“Peter, there is no need to…..”
“Let me say this out loud, Rebecca. I have been nothing but a burden to you ever since father died. You have managed this place so efficiently all on your own and what did I do in return? I lost all your hard work on one stupid bet!” Turning back toward Henry, Peter added, “Please, Lord Northwall, I am not asking anything for myself. I deserve to be publicly shamed after what I’ve done. But why should Rebecca have to suffer with me? I beg you to return her part of the estate…..”
“Peter! Why are you pleading for something that is basically ours? This gentleman may snatch our fortune from us, but he cannot take away the fact that we are the rightful owners of this place. Our family has been serving Leicester for generations and our people hold us in high esteem. What more can we ask for? He may take over our estate, but he will not take away the love and respect that our people have for us!”
“My Lady, you make me sound like some villain who has stolen your property behind your back. Let me make it very clear: I won your estate in a wager. If your brother had enough foresight, he wouldn’t have wagered the estate in the first place. But now that he’s lost it, I don’t see any point in creating all this fuss.”
Rebecca knew that he is right. There is no point trying to humiliate him any further. This mess isn’t his fault, was it? He won a bet and had come here to claim his prize.
The problem was that his prize was basically all she had!
Chapter Four
Rebecca sighed, finally accepting her fate. “You are right, My Lord. Please give us a few days to make arrangements to relinquish the estate to you. You are welcome to stay with us until then.”
Henry knew he should feel ecstatic about the fact that the brother sister duo were finally talking sense, but somewhere deep in his heart, he felt sorry for Lady Rebecca. She seemed like an intelligent woman who had been wronged by fate. If what Peter said was true, she’d managed the entire estate single-handedly after the previous Earl’s death. He had heard about the erstwhile Earl of Leicester. He didn’t have a sterling reputation but was very shrewd when it came to matters of business. He had amassed a vast fortune in gambling and he put most of it to good use in his estate. No wonder the people of Leicester loved him and his family!
Henry surveyed the interior of the chamber allotted to him. It has been tastefully done in maroon and beige. In fact, the entire mansion spoke of elegance and sophistication. He had caught a glimpse of what he supposed was the Banqueting Room and was highly impressed by the huge domed ceiling intricately decorated with designs of exotic foliage. Everything from the chandeliers to the upholstery was exquisite…someone had taken great efforts to decorate the place.
Even the large bed in his room was made of the finest wood. Now in private, he could not keep his thoughts from turning to the unrestrained pleasures one might enjoy there! Suddenly, he is reminded of Lady Rebecca and her luscious frame. The woman had impressed him in more ways than one. She was spirited, intelligent, hardworking and, from what he had seen, she cared deeply for her brother. To top it all, she was one of the most beautiful woman he’d ever met. Henry wondered why she’d not already been snared by the any of England’s eligible bachelors. Perhaps it had something to do with her father’s questionable reputation. Yes, that could be the case!
Once again, he felt sorry for her. Her father’s reputation deprived her of a chance at a good husband and now she was being pushed into poverty because of her brother’s foolishness. Henry loved the spark that he saw in her eyes when she’d defended her brother. That woman stirred something deep within his heart. This thought made him a little uncomfortable and he moved towards the balcony off of his chamber to get some fresh air.
As soon as he stepped out, he noticed someone standing on the balcony of the adjacent room. In the darkness, he could only make out a woman’s silhouette. He stood there, mesmerized by the sight, until the dark clouds finally shifted to make way for moonlight. In the faint light, Henry realized that the woman standing mere feet away from him was none other than Lady Rebecca. She was dressed in a flimsy nightgown that did nothing to hide her sinful body from his hungry gaze. He stepped back a little, lest she spot him staring shamelessly at her. He felt himself go hard with need just looking at her. He wondered what would happen if he actually held her in his arms!
Jesus! He had to do something about his growing attraction towards the woman. He’d lost count of the number of women he’d been with in the past, but none of them attracted him in the strange, primal way as she did. The moment she stormed into the study earlier that day, he’d known that she was different from the rest.
