But when she found him, all thoughts of play vanished. He was sitting on a chair, in front of the fire, with his head in his hands. He looked up as she knelt at his feet, his face awash with anguish, which he quickly tried to hide.
“Bad news?” she asked. “Has something happened?”
Richard cupped her face in his hands and kissed her gently and quickly. “Sweet, sweet, Madeline.” Then he sighed.
“Tell me. What’s wrong? Something’s wrong, I can feel it. Tell me. You’re frightening me.”
“Nothing’s wrong, my sweet. It’s just that something has occurred that is a touch distressing.”
“What, please tell me….”
“Charles Chesterton, Marquess of Wrentham, is dead. He snapped his neck in a hunting accident on the day of our wedding. Sarah’s a widow.”
Chapter Seven
Dear Richard Craven
It was lovely to see you home for a quick visit before leaving for India again.
You’ll be pleased to know that I have finally mastered the bow. Obviously your training at Easter has made all the difference. I managed to hit the bull’s eye today.
And your weaponry gift has already come in handy. Timothy Chesterton tried to kiss me and while I didn’t shoot him with an arrow, I managed to break free by jabbing an arrow into his leg.
Timothy’s always hated me. Why would he want to kiss me? Men are so silly.
Your Princess,
Madeline
She toppled backward and landed on her bottom, her hand flying to cover an anguished cry.
He didn’t notice. Richard picked up the missive lying on the floor at his feet and crushed it in his fist. “I hate to speak ill of the dead, but I can’t say I’m sorry.”
Maddy couldn’t think, couldn’t speak, and couldn’t seem to catch her breath. Sarah was widowed. If Richard hadn’t married her, he’d now be free to wed Sarah, the woman he loved. No wonder he appeared to be in shock.
Guilt gnawed at her and she couldn’t think of anything to say through the pain. Her interfering had done this. She’d caused the scandal and put him in the situation where he had felt obligated to marry her. “I’m so sorry.”
He lifted his gaze to meet hers. “Why? It is not your fault, and let’s be honest about it, Sarah will be—well—let’s just say it was not a marriage to her liking. I doubt Wrentham’s death will see her mourn for long.”
“No.” She shook her head. “That’s not what I’m sorry for. I’m sorry for trapping you into this marriage. If I hadn’t butted my nose in, you’d still be free to marry Sarah.”
Richard didn’t appear to hear her. He sat staring out the window, deep in thought. No doubt his thoughts matched her words.
The silence echoed in the small room. He must hate her. She’d ruined everything with her meddling. Now it was no longer Sarah stuck in a marriage, it was Richard. Her heart hurt for him. What must he be feeling?
He spoke. “We need to return to London. Lord Wrentham’s funeral will be a large affair. We should be there. You were his neighbor and I... well, there will be talk if we do not attend. There is enough gossip about our marriage as it is. We must show society how happy we are.”
She felt the blood drain to her toes. “I see.” She didn’t need him to say the words. He wanted to be there for Sarah.
He seemed to finally realize she was there, at his feet. He stood and held out his hand and helped her to her feet.
“I’ll send a note to Biggans, my butler, to ensure my house in Mayfair is ready for our arrival tomorrow. Let’s get dressed and pack our belongings, and then go to Hascombe for your trunks, and say our goodbyes to Rufus and Rheda.”
“They’ll likely be heading to London too. Lord Wrentham was in the House of Lords with my brother. They’ll have to pay their respects too.”
Richard nodded and pulled her close, pressing a kiss on her forehead. “I’m sorry, Maddy. Sorry the honeymoon has been cut short. I’ll make it up to you. I’ll take you somewhere special as soon as the funeral is over.”
“Anywhere I want?”
He nodded and laughed. “I suppose, but knowing you that could be somewhere totally unsuitable, like the wilds of Africa. I’ll not risk something so precious.”
