The Rakehell Regency Romance Series Boxed Set 1

by Sorcha MacMurrough

  The breath caught in his own throat and he had to step away before all of his manly resolved crumbled, and he had his wedding night right there and then.

  A vision of her sprawled out on the table under him, bedaubed with icing that he licked off from her most alluring spots, nearly unmanned him.

  He confined himself to another heated kiss behind her left ear, and watched with satisfaction as her whole body quivered and her nipples peaked right through the stiffened silk bodice of the gown.

  But he had to restrain himself. He had to be certain she was not carrying Herbert's child, for that would place her in more danger than ever before, and he and his family as well. Even were that not the case, he didn't wish to start a family straight away, Not when there would be so much gossip against his wife if they did. He could try to be careful, but there were always potential consequences. As much as he ached for her, there was too much at stake for it to be worth the risk at this time.

  In addition, there was his new bride to consider. He was sure that if she was as innocent as she seemed, the biggest mistake of all would be to go too far, too fast. Marriage was a delicate thing, Charlotte more fragile, less worldly than she tried to pretend to be in order to keep up with her racy set. Herbert might have seduced her, and Agnes and her aunt had evidently been pushing her into it all along, in the hopes of reward once Charlotte was in Herbert's clutches. Thomas recalled his new father-in-law's warning the other evening about not trusting Charlotte's aunt one jot. He cast a glance about the room, noting the absence of the two women. That spoke volumes as to how much of a sincere friend either of them were to his wife. Finally, Thomas was also possessed of enough vanity to want his wife to love him when she finally came to him, and not just give herself to him because she felt she had to.

  He knew she had unbent toward him considerably in the past few days they had got to know each other. But if Herbert were to come on the scene now, what would happen? The thought made him clench his jaw so hard he thought his teeth would crack

  Herbert Paxton was nothing if not a plausible rogue. He had deceived many people far more intelligent and canny than Charlotte.

  He wondered uneasily as he busied himself slicing cake as to where on earth Paxton had got to. After he had been paid off at Charlotte's birthday party, and Thomas had 'eloped' with her instead, Paxton had vanished into thin air.

  The Duke had excellent men working for him, but even they were occasionally outwitted by the wily Herbert. Damn the man. He was as clever as a fox, with the nine lives of the proverbial cat.

  But Paxton had met his match in Thomas. And perhaps even in Charlotte, the Duke thought as he looked into his bride's blue eyes. He was confident that she was a woman of sense, and he did not just think that because he was half in love with her already. Working together, instead of at counterpurposes, they would make a formidable couple, perhaps even as much of a loving pair as his own parents had been.

  At the thought of his happy family so cruelly destroyed by Paxton, he put down the cake knife abruptly and looked over at Jonathan.

  "Pray excuse me," he murmured to Charlotte, placing a peck on her cheek.

  "But, Thomas, your cake... You were so looking forward to it," she said to his retreating back.

  She stared after him in consternation. She had disgusted him with her wanton behavior, that had to be why he had suddenly grown so silent and then stormed away. He was prepared to be a pleasant companion, but he thought very little of her morals and decency. And why should he, when she was behaving no better than a London Bird of Paradise? She felt the tears gather in her eyes, and watched through the blur as the Duke went over to Jonathan, and clapped him on the shoulder. They talked for a few moments, and then gave a manly hug. Then Thomas bowed over Sarah's hand, and kissed her on the cheek. Moving over to Clifford and Vanessa, who were standing by the food table, he also patted him on the back and kissed her.

  A moment later, the Duke grasped his sister by the hand and dragged her onto the dance floor for a brisk country dance. Charlotte blinked back her tears as she watched him laugh and swing her until her feet came off the ground. Then he set her on her feet carefully and kissed her.

  "He's a good man," her father said, coming up behind her to see what she was staring at. "You're very lucky, Daughter. Count yourself truly fortunate and blessed that you've done so well for yourself."

  She took her father's hand. "I know."

  He examined her more closely with his sharp blue eyes. "You sound surprised. Surely you must have known all you needed to know about him before you decided to elope?"

  She blushed. "Oh, well, I thought I did. But these five days we've been preparing for the wedding have been a revelation. I imagine you can never really know someone until you live with them."

  Her father nodded wisely. "True enough. And sometimes not even then. Every day was a surprise for me with your mother, God rest her."

  "Then you were happy together?" she asked timidly. "I always wondered. I mean, you were so seldom together in company."

  Her father sighed and patted her shoulder. "No one can ever truly know about the state of a couple's marriage except the couple themselves. Aye, we were happy. Most of the time. But you're old enough to know the whole truth now."

  "The whole truth?" she repeated blankly.

  He cleared his throat and admitted in a low tone, "It was hard providing for us all. Difficult times often happen early on in marriage, especially when the children start to come. In our case, we had to get used to each other.

