True Love's Deception (book 3) (The Fielding Brothers Saga)

by Marie Higgins

  True Love’s Deception

  Book Three in the “Fielding Brother’s Saga”

  (previously published under a different pen name, Phyllis)

  Marie Higgins

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

  True Love’s Deception

  Previously published under a different pen name

  Copyright © 2011 by Marie Higgins

  Cover Design by Sheri McGathy

  Edition License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.

  For more information about author: http://mariehiggins84302.blogspot.com

  Not even lies can deceive the heart.

  Juliana Beaumont wants to keep her freedom—and her grandmother’s estate in Scotland. But can she do both? Especially when her father demands she marries a man from England before he can give her an inheritance.

  Andrew Dean is tired of being the stable help, and jumps at the chance of playing Miss Juliana’s pretend husband. But he doesn’t believe in marrying unless it’s in a church. He hopes Juliana doesn’t discover that they are legally married until he can make her fall in love with him. But a secret that has been hidden in his memory for twenty years may just keep them apart.

  Dedication

  To my two wonderful critique partners who read through this story and stayed with me until the very end. Thanks Anne Marie Carroll, and Deborah Hymon. And my wonderful new editor, Veronica…I wouldn’t have been able to do this without you!

  Chapter One

  Scotland, 1853

  Juliana Beaumont glared at the one-horse carriage in front of her house and the insipid driver readying to depart the long drive. She wished the man holding the reins would ignite into a ball of fire and turn to ash.

  The portly man swung his head her way, his bushy gray brows forming a straight line. “Be certain to inform your grandmother of our talk.” He pointed his chubby finger at her. “She has three months to pay me.”

  Juliana planted her hands on her hips. “And I say we need nine months.”

  “Three, and that’s final.”

  “You will get your money.” Inconsiderate fop! “Even if I have to hand deliver it and thrust it up your—”

  “Miss Juliana. Watch yer temper.” Her grandmother’s very proper Scottish maid, Pearl, grabbed Juliana’s arm.

  Juliana waited until the collector drove his carriage to the gates before she stomped her foot. “That greedy man needs to feel the brunt of my temper. Why, he has no scruples at all.” Juliana met Pearl’s wide brown eyes. “How dare he presume I’m going to kiss his feet like all the other prissies around here?” Juliana folded her arms across her chest. “I think not. I’d rather box his ears.”

  “But, Miss Juliana, ye have to think of yer ailin’ grandmother. She would have the vapors if she heard the way ye’d talked to him just now.”

  Juliana shrugged and glanced at her grandmother’s old butler, Wilbur. “And why is Mr. Melville making such threats when he knows Grandmama cannot possibly afford to pay him at this time? In my opinion, that doesn’t show any character at all.”

  “Now, lass,” Wilbur said in a soothing tone, “Mr. Melville has to be demanding in his line of business. He’s the solicitor for the bank. It’s his nature to make threats.”

  Juliana huffed. “But hasn’t Grandmama been the most charitable woman in this county? Her kind heart and generous pocketbook have benefited many over the past twenty years.”

  “Aye,” he said. “Her generosity and her failing health are the very reasons she’s low on funds.”

  “It’s just not fair.” Juliana grabbed the sides of her skirt and lifted it, darting up the wide steps to the manor. As she marched inside the house and across the marbled foyer, she pulled off her leather gloves and threw them on the wooden stand, knocking a couple of letters to the floor.

  “Mr. Melville has no heart,” she continued as Pearl knelt to retrieve the envelopes scattered on the Persian rug. “We need nine months, not three, and he wouldn’t even consider it. He acted like he didn’t hear a word I had said.”

  “Ye’re also a lady, lass.” The middle-aged maid stood and smoothed her apron over her wide hips. “Most women aren’t like you and wouldn’t dare verbalize their thoughts with a man in his profession.”

  “I’ll do it with anyone at any time...as long as Grandmama would allow.”

  And therein lay the problem. Juliana’s grandmother tried to make her act like a lady no matter how badly the hoyden inside the granddaughter wanted to fight it. Grandmama blamed it on Juliana’s temper. But her temperament would do her no good now. How could they pay the creditors if their funds were depleting? Her inheritance would pay everything off and they’d still have money to spare, but her twenty-third birthday wasn’t approaching fast enough. Although, according to her father, she’d receive her inheritance if she married before her birthday. That was something she didn’t want to do for a very long time. She was happy living with her grandmother and she didn’t need a man to ruin her life.

  One thing for certain, she couldn’t ask her father to pay her grandmama’s debts. Her father’s anger toward her maternal grandmother was too strong.

  “Lass, this letter came for ye this mornin’ while ye were out riding.” Pearl held out the missive.

  Juliana glanced at the envelope. She groaned. ‘Twas her father’s seal. She took it and tore it open. “I wonder what Father wants this time?”

  “Probably the usual. He and his wife wish to see you married.”

  “Precisely. Thankfully, they won’t live long enough to witness that glorious day.” Juliana flipped open the envelope and read the letter.

