The Vengeful Bridegroom (30 page)
Read The Vengeful Bridegroom Online
Authors: Kit Donner
Tags: #Romance - Historical, #American Light Romantic Fiction, #Contemporary, #General, #Romance, #Fiction, #Fiction - Romance, #Romance: Historical, #Historical, #American Historical Fiction, #Romance & Sagas, #Historical romance
He caught her by the hand before she could make good her escape. “I assume this other bag is yours? You are the only one in this household with the special scented soap balls, which could never have fooled me for the real gems. Do I look so easily duped? Fortunate I am, I had bags made with false gems.”
To answer him, she returned her gaze to his. “I was desperate and had nothing else which might do for this purpose.”
He looked at her with those devastating brown eyes. “Amazing.”
Their guests had departed at the ripe hour of eleven o’-clock after a lovely evening of cards and music. Even Mrs. Tottencott exclaimed the event and Madelene to be a success. Leaving Graham to extinguish the candles, Gabriel and Madelene made their way up to the first floor and down the hall to their bedchamber.
Leaning on his shoulder, Madelene asked, “Who is Lady Shillmont?”
He gave her a puzzled look before the realization dawned on him. His reply was full of mirth. “Why, she was Lord Shillmont’s first wife, Isadora, and a good ten years my elder. We had little in common other than we were neighbors, until she moved to Brighton to live with her sister and bequeathed her property to a distant nephew, I believe.” They stopped in the hallway, and Gabriel turned Madelene to face him, placing his hands on her shoulders.
“My love, Princess Charlotte would have had an easier time trying to catch my eye. No, my heart would have no other, not after a certain young woman faced me with a pistol on a dueling field.”
Madelene’s jaw dropped. “I might have killed my future husband! I am so very terribly sorry. Could I dare hope you have forgiven me?”
His hands slid down her back to bring her closer for his kiss. “Yes, as soon as you said, ‘I do.’” She stretched her arms around his neck and leaned in for his kiss. One kiss couldn’t last long enough, which meant another and another.
“Wife, I do believe we should continue this conversation where others cannot overhear, especially when we stop talking.”
Gabriel removed his clothes and slipped into bed with his welcoming wife already waiting for him. He began his homage to her body by kissing her shoulder, her waist, her hip.
“We must talk.”
He looked at his wife in astonishment. Surely whatever she had to say could wait. No, her expression showed sincere stubbornness.
“I don’t know how to begin,” she began and rapidly began to lose his attention as his hand found one full breast for fondling. “Gabriel, I love you.” Now she had his attention, momentarily, until he found her nipple with his mouth.
She punched him in the shoulder, ever so gently. “Did I not make myself clear?”
“Perfectly, my dear, but I already knew that.” He did stop to gaze into her shimmering eyes.
Was she about to cry?
“How could you know? It was my surprise.” Her bottom lip quivered.
I must have said something wrong.
Perhaps he should try again. “You’re right, my dear. I was not absolutely certain, but I hoped. A man can hope his wife will love him, can he not?”
Was that as sincere as it needed to be?
She smiled indulgently at him. “I have another surprise as well.”
Through with the conversation, he placed her hand on his hardened member. “As do I.” He leered at her.
She sat up, unabashedly, her naked glory on display. “Yes, that is a nice surprise, but I have a different kind. I’m, we’re going to give George a brother or a sister.”
Stunned, Gabriel sat up next to her. He thought about the family they had made together and how it was going to continue to grow. To show his infinite love, for that is what he called it, he leaned over to kiss her gently. It was not one of passion but rather a forever-kind of kiss, a promise they would keep to each other.
3 November 1812
Three Months Later
London, England
Madelene frittered with her white lace gloves while Fanny and Millie perfected her slight train. Fanny had designed Madelene’s wedding dress, only needing a slightly bigger waistline to accommodate her belly, not quite showing.
Today was Gabriel and Madelene’s wedding day. Indeed, second wedding day, she thought, but the one that meant so much more. It was Gabriel’s gift to her, one of many he had lavished on her over the past few months, content with their lives, the coming babe, watching George struggle to stand, and Falstaff looking a little more blubberly. She smiled, thinking they both ate for two, but between the two of them, the little dog had no good reason.
All the wishes and dreams couldn’t bring her father or brother to her side, but she would always savor their memory. She whispered, “Father, I am happy. I found a man who wanted me for his wife and not for the dowry I could bring him.”
And Matthew. Unintentionally, he had had a direct hand in finding her a husband, to love for all time.
She closed her eyes to remember many nights ago, when they walked to the lake, now chilled with cool air. Gabriel had reached over and pulled her cloak closer under her chin, to warm her where he couldn’t.
“This will always be a special place for me.”
She smiled at him. “Yes, for me as well.” Something seemed wrong. He didn’t look happy, and he sounded very serious.
“Madelene. I want you to marry me. Will you spend the rest of your life with me?” His warm hands held hers tightly.
“Of course, but I cannot believe you have forgotten we are already married,” she gently chided him.
“I want you to marry me again. We’ll do it the proper way this time, and I will leave you in no doubt as to the love I have for you. It is beyond knowing. It is beyond feeling. It is beyond forever.” His voice sounded gruff.
Teary-eyed, Madelene replied, “Yes, I’ll marry you, for I know the same love.”
If one had asked him, Gabriel could not have thought of one single more thing he could want in this life. With Madelene, he had everything.
ZEBRA BOOKS are published by
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Copyright © 2010 by Kit Stanford Donner
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ISBN: 978-1-4201-2223-7