The Earl's Stolen Bride (Marriage by Deceit Book 4)

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  “When are you expecting your next one?”

  Chloe counted the days in her mind then said, “Late next week.”

  “Do you feel any different?”

  “No. Should I?”

  “Your mother had a lot of children. Do you remember her being more tired or sick to her stomach early on when she was expecting?”

  “She was mostly tired, but then, she was tired all the time until Father could afford more servants.”

  “Just be aware of when you should get your next flow, and be sure to use sheaths to be safe.”

  “I will.”

  “Hopefully, there’s nothing to worry about. It’s one month. Chances are you’ll be fine. Now,” Helena took another sip of tea and smiled, “tell me everything about your elopement.”

  Picking up on her friend’s excitement, Chloe did.

  ***

  “Oh yes, my daughter is overcome with grief,” Chloe’s mother told Lady Cadwalader later that day. Turning to Chloe, who was sitting next to her on the settee, she squeezed her hand. “You had the perfect marriage.”

  “I’d say so,” Lady Cadwalader replied from where she sat across from Chloe and her mother. “Many gentlemen and ladies wish they had such an arrangement as you and Lord Hawkins did.”

  Since Chloe’s mother looked at her expectantly, Chloe ventured, “I suppose it’s hard to find fault with a husband who isn’t around.”

  Lady Cadwalader laughed. “I should say so.”

  Chloe’s mother chimed in with her own laughter. Chloe forced a smile but glanced out the window. It’d been almost a week since she arrived in London. Would this be the day Orlando arrived? She hoped so. She didn’t think it was possible to miss someone so much her heart actually felt as if it could break, but she did.

  “If it’s any consolation,” Lady Cadwalader began, directing her gaze to Chloe, “you make a lovely widow. Not many ladies can wear black as well as you do.”

  “Oh, um, thank you.” Chloe could only hope that was the response Lady Cadwalader wanted to hear.

  “There’s no need to thank me. You’re the one who fits so nicely into the mourning dresses.”

  The lady chuckled, followed again by her mother’s echoing laughter.

  “My husband adored Lord Hawkins,” Lady Cadwalader continued. “They did some business together two years ago. Lord Hawkins had a gift for making money. Better yet, he didn’t have to resort to gambling or other forms of debauchery in order to acquire it. He was an honest and decent gentleman. It’s a shame there aren’t more like him in London.”

  “A shame indeed,” her mother agreed.

  Chloe knew Lord Hawkins had been well received by the Ton when she married him. It’d been the one reason why she didn’t protest the arrangement. And he had been kind to her. Hard to know, perhaps, but kind all the same. Still, he was nothing like Orlando. She doubted Lady Cadwalader would be sitting in her drawing room right now if she knew about Orlando.

  “Thank you for letting me visit,” Lady Cadwalader said as she rose to her feet. Smiling at Chloe, she added, “It was a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, my lady.”

  “The pleasure was all mine,” Chloe replied, also rising to her feet.

  “A pleasure for us both,” her mother quickly chimed in and joined them as they went to the doors of the drawing room.

  “I would like to have you over for a visit some time,” Lady Cadwalader told Chloe. “There are a couple ladies I think you’d like to meet.”

  “Oh.” Chloe hadn’t expected this. She thought this visit would be the only time she’d ever see the lady, except for a ball or some other social engagement, and of course, she couldn’t do that for a year. She glanced at her mother, noting the way her mother’s eyes flashed with excitement. “Thank you, Lady Cadwalader. I’d be honored.”

  “The honor is mine. I wish I had taken the time to make your acquaintance sooner. My husband had wanted to come by when your husband returned, but alas, that plan came to naught.”

  “Yes, that was unfortunate.”

  “Be brave. Your heart will heal, and in time, you might decide to marry again, though now you have the benefit of choosing to go without a husband without risking shame.”

  Chloe nodded and called out a good-bye as the lady left the townhouse.

