Indeed, it had been a sweet moment.
Then it ended. Bad fortune seemed to have hit her at every turn. Not long after she had paid the debtors, Pearl caught some kind of lung ailment and had coughed for weeks. Last week, Wilbur broke his leg out by the stables.
And Juliana had just discovered she was pregnant.
Although, she wouldn’t exactly call carrying Andrew’s child a bad omen. Just the opposite, in fact. She hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him, wanting to see him, talk to him, and hold him in her arms. She wanted to laugh with him and enjoy his company. Things were not the same with him gone.
There was only one conclusion. She had to go back to Andrew and tell him she would live with him no matter where it was...as long as he would never leave her. It didn’t matter anymore that her sister had taken advantage of him while he was intoxicated. It wasn’t Andrew’s fault in the least. And Juliana loved him more when he decided to stay with his family. It thrilled her that he had finally found his past.
Now she knew she had to be with him regardless. They could live in the stable for all she cared. She needed him by her side as she raised their child.
When a knock came upon her bedroom door, she jerked to a stop. She hadn’t approved of the inn Wilbur’s two cousins had taken her to, but it was someplace to stay the night. She threatened them that if they allowed anyone to disturb her, she would have their heads on a platter.
Cursing under her breath, she marched to the door and yanked it open. James stood across from her, wringing his hat in his hands. Inwardly she groaned. What now?
“Umm...Miss Juliana? I’m sorry to bother ye...”
“What is it, James?” she snapped.
“Well, me and Paul noticed that the coach wheel had come loose, so while we was down fixin’ it, two blokes robbed us blind.”
She let out another groan and rubbed her forehead. Why didn’t she just stay in London? None of this would be happening now and she would be so much happier.
“But don’t ye worry none. A nice chap happened by and gave us some money that will pay for our night’s stay. There’s even enough to fix the wheel.”
She blinked, confused over what she just heard. “What did you say? Someone gave us money?”
“Aye, Miss.”
She narrowed her gaze. “What does he want for his generosity?”
“Nothin’. He just gave us the money, wished us luck on our journey, and left. Says he’s goin’ to Scotland in the mornin’.”
“Well, I’ll be.” She nibbled on her bottom lip in deep thought. Nobody did things like that, especially in places like this. And after all the horrid things that had happened to her, this man was an angel sent from heaven.
“Is this person staying here?”
“Yes, Miss.” He motioned his hand. “His room is up the hall.”
She nodded. “Then I’ll have to thank him personally. He must be a gentleman, indeed.”
“Oh, for certain.”
Walking out of her room, she looked up the hall. “Which room is it?”
“The fourth one on your right.”
She glanced at James. “Wait in my room until I get back. Make certain nothing happens to my things.”
“Will ye be needin’ us to chaperone?”
She rolled her eyes. “Good heavens, no. I will not be going inside his room.”
She hurried up the hall to the fourth door, then knocked. After a few moments the door opened. She prepared what she would say...until she looked into the face of the generous person who’d helped. Her heart slammed against her ribs, and she lost her breath. No, this cannot be happening. Her luck hadn’t been that good lately.
She blinked. She had to be seeing things.
Andrew smiled wide, making his face brighten in the semi-lighted room.
“Juliana? Is that you?” Hesitantly, he reached out and touched her cheek, then withdrew quickly. “It is you!”
“Andrew?” her voice squeaked.
“Yes, my dove.”
“Oh, Andrew!” She threw her arms around his neck.
He held tight to her, also, burying his face in her neck. “I cannot believe this is real,” he muttered.
She pulled away enough to look into his eyes. “My servants told me the nice man who helped us with money was going to Scotland.”
He nodded. “I didn’t know that was you.”
“Wh—why are you going to Scotland?”
He grinned. “To get you.”
Her heart burst with love, and she hugged him tight as she placed her mouth over his. He clung to her and answered her kiss back. Tears gathered in her eyes, but she kept kissing him. She never wanted to stop.
He pulled her into his room and kicked the door closed. Taking her head in his hands, he kissed her face, gently, wiping away her tears.
“Oh, Andrew,” she sobbed. “I have missed you terribly.”
He stroked her cheek. “Juliana? Why were you coming back to London?”
Her smile shook, but she managed to do it nonetheless. “To come and get my husband.”
He laughed, picked her up and swung her around. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on, laughing with him.
Falling on the bed, he kept her in his arms. “Oh, Juliana. I have missed you so.”
“Andrew? We really need to talk.”
“I know.”
She leaned up on her elbow. So did he. She ran her gaze over his face, loving every line, crevasse and hair. “I don’t want to live without you,” she whispered.
“Neither do I.”
She grasped his hand. “I don’t care about what has happened in the past. I want us to go forward from today and live as a family. I want us to marry as soon as possible.”
He smiled. “I have a confession to make, and I sincerely hope you will understand and not hate me.”
Her breath caught in her throat. “What?”
“We don’t need to be married.”
She scrunched her forehead. “Why not?”
“Because we are already married.”
Relieved his confession wasn’t something terrible, she chuckled. “Oh, my dearest Andrew. We do need to marry, and soon. I want to make it real.”
He caressed her cheek. “We have been legally wed since we left Scotland.”