She wanted to say that as long as she was with him, she didn’t care where they went, but shyness held her back. And cowardice too.
This death had changed everything. They might have had a chance if not for the fact Sarah was now a widow.
He gave her a gentle push toward the door and patted her bottom. “Off with you. I’ve some notes to send before we get on our way.”
Richard remained staring for a long time at the door through which Maddy had just departed, his feelings rioting within. He wondered why he wasn’t more upset at the irony of his situation. Sarah was now a widow and they might have married if not for the scandal with Madeline.
However, since his marriage something had changed.
He’d changed.
He wasn’t at all devastated by the position he now found himself in. He wouldn’t change the outcome, even if he could. He suspected his brother was right. He did not really love Sarah; her beauty and then her situation had buffeted him. He wanted to save her from marrying Charles.
He sighed. What of Maddy? His heart sped at the confusion in his soul. She was his best friend. Maddy knew him better than most of his male colleagues because he had shared his thoughts and feelings with her. Men did not share their inner feelings with other men. They had too much pride, and heaven forbid that they show any weakness. And that is what love seemed to be—or so it seemed to the males of the species—a dreadful sickness that made you weak.
But Richard knew he was not weak.
Examining his chaotic feelings, he dampened down the fragile spark of hope, crushing the smoldering ember before it could flare to life. Could he learn to love as deeply as his brother? Was he capable of such deep emotion with a woman, and was Maddy truly ‘the one?’
His past relationships indicated his heart was fickle. He had not been devastated when any of his other relationships had ended. He thought of his brother’s marriage. Anthony would be utterly bereft if something happened to Melissa. He’d gone crazy when she’d been abducted.
However, Anthony certainly hadn’t fallen madly in love with his wife, Melissa, when they’d first met. But Richard had known Maddy since she was a young girl. Surely, if she were his soul mate, he would have known it by now? Or did their friendship distort his feelings for her?
Making love to her had certainly been a revelation. He had originally dreaded the idea of bedding his best friend, desirable as she may be. He thought it would be awkward and embarrassing.
Then, on their wedding day, as she walked down the aisle toward him, joy shining in her eyes, it was as if Gentleman Jack had punched him in the side of the head. He hadn’t seen the blow coming. She was the most gorgeous creature he’d ever seen and dread had turned too passionate longing. Desire had burned rampant in his veins throughout the ceremony.
Never in his wildest dreams was he prepared for his body’s response to her beauty. He had bedded plenty of stunning women, all with far more experience than Maddy. Yet everything had been different with her.
Her touch had ignited his soul. Her breathless cries of pleasure had wiped away the memory of any other woman before her. Her yearning for him made him want to give everything of himself, regardless of his own needs.
Adding to that, this new sensation of ferocious possessiveness when he thought of her with anyone else…it scared him. She was his; his to keep, to worship, and cherish. He’d protect her with his last breath and he’d never let any other man touch her.
This must be love because he’d never felt possessive about any other woman before, not even Sarah. He’d been angry when she’d married Wrentham, mainly because he knew the type of man Wrentham was. But he’d not been overcome with jealousy. It was guilt. He hadn’t saved her from what he’d perceived to be a lif
etime of misery.
He wanted to believe these feelings for Maddy would deepen not disappear, but Anthony had spoken the truth. He didn’t know what true love was. Would these unfamiliar feelings diminish as he shared Maddy’s bed every night? He had a well-deserved reputation for rapidly falling into relationships and then just as quickly falling out of them.
What would happen when the next beautiful woman flirted with him, or offered herself to him?
Blast! He wiped a hand over his face. He wished he knew if his feelings for Maddy were about him falling in love with her. He needed to keep his feelings carefully guarded until he really knew. He didn’t want to raise Maddy’s hopes if, like in every other relationship, his intense feelings and desire waned as familiarity and routine grew.
With a sigh, he walked to the writing desk, pulled out a sheet of paper, and began to pen his note to Biggans.
