The Accidental Courtesan (41 page)

The shock of the tale overwhelmed Noelle. Her mother had loved someone once and had been forced to wed Father instead?

“I didn't know.” All these years her mother had a secret of her own. Thwarted love. No wonder she was so bitter. “Why didn't you tell me this before now?”

“I thought with Father gone, it didn't matter anymore. I thought you'd see how happy Margaret and I are and open yourself to finding love.” Eva paused and closed her hand over Noelle's. “When I heard you'd stubbornly refused Mister Blackwell, I knew I had to do something. It is high time you forget the past and look forward to a happy future.”

Noelle put her hands over her face. All her notions about marriage and men were clouded by misinformation. It wasn't her father who hadn't tried in her parents' marriage. Her mother had pushed him away.

“How stupid I've been,” Noelle said miserably. She'd chased Gavin off. Three days had passed without a word. He was probably pleased to be rid of her and her antics.

“Not stupid. Misinformed,” Eva said, as if reading her mind. “You saw only what was placed before you. Your mother and our father never stood a chance in their marriage when your mother loved someone else. That was why he fell in love with my mother.” Eva placed a hand to her head and smiled. “It is a wonder we three sisters are not inmates of Bedlam, with the upbringing we've had.”

“Truly,” Noelle agreed. She leaned back and looked at the ceiling. “What a muddle. Gavin will never have me now. He declared his love and I stomped all over it. How he must hate me.” He should hate her. He'd taken a second chance at love and she'd scorned him. What else could he think?

“Nonsense.” Eva stood and pulled her roughly from the bed. Noelle stumbled to gain her footing. “In fact, I am so confident Mister Blackwell will wed you, I have sent Nicholas off to make the arrangements.”

“You've done what?” Noelle asked, but her sister had already walked to the wardrobe and stuck her head inside. So Noelle stood, twisting her fingers over the news, unsure of the next step. Eva had taken her future in her hands, and Noelle was left either to accept that a wedding was imminent or to run screaming for some far corner of the world like a coward.

It an instant, she chose the former.

Eva found a pair of gloves and then dug through the pile of undergarments with fervor until she found the two stockings. The items fluttered when she dangled them from one hand. “Don't just stand there like a stone. We must get you dressed. You have a proposal to accept.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Eva's happy enthusiasm was infectious as she bathed and dressed Noelle, then called for the maid to fix Noelle's hair in a loose twist at the base of her neck. There was no time for anything grander. Every minute that ticked by pushed Gavin farther away. Noelle had to get to him, and quickly.

Maudlin no more, Noelle felt her heart lighten for the first time in the three days since Gavin had unceremoniously dumped her on the stoop and left her to wallow in her misery. Though she wasn't certain he'd have her back, or still wish to marry her, she had to try. It was high time she closed her eyes, leapt from the cliff, and trusted Gavin would catch her in his strong arms.

When Noelle was dressed and coiffed to her sister's satisfaction, she gave Eva a big hug and grinned widely. “Wish me good luck,” she said, and hurried from the room.

 

F
ish smells, salty air, and gulls greeted her when Noelle pulled up in front of Blackwell Shipworks in an open and grand ducal carriage. There was no need to hide from prying eyes anymore. She didn't care if all of society knew she was visiting an unmarried man with the intention of begging him to wed her. She wasn't about to leave this shipyard without Gavin knowing that she loved and trusted him wholeheartedly.

She'd be the intended bride of an American-Englishman, Gavin Blackwell, before the day's end, or expire trying.

The sun was high overhead as she looked at the lovely blue sky and inhaled deeply. If she was to become the wife of a wealthy shipbuilder, she needed to become used to the smells of the sea.

Several men stared as she alighted and scanned the row of ships for Gavin. There was no sign of him, but the beautiful ships took her breath away. The idea of traveling the seas for adventure filled her with excitement. She would have to insist that Gavin take her on a sea journey once they married. She very much wanted to feel the salty air dance across her face.

She looked for a few moments more. No Gavin. As she worried he was elsewhere, a worker in faded clothing pointed toward the office. She nodded her thanks and headed in that direction with a confidence she didn't quite feel.

There was a very good chance he'd toss her out on her bum and lock the door behind her. He had the right. But if that was his intention, she'd fight him with all her stubborn nature.

The office was cluttered with drawings and stacks of papers on every surface when Noelle opened the door without knocking. Gavin sat at a high table, his back to her, sketching something that looked like ship parts. Only the sound of pen on paper broke the silence.

“I think we should adjust the lines along here just a bit for added speed,” he said, and she instantly realized he thought she was someone else. “If we lengthen the sails as we planned, the ships will be unbeatable in a chase.”

She ran her gaze over his sun-kissed hair, to his broad shoulders, to his narrow waist, and down to his perfect buttocks clad in black trousers. Her throat caught. Lord, how she'd missed him! If only he'd missed her, too!

Collecting herself, she straightened her spine one vertebra at a time until she found real confidence.

“Are you planning to outrace pirates?” Noelle asked, and watched his head jerk up. He spun on the stool, his face stern. “Or have you taken to piracy yourself? If so, you will definitely require added speed to outrun our British navy.”

It took a half second for annoyance to rim his eyes and tighten his jaw. “What are you doing here, Noelle?”

His shirt was open. Dust marked his skin, and there were bits of wood shavings in his hair. Her heart fluttered wildly. He had never looked more desirable.

She wanted to run into his arms and press kisses over his face. But his anger stilled her feet. So she took her cues from her steely determination and stepped into the room.

