His Bargained For Bride: Regency Matchmaker Book Four

by Jones, Celeste

  It was not just my plan, but it was what we had agreed to.

  Every now and then, through a touch or look or even a rare tender word, my hopes that Drake cared for me more than as a partner in deceit would be raised. But he never went so far as to ask me to stay or to change our arrangement. After the incident with the letters we had not spoken of my eventual departure.

  But, I had no reason to think it was not his expectation as well.

  Another letter had arrived from my sister wondering yet again at the delay in my arrival and also outlining her financial straits.

  How had I gotten myself stuck in such a spot?

  “I understand the fine ladies of Briar Glen will be here this morning deciding all the ways to make our lives better,” Drake said as he entered the sitting room. He closed the space between us and wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me into a dark corner of the room. “You have already done much to improve life here at Jade River Hall,” he said before covering my mouth with his.

  I gasped at the unexpected compliment and when I opened my lips he took the opportunity to plunder my mouth with his tongue until I was left gasping and clinging to the lapels of his coat, my face flushed. “Drake,” I admonished him, “my guests will be here any minute and you have me all in a dither.”

  “Good,” he said, cupping my behind with his large palm, “I would hate for you to get so involved with the local gossip that you forget about me.”

  Though he had been softening toward me, and everyone else, of late, this was a new and much improved version of my husband which I liked very much.

  And which made thoughts of leaving that much more heart wrenching.

  He gave my backside a squeeze and dropped a kiss on my cheek. “I hope you have a good time today. By the way, I understand Uncle Jarvis has stationed himself on the other side of the door. He is most eager to hear all the latest from the ladies of Briar Glen.”

  I ought to have been annoyed, but anything that got Uncle Jarvis out of bed and engaged with the world around him was worthwhile.

  Drake beat a hasty retreat before any of the ladies invaded our home while I went to the foyer to greet them. On my way, I stopped in to check on Uncle Jarvis. His eyes were bright and he had positioned himself right next to the pair of doors which made the large drawing room into two smaller rooms. He had even used his cane to create a tiny opening between the doors.

  “Mind yourself, Uncle Jarvis,” I said wagging my finger at him. “It would not do for anyone to find out you are eavesdropping. I cannot believe I agreed to allow you to spy on a nice group of ladies who wish to make life better for everyone in the community.”

  “For what it is worth, they have already done much to make my life better. I have been looking forward to this diversion for days,” Uncle Jarvis said sitting up straighter in his chair. “I promise not to make a peep.” He pantomimed locking his lips and throwing away the key, a devilish glint to his eyes.

  I leaned down and kissed him on the top of his head. The fluffy goose down of his white hair tickled my nose.

  He patted my arm with his hand. “You are a good girl, Amy.” His eyes met mine and my heart filled with love for the old codger.

  I had gone from a life without love or purpose to a household at Jade River Hall where I had been welcomed and cared for. Perhaps more than that, I had found within myself a yearning to give affection to others and while I had braced—however inadequately—against developing affection for Drake, I had not guarded my heart against the charm of his uncle who had quickly planted himself in my heart.

  I clasped his hand in mine. “You feel a bit cold, Uncle Jarvis, are you sure you are feeling well?” I tucked the lap blanket snuggly around him. It was summer, but it seemed the heat of the day was never sufficient for Uncle Jarvis.

  “Thank you for fussing over me, my dear, but I am fine. It sounds as though your guests have arrived,” he said, his face lighting up as the sound of voices in the foyer reached us. “Let the festivities begin!”

  I gave him one final warning look before exiting the room, wondering at my sanity for allowing myself to be persuaded to such a thing.

  As I hurried into the entryway of Jade River Hall, I saw that nearly all of the expected guests had arrived en masse. A glance out the window showed the Fisk family’s much ballyhooed new barouche which explained the influx of many guests at once. I had to give Mrs. Fisk credit for she had even included Mrs. Laube and Mrs. Markham, persons whom I might have thought her too proud to have in her exalted conveyance. Perhaps this improvement society was doing more to benefit the community than met the eye.