#
“May I have a word, Richard?”
Rufus’s request appeared casual but Richard heard the underlying tone and inwardly sighed. They’d arrived at Hascombe Manor a few minutes previously to spend the night, so as to have time to pack Madeline’s trunks.
Newmarket was only a few hours away by carriage from the city, but it was still too dangerous to be travelling so late at night given the recent rise in crime, so they would set out tomorrow after breakfast.
Since Rheda had accompanied Maddy upstairs to see to the removal of her belongings, it was obvious Rufus wished to poke his nose into matters that were no longer his business.
At Rufus’s familiar raised eyebrows, Richard bit back a curse and smiled angelically. “Of course, lead the way.”
They entered Rufus’s study and Richard took a chair across from his friend, and now brother-in-law, and waited for what he knew was coming.
Rufus did not disappoint him. “What do you intend to do?”
“About what?”
“Don’t be so obtuse. About Sarah.”
“Nothing. I’m a married man.”
Rufus raised one eyebrow in his infuriating way. “Marriage has not stopped other men from taking mistresses.”
“I’m not other men. And I don’t wish to hurt Maddy.”
Rufus considered him for several minutes and then nodded. “Good. I’d not like to see my sister hurt through no fault of her own. It’s unfortunate that Sarah is now a widow, but what’s done is done.”
Richard gritted his teeth and held onto his temper. “I know my duty. Maddy’s my wife, for better or worse. I don’t need reminding of that fact.”
Rufus’s steely gaze would have made any other man quail in his boots. “She is my sister and up until a few days ago, I was her guardian. You, on the other hand, were simply the man she was infatuated with and the man who allowed her to become embroiled in your scandal. I do not wish to see her caught up in another.”
“There is nothing to get caught up in,” Richard insisted.
“No. Then why is there the urgency to get back to London?”
Richard pushed up out of his chair and leaned across the desk. “I’m trying to quell the gossip. The news of our wedding and rumors about Sarah and Wrentham are bound to be the talk of the ton. I’d like both of us to attend the wake to quell these rumors. If Maddy and I attend the wake and they see we are actually happy and very much in love, then our marriage will fail to feed the gossips.” Richard sat back down in his chair, his temper somewhat under control. “You’re not her guardian now. I am. My marriage—our marriage—is my affair.”
Rufus snarled. “That’s what I’m concerned about—an affair. Maddy thinks she’s in love with you. I’d hate to see her made a fool of because I was inattentive when she was growing up. I should have put a stop to your relationship with her. I let it go on far too long.”
Silence descended on the room while Richard thought blast it to hell if he was going to be the first one to break it. Rufus needed to learn that his sister was now under his protection.
“I was always jealous of your relationship with her.”
Richard’s gaze jerked back to Rufus at his quietly spoken words.
“She wrote to me but her letters seemed to convey a sense of obligation more than anything else. Plus her letters were always filled with news of the amazing Richard Craven. I was jealous that she idolized you more than she did her own brother.”
“In her letters she often wrote about how guilty she felt that you had to spend your life atoning for your father when she’d wished you were at home instead. She was simply lonely.”
Rufus smiled. “Did she? It’s nice to know I was a consideration.”
Rufus looked down at his hands and then back to Richard.
“It’s always been you. That is why I’m so concerned. I’m not sure if you noticed, but her admiration turned into something else two years ago. I can still picture the day. It was when we were all gathered here for a hunting weekend, Anthony, Stephen, Alex, you and I. She came in to dinner in a very inappropriate new gown, showing far too much bare skin. Do you remember? I made her go upstairs and change and she ran from the dining hall in tears. I asked Mother what had possessed her to wear such a dress and she calmly told me it was for your benefit and that I should not have scolded her in front of you.”
