She Ruined the Marquess: A Historical Romance (Unexpected Love Book 1)

by Anna Macy

Marian waited until her mother, still clinging dramatically to Robert’s arm, turned the corner at the far end of the hall before she dragged Juliet down the opposite corridor. Juliet’s bare feet scuffled against one of the beautiful woven rugs that covered this portion of the manor’s cool wooden floors as she and Marian headed straight towards their chambers.

  Arriving rapidly at Juliet’s door, Marian ducked in, dutifully pulling her dear friend behind, and immediately relit several candles along the armoire’s shining top. Taking a large, exaggerated breath, Marian turned to Juliet, her bright blue eyes practically glowing in the dim light.

  “Juliet, what were you thinking?” Marian hissed. Her lovely, petite features were worried and clenched. Juliet walked to her bed, dazed, folding one leg under herself so she could curl on the edge.

  None of this felt real. Juliet reached out, gripping the rounded bedpost in her hands. Heart pounding, Juliet raised her eyes to meet Marian’s inquiry.

  “I swear, I heard Amelia say that Robert would be in the green suite, and William in the blue. I had no idea that they had switched.” Her voice sounded dejected, almost melancholy as she stared down the path she had set herself on with just one stupid idea.

  She saw Marian’s face soften marginally. “You were supposed to be in Robert’s room. Do you have any idea how long I waited outside of there to discover you? Only to realize that the only person out for a midnight walk was my insomnia ridden Mama.”

  “Not only was I waiting forever out there, but I had to do it practically hiding behind that coat of arms,” Marian exclaimed in a loud whisper, her voice vibrating as the humor of the situation broke through her serious nature.

  “I’ve probably caught a chill because of you. And got far too familiar with Sir Ironarms out there.” She crossed her arms and tried to glare at Juliet but failed as a manic grin broke out on her small, curling lips

  Juliet dropped her head, biting her bottom lip hard as she considered the significant ramifications of her rendevous. But it was getting harder by the moment to stay sober, especially once she saw Marian’s smile.

  In the whole of her young life, Juliet had never broken any rules. And in one fell swoop, she had broken not only the cardinal rule for all eligible young brides of the ton but dragged in an entire flock of people with her. Who would’ve thought? The irony was not lost on her

  “I feel awful, Marian,” Juliet said, her hysterics finally calming, “What am I supposed to do now?”

  “What do you mean?” Marian said.

  “I can’t stand by while William is forced to marry me out of obligation! I couldn’t live with myself.”

  Marian gave her a stern look. “I’m not sure what you were expecting. When you asked me how I could convince my brother to keep to the original wedding date, this was our best idea. And it’s not as if you and Robert were a love match.”

  “We might have been. Someday,” Juliet finished wistfully.

  “Maybe you would have. But there are no guarantees in love. When we talked, you asked for a guarantee.” Marian's voice held a chilly quality that caused Juliet to shiver involuntarily. Marian must’ve noticed her friend’s reaction and her expression changed quickly, turning to one of understanding.

  “I know this isn’t what you were hoping for. But William is a wonderful man. Not to mention devastatingly handsome. When the ladies hear of his engagement, there will be a celebration. Or a riot, depending on who hears first.” Marian feigned a faint moment, swiping one hand across her forehead dramatically.

  Juliet gave her friend an exasperated look. “You know that’s not what I’m looking for. If I were, I would’ve picked up any one of those peacocks I danced with during the season. I’m looking for a home. A family.” Her voice almost cracked over the last words.

  Robert had been willing to marry her, and with him came the chance to build a future she could be loved in. If this morning's rendezvous was any kind of evidence, William wasn’t looking for a wedding, a wife, or the family she so desperately desired.

  “The whole plan was to make sure Robert didn’t back out on the Earl’s agreement like you heard he wanted to. Not to accidentally ensnare Robert’s best friend in a marriage plot.”

  Marian brushed her hand over her friend's linen covered shoulder in a gesture of comfort, “I know, Juliet,” she paused thoughtfully, “Let’s find out what my Mother’s plan is in the morning. Then we can sort out William and Robert.”

  They sat in silence for a long minute, both sighing deeply as the weariness of the night settled over their bodies.

  Suddenly Marian snorted. “I wish you could’ve seen William’s face. I’ve been waiting my whole life to startle that man the way you managed to do so within five minutes of meeting him.”

  “Oh, don’t remind me.” Juliet groaning, thinking back to the shock and panic that had taken over William’s striking face as he had startled at Marian’s entrance.

  “What did happen? Before I barged in, that is.”

  Juliet choked, coughing as she looked at Marian.

  Marian rolled her eyes, “Easy there, if it was that good, then maybe I don’t want to know. He is practically my brother, after all.”

  Juliet blushed bright pink, glad not to have to explain the heady rush that had coursed through her body when he’d begun to respond to her. The tangy taste of him still lingered on her tongue, and she could remember the hard, heavy length of him against her, pressing her into the mattress.

  Juliet could feel her body flush at the thoughts that rushed to her mind. Wicked thoughts that sent tingles straight to her core, where her thighs twitched and tightened.

