His Obsession (16 page)

Kate’s eyes widened in alarm. Having to
relinquish the Overton estate to another man, to do with as he
pleased, would absolutely kill her father. Edgar Overton had not
been the best manager of his holdings, to be sure. He gambled too
much and not even Penelope’s chiding seemed to be able to control
his addiction.

Unfortunately, her father was also subject to
whims of fancy from time to time. If a merchant or inventor had an
idea which Edgar thought had some merit, he didn’t hesitate to
invest in the venture, unfortunately putting their finances at
stake. It made their lives exciting, but there was a price to pay,
a cost which had thus far eluded them. Kate could see that in many
ways, Richard Warwick was trying to teach Edgar a lesson.

The earl had agreed to host a lavish wedding
for Helen and Frederick Winslow, however, including settling the
sum of ten thousand pounds upon the young couple for two years
until they could get on their feet. Kate smiled. In this, at least,
Richard was being most generous. Apparently, he was unwilling to
visit the sins of the father upon some of his children.

Likewise, a trust fund of a similar amount
had been set up for Dorothea, too. She had only to come to the earl
to claim it. No doubt, Dorothea would put the money to good use,
purchasing for herself several new gowns and accessories to
match.

“Thank you for your kindness toward my
sisters, my lord,” Kate softly murmured. “They will be very
grateful.”

Richard nodded and Kate read on.

The terms governing her life as his bride and
future wife were a shock to Kate. Although Richard promised to
remain true to his wedding vows and not dally with a mistress as
some men did, outside of settling a monthly unnamed sum upon her as
pin money, his obligations stopped there. Kate’s, however, did
not.

If, upon their wedding night, the earl
discovered that Kate was not chaste, the contract was null and
void. Kate would immediately be cast out of the earl’s household
and all monies owed to the earl then due and payable. Her family’s
estate would become his overnight.

Should their marriage remain intact, however,
the earl expected a child to be born to them within the first year.
Expected? Gracious, what was she, a brood mare, Kate wondered? Once
again, if there was no child born of their union within the
specified period of time, the contract was broken and all debts
then due to the earl.

Richard Warwick outlined that he expected his
wife to be able to manage his household, play hostess at any social
functions he cared to organize and accompany him wherever and
whenever he wished.

Kate’s color rose as she continued to read.
Richard Warwick didn’t want a wife. He wanted a bloody slave!

If, at any time, the earl even suspected her
of being unfaithful, the marriage would be dissolved. The Overton
estate would be turned over to Richard Warwick forthwith and all
monies paid on behalf of her family would immediately become due
and payable. Any child yet born of their union would remain with
Warwick, but Kate herself would be cast out.

Kate’s eyes narrowed as she focused on the
man leaning against the mantel. Slowly, she lowered the offensive
document to the table before her.

“What kind of a man would write this? It’s
monstrous!” Kate hissed. “I cannot believe that my father actually
agreed to this.”

“As you can see, he did. At that moment, I
believe that he was sitting in the county goal surrounded by
several rats,” Richard calmly informed her. “That did seem to
motivate him to take proper action.”

Kate’s lips curled in disgust and she shook
her head. “You don’t want a wife, my lord.”

“Richard,” he corrected.

“No! I will not call you that. There seems to
be little point in such implied intimacy when I am now certain that
there can be no marriage between us,” Kate boldly declared. “You
don’t want a wife, sir. You want a brood mare, a slave willing to
follow you blindly wherever you lead, a saintly virgin with neither
heart nor feelings. How could a woman – any woman – agree to this
ridiculous contract? I certainly cannot. I will not!”

“Your agreement is unnecessary, I assure you.
Your parents have already signed the document. Since you are not
yet of age, their agreement is sufficient,” Richard stiffly
informed her.

Kate averted her eyes, certain that if she
looked at Richard Warwick a moment longer, she’d conjure a set of
red horns upon his head.

