“Forgiven you?” Josie looked at him with squinting eyes. “Marcus, it is I who needs your forgiveness. I was wrong to believe the gossip. I do not need to know why you did what you did, but I trust that you had a compelling reason. You would never have sacrificed your reputation and my affections for anything frivolous.” Josie got off her chair and kneeled before him. She reached up to clasp his hands. “I was a fool to have spurned you, and if you only want to be friends, I will strive to be content with that, but I need to know you have forgiven me.” She bent her head.
Marcus lifted her head up with a hand that he freed from her grasp. He helped her rise to sit beside him. “I wished I did not have to do what I did that night. I never wanted to do anything that would hurt you. Hurt us. Losing my reputation was nothing compared to losing you. Can you forgive me for not being able to tell you about it?”
Josie nodded. “Yes, I can. I have. Thank you for watching out for me. I did not know all you had done to try to keep me safe until after you rescued me near Dover. God showed me in that moment how He viewed us turning away from Him in our sin and yet He sent Jesus to die. Even though we did not know He was coming to rescue us. You also proved your faithfulness when you fought for me.”
“My affection for you compelled me to no other action.”
“Is it possible you might still care for me?”
“I love you, Josie, and I still desire you as my wife if you would have me. I have not fully recovered and cannot get down on one knee to ask you properly. I asked your father, and he has given his consent.” His voice cracked as he spoke.
“But you will not be able to tell me about that brothel visit?”
“I cannot.”
“Hmmmm.”
“I thought you said you forgave me?” He frowned.
“I do, but that drawing in the newspaper is hard to forget.”
“The girl I visited looked nothing like her.”
“Excuse me?”
“They got it all wrong. She was nothing like in the drawing.”
Marcus had a twinkle in his eye, and she suspected he was trying hard not to smile.
“What was she like?” She wondered how far he would take this.
“Young, beautiful, and she really wanted to introduce me to the wonders of—”
Josie put her fingers up to his lips. “Don’t you dare say it, Marcus, or I will slap you.”
He chuckled.
“Was she nice?”
“The best, but are you really sure you want to pursue this line of questioning?”
“Why would you want me? I don’t understand. I’m not experienced.”
“Fishing for compliments? If I want experience, Madame DuBois has many young women who are more than willing to accommodate me. I am not interested in any of them. It’s always and only ever has been you. I fell in love when I saw your face under a crushed chip bonnet in a teetering carriage on a stormy night.”
“How could you possibly fall in love with an unconscious woman?”
“I don’t know, except that since that day, a certain Storm has ravaged my heart, utterly and completely.” Marcus pulled out a beautiful pearl and ruby ring set in gold. “This was my mother’s. It was her wish that I would bestow it on my bride someday.”
“Marcus.” She leaned over, placed her hands alongside his head, reveling in the softness of his wavy hair. She moved his head toward hers and kissed him softly on the lips. He wrapped his arms around her as he returned the kiss.
Marcus was the one to pull back from the embrace. “Is that a yes?”
Josie nodded. “Yes. I would be honored to be your wife.”
Marcus slipped the ring on her finger, and she reached up to kiss him again. Once again, he pushed her away and struggled to stand up. He took a few steps away from her.
“Marcus? What is it?”
“We cannot go on like this. I have already compromised you by locking you in here with me. You will have to marry me now, although your acceptance makes that much easier.” He smiled as she tossed a pillow at him. “However, if you continue to kiss me like that, I fear we will be anticipating our wedding night.”
“Hmmmm.” Josie stood and walked slowly over to him.
He blushed as his eyes scanned her body.
She placed a hand on his chest and grabbed his cravat in her fist so he could not move away. “I suggest we get married as soon as possible. I really do not want to wait any longer.” She reached up and gave him a lingering kiss.
He responded with his lips while trying not to touch her as he backed away.
She let him go and smiled.
Marcus laughed as he looked down at her. “I was hoping you would say that. I have a special license that would allow us to marry on Christmas Eve if you are willing. Reverend Wilson could perform the service for us in our chapel here. Our families and closest friends are already here. Do you have any objections?”
“You had a lot of confidence I would accept you.”
“Not really, only a lot of hope and prayer. I knew if you said yes, I would not want to wait any longer. So, Christmas Eve?”
Josie pushed herself up on her toes to kiss his cheek. Setting back down on her heels, she looked at him and smiled. “I would be delighted.”
Dinner that evening was festive.
Marcus beamed as he announced his engagement to her.
Josie couldn’t stop smiling. She was surprised when her father also had an announcement to make.
“I have the blessing of announcing that I too shall wed soon. Lady Dorothea Grey has agreed to be my bride.” He sat next to Marcus’s aunt and held her hand. Lady Dorothea bestow a kiss on her father’s cheek.
Marcus sat back in his chair. “So that would make my new father-in-law also my uncle, and my aunt would also be my mother-in-law?”
Josie smiled. “It would also make your aunt my step-mother.”
Laughter ensued as talk centered on the upcoming weddings to be had at Rose Hill.
30
Josie found the days before Christmas Eve passed quickly.
