evening.’

The board room was already attended by all who should be present when he arrived, though the low hum of conversation as the two legal teams talked quietly between themselves told him the meeting had not yet commenced. Entering the room, he first saw James was sitting at one side of the table. Beside him was Phillip’s own solicitor and another couple of legal advisors. Their heads bent together; the group seemed to be engaged in deep discussion.

Phillip rarely spoke in these conferences, that is what he paid other people to do, nor did he sit at the table. He much preferred to be on the outskirts, watching. It was a tactic he had employed for quite some time now. Not only did it separate him from both his team and the opposition, it gave a perceived show of power in the room.

In the past, the tactic had worked in their favour. His passive, but strong, silent presence adding some sort of intimidation to the proceedings. But as he rounded the long table to take his seat in a corner of the room, he struggled to hold his usual countenance.

For sat against the far wall, hidden from his view by the others present when he first entered, was the young lady who had collided into him downstairs. Again, he could only see the crown of her head as she swiftly shuffled papers on her lap, and immediately recognising the very binder in her hands, the importance of her papers being in order now seemed more poignant.

An older and a younger man, with some sort of paperwork spread on the table before them, sat side-by-side across the table from his own legal team. There were also several others beside them that he did not know, but assumed were his opposition.

If he were to guess, it appeared she was in attendance as their secretary, notepad and writing utensils at hand. She had yet to look up, to notice his presence, but he was curious to see her reaction when she did. For whilst he did not relish it, there would surely be some discomfort from her when she realised who he was. Sitting back in his chair, he waited patiently for the moment to arise.

It did not take long, but after the anticipation of her reaction, it proved a little disappointing. Rather than the girlish blushing of embarrassment that he might have expected, she simply acknowledged his presence with an almost imperceptible nod. Having done that, she returned immediately back to her notes, evidently consumed with their content, and did not look back at him for quite some time.

Phillip knew he was not dashingly handsome, unlike his brother, who seemed to attract women like flies to fresh bread, but neither was he repulsive. Well aware of his effect on women, it had more to do with his presence, and according to Thomas, because he looked so disinterested. This, by his brother’s standards, apparently brought young ladies running, and in his experience, the theory had been proven true.

It was not that he portrayed this aloofness out of any act, it was just who he was, and only after Thomas mentioned it had he realised its affect. And yet, today, it was indeed not working. Unlike other women, who may have attempted to catch his eye and his attention, this young and quite beautiful woman seemed much more intent on ignoring him. Her work being her main concern, she appeared quite focussed.

The meeting went on for some time, but relinquishing all protests he had made to James on their journey in, on this occasion, Phillip did not mind. His attention elsewhere, namely, the blue-eyed lady across the room, he did not even allow himself to get too frustrated when, as the arguments were made across the table, some of the finer details of the deal did not go his way.

It occurred about half-way through the meeting that she stood and moved over to the older gentleman at the table, whispering something into his ear before leaving the room. Phillip felt more than a little disappointed, as it would appear the only person who had made this meeting tolerable had left.

He had enjoyed watching her. The slight flick of her head when the curl of her hair seemed to tickle her face. The intense concentration as she scribbled furiously to keep up with the dialogue. The one or two covert side glances she had darted his way, and, by her manner, hoped he had not seen. Oh well, he supposed he would just continue to drown out the back and forth until it was over.

It was not that long after though, when the board room door opened once again, and the young woman re-entered. Phillip was surprised to realise how much her return delighted him. Granted, she had been a pleasant distraction, but until her re-appearance, it had not been as evident how much he had really missed her presence.

He also noticed, to his annoyance, his were not the only pair of eyes watching her, as his legal team attempted to surreptitiously observe her from beneath hooded eyelids. Moving across the room, she bent and whispered once again to the older man before eventually returning to her seat.

After several minutes of intense back and forth discussion across the table between his team and the opposing client, their team came back with a counter offer, the older man quoting a loophole that had not, until that moment, been mentioned.

Phillip looked intently then at the young woman, for surely it had been her input on her return that the senior man had voiced. Yet she did not raise her head, but continued with her note-taking, seemingly oblivious to the win.

But then, she had been doing that for the entire meeting. Intensely scribbling with a deep concentration on the proceedings. Perhaps he had been mistaken, perhaps she was not simply the secretary after all. And yet, she almost looked too young and too innocent to have such in-depth legal knowledge.