  "Then we were expecting, and finally had you. There were problems, and she never carried any other child to term. It was difficult, so much hope, then so many losses. We were delighted to have you, but, well, it was a blow each time."

  "I see," she said, looking closely at his face, and realising at last his bluff heartiness was not part of his innate nature, but his way of coping with, even suppressing, strong emotion.

  "So I worked hard to try to make it up to her, as if I ever could. I mean, something like that...¦" He shrugged and went on, "She was one of the best-dressed women in the County, and never wanted for anything until the day she died."

  Charlotte tried to recollect her mother, always pale and thin, happy enough on the outside, a simple, uncomplicated and loving woman, but with haunted blue eyes.

  One day she had been there, in the next, fever had taken her off. It had been only four years ago, but it seemed like only yesterday. Charlotte now also began to ponder what her father had said about pampering her with every material thing.

  She looked up as a sudden thought occurred to her. "But maybe none of those things actually mattered to her. Perhaps all she needed was you?"

  He sighed heavily. "I know that now. Please don't remind me. I would give anything to get the time back that I worked in the fields, went away on business and left her behind. That's the greatest curse in life, Charlotte. Regret. So if you are willing to take some advice from an unfashionable old gentleman not nearly as witty as your most recent set of friends, try to make up your mind to be happy and content with all the blessings that come your way. Endeavor to live your life as well as possible, so that you'll never have to say you wished you had made better choices."

  "Oh, Father!" she gasped, and despite herself, let the tears falls and threw her arms around his neck, feeling as though the walls were closing in all around her.

  How on earth could she ever live up to that piece of her advice, when she had married a man she hardly knew? And had given up the man she thought she loved for money and security, and to avoid disgrace?

  "There, there, child, it will be fine," he said, evidently surprised, but with the presence of mind to start rubbing her back soothingly. "I woman's lot in life is never an easy one, but you're brave, and strong. You'll see. It will all work out well. There are a great number of joys to be had in marriage, if you try to remember your vows and live up to them. And if not as a wife, then certainly as a parent," he added almost shyly.
>
  "Thank you, Father, thank you. I'm sorry about all this..."

  "Nonsense, child. It was a bit of a close-run thing, but you've made me more proud than I can say." He embraced her with a true affection she had seldom seen before.

  She was pleased with it, and his words, but it also now made it impossible for her to confide in him, as she longed to do. He was right. She was well and truly married now. There was no undoing it; she was just going to have to live with it, no matter what.

  "Tears on your wedding day, again," Thomas said with an affected drawl, as if the matter were of no importance. But he was staring at her hard, his emerald eyes boring into her, demanding the truth.

  "Tears of joy, my dear Thomas," Mr. Castlemaine said, extending his hand. "You won't mind if I call you son now, will you?"

  Thomas bowed and clasped his shoulder with his free hand. "Not at all. It would be an honor."

  "The honor is all mine. If I had ever had a son, I should have liked him to be just like you, for all your odd notions and politics. You're a man with decency and backbone. And you'll need the latter to stand up to my willful daughter. Make sure you're generous, but don't spoil her!" He grinned.

  Charlotte's eyes rounded. "Father! Really."

  The Duke bowed. "I shall do my best to make her happy, I give you my word."

  The older man laughed. "I know it is early days yet, but I'm sure you already do."

  They shook hands, and then Mr. Castlemaine went to mingle with the other guests.

  "I have returned, Wife. You know what I want. I cannot live without it a moment longer."

  As he spoke, he approached her almost menacingly, and she steeled herself for the physical contact she was sure would come. His lips moved enticingly close, but then they formed the word, "Cake!"

  She fed him with gusto and not a little spite for scaring her so badly. He playfully teased her by dabbing butter cream icing on her cheeks and the tip of her nose, and warmly kissing it off, much to the amusement of the guests.

  Clifford and Vanessa looked fondly at each other, and could not wait to attain the privacy of their own room.

  Jonathan soon declared it was time for the speeches. He and Clifford gave two touching tributes to Thomas's qualities as a man. Her father responded in kind, declaring to the assembled company what a good and obedient daughter Charlotte had been.

  She was barely listening, for a commotion at the door to the ballroom filled her with foreboding.

  It was her Aunt Margaret, bedecked from head to toe in black bombazine and crepe as if for a funeral. She was heading straight toward her like a wild bull despite the servants' efforts to restrain her.

  Charlotte moved forward in an effort to stave off disaster.

  "I can see I'm too late to stop you from your latest piece of folly. How dare you not invite me, after all the care I have lavished upon you since the death of my poor sister!" she demanded loudly.

