His Perfect Bride (29 page)

“I was referring to the other message.”

“What other message? I only received one.”

“Oh, perhaps Harris is waiting for an opportunity to leave his station. I do hope he has a chance before Lord Stonemede arrives.”

“Hmm, maybe I should save him the trouble,” Martin suggested.

“That might be best.”

Martin nodded and then hastily scrambled around the manor to the servants’ entrance. When he was out of sight, she turned her attention to the mare. Gently stroking her neck, Brianna grabbed the reins and climbed onto the seat of the wagon. Knowing she only had a few short minutes, she urged the mare forward.

She held her breath until she was out of view of the manor. Considering her ruse would soon be uncovered, she knew there was not much time. The only thing that could work in her favor was Martin’s reluctance to admit his gullibility and therefore turn her in.

Pulling the mare to a halt at the seamstress’s house, Brianna jumped down from the wagon and followed the path to knock on the door. If she finished her errand soon, she could leave and be on her way home before Richard found her. Or at least if she remained ensconced with the fabrics, he would allow her to complete her errand before dragging her back.

“Lady Stonemede, it’s so nice that you could come by. Please come in,” Mrs. Stevenson exclaimed.

“Thank you.” Brianna followed her inside and took the offered seat in the front room.

“Would you care for some tea?”

“Perhaps once I have made my fabric selections.”

On one hand Brianna wanted to stay and delay the upcoming argument with Richard, but she could not be certain of his reaction when he discovered her here. She would be mortified if he demanded she leave before completing her purpose.

“Very good, my lady. I’ll collect them for you,” Mrs. Stevenson agreed, then left the room.

When she returned, her hands were full with various squares of fabric. Brianna’s eyes widened in delight as Mrs. Stevenson settled them on the table. There were more to choose from than she thought.

“Here are all the choices I located that would provide the most comfort but also be elegant as you requested.”

“These are wonderful.”

Lifting one square of material, Brianna determined it could potentially accommodate a growing stomach, or at least to a certain point. Placing it aside, she shifted through the other materials, admiring the various shades. Her desire to paint returned as the colors began to demand she take them and bring them to life on canvas. Being so absorbed with the fabric, she jumped to see Richard glowering down at her.

“I was not aware you wished to join me, my lord.” Brianna’s eyes shot to Mrs. Stevenson. The woman seemed thrilled to have Richard in her home, and nothing in her stance indicated she could sense the tension radiating between Richard and Brianna.

“I thought I was clear.” His tone appeared unperturbed, but his eyes told a different story.

Brianna swallowed and, keeping her voice light, said, “Well, I’ll be a few minutes more, if you are willing to wait.”

“As you wish.” He didn’t relax his stance or make any move to sit down.

Forcing herself to ignore him, Brianna picked up a piece of cloth, examined the texture and detail, then set it aside, unable to focus her attention on anything other than her husband.

“That color would look lovely on you,” Mrs. Stevenson commented on the next square Brianna picked up.

“Well, I can see that I will only be in the way here. I shall leave you two ladies to your business and wait outside.” After politely inclining his head to Mrs. Stevenson, Richard stalked from the house.

Brianna uneasily watched his retreating back. The fond feelings the colors brought her disappeared. She had expected his anger, but being faced with it proved much harder than she thought.

“Are you all right, my lady?” Mrs. Stevenson inquired, concern creasing her brow.

“I’m sorry. I suppose I’m lost in thoughts.” Brianna forced a smile. “I have made my selections. These two are perfect.”

“I agree.” Mrs. Stevenson took the two squares and nodded her approval. “Would you care to choose the trim for the patterns we discussed?”

“I’ll leave that to your discretion.”

Part of her wanted to stay and select anything she could in order to delay facing Richard, but she didn’t want to take the chance. Although he may need the time to cool down, she decided forcing him to wait outside would not obtain the desired effect.

“I assure you, it will be exceptional,” Mrs. Stevenson guaranteed, while collecting the remainder of the fabric samples. “Would you and Lord Stonemede like to stay for tea?”

“Perhaps another time. I believe Lord Stonemede is anxious to return home.”

