The Earl's Runaway Bride

by Sarah Mallory

  He realised he was grinning as Felicity came towards him, her head held high and a confident smile on her lips. Little witch—just when had she turned into such an indomitable woman?

  Nathan’s look of surprised delight bolstered Felicity’s spirits. She was his countess, and he was proud of her—she could read it in his eyes. She was no longer shy little Felicity Bourne, afraid to speak out for fear of reprisals. She was the Countess of Rosthorne! Felicity crossed the room, trying to ignore the fact that everyone was staring at her and her knees were shaking. Mr Guynette was talking to her, but she was not listening. Her whole attention was fixed upon her husband.

  ‘My lord, I regret I could not be here earlier.’ Her eyes flickered over Serena Ansell, standing tall and beautiful beside Nathan. She breathed in, pulling herself up another inch as she held out her hand. ‘But I am here now, sir, and await your pleasure.’

  For a long, long moment everyone in the room seemed to hold their breath, watching the little tableau being acted out before them. It took all Felicity’s courage to keep her hand extended and her eyes upon Nathan. Not by so much as the flicker of an eyelid did she reveal the fear that gnawed at her, that he might reject her. Then slowly, she saw Nathan’s smile deepen. He walked forward, reaching out to take her hand in his own.

  ‘The pleasure, ma’am, is all mine.’

  His words and the look that accompanied them made her heart soar. Nathan tucked her hand into his arm and walked away with her. The ballroom, released from its spell, began to hum again with conversation, the orchestra struck up for the next dance, and everything returned to normal. Except that Felicity and Nathan found themselves almost mobbed by Rosthorne’s acquaintances, demanding that he present them to his lady.

  It was almost an hour before they could talk together undisturbed. Nathan escorted her to a secluded alcove.

  ‘I thought I should never get you to myself,’ he said when at last they were seated. He subjected her to a searching gaze. ‘Are you sure you are well enough to be here? I left you sleeping.’

  ‘I am well aware of that, sir, and I took it very ill that you should go out enjoying yourself without me!’

  His lips twitched. ‘I beg your pardon, madam. I came to find Lady Souden; you did not know me earlier, and I thought that if you were still confused when you woke again you might feel more comfortable if your friend was with you.’

  ‘How thoughtful of you!’ Felicity smiled up at him, blinking away a tear. ‘You are so very good to me!’

  A smile glimmered in his eyes. ‘I look after my own, madam! But you are very pale. Tell me truthfully, you have no pains, no headache?’

  ‘No, no, I am quite well, now. I was a little dizzy when I first woke up, but that soon passed.’

  ‘Good. Then tell me now how you come to be in Bath.’

  ‘Your second-best travelling carriage, my lord…’

  ‘Yes, yes, saucy Jane, but why?’

  ‘I came to be with you, my lord,’ she said simply. ‘Mama Carraway and I decided I should follow you. Of course, if I had known about Lady Charlotte I should not have followed you to Laura Place.’

  ‘Imagine my surprise when Gerald and I arrived back there to be told you had walked out with her! I was afraid we would not find you in time—’

  ‘I kept her talking as long as I could.’ Felicity shivered. ‘She told me everything, Nathan. The poor woman is quite deranged.’

  ‘I know. That was why I rode over to Appleby Manor on Boxing Day, to talk to Gerald about it, but he was already making plans to bring her to Bath. He begged me to accompany him. I wrote to you yesterday, explaining everything.’

  ‘Then your letter will be waiting for me when I get back.’ She took a deep breath and looked him in the eye. ‘I have stopped running, Nathan. I want to be a proper wife, if you will let me.’

  ‘If I will let—oh, my love that is all I ever wanted!’ He reached across the table for her hand. ‘In fact, I want to kiss you right now.’

  She squeezed his fingers, warmed by the soft look in his eyes. ‘I would like that too—but not here…’

  ‘No, of course not.’

  He sat back, and she saw the light die out of his face, leaving him looking very serious.

  ‘My dear?’ Felicity watched him, a tiny frown creasing her brow. ‘Nathan, what is it?’

