Miss Sally's Unsuitable Soldier Read online

  Also by Maggie Dallen

  Bluestocking Battalion

  Miss Minerva's Pirate Mishap

  Miss Abigail's Beastly Beau

  Miss Sally's Unsuitable Soldier

  Crazy Crush

  Tall, Dark, and Nerdy

  Too Nerdy to Handle

  The Man, The Myth, The Nerd

  Dashing Lords

  A Rake's Redemption

  A Duke's Distraction

  A Gentleman's Gamble

  Falling in Friar Hollow

  The (Not So) Perfect Day

  The (Not So) Perfect Fiancé

  The (Not So) Perfect Match

  Fall in Love Like a Princess

  A Shot With Prince Charming

  No Place Like Homecoming (Coming Soon)

  Never Have I Ever Land (Coming Soon)

  Geeks Gone Wild

  Love at First Fight

  My Virtual Prince Charming

  Once Upon a Comic-Con

  Geeks Gone Wild Series

  How to Catch a Crush

  Striking Out with the Star Pitcher

  Saved by the Crush's Brother

  Playing Hooky with the Hottie

  First Kiss with the Quarterback

  Sleepover with the Enemy

  Love's Imposters

  The Reluctant Spy

  The Reluctant Bride

  Summer Love

  Senior Week Crush

  Senior Week Fling

  Senior Week Kiss

  Summer Love Boxset

  The Bet Duet

  Charming the Cheerleader

  Dating the Quarterback

  The Bet Duet

  The Glitterati Files

  All-American Princess

  Princess of Hollywood

  Wicked Earls' Club

  Earl of Charm

  Earl of Davenport

  Standalone

  A Lady's Luck

  Dashing Lords Series: Books 1-4

  Crazy Crush Series

  Audible Love

  Miss Sally’s Unsuitable Soldier

  Bluestocking Battalion #3

  Maggie Dallen

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Prologue

  One week earlier…

  * * *

  Sebastian rocked back on his heels as he took in the sight before him. The ramshackle old stone frigate that housed the naval encampment on these shores had certainly never seen so much excitement as it had tonight.

  And sadly for whomever planned the evening’s fete, the excitement was not of the dancing and gossip variety.

  He eyed a large brute who was limping his way toward a wall, where he rested with a grimace.

  No, tonight’s excitement was more of the pirate variety.

  At least, they appeared to be pirates. Captain Jones assured Sebastian and his father, along with their guests, that the men who’d raised the alarm that had led to the ensuing ruckus were, in fact, privateers.

  “This is what we get for patronizing a place such as this.” Lady Gertrude was murmuring behind him, no doubt talking to her daughter as his father herded them toward the doors.

  The military ball was cut short. Not surprisingly given the fact that a smuggler was on the loose, the Captain’s daughter had been held captive, and the largest man Sebastian had ever seen had been stabbed in the thigh.

  “I should go help,” Sebastian started for the third time since the excitement had started.

  “Nonsense.” His father snapped at him before turning to hand Lady Gertrude her cloak. “You shall do no such thing. This is no place for you, and it’s certainly not appropriate for the ladies.”

  He stared at the back of his father’s head. His father was already back to ignoring him. “Did you just compare me to the ladies of this group?”

  His father either didn’t hear or was pretending he hadn’t.

  The question went unanswered. Probably for the best. Sebastian likely would not have enjoyed the answer. “You do know that I am a lieutenant colonel in the British army, correct?”

  He was speaking to himself at this point, but at least Sebastian found himself amusing. The same could not be said for his father.

  “Come, help me get our guests back to the carriages,” his father ordered. “I’ll stay behind and assist here.”

  Oh yes. Certainly an elderly earl would be far more useful during a smuggling raid gone bad than, say, oh...a young, healthy lieutenant colonel who’d won his regiment’s last boxing championship.

  But a glance around the room that had been a ballroom mere moments before showed that there likely was little he could do.

  This was a naval establishment, after all. And while the captain’s crew was young and untested, and their mission was typically to keep the sleepy shores of this coastline safe and...well, sleepy, they were surely up to the task of tracking down what seemed to be one rogue smuggler without his help.

  And so Sebastian went about the task of escorting the guests from his father’s house party back to their carriages. They’d no doubt be grateful to get back to the opulence of Hampton Manor after mingling with such a lowbrow crowd.

  The thought had Sebastian’s lips curving up in a grin. He’d enjoyed this outing immensely, if only for a breath of fresh air after the stuffy atmosphere and boring chatter he’d been enduring since his return.

  He returned to the fort to fetch his father, when he stopped short in surprise. He’d thought all the ladies had been taken to their homes after tonight’s excitement. He’d seen the townsfolk heading back to their homes as he’d assisted the Hampton Manor guests to their carriages.

