The Wedding Pact (Marriage by Fairytale Book 3)

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  “I’m not asking you to give me anything. I’m only asking that you help Ophelia. I can’t do it.”

  “Why not ask our cousin to help?” Before Julian could answer, he let out a bitter laugh. “He owes you after what you did for him.”

  “I don’t know how Didimus is faring. I haven’t spoken to him since we were in Paris.”

  “Well, I don’t waste any time with him. I don’t care if he was Father’s nephew. I won’t have anything to do with him.” He threw the parchment back at Julian, and Julian caught it. “I wish I could say the same for you, but, unfortunately, I made a promise to Father on his deathbed that if you ever were in serious need, I would help you.” He held up his finger before Julian could respond. “But I would only help if it was a real need. I didn’t promise to give you any money. You made no mention of needing food or a place to live.”

  “Those things have been provided for me by the parish.”

  “Good. I don’t want to give you anything more than I absolutely have to.”

  Julian’s face warmed under his brother’s hard gaze. “I don’t need anything. Only Ophelia does.”

  “All right. I’ll help her. At least she’s innocent in this whole thing. I will have the steward go with you two while you go shopping. He will make sure she only gets what she needs. There will be nothing but the necessities.”

  “I won’t ask for anything beyond what she needs. I promise.” Then, hoping it might help to undo some of the damage he’d caused, he added, “I really am sorry. If I could go back, I never would have stolen the money from the family estate.”

  “It’s too late for apologies. God might have forgiven you, but I won’t. James won’t, either. I’m only doing this because Father requested I help you.” After a moment, he asked, “Will you be staying here for a while, or is there another place you can stay so that I won’t have to bear the sight of you any longer?”

  Julian bowed his head so his brother wouldn’t see how much his words hurt him. He tucked the parchment back into his suit pocket then cleared his throat. “I have an acquaintance who might let Ophelia and me stay with him.”

  Jonah exhaled in relief. “Tell me who this acquaintance is, and I’ll send the steward there in an hour.”

  “He’s Lord Pruett.”

  Jonah grimaced. “Not Mr. Bachman’s friend, the one who married Lady Eloise?” He shook his head. “Mr. Bachman is notorious for his abhorrent behavior.”

  “He’s not the same person he used to be. Also, Lady Eloise is dead. I married Mr. Bachman to his current wife, and she’s a lovely person.”

  Jonah rolled his eyes. “That doesn’t change who Mr. Bachman is.” He wrote down ‘Lord Pruett’ on the parchment in front of him. “Even though you’re a vicar, you choose to associate with the sinners.”

  Julian wanted to ask what Jonah could possibly have against Lord Pruett since there wasn’t the slightest bit of scandal associated with him, but he decided to keep quiet. He’d already pushed his luck by coming here. He was fortunate he’d been able to arrange for Ophelia to get clothes and grooming supplies.

  “Just so we’re clear,” Jonah began, looking at him, “this won’t be a common occurrence. I won’t have you asking me for help when your wife has a child.”

  “This will be the only time.”

  “Make sure you keep your word on that.” He stood up and summoned the footman. “The steward will give me a list of all the items you buy your wife.”

  “I won’t get any more than necessary.” Though Julian offered the assurance again, Jonah didn’t seem convinced.

  The door opened, and the footman smiled expectantly at the two brothers.

  “My brother will be staying with a friend during his time in London,” Jonah told him. “See him and his wife out.”

  The footman’s face fell in disappointment, but he nodded and led Julian out of the room. Julian glanced back once at his brother, but Jonah didn’t bother to look at him. There was nothing he could do or say to make up for the past. The only thing that could smooth things was over was if he could go back in time and change the wrong he’d done. But that was impossible. He blinked back his tears and left the room.

  Chapter Eight

  Ophelia noticed the change in Julian’s mood the moment he returned to the drawing room. She wanted to ask him what was wrong, but he didn’t glance her way. He picked up his valise and told her they had to leave. Then he helped her up and led her back to the carriage.

  To her surprise, the footman followed them. Julian turned to face him, and the footman hugged him. “It was good to see you again. Your father would be glad to know you turned out all right,” the footman said. He released Julian, clasped Ophelia’s hand, and kissed it. “Be good to him.”

  Ophelia had no idea why the footman would say that, but she assured him she would be a good wife. How could she not? Julian had saved her from Lord Wolfe, even if he didn’t know it.

  Julian thanked the footman but waited until the footman headed back to the townhouse before mumbling something about how the footman shouldn’t have been so expressive where everyone could see them. When she gave him a questioning look, he added, “In London, it’s not right to hug people in public, whether a servant or otherwise.”

  He didn’t seem to want to tell her any more than that, so she decided not to ask. As long as it didn’t have anything to do with her, she didn’t need to know.

  “I’m going to take us to the townhouse of someone I know,” he continued as he set his valise on the floor of the carriage. He helped her into the carriage and propped her leg on the blanket. “It’ll be a much shorter trip than the one we just had. In about an hour, we’ll get you some clothes and other items to make you comfortable.”

