by Dawn Brower
A Sanguine Gem
A Marsden Romance
Book 3
Dawn Brower
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
A Sanguine Gem Copyright © 2015 Dawn Brower
Cover art by Victoria Miller
Edited by Jennifer Herrington
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
When I started writing it was a fluke to see if I could do it. No one was more surprised than I was when I finished the book and submitted it to Breathless Press. They were my first publisher and even though they are no longer around I can’t regret the decision to publish my book with them. If not for them the rest of these books wouldn’t exist and I may not have continued writing. So hats off to the first publisher that gave my books a chance.
I also want to say a huge thanks to Elizabeth Evans and Liette Bougie for helping me go through and polish this book up. Thanks for helping make Liam’s book better Ladies. You are both wonderful.
Thanks again Victoria Miller for making me a wonderful cover. It will always be difficult for me to imagine what my cover should look like so I appreciate someone who has an inkling of what to do with the little information I give them.
DEDICATION
In life we are faced with many choices. One of the best choices I made was starting to write. Above that the only thing that tops it is my two boys. Luke and Nathan I love you so much and you are truly the biggest blessing and best thing to come into my life.
A SANGUINE GEM
Lady Gemma Kemsley is in dire straits. Her cousin Alfie inherited her father's estate upon his death. He quickly bled it dry of funds and is turning his lecherous intentions toward her. Alfie wants to have complete control over her inheritance. Without Alfie's approval she can't marry. She only has one option—run away and live with her best friend in America.
When his sister begs Liam Marsden to help Gemma he reluctantly agrees. He has a past with Gemma he'd rather forget—involving a failed attempt at betrothal and her professed love. When he sees Gemma again he realizes he can't ever let her go. Instead of sending her to America he uses the old betrothal agreement to marry her.
Gemma doubts Liam truly loves her. Can he convince her of the veracity of his love or will he lose her forever?
CHAPTER ONE
Liam Marsden had a lot of things on his mind. However, he couldn't dwell on what was beyond his control. He had more pressing issues to deal with, starting with a meeting his father demanded. He had never let him down before, and he had no intention of starting at this juncture of his life.
He walked into his family home and strolled down the hallway towards the study. As he opened the door, he got a brief look at his father engrossed in his own work. The viscount had his dark hair pulled back at the nape of his neck; loose strands fell over his forehead as he tilted his head to read the paper in front of him. Liam had always admired his tenacity and willingness to do anything to accomplish any task. He didn't give up easily and believed the world belonged to him to take what he wanted from it.
"Good you're here," He glanced up at Liam and set his work aside. "I have a few things I need to discuss with you."
"I came as soon as I received your missive. What's so urgent?"
"A good number of things that I didn't foresee."
On closer scrutiny, Liam could see stress lines forming on his father's face. His eyes filled with worry as he rubbed his temples. What could have happened to make him appear so concerned? Liam didn't think this meeting would be a jovial one. His father didn't often worry about things. No, Viscount Torrington took action and left the fretting to others.
"This is serious?" Liam asked as he raised an eyebrow.
"I received a letter from your sister. Some of it is good news. Most of it is actually."
"It's the part that isn't good news that concerns you." Liam sat down and leaned forward, giving his father his full attention. "What has happened?"
"First, I should tell you that you are the proud uncle of a strapping baby boy. You sister had her child a month ago. They named him William Jamieson after his two grandfathers. Poor boy has a lot to live up to with that name." He laughed.
"If I'm an uncle that means you are a grandfather. How does that make you feel old man" Liam grinned. He couldn't resist an opportunity to tease his father.
"Bite your tongue, boy. It'll be a long time before I'm elderly.” With a devilish grin on his face, his father sat back in his chair and studied Liam. "A good thing I assure you. You’re not quite ready to fill my shoes."
Liam hoped his father lived a very long life. He couldn't imagine a life without the man’s robust personality filling a room wherever he went. Like most children, he believed his parents infallible. He knew they were mere human beings, but he liked to believe they would live forever.
"I can't say I'm in a hurry to take the reins from you. I pray you’re here for many years to come. For more reasons than one," Liam said. "But regardless of how I feel about your possible demise that isn't why you summoned me here. Nor is it the news about my new nephew. Grateful as I am to hear about it, something else weighs on your mind. I think it's time to dispense with the pleasantries."
"That isn't all your sister wrote about," he said with a heavy sigh. "She has some concerns that she asked me to look into."
"Is it about the merger of Marsden Shipping with RandCo? There isn't an issue with its completion, is there?" He needed to dispense with that bit of concern first because it was at the forefront of his mind. "If so, I'd like to take care of it immediately."
"No, that at least is going well. We should have considered a merger as soon as Lily and Rand married." Viscount Torrington sighed and stood up. He strolled over to a nearby shelf and pulled out a decanter of brandy along with two glasses. "This is something entirely different and I'm not sure how to proceed."
