The Debutante's Escape

by Peggy McKenzie

  Regina’s voice responded and he could tell she was angry.

  “You can’t say that, Vivian, because it is true. John asked me just this morning to help him with a business venture he’s starting. And he asked my opinion. No one else in my life has ever asked my opinion.”

  The woman she had called Vivian spoke up “If he did, Regina, then he’s up to something. Men never do anything without an ulterior motive. He wants something from you. If you’re smart, you’ll cash in. The only way to independence is to have your own cash hidden so when he decides to cut off your allowance, you can still buy your own dresses without having to go to him.”

  “Ladies, don’t stand outside in the hallway chattering. The Ladies Club of Durango has work to do today.” Another female voice interrupted the conversation before Regina could respond, leaving him in stunned silence.

  Regina’s words put a damper on his optimism. She had told the ladies she had a plan for her independence. Despite their kiss this morning, Regina still had plans to leave.

  It was looking less likely by the moment he would be able to convince her to stay—and time was running out.

  Chapter 11

  It was early afternoon by the time Regina left the meeting room with a smile on her face and headed through the hotel lobby to her new home on the third floor. It was just as she suspected, her friends had nearly swooned when she told them that she had married the wickedly handsome John Kingston.

  “Why on earth didn’t you tell us you and Mr. Kingston were in love, Regina? I can’t believe you kept this secret from your best friends,” they all lamented. She had nearly spoiled everything by thoughtlessly spouting out her plans to fool her father and live the independent life they all craved. Luckily, her friends didn’t press the issue for long. She wasn’t certain she could keep up the charade if she had to continue lying to their faces.

  Pushing thoughts of her friends away, she went over the list she and Sarah made during their meeting. When they were finished, Regina realized she had a great many things to do before the town hall meeting tomorrow night.

  Her stomach somersaulted at the thought of attending the town hall meeting. She would be forced to face her father again, along with the rest of her friends who’d not been at the club meeting today, and they were going to have questions about her sudden marriage to John Kingston.

  A flush of heat poured through her body when she thought about John as her husband. She smiled to herself because she knew her friends were green with envy. They all gushed over John every time he was in the same room. It was a very unseemly way for a young lady to behave, and yet it was all that young ladies seemed to talk about when prying mothers weren’t nearby.

  So many times over the years, they had begged Regina to arrange a meeting with John because they knew of their friendship. She was embarrassed to say even the mother of one of her friends had pushed to meet him.

  When she had half-heartedly mentioned it to him once or twice over the years John had joked that his heart belonged to her and he was too much of a gentleman to lead anyone else on.

  Regina grinned at the memory. She knew John was only teasing her because he had never crossed the line of friendship, well, not before they pretended to marry that is. And ever since their last kiss, the thought did occasionally cross her mind every now and again.

  She made her way through the crowded lobby and up the grand staircase to her new home on the third floor. It felt nice to go home—be home—and not have a knot of anxiety in the pit of her stomach by the time she reached the front door. It was nice not to be on edge all the time waiting for her father to make demands of her. She could get used to this.

  Regina let herself in and relished the cozy quiet of John's suite of rooms and hung her cloak and scarf on the hall tree next to the front door.

  “Did you have a nice visit?”

  Regina whirled and saw John sitting in his chair by the large marble fireplace, sipping Scotch and reading what looked to be the latest edition of the Durango Herald.

  “I did,” Regina’s heart hiccuped when her eyes met John's. The first thing that popped into her mind was their kiss. She wondered if he was thinking about it too. She blushed and hoped he couldn't read her thoughts.

  He lay his newspaper down and stood to place another log on the fire burning in the grate. John turned to her and gestured towards the other chair. “Please, come tell me all about it. I'm anxious to hear how you and The Ladies Club think we should proceed with the care house for young children.”

  Regina had never before heard those words directed at her. No one ever cared what she thought. Certainly not her father. And her mother never ventured past fashion. She said that discussing money or business was for common women. Well, if this was what it felt like to be common, Regina decided she liked it. She liked it very much. And her friend, Vivian, didn’t have a clue what she was talking about. Not. A. Clue.

  “Of course,” she responded, hoping her breathless words didn't expose her jumbled emotions. She thought before she married John she had discovered a clear path of independence and happiness. Now she wasn’t so sure she wanted that path because it would lead her away from John.

  She dropped her reticule on the hall tree bench by the door and walked across the room to take the chair John offered. He stood waiting for her and she wondered if he was going to try to kiss her again. But when he returned to his own chair after she was seated, she felt a twinge of disappointment.

  When she settled, John offered to make her a drink. “I can send for something other than wine if you prefer.”

  “No, wine sounds perfectly delicious.” Regina felt relaxed here in this lovely room, sitting by the fire next to John. She again had the feeling of being home.

  John poured her a half measure of the ruby-colored wine and handed her the stemmed crystal glass. Their fingers touched briefly before he pulled his away and settled back in his chair.

  “Now, tell me about your day and what you learned.”

