by Golden Angel
“Mary has already explained… everything,” Josie said hastily. It felt like her cheeks were on fire from the force of her blush.
Far from looking relieved, her normally prim and proper mother appeared disgruntled.
“Oh, well… did she tell you it is supposed to feel good? Though I supposed with Hartford for a husband, he should know how to make it feel good—”
“Mother!” Josie was utterly scandalized. Mary had told her that her aunt had attempted to have the ‘wedding night talk’ and had barely been able to get the words out. Hearing her own mother talking about that and how it was supposed to feel, and knowing she was talking about Josie’s father…
“Well, he should, if rumor is correct about his exploits. I cannot imagine he would have his reputation if he did not.” Mother thoughtfully tapped her lips with her fan. “Elijah does not have the same reputation, but I cannot imagine he is entirely ignorant. If it does not feel good, you should tell him to—”
“Mother!” Her voice came out as a high-pitched shriek.
Mother frowned. “Do not be so overdramatic, Josie. I was only saying, your father does this—”
“Mother, stop!” Josie put her hands over her ears, feeling faint. If it came to a choice between marrying Elijah right this minute or listening to her mother say one more word about doing the marital act with her father, Josie was ready to run to the altar.
And her mother. Calling her overdramatic. Well, if she was, where did her mother think she got it from?
Josie had never been so relieved to see her friends when they came into the room. Her mother pouted and sighed as Mary and Lily rushed in, hurrying to hug Josie. Sometimes, it was easy to forget she must get some of her wilder starts from her mother. As flighty and overdramatic as she was now, she had eloped with a squire for love, defying all conventions and her own father. One day, Josie was sure she would even find this conversation humorous, though, at the moment, it was mortifying.
Watching them all with a tender expression, Mother finally gave up. Thankfully.
“Well, I will leave you girls for now. There are some things I must see to before we leave for the ceremony.” Sweeping up, Mother gave Josie a kiss on the cheek before departing.
With a groan, Josie collapsed onto the sofa, and her friends crowded around her. She did not know what was worse—being reminded her time before she became Elijah’s wife was growing shorter or her mother’s attempts to explain the marital act. At least her friends would enjoy the story.
Chapter 6
Josie
It was just like one of her dreams.
Lily preceded her up the aisle. She stood, her hand wrapped around her father’s arm, stomach full of butterflies, looking down the aisle at… Elijah. That was where her dream ended, and her nightmare began.
Not that Elijah was a nightmare. Calling him such was a disservice. He was breathtakingly handsome, a true gentleman, and a future Marquess. Likely there were debutantes among the guests who wept with envy over Josie’s good fortune.
At least she did not have to look at Joseph as she walked down the church aisle. Elijah had chosen to ask Adam to stand with him. Like Mary, Joseph would be seated among the guests. It was a small mercy.
Somber and stern as ever, Elijah watched her walk down the aisle. If she could have slowed her steps, she would have, but she matched her father’s all the way down, her heart sinking as she went. Adam was grinning widely, encouragingly at her, but she barely saw him.
Her heart thudded in her chest so loudly, it was a wonder she could hear the music.
They reached the end of the aisle. Stopped. Father Gregory spoke a few words Josie could not hear over the buzzing in her ears, then her father took her hand from his arm and gave it to Elijah. His fingers wrapped around hers, gently but firmly, helping her to step up, so they were facing each other in front of Father Gregory.
Josie stared at him. He stared back at her. Such a familiar face, yet it was as though she was seeing it for the first time. Black hair waving back from his face, eyes so dark they were nearly as black as his hair, a chiseled jawline, broad shoulders, and an altogether handsome visage. So very much like Joseph, yet not. The thought sent a niggle of guilt through her. She should be focusing on Elijah, not Joseph. She needed to forget about Joseph.
The gentle pressure of fingers squeezing hers made her jump. She had not been paying attention to the ceremony.
“Um…”
“Repeat after me,” Father Gregory said kindly. “I, Josephina Pennyworth.”
“I, Josephina Pennyworth,” she repeated dutifully.
Any moment now, she would wake up to find this past week had been a bad dream. That she had not been accosted in a garden. That she did not have to marry Elijah.
Except she finished her vows. Elijah finished his. The cool, heavy weight of her wedding band slid onto her finger. And she did not wake. She stared at the circle of gold that was supposed to represent their ever-lasting unity as her slim fingers rested against Elijah’s palm.
Then his fingers closed. Tugged. Pulled her toward him.
Josie’s head swung up so she could stare at Elijah, and Father Gregory’s words belatedly registered.
You may kiss the bride.
She expected a mere brush of lips, a brotherly kiss of necessity.
What she got was one of Elijah’s hands on her waist, the other neatly trapping her fingers within his as his lips descended to claim hers. Josie had been kissed a few times, mostly on dares. One of those kisses, from the son of a visiting squire, had been interrupted by Elijah himself.
None of them had felt like this.
Possessive. Provoking. Hot.
Josie’s lips parted beneath his, his tongue licking her lip for just a moment before he pulled away, leaving her breathless, staring, and wanting. What on earth had just happened?