“I understand. I’ll get to work on your garments promptly. They will be prepared long before your guests are scheduled to arrive.”

“Thank you,” Brianna replied, forcing herself to her feet.

She followed the seamstress to the door while preparing her argument in case Richard confronted her immediately. Once outside, she noticed his stallion, Riley, tied to the back of the wagon, but Richard was nowhere in sight. Taking a deep breath to calm her tight nerves, she stepped closer to the wagon. He could not be far, and she imagined he would not be long either.

“Thank you again for making the trip here,” Mrs. Stevenson said.

“It was a pleasure, as was your hospitality.”

With a cheery smile, the seamstress disappeared inside her house. Brianna searched for Richard. He could not be found on the other side of the carriage, or down the road. She debated untying Riley and taking the wagon back to the manor, but decided it would only increase Richard’s wrath. Giving up, she climbed into the wagon and took hold of the reins, prepared to wait.

“Going somewhere without me?” Richard asked as he exited the house next to Mrs. Stevenson’s.

Her mouth dropped open at his assumption. She hoped he didn’t truly believe she would leave him with no way of returning home.

“Of course not. I’m waiting for you as you did for me.”

“That isn’t the way it appears from here,” he informed her, striding forward.

“Be reasonable. What could leaving you here possibly gain me?”

“Time.”

The one word gave her chills, but she refused to respond. Although her trip to the seamstress was not successful in proving she could take care of herself, her point was still valid.

His eyes never left hers as he climbed in beside her and took the reins out of her slack hands. Without a word, he flicked the reins and turned the wagon back to Stonemede.

She wanted to start the conversation so they would be finished before they reached the manor, but after judging his mood, she changed her mind. His lips were drawn in a tight line, and his gaze never wavered from the road.

Seeing Richard navigate down a side path, she let out a sigh of relief, and allowed herself a small smile. Even knowing he planned to yell at her without being overheard, she still could not bring herself to be upset at the prospect of seeing more of the land.

After he pulled the wagon to a halt, Brianna sighed in amazement at the beauty surrounding them. The field was green, alive, and covered with different varieties of wild flowers. A cool stream trickled by, filling the air with its crisp freshness.

Not waiting for his help, she jumped down and walked across the soft grass. She wanted to lose herself and become part of the beauty before her. Working hard to take in every aspect of the scenery, she committed it to memory in order to draw upon it later when she was alone with her canvas. Unable to keep the pleasure off her face, she turned back to see Richard watching her closely, a small half-smile on his lips.

“This place is incredible,” she breathed, unable to gain control over her exuberance. She knew his purpose for bringing her here didn’t include her enjoyment.

“I must have pictured you here a thousand times, and I must say, your reaction does not disappoint.”

“I’m happy to please you, my lord.” She shifted uncomfortably, unsure of how he wanted her to act. He stood completely still with his gaze firmly fixed upon her. She could not discern what he was feeling or what he expected of her now.

“Come here,” he demanded.

Not wishing to upset him further, she took the few steps until she was within his arms reach.

“What do you want of me?” she asked.

“Tell me why you disobeyed me.”

“As I told you, I don’t wish to undertake anything dangerous. I was perfectly safe visiting with the seamstress. Since you didn’t want to listen to my reasoning, I decided showing you was the only solution.”

“You were safe this time, but what would you have done if the mare threw a shoe? Do you have any idea what walking the entire way back would do to you or our child?”

“I can’t imagine walking would cause any damage, and, besides, the odds of that occurrence are very slight,” Brianna retorted. If he intended to keep her captive due to ridiculous excuses for the next six months, he would not like the results.

“There are countless other incidents that could occur as well. Regardless, you are never to disobey me again, under any circumstances. The next time I will not be so generous. Do you understand?”

“What if you are being unreasonable?”

“Enough,” he bellowed, then took a deep breath. “You will not disobey me again.”

“Yes, my lord,” she acceded, feeling the bitterness well up inside her.

“See, that was not so hard.” He placed a finger under her chin and lifted her face to his. “I’m only looking out for your well-being.”

