His thoughts. Bloody hell, Samantha had occupied them the entire day. On the coach rides to and from Town. While he'd awaited Margaret at the dressmaker's. As he'd secured passage for two aboard the Sea Maiden departing for the Continent the next evening, then again during his meeting with his solicitor, where he'd updated his Will to include provisions for her and any children resulting from their marriage-a marriage he wasn't certain would even take place.
He entered his study, closing the door behind him. Heading toward the crystal decanters, he halted halfway across the room at the sight of Arthur sitting in his usual chair, a tumbler of whiskey cradled between his work-roughened hands.
"We need to talk," Arthur said in a tone that set Eric's nerve endings on alert. Jerking his head toward the decanters, Arthur added, "Pour yerself a long one. Ye'll need it."
Twenty minutes later, with Arthur's disturbing words about Adam Straton's visit echoing in his ears, Eric poured himself a second hefty drink. Standing in front of the fire, he lifted his snifter in a wry salute. "Well, that's not particularly good news."
Concern flashed in the older man's eyes. "It's nothin' but bad news. The man is suspicious of ye. He'll be like a bloody dog with a bone, searchin' and pryin' til he sees ye swingin' from a noose. I think ye should take yerself on an extended trip. Somewhere far away."
"Actually, I've made plans to do just that. Under the guise of a wedding trip, I've purchased passage for Samantha and I to leave England after the wedding-provided she shows up for the wedding."
Arthur nodded slowly. "Right smart plan. Ain't unusual for yer class to be gone months on a weddin' trip. Years even."
"Exactly. I've made all the necessary arrangements, but I would ask that you keep an eye on Margaret for me. Make certain she settles in here and that she's… happy. Unless, of course, I'm still here."
"Ye know I will. But ye must leave no matter what-even if Miz Sammie leaves ye at the altar. Say ye're leavin' England to mend yer broken heart. The reason don't matter none, just so long as ye go."
"I can't do that. I couldn't leave Samantha to face the scandal alone. If she doesn't show up, I'll…" he dragged a hand through his hair and blew out a long breath. "Bloody hell, I don't know what I'll do. I'll just have to come up with another plan."
"They'll kill ye if ye don't leave." Tears glistened in Arthur's eyes. "I'll never forgive meself fer bein' so bloody careless, walkin' Champion that way. This entire mess lays on me."
Eric set his snifter on the mantel then crossed to Arthur. Crouching down until they were on eye level, he squeezed the distraught man's shoulder then pinned him with a steady stare.
"Stop blaming yourself. You had no way of knowing Straton was watching you. I've known and accepted from the beginning the consequences of my actions, and that is what they are-my actions. And I shall take responsibility for them. As for Straton, he can be as suspicious as he wants, but he can do nothing without proof. Even if he were to locate Champion's stall, that doesn't prove I'm the man he seeks."
"No, but the bastard could make yer life miserable. We'll have to make sure he finds no evidence against ye. And that means ye absolutely can't risk another rescue. Ever."
Eric nodded slowly, then offered what he hoped passed for an encouraging smile. "Agreed." But in his heart he suspected it was already too late.
The next morning Eric stood in an alcove tucked away to the right of the church's altar and glanced at his watch fob. Thirty minutes until the wedding ceremony was scheduled to begin.
Would Samantha show up?
Clutching the fob in one hand, he paced in the confining space. Would she show up-bloody hell, he'd asked himself that question a thousand times since he'd last seen her. The fact that she hadn't contacted him-did that mean she meant to marry him? Or that she'd cut him out of her life, scandal be damned?
Muted voices reached his ears and he parted the heavy green velvet drapes concealing the alcove enough to allow him to observe the gathering guests while remaining hidden.
It seemed as if every person in the village was turning up at the church to see the Earl of Wesley make Samantha Briggeham his countess. He scanned the growing crowd, noting Lydia Nordfield sitting on a long wooden pew, flanked by her daughters and sons-in-law. Arthur, Eversley, and a dozen long-time members of his staff occupied a rear pew.
His gaze roved over the crowd, noting names and faces, then settled on Margaret. She sat in the first pew, staring at her gloved hands clenched in her lap.
