Tender Wings of Desire Read online

  Tender Wings of Desire is

  copyright YUM! Brands, Inc. 2017.

  All rights reserved.

  This is a work of fiction. Characters are fictitious

  or used in a fictitious manner.

  For mothers everywhere,

  I dedicate this to you—a brief escape from

  motherhood into the arms of your fantasy Colonel.

  Whoever he may be.

  CHAPTER ONE

  Of all the things that Lady Madeline Parker disliked about her life, the one that constantly stuck out in her brain was her hatred of embroidery. There was something inherently pointless about the entire idea, for why would anyone really care about the process of making pretty little designs with a needle and thread? If anything, a needle and thread’s use lie in mending, but according to Mama, that was a job for the maids.

  She thought about this as she sat in the library, puzzling over an embroidery hoop that was supposed to eventually become a colorful bouquet of flowers but instead just looked like a colorful mess of nothing. Madeline never seemed to be good at the things that apparently mattered.

  “This is ridiculous,” she complained, fighting the urge to throw her embroidery hoop across the room in dismay.

  “Do not be silly,” her younger sister Victoria primly replied, sitting straight-backed in her chair and delicately threading her needle. “It is not useless to create beautiful things.”

  Of course, Victoria would say something like this. Victoria always had a precise response. At the age of 16, her sister had already overshadowed what few accomplishments Madeline had. While Madeline possessed zero musical ability, Victoria could play the harp as well as the piano. Madeline could not wrap her head around embroidery, and she could barely dance, but Victoria created beautiful pieces and could dance as though her feet did not even touch the ground.

  This wasn’t to say that Madeline believed she was overshadowed; she knew her own strengths. Madeline was very clever, possessed a fine wit, and could ride better than most people in theton. However, there was one very big, almost tragic issue that constantly hung between the two women.

  It was Victoria’s lifelong dream to marry, and marry well, while Madeline would be perfectly happy to be a spinster all of her life. Unfortunately, since Madeline was the older sister, it was her job to get married first, and her parents had lofty plans for her to one day marry a duke. In fact, they were actively courting Reginald Lewis, the Duke of Sainsbury, in the hopes of making a match.

  “How romantic,” Victoria had said against all reason, in Madeline’s opinion. The two women had only glimpsed him sitting in the parlor with their father one afternoon, sipping a cup of tea and talking about something that probably would have bored Madeline to tears. He seemed handsome enough, tall with blond hair. “He looks like a fairy-tale prince.”

  “He looks like a vanilla biscuit,” Madeline had replied. Victoria looked scandalized.

  “You have to be nice!” She insisted. “He could be your only chance!”

  It was not as though the two Parker women were not beautiful; in fact their good looks were often the talk of the town, although they tried their best to be modest and gracious about it. They both had the same pale, dewy skin, the same bright green eyes and heart-shaped faces, but Madeline possessed a head of unruly chocolate-colored curls that her maid often struggled to fit into the latest fashions. Victoria, on the other hand, had inherited their mother’s thick, golden hair, which she often liked to wear in a heavy braid down her back when she wasn’t in public or visiting. With their beauty and incredible taste in fashion, of course they would both have ample opportunity to marry, and maybe even marry someone of status, but they would not always have the opportunity to marry a duke, and Victoria seemed to think about that fact every day.

  So, of course, for the hundredth time, they were discussing that very fact over their embroidery in the library.

  “I do not understand why you care so terribly much,” Madeline said, just like she had said so many times before. “We are so very young! What is the point of finding a husband and settling down and, God forbid, having ababywhen there are so many things in this world that we have yet to see? So many things in this worldworth seeing?”

  Victoria looked as though she might faint from the scandal, and she bent over her embroidery in a desperate attempt to focus on that instead, gripping her needle so hard that Madeline wondered if it was going to snap in her sister’s hand. As usual, Madeline’s own needlework lie forgotten beside her.

  “Traveling is for the honeymoon, of course,” Victoria said, her face blushing madly at the thought. “I bet if the duke accepts your hand, you’ll go to such lovely places!”

  “First of all, I believe it is up to me to accepthis hand,” Madeline replied daringly. “And why should he ask? We have barely even exchanged words. I do not know a thing about him.”

  “Haven’t you gone for walks in the garden?” Victoria challenged.

  This was, unfortunately, quite true, and was one of the reasons why Madeline was beginning to grow a little concerned that what she was dreading would soon come to pass. She had felt it ever since the day she had looked at her life and realized that by societal standards, she was an adult woman of marriageable age. Duke Reginald had begun to call more often, and Madeline found herself whisked away on long walks (always with a chaperone, of course) in which the two of them walked side by side, not saying very much. However, she seemed to be passing some test she could not understand, because the last time he called on her he kissed her hand, looking up into her eyes. It seemed as though she were stuck on a track, unable to stop, and this near stranger would end up being her husband.

  “What’s a walk?” Madeline said stubbornly. “How could he love me from a walk?”

  “Love comes later,” Victoria said matter-of-factly. “If the two of you are well suited, then of course you should get married. Would you notwant to be a duchess?”