“I am not the ‘monster’ you claim me to be,
Lady Overton. I am thirty years old. In my lifetime, I have seen
more infidelity, broken homes and shattered lives than I care to
count. I, for one, want no part of that in my own home,” Richard
explained. “I do not think it uncommon for a man to hope that his
bride is chaste when he takes her on their wedding night. It may be
a trifle old fashioned now, but a virginal bride assumes that there
will be no challenge to the title. Don’t you agree?”

Kate said nothing and continued to watch the
flickering firelight dance across the polished floorboards.

“I want children, Kate,” Richard
confirmed.

“So do I,” she softly agreed.

“Then surely you would not deny me that?” the
earl asked.

“No,” Kate softly admitted. “I suppose that
every man would want an heir.”

“Not an heir, my dear. Several. I expect to
have as many children as possible. Half a dozen should be about
right, I think.”

“Half a dozen?” Kate gasped.

“Of course, unless by chance you are
barren.”

Kate bristled under the insult and bit her
lip to stifle the scathing response that immediately came to
mind.

“Your sister Helen will be married to
Frederick Winslow in style and the stipend should help give them a
fresh start. Should Dorothea return, she shall benefit as well. I
see no reason for two young couples to be punished for falling in
love out of their class or for eloping to Gretna Green,” Richard
reasoned.

“No,” Kate breathed in quiet agreement.

“As for your father and his numerous debts –
I believe I’m being more than generous.”

Kate couldn’t fault him there. The sum that
the earl was expected to produce to clear Edgar Overton’s name was
no doubt enormous. It might even be a strain for Richard Warwick’s
numerous assets. Still, he was a man of his word. No matter what it
cost him, he would fulfill his obligations to the Overton
household.

“If, after three years the principal and
interest cannot be repaid, I shall have no choice but to repossess
the property and sell it for whatever the current market value
might be,” Richard coldly informed her.

Kate winced, but said nothing.

“Try to understand, Kate. If a man nearly
twice my age cannot or will not manage his lands and estate in a
profitable manner, he has no right to hold them. Don’t you agree?”
the earl angrily asked.

The logical part of Kate’s mind wanted to
agree. The earl was quite right, of course. Edgar had squandered
his money and mismanaged his estate for some time. No doubt, he’d
kept Penelope in the dark about the full extent of his
delinquencies and gambling debts, too. Had she known, Kate knew her
mother would have insisted that her father mend his ways.

“The vicar will be here at eight o’clock
tomorrow morning to perform the ceremony,” the earl coolly informed
her, turning for the door. “Try not to be late. Goodnight.”

Kate got very little sleep that night. Lying
in bed, Kate swore that she heard the clock in the hallway strike
every quarter hour as she mulled over the enormous step she would
take in the morning.

Richard Warwick had proven himself to be as
shrewd and efficient in his dealings with her and her family as he
was in his business ventures. How could Kate have ever thought him
handsome and charming? She must have taken leave of her senses.

The urge to flee, to run away to some place
of safety was very strong. Kate would have liked nothing better
than to steal out of the house and run back to her family’s
welcoming arms. She could almost feel Edgar’s strong embrace as he
held her after their tender reunion. Kate’s mother would be weeping
for joy. At least, Kate imagined that she would, and Helen and
Frederick would certainly be delighted by her return.

However, their happiness would be
short-lived. With the coming dawn, the sheriff would no doubt
arrive to take possession of the Overton estate and all of its
contents. Edgar Overton could be flung back into prison and her
family rendered completely homeless as the earl took over
possession of their home.

As the Overton household literally
disintegrated, Helen and Frederick would probably have to run off
to Gretna Green by themselves. When that occurred, Kate had no idea
what would happen to her mother. Penelope made a good wife and
mother, but could she manage on her own? Possibly not. They had no
skills and no trade from which to earn a meagre living.

Apparently, running was not an option for
Kate. The consequences were too severe. Neither was blind
acceptance of the earl’s directives. Still, how could Kate go
through with this farce of a marriage? How could she simper and
smile like a proper little wife, while inside she was simmering
with anger? Was it possible for her to put on the performance of
her life? Could she pretend to enjoy every moment of her wedding
and subsequent marriage, be the perfect hostess and hopefully
provide Warwick with a son or two? It would take an actress of
extraordinary caliber to be able to carry it off. For her family’s
sake, however, Kate really had little choice.