His heart twisted with sympathy and concern. She was no doubt thinking of her own wedding to that bastard Darvin. He considered going to her, but decided to give her some time with her private thoughts. Perhaps being here, in this church, was a good way for her to exorcise the demons haunting her.
He continued to hopefully scan the guests, but not one member of Samantha's family entered the church. Releasing the drape, he consulted his watch fob. Twenty-three minutes until the ceremony began.
Would Samantha show up?
Adam Straton walked toward the church, his heart pounding with conflicting emotions, his mind whirling. Last night, after observing Arthur Timstone head to the main house, he'd searched the Wesley stables. Noting that the building seemed longer on the outside than on the inside, he concentrated his efforts on the rear of the structure. Ten minutes later he located a cleverly hidden door. Pulling it open, he found himself in a spacious stall with a window fitted into the ceiling rather than the wall. Holding his low-lit lantern aloft, triumph pulsed through him. In the far corner stood the magnificent black horse.
There was no longer any doubt in his mind that Lord Wesley was the Bride Thief, but he needed more proof. He had no intention of arresting the man only to have him released due to a lack of evidence. And with any luck, that evidence would be presented to him within the hour. He slipped his timepiece from his waistcoat pocket, noting the time with satisfaction. His most trusted man, Farnsworth, was right now searching the earl's home. With Wesley Manor all but deserted while most of the staff attended the wedding, Farnsworth would hopefully locate the necessary evidence.
Replacing his watch fob, he increased his pace, his gaze settling on the guests entering the church. Yes, today would most likely see the end to the most perplexing, frustrating case of his career-a career rife with countless possibilities once he apprehended the notorious Bride Thief. Yet, while he should have felt nothing but triumph, his imminent victory somehow felt hollow. He liked Wesley. And he loved Margaret. He hated the thought of her losing her brother.
But he had to uphold the law.
Chapter Twenty-four
Eric paced in the alcove like a caged animal, his heart growing heavier with each passing second.
She was ten minutes late.
He couldn't bear to look at his timepiece again, couldn't stand to gaze upon its mocking face.
The velvet drapes parted and he turned sharply. The visibly nervous vicar joined him.
"Is she here?" Eric asked.
"No, my lord." Extracting a handkerchief from the folds of his voluminous robe, the vicar wiped his perspiring forehead.
Eric lifted a single brow. "Then I suggest," he said in a carefully controlled tone, "that you keep watch for her and advise me the instant she arrives."
The vicar's vigorous nod set his double chins in motion, and he hastily backed away. "Yes, my lord." He exited through the drapery.
Alone again, Eric closed his eyes, desolation crushing him. She wasn't coming. She didn't want him. She'd rather face scandal than marry him.
Damn it, that hurt. In a way nothing else had ever hurt him. And it angered him as well-that she hadn't even had the courtesy to tell him her decision. If she wasn't going to marry him, she could bloody well tell him to his face. And if she wouldn't come here to tell him, he'd go to her and make her say it.
He turned to stride through the drapery, but before he could take a step, the heavy curtain parted to reveal the vicar's face.
"Miss Briggeh
am has arrived, my lord. However, she insists upon speaking to you privately-before the ceremony. Most irregular." The vicar's lips puckered with disapproval. "She awaits you in my office."
Sammie paced the worn rug in the vicar's small office located off the vestibule. When a knock sounded at the door, she called, "Come in."
Eric entered the room, softly closing the door behind him. Their eyes met, and her breath stalled at the sight of him. Dressed in his formal wedding attire, from his perfectly knotted cravat and snowy shirt, cream waistcoat, to his Devonshire brown coat and fawn breeches, he was simply the most beautiful man she'd ever beheld. And for a short, incredibly lovely moment in time, he'd been hers.
"Thank you for agreeing to meet me in here," she said. "I must speak with you."
He leaned against the door and regarded her through hooded eyes. "You're late."
"I'm sorry. There are so many details to see to when one is leaving home forever."
He squeezed his eyes shut for several seconds, muttering something that sounded like thank God.
