His Perfect Bride (23 page)

Kicking the door open, he was startled to see Greyson jumping up from the sofa and posed for a fight. Not seeing any signs of exhaustion or confusion on his friend’s face, Richard suspected Greyson had only recently arrived. The knowledge gave him a better idea of the hour.

“Richard!” Greyson exclaimed. “What in God’s name are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same question. I thought it was understood you no longer need to spend all your time here.”

“I prefer it this way.”

“Always so stubborn,” Richard mumbled under his breath.

“Exactly how much have you had to drink tonight?” Greyson wrinkled his nose in distaste before heading back to the sofa.

Richard ignored the comment, and instead turned to the cabinet to fetch out a bottle of brandy. If he would have to tell Greyson his news, he needed the extra help.

“That does not matter. This is a celebration.” Richard overfilled two glasses, then shoved one at Greyson, not taking care to avoid spilling. Once Greyson accepted it, Richard downed his drink and sat in a chair facing his friend.

“What is the occasion?” Greyson inquired as he set his untouched glass on a side table and wiped his wet hand on his trousers.

“We are toasting my marriage. Drink up.”

“Marriage? To Lady Brianna, I assume.”

“Of course.” Richard smiled sardonically. “Earlier this evening she agreed to become my marchioness. Are you not pleased for me?”

“I would like to say I am, but I suspect there is a vital piece of information I’m missing.”

“She is with child,” Richard explained emotionlessly, and ignored Greyson’s slow headshake. “As it so happens, it’s the only reason she accepted me.”

“I see, and the father is . . .”

Richard’s anger propelled him from the chair so quickly it thudded against the ground. “What exactly are you insinuating?”

“Calm down, Richard,” Greyson directed in a bored tone. Then he leaned back and gave Richard a pointed look. “I’m merely asking a question. How can you expect me to know it was you who fathered the child?”

“She is mine. No one else shall touch her.”

“To that, I have no doubt. So, is Lady Brianna as happy and joyous as you are this evening?”

“I would imagine so. Being forced to marry a man you have no desire to certainly is something to be joyous about.”

Richard righted the chair and settled back. Honestly, he didn’t want to think about how Brianna felt at this moment. It was her feelings, or lack thereof, which increased his anger.

“I could be wrong, but as an outsider observing the way you and Lady Brianna interact, I believe she harbors tender feelings for you. Especially considering the two of you, well, conceived a child together.”

“You can only say that because you didn’t see the misery in her gaze when she told me.” Richard closed his eyes and sighed. “Tomorrow I’ll do the unthinkable. I’ll seal my fate and commit to marry a lady who detests me.”

Chapter 14

Two days following the Laramie ball, Richard found his outlook much improved. Pasting on a smile, he followed Ransley’s butler to the study to speak with Brianna’s father. Although he had not taken the time to talk with Brianna since that night, he knew they would still have to follow the proper procedures to avoid news of her condition being discovered. He had no idea how she managed to conceal it thus far but was pleased nonetheless.

“Stonemede, please come in and have a seat,” Ransley offered. “I must say I was rather surprised to receive your missive this morning.” Then he slid a bottle of brandy out of his desk drawer. “Would you care for some?”

“No, thank you. I’m pleased you were able to spare some time to speak with me.”

“Anytime, for you were a great help to me at Ransley, and I’ll always offer my assistance to you in return.”

“I appreciate that,” Richard replied, surprised yet happy the earl felt indebted to him. That tidbit of information made the outcome of this conversation more predictable.

“What did you wish to see me about?”

“I have come to ask for Lady Brianna’s hand in marriage.”

The silence following was deafening. Ransley’s wide eyes stared at him as if the earl was not sure what to make of him. Considering the amount of time Richard spent with him, or more specifically with Brianna, he imagined a betrothal was expected or at least desired. Ransley slowly leaned back and narrowed his eyes.

“Is my daughter aware of your intentions?” Ransley inquired.

“Yes.” Richard kept calm, although he could not see the relevance of the question. Many men were promised a lady’s hand without her knowledge or assent.

“And do you imagine she would be inclined to accept you?”

“I’m unsure as to the purpose of this line of questioning. What exactly would you like to know?”

“Nothing specific. I only want to see if you were aware of her standing in regard to you.”

“I see,” Richard drew out, although he still didn’t understand the rationale behind it.

“If you know what you are up against, then I’ll grant you my permission. However, you must obtain Brianna’s acceptance first. I’m not convinced of her response, and I would hate to go against her wishes should she have strong feelings against you.”

Richard relaxed in the chair as relief washed over him. Since Brianna had already agreed to become his wife, he knew there would be no problems in that area. “I do have one more request.”

“Which is?” Ransley’s amused smile made Richard wonder what was going through the man’s mind.