  Marian turned and paced a few steps forward and back, her tiny slippers making no noise against the polished hardwood floors. Juliet watched her with drooping eyes, waiting on the advice she knew would be distributed momentarily.

  “Alright, here is what we have to do.” Marian sat back on the edge of the bed, smoothing out her nightgown’s fabric down her legs, the pinnacle of ladylike behavior, even in a moment like this.

  “We keep going forward. The plan was to set you up with my brother, who would’ve been a lovely husband, father, partner. But the bottom line is that we must get you out of that horrid house. William may resist a little initially, but it is because he’s afraid of making the same mistakes his parents did.”

  “He might be a little rough around the edges, but that’s nothing you couldn’t polish up with time. And he’s still more put together than Robert is, God love him.”

  Marian leaned back on her wrists, surveying Juliet’s questioning face. “Now you have secured my mother’s interest, something is guaranteed to happen. She would’ve adored having you as a daughter-in-law, but with William, she will act as an agent on your behalf, I’m sure of it.”

  Juliet let out a sad chuckle. “Did you mean to have your mother also join in on the discovery?”

  Marian shook her head, “Oh no, that was total happenstance. I had seen her pacing the halls a few days ago, but I thought it a fluke. Now I know that she can always be counted on to provide additional witnessing eyes in the chance we need to hook another marquess someday.” Marian elbowed Juliet, forcing a small laugh from her willowy friend.

  “And don’t you forget that woman may be the one person out there who William truly fears.”

  “For good reason,” Juliet joked back, a smile finally pulling at her lips. Marian smiled back at her, taking her hand between two of hers.

  “From the first time I met you, I knew that you were the sister I was meant to have,” Marian said earnestly, her eyes searching Juliet’s face, “It doesn’t have to be blood to be permanent.”

  Juliet leaned onto her friend’s shoulder. “Again, I am sorry I made such a mess tonight.”

  Marian just tightened her fingers around Juliet’s hand once before gently setting it back on the bed.

  “Get some rest, Juliet. I’m sure William will want to talk tomorrow. And you owe him that.”

  J
uliet’s face became worried. “You’ve never told them about my life at home, have you?”

  “No, never. That’s your story to tell.” Marian stood slowly, her fingers smoothing the edges of her nightgown. “Goodnight, my friend.”

  With a last quick wave of her fingers, the ever-proper Devonshire daughter slipped from Juliet’s chamber, silent as a mouse and twice as fast. Juliet fell back onto the bed, closing her eyes tight, already dreading breakfast where she’d be faced with both her fiancé and now ex-fiancé. The shame was suddenly overwhelming.

  She, the girl who always followed the rules, had gone and made a horrible mess of her life. Groaning, Juliet sat up only long enough to blow out the remaining candlelight before tumbling back into bed and falling fast asleep.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Thankfully, someone must’ve told Juliet’s handmaid, Amelia, to let her sleep in because it was far past breakfast time when Juliet finally pried open her eyes. For a shining moment, Juliet didn’t remember the night before and all the events that had transpired since.

  She was simply visiting with friends in the country, one of which happened to be her fiancé. Yet now, only a day after arriving, she had turned her entire future on its end and had significantly altered another’s as well.

  And she didn’t mean Robert. She doubted very much that Robert was that upset about any of this.

  Although she and Robert had got along well enough, he had never expressed much interest in putting their engagement into action.

  Juliet’s stepfather, Marshall Pinecrest, the Earl of Greystone, had taken a shine to the arrangement. The Wains family were shipwrights. Their company produced a large portion of the cargo ships that the Greystone estate needed for their involvement in newly organized shipping investment.

  Juliet knew that when Marshall looked at her, his stepdaughter, he saw only monetary opportunities, not the woman behind them. With no other children, and Juliet’s mother, Lady Elizabeth, in her forties, Marshall couldn’t count on any other children.

  Juliet was his best option for making the most profitable and advantageous match possible. The moment Marshall had realized who Robert and the Wain’s family was, he wanted to sign off on her engagement.

  Marian had warned her up front that Robert was fiercely independent. But after spending night after night on the arm of dowry hungry second sons at all the summer events, Juliet was wholly swept up in the idea of Robert. He had marched in one evening with his no-nonsense words, wide smile, and infectious laugh.

  Juliet had never met anyone like him and knew in her heart that he would be an honorable husband, a loving father, and his title would be enough to protect her from the life she would be leaving behind.

  Marian had fanned the flame of their innocent, quick courtship, whispering to Lady Catherine and Robert’s father, Robert Sr., and within weeks it had been official. Juliet could remember the relief, the day that Marshall had ridden into Greystone, his sneering face as he handed over the documents.

  At the bottom, his scrawling signature announcing her as an engaged woman. He had practically spat the words at her. “You’re welcome. Glad that you are finally fulfilling your duties as a Greystone.”

  Shaking the memory off, Juliet slid her long legs out from under the now too-warm bedding and pushed off, her long nightgown falling behind her. In a moment, a red-hot flush swept through her body, remembering exactly how far she had been willing to go to assure both herself and Robert that the wedding would go forward as planned.

