Love's Misadventure (The Mason Siblings Series Book 1)

by Cheri Champagne

  “Noted.”

  She wrapped her hand around Lane’s elbow and allowed him to lead her into her family’s town house, where she greeted Tim.

  “Finally arrived, have you?” Charles appeared from within the doorway to the front parlour, his frown fierce.

  “Shall we gather in the parlour?” Anna’s voice quavered when she spoke. She was eager for some of Cook’s teacakes; without them she would surely soon embarrass herself.

  Charles called to Tim over his shoulder as he led the way to the parlour. “Do have a tea service brought to the parlour, will you, Tim?”

  Anna vaguely registered Tim’s response as she focused on not casting up her accounts on the way to be seated. She did not look forward to the conversation she was sure would come. Charles would not wish to involve Bridget in their family’s secrets, but Anna valued the woman’s friendship.

  The fire blazed high in the hearth, casting a bright glow on the walls and creating a warmth that comforted Anna’s nerves.

  She scarcely took notice as Lane closed the door and took the seat beside her.

  Charles sat on the chair nearest Anna and leaned forward, appearing suddenly concerned. “Anna, are you quite all right? You look ill.”

  She gulped at the air, focusing on not becoming ill. “Food,” she grunted. “I need food.” She took slow, deep breaths while Lane strode to the door to bellow for tea.

  Bridget strode forward. “Is there anything I can do for you, Anna?”

  Anna hesitated to open her mouth, so she merely shook her head slightly. Hopefully she did not offend Bridget by not speaking to her.

  “Just the food; I understand. We will have it for you directly.” She gave Anna’s hand a light pat before she moved away.

  * * *

  Lane stood to one side of the room, watching Anna with worry clutching his heart. Increasing women sometimes got ill, but Anna had been doing so with alarming regularity.

  “When were you planning on making this right, Lane?” Bridget whispered from beside him.

  Lane’s brows drew together. “Whatever do you mean?”

  Bridget tilted her head in exasperation. “You know precisely what I mean, do not pretend otherwise. I am not as ignorant as you would like to believe, Lane.” She glanced meaningfully at Anna, then turned to pin Lane with an intense stare and continued in a harsh whisper. “That poor, ill woman is enceinte with your child.” She ignored his stunned expression. “So I will ask you again, when are you planning on making this right?”

  Nervous anxiety sank sickeningly in his stomach. “How in blazes did you know that?” Lane hissed. “And…er…please do not repeat that. Even to Charles.”

  “Of course I would not betray yours or Anna’s confidence. I am not the kind of… Wait a moment. Do you mean to tell me that Charles is not aware of Anna’s current state?”

  Lane cast a furtive glance at Anna and Charles to ensure their conversation was private. “Yes, he knows. He is simply not aware that…that she and I…” he cleared his throat, “of who fathered the child.”

  Awareness dawned in Bridget’s eyes. “Ah.” She inclined her head. “I see. Well then, brother, once again, your secret is safe with me. But you must know that Anna does not deserve the ridicule should you not give her—and that child your name.”

  “Yes, I intend to make this ‘right,’ as you say.” He eyed her crossly. “I will ask you again, Bridget, how did you know?”

  Bridget shrugged one delicate shoulder. “Women tend to see the signs of such things, and as I am familiar with Anna, I saw the changes in her.”

  A knock sounded at the door, which Lane spun to open.

  “Your tea, sir.” Two maids entered, arms laden with overflowing silver trays.

  Charles directed them to the table beside Anna, then ushered them out and closed the door.

  “Your sustenance, Anna.” Charles sat across from her and helped himself to a plate of sandwiches.

  Anna sat, white as parchment, with a hand to her stomach. Disgusted, Lane marched to the table and filled a plate with teacakes and sandwiches.

  He sent a steely glare at Charles with a grunt of derision. “What has happened to you, Charles? Have you no sense of awareness?”

  Lane then poured steaming tea into a cup and added several lumps of sugar and a generous helping of cream, just how Anna preferred it.