  ‘Talking to Sir James last night. There are rumours, hints of unrest in France. If that is so, if Bonaparte should rise again—’

  She caught his hand. She said quietly, ‘If you think it is your duty to rejoin your regiment then I shall not stand in your way, Nathan. But make sure you come back to me, my love.’

  He raised her hand to his lips. ‘You may be sure of that! Do you know,’ he said, gazing deep into her eyes, ‘I am suddenly very tired.’ The message she read in his eyes made her blush to the roots of her hair. ‘Shall we go?’

  ‘Yes,’ she whispered, her insides turning to water. ‘If you please.’

  He rose and held out his hand to her. ‘Come along; let us take our leave.’

  They walked out through the ballroom where the dancing was still in progress. Felicity saw Lady Ansell going down the dance with a fair-haired youth. The widow looked up and Felicity met her cold stare with a brief, haughty look of her own before turning away to accompany Nathan across the room to Sir James Souden, who grinned at them.

  ‘Leaving us so early, Rosthorne?’

  ‘It has been an eventful day,’ said Nathan. ‘Pray give our regards to your wife.’

  ‘She will be sorry she missed you. She is off dancing somewhere.’ He shook his head. ‘She told me she wanted to come here to take the waters, but there doesn’t seem to be much amiss, if she can dance all night the way she does.’

  ‘I wish I could stay and talk to her—’ Felicity broke off, aware of Nathan’s hand under her elbow. ‘But we must leave this instant. Give her my love, Sir James, and tell her I will speak to her tomorrow.’

  She turned to accompany Nathan to the door, but they had not gone many paces before Serena Ansell stepped in front of them.

  ‘So your little wife still hangs upon your sleeve,’ she sneered. ‘Quite the picture of marital harmony. How provincial.’

  Felicity stiffened. It was unfortunate that the music had stopped, and Serena’s words fell into the sudden quiet. She heard someone close by titter.

  ‘Is it so unfashionable to dote upon one’s wife?’ returned Nathan.

  ‘You were not always so devoted a husband.’

  ‘Possibly not.’ He smiled down at Felicity. ‘That was an error and I admit it. But my lady and I have no secrets from each other now.’

  Serena looked up at him under her lashes. ‘What, none, my lord?’

  The meaning was so transparent that Felicity’s fingers curled into claws. Nathan put a restraining hand over hers.

  ‘None, Lady Ansell. We have discussed…everything.’ He gave a smile as false as her own and turned to leave.

  ‘Then I wish you joy of her, my lord,’ Serena called after him. ‘Until your countess runs away from you again!’

  Felicity gasped. Nathan came to a halt, then slowly he turned back towards Serena.

  ‘Let us speak plainly, madam,’ he said coldly. ‘And let me correct any misapprehension that others may have. We have never been lovers. I was never susceptible to the charms you offered so freely, and the fact that you were married to my commanding officer and the mistress of my best friend only diminished any regard I might have had for you. You have tried on more than one occasion to make my wife believe that I have an affection for you; I believe you even intercepted my letter to Elliston and used it for your own purposes before passing it on to him. But your stratagems failed, madam. I am happy to state here, quite publicly, that I never was, and never will be, an admirer of yours!’

  A look of shock and horror replaced Serena’s smile as his voice carried across the room. Others were sniggering now, but Felicity ignored them. She was astonished at Na
than’s open avowal and her heart swelled with pride as she realised how difficult it must be for her reserved husband to speak quite so openly.

  ‘Oh, bravo, my lord,’ she applauded him as they left the ballroom. ‘That will give the Bath tabbies something to talk of.’

  ‘I fear there can be no reconciliation with Lady Ansell.’

  Felicity laughed. ‘That is one acquaintance I am happy to forgo!’ She looked back over her shoulder. ‘I wish I had stayed to speak to Lydia. I fear Sir James will think you most boorish to drag me away so intemperately!’

  ‘Souden is too much of a gentleman to think anything so impolite,’ murmured Nathan, leading her out of the building. ‘I think he is more likely to excuse my conduct as the actions of a man violently in love.’

  Felicity stopped. ‘Oh. Oh, do you mean that?’

  ‘Mean what?’

  She felt herself blushing in the darkness. There was a constriction in her throat, making it difficult to breathe.

  ‘That…that you are in love. Violently.’

