“What does it explain?” Alex eyed the other man.
“Well, really it is too soon to tell but some of Lady Rose’s symptoms seem rather more severe than they might normally. I was wondering if perhaps she could be with child. It’s too soon to tell really.”
“Child?” Alex whispered. It had only been a few days. They had only… he gave his head a shake. It was possible.
Chris stepped closer to him, “If she is in that room, you’ll marry her today.”
“Who are you to tell me what to do?” Anger and jealousy welled up inside of him. Who was this man to make claims in the name of Rose’s happiness?
“The question remains, what shall we do about the wedding?” Barrett ran his hand through his hair.
“I thought I would wait until her father was present. I know he approves the match but it seems as though he would want to be in attendance.” Alex furrowed his brow in thought.
“Have you asked Rose?” Barrett’s heavy eyebrows lifted. “Piper sent me for the doctor to check on Rose early this morning. Somehow, I don’t think she will be surprised to find that Rose was not there.”
Alex made a choking noise deep in his throat. It was somewhere between a gag and a laugh. “She was in my room when I arrived last night perfumed and wearing a sheer…” he was revealing too much. He knew it.
Chris let out a howl of laughter. “And you didn’t suspect anything? You’ve been good and thoroughly bamboozled.”
Barrett clapped him on the back. “What a way to go. Congratulations, my friend. You’re getting married.”
“In case you were wondering, I was always getting married. I initially convinced her. It was only a moment of doubt and―“
Chris gave him a knowing smile. “Keep repeating those words.” Alex glowered at him.
“Alex,” Rose’s muted voice called from the other side of the door.
“If you will excuse me, gentlemen. I need to speak with my scheming bride.”
TAMING A DUKE’S WILD ROSE
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Alex walked back in the room and any anger he might have felt promptly melted. She lay on her stomach with her arms under her head and the blankets just covering her buttocks. He scanned the swell of her breasts and then followed the curve of her back as it cinched in at the waist. It rose again, only to disappear underneath the bedding. It occurred to him that there were many more ways to explore the art of love.
“Who was at the door?” she asked with her eyes still closed.
“Oh, I think you know.” Slowly, he began crossing the room toward her. He didn’t want to frighten his prey.
She lifted her head and came up on her elbows. A mass of golden hair fell all around her and the position only further accentuated her sumptuous back. She gave him a dazzling smile over her shoulder. “Why would I know that?”
He reached the side of the bed and, trailing his fingertips down her smooth skin, he explored the curve he had just been admiring. “Because you sent them.” His hand reached the top of the covers and stopped.
She chose that moment to roll over and his hand was now resting on her lower abdomen. “I have been here with you, how could I have sent anyone?” She quirked her brow and stretched her arms over her head. Her already plump breasts absolutely teased him from their perch.
His hand remained still, now torn between exploring her breasts or pulling the blankets down further to explore lower. Several things were apparent. While Rose looked completely innocent, she was anything but. While he was attempting to hold her accountable, all he wanted to do was make love to her again, very soon. She was completely aware of both of these facts and using them to her absolute advantage. If she were to continue this, he would have a very difficult time denying her anything and it sounded like heaven. “You had Piper do it. Is that her nightgown I ripped last night?” Realizing he had two hands, he allowed one to move below the blankets while the other went to cup one of her glorious breasts.
She gasped and closed her eyes, arching against him. “You don’t really want to talk about this do you? When we could be doing things that are so much more interesting?” She gave him a wicked smile and Alex gave up the pretense. No, he would not be able to deny her anything.
***
Rose lay in the circle of Alex’s arms. She was warm, and comfortable, and hungry. “Alex,” she mumbled, still half asleep.
“Yes, love,” he responded immediately. She looked up to see his dark and hungry eyes assessing her.
She gave him a grin. “After not eating for a few days, I fear I am famished. Can we get some sustenance of a different variety?”
Surprise lit his eyes and then a tenderness she did not fully understand. “Of course. I will be back post haste with refreshments.”
She laughed. “We could go to breakfast.”
“Breakfast is over and I find I don’t want to share you quite yet. Besides, if we go out, they will start asking when the wedding will be.”
“When will the wedding be?”
Kissing the top of her head, he gave her a squeeze. “That is entirely up to you. Do you want to wait until we return to your father?”
She shook her head. “No. Nothing would make him happier then to know I am married. He worries.”
Alex held her tightly to his chest. “We arrive in London later today. I will have to transfer Lundberg to the authorities and present all the evidence, but I will speak to the bishop of my church in London―“
“You have a church in London?” She raised her eyebrows.
“Well, it isn’t my church but I have one that I attended whenever I was at my townhouse―“
“Townhouse?” She sat up then, as she assessed him. “We used to have a townhouse before mother passed, then Father sold it and I don’t know that I’ve been back since. Do you still have yours?”
“Yes, though I must confess, I have used it very little since I received this scar. The probing eyes of the ton, or perhaps their wagging tongues, made me uncomfortable.”