  Charles scowled at him in confused anger. “What?”

  “Anna was correct. You have not changed for the better.”

  Lane turned and knelt before Anna. Her complexion had gained a tinge of green. He held the teacup to her lips and let her drink. Once half the cup had been consumed, Anna slowly brought her hands up to hold the cup on her own, then eagerly finished the tea.

  “Would you care for your plate, or would you like more tea?” The vice around Lane’s heart eased with relief when she looked at him and smiled.

  “The plate, thank you.”

  Lane placed the plate on her knees. “It is my pleasure.”

  * * *

  Charles sat at his ease, eating a delectable cucumber sandwich. He knew that his behaviour was abominable, but he had no intention of changing. His profession and his family’s safety depended on his ability to continue on this mien. He would not fail them.

  “Shall we discuss what happened this evening?” Bridget’s voice cut through the air of the close room. “Whatever it was that you three did, it caused quite the stir.”

  Anger and resentment burned through Charles at the sound of Bridget’s voice. A part of him wished that he could take back his decisions and actions of the past years, but that was an impossibility. He must continue working to protect those whom he loved.

  At any cost.

  “I hardly think that it is any of your business, Lady Bridget,” Charles derided.

  Hurt clouded her eyes even as she kept her expression carefully blank. Lord, but he sickened himself.

  “Shame on you, Charles,” Anna said weakly. “You know better than to behave in such a manner. There is no harm in telling Bridget what it was that we did this evening.

  Charles let his gaze travel over Bridget’s entirely too tempting body as she came to sit beside Anna, but he forced himself to close his mind and his heart to her charms.

  Despite Charles’ protests, Anna enlightened Bridget as to the night’s activities.

  “You three have gone to great lengths to sentence Lord Boxton and Lady Juliana to a lifetime in an unpleasant marriage. What I fail to understand is why. You appeared taken with him at the beginning of the season, Anna, whatever happened to alter your opinion of him?”

  Charles pasted a smug smile on his lips as Anna flicked a glance at him. It would seem that his little sister had not thought that she would be required to explain her reasoning for ending her engagement in such a spectacular way.

  “Do enlighten us, sister,” Charles watched her with his hard gaze. It had been her choice to bring Bridget into their private affairs, not his.

  She toyed with the material of her emerald skirts.

  “I believe that this is an adequate moment to end this conversation.” Lane put a teacup and saucer back on the tray. “It is plain to see that Anna is exhausted, and we all require rest. Tomorrow should prove to be another busy day, and I for one, would like to be refreshed while I face it.”

  Compassion lightened Charles’ chest at his sister’s downcast expression. “Perhaps it is best if you do not share what occurred, Anna. There is no sense in putting undue strain on yourself.” Or the baby. Good God, my sister is pregnant! He still could not quite grasp the concept. And he still intended to flay the man who…impregnated her.

  Bridget leaned forward. “If it distresses you, Anna, I am content with not knowing this aspect of the story.”

  Anna shook her head. “You are my friend, Bridget. I wish for you to know the truth.”

  Charles pressed his back against the chair and extended his leg
s toward the fire as he listened to Anna speak. He’d be damned if he left her to face retelling the story alone.

  Chapter 34

  The fire burned low in Anna’s bedchamber, its light casting an orange glow about the room. She had already snuffed her bedside candle and put away her book, but was unable to fall asleep. She lay reclined on her large bed, staring at the ceiling, her mind replaying the events of the day.

  The evening had been a success. Lord Boxton and Lady Juliana had been caught in their tawdry and disgusting act, and Bridget was now a party to the intimate details of Anna’s life. She trusted Bridget, and it would be nice to have someone in which to confide should she need the friendly ear.

  Profound relief overwhelmed her. She had begun to fear that she might be stuck with Lord Boxton forever. But now that she had enlisted the aid of her brother and Lane, she did not have to hide behind the façade any longer. The threat of tears stung behind her eyes as her chest welled.

