by Fiona Miers
Perhaps the man he was always meant to be.
He had floated through his life for far too long, with no direction and with no real goals.
He had one now.
He wanted a good marriage, a beautiful home in the country and a wife to beat all others. He had found the woman, but he had yet to make her his wife.
John walked up the steps of his bank, dressed in his finest.
“Lord Dunford,” the manager greeted him, the surprise the man showed seeing John at the bank this early in the morning obvious in his shocked tone of voice.
John sat down in the manager’s office and got straight down to business. “I want to buy a house.”
“Of course Sir. You may have to sell some shares and move some money around but you should be able to buy almost any townhouse in London.”
He was glad of that fact, Archie’s tips were obviously paying off, but that was not what he wanted.
“I don’t want a house in town.”
The manager looked shocked. “Where else would you want to live Lord Dunford?”
“I want a house just outside of London, close to my sister in Kent, and one that has plenty of room for horse riding.”
Hannah would enjoy being out in the country and having his sister’s family close by would be a blessing for all of them.
“An estate? But Sir… Those properties are expensive. You may need a loan. A large one.”
He doubted it with his brother willing to buy him off to be his heir.
“I don’t care, find a way. Please get in touch with my brother. I’m sure he will be able to help in some way.”
The banker turned red and began to shuffle papers. John did not care what it took, but he would be buying a house for Hannah, no matter what.
“You have a property in your name in Covent Grove, we could use that as collateral.” The banker was avoiding his gaze, aware of why John would own a townhouse in that part of London.
Of course! That would be key to convincing Hannah that he was a changed man.
“I will sell that house immediately. Will that make a difference?”
“You don’t need to sell my lord, we can use it as collateral.”
John held up his hand to stop the man. There was no one living in that house anyway and he had no intention of ever straying from Hannah. If Rupert could honour his marriage vows, then he could too.
“I want it sold, it’s empty and has been for some time.” John lied smoothly. A week was some time, technically.
“I have my own townhouse that I will live in. I intend to marry and my wife-to-be needs open spaces and clean air. Find me a property that suits my purpose and sell the other house as soon as possible.”
“You will need to contact your solicitor for some of those things to be put into play Lord John.”
“Thank you. I will.”
John walked out of his bank with a clear head and an obvious path laid in front of him.
****
Hannah missed John. He’d moved out of Archie’s home without a farewell, and a week later she ached for him.
At night she dreamed of the passion they’d shared and during the day she missed his playful banter. She had been angry the night he’d proposed marriage, but now, it all seemed so silly. He was trying to be honourable.
And what had she done? Thrown it back in his face.
And Archie was making it all worse. Presenting her with appropriate suitors each night. She wanted to cringe every time. Tonight they were at another ton event and everyone was here. Rupert and Lizzie, Charlotte and Archie. She’d even seen Sarah and Oliver dancing earlier in the night.
It seemed there was a Spares reunion this evening, and John’s lacking presence was even more accentuated.
“Hannah. I need to introduce you to someone.” She heard Archie’s voice and turned towards him, a sigh heavily sitting on her chest.
“Archie, I’m really not up for any more tonight, please.”
Her cousin smiled, ignoring her, he stepped to the side, exposing the person behind him.
Hannah’s heart leaped in her chest.
“Hannah Turner, may I have the pleasure of officially introducing you to Lord John Dunford. My brother in law and one of my oldest and dearest friends. John is looking to marry this year and I think you two would make a great match.”
Hannah heard Charlotte’s gasp from beside her but she only had eyes for John.
“Would you like to dance, American?”
Pleasure flooded her belly. “Of course I would. Thank you kindly, Sir.” She curtseyed and took his proffered hand.
They began to circle the dance floor and Hannah stared at him, unable to drag her eyes away from the man who’d brought her body to life, and was perhaps the only man in London who could handle her loose tongue.
“You left without saying goodbye.” She accused, unable to stop herself as she now looked upon him, healthy and well.
“Yes, I needed to put some things into place before I could come back to you.”
She stumbled in a step and John’s hands gripped her strongly, saving her from falling on her face.
“Oh, what do you mean?”
“I didn’t want another rejection and wanted to make sure that I had all of my affairs in order.”
Hot tears stung her eyes and an overwhelming need to cry rushed through her.
She stalled their dancing and tried to pull away.
“Please let me go, John. I know I hurt you, but you don’t need to do this.”
She was going to cry, right there in the middle of the dance floor. She was ashamed of her behavior and wished she could run and hide.
She’d never thought that John would stoop to teasing her in such a horrible way, but she had been wrong a lot lately.