  Finding a seat in front of her small mirror, Juliet stared into it at her reflection, fanning her heated face with both hands.

  The familiar girl staring back at her from the mirror looked worried. Her lips were a little too tight, her forehead furrowed, but a lovely blush was still gracing her strong cheekbones. When she noticed that, Juliet smiled, making the darkness in her eyes brighten, and the little flecks of gold in their rich brown depths glow with possibility.

  Unbidden, Juliet’s fingers gently caressed her lips, remembering what it had felt when William had kissed her back, those warm lips plying her own open, a sweep of his bold tongue against her own. Maybe she had been the instigator, but she hadn’t forced him into that response; that was ultimately his own.

  Amelia appeared, her immaculate maid’s frock starched and pressed to perfection. With a disapproving glance at her mistress, she clucked her tongue. “Out late, my lady?”

  Juliet dropped her fingers from her lips, and sheepishly smiled up at her long-time maid. “You’ve already heard?” Amelia’s eyes narrowed, and she propped her fists upon her plump hips.

  “Lady Juliet, everyone in this manor, and probably this county, has heard about what happened last night,” Amelia said, her tone scolding. While Juliet knew she was exaggerating, a tendril of dread throbbed in her mind.

  Amelia walked behind a somber-faced Juliet, picking up a hairbrush. Even if her voice had been scolding, the expert fingers that smoothed her long dark hair were familiar and caring. Amelia had been with Juliet since she was a child and had been the one person Juliet had ever really been able to depend on.

  When Juliet’s father had died in a horrible carriage accident when she was nine, Amelia had been the comforting, warm arms that had held her for hours. Juliet’s mother had never shown her only daughter a fraction of the affection or guidance that Amelia demonstrated every day.

  When the first Earl had passed away, Elizabeth, Juliet’s mother, had disappeared to the city and back into the socially elite circle that all but swallowed her whole.

  She hadn’t come home for months, and when she finally did appear, it was on the arm of Lord Marshall Pinecrest. Marshall was everything her father hadn’t been. Showy, loud, and at least ten years younger than his new bride. In Juliet’s mind, Marshall Pinecrest was nothing but a dark mark upon the Greystone title.

  Marshall and her mother had a pitifully short engagement followed by a chaotic, disorganized wedding that turned Marshall Pinecrest into an Earl. And then things had changed completely. Not just for Juliet, but the whole Greystone estate.

  Juliet had been shipped off to boarding school in order to allow the newlyweds to revel in their love uninterrupted. Greystone itself began to slip into disrepair, large portions of the land and assets disappearing over the years.

  Thinking of her home, the one her father had made for her, made her chest ache, and she quickly pushed those sobering thoughts aside.

  At least her stepfather wasn’t here at Lakeview. For the time being, Juliet could try to forget the dark shadow, he cast over her life at Greystone. Swallowing hard, she tilted her head forward to give the much shorter Amelia access to the back of her head as she set pins there.

  Amelia reached down to pat her shoulder, and quick as lightning Juliet reached up, gripping her maids’ hand. Amelia’s gaze found hers in the mirror. “I am sorry, Amelia if I disappointed you.” Juliet wanted to apologize further, but her throat suddenly felt thick. The words barely got past.

  Amelia’s face softened, her fingers brushed gently against her shoulder. After a pause, Amelia gave a tiny smile. “You could never disappoint me, my Lady,” she said carefully, “Now, let’s get you dressed.”

  Quickly working her magic, Juliet was dressed, her thick hair pinned to the crown of her head, and she was making her way downstairs. The tea and pastry that Amelia had brought up for Juliet since she had missed breakfast now felt like lead in her belly. She knew she was dragging her feet, but every footfall was taking her closer to the conclusion of a situation she never wanted to be in again.

  More than anything, Juliet was dreading looking into the face of William and realizing that she was ruining any plans he may have had prior to her nighttime escapade. Even more so she was dreading the unconcerned look that Robert would be sporting.

  She understood that she had put them in an impossible situation, but a small part of her still wished that Robert had expressed horror at the fact his fiancée had been found in anoth
er’s bed. Instead, he had looked relieved. The conclusion that he hadn’t wanted her to marry her, to begin with, hurt her already tender pride.

  Worst yet, it would be a face-to-face conversation with Lady Catherine, who was as duty-bound and dignified as any lady in all of England. No matter who she walked into that room as, she would walk out a certified scandal, a woman found in a man’s bed who was not her husband.

  Finding a way to contain news of her nighttime activities would be the first thing that needed to happen after her conversation with Lady Catherine. Closing her eyes, she dreaded not just the whispers, and the judging looks at the last summer ball of the season, but the possibility that Lady Catherine had written to her stepfather or mother already.

  Taking a deep breath, Juliet paused at the base of the stairs, knowing that her future was seated just around the corner, waiting for her to arrive. Raising her chin, she murmured to herself, “I am Juliet Sonders of Greystone, and I make my path.” Nodding to herself, she smoothed her hands over her deep red bodice and walked into the parlor.