“I would like to call the banns this Sunday and have the wedding soon after that.”

“May I ask what your reason is for the rush?”

“I’m anxious to return to Stonemede. My steward was not properly trained, and I fear he is causing more problems rather than solving them.”

“Ah, I’m sorry to hear that. A good steward is worth his weight in gold. Well, considering the circumstances, I don’t see a problem moving things along faster than tradition dictates.”

“I appreciate it. Now, if you don’t mind, I would like to speak with Lady Brianna.”

“Not at all.” Ransley waved his hand to the door, then quietly muttered, “Good luck.”

After exiting the room, Richard heard the man’s laughter following him. Working hard to ignore the earl, he went off to search for someone to direct him to Brianna. Luckily the butler was near the front door and led him to the garden were Brianna strolled.

Unsure of which section to locate her, he wandered through the exquisite flowers, unconcerned about the light mist dusting his clothing. Although not his favorite weather, something about the smell of the rain mixed with the scent of the flowers was incredibly pleasant. Much to his surprise, he found he enjoyed walking through the garden in the rain.

After following several paths to their ends, he caught sight of a pale blue color, too large to be a flower. Rounding the corner, he saw Brianna sitting upon a bench with her eyes closed. Since she was leaning backward on her hands, her breasts pushed forward in a pleasing manner. His mouth dried. Tearing his eyes from the display, he noticed her slightly raised head allowed the cool droplets to drift onto her face. He envied those droplets.

“Good afternoon, Brianna,” he whispered, not wanting to spoil the perfection of the moment.

Her eyes widened as she sat up, putting her body into a more proper position. “Lord Stonemede, I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“It’s not necessary for you to use such formal address with your betrothed.”

“Thank you for the lesson. I shall remember that in the future, when I achieve such a status.”

“Have you forgotten so quickly?” Richard put his hand across his chest in mock outrage. “Two nights ago, you accepted my suit, and I have already received your father’s blessings. How could you not remember we are betrothed?”

“You spoke to my father?” Brianna shot to her feet. “How dare you speak with him without consulting me first?” Her glorious anger ignited his, but he took a deep breath and worked to reclaim his calm demeanor.

“That isn’t the natural progression of things, and, regardless, you already agreed to marry me,” Richard reminded her. “I don’t see a point in arguing about this, particularly since neither one of us have a choice in the matter.”

“You are wrong, I do have choices,” she argued, tears welling up in her eyes. “And I had chosen you.”

She was right, she did have options, but marrying him was the only one that made any sense. Without his name and support, she would not have an easy life. Richard took in every inch of her, from the stubborn set of her jaw to her balled up fists. She was a fighter, and he had no illusions she would survive with or without him. He also knew she would not choose him if she was completely averse to the idea.

“You already know where I stand,” he responded, willing her to see his sincerity.

“Has that not changed?” she asked, her eyes brimming with hope.

“That would be impossible. I still wish to marry you, and I wish to do it soon.”

“Why then were you angry when we last spoke? If you would have stayed, we could have discussed it then, and I could have had my father prepared, or at least
I
could have been prepared.”

“It no longer matters if you still wish to marry me. So, I’ll ask again. Lady Brianna Denton, will you please honor me by becoming my wife?”

Her slow smile intoxicated, as did the knowledge he had finally won.

“Yes, I’ll marry you.”

Feeling triumphant, he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her against him. As his lips captured hers, he again thought about his vision of her at Stonemede. Anticipation welled up inside him as he realized he would be spending the rest of his nights with her in his arms. During the day he would restrain her wild ways, but at night she would be free to release her stored up urges on him. Life would be perfect.

The days following the calling of the banns were a whirlwind for Brianna. Both the excitement and jealousy among her peers ran rampant, and she feared she would never again spend a quiet night at home with her family. Since her status rose due to her betrothal to the Marquis of Stonemede, the invitations increased. Her mother was so beside herself, she nearly fainted daily upon seeing the rising numbers. Much to Brianna’s dismay, her mother tried to accept them all.

Elizabeth and Lord Winsler’s relationship also progressed quickly, and Brianna wondered how her mother would handle two weddings so close together. At least Elizabeth would have more time to prepare as she had no reason to rush the wedding along. Since Madam Hershal had confirmed she only had around seven months left to carry the babe, the betrothal was much shorter than expected. Now there was less than a fortnight before she would become Lady Brianna Carrack, Marchioness of Stonemede.

The thought of her future no longer depressed her, as she hoped Richard would know her well enough to allow her as much freedom as she desired. The mere thought of him sent a shiver down her spine. Something inside of her changed, and she had no desire to be anywhere he was not.

“Lady Brianna, you must stop moving or your hair will be crooked,” Martha scolded for the third time.