  She nodded, and he shut the door of the carriage. She peered out the small window. There were so many things in London. Lots of townhouses were pressed up against each other. Lots of people and other carriages were going up and down the street. She’d been overwhelmed by it all when he’d pulled up to his brother’s townhouse. It was only now that she was beginning to adjust to it all.

  The carriage moved forward, and she watched as the scenery passed by. He turned down one street. Then another. And after the third turn, he came to a stop in front of another townhouse that looked just like all the others. There was very little to distinguish one townhouse from another. How did people know which one they needed to go to?

  She took her attention off of the townhouses as Julian opened the carriage door. She scooted over to the door and let him help her out of the carriage. He shut the door, and she realized his hands were empty.

  “Aren’t you going to take the valise?” she asked.

  “I think I’ll wait this time,” he replied. “We might be going home later today.”

  He took her by the arm and offered her support as she used the cane to help her walk up the steps to the front door of the townhouse. She was secretly glad he had no stairs in the cottage. It was challenging enough to get from one room to another. It would have been impossible to get up the steps if he wasn’t right beside her.

  Once they reached the door, she wiped the sweat from her forehead and breathed a sigh of relief.

  He offered her a sympathetic glance. “By this evening, you won’t be forced to wear my cloak anymore when we go out. I know it’s uncomfortable under there.”

  “This is what I get for falling off a horse in the middle of August,” she joked. “I should have waited until October.”

  He chuckled. “It’s nice that you can laugh about it. Too many people never learn to laugh after going through a difficult period of time.”

  “It was only a fall off a horse. It wasn’t like my life was ruined.” In fact, that night might have been the one that saved her life.

  The door opened, and Julian made the introductions to the footman. He then requested to see Lord or Lady Pruett.

  “They are out for the moment, but you’re welcome to come in and wait,” the footma
n replied.

  “Thank you,” Julian said. “We’ll do that.”

  The footman led them in, and once more, they were led to a drawing room and offered something to eat or drink. Though she had had something to eat and drink in the other townhouse, Julian hadn’t, so she expected him to partake in the refreshments as soon as the butler brought them in. To her surprise, he didn’t. He did the same thing he’d done at the other townhouse. He went to one of the windows and stared out of it.

  “Why do you do that?” she asked.

  “Do what?” he replied, not bothering to take his gaze off of whatever was interesting to him.

  “Stare out the window. Are you looking for the people who live here?”

  After a moment, he turned from the window and walked over to her. “No. I’m just thinking of the past.” He sat across from her and lowered his voice. “I spent my entire childhood in London. I never left its limits.” He shrugged. “I didn’t feel the need to leave. Everything I wanted was here. Have you been to London before?”

  She shook her head.

  “It’s probably just as well that you haven’t,” he said. “Once you get used to all of the things London has to offer, it’s difficult to do without them.”

  “I noticed there are many people and townhouses here.”

  “Yes, and there are more places to shop than you’d ever need. There are also unlimited activities. If you have enough money, you can do anything.”

  He paused, and she suspected he was wading through memories he’d long ago put aside.

  “I suppose you might as well know about my past in case someone brings it up,” Julian slowly continued, staring down at his hands. “For lack of a better explanation, I was a demanding and selfish person while I was growing up. I felt as if everything my father owned was mine. I didn’t care that I had two brothers, both of whom were older than me. I wanted it all for myself.”

  His voice grew lower, and she had to strain to hear him.

  “When I was sixteen,” he said, “I talked my cousin into helping me convince the steward into giving up my father’s money. We gave the steward a hefty portion for helping us, and then we split the rest. The steward left for America. My cousin and I ran off to Paris. I’m not sure what became of my cousin. We started out together but then drifted as we found our own forms of amusement. I preferred to give expensive social engagements like balls and dinner parties. The more money spent, the better. I was young and foolish. As you’d imagine, I did a poor job of managing the money, and within two years, I lost everything. I don’t know how long I was living off of scraps and sleeping with nothing but my cloak. One morning, I woke up and realized I needed to change. So, I made my way back to London in hopes of begging my father to let me stay with him. I was willing to even take on the role of a servant.”

  A moment of silence hovered between them, and just as Ophelia was beginning to think he expected her say something, he continued with his story.

  “My father had died during the time I was gone,” he softly said. “I never got the chance to tell him how sorry I was.” He took a deep breath and released it. “Anyway, my brothers didn’t want to have anything to do with me and demanded I leave. They were right to do that. I would have done the same in their position.” He paused. “Over the years, I’ve learned that when people have nowhere to turn, they’ll make one of two decisions. They’ll either seek out a power greater than themselves or they’ll do whatever it takes to get what they want. I chose to give my life to God, and everything changed for me after that.” He made eye contact with her then. “He took what was broken and healed it. I wouldn’t be where I’m at today if it hadn’t been for Him.”

  This time when he stopped speaking, she knew he wanted her to say something. “It’s good your life changed for the better.”

  “It is. I probably would be dead already if I had chosen the other option available to me.”

  “Do you mind if I ask you how old you are?”

  “I’ll be twenty-seven next month.” After a moment, he asked, “How old did you think I was?”

