One True Love (11 page)

Cassie looked into Jocelyn's eyes and saw hope. Perhaps she could redeem herself and save Jocelyn from the repercussions. Lord William provided her a way out of this impossible situation, but that would mean marriage, a lifetime bond with a man she barely knew. What other choice did she possibly have? She could continue her journey to Yorkshire and leave their fates in God's hands, or she could correct her mistakes.

Marriage to Lord William held potential. Their attraction to each other gave her assurance she would not suffer the indignities of the marriage bed with someone who did not appeal to her. At least, he was handsome and kind. Cassie braced herself to face Lord William, and to accept what he offered. This unexpected turn of events changed everything.

"He is waiting for you in the drawing room." Cassie's head snapped around and she meet her mother's eyes. "Go on now. Do what must be done."

Cassie was reminded of the time when her mother scolded her for playing with her grandmother's finest china. She brooked no argument. She knew her mother expected her to accept this offer and make things right for
everyone, for Jocelyn
. She turned and caught Jocelyn's tentative smile. For Jocelyn, she would do this.

She washed her face again, stiffened her spine, and descended the stairs to face her future.

Chapter Six

William waited in the small, but well appointed drawing room of the vicarage. The soft mixture of blues, pinks, greens, and lavenders made him think of spring time, which turned his thoughts to sunshine, ultimately leading him to Miss Chambers' golden hair.

He could not wait to make her his. He dreamed of this moment, but never thought it could be a reality. He did not hesitate to come round and offer his suit once his family descended upon him, although he was surprised to learn his affections for Miss Chambers were so obvious.

He worried a bit that she might resist him and refuse his offer, but something inside him knew better. From the moment they met, something lay between them; something they were now free to explore.

His arrival shocked and pleased Cassie's parents. They thought her ruined, and he could tell they were truly devastated she was forced to go away, but they thought it best to save her and Jocelyn from Society's disdain.

He wondered what happened on the road to Scotland and back, but he would not press the issue now. It did not matter. The only thing that counted was making Miss Chambers
Lady William
Prescott
. He wanted to show her Rosehill Manor, to let her have her way with the decor, not to mention the man of the house. He smiled at the taste of her lips, and the feel of her breast against his hand. Yes, married life would suit him well.

The door to the drawing room finally opened. Cassie's face was face drawn, and her eyes were red and puffy from crying. He wanted to go to her, wrap his arms around her, and reassure her everything would be fine. Time would heal all wounds, and once he wooed and seduced her, he felt certain she would put all of this in the past forever. He counted on their physical connection to get them through the first days of their marriage.

His smile reached her. She smiled back, shyly turning her eyes to the floor; a blush blooming on her cheeks. He knew she was embarrassed, but he vowed to wipe the pain away, for her. "Miss Chambers."

"My lord."

"Please, come and sit down. I have something I wish to discuss with you."

She appeared grateful for the opportunity to sit and fairly collapsed on the rose colored sofa. She twisted a handkerchief in her hands, kept her eyes in her lap, and chewed on her lower lip. He lowered himself beside her on bended knee, and took her hands then forced her to abandon her handkerchief. He lifted her chin with his index finger in order to meet her eyes.

And then he kissed her.

Her lips were sweet, succulent, like a fine wine after dinner. She was the dessert, and he wanted to taste her, all of her. He wanted to kiss and lick every inch of her. He hardened painfully at the thought then broke away to look at her. She was so unbelievably beautiful that his heart swelled.

"We have had this connection since the moment we met. There is something between us, something I believe will grow if we cherish it, feed it, and water it like the rarest rose. I feel as if we have been given this chance, and I for one am willing to risk everything to take it. Marry me Cassandra. Be my wife, the mother of my children. Let me take you home to Rosehill Manor."

She stared at him as if she could not believe her ears. "Do you not want to know what happened before you make this offer?" Although it killed him to think this Parker fellow may have taken her virginity from her before they were wed, he did not care. He refused to consider it. She would be his. He would seer his image into her mind and on her body, so she never forgot who she belonged to.

"No. What happened
happened
. You are free to be mine and that is all that matters."

"This offer is rather generous of you. I am a disgraced woman after all. What about your family? If I marry you will it not bring shame to your parents and siblings?"

He laughed and thought of his siblings, all of his sisters in a line, standing over him, waiting for him to charge out on his white horse and rescue the damsel in distress, and even his brother Stephen participated in the girl's romantic plot. At least Elizabeth would consider it a plot. No, he did not worry about his family or the possibility of a scandal.

"Except for their nosy interference in all of our affairs you do not need to worry about my family." William reached up and kissed the end of her pert nose. "They will stand behind us with unwavering support, and Cassie, this too shall pass."

"Why do you want to marry me?"

He smiled and he took her face in his hands and kissed her again. He kissed her until she opened to him and her arms moved around his neck, and her hands thrust into his hair. He moved his lips from her mouth to her ear and whispered, "I need you Cassie. I have thought of nothing or no one else except you. I want you in my home, in my life, in my bed." Then his mouth crashed down over hers and showed her the strength of his determination. A little mewling sound like a kitten escaped her throat. She kissed him back with matching need and fire, and the determination to possess. He opened his eyes long enough to get a foggy glance at his surroundings and remembered where they were.