“I’m sorry. I suppose I’m simply excited about the ball this evening.”

“I know, but would you not like to look your best?”

“I’ll try to keep better restraint on myself.”

Jillian’s mother was hosting a ball in honor of Brianna and Richard’s upcoming wedding, and Brianna looked forward to seeing her betrothed tonight. She had not spent as much time with him as she would prefer, but tonight would make the wait worthwhile.

Hours later at the ball, Brianna found herself content. She was overcome with the feeling her life had almost reached perfection. In between the dances, Richard remained by her side. It gave her a glimpse of how they would be once they were married. She was not unhappy with the arrangement.

At the moment he had been called away from her side, but he promised not to be long. Scanning the crowd, she could not locate him, and she expected him to have returned by now. When the notes of the next waltz sounded, her next dance partner approached her, so she grudgingly ceased her search for Richard.

“So, you are the one who caught Stonemede’s eye. I must say I don’t blame him,” Lord Kirkwood said with a lecherous grin as he spun her around the dance floor.

“Thank you, my lord.” Brianna attempted to smile at his compliment, despite her discomfort.

“He must be anxious to have you considering the haste of the wedding preparations.”

“Lord Stonemede exceeded the amount of time he wished to spend in London. He is simply looking forward to returning to his estate,” Brianna explained, jumping to his defense.

“Yes, I’m sure that is his reason,” Lord Kirkwood said, then snorted.

Luckily he didn’t wish to hold any further conversation, so the remainder of the dance passed in silence. She smiled when the song ended, and he escorted her from the dance floor. However, her relief vanished when she realized he took her in the opposite direction of her mother. His destination appeared to be the garden, where she had no intention of going with him.

“Lord Kirkwood, I’m sorry, but I believe we have passed my mother.”

“I think it would be nice for us to enjoy a stroll before returning you to your mother.”

“Thank you for the offer, but I’m too fatigued at the moment. Please escort me to my mother,” Brianna demanded, foreboding settling into her stomach.

“The weather is nice and will surely alleviate some of your exhaustion.”

“Perhaps, but I don’t wish to go out.” Brianna tried to pull her arm free of his grasp, but he held her tighter. Her heart raced as panic took over.

“If you make a scene, I’ll tell everyone we are in the middle of a lovers’ quarrel. How do you think your betrothed would feel about that?”

Brianna took in his malicious expression and shuddered. Although desperate to be rid of him, the scandal he could incite made her pause. Unsure of what to do, she stood there watching as his mouth twisted up in a victorious smile. He began to drag her forward again, and she had no option but to follow.

“Lady Brianna, where are you going?” a vaguely familiar voice asked. “I believe this is my dance.”

Lord Kirkwood growled but didn’t slow his pace. She silently prayed the gentleman would wish to dance with her enough that he would continue to press.

“Kirkwood,” the man said as he grabbed Lord Kirkwood’s shoulder. “This dance belongs to me.” The menace in his voice was clear, and Brianna wondered if she would be moved from one bad situation to another.

Lord Kirkwood jerked his arm from the man, then turned to face him. Brianna immediately felt her tension ease to see Lord Merrick. Tears of relief welled up in her eyes, for not only would Richard’s friend not harm her, but he would not leave her either.

“You seem more anxious to dance with her than appropriate. Is Stonemede aware of your desire for his property?”

“If my feelings went in that direction, it would be between Stonemede and myself,” Lord Merrick spat, then turned to her and offered his arm. “Lady Brianna, would you honor me with this dance?”

“I would be delighted, Lord Merrick,” she stammered, unable to steady her voice. After jerking her arm out of Lord Kirkwood’s grasp, she clutched onto Lord Merrick’s sleeve, drawing upon the strength she felt in him. Each step they took helped to ease her until her hand relaxed on his arm.

“Are you all right?” he asked quietly, studying her with sadness in his eyes.

“I am now. Thank you.”

“We don’t have to dance if you are not feeling up to it. I only wanted to get you away from him.”

“No, I’m perfectly fine, and I would love to dance with you,” Brianna assured, wishing she could pay him back in some way.

As they integrated with the other guests on the dance floor, she saw Richard watching Lord Merrick, his mouth a grim line. Richard nodded, indicating some silent communication passed between the men.

As Lord Merrick expertly twirled her around the room, she was surprised to see his skills had significantly improved since they had last danced.

“I believe I don’t need to tell you to stay away from Lord Kirkwood. He is never associated with anything good.”

“In the future, you can be assured I will make a point to stay as far away from him as possible.”

“I can’t believe Richard would even allow you to share one dance with him.”

“I’m not sure Lord Stonemede was aware who my next dance partner was. He was not present when Lord Kirkwood approached me.”

“I see,” Lord Merrick answered with a thoughtful expression.