****
Horror slammed into John as he watched Hannah crumble before him. She had it all wrong.
There was no more time for teasing games. He knew what he had to do.
“Hannah, look at me.”
She blinked her big blue eyes rapidly and looked up at him, unshed tears shimmering in the dark depths.
“I want you to marry me.”
Hannah blushed, her whole face turning a bright red as she averted her eyes.
“John if this is about the other night, you don’t need to worry. Nothing eventuated from that night. You do not need to feel obligated in any way.”
John dropped to his knees in the middle of the ballroom. To hell with his pride, to hell with everyone. He would show Hannah she meant the world to him, or ruin himself forever in the attempt.
The band stopped playing, and all eyes turned towards them. The room was silent.
He tried not to think about anyone else in the room, instead, focusing on the woman standing before him.
“Hannah Turner, I love you. So much more than I ever thought to love anyone. I know I have said some silly things in the past, but I have changed. I want you and only you. And if I stray from our marriage, you have my permission to publicly horsewhip me in the middle of town.”
Hannah gasped and tried to tug him up from his knees. “John, get up, please. People are looking.”
John just smiled. “I don’t care. Marry me. This is officially the third and fourth time I’ve asked, you can’t keep saying no.”
“We can talk about this later…” Hannah insisted.
John saw how much Hannah wanted to leave, but she hadn’t run away from him yet. She wasn’t going to leave him alone on his knees, vulnerable in front of the whole ton, and that gave him hope that they would indeed have the marriage he hoped for.
“I have bought you a house in the country and sold my one in cheap side. I have renounced all of my old ways. What else can I do to show you how much I love you? Unless… you don’t love me?”
John swallowed, was that it? Perhaps all of his efforts had been in vain.
“Of course I love you, you bloody… man!” Hannah huffed, throwing her hands in the air.
&
nbsp; “Then you’ll marry me.”
Hannah got down on her knees in front of him and gripped both of his hands in hers.
The room was still completely quiet. John knew all the people present were hanging on every word that was said. The last of the spares had fallen, to his knees to be exact.
“If you promise to always love me, always talk to me, always work on this with me. And don’t hurt me, please don’t hurt me, John. Or I will take you up on that offer to flog you in the middle of town.” A soft smile shimmered on her lips and his heart rejoiced.
“I promise,” John said without hesitation.
“Then, of course, I’ll marry you.”
A tear slipped down Hannah’s cheek and John rubbed it away with his thumb.
“My Hannah,” he whispered before leaning in and kissing her lightly on the mouth.
The room exploded into applause, the loudest coming from right beside them as people crowded the dance floor.
John stood up and pulled Hannah to her feet with him. Rupert and Archie stood next to them, their faces beaming with huge smiles.
“A celebration is in order!” Rupert shouted, corralling them all off the dance floor.
John and Hannah were swamped by well-wishers and John didn’t let go of Hannah for a moment. He knew if they were separated it would take him hours to get her back.
“Perhaps we could go home?” John suggested, squeezing Hannah lightly around the waist.
“Our house I think,” Oliver suggested.
Within the hour they were all back at Oliver’s townhouse, drinking sherry and making toasts. The ladies sat in a circle, their men at their sides standing.
“To the newly engaged couple, may you always be as happy as you are today,” Oliver lifted his glass and clinked it with every person in their group of eight.
John couldn’t wipe the smile off his face. He had never been so happy in his life.
“May you have many sons, but also many daughters,” Archie added, rubbing his wife’s pregnant belly for good measure.
They all laughed at this one and clinked their glasses again.
“To only one bedchamber for the rest of your days,” Rupert grinned, Lizzie pinching him playfully in the leg.
John returned his friend’s grin knowing that he too wished for that same thing.
Seven pairs of eyes suddenly turned to look at him and John cleared his throat.
“To ‘The Spares,’ the most blessed of men,” John smiled and looked around at his three friends. They had been through hell and back together but here they all stood. Better men for it and their women at their sides.
All four ladies stood as one and raised their glasses.
“To the Spares,” they all recited and as one drank.
Epilogue: Many years later.
“John Dunford. I saw you flirting with her. I did. After everything, we’ve been through together. How could you!” Hannah wrapped her arms around herself and looked out the window of their carriage.
It was so hard trying to be upset when inside she was bubbling with excitement.
“Hannah. My beautiful one. I don’t know what you’re talking about. I never did anything.”
“You did. I saw you. Did you disappear with her when you went to the card room tonight?”
Hannah tried again to sound teary and affronted, but she knew where he’d been all night. She’d checked the card room several times herself.