"What’s Lily worried about?" Liam's concern rose. What could be so dreadful?
Viscount Torrington handed Liam a brandy filled snifter. He took a sip of his own and set it down. He stared past Liam, his eyes unfocused. "The Earl of Devon was a pretty good friend of mine."
"I remember." Liam nodded.
"At one time I'd hope to have a merger with him," his father paused and stared down at his drink. "It was the reason we attempted to betroth you and Gemma."
Liam would rather forget about that time in his life. He grimaced and stared up at his father. "Right, that was several years ago." What was his father getting at?
"The business merger and familial one fell through at the same time. We never found a reason to revisit either." He downed the rest of his drink in his glass. "I have to admit a part of me is glad it didn't. As much as I liked the man I abhor the gentleman who inherited his estate."
Liam rubbed his temple; a pain throbbed through his head listening to his father rattle on. "What does Alfie have to do with this?"
"Lady Gemma is my concern."
She wasn't his, so Liam had no clue why he brought her into the conversation. In fact, everything he'd said so far hadn't made any sense to him.
"Father, what exactly is the problem?" Frustration built to the boiling point deep inside him. "I don't understand what Lady Gemma has to do with all of this."
"Lady Gemma keeps in touch with Lily. She wrote y
our sister about some disturbing news."The viscount sat back and studied Liam. He steepled his hands together as he spoke. "She thinks I might have a solution to the problem. I can think of a couple of ways we could assist her, but you would have to be willing."
"What it is you would like me to do?" Liam replied, a horrible feeling sinking to the bottom of his gut.
Viscount Torrington leaned forward and set his hands on his desk. His eyes bore into Liam's as he appeared to weigh over the issue that troubled him.
"You know I'd never force you to do anything, but I think in this you believe as I do."
"I'm at a loss as you haven't explained anything to me," Liam reminded him. "How am I to know if I agree or not if you don't?" He silently hoped his father wasn't about to ask what he thought he was. After he mentioned the botched attempt to betroth him to Lady Gemma, Liam couldn’t help but wonder—he couldn’t possibly want him to marry Gemma. Could he?
"First, you should be aware of the circumstances regarding Lady Gemma and why Lily is so concerned," his father told him. "Then I will explain my idea and the two possible solutions to it. One is a better option, and the other should only be considered if you are against the first."
"And what is happening with her?" Liam stood up and paced around the room. He stopped a few steps away and pinned his father with a stare. "Quit stalling and tell me what's going on."
"Alfie is—being difficult."
"In what way?"
If his father didn’t tell him what was going on soon. Liam wouldn’t be held responsible for his actions. Their conversation was driving him mad.
"He has squandered the entire inheritance. If the estate weren't entailed, he'd sell it to pay off his enormous debts. That leaves him in a bit of a bind. He needs money and as fast as possible."
Liam nodded. "I think I see the correlation. Lady Gemma still has an inheritance, and he wants to get his hands on it."
Viscount Torrington stood up and joined him in front of the desk. His eyes had an angry edge to them. Liam knew his father well enough to realize he wanted to do some damage to the new Earl of Devon. Whatever Alfie was doing enraged him. Liam had a bad feeling about what was going on with Lily's friend.
"In a manner of speaking yes and he is willing to use whatever is at his disposal to get it. Lady Gemma is afraid he might force the situation to get his way."
"I see." Liam scowled. "Does she have reason to believe he will act so dishonorably?"
"This is old news." His father frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. "I got the letter today from your sister. It might already be a foregone conclusion. I'm afraid we may be too late with how slow mail travels between England and America. I don't know what we'll find if we go to the Earl of Devon's estate."
Not good news, in fact, they were quite horrid. Liam might have issues with Lady Gemma, but he'd never wanted anyone to hurt her. He'd willingly help her deal with her cousin if he could find a good solution to her problem.
"I hadn't even considered that. We are wasting time. What are your solutions?" Liam asked.
"Lady Gemma needs a husband. She doesn't gain majority and control over her funds for five more years. She only has one solution that will effectively work for her."
With those words, Liam's fears were realized. His heart beat faster in his chest and the pounding in his head intensified.
His father wanted him to marry Lady Gemma.
Liam should be appalled at the suggestion, especially as he’d already tried to betroth them when they were younger. He had never denied that Lady Gemma had beauty in spades. She had luxurious crimson hair and eyes the color of jade. His mouth watered thinking about her beautiful complexion and soft curves. That was until she opened her mouth to speak. Listening to her droll on and on for what seemed like forever, he invariably forgot how exquisite her body and face appeared and wanted to put some much needed distance between them.
Why should he sacrifice his life for her?
The brazen redhead had been the bane of his existence for several years now. It took the death of her father for her to back away. Admittedly he admired her tenacity and willingness to make her wishes known, but that didn't mean he ever desired to tie himself to her forever. Perhaps his father's other solution would be easier for him to stomach.