Brianna tried to shrug from his grasp, but his arm wrapped around her and held her in place. She knew he could see defiance shining in her eyes, and she took pleasure in the tightening of his jaw. His eyes narrowed, and he held her tight against him before claiming her mouth. Theirs was a struggle for supremacy, and she was certainly not going to lose.

Once his hands slid down her back and cupped her bottom, she realized he intended to play dirty, and she would not win this battle. Desire sprung from her anger, filling her body until she no longer cared about obtaining control. Everything faded into the background as they fell onto the cool grass. Her last coherent thought was how pleased she was that her disobedience could bring about such a reaction.

Chapter 17

Richard wiped the perspiration from his brow and gratefully accepted the offered glass of water. The old footbridge had become so rotted with age it had collapsed, nearly causing a farmer to lose a horse and a cart full of vegetables.

Immediately, he and several of his tenants had begun working to repair it. Once they had finished their task, someone mentioned several other bridges in similar states of disrepair, so they continued along to fix those as well. The physical labor, although tiring, did good to help ease Richard’s anger at Brianna.

Yesterday, he had not planned to take it easy on Brianna, but after seeing her enjoyment of one of his favorite places, all thoughts of retribution fled from his mind. It was the very location he envisioned her being for so long. She was so sweet and loving. He let her go with no further punishment.

Irritation still plagued him at how easily she had escaped from Stonemede in the first place. Since he had already notified the servants that they needed confirmation from him before allowing Brianna to leave the manor, this should not have happened. Now he faced another unsettling choice. Deciding if he honestly wanted to lower her position even further in the servants’ eyes by having a footman shadow her every step.

The idea of bending her to his will had never been something he took lightly, and he had known it would be a difficult chore. However, at the time, he anticipated her having at least a small amount of fear for her safety.

“We have done good work today, my lord,” Reginald Thornton proclaimed, surveying the bridge with a satisfied smile on his lips.

“We were able to accomplish a fair amount of work in such a short period of time.” Richard clapped the man on the back. Although not a young man, Reginald was one of the hardest workers Richard had ever known. Having such a man as a tenant was an honor. After joining him for a respite, Richard realized his tenant held the answer to his problem.

Later that night after dinner, he and Brianna enjoyed a quiet evening in the drawing room. Balancing a glass of brandy with the tips of his fingers and the arm of the chair, he began to study his wife. She was engaged in some type of embroidery, but from the expression on her face, she was not enjoying the task.

Although he knew he was doing what was best for her, he did agree she needed more freedom. She also needed someone she could talk to and confide in besides him. That was the reason he chose Mrs. Thornton to be a companion for her. Brianna would have a confidant, freedom, and protection at the same time.

“I was able to reconnect with an old acquaintance today,” Richard said, breaking the silence.

“Oh.” She didn’t lift her eyes from her fabric.

“Her name is Maude Thornton,” he continued, hoping to gain her attention. To his surprise, not only did her interest pique, but her eyes flashed to his, her sewing forgotten.

“Who is she?” Brianna demanded, an odd note in her voice.

“The wife of one of my tenants, Reginald Thornton. After repairing the footbridge, I had the honor of enjoying their hospitality.”

“How nice for you.” Her clenched teeth and narrowed eyes proved the sentiments she expressed were false.

Richard could not understand her unusual reaction. It was impossible that she could dislike Mrs. Thornton, considering the two of them had never met. Brianna would have to give the woman a chance, for he would not allow his wife to be unkind to her.

“Yes, she is rather nice,” he replied, pretending to be unaware of her reaction. “Regardless, she will be coming by tomorrow, and I expect you to treat her with the utmost respect.”

Brianna gasped and jumped up from her chair. “I most certainly will not! This goes beyond the actions of the most heinous crimes, and I will not have it. You will not bring your
lady
friend here, tomorrow or ever!”

Richard stared at her beautiful face, red with fury, and could not suppress his laughter. The thought of Mrs. Thornton as his lover was comical, and the way Brianna translated his words only added to his amusement. Sobering up, he glanced over at his wife, his chest swelling at the idea of her jealousy.