  But there she was. A young lady in a dark pink gown, her hair pulled up in a coif that was more severe than elegant, and her pretty, youthful features pulled tight in concentration.

  His brows arched in surprise as she tugged up her skirts so she might squat down beside the large, bleeding brute.

  He recognized Dr. Roberts, of course. The physician was a regular guest at Hampton Manor, and no doubt would be joining them again for their house party.

  His father insisted that he needed a physician at his side at all times. What with his impending death and all.

  It wasn’t laughable, of course—or it wouldn’t be if anyone in this world believed the earl to be ill other than the earl.

  But as the Earl of Elwood was alone in this belief and exhibited no symptoms to back up his claims of knocking at death’s door, Sebastian did indeed find some humor in it all.

  But that good humor was temporarily replaced by shock at the sight of this girl, so capable and so serious. The physician seemed to be speaking to her and with a nod she moved some of the bandages.

  He watched the physician nod in approval, his gaze filled with the sort of fatherly pride that Sebastian witnessed in his own father...toward his elder brother Maxwell, of course. Not him. But still, he knew the look when he saw it.

  How odd. How curious.

  Who was this young lady?

  He had a vague memory of an introduction being made when they’d first arrived, but then he’d been inundated with introductions as he and the others from Hampton Manor had been inundated by officers and townsfolk keen on meeting the visiting nobility.
<
br />   He found out soon enough when Dr. Roberts came over to join him and his father. “I’m sorry you and your guests had to witness this nefarious activity,” he said as soon as he reached their side.

  Sebastian was not. This was the most fun he’d had in ages. He kept his mouth shut though, only half listening as the older doctor conversed with his father.

  He, meanwhile, watched the young lady who moved with such confidence and purpose. She had the bearing of a general and it was fascinating.

  What must it be like, he found himself wondering, as he watched her taking items from servants who were bustling about, fetching items for this young woman who’d taken command of the makeshift sickroom.

  What would it be like to walk this earth being so sure of one’s purpose? Being so able and so competent and so...necessary?

  The thoughts plagued him, but not in the dark, dour way they once had. For these days he’d found his own purpose. The only problem was this new purpose was in the military, not at home with his father who did not need him. Not truly.

  “Terrible news. Just terrible,” his father muttered after the physician left his side.

  “What is?” Sebastian asked.

  “Didn’t you hear?” His father huffed in annoyance. “Dr. Roberts won’t be able to join us at Hampton Manor, after all.”

  “No?”

  “Seems he has a family obligation for the next few weeks. But what am I to do until then?”

  Sebastian turned to consider his father. Would it do any good to point out—once again— that his father did not truly need a physician? That every doctor who’d examined him was convinced that he was in perfect health?

  No. Likely not. “Perhaps we can find someone else with medical knowledge,” he started.

  “Mmph. That was exactly what I was thinking,” his father surprised him by saying.

  To Sebastian’s surprise, his father’s gaze was on the young lady who’d taken command of the injured pirate’s leg injury.

  “Dr. Roberts says he trained that girl himself.” He huffed. “A young lady, can you believe it?”

  Before Sebastian could answer, his father continued. “But then again her father the captain has odd beliefs when it comes to raising his daughters. I suppose this is his doing.”

  Sebastian didn’t respond. He wasn’t expected to, that much was clear.

  His father gave another harrumph as they both watched the extraordinary young lady in question.

  “Surely there’s someone else who can help me,” his father said. “I’ll make inquiries before we return to the manor.”

  Sebastian nodded. His father would no doubt turn over every stone in an attempt to find a physician he deemed worthy of joining them at the estate.

  But as Sebastian watched the young lady talking to Dr. Roberts now with a furrowed brow, he knew without a doubt that his father’s efforts would be in vain.

  If Dr. Roberts said this Miss Sally was their best hope, then it was all but decided.

  She was the one—the only one—who could help them.

  Chapter 1

  The poor girl had no idea what was coming.

  Sebastian Tallimus, the second son of The Earl of Elwood, watched his father rap his cane against the large wooden door of this tidy little seaside home as though he had half a mind to break it down with that blasted stick.

  “Are you certain we should not wait and send the housekeeper? Surely Mrs. Huber is better suited—”

  His father’s glare cut him short. “When one wants something accomplished, one must do it himself.” His father’s voice belied his size. A solid half the height of Sebastian, the elder earl’s voice still managed to boom mightily.

  Sebastian held back a sigh. What his father meant, of course, was—if one wanted something done, one must do it oneself...rather than let Sebastian handle it.

  Years away in the military had done nothing to alter his standing in his father’s eyes. He’d long stopped caring, and he certainly didn’t try to argue the point.

  Arguing with the earl was a useless endeavor. Sebastian had vast experience to prove this point.