Marcus led a lively group in decorating the hall, and they all had ventured out into the snow to find the Yule Log, and the mistletoe to hang in strategic places around the manor.
Josie worked hard with Molly to prepare her wedding dress. Josie also enjoyed her acquaintance with Henrietta.
There were snowball fights and snow angels outside with her siblings. And cold lips warmed by stolen kisses under the mistletoe with Marcus.
Christmas Eve dawned with a fresh coat of snow covering everything, shimmering in the sun like diamonds.
Josie was delighted. She gazed out the window in the yellow bedroom, where she had lain eight months prior. She did not need Marcus to describe a sunrise to her now. After today, she would say farewell to this room and say hello to future sunrises with Marcus by her side. She sighed. She witnessed a pair of cardinals flying in the pine trees at the edge of the yard, each branch outlined with snow, giving sharp relief to the birds, which from a distance almost looked like the berries in the holly lining the mantle in the drawing room.
The house was ready, filled with guests and thrumming with the anticipation of the wedding and Christmas.
Josie’s own anticipation added to her joy. She could burst for happiness.
They had all purchased and wrapped gifts. The ballroom was decorated with red and green and white for the wedding breakfast to follow the ceremony in the Rose Hill chapel. Tenants and nearby neighbors were invited to this celebration of the wedding and Christmas, but only the houseguests would attend the ceremony. The afternoon would involve dancing and a wassail bowl, and the tenants and servants would receive specially selected gifts and a holiday bonus.
Josie sat by the fire, drying her freshly washed hair and eating a light breakfast when Lady Grey came to visit her.
“Dearest Josie. This is your day. How are you?”
“I’m in a wonderful dream I hope to never awaken from.” Josie c
ould not stop herself from smiling.
“You are marrying the best of men. I could not be happier for the both of you. I came to ask if I might fill the role your mother would have had if she had been here. There are some things that would be good for a bride to know before her wedding night.”
Josie blushed. “I would love any advice you have to give. I’ve heard whispers. I admit to being nervous.”
“The marriage bed can be difficult if a woman is not loved and cared for. I doubt you will have any problems in that regard with your husband. He is besotted. He may be innocent, but he is knowledgeable.”
Josie cast Aunt Dorothea a withering glance.
“I’m not referring to that brothel incident. Trust him on that. He is innocent and probably just as nervous about this evening as you are. And probably just about as eager.” She winked.
Josie’s face grew warm.
“Relax, dear, and enjoy this day. You will do fine.” Lady Grey went into more explicit explaining of the mechanics of consummation of the wedding vows.
When they had finished, Josie was eager to rush the process of dressing to get to the chapel. She couldn’t help but anticipate the day, and the night, to come.
~*~
Marcus had finished shaving when he found himself accosted by his brother and three friends in his suite.
“We know you have little experience with the ladies and thought that maybe we should give you a few pointers.” Jared’s ears turned red.
“You doubt I learned anything during my time at Madame DuBuois’?” Marcus’s anger rose within him, warring with embarrassment over such a private matter.
“Cut line, Remy. You’ve never been in the petticoat line, although they may have tried to lure you in. You wouldn’t know what to do with a woman once you got her.” Michael backed up a little as he finished.
Marcus stared at him intently and took a step forward. He was not smiling. “I appreciate your concern. I believe I will manage the consummation of my marriage without the assistance of you reprobates. You had all better leave, before I destroy this beautiful day with a brawl.”
The men glanced at each other and departed with no further comment.
Marcus fumed and went about finishing his preparations to meet his bride. As he stopped and went to the adjoining room, he looked in on the refurbished suite that Josie would be taking residence in starting today. He wasn’t quite sure how to proceed this evening. Did any groom ever know? He only knew that Josie had a passion for him as much as he did for her, and he was confident they would figure it out together.
~*~
Josie looked in the mirror at the new gown she had purchased in London but never worn. It was a pale cream color, but for the wedding, she and Molly had added touches of a deep ruby red. She had a cloak in a slightly darker red that she wore over it that was lined with cream- colored fur. Out of all the gowns she had brought with her for the house party, she thought it would be the perfect dress for her wedding. Pearls and red holly berries adorned her hair, and she wore a pearl necklace that was her mother’s, with the addition of a ruby pendant that was a gift from her groom.
Her bouquet consisted of pine branches, holly, and one sprig of mistletoe because she was whimsical as she put it together with Lady Grey. Altogether, she thought she looked well enough and hoped her groom approved. She wore cream-colored soft leather boots, as there was a short walk to the chapel in the newly fallen snow.
She had not seen Marcus that morning. She was anxious waiting in her room for her father to escort her outside. She had to wait until Marcus had already departed to the chapel with the other guests.
Her father’s eyes welled up with tears when he came for her. “You look beautiful, my dear. Your mother would be proud of the young woman you have become.” He held out his arm to escort her to the chapel.
~*~
Marcus entered the chapel, bedecked in holiday finery for the occasion. Bright sunshine streamed in the stained glass windows, casting a softly colored light of yellows, pinks, and blues over the front of the sanctuary. Marcus walked up the aisle with Reverend Wilson. He stood next to his brother, who was dressed in full military regalia.