“You misunderstand, my dear. Mrs. Thornton is married to Reginald, who is the most loyal of men. The two of them have been married more years than I have seen, and they have six grown children now. I have no interest in her, at least not in the way you are thinking.”

“Oh. I apologize for my rash behavior.”

Her face was still red, but he assumed it was from embarrassment rather than anger. He watched as she collected her embroidery from the floor and reclaimed her seat. Richard could not help but shake his head, strangely pleased by her reaction.

“Don’t worry. I must admit, given my lack of explanation your assumption was understandable.” He offered her an encouraging smile. “As I was saying, I have invited Mrs. Thornton here tomorrow morning. I think she would make a pleasant female companion for you.”

“What makes you believe I’m in need of an attendant?”

“You have expressed on numerous occasions how you missed spending time with Miss Ashley and Lady Grace. I simply hoped with Mrs. Thornton here, you would miss your family a little less.”

“I appreciate your thoughtfulness. I’ll be delighted to meet her.”

With that, Brianna lifted her sewing and continued pushing the needle in and out of the fabric. This time her face held a glimmer of something more than irritation.

“I know what he said, Maude, but I don’t see the harm,” Brianna said for what seemed like the hundredth time this week. Several of the guests already arrived for the festivities, but the one carriage she waited for had been spotted in the distance.

“I’m sorry, my lady, but I can’t allow you to wait outside.”

“Why not? The carriage will be arriving within minutes.”

“It’s raining, and that is reason enough.”

“The rain does not bother me. However, to appease you, I promise to stay close by the house. Be assured that not a drop of water will land on my clothing,” Brianna promised.

She felt like a child again, futilely begging her mother to accede her point. As the lady of the house, she didn’t need Maude’s approval, but she respected the woman too much to completely ignore her wishes.

“I can’t allow it.”

Sagging her shoulders, Brianna nodded and then made her way to the drawing room to wait for her guests. She learned quickly that Richard’s kind offer of a companion really meant a personal guard who only followed his orders. Unfortunately, when she realized his intent, it had been too late to dismiss Maude.

Brianna spoke to Richard about it, but he simply pointed out all the small concessions she was allowed now. The only stipulation being that Maude stay by her side. Although the freedom to walk through the garden or outside around the manor was a blessing, she felt more smothered now than ever before.

Remembering Lord Jonathan’s words, she tried to fight back and not allow Richard to extinguish her spark, but the struggle proved wearisome. Arguing when confident there was a chance of victory was one thing, but knowing you would lose made it a different experience.

When Richard joined her in the drawing room to welcome their guests, she could not find it within her to return his smile. She noticed his concerned gaze slide to Maude, then back to her, but she didn’t care.

“Brianna, are you feeling all right?” Richard watched her intently as he took the seat directly across from her.

“I’m fine, my lord.”

Richard opened his mouth, but after another look at Maude, he closed it. Brianna decided to ignore the pair of them. They could have their private communications without her interruption.

Trying to concentrate on reclaiming her excitement for her family’s arrival, she turned her attention back to the door. Regrettably, she felt her husband’s eyes on her and thought of nothing else.

“My lord.” Harris appeared in the doorway. “Lord and Lady Ransley, Lady Grace, and Lady Elizabeth are here.”

“Please send them in,” Richard instructed.

Brianna jumped to her feet feeling rejuvenated, but restrained herself from running to them. The sight of her family’s smiling faces made her want to cry with joy. She focused on staying calm and willed the tears to refrain from streaking down her face. Richard would expect his marchioness to act properly, and she was determined to show him she was capable.

Rubbing a hand across the front of her dress, she wondered if her family would be pleased to discover her pregnancy. Considering how slight the evidence was, she and Richard decided it best to not inform anyone as of yet. However, that didn’t stop her burning curiosity or desire to tell them the news.

“Welcome to Stonemede,” her husband greeted them as the group filed into the drawing room. “I’m pleased you were able to arrive safely in this dismal weather.”

“Yes. We are very pleased you have made the trip,” Brianna added.

“It’s an honor to be invited,” her father said as he clapped Richard’s shoulder.