Elijah
Leading Josie down the aisle, Elijah was shaken.
He had not meant to kiss her like that.
Well, he had but had not expected her reaction. Or his.
The kiss had been meant as claiming in front of the ton, his brother, and for Josie herself. The paleness of her face, the way she had stared at him with no happiness in her expression, had dug under his skin as the ceremony progressed. Yes, he knew of her feelings for Joseph. Yes, he knew she wished she was not marrying Elijah, and it had pricked his pride. He had not thought that he could wipe away everything with a mere kiss, but he had wanted to fluster her. To make her think of him differently. To make her forget his brother, if only for a moment, and focus on him, the man she was actually marrying.
Then his hand had touched her waist. Felt her trembling. His lips had met hers. The heat that flared between them had been entirely unexpected, and the way his body reacted to her closeness, to her kiss, had thrown him off guard. She was still Josie, but his senses recognized her as a woman, not only a woman but a woman he desired.
He had pulled away before he could make a spectacle of both of them, but the experience left him reeling.
The walk gave them time to compose themselves, and they were able to smile and do the pretty for the receiving line, accepting all manner of congratulations and well wishes from the attendees. Thankfully, there were not many of them since they had chosen to keep the guest list small under the circumstances.
Elijah had a moment of shocking jealousy when Joseph came through. He could feel Josie stiffen beside him as Joseph took her hands in his and gave her a brotherly kiss on the cheek, welcoming her to the family. Adam had done exactly the same thing, as had Father, but Elijah had not wanted to punch either of them in the face. It was not Joseph’s fault. Hell, it was not Josie’s fault either.
It was something they would all have to live with, though he did not like it.
Getting into the carriage that would convey them to their wedding brunch, they were alone together for the first time. Her white-and-silver skirts were spread over the dark red of the bench, and her blonde curl
s arranged in a pile atop her head made her neck look even more slender. The pale flush of pink on her cheeks as she averted her eyes made her look every inch the blushing bride. The curtains were open, and they could hear the coachman hie the horses into motion.
Sitting across from her, Elijah was uncomfortably aware of his newfound attraction to her, the way she had felt pressed against him for that brief moment, and how her lips had parted beneath his. He was hard as a rock, with no hope of relief any time soon. It had been a long time since he had been with a virgin, but he knew he would need patience. Josie likely knew very little and had recently had a traumatic experience at the hands of a man.
“I will be kind,” he blurted out, not at all the practiced speech he had planned.
Blinking rapidly in surprise, Josie met his gaze for the first time since stepping into the carriage, staring at him from across the space.
“What?”
Her reaction made him feel even more foolish, and he stiffened his spine defensively. Cleared his throat.
“I will be a kind husband. I wanted to reassure you. I know we have not always gotten along over the years, but I think we can have a good marriage if we are both willing to bend a little. I will not hamper your enjoyment of riding when we are in the country, though I would ask that you not wear breeches when we have guests.” That seemed eminently fair to him since he would prefer she not wear breeches at all, but he was well aware how much Josie loved riding. The residents of Derbyshire were used to seeing her so garbed and would not gossip… or perhaps, only gossip a little.
“I see.” Josie sat up straighter, her chin lifting in a posture he recognized and made him inwardly groan. What on earth had he said to set her off? “What about your ‘family business’? Will I be a part of that, or will you shut me out the same way you do Evie?”
Scowling, his hand clenched into a fist on his knee, that Josie even knew about the ‘family business.’ His father was the spymaster for the crown, and Elijah intended to succeed him there, as well as in the title—something Elijah wished otherwise. Women should not poke their noses into such matters. He had vehemently argued against his father occasionally using Evie’s assistance, especially when she had gone off on her own and inserted herself into their business. No matter how valuable her assistance had been, it had not been worth it in the long run, and it had only encouraged her to continue her wild starts, leaving them to worry in her absence.
“You will not need to concern yourself with such matters.”
Josie
She should not have been surprised at dictatorial Elijah making his presence known. In a way, it was a relief. When he was busy putting his foot down, she was no longer distracted by how handsome he was or how it had felt when he kissed her. This was solid, familiar ground, and she clung to that familiarity like a child with a favorite toy.
Josie crossed her arms over her chest.
“I am already concerned. I am already involved. You would not have even known about Collins if it were not for me and Lily.” They had been the ones to sound the alarm when Collins had kidnapped Mary. If not for them and their quick thinking, Mary would be dead, and Collins would have escaped, and no one would have been the wiser. Even now, she shivered to think about it.
“We would have found him eventually and without risking Mary’s life,” Elijah snapped, his scowl deepening. “That is why I—” He cut whatever he was about to say so abruptly, Josie knew it must be important, something he did not want her to know about. She narrowed her eyes at him.
“Why you what?” She sighed as she realized what he must be talking about. He assumed she did not know, would not know, and she took great joy in dispelling him of that illusion. “You joined the Society because you knew there was a connection there.”