"Marry me, Cassandra Chambers."

"Yes, I will marry you. I will be your wife!" She threw her arms around him and pressed herself against him. He held her for several long moments before he pulled away then brought out a small box from his pocket.

He opened the gift and presented it to her. She gasped. "It is beautiful."

The gold ring was set with a large emerald surrounded by diamonds. It reminded him of her eyes, sparkling, and full of life. He removed it from the box and placed it on her finger.

***

The moment the word "yes" left Cassie's mouth, the Prescott women swooped down and pulled her into a whirlwind of planning, shopping, and fittings. Her transformation took place in twenty-four hours time, which turned out to be a good thing, since it gave her less time to think, and less time to consider what she had done.

As she walked down the stairs to the drawing room to meet Lord William, she knew she would say yes. If she turned down his offer she would be well on her way to the far side of England, to the Yorkshire moors; the land of nowhere. Her family, but most especially Jocelyn, would struggle with the consequences of her actions.

Marriage to a powerful Prescott, and an alliance with such a family, not only saved her from ruin, but saved her family from disgrace. This was for the best; she was sure of it.

Over the next two nights before her wedding, she laid awake thinking about Lord William, his sweet words spoken to her as he proposed, and his fiery kisses. She felt swept away each time he came near, flushed with warmth, and the strongest desire to wrap herself into him and stay there forever. He would make her a good husband: kind and gentle, and
passionate
.

A small part of her worried how her betrayal would make Mr. Parker feel when he heard of her marriage. She knew in her heart she did the right thing. If she would have married Mr. Parker, the marriage would have been a disaster. He would have come to resent her, possibly hate her. No, she did not regret coming back home. She simply regretted leaving home in the first place. She should have taken the time to think Mr. Parker's proposal through, to ask more questions, to form an intelligent, instead of emotional, opinion. Then perhaps she would have cried off, and that would have been that.

She could not turn back the hands of time. A piece of her heart broke and whisked away in the winter winds on that day, but now she had another chance, a chance to start over, to mend her heart, and set things to right. Lord William was her savior, her rescuer, and she was determined to be a good wife to him.

Now there was to be a wedding, and Lady Prescott's personal seamstress, whom she kept in full time employment at Nightingale Hall, created a silver confection to dazzle the eyes. The silk gown flowed down Cassie's body like a waterfall. The cut of the gown held a burgundy ribbon in place just below her breasts. She thought the gown too low cut, and she wondered what her father might think, but all of the Prescott ladies, as well as her mother and Jocelyn, reassured her the gown was the perfect cut and fit, and completely acceptable.

The Chambers family gathered with the Prescott family, the local gentry, and a few close friends in the drawing room of Nightingale Hall for the wedding. Her father did the honor of marrying them then pronouncing them man and wife, and during the ceremony, she noticed how he choked up once, and worked to regain his composure. At that moment, she never felt more loved and forgiven.

Lord William took her breath away in his black suit and white shirt with an elegantly tied starched white cravat. He beamed at her as she entered the room, and his smile melted her heart, and made her feel warm all over. Her breasts strained against the material of her gown, and swelled into tight, little buds. She flushed and prayed no one noticed.

At the end of the ceremony, the groom kissed his bride with the briefest of touches. She was a bit disappointed, but decided he probably preferred to spare her from public display. The kiss may have been fleeting, but she knew there would be many others, and they would be a far cry from short and chaste.

A small part of her forced herself to close off her thoughts of Mr. Parker, and the guilt she felt for marrying someone else so soon after she cried off. She prayed he would understand, forgive her, and find someone else to love. She did not understand why Lord William became her fate and destiny, but deep in her bones she knew this day was right, preordained, and meant to be.

The wedding breakfast was a merry occasion with an abundance of food, champagne, and laughter. She wondered if she would ever get used to the Prescotts. The noise roared in her ears, and she found it difficult to keep up with the flowing conversation, their private jokes, and constant movement. They were a bundle of energy, a force to be reckoned with, and they were a family full of love and affection. She could not recall ever receiving so many smiles and hugs during one day in her life. By the time she was settled into Lord William's carriage to go to Rosehill Manor, she was ready to collapse from exhaustion.

***

William sat next to his bride, wrapped his arm around her, and pulled her head to rest on his chest. Cassie did not hesitate or pull away, but instead, closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

She seemed happy today, perhaps a bit overwhelmed, but happy, except for the haunted shadows that occasionally flicked around her eyes. He ran his hand along her arm and breathed in her fresh, clean lemony scent, then wondered how she really felt about their wedding. Was she disappointed her groom was not Mr. Parker? He clamped down on his jaw, and suppressed the envy that rose its' ugly head. She was his now, and after tonight, he was certain she would know it as well.

He hoped his new bride would stay awake for the consummation of their vows. A few hours rest before dinner would do her some good, especially since he had a long night planned for her. He would take his time, savor every moment, show her the ways of physical love and passion, and make her his forever.

William was grateful to his family for their support, and how quickly they pulled together an elegant wedding, complete with flowers and music, an assortment of foods and desserts, and continuously flowing champagne. The day was perfect, and tonight all would be complete.