  Madeline did not know many things, but she knew that she was not fully convinced that she was old enough to make this sort of decision, no matter what her parents told her. She knew that she could not tell her sister that, of course. From the moment she was born, Victoria knew that she wanted an advantageous marriage, preferably to some sort of baron, earl, count, or duke. Were it not for Madeline, Victoria would probably already be married. This frustrated Madeline to no end, for if only her sister had been born first, their lives would be so much happier. Perhaps then Mama and Papa would allow her to travel and seek out some destiny that right now seemed terribly out of reach. Even now, as their parents plotted and planned to give Madeline away to the highest bidder, she could feel the envy radiate from her sister, and to make matters worse, the feeling was completely mutual. Madeline would have loved a few more years to decide what exactly it was she wanted. Unfortunately, it seemed as though that decision had been made for her the moment she was born.

  It was not as though Reginald was a bad sort of man. In fact, he seemed sweet enough and kind enough that there were times when Madeline felt terrible for feeling this way about the entire thing. She had heard stories of so many girls marrying men far too old or far too cruel, men who spent time with women of ill repute or even hit their wives. Reginald did not seem to be that sort of man, and for that she should count herself lucky. He was on the younger side, and was rather handsome in that blond sort of way. There was something missing between the two of them, though, and Madeline was beginning to believe that it was passion, maybe even affection. He seemed well enough, but Madeline had begun to worry that he simply might not be right for her, and worse…that he never would be.

  Oh, but she did not dare admit that to any member of her family. Perhaps she cou
ld admit such a thing to her brother, Winston, but unfortunately, he was so busy at Oxford learning about business so he could run the estate once he inherited it that she did not dare bother him. In fact, Madeline was pea green with envy at her brother’s ability to live such a life. Sure, when he graduated he would have to come right back, take up a wife, and start helping Papa with the estate, but he still had an entire year to go before that had to happen. Now he was off learning, and not only that, during breaks he could simply nip off to the Continent and learn an actual thing or two. Madeline often read his letters over and over again.

  “You would love it, Mads,” he wrote to her once. “Across the channel things just feel different, they feel special.”

  Madeline wondered if she would ever see that for herself.

  “I do not know about being a duchess,” Madeline said at last. “I wish I could go to university like Winston did in order to figure it all out.”

  “I do not understand the point of it,” Victoria said, wrinkling her pretty little nose. “It is all just books and sums.”

  “You like books,” Madeline countered.

  “I likeinteresting books,” Victoria replied.

  Madeline was about to retort when Mama swept into the room in a swish of silk skirts.

  “Hello, my darling ladies!” she said graciously, sweeping over to Victoria and laying a kiss on the crown of her head before turning and doing the very same to Madeline. Lady Dahlia Parker had once been a famous beauty in her own right, and there had been a rather dramatic battle for her hand back when she was in season. Now there was a touch of gray in her golden hair, and she had to tie her corset a little tighter than she once did, but that had not dulled her extraordinary looks.

  “I have wonderful news for the both of you,” she said with a winning smile.

  “Oh? What is it, Mama?”

  Mama reached out and stroked Victoria’s hair, taking obvious pleasure in her daughter’s excitement as she imparted her words.

  “It seems as though our Duke Reginald has asked for Madeline’s hand in marriage.”

  For a moment, it felt as though the bottom had gone out of Madeline’s stomach. The duke? Asking for her hand in marriage? Without actually asking her? She could feel her mother’s eyes on her, and the thought made her feel a little sick to her stomach, but she forced a smile.

  “That is wonderful news,” she said. Objectively, it was wonderful news; many womenin theton were terrified of being an old maid, and now Madeline knew she would never have to be one. Reginald was a nice man, and she would be a duchess, after all. She could feel Victoria’s gaze upon her and wished that the news had somehow been reversed, that Victoria could take this engagement instead of her, but unfortunately life did not work that way. Not here, anyway.

  So she smiled.

  “That is wonderful!” she said, and perhaps she sounded like she meant it. In any case, it seemed as though her mother was deceived, for she beamed brighter than any star, such was her happiness and pride.

  “Excellent, we’re going to announce it at the ball tomorrow. Victoria, you’ll even be allowed to stay up for it, since it will not be long before your own debut!”

  Victoria looked stunned at this notion, before it slowly began to register. For a moment she looked excited and yet terribly, terribly envious. Madeline felt the same but about her.

  “What do you think, Maddie?” her mother said, looking at her with excited eyes.

  “It is wonderful,” she said again, feeling a little silly for repeating herself, but not knowing what else to say.

  “Lovely!” Mama kissed Madeline on the top of her head again before sweeping out of the room, leaving both ladies with their embroidery and heavy news. Madeline looked down at the jumble of thread in her lap and felt the beating of her heart quicken.

  What was she going to do?

  CHAPTER TWO

  Contrary to popular belief (rather, the beliefs of her mother and sister), Madeline did not mind getting dressed up. Well, the fact of the matter was that she absolutely loathed the process of getting dressed, but was always quite happy with the finished product. Sure, corsets pinched and the wide hoops of her skirt made her feel as though she were bigger than she actually was, but it did not matter. Sometimes she still enjoyed being pretty.