There was no time to be cowardly. She'd say her piece and let him decide her fate. “I came to ask you to marry me.”

There. Simple and right to the point.

If he found the gesture romantic, it certainly didn't show. “It took you three days to decide that I was worthy of your hand?” He put the pen in the inkwell and crossed his arms. In doing so, smudges from his ink-stained fingertips soiled his white shirt. He'd send his laundress into fits. “That doesn't inspire confidence, Noelle.”

There was a touch of hurt in the angry tenor of his voice.

“No. It took me three days to realize that I never wanted to stop loving you. And if I desired any chance to be happy, for both of us to be happy, I needed to rush down here before another second passed and our moment was lost forever.” Noelle felt tears well with the rush of words. “I love you, Gavin.”

He said nothing but just stared at her for what seemed like an eternity before he spoke again. “Do you trust me?”

She nodded vigorously. “I do. Completely.”

“And every time I speak to another woman, or take a turn around a dance floor with someone other than you, you won't be wondering how long it will take for me to bed her?”

“Not once.” She took another step forward. “I will be confident in your love and know that you would never hurt me or be unfaithful.” Tears streamed down her face. She sniffed and dabbed her face with her sleeve. “Please marry me, Gavin.”

Without hesitation, he stood and opened his arms. With a glad cry, Noelle threw herself against him and buried her face in his shirt. “I love you so very much. I truly do.”

He kissed the top of her head, then leaned back to cup her face. “I love you, too, Noelle. I always will.”

Bending, Gavin captured her mouth in a tender kiss that left her legs wobbling and her heart swelling with happiness. All his love was exposed in that simple show of affection, and she knew he would indeed love her forever.

 

T
he next few days were a whirl. A wedding to plan, invitations to send out, and in the midst of it all, Gavin arranged for Noelle to visit several available properties in the area to choose a home.

She quickly settled on a house, a mansion, one street over from Collingwood House, chosen so Eva would be close. It was four stories high, built of sandstone brick, and had enough room for a large family. Gavin also promised to purchase an estate somewhere between her two sisters' country homes, to make frequent visits among the trio manageable.

“You are spoiling me, my love,” Noelle said during a quiet moment, properly chaperoned, in Eva's parlor. Her sister insisted they stay apart until the wedding, lest any offspring of their union fall short of the nine months required between wedding and childbirth. Noelle didn't mind, for it gave Gavin a chance to court her properly. Something they'd skipped. “My head is spinning.”

Gavin drew her into a corner, away from the open door and the pair of footmen lingering outside. “Then this may only add to your distress,” he teased. He reached into his pocket and drew out a long box. He placed it in her hands.

Noelle smiled. She'd never fully admit to herself that she was beginning to love surprises. Gavin was proving to have the ability to choose just the right gifts for her. From trinkets to gowns, he had very good taste. So, eagerly, she pulled off the blue ribbon and opened the box, then almost dropped the gift on the floor.

Looking up, she stared, confused. Nestled in black velvet was Lady Seabrook's beautiful sapphire and diamond necklace, complete with spider clasp. “I don't understand.”

Gavin took the necklace and walked behind her. He settled the item around her neck, and it felt warm against her skin. Noelle touched the smooth stones.

“Charles and I decided you'd earned the necklace, as he and I know what it has cost you.” Gavin closed the clasp and returned to face her. “Not only will it disturb his wife to lose it, but you more than deserve a reward for what you did for his children. Though they will be without their mother for a time, having her arrested and hanged would be worse.”

Noelle felt a tickle in her throat and peered lovingly into his eyes. She'd been quite prone to tears lately. Love had unleashed her emotions.

“Although the necklace has been instrumental in several dark moments for me, it brought me you, and for that, I will cherish it always.” She walked to the window and stared at her reflection. The jewels sparkled in the sunlight. “It is beautiful. Thank you.”

Gavin slid his arms around her waist and dropped his chin on her shoulder. “Whenever you wear it, I will fondly remember the night we met.”

Their gazes met in the reflection. “As will I.”

After a moment, he turned her around. “I have another gift. Well, two gifts.”

She pulled free and raised both palms outward. If she didn't put an end to his generosity, and quickly, she'd need two new houses to hold all his gifts. “Please, I cannot take any more presents. This house is already stuffed with my things.”

He chuckled. “You will be pleased with this. Lady Seabrook's maid and the last footpad have been arrested. They made a dash for Scotland, but Crawford had alerted the Runners and they were caught just outside the border. They will be charged for my attack and various other crimes. Turns out, even had they been paid, they'd planned to keep and sell the necklace. Hortense wouldn't have gotten it back.”

Noelle smiled as she caressed the heavy piece. For all her plotting and deception, the countess would have lost her necklace anyway. She was pleased it had found a home with her instead.

“And the second gift?” she asked.

“Though her husband, the baron, loudly protested his wife's decision to travel with the birth of the babe mere hours away, your sister Margaret is currently upstairs resting under Eva's care and awaiting our wedding.” Gavin brushed a kiss on her temple. “So I will leave you to ready yourself for the ceremony tomorrow, and drink myself silly with my two future brothers-in-law. I've heard marriage to a Harrington sister requires copious amounts of whiskey.”

Noelle's mouth dropped open with an exasperated sound as he sidestepped out of reach and strode briskly from the room, his laughter following his exit. She giggled at his impudence and vowed to spend the rest of the next three months, while they were honeymooning on her first journey aboard a ship, making him very sorry for that outlandish and impertinent comment.

And she did.