  “Dearest Juliana, Your twenty-third birthday is nearly upon us and I’m discouraged you haven’t been looking for a suitable man to wed. Because of your inability to find a husband, you have forced me to change my mind about your inheritance. If you are not married by your birthday, I will divide your inheritance amongst local charities here in England. I regret I’m forced to take such swift action, but I am only thinking of your future.”

  Fear gripped Juliana’s chest and she sagged against a nearby chair. Her hand trembled as she read on.

  “I would like for you to return to home to Kent as soon as possible. Your stepmother and I have arranged a ball in your honor in a fortnight. If you ignore this letter, I will pass on your inheritance to those I have indicated.”

  A sickening knot tightened her stomach. She shook her head. “He cannot...he would not dare...” She moistened her cotton-dry throat with a swallow. “Oh, no!”

  “Honey?” Pearl stepped in front of her. “What is it?”

  The room tilted and Juliana’s vision blurred. She needed air. She needed time to think and not to panic...yet.

  Juliana groaned under her breath. She pushed Pearl aside, hurried out the front door and flew down the steps. If her father wanted to play this game, she could play along. He had never held tender feelings for her maternal grandmother since he blamed the older woman for Juliana’s mother’s death—which was ludicrous.

  Ever since Juliana came to Scotland to care for her grandmother
, her father had tried to coerce Juliana into returning home. For years, he had known her distaste about marriage. So why was he pushing her now?

  But if she played along, she would make her own rules.

  “I need to find a man. Immediately!” she grumbled.

  Juliana kicked a clod of dirt as she marched away from the estate and toward a grove of trees. She crumpled the devastating letter and stuffed it in the waist of her skirt. Tears filled her eyes, and she swiped them away. Crying was an unacceptable behavior right now. She was not a child, and so would not behave as one.

  She stopped beside a tree and pushed her palm against it, the bark lightly scraping her skin. A deep ache started in her forehead and she rubbed it. Apparently, marriage had not been suitable for her mother when she was alive, and since Juliana was just like her, wedlock would not be right for her either. Especially if it meant living in that godforsaken place with her father, stepmother and stepsister.

  Juliana took a deep breath and willed the throb in her skull to disappear. Unfortunately, she must abide her father’s wishes. If she didn’t, she’d lose her inheritance...which meant she’d lose everything, especially her grandmother’s estate. She loved the heather, the loamy earth, even the cold stones of the low wall that ran down the path to the pond.

  She withdrew the letter and scanned it once more, the words already branded in her mind. Gritting her teeth, she tore away from the tree and ran into the thicket, heading anywhere her feet took her. Low hanging branches brushed against her hair, pulling strands out of the tight bun she’d coiled this morning. She didn’t care.

  On several occasions, she’d pleaded with her father to let her choose the man she wanted to marry, secretly knowing this would never happen. Apparently, he’d allowed his meddlesome wife, Constance, to sway his love for Juliana. Why else would he force her to marry?

  She took a deep breath and pulled her shoulders back. Before her father and stepmother ruined her life, Juliana had to take control. If only she could lie to her father and say she was already married. She’d tell him it had been a hasty marriage, and let him think what he would from that.

  She sighed and kicked some dirt loose from a stump. Unfortunately, her father would demand proof. He’d either have to see the husband in question or the marriage certificate. Knowing her father, he’d want both.

  What were the chances she could forge the certificate? Wilbur mentioned once that his cousin was underhanded and had a criminal mind. Would he do something like this for a fee?

  And what about the man who would pose as her husband?

  Moving forward, she dragged her feet in the dirt as she unscrambled the ideas in her mind. A mock wedding? It could happen. Especially if Wilbur’s friend could fake a clergyman’s signature...and if they could find a man she could pay to do the deed. He’d have to be the kind who could be bought and had a sordid past.

  What other choice did she have? She’d have to enlist Wilbur and his corrupt friends to assist her.

  Stress lifted from her chest. She grinned and stuffed the letter back in her skirt. Suddenly, all around her, nature’s afternoon sounds became clearer. Birds sang a happier tune as a gentle wind fluttered through the trees. Bees buzzed in unison around honeycombs and flowers. Even the water from the nearby pond splashed with merriment.

  She scrunched her forehead. Water splashing by itself? Not likely.

  Stepping toward the sound, she tried not to make too much noise even as the fallen leaves and twigs crunched beneath her feet as she made her way to the pond. As she inched closer, a form emerged from the water. She feasted her eyes on a man’s bare back and head.

  Juliana caught her breath, stepped behind a tree and peeked around the large trunk. Who was he, and did he know he trespassed on private grounds?

  Built broader than any man she’d ever seen, his shoulders appeared as if they’d been sculpted by the Gods themselves; hard, yet smooth. He pushed back his dark brown, wet hair, flipping the long length across his head. The bulk landed on his shoulders as water dripped down his bare back.

  Was he dangerous? Perhaps he was from one of the neighboring estates and didn’t know where the boundaries were. Nevertheless, Juliana must tell him he was on private land.

