Love Everlasting (Kingston Novel Book 3), page 1
Love Everlasting
Kingston Novel Book 3
Glenda Diana
Published by: Glenda Diana Tudor
Smashwords Edition
Copyright © 2021 by Glenda Diana Tudor
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase and additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Glenda Diana
Love Everlasting
Love Everlasting is a fictional piece of work created from the author’s imagination. Any similarity to actual people and events is purely coincidental.
Cover Designed by Glenda Diana Tudor
Cover Photo by: Romance Novel Covers…Jimmy Thomas
https://romancenovelcovers.com/
Background Photo by:
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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
Preview
Author Information
Dedication
To my daughter and son-in-law
Genesis and Marty.
True love suites you so well.
Love you both!!!
Mom
Special Thanks
Genesis Deann
Leslie Smith
Carol Medley
To these ladies who do so much for me.
My thanks and love!!!
Chapter One
Eighteen year old, Toriana Telford, youngest daughter of Bartley and Kimbra Telford, Marquess and Marchioness of Norbury, stared out across Lord and Lady Boswick’s ballroom floor. Her gaze was aimed on Lady Tulia Henden and her companion, Lady Amilia Forton.
In Toriana’s opinion, both women were silently begging to be punched in their uppity noses.
In recent weeks, Toriana’s older sisters, Alianore and Kinsley, had both given this particular technique a try. Unfortunately, both of them had bruised their hands in their attempt. Poor Alianore’s hand had suffered more damage, but that was to be expected since she had delivered two punches.
Toriana was quite proud of both sisters.
Most young women their ages didn’t have the slightest idea about making a fist or throwing a sound punch…but then other ladies of the ton didn’t have Gabriel Langston, Earl of Kingston as their uncle.
It was Gabriel who taught each of them how to make a proper fist. He wanted to make sure that if any of his nieces ever found themselves in a position where they might need to defend their honor they would be somewhat prepared.
After seeing the damage Alianore and Kinsley had done to their hands, Toriana decided it might be wise if she were to practice what Uncle Gabriel had taught them. Not that she foreseen any need to use such a skill, but to thereby, hopefully, prevent damaging her own hand.
Such thoughts brought her full circle to where she continued to stare out across the ballroom dance floor. It was, after all, that one particular thought which had brought her to this moment, this second…knowing with an almost certainty, that her newly practiced skill just might be needed after all.
Lady Tulia’s animosity toward Toriana and her family had always been there, but just recently it seemed to be heating to a near boil.
It all began one month ago when Toriana’s parents decided to do a weekend party at Norbury Manor. The guest list was limited and each Telford sibling was allowed to invite two people in which they held an interest.
Toriana’s brother, Logan Telford, Earl of Rhyshire, had in fact invited Tulia and Amilia. It was something he still regretted.
Tulia and Amilia, by their own choosing, departed Norbury Manor after only a few hours.
Since that night Tulia made sure the Telford name was upon the tongues of London’s finest gossips.
Toriana was honest enough to admit she hadn’t helped the situation a’tall, she thought, thinking back to those long, yet short few hours Tulia had spent at Norbury. It was there Tulia, Amilia, Lord Arden, and Lord Hopkins first introduced the daring tales of The Graveyard Bandit to the Telford siblings.
Lady Tulia declared the Bandit to be nothing more than gutter trash. She also proclaimed that all gutter trash should be gathered up and taken far away for they were nothing more than a worthless lot who were but a waste of space.
Logan didn’t hesitate in calling Tulia out over such a brash statement. He then pointed out that the term worthless was in the eye of the beholder.
Lady Tulia wasn’t so dense, or self-absorbed, that she didn’t understand his cutting remark.
It was at the point Toriana decided to join their conversation and teasingly suggested that in order to find out who the Bandit was, they could bury Lady Tulia and see if he showed up to rob her grave.
After that comment the number of guests at Norbury grew considerably shorter as the four tale-sharing snobs departed with their self-importance draped around them and their pointed noses in the air.
On the upside, the party was much nicer after they left.
But since that night, Tulia had been in quite the snit.
Toriana thought a firm, well aimed, punch in Tulia’s loose lips was just what the woman needed. Of course, such action would bring about another round of gossip, but Toriana wasn’t the least put off by the consequences it might bring. In fact, her parents might feel a scolding was needed, but even so they would forgive her and the episode would be forgotten…or at least not mentioned over the course of the next few years.
“What are you looking at?” Kinsley whispered beside Toriana.
“A couple of uppity, snit-picking, harridans.”