“We were not expecting to be welcomed so soon after the wedding,” her mother informed them, then her eyes turned to meet Brianna’s. “However, I’m overjoyed, for I have missed you greatly.” Her mother walked forward and enveloped her in a tight hug.

“I have missed you all as well.” Brianna could not manage to increase her voice to an acceptable volume for fear her tears would spill over. However, when Grace approached her, she no longer could keep her emotions in check, and she held her sister tighter and longer than normal.

After the welcomes were made, she forced herself to remember her duties as hostess. She wanted to stay with her family longer and hear of everything she missed this past month, but she knew there would be time later.

“I’m sure you all are weary from your journey. If you would come this way, Mrs. Evans can show you to your rooms,” Brianna announced, earning a proud smile from her husband. Although she was not happy with him, it still made her feel good to please him.

Once her family had an opportunity to settle in and change out of their traveling costumes, they integrated in with the other guests. Her father joined the men in Richard’s study while her mother, Grace, and Elizabeth visited in the drawing room with the ladies.

After spending almost two hours reuniting with her mother and sister, as well as conversing with the other guests, Brianna felt she sufficiently fulfilled her duty as hostess for now. Excusing herself, she decided to seek out Ashley. Besides Richard, Ashley was the only person who knew her secret, and Brianna looked forward to being in her friend’s company. Luckily Ashley was in her assigned bedchamber unpacking.

“I’m so glad you came up to see me,” Ashley exclaimed, hugging Brianna.

“I’m just happy you joined the others for the journey to Stonemede.” Brianna followed her friend, and then sat with her on the bed. “Now tell me everything I have missed.”

Ashley told her of Elizabeth’s and Lord Winsler’s courtship, as well as all the gossip skittering around London. It felt comforting to forget her problems and enjoy a carefree conversation as she and Ashley had done many times before.

“Now tell me, how have you been?” Ashley directed. “I know you were not anticipating this life, although you were taken with Lord Stonemede.”

“It has actually progressed further than that. I love him.”

“Oh, Brianna, I’m so happy for you! It all worked out for the best then.”

“I suppose it did,” Brianna agreed, smiling weakly.

“You are not happy. Before your wedding, you were acting odd. Is this what you expected to happen?” Ashley waved a hand toward Brianna as if her misery was painted across her face.

“In part. I had no idea I would practically be held captive.”

“What do you mean?”

“He does not allow me to do anything. The places I’m allowed to visit are minimal, and I must take a guard with me. I don’t know if his reason is concern for our child, or if he really believes I’m that untrustworthy.”

“Have you discussed this with him?”

“Many times, but he will not budge. The worst part of the whole situation is with all the restrictions, I’m no longer inspired to paint.”

“I’m so sorry. I honestly thought he was different, that he would be good for you.” Then Ashley’s face brightened a little. “Perhaps with your family here Lord Stonemede will grant you more freedom. Then he will see you are responsible enough to keep yourself out of trouble. Once we are gone, there will be no reason to resume his restrictions.”

“Maybe,” Brianna mumbled, knowing she could not do anything to persuade her husband to change his mind.

However, she did feel Ashley was right about being granted concessions with her family here. Tomorrow would be a perfect opportunity to test the theory. Surely he would allow her to take Grace somewhere without the presence of a chaperone.

Smiling, Brianna thanked Ashley and left to check on the dinner preparations.

Later that night, as she readied herself for bed, she could not help feeling overwhelming pride for how well the evening had gone. Her first dinner party as hostess went smoothly, at least by her standards, and she also received compliments from some of the guests.

Luckily, tomorrow her hostess duties would be light as the gentlemen were planning a hunting trip. After the ladies settled would be a perfect opportunity for her to escape with Grace. She only needed a plan for them.

Over the course of the day, she had kept her communications with her husband to a minimum, but now she was anxious to hear his thoughts. Ever since Maude had returned home, Richard had been eyeing her cautiously, and she wondered what her companion told him.

Hearing the expected knock, she turned from her dressing table to face the door adjoining her bedchamber with her husband’s. As usual, he was clothed in his dressing gown; however, he hesitated in the doorway instead of approaching her immediately.

“Are you feeling better?” he inquired.