The Return of her Sweet Lord (Preview)

Chapter One

‘Well, at least it is a wonderful day.’ Sabrina beamed as the carriage neared the end of their journey. ‘The sun is shining, and there is hardly a cloud in the sky.’ She looked out of the window and upward. ‘The Earl and Countess of Richton will be pleased that they will not have to gather all of their guests indoors.’

Lady Hazel Wallace gazed across the carriage at her younger sister, her mousy blonde curls swaying with the movement of the carriage as her excitable expression betrayed the anticipation at the event they were attending. She always saw the good and positive in everything. They were both like that, in fact, and seeing that their lives were so free and easy, Hazel and Sabrina did not really have much to complain about. 

Given that their parents were the Duke and Duchess of Covington, both sisters had lived a life of privilege and ease. They did not even care overly much that they did not go to London for the Season. Their mother’s frail health had never improved since Sabrina’s birth, and being well used to that now, they were content to spend their time in the country, tromping through fields, woods, and valleys. 

‘Given the size of their country estate and the manor, Sabrina, I hardly think they would care if they did,’ Hazel replied with a smile. ‘Do you remember three springs ago, when that unexpected downpour came on just as people had sat down to eat?’ Hazel suddenly beamed.

‘Oh, yes.’ Sabrina giggled. ‘That was so very entertaining, the whole crowd of us running into the manor for cover. All the perfectly dressed hair of the lovely ladies stuck to their faces, and all of them trying to continue to look demure even though they looked more like drowned rats.’ Sabrina continued to laugh. ‘What a riot.’

‘We were such ladies, Sabrina.’ Hazel giggled.

‘Yes, well. At least your lovely blonde hair dried out and looked bright and pretty again. I do not think mine ever recovered for the rest of that day.’

‘Oh, do not talk such nonsense.’ Hazel smiled good-naturedly. ‘I did feel a little for the earl and the countess, though, after all the effort and arrangements they had made.’

‘Well, they make such an effort every year. It is the opener for the Season,’ Sabrina said nonchalantly. ‘I suppose they cannot expect every year to be perfect, but I will wager that the spring of the downpour is the one all the usual attendees remember the most.’ Sabrina grinned again.

‘I do not doubt you are right,’ Hazel agreed with a nod and smile.

The carriage entered through tall iron gates, trundling down the driveway and carrying on through the extravagant front gardens until it finally came to a stop at the entrance of the looming manor. A footman stepped forward and opened the carriage door, and Hazel and Sabrina alighted.

‘Now, we must find Lydia,’ Sabrina said excitedly.

They moved across the huge gardens toward the throng of people already gathered. Music danced across the soft breeze, but the musicians could not be seen for the crowd of other guests. All of society was present, for this was indeed the celebratory event of the beginning of the Season. Anyone who was anyone always attended, often to reconnect with people they had not seen over the winter months or for the young gentlemen and ladies to begin seeking out husbands and wives. 

Hazel could not care less about that in that moment, for both she and Sabrina were far too busy looking for their best friend, Lady Lydia Bodden, the earl and countess’s only daughter. The three were firm friends and had been for many years, for while many of those in attendance had not seen each other for months, Sabrina, Hazel, and Lydia were often in each other’s company.

‘Hazel, Sabrina,’ a familiar voice called out from behind them.

The sisters turned at the same time to see Lydia moving excitedly toward them. Her dark black curls bounced against her neck, and though she was not as petite as Hazel, she looked beautiful in her pink dress. 

‘Oh, I am so glad you have finally arrived.’ She beamed as she came to a final stop upon reaching them. ‘I have been watching for you as each carriage came down the driveway.’

‘I know, Lydia. I am sorry we are a bit late. Sabrina could not find her favourite bonnet.’ Hazel rolled her eyes.

‘It was not my fault Bolton had put it away,’ Sabrina defended lightly.

‘You are lucky you do not have a younger sister, Lydia,’ Hazel teased.

‘There is only a year and a half between us, Hazel,’ Sabrina stated, turning toward Lydia with a smile. ‘You ought to be lucky you do not have an older sister either, Lydia. They are very bossy,’ Sabrina added with a playful grin.

‘You too are complete larks,’ Lydia said, shaking her head at the sisters teasing each other. ‘I neither need an older nor a younger sister, for I have you two as friends. That is all I need.’

‘I know it is the same every year,’ Sabrina said as she looked around her, ‘but I can hardly believe the number of people here.’ 