  And pretty she was on the night of the ball; but of course, she had to be, given her future status as a woman engaged to a duke. The entire thing had yet to sit well with her, but she also knew that not much could be done about the matter. Instead she focused on the wide petal-pink ball gown trimmed with green ribbons that brought out the color of her eyes. Her mother even lent her a gorgeous emerald necklace in order to set off everything. Sure, it felt as if it had taken Madeline hours to put on the heavy old thing, but the effect, she had to admit, was rather lovely.

  She just wished that she could feel at least some measure of excitement about what was to come.

  Victoria, on the other hand, was almost beside herself with excitement. Dressed entirely in white (as unmarried ladies often did before their debuts), her hair put up in a gorgeous bun with curls hanging down, she looked like some sort of angel put on earth to attend this ball, and Madeline was sure she felt that way too. Of course, she wasn’t going to be allowed to dance as late as Madeline, and Papa might go apoplectic at the idea of his daughter accepting dances from anyone at this ball at all, but it was Victoria’s very first time, so excitement abounded.

  Madeline herself did not mind balls; dancing was fun (although she wasn’t very good at it), and it was nice to see all the beautiful gowns. She hated to make a habit of it, though, for conversation often ran dry and she ended up so bored. Instead she would seek out anyone who had been traveling lately in the hopes that they would regale her with tales of their travels. She was particularly looking forward to this evening because Lord Hornby had only recently returned from Bombay, and Madeline wanted to hear his stories about the culture.

  Then there was the small matter of Madeline’s engagement being announced that very evening, but how could that be very interesting to many people?

  They were announced by the butler when they entered the ballroom, the ball itself being thrown by some wealthy family friend that Madeline could never keep straight. Victoria hovered by her side, her eyes widening with excitement as she took in her surroundings: the sumptuous table with little nibbles laid out for the guests to enjoy, the servants sprinkled throughout the crowd holding trays of champagne. Madeline knew that she would be allowed to have a glass of champagne to toast her own engagement; that alone should have been enough to excite her, but nothing seemed to work.

  “Oh Maddie,look!” Victoria whispered as they lingered at the top of the stairs. She knew better than to point but instead made a gesture with her fan toward the entrance of the room. “Look, there he is!”

  It was Duke Reginald, tall and handsome in his tuxedo and tails, his blond hair slicked back as if he were some kind of romantic hero. Madeline knew that her heart should beat faster upon seeing him, and he did in fact cut a very attractive figure as he took note of her and walked over to the two ladies, but all Madeline could feel in her heart was a growing pit of unease. Reginald arrived at her side with a grin.

  “There you are, sweetheart,” he said genially. He truly was a nice man, and he offered his arm for Madeline to take hold of. She stared at him for a moment, until Victoria nudged her rather roughly and Madeline realized that it was her duty to be escorted this way.

  “Oh, thank you!” Madeline slipped her arm through his, feeling the closeness of his skin. She wished she could feel some thrill—whatever excitement a woman was supposed to feel about her beloved—but instead she felt nothing. Victoria beamed at the two of them as if she were some sort of faerie bestowing blessings.

  “You are looking lovely this evening, Lady Madeline,” Reginald said.

  “Oh, please call me Madeline, Duke,” Madeline replied awkwardly.

  “Then you must call me Reginald
.”

  “Alright.”

  Reginald seemed pleased with this and he turned his eye to Victoria, who seemed startled at the sudden attention.

  “You are looking very beautiful this evening too, Lady Victoria. I am sure loads of lucky boys will line up to get a dance with you this evening.”

  “Oh!” Victoria’s cheeks reddened so much that she covered them with her own hands in embarrassment. “Oh, thank you, but I haven’t debuted yet. Would it not be a scandal to dance?”

  Reginald chuckled good-naturedly. “It is only a scandal if you get caught.”

  Madeline hadn’t thought her sister could blush any deeper, but there she was, snapping her fan open and hiding behind the beautiful fabric. Madeline tried to hide her smirk at the entire exchange, and the three of them walked into the ballroom.

  A small orchestra played some song in the corner that Madeline wasn’t able to identify but that wasn’t exactly the kind of song one would actually dance to. The music floated through the air as guests greeted each other, and Madeline’s mother came swooping in seemingly out of nowhere, dressed in a spectacular sapphire-blue dress with jewels to match. Having once been the beauty of theton, she was increasingly unwilling to release that title no matter how old she was. Madeline did admire that about her, but not as much as Victoria did.

  “Oh, darling Duke, I see you’ve found your betrothed!”

  If the duke were of lesser stature, he might have blushed. Instead he simply smiled and kissed Mama’s hand in greeting.

  “Yes, I have, Lady Dahlia, and I am very happy to do so.”

  “Oh please, you’ll be calling me Mama soon enough!” she cried with a swat of her fan. “I suppose you better get used to it.”

  “Call such a young woman such an old-sounding name?” Reginald said with obvious charm. “I could never.”

  Mama laughed as her cheeks flushed, and for a moment Madeline knew exactly what Victoria would look like when she got older. It wasn’t such a bad look.