A Dangerous Nativity (11 page)

"You aren't thinking," she replied. "You
can't marry me."

"Why not?" He pulled himself into the loft
and placed the lantern securely on a nail that extended from a
beam. "I'm unwed. I'm in possession of all my teeth and body parts.
I can support a wife." He stood several feet from her.

"I am the baseborn daughter of a country
scholar, who knows more about egg production than formal dinner
etiquette."

"It's easier for you to learn how to set a
table than for some society chit to learn egg production." He took
a step closer.

She tried to scoot farther back, but the wall
at her back held her in place. She scowled at his attempt at humor.
"Your best friend is one of the most powerful men in England. His
mother—"

"—is the worst sort of society dragon. I
didn't let the Duchess of Sudbury tell me who to befriend when I
was twelve, and I'm not about to start now. Neither does Glenaire.
She means nothing."

He came two steps closer. "I love you," he
whispered. "I've dared hope you return the sentiment."

"Of course I love you, you daft man. Who
wouldn't? That doesn't signify."

"On the contrary, Catherine. It matters a
great deal, so much, that nothing else does. If you can love my
poor self, why can't you marry me?" In the lamplight, he looked
like a puzzled boy, with tousled hair and a rumpled jacket.

His jacket! Her eyes widened when he removed
it and tossed it on a pile of hay. She watched in fascination while
he unwound his neck-cloth, tossed it the same way, and stretched
his neck and shoulders. "That's better," he said, coming closer.
"Why, Catherine? Tell me the real reason." He took one more step,
so that he stood so close he could reach down and touch her.

"I can't be a countess," she wailed. "I
can't. You're an earl, and I can't be your countess." She couldn't
take her eyes from the spot at his neck where his shirt gaped open.
When he went down on one knee in front of her, her heart beat
erratically.

"What—"

He put a finger to her mouth. "Quiet," he
said firmly. He took her hand.

"Miss Wheatly, having established that you
cannot marry an earl, may I ask you to marry a farmer? I'm a much
better farmer than I am an earl."

She stared, open-mouthed.

"I beg you, Miss Wheatly. My two thousand
acres, my under-producing hens, and my fading rose garden need you.
I need you. I need a companion. I need a partner. I need a lover.
Will you marry me?"

She swallowed hard. "Under-producing
hens?"

"Badly," he said, his eyes holding hers. Lost
in those eyes, she couldn't find her voice. Neither moved, until at
last Will growled, "Damn it, Catherine," and pulled her to him. The
movement unbalanced both of them, and they tumbled into the hay.
His mouth found hers, and he kissed her hungrily. She ran her hands
into his hair, but couldn't pull him close enough. She wanted to
crawl inside him. She wanted to touch him everywhere at once. She
wanted… him.

When he tore his mouth away, she whimpered
and tried to connect her lips to his. "Say it," he demanded,
pulling his head to the side. "Say 'I'll marry you, Will.'"

"I'll marry you, Will," she murmured, moving
in to kiss him. She could feel his smile under her mouth.

Voices drifted through the loft window. "We
need to test the angel part again, Randy. Get the goat," Freddy
called.

"Do we use a pulley?" Charles asked.

When Will's hands began to move over her,
reality faded away. Her last coherent thought was, this time,
Rosalinda the goat is on her own. She sank into the love of her
farmer earl.

The End

A
bout Caroline Warfield

Caroline Warfield grew up in a peripatetic
army family and had a varied career (largely centered on libraries
and technology) before retiring to the urban wilds of Eastern
Pennsylvania. She is ever a traveler and adventurer, enamored of
owls, books, history, and beautiful gardens (but not the act of
gardening). She is married to a prince among men, and happily
writing books to take her readers to historical eras set in a
variety of far flung locations..

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http://www.carolinewarfield.com/

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Dangerous Works

A little Greek is one thing; the art of love
is another. Only Andrew ever tried to teach Georgiana both.

Glenaire, Will, and Catherine all appear in
this book.

Dangerous Secrets

Jamie and Nora will dare anything for the
tiny girl in their care, even enter a sham marriage to protect her.
Will love—and the truth—bind them both together?

Will and Glenaire both appear in this
book

Dangerous Weakness

How far will Lily run from her fears? How
far will Glenaire go to protect her? To Constantinople and into the
corsairs' lair.

This is Glenaire's book. Will and Catherine
both appear in it.

To read how Randy, Fred, and Charles each
find their own happiness watch for:

The Renegade Wife
,
Randy’s story, in October 2016

The Reluctant Wife
,
Fred’s story, in April 2017

The Unexpected
Wife
,
Charles’s story, in October 2017