The Debutante's Escape

by Peggy McKenzie

  “No, they are none the wiser for the moment, but that won’t hold true for long, I fear.” She felt like a coward for keeping quiet when she should be setting her friend free from this disastrous plan.

  He smiled at her and took her coat, laying it across the same chair she had done so only moments ago. Then, he pulled her hands into his. The concern on his face made guilt tighten her chest. She should really say something about her change of heart, but John spoke first.

  “Regina, I want you to meet a good friend of mine. This is Will and he has agreed to perform the ceremony for us.”

  The man offered her a nod in greeting and a stiff bow. What must he think of her, asking John to pretend to marry her?

  “Hello, Will.” It was all she could muster for fear her emotions would give her doubts away. Did John think this person would fool an observant eye as someone who could officiate a wedding ceremony? His appearance was disheveled, and he reeked of alcohol.

  John took her hand in his. She liked the way his skin felt against hers.

  “Shall we begin? I'm certain you want the marriage certificate signed before there is any chance your father can stop us,” John suggested.

  The image of her father storming into the room and harming John in some way pushed her into motion. There would be time to reproach herself later. Now, she must pretend to wed her friend and yet—

  “Regina? Are you alright?” She heard the concern in John’s voice.

  “Yes. I’m…no. I’m not.”

  “What is it? Aren’t you feeling well?” John reached out and pulled her closer to him.

  She had to make certain he understood what he was getting himself into before she could proceed. “John, are you certain this is something you want to take on? Just because I asked you to pretend to marry me doesn’t mean you should. My father is a very vindictive person. You know firsthand how cruel he can be. He can ruin you, John. He can take away everything you hold dear, and he’ll do it without a moment’s hesitation. That’s how deep his animosity runs,” she managed to say, her guilt pushing her doubts ahead of her desperation.

  “Regina, you know me better than that. I’m not afraid of your father. In fact, I welcome the opportunity to go head-to-head with him. So, bring on your wrath, Mr. Henry Beckett. We are more than ready to take you on,” he teased.

  Regina heard the humor in John’s words, and she relaxed. She knew if anyone was a match for her father, it was this street-smart man who pulled himself out of the gutter by his own bootstraps.

  “I think you are worrying about nothing, Regina. Once your father sees you are married, he will resign himself to the fact and leave us alone. You mustn’t let your fear of him determine your choices for your future.”

  Regina inhaled a deep breath for courage. Her father only wanted to use her for his own benefit, unlike John who genuinely cared for her and had her best interests at heart. What on earth had she done to warrant such a dear friend?

  “Regina, are you ready to proceed?” She heard John calling her from her worried musings.

  “Yes, I’m ready.” She knew they would handle whatever came their way.

  “Good. I'm glad to hear it.” He pulled her to her feet and led her to the table that held a Bible and a certificate of some sort.

  “Thank you for being so kind, John. This room is beautiful.” Regina was touched by all the things John had done to make their make-believe wedding special.

  The man called Will spoke up. “We should probably get started soon. And we are going to need a witness. Was there anyone you had in mind, John?”

  “Yes, I thought perhaps Mary would do the honors. And I can trust her to be discreet,” John responded.

  “Why do we need a witness? After all, this isn't a real wedding. Can't we just say we had a witness?” Regina wondered. The less people involved, the less trouble her father could cause to those who helped her.

  She watched Will study the certificate on the table in front of them. “If what John says is true, your father will do what he can to dismiss this marriage if the proper documents are not present. The marriage certificate requires the signature of a witness.”

  John turned to her. “Will had mentioned this to me earlier and I agreed the more we can do to present a legitimate marriage to your father, and the rest of Durango, the less chance someone will question it. I want to protect your reputation as much as possible.”

  Regina gazed at the man standing next to her. She knew there was a very good chance his reputation and financial health would be decimated by her father.And yet, here he was worrying about her reputation.

  “I had mentioned the possibility of standing in as our witness to Mary. She is very discreet, and she would never disclose anything I asked her not to.”

  “I suppose if that's what is necessary to fool my father, then by all means, go and get her.” Regina knew she was in too deep now to back out. After all, it was her idea to pretend to marry and John had gone to all this trouble.

  “I think it’s necessary,” Will insisted.

  John let go of her hand. “I'll be right back.”

  He quickly left to find their witness, leaving her alone with Will. She had no idea how long John would be gone, so she filled the awkward silence with nervous chatter.

  “Thank you for agreeing to do this. I trust once this is over, you will make yourself scarce. I would hate for my father to cause you any trouble.”

  “I would not like to have an altercation with your father. That wouldn't be good for any of us,” the man admitted.

  Regina’s stomach fell at the thought. “Yes, I agree. I'm worried about John. I only hope we can convince my father this marriage is real so he will leave everyone alone.”

  “That is all of our hope, Miss Beckett.”

  A sound at the door announced John's return. He opened the door and ushered in the same young woman that had let Regina in the hotel's side door.

  “Regina. This is Mary. You can trust her. She works for me.”

  Regina nodded to Mary. “Hello, Mary. It's nice to see you again.” She turned to John. “I met Mary when I arrived. She brought me here to your office.”

