Always, Bill Contents Chapter 1 His green eyes twinkling, the Honorable Brixton Smythe-Medway spread… 1 Chapter 2 Fanny stood silently on the threshold of the gaily painted… 25 Chapter 3 The Times unopened at his elbow, a cheroot burning down… 57 Chapter 4 As Fanny stood in the linendraper’s shop surrounded by bolts… 85 Chapter 5 Brix disembarked from his barouche in front of Lord and… 105 Chapter 6 “That was quite a dinner, Brix,” Drury noted as they… 127 Chapter 7 “Oh, you can’t really mean that, Mr. Smythe-Medway! The… 157 Chapter 8 Seated in Diana’s charming and comfortable morning room, Fanny reached… 179 Chapter 9 Brix was at breakfast the next morning when Edmond strode… 207 Chapter 10 Fanny studied her costume in the large gilt mirror over… 221 Chapter 11 Making her way as quickly and unobtrusively as she… 239 Chapter 12 In the wee hours of the morning of the duel,… 269 Chapter 13 After asking Buggy to take the horses to the mews,… 293 Chapter 14 “I’m so looking forward to this party at Lady Dalyrimple’s,”… 313 Chapter 15 Late in the afternoon, Brix galloped through the high-arched gate… 333 Chapter 16 “Brix, put me down.” 359 About the Author Other Romances Cover Copyright About the Publisher Chapter 1 nm London, the third of May, 1819 Dear Aunt Euphenia, I’m so sorry you weren’t well enough to attend the baptism yesterday, and I hope you’re feeling better today. My sweet boy acquitted himself in a man- ner I don’t expect will surprise you, given that I’m his mother. He cried loudly throughout. I shall give you a detailed description later in my letter, because first I must tell you that however distress- ing D’Arcy’s crying was at the time, it was noth- ing compared to what happened afterward.... Lady Diana Westover Terrington H is green eyes twinkling, the Honorable Brixton Smythe-Medway spread his arms across the back of a cabriole sofa in the library of Viscount Adderley’s town house. A merry smile on his pleasant face, he surveyed the decidedly masculine room furnished with the aforemen- tioned sofa and comfortable oval-backed chairs, shelves of leather-bound volumes and walls pan- 1 2 MARGARET MOORE eled in age-darkened oak. He felt at peace with the whole world and the equal of anybody, in- cluding the other gentlemen who were there with him, for he had the special privilege of being the godfather of the son and heir of his best friend, Edmond Terrington, Viscount Adderley. At the moment, Edmond was upstairs with his wife Diana and, judging from the wails wafting from above, he wasn’t having much luck helping her and the nursemaid getting little D’Arcy Doug- las to nap. Brix glanced at Lord Justinian Bromwell, Buggy to his friends, who was deaf to the baby’s crying and the conversation in general as he stud- ied the various books on the shelves near the door as if looking for the secret of El Dorado—or per- haps an interesting spider, as arachnids were his specialty. Lieutenant Charles Grendon of His Majesty’s Royal Navy stood properly at ease in front of one of the tall, narrow windows. He had the air and attitude of a commander and, Brix reflected, the uniforms of naval officers couldn’t have been better designed to highlight Charlie’s impressive physique. While Charlie didn’t lack for female admirers, it was no secret among the group of former schoolmates that Sir Douglas Drury, baronet and barrister, could claim to have conquered more hearts than any of them. Brix watched the most famous attorney in Lon- don as he poured the brandies, finding himself