  The footman was ready to close the door when Chloe saw Regina’s carriage pull up to the house. Orlando was in London! He had to be. Why else would Regina be coming to see her? Heartbeat picking up, Chloe hurried to the front door and watched as Regina stepped out of the carriage.

  “I knew you and Lady Cadwalader would get along,” her mother whispered in her ear.

  Chloe jerked, unaware her mother had come up behind her.

  Her mother chuckled and patted her shoulder. “You mustn’t let your shadow scare you.”

  “I’m not skittish, Mother. I just didn’t know you were standing so close to me.”

  “Of course.” Her mother glanced at the footman, who looked too bored to care about anything she’d tell Chloe, but that didn’t stop her from whispering, “I know Lord Reddington will be here to see you soon. Please remember to be discreet.”

  “I will.”

  “No one must see you two together.”

  Chloe sighed. “I know what discreet means.”

  Thankfully, Regina was climbing the steps, which meant her mother would have to stop warning her to be careful. Chloe wasn’t a child. She was perfectly capable of doing this without her mother’s help.

  “Good,” her mother said. Then in a louder voice, she added, “What a great honor it was to have someone of Lady Cadwalader’s reputation visit. The Ton will be talking about how fortunate you are.”

  Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Chloe smiled before turning her attention to Regina. She couldn’t wait to read Orlando’s missive. Maybe he’d tell her when she could expect to see him. Just the thought of his touch and kiss was enough to make her pulse race.

  “I’ll come by tomorrow,” Chloe’s mother said. “Maybe we can go for a stroll or a carriage ride. It would be nice to get you outside. You’ve been stuck inside way too much.”

  Chloe nodded, hoping her mother would stop talking. Since it worked, she turned to Regina. “Good afternoon, Lady Davenport.”

  “Good afternoon,” Regina replied. “I hope you don’t mind I came unannounced.”

  “Not at all. You know my mother, Mrs. Boyle.”

  “Yes, we’ve met,” Regina said.

  After her mother and Regina exchanged pleasantries, her mother left, and it was safe to talk to Regina alone.

  “Come on in,” Chloe told Regina, waving her into the house. Once they reached the drawing room, she said, “I’ll have the butler bring us something to eat and drink.”

  “Actually, there’s no need. I can’t stay long. My mother wants to shop for clothes for my son, and if I don’t go with her, she’ll pick out the most dreadful ones.”

  A giggle escaped Chloe’s mouth, and she put her hand over it. “I’m sorry. I know it’s not funny.”

  “Oh, it is. I know her antics amuse others. Sometimes it even amuses me. It’s just harder to keep a sense of humor when you’re so close to a person and they insist on doing such things.”

  “I understand what you mean.” Chloe thought of her own parents and wished the most she had to worry about was fending them off from buying hideous outfits. “I suppose they see us as children even though we’re married.”

  “Indeed, they do.”

  Regina led her further into the drawing room and took a neatly folded piece of paper from her pocket. “I promised my husband I’d deliver this right away. It sounds like Orlando’s quite eager to see you.”

  Glancing at the doorway to make sure no one was listening, Chloe took the missive, unable to stop the smile that spread across her face. “I’m eager to see him, too. It’s been hard to wait for him.”

  “He’s a good gentleman,” Regina said. “I thought he’d make a go
od husband, and it turns out I was right.”

  “You were. Thank you for introducing us.”

  “I wish I could say it was a noble deed on my part, but the truth is, Orlando pressed my husband into asking me.”

  “You didn’t seem opposed to doing it.”

  “No, I wasn’t. Toby took a good two days before he even asked me. Orlando was at his wit’s end and finally came over to our townhouse to insist he do it or he’d ask me himself.” With a chuckle, she said, “It was amusing. They came into the drawing room in such a hurry, I nearly spilled my tea.”

  “I gather that made quite the sight.”

  “It did.” Regina gestured to the missive. “I’ll leave you to read and answer it. I will be back to pick up your missive after my mother and I finish shopping.”

  “All right.” As Regina turned to leave, Chloe called out, “Thank you for doing this.”