‘It is likely the same amount of people every year.’ Lydia nodded. ‘Yet, I agree. It always seems that there are more each spring. As usual, Mother fusses so in all the preparations, and Father simply nods at her when she goes on about all the things that need to be done beforehand. It is rather amusing, for I know Father is hardly listening to a word she says. Every year she fusses, and every year it goes on without any troubles at all.’

‘Apart from the year of the downpour.’ Sabrina suddenly giggled again.

‘Oh, yes,’ Lydia replied with a grin. ‘Do you remember that?’

‘We were just talking of it on our way here.’ Hazel nodded. ‘By the looks of it though,’ Hazel said, looking up at the sky, ‘we will not have another event such as that, at least not today. I do not fancy getting wet.’

‘You must tell Lydia your news, Hazel,’ Sabrina pressed.

‘What news?’ Lydia looked at Hazel now with a curious expression.

Hazel suddenly rolled her eyes at the thought of it, for though she had not yet had a chance to tell Lydia what had occurred between herself and her mother, she did not particularly want to ruin her afternoon by bringing it up now. Yet, Lydia was their best friend. They always told each other everything. Besides, if she relayed it to her now, it would be out of the way, and she could forget all about it for the rest of the visit. 

‘Mother has deemed that this is the year I must marry,’ Hazel said with a lacklustre tone.

‘Really?’ Lydia gawped at Hazel. ‘But why? Why now? What is the hurry all of a sudden?’

Hazel had asked a very similar, if not the very same question when her mother took her into the drawing room last week and told her that she wished to speak to her. It was not a usual occurrence in their home, for both Hazel and Sabrina were ordinarily left to do as they pleased, and at the time, it had confused Hazel. She was certain that she must have been in some sort of trouble, even though she could not for the life of her think what she might have done.

‘Please, Hazel. Do sit down,’ her mother had said as she gestured to a chair opposite. Her mother had moved slowly across the room, leaning heavily upon her cane, before seating herself.

‘Have I done something wrong, Mother?’ Hazel had asked with concern as she had lowered herself into a lounging chair.

‘No, my dear,’ her mother had said with a gentle shake of her head. ‘No, not at all. It is only that I wished to have this conversation with you in private. I do trust the servants to a degree, but you know how they can talk. This is not a conversation I desire to have repeated or discussed.’ Her mother had taken a long pause before she had continued, ‘It is time that your responsibility to the family must be considered, my dear.’

‘My responsibility, Mother?’

‘You are the eldest daughter, Hazel. You are well aware of how this all works. Your father’s title will be passed down to another if you do not marry. In fact, it will go to your cousin, Henry. Your father’s younger sister is the only one who has produced a male heir, and therefore, if your father passes before you marry, you will miss out on your rightful heritage entirely.’

‘Surely, there is no fear that Father will pass anytime soon.’ Hazel had frowned, suddenly worrying that her mother knew something about her father’s health that she did not.

‘No, no, my dear. Of course not,’ the duchess had said, shaking her head once more. ‘Yet, you know as well as I, that we cannot know what tomorrow brings. Look at poor Mrs Milner only last month. One day she was as fit as a fiddle, the next, she was killed by a passing carriage. I am certain she thought she had many days left to live out her life.’

‘That is a little extreme, Mother,’ Hazel had said with a frown. ‘Father is hardly going to be killed by a passing carriage.’ 

‘That is not the point, Hazel. Anyway, let us not think about such things. I fear that even talking about them, we might tempt fate. You are now two and twenty, and though I am well aware that you enjoy your freedom and the company of Lady Lydia, it is time we sought out a husband for you.’

Hazel had barely been able to contain nor hide her surprise, for there had been no mention of her marrying before that conversation. She had no doubt, however, that both her mother and her father had likely discussed it in private.

‘Do I get a choice in the matter?’ Hazel had asked.

‘Would you prefer the title and your heritage go to your cousin?’ her mother had countered with raised eyebrows.

It was a fair point, and one Hazel could hardly argue with, for it would not just be the title that was lost. Along with it would be a bulk of her inheritance and the home they all currently lived in. Losing her father’s title was not exactly a small circumstance.

‘What is it about marriage that worries you so, Hazel? You are a beautiful young woman with much more than your fine figure to offer. Any man would be lucky to be with you.’

Hazel had dropped her gaze at the overt compliments, for though her mother had said nothing that was untrue, Hazel did not really think of herself in that way. Men had not been something she had been interested in, and though somewhere deep down, she had known that the day would come when she would marry, she had much rather enjoyed her freedom with her sister and Lydia.