Kinsley’s dark gaze moved across the room. “Ahhh, Lady Tulia and Lady Amilia.”
Just then Lady Tulia’s gaze moved in their direction. She gave Kinsley a dismissive glance before aiming a heated glare at Toriana.
Not batting a single eye, Toriana picked up her imaginary shovel, dug deep into the nonexistent dirt, and then gave it a careless toss over her shoulder.
Kinsley placed a hand over her mouth to stop her laughter.
Tulia’s glare turned a few degrees hotter, and then with a lift of her chin, she turned and flounced off. Lady Amilia cast a scowl at them before quickly following her friend.
“You are so bad,” Kinsley stated and then laughed aloud.
“I dislike that woman.”
“Most anyone with any sense does.”
Toriana smiled at her sister. Kinsley would be turning twenty in a couple of months. She, like their mother, their brother, and their older sister, Alianore, all had the Langston dark hair and eyes.
Kinsley was undeniably beautiful, petite, graceful, sweet, and unpredictable. Two weeks past, Kinsley proved just how unpredictable she could be when she punched Lord Preston in the nose for making a rude comment about Alianore. Even now, her hand still had a slight discoloration to it.
Out of the three Telford sisters, Kinsley had yet to find the man to give her heart to.
Alianore had fallen in love with Vance Rockford, The Viscount of Surrey. Their wedding had taken place just a couple of weeks ago.
Toriana had given her heart to Drake Easton. It was love at first sight…or rather first kiss. She knew in an instant that this was the man she wanted to live the rest of her life with.
But then fate showed up and within a matter of seconds, Drake had become the 7th Duke of Hertworth.
Dratted fate!
It was a title he had inherited from his mother side of the family…a family Drake had never known. Still duty called and off he went to begin his new role in life.
Before leaving, he promised to come back for her. Along with his promise, he gave her a kiss goodbye…a sweet, sensuous, memento and one she had held tight to. The aching sweetness that accompanied that kiss is what she thought of each night before sleep claimed her.
He had been gone six weeks now.
Though her family understood she missed him, what they failed to understand was the depth in which it ran. Every day she looked for him, hoping he would show up…but so far nothing. Not even a message.
Worry over him wa
Her arms ached to hold him. Her lips craved for the taste of him. And her body hungered for the feel of his next to hers.
She couldn’t share the extent or degree of her loneliness. Her feelings for Drake, the way he made her feel, was something private. Something she had to carry alone.
Sensuous and wicked thoughts plagued her.
Did all virgins experience such thoughts?
They must, she reasoned out.
It was no secret that on her mother’s side of the family, it was the women who actually had been the ones who seduced their rakish would-be husbands. Well, at least her mother, Kimbra, and her Grandmother Francis Langston had. As for any other relatives, she wasn’t sure.
That little tidbit of family history gave Toriana hope…and inspiration.
“I see your warped sense of humor is in full display this evening.”
Toriana and Kinsley turned to smile at their brother. One would never doubt that Logan took after their mother’s side of the family, with his dark hair and eyes. But more than that, at twenty-four years old, he was almost an exact copy of their Uncle Gabriel.
In Toriana’s opinion, Logan was one of the most handsome men in all of England. Of course her family had many handsome men within it and several rakes.
At the moment, Logan was the only active rake in the family. Uncle Gabriel had married Lady Warner Brooke just six weeks past, thereby retiring from his life of rakehood.
Logan’s comment meant he hadn’t missed Toriana’s little played-out gesture for Tulia’s benefit.
“I could say I was sorry,” she hedged impishly.
What most of the ton neglected to realize was that the Telford siblings had inherited, from both parents, was a quick wit and a slight temper…a temper which could present itself as a sarcastic jab or a full fiery blaze.
Logan raised a brow. “We both know you wouldn’t mean it, elf.”
Hearing the affectionate nickname warmed Toriana’s heart. Since before she could walk, most of the family had resorted into calling her elf. Now, even close friends of the family used it when talking to her.
“Quite right,” she replied with smile. “I wouldn’t mean it a’tall.”
Compared to her brother and sisters, Toriana looked nothing like them. Where they all had the dark hair and eyes, she took after her father’s side of the family with her blonde hair and light blue eyes.
But the difference didn’t stop there.
Toriana was even built slightly different than Alianore and Kinsley. Her figure appeared fuller than theirs. It really wasn’t the case at all. Her waist was just as small, her hips only had a slight flare to them, and she thought her legs were well proportioned and sleek.
