A Fiery Dalliance

Prologue

"I wanted to punch him and understand him at the same time." Shannon A. Thompson, Take Me Tomorrow

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Prologue

September 1814

Perrie Beresford was six years old but would tell anyone who would listen that she would soon be seven. Perrie always looked forward to her birthday, and especially enjoyed being spoiled thoroughly by her grandmother, and sharing a birthday with the Ashwood housekeeper, Mrs Hayes.

Though, her upcoming birthday was not the most exciting part of the month of September. Perrie sat positively abuzz in the carriage beside her four-and-a-half-year-old sister, Lily. Her mother and father were seated opposite them, watching their daughters with looks of amusement on their faces.

"Are we there yet?" Perrie asked anxiously as she looked out the window in search of the church. "How many more minutes?"

"Perrie, we make this journey every Sunday. You know how far it is to the church," her papa teased.

"But how many more minutes?" Perrie pressed insistently.

"You asked us not a minute ago," Perrie's mama reminded her.

Perrie huffed impatiently as she thought of a retort. One suddenly came to her. "But Lily wants to know!" To Perrie's annoyance, her parents laughed at her.

"Is that so, Lily?" Mama asked.

Lily cocked her head in confusion, and Perrie scowled at her. Her sister certainly vexed her sometimes.

"Mama!" moaned Perrie. "It's been a hundred hours!"

"It's been ten minutes," Papa chuckled. "Where does she get this dramatic side from?"

Perrie wondered what 'dramatic' meant.

"You really can't think?" challenged Mama. "I wonder if the name Cecily Beresford means anything to you."

"That's my name!" Lily cried, and once again both of their parents laughed.

"Yes, it is, my darling." Mama smiled.

Perrie groaned as she threw her head back against the padded wall behind her. She was so excited that she couldn't sit still. She simply needed to be there this minute!

School!

Mama had been teaching Perrie and Lily numbers and letters, but her parents had decided that she ought to go to school with other children. Lily, too.

Perrie couldn't wait. She couldn't wait to meet the other children and play with all of them. She couldn't wait to write her letters on slates and use chalk and read books. It was all so exciting and Perrie just knew she would make so many friends.

Papa and Mama met at school. They had told her. And they were best friends. Perrie wanted a best friend, too.

Perrie's only friend was Lily. She loved Lily because she was her sister. But sometimes Lily wanted to play with little girl things, and Perrie was almost seven. She wanted friends who liked seven-year-old things.

Perrie often saw her cousin, James, when he came to Ashwood with Aunt Kate and Uncle Jim. But even he preferred to play little children games with Lily. So did Jackie and Maria when they came to visit with Uncle Jack and Aunt Claire.

Perrie had many cousins, but she was the oldest. She wanted a friend her own age.

"Finally!" Perrie exclaimed when the carriage came to a stop outside the church. Perrie beamed when she heard the sounds of the other children gathered outside. Papa had told her that the vicar would ring a bell when it was time to go indoors and learn.