  “Thank you, again, for your help, Mary.” John offered the young woman a kind smile.

  “My pleasure, Mr. Kingston,” Mary blushed at John's praise.

  “We really must get started.” Will picked up the Bible from the table and turned toward them.

  John took her hand and led her to stand in front of his friend who would be officiating the pretend ceremony.

  “John. Regina. I'm going to make this the short version for obvious reasons. Regina, repeat after me. I, Regina…um, what is your middle name?”

  “Lynn,” she replied.

  “Repeat after me,” he instructed her again. “I, Regina Lynn Beckett, do hereby take you, John Matthew Kingston, as my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward.”

  Regina repeated the words liking the way they sounded even though she knew their vows weren’t real. She heard John repeat the same words, and she prayed a silent prayer.

  “With this ring, I thee wed,” John slipped the sparkling gold and sapphire ring onto Regina's slender finger.

  “Oh, John. You shouldn’t have. It’s so…beautiful.”

  He had to admit he was pleased Regina liked the ring he picked out. “I’m glad you like it. That should impress your father when he finds out I’ve married his daughter.”

  He caught Regina’s warm gaze and prayed those same eyes would never look at him with anything but friendship and love.

  Will continued with the ceremony. “And now, I pronounce you both man and wife. You may kiss your bride, John.” John smiled at his friend and turned to his Regina.

  “Would you mind, Regina?” Though not a requirement of the marriage ceremony, it was the part he had been most looking forward to. There was nothing he wanted more in this world than to kiss his beautiful bride, no matter the pretext.

  He
watched as a pretty pink blush spread across her cheeks.

  “I think it would be appropriate considering the circumstances,” she said.

  John stepped closer to the woman of his dreams and pulled her into his arms. “I'll do my very best to take care of you, Regina. I won't let anyone hurt you. Ever.” He leaned in and watched in fascination when Regina closed her eyes.

  He was mesmerized by her beauty and he found it hard to believe she was actually standing here in his arms. Not after all those nights of dreaming about this very thing.

  John leaned in and touched his lips to hers. He intended a quick, chaste kiss for sake of appearance. But when his lips touched hers, a bolt of desire like nothing he had ever felt before sent his senses, and restraint, reeling.

  Without conscious thought, he deepened the kiss and plundered Regina's mouth with his own. His fingers reached up and cupped the back of her head, pulling her mouth closer. He reached around her back intending to pull her body flush with his when a discreet cough from Will brought him crashing back to the present.

  John stepped back and watched Regina's beautiful soulful eyes open to meet his. Her surprise at his anything-but-chaste-kiss was plain to see.

  “I suppose we should sign the marriage certificate and let Mary get back to work,” he suggested, unsure of what to else to say.

  “I…I suppose we should,” Regina stuttered.

  Will presented the certificate on the table and handed John a pen. “Sign here John. Regina, you sign next to John’s signature. Mary, you and I will sign below John and Regina.”

  Everyone finished signing their names. John turned to Will. “Thank you, my friend. I will never forget what you have done for me.”

  “I pray you do not,” Will teased. “That is unless, of course, your plan doesn’t work as expected, then I would appreciate your forgetfulness very much.”

  John turned to Mary. “Thank you, Mary. I appreciate your willingness to stand in as a witness. Please, don’t let us keep you any longer from your work. I will add a little something extra in your paycheck at the end of the week. And I trust you will not be speaking of this matter to anyone. Not even other members of my staff.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Kingston. I appreciate your generosity. And no, it is not my place to tell the staff about your marriage to Miss Beckett.” She curtsied and left the room.

  “I'm headed to the gaming tables, John. Mrs. Kingston, I trust you will sleep well in your new home tonight.”

  Will bowed to Regina, shook John's hand, and slapped him on the back. “Congratulations, my friend. You have done what you set out to do. I pray everything works out as you hoped.”

  The telling look Will gave him was a silent message. Quite frankly, he hoped so too.

  His friend shut the door on his way out, leaving John and Regina alone in his candlelit office.

  “Regina. Perhaps we should make ourselves scarce around the hotel? If your father should come looking for you, I would like to avoid a public spectacle.”

  “Yes. It is getting late and my parents will expect me to come down for dinner soon. When I do not, they will send for me. And that is when my father will come unhinged.”

  John saw the nervousness in Regina's body language. She was afraid of her father's wrath. Well, he wasn't afraid of the arrogant puffed up horse's ass, but he wanted to protect Regina from her father’s cruelty.

  “Then let us make our way to my suite upstairs and out of harm’s way, shall we?” He placed his hand on the small of Regina's back to guide her toward the door. “Let me get your cloak. Here's your reticle.”

  John draped Regina's cloak over his arm and offered her the bag. She took it and he opened the door. “We will go down a back hall and up the employee stairs. It will prevent any meetings we hope to avoid.”

  He escorted Regina out of the room, down the back hall he spoke of, and up a narrow wooden set of stairs against the hotel's rear wall. They followed the stairs to the third floor without passing a single person. Relief relaxed John's shoulders and he sensed relief in Regina’s demeanor as well.