It was her bosom which made her appear fuller. Apparently, having large breasts was yet another feature she had inherited from the Telford side of the family. She didn’t consider it a bad feature. It was more like a bonus, if one wanted to look at it in such a way…and she did.
Where some sisters might feel as if they were in competition with each other, such was not the case with the Telford sisters. They loved each other very much…not only as sisters, but as best friends, too.
“It seems strange to be here without Alianore,” Kinsley commented into the silence, before giving a heavy sigh.
Logan nodded. “It will take some getting used to, I suppose.”
Toriana smiled. “What we need to do is remind ourselves just how much fun Alianore is now having.”
Kinsley blushed even as she laughed. “The things you say, Toriana.”
“Are always interesting…and truthful.”
Logan also smiled. “She wouldn’t be our elf if she didn’t say outrageous things.”
“I know.” Kinsley nodded. “You know who else I miss?”
Toriana started to speak up when Kinsley continued.
“I miss Aurora. It was quite fun having her with us.”
Lady Aurora Cavendish had fast become Toriana’s best friend. At the same age as Toriana, Aurora was beautiful, petite, with soft brown hair, and lovely eyes of light hazel.
While Aurora’s father, Gregory Cavendish, The Earl of Birchill, had journeyed home to their estate to take care of some matters, he had allowed Aurora to stay with them for a few weeks.
Toriana had thought perhaps Kinsley was referring to someone else…someone like, Casler Cavendish, Marquess of Standale, and Aurora’s older brother.
Casler spent a good deal of time at their house, but then he and Logan had been best friends since they both were just young boys.
She could well understand Kinsley attraction to Casler. He was devilishly handsome, with his dark brown hair and light hazel eyes. Casler stood as tall as Logan at six foot two, with broad shoulders, a trim waist, and long thick legs.
He was also a charmer…and a rake.
Before leaving to join his father and sister back at Birchill Hall, Casler had practically dazzled Kinsley with his masculine charm. It was quite bad luck when Lord Birchill announced that both his son and daughter were engaged…a fact that seemed to surprise both Casler and Aurora.
Secretly, Toriana had hopes for Casler and Kinsley as well as for Aurora and Logan. Now she had to put those hopes on hold, but she wasn’t going to do away with them just yet.
“I would imagine both Casler and Aurora are preparing for the weddings,” Logan responded.
Toriana glanced at her brother. “I wonder why Casler never mention his upcoming marriage to you.”
Logan shrugged. “Maybe he was trying to forget it.”
“Well, there is that chance.” Toriana laughed. “Or maybe neither of them knew about their engagements…they did seemed somewhat surprised by their father’s announcement.”
Logan again shrugged. “As I said, maybe it was something he didn’t want to talk about. If it wasn’t a marriage of his choosing, then I can’t say I blame him.”
Kinsley’s eyes widened. “Do you think Lord Birchill is forcing Casler and Aurora to wed?”
“I don’t know,” Logan answered truthfully. “He never came across as that particular type of father, but then I wasn’t around him all that much. Casler spent more time at our house than I did his.”
“’Tis a very sad thought,” Kinsley murmured. “I’m so glad our parents aren’t that way.”
Logan shook his head. “I’m not saying Lord Birchill is that way either. I was merely saying I don’t know why Casler never spoke of his engagement.”
Kinsley looked out at the dance floor, but not before Toriana noticed her expression of sadness. “We are blessed to have loving parents who want us to find the same kind of love they share.”
“I’m about bored with all this talk of love and marriage,” Logan muttered.
“Spoken like a true rake.” Toriana laughed.
“Well, as to that, I guess I am too,” Kinsley replied.
“I guess with Casler marrying soon he will be dismissing his mistress, don’t you think?”
Logan shot Toriana a glare. “What do you know about his mistress?”
“He has a mistress?” Kinsley asked in a small voice.
Logan swung his glare to her next. “We are not going to talk about mistresses…his or anyone else’s.”
“You have a mistress?” Kinsley shook her head. “Why is it I’m the last to know about these things?”
“Because, unlike our younger sister, you mind your own business,” Logan gritted out.
“Oh pooh,” Toriana replied smiling. “You should have told me you wanted it to be a secret.”
“I’m saying so now.”
Kinsley looked from Logan’s red face to Toriana’s smiling one. “Does he realize he’s growling?”
Toriana laughter floated out around them. “He does.”
“Change the subject,” Logan ordered.
“Oh, very well,” Toriana murmured. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I was only asking an innocent question.”
“Speaking of change,” Kinsley stated. “I noticed my dance card was lacking several names this evening.”