  Regina was suddenly very nervous, which she found odd. There was no one she felt more comfortable around than John. Until now.

  Something had changed between them this morning. That kiss had sparked a smoldering ember of desire inside Regina and she wasn't yet certain what to do about it. After all, John had made it clear more than once he wanted nothing from her besides friendship. Thoughts of John’s comment about sharing his bed resurfaced. And again, she wondered if he had someone special waiting in the wings for her departure. She wished she had the courage to ask him. And if he were to admit he did, what then?

  “Regina?” his deep voice pulled her from her unpleasant thoughts.

  She took a sip of wine for courage and studied her glass while she talked. “Well, Sarah and I talked about what all would be required to make your project a reality. First, we will need to find a place to house the children while their parents work. Next, we will need to hire staff. A cook, possibly two. And we would need several caretakers to watch over the different age groups. Babies. Toddlers. And those almost old enough to go to school, but not quite ready. As well as housekeepers to keep the place tidy.”

  Regina paused and glanced at John. His close scrutiny made her even more nervous. Did he think her observations silly?

  She took another sip of wine and continued. “We also talked about salaries for the employees. I…we…Sarah and I that is, we weren’t certain what your budget was for this project, so we weren't certain how far ahead to plan without discussing that first.”

  John smiled at her, and all she could think about were his kissable full lips. Her stomach somersaulted underneath her corset. Yes, something had definitely changed for her this morning after that toe-curling kiss they shared. But what about John? Could his feelings have changed too?

  “The budget is whatever it takes, Regina. I trust you.” John's words pulled her back to the present.

  Her eyes drifted to his dark curls. She wondered if they were as soft as his beard.

&
nbsp; “Regina?” John's voice again pulled her attention back to the matter at hand.

  “You seem a bit distracted this evening. Anything you wish to talk about? You know you can tell me anything.” His concerned look touched her.

  No one had ever valued her as something more than a bargaining tool—except John. No one had ever listened to what she thought—except John. And no one had ever made her trust their word without question—except John.

  Regina wondered what John would do if she told him what she was really thinking. Would he think she had lost her mind? Would he think her serious or would he laugh at her as he had all the other young, beautiful, matrimonially-minded pursuers? No, he wouldn't laugh. He was too kind for that. What would he do?

  There was no time like the present to find out.

  John had waited all afternoon hoping to talk to Regina about the kiss they shared and perhaps bring up the conversation he had overheard without letting Regina know he had been eavesdropping. But when she finally walked through the door, he wasn't certain he wanted to know the answer.

  He watched his beautiful wife enter his home and wondered what it would be like if this was an everyday occurrence. How happy he would be to share his life with this incredible woman.

  He wanted to meet her at the door and pull her into his arms and kiss her senseless, but he held himself in check. He needed more time for their relationship to blossom into something more, especially after hearing Regina’s response to her friend this morning. If she was still talking about independence and freedom, then she was still planning to leave at the first opportunity. But if he could nurture the passion she displayed during this morning’s kiss, perhaps there was still a chance for them yet.

  After thirty minutes of listening to Regina lay out the details of what she and her friend had decided needed to be done, John had to admit he was rather impressed by her practicality and sense of business.

  “Regina, I'm amazed at how much you were able to accomplish in just one afternoon. I would think at this rate, we will have a fully vetted proposal for the town hall meeting. You, my dear, have a brilliant mind for business.”

  Regina rose from her chair, empty wine glass in hand, and walked to the liquor buffet.

  Her steps stuttered just a bit and John wondered if she had eaten recently.

  “Regina? Would you like me to order some supper? I heard the cook has prepared a scrumptious Bolognese for the hotel's dining room guests this evening.”

  “Perhaps I'm hungry for something else,” she replied.

  “If you don't want the beef dish, then how about some roast chicken? The aroma coming from the kitchen earlier made my mouth water,” he offered.

  She shook her head no. It was unlike Regina to be so peckish. Perhaps she wasn't feeling well?

  “You tell me what you desire, and I'll see to it that you get it. Anything at all.”

  “Anything at all?” Regina set her wine glass down and walked toward him. The look in her eyes punched him in the gut. It seemed they were no longer talking about food.

  Regina walked up to him. Instinctively, he held out his arms and she walked right into them.

  “Regina?” It was the only word he could manage before she stood on tiptoe and pressed her lips against his. For a moment he stood frozen in place, afraid to move for fear of breaking the spell.

  Regina pressed her body against his and he knew he wanted whatever she was willing to give. He pulled her even closer and held her tight. Then he did what he had been dying to do since early this morning. He kissed her back.

  The kiss was soft and tender, making everything below his belt buckle stand up and pay attention. He pushed his rising passion against Regina. He wanted her to know this could lead to something.

  She didn't back away. Instead, she pushed her body even closer as if she wanted to be inside his shirt with him. Skin to skin. He could think of nothing he wanted more.

  “Regina,” he whispered against her mouth. If he was dreaming, he never wanted to wake up.