  He pulled his door key out of his pocket and turned it in the lock. “I don't usually use this door, but I don't want to risk any of my employees seeing us until we are ready to share our news.”

  “I agree,” Regina whispered in the dark stairwell.

  John pushed the door open and stepped back so Regina could enter first. The door opened into the back hall of his suite of rooms. “This way.” He ushered Regina ahead of him, careful to keep his hand on her waist. He was loath to lose the connection with her. It was all so new and he treasured every moment of his time near her.

  He pushed open another door and they stepped into the main room.

  “Oh, John. This is so beautiful. I had no idea how big your living quarters were up here. I guess I just assumed—”

  “That I lived in a hotel room? Hardly. When me and my partner purchased this hotel, I had the entire third floor gutted and remodeled. I have almost three thousand feet of living space. Let me give you the tour and then I'll call the kitchen for our dinner.”

  “Dinner? I don't think I should be seen downstairs, John. Not yet. It's too soon.” He saw the worry in her eyes.

  “No, Regina. I will send for room service. I have a full staff in the kitchen, and they will bring our dinner to us here when I ask them to. What do you wish to eat this evening?”

  “I fear my stomach is too nervous to eat much. You choose and I will try to eat a little of whatever arrives.”

  John touched Regina's cheek, stroking his thumb against it. “Please do not worry, Regina. You are a married woman now and your father can no longer control your destiny.”

  “At least he will think I'm a married woman. And when the time comes for me to leave, John, I will do everything I can to prevent my father from seeking retribution against you, although I will admit what I am actually able to do is a mystery to me at this moment.”

  John felt the sting of his conscience at Regina's words. In time, he knew he could make her love him. He just hoped he had enough time.

  Chapter 6

  Regina's appetite was much improved by the time dinner arrived. The lavish display of food and wine rivaled anything her father could provide. She knew her friend had done well for himself, but she never really gave it much thought just how well he was doing—until now.

  “Dinner is wonderful, John. The ceremony was wonderful as well. Thank you for putting in the extra effort to make this all appear real. If I were to have imagined my own wedding, it would have looked a great deal like the one today. It was all so beautiful. And personal. The candlelight. Everything. It was so lovely. Thank you.”

  When John didn't say anything in response to her comment, she tore off another piece of fresh bread and stuffed into her mouth. “You know, if I were home now, my mother would be chastising me about my manners. Sit up straight, Regina. Stop stuffing your mouth so full, Regina. You are chewing like a cow, Regina.”

  John's amused grin held no judgment or condemnation at her behavior. It was an exhilarating feeling. She grinned back.

  “Another glass of wine then, since no one here will be judging you,” John offered.

  “Why not?” Regina had never been allowed more than one glass of anything under her parent's scrutiny.

  “Why not, indeed.” John poured a small measure into her glass and she chased another bite of the delicious fresh baked bread with a healthy portion of the wine. For the first time in as far back as she could remember, Regina allowed herself to relax.

  Half an hour later, contentment washed over her, and she melted into the overstuffed chair in John's main parlor. She watched him reading a newspaper, occasionally sipping his glass of Scotch.

  “Now, what?” The words slipped out of her mouth before she even knew they were there. She blushed at John's surprised expression when he lowered the newspaper he had been reading.

  His amused gaze sent ripples of something over her body when hi
s sultry dark eyes met hers.

  “What did you have in mind?” He followed his cheeky words with a teasing grin.

  Regina had been in the company of enough gentlemen during her many debutante balls to know there was a double meaning behind his innocent tease. But this was John, her dearest friend, and yet...there was something different about him tonight. She studied him harder. He looked the same, and yet something about him made her wish he wasn't just her friend. It must be the wine.

  “Regina? You look a bit flushed. Are you alright?” John's concern wrinkled his brow. He lay the newspaper down and stood.

  “Yes, I’m fine, but I do feel a bit flushed.” She stood and the room suddenly spun around her. “Oh.” It was all she could manage before she swayed.

  John's strong arms caught her. “I don't know what is happening to me.” She clung to John.

  “I think perhaps you had more wine than you are used to, my dear.”

  “Nonsense. I only had two glasses.”

  “Or was it three?” John teased.

  “Three? I confess I wasn't paying attention. Both the wine and the food were so delicious, I must admit I was a glutton and I may have overdone it. I guess now that I am making my own decisions, I should make them with a bit more forethought.”

  John's strong arm around her waist pulled her back to the sofa where he settled her into the solid piece of furniture and covered her lap with a soft blanket. He poured her a glass of water from a crystal pitcher on the dining cart and offered it to her. When she reached to take the glass from him, her fingers touched his.

  Regina noticed John had taken off his coat and had rolled the sleeves of his white shirt up to just below his elbows. She studied his strong forearms and fingers and wondered how they would feel—

  “Regina?” She heard his voice and she raised her gaze to his. “Are you alright? You still look a bit dazed. Perhaps you would like to change your clothes. Get more comfortable.” She heard him offer.

  “I think that might be a good idea. Would you be so kind as to show me to my room?”