by Lynda Hurst
Once they left the front door, Mary turned to see if, in fact, there were servants posted at the windows. And to her chagrin, she noted all three of her family members observing the both of them shamelessly from the library great window.
Shaking her head at them, Valerian also turned to see what had her attention, and laughed lightly once he spied the three Ellesmeres scurrying away from the window and from his line of vision.
Away from her family’s prying eyes, Mary slipped her hand free from the crook of his elbow and moved to put some distance between them. The evening air was cooler now that the sun was setting, and rather than calling for a wrap, she wrapped her arms around her middle against the slight chill and against the unsettling feelings inside of her. His distracting presence made it difficult for her to even string together a coherent thought, confusing her when she usually prided herself on her quick mind. And it was imperative that she be able to learn a little about this man to better gauge how to broach her concerns without the distraction of his winsome looks.
Valerian followed slightly behind her as she walked about the edge of a proliferative flowerbed, and he found that he missed the warmth of her palm about his arm. To cover his slight irritation at such an admission, he spoke, “Lady Mary, I rather think that neither of us is what we expected upon our first meeting. And I would be the first to admit that you are nothing like the picture I had of you in my head since leaving Mont-Tremblant.”
Amused at his confession, she smiled and said, “I agree with your first statement, but I already knew you on sight.” At his puzzled frown, she helpfully added, “Your mother sent me a miniature of you in her reply letter to my father. If you would indulge me, may I ask, what were your expectations of me?”
In his usual interactions with beautiful women, he would have told her the wicked ways he could indulge her, and himself, if he was given the chance. But Mary was his betrothed, and therefore, she deserved every respect. It just didn’t sit well that he could not typically give rein to his baser, carnal instincts when it came to her.
Instead, he disclosed, “I have only learned of your existence and the part our fathers had in our betrothal only recently. All I knew of you was that you were the daughter of my father’s close friend, and that you were English. And I am ashamed to admit that I believed you would be a nervous, demure miss who had to rely on a betrothal as the only way a man would have her.”
Mary choked, indignant at his audacious way of thinking, but Valerian brazenly continued, “In my defense, my one and only experience with English ladies was during my one visit to your English court, and I had met many a pampered aristocratic miss through their matchmaking mamas.”
Understanding dawned on Mary’s face, having herself witnessed those same mothers instructing their daughters to hide their fire behind a placid mask of straitlaced primness with the hopes of landing a husband for them. But she could not believe the man had the audacity to have judged her prior to having met her.
She angrily spat, “I will have you know, my lord, that I have never, nor will I ever, rely on the machinations of others to gain the interest of a man. This betrothal has come as a surprise, as I have only learned of it after my father’s passing. It was mentioned during the reading of his will, and I had no idea that you had existed either! As it so happens, I have no intentions of marrying you. We hardly know each other!”
Surprised at everything she had just said, he was at a loss as to how to respond. Valerian lamely asked, “You don’t want to marry me?” Incredulity swept through him as the one woman that was bound to him through a legal betrothal contract was the one woman who didn’t want him. All women loved him, and he was dumbfounded by the fact that this woman would willingly pass up the enviable opportunity to marry him when others would have killed to be in her position.
Reassuring him, she said, “Even without the betrothal, I would not have the slightest desire to marry you. I had always been of the mind to marry for love, and as we have none for each other, I must apologize for having wasted your time to come all this way. But now that you are here, I was hoping to convince you to cry off.”
Valerian observed that this little English woman spoke her mind frankly without any thought for maidenly decorum. Shy and demure? He was a fool to expect that of Lady Mary Ellesmere who could not be intimidated to change her mind. It was no wonder her father had agreed on this betrothal in the first place, he thought. No man could stomach such an outspoken woman!
And now, he could not decide what his feelings were on the betrothal. At first, relief washed through him that she felt the same way as he did, that both of them planned to break it off upon meeting each other. Now, he could not identify what exactly it was that bothered him after being rejected by his own betrothed. Being rejected was a new experience for him, and it irritated him to no end. He supposed he should have been delighted that Lady Mary felt the same way about the betrothal, but he remembered he had a duty to his king and queen to fulfill concerning her.
He had originally planned to present himself to her family as an unsuitable husband, and in so doing, outrage them enough to refuse him in Mary’s stead. He had also planned to send her home after the requisite visit with Bastien and Ana, and he could subsequently go back to living his life as he liked, minus the unwanted wife.
What he hadn’t counted on was his reaction to Mary, as she embodied the curvaceous type he usually favored, despite her disposition clashing with his ideals. Since he couldn’t do anything about his attraction, not when he was temporarily in residence with her family present, he was only left to respond to her statement with a challenge.