Richard knew exactly which dinner Rufus was referring to. He knew too whom the scandalous dress was for, and he’d not known how to handle the situation. He hadn’t wished to hurt Maddy, but she was his best-friend’s sister and a dalliance at that stage would have seen Rufus cut off his balls and feed them to him. At the time, since marriage was not on Richard’s agenda, a hasty retreat was in order.
“You left the next day. I assume, looking back, it was a tactical retreat.”
Richard nodded. “It seemed the appropriate thing to do.”
“Is that why you did not return for the hunt the following year?”
Richard moved restlessly in his chair. “I didn’t wish to encourage her.”
Rufus’s eyes took on a sad puppy dog look. “And now? Are you unhappy with the match? You’re my friend too. God, I hate this….”
“No. I’m not unhappy. I’m quite content, actually. Maddy and I will be happy together. She means a lot to me.”
“My little sister is in love with you and therefore you have the power to hurt her very badly. Do you love her? Scratch that question—of course you don’t.”
Richard felt his face redden. “Actually, I’m not sure I know what I feel for her. But I promise you this, I’ll not hurt her.”
“I’d wished more for Madeline. I truly want her to be happy. I’m not sure you can make her happy. However, I’ll reserve judgment at this stage.” He stood and indicated they should join the ladies who could be heard chattering in the entrance hall. Rufus stopped before the closed door and looked at Richard as if he were the devil. “I warn you, if you hurt her…. If you make her life miserable, I’ll beat you to a pulp. And if you dishonor her in any way, I will kill you.” The icy tone and stern scowl made Rufus’s meaning very clear. He was not joking. It was not an idle threat.
“Duly noted. You can be an arse sometimes. Now get out of my way so I may collect my wife and take her into dinner,” and Richard pushed Rufus aside and opened the door, strolling casually towards Maddy as if her brother had not just threatened him with his life.
When she saw him, Maddy’s face lit up, and she could no longer hide the look of love exuding from her countenance. His heart clenched painfully, deep within his tight chest. She deserved to be loved. As he was her husband, he prayed that he was capable of giving her what she truly deserved.
Chapter Eight
Dear Princess
Don’t ever let yourself be alone with men like Timothy Chesterton. I hope you told your mother, or better yet Rufus, what has happened to you.
If only I were at home… Needless to say, not all men are as honorable as me.
Chesterton knows Rufus is often away from the estate, and, please forgive me for saying so as I don’t
want to hurt you, but you are still considered the traitor’s daughter. Some men will think you will be an easy target to compromise. Now that you’re older, I don’t think you should be away from the house without a male escort. I will have to speak with Rufus about this.
Please be careful, I may not be there to protect you next time.
Your worried White Knight,
The Honorable Richard Craven
Maddy had gone to bed early but Richard had stayed up drinking with her brother. He’d come to her bed in the early hours of the morning and simply pulled her into his arms and fallen sound asleep.
Unfortunately, her maid had woken her early, trying to organize all her trunks. Richard had simply pulled the pillow over his head and slept on. Maddy didn’t mind; it would give her time to say a private farewell to her mother.
She decided they would take breakfast on the terrace because it was such a warm and still morning.
Her mother arrived and placed a kiss on her cheek. “You look very happy, my darling girl. Marriage obviously suits you. Where is that handsome husband of yours?”
Maddy felt her face flush. “Rufus kept him up drinking most of last night. I left him having a lie in.”
“Very wise. Are you happy?”
“I’m content, Mother, I just hope my husband is,” she said with a hitch in her voice.
Her mother took her seat, patting Maddy’s hand. “I have faith in Richard. He’s a fine gentleman. He will do the right thing.”
“That’s the problem. I don’t want him to have to do the right thing. I want him to want to. Sarah’s a widow. I feel sick that he’s not free to follow his heart.”
“You’ve tried to do the right thing all your life. Growing up the daughter of a traitor wasn’t easy. Children can be cruel. For once, I want you to think about your desires. You have married a good man. Is he who you want?”
Invitation to Passion Page 9