She knew of other ladies who pined to find a husband. It was something Hazel had never fully understood if she were being truthful. Perhaps it was because those ladies had been to London more often than she, for the fever of wanting to be wed seemed to run through them like some sort of affliction when springtime came. While she, Lydia and Sabrina had talked about it at times, it was not something any of them were eager to accomplish, at least not yet. Some women had married out of want and others out of necessity, given that their family circumstances demanded it for different reasons. Perhaps Hazel had simply taken her own easy life for granted, for she now found herself in a similar position.

‘I am not averse to marriage, Mother. Nor does it worry me. I suppose I am simply surprised. It is not as though this conversation has occurred between us before now,’ Hazel had replied.

‘And perhaps that is my fault, my dear. Your father and I have been too lackadaisical in our approach. It is likely because we do not go to London because of my ill health and are not involved in all of the excitement that happens down there.’

Since the birth of Sabrina, the duchess had been riddled with some blood disorder that the physicians had told her they could not heal. In fact, after many examinations, they were still not entirely certain what it was even now. It had affected their mother’s strength, and for the most part, her skin was pale, and the circles around her eyes were always dark. Her mother was still a beautiful woman, though. Well, that was Hazel’s opinion anyway. She had kept her slender figure, and though she had complained lightly that she had discovered grey hairs every so often, her beauty still shone from her kind face.

There had been some treatments that she had tried over the years—bloodletting with leeches, strange tinctures, and different potions, but nothing had seemed to work, and in the end, the duchess had been forced to simply adjust to her circumstances. 

It had affected the family mainly in the area of travel, for any long distances quite exhausted her. The duke had not wanted to chance the fact that any exhaustion may make her mother’s situation worse, perhaps bringing on further infections. It had been the reason they had not attended the Season in London for many years, yet Hazel nor Sabrina had not really cared.

‘That being said,’ her mother continued, ‘I think it is time we took this situation in hand.’

‘I am a situation?’ Hazel had raised her eyebrows with a slight smile.

‘You know what I mean, Hazel.’ Her mother had smiled back. ‘I only want to see you happy, my darling. You will never be forced to marry anyone you do not desire.’

‘Yes, well. I think we both know, Mother, I am not the type to be forced to do anything,’ Hazel had said with a smile.

‘Indeed. You get your stubbornness from your father, that is for certain.’ Her mother had nodded with a smile.

‘Well,’ Lydia interrupted Hazel’s thoughts as the three continued to walk across the gardens, ‘I can see your parents’ point of view. If I were in their shoes, I would not want to see my daughters lose their inheritance either.’

‘It is true, Lydia. Given the reasons behind it, I can hardly make a fuss, can I?’ Hazel shrugged.

‘But what are we supposed to do without you, Hazel?’ Sabrina suddenly beamed. ‘You are the one who always finds a way home when we are lost in the woods.’

‘Indeed, you are.’ Lydia nodded. ‘Perhaps once you are married, we will have to drag your husband with us on all our jaunts.’ Lydia suddenly giggled.

Hazel suddenly pulled a face. ‘Goodness, could you imagine? Having to tolerate a man trying to tell us where we ought to go.’

‘We could lead him out into the middle of nowhere and then run away and leave him. Let him find his own way back.’ Sabrina suddenly grinned.

‘Now there is a fine idea. I may have peace from my husband for many months.’ Hazel suddenly giggled, and the others joined in.

‘You never know. Perhaps once you are married, you might never want to leave his side,’ Sabrina said with raised eyebrows. ‘You might fall head over heels in love, and Lydia and I will be cast to the wayside,’ she continued in a sarcastic tone.

‘I am not married yet, little sister.’ Hazel looked at her knowingly. ‘Besides, I hardly think there is much hope for me to make such a match anytime soon. I have met every available gentleman there is out here in the country, and frankly, I would not accept a proposal from any of them.’

‘Lord Phillips is not so bad,’ Lydia offered with a wry smile.

‘Please tell me you are teasing me, Lydia.’ Hazel suddenly looked mortified. ‘Lord Phillips is nearly twice my age and has less manners than the animals in the field.’

‘Of course, I am teasing, silly.’

‘He quite makes my skin crawl.’ Sabrina suddenly shuddered. ‘I have noticed him giving several maids a wallop on the bottom as he has been served. It is not the wallop on the bottom that bothers me as much as that dreadful leering grin as they try to run away from him. It is no surprise to me that he is not yet married, for his jowls wobble as much as his huge belly when he laughs and talks.’