She trusted her husband, but it always served to know what was going on. He was still a very handsome man and she’d had to fight off many a widow and bored married lady in the past decade of marriage.
“Hannah. I would never stray. I promised you I wouldn’t. Please believe me!”
“No. I think I’m going to march straight to the stables and grab my riding crop John. I think you need to remember who you belong to.”
She turned to glare at him and saw the heat in those depths that had never stopped making her insides turn to liquid need.
“I wouldn’t mind something like that Hannah… if you need to treat me like your stallion, as long as you ride me too.”
“Grr…” She lashed out and hit him in the shoulder, not needing to fake her anger this time. He was such a tease.
“Stop it! Aren’t you satisfied enough with all those women fawning all over you? It’s because I’ve grown fat, isn’t it? They all see what I’ve become and think they can get you now.”
Her voice broke and John slid over to sit beside her.
Despite her façade, she could feel the truth creeping in.
“No. Don’t.” She jumped across to the other seat, wanting to maintain the distance between them. It would make the surprise so much better.
“You are not fat, my beautiful one. You’re feeding our babes, and you couldn’t be more lovely.”
She’d had four sons over the past ten years. Twins in the past year. She was bigger than she liked, but with breastfeeding her sons, she ate a lot more than she used to, and her body showed it.
“I have never desired you more,” John told her, his tone thick with need and the love she’d grown to desire more than air itself.
The carriage slowed and then stopped. They were home. Their own country estate. A place she loved more every day.
“I don’t believe you, but I do believe that whipping is just what you need, John. Let’s go.”
She pushed open the door and he grabbed for her elbow.
“Dearest, please believe me that I did not do anything wrong tonight.”
They’d gone to a small dinner with local gentry and she had encouraged one of the women to flirt with her husband. She knew he’d enjoyed it.
“I don’t believe you. I knew one day you’d revert to your rakish ways.”
She hurried out of the carriage, unable to continue this much longer. She’d thought it would be easy, but the woman she’d told to flirt with her husband had reported how quickly he’d shut down any advances.
He hadn’t given her more than a moment's insecurity in ten years.
She hurried up the stairs, the front door opening as the butler anticipated their approach.
She gave her cloak to the footman and John hurried to do the same.
“Hannah, please. How can I convince you how much I love you.”
“Come with me.”
She inclined her head and headed towards the ballroom, where lights flickered and a room full of people waited for John’s appearance.
He grabbed her in the hallway, dragging her against his tightened body.
“I still desire you, Hannah. Can’t you feel it?”
Yes she could, and she desired him all the more for it.
“I can. And I still love you, John. More with each passing day.”
He stepped back, worry flickering across his face.
“I feel like this is a trap, Hannah.”
“Hardly my love. This is me showing you how proud I am of you. All of us.”
She took his hand and pushed open the door.
The room exploded in raucous clapping and cheering and John fell back against the door.
“Happy Birthday!”
Hannah held tight to his hand and pulled him closer. “Surprise, my perfect husband. I know you didn’t want to celebrate your fourtieth birthday, but I couldn’t let it pass by. Forgive my complaints in the carriage. They were all… untrue.”
A strange grin spread across his face and he looked at her with new eyes. “You did all this for me.”
“Of course. You deserve it. Go. Enjoy.”
She pushed him forward and Rupert rushed over with a glass of whiskey for them both. Hannah took hers and winked at the big man who she’d grown to love and trust with everything in her.
John staggered off, into the fray.
His whoops of joy were soothing on her heart as she watched from afar.
She’d gone to a lot of trouble to find many of John’s friends from school that had moved away, or gone abroad. It had taken her m
onths of planning, but here tonight, in their home, were dozens of people who truly loved John.
Their children were all sleeping upstairs and tomorrow a huge picnic would ensue and the chaos of their huge household would be in full swing.
John had conquered every fear she’d ever had.
Every day being loving and thoughtful. Cheeky and a true devil in the bedroom.
Their lives and those of their friends were happy and full.
The Spares had twelve children between them and Hannah made sure they spent time together regularly.
Life was wonderful and full of love and laughter.
Everything she’d ever wanted and so much more.
THE END
About the author:
Fiona Miers has a super busy life, like most modern women, but always finds time for reading and writing romance. Her love affair with the romance genre started when she was only 11 years old, when her mother, and nana, handed her, her first mills and boon.
Since then she's built her own business, become a mother to two beautiful little girls, and fallen in love with the most spectacular man on the planet. (JMHO)
Fiona writes MF contemporary and historical romance, writing more erotic stories under the pen name Tamsin Baker.
Thank you for reading this, and hopefully you'll love reading about her characters as much as she loved creating them.
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