The Lady and the Barrister

The Lady and the Barrister THE RETURN TO THE LADIES OF SOMMER-BY-THE-SEA BOOK ONE RUTH A. CASIE Contents Also by Ruth A. Casie Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Thank you The Lady and the Earl About Ruth A. Casie Also by Ruth A. Casie THE LADIES OF SOMMER-BY-THE-SEA - Regency Romance The Lady and Her Quill The Lady and the Spy The Lady and her Duke RETURN TO THE LADIES OF SOMMER-BY-THE-SEA The Lady and the Barrister * * * THE STELTON LEGACY - Fantasy Romance The Guardian’s Witch The Highlander’s English Woman The Maxwell Ghost PIRATES OF BRITANNIA - Crossover Series - Pirate Romance Donald (Sons of Sagamore) Hugh (Sons of Sagamore) Graham (Sons of Sagamore) The Pirate’s Jewel The Pirate’s Redemption * * * THE DRUID KNIGHT SERIES - Time Travel Romance Knight of Runes Knight of Rapture The Red Slippers — A Short Story The Druid Knight Tale I — A Short Story—Expanded The Druid Knight Tale II — A Short Story * * * Contemporary Novellas HAVENPORT Happily Ever After The Witching Hour Never Say Never Echoes of Betrayal How to Marry a Stuart Brother Heart of the Matter Prologue The last time Lady Marianna Ravencroft sat with Captain Fraser Castleton, Retd, for any length of time, was the summer of 1809, five years ago when he joined her for tea. They sat in her garden at Raven Hall and talked for hours. Well, he talked. She listened. They knew each other growing up and enjoyed each other’s company. It didn’t take long before they once again teased each other, sliding back into that comfortable place. Anna, a soft smile on her lips, couldn’t keep from looking at him. Not to stare, but to make sure he was really there. His natural open presence was welcoming. There was still a hint of his wild warrior ways. Life’s design had taught him to harness that energy to transform him into a secure, confident, compassionate man. He was ruggedly handsome. Perhaps that was the lasting effect of his wild days. She chuckled to herself. She took a deeper look and relented. He was physically handsome with his dark wavy hair just a bit too long, his well-trimmed beard, his blue green eyes just a bit too bright, and a devastating smile that always curled her toes. She let out a breath and tried to relax said toes. Their time together was more than pleasant, although she did notice there was one part of his life he would not divulge. He skirted around the horrors he experienced during his five years in the service until finally he seemed to run out of words. The only ones left were about the war. About his brother, Lucian. The silence went on for several agonizing minutes. Mrs. Cutler, Ravencroft’s housekeeper, brought a plate of tarts and ginger biscuits along with a pot of tea. Still, he said nothing. Anna poured his tea and fortified it with a splash of her father’s brandy. His chest heaved, and he let the air out slowly. His face turned into a mask of pain, hurt, anger, and acceptance all rolled into one. “I’ve buried Lucian’s death deep. Every time I think I can talk about it…” He stared at his shaking hands then at her. “When you want to talk, I’m here to listen.” Anna covered his hands with her own, a surprising warmth spread through her. His breathing was ragged as he struggled for control. “You have no idea. Imagine the worst thing you can think of. That is not half as bad as what I observed.” He paused. “What I had to do. Things I want to tell you but cannot.” His voice was barely a whisper. Oh, but she did have some insight. He wasn’t aware that she and her friend Lady Harriet Manning had helped soldiers who returned from the war. Hattie was a beautiful person inside and out. On the outside, she had a trim frame, fine features, and expressive amber eyes. Her hair, when not neatly gathered in a knot at the base of her neck, was long and thick. It was the most interesting shade of a reddish brown, the color of fine burgundy. On the inside, Hattie was a compassionate caregiver. Medically trained by her father, the Earl Manning and a renowned physician, Hattie in turn taught Anna what to do. Together, they nursed men physically and mentally. Each man was a survivor, a hero, not a victim of Napoleon and his war. For now, she remained quiet. Castleton needed to talk. “The brutality. What one man is capable of doing to another. A man you never met. A man just as scared as you.” Castleton said nothing for a few minutes. “That was four years ago, and to me, it was yesterday.” What went on in his head? From his grimace, she suspected he continued to fight an internal battle. She wanted to put her arms around him and give him her strength, but that would do more harm than good. Instead, she waited and listened. “Lucian and I served together. We were never far from each other. Barrington sent us to assist Vice-Admiral Nelson.” He closed his eyes. Anna schooled herself not to react, but dear God, he was back in the thick of it all, on the HMS Victory. “Captain Hardy, Lucian, and I were on Victory’s deck with the Vice-Admiral as he paced the quarterdeck with the battle waging around us. A multitude of ordnance exploded in quick succession, creating an echo so painful it felt as if your head was about to burst. “With each explosion came the sound of splintering wood, the crash of debris into the water or onto the deck.