She nodded, the corners of her mouth drawing down. “I understand,” she said as she stroked his chest. Truly, she was happy in the country. But if she were honest, she would like to have an occasional trip to London. Or perhaps, just once, visit one of Almacks’ exclusive balls. She laid back down and snuggled back in to his side. His arms tightened around her.
“But I find, with you by my side, I am less worried about their eyes or their tongues. Besides, if any dare give me trouble, I am sure you will slay that dragon for me.”
“You would face that for me?” She propped her head back up and gave him a glowing smile.
“There is a great deal, I would do for you. I would have rescued you if Chris hadn’t beat me to it.”
“What do you mean? He didn’t rescue me. I picked the lock and then―“
His lips came down on hers as a laugh bubbled from his chest. “I should have known.” Then he rose from the bed.
“Where are you going?”
“To get you breakfast.” He quirked his brow at her as he pulled on his pants. “My bride-to-be is hungry.”
They spent the day in each other’s arms. Rose tried to remember a time she had been happier or more content. As evening approached, they heard the bells that signified they had reached London.
Stepping out onto the deck, anticipation coursed through her. Alex had asked her if she wanted to stay in his room but she had elected to face Carl as he was transported to prison. She wanted to see this through to the end. Her relationship with Carl had affected not only her father, but everyone on the ship with her.
She stood on the bow of the ship, Alex by her side. Once Carl had been brought up, he would accompany him to the prison and then give his statement. They would both have to return to London for the trial but, for now, Carl would be safely behind bars.
Alex squeezed her hand as two sailors walked out with Carl between them. His face was twisted into an ugly mask of hatred as he sneered at her. His hair hung limply
in his face and his skin was a pasty shade of green. How had she ever thought this man handsome?
It seemed as though he would pass her by but then suddenly he jerked to a stop. “You… you think you are better than me and that you can make promises to me and then break them but if ever I have the chance, I will show you who is the―“ Alex stepped between them. Carl paused but when he spoke again it was with even more vehemence. “Duke or no, you are the scum of the earth. You think you can just take whatever you want. If not for you, we would already be married.”
Rose gently pushed Alex back to her side. “Don’t blame him. You can think what you want about me but you know in your heart you were lying to me about who you truly are and what your feelings were for me. Only, I learned the truth.” Her voice shook slightly but she held her head high. “You never really cared for me. You only wanted my inheritance.”
“Damn straight I did. I had to beg, borrow, and steal for everything I have while you just get the world handed to you. I hate people like you,” he snarled.
“Who is breaking promises now? You promised to love me. You don’t even like me. I will see you at the trial.” She shook her head and motioned for the sailors to continue taking him away.
“You think you’re better than me just because you have money. Once I had that money, I could prove to all of you that I’m just as good as you are. Once I became the earl--”
“Carl, you were never going to be the earl. It’s not the way it is done. You weren’t even going to get the inheritance, beyond my dowry. It’s entailed. It all goes to my cousin.”
“You’re lying! I know you are.”
“Take him away,” Rose added quietly. “This is a pointless conversation.”
“I’m not done, I’ve got some more to say to that bitch. I―“
“You’re done,” Alex snapped. “Get him out of here.”
She watched him walk away with a sadness in her heart. She was sorry he was so broken. Even more so, she wanted to kick herself for allowing him into their lives so that he could hurt the ones she loved. “I need to apologize to all of you for putting you through this. I am such a fool.”
Alex wrapped his arms around her. “How many times must I tell you this is not your fault?”
“I don’t know. I just can’t believe it.” A tear rolled down her cheek despite her efforts to stop it.
“Oh my love, think of it this way. If it hadn’t been for Carl, you might never have given me a chance.”
She looked at him, her tears drying. “Don’t be absurd. You are the most handsome man I have ever met. How many times must I tell you that? Those ladies are ninnies if they think your scar―“
She couldn’t finish because his lips came crashing down on hers. “I love you, my beautiful Rose. Promise me you will always be mine.”
“Oh, I will. You have tamed this wayward heart. It can never belong to another.” She smiled at the man who had helped her become the woman she had always wanted to be.
TAMING A DUKE’S WILD ROSE
EPILOGUE
Rose stood, drinking a glass of slightly warm lemonade, and tried to stifle a yawn. It was well past eleven o’ clock in the evening and the night’s events at Almack’s had only just begun. The room was tastefully decorated and the dresses of the other attendees were beyond compare but she was not used to being out so late.
It had been a terribly long day to begin with. They had sat listening to Carl’s trial. Though she had testified already, Carl’s commanding officer had presented evidence that Carl had committed espionage. He had sold secrets to the French for money.
It still shocked Rose. He had admitted that he had been a poor man. It was one thing to marry a woman you didn’t love, but even she had not thought him capable of selling out the safety of his countryman for his own personal gain. A shiver ran down her spine. She almost married him.