‘Now, as you speak of him, Sabrina, he does sound like rather a catch.’ Hazel suddenly beamed, sending the girls into giggles once more.

‘Did you not say that you have met every gentleman in the country, Hazel?’ Lydia suddenly calmed. Her attention was no longer on the sisters but at something a small distance behind them.

‘I did, and I do believe we all have,’ Hazel replied with a slight frown.

‘Then who on earth is that?’

Hazel and Sabrina suddenly turned to look in the direction that Lydia had nodded, and while Hazel reacted internally, she heard rather a loud gasp escape from Sabrina. None of the three as able to speak for a moment as they gawped toward the sight some distance away, and Hazel could not help but feel a small niggle of excitement begin in her tummy.

Walking beside Lady Hammond was a rather dapper gentleman, broad and tall with a strong, handsome face and a head of thick jet black hair. Lady Hammond’s husband had been ill of late, and by the looks of it, the man beside her appeared as though he may perhaps be her nephew or a similar younger close relative. Either way, Hazel could not say she had seen him before or knew who he was. 

Their small group was not the only one to notice his arrival either, for as Hazel looked around her, she noted many heads beginning to turn. A stranger in their midst always produced such reactions, for those in the country spent much time together and knew each other well. Heads suddenly leaned toward each other as muted whispers passed from one to the other, and as Lady Hammond and the stranger beside her moved further into the gardens, it was not long before most of those present were in deep discussions. 

Hazel had seen such a fuss plenty of times before, and as the excitement of the newcomer swirled through the gathered crowd, she could not help but join in on the curiosity of who this rather handsome stranger was.

 

Chapter Two

Mr Benjamin Hammond paced the floor of his parents’ drawing room as his mother continued to talk to him. Internally, he was disappointed that he was not in London for the Season—the place he usually met his parents at this time of year, if he happened to be in England at all—but given his father’s ill health of late, there had been no choice but to return to the countryside.

It was not just the countryside of England he was returning to; it was England itself, for he had been busily involved in the building of local schools in South Africa for several years. He had been in the middle of building in a small tribal village at the time that he had received a letter from his mother, and though he had planned to return to England to see his father, the news of his deteriorated health had pressed his decision.

‘You will return to us, Mr Benjamin?’ Gadla had asked on a warm evening as they had sat on a log, watching the sun set. 

Even in the evenings, the earth still remained hot from the African sun, though it seemed to affect Benjamin more than the natives, which came as no surprise. Gadla was a young boy of eleven years. He was quick and clever, and he and his sister, Notanu, had taken on their learning with a fervent passion. They had also, like many of the open and passionate children in the village, taken a great liking to Benjamin.

‘I plan to return, Gadla. Yes.’

The boy’s forehead had creased at Benjamin’s reply, for he was indeed no fool.

‘Planning and doing are not the same, Mr Benjamin,’ he had said.

‘I will not make you a promise I cannot keep, Gadla. My father is ill. I need to return to England.’

‘I am sorry.’ Gadla had suddenly looked ashamed.

‘There is no need for you to be sorry.’

‘But I am. My mother and father were killed in a tribal fight. No man should have to live without a father.’

Benjamin knew Gadla’s circumstances very well, for Mr Moroka, the man who oversaw the building of all the schools Benjamin had been involved with and a long-term friend, had informed him of the situation. Gadla had been forced to take on the responsibility of his family at the age of nine, and with two younger sisters, it had been a great burden for one so young. It was not an exceptional story, for many of the children Benjamin had met in his travels had suffered the same or similar fates.

 ‘I have been very fortunate, Gadla. I am a grown man, and my father is still living. You have had far more tribulations to deal with.’

‘Tribulations?’ Gadla had frowned. ‘I do not know that word.’

‘It means sadness or troubles.’

Gadla had dropped his gaze and with the small stick in his hand, had drawn shapes in the dusty earth beneath their feet. The boy had been forced to be strong for his family, and yet, he was still only a boy. It was not the first time a sense of helplessness had washed over Benjamin. Indeed, he could build schools and employ people to come and teach, but none of that would take away the suffering that had been experienced by so many children that he had witnessed with his own eyes and had felt within his heart.

‘I have felt sadness,’ Gadla had replied eventually, though he had not raised his head. ‘But there are many other children who have had it much worse than me.’

‘That does not mean you cannot feel sad, Gadla.’