"I had to say good-bye to Hubert," she said, her voice hitching on his name. "I could not leave without explaining things to him."
Pushing off from the door, he approached her. When he stood before her, his gaze swept her slowly from head to foot. Then he looked at her with an expression that heated her from the inside out. "You're beautiful, Samantha."
Warmth rushed into her cheeks, and she looked down at her wedding gown. "Thank you. The dress is lovely."
He lifted her chin with his fingers. "Yes. But I was referring to the bride wearing it."
The sincerity in his voice, in his eyes, made her want to throw her arms around him and pretend no obstacles stood between them. But time was short, and with so many things to tell him, she couldn't waste another minute.
Drawing a resolute breath, she said, "I am not here to become a bride, Eric. Indeed, I am here to release you from your obligation to marry me. I have made arrangements to travel abroad, to live my own life. You need not concern yourself with my welfare any longer."
His hand slowly lowered from her chin, and his eyes went blank. "I see."
She grasped his arm and shook it. "No, you don't. I wanted to speak to you yesterday, but I did not dare. Eric, Adam Straton knows who you are. He came to my home yesterday and questioned me." She quickly repeated her conversation with the magistrate. "He knows, Eric. He's going to arrest you and see you hang." Her voice broke and tears flooded her eyes. "You must take this opportunity to escape. Now. Immediately. I will distract the vicar and guests as long as I possibly can to give you a head start. I have this terrible, awful feeling inside that there isn't a moment to lose."
He clasped her by the shoulders. "Samantha, I cannot abandon you here."
"Yes, you can. You have my full blessing to do so."
"Then allow me to rephrase that. I will not abandon you here."
Desperation washed over her and she clutched at his jacket. "You must. Please. I can face anything-a scandal, ridicule, scorn. But I cannot face you being captured." Hot tears spilled onto her cheeks. "I cannot bear to see you die."
"Then marry me. And we'll leave together. All the arrangements are in place for us to do so." He cradled her face between his hands, his dark eyes serious and intense. "I don't want to live without you, Samantha. I want to share my life-my new law-abiding life-with you. We can continue to offer women a choice, but we'll do it together, legally, through financial channels. Set up a trust of some sort-whatever we decide upon. Together."
Her ability to speak, indeed her ability to breathe, abandoned her, and she simply stared at him, trying to absorb his words. I don't want to live without you.
Lowering his head, he rested his forehead on hers. "I love you, Samantha. So much I ache with it." He raised his head and pinned her with a deep gaze. "All those things I believed I never wanted… marriage, a family… things I thought I could never have… love changed all that. You changed all that. I want you for my wife. My lover. The mother of my children. I cannot deny there's a risk of me being arrested for the rescues I've performed, but we can leave England immediately following the ceremony."
She attempted to moisten her dust-dry lips with her equally dust-dry tongue, and failed miserably. "Say that again," she croaked.
"We can leave England-"
She laid a finger on his lips. "Not that. The 'I love you, Samantha' part."
Grasping the hand that had silenced his words, he pressed a kiss into her palm, his gaze boring into hers. "I love you." He lowered her hand to his chest, and his heartbeat thumped hard against her palm. "Feel that. It beats for you. If you want me, you'll make me the happiest man in the world. If you don't…" He pressed her palm tighter against him. "Then there will simply be a hole here. My heart is yours to take… or to break. Every woman deserves to choose. The choice is yours."
Sammie stared at him, her own heart pounding so hard she could feel the drumming in her temples. He loved her. Plain, odd, eccentric Sammie. Impossible. He must be daft. Or inebriated. She discreetly sniffed, but there was no odor of spirits about him. Only his clean, warm, masculine scent. And there was no doubting the sincerity in his gaze. Or the love burning from his dark eyes.
Still, just in case the poor man's wits were addled, she felt compelled to point out, "You realize I would make a frightful countess."
"No. You'd be a charming countess. Captivating. Caring. Clever and considerate. Courageous." He brushed gentle fingertips over her cheeks. "So many 'c' words to describe my extraordinary Samantha."
She locked her knees to remain upright and tried to gather her thoughts, but him loving her simply defied logic. Before she could even begin to corral her scattered emotions, a knock sounded.