His attention swiftly honed in on the older man, and a sudden realisation occurred. For he could now quite clearly see a resemblance between them. There was most definitely no resemblance to the young man sat on his right, no, he was more than likely an apprentice, for he had observed much yet said little. But the woman, for a surety, had some of the older man’s features, and evidently, he was not only a very competent barrister for the opposition, but also her father.

That information may have put others off, but for Phillip, it only heightened his intrigue. Since her return to the room, it became more apparent to him that her ignoring him was taking some effort. He had been trying to catch her eye throughout the meeting, but her studious avoidance made him smile to himself. Perhaps he had not lost his touch after all. For surely, if he had no effect on her, she would cast her eyes at him the way she had to the rest of the men present.

Yet, when this meeting finished, which he sensed would not be long now, he would have little chance to speak to her, for he did not want to embarrass her in front of the group. Her presence had been a refreshing change, making the meeting seem swift and interesting. More than that, he had a growing desire to know this lady better, but how would he go about it?

Chapter Two

Elizabeth White was well aware of his attention. For how could she not be? His intense gaze throughout the entire meeting had been difficult to ignore. Whilst she had attempted to keep her mind firmly on the details at hand, their impromptu disaster downstairs had flustered her more than she cared to admit or show.

Not completely unruffled, she had spent a furious ten minutes previous to the meeting sorting swiftly through a pile of disordered papers on her lap, hoping she would have the time to restore some sort of organisation before everyone arrived and the session commenced. And yet, the job would have been a little easier if her mind had not been distracted by the intense look of the stranger she had collided into.

If David, her father’s apprentice, would just have done as she had asked. It was a simple task, not complicated at all. Had he just left the folder in the office yesterday evening when they had left at the end of the day. The folder that she had spent hours and hours building, organising, and collating. The folder that contained all the relevant details and documents to support their client’s side of the battle. Had he just left it alone, none of this would have happened.

Elizabeth had arrived at the office early to prepare for her father and the most important meeting of that week, only to discover that David had taken the file to his home the previous evening to look over it instead of leaving it where she had asked him to. Which would not have been so problematic if the man had not forgotten to bring it back this very important morning.

Glaring at him in disbelief, she had demanded to know what he thought he was doing.

‘I thought perhaps, that I could be more helpful in the meeting if I knew the case in detail,’ he had defended.

‘Which is all well and good David,’ Elizabeth retorted, ‘if you had brought it back with you on the all-important day.’

‘I am sorry. I slept past my time and in my rush to get ready, it completely slipped my mind as I hurriedly left the house. I did not want to be late. It was a simple mistake Elizabeth…’

‘Which I am now going to have to rectify,’ She had interrupted, frustrated. ‘Have you any idea…’

‘All right Elizabeth. It will be all right.’ Her father had gently cut into the rising discussion. ‘We have some time yet. We just need to retrieve the binder, that is all.’

Her father had always been a calm man. The extinguisher of any fire, the level head in any situation. Even when things did not seem to be going his client’s way, Allen White had an ability to soothe the room, both for his client and for the opposition. Perhaps that was one of the many reasons he was such a successful barrister, besides his heightened mental acuity.

That being said, they had still been in a mess, and all the soothing in the world would not fix it without the documents. The meeting had been less than an hour away, and they were running out of time.

‘I will run back and get them,’ David had said.

‘No. Elizabeth will go.’

Slightly stunned, Elizabeth had thrown her father a glaring look. It had not been her mistake that had brought them to this point, why should she have to run across town like a crazed animal to retrieve them?

‘I know my dear,’ he had answered her unspoken objection, ‘but if it takes longer than we expect, I cannot go into the meeting with you by my side.’

No, of course not. Even though she knew the case in more depth than either of the men who stood before her. It mattered not. She was a woman, and women were not legally permitted to practise.

It did not matter that she had put her heart and soul into the case. Or that she had spent hours in research, sometimes late into the night and working by candlelight, completed the bulk of the work. Nor was it relevant that she would always be smarter than David. None of it mattered. For she had been born the wrong gender. And that was that.

‘Fine. I will go,’ she had sighed resignedly.

‘Take the phaeton,’ her father had added, ‘it will save you some time.’

‘I am sorry…’ David had begun again apologetically.

‘It is fine David. Just tell me where you left it.’

Retrieving the binder of documents from David’s home, and struggling not to curse his lack of competence on the entire journey, Elizabeth had instructed that the phaeton make haste across town and back to the Inn of Courts.

Returning to the domineering legal buildings, she had been completely distracted and not a little distressed over the pressure it had put her under.

