“I don’t know,” Aubrey replied, pocketing the licence and finding he didn’t much care right at that moment, though he noted his cousin looked troubled and just a little hurt. “Perhaps she didn’t like to wake you?” he suggested, wondering if the age gap between Alex and the lovely Celeste was still something that bothered him. Though any fool could see Celeste was still head over heels for him, Alex had always had trouble accepting it, though, believing he was too old for her.
Aubrey didn’t have time to ponder any further though. “Come along, Alex, I’m getting married, for heaven’s sake! Buck up and get moving, will you!”
Alex came to at that demand and they both ran upstairs to make themselves presentable.
***
“Oh, Violette,” Celeste said, the words a sigh of pleasure. “You look magnifique!”
Violette turned this way and that in front of the mirror and couldn’t help but smile. She wore the dress that Celeste herself had married in, pale gold silk with the same fabric trailing a delicate flower pattern down the bodice and over-skirts, and embroidered with pearls and gold lamé. It was simply stunning, and Violette had been beyond words on seeing it when Celeste had insisted she wear it to get married in.
“Well, if I do, it is entirely down to you.” She ran to Celeste and kissed on the cheek the woman who had become her dearest friend, embracing her fiercely. “Thank you for the dress and the shoes and ... oh, for everything you have done from the moment I met you. You are the dearest creature and I’ll never be able to thank you.”
“Oh!” Celeste cried in alarm, sniffing and waving a handkerchief like a distress signal. “Arrête! Don’t speak so, you will turn me into a watering pot and then I will look a perfect fright!”
Violette laughed and shook her head. “Well, that’s not even possible,” she scolded and then took a breath as her stomach twisted with anxiety. “Oh, I do hope Becca managed to get my things sent on,” she said, wondering how the poor maid would have contrived it. Becca had been certain it could be done, and though she was disappointed at the idea she wouldn’t be dressing a duchess, she was a loyal girl and had sworn to help her mistress.
“Never mind that now,” Celeste scolded. “You must cover that lovely gown up. Here,” she said, handing Violette a warm cloak to disguise the beautiful dress beneath.”
There was a hurried knock at the door and Celeste’s maid poked her head around the door. “The carriage is here, my lady.”
Violette caught her breath as panic rolled over her in a wave. “Oh,” she said, suddenly feeling like she needed to sit down.
“Oh, non!” Celeste scolded. “Not now. You must go downstairs right now, and just like we planned, you say you do not feel well and you must go ‘ome right away, oui?”
Violette nodded, silent, too terrified to say a word one way or another.
“Then by the time Aubrey realises that you are at the church, it will be a fait accompli!” she said, clapping her hands together and looking triumphant. Violette caught a glimpse of her own reflection, looking positively nauseated, and swallowed hard.
“Yes,” she said, her voice little more than a whisper. Still, she hauled in a breath, lifted up her chin, and put their plan into action.
***
Aubrey paced the hall. Anxiety clawed at his throat, making it hard to breathe, but the moment he caught sight of Violette on the stairs, all of his nerves, all of his second thoughts, and the reasons why this was such a bad idea simply fled.
His heart gave a hard kick in his chest as she moved closer to him, and he knew only one simple truth: he loved her. He loved her, she belonged with him, and he would make that happen, for both of them.
He hauled in a breath and knew then that everything would be alright.
“Hello, Violette,” he said, smiling up at her and seeing those green eyes grow warm and inviting as they stared back at him.
“Oh, Alex,” Celeste cried, hurrying down the stairs behind Violette. “I am so sorry, but poor Violette is not feeling at all well. I’m afraid your surprise will ‘ave to wait for another day. Aubrey, would you be so good as to take her ‘ome? Her carriage is outside waiting already, I think.”
Aubrey felt his heart plummet to his boots as Alex looked on him with sympathy. Well, there went their plan up in smoke, then. He could hardly elope with the poor woman if she were ill. With great difficulty, he swallowed down his disappointment and moved towards Violette. “Of course, I’m so sorry you’re not feeling well,” he said, taking her hand and putting it on his sleeve. Now that she was close he could see she was rather pale, though at his words, two high spots of colour flushed upon her cheeks.