  The ticking of the mantle clock sounded loud in the quiet room, the echoing tick-tock a constant reminder that she was exhausted and should rest. But couldn’t. Lord, but she wished she could sleep.

  She closed her eyes and thought of pleasant things. Hot chocolate, books, the scent of a flower, a hot bath… Lane in a hot bath. Lane’s well-formed body, his defined muscles and masculine shape…

  Heat began to sizzle through her, and she fought a blush at her indecent thoughts.

  A small thump echoed in the hallway just outside her bedchamber door, causing her to jump. Jittery ninny, she chided herself. She detested sounds that went bump in the night; in the books she read, they often led to someone being kidnapped or attacked in one way or another. Having lived through an abduction did not lessen her fear.

  She rolled to her side, tucking herself snugly beneath the covers.

  A loud click echoed in her room and Anna sat bolt upright, holding her bedclothes against her chest like a shield. Foolish Anna! She stared wide-eyed at her bedchamber door as the latch slowly pressed and the door swung inwards.

  Her heart thumped wildly with fear as she grabbed the long candlestick from her bedside table and wielded it like a weapon. The snuffed candle rolled to the floor with a muffled thud.

  A shadowy figure moved just outside the ring of flickering firelight, and her hands trembled.

  “Come any closer and I will scream loud enough to wake the dead.” She raised the candlestick above her head in warning.

  A light chuckle sounded as the door closed. The dark shadow of a man moved toward Anna and she quickly inhaled, preparing for an ear-splitting scream.

  “No, no! Anna, it’s me!” Lane’s hushed whisper sent relief flooding through her, and she let out her breath in a whoosh.

  “Oh, thank goodness! You scared me half to death!” She lowered the candlestick-wielding arm. ‘What in heaven’s name are you doing here?”

  Lane neared her bed, the light from the fireplace illuminating his handsome features. “Are you displeased that I have come?”

  She blinked. “Not at all. I merely find myself curious as to why.”

  “I did not know if I would be welcome.” He twitched his head in a short shake. “I have no pure motive for being here, other than the need to be with you.”

  Her lips pulled back in a toothless smile, her eyes squinting with both fatigue and pleasure.

  He reached across her body and removed the candlestick from her hand, then placed it on her bedside table. “Did I disturb your sleep?”

  Anna clasped his hand and pulled him down beside her on the bed. “No. I have not been able to sleep.”

  “Shall I tell you a story?” His hushed voice was low with a pleasing rumble that vibrated in her chest.

  With a dreamy smile, Anna nodded and nestled against her pillow. Lane removed his boots and settled cross-legged on the bed at her hip.

  “Once upon a time there was a little boy. He lived on a grand estate with his family in the country. This little boy had a very, very good friend who happened to live on the neighbouring estate.”

  Anna grinned as she caught on.

  “The boy and his friend,” Lane continued, “spent their days acting silly and gambolling about, terrorizing their siblings and governesses.

  “As they grew, they spent fewer days acting silly and more days strolling through the garden, playing cards or chess, reading to one another, and engaging in deep discussions on art and literature. Without this young man’s knowledge, he began to fall helplessly in love with his friend.” Lane clasped her hand and ran his thumb over her knuckles. “He found himself thinking of her frequently, wondering how she fared or what she thought.” His warm brown gaze met hers. “One day the man and his friend were drawn into a wild and perilous adventure. It frightened the man, for he had not realized just how much his friend meant to him until her life was in danger.”

  Anna watched his unwavering eyes, unmindful of anything but their chocolate-coloured depths.

  “That man wants nothing more than to take his friend as his wife…if she will have him.”

  His hand appeared between them, a ring pressed between his forefinger and thumb. Anna’s eyes widened as she sat up, a lump lodged in her throat.

  “Yes,” she croaked, nodding ecstatically and she flung her arms around his neck. “Yes, I will marry you, Lane!”