It was not a situation she was used to. Having such a logical and analytical mind, Elizabeth had been accused, many times by her father, of being almost clinical in her approach. However, she had disagreed with him each time, stating that having the ability to be organised did not necessarily mean she was clinical. Her father would usually reply with a knowing chuckle.

Attempting to save time, she had been flicking through the papers and checking the documents as she walked across the large hall. If David had left anything out of order, she would have little time to fix it, and for her father’s reputation, they could not be seen to arrive at a meeting in such disarray.

Suddenly, it mattered not.

Colliding harshly into the unseen gentleman, her nose having been buried in the binder, the papers flew in every direction and landed haphazardly across the hall floor.

Had she been of a more delicate nature, this most ungainly disaster may quite easily have reduced her to tears. Frustrated with David’s incompetence, rushing back to the meeting and under enough pressure already, this embarrassment could well have been the last straw. She imagined her closest friend Marianne would, in this situation, have had a complete breakdown.

However, Elizabeth was not of a sensitive disposition. A good and steady head on her shoulders, as her father kept reminding her, there was little point in allowing despair to cause her anymore distress. Crying would not lift the papers from the cold, dusty floor, nor organise them into any fashion of order.

Forgetting her manners, her mind completely consumed on the little time she may have left, she did not even apologise to the gentlemen and with resolute focus, concentrated on retrieving the documents. Only moments later, after the two men handed some of the papers that they too had retrieved for her, did she remember to apologise and thank them.

She could not say she was unflustered, nor that a raging heat had not risen to her cheeks, as the two men, still a little stunned, regarded her standing before them in a most unladylike fashion. But somewhere deep within her, she knew that none of that was of any importance. Elizabeth needed to get to this meeting, and would likely never lay eyes on these gentlemen again.

Of course, she had received the look. Particularly from the taller, more handsome of the two. The look Elizabeth always received when men first noticed her. She could not deny nor hide her beauty, however, she had found the fact that she was an attractive woman both useful and problematic.

A woman graced with beauty should not be smart, apparently, and thus she was treated as such. It had, at the beginning, annoyed her. Patronised and ignored by her father’s clients and peers, she had allowed her emotions to control her, reacting in frustration. Until she realised the situation could be used to her advantage.

To be feared caused people to be defensive, to withhold or attack. But to be underestimated caused people to open up and assume much, to confide and let information slip. That had been a secret weapon in her armoury, and she liked it. And yet, when she received looks like the one from the taller gentleman, she still struggled to control her annoyance.

The second gentleman, on the other hand, had considered her more with interest. Yes, a look of surprise, but contained surprise. An almost imperceptible gesture. Whilst the interaction took only a brief second, Elizabeth ascertained he was more than likely a very held together gentleman.

Something she wished she could have said of herself when, having arrived at the meeting and finally organised the papers as best as she could, she looked up as the meeting commenced, and noticed him.

The rise of her heartbeat, as it suddenly thudded against her chest, gave her ample warning to her deep embarrassment. Not able to hold his gaze, her eyes flitted quickly away, having given him a slight nod of acknowledgement.

Elizabeth pretended to be intently concentrated on organising the file, which was not quite an untruth, but it caused her a distraction to try and settle herself once again. Already humiliating herself by nearly knocking the man over, it was now completely apparent who he was and she felt utterly mortified, but she could not let him realise her internal reaction.

The man was Lord Phillip Seymour himself. The opposition. The person they were fighting against for their client. Having had to prepare the paperwork, Elizabeth was well aware of the Lord’s advances in both his expanded businesses and his investments. Not a man to be trifled with, he was also an extremely intelligent and savvy businessman even for his young years, for he could not be more than twenty-five years old.

He was probably having a great internal chuckle at her mishap and wondering how such a clumsy woman could possibly feel confident in going up against him. Yet, noticing his intense gaze throughout the meeting, that is not the look he portrayed.

There appeared no smugness or ill intent, in fact, quite aware of his attention, he seemed rather intrigued. Having spoken not one word throughout the entire meeting, his attention appeared to be towards her and her alone.

To say she felt just a little uncomfortable would be an untruth, for his attention certainly distracted her. Yet, Elizabeth was grateful that her father, so intently involved in winning for his client, had not noticed. Certain that her father knew exactly who the man sat silently in the corner of the room was, Allen White had his own views of nobility and frankly, would have been quite perturbed at the Lord’s attention of his daughter.