Confusion filled her head. “I’m not following you.”
“Remember the clergyman that married us?”
“Yes.”
“He was truly a man of God. The marriage certificate was real. We have been married this whole time.”
It only took a second before it sank in her head. Months ago she would have been furious to hear this confession, but not now. “Oh, Andrew. I love you so much!” She flung her arms around his neck and kissed him.
He held her tight and returned the passionate kiss, but soon pulled away and took her face in his hands. “I have something else to tell you.” He took in a deep breath. “The night we went to the opera, I came home very intoxicated. So drunk, in fact, that when I crawled in bed and found a woman lying next to me, I thought she was you.”
Juliana’s heart melted. Finally, he was going to tell her about that night. But she couldn’t let him. She placed her fingers on his mouth. “Shh...” She shook her head. “I already know. I forgive you, Andrew, because it wasn’t your fault at all. But Maddie will no longer ruin our lives, now.”
His brows furrowed and he moved off the bed and to his trunk. He opened it, then pulled out a letter. “Read this,” he said, handing it to her.
When she recognized the handwriting, her hands began to shake, but she forced herself to read Maddie’s letter to Andrew. At first, Juliana’s stomach churned, but the more she read, her nerves eased. She finished with tears in her eyes.
“I didn’t do what I thought I’d done,” he said softly.
“It doesn’t matter.” Juliana stretched her hands out to him, which he took. She pulled him back on the bed beside her. “I didn’t blame you at all. Mad
die told me she’d crawled into your bed, which I’m certain was a ploy to get you to run to her.” She smiled. “I kicked her out of the house. After all, it’s mine now, not hers.”
He squeezed her hands. “Thank you.” He brought her hands up and kissed her knuckles. “What about the other complication between us?”
“What complication?”
“Scotland and England.”
She grinned. “As I said, what complication?”
He pulled her close, staring down into her eyes. “I will live with you wherever, Juliana. If you want me in Scotland, I will be by your side.”
Once again, tears gathered in her eyes. “And I will be with you wherever you wish to live.” She sniffed. “Andrew, my love, I cannot live without you.” She kissed his chin. “Especially now.”
His forehead creased. “What do you mean by that?”
She chuckled. “I want our child to know his father.”
His eyes widened. “Our...child?” He pulled back and glanced at her waist. “You are...”
“Yes, my love.” She took his hand and placed it on her belly. “I carry our child.”
“Oh, Juliana—” He pulled her close and kissed her.
She wouldn’t let anything stop her from being with him tonight. She had waited too long. Much too long. Pushing him back on the bed, she devoured his mouth and ran her hands over his chest, grabbing at the buttons of his shirt. In haste, his hands moved over her, caressing everywhere at once. He fumbled with the buttons at her throat as she tried to remove his shirt. But she couldn’t take her mouth off his to get undressed the proper way.
Suddenly a pounding came upon the door, and she jerked upright.
“We know our mistress is in there, sir,” James shouted from the hallway. “If you don’t open the door, we’ll knock the bloody thing down.”
She giggled. She’d forgotten about Wilbur’s cousins. Smiling at Andrew she shook her head. “They are my servants.”
She hurried to the door and opened it. When Wilbur’s cousins noticed her rumpled dress, they gasped. Holding up a hand, she stopped them. “No need to get upset. I’m fine.”
“But...but...ye don’t even know this man, Miss.”
She smiled. “Yes, I do, and do not call me Miss any longer. I am Mrs. Lawrence.” She looked back into the room at Andrew who had stood and came to her side.
“Actually, you’re not Mrs. Lawrence.” Andrew smiled. “You are Viscountess Straton.”
Her heart flipped. Grinning wide, she turned back to the servants. “This is my husband, Andrew Dean Lawrence, Viscount Straton...the man I was coming to London to get.”
Both men took off their hats and bowed. “It is a pleasure to meet you properly, my lord.”
Andrew chuckled and pulled Juliana into his arms again and looked lovingly into her eyes. “You have no need to fear, gentlemen. I will take care of your mistress until my dying day.”
Muttering apologies, they left and walked back down the hall, their footsteps echoing on their way. Juliana could not keep her eyes off this wonderful man in front of her
Andrew shut the door and pulled her back to the bed. “My life is now complete. I’m finally whole. After seventeen years, my life was returned to me. I fell in love with a wonderful woman who will be my loving wife. What could be better?”
She shrugged. “Perhaps six or seven children.”
“That’s a start.” He cuddled her and rolled on the bed until he was lying over her. He grinned. “Now...where were we before Wilbur’s cousins interrupted us?”
She threw her arms around him. “Right here. A place I’ll never leave again.”
He winked. “Ditto, my lady.”
The End
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Other Books in the Series...
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© 2012 Marie Higgins
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Author’s Bio
MARIE HIGGINS IS AN award-winning, best-selling author of clean romance novels that melt your heart and have you falling in love over and over again. Since 2010, she’s published over 50 heartwarming, on-the-edge-of-your-seat romance stories. She’s broadened her readership by writing mystery/suspense, humor, time-travel, paranormal, along with her love for historical romances. Her readers have dubbed her “Queen of Tease” because of all her twists and unexpected endings.
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True Love's Deception Page 22
