Emily

Chapter One

Nathaniel paced impatiently by the door, his footsteps echoing against the marble floor as he waited. His youngest sister, Alexandra, watched in utter amusement from an uncomfortable chair in the house's foyer.

"You will wear a hole in our flooring if you continue to do that, you know." Alexandra quipped, smiling devilishly at her brother.

"Hush, Allie." Nate said, not meaning it in the least. "I'm surprised you aren't more excited."

"Of course I'm excited." Alexandra scoffed, as if anything other than that was preposterous. "I haven't seen her in a year. However, I think I'll save my excitement for when I actually see her."

Nate rolled his eyes, but did not respond as he could hear the loud sound of horses' hooves against gravel, indicating that the carriage had arrived. He threw open the door without waiting for a footman, but in the mean time Alexandra slipped out, hiking up her skirts to greet the occupants of the carriage.

"That's cheating, Allie!" Nate complained, as the carriage door opened and a familiar dark-haired man emerged. Alexandra all but ignored him as Cassandra got out of the carriage and threw her arms around her sister, practically leaping at her and attacking her.

Nate chuckled, and bounded down the steps leading to the door, just as his brother-in-law, Christopher, helped another woman out of the carriage.

For a moment, Nate ignored her presence as he hugged Christopher, the two men laughing at Alexandra's enthusiasm, which Cassandra reciprocated equally.

When Alexandra finally pulled away, she leapt at Christopher to embrace him quickly, while Nate stepped towards his sister, his face breaking out into a wide grin. He put his arms around Cassandra's waist and hugged her tightly, and she reciprocated just as hard by throwing her arms around his neck.

Nate held her close, revelling in the feeling of being around his sister for the first time in a year. First, Nate had been travelling in the Continent for a holiday with Allie for a period of three months. She was supposed to come for Christmas, but had fallen ill and she and Christopher could not make the trip. They'd then found out that, after a year of trying, she was with child.

Although the thought of his sister trying was enough to make him gag, he was happy for her and Kit.

Cassandra extricated herself from her brother's grasp, and the woman who had been with them finally stepped forward, holding a baby. At first, Nate assumed she was the nanny, but then remembered her face. Lady Emily Carter, Cassandra's dearest friend and the most unique lady he'd ever met. He could remember being infatuated with her two years before, when he'd first met her.

Emily was beautiful, with dark brown hair and grey eyes. She had a slim figure, with no curves to speak of, but everything about her was enticing to Nate.

"Lady Emily, it is nice to see you again." He said, and she responded with  a greeting of the same kind. He hadn't known she was coming and would have asked about her appearance in another circumstance, but now he had eyes only for the baby in her arms, "Is this my niece?"

"Yes." Christopher said proudly, slipping his arm around his wife's waist. Nate fully ignored Alexandra's exclamations and squeals. He slapped Allie's hands away and took the baby from Emily's arms, his eyes lighting up in wonder at her small features.

"Hello, Juliette." He whispered to her, and she cooed happily, coming to him with a smile. She was three months old, and already a lovely child. Her hair was the same as Cassandra's golden locks, but she'd inherited her father's dark eyes. "You're a beautiful little girl, aren't you? I'm your Uncle Nate and I'm going to spoil you rotten."