Breaking Up With Barrett, The English Brothers #1

Sneak Peek at FALLING FOR FITZ

(Excerpt from Falling for Fitz The English Brothers #2 by Katy Regnery. All rights reserved.)

CHAPTER 1

Fitzpatrick English walked into the ballroom at the Hotel Dupont in Wilmington, Delaware, stood in the doorway and sighed. Unlike Barrett, Alex and Weston, three of his four brothers, who all enjoyed a night out with the best of Main Line society, Fitz wasn't much of a fan of these sorts of gatherings. All things equal, he'd just as soon be at home watching college football in sweats and drinking a cold beer.

He envied his younger brother, Stratton, who had declined invitations to these sorts of events for so long, no one even asked anymore. Stratton was probably at home in his den-like penthouse, feet up on the coffee table, glass of merlot half-finished and some terrific book on his Kindle. Stratton probably didn't even own a tux anymore. Fitz put a finger into the starched white collar of his shirt and wiggled it slightly. Best just get it over with.

"Hello, second-born."

An arm was suddenly laced through his and he looked down to find his mother, Eleanora Watters English, beaming up at him.

"Evening, Mom."

"It's lovely you showed up. I know these things aren't your favorite."

Fitz sighed. "Barrett has a way..."

"Barrett has always had a way. However, I will say that the last two months have been void of his usual intensity over business, swapped for his intensity over Emily Edwards. It's been a refreshing change, though if she keeps him waiting for an answer for much longer, he will get trying."

As Eleanora led them through the crowd toward the table Barrett had purchased for the 23rd Annual Kindred Hospital Harvest Call Fundraiser, Fitz caught sight of his older brother. Barrett always looked like James Bond in a tux, while Fitz always felt like a penguin. Barrett had his arm wrapped around Emily's waist, as they talked to another couple who had their backs to Fitz. Occasionally Barrett would look down and smile at Emily, and Fitz almost blushed at the intensity in his brother's gaze. Fitz could barely remember feeling that way about someone. It had only been for such a short time, so long ago, sometimes he thought it had all been a dream.

"Usual cast of characters tonight?"

"Not exactly. The English have been invaded...by the Edwards," she said, forced humor thick in her manicured voice. Although she never voiced concerns about her oldest son seriously dating the daughter of the gardener with an eye to engagement, Fitz suspected his mother had had some initial misgivings. However, from the way she looked at Barrett and Emily now, it seemed those misgivings had been exchanged for acceptance. Emily made Barrett happy, and in the end, that would trump anything else where his mother's sensibilities were concerned. Though mixing it up socially with one's help wasn't exactly commonplace, if anyone could pull it off with panache, it was Eleanora English.

Fitz looked over the heads of a few guests to see Susannah and Felix Edwards sitting at the table, Felix in animated conversation with his father, Tom, and Susannah talking tete-a-tete with Weston, who was probably untangling some crisis of the heart with their beloved housekeeper.

"I assume nine and ten are Alex and whomever he brought with him tonight?"

"No, dearest." Eleanora stopped them a few feet from the table, and turned to look at Fitz, her eyes careful, but searching. "I did say an invasion by the Edwards. Felix and Susannah wouldn't exactly constitute an invasion."

Fitz stared at his mother's face, not understanding her meaning. "But there are no other Edwards...Felix, Susannah and Emily, that's all--"

Suddenly he jerked his head around to look at the couple Barrett and Emily were talking to. From behind, the woman had long, straight blond hair, just like Emily's, that ended in the center of her bare back. He narrowed his eyes, squinting, and he made out the light brown birthmark that looked like a heart, right in the center of her lower back, right over the midnight blue silk that covered her perfect ass. He had a sudden, blinding flashback to staring at that birthmark over tiny, bright yellow bikini bottoms, and his heart kicked into a gallop.

"Daisy Edwards," he murmured, exhaling the contents of his lungs.

And as though she heard him or sensed him, Daisy turned her neck, catching sight of him as her chin rested on her shoulder. His heart slammed behind his ribs as she blinked in surprise and her eyes widened. Their eyes stayed locked on each other, spellbound and greedy, until Emily said something to Daisy, and she jerked back quickly to face her cousin. The ten or twelve feet apart from her was suddenly unbearable and as though Fitz was made of iron and she was a magnet, he felt pulled to her in an uncompromising way, compelled to move closer to the force of nature that was Daisy Edwards.

His mother's arm, still linked with his, stopped him.

"It was a million years ago, Fitz."

It didn't feel like a million years ago. Suddenly it felt like yesterday.

"It was for the best," insisted Eleanora.

It didn't feel like it had been for the best. Not at the time and not now and not every time he thought of her between then and now.

"I thought she was in Oregon," he said tightly.

"She was. She's moved back east. Her mother's gone and her father's all she has."

"So she's back in Philly. Did you know?"

"No, " replied his mother. "I didn't even know she was coming tonight. Emily invited her at the last minute when Stratton refused to come."

His breath caught as Daisy gathered her hair in her hands and twirled it once, then settled it over one shoulder, baring her neck to him. The graceful line made his mouth water, made his fingers twitch, made a hundred buried memories fight for his attention.

"Listen to me, Fitz," said his mother, leaning closer to his ear. "There's something else you need to know."

Fitz tore his eyes away from Daisy and looked at his mother, commanded by the seriousness of her tone. "You may not have noticed, but she isn't alone."

He whipped his head around and for the first time he noticed that the man standing beside her was holding her hand, with his fingers laced possessively through Daisy's. His mother's voice was close to his ear and delivered the words he somehow knew were coming, though it didn't lessen the impact of the blow.

"She's come home for another reason, dearest. Daisy's getting married."

*****

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