  Seraphina separated herself from the gaggle of women and approached me, giving my arm a squeeze. “Thank you for hosting us. Being able to meet at Jade River Hall gives the Briar Glen Improvement Society much more credibility in the community. I know you are still a newlywed…” her voice trailed off as she looked at the floor and blushed, “so I very much appreciate your invitation to your home so soon after your arrival in our community.”

  “It is my community too,” I replied, a small pang of sadness slashed at my heart. I had become fond of the little village during my short time there. Perhaps under other circumstances…

  As the group moved toward the sitting room, Mrs. Laube made her way to my side. “Lady Stowe,” she said shyly, “I want to thank you for the cheese and butter you have ordered of late. It has helped our business immensely.” She paused in her steps for a moment and I stopped as well. “Even Mrs. Fisk has placed an order,” she whispered.

  I stifled a giggle. “I am glad to be able to serve your fine products,” I said. “I believe Uncle Jarvis is much improved as a result.”

  “How is Lord Jarvis’ health of late?” Mrs. Fisk asked from her seat closest to the refreshments. “I had heard he was near to death’s door.”

  As hostess, I sat behind the massive urns of the Jade River Hall tea service and poured out for my guests. A footman attended me and distributed the tea and delicacies around the room. I had consulted with the cook well in advance regarding the menu but I noticed a few additions, mostly items which I knew to be Uncle Jarvis’ favorites.

  “He is much improved,” I replied, feeling a bit awkward speaking of him when I knew he could hear our conversation. “Thank you for asking.”

  “I am glad to hear it,” Mrs. Fisk continued, “apparently the rumors around town were not true.”

  “Gossip rarely is,” I replied. “How was the trip here in the barouche? It must have been pleasant on such a fine day.”

  “Well,” Mrs. Fisk said, “I am accustomed to traveling in such luxury, perhaps you ought to ask some of the other ladies for their impressions.”

  My effort to redirect the conversation away from Uncle Jarvis sent us into worse territory with Mrs. Fisk essentially demanding a recitation from everyone in the room extolling the wonders of her bloody carriage.

  “I very much appreciated the ride,” Mrs. Boyd, Seraphina’s housekeeper, said. “Now that we are all here and not fatigued from walking, we are eager to discuss plans for the Briar Glen Improvement Society. I am certain Mrs. Spencer has a lengthy agenda for us today.” She turned to Seraphina. “What shall we discuss first?”

  Bless her heart. Mrs. Boyd could have had a fine career as a diplomat.

  Seraphina then conducted the meeting while we enjoyed refreshments. The Improvement Society’s largest project was the painting of the assembly hall. Dances were held there regularly as well as other civic events and giving it a fresh coat of paint and some tidying up would be much appreciated by the community. Or so we hoped.

  The discussion of the proper color of paint brought out some strong opinions. Mrs. Shepherd suggested a pale blue while Mrs. Fisk felt strongly that it ought to be white.

  Based upon the sharp glances and pointed comments, it appeared the Briar Glen Improvement Society was in the midst of its first bit of disharmony.

  Seraphina tried to instill order in the discussion, thoug
h with limited success.

  The sound of a muffled laugh drifted from the area where Uncle Jarvis hid and I felt myself stiffen.

  “Did you hear something?” Caroline Fisk looked up from her needlework and swiveled her head in the direction of Uncle Jarvis.

  “No, not a thing,” I said, perhaps a bit too quickly.

  “I am sure I heard a noise.” Caroline squinted in the direction of the doors.

  “Would you like another cherry tart, Miss Fisk?” I held out a plate with one of Uncle Jarvis’ requested sweets upon it.

  “Yes, thank you,” Caroline said. My distraction technique worked.

  “Caroline,” her mother paused in defense of her color choice to scold her daughter, “you will never fit into your dress for the assembly if you continue eating sweets.”

  “There, I heard it again,” Caroline said, though her mouth was jammed with cherry tart. One or two of the other guests agreed with her and Mrs. Laube rose from her chair to investigate. She was heading straight for Uncle Jarvis. Even if he knew she was coming, it was not as though he could scamper away and hide.