‘I cannot allow it to take me over, Mr Benjamin.’ Gadla had looked up at him then with a determination Benjamin had become well used to seeing in this boy. ‘Sadness will not make my life better. It will not help my sisters. I must be strong. That is what I must do now.’

It was not the first time that Benjamin had been humbled by the children that surrounded him. While he had suffered his own problems as he had grown up, they paled into insignificance when he witnessed the suffering of these people. Children with no homes, no families, and just barely enough food to eat. Yet it had been thoughts of his own country that had nagged at him over the past year or so.

There were people in England suffering too. Young boys, not unlike Gadla, who were born into nothing and had little in the way of prospects. Perhaps with no parents or swallowed by poverty, they too had little opportunity for education or to lead a life of fulfilment. While Benjamin had thoroughly enjoyed helping these children in a country so far from his own, it was now time he took his passions back to his roots, for England needed help as much as anywhere else.

Returning to the countryside, however, had irked him. Knowing well the ways and behaviour of the country folk, they indeed were a breed of their own. At least in London and the outlying areas, the town was big enough for a man to go about his business and not be noticed as much, even though he was not there very often. Scandals happened all of the time that took the attention of the ton’s gossip away from himself, and while Benjamin would not wish bad on any other, he could not say another’s misery did not bring him a relief of sorts. 

Out in the country, on the other hand, one could not leave their home without someone discovering it and relaying it to the entire town or village. When he had returned home from his travels over the years, he had not experienced the full brunt of their whisperings, for he had not remained more than a few days. For the most part, his arrivals were hardly noticed. Yet, as a boy living in the parish, he remembered the gossip circulating very well.

Benjamin was well aware that this visit would take far longer than just a few days like those before. There was important business he needed to discuss with his father that simply could not wait, and in that way, he had been given little option but to face what must be done and get on with it. That being said, the unknown had also caused him concern, for he did not really know if his father was fit enough to have such discussions with him.

The last letter he had received from his mother had not been good news, and though his father had been ill for well over a month, he was not recovering as well as his mother might have hoped. Benjamin’s visit was not just for the business he needed to discuss but also concern for his father’s welfare, though he could not say with any truth that it was the prominent reason. Yet, he had arrived all the same.

Approaching the huge home that he once knew so well, a strange twist had occurred in his gut, for such luxurious living conditions were a far cry from the places of poverty he had recently left. Even as the carriage had pulled up to the entrance only a few days before, Benjamin had nearly felt a shameful emotion wash over him. It had been difficult to push down, and even after being there for those days, he had still not been able to rid himself of it.

Now, as he paced across the plush carpet of the drawing room, his boots leaving indents in the deep pile, he could not help but wonder what those African children that he spent so much time with would think if they could see him and where he actually came from.

‘It was far worse last month, for I did think the pneumonia would take him entirely, Benjamin,’ his mother said. She had been talking for a while, and Benjamin had tried to pay attention, though his mind had wandered. ‘He is on the mend, but he is far from full health.’

‘I am sorry to hear that, Mother.’ Benjamin nodded, his eyes remaining on the soft carpet beneath him. 

‘Are you?’ His mother looked at him with raised eyebrows.

Benjamin suddenly stopped in his tracks and frowning, turned to stare at her. ‘How could you say such a thing?’ he demanded. ‘Father and I may have our differences, but I would hardly wish him dead.’

‘No, of course not,’ his mother replied, suddenly dropping her gaze. ‘I apologise. That was rather harsh. It is sometimes just difficult for me, that is all. I love you both very dearly, and I nearly always feel as though I am some mediator between the two of you.’

‘You take that on board for yourself, Mother. I have no need for you to speak for me or to mediate,’ Benjamin replied. ‘Besides, your input makes little difference. I have always been a disappointment to Father. He does not see the value in the charity work I do or have done over the years.’

‘Of course, he does, Benjamin.’

‘Please, Mother. Do not try to placate me. You know as well as I, that he would much prefer me to live my life as some lazy gentleman rather than continue building schools for those less privileged than ourselves. They are only children, for heaven’s sake.’

‘Well, you cannot blame him entirely, Benjamin. It is not as though you do not come from a family who can facilitate such a life. You may not possess a title, yet the wealth of the family more than provides for you.’

He knew it well, for it was something neither his mother nor his father allowed him to forget. He carried no title, given that his father was the second son of the Duke of Stainton, but the extended family was far wealthier than many others in the ton and well respected, for the most part.

