True Love's Deception (book 3) (The Fielding Brothers Saga)

True Love’s Deception

(
previously
published under a different pen name, Phyllis)

Marie Higgins

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or
dead,
is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

True Love’s Deception

Previously published under a different pen name

Copyright
© 2011 by Marie Higgins

Cover Design by Sheri
McGathy

Edition License Notes

This
ebook
is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This
ebook
may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.

For more information about author:
 
http://mariehiggins84302.blogspot.com

Not even lies can deceive the heart.

Juliana Beaumont wants to keep her freedom—and her grandmother’s estate in Scotland. But can she do both? Especially when her father demands she marries a man from England before he can give her an inheritance.

Andrew Dean is tired of being the stable help, and jumps at the chance of playing Miss Juliana’s pretend husband. But he doesn’t believe in marrying unless it’s in a church. He hopes Juliana doesn’t discover that they are legally married until he can make her fall in love with him. But a secret that has been hidden in his memory for twenty years may just keep them apart.

Dedication

To my two wonderful critique partners who read through this story and stayed with me until the very end. Thanks Anne Marie Carroll, and Deborah
Hymon
. And my wonderful new editor, Veronica…I wouldn’t have been able to do this without you!

Chapter One

Scotland, 1853

Juliana Beaumont glared at the one-horse carriage in front of her house and the insipid driver readying to depart the long drive. She wished the man holding the reins would ignite into a ball of fire and turn to ash.

The portly man swung his head her way, his bushy gray brows forming a straight line. “Be certain to inform your grandmother of our talk.” He pointed his chubby finger at her. “She has three months to pay me.”

Juliana planted her hands on her hips. “And I say we need nine months.”

“
Three,
and that’s final.”

“You will get your money.”
Inconsiderate fop!
“Even if I have to hand deliver it and thrust it up your—”

“Miss Juliana.
Watch
yer
temper.”
Her grandmother’s very proper Scottish maid, Pearl, grabbed Juliana’s arm.

Juliana waited until the collector drove his carriage to the gates before she stomped her foot. “That greedy man needs to feel the brunt of my temper. Why, he has no scruples at all.” Juliana met Pearl’s wide brown eyes. “How dare he presume I’m going to kiss his feet like all the other
prissies
around here?” Juliana folded her arms across her chest. “I think not. I’d rather box his ears.”

“But, Miss Juliana, ye have to think of
yer
ailin
’ grandmother. She would have the vapors if she heard the way
ye’d
talked to him just now.”

Juliana shrugged and glanced at her grandmother’s old butler, Wilbur. “And why is Mr. Melville making such threats when he knows
Grandmama
cannot possibly afford to pay him at this time? In my opinion, that doesn’t show any character at all.”

“Now, lass,” Wilbur said in a soothing tone, “Mr. Melville has to be demanding in his line of business. He’s the solicitor for the bank. It’s his nature to make threats.”

Juliana huffed. “But hasn’t
Grandmama
been the most charitable woman in this county? Her kind heart and generous pocketbook have benefited many over the past twenty years.”

“Aye,” he said. “Her generosity and her failing health are the very reasons she’s low on funds.”

“It’s just not fair.” Juliana grabbed the sides of her skirt and lifted it, darting up the wide steps to the manor. As she marched inside the house and across the marbled foyer, she pulled off her leather gloves and threw them on the wooden stand, knocking a couple of letters to the floor.

“Mr. Melville has no heart,” she continued as Pearl knelt to retrieve the envelopes scattered on the Persian rug. “We need nine months, not three, and he wouldn’t even consider it. He acted like he didn’t hear a word I had said.”

“
Ye’re
also a lady, lass.” The middle-aged maid stood and smoothed her apron over her wide hips. “Most women aren’t like you and wouldn’t dare verbalize their thoughts with a man in his profession.”

“I’ll do it with anyone at any time...as long as
Grandmama
would allow.”

And therein lay the problem. Juliana’s grandmother tried to make her act like a lady no matter how badly the hoyden inside the granddaughter wanted to fight it.
Grandmama
blamed it on Juliana’s temper. But her temperament would do her no good now. How could they pay the creditors if their funds were depleting? Her inheritance would pay everything off and they’d still have money to spare, but her twenty-third birthday wasn’t approaching fast enough. Although, according to her father, she’d receive her inheritance if she married before her birthday. That was something she didn’t want to do for a very long time. She was happy living with her grandmother and she didn’t need a man to ruin her life.

One thing for certain, she couldn’t ask her father to pay her
grandmama’s
debts. Her father’s anger toward her maternal grandmother was too strong.

“Lass, this letter came for ye this
mornin
’ while ye were out riding.” Pearl held out the missive.

Juliana glanced at the envelope. She groaned.
‘Twas
her father’s seal.
She took it and tore it open. “I wonder what Father wants this time?”

“Probably the usual.
He and his wife wish to see you married.”

“Precisely.
Thankfully, they won’t live long enough to witness that
glorious
day.” Juliana flipped open the envelope and read the letter.

“Dearest Juliana, Your twenty-third birthday is nearly upon us and I’m discouraged you haven’t been looking for a suitable man to wed. Because of your inability to find a husband, you have forced me to change my mind about your inheritance. If you are not married by your birthday, I will divide your inheritance amongst local charities here in England. I regret I’m forced to take such swift action, but I am only thinking of your future.”

Fear gripped Juliana’s chest and she sagged against a nearby chair. Her hand trembled as she read on.

“I would like for you to return to home to Kent as soon as possible. Your stepmother and I have arranged a ball in your honor in a fortnight. If you ignore this letter, I will pass on your inheritance to those I have indicated.”

A sickening knot tightened her stomach. She shook her head. “He cannot...he would not dare...” She moistened her cotton-dry throat with a swallow.
“Oh, no!”

“Honey?”
Pearl stepped in front of her. “What is it?”

The room tilted and Juliana’s vision blurred. She needed air. She needed time to think and not to panic...yet.

Juliana groaned under her breath. She pushed Pearl aside, hurried out the front door and flew down the steps. If her father wanted to play this game, she could play along. He had never held tender feelings for her maternal grandmother since he blamed the older woman for Juliana’s mother’s death—which was ludicrous.

Ever since Juliana came to Scotland to care for her grandmother, her father had tried to coerce Juliana into returning home. For years, he had known her distaste about marriage. So why was he pushing her now?

But if she played along, she would make her own rules.

“I need to find a man. Immediately!” she grumbled.

Juliana kicked a clod of dirt as she marched away from the estate and toward a grove of trees. She crumpled the devastating letter and stuffed it in the waist of her skirt. Tears filled her eyes, and she swiped them away. Crying was an unacceptable behavior right now. She was not a child, and so would not behave as one.

She stopped beside a tree and pushed her palm against it, the bark lightly scraping her skin. A deep ache started in her forehead and she rubbed it. Apparently, marriage had not been suitable for her mother when she was alive, and since Juliana was just like her, wedlock would not be right for her either.
Especially if it meant living in that godforsaken place with her father, stepmother and stepsister.

Juliana took a deep breath and willed the throb in her skull to disappear. Unfortunately, she must abide her father’s wishes. If she didn’t, she’d lose her inheritance...which meant she’d lose everything, especially her grandmother’s estate. She loved the heather, the loamy earth, even the cold stones of the low wall that ran down the path to the pond.