The chapel resonated with the chattering of friends and family present, and Marcus responded to a few of the comments aimed at him as he waited. It took forever for Josie to come. She hadn’t changed her mind, had she? His palms were sweating even though the temperature was cool in the small stone structure.
Finally, the door opened and Josie stepped in with her father. The door closed behind and left them in shadows.
Mr. Storm help Josie remove her cloak, and one of his servants began to play a soft melody on his violin. Josie and her father started forward.
The light from the windows bathed Josie in a rosy glow, and Marcus’s heart beat faster. She was beautiful. Her eyes looked up to his, and peace washed over him. He couldn’t help but grin. Breathtaking. He was grateful that God had brought her into his life. She smiled back, and then she winked at him. He chuckled to himself, and his brother nudged him and whispered, “Behave.”
Soon she stood beside him, and he held her hand in his as they listened to the minister. The ceremony was long. Reverend Wilson gave them a charge to love and honor each other and to propagate the family line according to the Holy Scriptures.
Josie blushed next to him during that part, and he grinned. He spoke his vows strongly, and she responded as well in a clear voice. When pronounced man and wife, they turned toward their family and friends and the small chapel erupted in applause. Marcus held Josie to his side through the rounds of congratulations. He helped her put on her cloak and escorted her back to the house for the wedding breakfast.
~*~
Much later that day, Marcus and Josie were able to steal away to their suite of rooms, and they dismissed their servants to go and enjoy the celebration. Once they were alone, Marcus walked over to his bride and gave her a gentle kiss.
“Nervous?”
“Yes. There is no book that tells us what to do at this point, is there?”
“I am certain there are, but I do not think we shall need them.”
“Thank you for the ruby.” Her hand reached up to finger the blood red stone that touched her glowing skin.
Marcus’s mouth went dry.
“I have a gift for you.” Josie turned, left the room, and returned with a large square but flat package wrapped with green velvet, a cream ribbon, and some mistletoe. She sat down on the settee by to the fireplace and patted the seat next to her.
Marcus sat and sneaked another kiss.
Josie accepted the kiss with enthusiasm and then placed the package on his lap.
“What is it?” His hand caressed the velvet wrapping.
“You will have to open it to see, won’t you?” Her eyes were bright.
Marcus grinned. He unwrapped the package. The ribbon slipped off, and he draped it around Josie’s shoulders. The mistletoe he stuck in her hair. The velvet came off, and he stopped moving as he contemplated what was in his lap. He looked at her with one eyebrow raised.
“How did you…? It is beautiful. I do not understand.”
The watercolor painting on his lap was of him asleep in the yellow bedroom. The details were lifelike from his hair color, to his scuffed up boots, to the mutt sleeping in his lap.
Josie placed a hand on his and gave him a squeeze. “This was the first glimpse I ever had of the man I had fallen in love within my heart. The first image that greeted me when I emerged from my blindness. As soon as I was able, I tried to capture that memory on paper. I never want to forget that moment when I first saw you and knew you had kept watch over me. Protecting me. I knew then that you loved me.”
“It is beautiful. I am touched that finding me sleeping on the job rendered so many positive emotions in you.” She blushed as he set the picture down and began to unwrap her. “I don’t plan to fall asleep on the job tonight.”
Marcus and Josie discovered that the
y needed no instructions on how to proceed from there.
EPILOGUE
The Black Diamond paced. Bastian had failed him, and his back up, Widmore, was locked up as a lunatic. Probably a good thing, lest anyone give credence to murmurs about the existence of the Black Diamond. In time, all would recognize him and his greatness.
But not yet.
Lord Remington and his friends had robbed him of his object. Those men had proven to be patriots of England, and Captain Allendale had obviously not learned his lesson at the hands of the French.
Sir Michael Tidley. Oh, he had special plans for him.
All in good time. He’d be keeping an eye on these men who had stood in his way.
For now, Lord Wolton had struck a deal with Lord Follett. The Black Diamond looked forward to how this next season would unfold. He rubbed his hands together and fanned the flames of the fire before him as he chanted and prayed. The substitute sacrifice, while not as ideal, would suffice for now. He thrilled to hear her scream.
Yes. Being Emperor of England would be a sweet thing.
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Black Diamond Christian Gothic Regency Suspense Series
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The Lord Phillip’s Folly
Prologue
London
Across the misty sky flew a dark figure with wings flapping silently amidst the noise of the city of London where the elite of the ton prepared for this night’s entertainments. As the black bird swooped and dipped amongst the chimneys, he found what he searched for. Make that “whom” he searched for. He spied her on the balcony gazing up at the sky awaiting him. He dove from his height only spreading his wings within a few feet to slow descent and land lightly on her outstretched arm.
“Duke,” the young woman whispered. “You’re back. I’ve been waiting for you.”
His head bobbed but he refrained from speaking. His mistress frowned. He longed to see her smile. He tilted his head to the right, straightened it, and reached his neck forward to put his long dark beak to her cheek and rub gently.
Tears dangled at the edge of her eyelashes. “Tonight is the night, Duke. I cannot go through with what Papa plans. I must escape. All these years… I cannot endure any longer.”
The Virtuous Viscount Page 26
