An Earl's Wager: Regency Romance (Gentlemen and Brides)

by Joyce Alec

  Eleanor didn’t look back. She felt the tears well up in her eyes, but she was determined to stay strong, at least until she could make it into the carriage.

  8

  December 23, 1814

  Emma kept looking out the window, waiting for a carriage to arrive. Lord Satterfield was arriving, along with his mother and two sisters, to spend Christmas at Hempsted Park. They were going to be married on Christmas Day.

  Emma had wanted to spend Christmas in her family’s new home, so Lord Satterfield convinced his family to join him at his betrothed’s home.

  Eleanor laughed at Emma, “You do know the butler will announce Lord Satterfield the moment he arrives.”

  “I know,” said Emma. “But, I do want to want to see him as soon as possible.”

  “Well, then, I guess it is best if you keep watch by the window.” Eleanor squeezed her sister’s hand as she went to leave.

  “Eleanor, are you all right?” asked Emma. Eleanor had shared what had transpired between herself and Nathaniel. She also told Emma about the duchess’s visit to her room during their visit to Trunbridge Castle.

  “Yes, of course, I am all right. You do know that I am very happy for you. Lord Satterfield seems like such a lovely man, and I am sure he will make you very happy.”

  Eleanor retreated to her room and sipped tea by the fire, lost in her thoughts. Ever since returning from Nathaniel’s home, she spent a lot of time alone. Even though it was nearly Christmas, Eleanor had no desire to celebrate.

  Rebecca chose an elegant blue dress for dinner. Even in her melancholy state, Eleanor wanted to make a good impression on Lord Satterfield’s family for her sister’s sake. She dressed for dinner and put on the façade of a cheery disposition.

  She headed downstairs to the drawing room, and when she entered, she came face-to-face with Nathaniel.

  “Your Grace,” said, Eleanor surprised. She didn’t want to make a scene, so she kept her next words quiet. “What are you doing here?”

  “Your father was gracious enough to invite my family to join you for Christmas. We have only just arrived. My mother and sister are still getting dressed for dinner.”

  “I would like to speak to you after dinner, Lady Eleanor, if you will allow me the privilege.”

  Eleanor noticed how he had addressed her by her formal title, and assumed Nathaniel was going to apologize and then tell her about his engagement to Lady Mary Fortington. The same thing had happened with Charles.

  “Anything you have to say to me, can be said in the presence of others. Now, if you will please excuse me, I believe that Emma would like to introduce me to Lord Satterfield’s family.”

  After dinner, the men joined the women in the drawing room. Emma led the group in Christmas carols, while Lord Satterfield’s sister played the piano. Lord Satterfield’s sisters and mother had already formed a bond with Emma, and it was easy to see they were happy with Lord Satterfield’s choice in a bride.

  Eleanor had been avoiding Nathaniel and his mother the entire evening. Although she was pleasant and polite, she didn’t go out of her way to make them feel welcome.

  Towards the end of the evening, Eleanor excused herself to go to bed. Almost everyone had retreated to their rooms, including Nathaniel. Or so she thought.

  “Eleanor, before you go to bed, I want to show you something. Lord Satterfield and I have the most wonderful Christmas present for you,” said Emma.

  Eleanor was intrigued, “A Christmas present? Well, you know I don’t like to wait, as I can’t handle the anticipation.”

  Emma laughed, “It’s in the library.”

  Emma and Lord Satterfield walked Eleanor to the library. Nathaniel was waiting outside of the large oak door.

  “What have you done, Emma? You know what happened between the duke and me. I don’t understand why you would trick me like this.” Eleanor felt betrayed.

  Lord Satterfield spoke, “Please, Lady Eleanor, you must hear him out.”

  “You told him?” asked Eleanor, who was visibly hurt. “I told you what happened in confidence.”

  “Eleanor, the duke went to great lengths to arrange this meeting. I agreed to help lead you to the library because you need to speak to him.”