  He dragged her into his arms. ‘Of course I mean it. I am so very much in love with you that I am going to kiss you here. Now. In the street.’

  Before she could protest Felicity found herself swept up in a crushing embrace. When at last Nathan lifted his head, her mouth felt bruised from his savage kiss. She heard a discreet cough and realised that the earl’s carriage had drawn up beside them and a wooden-faced footman was holding open the door.

  ‘In with you, baggage,’ growled Nathan, ‘before I forget myself again.’

  Felicity sat beside Nathan for the short journey back to the hotel, her head on his shoulder and her hand clasped in his.

  ‘Nathan?’

  ‘Yes, love?’

  ‘What will happen to Lady Charlotte?’

  ‘Gerald will make provision for her to be looked after at Appleby Manor.’

  ‘And her groom, Harris?’

  ‘We have sent him to my estate near Newmarket.’

  Felicity sat up. ‘But, Nathan, he tried to kill you!’

  ‘The man is an innocent; he is no danger to me or to anyone else if he is removed from Lady Charlotte’s influence. He has a gift for healing; he can work on the stud farm and my men there will keep an eye on him. He can be useful there, Fee, and I think he will be happy.’

  She eyed him doubtfully. ‘If you are sure, Nathan…’

  He nodded. ‘I am sure.’

  ‘Poor Lady Charlotte,’ murmured Felicity. ‘I wish you had explained. When you were so reserved, I thought you suspected me…’

  ‘That was never my intention, but I could not tell anyone until I had confirmed my suspicions.’ His grip on her hand became momentarily painful. ‘I did not want to admit to you that my aunt, a blood relation…’

  ‘You thought that I would think ill of you because of Lady Charlotte’s illness? Oh, my dear, I could never do that!’ She turned to hug him. ‘Only think of my own uncle, eccentric enough to drag me to northern Spain and to spend every penny he had, trusting to God to provide!’

  ‘Eccentric, yes, but not the same!’

  ‘Not so very different, when you think he condemned me to the life of a missionary with no concern for my own wishes.’ She caught his hands. ‘It is you I love, Nathan, for the good, kind man that you are. I love you for your forgiving nature, and your forbearance, when I have been so foolish.’

  He pulled her on to his lap. ‘We have both been foolish, my love, but no more—let there be no more secrets between us.’

  ‘No,’ she whispered. ‘None.’

  Nathan’s hold tightened as Felicity responded to his kiss. She filled his senses, he was drowning in the taste of her, the touch of her fingers on his skin fanned his desire and it was with difficulty that he resisted the temptation to tear away her silken gown and lose himself in the delectable flesh he knew lay beneath it. Reluctantly he eased away from her.

  ‘Enough,’ he muttered, breathing heavily. ‘We should stop now while I am still able.’

  Felicity sighed. ‘I never want this to end, Nathan.’

  She snuggled into him, her head against his chest and her curls tickling his chin. With admirable resolution he put her gently but firmly on to the seat beside him.

  ‘A jolting carriage is not the place to make love to one’s wife. Besides, we are already at York House.’

  Felicity straightened her wrap and waited patiently while the carriage slowed to a halt outside the tall, imposing frontage of the hotel. Nathan jumped down and turned to help her out of the carriage, then with one hand possessively about her waist he swept her up the steps and into the building.

  Sam was waiting at the door of his apartment.

  ‘Bring some brandy, and wine—or perhaps ratafia for Lady Rosthorne, if you please, Sam,’ said Nathan. ‘Then you may leave us.’

  There was a cheerful fire burning in the sitting room and Nathan helped Felicity to remove her voluminous cloak before drawing her down beside him on the sofa.

  ‘Now,’ he said, when they were alone, ‘tell me what it was that made you come to Bath.’

  ‘Your mother showed me the letter you had written to Adam before you marched out of Corunna.’

  He kissed her neck. ‘And what was so special about that?’ he murmured.

  She closed her eyes, enjoying the touch of his lips on her skin. ‘You wrote that you…loved me.’

  ‘Mmm.’

  ‘You never said that to me.’

  He raised his head. ‘Did I not?’

  ‘Never, until tonight.’ She added shyly, ‘I did not believe it could be so, until I read your letter.’

