A ruddy-faced man appeared from the back of the inn. “Stanhope!”
Mark spun.
“What in hell are you doing here, me boy?” Drummond’s Irish brogue was not quite as thick as when Mark and he had sailed together out of Baltimore when they were both twelve.
“Looking for some potato soup, you rebel.”
“You look like you need more than that! Bring out the brandy, Moira. And the bread and butter.” Drummond fingered Mark’s fine lapel and cravat while the serving girl scurried away. “You seem different. Prosperous. Do you stay in Portsmouth or are you—?”
“Looking for a woman.”
“Oh, hell, Mark, my lad. We all are, eh? ‘Till we find one we can’t live without.”
His humor fell on deaf ears. “I’m serious, Drummond.”
His friend slapped him on the back. “Come sit over here by the fire. So you think she’s here?”
“In Portsmouth, yes.” Mark told him a summary of his relationship with Sirena while the man looked at him with a smile growing on his lips.
“Dear me, she’s led you a merry chase.” Ray Drummond chuckled. “Moira! Will you bring the brandy before the next Coming? Our guest will perish of thirst!”
Mark ran two hands through his hair. “I don’t care, Ray, if I have to look in every house and barn here. I need to find her before she leaves for America.”
“Ah. You love her,” his friend crooned like a moonstruck Irish lad as he looked over Mark’s shoulder.
“I do. I need to tell her.”
“Why’s that?” Drummond asked, tearing his gaze from the back of the room to him.
“I want to marry her.”
“Is that so?” Drummond sounded pitiful.
Moira plunked a mug of steaming hot whiskey in front of him. Grateful, he thanked her and picked up the mug to inhale and close his eyes.
“Is that so?” asked a woman whose voice he heard in his dreams.
There she stood, behind him. Her raven hair flowed down her shoulders like a young girl. Her eyes were clear and round and taking in his own with sad delight. Her lips quivered as she smiled amid tears.
“That’s so,” he whispered, strode across the room and took her hand. He drew her to him, the warmth of her small solace for his torment. He sank to the bench and pulled her to his lap. With her welcome weight in his lap, he took her in his arms, cupped her cheek and kissed her with all the hunger of the past weeks without her. “I love you,” he told her once, twice and then again. “Have you been here all this time?”
“With Drummond and Moira?” Sirena smiled tremulously into Mark’s eyes. “I was. They took good care of me. Moira’s a good cook. And Drummond, well….”
“He’s rare, eh?” Mark threaded his hand through her lush long hair and held her by the nape to kiss her lips again. “Thank God. I worried so. I was out of my mind to find you.”
“How did you?”
“I searched the city. For four days now, I have looked for you everywhere.”
“And how did you know to come here?” she pressed.
Mark pulled back. She wanted to argue? “To Portsmouth? I begged your father to give me a clue.”
She shot from his lap.
He caught her by the wrist. “No, you don’t escape that easily!”
“Exactly!” She spun on him, pointing two fingers to his chest. “I am not easy!”
“God knows that’s right!”
From the corner of his eye, Mark saw Ray Drummond salute him and shoo Moira from the common room. He seized Sirena’s forearm.
She yanked back, but he did not let her go.
“Why did you run away from me?” he demanded, his voice booming with tension and passion, rejection and joy.
“I did not run away from you!”
“No?” He caught her other arm and made her face him fully. “What do you call it then?”
“Freedom!”
“How free are you?” he chided her, lost in whatever nonsense she tried to justify her actions.
“Free as you,” she tossed back.
“You think I am?” he scoffed at her words and shook her, hauling her inexorably closer to his tired, aching body. “How free am I if I can’t breathe because you are not with me? Hmm? How free am I if I walk the streets of London and wonder where you are, how you are, why you left me? How free am I, I insist you tell me, if I must learn from your father that you love me? That you asked him to help you leave me? That you came here all by yourself in a town filled with sailors and thieves from a hundred different countries dying to grab a woman off the streets and imprison her? How free am I?” he bellowed.
And she began to cry in earnest now. Her heart-shaped face crumpled in tears, and she nestled into his chest. He stroked her hair for minutes as she wet down his cravat and broke his heart. “Darling, don’t cry anymore, will you, please? I cannot bear it and neither can my very expensive London tailor.”
She laughed through her tears and punched him in the stomach. But instantly he had her back in his embrace. “Tell me,” she whispered and hiccupped, “how you found me. I need to know you are real. No mirage.”
He fished a handkerchief from his vest pocket, and grinning like a love struck fool, he wiped the tears from her plump cheeks. “I begged your father to tell me. Every day I went to his house and begged. For three weeks, I did this. The poor man was tired of me, to say nothing of his butler.”
