A Bride for Alfie (Yorkshire Brides) (4 page)
Read A Bride for Alfie (Yorkshire Brides) Online
Authors: Kimberly Luke
“Very well Miss Parker, we will talk after dinner.”
*
Elizabeth kept the dinner conversation lively. Afterwards, Elizabeth and their mother retired early. Audra was in a corner now she had to talk to him. She straightened her posture. It was what she had come for after all.
He pulled her chair away from the table. “Miss Parker would you join me in my study?”
She followed him; he shut the door behind them.
He set upon her immediately. “You say you love me, yet you are doing your best at avoiding being alone with me, which can only mean one thing.”
“...and that is Mr. Lockwood?”
“You still intend to marry your fiancé.”
She tried to maintain eye contact with him, he deserved that much from her. “You are correct. I made a commitment to him. I will not break it. We have cared for one another since I was very young. I cannot just walk away from him for a man I hardly know, no matter my feelings for you. I just cannot do it.” She faltered. The tears were threatening to spill.
He shoved his hands in his pockets. “What if I told you Angel he only wants to see you happy.”
“He came to see you on his way to Edinburgh?”
“He did...”
“He may say he just wants to see me happy Mr. Lockwood, but it would devastate him, you must see that.”
“All I can see is that I love you, and you have admitted you love me.”
He moved toward her. She held her ground. He reached for her and pulled her into his arms. He kissed her roughly. She responded in kind. She could not resist him. His hands made quick work of the buttons at the back of her dress while he maneuvered them towards a chair. He pulled her down to straddle him, his hands underneath her dress, now hiked up to her hips with the neckline gaping. He trailed kisses down her slender neck, and atop her exposed flesh.
“Audra...” It was her brother’s voice. She looked. He had averted his eyes, and Michaels discreetly walked away.
Mr. Lockwood helped her to her feet, steadied her, and buttoned her dress. She saw sympathy in his captivating greyish-green eyes, but then it morphed into an unmistakable look of contrition. Bewildered, she turned away from him; It was then she discovered Mr. Lockwood had been facing the window, which would have given him an unrestricted view of Allan’s arrival. She spun back around. “You did this on purpose.”
Allan took her arm and forced her toward the door. “Audra, go to Mother.”
“No, Allan, he did this on purpose. He saw you coming.” She resisted.
Allan’s voice rose. “Was he forcing you Audra, because if not, him seeing me coming means nothing.”
“No, he was not forcing me.”
“Then go to Mother.”
As she made her exit, she called back to her brother. “I will not marry him!”
Audra stormed into the hallway but stopped in the shadows across the hall. She could see Alfie from her vantage point. He faced Allan steadily. “Before you say anything Mr. Parker, I love her, and I want to marry her.”
“You did see me coming?”
“I did... She had told me she was in love with me, but she was still planning on marrying the good doctor. When I saw you I knew at the very least my butler would see us together.”
“I know she loves you Mr. Lockwood, but I also understand the loyalty she feels towards Robert. Did you tell her Robert came to see you?”
“You know about that too?”
“I assumed,” Allan said.
“Is that why you came here tonight?”
“No, I found the letter you sent, and I know my sister’s impulsive nature. I was afraid one of you may do something foolish, but now I see my coming here has provided a catalyst for her ruin. You have put me in an awkward position with her. I am cognizant of the fact I do not need to insist on a marriage since with your precipitous action you intended to bring about that precise situation; however, I would ask it be as soon as you can acquire a license, and the banns are read. I imagine your entire household is aware of the situation by now. The longer this drags out the harder it is going to be on everyone.”
*
Audra just made it to her mother in the guest room, and explained the situation, before Allan entered.
“Audra, as soon as Mr. Lockwood can acquire a license, and the banns are read, you two will wed.”
“No...”
Allan took her hands in his. “I understand your feelings of loyalty to Robert, but do you realize he went to see Mr. Lockwood on his way to Edinburgh. He just wants you to be happy.”