  He pulled her on to his lap in a rustle of silk. ‘How very remiss of me,’ he murmured, his mouth against her ear. ‘Because I do love you. To distraction.’

  She slipped her arms about his neck. ‘Oh, Nathan, that makes me so happy! I—’

  He cut off her words with his mouth, kissing her ruthlessly. She melted beneath the onslaught, almost fainting with love and relief and the sheer bliss of being in his arms again.

  At length he broke off, but he kept her on his lap, safely enclosed in his arms and for a while they sat in silence, listening to the crackling of the fire.

  ‘One thing,’ said Nathan. ‘At the Hazelford Assembly—did anyone else see Serena kissing me?’

  She nodded against his chest. ‘Mr Elliston.’

  ‘Hah! So that was why he has been so distant of late. Oh, Fee, you little idiot, why did you not challenge me at the time, or come up and slap my face for me? Come to think of it, why did Elliston not charge me with it?’

  ‘B-because I begged him not to say anything.’ Felicity dared not look up. ‘Serena Ansell is so beautiful, so assured—all the gentlemen think her very desirable.’

  ‘Not all of them, Fee.’

  ‘I am so sorry I doubted you, Nathan,’ she whispered.

  His arms tightened around her. ‘You are not wholly to blame. If I had been more open with you, perhaps you might not have believed her so readily. Hell and damnation, no wonder you have been so unhappy! Did you think I had installed my mistress in the neighbourhood? What a scoundrel I should be to do that! Fee, I should ring your neck for thinking me capable of such a thing!’

  ‘I am sorry,’ she said again. ‘Sometimes my temper overwhelms me, and I find it impossible to think rationally.’

  He kissed the top of her head. ‘I’ll make sure she does not hurt you again.’

  She raised her head and looked into his eyes. ‘She cannot hurt me, now I know the truth. Oh, Nathan, I was a fool not to trust you.’

  ‘Let us put all that behind us now, love.’

  In one swift, fluid movement he swept her up into his arms and carried her to the door.

  ‘What are you doing?’

  ‘Taking you to bed.’

  She gave a little, shaky laugh and buried her head in his shoulder. ‘Nathan, the servants! They will see us!’

  ‘Let them. It is a tradition in m
y family to carry a bride to her bed.’

  ‘It—it is?’

  He looked down at her, a wicked glint in his eyes. ‘It is now.’

  Felicity said no more. He carried her into the bedchamber where a fire blazed merrily in the hearth and a few candles burned around the room. There was no sign of Sam, or Martha.

  ‘I think they knew they would not be needed tonight,’ grinned Nathan, gently setting her on her feet. ‘Now turn around and let me undress you.’

  Amid fevered kisses they began a breathless, undignified scrabble to shed their clothing. It involved many oaths on Nathan’s part and much giggling from Felicity until the last stocking had been removed and Nathan scooped her up and placed her none too gently upon the huge bed.

  A sudden stillness enveloped them. Felicity lay on her back, looking up at Nathan, his shape outlined blackly above her. In the near-darkness her other senses were heightened—she breathed in the smell of his skin, a mixture of spices and musk and brandy, but at the same time she was aware of the scents from the perfumed candles burning in the room and the hint of herbs coming from the freshly laundered sheets. It was like lying in a meadow on a summer’s night.

  She reached up and ran the tips of her fingers down Nathan’s body, from his neck to his navel. A fierce joy filled her: this was where she belonged. With Nathan, as his partner, his wife.

  ‘By heaven, but you are beautiful,’ he muttered hoarsely.

  He lowered his head to kiss the valley between her breasts. She held him close, her hands moving over his back while he covered her body with delicate kisses. She stretched beneath him, throwing back her head as she gave herself up to the sensations his touch was arousing. He did not hurry, devoting himself to each area of her body, caressing and kissing her until her senses took flight and she was writhing beneath him, crying his name while her fingers dug into his shoulders. With a wild abandon she gave herself to him, aware of his own growing excitement as their bodies met in a tangle of limbs and hot passionate kisses. Her senses climbed higher and ever higher until she was no longer in control. She clung to Nathan, their two bodies moved together, harder, faster, and they shared a brief moment of exultation before they collapsed, panting, on to the covers.