They both laughed.
Mark brushed his lips on hers. “I was a crazed fool without you. I told him so, and he believed me. He said he would even welcome me into the family.”
“He would, eh?” she teased him.
Mark nodded. “Happily, he said. But only if you’ll give me long enough that I might propose to you properly. Will you?”
“I’d love to hear it.”
He put her on the chair and then put a knee to the sawdust-strewn floor. From his jacket pocket, he produced a golden ring. “My dearest Lady Maxwell—”
She giggled, clapped her hands in glee. “Go on. Do go on!”
He gave her a lopsided grin. “I have lately become a man of means.”
“Is that so?” she asked with interest.
“Very true. My father, brothers and I have formed a company. A trading company.”
“It’s a reality then? What you talked of that morning I left?”
He nodded. “Stanhope Shipping and Commerce will ply the ports of Boston, Baltimore, Portsmouth and Hong Kong. Perhaps others, as years go on.”
“How exciting. Oh, sweetheart,” she drew back, devotion shining in her eyes, “I am so happy for you.”
“I would be happier if I knew you would come share my good fortune with me.”
“Would you, really, Mark?” she asked, her voice faint.
He grabbed both her hands and squeezed. “My dearest darling Sirena, I adore you. How’s that?”
“Better. Oh, definitely, much better.”
“I love you.”
“Mark,” she whispered as tears rolled down her cheeks.
“I admire you. Your bravery. Your wit. Your conversation.”
“Do you?” She seemed whimsical now.
Eager to draw on her gayer mood, he said. “I love everything about you. Your mouth, your nose, your hair. Your body.”
She glanced about to see if anyone overheard. Skeptical still, she tipped her head one way and the other. “Do you like my dancing?”
“My dearest love, if you can like my dancing, I can certainly applaud yours.”
“Oh, you are very good.” She was beaming now. “Continue, do.”
He cleared his throat and gave her a look of pain. “I want you to come back to London with me.”
“I won’t go to my father’s house.”
“No. You won’t go anywhere from this day forward that you care not to go. You could come to stay with any of my brothers and their wives. They have offered this if you would honor them. But you would stay only for a few days.”
She
frowned. “Why? Where would you have me go after a few days?”
“Away with me on a honeymoon trip. Jack has offered us his house in Durham.”
Her eyes went wide. “I’ve never been to Durham.”
“I have a license, sweetheart. In my coat. I applied for it, hoping when I found you, you would permit us to use it. Say you’ll marry me, Sirena.”
“Mark, I must tell you that—”
“What more could I give you? Name it. Tell me. Do you want to sail with me?”
“What? Sail? Of course. But I—”.
He grinned. “Yes. I would hope that from time to time you’d sail with me to many ports.”
“You mean that?”
“Of course, I do. I have noticed you are a very good sailor.”
She cuffed him. “Oh, now you are being ridiculous.”
“No. In fact, I have proof.”
“Like what?”
“You stayed in my storage hold for two days and didn’t lose your guts. You survived a storm at sea and never had a moment’s seasickness.”
“I see. Well, I agree. I am a good sailor.”
“The best,” he acknowledged and dug a ring from his weskit pocket. He held it up to the light. “More than that, you are the most courageous woman I know.”
She examined the ring and nodded. “Courageous, eh? How can you say that?”
Noting her incredulity, he shook his head. “You left your home to make a new life for yourself. Perhaps you did not do it in the best way, not telling your father and then stowing away on a clipper. But you survived it and then survived even worse circumstances. You were a prisoner of ruthless men.”
“In both cases, you saved me,” she declared as she rang a finger down his cravat.
“You took initiative to save yourself with what means you had to hand. Many women would not have even tried. You did. You endured. And I am proud of you. Immensely proud of you.”
“I want that to be so.”
He clutched her hand and held it to his heart. “I have never lied to you, Sirena.”
She gave him a tremulous smile. “That I do know.”
“Good.”
“I wanted you to be proud of me. But more, I wanted to be proud of myself.”
“You should be.”
She grinned, relenting. “I am learning.”
He beamed at her. “I want you to marry me, darling, because I love you. Because you’re a good sailor. Because you are sweet and wise, and strong.”
“And how am I in bed?” she shot back, wickedness dancing in her eyes.
He caught her close. “Tell me you’ll marry me, and I’ll demonstrate how good you are in bed. How good we are together.”
She circled her arms around his shoulders. “I’ll gladly marry you, Mister Stanhope.”
With a whoop of delight, he gathered her up in his arms and headed for the stairs. “You will never be sorry. But I must say, have you gained weight on Moira’s cooking?”
“Take me upstairs, Mister Stanhope, and I will tell you why I am getting fat.”