A few ladies walked by and assessed her with open curiosity. She was the wife of the scarred duke and she had rarely made it out into society herself. But her blonde hair was twisted into a loose coif that complimented her high cheekbones and her gold dress was the most perfectly cut she had ever owned. That was quite the statement considering the way Alex had dressed her recently. It accentuated her even larger than normal breasts, while hiding any flaws she had yet to correct on her own. But the dress was meant to catch the eye of passersby. She wanted to take the focus off of her husband and on to her. The ton was curious about them both of course, but she wanted to spare Alex as many stares as she possibly could.
Alex and her father joined her and she reached for her husband’s hand. “Shall we?” His eyes sparkled as he asked and Rose nearly forgot to breath. After a year of marriage, he still made her breathless.
“Oh, yes,” she answered breathlessly as they stepped out onto the dance floor. His every movement was perfect as they waltzed together, moving to the music. Rose could feel the eyes of the crowd upon them but she didn’t care. Let them look. What would they see but a couple that loved each other.
“I can hardly wait to take you home,” he breathed in her ear.
“To the town house or back to Lancaster?” she asked, a sly smile playing on her lips.
“Well for tonight, the town house. Do you want to return to Fairbanks? I thought you were looking forward to London?”
“It is lovely. But with Renee, I find I yearn for our quiet country nights rather than evenings out.”
A look of concern passed over Alex’s face. “Do you think she has been all right without us this evening?”
“Shall we return to the town house to see how our daughter fares?”
With a nod and a grin, Alex swept her back off the dance floor and toward the doors. They didn’t need the glitter of London and the eyes of society. They had everything they needed with their own love and the beautiful daughter.
TAMING A LAIRD’S RESTLESS HEART
CHAPTER ONE
Scots border, England 1856
Isabelle Maddox stood tucked, tied, curled, pinned and ready for auction. Her father, Lord Charles Maddox, despised it when she used that word, auction, but it was exactly how it seemed to her. Being on the border of Scotland, and in need of Scottish lumber, he thought to sell her off to the highest bidder.
Though she hated to admit it, he had married a Scottish woman for much the same reason and now loved her mother with all his heart. Though he rarely admitted he had initially had some trepidation about marrying a strong-willed Scott. Now their cousin, Barrett Maddox wished to expand his shipping business from America to England and had commissioned more ships. Her father firmly believed that if it had been the answer once, it could be so again.
So, she now stood, with her entire family, to meet several perspective suitors. Her Uncle, Fergal, from her mother’s side, said it was a vera good thing because she had too much wild Scottish blood to be married to a proper Englishman.
Sighing, she tapped her closed fan against the overly cinched bodice of her gown, her corset nearly making it impossible to breathe.
Her mother reached out a hand to still her movement. “Hush, child.”
“If I were a child, this would not be happening.”
“If only you were still a wee lamb, I would have worked harder to curb your wayward tendencies.” Her mother’s subtle brogue washed over her. The other woman’s smile was soft for her only daughter. Isla, as her family called her for as long as she could remember, was Scottish for island because she was the only girl in a family dominated by men. The name suited her, not so much because she was the single female but because she was an island amongst the fair maidens of England. A wild woman in a sea of societal debutantes.
While those ladies had danced, curtsied, and fanned themselves, Isla had run, rode, swam, shot, and spit with the best of them. That was, until she had been trussed like a turkey. Her brother’s chums had initially been impressed with the raven-haired girl that could outride them bareback but, she had been forced to admit, their looks had c
hanged in the past few years.
A shiver ran up her spine as a memory flitted through her mind. Her brother William’s once close friend, Lord Riley, had caught her in the barn after a ride six months earlier. “My, but you’re a pretty one,” he had leered at her as he stalked closer. “A real, true beauty. And so wild. I wonder if you would ride me the way you ride that horse.”
She had on a split skirt riding habit, much easier for riding, and it had been cold, so her boots were even on. There were times she went out riding barefoot and bare legged. But her dark hair had come undone from its bonnet and bun and hung in a tangled silky mass down her back. “I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she had whispered. His look frightened her and her muscles tensed in readiness. Just when he lunged, she darted and made a dash for barn door. It danced through her mind that she wished she had brought her bow.
Riley lay chase but her brother, William, suddenly stepped into her path. “Riley, I believe you were just leaving.” Fear gripped her at the quiet rage she had heard in her brother’s voice. Never in her life had he spoken that way in front of her. It was more threatening than Lord Riley’s look.
“It’s Lord Riley to you,” the other man had returned. Though she didn’t look, she could hear him sneering.
Stepping around her, William had grabbed Riley by his stiff upright collar and gave him a shake that must have rattled his skull. “Lord Riley, do not grace our doorstep again.” Just as suddenly, he let the other man go and, off balance, Riley fell to the ground, splaying on the dirt floor.
“How dare you?” he spluttered without much volume, most of the vitriol now gone.
William grabbed him by the now ruined collar and dragged him out of the barn. “Don’t move,” he growled at her over his shoulder. She could hear him muttering fiercely into the other man’s ear and the word’s “innocent” and “sister” floated back to her.
Taming a Duke's Wild Rose: Taming the Heart Series Book 2 Page 13