“Mon petit chou, on the contrary, I believe I will let the betrothal stand, at least, until I bring you to meet my kingly cousin and his queen. They were ecstatic to learn of our betrothal and actually ordered me to collect you for them to formally meet with you. With a lofty royal order such as that, I cannot leave England until you agree to come with me,” he said smugly.
She snapped, “I am not your little cabbage, and I resent that you would liken me to one!” It was the only rejoinder she could come up with that masked the disappointment she felt. With his refusal to dissolve the betrothal, she was crestfallen, especially since her mother had told her of his debauched habits, presenting the both of them with the perfect excuse to rid themselves of the betrothal once and for all. However, she did not want to embarrass her family by refusing a royal request, even if it was one that forced her to remain betrothed.
“And why would you want to marry me? Aside from my wealth, I cannot see a reason why our match would appeal to you,” she retorted.
Was she blind to her own mirror’s reflection? The woman was beautiful, and he was surprised that there weren’t any suitors for him to fend off when he arrived. Instead, he said truthfully, “I will also be the first to admit that I disliked having a betrothal to disrupt the life I am used to and will continue in the same vein until I am ready to marry for an heir. But I will extend an olive branch: we can break off the betrothal after you have met with Bastien and Ana. It is only for them that I am allowing this betrothal to continue, and after that, it will be up to us to cry off.”
Assuming that he meant his king and queen when he addressed them so familiarly, she dubiously said, “All right. I can agree to keep up appearances until after I have met them. But I will have conditions.”
Amused at her attempt to negotiate, he asked, “What would those conditions be?”
“First, no dallying with women while we are betrothed. If I even remotely hear about it, I will make you suffer unimaginable fits of pain that would make you wish for death.” So, she had heard of his exploits, no doubt through their fathers’ reports on each other.
He mocked, “Threats, my lady? What could you possibly inflict on me that it would warrant my wish for death?”
Slyly, she sent him a sideways glance. “Know only this: if you were to attempt to bed any woman on our journey, I would be careful to keep an eye
on my food and drink, if I were you.”
Disbelieving, he asked, “You would resort to poison?”
She only shrugged. “Not if you remain faithful to me. After all, killing you is not how I want to be rid of you.”
Gritting his teeth at this little chit’s attempt to rein him in, he said, “And what other conditions would you have me follow?”
“I don’t want to be yours probably as much as you do, but the betrothal makes it so. And because you are mine for the time being, my other condition is that you stay away from me for the entire duration of the betrothal.”
“And under what threat will befall me if I break that condition?” He was getting angrier by the second.
“You will be forced to marry me if you dishonor me in such a fashion. And that is something I will prevent no matter what.” The crux of the matter was that he would not have minded Mary as his, but he disliked being dictated how to live his life.
“This is preposterous! It is unacceptable that my life has to change just because you will it! I promise you that this ridiculous marriage has you as good as mine and you will have no say in my amusements until we both cry off. If we were to marry, all I require is an heir and then you will be free to find your own amusements.”
“I apologize in advance, but you had best prepare yourself for the consequences of your own despicable behavior if that is how you feel,” she said calmly. However, the thought of a child of her own with this man weakened her resolve a little, and it was disconcerting that this made her change her stance on marriage with this man.
Stalking off towards the house, Mary left Valerian to fume over everything they discussed, while she tried to calm her rapidly beating heart at their exchange. Fighting with the man was exhilarating, and she had never before experienced matching wits as she did with this arrogant, obtuse man.
Valerian watched her go, glowering at her retreating figure. It wasn’t often that he was stymied by a woman, and this one hadn’t even looked back in his direction. Based on his experience with women, he had wrongly assumed that Lady Mary Ellesmere would be thrilled to have him as a husband. Just as sudden and unbidden, the thought of her under his authority had him intrigued, until the memory of her second stipulation to their bargain surged up to horrify him. If he laid a hand on her, it would inevitably seal his fate, and with a marriage he never wanted in the first place. Better that he leave her well enough alone until they could reach Mont-Tremblant, and if they made it there sane and whole, it would be nothing short of a miracle.
8
The Next Day
“Please have a seat, Valerian, that is if you will allow me to call you so. With our fathers having been close, I feel as though you already are family,” Jackson stated. Valerian only nodded his assent as both men seated themselves: Jackson at his seat behind his desk while Valerian sat across from him. Lady Diana was also present, and Valerian assumed she was there to determine his character as her daughter’s betrothed. Knowing his own mother, it was only natural that she would have done the same if the positions were reversed.
Lady Diana took the opportunity to speak first and began with, “Valerian, my husband and your father were fast friends the moment they met at school. Your father’s letters over the years to my husband were filled with you and your accomplishments, and it was obvious your father was quite proud of his one and only son.”