Tears were streaming down her face now. “Everyone keeps telling me he just wants me to be happy. I know he wants me to be happy, but I also know this will hurt him terribly. He has waited so long for us to be together, and he worked so hard to have everything just right. I ruined everything by coming here.”
“It makes no difference now Audra. Two people witnessed you in a compromising position, and you did not deny your willing participation. You will marry Mr. Lockwood. I will talk to Robert.”
“He will hate me.”
“Robert could never hate you my dear.” Her mother scolded her. “He always knew the possibility was there for you to fall in love with someone nearer to your own age. He had spoken to me of such on more than one occasion.”
“I am tired Mother, please, I just want to go to bed now.”
The following morning she did not speak to anyone. She accepted her breakfast, and Allan arranged for their transportation home. Allan departed separately for Edinburgh to inform Robert of the situation. He had not returned from his trip when Mr. Lockwood arrived a few days later. Elizabeth greeted Mr. Lockwood with her usual enthusiasm.
“Hello Lizzy, would you let your sister know I am here?”
Audra met him in the garden.
He took her face in his hands. “I know you are angry with me Angel.” He pulled her into his embrace. “We love one another, you cannot ignore that.”
She pulled away from him. His nearness befuddled her senses. “Please Mr. Lockwood I do not wish to discuss why we should or should not be married. You have acquired the license, my brother demands we marry, so we marry.”
She could see he did not like the sound of that. “Many a girl would be happy to marry for love.”
“Not at the expense of someone—”
He grabbed her wrists. “Well, perhaps we should just ask the good doctor if he would mind still marrying you after my hands, and lips explored what belongs only to a husband. I could have had you writhing beneath me in mere moments if your brother had not interrupted us.”
Audra tore her arms from his grasp. She knew it was true. “I hate you.” She ran from him.
Chapter 6
Alfie spent a sleepless night back at Lockwood Farm. He was no closer to a justification for how he had treated her, or for what he had said to her.
He headed for the stables. Mounting the colt in the closest stall without saddling him he rode out at a break-neck pace. He needed to release his temper; verbally brutalizing his future wife was not going to make her any less displeased with him. It was going to take time for her to get over feeling as though she had betrayed the doctor: time he did not have. The banns would be read in church starting the following Sunday.
He poured himself into work around the farm during the day, hoping it would give her some time to come to terms with her feelings. At night, a decanter of Brandy did a fine job easing his conscious.
A fortnight passed absent of any contact with the Parker family or his angel. The reading of the banns for the final Sunday at hand, he would arrange the wedding with or without her input.
Dark billowy clouds, and the sweet smell of rain signaled a dreadful day to come; a lone rider who could be no other than Robert Shirley, the good doctor, solidified it. Alfie informed Michaels to see Robert in, then retreated to his study, and dispatched a glass of brandy while waiting on the doctor’s arrival.
“Mr. Lockwood...”
Alfie rose from his chair. “Doctor, you have returned from Edinburgh.”
“Yes, I concluded my business.” Robert drifted further into the room. “Allan came to see me. He explained what occurred between you, and Audra.” He lowered himself to the edge of a nearby chair. “I cannot help but question if my decision to open a path to Audra was ill-advised. If I had thought you capable of using such deceit to obtain her, instead of appealing to her feelings for you, I would have never...”
Alfie expected Robert’s disappointment, and anger, but the way in which he had chosen to express it was unforeseen, and hurt worse than if he had chosen to attack him physically. Alfie poured another glass of brandy and dispatched it instantaneously. The glass hit the tray with a loud thud. “I never meant to cause her pain. Did you know she intended to marry you regardless of her feelings for me?”
The doctor remained silent.
“I saw an opportunity, and I took it without consideration of the consequences. Then I humiliated her when she reproached me for my deceit.”
Dr. Shirley rose. “You will have to earn her confidence in you once again for your course is set; Allan demands you wed, the banns have been read.” He turned to leave, but turned back. “I expect to address her as Mrs. Audra Lockwood within a fortnight. Do not disgrace her.”
“I will see she smiles on me once again; else, I will cease to exist.”