‘Which is the very reason I am here, Mother. My inheritance would go a long way in helping me, for I plan to continue in my philanthropic endeavours. I desire to start up a preparatory school for young boys who come from far less fortunate circumstances. I was given the opportunity to study law….’

‘Which was to set you up for your future as a gentleman,’ his mother cut in.

‘And I have always appreciated that. Yet, when you and Father insisted that I travel to get a broader view of the world, I saw things that you could not begin to imagine. I came to realise that my time and money could be used to better the futures of other boys who did not have the fortune to be born into a noble or wealthy family. Building schools for those young boys in South Africa and the Indian colonies gave me an immense sense of purpose and joy. It is something I desire to continue here in England.’

‘Yes, well,’ she said with a sigh. ‘Therein lies the crux of the disagreement with your father.’

‘No, Mother. My father wants me to live a life of luxury, to become an idle gentleman and have everything handed to me on a plate. I cannot comprehend why my wanting to help people who were not born into such a privileged position causes him such annoyance.’

‘Did it ever occur to you that your father has already had to deal with plenty of criticism in his lifetime? Unwarranted, I might add.’

‘What has that to do with me?’

‘Oh, come now, Benjamin. You are no fool. Everything you do reflects upon him. You know that as well as I.’

‘So I must live my life to appease him? Is that what you are suggesting?’

His mother suddenly heaved a sigh, for she could not deny his reasoning, and it was clear that her own words sounded anything but reasonable.

‘This family has suffered, Benjamin. You have been the subject of many whisperings just as your father and I have been over the years. Lies they may be, yet it does not take away from how exhausting it is having them spoken again and again. Having to defend oneself, either inwardly or outwardly.’

Benjamin was well aware, for over his own life, he had indeed had to tolerate those who knew no better. In fact, that was one of the reasons his parents had sent him away to travel. Getting him out of England was, in part, a way to save him from all the intolerance of what people thought they knew about their family. To protect him from having to hear the gossip and judgement of those close-minded people that made up the ton.

‘I refuse to continue to live my life in fear of what conclusions people come to, Mother. I will not hide away, nor will I pretend to be someone I am not. I value education and charity. That does not make me any less of a man than any other.’

‘No, my son. It does not. And I can see that I am not going to dissuade you in your endeavours,’ his mother said, standing from the chaise lounge she had been sitting on. 

She walked over to the window and gazed out of it for a long moment, clearly thinking of her next words. Benjamin watched her but did not say anything more. His mother needed time to collect her thoughts, and he would give her such time in the hope that she would come to the same conclusion as himself. That a conversation with his father was imminent and needed to be had, no matter how much he disagreed with his son’s desires or ambitions.

Eventually, she turned to look at him, and with her hands held tightly before her, she took a deep breath in.

‘Given your father’s ill health, Benjamin, I must request something of you that I know you are not going to like. Yet, it is at least a compromise.’

‘Tell me, Mother,’ Benjamin replied gently.

‘I ask that you hold off from speaking to your father. At least for now. The conversation will only rile him, and I cannot allow you to upset him in his condition. The worst may appear to be over, or so the physician tells me. Yet his advice is also to keep your father free from excitement and stress. I think you understand what I am saying.’

‘I do.’ Benjamin sighed with a nod. ‘You desire me to play the dutiful son once more until he mends.’

‘It is not what you want to hear, Benjamin. I do know that. Yet, what difference will a few months make now? You can still build your school in another year, can you not?’

Benjamin could not argue with his mother, for he knew his father’s health was not worth the risk of his impatience. The school could wait, but not for too long.

‘I will do as you ask, Mother. But if things have not improved by the end of the Season, I will be given no other choice. Father has refused my request before. I cannot wait forever.’

‘So, you will stay with us until the Season is over?’ His mother smiled with delight.

Benjamin could not help but smile back and nodded. ‘I will stay for as long as is necessary.’

‘Oh, that is delightful news,’ she clapped her hands together. ‘Now, I will have someone to escort me to all the social events.’

Benjamin suddenly chuckled and shook his head. ‘It appears I walked right into the trap.’

Later that day, Benjamin found himself standing at his father’s bedside as he slept. Lord Hammond looked much older than Benjamin remembered, in fact, much older than his actual years. His face was pale, the wrinkles around his eyes were prominent, and as Benjamin listened to the rasping sound that came from his father’s lungs as he breathed, it drove home his mother’s concerns from earlier. Lord Hammond may well have come through the worst of his illness, but he was far from well. By the looks of it, there would be quite some time before he was anywhere near able to converse with Benjamin.