  “Mrs. Laube, where are you going?” Mrs. Boyd jumped into the conversation. “I am sure I heard it from that direction.” She pointed to the opposite side of the room.

  Poor Seraphina had lost the attention of the group, though the heated conversation of paint color had halted as well.

  “No, it came from that direction,” Mrs. Shepherd indicated yet another part of the room.

  “Perhaps it is something outside,” Seraphina offered.

  “There, I heard it that time,” Mrs. Fisk said.

  “Yes,” her daughter replied, “it is getting louder.”

  I could imagine poor Uncle Jarvis trying to hold back his laughter and then having a coughing fit. It was only a matter of time before he was discovered.

  Soon ladies were wandering all around the room looking for the mysterious noise, with several on the verge of finding Uncle Jarvis. Mrs. Boyd had made her way in that direction as well.

  I needed more than cherry tarts to redirect their attention.

  “Oh dear,” I exclaimed, spilling tea down the front of my dress. I hated to do it, especially since it was one of Mrs. Shepherd’s creations, but this was an emergency.

  The ladies came rushing to my aid, bursting with instructions. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Mrs. Boyd closing the two doors by Uncle Jarvis with a snap, then turning back to the room and giving me a wink.

  Somehow she had known. And saved me from immense embarrassment.

  And a heated bottom as well.

  Chapter 13

  “Well, I hope you enjoyed yourself today,” I said to Uncle Jarvis that evening. He was tucked into his bed. Although his spirits had steadily improved since my arrival, it seemed that each night he appeared smaller and smaller in the large bed with the heavy curtains around it. Even in the summer, he slept with the drapes closed to retain as much warmth as possible.

  “Oh, very much. Amy, if I had known that women’s gatherings were such fun, I would have invited them here myself years ago.”

  “Uncle Jarvis!” I laughed. “What kind of scandal would that have caused, you hosting all the fine ladies of the village?”

  He waggled his eyebrows. “We must all do what we can to make our community better. Is that not what I heard you say today?”

  “You are incorrigible. And you nearly got me into a big mess today with your laughter.”

  “I apologize, but I could not help it.”

  “It is a good thing Mrs. Boyd saved the day.”

  “Yes, she has always been a wise lady. I tried to hire her away from Dr. Spencer, but she would not be persuaded.”

  “Probably because you are such a rascal.” I sat in my usual chair next to the bed and reached for the book I had been reading to Uncle Jarvis. Before I could open it, he placed his hand on the cover.

  “Not yet, Amy,” he said and I looked at him with concern.

  “Uncle, did you wear yourself out with your spying today?”

  He took my hand in his. “I want to thank you for a wonderful day. I know you were anxious about such an egregious breach of protocol with me listening in on your meeting. Thank you. I have not had such entertainment in a very long time.”

  “You are welcome, Uncle Jarvis,” I said, giving his hand a squeeze. “I still cannot believe I allowed you to talk me into such a scandalous thing. You really are a scoundrel. I am surprised you never used those charms to find yourself a wife.”

  As soon as the words left my mouth, I gasped. “That was unkind. Please forgive me. It is none of my business. It is simply that, well, you are such a loving man. It seems a shame that you never shared that with a wife.” My faux pas had made me nervous and I jabbered on rather than closing my mouth. It was an unfortunate habit. “And who is to say that you did not already live a wonderful life. You have certainly done a good job in all that you have done for Drake.”

  “Oh my dear girl,” Uncle Jarvis said, a delighted smile lit his face. He patted the edge of the bed. “Sit down, Amy, and I shall tell you a story. The story of a great love. And of a terrible mistake I made.”

  I sat down. “Thank you, Uncle Jarvis. But it is not necessary for you to share these things with me. It was improper for me to bring it up.” Despite my polite words, curiosity filled my veins and I hoped he would share his tale with me.

