Affair of the Heart

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Lady Anna Albertson is not like every other girl making her debut, someone is trying to kill her! She is on the verge of seeing her lifelong dream come true, she is going to marry the man of her dreams, Jordan Roberts. So why can't she stop thinking about the striking American, Colin Jameson? Now as Anna is caught between two powerful men and a deep secret is threatening to destroy her, who will she choose?

The house was exceptionally quiet, until the child’s terrified scream shattered the night. Within moments, the entire household had been awakened. The duke and duchess, with hearts pounding, rushed through the open door and into the room where a young girl’s frightened sobs had become a regular part of living. Their surprise was evident. After more than a year of silence, their precious granddaughter, Anna, was talking!
Jordan Roberts, himself orphaned in his school age years was sitting on the edge of the bed, cradling their beloved granddaughter. He was gently stroking Anna’s auburn hair. At twenty, Jordan possessed an uncanny understanding of Anna’s grief over her mother’s death. His own parents had been killed in a carriage accident trying to outrun highwaymen. He, more than anyone, understood the devastating emptiness that came from such a sudden tragic loss. Anna had a family to fill the void, where Jordan had been left alone at the age of sixteen. Jordan loved the Stanton family as his own, and had since he and Andrew been young boys intent on bathing a cat. In the years since his parents’ tragic deaths, Jordan would find himself here, in the room across the hall, rather than staying in his own empty townhouse that held so many memories.
Edward Stanton, the marquis of Fairhaven, now the oldest of the duke of Stanfield’s children, raced into Anna’s room. His arrival turned the heads of his parents and the young man on his niece’s bed. His shock quickly gave way to an overwhelming sense of relief. Looking to his parents and seeing his tears mirrored in their eyes, he announced, “I’ll send for Dr. Michaels.”
Through her soul wrenching sobs, Anna’s quiet voice could be heard, “Mama’s not coming back is she? Oh Mama! Please don’t go!”
It was Edna who answered her granddaughter’s plea. “No my dearest, your mama is an angel in heaven now.” As she replied, she crossed the space to sit next to Anna and Jordan. She was hesitant to approach too quickly for fear of sending Anna back into the abyss of silence they had all been living with for the last year. The smile the duchess gave Jordan was one of relief, gratitude, and joy. No words were necessary.
Though her arms ached to hold her precious Anna, but she made no effort to touch the little girl. Instead, regal lady laid her hand on Jordan’s knee. The simple gesture was all could manage. She had thought of Jordan as family for so many years already, she could not believe how much more she loved him now that he had saved Anna. For now, Edna Stanton was content watching this young man rescue her beloved grandchild.
Franklin Stanton, the fifth duke of Stanfield, quietly approached the threesome to join his wife on the side of the bed. He was not a deeply religious man, but at this moment, he could think of nothing but thanking God for bringing this little girl back to them, and the fates which had made Jordan a member of their household. The lord only knew what would have happened tonight if Jordan had not heard Anna scream.
SEVEN YEARS LATER~
Anna felt herself somersaulting . A flurry of skirts, she quickly grabbed for anything and found the ivy-covered stone ledge. She was hanging from the edge of the balcony. There was no mistaking the fact that someone had pushed her.