Free The Most Eligible Bachelor Romance Collection: Nine Historical Romances Celebrate Marrying for All the Right Reasons by Gina Welborn and Kathleen Y’Barbo Erica Vetsch Connie Stevens Gabrielle Meyer Shannon McNear Cynthia Hickey Susanne Dietze Amanda Barratt

hand. In the dimness, the expensive jewel gleamed. A mockery.
    Well, Mrs. Landseer, that makes two of us.
    Because he’d never despised himself more.

Chapter 10
    J enny stood at the door, waiting for her.
    Wearing the plainest of her dresses—the only one from Geoffrey she’d taken with her—Ada ran into her friend’s waiting embrace. Let herself burst into tears.
    Jenny didn’t say anything, just held her and let her cry. Tears shook her shoulders. Not the delicate whimpers that girls like Violet Tremaine employed, but big, ugly sobs that came from a heart stepped on and broken.
    The ride home had been torture. Sitting amid the trappings of the world she no longer belonged to felt like the worst hypocrisy.
    Now she was home. She stepped back. Swiped her eyes with the back of her gloved hand. Jenny stared at her, sympathy in her gaze.
    “What happened?” Jenny’s tone was matter-of-fact as she led Ada inside. The apartment hadn’t changed since she’d left it. Same faded sofa. Same basket of knitting. Same chipped china teacup on the end table. It was she that had changed. Geoffrey had changed her. She’d managed to stay much the same for almost twenty-one years, only to be irrevocably altered in three short weeks.
    “I met the real Geoffrey Buchanan.” She took off her hat and laid it on the table, her limbs leaden.
    “Is he a tyrant? Don’t worry, I suspected as much.” Jenny sat on the edge of the sofa. “You were very brave to live through three weeks, but it’s over. You never have to see him again.”
    The words nearly brought on another rush of tears, but Ada forced them back and swallowed. “For once in your life, Jenny Adams, you’re actually wrong. Geoffrey is… the kindest man I’ve ever met. He’s smart, fun, and plays terrible croquet. He likes motorcars and doesn’t read big books. He used to play with a train set and named the cars. He’s…” Another sob choked her words.
    “You fell for him, didn’t you?” Jenny’s gaze penetrated.
    Ada nodded. Oh, she’d more than fallen for him.
    “Figures.” Jenny sighed. “When you left, I said to myself, ‘He’ll either be Attila the Hun and she’ll hate every minute of it, or Casanova and she’ll end up with a broken heart.’ I only hoped it wouldn’t be the second one. But don’t worry, now that you’re here in your own world again, where you belong, you’ll soon forget all about him.” She patted Ada’s hand.
    Not a chance. She could live without fine things or gourmet food, but now that she’d known love, would she ever be all right without it again?
    “I suppose so.”
    The door opened. Teddy stepped inside, wearing his raggedy cap and a huge smile on his pale face.
    “Teddy!” Ada jumped to her feet and threw her arms around her brother. He’d grown thinner while she’d been away, far too thin for a sixteen-year-old boy. Yet he hugged her tightly, still over a foot taller than she.
    He was the reason she’d gone away. She’d go again, even if it meant re-shattering her heart, if only to get him well.
    “I’m so glad you’re back.” He grinned and held her at arm’s length. “My, my, quite the lady. Wherever you’ve been, they sure have treated you well. But… you’ve been crying.” He scrutinized her face.
    “Only because I’m so happy to be home again.” Not a lie, exactly. She was glad to be home.
    “If you’re sure.” He coughed.
    Worry wove tight around her heart. Soon, it wouldn’t. Soon he’d be somewhere safe, getting well.
    “I’ll be going then.” Jenny stepped toward the door. “Let me know if you need anything at all, and I’ll come down.” Like crying, or eating a full box of chocolates together, or all the things best friends were for.
    No doubt she and Jenny had many hours of both ahead of them.
    She resumed her seat on the sofa, while Teddy chatted on about all he had done in her absence, the books he had read and the work he had accomplished. She smiled and laughed in all