  Her heart thundered in her chest as Lane pulled back to slide the ring on her finger. Goodness, but it was beautiful! The band was gold with a leaf-like design engraved on the sides, while in the center was a cluster of large diamonds in the shape of… Her damp gaze flicked up to his. “Cherry blossoms.”

  He nodded with a grin. “Do you recall our last game of chess?”

  “As I recall, I trounced you.” She laughed.

  “You did. I also promised you a prize.” He looked pointedly at the ring. “I had it especially made with our favourite spot in mind. Now you can enjoy the blossoms even when they are not in bloom.”

  “Oh, Lane…”

  She moved to kiss him once more, but he halted her. “If you wouldn’t mind, Anna,” he grimaced, “I would prefer to keep our engagement clandestine until I have the opportunity to speak with your father.”

  Her chest swelled with joy as she smiled into his concerned gaze. “Of course, Lane.”

  His expression cleared and he swooped in for a kiss. It began slow, but built ever more passionately, until he had lowered her back onto the bed.

  * * *

  Lane awoke sometime later as the predawn light lent a milky glow to Anna’s bedchamber. Memories of the night flashed through his mind’s eye.

  Anna’s pretty blushes, her sighs and moans of delight. The first time had been fast, hard, and powerful. Perfect to slake their lust. But the second…the second time had been slow, leisurely. He’d taken his time tasting every inch of her, bringing her to peak with his lips and tongue. It had been an utterly arousing experience, and one he would never forget.

  Anna’s mantle clock ticked loudly, forcing Lane to recognize the danger of tarrying any longer. The household staff would rouse soon, and he daren’t be caught.

  He willed his body to calm as he turned to look at Anna. Her eyes were closed in slumber, her eyelashes dark crescents on her flushed cheeks. He could scarcely believe his good fortune.

  I am engaged to be married! To Anna! A smile cracked his lips, and his heart skipped several beats.

  He would send Mr. Bradley a missive after the Parliament meetings to request an audience with him. But for now, he must return home.

  It took mere minutes for him to gather his clothes, dress, and slink from the room.

  Chapter 35

  Anna gazed at her reflection in the looking glass above her dressing table as Marie styled her hair. She’d hidden the beautiful ring Lane had given her among her jewellery, to be worn only when out of sight from her family. She could scarcely believe Lane had proposed! What a wondrous feeling!

 
She had slept remarkably well after the…activities of last evening. Lane had done something with his tongue, that… She fought a blush as Marie tugged on a lock of hair. Goodness, she should not think of such things, enjoyable though they were.

  She took a deep breath to calm her suddenly racing heart. They should wait until they were wed before they continued to enjoy the delights of the bedchamber, but Anna could not resist the pull of desire to be with the man. What more could possibly occur? She was already enceinte, for pity’s sake.

  The sound of birds chirping happily floated in through the window, and Anna grinned. It was a bright, sun-filled day, and she intended to enjoy it fully.

  “There you are, Miss Bradley. Pretty as a picture, as always.” Marie smiled at her as Anna stood to examine her reflection in the tall mirror.

  She wore her pale-pink morning dress, which brightened the colour in her cheeks, and her hair was fashionably styled with coils and ringlets bouncing about. Her body appeared smaller than her ordinarily plump shape, which was distressing. Her nausea, and constant fear while being engaged to Lord Boxton, had caused her to lose the soft edges to her frame. She rather missed them.

  She turned with a smile, while her stomach ached with hunger pangs. “Thank you, Marie.”

  Anna hurried down to the morning room, but paused before she opened the door. The rumble of her father’s and Charles’ voices and the higher lilts of her mother’s came from the other side. Nervousness gripped her. Since learning of her increasing state, Papa had been both disapproving and frequently absent. Anna knew not which he disliked more, her refusal to reveal the father of her baby or the simple fact that she was no longer a maiden.

  Mama had been surprisingly compassionate and understanding, however, about which Anna was supremely relieved.

  She rolled her shoulders, took a deep breath, and pushed open the morning room door.

  “Anna, dear!” Mama beamed from her seat to the right of the table’s head. “Good morning!”