  She smiled. “It’s my pleasure. I enjoy helping two people who are as in love as you and Orlando are.”

  Chloe nodded and thanked her. Regina left, and Chloe opened the missive, not waiting to sit before she read it. It seemed as if she’d been waiting a year instead of a week to hear anything from him. She’d never felt this burst of excitement when she’d received missives from her first husband. In fact, there were times she’d left them unread for a few days.

  Such was not the case with Orlando’s. She had to be careful she didn’t rip the parchment in her hurry to unfold it. Her gaze fell on his script, and she thought she’d never seen a more perfect penmanship, which was silly, of course. Orlando’s handwriting wasn’t all that different from other gentlemen’s. But he’d written this to her, and that was what made it better. Funny how such a little thing could give something greater importance, but it did.

  My dearest heart,

  I suppose I should have waited until I got to London to write this, but the truth is, I was compelled to write as soon as you left. I stood outside and waited until your carriage was no longer in sight before I went inside. My first impulse was to write, so here I am, writing like a lovesick gentleman, pining away, once more, for you.

  At the time we made the agreement with your parents, it didn’t seem that great a sacrifice, but now that you’re gone, I’ve come to realize this is going to be harder than I originally expected. I spent over a year dreaming of you. In all that time, the desire to be with you wasn’t as intense as it is now.

  You’ll probably think I’m weak. A gentleman probably should be stronger than this. I almost hesitated to even admit these feelings, but then I figured if I couldn’t open my heart to you, then I can’t open it to anyone.

  You’re the only lady I’ve ever wanted in the past and the only one I’ll ever want in the future. You complete me. When we’re not together, I feel as if a part of me is missing. I’m looking forward to the moment I’ll get to be with you again.

  Yours forever,

  Orlando

  Oh my. Chloe could hardly breathe from the thrill his words brought her. Lord Hawkins had never written to her in such a way. She had no idea such letters were possible. She would keep this one in the small box where she kept her favorite mementos. There was no way she was going to toss this one out.

  She read through it twice more, her heartbeat racing a little more each time, before she finally sat at the desk and started penning a response.

  Chapter Twelve

  Why did he come here? That was the question Orlando had been asking himself since he arrived at White’s a half hour ago, but each time, he remembered Toby had to give Regina the letter, and Regina, in turn, had to give it to Chloe. Then he had to wait for Chloe to write a reply and give it to Regina who’d give it to Toby who’d finally give it to him.

  What a complicated process for something that should have been simple. Just thinking over the whole thing made him wonder why he agreed to the whole scheme to begin with. Then he had to remind himself he did it for Chloe. She felt responsible for her brother’s health. She wasn’t, of course, but he knew she’d never forgive herself if something bad happened to him because Dr. Harvey refused to treat him.

  No, he couldn’t put her in a situation where she’d be overcome with guilt. It wasn’t fair to put her under that kind of burden. He’d just have to bide his time. It was only a month. A month wasn’t long. Yes, it seemed like it was, but it really wasn’t.

  He threw his head back in the chair, closed his eyes, and sighed. He should have insisted they stay at Edmonstone until her mourning period was over. Then they could come back to London and no one would care if they were married or not.

  “I thought you might be here,” a familiar voice said.

  Orlando opened his eyes and saw Toby. And more importantly, he saw the missive in Toby’s hand. He quickly straightened up and took it.

  “I didn’t expect you to bring it so soon,” Orlando admitted as his friend sat next to him.

  “Regina didn’t tarry as long as I expected her to.” When Orlando glanced at him, he added, “Regina and her mother went shopping for some outfits for Samuel. Like the boy needs more clothes. We have so many. He doesn’t wear the same outfit twice. The only saving grace is that her mother buys them.”

  “Surely, her mother isn’t that excessive.”

  “I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking that I’m exaggerating, but I’m not. We’ve had to put some of his outfits in a trunk. I wouldn’t be surprised if the seamstress rolls out a royal rug and blows a horn whenever she sees Regina’s mother coming.”

  Chuckling, Orlando opened the letter.