Benjamin had not been surprised at the sight of his father, for his mother had written to him often, telling him explicitly of how his father was suffering. It had taken him this length of time to travel home from South Africa. As he had journeyed across the ocean to England, he had thought about what he might say to Lord Hammond and imagined the reaction he would get. Likely, no different to the ones he had received from him before when he wrote to him with his request. His father had blankly refused to let Benjamin anywhere near his inheritance when he had discovered what he desired to do with it, yet Benjamin was not about to give up.

This time he would press the importance of what he desired. If his father refused, Benjamin already had a plan in place. He would instead go and see his uncle, the Duke of Stainton. His father’s older brother had always been welcoming of Benjamin, and over the years, they had nurtured a closer bond than Benjamin had ever had with his own father. 

Over their discussions when he returned to England for his short visits, the duke had tried to reassure Benjamin that it was not his fault. That the years of judgement and gossip had worn Lord Hammond down and that he only wanted the best for Benjamin. Yet, now at six and twenty years, surely Benjamin was entitled to make such decisions for himself. The duke could help persuade Lord Hammond to see Benjamin’s point of view, and if it came to that, Benjamin would request his uncle’s help.

The door to the bedchamber opened, causing Benjamin to look up as his mother entered. She walked over to him and stood by his side, looking down at her husband.

‘I am so glad that you have returned, Benjamin. I was so frightened that I would lose your father when he first got ill. I know it hardly looks like it, but he is doing so much better now.’

‘I am sorry you had to suffer this alone, Mother,’ Benjamin replied in the same hushed tones his mother had spoken in. ‘Father is lucky to have you here to look after him.’

‘He is a good man, Benjamin. I know you have not always seen eye to eye, but he has only ever wanted the best for you. It is what he has always desired. That you have an easy life, something that he never did, well, not after we married anyway.’

‘Is that why you moved here to the country, Mother? To escape the gossip?’

‘In part. But it was your father’s wish that you did not hear such dreadful things about you from such a young age. Not that it made an awful lot of difference, for I know well that the rumours travelled with us. That being said, he has always tried to protect you, Benjamin, even if you have not realised it.’

‘Is that why you did not have any other children, Mother?’ Benjamin asked carefully. ‘So they would not need to suffer either?’

It had been a question he had always wanted to ask. Another sibling would have been great company for him, and yet, he had not realised how lonely his childhood had been until he had seen the young children in South Africa happily laughing with joy as they played in the dirt. Now just felt the right time to discover the answer, but he was still a little nervous about asking for fear he would cause upset with his question. 

She did not answer for a long moment, and Benjamin suddenly regretted asking. Perhaps he had never been told because it was too painful to discuss or too difficult for either of his parents to face. Was his mother not suffering enough, having to watch the illness of her own husband without Benjamin making it worse?

‘In part, you are right,’ she said eventually. ‘Both your father and I did not want another child to suffer as you might. Yet, that was not what held us back. We feared, more than anything else, that any sibling of yours would be favoured, rather than persecuted. The circumstances of our marriage and your birth is the thing people hold onto, Benjamin. They could hardly judge another child that came after you.’

The stark reality of her statement completely shook Benjamin, for he had never considered the concept before. All these years, he had imagined that they had perhaps refrained from having another child because of all that was said about their family. It had never occurred to him that they feared he would be shunned and his sibling might be accepted.

‘I told you, my son,’ she said as she smiled up at him gently. ‘We have been trying all of our lives to protect you.’

***

‘How do I look?’ His mother turned a full circle before him in the drawing room nearly a week later.

‘I think you look rather beautiful, Mother. Then again, you always look beautiful to me,’ Benjamin replied softly with a smile.

It was not a lie. His mother’s slender figure and her soft brown hair only complimented the gentleness of her face. Throughout his life, Lady Hammond had always been a person who gave of herself, despite the judgements of others. Perhaps that is where Benjamin got his charitable desires from. A soft and gentle woman, she had held her head up high, and with a strength of character that he had noted missing from many, she was a fine role model for the rest of the ladies in the ton.

‘Oh, you would say such a thing.’ His mother smiled almost bashfully. ‘I bought this dress, especially for the beginning of the Season. What do you think of it?’

‘It is exquisite, Mother.’ Benjamin smiled.

He refrained from saying what he felt, for now was hardly the time to tell her that he had seen so many young children with no shoes to wear and only one item of clothing in their entire possession. If anything, he needed to boost her confidence, for he knew well that she needed it without his father by her side. This was the first event she had attended without him for many years.

