© 2021 Josi S. Kilpack
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher, Shadow Mountain®, at [email protected]. The views expressed herein are the responsibility of the author and do not necessarily represent the position of Shadow Mountain.
All characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Proper Romance is a registered trademark.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Kilpack, Josi S., author. | Kilpack, Josi S. Mayfield family ; bk. 4.
Title: Love and lavender / Josi S. Kilpack.
Other titles: Proper romance.
Description: Salt Lake City : Shadow Mountain, [2021] | Series: Mayfield family; book 4 | Summary: “Hazel Stillman and Duncan Penhale agree to a marriage of convenience in order for them both to claim their inheritances from Elliott Mayfield, but as part of the agreement, Hazel and Duncan must live together as husband and wife for one year before parting. During that year, the couple learns that perhaps what started out as a business relationship might actually turn into a deep and abiding romance.”—Provided by publisher.
Identifiers: LCCN 2021018068 | ISBN 9781629729299 (trade paperback) | eISBN 978-1-64933-034-5 (eBook)
Subjects: LCSH: Marriage—Fiction. | Man-woman relationships—Fiction. | Heirs—Fiction. | Great Britain—History—Regency, 1811–1820—Fiction. | BISAC: FICTION / Romance / Historical / Regency | FICTION / Romance / Clean & Wholesome | LCGFT: Romance fiction. | Historical fiction.
Classification: LCC PS3611.I45276 L68 2021 | DDC 823/.92—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021018068
Printed in the United States of America
Lake Book Manufacturing, Inc., Melrose Park, IL
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Cover art: Magdalena Russocka / Trevillion Images; Svetlana Iakusheva / Getty Images
Book design: © Shadow Mountain
Art direction: Richard Erickson
Design: Heather G. Ward
Other Proper Romances
by Josi S. Kilpack
A Heart Revealed
Lord Fenton’s Folly
Forever and Forever
A Lady’s Favor (eBook only)
The Lady of the Lakes
The Vicar’s Daughter
All That Makes Life Bright
Miss Wilton’s Waltz
Promises and Primroses (Mayfield Family, book 1)
Daisies and Devotion (Mayfield Family, book 2)
Rakes and Roses (Mayfield Family, book 3)
Other Titles
by Josi S. Kilpack
The Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery Series:
Lemon Tart
English Trifle
Devil’s Food Cake
Key Lime Pie
Blackberry Crumble
Pumpkin Roll
Banana Split
Tres Leches Cupcakes
Baked Alaska
Rocky Road
Fortune Cookie
Wedding Cake
Sadie’s Little Black Recipe Book
The Candy Cane Caper
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Discussion Questions
About the Author
March 23, 1822
Hazel had not slept well. Her crippled foot ached, despite it having been propped on a pillow all night to help manage the swelling induced by traveling. However, the discomfort was little in comparison to the ache that lingered in her heart after Uncle Elliott’s bestowal of a dowry.
The offer had circled around and around in her mind like a pack of wolves until she thought she’d go mad. Or maybe she had gone mad. Or maybe she’d been mad to begin with. Or maybe Uncle Elliott was mad. That seemed likely in Hazel’s opinion; he must be mad to think that a decent husband could be “bought.” Even for fifty thousand pounds. And yet, Uncle Elliott was one of the kindest and most generous men Hazel had ever known.
Could he be kind and generous and mad?
Possibly.
She sighed at the ceiling and threw an arm over her forehead. Life had proven to her over and over that people were complex creatures with complicated motivations and confusing intentions. Why should Uncle Elliott be spared such humanness? Though prone to the frailties of virtue, as all people were, Uncle Elliott was also part of her family.
A family who had routinely overlooked Hazel—why should he be so different?
Discarded by her parents, baited by her twin brother, pitied by her younger sister, and ignored by all of them. Not one of them had ever known her. Not one of them had ever tried. Why should she expect Uncle Elliott to see her any more clearly than they did?
Before yesterday, though, Hazel had thought Uncle Elliott was the family member who understood her best. Apparently, she had been wrong. And, oh, how that hurt.
The sky began to lighten toward dawn, and despite the miserable night’s sleep, Hazel kept to her usual schedule of taking an early breakfast. With any luck, eating so early would prevent her from encountering Uncle Elliott until she knew how she should act.