A Bride Most Begrudging (32 page)

Drew pulled the door shut, latching it with a rope. “The men you recommended have worked out better than I’d dared to hope. I couldn’t have done it without them.”

“They survived the seasoning, then?”

Drew shook his head. “Not all of them. Seven suffered at one time or another and we lost Browne and Payne. Still, I never expected to have eight men come winter. So I’m grateful.”

“What about the women?”

Drew moved toward the stairwell, heading up to the front door, Josh at his side. “Mary never had so much as a sniffle. Constance nearly died.”

Josh stopped. “My sword, Drew. What did she get?”

“The ague and fever.”

“When?”

“In November.”

Josh blew a stream of air from his lungs. “Yet Mary had nothing?”

Drew shook his head.

“Do you think Mary’s still likely to take ill?”

“I don’t think so, but one never knows.” They continued on to the front door, where Drew paused, his hand on the knob. “I’ll not have you trifling with her, Josh.”

“Her husband’s dead.”

“Is he?” He expelled a breath of air. “I guess I’ll have to tell her this eve.”

“No!”

Drew lifted his brows.

“I’d like to tell her.”

“As you wish. But that changes nothing. Widow or not, she’s under my care and she’s an indentured servant, which means she can’t marry until her service to me is over.”

Josh stiffened. “She could marry if someone bought out her contract.”

“She was transported by the court’s command, Josh. If I were to release her before her sentence is up, it would mean her death.”

“Only if she went back to England.”

“Do you wish to wed her, then?”

Josh blanched. “Mary? Well, no.”

Drew opened the door. “Then I’ll not swap arguments with you. She’s under my care, and if you or any other man trifles with her, it will be my temper they face.”

“Do you credit me with so little scruples, then, that you think I’d force myself upon our own servants?”

“I’ve no concern whatsoever that you would even consider force. I said I’d not have you
trifling
with her.”

“And if she’s willing?”

“You’re her master, Josh. She won’t say nay to you whether she wishes to or not. If you want her, you’ll wed her first.”

Josh’s lips thinned. “Hear me well, Drew. Because you are the firstborn, I am willing to cooperate with you—up to a certain point. But I’ll not let you nor anyone else tell me who I can
trifle
with and who I can’t.”

Drew narrowed his eyes. “She’s under my care and as long as she is, that means you are a protector of her also. I will not have her put into a position where she must fend off the very person who’s supposed to be protecting her.”

“Thus, any man can trifle with her but me?”

“
No
man can trifle with her,
especially
you, and that’s an end to it. Have I made myself clear?”

Josh held himself erect. “Rest assured, you’ve made yourself perfectly clear.” Spinning around, he stormed down the front steps. Drew hesitated, then pulled the door shut behind him.

————

He disliked being in a chair at the head of the board when Josh was home, particularly after the exchange they’d had at the big house. Their father had certainly never seen the need to establish himself in such a way. But there’d really been nothing left for Drew to do. So he’d just pulled the chair up and taken his place.

He glanced over at Josh. His brother, never one to stay angry long, was back to his old self, entertaining the ladies and telling them of the news from London. He gave them updates on the skirmish and answered Constance’s endless questions about her family and friends.

Drew ate his last bite of rabbit, its tender, juicy texture setting well within his stomach but not improving his disposition. He’d planned for this to be his wedding feast, not Josh’s homecoming.

Mary rose to collect the trenchers and take them to the hearth, Constance following her lead. He and Josh shoved the board against the wall, then moved his chair and one bench to the fire.

Picking up his pipe, Drew leaned back and took great pleasure in observing his wife as she scrubbed a trencher with sand from the sand bucket.

He sighed. He, of course, was pleased to have Josh safely home, but for the first time in his life, he resented Josh’s presence and the lack of privacy the cottage provided. Still, he was loath to send him packing off to Nellie’s on the very day of his return.

The women made short work of the trenchers, then stacked them on the shelves.

