Free The Wife He Always Wanted by Cheryl Ann Smith

quality.”
    Sarah bit her lip. “I envy that in you,” she admitted. “My aunt saw boldness in a woman as an unpleasant quality. She would have found you shocking.”
    Laughter followed. “I do love to shock.” Noelle leaned in. “I married a man in trade and stunned the Ton. Thankfully, I care not what they think. I love Gavin madly.”
    A wistful sigh escaped Sarah. Now that she’d accepted her lot, she truly did want to be happy. She’d do anything to meet that goal. “Please tell me no more. Help me to acquire the happiness you have and I will be forever grateful.”
    “I shall make it my mission.” Noelle rubbed her hands together. “I only have one question before we begin.”
    “And that is?”
    “Do you find your husband handsome?”
    “I do,” Sarah admitted. “How could I not?”
    Noelle nodded. “Then we shall start from there. It is hard to make a successful marriage when a wife finds her husband repulsive.”
    * * *
    I could not know the depth of what I’d unleash when I agreed to allow you to teach me how to become a successful wife,” Sarah groused. It started with a brisk walk around Hyde Park to bring some color to her cheeks and led to a visit to a pastry shop for a platter of sweet treats.
    Lady Seymour had begged off after shopping, leaving the two alone to complete the first set of Noelle’s instructions.
    “Eat the last one,” Noelle insisted, ignoring Sarah’s scold. “We need to put at least a half stone on you.”
    Knowing it would be futile to argue, Sarah ate the final pastry. The flaky fig concoction was delicious. “With you in charge of my weight, I’ll gain ten stone and Lord Seymour will need to widen the doorways.”
    “Posh. A half stone will bring you up just enough to keep a brisk breeze from blowing you down the street.”
    Minutes later, they left the shop and returned Sarah to Harrington House. After a quick hug, Noelle made Sarah promise to eat a hearty dinner and drove away in the Blackwell carriage.
    “I do not know how I’ll be able to eat anything after a platter of pastries,” Sarah said under her breath.
    After going to her room to freshen up her hair and remove her pelisse, Sarah returned downstairs and went to look for her husband. One of Noelle’s notions was to keep herself within eyesight of him as often as possible. He could not overlook her if she was always underfoot.
    A bit of searching found Gabriel in the library speaking with an older gentleman. “Oh, excuse me.” She tried to withdraw. Gabriel called her back. He walked over and took her arm.
    “Come, Sarah. My father is most interested in meeting you.”
    Her stomach twisted. As head of the Harrington clan, His Lordship’s approval was vital. If he despised her, the rest of the family would follow suit. If he liked her, his acceptance would go far to ease her transition into his family.
    Under Lord Seymour’s scrutiny, she froze.
    Lord Seymour walked over and Gabriel made the introductions. Sarah managed a decent curtsy. Up close, Lord Seymour was quite handsome. Aside from the few gray hairs at his temples, he and Gabriel looked much alike.
    “So this is my new daughter?” He took her hand and bowed over it. His smile was wide. “My pleasure, Mrs. Harrington.”
    A slight nudge from Gabriel helped her find her voice. “S-Sarah. You must call me Sarah, Milord.”
    “Then Sarah it is.” He looked down at his dusty riding clothes. “I am afraid we will have to wait until later to further acquaint ourselves. I need to have a bath and spend some time with my beautiful wife. Until dinner, then.”
    He left them. Sarah watched him go.
    “Your father is an imposing man, yet kind,” she said. Relieved to have somehow passed the first test to get into the earl’s good graces, Sarah’s stomach unclenched.
    Gabriel nodded. “He was born to this life. My mother was penny poor when they met. Much like you.” He gazed into her face. “If anyone can sympathize with our