  Eleanor turned to leave and ignored her sister. Feeling like the world was against her, Eleanor started to leave. Nathaniel gently grabbed her arm and begged her to stay.

  “Please, Eleanor. I must speak with you.” Nathaniel was once again using her familiar name.

  Eleanor silently relented and followed Nathaniel into the library. Nathaniel closed the door behind them and led her to the place where they first met. The fire burned bright in the fireplace, and candles provided a soft light, creating a romantic ambiance.

  Eleanor walked to the window and sat in the seat that was tucked into the alcove. Placing her hand on the glass, she stared out the window. It was a full moon, and the snow sparkled and glistened in the moonlight. She couldn’t bear to make eye contact with him. She loved him, and like Charles, he betrayed her.

  “Eleanor, please, will you look at me?” asked Nathaniel as he took a seat next to her.

  As soon as Eleanor met his gaze, the tears that she had not yet wept began to flow. He took her in his arms and kissed her on the top of the head. The wood in the fireplace crackled and popped.

  “Please don’t be upset with your sister or Lord Satterfield,” started Nathaniel. “I begged them to bring you here. I needed to explain my side of the story.”

  “You don’t deny that you are engaged?”

  “I don’t deny that I was engaged,” said Nathaniel, while placing an emphasis on the past tense of the engagement.

  “You made a fool out of me. Do you know how awful it was to have her come to my room and tell me you were betrothed to another?”

  Nathaniel was still holding Eleanor as he explained, “My parents planned the engagement with my mother’s cousin when I was just a child. I was to wed Lady Mary Fortington when she came of age, but I do not love her. In fact, I don’t even believe we could be friends.”

  “Does Lady Mary want to get married?” asked Eleanor.

  “Not at all!” laughed Nathaniel. “After we met for the first time, we both decided that we didn’t want to go through with the marriage. That took place shortly before I met you. After I had met you, I told my mother that you were the woman I wanted to marry.”

  “You knew you wanted to marry me that long ago?” asked Eleanor.

  “Of course I did. I have never met anyone like you. I would even dare to say that I knew that I loved you when you first curtsied. You were so nervous and unsure of yourself, and then you told me exactly what you were thinking. Nobody ever tells me what they think because they are so eager to be in my favor. You didn’t care that I was a duke, and I loved that about you. Then, I found out we had so many of the same interests, and I knew that you were the one for me.”

  “I still don’t understand why your mother said you were engaged if you had already broken it off.”

  “Mama had her heart set on my marriage to Lady Mary. When I told her we broke it off, she refused to believe it. She thought you were the reason I broke off the engagement, so she figured with you out of the way, I would go through with the marriage to her cousin’s daughter.”

  “Then, why did she agree to come to my family’s home for Christmas? To make me feel even worse than I already do?”

  “Eleanor, I told my mother that I am going to ask you to marry me and she needs to accept my decisions. My mother’s true concern is my happiness. When she saw how distraught I was when I thought that I’d lost you, she confessed to what she had done.”

  “So Emma didn’t tell Lord Satterfield what happened? I thought that Lord Satterfield must have been the one to tell you.”

  “No, Eleanor. It was my mother who confessed. She wants to apologize to you, but I told her not to speak to you about it until I had a chance to meet with you in private.”

  Nathaniel leaned tow
ards Eleanor and gently held her face in his hands. She closed her eyes, and Nathaniel brought his gentle lips to hers. Eleanor warmed to his touch and felt as if all of her worries disappeared.

  When their lips parted, Nathaniel confessed, “Eleanor, I love you with every breath in my body. I can’t imagine spending my days without you. Will you ever forgive me? And if you choose to forgive me, will you marry me?”

  “Nathaniel, there is nothing to forgive. And yes, my love, I will marry you.”

  They sat side-by-side on the window seat in the glow of the fireplace, holding hands and whispering until the early hours of the morning.