  “Then perhaps we should wait until Maxwell returns from London,” he said. Sebastian’s elder brother, the Viscount of Bardon and his father’s pride and joy—now he could be expected to accomplish anything. Even talking a poor young lass from the seaside into nursing their crotchety old father with little notice.

  Once again Sebastian found himself hoping that no one was home. Poor girl truly had no idea what was coming.

  But alas, after one more excessively strong rap, the door was flung open and a maid stared up at them with wide eyes. Sebastian smiled, hoping to ease her obvious fear.

  He supposed it wasn’t every day that an earl and his son descended upon this household.

  “We’re here to see Miss Sally Jones.” His father’s booming voice might have been blamed on the hearing loss he was always complaining about.

  It might have been...if Sebastian wasn’t fully convinced that hearing loss was just another malady that his father had invented. One in a long, long line of mysterious symptoms and ailments that had been plaguing their father ever since their mother passed two years ago.

  After a brief moment of what appeared to be abject terror, the maid hurried into action. They were brought to a small drawing room as she went off in search of the family. He had spotted what he assumed were family members through the window.

  As his father muttered about being kept waiting, Sebastian watched as a bearded gentleman and his lady strolled the grounds, their heads bent together. Unchaperoned, it would seem.

  His lips curved up as he realized they were not totally alone on their walk. Miss Sally was out there as well. He’d recognize her anywhere after watching her work so efficiently as she tended to that large injured bloke the other evening. But she was minding her own business now as she plodded through what looked to be a garden along the side of the house. Her skirts hitched up in one hand, her stick-straight brown hair falling out of a serviceable bun and into her face. She leaned down and plucked something from the ground before shoving it in her apron.

  She straightened then and he found himself holding his breath as she tilted her head back and wiped a hand across her brow. She seemed to be swiping away the hair that had fallen into her eyes, but she left a brown smudge of dirt in her wake.

  Once again, the sight of her inexplicably made him grin.

  He was quick to smile, so the grin wasn’t such a surprise, but the feeling that came with it...that most certainly was.

  Sebastian rubbed a hand over his chest in wonder at the sensation. Something light. Something good. Something…

  Well, just something.

  He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Oh yes, he was quick to smile and the first to crack a joke. But despite all that, it had been ages since he’d felt much of anything.

  Or at least, it had been an age since he’d felt anything good.

  He gave his head a shake as if that could rid him of the maudlin thought. It wasn’t as though his life was so very bad, even if it was a bit aimless since his father had called him home from the army.

  His father had been steadfastly refusing to even entertain a conversation about purchasing the promotion for which he was now eligible, and insisting instead that he stay close at hand in the event that he suddenly passed away.

  Foolishness, obviously. His father wasn’t even close to death’s door, not by anyone’s measure. But Sebastian had dutifully come all the same. He’d come home, and he’d stayed. Not just because his father insisted on it, but for his brother’s sake as well. It wasn’t fair to leave Maxwell to bear not only the burden of the obligations he’d been taking over for their father, but his father’s ailing health as well.

  And so here he was. His father’s trusty sidekick on his quest to talk a young woman with responsibilities and duties of her own to come back to a manor overflowing with stodgy, boring guests so she might take care of an
earl who believed himself to be ill.

  It should be noted that no one agreed with him on the matter. Not even Dr. Roberts, though the good physician did his best to be affable about it.

  He wondered if this girl, this Miss Sally, would be as tolerant and indulgent as the physician who’d recommended her.

  Sebastian watched the girl as she walked slowly around the periphery of the garden, her eyes narrowed in thought as she studied the plants at her feet.

  There it was again. That flickering sensation in his chest. That twitch or quiver or whatever it was that made him feel as though his heart had sprouted wings.

  Oh dear. Perhaps he was the sick one here.

  But no. Sebastian was healthy, and his father was the same, even if his father wouldn’t admit it.

  Sebastian’s lips curved up in a smile that felt far more genuine than his typical rueful smirk or mocking grin as he watched her. The girl shifted so she was facing the window and he had a full view of her stern features and the smudge of dirt that marred the scowl and rendered it adorable.

  No, there was no denying that this sensation was new.

  He straightened his shoulders and turned from the window just as the door opened and the captain came in. “My lord, this is a surprise,” he said by way of greeting.

  They’d met the captain before, of course. Multiple times. Though they did not frequent the same circles, the captain had been known to join the earl’s family for dinner on occasion, and then of course there was last week’s gala when the earl had brought their visitors here to the fort for the ball his daughters had planned.

  A festive occasion, of that there was no doubt. Sebastian had enjoyed it thoroughly. It wasn’t every day that a ball ended in pirates being stabbed and young ladies being abducted. In fact, he rather wished more balls entailed such delicious adventure.