  “John, perhaps we should take this matter to our bedroom.” Regina's soft words whispered against his lips and pushed his passion up another notch. He knew she was right. A member of his staff could come in at any moment.

  “I think that is a wonderful idea,” he whispered back, still afraid to break the spell between them.

  Regina stepped out of his arms and held his hand, leading him down the hall to her bed. Their bed.

  The late afternoon shadows of fall cast an amber glow inside the bedroom. He closed the door behind them and allowed her to decide how fast they moved.

  “Please allow me a moment to prepare ...for bed,” Regina whispered in the semi-darkness of the curtained room.

  “Regina, are you certain about this?”

  She leaned up and kissed him again. He tried to pull her close, but she stepped back just out of his reach.

  “I'll be right back.” She offered a coquettish smile and disappeared into the adjoining bathroom, closing the door behind her.

  John was stunned at the turn of events. He had wanted this moment for most of his life. Regina was coming to his bed of her own accord and he wanted...no, needed to make this special for her.

  He pulled at his starched white shirt, nearly ripping all the buttons off the front. No matter, he would just buy another one. Right now, he had more pressing matters to worry about than flying buttons and that pressing matter was threatening to compromise his trousers’ closure.

  Candles. He searched for a match and soon had the darkening room bathed in the warm glow of candlelight. Perfect.

  The click of the bathroom doorknob announced the return of his beautiful Regina. Anticipation nearly sent his restraint packing. He took a deep breath to calm his passion. He had to make this special for Regina. Something she would remember for the rest of their lives.

  John watched Regina step into the glow of the candlelit room. She was a vision in her flowing white diaphanous gown. His eyes had no problem tracing the outline of her slender body through yards and yards of the gauzy fabric. She was stunning. And she was his.

  The thought pulled at his conscience. If he and Regina consummated their marriage, then she would be tied to him forever. His guilt cooled his passion. He needed to tell her that their marriage was real. And binding. There would be no annulment if he bedded his beautiful bride.

  She stepped into his arms and kissed him. John dipped his head to give her full access to his mouth. He wanted her desperately. But more than that he wanted her forever.

  Regina needed to know the truth because this was her decision too. She needed to fully understand the consequences of their actions. If she didn't, he would never know if she stayed with him because she chose to, or because the legal bindings of their marriage forced her to.

  John felt every soft curve she pressed against him. Her mouth, soft and sweet against his lips, made rational thought almost impossible. Almost.

  He took a step back and held her away from him. Her confusion was evident in her beautiful dark eyes. He prayed she would understand how much he loved her when she learned the truth about their marriage.

  “Regina. There's something you need to know before we go any—”

  A frantic knock at the door stopped him short.

  “Mr. Kingston, there’s a fire in the kitchen and it is a bad one!”

  Chapter 12

  Regina woke the next morning to find herself alone in bed. Disappointment colored the bright sunshine peering through the window curtains. Last night had not gone at all as she had planned.

  Everything was wonderful until that knock on the door notifying John there was a fire in the kitchen. He’d rushed downstairs and didn't return, at least, not that she was aware of.

  After John assured her he would send word if there was anything to worry about, she settled in bed to await his return, but soon the combination of too little food and too much wine lulled her into a deep sleep.

  She just wished the fire's
timing had been five minutes later because she was certain John was going to tell her that he loved her before they had been so rudely interrupted.

  She smiled to herself as she remembered the scene when she returned from preparing for bed. John had lit every candle and the room was ablaze in the soft glow of the candlelight. The room held a romantic feel that only intensified when he kissed her.

  And oh my, how he had kissed her. She could still feel the sizzle of his lips against hers. The tickle of his soft beard and mustache scraping against her skin.

  A white-hot bolt of heat seared her core. She knew her feelings for John were more than that of friendship. And if that kiss was any indication, John felt the same way. So, what should she do?

  She rose and padded across the plush carpet. The sun was high in the sky and the streets below teamed with activity. She wondered at the unusual activity and then she remembered. Durango’s town hall meeting was tonight. Mr. Scott would announce John as his new overseer, and she would stand beside him as his wife. She almost wished they weren't pretending to be married—

  A knock at the door scattered her thoughts.

  “Come in.” She turned to see Mary entering the room with a tray laden with breakfast.

  “Mary! Are you working here again? I'm so happy to see you.” Regina rushed to Mary's side and as soon as the young woman set the tray on the table, Regina pulled her into a heartfelt embrace.

  “Oh, it's so good to see you working again. What happened? When did John let you come back?” Regina bombarded the woman with her questions.

  “Yes, he allowed Charley to stay through the end of this week. He said he felt it only fair that I should be allowed to do the same,” Mary explained.

  “Oh, that is such good news.” Regina was genuinely happy for the young mother-to-be.

  “And there's more.” Mary rushed to close the bedroom door and then returned to pour Regina's coffee into the gold-rimmed porcelain cup. “Mr. Kingston has arranged for Charley and me to get married,” the woman gushed.