  9

  December 24, 1814

  Eleanor woke with a start. She bolted up in bed and immediately jumped to her feet. At long last, it was Christmas Eve. It was her favorite day of the year, and she was especially excited as Nathaniel planned to make the official announcement of their engagement after he asked her father for permission.

  She dressed quickly and put on her warmest clothes. Eleanor didn’t wait for Rebecca to fix her hair; she just got ready by herself like she used to when she was just plain Eleanor Chatham. She could hardly wait to decorate the house with greenery. Already some of the servants were out in the woods gathering holly, mistletoe, and evergreen branches. The groomsmen had been charged with the task of bringing in the yule log.

  She walked back upstairs to wake her siblings.

  “Wake up! It's Christmas Eve,” she shouted, as she opened each of their bedroom doors.

  Emma, Katherine, and their brother were soon dressed and joined in the Christmas festivities with their sister. The rest of the household was still sleeping. The Chatham children had always loved Christmas and treasured their time together on Christmas Eve.

  They sang Christmas hymns and gathered holly branches. Katherine made a snowball and threw it at her brother. Soon, Eleanor and Emma joined the fun as they had the most magnificent snowball fight. When Katherine got too cold, they decided it was time to head back to the house. They carried the holly inside, changed into dry clothes, and then helped the servants finish decorating.

  “Good morning, Mama,” they chimed as she made her way through the great hall.

  “Good morning children. You are up bright and early,” said their mother. “Have you tried the fig pudding yet? Maybe we should sneak down to the kitchen for a taste.”

  The two younger children squealed with delight, as they followed their mother to the kitchen.

  The groomsmen and stable boys brought in the yule log. It was gigantic and required eight men to carry. Eleanor hugged Emma as they lit it; it felt like Christmas had arrived.

  Before dinner, Eleanor and Nathaniel’s engagement was announced, which created even more reason for the families to celebrate.

  Emma sat at the piano and played Hark the Herald Angels Sing, and Eleanor sat beside her and started singing. Nathaniel and Lord Satterfield then joined in, and it didn’t take long before the whole party was singing carols.

  The duchess took Eleanor aside and apologized for her behavior. Nathaniel came over and joined the conversation. Emma and Lord Satterfield soon followed.

  “Eleanor, Lord Satterfield had a splendid idea,” said Emma.

  “Well, I can’t think of anything that would make this Christmas Eve better, but please do tell,” said Eleanor, smiling.

  “Well, how would you and the duke feel about a double wedding?”

  “What a wonderful idea!” exclaimed the duchess.

  Nathaniel quickly chimed in, “Mama, I also think it is a fine idea, but I think we need to let Eleanor decide on that matter.”

  “You mean, we would marry tomorrow? On Christmas Day? But, I don’t have a dress,” said Eleanor.

  “Oh, but you just had that lovely blue gown made. I know it is not a wedding gown, but it’s so beautiful. You could wear that,” said Emma, happy with herself for coming up with a solution.

  Eleanor looked up at her betrothed, “Nathaniel, I would love to get married tomorrow. I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with you.”

  “My dearest, Eleanor. You have given me the best Christmas present that a man has ever received.”

  THE END

  Part XIII

  Christmas Wishes

  By Emily Williams

  1

  Charlotte

  England, October 1845

  The music was soft in my ears and I should have been dancing. I wanted to dance, but something was stopping me. The tight knot in my stomach wasn’t the issue, it was something else.

  “Charlotte, surely you are ready for a dance. Lord Tomline has been asking about you for the last hour.”

  Looking in the direction of the man she was talking about, I couldn’t help but wrinkle my nose. The earl may have been someone that many women were keen to meet and dance with. I was not one of those women. While he was rich, and even a little handsome, rumors about him made me uncomfortable. The rumors may have been untrue, but if there was any truth to them, Lord Tomline was the last person in the world that I wanted to dance with. He was a dangerous man.

  “No, I think I am going to enjoy some fresh air outside. It is getting quite warm in here.”