  “Nonsense, my girl. We are family, are we not?” He clasped one of my hands between both of his. “I have told the story to Drake, but I want you to hear it as well. It is important that you know because the story is important to your marriage to Drake. In fact it is the impetus behind it. You do know that it was I who pushed Drake to find a wife, do you not?”

  I thought back to our very first meeting back at Lady Ambrosia’s house. How I had shut the door in Drake’s face. How I had thought he was impertinent and arrogant and demanding. The truth is, he was all those things, but as Lady Ambrosia pointed, out he was also a man who had a capacity for great love because he had that feeling for his uncle.

  “Yes,” I said, “Drake did mention your vigorous suggestion that he find a wife.” Gratefully I caught myself before I further said that it was his desire to make his uncle’s last days on earth peaceful. Or that we had never really intended to marry at all.

  “Good. Seeing how happy the two of you are together, pleases me, particularly since I feel I can take credit for it.” He winked at me. “Many years ago,” Uncle Jarvis began, still holding my hand between his two, “I met a woman and fell madly in love with her. She was clever and funny and smart. Kind beyond measure. She was beautiful and the most unique and interesting woman I had ever met. In all the years since, I have never met anyone who even came close to measuring up to her.”

  Stunned, my mouth hung open as I stared at him.

  “I wanted to marry her, bring her back here to Jade River Hall and share my life with her.” He paused for a moment and looked past me as though staring off into the distance remembering.

  “And did she want to marry you?” I whispered.

  “As a matter of fact, she did.”

  Startled, I tilted my head toward him. “Then what happened?”

  “She, unlike other ladies of her station, wished to have a career. She had a calling and a special skill that she felt compelled to share with the world.”

  “And why could she not do that as your wife?”

  “I am ashamed to admit,” Uncle Jarvis said, closing his eyes as if to blot out the painful memory, “I told her I sought a wife in a more traditional sense, who would be my helpmate, and Countess. I was looking for a wife who would be a good hostess and make a family for me as well as carrying out all the duties of the lady of her station.”

  “And she refused?”

  “She told me that although she wished for those things as well, she believed that her calling was just as important if not more so and made it clear to me in no uncertain terms that she would put th
at above her duties as my wife, if there was ever a choice to be made between the two.”

  “And you could not reach a compromise?” I asked. “You said you loved her. Were you not willing to bend even a small amount?”

  “I was young and stubborn and arrogant. We quarreled and parted ways. And not a day has gone by I have not regretted my actions.”

  He lay back against the pillows. His breathing became unsettled and I could see that re-telling the tale had caused him some distress. That was certainly understandable as it had tugged on my heart as well.

  “Uncle Jarvis,” I said, patting his arm, “I am truly sorry for the way this situation turned out. Have you had no contact with her in all these years?”

  “I had a letter from her recently,” Uncle Jarvis said. “It was the first time I had heard from her in decades. I don't know what prompted her to write to me but it was the happiest day I've had in quite some time.” He lay back against the pillows, a contented smile on his face. “We exchanged letters, each of us expressing our regrets over the past.” He looked at me directly. “Pride is a horrible thing. It keeps people from expressing their love to others and causes many regrets. Promise me you will not allow pride to cause you to make the same mistakes as me.”

  “Thank you, Uncle Jarvis. I will heed your advice.” I stood up and fussed with the blankets around him.

  He stopped my actions by touching my arm. “Amy,” he said, “thank you.”

  I tilted my head to the side. “There is no need for you to thank me, Uncle Jarvis. I should thank you for sharing this story with me.” I made to step away and he grabbed my forearm.

  “I want to tell you thank you for joining our family, for the way you have taken care of me, and the way I know you will take care of Drake. He can be difficult, but I can see he has great affection for you. Reminds me a little bit of me at that age…” his voice trailed off for a moment before he continued. “Do not let foolish quarrels and pride keep you from love. Promise me.”

  “I promise,” I said and found myself choking up as I said the words. I disengaged his hand from my arm and turned away for a moment to compose myself. Once I felt able to continue the conversation, I said, “Uncle Jarvis, what is the name of this lady from you past?”