She mumbled something he didn’t quite catch and turned to Alex, who shrugged and gave him a pat on the back.
“Another day then,” Alex said in reply to his wife, though he was looking at Aubrey.
Aubrey snorted and gave small, desolate huff but said nothing as he guided Violette out to her waiting carriage.
Another day then, he thought with a heavy heart.
***
“Well damnation!” Alex cursed as the door closed behind his unfortunate cousin.
“Oh,” Celeste cried, taking hold of his hand and pressing it to his cheek. “I am so sorry to spoil your surprise, Alex, but ... Oh, Alex,” she squealed. “They are to be married!”
Alex stared down at his wife and blinked, not quite certain he had heard her correctly.
“Married?” he demanded. “What are you talking about? You just said she’s not well, and how did you ...”
“Bah!” Celeste cried, shaking her head and laughing. “Non, it was just a ruse, to get Aubrey to take ‘er ‘ome. They are not going ‘ome at all, they are going to St James’. She ‘as eloped with him, Alex! Isn’t that wonderful!”
His wife looked very much like she was about to dance on the spot and Alex rolled his eyes to the ceiling.
“You, madam wife, have just ruined all my plans!” he said with a huff of frustration.
“Quoi?”
“Aubrey was going to elope with her to St James’ this morning,” he explained, watching her big blue eyes grow wide and her lovely mouth form a little o of astonishment.
“‘E was?” she asked, her voice faint.
“Yes, he was,” Alex replied, his tone stern, folding his arms and looking at his wife with annoyance that his plans had been thwarted. “He has the licence in his pocket.”
Alex knew he shouldn’t be surprised when Celeste just went off into peals of laughter at that pronouncement.
“Well,” she said, wiping her eyes and hardly able to speak through her tears. “The Duke of Ranleigh ‘as one as well,” she said, before going off again, laughing so hard she clutched at her chest, hardly able to breathe.
“The Duke of ...” Alex began in astonishment and then shook his head, holding out one hand in defeat. “No,” he said, feeling weary. “Please don’t tell me.” He decided for his own sanity he’d rather not know.
“And you mind little that I drugged you, do you, Alex?” she said, blinking up at him, her face the picture of innocence. His own eyes widened as he realised what she’d done.
“Why you little ... you little wretch!” he exclaimed in outrage as she went off into another bout of hysterics.
He huffed and then frowned as Celeste paused in her laughing and all the colour rushed from her face. In a moment Alex was by her side, his arm sliding around her slender waist.
“Mignonne,” he said, alarmed by the change in her. “What is it, what’s wrong?”
“Oh ... n-nothing,” Celeste said, and promptly passed out.
Alex cried out in alarm, terror clutching at his heart as he shouted for the doctor to be called and carried his wife up to their bedroom.
She revived as he placed her carefully on the bed and smiled up at him. “I’m sorry, Alex,” she said, looking a little sheepish. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“Startle me?” he repeated, wondering if his h
eart would ever beat again. If there was anything wrong with her, if she should be sick ... he wouldn’t survive it. “My love, what is it, what’s wrong, are you ill?” he demanded, the catch in his voice only too audible.
She stared up at him with such adoration that his breath caught in his throat and he wondered how it was possible that he loved her more with each passing day.
“There is nothing wrong, Alex,” she said, sounding suddenly a little shy. “Only, I think perhaps we shall start filling that nursery at Tregothnan now, like you wanted to.”
For a moment, his head could not catch up with her words, the terror in his heart she might be ill stealing any sensible working of his brain, and then, suddenly, he understood.
“You ... y-you mean ...” he stammered, placing a hand on her stomach with such awe he could hardly catch his breath.
“Oui, mon contrabandier,” Celeste said, her eyes shining with joy. “That is what I mean.”
“Oh, mignonne,” he cried and held her to him, all thoughts of his cousin’s imminent nuptials scattered and gone in the face of his own jubilation.
Chapter 26
“Wherein things go according to plan. Well ... one of them.”