  “I’m not joking,” Toby said. “I really believe there’s a celebration every time Regina’s mother walks into the seamstress’ shop.”

  “I didn’t argue with you.”

  “I saw the way you rolled your eyes.”

  “I didn’t roll my eyes,” Orlando argued.

  “Yes, you did.”

  “I didn’t.”

  “I saw you.”

  Unable to believe his friend was pressing the issue, he sighed and turned his gaze to him. “They are my eyes. I know when I’m rolling them or not.” Then, just to demonstrate, he rolled his eyes. “There. I just did it.”

  “Sometimes you do it without realizing it. Like you did just a moment ago.”

  Orlando studied Toby’s face to see if he was joking, but then he remembered Toby wasn’t the type to jest. Everything was serious to him. Even now, Toby didn’t have a hint of amusement in his expression. Rolling his eyes again, Orlando muttered, “This is a useless discussion.”

  Toby pointed to him. “You rolled your eyes again. Just now.”

  “Yes, but I knew I was doing it.”

  He waited to see if Toby would keep on about it, but Toby picked up the Tittletattle from a nearby table. “Why do we have so many copies of this blasted thing here? There’s nothing worth reading in it.”

  “People like gossip,” Orlando said then turned his attention back to the missive.

  “I suppose. Though it’d be nice if they would learn to mind their own business.”

  As Toby went on about everything that was wrong with the scandalsheets, Orlando read the letter, smiling as Chloe expressed how much she’d missed him and how eager she was to see him again. But when he read the part where she suggested he get a sheath, his smile faltered.

  He hadn’t stopped to consider whether or not there might be a child from the time they’d spent together. It was possible. All it took was one time, and they’d done it often enough. They stood a good chance of the child already being on the way. Toby and Regina hadn’t been married for even a year when she had Samuel. The same could very well happen to him and Chloe.

  He lowered the letter and thought over how he’d feel if it happened. The marriage would be exposed rather quickly. That wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing. At least not from his point of view. But then, he paid little attention to things like the Tittletattle.

  “What’s wrong?” Toby asked.


  Blinking, Orlando forced his attention away from the missive. “Nothing’s wrong. I was just thinking.”

  He thought Toby might ask him what he was thinking about, but Toby only said, “All right,” and resumed reading the Tittletattle.

  Orlando smirked. For all the decrying his friend did about gossip, he was as intrigued by the talk around the Ton as much as anyone else. Orlando reread Chloe’s request for a sheath. If it’d been anyone else, he would have said no. But it wasn’t anyone else. It was her. And because of that, he knew he’d do it. He had no idea a lady could have so much power over a gentleman. He didn’t think he could deny her anything she wanted.

  “Are you done yet?” Toby asked, putting his copy of the Tittletattle back on the table.

  “Almost.” Orlando read the rest of it then folded the missive and slipped it into his pocket. “Will you give Regina another missive and tell her to give it to Chloe before you have dinner?”

  “That’s why I’m here,” Toby said. “I didn’t read the Tittletattle for entertainment. I read it because I was bored.”

  Somehow, Orlando doubted Toby found the tidbits in the paper that boring, but to humor his friend, he let the matter go. He got up and retrieved a parchment and wrote a quick note to Chloe. Then he gave it to his friend.

  “Thank you,” he told Toby.

  “It was either play errand boy or spend time with Regina’s mother, so I suppose I should thank you for the diversion.”

  “Oh, in that case, you’re welcome.”

  Toby let out a snort as he stood up. “At least she won’t be there when I get home. You should be glad your marriage is a secret. You don’t have to deal with your mother-in-law.” He gave Orlando an elaborate bow. “Until I come bearing more missives, have a good day, my lord.”

  Orlando chuckled as his friend left White’s.

  ***

  Chloe waited by the front door, peering out the window. It was almost ten. She’d already sent the servants to their quarters as Orlando requested. With it being dark and so many still at the ball or theatre, she hoped no one would see him. For the most part, her particular street was quiet. Only twice had she seen a horse pulling a carriage along.