Read Heart Strings (Music of the Heart Book 1) Online
Authors: Donna Hatch
Tags: #Romance, #historical
Heart Strings (Music of the Heart Book 1)
Mirror Lake Press
Copyright 2016
Copyright 2016 Donna Hatch
Paperback edition
All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form whatsoever without prior written permission of the author, except in case of brief passages embodied in critical reviews and articles.
This is a work of fiction. The characters, names, incidents, places and dialogue are products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real.
Cover design by Lisa Messagee
Interior design by Heather Justesen
Print ISBN-13: 978-1537151779
Print ISBN-10: 1537151770
As always, I owe my sincerest thanks to my critique partners, Jennifer Griffith and Joyce DiPastena who are so encouraging as well as willing to point out all the ways my story could be improved. Thank you, too, to my Beta readers—Karen Adair, Heidi Murphy, Tracy Astle, Rebecca Barrett, Shaunna Gonzales, and Pauline Hansen. And thank you to my final proofreaders, Susie Hatch, Charlotte Morgan, Debbie DeTemple and Julie Moody. I couldn’t have done it without all of you!
Also my gratitude goes to my ANWA sister-writers, and the members of the Beau Monde RWA writers group.
A special thanks to musician extraordinaire, Jenna Hartley, for her feedback on a musician’s life in a professional orchestra.
And, lastly, I must thank my husband and children who are tirelessly supportive, even though they sometimes have to deal with pancakes for dinner because I didn’t come out of my writing coma in time to prepare a nutritious meal. I love you!
The Rogue Hearts Regency Series:
The Stranger She Married
, book 1
The Guise of a Gentleman
, book 2
A Perfect Secret
, book 3
The Suspect’s Daughter
, book 4
Anthologies:
Timeless Romance,
Winter Collection
“A Winter’s Knight”
Timeless Regency Romance,
Autumn Masquerade
“Unmasking the Duke”
Timeless Regency Romance,
Summer House Party
“A Perfect Match”
With Every Heartbeat,
“The Reluctant Bride,” Emma’s Dilemma,” “Constant Hearts”
Heart Strings,
Songs of the Heart series Book 1
Novellas and Short Stories
:
“When Ship Bells Ring”
“Constant Hearts”
“Emma’s Dilemma”
“The Reluctant Bride”
“Troubled Hearts”
Christmas Novellas:
“A Winter’s Knight”
“A Christmas Reunion”
“Mistletoe Magic”
Fantasy Novel:
Queen in Exile
Coming October 2016:
Courting the Countess
DISCLAIMER
Every possible measure has been taken to insure this book is free of grammatical, typographical, and formatting errors. Please forgive those few that may have slipped past the many, many eyes that searched for them.
England, 1811
From the time Susanna Dyer was orphaned at the age of thirteen, she had known she was unwanted, but each time her aunt vocalized that truth, Susanna couldn’t refrain from wincing. Even now, at nineteen, she battled to maintain composure during her aunt’s “talks.” Susanna stood in her aunt’s morning room—formerly her mother’s morning room—her head demurely bowed and her hands clasped, when every muscle in her body strained to run out of range from the verbal arrows Aunt Uriana continued to shoot at her.
Her aunt, sitting against her pillows like a queen, paused after extolling all of Susanna’s faults before declaring, “But, at last, I have found the perfect solution. My nephew on
my
side of the family—” this spoken as if her side of the family were irrefutably superior to her husband’s side of the family—“a paragon of gentlemanly virtue, has agreed to marry you for the sake of your dowry, however small, to satisfy his patron’s requirement that he be wedded in order to assume the position as vicar.”
Forgoing her study of the faded scarlet carpeting, Susanna lifted her head. “Your nephew? Not Algernon Bloodworth?”
Aunt Uriana let out a huff and rolled her eyes. “Of course, Algernon. I only have one nephew on my side of the family, you half-witted buffoon.”
Perfect. She was to marry a man sixteen years her senior with gout, a propensity to whistle when he breathed, a wit as sharp as a wet bar of soap, and a cruel streak—the kind that drowned kittens and kicked puppies. Oh, and this so-called “paragon of gentlemanly virtue” only wanted her so he could assume a position—as a vicar, no less. Susanna would have to sign her name
Mrs. Bloodworth.
She shivered, almost as repulsed by his name as by his character.
Truly fate must be cackling at this point.
She couldn’t help repeating, on the off-chance that she’d misheard her aunt. “You want me to marry your nephew, Algernon Bloodworth?”
Aunt Uriana let out a long-suffering sigh as if she were speaking to a rather trying, stupid child, and nodded, making her double chin bulge more than normal. “Yes!”
“But he’s so…” Susanna settled on the least offensive word she could, “…old.”
Aunt Uriana made an impatient sound. “He’s only thirty-five—still in his prime. It’s the perfect solution. I finally get rid of you. He gets appointed to the position he desires.”
The walls closed in and all light dimmed in the room. For a moment, Susanna could hardly breathe. Trapped in a marriage with a troll of a man. No. Never.
With uncharacteristic boldness, Susanna asked, “Does Uncle approve of this match?”
