The Reluctant Bride (Regency Undone) (2 page)

The delicious feel of Serena’s lips encircling his cock effectively brushed his concerns aside.  With a contented sigh, he abandoned all thoughts about his future and settled down to enjoying the present.

CHAPTER TWO

One year later

‘He is here.’

Sophia’s voice rose to a squeak as she looked out of the window from her position on the chaise-longue and saw the coach with its four grey horses pull to an abrupt halt on the gravelled drive.  She watched as the carriage door was thrown unceremoniously open and a tall, dark haired man with a ferocious frown on his otherwise strikingly handsome face stepped out and strode purposefully towards the house. 

For a moment she studied the familiar features furtively, vexed at the way her heart beat so erratically at the sight of him. 

‘What shall I do?’
she begged, turning in consternation to her mother.  ‘I will not go back to him ...
I will not!’ 

‘
But ... my darling
... he is your husband!’

‘He is no husband to me,’ Sophia retorted bitterly, her fine eyes flashing a deep angry blue that was quite startling in her face.  ‘Oh mama ... how can you think to send me back to someone who treats me so abominably?’

The accusing look she threw at her mother made that lady wince.  ‘Sophia - he does not ... that is, he surely cannot ...
beat
you or any such thing?’ she asked in horror-struck tones.

‘Oh, of course not,’ her daughter scoffed impatiently.  ‘Just let him try!’

‘But I do not understand then ... why have you run away from Ralph?  What can he have done to put you in such a miff?’

 ‘Does it need to be anything so particular?’ Sophia responded evasively, unwilling to go into the
precise
details of why she had taken flight so swiftly. 

Her thoughts drifted back to that morning when she’d woken in her bed to find her husband beside her, watching her ... his hands gently stroking her hair.  It had been such a shock after their agreement.  But what had been more of a shock had been her own unexpected reaction to the gentleness of his touch.  Something had fluttered deep within her belly, causing her to catch her breath in the most unnerving way.  She had been unable to look away from the lazy glint in his eyes – so different to his usual look of haughty indifference.  And then ... the colour steeped her cheeks in remembrance of what had happened next.

  She turned back to her mother, her beautiful face stormy.  

‘This is my home Mama ... not Avalon Hall.  I can never be happy there.  I was to marry Edward, you know I was.  He would have suited me so well.  You must do something. I
won’t
go back.’

She buried her face in her hands and her mother moved swiftly over to comfort her, smoothing errant wisps of blond hair from her daughter’s face as she did so.

‘But you know that is not possible, Sophia’ she said firmly.  ‘We are so indebted to Ralph, my love.  Indeed if it were not for him we would be ruined.  You know that.’

 ‘Oh I know it,’ her daughter responded bitterly, lifting her head.  ‘Am I not the one who is paying the price for his
generosity?
’

Tears of frustration filled her eyes and on seeing them her mother patted her hand awkwardly.  Her tone however was bracing. 

‘Come now my love, it cannot be that bad.  It is certainly a vastly improved situation to the unthinkable consequences we would now
all
be suffering had your papa been left to go to the dogs!’ 

‘Oh I am so vexed with papa!’
Sophia burst out angrily.  ‘How could he have been so
stupid
?  I can never forgive him or you for forcing me into this marriage – never!’

Her fiery blue eyes burned in outrage and her mother eyed her nervously.

‘Now Sophia …you know we had no choice.  There was nothing else we could do.’

Sophia’s gaze returned to the window.  Ralph had disappeared from sight now and she knew that at any minute she would have to face him. 

She couldn’t help thinking back to that other day, almost a year ago in this very same room, when her mother had sat looking pale and strained and had agitatedly explained that they faced financial ruin and the loss of absolutely everything they owned, including their beautiful home.

‘But ... but what are you talking about?’  Sophia had demanded, bewildered. ‘How can that be?’

