Free The Fallen Woman (A Regency Romance) by K.L. O'Keefe

the man with a smile. “Good afternoon, Dubois! Or is it evening yet?”
    “It iz that awkward time between afternoon and eve-in-ing, my lord,” Dubois answered with a heavy French accent. With a crooked smile, he turned to Leona.“Is zis your bride?”
    “Yes. This is the new Lady Randall,” answered Tristan. “And this, Leona, is my butler. Du--”
    “Dubois. Yes, I heard you say his name,” Leona interrupted him. Immediately after she spoke, she wondered if she sounded rude. She didn’t particularly like Lord Randall, but she didn’t want to give him any reason to dislike her.
    “The lady iz as pretty as you said, my lord.”
    Lord Randall chose to ignore the butler’s assessment of his wife’s good looks. “Dubois, you have no idea how happy I am to see a familiar face. How have you been?”
    “I should ask you that question, oui? I am sure your days have been much more eventful zan mine. By the way, sir, I hope you are pleased with the work we have done with Randall Hall. Everything iz as it should be. You might find some dust on zee walls here and there, but Nell iz taking care of that, I promise you.”
    “Thank you, Dubois.” Tristan turned his gaze on his wife. “Would you like a tour of the house?”
    “I’d like that very much, my lord,” Leona answered, trying to sound as polite as possible. “Do you mind if Mary accompanies me?”
    “No, not at all.”
    Dubois held the door for them, and Tristan led Leona into a lavish, well-lit foyer. Leona had to stare at the floor for several seconds. The way the light was shining on the ground, it looked like they were standing on solid gold.
    “This is all very… pretty, my lord.”
    “Thank you,” he answered softly. “Look, a bust of my father.” He directed her attention to a marble statue of a large, beady-eyed man—but Leona’s eyes were drawn to the statue behind it. She recognized the other statue at once.
    “And you,” she noted. “There is also a statue of you.”
“If you had seen the statue beforehand, would you have begged your father to have mercy? Would you have said please don’t make me marry that awkward beast of a man ?”
    His comment took her by surprise, and Leona found herself biting back a giggle. “Well… of course not.”
    “I don’t know what to make of your held laughter and hesitation. Should I be worried?” he teased her. “Come. Let us go up the stairs. We should start the tour up there.”
    The staircase itself was a site to behold. The stairs were pearl-white, like something borrowed from Heaven. The walls were lined with huge, eye-popping paintings and portraits—masterpieces in their own right. As she ascended the steps, Leona was dizzied by the whirlwind of color. Three minutes after she arrived at Randall Hall, she decided it was one of the prettiest places she had ever seen.
    Her new husband showed her many rooms, each one more extravagant than the next. They went from a library with endless walls of books, to a dining room with the most impressive crystal chandeliers, which made it look as if the ceiling was dripping with diamonds. There was a parlor decorated with furniture from the Tudor period, which turned out to be her favorite room in the house.
    Finally, they ended the tour in what would become Leona’s new bedchamber. He specifically said it was her bedchamber, and she was relieved to know they wouldn’t be sharing a room. She didn’t think she would be able to fall asleep beside a stranger. It would be impossible.
    “So…” Tristan spoke to her as she admired her four-poster bed, which was handsomely swathed in Egyptian silk. “I hope it suits you.”
    Leona laughed. “Suits me? I think it’s lovely! It’s the loveliest room I’ve ever seen!”
    “Good, I’m glad you feel that way.” Tristan started inching toward the door. “If you need anything, don’t be afraid to ask. I’m sure you’re longing for some rest after such a long journey.”
    Leona nodded. She felt like