They both turned toward the door. "Come in," Eric said.
The vicar entered, his questioning gaze bouncing between them. "Are we ready to begin?" he asked.
Eric turned back to her and their eyes met. He said nothing, merely watched her, waiting for her, allowing her to choose, praying she would want him.
With her gaze locked with his, she spoke to the vicar.
"Yes, we're ready to begin."
Exhilaration and joy swelled in Eric. He and Samantha would be together-as husband and wife.
Everything was going to work out perfectly.
Farnsworth, the magistrate's most trusted man, slipped into the Earl of Wesley's bedchamber, closing the door softly behind him. Looking about the spacious, luxurious room, he quickly made his way to the cherry-wood desk near the window. Hopefully he would find something here. His search of the earl's private study and the library had yielded nothing, and time was running short.
He checked through the drawers, but found nothing. Crouching down, he ran his hands lightly over the glossy wood. Underneath one of the legs, his fingers encountered a round knob. Scarcely daring to breathe, he twisted it. A faint click sounded and he was able to push aside a panel on the bottom. Something soft fell into his palm.
Sliding out his hand, he gazed at a black silk mask.
Triumph pulsed through him. This was just the evidence the magistrate needed. All Farnsworth had to do was deliver it to him.
Chapter Twenty-five
Eric stood at the altar and watched Samantha walk slowly down the aisle, her hand resting on her beaming father's sleeve. While the quiet hum of the crowd filled the church, her gaze remained steady on his, her spectacles magnifying the love shining from her eyes.
Love hit him like a punch in the heart, radiating warmth through his entire system. She joined him at the altar, a shy smile trembling on her lush lips, her gaze brimming with the same emotions swarming through him.
Fifteen minutes later, after they repeated the vows that joined them for life, the vicar blessed them, his rotund face wreathed with pride. Eric turned to his wife-his-wife-and a surge of happiness nearly knocked him off his feet. He brushed a chaste kiss against her upturned lips, and need overwhelmed his senses. He had to
touch her, kiss her deeply. Now. Away from prying eyes. Tucking her hand through his elbow, he propelled her down the aisle. He practically ran through the vestibule, then outside, pulling her around the corner, into the shadows.
"Good heavens, Eric," she said in a breathless voice.
He yanked her into his arms and covered her mouth with his. A tiny sound of pleasure rumbled in her throat, and she parted her lips. His tongue slid into her welcoming honey-flavored warmth, his entire body humming with satisfaction. And nearly inconceivable happiness.
Sammie slid her arms around his waist, eagerly accepting the onslaught of his kiss… a kiss rilled with love and promise and deep passion. When he finally lifted his head, she clung to him limply and vaguely wondered where she'd placed her missing knees. She slowly opened her eyes and saw nothing but white. As she blinked rapidly to clear her vision, she felt her spectacles being removed. As soon as he'd slid them off, she saw him. Her husband. And the heat blazing from her husband's loving gaze seared through her like an inferno. Several seconds of silence passed, then a wry smile touched one corner of his mouth.
"I'm afraid we fogged up your spectacles."
"I thought I was seeing clouds. As if I'd died and gone to heaven."
"Heaven. Yes, that's what you feel like." He traced her bottom lip with his fingertip, the tickling sensation curling her toes inside her slippers. The sound of voices reached them as guests exited the church. He smiled down at her, warming her like the sun. "Come, my charming countess. Let us accept the best wishes and congratulations of our guests."
"Indeed, before they discover us kissing behind the bushes." Inclining her head in what she hoped was a countess-like fashion, she slipped her hand through his arm. Laughter rumbled in his throat, and they rounded the corner, prepared to face their guests.
Adam exited the church, squinting against the sun's sudden glare. He looked at the crowd gathering around the bride and groom, and he craned his neck higher, hoping for a glimpse of Margaret. As if the mere thought of Margaret conjured her up, he noticed her standing beneath the shade of the huge oak in the churchyard. She stood alone, head bent, hands clasped in front of her. Drawn to her like iron to a magnet, he veered away from the throng and approached her.
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