“Come join us, ladies,” Drew said. “I’ve a need to look at something other than this ill-mannered brother of mine.” He watched them return, Connie taking a place on the end of the bench farthest from his chair. Stifling his disappointment, he focused on the fire.

“Well, Lady Constance, you’ve asked after everyone in your family, you’ve asked after several of your female companions, but you’ve yet to ask me of your father’s reaction to your nuptials.”

Drew stilled.

Constance laid her hands upon her lap. “Only because I’m quite certain of what his reaction was once he read my letter.”

“Are you?”

She nodded. “Anger. A great deal of it.”

“I didn’t give him the letter right away, but once I did, you’re quite right. His anger was something to behold.”

She bit her lip. “And?”

Josh stretched out his legs, crossing them at the ankles. “We had a bit of a discussion, and then he said he’d come and fetch you back this spring.”

Constance’s back straightened.
“Spring!”

“Yes. Is that too long to wait, my lady? I’ll take you back on the next boat if you wish it.”

Drew furrowed his brows as her face filled with color and her jaw tightened. Quickly thinking back to the summer night he’d brought her home from the ship, he remembered with clarity her confidence that once her father received word, he would immediately come for her. That bounder. That she wanted to stay now was not at issue here. Her father’s indolent attitude was a slap in her face. “Enough, Josh. We’ll discuss this later.”

Josh sent him a hard look, full of resentment. “I’ll have it from her own lips that she desires to wait. Otherwise, I’ll take her back. We wouldn’t want her to feel obligated to you simply because you’re her
protector
.”

Drew lurched to his feet. “Outside.”

Josh immediately stood.

Constance jumped between them. “Sit down, the both of you. Sit down. And of course I want to wait—I mean, stay. I’ve already made that perfectly clear to your brother, Josh, but I appreciate your giving me the opportunity to return home right away if I’d wished. Now
sit down
.”

Drew slowly sunk back into his chair, his temper barely in check. Josh walked to the shelf, slipping the courting stick out from where it had been wedged. He thrust the stick toward Drew. Drew straightened himself in the chair. What was the matter with Josh? He was acting like a princox. Drew looked at Connie. She gave him a slight shrug of her shoulders. Clearly, she was baffled as well. He made no move to take the stick.

“Do you not wish to woo your lady? You remember how it’s done. Just think back. Gerald certainly had no problem wielding it.”

Drew narrowed his eyes. Josh was intentionally trying to provoke him. He knew the subject of Gerald was a sensitive one. He knew Drew felt responsible for Nellie’s indiscretion, for Drew had had no previous experience with courting rituals.

But it didn’t take much intelligence to figure bundling a young woman, bundling up her beau, and then allowing them to lie abed and whisper love words to each other was anything other than a recipe for disaster.

Leah had refused to bundle with him, and Josh had never taken advantage of the custom, so Nellie had been the family’s first.

He’d held serious doubts about the wisdom of it, but Josh had made little of those concerns, Nellie had badgered him and everyone else in the colony did it. Even Grandma hadn’t objected to the practice. So he’d given in.

When Nellie finally admitted to her condition, he’d been furious—with Gerald, Nellie, Josh, Grandma. Everyone. But most especially with himself. And it had all started with that blasted courting stick.

His lips thinned with irritation. It was pure folly Josh was up to.

Drew watched Josh present one end of the stick to Mary. “Sweet maid, be so kind as to hold this against your ear.”

She glanced at Contance and hesitated before lifting the stick’s end to her ear. Josh placed his lips at the other end of the hollowed out log and whispered something into it.

Color flooded Mary’s face as her gaze collided with Josh’s, and she quickly lowered the stick to her lap.

Drew surged forward, wrenching it from him.

Josh bowed to Drew. “No need to grab it from me. I had planned on letting you use it.” He sat on the bench. “Go ahead. Mary and I will chaperone.”

Drew clasped the stick with both hands, then slammed it against his thigh, slinging the broken halves into the fire. “You’ve overstepped yourself. Be gone from my sight.”

Josh rose, the muscle in his jaw pulsing. “Certainly.”