  "Of course you were invited, Aunt," Charlotte said, struggling to keep patience with her aunt even though she seemed determined to make a scene. "I'm glad you finally decided to come, though I'm surprised. The one or two times that I tried to speak to you about my wedding plans, you made it quite clear that you wanted no part of the proceedings."

  "Having mere strangers stand up with you! When your own aunt and your best friend Agnes were here all along. Oh, it is too cruel. Where is she, by the way, Agnes?"

  "She didn't come either," Charlotted admitted in a low tone. "I went to see her, but she had already left for London. Aunt, I know that all of this was unexpected, and you had thought for me to make a different match," she said, lowering her voice so that no one would overhear. "But I'm happy with the way things have turned out, and hope you can be for me as well."

  "I shall try to be, and no doubt I will when I see for myself first-hand that he's treating you well. He's obviously a fortune-hunter to have married you so precipitately, but I shall be here to keep an eye on him, and you."

  "Oh, Aunt, it is kind of you to take such trouble, but really-"

  "And now, you may show me to my room."

  "Your room?" she echoed in confusion.

  "You did not think I would leave you to your own devices, did you?" She snorted derisively. "You, who have never run a household in your life, let alone one of this size and importance? No, it would not do at all. You are a mere babe in the woods. You need a woman of my experience to tend to your affairs. I'm only too happy to help my poor dead sister's innocent child.

  "I have my things outside. It only wants you to instruct the servants as to which room I should have. Something facing west. I insist upon-"

  "But Aunt, what will my husband say?"

  "Nothing, I should think," she asked, lofting her nose in the air. "He cannot mean to cut you off from all of your old acquaintance. Unless of course that is exactly his intention, the better to spend all of your money and isolate you from your friends and relations, who only want what is best for you. The better to treat you cruelly, or neglect you. Well, what can you expect from a fortune-hunter!"

  Her voice had gone up with every word, causing Charlotte to cringe and try to get her to lower her voice through modulating her own.

  "But Aunt," she whispered, "Thomas will never be cruel. He has been most attentive."

  "La, he would hardly do otherwise, given that he had to persuade you to marry him to get his hands on your money! But mark my words, as soon as the guests are gone, he will show his true colors. If you're left here alone, it will be too late. You'll be utterly at his mercy. I shudder to think. A man like that..."

  "A man like what?" Charlotte hissed. "Aunt, if you know anything specific against him, why did you not speak up before I married him? Those rumors you told me before were false."

  "I don't know anything for certain, only what I have heard. The latest on-dit--"

  Charlotte stiffened her back and said angrily, "I don't give a fig about any gossip you may have heard. I have spoken to him about my fears, and they have been put to rest. Thomas is a good man. Better than most."

  She squared her shoulders and stepped backwards. "I shall be fine here in my new home. I am of age now, and well and truly married. I don't need a chaperone any longer."

  Her aunt gave an airy wave, as though nothing she said were worth paying the least bit of attention to. "A man as important as he will be far too busy to escort you about. Are you going to sit at home like a little country mouse? And what about London? You will need someone with you when you go up to the Ton."

  "I am sure we will socialize here when it is convenient to us both. As for the Ton, well, we will not be going this year, or at least not for the Small Season. Perhaps June or July," she calculated, keeping in mind Thomas's restrictions and his reasons for them.

  Her aunt stared at her, thunderstruck. "Not go to Town? After you have missed your official coming out by marrying prior to it, and in such haste? What on earth is your husband thinking? You simply must be presented at Court. What on earth will people say?"

  Charlotte lifted her chin and stared straight into her aunt's eyes. "They can say what they like. I find that people generally do, without any regard for veracity or accuracy. My husband knows what he is about. He has been and will continue to be most assiduous in his protection of my reputation and good name, especially since it is now ineluctably linked with his own."

  She tried to move away from her aunt. The older woman gripped her arm so ferociously that she had to bite her lip to keep from crying out in pain.

  "We shall discuss this later. Believe me, your reputation will cost him a pretty penny."

  Charlotte stared at the beady eyes, and sagging jowls, and had the bizarre sensation she was seeing her aunt for the first time.

  "Just what do you mean by that?" she hissed angrily, sensing an overwhelming threat to her happiness.

  Aunt Margaret opened her mouth to reply, but a voice from behind Charlotte's shoulder froze her.

  "Aunt Margaret, how pleasant to s
ee you. What brings you here?"

  "Why, the wedding of my niece, of course," she snapped.

  "Kind of you to condescend to join us." He bowed over her hand curtly, and dropped it as soon as decency permitted.

  "Thomas, my dear," Charlotte said hesitantly, "my aunt was asking to see her room."

  He stiffened. "I beg your pardon?"

  "She says all of her things are outside in a cart. That she is moving in to chaperone me because you will, well-"

  "Treat you cruelly? Abuse you? Starve you?" he supplied in a tone dripping with sarcasm.