  She gazed across his muscular back to his lean waist. She pressed her lips together to keep from making a sound. Never had she seen so much skin on a man. This was so improper, but heaven help her, she couldn’t stop staring!

  Nevertheless, Juliana must tell him he was on private land whether it was proper or not. Of course, she rarely followed society’s rules, especially when Grandmama wasn’t nearby.

  Juliana took a deep breath, lifted her shoulders and walked around the tree. The man cupped his hands in the water and splashed his face. Her nervous heart skipped a beat.

  She cleared her throat and he jerked toward her. The view from where she stood was better than from behind the tree. His muscles were more pronounced.

  She sucked in a quick breath. Oh my. Very handsome, if she dared admit.

  With wide eyes, he sank lower in the water, but not as low as she would have liked. Still, too much of his skin showed, making her highly conscious of his physique. She could not let him see him how unnerved he made her feel. She was above displaying that much emotion in front of others.

  “Forgive me for intruding upon your bath,” she began in an unsteady voice, “but did you know you are trespassing?”

  He wiped the moisture coating his face. “Nay.”

  “Do you know where you are, then?” She arched a brow.

  His gaze moved over her slowly. “Och. I’m standing by a pool of water, refreshing m’self on this verra hot day.”

  Heat rose up her neck to her cheeks. She really shouldn’t have interrupted his bath. But still… He couldn’t be here. She hated to admit it, but she really enjoyed his smooth, Scottish accent. “As it is, this is private land.”

  He shrugged. “Ye must forgive me if I sound confused, but I’m no’ trespassin’.”

  “Since I’ve never set eyes on you until now, I beg to differ.”

  “This is the Wentworth estate, and I’m a stable hand.”

  “You, sir, are not. I have met everyone who works here.”

  “Aye, Miss. I’ve just started employment, I have.”

  Twisting her hands against her stomach, she nodded. Her breathing calmed only slightly. “Ah, then that would be the reason I’ve never seen you before.”

  “And who are ye?” He rubbed his eyes. “Besides a vision the good Lord has seen to bless me eyes with today?”

  Juliana throat dried. He was definitely flirting, but she wouldn’t allow herself to be affected.

  She straightened her shoulders. “I’m Lady Wentworth’s granddaughter, Miss Juliana Beaumont.”

  Blowing out a gush of air, he nodded. “Tis a pleasure tae make yer acquaintance, Juliana.”

  “That’s Miss Juliana to you, sir.”

  “Me deepest apologies, Miss Juliana, for no’ knowin’ who ya were.” He glanced into the water then looked back at her. “I’d come closer and offer ye the proper greetin’, but because of this situation—”

  “No.” She held up a hand as heat spread through her face again, hoping she didn’t sound too rude. “I will forgo the formalities right now.”

  He smiled. “Thank ye for understandin’.” He tilted his head slightly. “Is it permissible tae bathe in this pond?”

  “I’m not certain.” She chuckled. “I don’t know the activities of my grandmother’s servants.” She took a step back. “Once again, please forgive me for intruding upon your privacy.”

  “I hope tae see ye about the estate.”

  “That you probably will. Good day.” She clutched her skirt and hustled into the woods, her cheeks still burning.

  Men! Was it any wonder she didn’t want them in her life? And what an arrogant, bold man he was. And what muscles… But she knew very well muscular men usually didn’t have an ounce of sense, and rarely n
o brains at all. She would never become attracted to someone like him anyway—or attracted to any man, for that matter. Look at the results when her mother had married and tried to produce heirs.

  A horrid death.

  Putting that memory behind her, Juliana hurried to the estate and ran into the house, breathless. “Pearl? Wilbur?”

  The rotund maid scampered out of a room holding a dusting rag, her graying brown curls bouncing in rhythm to her quick steps. “What is it, lass?”

  Juliana grabbed Pearl’s hands, knocking the rag to the floor. “We have no time to lose. Pack my things, immediately.”

  “But, why?”

  “We will be leaving for England...as soon as Wilbur finds me a man.”

  The maid’s eyes widened, her face growing pale. “What?”

  “I have no doubt Wilbur will find me a man before we leave.”

  Tears misted in the Scottish woman’s eyes and she blinked. “Do ye know what yer sayin’, lass? Do ye know what this means?”

  “Yes. I know it’s not proper, and if anyone discovers my treachery I will become an outcast to society.”

  “Ohhh, the Lord will surely strike ye down this time, Miss Juliana. Ye can only push Him so far...”

  Juliana squeezed Pearl’s fingers. “Nobody will know but us...and the man I hire to pose as my husband, of course. The Lord won’t strike me down, I assure you. I’ve done worse things in my life than this.” At least I hope I have.

  Pearl uttered some Scottish curse under her breath—words Juliana had heard before but didn’t quite understand.

  “I have no choice. Don’t you see?” Juliana shrugged. “I cannot let Grandmama’s estate fall into the hands of men like Mr. Melville. If lying to get my inheritance is the only way, then I’ll do it. I need Wilbur’s help, though.”