  She shrugged. “I had no idea.” She’d been so limited in her interactions with other people that she wouldn’t be able to tell someone’s age unless they told her. “But I’m still twenty-one.”

  His lips curled up into a smile, and he laughed. “That’s good because it’s the age you had to be in order to get married without a guardian’s permission.”

  She forced herself to chuckle. Imagine asking Lord Wolfe’s permission to marry Julian, or anyone else for that matter! He never would have granted it. She didn’t care if Lord Wolfe had led a life where he did everything to please his father and brothers. She still wouldn’t have wanted to be with him. There was something terrible and dark about him. She was much better off with Julian. Even after finding this out, she knew she was better off with him.

  “I hope you don’t think less of me because of what I’ve done,” Julian said.

  “No, I don’t. I’d ask you to marry me again if given the chance.”

  “Can I ask you why you were so desperate to marry me? Surely, you could have had your choice of many gentlemen. You have a sweet temperament. You’re beautiful. You don’t talk so much that a person can’t think. I can’t think of anything else that’s usually required of a wife.”

  “Are those things important?”

  “I think they’re nice, but I suppose each gentleman has his preference. That’s why you don’t see every gentleman pursuing marriage with the same lady.”

  She wondered why Lord Wolfe had wanted to marry her without having even met her. He had shown up with the intention of making her marry him. Her looks, her temperament, and her personality had nothing to do with it. Was it only because he’d been her guardian?

  The butler stepped into the room and said, “Lord and Lady Pruett have returned.”

  Julian rose to his feet, and Ophelia turned her attention to the doorway where an attractive couple entered the room. The two greeted Julian in a way that let her know they had known each other for quite some time. She watched the easygoing exchange they shared with interest. Growing up, no one had ever visited her, nor had she gone anywhere to visit someone. It was interesting to see how people greeted each other. This exchange was nothing as stiff as the one she’d experienced with Lord Wolfe or Julian’s brother.

  “This is my wife, Ophelia,” Julian said as he led them over to her. “She sustained an injury which requires her to keep her leg up.”

  “I hope it’s nothing serious,” Lady Pruett replied.

  “No,” Julian began, “the doctor said it was a minor injury. She’ll be walking without the aid of a cane in no time.” Julian glanced at Ophelia. “These are Lewis and Marcy.” Then, with a twinkle in his eye, he added, “I had the honor of marrying them.”

  “We’re grateful you did it, especially as quickly as you did,” Lewis said. “I wanted to make sure the most wonderful lady in the world didn’t get away from me.”

  Marcy waved his comment aside, but Ophelia noted that she blushed in pleasure at his compliment.

  Ophelia studied the couple. There was no doubt they were happy. Both of them were glad to be married to each other. And though Ophelia had never seen anyone who was in love, she bet this was what love looked like.

  “I hope you two don’t mind we came by uninvited,” Julian said. “My marriage happened rather suddenly, and I brought Ophelia to London to get some new clothes for her. My brother will be sending over his steward shortly. We had nowhere else to wait in the meantime.”

  Ophelia wondered if Lewis and Marcy would think it strange that she and Julian didn’t just wait at Julian’s brother’s residence, but if they did, they didn’t show it.

  Instead, Marcy said, “You’re both welcome to stay here. Will you be in London for a couple of days?”

  “Would you mind if we were?” Julian asked.

  “Not at all,” Marcy replied. “We have plenty of bedchambers. I’ll make sure t
he coachman brings your things in. Are they in the carriage out front?”

  “There’s only one valise, and it’s mine,” Julian said.

  Lewis’ eyes widened. “That’s all you have?”

  Julian nodded. “Now you know why I had to come to London to get Ophelia more things to wear.”

  Ophelia noticed the flicker of surprise on Marcy’s face. She waited for Marcy to ask why she didn’t have more than the things she was wearing, but it was Lewis who spoke.

  “It’s a good thing you came when you did,” Lewis said. “It looks like that cloak has seen better days.” He gestured to the cloak Ophelia had covered herself up with despite the warm room.

  Julian chuckled in a way that seemed forced. “The situation that brought us together is an unusual one. I’m not sure now is the right time to get into the details.”

  “It’s all right,” Marcy replied. “You don’t have to explain anything if you don’t want to. The important thing is that everything is going well for you two.”

  Sensing a question in the comment, Ophelia said, “Everything’s fine. I’m glad to be with Julian.”

  She saw the relief on Julian’s face and realized he had worried she would regret her marriage to him once she learned about his past. To further put his mind at ease, she smiled at him.

  “Are you two thirsty or hungry?” Lewis asked. “We can have the butler bring something.”

  Julian’s gaze went to Ophelia, so she said, “I’m not thirsty or hungry.”

  “I should wait,” Julian told Lewis. “I want to be ready when the steward gets here.” Even as he said it, his attention went to the window.

  “If you want to go to the window so you’ll know as soon as he arrives, you’re free to do so,” Marcy said as she sat in a chair next to Ophelia.

  Ophelia was sure Julian was going to do that, but he ended up sitting in another chair. Lewis, looking startled that everyone was already seated, hurried to a chair and settled into it.