Let’s just say I have to go to claim something that’s mine. And who knows, I may meet your future daughter-in-law on the way!…Suddenly his own words rang in his ears and he formed a plan- a plan to make an offer that Lady Rebecca would find very hard to refuse!
*************************************************
Rebecca could not sleep that night. After almost an hour of tossing and turning, she finally got up and decided to go to the balcony for some respite. She still found it hard to face reality. In a matter of two days, everything would be lost. Dear God! Why did this happen to her? What had she done to deserve such a fate? All she had wanted was a good husband and a respectable family. Was that too much to ask for? She sighed and thought that perhaps she would never get answers to her questions.
She felt sorry for Peter, too. Even though he was responsible for the entire fiasco, she still didn’t want to see him suffer. She knew that he felt extremely guilty for what he’d done. .She would never forget the look of distress in her brother’s eyes as he pleaded with Lord Northwall. She would also never forgive the man who was the reason for that distress!
Lord Henry Northwall…he was just as he’d been described by those ladies at the ball. Tall, dark and dangerously handsome, her heart had stopped when she’d looked at him for the first time. But that moment quickly passed and her anger resurfaced when she realized that the man standing in front of her had just threatened her brother with dire consequences. And she practically fumed when she caught him unashamedly scrutinizing her from head to toe. That man had some guts!
Rebecca thought hard to come up with something that may save their estate, but her mind had gone completely numb. Her years of selfless labor were about to go into a stranger’s hands and she could do nothing to stop it.
She had never felt this helpless—not even when her father died. At that time, she had faith that she could help Peter manage their estate. Of course, Peter’s contribution towards running the estate had been negligible and the entire burden had fallen squarely on her shoulders, but she had not crumbled under the pressure. In fact, she had done everything in her power to take the estate to new heights. Whether it was helping the farmers understand new methods of cultivation or giving tips to them to increase their produce, she did it all. She even did some chores that the polite society would consider ‘unladylike!’ All Rebecca ever wanted was to help her estate flourish. And flourish it did!
Mind still reeling, she walked back into her chamber and fell into a dreamless sleep.
Chapter Five
Henry got up with the first rays of the sun and decided to explore the estate a little before breakfast. He was pleasantly surprised to see the people of Leicester up and about at this early hour. Everyone seemed to be busy with their daily chores. He saw a group of elderly women walking to the Church for morning prayers. One of them suddenly lost her footing and fell. Henry immediately got off his horse to help.
“Are you alright?”
“Yes…yes, I am alright. Thank you, son,” she says. “Who are you? I’ve never seen you here before.”
“I am Henry Northwall, the Duke of Southampton.”
“Oh…pardon me, My Lord…. I didn’t realize….”
“Please, call me Henry,” he says with a smile. “I am visiting Leicester on some personal business.”
“Oh, so
you must be staying at the mansion with Lord Peter and Lady Rebecca, God bless them.”
“Yes, I am.”
“Please give my regards to Lady Rebecca. Tell her Mistress Jones was saying that Sunshine has just birthed the most beautiful foal.”
“Sunshine?”
“That’s my mare’s name. You know, Lady Rebecca rescued the poor soul when she was just a baby. She had somehow fallen into a deep pit and I still remember how she toiled with some of the local men to help her climb out. She is a kind hearted lady, I tell you. It’s a pity that she’s not found a husband worthy of her. Each one of us in Leicester wishes the best for her. I am sure she’ll find the man of her dreams very soon,” the old lady said with a smile.
Henry was amazed at the amount of love and respect the woman seemed to have for Rebecca. After bidding her adieu, he continued on. Wherever he went, people were full of praises for Lady Rebecca. His heart filled with genuine respect for Rebecca. She would make a perfect Duchess. It made him even more determined to execute his plan. If only he could predict Rebecca’s reaction to his offer!