He watched as Robert reunited with his horse, and carried on: likely to the Parkers. After which, he had cold water brought to his chamber. He immersed himself in it, and hoped it would clear the cobwebs from his mind so he could plan a wedding, which would recover all faith in him.
Chapter 7
Audra arrived at Robert’s family home just before the deluge that had threatened to fall all morning began. His housekeeper who’d known her a lifetime greeted her. “Miss Parker what brings you here? Mr. Foster has not yet returned from Edinburgh.”
“I know, I just heard the renovations were complete, so I wanted to come take a look.”
“You go right ahead my dear.” She started to walk away from her then she turned as though she were going to say something, but simply smiled, and then continued on her way.
Audra knew she wanted to ask her about her engagement to Mr. Lockwood, but thought better of it. She explored nearly every square inch of the home that would have been hers had she not met Alfie Lockwood, and subsequently compromised herself.
Standing before the closed door of the master’s bedchamber she heard booted footsteps approaching. She knew it was Robert. She could not face him. Tears began to flood down her cheeks. He turned her, and then pulled her into his embrace. She wept freely against his chest.
Robert eventually set her away enough to urge her to look at him. “Audra, I have always known a young man may come along, and steal your heart. Nothing in this world would have made me happier than becoming your husband, but I could only be happy if it were what you wanted wholeheartedly as well. Regardless of how you feel at this moment; I know your heart belonged to Alfie the moment you found him lying injured on that dark road.”
“You are wrong Robert.” Audra pleaded.
“No, my beautiful girl, although I disagree with Mr. Lockwood’s deception, it made one thing very clear: your love for him. I have known you since you were a young girl, and the only way you would have allowed yourself to be found in such a situation, would be because your love outweighed your judgment, and that is how it is with love. Just as I tried to capture the heart of a beautiful young woman who I am old enough to have fathered. He wiped the tears from her cheeks and kissed the top of her head. “I will always be here if you need me.”
He sent her downstairs to let his housekeeper know she would be staying for dinner. She looked back though, and witnessed one scene you never want to be the cause of. Robert, her best friend in all the world, shoulders hunched, and wracked by sobs as he disappeared through his bedroom doorway.
She suffered through their meal trying not to show her pain: just as she knew he was. He delivered her home, and she went straight to bed. Thankfully, her mother left her alone, and kept Elizabeth from disturbing her as well.
She awaited Mr. Lockwood’s next move.
Chapter 8
After rifling through the trunks of his father’s belongings, Alfie located the small wooden box bearing his grandmother’s sapphire ring, which had been passed down to his father, her only surviving child at the time. He had not seen his grandmother often, but when he did she showered him with affection. He hoped the significance of the ring would help to bring about a truce between them. He placed the ring on his smallest finger. The ring would need to be altered.
Alfie made the tedious journey back to the village beyond the Parkers. He dropped the ring off to be altered, and arranged to retrieve it. He spoke with the Vicar once more, and arranged for the wedding breakfast to be held at the inn.
On his return, he longed to pay his future wife a visit, but their unusual courtship being as it were, he continued on his way. He would see her in the morning.
After his busy day, he sat in his study. He decided to abstain from the Brandy; he sat for hours staring at the newly altered, and polished ring. It was understandable Miss. Parker would be angry with him. It would not last forever.
His days toil saw him to bed pleased. He would travel to the Parker’s with the morning light.
*
The day being beautiful, and bright, he arrived to Elizabeth’s joyful welcome. “Mr. Lockwood, is it time for the wedding?”
“Yes, I have planned it for just three days from now.”
She took note of all the packages he bore. “Do you have a present for me?”
“Oh Elizabeth, I am so sorry I have nothing”—he teased her—“but this for you.” He handed her a package. She ripped it open then, and there. “A paper theatre.” She squealed, hugged him, and ran to show off her good fortune.
Allan gave him a quick nod as he headed to his store in the village.
Alfie approached the cottage door left ajar in Lizzy’s excitement. Mrs. Parker greeted him. “Mr. Lockwood you should not spoil Lizzy. She will begin to expect a gift every time you pay a visit.”
“I will oblige her then.”