Aubrey had allowed Violette to sit quietly for the first five minutes or so, not wanting to bother her if she was feeling unwell. She had been terribly quiet, avoiding his gaze and staring out of the window, and then biting her lip and looking so anxious he began to feel alarmed.
Quite unable to stand it a moment longer, he moved to sit beside her.
“Are you alright, love?” he asked, looking down at her lovely face and wishing with all his heart that they would marry this morning. If ever there had been a doubt to her love, he had long since buried it.
“Y-yes,” she stammered, one hand twisting around the other as she avoided looking at him.
“What is it?” he asked, wondering why she was so anxious. Oh God. Perhaps she’d suffered a change of heart. She had spent a lot of time laughing with Ranleigh at the ball, perhaps she had rethought her decision. Going against her brother was a big step after all ... his stomach twisted at the thought. “You can tell me, Violette,” he said, his voice soft as he prayed that he was wrong. “Whatever it is, you can tell me.”
She took a deep breath, apparently gathering her courage. “Well, Aubrey, the thing is ...”
The carriage rocked to a stop and Aubrey looked up in surprise. He’d been so busy watching Violette that he’d not even noticed the route they’d taken, and now the carriage had pulled up outside of the church at St James’, where he’d planned to marry her this morning.
“I ... I’ve decided to get married,” she said in a rush, her green eyes full of something that might have been panic as he stared at her in astonishment.
A bang on the carriage door made him look around and he was confronted with the face of the Duke of Ranleigh as he opened the door and looked in at them, grinning.
“There you are!” he exclaimed. “I thought perhaps you’d changed your mind.”
“No,” Violette said, blushing scarlet, and then turned to Aubrey, her green eyes wide with anxiety. “That is ... Aubrey, if ...”
“Oh, oh yes,” Aubrey said, his voice dull. He could hardly breathe, the pain in his heart was so exquisite and all encompassing. “I ... I wish you very happy, I’m sure.”
Violette stared at him, frowning, and then at the duke who smothered a laugh.
“I’ll give you two a moment,” he said, before withdrawing to a discreet distance.
Violette gasped. “Aubrey Russell!” she exclaimed, her face becoming suddenly animated. “You odious creature! I thought I told you I had no intention of ever becoming a duchess.”
Aubrey stared at her, frowning. He could tell from her tone she was really rather cross with him, but why, he couldn’t fathom. He was the one who’d been jilted, after all. And then he thought about what she’d said.
“Oh, there we are,” Violette said, her tone dry as he stared at her with dawning realisation.
“But what the devil is Ranleigh doing here?” he demanded in confusion.
“He has the licence,” she replied, crossing her arms with a huff of annoyance.
Aubrey stared at her in, a slow smile dawning over his face
“You want to marry me?” he replied, wondering how much more stress his heart could possibly endure in the next hour.
“I think I’ve mentioned that fact once or twice,” she replied, sounding so sulky now that he wanted to kiss her. “But if you don’t want ...”
He stopped her words with a kiss and she twined her arms around his neck, melting into him in such a way that made him pray that the ceremony would be brief.
“Of course I want to!” he exclaimed as he released her. “That’s why I have a licence in my pocket. That’s why I’ve arranged all the details of our elopement, including our wedding at nine am this morning.
“Oh,” she replied, staring at him in surprise. “Ours is at half past.”
They burst out laughing and he kissed her again. “So, you’re eloping with me, Lady Violette?” he said, grinning at her like an idiot.
“No,” she said, with a haughty sniff, putting up her chin. “You are eloping with me!”
“Have it your way, love,” he replied with a grin. “At this point, I really don’t care who elopes with whom.” He opened the door and let down the steps, pulling her to her feet. “But for heaven’s sake,” he exclaimed. “Let’s go and get married!”
***
Aubrey thought the duke took it rather well when they told him his licence had been procured for nothing.
“Oh,” he said, raising his eyebrows and giving them a rather guarded smile. “How fortuitous.”
“Oh?” they replied, staring at him in surprise, but he said nothing and just wished them happy before sauntering off, whistling quietly to himself.