Aunt Uriana opened her mouth in shock. “How dare you question me? Of course he approves. Algernon is my nephew, after all.”
Wearily, Susanna nodded. From the time her papa’s brother arrived to take possession of the entailed property and guardianship of Susanna, he’d never once contradicted Aunt. If he held any opinions, he kept them to himself, probably for the sake of his version of peace.
Susanna took a breath, swallowed, took another. For the first time in years, she made a stand. “I thank you for your kind offer, Aunt.” She nearly choked on the words. “However, I must decline.”
“What
?” Aunt Uriana’s eyes bulged. “What did you say to me? You most assuredly do not decline. I am your guardian until you marry, and I refuse to keep you under my roof any longer than necessary. I won’t allow you, with your stupid, backward ways and the idiotic things you say, to ruin my daughter’s chances for an advantageous marriage. As soon as you are gone, I will bring her ‘out’ and we will attend London for her first Season. The best part is, I won’t have to worry about you any longer.”
This implied her aunt had ever worried about Susanna. Of course, she didn’t voice that thought. Instead, Susanna called forth her most respectful, sweet tone of voice. “You could simply leave me behind while you go to London, Aunt—no need to find me a husband first.”
“Algernon needs a wife and he has agreed to take
you
.” Her upper lip curled as if she found the thought distasteful. “Now, leave.” Aunt Uriana made a shooing motion which set the fat hanging from her arms to shaking, and picked up her embroidery loom.
Susanna’s breath came in shallow spurts. She could not marry Algernon. Could not! She squared her shoulders. “No, Aunt.”
Aunt Uriana lowered her embroidery loom and leveled a stare at her that would have frozen the Thames. She punctuated each word with an ominous tone. “What did you say?”
Calling upon all the courage she’d once possessed, Susanna raised her voice to an authoritative tone. “I will not marry Algernon.”
Aunt Uriana’s fingers twitched as if wishing to grab a switch and whip Susanna as she had those first explosive weeks after she became the new mistress of the manor. It hadn’t taken long for Susanna to learn to bow—at least outwardly—to her aunt’s will.
Undiluted poison came out of Aunt Uriana’s voice. “You will do as I say or I will throw you out.” She let out a mocking half-laugh. “You would have to work to support yourself.” Her half laugh turned to a snigger. “Perhaps the wild dogs will make a meal of you.”
Susanna ignored that last dart as she considered her options. Though quailing at the thought of working among strangers, seven years of practice helped Susanna appear poised. “I will find a position and support myself. I could be a governess or a lady’s companion.”
“Ha! As if anyone would want you! You wouldn’t last one day.”
Spreading open her hands, Susanna sifted through possible solutions. “I could—”
“Stop this foolish show of rebellion. We’ve already signed the settlement papers. The banns will be posted for the obligatory three Sundays, and then Algernon will come take you away.” Aunt Uriana narrowed her eyes. “Must I lock you in your bedchamber until your wedding day?”
Susanna pressed a hand to her head. In reality, securing a position could take time, and she had precious little of that. Perhaps a show of compliance would be in order until she thought of a plan. Anger and panic boiled within her.
Still, she bowed her head and slumped her shoulders to appear the picture of servile obedience. “That will not be necessary, Aunt. You are right. I am ill-prepared to earn my own living. I will do as you wish.”
The new parlor maid, Martha, entered carrying her cleaning rags. She drew up short, cast a panicked glance at Aunt Uriana and an apologetic one at Susanna. Silently, she curtsied and slipped out.
Aunt gave no indication she noticed the maid. “That’s better. For your ill-mannered display, you are to go immediately to your bedchamber and remain there until I summon you…perhaps tomorrow. Perhaps longer. No tray will come to you. Now go.”
Going without meals was a frequent enough occurrence, so Susanna voiced no complaint—such show of spine would only add to her sentence. Head still bowed, Susanna curtsied and left the morning room.
Oh, heaven help her, what was she to do now? Marrying Algernon was unthinkable. She’d rather starve to death locked in her bedchamber.
As she crossed the great hall, the black and white checkered tile reminded her of the private joke she and Papa had shared that someday they would use the floor as a human-sized chessboard. That day never came.
The distinct clattering of wheels and horse hooves on the cobbled drive reached her ears. She paused at the windows facing the front drive. The fountain splashed merrily, heedless of human travail. Behind it, gardeners mowed the expansive lawn. Along the drive rode a fine black carriage with red wheels.
Susanna groaned out loud. Not him. Not now. The conveyance pulled up to a stop and Percy, the only son of her Aunt Uriana, stepped out. Susanna hurried toward the stairs leading to the second floor. If she were fast enough, she could avoid his company.
The door opened and the butler’s voice greeted the caller. Susanna quickened her pace but only made it up the first few steps.
“Ah, Susanna, there you are. I had hoped to see you.” Percy’s voice boomed through the great hall.
Susanna considered pretending she hadn’t heard. They already thought her stupid and ugly and backwards; adding deafness to her list of faults would not hurt. However, she risked her overly-friendly cousin coming up the stairs after her, and that she could not abide.
Turning, she folded her hands and said formally, “Good morning, Cousin.”