By
Patricia Haverton

How much ever they hated each other,
fate ties them together….

Daisy and Jonathan would rather jump off a cliff than get along.

After years of enduring his and her brother’s merciless teasing, Lady Daisy Pearson, daughter of the Duke of Ellingholm, has finally had enough.

Jonathan Henderson, the Marquess of Banroy, never thought he’d see the day Franklin Pearson would marry. Or the day he’d start looking at his sister Daisy as anything else other than an annoyance. Especially since she’s set to wed someone else.

As their resistances crumble, Jonathan’s inexplicable illness jars them back into reality. With physicians unable to find a cure, Daisy is desperate to save his life from the invisible foe ravaging his body. But there’s one problem with that: hiding right in the heart of their house, the devil is here to stay…

There’s much animosity between the Duke of Ellingholm’s children. While they are adults, they certainly don’t act like it. Well his son Franklin doesn’t and his daughter Daisy would rather gather herbs and roots for her mother than sit around doing nothing. In spite of that, she is well educated and enjoys learning the crafting and healing her mother the Duchess can teach her. The taunting she puts up with especially when Franklin’s friend Jonathan, the Marquess of Banroy is around, is truly disturbing.

It’s Jonathan who is getting tired of all the taunting as he realizes Daisy is an intelligent and beautiful woman. It was one thing when they were just lads, but now they should be pursuing other more pleasant endeavors.

Franklin persuades Jonathan to accompany the family to their beach estate. Franklin is expected to get to know his betrothed better prior to their upcoming nuptials. It’s a bit of a surprise to both of them as Jonathan is sent to travel with Daisy and her maid, while Jonathan and his betrothed share a carriage with his parents.

It’s when the carriage is in an accident that Jonathan realizes what an affect the teasing has had on Daisy.

This is a favorite scene.

“All right then, Lady Daisy,” Jonathan said, attempting to sound encouraging, “it’s your turn next.”

Daisy nodded and shuffled her feet until she stood on the edge as Beatrice had done. She, too, made the grave mistake of looking down and judging the distance, then took a deep breath.

“Shall you count, or should I?” Jonathan asked merrily when Daisy did not move. “Do not tell me that the fearless rebel Queen Daisy is suddenly afraid after handling everything so succinctly up until now.”

“No, that’s not it,” Daisy confessed quietly, still looking down.

“Then what is it?” Jonathan asked, still smiling.

“I’m afraid you won’t catch me,” she replied, her voice shaking a little.

The driver cast a glance at Jonathan, his arms frozen in midair. Jonathan only frowned, uncertain of the other man’s intention.

“But of course we will. We just caught your maid without any trouble at all. It will be fine, you’ll see,” he answered.

“No, I mean only… that you might find it amusing to let me fall into the water and ruin my gown,” Daisy said quietly, a threat of tears choking her words.

Jonathan stood stunned. He could feel the waves of accusation emanating from the driver’s scowling face, but he was gutted by Daisy’s fear that he might intentionally let her fall.

“Lady Daisy,” he began in the most serious voice he could muster, “you have my promise as a gentleman that I would not do such a thing. I cannot imagine why you’d even think—”

He stopped, letting the rest of his sentence drift in the open space between them before being carried off on the rising water that now filled the carriage. He knew perfectly well why she thought it, and it unleashed a great shame in him.

“You’re right,” Daisy finally said, nodding briefly. “I’m sorry I accused you of such a vile thing. Here I go.”

She counted quickly and jumped, and Jonathan couldn’t help but notice that for all her bravery and gumption he’d seen over the years, this frail-looking girl still closed her eyes as her feet left the carriage, permitting whatever injury may come her way to do so unseen.

Instead of merely grabbing hold of her arms as she came down, Jonathan darted forward and caught Daisy fully in his arms. He pulled her close to him before her feet could reach the ground. He held her close and stared at her eyes, seeing the sky reflected there in a way that made them shimmer.

“Are you all right, My Lady?” Jonathan whispered urgently. Daisy nodded, but then he added, “Are you sure?”

“I think so,” Daisy answered softly, fitting perfectly in his arms. “But I don’t…”

Behind him, Beatrice coughed politely. Jonathan remembered himself, suddenly flustered that he was still cradling Daisy in such an inappropriate manner. He implored her with a look to forgive him, but her eyes seemed to lose focus for only a moment. It was enough that Jonathan turned in a slow circle and looked for a place to set her down, then carefully placed her on a swath of moss beneath a large willow tree that grew along the bank.