Valerian wondered if those same letters also detailed any of his scandalous exploits or shortcomings. But he kept silent and merely listened as the dowager countess recounted the friendship between the late earl and his father, hearing things about his father for the first time. As it was, Valerian had a difficult time holding back tears at realizing how much he missed his father, and he regretted having lost the opportunity to be friends with his father now that he was an adult.
To avoid embarrassing himself, Valerian thought it best that they switch the subject to the reason he was here. Lady Mary Ellesmere was nothing like he predicted, and now that his original plan had fallen apart, he supposed he had to determine what her family’s hopes were in light of their betrothal.
“About Lady Mary, Lord Ellesmere?” Deferring to the head of the family, Valerian hoped he would find an ally through him.
“Yes, and please, call me Jackson. We were all watching how you reacted upon meeting her for the first time in the dining room. And I assure you, no man before you has ever rendered my sister speechless before.”
Valerian was used to that reaction from women, but he couldn’t help the blush blooming in his cheeks at having produced that effect on Lady Mary. Now, he supposed he must delve deeper into how her family felt about him.
“Are you sure you want to force your sister to marry me? A man she doesn’t want?” Valerian wondered not for the first time why she didn’t want to marry him but decided that was a dangerous path of thought to follow. He also deemed it prudent not to mention his real reason for the delay in his arrival, involving women with whom he dallied with on the journey to England.
“Is that what she told you? Maybe, at first, she was resistant to the marriage, but she has made it known that she has accepted the betrothal. Well, my daughter is nothing if not unique,” Lady Diana pointed out. “She is entirely too straightforward for her own good, and she will never beat around the bush getting to the point. But please don’t feel too badly about her previous sentiment. It’s not you that she was refusing to marry, but anyone, really.”
Jackson added, “If anything, we were glad of her reaction to you, which tells us that maybe her heart hasn’t hardened against all men, after all. At first, we were supportive of her feelings in not wanting to marry you, but with circumstances as they are now, my mother and I believe that you are possibly the best thing to have happened to her.”
Puzzled, Valerian said, “I don’t quite follow.” It was odd to be thought of as a solution to Lady Mary’s problems, but in light of his bargain with Lady Mary, he couldn’t confess that this betrothal had an expiration date.
Looking earnest, Jackson explained, “You see, my sister dedicates most of her time as a healer to the people of our parish, but as a result of recent events, she has made a few enemies with a few parishioners who don’t agree with her methods.”
When it came to dealing with enemies of the Mont-Tremblant royal family, Valerian was well-versed in such experiences. He understood her family’s concern and guessed that they must see him as an ideal solution for Mary’s problems here in Donnesbury.
When Valerian didn’t respond, Jackson continued, “I will allow that Mary’s activities need to be channeled in a new direction, and with news of your betrothal, we initially hoped that Mary would be amenable to the marriage. Now it is a matter of hoping that you can win her affections and subsequently ease her fears about the marriage itself.”
Valerian realized that the Ellesmeres had accepted him fully as Mary’s future husband and no amount of telling them that he didn’t want the marriage would help him, not when Bastien and Ana were expecting the two of them to appear in court. Deciding to make the best of it until the time came that he and Lady Mary would part ways, he supposed a few more lies couldn’t hurt.
“A healer, is she? Our royal physician would welcome the help, especially now that Her Majesty is currently in a delicate condition.”
“Splendid!” Lady Diana cried. “I would much prefer my daughter working within the confines of the palace. Here in the country, she has the reputation of being highly skilled among the parishioners and local gentry and has too often gotten her hands dirty. It would put my mind at ease that she is enjoying her hobby in a safer environment.”
Reassuring them, Valerian lied smoothly, “As I live not far from the palace, it will be a short commute for her if she wishes to continue her healing activities. However, as my wife, she will be expected to attend all court functions so that her life will be somewhat different than what she is used to.”
Grinning widely, Jackson replied, “That is the best n
ews I have heard all day. I have worried much about my sister and her tendency for frankness with that sharp tongue of hers, and it is a relief to hear that you have accepted her as yours.”
Valerian kept from visibly gritting his teeth, not when he and Mary had struck a bargain. Accepting Lady Mary as his? Not if he could help it. The sooner he could get home to Mont-Tremblant with the girl in tow, the sooner he could rid himself of a bride.
He stood, signaling the end to this little interview. “I apologize that due to my late arrival, we will have to leave very soon, preferably tomorrow, before the weather decides to work against our traveling plans.”
Lady Diana, rising from her seat, and her son following her example, declared, “Then I will let Mary know she is to pack for your journey.” And she swept out of the room in search of her daughter.
Jackson, surprised at Valerian’s announcement, said with concern, “But the wedding arrangements have not yet been completed.”