‘I have tried to keep it from you for many years my dear and it has not been easy, but ... I am afraid your father has a particular fondness for ... for gambling. It really is too distressing ... and I thought ... but there it is ... there is nothing can be done.  We are in dun territory and I am afraid there is only one solution.  And I know it will come as a shock to you ... but really it is the most marvellous piece of good fortune ... and he is but seven years older than you ... ’

Sophia’s heart had plummeted in alarm.  ‘Mama!  What are you talking about?  You are worrying me to be sure ...’

Her mother sighed heavily.  ‘We have received a letter from the Earl of Avalon, requesting your hand in marriage.  He has already met with your father at the Club in London and they have agreed terms which are really most generous. I know you will not like it my love, but there is no one else we know who has a fortune to match his ... and now that we are
ruined
I fear we really have no choice in the matter ...’

‘Mama!’ 
Sophia had jumped up from her seat in agitation but her mother had quickly forestalled the interruption.

‘Now Sophia, do not take a pet, I beg of you.  I am sorry but there is no other answer.  Lord Avalon has agreed that in return for your hand, not only will he happily forego any dowry - as
if
we could afford one now anyway - but he has also undertaken to pay off all your father’s debts and provide us with an income for life.  It really is too generous my love ... far better than the offer put forward by Lord Iverho who wanted to take up residence here with you and displace your father and I to some remote country house on one of his estates in
Wales
!  I do declare I am so vexed with your Papa ... but how fortunate that Lord Avalon should be so heavily taken with you ...’

‘
But he has never
met
me
apart from a few occasions when we were children. 
Mama
, I cannot believe you have done this without even consulting me.  It would appear you have been conducting my proposed marriage like some cattle auction, selling me to the highest bidder!  And what about
Edward
?  You know he and I have an unspoken agreement that one day …’

‘A mere childish tryst that carries no weight,’ her mother had dismissed firmly.  ‘His fortune is nothing compared to the Earl of Avalon’s and Edward would never have proposed to you once the details of your father’s indiscretions became public knowledge.  No ... far better for us all that you become the future Lady Avalon.  That way, your father and I can stay in this house and once we have passed on, it will revert to you and your husband and add to the impressive estate you will already own.  It is really the most fortunate of solutions my dear - far better than we could ever have hoped for in the circumstances.’

 ‘But you always
promised
you would not force me into a marriage I did not desire.  And you know how unhappy Isabelle is in exactly those circumstances.  How can you wish the same for me?’

‘Now Sophia, you cannot in any way compare The Earl of Avalon to that dissolute wretch of a man – thirty years her senior – that your poor friend Isi was married off to.  His Lordship is
not
of the same ilk, I am persuaded.  And just think of the advantages my love.  As well as Avalon Hall you will be mistress of two other houses, one in London and the other in Bath.  Oh you will have such
fun
.  I really am quite envious.  We could not have wanted a better match for you.’ 

‘Mama ... you know the Earl’s reputation as well as I.  He is a ... a profligate and a womaniser ... who has been content to leave the running of his estate to that dreadful rogue Browning while he runs around London having a gay time.  I
will not be married to such a man.
 And you can’t force me!’

Her mother’s face had taken on an unusually steely expression.  ‘I sincerely hope that we wouldn’t
need
to force you to see where your duty lies Sophia.  You know my life with your father has not been easy.  Would you now add poverty and ruin to my lot by denying us this solution to our problems?  If you do not marry the Earl we will be undone. Make no mistake about that.  So it is all agreed.  You will marry Lord Avalon this Spring ...’

Sophia was brought back to the present abruptly as the morning-room door was flung unceremoniously open and her husband strode in. 

 ‘I am sorry, my Lady ...’  Harrington rushed in in his wake.  ‘Lord Avalon would not wait to be announced.’

Both Sophia and her mother had jumped to their feet at the intrusion.

‘That is quite alright Harrington ... thank you.’