Two hours later, the American captain and his future wife, the duke’s daughter, descended the stairs to announce to the proprietor, Ray Drummond, his wife Moira and the two other patrons in the common room that their wedding would be in London next week. The captain bought two rounds of ale for all, because he said, he was soon to become a husband and a father. “And my child will have my wife, my name and my attention, I swear to you,” he promised his betrothed with a hot kiss that had the group clapping, “as long as I live and breathe.”
The End
A Few Words of Praise for Cerise’s Books
“If you like a steady flow of love, tenderness, and sex, sex, sex, you’ll get your fix…”
TOP PICK by Night Owl Reviews for Lady Varney’s Risque Business
“I adore a good red-hot reunion romance, and Lady Varney’s Risquè Business definitely fits the bill. Cerise DeLand perfectly blends lust and longing in this sizzling charmer of a tale. Kitty and Justin steam up the pages like there’s no tomorrow, but it’s their love for one another and the sadness of their initial separation that truly makes Lady Varney’s Risquè Business memorable. At times, it seemed that hints of Jane Austen’s PERSUASION flavored Lady Varney’s Risquè Business.... The obstacles blocking Justin and Kitty’s road to happily-ever-after aren’t insurmountable, but they aren’t easy to overcome either. Ms. DeLand kept me avidly reading Lady Varney’s Risquè Business, eager to see how Kitty and Justin’s love story would turn out. Though I won’t spoil what happens, I will say that I finished Lady Varney’s Risquè Business a well-satisfied reader. If you like your historical romance with lots of spice, then Lady Varney’s Risquè Business is the story for you.” Romance Junkies
“The story line is wonderfully put together and gives you just enough for this novella. If you are looking for an erotic tale…this is for you.” Lady Varney’s Risquè Business review by NocturneReads.com
About Cerise’s erotic adaptation of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility: “There is difficulty in comparing the two stories, without taking from the obvious talent and cleverness of DeLand’s writing and plotting. In what would have been shamefully scandalous behavior from either of these women in their own time, the cleverness of the character’s curiosity and openness in their discussions, and the readily apparent enjoyment in the steamier scenes brings a solidity to these characters that keeps this version separate from, yet wholly informed by the original. Jeep Diva Reviews
“Hard Drivin’ Man for anyone that dreams of the “what ifs” and then gives fate a free hand.”
4.5 cherries by for Hard Drivin’ Man
“…written a very stirring story of friends becoming lovers and the challenges that only love will overcome.”
5 stars by You Gotta Read Reveiws for A Long Time Comin’
“DeLand is a brilliant story teller, melding the perfect combination of energetic plots, sizzling love scenes along with vivaciously witty dialogue that enhances her characters journey…”
5 Feathers by Saucy and Sinful for A Long Time Comin’
“DeLand is a brilliant story teller, melding the perfect combination of energetic plots, sizzling love scenes…[and] witty dialogue…”
Saucy and Sinful Reviews
*
Look for her Regency Romps
LADY VARNEY’s RISQUE BUSINESS
RENDEZVOUS WITH A DUKE
MASQUERADE WITH A MARQUESS
ESCAPADE WITH AN EARL
CHARADE WITH A VISCOUNT
AFFAIR WITH A BARON
DELIGHT WITH A GENTLEMAN
*
About the Author
What’s a gal to do if she loves to cook, hates to dust, lives to read and travels often to Paris, Florence, London, Tokyo and all points east and west?
Ah.
She becomes an author who writes about those romantic places with credibility. And if your sweet tooth craves spies, pirates, bodyguards and gutsy women of today and yesteryear, then she is the author you crave for smoldering erotic encounters and delicious love affairs!
Her name? Cerise DeLand.
A Top 20 Best-selling author on Amazon and many other book lists, she has won countless 5 Star Reviews and numerous awards for her digital romances and 18 print novels of mystery, mainstream and romance. Her books have been chosen for book clubs, including Featured Selections of The Mystery Guild, Doubleday and Rhapsody.
Busy lady. Happy writer.
Find Cerise:
Cerise's Blog: http://cerisedeland.blogspot.com
Like her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cerisedelandauthor
Follow on Twitter: @cerisedeland
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Visit Cerise's website: http://cerisedeland.com
Table of Contents
Lord Stanhope’s Improper Proposal
Chapter One
Chapter Two
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Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Lady Featherstone’s Fervent Affair
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Epilogue
Miss Darling’s Indecent Offer
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
The Bastard’s Passionate Prize
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
A Few Words of Praise for Cerise’s Books
About the Author
The Stanhope Challenge - Regency Quartet - Four Regency Romances Page 37