‘You do look rather dashing too, my dear.’ She smiled at him lovingly. ‘Sometimes, I can hardly believe how handsome of a young man I have for a son.’

Holding his bent arm out toward her, she walked to him and linked arms with him as they left the drawing room and headed toward the waiting carriage. A footman opened the door, and Benjamin nodded his gratitude. His mother thanked the servant by name, something Benjamin could not have done, for he had not known it before his mother had spoken. Carter, his mother’s lady’s maid, had followed them out of the manor and also climbed into the carriage, sitting beside his mother and opposite to him.

‘Am I to assume,’ Benjamin began with a slight smile, ‘that I am to accompany you to all of these social events, Mother? It almost feels as though you had planned it in such a way.’

Lady Hammond smiled and shook her head at Benjamin’s teasing. ‘It is about time I was given the opportunity to show my son off, is it not?’ She shrugged. ‘Some of these people have not seen you since you were a boy, and others have not yet had the chance to make your acquaintance.’

‘Something I am certain they are dearly pained about,’ he replied with slight sarcasm to his tone.

The carriage eventually arrived at the Earl of Richton’s huge manor, and the three of them made their way toward the gathered guests as the music danced on the soft breeze of the afternoon. Carter walked a little distance behind them as Benjamin once again held his mother’s arm in his elbow.

‘There will be many fine young ladies here today, Benjamin,’ his mother said as they continued. ‘It might be of benefit to you if you perhaps showed an interest.’

‘Marrying is hardly high on my list of priorities at the moment, Mother.’

‘That may be so, yet you must think how your father thinks. Put yourself in his shoes. While he knows you are no fool, there is likely a part of him that fears your inheritance will be spent entirely on your philanthropic ideals. If you found a wife, however,’ his mother said as she looked up at him, ‘perhaps he would be more willing to allow you access to the bulk of it.’

Benjamin did not think like his father for the very reason that he preferred to help those in need rather than living a life of luxury as a gentleman. The idea of finding a wife had never occurred to him, and for certain, he would not have imagined that his father would feel more secure in letting him have access to his inheritance if he were married. The very idea irked Benjamin, for surely, it was a dangerous game to play.

If he desired to marry, it would be for a woman he had fallen in love with, not to manipulate his father’s decisions. Besides, what kind of man did it make him if he made such a choice?

‘While I understand your point, Mother, I simply cannot play with some unknown lady’s emotions for my own gains.’

‘I was not insinuating such a thing, Benjamin,’ Lady Hammond hissed. ‘Goodness gracious, do you really think I would suggest for you to marry on those merits alone?’

Benjamin did not reply.

‘Of course, you must find a lady you would want to spend your life with. I would have imagined that need not be said. Sometimes I do wonder what you think of myself and your father when you come out with such things.’

‘I apologise, Mother,’ Benjamin said sheepishly. 

He had indeed taken her suggestion entirely wrong and now felt rather a fool. Perhaps he ought to keep his mouth shut and just allow her to enjoy the afternoon.

---

“The Return of her Sweet Lord” is an Amazon Best-Selling novel, check it out here!

Lady Hazel Wallace does not care for society’s expectations, so she just tromps through the countryside. Her dread surrounding the pressure of finding a husband is unexpectedly dissolved by the arrival of a rather dashing newcomer, who makes her heart skip a beat. Rumours of his dark past, though, make her protective father, the Duke of Coventry, forbid her from seeing him again. Heartbroken, Hazel embarks on a journey to find a husband, even though her heart already belongs to the newly acquainted Mr Hammond.

Has she truly been condemned to an eternal and loveless misery?

Benjamin Hammond has experienced a lifetime of dark looks and muted whispers, which he does not deserve. Involved in charity work overseas, his desire to do similar work in England prompts his return. An unexpected meeting with a beautiful, if not fascinatingly opinionated girl, triggers his feelings and a series of secret rendezvous. Yet, with another suitor after Lady Hazel’s hand, Benjamin fears the future…

Can he and Lady Hazel really have a life together, against all odds?

The heart knows what the heart wants, and with Mr Hammond and Lady Hazel, both their hearts yearn for the other. Their love is not without struggle though. As well as the differences in class, there are other menaces lingering to separate them. Will Hazel be forced to marry a dreadfully controlling lord? Or can Benjamin find a way to redeem himself from the past rumours?

“The Return of her Sweet Lord” is a historical romance novel of approximately 80,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

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