**********************************************************
Rebecca and Peter were waiting for Henry at the breakfast table. They’d been informed that he’d just come back from a short tour of the estate. That is not a good sign. While Peter seemed to have resigned himself to his fate, she was still hoping for some miracle to save them.
“Good morning, Lord Thompson, My Lady,” Henry gave a small bow after entering the room, a big smile on his face.
“Good morning to you, too, Lord Northwall,” Peter said half-heartedly. Rebecca couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. Her anger rose once again at Lord Northwall’s merry tone. Why did he have to sound so cheerful? He should at least have the decency to not be happy about snatching their estate in front of them!
When Henry looked at Rebecca, he was rewarded with an angry glare. He chuckled inwardly at her defiant attitude. She knew that she was about to lose her everything but she had apparently not given up yet. That made her like her even more. The way her cheeks flushed when she got angry made her look even more beautiful. He was dying to see her response to his offer.
“I see that you’re already making yourself at home in Leicester. I just heard that you’ve had a tour of the estate and even interacted with the locals,” Lady Rebecca’s voice dripped with honey even as her eyes shot daggers at him.
“Well, yes. I thought it would be nice to get to know this place a little better. After all, I’ll be the owner of the estate in a few days.” He knew that his statement would make her angrier but he couldn’t help himself! He got a twisted sort of pleasure in making her lose her composure. His mind wandered to the future and when he would make her lose her calm in bed. He was sure that she’d be extremely responsive to his touch! Good Heavens, the mere thought of touching her aroused him so much that he could feel his trousers stretch!
“Of course! I am sure the people here will love you when they learn how you’ve worked so hard to win the estate.” Again a sarcastic remark! This woman is driving him crazy!
“And I suppose they’ll love Lord Peter even more when they learn how he lost his estate,” Henry replied, face twisting into a smirk. Peter’s face fell a little at his remark and he heard Rebecca gasp. For a minute, no one moved, no one said anything. There was complete silence in the room.
“Lord Northwall, we hoped to keep things quiet for a day or two. We are thinking of an appropriate way to disclose this information to our people and I hope you will co-operate with us in the meantime,” Peter said.
“Of course, Lord Thompson, why not! But I have a plan that I feel would suit all of us,” Henry replied.
Peter and Rebecca looked at him a little skeptically. “And what exactly would that be?” asks Rebecca, unable to control her curiosity.
“We are each currently in a do-or-die situation. If we decide to work together for our mutual benefit, I think all our problems could be solved.”
Rebecca and Peter looked at one another in confusion. “Can you please clarify? I don’t understand how you are in a do-or-die situation! From what I can tell, you are rather in a win-win situation!” Rebecca exclaimed.
“Well, as they say, grass is always greener on the other side. I may seem to be in a win-win situation, but in reality, I am facing a huge problem of my own.”
“Please don’t talk in riddles, Lord Northwall. Just tell us your plan!” Peter seemed interested in what Henry had to say now. Anything to save him from humiliation and disgrace!
“My mother, Her Grace the Duchess of Southampton, wants to see me married in the next six months. She wants me to produce an heir as a proof of my responsibility toward the estate,” Henry cringed a little as he said these words.
“I don’t think any of this has anything to do with our problem.”
“Patience, my lady, is a great virtue,” Henry said with a devilish smile. Rebecca’s face reddened slightly and she was extremely grateful when he finally looked at Peter and continued, “As I was saying, my mother has given an ultimatum of sorts by to get married in six months’ time or be prepared to forfeit my inheritance to my first cousin Lord Philip Northwall.”
“How can we help you with this, Lord Northwall?” Peter asked, still confused.
“Well, as you know now, I am now looking for a suitable bride and although there is no dearth of ladies who’d be more than happy to become the Duchess of Southampton, I have my eyes set on one lady in particular,” says Henry and looks at Rebecca.