Though Mary said he fit in admirably, although Josie had trouble picturing despite Mary’s vivid description of Elijah shirtless, whipping a woman while a crowd watched. The very idea had made her shiver and feel rather odd. Now, sitting across from him in this cramped space, as he went ramrod straight, eyes flashing, his expression sterner than she had ever seen, those same odd feelings fluttered through her body.
“How do you know about the—” He cut off again, shaking his head, his tone turning to disgust. “Mary. Rex needs to take her more firmly in hand.”
Scowling at him, Josie sniffed.
“He already spanks her. What more do you want?” The idea both horrified and titillated. Josie still was not sure how she felt about it. Mary did not seem to mind. She had said it was even enjoyable sometimes, but Josie thought she might be trying to convince herself more than the rest of them.
“Rex has gone soft.” The derisive note in his voice was still there, and Josie gaped at him.
Rex? Soft? How Elijah could say such a thing was beyond her. She had an easier time believing Mary’s lurid descriptions of Elijah’s behavior at the Society’s events. The hard gaze he fixed on Josie had her scooting back in her seat. She had been the recipient of Elijah’s stern scoldings most her entire life, but he had never looked at her quite like this. “Since you already know about the Society, rest assured, wife, I have not gone soft, and I will not tolerate the kind of nonsense Rex does.”
There was a silkiness to the threat that sent a shiver through Josie, leaving her as speechless and breathless as being reminded that she was now his wife. This was a side to Elijah she had never seen before, and she was not prepared for it.
The carriage lurched to a halt before she could respond.
Elijah’s expression shifted, not a great deal, but he looked like an entirely different person. His brow softened, the corners of his lips lifting as he opened the door and hopped out, holding out his hand to help her down. Josie stared at him—this man she had not wanted to marry and was no longer sure she knew as well as she thought she did, but there was no other option.
She took his hand and climbed out of the carriage, her heart fluttering inside her chest, even more acutely aware of his large, intimidating presence beside her.
Chapter 7
Elijah
The brunch was small, as the ceremony had been. The guests were made up of family, Josie’s closest friends, and Elijah’s father’s men, the latter there in case the traitor made their move. During the ceremony, Elijah had been far more focused on Josie, but during the brunch, he was grateful for the distraction. He needed time to rearrange his thoughts about how to deal with his bride.
Never before had he worried about being distracted by a woman. Then again, he had never had a wife. Or was it because it was Josie? He felt doubly responsible because he had always watched over her and Evie, and now her safety and behavior were even more his bailiwick.
Looking at his new bride, her pale face, his youngest brother’s words about him being better suited to Josie than Joseph ran through his head.
Surely not.
Then, he had not expected her to know anything about the Society—those within the Society of Sin called it ‘the Society’ as a way of differentiating it from ‘Society’ at large. Perhaps he should have. As young girls, she, Evie, Mary, and Lily had shared everything and were even closer now, if it was possible. Still, he would have thought the subject matter was too personal.
Well, he would not make that mistake again, and he would impress upon Josie the need to keep their personal business personal. He had not spent years cultivating his upright reputation for nothing. He had even stayed away from Rex and his other friends who indulged in the wilder pastimes, denied his urges, and only recently joined the Society because of the connection to the traitor.
Though he could not deny that returning to such pursuits had made him feel alive again in a way he had not anticipated, he would only be able to enjoy it until they caught the traitor. Probably. It would be difficult to give up again, but he did not like the idea of being unfaithful to his wife, even if he had not intended to marry. That was not who he wanted to be.
He would have to enjoy it while it l
asted.
“I must tell you, the expression on your face does not reassure me that you are truly content with this arrangement.”
“It is a little late for that, is it not?” Elijah asked, amused as he turned to face his middle brother. Again, a pang of jealousy hit his chest when he looked at Joseph, reminded of Josie’s reaction to him in the receiving line. He shoved the emotion aside. He knew neither Joseph nor Josie would be the type to betray him, so his jealousy was unwarranted. Josie could not control her feelings for Joseph, and hopefully, those feelings would fade. Tonight, Elijah would get to work on showing her just how enjoyable marriage to him would be. He had found, over the years, giving a woman pleasure could engage her emotions as surely as anything else.
Joseph sighed, turning away and looking around the room at the gathered guests. His expression was fairly neutral, and only someone who knew him as well as Elijah did would see the guilt he felt.
“I know. I cannot help but feel this is my fault, that I should be the one marrying Josie today.”
“No, this was the right thing to do.” Elijah put his hand on Joseph’s shoulder, doing his best to comfort him without making it obvious. The last thing they needed was more gossip making the rounds. “She will be better protected with my title, and you and Miss Bliss will be able to marry and be happy. This way, I won’t have the matchmaking mamas throwing their daughters at my head anymore.”
With a snort of laughter, Joseph’s guilt broke. “They are likely very disappointed to miss out on a future Marquess, but there will be other quarry. You have taken Josie out of the petticoat line, which should make things easier for the rest of the debutantes.”
That was a fact. Beautiful enough to be a Diamond of the First Water, an Original, with her sunny and outspoken personality, well-connected, and with a substantial dowry, Josie was everything the ton expected a man such as he to want in a bride. She had been wildly popular among the gentlemen.