By the time the sun rose, Kate was already
bathed and nearly dressed. Ellen came in to wake her, excited that
it was Kate’s wedding day. Like any young bride, on some level Kate
had to admit she was nervous and filled with anticipation. Her poor
stomach was quite overset and Kate managed only a few sips of
strong tea to break her fast.

Once she’d had her tea, Ellen brought in a
gown so beautiful that Kate couldn’t believe it was actually for
her. Yards and yards of ivory satin studded with tiny pearls had
been gathered at the waist, which was accented by a stomacher that
plunged to a point between her hips. The skirt was highlighted with
larger pearls and narrow strips of fine Belgian lace led up to the
neckline edged in more delicate lace. Lines of lace also flared
outward over her breasts, rising to her shoulders and trailing down
over her back.

The gown had to be very expensive and it fit
as though it had been made just for her. How had the earl managed
such a feat in so short a time? Kate had to admit, she felt like a
virginal princess.

“Oh, my lady!” Ellen exclaimed with
happiness. “You look so – so --”

“Terrified?” Kate supplied.

“Surely not, my lady. You’re so lucky! The
earl is a very handsome man and he’s rich beyond your wildest
dreams. You’ll never want for anything.”

“By any chance, have my parents arrived yet?”
Kate asked.

Kate hoped that if she had the opportunity to
sit down with her father and mother to discuss this over breakfast,
she might feel better about it.

“No, my lady,” Ellen sadly admitted.

Kate nodded, forcing a smile to her lips.
“Perhaps later then. My mother always did like to make an
entrance.”

Ellen appeared decidedly uncomfortable. “I –
er – I don’t think they’ll be coming, my lady.”

“Why not?” Kate inquired.

“I don’t believe they’ve been invited. Hardly
anyone has.”

Ellen’s words turned out to be most
prophetic. When Jeffries finally led Kate to the small chapel later
that morning, she saw that the room was almost empty. Rows and rows
of pews led forward to a small altar where Vicar Williamson stood,
looking grim and serious as usual.

On the left, a young blonde woman stood
staring at Kate. She was almost six feet tall and the impressive
female towered over the pews. However, Kate had to admit that her
gown of lilac silk was very lovely. Her face was the color of the
finest porcelain and her blue eyes so intense that they reminded
Kate of a large lake on a lovely summer’s day. Kate felt a little
like a toad just to be in the same room with such a beautiful
creature.

On the right before the altar stood two men,
both of a height. The one furthest away from Kate was a stranger to
her. His hair was a deep brown with burgundy highlights that
gleamed in the candlelight. He had a very slender build and a
boyishly handsome face. The man grinned at Kate as she slowly
approached the altar.

Last of all, Kate’s eyes focused on the earl.
Richard was dressed in his finest black suit and shiny black shoes
buffed to such a fine gloss that they shone in the light. His
starched white shirt was a vivid contrast to his tanned skin and a
ruby red stick pin anchored his elaborately tied cravat.

As Kate stared at Richard’s face, she felt
her nerve abruptly desert her. Richard’s mouth was set into a
tight, grim line, as though something had displeased him. There was
no joy to be found either in his dark eyes, which appeared almost
black in the darkened chapel.

Kate shivered and forced her feet to move
forward. The earl reached for her hand, but Kate hesitated.

“My – my maid? May she attend, as well?” Kate
requested.

Although Kate glanced up no higher than the
earl’s chest, his silent disapproval seemed to hover in the air a
moment before he spoke.

“She may be a witness, if that is your wish,”
Richard finally acquiesced.

“It is. Thank you.”

Kate motioned Ellen inside and the girl
hesitantly took a seat just inside the doors at the rear of the
chapel. Well, Kate thought, at least she had one friend in
attendance.

The earl caught Kate’s hand in a firm grip,
forcing her attention back to the altar. The vicar stared at her, a
silent question hovering in his old gray eyes.