A Scandalous Wager

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A Scandalous Wager Page 28

by Cassandra Samuels


  Rollands wore a surprised expression when he opened the door. ‘Lord Bellamy?’

  He didn’t wait to be asked in but made his way into the entryway. ‘Yes, yes. Where is she?’

  ‘She’s not here.’

  ‘What? Where the hell is she?’

  ‘She was going to your townhouse,’ Rollands replied.

  ‘My…my townhouse? Why?’

  Rolland stepped forward. ‘She was convinced you had not read her letter, sir. The letter I had delivered at dawn this morning. She went to ensure you read it.’

  ‘I’m not at my townhouse.’

  ‘Apparently not,’ Rollands replied.

  ‘I mean it is closed up. I was on my way to Whitely Hall. I better get back to the house.’

  ‘Or you could wait here for her to return? I am sure Lady Fortesque would be more than pleased to converse with you.’ Rollands raised a brow.

  Oliver was at the door in a second. ‘No, it will be faster if I go to her.’ He turned on his heel and raced back out into the rain.

  ‘Back to the townhouse, John,’ he instructed his driver, who simply shook his head in confusion but quickly whipped up the horses.

  Oliver didn’t blame him, he felt like he was going mad. His heart was beating erratically, like it knew not what tempo to be in. His lungs were burning and his eyes stung. He put his fist to his mouth to stop the cry aching to tumble out and Lord knows what would happen after that. He kept his gaze out the window and concentrated on the houses. Each number took him closer to Lisbeth.

  Then he saw her, in a hack going the other way. He jumped out of the carriage heedless of the danger and the rain. Slipping and sliding over the cobbles, he made his way after the vehicle. It was going slowly due to the weather and the always ridiculous traffic. After what felt like years, he finally reached the hack and swung open the door, leaping inside.

  Lisbeth’s face was at first horrified then wary as she recognised him. He must have looked fearsome invading the interior of the carriage, dripping wet and looking wild.

  ‘I went to your house,’ he said.

  She pulled out a notebook and began to write. Did you get my letter?

  ‘Yes, I did. I’m so sorry, Lisbeth. I was a fool.’

  No! I was the one who did wrong by you. Please forgive me.

  ‘There is nothing for me to forgive, for it is I who should beg your pardon for being such an arse.’

  Lisbeth’s eyes widened again at his choice of words then softened and her lips curved. He loved her eyes and he especially loved her lips. He wanted to kiss them more than anything.

  ‘Do you still love me, Lisbeth? Despite my many deficiencies?’

  He waited while she wrote.

  I love your deficiencies. I love you. Can you love me despite my need to control everything and everyone? I may yet turn into a crazy old lady.

  He laughed at that. ‘And I love you,’ he said, picking up her cold hand and pressing a kiss to her knuckles. ‘I happen to have a soft spot for crazy old ladies. I’m even warming to your grandmother.’

  She laughed but it came out sounding like a hyena. It filled him with such sadness and joy.

  ‘Your voice, what did the doctor say?’

  She scribbled away frantically again. He hated that Dalmere had done this to her, that he had not got to her in time to prevent her injury.

  It will return in time but may not be the same. Can you live with a woman who may sound like a horse?

  He kissed her then because he needed to show her that she didn’t need to talk to show him how she felt. ‘I quite like horses,’ he replied, and kissed her again.

  She kissed him back with more gusto than he expected. He found himself surrounded in Lisbeth. Her arms wound around his neck, her breasts delightfully squished against his chest and her lips firmly on his. She straddled his hips and his hands found their home on her backside. This was grand. This was how he had wanted to be greeted yesterday, which reminded him he still had a question he needed to ask her.

  ‘Lisbeth, will you let me love you for the rest of our lives?’

  She looked at him curiously, and then nodded.

  ‘That is good news,’ he said, grinning.

  She raised an eyebrow and looked around for her notebook.

  ‘What? You want more?’ He was enjoying this just a little too much. She hit him in the arm, playfully. He sighed dramatically. ‘Very well. Lisbeth, my darling, my love. Will you marry me?’

  She leaned in close to his ear and whispered, ‘Yes, I will.’ The husky tone was there, as before, but more so. It made him hot. It made him tingle all over. It made him very, very happy.

  This time when he looked at her it was to see tears streaming down her face and the most brilliant smile upon her face. She was apparently very happy too. He loved it when she smiled. Hell, he loved her when she did anything, including when she used those eyes to burn a hole through his skull when she was miffed with him.

  He loved her and she loved him. The feeling was so freeing, so liberating that he would have happily shed his clothes and done a jig in the street. Thankfully for all those who may have been witness to such a scene, the urge was redirected by her insistent wiggling on his lap.

  Oliver smiled and used his fist to bang on the side of the hack and called out to the driver. ‘A trip around Hyde Park, I think, driver.’

  Lisbeth nuzzled into his neck and whispered something very naughty in his ear.

  ‘Better make that two trips!’

  Epilogue

  ‘You can’t escape him now you’ve married him, you know,’ Ashton whispered in Lisbeth’s ear as they watched Oliver bow over Anna’s hand as their dance ended.

  ‘I suppose I’ll just have to learn to live with him then,’ she replied, a small smile at the edge of her lips.

  The wedding had been an intimate affair. Her grandmother had hosted the ceremony at her townhouse and neither Oliver nor Lisbeth had protested. It was what both of them had wanted, just family and good friends. Both the bride and groom had been on time, and no one had been remotely surprised.