“Whatever was that about?” Violette wondered.
“I have no idea,” Aubrey replied, adding simply, “and I don’t care.”
The ceremony was brief and simple, a fact for which Aubrey felt he would be eternally grateful, as the spectre of Violette’s brother was looming large over his shoulder. Though he had long since resigned himself to whatever Lord Winterbourne chose to throw at him in retaliation for their elopement, it was not an easy thing to be sanguine about. However, sitting now in the carriage with Violette tucked into his arm, he felt he could cope with anything. Though he rather hoped the wedding night would come first.
“Where are we going now?” Violette asked, smiling up at him.
“We’re going to Hertfordshire first,” he replied, staring down at his new wife in wonder. “My family has a small cottage there,” he explained. “It’s not very grand, I’m afraid, but it’s pretty, and it’s private.”
Violette smiled at him, her eyes alight with pleasure though her cheeks were a little flushed. “Sounds perfect,” she replied.
He leaned down a pressed a kiss to her lips, wishing they didn’t have to travel at all. The desire to lay her down and make her truly his wife was a heat beneath his skin, branding him from the inside out. He sighed with frustration and pulled away from the temptation of her lips. He was not going to seduce her in the carriage, no matter how badly he wanted to.
“There is a catch,” he admitted, looking a little rueful. “It’s on the edge of my grandmother’s estate. She’ll expect a visit.”
“She knows?” Violette exclaimed in alarm. Though she had never met his grandmother, he knew she had heard much about her from Celeste. Lady Seymour Russell was a power all of her own among the ton.
Aubrey grinned at her. “Yes, I wrote and told her, though she won’t be surprised. She more or less ordered me to marry you,” he admitted, laughing at the astonishment in her eyes. “It’s true.”
“Well ... I ...” Violette began before leaning back against his chest with a sigh, apparently having given up on commenting. She sat bolt upright a second later with a
n appalled look on her face. “We don’t have to see her today, do we?”
“Good God, no!” Aubrey said with heat. “There are far more important things to think about today.”
***
Violette leaned against her new husband and wondered how the relatively short journey into Hertfordshire seemed to take an eternity. Aubrey had promised they would be there by early afternoon, but the hours seemed to be endless. They had stopped at an inn when they changed horses, and had been presented with a wonderful meal, but she could hardly eat a thing from nerves, and now couldn’t even remember what she’d been given. She sighed with frustration and tried to enjoy the simple fact of being with Aubrey, but anticipation was singing in her veins.
She wondered if perhaps she ought to be more maidenly and shy about everything that a marriage night could entail, but all she could feel was impatience. The moments in Aubrey’s arms, when she had run to his rooms to be alone with him…Those moments were etched into her brain, his touch a brand on her skin that ached and burned for more. Added to that everything that Celeste had told her, about how wonderful married life could be with a man who loved you, well, she could hardly sit still.
“Are we nearly there yet?” she demanded, and not for the first time, as Aubrey looked down at her with amusement.
“Perhaps an hour to go, my love,” he replied, turning towards her.
She gave a huff of annoyance and pouted at him which only made him laugh.
“So eager for your wedding night?” he teased her, tracing the contours of her mouth with his finger.
“Yes,” she admitted, deciding she may as well be honest, and stared boldly back at him. She was rewarded with the darkening of his eyes and a look that made her tingle all the way to her toes.
He leaned down so that their lips were almost, but not quite, touching. “Me too,” he replied, his words a breath of warmth against her mouth.
She moved, closing the distance between them and sliding her hand around his neck, pulling him down.
His kiss began gently, and she suspected he had meant it to remain so, since he’d been so careful with her (so far, at least). She’d guessed that he’d been on his best behaviour, keeping his distance so as not to alarm her, or perhaps not wanting to let things get out of control when they were in a carriage and not the privacy of their own room? She rather felt the latter was the reason as she’d not been alarmed by his intentions before now. In fact, she rather felt she remembered begging him to continue.
Nearly Ruining Mr. Russell Page 22