He watched Josh climb up the ladder to the loft and descend with two cumbersome ticks slung over his shoulder. “Come, Mary. It is time.”

Mary scrambled to her feet, heading to the door.

Drew curled his fists. It was nothing short of an open challenge. He’d made it clear where he stood on the matter of Mary, yet Josh was flaunting that directive. Not only flaunting, but from the way Mary had responded to his call, Josh had obviously made some kind of arrangement with her.

Josh opened the door.

“A moment, you two!”

Mary froze, and Josh impaled him with his glare.

“Where go you?”

“From your sight, I believe the instructions were.”

“Those
instructions
were for you, not Mary.”

“She’s going with me. We will spend the whole of this night in the big house. But do not worry. I will see to her
protection
.”

“She goes nowhere.”

“On the contrary, Drew. It is your wedding night, if you will, and I, for one, fear that if you don’t have total privacy you might never manage it.”

By my troth!
He pierced Josh with his gaze. “Mary, get yourself up to the loft.”

Mary quickly tried to acquiesce, but Josh encircled her arm. “Nay. She goes with me.”

“She will not.”

Keeping a loose hold on Mary, Josh dropped the ticks and squared his shoulders. “She will.”

Lord help me!
It would serve no purpose whatsoever to come to blows with him, other than to possibly relieve him of whatever devil was in his craw. With supreme effort, Drew reined in his temper and calmed his voice. “I’ll have your word about the concerns I shared with you earlier.”

They stood in silence for several moments before Josh lifted his chin a notch. “I give you my word, none of the concerns you have will come to pass this night. Get your shawl, Mary.”

Mary looked up at Drew. He nodded once. She grabbed her shawl and flew out the door, Josh right behind her with their ticks once again slung over his shoulder.

chapter
T
WENTY
-
O
NE
   

THE DOOR SWUNG back open, unable to latch itself after Josh had slammed it. Constance moved nary a muscle. Drew, with a heavy tread, pushed the door shut. “This isn’t exactly the way I had the evening planned.”

She clasped her hands together.

He turned around and leaned against the door, resting his head back as well. He surveyed the beam work supporting the thatched roof. “He’s changed. I haven’t seen him act this way since he was ten and three. He said not a word to me about his broken betrothal, but whatever happened has obviously affected him greatly.”

“Hannah Eastlick is a vicious woman.”

His gaze snapped to hers. “You know the lady Hannah Eastlick of Bowden?”

She nodded. “Quite well. Her father and mine dealt together often, and I must confess those business dealings were not as forthright as they should have been. Regardless, Hannah often accompanied her father to our home and I was responsible for her entertainment.”

“How did you know she was betrothed to Josh?”

“The day of our marriage, he spoke of it to Governor Hopkin.”

“Why say you she’s vicious?”

She took a deep breath. “I’ve both witnessed it and been the recipient of it. She’s deceitful, manipulative, self-centered, and cruel.”

His eyebrows shot up. “All that?”

“Well, according to my brother Foley, she also plays the part of the maiden quite well but is, in fact, without discretion.”

“He told you that!”

“Certainly not. He told my other brother and I was … I uh … overheard it.”

He shook his head. “Josh is usually very good at discerning a person’s character.”

“She’s a master at deception. It was quite some time before I realized her true nature as well.”

“Then it’s glad I am he’s rid of her.” After a moment, he rubbed his hand across his mouth. “About your father, Connie. Josh didn’t tell you everything. The earl not only wants you home, but he has—”

She held up her palm, stopping his flow of words. “I want to stay, Drew. It will be wonderful to see him this spring, but he’ll return home without me.”

“But, he—”

“Not another word. My mind’s made up.”

He appeared to think that over, then pulled away from the door. “Are you cold?”

She rubbed her arms. “Um. A little.”

He moved to stoke the fire, then indicated the bench with his hand.

“It will be a cold walk for them this night,” she said, settling her skirt about her.

Drew nodded but clearly his mind was elsewhere.

She tried again. “I wish I could see the new house. Now everyone but me will have seen it.”