"You are not suggesting what I think you are." Appalled, Liam sat back down in his chair. Shock filled him to the brink. He had to be reading the situation wrong.
"I had hoped that you had some tender feelings for the chit. You are constantly arguing with her." His father sat back down in his chair, a slight knowing smirk resting on his face. "That is a form of passion. Trust me I know a bit about denial in that area."
"Well, you're incorrect in your assumption." Liam glared. He didn't have any feelings for Gemma. She was a nuisance nothing more. "There aren't any tender feelings on either side. The girl irritates me to no end. I never did understand what Lily saw in her."
"That's too bad. I still have the betrothal contract I signed with Lady Gemma's father. We could have used it to our advantage."
Liam stared at his father with a blank expression. He'd actually signed the contract? How could he have done that? His father had reassured him he'd never force him to marry anyone.
"Excuse me could you repeat that? I don't think I heard you correctly." Liam hoped he'd heard wrong. Sadly he doubted he had. "You informed me the betrothal hadn't been finalized."
"That's correct," His father grinned. "However Devon hoped I'd change my mind and told me to keep the contract. All I have to do to make it legal is sign my name to it."
Liam blanched. His father was losing his mind. There wasn't a chance in hell he'd make him marry Lady Gemma. "But you're not going to, right
"So you are not willing to help?"
"I didn't say that." Liam shook his head. "I'm willing to hear the other plan you have. I'm hoping it is preferable to the latter."
"The other plan involves you basically kidnapping the girl and taking her to your sister in South Carolina."
Relief flooded him at his father's words. Calm now that the storm of anxiety fled his stomach, Liam took a deep breath and considered his father's other idea. He had to agree that the second plan held more appeal. It was preferable, but not that much better in the grand scheme of things. He would still be forced to spend a considerable amount of time in Lady Gemma's company. How would he be able to get through a voyage with her? They would have to take the Sea Rover for the crossing. No other ships were available, and their steamships were only in the planning stages of being built. If he had any luck, it wouldn't take more than three weeks to complete.
The bonus, of course, would be to see his sister and his new nephew. He sincerely wished to see them so that no price was too high for him to be able to spend time in their company. He would even be willing to get to know his brother-in-law as well. Maybe he would find a way to like the rat bastard. His father may have forgiven him for stealing Lily, but Liam didn't feel like he deserved such absolution. The man had a lot of audacity to run away with the daughter of Viscount Torrington—a former pirate. Liam would give him that much.
"That plan is more conceivable to accomplish," Liam said. "But is kidnapping really necessary? Do you believe Lady Gemma will be unwilling to go to live with Lily?"
"I honestly do not know," his father sighed. "I hate to tell you this, but I think you're going to need ammunition to get her out."
"Explain," Liam demanded.
"If you go in prepared Alfie won't have anything to argue about."
"How do you suggest I do that?"
His father grinned. It almost had a wicked tinge to it. "I'm going to sign this betrothal. Go to the bishop and demand a special license. With the right amount of money and the betrothal as evidence, he won't deny you."
"I fail to see why I need to go to such lengths."
"Alfie won't let Gemma go willingly. You're going to have to force his hand." His father paused and looked him in the eye
. "I'm not telling you to marry the girl. Just use the tools I'm giving you to save her."
"All right I will go see the bishop now. Afterward, I will retrieve Gemma and bring her back here to plan our next move." Liam said.
"Good. I'd hate to disappoint your sister. I hope we are not too late to help Lady Gemma."
With those words, Liam got up and walked out of the study. He had never been a fan of Lady Gemma Kemsley, but he had never wished her ill will either. If she had more trouble than she could handle, Liam had no choice but to help her. His sister depended on him, and he had never let her down before—he certainly didn’t plan on starting with Lady Gemma.
The chit had better be prepared to do everything necessary to leave her home. Liam didn't suffer fools and luckily for him he knew that she didn't either. No matter what he believed, her to be he had always been able to see the keen intelligence in her eyes. Perhaps with age she had also gained some maturity to go along with it.
CHAPTER TWO
Gemma Kemsley couldn't believe her rotten luck as she strolled into the sitting room on her father's—her cousin's estate. She still had trouble wrapping her mind around the fact that her father passed away eighteen months ago. Her cousin, Alfie, inherited the title and the entailed estates upon his death. He also became her guardian. A reality that Gemma loathed for many reasons, the biggest being he had lecherous intentions towards her.
He said in no uncertain terms she would be his wife whether she liked it or not. Well, Gemma didn't like it and vowed to find a way to escape his plans for her. She took a page out of her best friend Lily's book and started to scheme her way out of the situation. The only option for her would be to run away and live in America. Lily would welcome her into her home. She just needed to find a way to leave without Alfie knowing what she had in mind.