“My Lady!” Beatrice cried out. “You’re bleeding!”

“What?” Daisy asked, reaching for a place on the side of her head that evidently smarted at her touch. She withdrew her hand to find her fingertips dotted with blood.

“Here, My Lady, permit me,” Jonathan said, retrieving his handkerchief from his coat pocket and pressing it against the cut just inside Daisy’s hairline. “You there, sir, would you be so kind as to go after the horses? They’re wandering away after their harnesses snapped.”

The driver hurried through the water and climbed the opposite bank, moving with determination but without haste so as not to frighten the poor creatures any further. When he’d managed to tie one of them to a tree on the other side, he called back across the water.

“My Lord, there’s a village only a few miles from here. I’ll ride this one and return with help at once,” he called out.

“Very good, make haste, if you please,” Jonathan replied loudly before turning his attention to Daisy once again. “If you will permit me, My Lady…”

Jonathan gently brushed back a feathering of curls to inspect the wound. He smiled with relief.

“It looks clean enough, and I think the bleeding is already on the verge of subsiding,” he said, still looking at it from different angles. “You might have cut it on the window as it broke, but I don’t see any glass. At the risk of my injuring you, perhaps you should feel for any pieces?”

Daisy reached her hand up and pressed her fingertips to the wound, dabbing at it delicately in different places. She shook her head slightly, but then looked as though she regretted even that slight movement.

“I think it’s all right, but how is Beatrice? Where did you go, Bea?” Daisy asked.

Her lady’s maid hurried to her side and smiled reassuringly. “I’m here, and I’m fine, thanks to you. There’s a small bit of a cut on my finger, but no harm done. Leave it to Lady Daisy to think only of the terrible injury to my smallest finger instead of a gash on her head!”

“I would never forgive myself if you were injured because of my journey,” Daisy said. She closed her eyes briefly, then opened them. “So, what are we to do now?”

Jonathan looked around. “This is quite a predicament. But the driver has already gone for help, I’m sure it will be only a matter of time before he returns and we can be on our way again. At least we have the good fortune of a sunny day and not a cloud in sight!”

“I would not be so quick to count our blessings, My Lord, in case your utterance gives the weather any ideas on how to torment us,” Daisy teased, trying to smile.

Jonathan was silent as he watched the lady’s maid tend to Daisy, awestruck by the young lady’s ability to remain cheerful despite a great accident and an injury. More than the awe he felt at Daisy’s resilience and demeanor, another unmistakable feeling coursed through him— a terrible, relentless guilt. She was right, after all. Every horrible thing he had ever said to her came rushing back to him, causing him to wonder what sort of monster he truly was.
Patricia Haverton. In Unfair War with Love, My Marquess: A Historical Regency Romance Novel (Kindle Locations 710-761). Patricia Haverton.

Once arriving at their destination, Jonathan takes further note of his behavior and moves to rectify the damage he’s done. He becomes even more intent on courting Lady Daisy as well as he realizes he has fallen in love with her.

Another accident has Jonathan fighting for his life. Daisy and her mother are right there fighting with him in spite of the fact the Duke has invited a suitable match for Daisy to stay with them as well.

Plenty of suspense and intrigue in this tale, and an unlikely romance as well.

5 Contented Purrs for Patricia!

Born the oldest of three children, Patricia Haverton grew up believing that she’d follow in her father’s footsteps and pursue a career in science. However, her worldview changed when she decided to explore her British mother’s roots. The trip to her ancestral lands solidified her conviction that she had found her true calling in the romanticism of the Era of Kings and Queens.

A hopeless romantic and a firm believer in the idea of soulmates, Patricia changed the course of her life and decided to get her degree in Creative Writing and Psychology. As she jokingly says ever so often, “she lives in the past now, where love shows the way and Dukes save the day!”

When she’s not weaving tales of love that prevails, Patricia enjoys spending time with her husband, roaming the British countryside, where they have been living in for the past decade.

Now would be the time to let yourself go and experience the true magic of the Regency Era! Let your imagination run wild, live amazing adventures through the eyes of brave heroes! Like the legendary wise wizard, Patricia will be your guide!