Rebecca was stunned. Suddenly, everything around her seemed to move in slow motion. She was trying to wrap her head around Henry’s words. He wanted to marry her? Why on earth would he want anything to do with her after the way she’d behaved? Since he’d arrived, she’d been nothing but rude to him! Did he want to take revenge for her spiteful behavior? Did he want to teach her a lesson for being so hateful? Good Lord!
“I want to marry Lady Rebecca if I have your permission. It would be a marriage of convenience. I will make my mother happy by marrying her and you will get your estate back,” Rebecca heard Henry say to Peter. How simple he made it sound!
“Lord Northwall!” thunders Peter. “Do you have no shame at all? You are asking me to subject my sister to a lifetime of pain and grief in return for my estate? I may come across as a reckless person, but I am not so heartless. I love my sister more than anything in the world!”
“Please consider the options before coming to a conclusion, Lord Thompson,” Henry said calmly. “If you refuse my offer, you will subject your sister to a life of poverty and misery. On the other hand, if she marries me, she’ll be the Duchess of Southampton. I agree that it may be a loveless marriage, but she’ll enjoy the life of a Duchess! What more can a woman ask for?”
“Love, respect and companionship,” Rebecca said quietly, blinking rapidly to disperse the tears that threatened to flow from her eyes. “But you will not understand that, my lord. Peter, I think what Lord Northwall is saying makes sense. We don’t have many options.”
“But Rebecca…”
“No ifs ands or buts Peter. I am ready to marry Lord Northwall. Please decide on a suitable date and make arrangements for the wedding.”
THE END
Regency Romance
A Prize to Be WOOED
Defiant Lords Series
Rose Haven
Regency Romance: A Prize to Be WOOED
Chapter One
Rebecca is finally getting married today. She should be happy; her dream is finally coming true. But she is far from that; in fact, she can’t remember a day in recent times when she’d been so depressed.
She is willingly subjecting herself to a life that isn’t too dissimilar to that of her late mother. Her mother had always pined for her husband’s love, she’d spent her entire life hoping that her husband would finally mend his ways and come back to her. But nothing of the sort happened, and she died a slow, lonely death. Rebecca had promi
sed herself that whenever she married, it would be for love.
But where is love in this marriage? For God’s sakes, it is a marriage of convenience, she reminds herself. Her future husband is too much like her father. She’d heard that, when in London, he frequented the Covent Garden too often for recreation and was a regular at the Almack’s. Yes, he is extremely good looking, but what good are looks if your husband has eyes for women other than yourself! She’d rather have a plain looking man who’s in love with her!
Rebecca slowly gets up from her bed and casts a final glance at the mirror. She is pleased with what she sees. In an off white gown embellished with pearls and lace and a neckline that gives a subtle hint of her cleavage, she looks like a princess. She twisted her hair up in a sophisticated bun with a few loose tendrils to frame her heart-shaped face. Her gown beautifully offsets the deep blue color of her eyes.
As the time of the wedding fast approaches, Rebecca gets butterflies in her stomach. Although she is unhappy about marrying Lord Northwall and despite the fact that she loathes the man, a small part of her is anxious to know his reaction to her appearance this morning. She has no idea why, but the thought of him throwing an appreciative glance her way makes her giddy.
“Are you ready, My Lady?” It is Lily, one of her chamber maids.
“Yes, I guess I am.” Rebecca lets out a sigh. She is a nervous wreck.
“Lord Thompson and His Grace are waiting for you in the study,” Lily informs her.
“Please tell them that I’ll join them in a moment.” Rebecca needs some time to compose herself. She doesn’t want Lord Northwall to witness her anxiety.
“Rebecca, you aren’t ready yet?” Peter stops in his tracks as he rounds the corner. “You look lovely, dear sister.”
“Why, thank you, my dear brother,” she smiles.
BILLIONAIRE ROMANCE: The Unforgettable Southern Billionaires: The Complete Collection Boxed Set (Young Adult Rich Alpha Male Billionaire Romance) Page 129