The butler withdrew and for a moment there was silence in the room as each took stock of the other.  Sophia tried to study her husband dispassionately but found it impossible to do so.  He was dressed like any other country gentleman but as always there was a careless elegance to his buckskins and the fine cut of his coat that set him apart from other men and accentuated the hard, muscular physique beneath - a physique that she remembered only too well from that morning. 

His countenance, lean and almost swarthy was now dark with barely controlled anger as his eyes blazed burningly into hers. 

‘Well, Madam ... and what is the meaning of this little escapade?’

She tilted her chin defiantly.  ‘I have decided on a visit to my parents Sir.  You can surely have no objection to that?’

As if remembering his manners, her husband drew himself up sharply and turned to her mother offering a short little bow of acknowledgement.

 ‘Lady Challoner ... I apologise that you should have been dragged into this little ... domestic episode,’ he said stiffly.  ‘I believe your daughter and I have some unfinished business to attend to and I regret I must remove her from this house forthwith.’

‘I will not go.’
Sophia almost stamped her foot in defiance.  ‘And you cannot force me.’

‘I have no intention of forcing you,’ Ralph replied coolly.  ‘I feel sure I can rely on your mother to persuade you where your duty lies in this matter.  You are my wife and you will come home with me.’

‘
Mama?’

Her mother looked embarrassed.  ‘I cannot interfere between a man and his wife, Sophia.  And you know if we send for your father what he will say.  You are best to go with Ralph.  You ... you can visit another time.’

She would not look her daughter in the eye and Sophia’s defeated gaze switched back to her husband.  Hostility blazed from every line of her haughty young body as ignoring his outstretched arm she swept angrily past him and stalked to the door.

Ralph bestowed a charming smile upon her mother. 

 ‘My thanks for your understanding Lady Challoner.  Perhaps you would be so kind as to arrange for Sophia’s bags to be returned to us in due course?’

‘Of course ...’ Lady Challoner’s hands fluttered nervously by her side as he bowed and took his leave of her. 

‘Goodbye my love,’ she called awkwardly after Sophia. ‘Come and see me soon...’

CHAPTER THREE

The atmosphere in the carriage as they undertook the journey home was oppressive and for a long while not a word was offered by either side as they sat opposite each other in stony silence.

Ralph cast a quick look at his wife’s set features and not for the first time since their marriage, felt at a complete loss as to how to handle her.  She was unlike any other woman he’d known and it irked him that she had not fallen - as he’d believed she would in view of her chastened circumstances – readily in with his plans.

Find someone soft and biddable,
Guy had said so carelessly -
someone who will be grateful for the position you are bestowing upon her.

He’d made it all sound so easy, and Ralph had believed he’d made the perfect choice in Sophia Challoner.  She was a beauty, there was no doubt about that, and even his mother had been delighted.  An only child with no male heirs in the family, it meant that on her parents’ demise Sophia would inherit the estate which bordered that of Avalon Hall - which would significantly add to their already considerable land.  As far as he was concerned, in light of her father’s straightened financial circumstances, Sophia should have been exceedingly grateful to him for his offer and everything should have settled down famously.  Yet now look where he was.  Too late he’d realised that
soft and biddable
were traits that definitely did not feature in Sophia’s character.  In fact, she had been nothing but trouble since the day he’d met her.

He thought back to that first meeting.  It had been an unmitigated disaster; for far from leaping at his offer with the willingness he had been lead to believe she would by her father, she had heard him out, coolly thanked him for his kind offer and declined; explaining that her affections were engaged elsewhere.

Her refusal had confounded him and he had awaited no further explanations before bowing stiffly and taking himself off.  He felt surprisingly put out.  His first impressions of Sophia, apart from her obvious disdain of him, had been pleasing.  She was both beautiful and elegant and he could imagine that as his wife she would be a great asset to him.  He wasn’t used to having his plans thwarted.

Consequently when a missive subsequently arrived from her father later that day apologising for his daughter's behaviour and assuring Ralph that she had now had a chance to reconsider his proposal, Ralph was persuaded to give her a second chance.