  ‘I believe that you are both going to be very happy together. He adores you.’

  ‘Thank you, Lord Anthony. I adore him, too.’

  Oliver and Anna arrived back and Oliver kissed Lisbeth’s hand. ‘May I have this waltz, Lady Bellamy?’

  Lisbeth smiled. She liked how it felt on her face. ‘Why yes, you may, Lord Bellamy.’ Anna and Ashton both smiled at each other as the newly married couple made their way to the small dance floor.

  ‘Finally,’ Oliver said. ‘It feels like an age since I had you in my arms.’

  Poor Oliver, Lisbeth thought. The last few weeks had been hard on him, but a wedding could not be arranged in haste and her grandmother would not be overruled on the subject.

  When finally they waltzed together she felt there could be no more perfect moment to tell him the news she had been keeping.

  ‘I presume you know about spring?’ she began.

  Oliver laughed as they went through a turn. ‘I’ve vaguely heard of it, why?’

  ‘What usually happens in the spring?’

  He gave her a concerned look like she might have indulged in too much champagne.

  ‘Flowers bloom? Not that spring ever came this year.’

  ‘Yes, but what else happens?’ she urged.

  He gave her a pained look. ‘Must I guess?’

  She flashed her eyes in return. ‘Yes.’

  ‘Erm…lambs frolic?’

  She smiled for encouragement.

  He sighed again. ‘I must confess I have no idea what your point is.’

  ‘Well, it is just that there may be a certain lamb frolicking its way into our lives this spring.’

  She waited as his frown of confusion disappeared and understanding dawned. ‘No, really?’ he said, but his smile betrayed the words. They made a turn and he dipped her carefully. ‘Well, well, a lamb of our very own, eh? Are you sure?’

  ‘Y
es. I’ve known for a week or two. It is still early days and I was concerned it may have been a false alarm.’

  He kissed her forehead, then her nose and then, tenderly, her lips. ‘You are such a clever girl,’ he whispered into her ear. ‘Oh, how I love you my wonderful, beautiful, darling wife.’

  It made her tingle all over and suddenly, she had the overwhelming impulse to look at his watch to see what time it was. She wanted him alone. She wanted to be naked in his arms. She wanted to show him how much she loved him.

  ‘I didn’t do it on my own, you know. We are both very clever to have picked each other to fall in love with.’

  They danced in silence just looking into each other’s eyes.

  ‘She must have your eyes. I insist,’ he said in a confiding tone as he rested his forehead on hers.

  ‘She?’

  ‘Absolutely!’

  ‘And what would we call her?’

  He thought about this for a moment. ‘Petunia.’

  They both turned to look at Oliver’s aunt, who was happily selecting small sandwiches off a tray.

  ‘Petunia,’ Lisbeth agreed. ‘And if it rebels and comes out a boy?’

  ‘Henry.’

  Lisbeth smiled again. ‘Perfect.’ Then, ‘I shall be hideously fat, you know.’

  ‘And still, I will love you,’ he said, as if amazed by the notion. ‘My dear, darling Lisbeth, you have given me a happiness I thought I would never have—a family.’

  ‘I shall love you for an eternity, at least. I hope you are prepared.’ This seemed to please him immensely but she knew he could not comprehend the full magnitude of how much she loved him. How much she would always be grateful for the night he took on the Black Raven Wager and demanded entrance into her life. A life which was no longer cursed by the black raven, bad luck or death. Only happiness.

  She had tried so hard to push him away and he had simply pushed back with a determination she could only admire. He had taken the empty shell of her and filled her with love. A love she’d thought herself not worthy of and brought her back to life. She was determined to show him every day how grateful she was.

  An unusual feeling came over her whole body, warming her from the inside out. She realised it was joy. A true and wonderful feeling of hope and contentment that had always felt so far out of reach filled her heart to overflowing. She felt tears prick behind her eyes.

  ‘I hope those are tears of happiness?’ he asked, a frown upon his brow. He wiped away her tears with the gentlest of touches.

  She hastened to reassure him. ‘Yes, oh yes, they are. I could not be happier than I am right now.’

  Later she may tell him how she had wept with joy when the doctor had confirmed her pregnancy. How all the memories of her sweet little son had come flooding back, reminding her of how much she missed him. She knew the future for this baby; their baby would be so very different. For this child would be born from love. This child would grow up loved and cherished by both parents. And if this baby were to fall ill Oliver would never prevent her from tending to their child. She would never forget Daniel for he would always hold a special place in her heart no matter how many other children she may be blessed with.

  Oliver pulled her closer, his warm brown eyes alight with love for her. ‘I do believe I will kiss you now, wife.’

  She laughed. ‘I do believe I will kiss you back, husband.’

  Finally, they had found a home for their wayward hearts, in each other.

  Thanks for reading A Scandalous Wager. I hope you enjoyed it.

  If you’d like to know more about me, my books, or to connect with me online, you can follow me on twitter CSamuelsauthor, or like my Facebook page Cassandra-Samuels-author.

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  ISBN: 9780857992017

  Title: A Scandalous Wager

  Copyright © 2014 by Cassandra Samuels

  All rights reserved. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher, Harlequin Enterpris
es (Australia) Limited, Level 4/132 Arthur Street, North Sydney, NSW, Australia, 2060.

  All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.

  ® and ™ are trademarks of Harlequin Enterprises Limited and are used under license to the Publisher. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in Australia, New Zealand, the United States Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries.

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