When Elizabeth returned to the meeting, having realised that there could be a way to win another point for their client, the intense gaze of the Lord continued, but this time, with a strange curiosity. If he was as smart as his business acquisitions evidenced, it would not take him long to figure out that it was her own research and knowledge that had contributed to the win going to his opposition. Perhaps his look was surprise, as it had been from many other men before him.

For surely, according to all men walking the earth, how could a woman be so smart or intelligent? Surely, they were genteel creatures who sat all day gossiping and drinking tea. They could not have the capacity of intelligence that a man contained, for if that were the case, there would surely be women in law. Internally, she rolled her eyes at her own inner dialogue and the ridiculousness of the times in which she lived.

Her true vision would never be realised. She would never attain to the heights that she desired and there was nothing to be done to change that. Grateful that her father supported her as best as he could, she was able to do a lot of his research and help out in the business. Able at least, to indulge in doing what she truly loved. And whilst grateful for that in itself, there were times the despondency of not being able to practise and be recognised as a qualified barrister, overwhelmed her.

The meeting eventually drew to a close. Much nodding and congratulating between the men across the table ensued as Elizabeth gathered her paperwork and packed it into her satchel. Not able to resist one more furtive glance in the Lord’s direction, she was surprised that with all the other felicitations going on, his gaze had not yet left her.

Not able to help herself, and going against all her father’s ideas on nobles, she flashed him a shy smile. For whether she wanted to admit it or not, his intense attention had her now intrigued. Knowing his intelligence and acuity for knowledge, she found herself wanting to know him better. Yet, she could not imagine how that would be possible.

Unfortunately, her father views on nobility were solid. He had made it crystal clear to her that if she were to marry, he would refuse to give her hand to a nobleman. Whilst she understood in part why her father felt that way, for a very difficult family occurrence had influenced him, she found his narrowmindedness unfair.

All noblemen were not the same. Just as all common men or ladies or solicitors were not the same. In his profession, he was well aware of the diversity of his clients and Elizabeth felt his acute dislike for all noblemen quite discriminatory.

Of course, she knew well that her father had inclinations of matching her up with David, but truly, whilst David was a fine enough man, he was not only rather dull, but also a little clingy. Practically following her around like a small yappy dog, there were times she literally had to leave the room to get some space.

If she were not allowed to marry a nobleman, then Elizabeth would decide her own fate, and she could be quite certain that David did not measure into her future.

The men had now finished congratulating themselves on being the superior beings of the universe and were making their way through the door and out of the board room. Lifting her satchel and turning to see if her father and David were ready to leave, she glanced once again in the direction of the group.

Lord Phillip Seymour, standing a little apart from the others, looked at her squarely, and with a soft smile, he gently inclined his head before he exited the room, leaving Elizabeth feeling rather breathless and at a loss to understand the depth of her reaction.

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Miss Elizabeth White, as savvy as a woman could be, will never be a barrister. Even though women are not permitted to practise law, that does not stop her from practically running her father’s business. Elizabeth couldn’t have made her father prouder, both due to her accomplishments and intelligence, but also her dazzling beauty. Despite him being overprotective with Elizabeth’s company at all times, especially regarding lords, she was not prevented from bumping into a charming stranger at the Inn of Courts. His intriguing attitude immediately catches her attention, but once the meeting is over, she sinks into doubts, convinced she will never have the chance to catch his mesmerising eyes again…

However, Lord Phillip Seymour, a young, but successful man, was even more smitten by the endearing Elizebeth. In a desperate attempt to see her again, he decides to hire her father for a legal case. After some thought, and under her father’s constant supervision, Phillip realises that the only way he can have any substantial interaction with Miss White, is in secret. Hidden notes and meetings commence, with their entwining courtship growing bigger and bigger, and yet, the crushing reality remains the same. How could their beautiful love fully flourish if no one supports their union? Will he find a way to persuade her father that not all lords are the same?

In a story of unattainable love, Miss White and Lord Phillip Seymour feel like they are staring at a dead end and dream of an alternative pathway. The more they fall in love with each other, the more they realise there is no other option than to stay true to one another and their hearts. Nevertheless, their future holds great obstacles and their love will be severely tested. In an unexpected twist of events, it appears that it is not just Mr. White that does not desire their union… What will the unexpected threat from a completely different source be and will they manage to fend it off? If only the two young lovers could find a way to convince Elizabeth’s father that their love is true and pure… In the end, will their strong connection battle through all adversities or will they have to eventually accept defeat?

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

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