  All the moving bodies in the small drawing room made it seem stifling in the large house, but when the fresh air hit my face, I was able to breathe again. Elizabeth came out with me, though she kept looking back, which indicated she wanted to be in the midst of the party, not outdoors with me. She was there to see the Duke of Landry and everybody noticed their chemistry. The duke was a good man, and it was evident that he fancied Elizabeth.

  “Go back in, Elizabeth. I am quite all right out here by myself.”

  “Are you sure, Charlotte?”

  Her look was hopeful and I nodded my head that I was. The smile that spread across her face made me smile back, but when I turned around to look at the manicured gardens in front of me, a heartfelt pain formed in my chest. My thoughts turned to matrimony, as it was a topic Mama continually pushed. Lord Tomline was Mama’s first choice, but the thought of spending a lifetime with that man nearly brought me to tears. I wanted to marry for love, a concept foreign to my parents, who tolerated each other, but were never affectionate.

  The moon was bright and the glow transfixed my thoughts into a romantic dream. He snuck up behind me, and it was only when I heard a twig snap beneath his feet that I turned around with a start. He was so close to me that I took a step back. Anxiety overtook my senses, but I managed to portray a calm and collected presence, just as my governess had always taught me to behave.

  “Good evening, Lord Tomline. How are you this fine evening?”

  His dark eyes held mine so long that I looked away. It was as if he was trying to find a piece of my soul that he wanted to keep for himself. He was not supposed to be looking at me like that. He was too forward and the fact that we were alone made me even more nervous. Propriety was so important.

  “It is better now that I have had the privilege of finding you. You seem unwilling to dance, yet I have been saving a dance for you all night.”

  “So many were vying for your attention that I knew my presence would not be missed.”

  “You are wrong, Lady Charlotte. I only wanted your attention.”

  “Oh.”

  My answer was not elegant, but he caught me off guard. The dark grey eyes that held mine were hard to turn from, and it gave me a feeling of worry. Being along with him made me tremble, and I hoped he did not notice. My eyes began searching for an escape, but the only door was directly behind the earl. The internal instinct to escape welled up inside of me and became increasingly intense. Hopefully, he would let me pass. A part of me said he would not, but I still had to try.

  “Thank you for your company, Lord Tomline, but I must excuse myself. This evening is quite chilly and my shawl is inside.”

  I rubbed my arms for good measure as they were filled with bumps. The chill of the late autumn air was quite comfortable, but his pre
sence brought about a coldness that was bearing down on my whole being.

  “You just came outside just moments ago, Lady Charlotte. Surely I can think of some way to keep you warm.”

  He moved towards me and his stature was a vast contrast to my petite frame. He seemed larger than life as he came closer, and though I tried to hide my unease, fear widened my eyes as I more eagerly searched for an escape.

  “You must stop, Lord Tomline.”

  A stranger made his way out onto the balcony, unaware that he had just saved me from Lord Tomline’s clutches. Waving in the stranger’s direction, I managed to say, “Thank you for coming to find me. I am ready for the dance that I promised.”

  The stranger must have seen my unease and played along with the rouse. He offered his arm and we walked back indoors. The tension held in every muscle of my body released as we walked back into the house. Moments earlier, the room I was standing in seemed so confining, but it had now become a sanctuary as I made my escape from the earl. I was thankful to be free of him and hoped I could avoid him for the rest of the evening.

  “My name is Mr. Joseph Barker.”

  Finally, I looked up into the man’s eyes that I had grabbed. He was rather handsome, but it was the bright green eyes that made my heart still. They were staring at me with the same intensity that the earl had, but there was no malice in them. Instead, his eyes were kind and welcoming. Butterflies filled my stomach as I managed to regain my composure.

  “Lady Charlotte Rowan. Thank you for allowing me to be so forward. You can imagine that I am quite embarrassed. I don’t typically—”

  Mr. Barker cut me off, once again responding to my unease. “I can’t say that I usually meet women in such a way, but I am thankful that I was drawn outside.”